Killer B's: Drama

By D. Scott Apel

The iTunes Movie Guru (Emeritus) shares his selection of the 117 best unknown dramas available from on demand movies services and on DVD, excerpted from KILLER B’s Volumes 1 & 2.

We live in an age of unprecedented access to movies. Too bad most of them suck. Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Hulu Plus... Thousands and thousands of movies are available at your fingertips. But with so many titles, the big question remains: How do you find a GOOD movie?

The answer: The KILLER B’s Movie Guide series, which makes full use of the “on demand” advantage: easy access to lesser-known films. It’s just as easy to find a hidden gem as a recent blockbuster...if you know what you’re looking for. The KILLER B’s Movie Guide series lets you know what to look for.

Whatever you call them -- buried treasures, sleepers, hidden gems, or "killer" B movies -- these are great little films that never got the publicity, distribution or attention they needed to allow their audience to find them. Killer B’s are terrific but little-known movies, designed with a general audience in mind -- no "cult classics," no "forgotten favorites," no "so bad they're good" flicks...just the delight of discovering some excellent, seldom-seen cinema. Life’s too short to watch bad films. Don’t be stung by bad movies—put the KILLER B’s Movie Guide series to work for you, and find a few good movies you’ve (possibly) never heard of and (probably) never seen!

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. Scott Apel
• Release date: Sep 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781886404151

Book preview

Introduction to

Killer B’s: Drama

Drama: It’s the stuff of life—and dramatic films are a way to vicariously experience and be touched—maybe even be uplifted and inspired—by another person’s trials and tribulations. But where do you turn when you’re looking for a compelling dramatic movie you haven’t seen before? The answer is in right your hands.

Killer B’s: Drama is your guide to finding dramatic yet entertaining films that few movie viewers have ever heard of—and when they do discover them, they feel compelled to tell their friends about the nugget of gold they’ve panned from a muddy ocean of mostly mediocre movies. The Killer B’s series takes full advantage of on demand movie services, with their easy access to films large and small, good and bad. It’s just as easy to find a hidden gem as a recent blockbuster...if you know what to look for. Killer B’s lets you know what to look for.

Biography and history. Unknowns and Oscars. Big stars in little films. Labors of love. Love, romance, relationships. Families in crisis. Insight and intelligence. Fantasy and reality. Dedication and obsession. Psychology, philosophy and spirituality. Attention-arresting performances and cinematic style. Obstacles, revenge and deception. Life, death and beyond. Hard hearts and poignancy... You’ll find every one of these in this selection of films—as well as inspiration to think, and, above all, to feel.

Killer B’s:

A Detailed Definition

(or, "Why is that in this book?")

Just what is a Killer B?

It’s a minor (B) movie that is excellent, outstanding, and awesome (i.e., killer). It’s a relatively unknown film that’s every bit as first-rate as most first-run features. It’s a bit of undiscovered cinema exceptional enough to excite even jaded movie viewers.

Killer B’s are terrific but little-known films that never got the publicity, distribution or attention they needed to allow their audience to find them. They are commendable movies that were lost in the tsunami of hundreds of new movie and video releases every year. They are movies that Entertainment Weekly calls criminally underrated. And they’re the kind of serendipitous cinematic discovery you yourself stumble across on rare occasions, get excited about, and feel compelled to recommend to friends.

Killer B’s are very similar to movies that have long been referred to as buried treasures or sleepers. What is it, then, that differentiates a Killer B from these other types of undiscovered little films? My selection criteria were, for the most part, arbitrary but logical (as far as I know. I am neither Sherlock nor Spock, however.)

First, I eliminated titles that are too well known. Most movies that were popular enough to make any theatrical or rental top ten list, for example, were rejected. Second, I tried to chart an MOR (middle of the road) course to ensure that the majority of these titles are suitable for general audiences; I therefore rejected as candidates most sub-sub-genres (kung fu, exploitation, etc.) and cult films (which deserve their own book, but most of which aren’t for general audiences, or they wouldn’t be cult flicks, duh). You also won’t find any grade Z, so bad they’re good trash flicks here. Killer B’s are good movies. (Details on the selection process can be found in the Deep Dive, located at the back of this ebook.)

Finally, there’s The Unwritten Rule—one additional, important criterion: I had to like it. If I didn’t like a film, it’s not in here. Not all blind dates inspire a spark—but some create real chemistry.

So what did I look for in a great overlooked or minor film? Primarily, excellence in one or more aspects: exceptional performances, a smart script, lush photography, appropriate pace, masterful direction. I looked for originality, intelligence, uniqueness, sincerity. I looked for overall engaging entertainment and for lasting impressions. Above of all, however, I looked for genuinely affecting emotion. Whether the film was intended to inspire laughter or tears, awe or chills, I looked for an experience—for films that touched and affected me, with the hope that they will affect you similarly.

