Two-Lane Blacktop

70s Drama
Existentialist
4.5 stars

This film can easily be held up to represent the best of 1970s American cinema. With an incredible cast (Warren Oates, James "Fire and Rain" Taylor, Dennis Wilson, and a don't blink cameo from Harry Dean Stanton), this story exists in the some of the same spaces as Easy Rider. Like Cockfighter, this film lurches ahead at its own pace using minimal dialog. Drag racing is the theme, and the viewer is challenged to draw metaphorical meaning. A strong, surreal, existential film.

Hiroshima Mon Amour

50s Drama
Existential
4.5 stars
My Uncle Stu's Favorite Film!

A poetic, interesting piece on the nature of loss. My Uncle Stu's favorite film, and his is one opinion I trust. For my money, this is about as powerful as film making gets. It's hard from 2008 to understand just how pervasive and horrifying WWII must have been on every level of consciousness, but the existence of this film and Night and Fog reveal some of how coping was approached by Resnais.

The Seventh Seal

50s Drama
Existential
5 stars

This is great highbrow cinema. Existential cinema. I could imagine Woody Allen watching this and coming up with humorous situations based on it. Set in the 14th century, but pertinent to eternal questions. Wonderful filmmaking.

36th Chamber of Shaolin

Martial Arts
Existentialist
5 stars

Whoa! This is a great kung fu movie, existential, political, funny and exciting. Highly recommended.

Wild Strawberries

50s Drama
Existentialist
4.5 Stars

This would have been a 5 but it carried just a tad too long towards the two-thirds mark for me. Definitely the basis for Woody's Deconstructing Harry. I think I found a new favorite filmmaker in Bergman. Some of growing old sure doesn't look fun.

Vanishing Point

70s Drama
Existentialist
4.5 stars

Ok, so it's essentially an Easy Rider redux, with a sweet Dodge Challenger and Barry Newman. Great location shooting, and a classic example of existentialist film, 1970s style.