A Small List of Recommended Films

A List of Films That Some Readers May Not Have Seen or Heard About

As Hollywood continues to suffer from creative and artistic bankruptcy, which in turn has led to a dearth of any decent films over the past few years, many are in search for recommendations for excellent or otherwise worthwhile films they have not seen or heard of. Towards that end, I bring my readers a small list of personal favorites that, while excellent (with a couple of exceptions that are merely good or even just interesting) may not have been seen or known about by all. As this list focuses on films that some may not have seen or know about, please note this list does not generally include the most renowned masterpieces that everyone should have seen several times already. Such obvious entries include Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Casino, or Blade Runner, Back to the Future, or Terminator or Terminator T2, Fargo, and so on. With that preamble, here follows some of Richard Parker’s personal favorite films that some may not have seen.

Election (1999), starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. I hope most on here have seen it but I fear far too many have not. On the verge of being a cult classic, if I was forced at gun-point to name one and only one favorite film, this may be my favorite movie of all-time. It offers a searing, devastating attack on the profession of teaching in this country, and offers biting commentary on this nation’s twisted notions about what meritocracy means. The film concerns Tracy Flick, an over-achieving goody two-shoes who runs for class President unopposed. Mr. McAllister sees another side to Tracy most are unaware of, and decides to do whatever it takes to stop her. This film receives the very highest possible recommendation. It is an absolute masterpiece. And even though it may never receive the universal acclaim it so richly deserves, it is nonetheless one of the greatest films ever made. As a side note, the election speech of Tammy Metzler perfectly encapsulates this country’s distorted conceptions about meritocracy, revealing the true motives of why most bother with extracurricular activities. Readers should expect my own analysis and review at some point soon. Some other excellent films by Alexander Payne are also recommended in passing: Nebraska (2013), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), and The Holdovers (2023).

Night Crawler (2014). This film is over ten years old now. Although the film seems to offer what some might consider a leftist perspective, its critique of hyper capitalism as a predatory force is spot on. Jake Gyleenhaal plays a chilling sociopath who stumbles upon the lucrative enterprise of capturing live footage of various crimes, accidents, and other stories for local news. Astute viewers will notice how often the manner he speaks is synonymous with corporate jargon in modern America.

They Live (1988). One would assume most are quite familiar with this cult classic by John Carpenter, but if not, here it is. The film stars Roddy Rowdy Piper, and despite the director’s emphatic assertions to the contrary, resistant viewing has interpreted the film as an analogy concerning the Jewish question and a hostile elite in this country.

Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun) (1979). Fassbinder was a lefty “good” German, but I find this commentary on modern, post-war West Germany even more suitable for a rightist perspective.¹ The film offers a rather grotesque portrayal of Adenauer’s post war West Germany, and I believe portends Finis Germania. The opening scene and credits alone make the film worthwhile. After depicting the doomed wedding of the Brauns interrupted by an Allied bombing raid as the couple detain the pastor long enough to sign their wedding papers before he scampers off to safety, the credits roll with a haunting sound collage juxtaposing the third movement of Beethoven’s Ninth symphony with the sounds of World War II, a baby crying, sporadic gun fire from an MP-40 machine pistol and other automatic weapons, ball bearings and the humming engine from a panzer, and other sounds of war, which all then yield to the haunting drone of a German air raid siren. The film starts off in the immediate aftermath of the war, with Eva dealing on the black market, doing what she can to feed her family while desperately hoping her husband, presently unaccounted for, returns home from the Eastern Front. The film offers an unflattering portrayal of how American GIs fraternized with German women after the war, and the first act alone, the particulars of which will not be divulged, is rage inducing. After the first act, the film then carries itself as a sort of allegory for modern western Germany and the budding economic miracle. The director is leftist, but the film is easily repurposed for those with a far-right, populist perspective. With certain decisions and actions in the first act excepted, Hanna Schygulla is incredibly alluring, a paragon of German womanhood who exemplifies a certain ideal for living, or at least her character would if not prostituting herself in the midst of the hyper-capitalist Wirtschaftswunder.

