MAKING THE CASE FOR AFTER M*A*S*H

It has been said that M*A*S*H is being played on a television station somewhere in the world every second of every day. It is the most popular show in television history and almost without question the greatest and most important TV series ever made. However, the same can not be said for it’s successor. Well, I’ve been protesting that fact for over a decade now. After M*A*S*H is a very good, dare I say excellent series. It was nominated for Emmys and the first season finished number ten in the ratings. When you hear people talk about this show you’d think it was a total failure. Keep in mind that these people haven’t seen the series since the early 80s so they are simply combining their extremely vague recollection of the series combined with reviews from idiots like TV Guide who called After M*A*S*H one of the worst TV shows of all-time. Well, thanks to VHS bootlegs I’ve watched the entire series 3 times in the last few years so I’m here to tell you the truth about After M*A*S*H. The pilot episode may be one of the best episodes of the series. The pilot along with many season 1 episodes are on par quality wise with episodes of M*A*S*H. We see Potter, Klinger and Mulcahy come together at a veterans hospital in Missouri. Now this may be a far cry from what the fans would have liked to see (Hawkeye, BJ and Hot Lips is probably what most were hoping for), but these three are huge talents and although we were no longer at the 4077, we still got to see the trials and tribulations of some fine actors. Sure we get to see their home lives, but most of the action takes place at the VA hospital. After coming home from Korea the three main players soon learn that bureaucratic nonsense makes it just as hard to care for our soldiers in Missouri as it was in Korea. This is where the fun comes in though because Potter, Klinger and the padre have to scheme ways to do their jobs properly and the help the people who protected our country. The older vets also help to provide plenty of laughs. In fact I consider this show funnier than the final season of M*A*S*H which had to take on a more serious tone as they knew they were going to call it a day. I can not recommend the first season of this show highly enough to fans of the original series or the movie or simply to fans of comedic dramas. This is grade A stuff!
   Then came season 2. From the moment I saw the new intro I knew something was up. Suddenly we had a serious show with hints of comedy instead of a comedy with hints of drama. Outside of the main three guys from M*A*S*H we saw drastic changes in the cast. They replaced three secondary players including Potter’s wife for some reason. Also the series seems to shift gears to put 90% of the focus onto Klinger. Jamie Farr is great, but as long as you have Harry Morgan and William Christopher in your cast you might as well use them. Even an appearance from Colonel Flagg can’t save this season which I’d call mediocre at best. Perhaps this is where some of the low opinions of the show come from since these episodes would have been the last ones seen by viewers of the short lived series. I do believe though that the series would have easily coasted through a few more seasons had CBS in their infinite wisdom not moved After M*A*S*H to go up against the A-Team which absolutely slaughtered this dramedy in the ratings.
    Overall, despite the inferiority of the second season, I’d recommend you to seek out the entire series. If more people became fans of the show perhaps we could get it released on DVD instead of having to rely on the poor, low grade VHS rips that can occasionally be found on the web. In this day and age with books, music and movies on demand I don’t understand why all shows from our past can’t be offered on DVD, Blu-Ray or digital downloads. Many TV shows and movies are referred to as “cult” because of their obscurity, but why not at least offer these forgotten classics to the consumer so our television past doesn’t disappear from our collective memories? I mean After M*A*S*H may not be equivalent to what a 12th season of M*A*S*H could have been, but it is nonetheless a short lived extension of America’s favorite series and deserves another look…

