Elling

Getting released from the mental institution in Elling

This  little known gem from Norway, released in 2001, focuses on a sensitive man who has a knack for poetry. Sheltered by his mother all his life, he is forced to live in a state institution following her death. There, he meets and befriends two odd individuals. The trio end up living together after their release. The film picked up several prestigious movie awards and was even nominated for an Oscar.

My Sassy Girl

The sassy girl getting a piggy back ride

This Korean production was first shown in 2001 was a surprise hit in Asia. The film was based on the internet writings of a young man about his strange and complicated relationship with an equally strange but beautiful girl. My Sassy Girl stars Gianna Jun and Tae-hyun Cha. The movie did so well that it spawned an American remake The American version pales in comparison though so if you have not seen either, picking up the original Korean release is a must.

Amélie

Young Amelie photographing a bunny-shaped cloud

Released in 2001, Amélie is an imaginative comedy starring the lovely Audrey Tautou. Sharp eyed movie goers may recognize a slightly older Tantou performing opposite Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. The film revolves around a shy young woman who makes it her mission in life to make people happy. She also pursues a handsome weirdo who collects discarded pictures from photo booths. This French classic has had a tremendous impact on pop culture—we’ve all see the traveling garden gnome, right? It originated in Amélie.

Shaolin Soccer

Cleat to face kick in Shaolin Soccer

For something a little more ridiculous, why not consider the Hong Kong-made Shaolin Soccer? Written, directed and starring the talented Stephen Chow, the film effectively merges martial arts and soccer action. One of the best slapstick comedies of its kind, Shaolin Soccer tells of a Shaolin Kung-Fu practitioner who meets a former soccer coach. Chow, who plays a Shaolin master combines his martial arts abilities with his soccer to become an amazing player and even helps train other players who all end up playing as teammates. Together they hope to compete in and win a prestigious soccer tournament.

3 Idiots

The 3 Idiots on butt stools

In this offbeat Bollywood flick, three college buddies made a bet to see who would become the most successful. They meet ten years later but only two of the three show up. Worried, the pair search for their missing friend. Those not familiar with films from the Indian subcontinent should expect the gratuitous song and dance numbers with women dressed in loud, bright colors. A tad long, this zany movie’s running time clocks in at almost three hours.

Iron Fist

Iron Fist harnessing his chi

First up is the enigmatic “Iron Fist”. Although a feature film was supposed to be in the works, it seems to have become lost in development hell since nothing concrete has ever materialized. A pity because Iron Fist is definitely one of the more interesting characters in comic books. A formidable martial-arts fighter, Iron Fist trained under the venerable master, Lei Kung. Through his training he learned deadly fighting techniques and developed the ability to focus his chi to augment his already impressive physical attributes. As a result, Iron Fist has enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, agility and durability. At one point, he even battled the powerfu Iron Man to a near standstill. How’s that for cinema worthy?

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel shooting fire blasts

Not to be mistaken for Shazam, the DC Comics character with the lightning bolt motif on his chest and a host of powers similar to Superman‘s (though their super suits are so similar you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the two), Captain Marvel is Marvel Comics‘ version of, well, Superman. But Captain Marvel is his own man—a superhero secretly sent by an alien race to spy on humanity, while living with the people of Earth, he fought alongside this planet’s heroes defending the populace from evildoers. Slowly, Captain Marvel began to understand us and empathize with us. When his superiors learn about his apparent betrayal, he is branded a traitor for his transgressions. Captain Marvel has the ability to fly and fire energy blasts. He’ll also kick anyone’s ass in a fight.

Winter Soldier

Marvel Comics' Winter Soldier

Comic aficionados know that Captain America once had a dependable sidekick. The young James “Bucky” Barnes bravely fought and stood by Captain America against the Nazis during World War II. Unfortunately, he suffered a terrible plane accident and was thought lost over the raging seas. Miraculously, his cold-preserved but badly battered body was then found by the Russians who saved him from certain doom. Unfortunately though, the hero was also brainwashed. He then was given cyborg appendages and became an elite assassin for the Soviets. Sounds like an intriguing Manchurian Candidate-esque concept ripe for a 3D viewing to us.

Machine Man

Machine Man

This obscure character started off his existence as a robot but was eventually granted the gift of sentience. An unlikely hero, he often wonders what it would be like to be human. He initially had a hokey, mechanized look but eventually made himself look more like a real person. Machine Man has a variety of weapons and has telescopic arms and legs which he uses for a variety of attacks. He also has superhuman strength as well as enhanced stamina and speed. Neo Terminator, anyone?

Zombie Spider-Man

Zombie Spider-Man attacking a fellow ghoul

The Marvel Zombie Universe is an alternate Marvel reality where most of the world’s super-powered individuals and regular folk have been devoured or turned into flesh-eating zombies. Unfortunately for us, the great Spider-Man has been zombified and teams up with most of the former heroes who have also been turned into to a rampaging horde of ravenous creatures. With their powers and abilities still intact, thi unstoppable army of the undead have the upper hand and systematically pick off the planet’s remaining survivors. The Marvel Zombie Universe effectively combines super-heroics with the time-tested zombie genre for some slam-bang action and intense terror. While the Spider-Man movies were great, a Zombie Spider-Man would indubitably be even better.

PCU

David Spade and Jeremy Piven in PCU

Jeremy Piven destroys anything that comes into view with a sarcastic wit that is timeless and perfect for a college movie. Teamed up with a larger Jon Favreau, Piven gives lessons in college etiquette along with an enlightened and useful view of classes to take as a freshman that are the Rosetta Stone of education. PCU takes no hostages among the various factions at their school, demystifying the higher education experience with an almost religious fervor. Roll around in the genius of this movie until you stink of old sheets and older pizza crusts. Pay particular attention to Piven’s advice about overcoming the lack of a car.