Wir Sind die Nacht (We are the Night) (2013). Another excellent exemplar of modern German cinema. This movie starts out with all the trimmings of horrible feminist claptrap, as the film depicts a cabal of lipstick lesbian and bisexual women vampires in modern day Berlin. There are no male vampires because the female vampires killed them all, somehow. When I first saw the description of the film as touted in various summaries, I was convinced I was going to hate this film and what it stands for, and decided only to watch it for the purposes of resistant viewing, to be better aware of the subversive elements in modern culture, particularly modern German culture. Despite how it is billed in trailers and various descriptions, by the final act the film subverts and indeed negates such modern hyper feminist overtones, as the ending turns the “boss bitch, lesbo bisexual vampire” bit on its head. Indeed, the film is ultimately a rebuttal against what the cabal of female vampires espouses, ultimately showing viewers that men and women need one another, and that marriage and motherhood are better suited to the well-being of both women and society as a whole. Those who watch it will understand how. One interesting detail that sticks out: the 16 year old nymph in the cabal of women vampires makes a comment that being a vampire allows her to snort all the cocaine she wants, never get fat, and stay forever young. What girl would not want that, she asks. Fateful words. See it.

Cold In July (2014). While the film does not really make any sharp political or cultural commentary, the film is highly entertaining as it moves between different genres mid-stream, offering a suspense thriller to start, before venturing into the sort of misfit buddy thriller that defined certain films particularly in the 80s, the time period in which the movie is set. The latter half of the film offers some excellent black comedy relief. There are many twists and turns, even early in the film. One interesting instance in the film relates to how sometimes when a person recommends that a person not do something, sometimes saying a person should not do that thing guarantees that person will do what he is implored not to, for his own benefit.

Faults (2014). This film is about a former cult expert who was made somewhat successful and famous from 80s daytime talk shows, who has since been disenfranchised and down on his luck. He attempts to return to some of his former glory as he is hired to deprogram a woman who he has been led to believe has been snared into a cult. There is a lot of social commentary about American society as dystopic but I will refrain from providing further details. A very interesting but also disturbing film that is worth seeing.

Big Fan (2009). A review and analysis of this film was written by yours truly. This film offers a pretty devastating portrayal of a pathetic super fan of the New York Giants. And yes Patton Oswalt is insufferable, but the movie is still essential viewing. Watch this film, and then read my review and analysis.

Die Welle (2008). A German remake of that afterschool special about the Wave experiment. I recommend viewing this for “resistant viewing,” as well as the original after school special that it is a remake of. In the original, the stupid wave salute is goofy. But, it is nonetheless the case that order, discipline, and structure allowed the class to cover more material and learn more with far greater focus, and students who were formerly outcast were excelling. The narratives in both versions seek to warn the viewer about the supposed evils of fascism, but both films show the class has overall improved, the students enjoy a close-knit community that had not existed before, this among other advantages. This seems almost like an own-goal to me. Die Welle is superior to the after-school special that it is a remake of, both of which readers should watch.

The Drop (2014). This film is set in the criminal underworld in Boston. First, it refutes notions about so-called white privilege. But I also like it because Tom Hardy's character is illustrative of many things one should "grow on." Sometimes the wise man as well as the dangerous man is the silent one. The film is notable as it was James Gandolfini’s final role before his death.

Affliction (1999). The film concerns Wade Whitehouse, and his trauma from surviving an abusive, alcoholic father. This film shows the importance of having a decent father, while exploring some of the torments of being a white male in this country. That ex-wife of his is a piece of work, and his estranged daughter is becoming just like her. Anyone who dares talk about white privilege should be made to see this movie and then made to shut up. This is a hidden masterpiece, as the ending climax includes one of the most profoundly symbolic vignettes in cinema. Highly recommended.

Supersize Me (2004) McDonald’s and fast food are anathema to us all. I wish the film explored how McDonald’s serves as an avatar of American “cultural” imperialism. No McDonalds restaurant should be left standing in Germany or anywhere in Europe. Spurlock, who recently died, was a lefty, and there are certainly problems with an experiment with a sample size of one, but I for one stand by the film regardless. The film is beset by new controversy just before his death, as in the wake of the #metoo movement, Spurlock confessed to having drank regularly since he was 13. One operative sentence has been used to discredit and malign the film; “I have not been sober for more than a week since I was 13.” Critics of the film have used this sentence to infer that he was drunk throughout the filming of the documentary, and that his alcoholism, not the poisonous slop offered by McDonald’s, explains the condition his liver was in at the end. I for one remain unconvinced. The word “sober” of course can mean different things. On one hand, it can mean being free from a state of absolute inebriation from alcohol. For those who regard themselves as alcoholics and who have decided it is imperative to abstain from alcohol together, the word sober can also mean absolute abstention from any alcohol whatsoever. I am unaware of any proof that Spurlock was regularly inebriated throughout the filming of his series. He ought to have abstained from alcohol altogether for the integrity of the project. But I have seen no evidence that he was in a constant or regular state of inebriation throughout the film.

