It rises above the genre into the realm of art film with a political edge. Groove: Requiem in the Key of Ski (1991) - This is quite simply the greatest ski film-no, not just ski but extreme sports film-ever made.
But this gem has two special elements: the visage of Jeanne Moreau and a score from Miles Davis that jazz critic Phil Johnson called “the loneliest trumpet sound you will ever hear and the model for sad-score music ever since. In this case it’s a faulty elevator that literally does the trapping. It follows the noir template: a bad decision and fate trap man in a web from which there is no escape. In my campaign to watch them all, one that stayed with me is this 1957 Louis Malle classic. Like many great films, this one is dominated by the villain, Archie (Wallace Langham), an intellectual heavyweight who raises his nefarious deeds to the level of art as the leader of the Vigils’ campaign to reek havoc on the psyche of the rebel.Įlevator To The Gallows (1957) - As the great era of the film noir gets further and further behind us, classics like Double Indemnity or Touch Of Evil remain on best ever lists while lesser knowns are in danger of slipping away. The music of the ’80s is a key layer, ending with memorable use of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”. The secret society known as “The Vigils” is brought in to squash the rebellion. The plot revolves around a student’s dilemma when he refuses to follow orders and sell chocolates for the school. But films cannot be slaves to their sources and the ending here is sufficiently complex. The Chocolate War (1988) - Keith Gordon’s surrealistic debut about the tough road faced by an anti-conformist was criticized for playing with the book’s ending and not delivering the author’s intent. But fear not, as the slow pacing will carefully build and lead to the encounter all fans of Samurai pictures crave even if this one involves a bit of sitting around and talking while blood spills from open wounds. Delicate scenes that would be instantly tedious in the hands of a mediocre director are somehow intensely compelling when handled by the master Yoji Yamada. He works a boring job, is a good man who avoids conflict, and takes care of his ill mother and young daughters. Unlike most Samurai movies, it is not dominated by action but rather tells the tale of the everyday life of a poor, dirty, smelly and terribly unlucky low ranking Samurai. The Twilight Samurai (2002) - Huge in Japan and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, this is not the type of picture to garner much hype in America. Their encounters are delicate dances that both of these heavyweight actors clearly relish. Unforgettable are Graham’s tete-a-tetes with the detective trying to catch him in a slip up, played by the great Will Patton.
When he accidentally commits a little murder, Graham is not punished, but rather his life and career are energized not a message for the masses but hilarious and gripping. Their work can be viewed on their website: They are presently at work on their follow up feature.Ī Shock To The System (1990) - Graham (Michael Caine) is a murderous advertising executive whose nagging wife (Swoosie Kurtz) won’t stop reminding him of his failures in this 1990 film that slipped under the radar most likely due to its intensely dark humor.
The Hitchcockian noir, set and shot on location in The Hamptons, was the last film of the great Roy Scheider. Playa516 is the nom de guerre of the writing/directing/producing team of Benjamin Cummings & Orson Cummings whose last feature was If I Didn’t Care (which can be found on Netflix under its alternative title, Blue Blood). Up first, a brief biography of our esteemed guests, followed by this month’s edition of Netflix Hidden Gems… If you too have a stack of Netflixable titles that you think are overlooked, or if you are inspired to make your own creative playlist the way the cool kids used to make mix tapes, send ‘em to this address: clinkAThammertonailDOTcom. After last month’s open call in which we suggested readers submit their own Netflix Hidden Gems titles, we were quite pleased to receive this fine list from the filmmaking duo Playa516.
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