15 Discomforting Films That Are Worth It

 Ever seen a movie that you rented to shock and intrigue you, and it just turned out to be BAD? Not 'bad' as in 'disturbing,' but bad as in 'sucking shit out of a straw is preferable to watching this turd' bad? Maybe  it was "The Human Centipede," or an "August Underground" sequel. Well look no further, you sick low-life disturbing-film lover! I've got a collection of sick and depression-inducing movies for every taste. They're called-  you guessed it- '15 DISCOMFORTING MOVIES THAT ARE WORTH IT.'

Mother's Day Weekend: It's Monday, What Are You Reading? 12 Memorable Movie Moms and Blogger Links to Share

Reading:

 

12 Movie Lives we Don't Envy

Sometimes I think the majority of Hollywood is about letting its viewers live in a fantasy world where nerds can score, life can be wrapped up in a nice little package, and the women have bigger boobs and smaller waists. Here are some movies that offer grim, even terrifying glimpses into the lives of the less fortunate. Take a look ...

P.S. If this post is well received, I might consider writing a sequel.

Top 10 Movie Scenes I've Been Trying to Scrub From My Brain

You know how something you've seen can be nasty, disturbing, whacked out, or just plain icky that it's inexorably burned into your brain? And you think, "Oh well, give it some time and the memory will fade." But of course, it doesn't.

On any given day, I can't remember where I left my car keys or who I promised to call. But these images are still unshakably lodged in my cranium. Hell, I'll probably forget the names of my children before some of these movie scenes slip from my mind. ;-)

Anyhoo ... I haven't actually written any reviews lately (happily, my co-blogger, Sarah, has been picking up the slack), and I thought this would be a fun post. The idea popped into my head while visiting one of my favorite bloggers and was partially inspired by Nikki's "Most Disturbing Films." 

 
10. The Opening Masturbation Scene (Buddy Boy) 

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part I: #1-5)

1. Let the Right One In, Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Starring Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson,  & Per Ragnar
Little Oskar is bullied by peers and overlooked by grown-ups and dreams of a gory revenge. Eli is a vampire in a child's body who lives off blood and finds an unlikely ally in Oskar. Complex vampire story makes you care for the two children and hope for the best for them, even when hope seems bleak.
Favorite Character- Oskar

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part II: #6-10)

6. Buddy Boy, Directed by Mark Hanlon
Starring Aidan Gillen, Susan Tyrell, & Emmanuelle  Seigner
Poor Francis. Wait what? Strangely sympathetic voyeur with a profound stutter is ignored and abused by virtually everyone in his life, til he improbably hooks up with a sexy Frenchwoman and his Catholic guilt takes over and pushes him over the edge. What's real and what's in his sadly deluded mind? You won't necessarily find out, but you'll love it if you like gratuitously weird cinema like me.
Favorite Character- Francis

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part III #11-15)

11. Weekend, Directed by Andrew Haigh
Starring Tom Cullen, Chris New, & Jonathan Race
Exceedingly natural, down-to-earth drama confronts gay issues in a frank and interesting way. The actors perform admirably, and the characters seem true-to-life rather than cliched or trite. Sensitive viewers and heterosexual males prepare for some serious, no-holds-barred man-love.
Favorite Character- Russell

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part IV: #16-20)

16. The Young Poisoner's Handbook, Directed by Benjamin Ross
Starring Hugh O'Conor, Roger Lloyd-Pack, & Ruth Sheen
Based on a true story, this black comedy follows "tea-cup killer" Graham Young (O' Conor), a weirdo kid genius who poisons his mother and is institutionalized, only to be released and kill again. Hugh O'Conor makes Graham compelling and almost likable, never letting us forget what he is. Great fun, or should I say, haunting and compelling? 
Favorite Character- Graham

17. This is England, Directed by Shane Meadows
Starring Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, & Perry Benson
Thomas Turgoose gives an impressive first performance, but Stephen Graham steals the show as the hateful, unhinged skinhead who takes young Turgoose under his wing. The whole thing is fittingly complex and rings true with authenticity. Based on director Shane Meadows' own experiences.
Favorite Character- Shaun

18. The Butcher Boy, Directed by Neil Jordan
 Starring Eamonn Owens, Stephen Rea, & Fiona Shaw
Francie is impoverished, alienated, and abused, and when he goes over the edge, it doesn't surprise anyone much. But Francie doesn't want recognition. He wants revenge. Searing adaptation of Patrick McCabe's 1994 Irish novel is psychologically astute and rather shocking, which helps it get over the campy bits. Newcomer Eamonn Owens gives an impressive performance as the unhinged youngster Francie.
Favorite Character- Francie

19. The Shining, Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Jack Nicholson, Danny Lloyd, & Shelly Duvall
An oldie but a goodie. And still scary, after all these years (!) The woman in the bathtub (you know the one) still gives me the shivers. 
Favorite Character- Jack

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part V: #21-25)

21. Breaking the Waves, Directed by Lars Von Trier
Starring Emily Watson, Stella Skarsgard, & Katrin Cartlidge
Emily Watson gives an extraordinary debut performance in Lars Von Trier's powerful, controversial, and much talked about vision of sacrifice and salvation. Refusing to pander to the limitations of the "politically correct," Von Trier introduces us to Bess, an unconventional female character who is portrayed with great grace and care by Watson. A must-watch.
Favorite Character- Bess