Blade Runner 2049 (2018). I was quite concerned when this was announced, as Blade Runner is one of the greatest films ever made, the legacy of which should not be trifled with lightly. Blade Runner 2049 is a masterpiece in its own right and it is criminal this was not financially successful. More Disney retreads and Star Wars abominations are in our future, it would seem. That stated, the film grapples with themes such as memory, free will, the notion of humanity in its own unique way. The character Joi, played by Ana de Armas, offers certain parallels to men who resort to cam girls for fraternization, pornography addiction, and the coming specter of simulated, AI companions that will come absent a proper response to deal with such a menace. It is true no one in the film matches the immortal performance of Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty. It is still an excellent film even if there are no particular moments or scenes that quite live up to Roy’s final soliloquy.

Zero Charisma. (2013). This lower budget film does not have the technical prowess or flair that many of the films on this list have. It is not an excellent film, by any stretch, but it is a good film that is certainly interesting and thought-provoking. The film concerns this loser and misfit, Scott Weidermeyer. He lives with his grandmother, and centers his life around fantasy Dungeons and Dragons type games with his cadre of misfit friends. His role as dungeon master and leader of his cadre is threatened when a new fellow, Miles, is introduced, who represents the sort of chic new geek, and whose success in life, including a successful website on popular culture and a hot girlfriend, irks Scott. Scott is a pathetic figure, somewhat similar to Paul from Big Fan. Viewers may have more empathy for him during the second act when his mother comes to stay, as certain details emerge demonstrating the importance of strong father figureheads and the pernicious evil that is single motherhood, particularly in the guise of some boomer hippie hag who has subjected her son to neglect, abandonement, and pyschological abuse, as well as much more in all likelihood.

Cross of Iron (1977) offers an interesting narrative from the German perspective. The film is unique as it shows German soldiers from a humanist perspective. The film is a bit on the nose with its anti-war, post-war perspective. The manner in which Sergeant Steiner, played by James Coburn, talks back to his commanding officer, the colonel, at one point in the film beggars belief. Note the one German solider who wears a soviet cap with a hammer and sickle, the symbolism of which hits the viewer with a proverbial sledgehammer. It would amost certainly not be tolerated at all by any commanding officer. The 1970s haircuts also detract from the authenticity of the film, although the movie does feature authentic German and Soviet vehicles. The scene depicting Steiner’s convalescence at a soldier’s hospital is particularly haunting. Despite some of its flaws, the film is superior to Stalingrad from 1993, mostly because the creators of that film could not stop themselves from indulging in war guilt, as seen most apparently from the hollow caricature of the evil German officer as depicted by Hauptmann Haller. This, Stalingrad, and das Boot may be all the only films we ever see depicting any aspect of World War II from the German perspective.

Cross of Iron is particularly notable with its opening credits sequence, reproduced below, which juxtaposes Hänschen Klein with a montage of footage from the Nazi period, first from the 30s before war broke out, then images showing at first victory after victory with seeming invincibility. At first Hänschen Klein is merely interrupted by a few notes of the film’s main theme, a piece made to sound reminscent of German marching music composed for this film, with the children’s song then resuming, with the prelude to the main theme interrupting a couple more times for a couple seconds. Midway through, the music then switches to the main theme in earnest, as images pivot from pre-war rallies and early and mid-war victories to images of defeat after impending defeat, as well as images of the Red Army flying the soviet banner over the ruins of the Reichstag and doomed German soldiers in Soviet captivity after the destruction of the Sixth Army in the Stalingrad pocket, before going back to some pre-war footage of Hitler with the Hitler youth and a spattering of scenes during the triumphant years intermixed with images of defeat and capitualtion. Similar to the opening of Die Ehe der Maria Braun, the sound collage also features samples of intermittent gun fire and occasional artillery explosions. In the last fifty seconds or so, the music closes with a drum roll that picks up from the percussion heard earlier in the theme. That drum roll conveys a certain pending doom associated with the Eastern Front after 1942, as the historical images then blend in with brief segments of Steiner while on patrol, ending in a final artillery explosion as the film then begins in earnest with Steiner and his men in action while infiltrating a Russian outpost. The montage is incredibly moving to anyone who seeks to understand or sympathizes with the German perspective, or admires the incredible but tragic fighting prowess of the vaunted deutsche Wehrmacht. The ending, which I will not give away, is incredibly moving and unforgettable in its own right.

Mean Girls and Heathers. I would hope everyone has seen these films but just in case anyone has not, they are included out of an abundance of caution. Mean Girls sums up the state of the most attractive white women in this country, and it is a mentality they never really grow out of. Heathers is a cult classic that foresaw the Columbine school shooter phenomenon. Both films offer a searing indictment of American high school life as an institution and cultural phenomenon.

