Some Life Changing Movie Recommendations

Some movies you watch because you're a miserable sucker who likes to torture themselves and then you hope to never have to watch them again - ever - as long as you live. That's most of the movies I review.

Some movies you watch because they are "classics" and bring something amazing to the table: great acting or writing or cinematography or some combination thereof and you feel like a better, more well-rounded connoisseur of the arts for having seen them.

Some movies you watch over and over again because they speak so loudly to you that they have literally changed your life in some way.

Since I rarely take the time to write about movies I truly love, today I'll share with you some movies that I consider life changing and should be on your "must watch" list, even if you've seen them before. Enjoy.

Fight Club

The story: An every day guy's life is turned upside down by a crazy man and a seductress.
The lesson: What other people think about you is irrelevant. Stop trying so hard to be what society tells you to be. The status quo is stupid. Challenge expectations. Challenge yourself.
Your movie mantra: "Just let go."

Whenever I find myself obsessing over trivial details, things that you might see hashtagged as #firstworldproblems, I hear Ed Norton and Brad Pitt discussing duvet covers over beers. Then I think to myself, "What kind of dining set defines me as a person?"

This is my personal reality check - my self-imposed blast of perspective - that we all need sometimes. Try it. It works.

Auntie Mame

The story: A conservative young man is raised by his eclectic aunt. Her wild ways teach him what's truly important in life.
The lesson: Do what you love. Family is of the utmost importance. Always be yourself. Enjoy life to it's fullest. Never be afraid to try new things. Never stop learning.
Your movie mantra: "Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving."

Any time I have a second of self-doubt or a moment of melancholy in which I think, "what the hell am I doing with my life?" I think of the glamorous, beautiful, snarky Rosalind Russell and her joyous insistence, "You've gotta live!"

Who cares what I'm doing? Am I enjoying myself? Am I learning new things? Then that's a win and I need to not worry about anything else.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

The story: A young girl and a band of misfits come together to end a war. Many glorious adventures ensue.
The lesson: Some stories are so fantastic, they can become reality. Everyone can do something great if they believe in themselves and try their best. Something doesn't have to be true to be right.
Your movie mantra: "Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash and I'm delighted to say that I have no grasp of it whatsoever."

I watch this movie any time I'm feeling artistically blocked; it helps remind me of the power of imagination. It also reminds me that doing nothing will get me nothing and that I need to try, if I want to get somewhere.

Harold And Maude

The story: A misanthropic young man defies his mother's wishes and falls in love with an artistic older woman. She teaches him to love life and himself.
The lesson: Be yourself and love who you love. Have fun, no matter what you're doing. Treat others with respect but, don't compromise yourself.
Your movie mantra: "Everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves."

Any time I feel like I'm getting depressed, I think about all of Bud Cort's faux suicides and their hilarious effect on his mother and I just laugh. Harold and Maude also reminds me to appreciate my friends for their eccentricities and the subtle ways they shape my life for the better.

Dark Ride (2006)

Spoilers, typos, and bad grammar ahead. You've been warned. I remember a time when horror was still a relatively underground genre and fans slunk around in the shadows, keeping their fandom to themselves for fear of judgement. Now, it seems everyone and their mother is a horror fan and has something to say about the genre - for better or worse. While this does mean horror movies (and related goodies) are easier for long-time genre fans to get their hands on, it also means an over-saturation of the market (leading to an excess of crap.) It also means tons of great opportunities (like festivals and conventions) have cropped up all over the place. The After Dark Horrorfest (or "8 Films to Die For") was at the forefront of the horror festival circuit and offered directors (and audiences alike) a terrific venue for checkin out new, original horror films. Pros and cons aside, I've often avoided the movies coming out of this festival - not because of the hype and ...

"I live, I love, I slay & I am Content."

Let me tell you a little about myself; something real about the home I grew up in. There were lots of people around all the time. I was the only child. And, thankfully, I wasn't treated as such. Much like today, I was just the shortest member of the household. But what's that really mean? Above and beyond it means that I had many influences growing up. For this entry, my father's influence is the most important. My father loves arms and armor. He loves history and mythology and the art of warfare. And as any good father would, he shared these passions with me as a kid. I remember him making me wooden swords to play with. We played chess together. And I remember him reading me Greek myths and comic books before bed. He also shared his nerdy love of scifi, fantasy, and horror movies with me. For all of this, I am grateful. And I am now passionate about the same things. Spoiler alert: the following statement is not a dick joke. I have a love of swords. And barbarian...

Stage Fright 2014

Stage Fright is a visual cacophony of mismatched genre images. It's an immensely underwhelming directorial debut that reads more like a film school project than an actual feature length film. The Gist: Theatre geeks go away to summer camp to sing their hearts out where no one can make fun of them. They attempt to produce something that looks a lot like The Phantom of the Opera and ends just as well for everyone involved. Knowing they are riffing on Phantom of the Opera doesn't make it feel any less like they are really riffing on Scream or Scary Movie . Capitalizing on the popularity of shitty TV like Glee and the endless slew of High School Musical movies, there is very little to take seriously in this movie due to their immature production. I assumed, just by the production values, that it was an independent thing. I kept being thrown by it having a sort of (washed up) famous cast including Mini Driver . I was surprised to see her in...

i'm kael's ghost

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