CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
Here's a selection of 10 films I feel are underrated, overlooked or otherwise lacking in exposure (and aren't already in my top 10):
1. The Five Rules of Success (d. Orson Oblowitz)
The director's third feature and the first one where he finally impressed me. A post-prison film about a convict trying to hustle his way up the 9 to 5 ladder while he ruminates on a personal ethos he invented to survive on the outside. It's filmed like a psychological horror at times, and feels very raw and oppressive.
2. After Midnight (d. Jeremy Gardner & Christian Stella)
Second feature by the guy who made that zombie apocalypse road movie The Battery. This is basically a romance piece masquerading as a monster movie (in a good way) and touching on subjects like existential terror, midlife crises etc. Really just a very well-made and atmospheric independent horror movie.
3. Waiting for the Barbarians (d. Ciro Guerra)
Strange how Guerra's latest seems to have gone under the radar considering how much praise Embrace of the Serpent received. This is a period film set in a non-eventful desert outpost on the outskirts of an unnamed empire. Johnny Depp delivers a particularly awesome portrayal of a contemptable Colonel who tortures people and fascistically bullies all those around him. Good shit, and quite stark.
4. Debt Collectors (d. Jesse V. Johnson)
Sequel to The Debt Collector by the guy who did shit like Savage Dog, Triple Threat and Avengement. If you love old school buddy action cinema as much as I do, don't miss the Debt Collector films. The action choreography is top notch, big emphasis on stuntwork, lots of funny bickering and banter. There's even a drawn out fight scene intended as an homage to the infamous one from They Live. Also; Scott Adkins.
5. Monsters of Man (d. Mark Toia)
I've talked about this cool little project in The Official Movie Thread already. Basically a guy who has been making adverts for years decided, with his wife, to fund their own film project utilizing what he'd learned. It's a very awesome and violent action movie about military combat robots who are deployed into a Golden Triangle village to test them on humans. Great use of CGI, almost reminds me of early Neill Blomkamp.
6. Arkansas (d. Clark Duke)
I had no intention to see this anytime soon, I assumed it would just be hipster dreck worth seeing once maybe. Directed by perpetual support actor Clark Duke, the only reason I purposely checked it out was because I was on a Liam Hemsworth kick after rewatching The Expendables 2 (which lead me to discover The Duel and Killerman which were both amazing). It turns out this is actually a very cool non-linear neo-noir black comedy crime flick. It basically depicts the building of a small criminal enterprise in the south starting in the 80's until present day, and how two low level criminals get caught up in a clusterfuck of moving pieces beyond their ability to see. I daresay it has an early Coens vibe to it at times.
7. Cut Throat City (d. The RZA)
The RZA's third film and so far for me his best, although it's been years since I watched The Man with the Iron Fists. This one is much more gritty and grounded though. Set immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina, four young desperate guys fall in with a local drug lord and start robbing small casinos. Really awesome cast, the settings looked pretty authentic too.
8. Villain (d. Philip Barantini)
I believe this is the director's debut, and it's a pretty good one. All the posters for this movie suck balls though, totally gives the wrong impression. You'd think it's just a cheap action movie with crappy CGI explosions starring aging British tough guy Craig Fairbrass etc, but Villain is actually a dark post-prison crime thriller about a guy trying to go straight but circumstances suck him back into his old life. Good stuff.
9. The Reckoning (d. Neil Marshall)
Even though Marshall has been on a decline since his early 00's glory days (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) I still feel a certain duty to check his stuff out. His Hellboy was okay for a popcorn comic book flick, pretty violent etc, but this one felt a lot more like the Neil Marshall I appreciate. Set during the times of the Black Death, a woman is accused by her landlord of being a witch after her sick husband hangs himself. Sean Pertwee who plays a witchfinder then tries to torture a confession from her while she deals with hallucinations about the devil and so on. Sean Pertwee is amazing in this and visually this is some old school twisted horror material. For me, this is a bit of a return-to-form for the director, hopefully he keeps it up.
10. Love and Monsters (d. Michael Matthews)
A very unfortunately titled and marketed movie (man the poster sucks) but actually a fucking great 'big monster' post-apocalyptic adventure flick. Also a very weird choice for a second feature from this guy, considering his debut Five Fingers for Marseilles was a post-apartheid neo-western gangster pic lmfao. I love weirdo directors. This one is about earth after weapons were used to destroy a meteor headed for it, the resulting explosion somehow causing all cold-blooded animals to mutate and become huge in size, and a young guy who lives in a bunker colony leaves to find a girl he loves and talks with over an old radio. Along the way he meets a clever dog and then two survivalists who teach him how to travel as safely as possible. Insanely creative and very fun. Basically a new twist on A Boy and His Dog.