MY FAVORITE ZOMBIE MOVIES OF ALL-TIME

Okay, I am a zombie fan. A fanatic if that sounds more hardcore. Although I’ve never counted, I believe I have seen around 200 zombie films give or take and many of them I have watched dozens of times. I love the entire world of zombie cinema from the United States to Mexico to France to Spain to Italy. My obsession started sometime in the 80s when cable gave us some variety. Romero’s bleak films could be seen on TV right along side the ultra fun Mantan Moreland zombie films. I’m pretty certain that like many of you my first zombie movie was 1968’s Night Of The Living Dead. I was a child, but even as an adult this movie is scary and depressing as Hell. Any nightmares I have about zombies are from this film and this film only. As I continued discovering more and more zombie movies from Return Of The Living Dead to The Beyond to Revolt Of The Zombies, I realized that zombie movies weren’t all trying to be frightening. They could also be humorous, gory or even more boring than buying socks. However these days, I’m almost ashamed to admit to someone that I’m a lover of zombies. I never cared to “run with the crowd” or go along with the latest fad. This boom in zombie culture over the past decade has made me less interested in telling people I’m a zombie fan even though my love for the genre still remains. Say “I’m a zombie fan” these days and the person will immediately start talking about The Walking Dead, a show which I consider one of the most boring things ever put on television. It has nothing to do with the fast paced 80s zombie movies that I love or the more surreal European takes on zombie cinema. Films today about the living dead also disappoint. Oh sure occasionally a good one like Outpost, Død Snø or Flight Of The Living Dead will sneak through, but mostly it’s stupid, unoriginal scripts with bad actors, worse directing and loads of that CGI blood. Zombies are so damn popular today that this year’s Denver Zombie Crawl attracted around 25,000 people! Of course because of this sudden surge I also realize that everyone and their mother has made a list of their favorite zombie films. I’ve seen a few good ones, mostly in the many books I own on the genre, but most lists play it very safe or they get confused as to what film is “best” and which is their “favorite”. These movies are simply my favorite. They are all good and worth a watch, but I would not refer to them as the best. If I had to make a list of the best zombie flicks I’d start with George Romero’s first 3 Dead films. The movies represented here for the most part are a must see for us fans of the genre, but people who only know The Walking Dead TV series will probably be very confused by what zombies used to be. These aren’t particularly important films, they’re just a blast to watch. If I’m being honest, Bela Lugosi’s White Zombie is probably more important than every film in my top 5 put together. If you’re taking the time to read this however, you should have already seen that masterpiece before and it‘s time to move on to some lesser known goodies. Hopefully now you can seek out 1 or 2 of the forgotten treasures that are my favorite zombie movies of all-time…

Honorable Mentions That Almost Made The List:
King Of The Zombies (1941)
Revenge Of The Living Dead Girls (1987)
Zombie (1979)
The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue (1974)
Day Of The Dead (1985)

5. Return Of The Living Dead II (1988)

I know what you’re thinking and don’t worry I consider the original ROTLD one of the best zombie films ever, I just have fonder memories of this sequel. The beginning is what hooked me from the start as it appears to be an homage to the classic Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman. As much fun as the first film was, this one added even more humor. This was one of the zombie movies that was played on pay cable endlessly and I watched it as often as I could. I like the cast, but most importantly I love the zombies and the make up effects. 

4. The Dead Pit (1989)

Unlike the aforementioned mentioned movie, this one was never on any cable station I watched. However it was one of the best VHS boxes in my local video store so I rented it the moment I saw it. After 100+ rentals of The Dead Pit, VHS was dead and the store closed soon after. Despite that somewhat grim ending I have nothing but fond memories of this gem. Cheryl Lawson the lead actress was technically a stunt woman, but I thought she did a great job and having an immaculate body doesn’t hurt her appeal whether in 1989 or today. The scenes with the evil doctor are quite cold and unnerving and the scenes with the zombies are frightening and relentless…a great combination.

3. Grapes Of Death (1978)

A French horror film from surreal, atmospheric director Jean Rollin that you may know by it’s proper French title Les Raisins De La Mort. This film very much feels like a Blind Dead film and if you know zombie cinema that is a high compliment. Elements of Romero’s The Crazies is also obvious, but nonetheless I consider this a very original piece of cinema. The French actresses such as Marie-Georges Pascal and Brigitte Lahaie steal the show, but luckily the sickly, insane villagers are terrifying adversaries. Technically this would be classified as an infection film, but like most movies in that genre it plays out almost exactly like your traditional zombie story.

