FilmSnobReviews

Title: Super
Year: 2010
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon
Why You’ll Like It?: This is an over the top violent superhero comedy about a depressed man (played by Wilson) trying to fight against the organized crime boss (Bacon) that stole his wife (Liv Tyler) and essentially ruined his existence. With the help of his sidekick (Page) whom he reluctantly takes on the two will shed blood all in the name of justice. Can he get his life back? Can he save his wife? This and more if you actually check out this dangerously funny comedy. That has Rainn Wilson at his best since Dwight Schrute.

Title: The Beaver
Year: 2011
Director: Jodie Foster
Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence
Why You’ll Love It?: Directed and starring Oscar winner Jodie Foster this film tells the story of Walter Black a man trying to fight his demons. The once successful executive of a large toy company now lives out his days in a state of complete depression. That is until a beaver hand puppet frees him from that depression. This is a really quirky movie and it’s one that brings some unique principles into a film that really is one of kind. Reading the synopsis as I’ve put it here it might seem too weird for some people.

Title: Only Lovers Left Alive
Year: 2014 (U.S. Release)
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska
Why You’ll Like It?: A unique take on the now antiquated vampire film genre. This one sees two married vampires one named Adam (Hiddleston) who is at present a rocker with a very popular discography, and his wife Eve who is currently living in the middle of nowhere. When Eve’s sister Ava shows up unexpectedly she throws both of their lives into chaos. Suddenly their calm existence is shaken to it’s core and now they have to figure out what to do with the rest of their eternity.

Title: Palo Alto
Year: 2014
Director: Gia Coppola
Starring: Emma Roberts, James Franco, Jack Kilmer
Why You’ll Like It?: When a young girl named April (Roberts) is torn between her flirtation teenage crush on her soccer coach (played by Franco) and Teddy, a stoner classmate of hers. While dealing with this crush that neither knows exists the ennui starts to sink in. This films delves into suburban doldrums at it’s worst. It paints life in Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley as taxing and difficult. It has a real sensibility, despite it’s outrageous over-summation of each problems importance.

Title: Prince Avalanche
Year: 2013
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Paul Rudd, Lance LeGault
Why You’ll Like It?: Two road working dudes (played by Rudd and Hirsch) spend the summer of ’88. These two guys begin deal with existential crises and pondering about the women they left back over in humanity. It’s two great actors just doing what they do, and doing it well.This is a very funny flick, and one that will probably have you realizing the subtle beauty in the writing. David Gordon Green continues to make very character centric comedies that feature weirdos (i.e. Pineapple Express)

Title: Sunshine
Year: 2007
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Cillian Murphy
Why You’ll Like It: The year is 2057 and when our solar systems lifeblood, the sun is dying out an international team of astronauts is sent to reignite it. Danny Boyle whose known for Oscar nominees such as Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours directs this grossly under seen piece of scifi goodness. Starring our (then) future Captain America Chris Evans as well as a cast of other great actors like former Boyle collaborator Murphy (28 Days Later) and the likes of Mark Strong, and Rose Byrne.

Title: Martha Marcy May Marlene
Year: 2011
Director: Sean Durkin
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson
Why You’ll Like It?: Elizabeth Olsen delivers a heartbreaking turn, and John Hawkes shows why he’s a grossly underrated character actor with his ridiculous range here. This film deals with it’s subject matter in a mature and fantastic way. You’ll get that skin-crawling creepiness about it. I’d advise you that this isn’t an easy film to watch and by no means will you like any of the characters. Having said all that there’s a lot to take away from this including a jaw-dropping ending.

Title: Chaos Theory
Year: 2008
Director: Marcos Siega
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Emily Mortimer, Stuart Townsend
Why You’ll Like It?: Everyone likes to point to Buried as the penultimate display of Ryan Reynolds acting I’d look into this one! Not only is he pulling off some dramatic moments, but he’s also wickedly funny in spades with this one. As a whole it isn’t a great film but one that definitely deserves some eyes. Come because it’s an interesting and original story. Stay to watch a man’s life methodically be destroyed all because of one tiny event that went awry.

Title: Be Kind Rewind
Year: 2008
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz
Why You’ll Like It?: From the visionary director  that brought us ocular masterworks like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep  comes  film about two bumbling video store clerks who own Be Kind Rewind Video. One day when one of them accidentally erases all the tapes they must fidn a way to fix it. They decide to make 20 minute “sweded” versions of each movie. This is a truly funny film, and Jack Black is at his best here. A great guest turn from Danny Glover and Mos Def totally showing he can handle comedy make this a good addition to Gondry’s filmography.

Title: What We Do in Shadows
Year: 2015 (U.S. Release)
Director: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement
Starring: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Jonathon Brugh
Why You’ll Love It?: This is a film that goes for the comedic jugular. Featuring four vampires holed up in a New Zealand house together. This film from down under is funnier than a vampire film should be. Brought to you by the fellas behind The Flight of the Conchords you know basically what you’re getting, and yet you haven’t the slightest clue what to expect. Sure you expect the funny to be brought but some interesting circumstances arise within the narrative that take this fun film into places you didn’t expect.

So that’s part two! Do you guy want to see the other 3 parts? Lemme know by both commenting and sharing this. If no one views it I’ll know the other parts are futile and I won’t bother with them. As usual Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, look for FilmSnobReviews on them all.