Giant snails, crabs, lizards, centipedes, toads etc. No way in hell they don't do a sequel, spinoff series, video game or something.
1. The Five Rules of Success (d. Orson Oblowitz)
The director's third feature and the first one where he finally impressed me. A post-prison film about a convict trying to hustle his way up the 9 to 5 ladder while he ruminates on a personal ethos he invented to survive on the outside. It's filmed like a psychological horror at times, and feels very raw and oppressive.
2. After Midnight (d. Jeremy Gardner & Christian Stella)
Second feature by the guy who made that zombie apocalypse road movie The Battery. This is basically a romance piece masquerading as a monster movie (in a good way) and touching on subjects like existential terror, midlife crises etc. Really just a very well-made and atmospheric independent horror movie.
3. Waiting for the Barbarians (d. Ciro Guerra)
Strange how Guerra's latest seems to have gone under the radar considering how much praise Embrace of the Serpent received. This is a period film set in a non-eventful desert outpost on the outskirts of an unnamed empire. Johnny Depp delivers a particularly awesome portrayal of a contemptable Colonel who tortures people and fascistically bullies all those around him. Good shit, and quite stark.
4. Debt Collectors (d. Jesse V. Johnson)
Sequel to The Debt Collector by the guy who did shit like Savage Dog, Triple Threat and Avengement. If you love old school buddy action cinema as much as I do, don't miss the Debt Collector films. The action choreography is top notch, big emphasis on stuntwork, lots of funny bickering and banter. There's even a drawn out fight scene intended as an homage to the infamous one from They Live. Also; Scott Adkins.
5. Monsters of Man (d. Mark Toia)
I've talked about this cool little project in The Official Movie Thread already. Basically a guy who has been making adverts for years decided, with his wife, to fund their own film project utilizing what he'd learned. It's a very awesome and violent action movie about military combat robots who are deployed into a Golden Triangle village to test them on humans. Great use of CGI, almost reminds me of early Neill Blomkamp.
6. Arkansas (d. Clark Duke)
I had no intention to see this anytime soon, I assumed it would just be hipster dreck worth seeing once maybe. Directed by perpetual support actor Clark Duke, the only reason I purposely checked it out was because I was on a Liam Hemsworth kick after rewatching The Expendables 2 (which lead me to discover The Duel and Killerman which were both amazing). It turns out this is actually a very cool non-linear neo-noir black comedy crime flick. It basically depicts the building of a small criminal enterprise in the south starting in the 80's until present day, and how two low level criminals get caught up in a clusterfuck of moving pieces beyond their ability to see. I daresay it has an early Coens vibe to it at times.
7. Cut Throat City (d. The RZA)
The RZA's third film and so far for me his best, although it's been years since I watched The Man with the Iron Fists. This one is much more gritty and grounded though. Set immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina, four young desperate guys fall in with a local drug lord and start robbing small casinos. Really awesome cast, the settings looked pretty authentic too.
8. Villain (d. Philip Barantini)
I believe this is the director's debut, and it's a pretty good one. All the posters for this movie suck balls though, totally gives the wrong impression. You'd think it's just a cheap action movie with crappy CGI explosions starring aging British tough guy Craig Fairbrass etc, but Villain is actually a dark post-prison crime thriller about a guy trying to go straight but circumstances suck him back into his old life. Good stuff.
9. The Reckoning (d. Neil Marshall)
Even though Marshall has been on a decline since his early 00's glory days (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) I still feel a certain duty to check his stuff out. His Hellboy was okay for a popcorn comic book flick, pretty violent etc, but this one felt a lot more like the Neil Marshall I appreciate. Set during the times of the Black Death, a woman is accused by her landlord of being a witch after her sick husband hangs himself. Sean Pertwee who plays a witchfinder then tries to torture a confession from her while she deals with hallucinations about the devil and so on. Sean Pertwee is amazing in this and visually this is some old school twisted horror material. For me, this is a bit of a return-to-form for the director, hopefully he keeps it up.
10. Love and Monsters (d. Michael Matthews)
A very unfortunately titled and marketed movie (man the poster sucks) but actually a fucking great 'big monster' post-apocalyptic adventure flick. Also a very weird choice for a second feature from this guy, considering his debut Five Fingers for Marseilles was a post-apartheid neo-western gangster pic lmfao. I love weirdo directors. This one is about earth after weapons were used to destroy a meteor headed for it, the resulting explosion somehow causing all cold-blooded animals to mutate and become huge in size, and a young guy who lives in a bunker colony leaves to find a girl he loves and talks with over an old radio. Along the way he meets a clever dog and then two survivalists who teach him how to travel as safely as possible. Insanely creative and very fun. Basically a new twist on A Boy and His Dog.
Giant snails, crabs, lizards, centipedes, toads etc. No way in hell they don't do a sequel, spinoff series, video game or something.
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