You’re holding 117 perfect examples of Killer B dramas. (And can find even more in Killer B’s, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and Killer B’s: The Hive.) Enjoy them...and get ready to find a few new films to love!

The Killer B’s

Movie Guide Series

The Killer B’s Movie Guides are your golden ticket to unseen cinema: noteworthy films that few movie viewers have discovered. These guidebooks take full advantage of on demand movie services, with their easy access to an abundance of films. It’s just as easy to find a hidden gem as a recent blockbuster...if you know what to look for. The Killer B’s Movie Guides let you know what to look for.

If you enjoyed the selections in Killer B’s: Drama, you can find even more underseen dramatic films in Killer B’s, Vol. 1 & 2. You might also want to explore some of the other ebooks in the Killer B’s series, including:

Killer B’s, Volume 1 (1980-1995)

The 237 best movies on demand you’ve (probably) never seen. Includes all the major film genres (Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Family & Kids, Horror, Mystery, Suspense & Thriller, and Westerns) as well as some surprises. (Note: Some of the selections in Killer B’s: Drama were excerpted from this volume, but you can find even more dramatic films in Killer B’s Vol. 1.)

Killer B’s, Volume 2: Son of a Killer B (1996-2016)

237 MORE great movies on demand you’ve (probably) never seen. Includes all the major film genres plus a bonus chapter of 11 undiscovered but binge-watchable TV series. (Note: Some of the selections in Killer B’s: Drama were excerpted from this volume, but you can find even more dramatic films in Killer B’s Vol. 2.)

Killer B’s: The Hive

The 487 best movies on demand you’ve (probably) never seen. Combines the contents of Killer B’s, Volume 1 (1980-1995) and Killer B’s, Volume 2: Son of a Killer B (1996-2016) into a single volume—and includes annual updates!

Killer B’s Comedy: Wild

101 insanely great, unknown comedy movies excerpted from Killer B’s, Vols. 1 & 2.

Killer B’s Comedy: Mild

101 great low-key unknown comedy movies excerpted from Killer B’s, Vols. 1 & 2.

Killer B’s: Action & Thriller

123 great unknown action, thriller, suspense and mystery films excerpted from Killer B’s, Vols. 1 & 2.

Killer B’s: Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror

113 great unknown science fiction, fantasy and horror movies excerpted from Killer B’s Vols. 1 & 2.

Available wherever fine ebooks are sold.

Front Matter

• Information You Will Not Find in Killer B’s: Drama

• The Skeleton Key

• Caveat Videor

Information You Will Not Find in

Killer B’s: Drama

• Distributor (the label under which a film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, etc.). Studio information has also been eliminated because, really, who cares? Never once in the history of watching films at home has anyone ever said, Hey, you know what I’d really like to see tonight? One of those great Columbia TriStar classics!

• Ranking information by the various on demand movie services (and IMDb) is not included, since it is fluid and dynamic. A snapshot of a movie’s rating taken on January first might be totally irrelevant by December 31st...or even on January second.

• Availability information—that is, which on demand movie services carry which titles—is not included, since this is a moving target. Movies are added to and rotated out of all online services on a daily basis. If you want to find out where you can rent or purchase a title, Rotten Tomatoes provides this information online. And the current trend is for apps that check availability across platforms and providers, built into devices like AppleTV.

Full disclosure: As of publication time, not all titles in this book are in fact available from on demand services. However, most of those titles unavailable on demand as of press time are in fact available on DVD (or on YouTube), and it is our firm belief (and observation) that the titles currently unavailable on demand will become available as time goes on. If you fail to find a Killer B title on an on demand service, check YouTube, Netflix DVD rentals, or Amazon for purchase—or just wait a few weeks or months...it’ll undoubtedly show up on demand sooner or later.

The Skeleton Key

Each review is formatted in the following manner:

1. Title

2. (Subgenre, where applicable)

3. (Miscellaneous information, where applicable)

4. (Year of theatrical release; 5. MPAA rating; 6. Running time)

HEADING INFORMATION

7. Cast (Starring/Featuring)

8. Writer (and source material, where applicable)

8A. Music (where appropriate)

9. Director

BODY INFORMATION

10. Synopsis

11. Discussion

12. Rent this one for

13. You’ll (probably) like this if you liked

13A. Similar Killer B’s in this volume you might enjoy

14. Critical Credentials/Dissenting Opinion

15. Vidbits

A more detailed key, including definitions and an explanation of the methodology used in each section, can be found in the Deep Dive, located at the end of this ebook.

Caveat Videor

(Let the watcher beware)

Taste.

It’s probably the most loosely defined word in the English language.

But just so there’s no mistake, let me reiterate a key point made in the Introduction, and state definitively, once again, for the record:

Not every Killer B

is suitable for all tastes.

Just as Killer B’s offers sleepers from a wide variety of sources—including major studios, independent productions, cable, made-for-video, unreleased and direct-to-video features—so does it cover a wide range of tastes.