Road Trip

Tom Green with a snake in Road Trip

Surpassing adolescence as the premier rite of passage into adulthood is the cross-country car trip with your buds. Road Trip tosses together an unlikely group of friends and acquaintances and sends them across America to take care of a certain mistakenly sent package to one of their girlfriends. An amusing college movie that shows off a deep love for the buddy travel genre, Road Trip bookends the journey with the universally dreaded end of term finals—the heart of the movie is the companions realizing they need to be freed from from thei high school past in order to experience the present.

Old School

Will Ferrell partying in Old School

A soul check of a movie because if you’re not dying of laughter by the time a certain flying tackle into a fountain that takes place, then there’s a probably a good chance you spent your childhood torturing small animals. The college frat gets a remodel when a bunch of guys well past their prime decide they can start up their own—and it steam rolls into the land of belly laughs and snorts from there. The inability to let go of their early twenties is the main center of focus here, but it’ buried under a surface of the classic bonding of miscreants and weirdoes who form the same bonds that a typical fraternity would produce. Will Ferrell is on point in Old School with Vince Vaughn flanking him as they combine into a Voltron of awesomeness making this a college movie you can watch again and again.

Accepted

Justin Long and Jonah Hill in Accepted

Ingenious in its concept about a fake college acceptance letter that snowballs into the need to actually build a fake university to perpetuate the lie, Accepted makes your adolescent fears of not getting in anywhere a reality and then pushes it off a cliff. Timeless is the fear of rejection and the necessity is the mother of invention and all that jazz. Seeing Lewis Black play a dean and eventual professor alone is worth seeing, not to mention you’ll garner some valuable insight into the sheep-like pursuit of higher education. Whaddaya know, you might just learn something.

Back to School

Rodney Dangerfield throwing a football in Back To School

Back to School doesn’t even bother saying hello before it tears into the sanctity of college with wild abandon. Rodney Dangerfield is at his peak as a father who feels out of touch with his son and chooses to attend school with him so they can share the experience. The problem being that Dangerfield plays a rich businessman and therefore knows how money makes the world go round and applies it to his classes and his free time. Quips and one-liners bounce off the scenery with enough slapstick to satisfy any type of comedy lover. Without any need for a moral anchor, this film strives to deliver as much laughter as possible while carrying along a story that’s built on a foundation of the love between a dad and his son.

My Life As A Dog

Ingemar in My Life As A Dog

This is a definitive coming of age drama from director Lasse Holstrom, and if it doesn’t make you cry, not much will. It really piles the misery on top of its young protagonist Ingemar, including but not limited to: a sick and dying mother, being separated from his beloved dog and an array of sexual humiliations. We won’t even blame you if you get a little misty-eyed just reading this.

Edward Scissorhands

Johnny Depp hugging Winona Ryder in Edward Scissorhands

OK, so Edward is an artificial being, so he doesn’t technically age. Still, the movie is about his movement from childlike innocence to bitter disappointment as he experiences the harsh world of love and loss, so it qualifies. And it’ll get you. Particularly the final scene where an elderly Winona Ryder remembers her life as a young girl with Edward and that sweet Danny Elfman score swells. Just try  not to blow your nose too hard if you have scissors for hands. We had an uncle who lost a nostril that way.

Boyz N The Hood

Cuba Gooding Jr. crying in Boyz In the Hood

This coming of age drama about kids growing up in a rough LA neighborhood could make even the hardest gangster (or Republican) shed a tear or two. It’s a classic story, featuring several kids who either try to escape the unforgiving neighborhood, or grow to coldly embrace what it takes to survive there. Plus, what is arguably Ice Cube‘s most badass performance alone is enough to bring tears to your eyes. “Domino motherf*cker!”

The Lion King

Simba trying to wake up Mufasa in The Lion King

Yeah, it’s a cartoon. You’re looking for movies that make a man cry, what do you expect? This Disney classic has been seen by practically everyone, including more than a few guys who claim to never cry during movies —a healthy percentage of these guys almost certainly teared up when Mufasa was murdered by Scar. Or maybe that was just dust in our eyes.

The Tree of Life

Sean Penn in the desert in Tree Of Life

This might seem like a weird choice, since The Tree of Life is a much more experimental movie than the other weepers on this list. Still, if you give it the concentration and focus it deserves, it’ll tug at those heart strings. The scenes depicting life in 1950s suburban Texas might get to you, specifically if you’re around the same age as Sean Penn’s character, whose childhood makes up the bulk of the narrative. Well, that and dinosaurs. And who among us is able to keep his composure when it comes to dinosaurs?

The American Pie sequels

It may seem obvious, but the best way to get your fix of summer movies like American Pie is to go straight to the source. That is, check out the sequels. Both of the sequels in the “official series,” American Pie 2 and American Wedding, have the same sensibility as the first American Pie movie (duh), and they were released in the summer too. Why settle for an imitation when you can get authentic-Jason-Biggs-sexually-humiliating-himself action?

Clueless

Alicia Silverstone getting mugged in Clueless

While it may not have the same level of raunchiness as American Pie, Clueless qualifies due to their similarly comedic approaches to life as an American teenager. If you’re looking for scenes of apple pies getting penetrated, look elsewhere. But if you just want to laugh at teenagers in a sunny outdoor milieu—i.e. teenagers being stupid in Southern California—you’ve come to the right place!

