Five I Also Saw
- Justacinephile
- Dec 8, 2017
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 19, 2017
Five films I saw for the first time in 2017, and fully enjoyed, but did not come out in 2017.
Caligula (1979) by Tinto Brass
Malcolm McDowell (Caligula) and Peter O'Toole (Tiberius) give phenomenal performances in a character study of arguably the most infamous Caesar, Gaius Germanicus Caligula. It was fascinating to see Caligula's upbringing by Tiberius, his twisted relationship with family members, his rise to power through nefarious means, his reign and public assassination. I saw this film because I saw a special on the History Channel.
Cube (1997) by Vincenzo Vitali
Claustrophobia doesn't start to describe this film. As the title suggest, it takes place in a cube, which could be assumed to be boring, which it is far from boring. Even though the question of "what happens if we put strangers in a room with traps and see if they can get out?" wasn't new in 1997, the brilliance of the acting and set design was refreshing. Vitali creates constant tension, urgency and thoughtfulness throughout the entire film; it reminded me of Hitchcock's "Lifeboat" in its setting and careful revealing of truth and lies in a life-or-death situation.
The Bridge (2006) by Eric Steel
This was one of the most thoughtful and intriguing documentaries I've seen in a while. Although the primary point of the film was to show the alarming and disturbing number of suicides off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, the film had much more to say. It brought forward discussions about mental illness and civic responsibility as well as documentary maker's responsibility in their craft.
The Puppet Masters (1994) by Stuart Orme
This film came out of nowhere for me and I regard it as one of the coolest films I've seen this year. Although it might look like a rip-off of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" or "X-Files", it stands alone as a quality science fiction film and Orme adds his invigorating take on the alien invasion archetype.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) by Tobe Hooper
I had procrastinated on seeing this cinematic masterpiece, but I was pleased to see it at the beginning of 2017. I had seen other horror masterpieces from the 1970s, such as "The Last House on the Left", "The Exorcist", "The Omen", "Halloween", "Jaws", "Alien", "Carrie", "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Dawn of the Dead", but I had not seen one of its most famous horror films. I still think the 1970s was the best decade of horror films, and after seeing "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," my decision is even more solidified. I was intrigued by the documentary that accompanied TTCM; I still cannot decide if the making of the film was more horrifying than the actual film fans frightfully enjoy.
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