5 Great Movies You've Probably Never Heard Of

     Ah movies...they definitely hold a fond place in our hearts.  We here at the blog have spent countless hours arguing having gentlemanly debates about which movies top others, and which can be considered as horrible assaults on our senses (we're looking at you Transformers 2).  I think we can all agree that certain movies are mandatory viewing for everyone, but I also am sure that everyone has a few favorite movies that it seems like only they've seen.  So this is my list of some of my favorites that no one I know has ever heard of.  If you have, then you're probably either over 40, have impeccable taste in movies, or both.




5. Stop Making Sense

     As a young lad, I would often ride around with my dad in his 98 Mustang convertible, which at the time seemed like, hands down, the coolest car in the entire universe.  No joke.  During these rides, I remember listening to the strangest, yet coolest CD ever.  It was bizarre and unlike anything I'd ever heard before, and those goofy songs would be stuck in my head for days.  It wasn't until years later that I realized that that artist was Talking Heads, and it was the soundtrack to their concert movie, Stop Making Sense.  

     By that time I was a lot older, and more importantly, had an iPod.  Then my love for Talking Heads increased four fold, and I eventually saw the movie itself, mostly through youtube clips at first.  

     You've definitely got to have the right taste for this movie and the music.  It's strange.  At first only David Byrne, the lead singer, comes out and performs alone with a boombox and an acoustic guitar.  Then, piece by piece, the rest of the band is added until it's a high-energy, nonsensical explosion of greatness.  As far as concert movies go, this one is in a league of its own.  The best part though, is Byrne's ridiculously oversized suit.  Need proof?

Need I say more?

4.  A Hard Day's Night

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

     Anyone who knows me personally knows my obsession with the Beatles, so I'll keep this one brief so as not to seem like a gigantic fan-boy.  But seriously, this movie is great no matter who you are.

     Maybe I'm reaching, but I don't think that most people in my generation know that this movie exists.  Everyone has heard the song, but very, very, very few have seen the movie.  If you've ever wondered why the Beatles were so huge in the early 60s or what "Beatlemania" is all about, this is a movie for you.  From the classic scenes of them running from mobs of screaming girls, to the classic music that still holds up 50 almost 50 years later, this is a true classic.  It's a sort of fake documentary thing that follows John, Paul, George and Ringo as they go from place to place, causing trouble and trying to keep Paul's fictional grandfather from causing more trouble than all four of them combined.  

     If you enjoy the Beatles, British humor, or just life itself do yourself a favor and go rent the remastered version that came out a few years ago.  Better yet, buy it and watch it over, and over, and over again.

3. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

     Maybe you've at least heard of this one, but way too many people haven't in my opinion.  Or at least they hadn't before I left on my mission two and a half years ago.  If everyone has seen it in the time since, please feel free to come to my house and throw rocks at me.  

     This isn't technically a movie, so I'm cheating.  Joss Whedon (most famous for directing the Avengers movie) made it during the writers strike that we all forgot about 5 or so years ago.  It was released as three episodes, and is about 40 minutes long in total.  I first saw it thanks to my friend Jared at college, and have been sort of obsessed with it ever since.  It's the story of poor Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) as he tries to win over the girl of his dreams and simultaneously do enough dastardly deeds to get into the Evil League of Evil, two goals that ultimately prove incompatible.  On the surface it's a funny story with songs that are way better than you would think, but it's also surprisingly deep in it's themes and imagery, and has a great message of being careful what are top priorities are.  Plus did I mention it's hilarious?  

     Best of all, it's free.  Just google it and you'll be able to watch it immediately.  What are you waiting for?

2. Eddie and the Cruisers

In case you didn't guess it, this is Eddie.

     Now this is one that absolutely no one my age has even heard of.  And that's a shame.  This is a fake rock movie, that follows a small band from Jersey who finally makes it big.  And who doesn't love New Jersey these days?

     Eddie is your typical Bruce Springsteen type rocker who talks in a deep voice and says profound things in rock-and-roll slang.  Then there's the snarky bassist, the random backup singer girl, the drummer who I honestly don't even remember, and Wordman, a geeky dude who gets into the band because he writes lyrics and melodies more complex than "Betty Lou's got a new pair of shoes, wah ooo wah ooo wah ooo wah ooo."  And there's also a black guy who plays the saxophone and has almost no lines, but is by far the coolest out of all of them.  Without giving away plot points, the movie is actually set years after the band broke up due to Eddie's disappearance, as Wordman, back-up singer girl, and a reporter try to piece together some loose ends and find their last, unreleased record.  It went missing when Eddie went poof, and apparently they only made one copy and it also went poof.

     If you like music, movies from the 80s, and flashback sequences, then this is the movie for you.  

1.  Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

     Ha!  Surprise!  After four music related movies, who should sweep in and win the number one spot but the Dark Knight himself!  

     Most people consider the 90s to be a dark time for Batman, what with George Clooney and his bat-nipples and all.  But for some reason no when ever gives credit where credit is due, and proclaims this movie as the best pre-Christopher Nolan Batman movie.  I'm being serious.

     It probably gets overlooked just because it's animated, but this was an actual movie that came out in the theaters in 1993.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is Batman done right.  No camp.  No ice-skates.  A real, intriguing mystery.  And best of all, an excellent look into Bruce Wayne, the man himself.  You'll get to see what drives him, as it the movie chronicles via flashbacks his decision to become a bat and his overwhelming guilt and sense of urgency to protect Gotham from the kind of evil that destroyed his life.  Plus, the Joker is in it, and he's just about as chilling and maniacal as he was in the Dark Knight.  

     This one is mandatory for anyone who likes Batman or superhero movies in general.  It's only 76 minutes, so next time it's a dark, stormy night, be sure to pop some popcorn and give this a watch.  I promise you won't regret it.

But you will if you don't...