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part VI: #26-30)

26. Juno, Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, & J.K.Simmons
Make fun of it all you want. Even one of my favorite films, "God Bless America" did it. I love Ellen Page, and I love Juno. But for every person who calls it 'over-rated' and 'hipster,' there are ten more who fall in love with Page's self-confident but somehow fragile Juno and the world that Diablo Cody is trying to create. There's a lot of complexity and warmth here, but people refuse to see it behind the wise-cracking and crackling dialogue. And Ellen Page makes the movie.
Favorite Character- Juno

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part VII: #31-35)

31. Winter's Bone, Directed by Debra Granik
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, & Garret Dillahunt
People who think this movie is "boring" and "overrated" are missing the point. "Winter's Bone" is a fascinating and, from what I hear, very accurate glimpse into a different culture, that of the people living in the Ozark mountains. People like the ones in this film are often dismissed as "rednecks" or "white trash," but this film delivers no such pat statements.  And Jennifer Lawrence is a young actress worth cheering for.
Favorite Character- Ree

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part VIII: #36-40)

36. Hunger, Directed by Steve McQueen
Starring Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, & Stuart Graham
Intense, detail-oriented rendition of the IRA hunger strike, with Fassbender starving himself down to nothing as protester Bobby Sands. Director Steve McQueen proves himself to be a hugely talented filmmaker. Too bad "Shame" left me cold.
Favorite Character- Father Dominic

My 125 Favorite Movies (Part X: #46-50)

46. Some Mother's Son, Directed by Terry George
Starring Helen Mirren, Aidan Gillen, & John Lynch
Mom Kathleen (Mirren) struggles to decide whether to put her son, IRA prisoner Gerard (Gillen) on life support against his will when he succumbs to his self-imposed starvation. Little-known alternative to Steve McQueen's "Hunger" is not as artistically satisfying but still well-made and very well acted. Found on my quest to watch (almost) every Aidan Gillen movie ever made.

 

Philosophical Ideas Through Movies Part II: The Problem of Evil (Some Updates 3/7/13)

Philosophical Ideas Through Movies is a series of posts I began several years ago based on lesson plans for my homeschooled teens. I started this at my neglected homeschooling blog: Confessions of an Erratic Eclectic Homeschooling Mom. I'm reposting them with significant changes and revisions. They're meant to be springboards for discussion, with some Big Ideas sprinkled in, rather than heavyweight philosophy courses.

Note: The movies discussed in these posts are often not "family friendly" fare, but they may be suitable for adults and mature teens. I am O.K. with my teens seeing films with strong language, violence, nudity, and sex. Your mileage may vary. I recommend checking parental advisories at IMDb or Common Sense Media for more information.

Movies That Got a Strong Reaction

 

These 14 movies made me react passionately, angrily, even in disgust. Good or Bad... the list is all over the spectrum.

Philosophical Ideas Through Movies Part I: Relativism

Philosophical Ideas Through Movies is a series of posts I began several years ago based on lesson plans for my homeschooled teens. I started this at my neglected homeschooling blog: Confessions of an Erratic Eclectic Homeschooling Mom. I'm reposting them with significant changes and revisions. They're meant to be springboards for discussion, with some Big Ideas sprinkled in, rather than heavyweight philosophy courses.

Note: The movies discussed in these posts are often not "family friendly" fare, but they may be suitable for adults and mature teens. I am O.K. with my teens seeing films with strong language, violence, nudity, and sex. Your mileage may vary. I recommend checking parental advisories at IMDb or Common Sense Media for more information.

There are no facts, only interpretations. -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Ten Favorite Movies Seen In January, The Wire & American Horror Story

I decided  to forgo the usual end of the week round-up and post about my January film viewing -- and other random shiz -- instead.

Some Things I Love About Movies (and Literature & Television) -- A-Z Blogathon

This is a variation on the My Movie Alphabet Blogathon hosted by Mettel Ray -- I'm the kind of person who has to mix up the rules a little bit. :-)

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10 Morally Ambiguous Characters- Part I

Morally ambiguous characters are a more and more common kind of movie creature -- found most often in indie movies and complex TV shows. How many times have you found that film creation whose moral code you just couldn't put your finger on... devious or noble as he may be? This list is a celebration of those paradoxical creations, both the kind and the reprehensible, with a few real puzzlers thrown in.


1. Nate (Noah Taylor) from Red, White, & Blue, Directed by Simon Rumley

Fed Up, Enraged, or Psychotically Crazy -- 16 Memorable Cinematic Rants

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Though we live in the States -- long-time Virginians -- we didn't celebrate today as hubby had to work. I do have a big-ass turkey thawing in the fridge, waiting for his next day off. :-)

Avocado green was a splendid choice for a 1970s kitchen. My parents, on the other hand,opted for tomato red.

And I watched several Thanksgiving-related movies. The kids and I watched Planes, Trains & Automobiles, which is one of our go-to family holiday movies. I am also about halfway through Ice Storm. So far, this movie is just okay for me, but it has some great moments. And it's awakened my growing-up-in-the-70s nostalgia. I suddenly want to paint everything in my house avocado green and buy a big-ass brown station wagon.