2. Shock Waves (1977)

Directed by Ken Wiederhorn who happens to be the same guy who did ROTLD II…this guy knows zombie cinema in my book! I had serious conflict on whether to put this masterpiece at #1 or #2. Without question the scenes with the zombies under the water and coming out of the water are the greatest scenes of the living dead ever filmed. I still have no idea how they did these underwater effects. The Nazi zombies are also possibly the most heartless killing machines from any film in the genre. They revel in the pain of others and their blank expressions make them horrifying even in broad daylight. They probably couldn’t afford the best lights so the majority of this horror movie is uncharacteristically filmed in the day on a tropical island. Wiederhorn probably didn’t realize it at the time, but this makes it feel like a horror movie unlike any other you’ve seen.

1. The Dead Next Door (1989)

It took years for director JR Bookwalter to get this film released. He had some help from Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell and thankfully this thing finally saw the light of day. Bookwalter is clearly influenced by Evil Dead and Day Of The Dead and who can blame him but no, this film is nowhere near the quality of those movies. The acting from 90% of the actors is sub par and the special effects are a far cry from Tom Savini (one of many horror legends who share the names of the characters in the film). However this is so damn good because it’s one of those zombie films that you just put on when you and your friends are getting stoned or drunk. It is enjoyable in part because of it’s flaws, but even more so for it’s endless action. The Zombie Squads have to continuously battle zombies and religious cult members. Lead actors are there one minute and dead the next…no one is safe. I often refer to this film as the zombie Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is how local non-Hollywood horror projects should be done. If you are considering making a movie for the first time you should consider The Dead Next Door as your required viewing.

*if you have any interest or ideas on a TV, internet or radio project, email me allnewsux (at) gmail.com

WHAT FILMS DID YOU WATCH THIS WEEK?

Dude, who the Hell cares what movies you watched this week? Well, I think maybe you and I do. You see, for those of us who are fans of the arts, it’s a way to better relate to each other. If you and someone else have both watched the same movie, enjoyed the same album and been enthralled by the same book then you have something in common with that person. Most of the time it’s those commonalities that make us friends. Granted, too many of us tend to define ourselves by what genre of film or music we like, but you have to understand how important these things are in our lives. My friends and I can talk about old horror movies or Godzilla films all day. My brother and I can discuss who’s a better guitarist Carlos Santana or Jimi Hendrix. Sure we get involved in politics and social issues and family matters, but what we always come back to when we want to have fun is film, music and literature. Out of all these loves cinema is the most important. Although I have a few thousand DVDs I buy new ones at least once a month because I always want to see that rare Spanish zombie film or the bootleg of that obscure film from the late 70s about giant weasels.
    As perhaps you can tell by my last sentence I tend to enjoy the so-called “bad” or “cheezy” movies to the masterpieces these days. I certainly appreciate stuff like ‘Citizen Kane’ or ‘The Godfather’ more than ‘Troll 2’ or ‘The Creeping Terror’, but the aforementioned films are works of art that need to be preserved and savored. If I had filet mignon all the time I'd get bored with it. I probably watch films like these once every year or 2 whereas I can watch films like ‘Space Mutiny’ or ‘Real Genius’ 20 times a year. I love all types of cinema, but you don’t always want to sit and have to think about the movie you’re watching. Most of the time it’s just better to be simply entertained. I’m sure everything from late night Creature Features to Svengoolie to Mystery Science Theater 3000 helped to cause this shift because I used to feel the opposite about B-movies. However, easy access on the home video, then DVD, now the internet also helped me love the B picture more than the A picture. Scarcity was no longer an issue. You see, it used to be while everyone was trying to get their hands on ‘E.T‘. I was searching in vain for ‘The Man From Planet X’ instead. I had seen all the blockbusters and masterpieces in theaters or in school (my school showed an unbelievable amount of movies from Catch 22 to Macbeth to Frankenstein). I now have every opportunity to instead seek out the lesser known efforts and I have been doing so every since. I honestly hope many of you are doing the same. Sure there’s some box office hits on my list here, but I always come back to my beloved low budget stuff. I hope with my list you will find some lost treasures or some good memories. I hope it will make you see that your love of such and such film is perfectly normal. I also hope this list will give you some ideas of what YOU"LL want to watch this week…

Movies I Wanted To Watch But Didn't Have Time For This Week:
Zombie (1979)
Sherlock Holmes And The House Of Fear (1945)
Superman (1978)

Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955)

The first Abbott and Costello film I ever saw. I admit it's nowhere near the funniest or the best, but I laugh my ass off and have a real nostalgia for it since it's my first. Just in the last year I've met 2 people who said this was also their first Abbott and Costello film as well...weird.