Bring It On

Kirsten Dunst's "naked" dream in Bring It On

Hey, not all summer movies like American Pie are masterpieces. But Bring It On is high school movie that came out in the summer—what else do you want? Bring It On is a little more by-the-book than American Pie, focusing on a climactic cheer leading competition and all, but it still shares a certain sensibility with it—which is again, laughing at teenagers as they struggle with their “problems”. It also follows in the grand American Pie tradition of having a ton of direct-to-video sequels that have almost nothing to do with the original. Not to mention, it features Hottie McHotkins (AKA Eliza Dusku) and Kirsten Dunst back when she was still cute.

Superbad

McLovin' dancing in Superbad

Finally, a summer movie like American Pie that actually comes close to matching its raunchiness factor. In the language-and-crudely-drawn-penises department, anyway. Its plot, involving two teenagers on a mad quest to get laid makes it similar to American Pie, and as an added bonus, most would agree that Superbad is a funnier, better, and more authentic depiction of teenage life than American Pie. So what we’re really trying to say is that what you should be looking for is “summer movies like Superbad.”

The House Bunny

Girls post makeover in House Bunny

If this list is any indication, a good chunk of summer movies like American Pie are targeted at the fairer sex. The House Bunny is no different, featuring Anna Farris as a former Playboy bunny who becomes a sorority house mother. And unlike a lot of teen  comedies, it actually got a fair amount of critical praise, albeit praise that singled out Anna Farris’ performance as being somewhat too good for the material. Still, it counts.

Your search for summer movies like American Pie might last until your dying breath, but this list should make your quest a little easier. If nothing else, the movies on this list will make remembering YOUR awkward teenage years that much easier/funnier. And if you’re still in your teenage years now, uh, sorry?

Rudy

Rudy, shorter than the whole Notre Dame football team

Most believe that Sean Astin’s career highlight was when he played the part of Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While it may have been a cinematic masterpiece, who would want to be remembered for being a bungling barefoot hobbit? If he was Frodo Baggins perhaps but that coveted part went to Elijah Wood. No, Rudy is clearly the superior project for Sean Astin. True, it was a very similar role. Astin was small dude who experienced incredible trials and adversities, overcame great odds and came out victorious. The main difference is, instead of helping defeat the evil Dark Lord Sauron and preserving all of Middle-Earth, he gained admission into the prestigious University of Notre Dame, became a practice player, and managed to play a home game as a member of the regular Notre Dame football team. After achieving all of that and earning a college degree, the saving the Middle-Earth deal doesn’t seem too important, does it?

Kate Bosworth getting some pipeline

Blue Crush

Yes, girls kick ass at making inspirational sports movies also, and Kate Bosworth as surfer chick Anne Marie is pretty hot in a bikini.  There is some plot stuff  in Blue Crush about a woman gaining status in society by marrying a wealthy man that draws on Edith Wharton novels, but we suggest you focus your attention on the ferocious waves of the North Shore Pipeline.  Without spoiling the end, the inspirational part of this movie comes from Anne Marie finding the confidence within herself to beat the demon’s of her past, and that is what makes someone a winner.

The Karate Kid

Ralph Macchio punching Pat Morita in catcher's gear in Karate Kid

Don’t even bother with the rehashed 2010 version. Although The Karate Kid of 1984 may have used the same Rocky formula where the underdog finds it within himself to achieve the unachievable, the film is unique in its own right and featured characters moviegoers loved and cared about. Who wouldn’t want to train under the venerable Mr. Miyagi? Who didn’t cheer for Daniel Larusso as he crane kicked the tar out of his bully adversary? And what warm-blooded guy didn’t think Elizabeth Shue was incredibly hot 27 years ago? That in itself is enough to earn this old gem a slot.

Hoosiers

Gene Hackman huddling in Hoosiers

Set in rural Indiana, Hoosiers tells of an unlikely small-tow high school basketball squad that beats the odds and that makes the state finals in the 1950s. Gene Hackman is clearly in his element as the fiery, school head coach while Dennis Hopper lends his considerable talents playing the part of Shooter Hackman’s drunkard assistant coach. This film isn’t just inspirational, it is a true David versus Goliath tale. Do yourself a favor and purchase a copy to keep in your collection of manly, guy stuff.

Victory

Michael Caine, Pele and some other guy beat the Nazi's

Allied POWs agree to play soccer against the vaunted German National Team in wartime Paris. As the Allied players train for the exhibition match, the local resistance work with British officers to help the team escape.  With the score tied at halftime, the ragtag team gets the chance to flee, but instead opts to play the entire match against the Nazi scum. Sportsmanship!  A little dated if you ask me but it certainly deserving to be included in this inspirational sports movies for guys list. The movie even boasts a true all-star cast with film and soccer greats alike working hand-in-hand to make Victory a success.

Rocky

Rocky beating his meat

Forget Rocky II through Rocky V. You can even forget about the relatively recent Rocky Balboa. If you want the best among inspirational sports movies, pick up the original Rocky. You have a small-time pugilist who gets a crack at a world title thanks to his monicker. To prepare for the fight, The Italian Stallion trains with an old-school gym owner who gets him into tip-top shape. He enters the ring and much to everyone’s surprise, goes the distance against the champion and loses only by a close, split decision. The ending is simply perfect. As the results are being read, Rocky and the love of his life embrace and profess their love for each other, not caring about the outcome of the fight.  Rocky shows us success in life is not so much about winning, but in having the confidence to take a shot at life and give it all you have.

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Army of Darkness

Bruce Campbell being attacked by a demon ghoul

Whether you’re for or against time travel, if you’re against Bruce Campbell it’s time to go check into citizenship possibilities on other planets. Ash gets thrown back in time, gets to double his arrogance, teaches us all about the importance on high school text books and still manages to win the girl and lose the kingdom. Not necessarily a scientific portrait of time travel as it was magic that brought him back, regardless it offers vital world lessons as it’s the perfect primer on how to deal with less advanced civilizations. Army of Darkness also features a stirring treatise on confronting your inner demons and how to brutally kill them. A manly self-help kind of time travel movie.

