The Popcorn Unicorns Top 50 Most Influential Films (Part Two)

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens

While Werner Herzog paid tribute with his own admittedly masterful remake with his best frenemy Klaus Kinski, the silent version holds a particular distinction with me because it was the first silent film I saw and remains one of the finest Dracula films ever made.

For a movie constrained by the the lack of sound, it more than makes up for in visuals which break the barrier of translation. Max Schreck's Orlok is a horror to behold with his rodent-like features, lean, imposing frame and his haunting yet balletic movements. It's truly little wonder that when 'Nosferatu' is mentioned, he is the first thing anybody thinks of.

That being said, Murnau's eye for detail and techniques are nothing to be sneezed at because the entire film, pardon the dull descriptor, is like being stuck in a nightmare, one of which, like Orlok himself, you can't escape once its shadow looms over you.

A Clockwork Orange

Oh boy, haha. Those who know me already know how I came to see this movie, but for the rest of you who don't, it was due to Pa Harper. To be fair, I was 17 at the time, technically old enough to watch it but it still makes me laugh that my father was more than happy to show me this film filled with violence, cynicism, rape, moral degeneration and chaos. Turns out I didn't just take after him looks-wise, but taste wise too.

I don't need to get into the particulars here because you've heard it all before, however, this was the very first Stanley Kubrick movie I ever had the privilege to see, dubious as it may be!

PS: I also had a mad crush on Mal McDowell, not that should surprise you too much by this point, yes?

Do The Right Thing

I wouldn't consider myself a devoted fan to Spike Lee by any means, but when a director makes a powerful, thoughtful and actually very funny film about class, bias, racial issues and how much it seeps into practically every facet of our identity and our interactions with each other, far be it from me to ignore or down-play it. This film also has one of the THE BEST casts I have ever seen in a movie and they all fit into this world so beautifully. I have never been to film school, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate just how substantial an impact Do The Right Thing has had on not only the cinematic climate, but our reality.

The Rock

Sometimes you just can't go by a film driven by pure action and over the top machismo with zero pretension. However, I hesitate to call Michael Bay's sophomore directorial effort brainless because there is a legitimately fascinating point to discuss; the treatment of veterans.

General Hummel (a fantastic Ed Harris) is one of those villains who turns out to not be so bad at all and all he wanted was to make a completely valid point which to this day still gets glossed over in quite a few countries.

While this film should NOT be taken first and foremost as a political statement, it offers some interesting food for thought amidst the explosions, mayhem and the presence of The Glorious He, Nicholas Cage.

The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day

YES! I dare to cheat! Whatcha gonna do?! *Notices some readers already clicking off this article* Sigh. Fair play.

The reason why I've lobbed these two films together is because I feel they behave as one cohesive organism, despite their individual differences. As James Cameron himself said, his Terminator films are violent movies about peace, the notion that destiny is nebulous rather than set, technology if left unchecked is a danger to us all, nuclear warfare really fucking blows and that anybody, no matter how insignificant they may seem, have the capacity to contribute to something greater and make a true difference in the world.
And every child should have their own Terminator.

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

Alright, while technically it is Jason and the Argonauts which holds the distinction of being the Harryhausen movie which got me, hear me out. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad has far more of a focus on not only story but also character development. While the narrative is perfectly straight forward and uncomplicated (Sinbad and friends go after the Fountain of Youth at the behest of a mysterious vizier), what makes it shine is the fact the characters are legitimately very interesting if not likeable; John Phillip Law, who spent quite a lot of his career being stoic makes for a very laid back yet clearly capable Sinbad who isn't afraid to have a laugh when not fending off the dangers which come his way. Caroline Munro is well... rather... shapely *ahem*.

However, it’s Doctor Who himself, Tom Baker, as Koura who really makes an impact. Unlike the baddies in most of the films Harryhausen worked on, Koura has far more to him than mere wickedness due to the fact that every time he uses magic, he physically deteriorates. His amazing powers come with a deadly price. He has MOTIVATION to do what he does beyond mere your typical world domination and mastery of the dark arts. This is the type of character depth which is not typically seen in these types of movies and it is because of this, this particular Sinbad film holds particular precedent.

Oh yeah, and Harryhausen's stop motion work broke the boundaries in this movie too, namely in the frankly impressive sword fight between Sinbad, his men and a sentient statue avatar of the goddess Kali. Read up about how this was achieved, talk about risky.

Psycho

While not the first film which covered the notion of murderous killers, maimers, torturers and moral malcontents, Hitchcock's slick, shocking adaptation of Robert Bloch's story has earned every accolade it has obtained for being the first film which fully investigated the psychology of said psycho. 

Anthony Perkins delivers an immortal performance as the malevolent yet also incredibly emotionally assailable Norman Bates; you fear him, you're charmed by him, you pity him, Hell, even while disposing of the remains of the ill-fated Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) you find yourself wanting him to succeed.

To say any more about the movie in general would be a redundant crime against critical analysis and fresh perspective, but know Psycho has earned its praise for being so daring and so different and so refreshingly disturbing.

Spirited Away

My inaugaral exposure to the glorious Studio Ghibli and the first time in a long time in my cinematically jaded 20-something life in which I felt the type of enchantment a child sees when they see an elephant for the first time.

Hayao Miyazaki has built an empire on breaking the Western confines of animation and the telling of tale by presenting charming yet incredibly pertinent stories centering around the virtues of endurance, personal development and most importantly, discovering the magic in oneself with a little bit from the outside for some charming embellishment.

The journey of young Chihiro is one which challenges perception of self and opens your eyes in such a way you don't truly realise what it is doing until the end credits. It doesn't feel forced, it doesn't preach an obnoxiously obvious message, instead, it dances to the beat of it's own drum all the while extending a hand to you to join without pretension or malice to your intelligence.

This was also the film which made me SO HUNGRY for every food ever shown in any Ghibli film. My GOODNESS animated munchies never looked so appetizing.

Vampire Circus

- Seven-Year-Old Popcorn Unicorn

- Awesome Loveable Babysitter

- Parents go out for the night, leaving Seven-Year-Old Popcorn Unicorn in Awesome Loveable Babysitter's care.

- Seven-Year-Old Popcorn Unicorn can't sleep and asks Awesome Loveable Babysitter if she can sit up and watch the movie on TV. Awesome Loveable Babysitter agrees.

- The movie on TV is Vampire Circus. Vampire Circus has liberal servings of nudity, sex, violence, bright red blood and the GLEEFUL MURDER OF FUCKING CHILDREN.

- Seven-Year-Old Popcorn Unicorn grows up to be a bad ass and not at all scarred by what she saw.

This has to be one of the most underrated yet incredible chapters in vintage Hammer Horror due to the fact it is a standalone feature and it's just so wonderfully perverse you can't help but adore just how daring it was and how big of a middle finger it flipped toward reactive pearl-clutching.

Blazing Saddles

This may be controversial, but by the same token I feel quite a few of you may agree, that Mel Brooks' gut-busting, egg-laying, lung-choking, sinus-snorting, pants-peeing lampoon of the Western genre is undoubtedly a classic.

You can't go three minutes or less without chortling your botty off while watching this film, be it a sight or sound gag, a marvelous one liner (this film is infinitely quotable), a clever subversion of expectation, a surprisingly humane streak and some good old fashioned slapstick. Blazing Saddles is the spoof which truly has it all with an impeccable cast of comedic actors headlines by Gene Wilder, Clevon Little, Harvey Korman and the irreplaceable Madeline Khan.