Caravan Of Courage (1984)

Yes, I'm the weirdo whose favorite Star Wars film is Return Of The Jedi. I have zero problem with the Ewoks. Personally, I never understood why fans were so disgusted with them. What there can't be cute species of aliens out there? Do they all have to look menacing or scary? My dog is adorable and she's a different species. Of course this film is nowhere near the quality of Return Of The Jedi, but it's a heart warming and entertaining extension of that Star Wars universe we all love so much.

Conan The Barbarian (1982)

The action, the blood, the sex, now this is a "guy movie". The blood spatters all over the place and the special effects look great, but overall this is a story of freedom. It's always nice to see slaves kick the ass of their plutocratic owners along with anyone else who gets in their way.

The Exorcist III (1990)

Definitely connects itself to the original film, but even if you look at it as a separate horror story it works. The horror and the blood are subtle, but the descriptions of the killings are sick. This movie constantly lulls you into relaxing and then scares the crap out of you with the film and the score working hand in hand to terrify.

Hamlet (1961)

I had to watch the MST3K version, but I had no choice. This film is impossible to find on it's own in it's original German language, but I enjoy this version nonetheless. The dark, minimalist version of the world's greatest drama is very much like a play. Many people who've seen this film consider it boring, but I never consider Shakespeare or Max Schell for that matter, boring.

The Man They Couldn't Hang (1939)

One of my favorite Boris Karloff films even though he was in at least 2 other movies with similar plots. To me this plays out like the first slasher film ever as the "deceased" Boris Karloff gets revenge on those who sentenced him to death one by one. This my friends is classic horror.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

My preferred version of the well known Hitchcock classic. Yes, Jimmy Stewart is one of the greatest American actors ever, but most of the time if you have Peter Lorre in your film, you have yourself a disturbing gem of a film and that's precisely what this is. It feels kind of ugly for the time, but sometimes really old films will shock you with what horrors they could think of.

My Blue Heaven (1990)

A great film to put in anytime you need a chuckle. Steve Martin has had many great roles, but this one has to be in the top 5. Rick Moranis is no slouch either as the agent assigned to protect former gangster who is now a federally protected witness. Supposedly there's some truth to this farce as it was written by the wife of the guy who was writing the book on Henry Hill...you know the one that inspired Goodfellas?

The Sadist (1963)

One of the most disturbing films you will ever see. It proves emphatically how much power an idiot with a gun can have over his intellectual superiors. Arch Hall Jr. who was better known for playing pop minstrels with surfer good looks turns in a performance of a lifetime as Charles. After about 5 minutes into the hostage situation you'll want Charles and his girlfriend dead.

Sleeper (1973)

Although nowhere near Woody Allen's best it will always entertain you. Woody takes shots at everyone in this film, but there does seem to be a message against Fascism or other forms or right wing extremism and how it could be in our future. The spoiled residents in the utopian areas don't seem all that different from people today who live on their iPhones while ignoring what is really happening in society.

Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny (2006)

How did this comedy from the 21st century slip in here? Well, I watch it once every 2 or 3 months, that's how. I was so pissed off that Jack and Kyle only got 3 measly episodes of their Tenacious D show on HBO that I had to see this and I found it hilarious. It's also one of the best musicals ever made from 2 guys who if they weren't so damn funny they'd probably have replaced Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple.

