Why watch these...

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So this is the part where I give a few insights to some films that I've seen that I feel is either overlooked, underrated, obscured, taboo, unheard of or just simply sits at the top of my favorites and my hate lists. I hope that this may somehow give you an additional roster to your nothing-to-do-days movie list.

TRON

You simply can't go wrong with Tron. If you are a science fiction film enthusiast, it's a must-see movie. No excuses. If you've seen Tron:Legacy and have not yet seen the first installment, I don't know what you're thinking. Really.

I remember first seeing Tron with my Uncle and cousin recorded in a betamax cartridge around early 90's and right there and then, I had a notion that the inner nerd inside me was awaken. The visual execution alone was enough to blow my mind considering that this was a film created in the 1980s.

Starred by Jeff Bridges, Tron is a story of a software engineer named Flynn that was warped into the digital world to battle against the Master Control Program and his minions. Inside the digital realm, he meets Ram which is a financial program and Tron, a defense system set-up by Flynn's friend in real life to defeat the Master Control Program to make the digital world free for all programs.

It's simply a groundbreaking film and the visual experience was really fantastic. I remember replicating in Lego pieces the weird space craft (I don't know what they call it) that Flynn rode and used in the film. Of course, there's the Light Cycle which is the old-school (and cooler) version of those cellphone games that we now know as Snake. Steven Lisberger is one hell of a visionary and for Walt Disney to pull this off is risky, which in turn gave them the rewards.

Why watch this? It's a visual masterpiece and given the technology they had back then, it's amazing how they've done this film. Just one of those films that you can't... shouldn't miss out for the love of the genre.

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28 WEEKS LATER

Normal people back from the dead, heavy artillery and firepower, gore and bloodbath, a group of people taken out one by one, enclosed location, nightfall... these are the usual suspects for pumping that adrenaline whenever you see a zombie film. When we thought we saw it all, then came 28 Weeks Later in 2007.

28 Weeks Later is about the spread of the Rage virus after infecting almost the entire populace of London. 28 weeks later, the situation was eventually controlled and civilians were brought back to London to start living normally again with the help of military forces. Don, one of the survivors from the carnage brought by the Rage virus, survived after encountering a number of infected people in the outskirts of London while hiding with his wife and other uninfected citizens. He was able to survive but at the expense of her wife. Don eventually decided to bring his daughter and son to London after being cleared off the Rage virus. His kids decided to go back to their old home in hope that they'll find their mom only to find out that they're about to unlock the gate that held the Rage virus dormant and leads it to its second wave.

28 Weeks Later will really put you at the edge of your seat and brings something new to the table (at least compared to those that came before it). Its fast-paced zombies are really the X-factor for this film that set it apart from other zombie films. Brutal, dynamic, and in-your face action is really the foundation of 28 Weeks Later.

However, I must point out that the premise on how the Rage virus started its second wave is based on one stupid decision after another: Two kids that easily evaded military defense line (let me stress on the "kids" and "military" part); went deep into the suburbs away from the secured perimeter, back to their house and even got close contact to their infected mom. Come on! Am I that harsh or is that just plain stupidity? Pop Quiz: If you learned that your wife is already infected with a virus that turns you into a flesh eating zombie, even if you goddamn miss her out of romantic or sentimental b*llshit, will you take the chance to kiss her and trade salivas? I don't think so.

It's a great pick if you want something to watch something late night but I just need to stress out that flaw (at least on my part).

Why watch this? Zombies that somehow got a heavy dose of steroid before running amok. Best to watch this alone and late at night with 3 cups of coffee on your side.

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MEMENTO

Christopher Nolan surfaced mainstream scene because of the critically acclaimed film Inception and for directing (and steering it in the right track if I may add) the Batman Begins , The Dark Knight and the upcoming Dark Knight Rises. Before these masterpieces, there was Memento.

A short story written by Jonathan Nolan (Chris' brother), Memento is a story of a man that has anterograde amnesia (technical term for not being able to store short term memories) trying to trace back the steps on how and why he ended up killing a guy. The movie opens up in a scene where Leonard (played by Guy Pearce) shoots a guy whom he believes, killed and raped his wife. In order for Leonard to follow the trail he left before his memory refreshes again and to justify his acts, he takes pictures of everyone he meets or anything that may hold vital information to events that took place and writes down details behind printed Polaroid pictures. He also tattoos facts and details on his body to serve as a reminder or a fail-safe option in case he really doesn't have an idea on what to do next.

The movie is a total mind f*cker as it actually took me a repeat view to digest the transition of the story. It has two means to narrate and execute the events: one in reverse order and one in a normal chronological order. The distinction between the two is symbolized by the former in black and white scenes and the latter in color. In the movie, both timelines are interchanged and meets in the ending part of the movie as the scene switches from black and white to colored until the whole scene turns completely colored, which symbolizes the meeting point of both timelines. By the second time I watched the movie, I literally wrote down each scene part and tag it with a "title" to follow the scenes to be able to map out the sequence.

The execution and cinematography also gave it a dark vibe and the characters really didn't gave any hints to what the story was leading to. Definitely leads you to mind-boggling. What's also great is you'll actually ask yourself what's the real story behind Leonard's vengeance. It may leave you to your own conclusion but not the type of movie that has an open ending.

Why watch this? This movie makes you ask questions. It doesn't really give any hint to what the story leads to while you watch it. It makes you not only see it but watch it. If Inception f*cked you up, then be ready to pull your moxie for a second round seeing this one.