Probably the least violent film on this list but certainly the most mundane, 2001 is a masterpiece, but it is also a film worth only enjoying in once. I'm a Kubrick fan, no doubt, but the slow, plodding, space-like nature of the film makes it a one-time screener.
2001 is a piece of art, and like a piece of art, it can be interpreted in many ways, but upon your first viewing of it there is really no sense in going back to it for something you missed. It's like looking at the Mona Lisa, you see it once, take it in, enjoy its beauty, and then never think to see it ever again.
4. Straw Dogs
Straw Dogs is a tame movie in terms of violence, compared to the others on this list but what makes this movie infamous is its rape scene involving his wife. What makes it worse is the aftermath when it looks as though she enjoyed it, all the while Dustin Hoffman, playing a nerdy mathmatician, has to man up and defend her honor, even though he never stands up for himself.
In end of the film is a Funny Games/Strangers type scenario where Hoffman defends his home against his wife's assailants, diving in to his most brutal nature while his wife still chastises his manhood.
3. United 93
Amid the cires of "Too soon!!! Too Soon!!!', Paul Greengrass wedged his way through the static and crafted a dignified portrait of the fateful flight of United Airlines 93 on September 11th. What transpires is a film very similar to Elephant in terms of its storytelling. There are no known actors in the film and some even played themselves in the roles they took part in during the actual events of September 11th.The movie is beautiful and simple in its execution, but we all know what happens in the end, and no matter how heroic the deeds of this film, it isn't the type of movie you throw in the player at your next party. It's heart-wrenching and anger-inducing and nothing you want to keep putting yourself through.
2. The Happening
Most of the films on this list are quality films that have tough imagery to take in. The Happening is the exact oppisite of these movies. It is a truly downright awful film that should be seen to be believed, and then put out of memory for eternity. The film teeters on "So bad, it's good" status, but the problem is that it takes itself so seriously. Films like Troll 2 or Army of Darkness are terrible films, but there is so much joy in watching them over and over again.The insane performances of the actors in the film and the all around reveal and implementation of the villain comes off hysterically funny, but leaves nothing to be desired to watch it again. Not to mention the headache-inducing dialogue. What happened M. Night Shyamalan, and no that wasn't a pun. Here's a gem for you.
1. Natural Born Killers
Granted, Oliver Stone's, drug-induced slap in the face to a media and violence obsessed culture has quite the followingm but I entertain the opinion that this movie hates its audience and wants to rub their noses in all kinds of mess. Natural Born Killers is something to be seen, I won't deny that. The psycadelic visuals and all-around psychotic story-telling is a unique film experience.But what turns me off to the film is that not one character in the whole movie is likeable. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis are of course our killers, but the cast of whacky side characters are just as demeneted and disgusting as they are. I just can't get into this movie, and after seeing it once I know it will never grace my eyes with its presence again.
