Movies For Chuckles

My little brother, now nicknamed "Chuckles," and I have watched a number of movies this last winter break and perpetually appalled each other by admitting our own failures to see obviously great films the other knows and loves. To correct this injustice, we each will make/have made a list of ten movies that the other one has not seen but should. However, I found this two-person interaction quite limited so am posted my list on this here Internet machine.

Remember, these are not my top films, just ones I feel more people should see. I tried to give the list some variety and factored in general entertainment. Also, I should concede this list was more difficult than I expected, as Chuckles wasn't as deprived of great films as I originally feared. If he actually makes a list, I might post that on here too, as I am quite curious and pride myself on having experienced the Top 65 films on IMDB, 78 of AFI's Top 100 and 78 of WGA's Top 101 screenplays.

The list, in no real order:

NETWORK - This movie decries television news twenty years before The Daily Show ran CNN bloopers. Featuring devastating monologues and horrifyingly hilarious (and insightful) social commentary, NETWORK becomes meta-corrupted itself as the naturalistic style slowly but inevitably blends to stark and alienating absurdity.

ANNIE HALL - I can't think a movie that fully captures the pain, love, anxiety and comedy of relationships as completely as this one. The last Best Picture winner to be considered a comedy, this film is Woody Allen at his best in writing, acting and directing. Also, look for early celeb cameos.

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH - Charlie Kaufaman's mind-bending screenplay is really expanded upon by director Spike Jonze. Because of it's cold and alienating characters (they have heart, too), this film hasn't received the vast-reaching, warm embrace of young people like it's Kaufman-counterpart: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES: Yes, the title tells you how the movie ends, but the journey to get to that point is truly exceptional and relevant to modern times (see: celebrity culture). Brad Pitt shines once again as a sociopath, but was generally panned by audiences who wanted a more Brad Pitt-esque Jesse James.

M - Banned by the Nazis (proving its greatness), this film finds and burrows itself into the realm of moral ambiguity in a world that is usually seen as black and white. Plot: Criminals team up to find a child killer because the police are cracking down on other forms of vice in the city, exploding moral frustrations among the immoral deviants.

THE FALL - One of the most beautifully shot films of the last decade, this film rises above eye-candy status as a truly remarkable movie thanks to its earnest story. Failing to create any cookie-cutter characters or relationships, the story is a tragedy begging to be a fairy tale. Also, great end credit sequence showing footage of 1920s stunt acting.

MODERN TIMES - Charlie Chaplin's last movie about his iconic character, The Tramp, this story reaches across all society affected by the Great Depression--with timeless relevance. It's wacky, it's witty, it's heartfelt and holds some of the other best comedic stunts of the 20th century.

SUNSHINE - This over-looked sci-fi film shows how one plays in a financial sandbox others would deem too small. Like all sci-fi, one has to allow the story teller a fantastical concept, but unlike most sci-fi films, SUNSHINE holds up its end of the promise and remains real, original and symbolic the rest of the time. And it's just another movie that uses exceptional cinematography to enhance the story.

TOUCH OF EVIL - Orson Welles writes, directs and stars opposite of Charlton Heston in this 1958 crime drama. Shot with all the deliberateness and ground-breakingness of the dreary CITIZEN KANE, this smaller production moves quick and isn't afraid to slap you with a joke before running away to the next scene. Welles himself plays a natural blend of Chief Wiggum and Dick Cheney that makes him so entertaining you just might fall a step behind him.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO - An earlier film by Hayao Miyazaki--who just may be the only animation storyteller keeping Pixar honest--, this movie's demographic is far from limited to its little girl protagonist. Capturing the life of children so indisputably would warrant this movie's status alone; however it also shows, more than any other film, why and how traditional animation is still a viable medium of storytelling and imagination.

Please feel welcome to comment on this, especially to suggest other films--everyone knowing that you cannot possibly know every film I (or Chuckles) have and haven't seen.