The Violent Years (1956)

Written by Ed Wood, but unfortunately not directed by him. As it stands it's just a stupid, poorly acted film to throw on when you want to see a bad movie, but if Wood had directed it, it could have become something far more entertaining. Worth a watch for Ed Wood's input, but you probably won't rewatch it much and the ending will depress the Hell out of you.

Warning From Space (1956)

Technically the first Japanese sci-fi movie filmed in color, but every copy I've seen is so washed out it might as well be in black and white. Despite the fact that the aliens are clearly guys in suits I think the starfish idea is awesome! The scenes in the spaceship are great sci-fi, but scenes like a giant starfish looking into a Japanese home will have you laughing. As with most monster movies it would have been nice to see more of the aliens, but it's an entertaining film nonetheless.

MAKING THE CASE FOR 'SPACE MUTINY'

If you know what Space Mutiny is, there's a 95% chance it's due to it's inclusion on Mystery Science Theater 3000. As I've said before I do think MST3K may be the greatest TV show ever created, but one problem I do have is it can cause people to give very low ratings to a half way decent film. Part of that is because if people simply watch Space Mutiny on it's own they can't get things like Blast Hardcheese or Punch Rockgroin out of their head so the movie seems silly. Another part is because due to time constraints MST3K almost never gave us the whole movie so at times something like Space Mutiny or This Island Earth appeared more confusing and goofier than they actually were.
   Granted Space Mutiny has it's foibles the worst being a scene edited out of place in the control room that makes it look like a dead woman came back to life. Another would certainly be the setting where most of the action takes place is either in a giant warehouse or perhaps the basement of an ice rink. However this often happens with low budget movies that try too hard and although some people would refer to these movies as "so bad they're good", I'd simply call them good. I mean the film entertained me greatly and made me want to watch it again so what's bad about that? Yes the sets and special effects on board the spaceship are mediocre at best, but the effects outside the ship are outstanding! Why is this? Because Space Mutiny used scenes from Battlestar Galactica to fill in for their action sequences in outer space. Unlike your average Turkish or Filipino sci-fi knockoff which blatantly stole film footage, my understanding is that Universal used to sell their footage to filmmakers at very low prices in the 70s and 80s so I guess the director or producer decided "why the Hell not". There is also some spectacular over the top acting from most involved. First of all the South African extras do a fine job. Our lead hero Reb Brown may not be Olivier, but he is known to many of us as the late 70s Captain America, Yor Hunter From The Future and that guy who was in that hilarious Three's Company episode (Reb's wife and Space Mutiny co-star also appeared on Three's Company).  Cameron Mitchell is a fantastic actor with hundreds of credits to his name. His skills allowed him to appear in TV and cinema for almost 45 years straight! Finally there's John Phillip Law as the bad guy Kalgan. Law has not only had a long and entertaining cinematic career, but he may also give one of the top 10 villain performances ever put on screen. He is so evil and diabolical that you just hate his guts and HE is the best reason I can give you to watch this movie.
   The action would be another great reason to watch Space Mutiny. In the MST3K version 3 or 4 action scenes are cut out along with an exciting chase or two in the old floor buffers. Reb Brown aka Dave Ryder kicks plenty of ass on those masked clowns. He punches, kicks and blasts his way into our hearts. Another nice touch is with the regular full length movie we also get some swear words and a little nudity. These little things just make the film seem a bit more adult despite the goofy fantasy we're watching.
   Overall the plot is a Mutiny On The Bounty type story, except you side with the humble peaceful captain and want the mutiny to fail. There is an additional subplot involving a witch like group called the Bellerians, but it really adds nothing to the plot and since it's not some sexual exploitative thing, my guess would be it was tacked on to pad the film's running time. Finally back to the lampooned set design. Now yes, there does appear to be sun shining in through those basement panels, but the set designer wisely gave the control rooms a bit of a white glow as well (you can actually see this ever present glow in the pictures below). If we use our imagination as the director and set designer had to, perhaps we can envision there's a power source or a reflective metal or a force field or ship lighting system behind those glowing windows. I don't know it's simply one of the biggest things detractors always point when they say how crappy this movie is, but for me it doesn't get in the way of my enjoyment of the film. Space Mutiny may not be Star Wars or Logan's Run or even Zardoz, but it will always be one of my most watched and one of my favorite movies in my vast cinema collection...