The Lost Children of Rockdale County--a PBS Frontline documentary about an outbreak of syphilis among teens and preteens in white suburban music. Rap music, racial intermingling are shown to play a role. This important documentary is discussed and analyzed at length in “American Degeneracy Laid Bare.”

Stroszek (1977). Ian Curtis saw this just before he committed suicide. This is admittedly a very depressing film. I do admire how this kooky West German Werner Herzog shows how America is at best something he is ambivalent about. The ending, which will not be spoiled, is so utterly profound as a metaphor of man’s existential plight.

Hell or High Water(2016). Highest recommendation. The film concerns two brothers who rob the bank that is about to foreclose on their home once oil has been discovered, and use the proceeds from these robberies to pay the bank the outstanding balance before the property has been seized. This film offers great commentary about banks, generational wealth, and generational poverty, and how many ordinary white Americans have been disenfranchised by this dystopic society. When readers view the film, they are directed to look out for a scene where the investigating detectives order steaks, offering some of the best comic relief in film.

The Hunt (2012). A male teacher in a small Danish town, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is wrongfully accused of molesting a little girl, who was fed this idea by all sorts of leading questions. The film offers an important warning about the dangers of mass hysteria and the mob mentality.

Hereditary (2018) offers a wonderful but incredibly disturbing and authentically creepy parable on generational trauma and how the individual can be overwhelmed by the genetic and familial legacy he is born into.

Can’t Buy Me Love (1987.) This film has been discussed in this comparative review of that film and Tom Wolf’s I am Charlotte Simmons, and again in this essay concerning the insult “incel” and how that insult invokes certain stereotypes that do not account for the roles that social proof and hyerpgamy play in female attraction. The film concerns Ronald, a nerd, who pines for Cindy Mancini, the hottest girl at his school, played by the tragic beauty Amanda Peterson, who died rather young. Cindy gets herself in a bit of trouble wearing her mother’s suede outfit at a kegger the girl throws while her mother is out of town, as one of the jocks spilled wine on her by accident. The stain will not come out, and she cannot come up with the $1500.00 (about $4,000 dollars today). Ronald discerns this while watching from afar, and he offers to replace the garment with money from his telescope fund. In exchange, Cindy agrees to date him for a month. Ronald soon discovers that on the basis of this approval from the hottest girl in school, apparent interest from Cindy creates sexual interest from her friends. On the basis of this observation, Ronald breaks up with Cindy before she does per their agreement, and finds he is suddenly in high demand from the girls who had regarded him with open disdain and ridicule. The film admittedly does not have nearly the same comedic chops as more renowned 80s teen comedies such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and a few others, but the film more than makes up for it with its unique insights into human sexuality, particularly in relation to this important dynamic of female sexuality. Highly recommended.

Stalingrad (1993) I am reluctant to put this here because the director and writer could not help but indulge in the usual sort of Kriegschuld. One of the few war films from the German perspective we are allowed to see, such that it is.

The Babadook (2014). I struggle to call this a horror film. Whatever one calls it, it offers excellent commentary on the nature of loss and psychological trauma and dealing with the past. Highly recommended.

Insomnia (2002), Directed by Christopher Nolan, this is an interesting film with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Pacino is a renowned detective from California who flies out to Alaska to investigate the death of a teenage girl. The detective suspects Walter Finch, played by Williams, and a cat and mouse game ensues.

A Ghost Story (2017). This film is about a man who dies at the very beginning of the film and haunts the house he lived in with his wife. The film is impossible to comment on without divulging important details. Highly recommended.

Mother’s Day (2010). A quasi remake of a low budget horror from 1980, the film was largely panned by critics. The film is by no means excellent cinema, but it is an interesting film, mostly if not only because of the performance of Rebecca De Mornay, whose character oscillates between some caricature of a June Cleaver conservative woman and an abject sadist and psychopath. Cognitive dissonance or abject hypocrisy? Let the viewers decide. There are some depictions of truly horrible, sadistic violence, so viewer discretion is advised.

The Machinist (2004) stars Christian Bale, as a machinist stricken with insomnia while also starving himself in the process. As the film goes on, he learns of a terrible incident in his recent past that he had blocked out. The film has an eerie soundtrack that provides a perfect setting for the film’s narrative. Bale lost a lot of weight for this role, before he then bulked back up to play Batman in Batman Begins. An excellent film that deserves more recognition.

Coraline and Corpse Bride are two animated features that will be recommended in passing, withoujmt further comment. Hopefully this list will present some films that many readers are unfamilar with. Readers are encouraged to leave comments with reactions to any of these films, or with recommedations of their own.

1. It may be of interest to some that the film is currently available, for free, on youtube.