5 Movies You Need To See Before You Watch Django Unchained

Well you could see a ton of Sergio Leone flicks or the aptly titled Django. You should have already seen all of Tarantino's other films. But my list of films before you see Q.T.'s latest are below. I'll tell you the truth, I'm damn psyched to see Django Unchained as Tarantino looks primed to mix the humor and violence the likes we haven't seen since Pulp. I can see Christopher Waltz and Jamie Foxx playing a perfect Jules/Vincent duo but we will get a DiCaprio that would make Hans Landa and Marsellus Wallace cringe.
But before we see this probable masterpiece on Christmas, here's some films that you should check out before the white man gets his ass stuffed with cotton.


5.) Boss Nigger

The Jaded Viewer says: Fred Williamson as a black bounty hunter in an all white town. And it's a western? Yup. Look at this plot (via IMDB)

Two black bounty hunters ride into a small town out West in pursuit of an outlaw. They discover that the town has no sheriff, and soon take over that position, much against the will of the mostly white townsfolk. They raise hell, chase women, and milk the locals for cash, while waiting for the opportunity to get their man.  

4.) Black Dynamite

The Jaded Viewer says: It's the funniest blaxsploitation spoof in recent years (check out my review) If you're just looking for straight laughs, you need to see this flick. Michael Jai White is hilarious. It's the next generation's I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.



3.) Sukiyaki Western Django

The Jaded Viewer says: I think Quentin Tarantino would agree with this pick as he is in Takashi Miike's crazy take on the spaghetti western. Haven't you ever wanted to see Japanese speak western twang, samurai swords and all out craziness. Who knows? Maybe Tarantino even took a few things from SWD and brought it onto Django Unchained.




2.) El Topo

The Jaded Viewer says: Alejando Jodorowsky's El Topo created the midnight movie. It's so surreal and insanely crazy, the trailer says it's not even a western. It goes beyond it. I loved this film the first time I saw it. Just a pure mindfuck in ever conceivable way. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some elements of El Topo in Django Unchained.



1.) Goodbye Uncle Tom

The Jaded Viewer says: What the most fucked up movie about slavery disguised as a black power movie? Mondo Cane directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi deliver that to you and some. I still can't get that image of a little white girl racing through a field with a little black boy in chains. I'm pretty sure Q.T. saw this flick and said I could make something better. It's kinda messed up, but if you ever wanted to see Amistad but on steroids, this is it.

Do you have any other films you think should be on this list? Chime in and let me know your thoughts of Django Unchained!

Categories: Alejandro Jodorowsky films, black dynamite, blaxploitation, el topo, goodbye uncle tom, quentin tarantino, Sukiyaki Western Django Trailer, takashi miike

5 Horror Movies that shaped my horror psyche

I had what you would call a regular horror childhood. Raised on your standard eggs, bacon and Friday the 13ths and Nightmares, it's the same ole story you've heard all before.

But it wasn't until I met Insano Steve in college and the beginnings of the Internets did I get more of a horror education. Faster than you could say "boobies", the internet sprung to life with porn sites with a degree of nastiness.

But with free web space like Geocities and Tripod you also got some horror sites that popped up. Insano Steve soon discovered a very cool site called Losman's Lair of Horror. (It's now defunct) but it had some awesome lists which Insano Steve and I used as a guidebook to discovering some great horror and exploitation movies.

Check out this site for a retrospective of this site.

The 5 movies we "discovered" that I have to admit shaped my horror wiki are below. Mind you, this was circa 1995-1999 and though most of these are common knowledge now, these were all new to both of us. Each of these movies had a profound effect on what I would watch years later, even up to today. Do you remember the first time you watched any of these?

1.) Cannibal Holocaust

My introduction to the cannibal genre was the best the genre had to offer. Never had I scene such horrific acts of violence by uncivilized savages (and on the big screen!).

Real life animal slaughter, scalping, intestine eating and documentary styilized drama.

After watching Holocaust, Insano Steve and I searched for the best the genre had to offer (Ferox, Dr. Butcher, etc.)

This would easily spawn my Top 5 Cannibal Movies of All Time and give me impetus to create the Top 10 Ruggero Deodato Movies of All Time.