Timecrimes

Hector with his head wrapped in Timecrimes

A definite feat of cinema, Timecrimes portrays the convoluted mess that time travel can create and yet manages to unravel it neatly. Without venturing into spoiler land, the protagonist Hector has a rough path ahead of him as he dips his toes into the past. With solid acting and a story that displays how creepy and entangling time travel can be, Timecrimes delivers so much more than its underrated movie status would make you believe.

Primer

Abe and Aaron with their error-checking device in Primer

A hybrid of science and human frailty, Primer does not dumb its concepts down to make them palatable to the audience,  and it also doesn’t bother making the characters do-gooders who have everyone’s best interests at heart. This is a film that is simultaneously confusing and understandable as the action taken by the charactersare all understandable to the the dark (and not-so-dark) parts of our brain. Although the scientific concepts behind it do require some graph paper and blood pressure medication to make your way through it, we think you will enjoy Primer.

Back to the Future Part III

Doc Brown and Marty McFly in his poncho in Back To The Future III

By the very nature of it being not just a sequel, but a sequel to a sequel, Back to the Future III already set itself to be counted among the underrated before it was even released. But forget all that because part three takes the fun of the previous films and throws it into overdrive. Future repercussions aside, it still remembers to explore how basic ideas that were once futuristic—like the bulletproof vest—can give those in the know a huge advantage in the past. But most of all it doesn’t forget the childlike wonder that time travel holds for everyone, no matter what age you’ve reached.

The Time Machine

H.G. Welles at his time machine

The original film from 1960 points out the flaws of man with an ergonomic office chair and umbrella hybrid. Underrated time travel at its best as the one thing that decays a film’s place in the collective conscious is the passage of time and it’s been more than half a century now. Despite effects losing their luster, The Time Machine explores the ignorance of humanity and how it breeds potential evil from the witch trials to the Eloi people who are content to trade being a food source in order to live lives without worry. The perspective remains sharp even in the present and serves as a concise lesson on the perils of growing complacent in our acquisition of knowledge.

Pennywise

Easily one of the scariest evil clowns in fiction to this day, Pennywise wasn’t content to just kill children, he emanates fear and horror into others thereby stripping them of a normal life. Taking the horror up a notch, this clown also appeared as a giant spider that combined two phobias into one for the audience. Pennywise even affected the idea of drainage as many who have viewed the television movie It came to fear storm drains for a very long time if not still to this day. A clown that oozed menace and death with every word, Pennywise did more for clown loathing than any amount of balloon animals could wash away.

Captain Spaulding

Captain Spaulding smiling

Give Rob Zombie some serious dues as he created a clown and an environment in House of 1000 Corpses that feels real to anyone who has taken a long road trip through rural areas. Captain Spaulding takes any and all horrors as just another part of reality and then mixes in logic and a dark intelligence to the recipe of his personality. His delight in all atrocities magnifies the fear throughout the movie thus adding to the importance of his role.

Shakes the Clown

Shakes being restrained by clown

Bobcat Goldthwait is an alcoholic clown with serious depression in Shakes the Clown, and if that doesn’t terrify you then you have probably never needed a night light in your life. Sure he isn’t running around covered in blood, but a sad clown is twice as scary and evil as a happy clown. Add in a murder and the tribal mentality of performers like mimes and you have a movie that speaks of a hidden culture out beyond your door. The exact door you’re now thinking about buying new dead bolts for.

The Joker

The Joker holding the joker

A psychopath with a sense of humor, albeit a twisted sense of humor, just needs a clown visage to be truly terrifying and that’s what you get in The Dark Knight with the Joker. With a panache and talent for bloody mayhem that propels him into the category of  evil clowns, the Joker keeps his enemies and his allies on their toes as there is no understanding of what will set him off next. Heath Ledger took the Joker to new heights with his portrayal of the mania behind the unwavering smile and brought a new generation into the clown fearing fold.

Pogo the Clown

Pogo the Clown waving

With the large majority of evil clowns safely locked away behind the screen, Gacy shows that there’s plenty to fear from clowns in reality as well. A true beast in every sense of the world, Gacy’s penchant for performing as a clown makes for one of the scariest evil clowns that humanity has ever known. A solid lesson that it’s the man and not the makeup that hides the monster.

Cloverfield

Rob and Beth talking to the camcorder

A perfect blend of two parts monster madness and one part sappy romance, Cloverfield‘s plot revolves around a massive creature of unknown origin as it ravages downtown New York. Instead of evacuating, a young man goes to rescue an ex-girlfriend with the help of some friends. Being a hero at heart he goes back knowing full well the monster still lurks the area. A word of caution, the director went with the “shaky cam” style of filmmaking—one or both of you may end up puking, unless you have a stash of Dramamine on hand.

Alien

Alien stuck to crew member's face

A spacecraft lands on a distant, unexplored planet to answer a distress beacon after which an alien creature boards their ship. While some may consider this to be a little too “old-school”, it still delivers the chills even if you have already seen it a few times. The H.R. Giger-designed alien is frightening enough, but most of the scares are delivered through Ridley Scott‘s masterful use of mood and atmosphere. Even if it is the “oldest” film on this list, Alien set the bar so high when it was release in the late ’70s that horror flicks today, in all their CG glory, still struggle to match its quality.

28 Days Later

Zombie on fire chasing Cillian Murphy

Most think 28 Days Later is a zombie-type flick. The truth is, the “zombies” are actually still alive, having been transformed into monstrous, bloodthirsty savages by a strange virus. The creatures roam the streets of England hunting down the few survivors who remain in the country. 28 Days Later is so frightening and so disturbing that there is a strong possibility it will be you that ends up inching towards your girlfriend as you watch in fear.

