This is part three in our continuing Misfit Artists saga, which examines documentaries about unique artists working outside of the mainstream.
Electric Boogaloo is not about break dancing. It’s a documentary about Cannon Films, the bad boys of 1980s and 1990s cinema. Led by a pair of brash Israelis who wanted to disrupt the Hollywood studio system, Cannon unleashed a torrent of cheap, edgy and often outrageous films. Some of them were even good. Continue reading
This is the second installment of the Misfit Artists list, which examines documentaries about unique artists who worked outside of the mainstream.
In the Realms of the Unreal is the name of a documentary as well as a 15,000-page illustrated epic created by Henry Darger. A poor and reclusive janitor, Darger labored in secret on works that boggle the imagination and provide a fascinating window into his soul. Continue reading
Diggstown isn’t the Muhammad Ali of cinema, but it sneaks up on you like a tricky left hook and leaves more of a mark than you might have expected. The tale is a simple one: a group of hustlers compete with a small-town tyrant to fix the fights in an epic boxing marathon and reap a huge payout. It’s one part sports and one part heist, with plenty of quips and action along the way. Continue reading
Things Change is the sweetest gangster movie you’ll ever see. The film is the brainchild of a scriptwriting odd couple: David Mamet and Shel Silverstein. While Mamet is known for his hard-boiled tales of rogues and lowlifes, Silverstein built his reputation on whimsical books for children. Somehow, Things Change balances these contrasting styles into a very entertaining and unique final product. Continue reading
Blind Fury is a fun little chunk of 1980s action cheese about a blind Vietnam War vet played by Rutger Hauer who fights with a sword hidden in his cane to protect a bratty kid from gangsters. The film is a weird grab-bag of R-rated violence, cornball comedy and the occasional stab at melodrama. Overall, it’s 25% intentionally silly, 25% unintentionally silly, and 50% actually pretty cool. You won’t always be sure whether you’re laughing at the film or with it, and it doesn’t really matter. Continue reading
To understand Best Worst Movie, you must first understand Troll 2, a low-budget horror film that does not feature any trolls and is not a sequel to the film Troll. As you might expect, Troll 2 was not a towering achievement of cinema. In fact, at one point it held the dubious distinction of being IMDB’s lowest-rated film. Best Worst Movie is a look at how the hell that happened. Continue reading
If you’re looking for a smart and character-driven thriller, check out Sound of My Voice. The plot centers on two aspiring documentarians who infiltrate a secretive cult to expose it, only for one of the filmmakers to start falling under the sway of the cult’s enigmatic leader. Things get weird. Continue reading
Miami Connection is about Tae Kwon Do blackbelt orphans who play in a rock band called Dragon Sound and fight a motorcycle gang of drug-dealing ninjas. I don’t think a feature film could physically contain more awesomeness than that. Of course, the execution could not possibly live up to that premise. The film is a bizarre hodgepodge of half-baked ideas, regrettable attempts at drama, clumsy stabs at comedy, terrible synth rock music and graphic ninja violence. It’s amazing. Continue reading
Streets of Fire is a unique action movie written and directed by the underappreciated Walter Hill. Billed as a “Rock ‘n Roll Fable,” it’s set in an alternate-reality 1980s where the styles and culture of the 1950s never died. This is a world of hot rods, greasers, diners and rockabilly. With its focus on a gritty but fantastical setting, the film can be easily seen a spiritual successor to Hill’s previous film The Warriors, which also dealt with street crime in a brutal but oddly fanciful world. Continue reading
Film Rex 