UFO ABDUCTION THE GREATEST FOUND FOOTAGE FILM YOU'VE NEVER SEEN

As a horror movie fanatic I absolutely love a good found footage film, but unfortunately most of them are mediocre at best. Stuff like Cannibal Holocaust or [REC] will stay in your nightmares for years to come and for us horror fans that’s a good thing! This genre is considered rather new, but it’s roots certainly go back far further than the underwhelming and overrated Blair Witch Project. UFO Abduction, sometimes referred to as the McPherson Tapes, is one of the earlier examples of found footage, but it was not widely distributed and therefore is rather obscure. Found footage fans know it well because it is debated by many (still to this day) that this abduction is real and it’s not a work of fiction. This debate rages even though there are director, producer and cast credits at the end. These earlier found footage films just scared the Hell out of people…the director of Cannibal Holocaust was arrested and actually had to prove that the cast was still alive!
  Because this movie is in the end a mystery, I don't want to ruin it by discussing actual parts of the film itself so let me just explain why UFO Abduction is so damn great. The film itself plays with your adrenaline...boring and mundane one minute and a confusing and convoluted rollercoaster ride the next. Watching a family play Go Fish when the lights go out may not sound too scary, but they are just settling you down to scare the Hell out of you again. One of the amazing things about this film is how much the slow spots actually help intensify your adrenaline rushes. Writer/director Dean Alioto really knew how to pace this film to make it seem so damn real. What also adds to the realism is the way everyone talks over each other like they’re in a Robert Altman film or something. That’s how we really talk, without those nice perfectly written pauses. It makes this video seem so real and it is what so many found footage films fail to do. There are of course the video skips, blackouts and unfocused moments which are common place now, but back in the late 80s they were literally brand new and mostly unheard of to put in an actual film that was going to be released. The overall simplicity of the aliens and their costumes is perfect. The special effects are also very minimal and simple, but they succeed at making you think you see things in windows or crawling on ceilings that aren’t there…at least I’m pretty sure they aren’t there. For myself the intensity and realism are too much so I don’t tend to watch it before bed. The last time I did that I thought something was in my room with me. The direction is top notch and so is the actors’ ability to really convince the audience how ignorant or frightened or angry they are in this terrifying situation. It’s so perfect that I am stunned that all these people didn’t go onto bigger and better things in Hollywood. Who knows, maybe they really were abducted by aliens.

*if you have any interest or ideas on a TV, internet or radio project, email me allnewsux (at) gmail.com