The Mist

From the mind of Stephen King, The Mist features a plethora of monsters that all but guarantees to give you and your girlfriend some major goosebumps. A handful of civilians are trapped in a local grocery store as a strange mist engulfs their entire town. The mist not only clouds the area it covers, it is also home to an unknown number of fiendish monsters. You may have to watch this movie at least once before watching it with a lady friend just so you know what to expect. The last thing you want to do is scream like a little girl in front of her.

Dog Soldiers

Werewolf in the woods in Dog Soldier

Last but not least is the 2002 British release, Dog Soldiers. A squad of special forces are training in the Scottish Highlands when they find the remains of another group of soldiers who had trained in the area. The troops then go into battle mode only to find that their adversaries are not men but werewolves. The movie does start slow but by the 30 minute mark, you and your girlfriend will be clinging to each other in mutual fear…which will hopefully lead to some other mutual activities.

Fist of the North Star

Alternately titled “When Steroid Use Goes Bad”, this anime is pretty much one gigantic fight scene with some pauses for bathroom breaks. Punching, pounding, kicking, and goring there isn’t much that gets left out of Fist of the North Star. Muscles build upon muscles and the blood flows both through veins and out onto the ground. Think of a animated Fight Club without much of the sensibility or philosophy. Enough blood and guts to sate the worst of moods of anyone coming off a bad day, enjoy in moderation or your friends will become worried and through you an anime intervention.

Karas: The Prophecy

Flying sword fight in Karas: The Prophecy

Beautiful animation coupled with an eerie supernatural storyline make the fight scenes in this anime utterly amazing. Karas: The Prophecy doesn’t bow to the fighting, instead it lets it augment the storyline, reinforcing key parts. The fights are powerful and worthy of respect but they aren’t allowed to overwhelm or detract from this story of spirits and humanity and their conflict with demons who see humanity as a walking, talking food source.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Afro Samurai with sword

Honor, respect for one’s parents and some bizarre characters add up to an anime movie filled with incredible fight scenes. Afro has to stop his enemies from resurrecting his father and the only way to do that is to acquire the number two headband in order to challenge the new owner of the number one headband. A simplistic rule, but it’s the brutal execution of the rules governing the challenges that make for a well-crafted frenzy of fighting. Afro Samurai: Resurrection is honor and morality in a battle to the death with no breaks to catch a breath for the protagonist or the audience.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Cowboy Bebop explosion

An anime that pays as much detail to the characters as it does to the background and inanimate surroundings, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie delivers art that feels like a living, breathing thing. The fight scenes don’t escape the careful attention of the animators either—with each one tiring the audience as much as the participants, being as complex as a fight should be and not simply resolved with a few punches. If there was an award for breathtaking fight scenes in an anime movie then Bebop would steal away with it whether it won or not, because it deserves it more than any other anime.

Appleseed

Bioroid on buildings in Appleseed

Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend but a woman’s best friend is her cyborg. Deunan and her cybernetically enhanced companion Briareos tackle the heady theme of reproductive rights all while laying down enough shell casings and explosions to level a few mid-sized cities. Appleseed features tremendous fight scenes in an anime movie that take advantage of the well written personalities of the two main characters and a talented attention to the details that would go on in a long fire fights. Come for the battles, stay for the dialogue.

The Manchurian Candidate

Nothing is as American as moms and apple pies, especially a mother that gives the one in Psycho a run for the parent of the year award. With the insidiousness of mind control running rampant through The Manchurian Candidate this classic spy movie by Hitchcock delves into the double agent world as it picks apart who truly stands for America and who got the breakfast special of scrambled brains down at the Communist Chinese deli. With political intrigue and the dark horror of crushing Shaw’s will this film created a new place to fear invasion: the brain.

Dr. No

The Sean Connery version of James Bond makes you feel dirty in the best of ways and that’s why Dr. No is a classic spy movie. Ahh the 1960s where innuendo was as natural and necessary as breathing. Bond is as needed to the spy genre as a bespoke suit is to your work wardrobe and he is at his best when he’s off protecting the world and scantily clad women from the clutches of evil. A good spy movie has a villain and a great spy movie has a super villain like Dr. Julius No who plays the foil with brilliance.  Appreciate this silky love letter to the 1960s that is this film.

Where the Spies Are

Francoise Dorleac with jazz records on the floor

David Niven is watchable in every thing he does and Where the Spies Are is no exception. Playing a man recruited by his country to serve as a spy, Niven is past the days of youth but still manages to find enough in him to succeed where others of his age might fail. A classic spy movie that is equal parts amusement and a time piece as you’ll get to see the colonial British viewpoint of other countries, and therefore people, as satellites of the homeland, this film is a genuinely fun love note to the spy film genre.

Topaz

Woman in a purple gown in Hitchcock's Topaz

A constant feeling of an ever-tightening noose built from tension fuels Topaz from start to finish. With spycraft being practiced everywhere, Cuba becomes the target and prize of the brutal power play between America and Russia. With a mercy killing as one of the tender moments, the sacrifice of the killer and the victim translates in any language as an act of love. A truly classic spy movie that brings the reality of the closeness of Communist controlled Cuba to the present day audience and makes it feel as threatening as if it was a current event.

Torn Curtain

Julie Andrews in a plaid scarf and Paul Newman in a black suit

The Cold War is zooming along just fine as the Russians and Americans square off with a few of their pawns in Torn Curtain. With an emphasis on outwitting versus outgunning, this classic spy movie makes the most of brains while still creating many terse moments from the environment of communism that the protagonist and his girlfriend find themselves surrounded by. The spark that should reside between Newman and Andrews seems to misfire with occasional moments of heat but luckily the intrigue holds the heat and is skillfully carried off throughout the film.

