Parental Discretion is Advised

Seasons have changed here in Minnesota. Summer to autumn, and sooner than I’d like, autumn will be winter. In preparation for the months to follow I have been doing a little house cleaning, a little eating, but more importantly I’ve been looking for inspiration. Things to keep me motivated and entertained while I endure the winter months snuggled inside, watching snowflakes fall and frost form on my windows. This brings me to my list of “Artful Movies”. The movies that have inspired me either through message, cinematography, or humor. I warn you, parental discretion is advised, these films aren’t for the average movie enthusiast. What films inspire you?

• Hausu by Nobuhiko Obayashi. One of the most incredible 1970's Japanese horror films, completely ahead of its time, with hand-done film effects and amazing hand-painted backdrops.
  
  
• Disco Dancer by Babber Subhash. If this movie doesn’t make you want to get up and dance not sure what will.
  
  
• The Good, The Bad, The Weird by Ji-woon Kim. It’s a modern Korean western with great cinematography and quirky style.
  
  
• Survive Style 5+ by Gen Sekiguchi. This is an avant-garde, bizarre Japanese flick with incredible sets. Maybe not the best movie, but some great still frames!
  
  
• Descendant of the Sun. A psychedelic Shaw Brothers era kung fu movie. The plot is a super-baby is found by a poor woodcutter inside a crystal and must defeat an evil alien king's eugenics program with lasers and fire breathing. I love plot lines like this. If you like this, also see Battle Wizard, Holy Flame of the Martial World and Buddha's Palm.
  
  
• The Holy Mountains. By Alejandro Jodorowsky, director of El Topo. Long-banned, Beatles-funded, multi-million dollar sacrilegious epic, filmed while the actors were usually under the influence. Disturbing at times, but one of the wildest, most creative expressions of film ever.
  
  
• The Tale of the Fox. I love stop motion and this is on an epic level. From 1929 by Russian Ladislas Starevitch, a jaw-dropping amount of work put into animating tiny animals frame by frame. Just...... mind melting.
  
  
• Dreams. A film based on interpretations of actual dreams from director Akira Kurosawa.
  
  
• Alice. Another stop motion/live action masterpiece, this time from Jan Svankmeyer. His advanced, creepy interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. Amazing sound work and painstaking detail. Weird!
  
  
• Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell. Beautiful, sad documentary on musician Arthur Russel, an influential gay producer who did incredible things in the disco era. Really lovely!