MUST SEE FILMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

I decided to write this article to prove that I don't look at the date of a film to determine whether it is good or not. Beginning around the year 2000, CGI became the dominant driving force behind cinema and that is what has caused it's downward spiral. Movies no longer focused on acting, writing, directing, locations, set design or practical special effects, it was all about showing off the power of the computer. We have seen real movie houses and their nitrate stocks disappear and be replaced by computer programmed films. We would then see real movies that no longer looked like films from our past, but instead looked like a game for the latest Playstation device. Granted not every film was awash in CGI, but even ones you expect to never have CGI like a gory horror movie or a drama managed to sneak in just a few computer generated things. Now the first couple of years in the 2000's looked promising with some independent filmmakers turning out a masterpiece here and there. In my opinion what put the final nail in the coffin of cinema was Avatar. One of the most overrated films in history, people showed up in droves to see this computerized sci-fi drama. It made over a billion dollars and didn't have to use any real special effects. When other people in the industry saw this, 95% of them decided to follow suit. I always thought this was odd as granted Avatar made back 4 times it's budget which is great, but there were independent science fiction films made in the past that made back 100s of times their budget and didn't have to spend $300 million to do it. After Avatar, cinema became strictly corporate and even the indies starting selling their souls to the highest bidder.
   Obviously cinema of the 21st century had some good moments as well, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. Christopher Nolan and Danny Boyle made some decent films. Nazi zombies made a comeback. Asian countries like Japan, Thailand and Pakistan were putting out some truly terrifying horror. There were a couple of good found footage films and Bill Murray became the most versatile actor we'd ever seen. However, other bad things were happening. Hollywood had become devoid of ideas and had to rely on an endless stream of remakes, updates and sequels. Truely talented stars were replaced by flavors of the month whom nobody had ever heard of. Actors who once headlined films could be found in your straight to DVD movies which by the way, are typically way better than the stuff you see in theaters. Within the last 2 decades I could probably name 30 movies that are really great and most if not all of them would be within the first 5 or 6 years of the new century. After 2010 forget it! Sure there was Black Swan and maybe 1 or 2 others, but I wouldn't call any of these movies a "must see". I used to allow my friends to drag me to see new movies in exchange for them watching an old film with me. Every time without exception we all enjoyed the older film over the one we had just watched in the theater. After 2014 I stopped letting them do this because I hadn't seen a decent film at the local cinema in years, yet my friends still want to watch classic Universal horror or wacky 80s comedies with me. I could honestly write a book on why 95% of the movies that came out after 1999 suck, but I don't think people enjoy reading negative books. Therefore I give you a positive spin on the last two decades of film but I assure you folks, the worst is yet to come...

Honorable Mentions That Almost Made The List:
High Fidelity (2000)
Ju-On The Grudge (2002)
Dead Snow (2009)
Auto Focus (2002)
The Departed (2006)


5. Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World (2005)

I have no idea why this film was dismissed by fans and critics. Perhaps people were expecting a rollicking comedy and were upset when they got this thinking man's comedy. Trust me, there are plenty of moments that will make you laugh out loud...I mean it's Albert Brooks for Christ's sake! Also look for Sheetal Sheth turning in a brilliant performance as Brooks' assistant. This film has such an original concept and it works almost as an olive branch between Christians, Jews, Hindis and Muslims.

4. The Wicksboro Incident (2003)

I discovered this independent gem 10 years after it was first released. Because of the unknown actors, the confusing filming and the documentary style, this creepy story feels very real and makes you believe that your government certainly could do what's portrayed in this movie if they haven't already. Not a ton of real terrifying scenes, but the lulls just allow the tension to build up and the normality of the main players makes you root for them to show what the "evil government" is hiding.

3. Lord Of War (2005)

Without a doubt the best performance Nicholas Cage has given since Leaving Las Vegas. Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke are also in many scenes and big surprise they turn out great performances as well. This is the history of Yuri Orlov, gun runner who does deals all over the world. We realize to an extent that he is one of the many "bad guys" in this film yet the script and the great acting makes you hope he never gets caught. If Cage would have always acted at this level his version of The Wicker Man would have been a masterpiece instead of an embarrassment.

2. [REC] (2007)

I remember sitting there watching the first 15 minutes of this and thinking "what is all the hype about"? Then they got to the apartment complex and holy crap! The violence, the blood, the terror never lets up after that. Granted the storyline itself is a mess of zombie, infection and demonic possession movies, but it is so real and so scary that there really aren't any other horror films in the last 30 years that can compete with it. There would be many sequels that helped tell the confusing story, but all you need to see is the original. [REC] actually happens to be the second found footage film on this list in part because this genre of film looked more like the grindhouse films that us true horror fans loved instead of the polished turds Hollywood was making at the time.

1. Chopper (2000)

In my opinion the greatest film of the 21st century! The Brits were still trying to do amazing cinema and their Aussie counterparts were no different. I saw this film not knowing that this "Chopper" character was a real guy. I had no idea who Eric Bana was I just knew the lead actor was one of the most convincing and emotional actors I had seen in a long time. You'll be disturbed yet cheering for Chopper as he drinks, screws, snorts, beats and shoots his way through south east Australia. Don't feel bad because this happened in real life as well. Chopper was loved by prison guards, the media and many of Melbourne's citizens who found his mannerisms simply charming.