Remo Williams:  The Adventure Begins

Cranky and curmudgeonly meets the immovable object in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and greatness is born. Not many movies made past the concept of equality would think to cast a Caucasian actor for the role of Asian martial arts master but this film embraces the hell out of that idea. Joel Grey gets hit with the makeup stick and then proceeds to hit Remo Williams with every imaginable stick in order to get him into super agent shape. An underrated ’80s action movie that makes the most out of the anti-hero role and pulls out enough fun to make this movie something to be appreciated and even loved.

Next of Kin

Long after the Earth’s curtain call, there will still be a satellite somewhere transmitting Road House, the cousin film of Next of Kin, on fifty channels. This explains why an excellent movie on country boy vengeance got overlooked as it was buried under a swarm of kids running to the hardware store to figure out how to put knife tips in their boots. The action has the best part of violence for the audience in that it in justified classic revenge and that makes it easy to rationalize why you’re rooting for Patrick Swayze to mete out punishment. A human take on the country mouse in the city tale with plenty of violence and enough arrows to make any Dukes of Hazzard fan happy, Next of Kin should hold a spot of honor in the hearts of action films everywhere.

Gleaming the Cube

Not content with inspiring the audience to take up skateboarding, Gleaming the Cube also showed that family isn’t limited to a certain color and that’s both beautiful and cheesy goodness that should be voraciously consumed. With a plethora of visually fun stunts that range from the simple to the complex and a nice goofy mystery, this is clearly one of the underrated action movies of the ’80s. This film has Christian Slater, which gives it enough ’80s street cred to deal with any minor plot bumps all while doing a front side power slide into cinematic history.

Young Sherlock Holmes

Outside of the privacy of your own home, you want to be careful when throwing around the word “romp” as the Victorian era police might beat you senseless with their nightsticks. Luckily here in the safe, warm blanket of anonymity that the internet provides it is fine to say that this movie is an insane romp that doesn’t ignore the core of the Sherlock Holmes mythos while still adding enough of its own accoutrement to make the story its own. Equal parts mystery and character study, Young Sherlock Holmes is a thinking man’s action movie that deserves much more recognition so it can leave the realm of the underrated ’80s action movie and move on to a career in middle management, possibly in accounting.

Supergirl

There are times when a movie sets itself up to be underrated and that is evident in Supergirl as the actress playing the titular role gets second billing. With this film you get a double shot of powerful females in the roles of the heroine and the villain.  Both actresses give this dichotomy their full attention with excellent performances that bring life to the eternal dance of good versus evil and spandex versus evening wear. The male performances are the picture perfect equivalent of their female counterparts in male-centric action movies of this time period as the guys in Supergirl are now the ditzes and subordinates. This role reversal proves both touching and hilarious; as turnabout isn’t just fair play it’s also satisfying to the audience.

Code Name Zebra

In the field of grammatical ambiguity in the phrase “bad movie police chases,” there’s the distinction between police chases in bad movies, and bad movies with police chases in them. By most accounts, Code Name Zebra falls into the latter category. The central police chase is typical low budget nonsense, but take a look at this premise—a band of Vietnam veterans pose as African Americans in order to fight crime. That’s it. They’re like superheroes, but instead of superpowers they’re just really racist. Any police chase in this movie would qualify as a bad movie police chase.

Hero and the Terror

At the risk of breaking the internet, we’re including at Chuck Norris movie in this list of bad movie police chases. “I thought Chuck Norris specialized in bad movie karate fights,” you’re thinking. Well, Hero and the Terror was The Chuck’s attempt to break out of his martial arts pigeonhole and into something … edgier. The plot is about chasing a serial killer known as The Terror, and the car chases in the movie are as inept as you might be imagining.

Street Knight

Any study of bad movie police chases wouldn’t be complete without Cannon Films, which has produced more than one of the movies on this list. Street Knight is part of the illustrious career of one Jeff Speakman, who knows a thing or two about bad movie police chases. As an added bonus, he knows karate as well. We don’t know if he ever had a showdown with Chuck Norris, but he definitely holds his own in the field of bad movie police chases.

Taxi

The crown jewel in the crown of Jimmy Fallon/Queen Latifah collaborations, Taxi is probably the least obscure movie on this list of bad movies police chases. You probably remember seeing the trailer, although chances are you never saw the movie. It was a “bomb” in industry jargon, and it has a lot of slick, anonymous car chases in it. Who has time to construct a good chase scene when you need to save precious film for Jimmy Fallon?

Polk County Pot Plane

Sometimes all it takes is a good title to stand out for a list of bad movie police chases. And if Polk County Pot Plane isn’t a good title, we don’t know what is. The bad movie police chases in this one are sub-Dukes of Hazzard, with a lot of shakey inside-the-car shots and footage of cars being flipped and crashed into one another. But with a title like that, we feel bad including it in a list of bad movie police chases.

Sometimes it seems like the art of bad movie police chases is lost in today’s modern times. But then, remember that one of the movies on this list is less than ten years old—Taxi. It seems like there will always be a market for bad movie police chases. And hopefully we’ll always be here to chronicle them.


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Ferrari F355

This fine automobile is one of the only Fast and Furious cars to appear in both The Fast and the Furious, and its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious. Driven by Neal Moritz, the Ferrari F355 has a top speed of 183 miles per hour, which definitely earns it the title of “fast,” if not “furious.” And the F355 if almost tailor-made for the street-racing depicted in the movie, since it has a “F1-style gearbox management system, taken directly from Formula 1 racing.

Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 is the other Fast and Furious car to appear in the first and second movies. And unlike the F-355, it was actually used in a race scene in both movies, albeit with a different color scheme in the sequel. If you’re interested in such things, the RX-7 was listed on Car and Driver magazine’s Ten Best list a total of five times, which is probably more than can be said with whatever you’re driving to work.

Dodge Charger

Probably the most famous Fast and Furious car, the Dodge Charger has been in a lot of movies besides the Fast and Furious series. Most famously, it appeared in perhaps the definitive “car movie,” Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. (The bad guys drove it.)  But the Dodge Charger in The Fast and the Furious might also seem familiar to fans of The Dukes of Hazzard, since the model in the movie is the same as the infamous “General Lee.” How are them Fast and Furious boys gonna get out of this one?

Nissan Skyline GTR

This Fast and Furious car makes an appearance in the most recent entry in the series Fast Five. Inspired by the Nissa Skyline range, it’s nicknamed “Godzilla,” presumably because of the ease in which it can be made to rampage through downtown Tokyo. When the Fast & Furious was first released the Skyline was not legally available for import into the USA, which only added to the cool factor.

Nissan GTR R35

This is the latest automobile to earn the GTR badge (although the first legally available in the USA), and it’s also one of the latest Fast and Furious cars, also appearing in Fast Five. And unlike some of the other Fast and Furious cars, this is a new model. It might make a good birthday present for someone special—or if it’s out of your price range, maybe a couple Fast and Furious DVDs.

Sano Sansar

As you might imagine, many of the most popular Nepali movies are romantic comedies. This one, Sano Sansar, is heavily influenced by the American romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. And if you’re a fan of romantic comedies, Sano Sansar will probably seem pretty familiar to you, being a classic boy-meets-girl-and-they-hate-each-other-at-first story. And like a lot of Nepali movies, it features at least a few musical numbers. Yay? Yay!

Kagbeni

In addition to romantic comedies, Nepali movies are also produced under the genre of horror. So it is with Kagbeni, a Nepali movie based on the famous horror story The Monkey’s Paw. In case you don’t know, The Monkey’s Paw is about a wish-granting totem that doesn’t always give the wisher exactly what he had in mind. Kagbeni was called a “a benchmark for Nepali films.” Sounds pretty good, right?

Kusume Rumal 2

This one isn’t technically a sequel to the earlier movie Kusume Rumal, but it does reference it extensively. You see, the whole “_____ 2″ titling convention is treated a bit differently when it comes to Nepali movies. That didn’t stop this from being one of the most popular Nepali movies to come out in 2009, however. The story is heavily influenced by Hollywood movies like A Walk To Remember, but part of the fun of Nepali movies is seeing familiar storylines play out in novel ways.

Muna Madan

This 2003 Nepali movie is based on a one of the most popular epics in Nepali literature. With source material like that, it’s no surprise that it’s gone on to be one of the more popular Nepali movies.

Sick City

Another popular Nepali movie, this one with a really cool title (has it been used in America yet?). And it’s a lot edgier than what most people associate with Nepali movies. It’s a gritty crime story, about a young man who divides his time between being a husband and father and a drug dealer in the city of Tharmel’s red light district. Judging from the trailers for the movie online, it seems strongly influenced by movies like Requiem for a Dream in the way that it shows the flashiness and allure of the drug lifestyle while simultaneously depicting the consequences of it. This would appear to be an interesting introduction to Nepali movies, since it’s the kind of edgy crime story we see all the time in the US.

City Lights

Charlie Chaplin‘s City Lights may not be a “boxing movie” per se, but it does have at least one fantastic boxing scene, which takes place in the movie after Charlie’s Little Tramp wanders into a boxing venue after losing his job. And it might not be “realistic” per se, but it’s just as if not more entertaining than most more realistic boxing scenes in other movies. The Tramp uses some unorthodox methods in the ring, including hiding behind the referee. And the resulting scene is not only one of the funniest boxing scenes of all time, but one of the funniest comic set pieces of any kind ever filmed! The next time some guy at a party says boxing is just two idiots hitting each other, show him this boxing scene.

The Set-Up

One of the first movies to really depict the brutality of the sport in its boxing scenes–something we modern movie goers take for granted nowadays–and the fact this film was made in the 1940s definitely makes it worth checking out today. The boxing scenes in The Set-Up show punches landing and blood flowing in a way that was never seen outside of a real boxing ring. And that brutality isn’t just in the ring–the way director Robert Wise depicts the bloodthirsty members of the crowd is what really hits home. The boxing scenes may be violent, but they’re never violent enough for the people in the stands.

Rocky

Sylvester Stallone‘s breakout role, Rocky Balboa, is probably what most people think of when they hear “boxing movie.” Somewhat surprisingly, the slick and sometimes fake-looking boxing scenes in the Rocky movies aren’t exactly the best in the business–it’s arguable that most people are more responsive to Rocky’s quasi-triumph over adversity and his actual-triumph over his own weaknesses outside the ring. Still, no study of boxing scenes would be complete without Rocky, since they’ve been hugely influential on boxing scenes in movies and on TV in the years since then. And to all who say the boxing scenes “look fake”: We hope you never run into Stallone’s fists. 

Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull famously only has about ten minutes of boxing scenes in it, but the pitch-perfect performances from Robert De Niro along with the just-as-perfect cinematography still qualifies it as perhaps the best boxing movie ever made. Scratch that — one of the best movies ever made, period. And the boxing scenes in it do not disappoint; each of Jake LaMotta’s matches have a strong visceral impact that makes the viewer feel like he’s in the ring — either sharing the glory of victory, or being pounded into a pulp. These boxing scenes have an expressionistic impact that’s never really been duplicated. Remember when Jake’s opponent gets his nose punched to the other side of his face? Scorsese shows no mercy at the sight of the blood spraying from his head. Or how about the torrent of blood that sprays all the way into the stands?! Hyperstyled? Sure, but name one realistic boxing scene that’s more powerful than the ones in Raging Bull? That’s what I thought. 

