10 Movies You've Probably Never Heard of . . . but Should Have

We're in full swing in the summer movie season. And while I will admit that I love the Van Helsings, Day After Tomorrows, Shreks, and Spidermans of the summer season, there does come a point where I find myself itching for something with a bit more. . . quality. And it always bothers me that some of the best movies I've seen are ones that are virtually ignored, not so much by critics, but by people who fancy themselves as film lovers.

Now, one or two of these were actually pretty talked up at awards time, but I've still met people who have not seen them. So if you're bored with the standard, loud action flicks, hit the video store and take a chance with these gems. They're wonderfully made, full of quality, and many of them will, as Jack Black said, "challenge your head, brain, and also your mind."

1. May:May is a socially awkward young woman. Born with a lazy eye, painfully shy because of her looks, and told by her mother she just would never be good enough. Her best friend is a doll in a glass case. But soon May starts to venture out into the world and meet guys and gals. . . and finds out the harsh truth of real relationships. . . and that's when May decides to make new friends. This is a creepy little horror flick, but the emotions and characterizations are so deep and true. Angela Bettis is a sympathetic villain/heroine, and the end shot is both chilling and sweet. Not for the squeamish, but this is a wonderfully made fairy tale masquerading as a slasher flick.

2. Donnie Darko: Another delightfully bizarre teenage movie. Again, this bills itself as a psychological thriller, but it's really not that easy to describe. . . or understand. In fact, I can't even describe the plot. . .you have to see it for yourself. Just know it involves wormholes, one disturbed teenager, and one freaky bunny. Confusing even after it's ending explains all, it's a movie that sends you scouring the DVD and internet for answers. A great puzzle with an incredible performance by Jake Gyllenhall and a supporting cast that includes Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle, and Patrick Swayze (yep, THAT Patrick Swayze.) Well worth a look!!

3. Capturing The Friedmans: You hear documentary, most likely you run. You hear family movie, you grab the pillow and warm milk. Shame on you. With Bowling For Columbine and Super Size me racking up huge numbers, there should be proof that the documentary is hotter than ever. . . as we'll see June 25th when Michael Moore's controversial-but-sure-to-be-huge-smash "Farenheit 9/11" opens. That's because real life is often more incredibly tense and odd than anything the movies could conjure. But this documentary was by far one of the most gripping films I've ever seen. Shot through home video footage in a family torn apart by horrible allegations, this presents a family in the midst of a situation no one should have to go through. But as we hear from police, lawyers, and witnesses, the truth gets distorted and twist and we end up not knowing who to believe. Emotionally devastating, gut-wrenching, and provocative, this is a movie that should have been more recognized at the Oscars last year. And do not miss the extra features on the DVD which for once actually add to the mystery and complexity of the case. Watch, admire, but then take a long shower.

4. Frailty: Why this movie failed to gain more notice is beyond me. With Bill Paxton directing and Matthew McCounaghey (sp?) starring, this should have been a smash. But maybe it's the fact that it's one of the most truly eerie, scary movies in the past few decades. Imagine if your father woke up telling you he had a vision that God had told him to destroy demons. . . now imagine that he started bringing home those demons, and they looked just like real people. . .and imagine the "tools" that God had given your Dad to use were gloves, a lead pipe, and an axe named Otis. This is a taut, terrifying movie with a wicked twist at the end. Paxton is incredible as a father slipping over the edge of madness and his directing is very skillful in this horror story of faith gone mad.

5. A Simple Plan: Bill Paxton again? He is truly one of our most underrated actors. He, Billy Bob Thornton (in a truly tragic role) and Bridget Fonda star in this little thriller from director Sam Raimi. Three friends find a downed plane with $4 million inside. They decide to keep it so long as no one comes looking. And then things fall apart and fear, desperation, betrayal, and greed all rear their heads. Raimi, who started with Evil Dead and now does Spiderman, is the mastermind in this film as he skillfully keeps the plan methodically plotted even as it's falling apart onscreen. Sometimes the tragic twists are so unexpecte they're comical. But the ending is truly one of the heartbreaking, tragic ends of any motion picture. Dark, yes. But fantastically so.

6. In America: Shame on the Academy for favoring films like Master and Commander over this wonderful gem from last year. I saw it at a preview screening with Erin and had no idea what to expect. The description alone belies the depth and poignancy in this very personal tale from Jim Sheridan: an Irish family immigrates to America to escape the loss of their youngest son. A wonderful ode to the hope of America, the beauty of life, and the love of family. Samantha Morton and Djimon Hounsou give wonderful performances that deserved their Oscar nominations last year.

7. Lost In Translation: This is where I'll get hate mail from everyone who's seen it after hearing the Oscar hype and loathed it. But the reason I think it divides audiences is that Americans are used to having their emotions manipulated, not drawn-out. This is a movie that dares to speak about loneliness and despair and then remind us how good and sweet it is to find that one person who speaks our language, even if it's only for a short time. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen are such a wonderful couple in this movie that their age difference never crosses our mind (it helps that the movie never crosses the "icky" line, either.) It's a movie that doesn't say much and leaves us to fill in the blanks, and reminds us that love is complex, confusing, but oh so sweet.

8. Thirteen: And now we move from a movie that was sweet and heartwarming to one that had me racing to the showers and wanting to just find my little sister and tell her never to make any friends! The fact that this movie about the life of teenage girls was written by a teenage girl is even more phenomenal. Yeah, it's the standard story about a "sweet girl" who falls in with the wrong friends and her life spirals into drugs, violence, and sex. But the performances and the brutal honesty of the script pack such a punch, especially as the darkness of the movie begins to go deeper than we'd ever expect. Holly Hunter gives a phenomenal performance as a mother at wit's end, and the scene at the end where she cradles her daughter in her arms and kisses her scars is one of the most truly devastatingly emotional scenes in any recent film. See it, but be prepared to be depressed.

9. Shattered Glass: Hayden Christinsen has never impressed me in the new Star Wars films, maybe because I've never really been a big fan of Star Wars or all things The Force. But in this true story of scandalized journalist Stephen Glass, he's note-perfect as a man who seems incapable of the lies he spins each day. A wonderful film about journalism, but an even better film about the truth. Peter Skarsgard (shoot, I think that's who it was) really stands out, though, as his editor, Chuck, who's forced to make a tough ethical decision. Wonderfully acted, written, and directed.

10. Requiem for a Dream: This is a movie I recommend and yet don't. Technically, this was one of the most jarring,disturbing movie experiences of my life. The performances by Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans and especially Ellyn Burstyn are all phenomenal and the directing is just out of this world as it portrays very graphically the lives ruined by drug addiction. Any kid who ever is caught with drugs should be sat down and shown this movie. . . they will never want so much as caffeine again. The jarring cuts, dialating pupils, the blood rush...this movie gets into the soul of a junky and is powerfully disturbing and extremely well made. However, do issue a warning: STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!! That's not just a warning for the humiliating, graphically portrayed end that Jennifer Connelly comes to, although I don't know if I've ever been more disturbed. . . wait, yes I have. It was five minutes later when Ellen Burstyn's character's fate was revealed. This movie will haunt you, scar you, and shake you. I include it because technically it is an extreme achievement. . . I also don't know that I could ever sit through it again.

And that's it! Love to hear your thoughts!
C-Dubbs