10. "Elephant," 2003, drama -- R
From the director of "Good Will Hunting" comes a chilling, unique look into teenage life. Director Gus Van Sant's camera moves gracefully in long takes through your average high school on a day of horror, a day in which a Columbine-style shooting takes place. The film jumps around in time, keeping the viewer in a perpetual state of unease, knowing the bullets could start flying at any moment. Check out this winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes film festival.
9. "Spun," 2002, black comedy -- R
Combining the grungy humor of "Trainspotting" with the fast-paced, hard-hitting visual style of "Requiem for a Dream," noted music video director Jonas ?kerlund (who has done several Smashing Pumpkins videos) creates quite a ride with "Spun," a drug film about methamphetamine users. It has a spectacular cast: Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit, Peter Stormare, Brittany Murphy and Mickey Rourke -- all de-glamed and ugly as sin. The plot follows Schwartzman as he drives "The Cook" (Rourke) around town in exchange for drugs.
8. "Romper Stomper," 1992, action/drama -- R
Fans of Russell Crowe are required to see "Romper Stomper," his breakout film. It's an energetic Australian movie about skinheads in Melbourne, Australia. Crowe is their leader as they party, steal, run amok and clash with rival gangs.
7. "American Psycho," 2000, black comedy -- R
Batman as an insane yuppie serial killer obsessed with having the perfect business card and eating at the trendiest restaurants in Manhattan? Absolutely.
Before Christian Bale donned his cape and cowl in the best Batman movie ever made, he was Patrick Bateman, the antihero from Bret Easton Ellis' cult novel. It's a must-see black comedy with an impressive cast -- Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Chloe Sevigny, Justin Theroux and Reese Witherspoon. Bateman: "My need to engage in homicidal behavior on a massive scale cannot be corrected, but, ah, I have no other way to fulfill my needs."
6. "Shattered Glass," 2003, drama -- PG-13
Rightfully compared to "All the President's Men," "Shattered Glass" is the true story of Stephen Glass, who was a popular, highly respected writer for The New Republic until his too-good-to-be-true stories were discovered to be just that.
Been frustrated by Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker? It's in "Shattered Glass" that he proves he can act. But the star of the film is Peter Sarsgaard, as Chuck Lane, the tough editor who methodically uncovers Glass's lies. It's a gripping detective story that withstands multiple viewings. Be sure to check out the commentary on the DVD, too, with the director and the real Chuck Lane.
5. "Before Night Falls," 2000, drama/biopic -- R
Another true story, "Before Night Falls" is based on the autobiography of dissident Cuban novelist and poet Reinaldo Arenas, who escaped Cuba in 1980 after decades of persecution for being an artist and a gay man. It's a beautifully filmed and superbly acted piece. Javier Bardem received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his role as Arenas. The real value of the film, though, is as an introduction to Arenas. Those who enjoy the story of his life should pick up the autobiography or one of his many novels.
4. "Crumb," 1994, documentary -- R
The thing about "Crumb" -- Terry Zwigoff's amazing documentary about bizarre '60s underground cartoonist Robert Crumb -- is that just when you think Robert is officially the weirdest person on earth, suddenly his brothers and mother come into the picture. Then he begins to look normal.
The film is perhaps the greatest exploration into the psyche of an American artist. Zwigoff would go on to make "Ghost World" -- my favorite film of 2001 -- and the hilarious black comedy "Bad Santa." He has a new film, "Art School Confidential," coming out in September.
3. "If..." 1968, drama/comedy -- originally X-rated, would be R today
There are few cooler films of youthful rebellion than "If...". Set at a British prep school in the late 1960s, "If..." was the debut movie for Malcolm McDowell and would lead to him being chosen as the lead in "A Clockwork Orange." The movie unfolds in a series of surreal episodes that may be real or imagined. McDowell is Mick Travis, the leader of a small group of rebels whose acts of rebellion gradually increase in intensity until exploding in one of the greatest endings ever.
2. "El Topo," 1970, avant garde drama/action/foreign language/midnight movie -- originally X-rated, would be R today
Of course, I've saved the best two for last. Most epitomizing the whole idea of something you've never heard of but must see is Alejandro Jodorowsky. Were it more widely available, I'm certain "El Topo" would achieve a similar level of cult acceptance in our generation as "Fight Club," "Requiem for a Dream" and "Donnie Darko." After all, a movie being both John Lennon's and Marilyn Manson's favorite film has to count for something.
1. "The Holy Mountain," 1973, avant garde drama/midnight movie -- R
Another film by Jodorowsky, "The Holy Mountain" was the higher-budgeted follow up to "El Topo" and tells the story of a guru who leads the world's leaders on a spiritual journey. Again. dozens of symbols and spiritual ideas are jammed together. Jodorowsky's films are in a strange legal hell. They are owned by Allen Klein, the former manager of John Lennon and the Rolling Stones. Due to some mysterious disagreement between Jodorowsky and Klein, Klein has refused to widely distribute the films.
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