Ah, one of those listing sortta' threads:
Bladerunner is right at the top. It has got everything: robots, guns, romance, christ symbols, "did you get your precious photos?" “If you’re not cop, you’re little people!” I have seen this movie (all three versions: Director's cut, the original, and the video version with extra violence footage) in a number of states of consciousness, and it never fails to reveal new things.
Another sci-fi that kicks ass is They Live. Likely John Carpenter's best film ever. It's got all it needs to be the social commentary that it is. I mean, when you make a movie that reveals the subliminal programming that they want you to sleep to ("Marry and Reproduce" "This is your God" printed on the money, etc.) you can't go wrong! And you can't go wrong with Rowdy Roddy Piper as your lead man, especially when you have him wrestle the other "hero" for a full eleven minutes of screen time!
I like almost any David Lynch work, but I gotta' say that Lost Highway and The Straight Story are his best, and damn I've never seen so many people smoke in a Disney film (and was quite surprised to see Lynch and Disney joining forces!).
Another David that does good stuff is Cronenburg. Existenz was quite a trip (and made a nice complement to The Matrix): mmm, goopy, and ya' can't beat Scanners for the best head blowing up scene ever filmed!
Starship Troopers is pretty damn smokin' for a social commentary as well (fight these bugs or you can’t have kids; “do you want to know more?”—no, of course not!; beautiful genetically modified individuals everywhere—oh the vanity!; check Rico’s nonprogress—he never becomes his own man, only ever does what he is told and mimics others, thus, does not ever have the freedom that his instructor at school tells him of, thus, never really becomes a man).
There are other flicks that have already been mentioned that are on my hit list: Pi (need I really say anything? Hasidic Jews looking for God, corporate losers looking for the cash cow, and , only one man who is only looking for answers to his own questions, in the end, these others make him a martyr, even though he inflicts the wounds), The Warriors (the original gangland movie, and only two guns in the whole film!), Repo Man (because it explains synchronicity by way of “a plate of shrimp,” that and it generally portrays a real interesting dystopian future), Deadman (because anything with the premise of a mistaken identity regarding William Blake has to be good), and Run Lola Run (because movies that do what this movie does are priceless! Plus really good soundtrack).
The whole of The Evil Dead trilogy is tops. The first is actually kind of frightening, the second is brilliant in it’s darker than black humour, and the third is simply the silliest thing ever filmed! My friend and I went to Army of Darkness for a Sunday matinee after we had smoked a copious amount of hash. I am surprised with all our hootin’ and hollerin’ that we didn’t get thrown out—I suppose being two of the five people in the theater probably played in our favour! But the best Zombie movie ever is Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive: zombies having sex, the lawnmower scene, “I kick as for the Lord,” the custard scene, mother, etc.
Richard Linklater makes great films! Both Waking Life and Slacker are wonderful, and well worth at least a couple of viewings, and his Suburbia is dead on with it’s portrayl of life in such an environment.
Ya’ can’t go wrong with Hardcore Logo. This is a band reunion road trip movie whose ending will stick with you forever! And as far as road trip movies go Highway 61 is top notch. Ah, Mr. Skin would cheat at Bingo if only it were possible!
Can’t go wrong with Le Denuire Combat (sp?).
As far as the portrayal of the magickal journey goes, nothing beats Alexandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain. This is by far the best movie for the aspiring magickian! El Topo and Sante Sangre are also damn fine films that contain much of Jodorowsky’s brilliance. But nothing touches the mountain!
Well, that is what I can think of for now, but I am sure that I’ve left out other films that have really made an impact on me...c’est la vie!
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