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By
Karl Erikson
You’re bored
and you wanna watch a movie. You have a hundred movie channels and they’re
all playing the same four movies over and over again but in different
languages. I mean, how many times and in how many languages can you watch
“Star Wars”? “Luke, yo soy tu padre.” Or “Luke,
je suis ton pére.” So after hours of procrastinating you
rush off to the nearest video store. (Please be open, please be open).
You barrel through
the door, rushing your eyeballs feverishly down the aisle looking for
something new. Oh crapola, you’ve already seen all the new releases
you want to see and everything else on the shelves you don’t care
about. What. Are. You. To. Do?
Let me help.
But first, if you
haven’t seen the movie “Garden State,” directed by Zack
Braff (He’s from the TV show “Scrubs” and he’s
from N.J.), get up, get out and get to the theater. It’s an amazing
movie for this first-time director. It’s filled with interesting
characters and has a smart and mature plot. I’ve seen it twice.
OK, now, just because
a movie is a little older doesn’t mean it’s bad. I’m
gonna give you a list of some fantastic movies that not many people know
about. And if you have seen some of these movies before, then why haven’t
you told anybody?
Shall we begin? If
you enjoyed “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Rushmore,”
you will love Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson’s first movie, “Bottle
Rocket.” Directed by Anderson and starring Owen Wilson and his brother
Luke, this is a fine film about three men off to start a life of crime.
Throw in some misadventures and a little romance and the result is a group
of memorable characters you’ll fall in love with. Lively performances
by all, including James Caan, who plays Mr. Henry.
Next on the list is
“Dummy.” Steven (Adrien Brody) is a man in his late twenties
who still lives at home with his crazed parents and weird older sister.
(If this reminds you of yourself, it’s only coincidence.) He has
nothing going on in his life, and he has just been fired from his job.
Taking the advice of his wacked-out friend Fangora (Milla Jovovich), Steven
purchases a ventriloquist dummy and works the small-time comedy circuit
in the local area. This does not make his parents happy but does win him
the heart of his job counselor. This is a cute story with some really
odd but funny situations. Brody fans will love his performance.
In “Love Liza,”
Philip Seymour Hoffman is GREAT! This sad dark comedy was written by Philip’s
brother Gordy. Wilson’s (Hoffman) life spins out of control and
goes up in smoke after his wife’s suicide. Unable to read the note
left behind for him, Wilson engulfs himself in a bad habit. But not all
is bad. He does manage to build relationships with friends, co-workers
and his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates). Great depiction of character but
this movie might be too sad and a bit slow for some viewers. But HEY,
give it a shot.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s
career has really take off these past few years in movies like “The
Good Girl” and “The Day After Tomorrow,” but before
all that we visit the year 2001. “Donnie Darko” is a well
thought-out dark movie about time travel and the ultimate sacrifice. This
is a psychological thriller about Donnie coming to turns with his destiny.
He is visited by an eerie rabbit that shows him the past and the future.
Very realistic feel from the actors and a hell of a cast with Jena Malone,
Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze and Noah
Wyle.
Other movies high
on my list are “The Station Agent” (filmed in N.J.), Three
O’clock High (my favorite movie of all time). Everything in this
movie is great, the cinematography, the acting and its continuity, the
characters, and the plot. It’s a fun movie from 1988. And you should
especially rent it if you liked the other ‘80s classics like “Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off” and “Better off Dead.”
Hmm. What else is
there? How about “Tadpole,” “Scotland, PA” and
“Lansdown.” Lansdown was filmed by a group of friends from
Hillsborough.
People, I hope I was
able to help you out. If there are any other movies out there that deserve
more credit and attention please lets us know, especially if the movie
has ANYTHING to do with New Jersey.
So, now on Friday
and Saturday night, after you have finished reading all those painful
chapters and doing your homework, you should go out and treat yourself
to one of these wonderful movies. Hey, I said after your homework!
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