The Fighter

As previously mentioned, different filmmakers who attempt to put their marks on boxing scenes try different approaches. In the case of David O. Russell, director of The Fighter, authenticity was the name of the game. The boxing scenes therein are designed to look as much like the original HBO broadcasts of the fights as possible, right down to using similar cameras to film the fights. Sometimes, Russell steps out of this TV-style in order to bring the viewer into the ring — particularly memorably for a super-slow-motion shot of a punch — but even then, realism and authenticity are the chief objectives. That and nailing those Boston accents, of course.

So there you have it. Luckily for any boxing scene fan, there are literally dozens more boxing movies to explore, and almost all of them have at least one boxing scene. And there are more coming out all the time. Just remember, kids, don’t try this at home.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is pretty much the first character anyone thinks of when the subject of “women superheroes” is brought up (and honestly, has a day gone by when this subject hasn’t entered your conversation at least once?). This isn’t because she was the first female superhero, or even the best. But for whatever reason, she shook out as being the most famous, and why not? She’s got a nice patriotic thing going with her costume, and she’s also got a healthy dose of S&M with that truth lasso. Her most famous screen iteration is the ’70s TV series starring Linda Carter, but that could change if the upcoming TV … yeah, that’s probably not gonna change.

Spider-Woman

Women superheroes are often burdened by being mere reflections of their male counterparts. In this instance, Spider-Woman is obviously intended as a female Spider-Man, and there’s no point in even trying to get around it. Unlike many women superheroes, however, Spider-Woman has managed to be her own gal for quite a while, even getting her own motion comic “Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.” And no, there’s no relation between her and Kiss of the Spider-Woman. That’s a different Spider-Woman.

All The Female X-Men

The X-Men series has brought possibly the most women superheroes to the screen. Jean Grey, Storm and Rogue are the most famous, but there have been several others in the series, which includes the recen X-Men: First Class. Not only do these women superheroes have to deal with the pressure of being mutants, protecting those that hate and fear them, they also have to deal with the pressures of being women! Would it be an exaggeration to say that watching the X-Men movies makes you a brave feminist crusader? No, no it would not.

The Tiger Woman

Unlike the other women superheroes on this list, it’s very possible that you’ve never even heard of The Tiger Woman. That’s probably because instead of originating in comics or on TV, The Tiger Woman comes from the lost art of the adventure serial. In a 12-chapter serial in the 1940s called The Tiger Woman, The Tiger Woman thrilled adventure-loving kids all over the country with her costume cat ears and she-Tarzan style. The Tiger Woman is not only one of the more obscure women superheroes, but she also might make a cool Halloween costume idea for your girlfriend. Run it by her, see what happens.

Batgirl

Some women superheroes are proud, upstanding symbols of female empowerment. Then again, some women superheroes are played by Alicia Silverstone in universally despised Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Batgirl was never a particularly interesting character, being basically Robin with boobs, but she is a female who wears a cape and fights crime, so she makes the list. Holy affirmative action, Batman!

Now you have at least some idea of the women superheroes that have made it to the big screen. Could all of these women superheroes hold their own against Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man? We don’t know, but we wouldn’t advise you bet against them. They’ve made it this far, after all.

“Das Boot” (1981) is certainly the best submarine film ever made, and a must on any list of the best German war movies. It still holds the record for most Academy Award nominations for a German film with six. The claustrophobia and camaraderie of life in a World War II submarine are depicted with tremendous realism.

“Aguirre, The Wrath of God” (1972) is Werner Herzog‘s masterpiece, set in sixteenth century Amazonian Peru a few decades after the conquest of the Incas. An expedition by a band of ruthless Spanish conquistadores in search of fortune becomes a perilous river journey, deteriorating into power struggles among the soldiers. One of the few set outside the twentieth century, the story and themes almost require it to be classed among the best German war movies ever made.

“The Tin Drum” (1979) is an Academy Award winner based on a Gunter Grass novel by the same name. Oskar decides on his third birthday to refuse the world. His tin drum symbolizes his personal protest against the passive mentality of those around him, in Nazi Germany on the eve of World War II.

“The Lives of Others” (2006) is set during the height of the Cold War, in 1984 in East Berlin. This thriller tells the story of a couple of dramatic and intellectual stars in the socialist state, and a Stasi (secret service) agent who observes and records the couple, as they go about their lives. Suddenly every day activities become more interesting than one would think.

“Comrades of 1918″ (1930) is German filmmaker G. W. Pabst’s first “talkie”. It is a decidedly anti-war film about the futility of trench warfare on the Western Front in World War I. It is one of the earliest, and still one of the best German war movies ever.

“Downfall” (2004), “Der Untergang”, explores the final days of Nazi Germany. In the spring of 1945, Adolf Hitler and his remaining staff are holed up in a large bunker complex in the center of Berlin. Hitler is portrayed as a paranoid, moody man, fluctuating from optimism to suicidal depression.  Don’t let the fact that this film turned Hitler into an internet meme take away from this future masterpiece.

Maybe you are going to the Salute to Israel Day Parade this weekend, or maybe you are interested in learning more about films from this volatile region of the world – regardless of your motivation we thought this was a good time to get up to speed on films about Israel.

As Israel continues to capture the world’s imagination both in the news media and as a spiritual place for three of the world’s major religions, these films provide insight into the culture of this society.