2.) El Topo

Alejandro Jodorowsky's El Topo was a midnight cult success back in the 70s. But when you first watch it, it's like watching what it would be like on LSD but sober.

El Topo was the first of Jodorowskys films that I would dabble into, soon seeing all the others, with Holy Mountain and Sante Sangre being awesome-fuckin-rific flicks.


3.) Darkness

Why this underground vampire gore flick?

Because it showed me the door into the world indie spatter gore movies. Leif Jonkers Darkness would be my intro into low budget indie horror filmmakers and their dedication and passion to the VHS dubbing genre of the early 90s.

Not a good film by any means, it has some top notch gore and makeup.

It's a simple film, but struck a chord in this jaded viewer.





4.) Luther the Geek

This film is mostly remembered because it has a scene of Stacy Haiduk taking a shower naked.

But a mute, clucking serial killer biting and killing innocent pedestrians is where I had my first WTF moment.

And it's so bizarre and off the wall, this was my first venture in the world of kooky, mostly foreign serial killer films (See Insano Steve's 11 Underrated Horror Movies of the Videotape Era)

He's a geek! He drinks chicken blood! And all he does is cluck like a chicken.

The WTF moment was thus born into existence.



5.) Nekromantik

Think about when you first saw this movie. (If you haven't, you should see this perverted and gore-ificly awesome flick) Didn't you feel all dirty and a little shameful that you were about to watch a movie about fuckin necrophilia?!?!?

C'mon. We all have our boundaries. Even us hardcore horror fans. Shit, I've seen movies about bestiality. I'll admit it. But we've all draw lines before.

And though Nekromantik is done very artsy fartsy, it's still about some sick shit. And that ending...oh man, it's the pinnacle of the WTF moment hall of fame.

This probably was the movie that got me as jaded as could be.

Disturbing but entirely breaking a frontier within my horror experience, you can say the movie was utter shit, but it definitely is memorable.


If you have seen some of these flicks, kudos to you. If you haven't, it's like a tutorial of shame and horror wonder. Most horror fans today (I'm talking to the tweens and Gen Y peeps) don't know what us "old timers" had to do to see some of these flicks.

Go to horror conventions, rummage through yard sales, trade in 2nd and 3rd generation dubs and eBay the crap to see some hard to find flicks.

So when we did see these flicks, they were like finding a wad of cash in the trash.

I can thank Losman and his list for introducing me to a wide range of genre flicks. Such a simple site that the jaded viewer would not be here today if it wasn't for that list.

Wherever you are Losman, thanks dude. I owe you one.

Categories: 5 horror movies that shaped my horror psyche, cannibal holocaust, el topo, leif jonker darkness, luther the geek, nekromantik

The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky

He's made only half a dozen films but like Stanley Kubrick, the body of work of his films cannot be denied.

They are cinematic experimental, avante garde and magical realism masterpieces.

You may not agree with that conclusion. But the scope of Jodorowsky work is summed up as surreally bizarre with a touch of insanity.

From a western with mythic overtones to serial killers finding religion, it's a world like no other.

If anything, millenials should Netflix the following films to understand why Jodorowsky is important.

El Topo, The Holy Mountain and Sante Sangre are truly works of cinematic astonishments that deserve more art house viewings instead of being relegated to midnight showings.

The clips and trailers below, I hope, can give you a taste of what is, and hopefully that will be enough for a full course meal.

1.) Fando Y Lis (1968)





2.) El Topo (1970)





3.) The Holy Mountain (1973)





4.) Santa Sangre (1989)

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5.) The Rainbow Thief (1990)

No trailer available


King Shot is supposedly Jodorowsky next film after 3 decades of film hibernation. Hopefully we will see more of the same.

Tags:
Alejandro Jodorowsky, el topo , the holy mountain , gratuitous nudity, cult classic, santa sangre, surreal moviesn, midnight movies,avante garde,Alejandro Jodorowsky films

Categories: Alejandro Jodorowsky films, avante garde, cult classic, el topo, fando y lis, magical realism, santa sangre, surreal films, the holy mountain, the rainbow thief, trailers