Ahh, the age old question: What should I watch? Everyone is always looking for a new movie. They ask their friends. They ask Google. They ask Siri. But there are a lot of movies that slip through the cracks over time. Whether they were low budget, before your time or came out at the wrong time. There is a myriad of movies that are waiting in hiding and I'm here to give you a few for your late summer viewing pleasure.
1. "Brick" (2005)
If any of you remember the short-lived HBO series, "Encyclopedia Brown," you'll love this movie. This is much edgier, though. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a high-schooler who tries to solve the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
2. "Out Cold" (2001)
There may be those out there who have already seen this by now, but for the few of you who haven't, rent now. The film was one of Zach Galifianakis' first movies, and he shines here. The movie plays as a parody to the "ski school" movies of the 1980s, with many scenes that will leave you rolling.
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3. "Howard the Duck" (1986)
Pure 1980s gold here. Howard is alien duck who is pulled to Earth by scientists, and he must stop another alien invader. George Lucas is an executive producer on this movie during a time when he was still making good films.
4. "The Woodsman" (2004)
This first sighting of Bacon on this list. Kevin Bacon plays a convicted sex offender, who struggles with reintegrating in society after being released from prison. Bacon plays this role perfectly, providing an unflinching view of a very controversial topic in modern society.
5. "The Lookout" (2007)
Here's Joseph Gordon-Levitt again. In this one, he plays a former athlete who has a brain injury after an accident. He is forced to take a janitor position at a bank because of his injury and gets caught up in a plan to rob the bank. This film plays like a big-budget heist movie with a morality tale. The performances from JGL and Jeff Daniels are top-notch.
6. "Gleaming the Cube" (1989)
Christian Slater is out to prove that his brother's death wasn't a suicide but a part of weapons ring. The catch is skating as in skateboarding. This movie came out during the rise of skateboarding, before the X-Games and Tony Hawk video games. This is cheese at its finest and features Tony Hawk in his first film role.
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7. "White Water Summer" (1987)
The return of the Bacon. Here he plays an over-the-top guide who takes a geeky Sean Astin and his three friends on a wilderness trip, until things take a turn for the bad. Duh, duh, duh. Typical '80s fare, but we get Bacon and Astin during their primes and an all-around fun time with a little bit of suspense.
8. "Tucker and Dale vs Evil" (2010)
Originally debuting at the Sundance Film Festival and after a very limited theater release, this movie basically disappeared. With the rise of streaming on Netflix, I found this gem. This is basically a parody of the horror genre providing a comedic view from the "killer's" perspective.
9. "Heathers" (1988)
"Heathers" is "Mean Girls" before there was "Mean Girls," and, no, I'm not ashamed to say I've seen "Mean Girls" more than once. Winona Ryder plays the nice girl playing mean who ultimately is turned bad by the school rebel played by Christian Slater. Yeah, Slater appears on this list twice. That's weird.
10. "7 Faces of Dr. Lao" (1964)
The story involves Dr. Lao bringing a circus to a town and via some amazing makeup work and effects for its time of 1964, he shows the townspeople valuable life lessons. My mom bought this movie for me, saying she loved it when she was a kid. As an 11-year-old, I remember feeling bored half-way through, but after re-watching it as I got older, the message set in better. There is a lot to be learned here.
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Albrecht can be reached at talbrecht@gfherald.com or 701-780-1269. Follow him on Twitter @Tim03.