Hence the numerous methods of presenting each movie: by plot, by highlights, by discussion of its merits—even by inclusion of reasons why some reviewers didn’t like a given film. The only rule in this book is that if, after reading the description, a title sounds appealing to you, you’ll probably like it, and it will probably prove worth your while to seek it out. (Death, taxes, and politicians lying aside, nothing is absolutely guaranteed.) But if a review in Killer B’s doesn’t sound interesting, you probably won’t like the movie—so don’t waste your time on it.

Anyway, you’ve been warned...so when it comes to any of these movies, just...watch it.

Lives in Crisis

Atlantic City

(1981; R; 1:44)

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon

Written by: John Guare

Directed by: Louis Malle

Synopsis: Sally (Sarandon) is a poor waitress, and none too pleased when her sleazy hippie husband Dave (Robert Joy) and his pregnant lover (who’s also Sally’s sister) show up at her Atlantic City oyster bar. Dave ropes her aging neighbor, Lou Pasco (Lancaster), once a small-time mobster, into helping him deliver some coke he’s stolen. But the deal goes sour for Dave—and Lou’s left holding the bag. He uses the opportunity (and the drug money) to charm Sally into believing he’d be a good sugardaddy. But when the goons who got Dave come after Sally, can Lou live up to his own mental legend and protect her?

Discussion: Ever get the feeling they’re tearing down your past? Lou Pasco does. He lives in delusions not of grandeur, but of a grand past, glorying in his alleged glory days. Demolition and construction, in an unceasing cycle, is the theme of this special film; demolition and construction of landmarks and of lives, the literal merely mirroring the inner rhythms of the restless characters.

Lancaster’s Lou is dapper but trapped in the past; to him, Sally is a regular Princess Grace, attempting to deal her way into a Monte Carlo casino. Her hunger for wisdom and his chance for rejuvenation lead them into a May/December romance as tender and as curious as it is bittersweet.

The film starts out slowly, but picks up momentum exponentially, both in action and character development. And, in a final irony, everybody gets exactly what they wanted—whether they knew what they wanted or not. Nah, they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Rent this one for: The performances; the story; the lemons.

Similar Killer B’s in this volume you might enjoy: A Perfect World

Critical Credentials:

• Tomatometer: All Critics & Top Critics: 100% liked it.

• 1981 Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, Original Screenplay

• 1981 British Academy Awards: Best Actor, Best Director

• 1981 National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Film

• A 1989 poll of 54 film critics by American Film magazine rated this the #5 Best American Film of the ‘80s

• #20 on Premiere magazine’s poll of 24 critics’ Best Movies of the ‘80s list

• Premiere also ranked this #54 in its March, 2003 article The 100 Greatest Movie Moments of All Time. (The Moment: Sarandon washing her arms in the juice of fresh lemons.)

• A stunning, brilliantly acted film. —Movies on TV and Videocassette (4 stars)

• 5 stars —Video Movie Guide

• 4 stars —Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide

• ...one of the few authentic masterworks of the decade. —People Magazine Guide to Movies on Video

• Film critic Andrew Sarris listed this as his #1 Best Movie of the Year for 1981

• An entry in Steven Schneider’s book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Vidbits:

• Originally shot in 1977, but sat unreleased until 1981.

• Wallace (Wally) Shawn makes a brief appearance as a waiter, and Robert Goulet does a cameo, dedicating the hospital wing.

The Emerald Forest

(1985; R; 1:53)

Starring: Powers Boothe, Charley Boorman, Meg Foster

Written by: Rospo Pallenberg

Directed by: John Boorman

Synopsis: Bill Markham (Boothe) is an engineer overseeing the construction of a dam in the heart of the Amazon jungle. One day his young son Tommy wanders into the jungle and is spirited away by natives. Ten years later, the dam is nearly completed; meanwhile, Tommé (Boorman) has grown up among the Indians, and has become fully acculturated and integrated into the tribe. His father, who has never given up his search for his missing son, is attacked by warriors but rescued by Tommé, who was told in a vision to travel to this spot.

Tommé believes Bill is a spirit from his dreams become flesh, but he will not return with Bill: The tribe is his home now. The natives escort Bill to the edge of the world, where deforestation begins, but make a distressing discovery when they return to their village—a discovery which will require Tommé to infiltrate the civilized city and search for Bill and the assistance only Bill’s knowledge can provide. The fate and future of Tommé’s tribe depends on their cross-cultural cooperation.

Discussion: When I was a boy, the edge of the world was far, the old Indian chief says, spying on the bulldozers; but it comes closer every year. Boorman’s paean to the disappearing rainforest and its people reveals a filmmaker’s eye for the majesty of the jungle, an anthropologist’s mind for indigenous culture and rituals, and a dramatist’s heart, instilling the story with an emotional intensity.

All of Brazil’s problems are visible here, expressed from the native’s point of view: The death of the rainforest; culture clashes between modern technology and scared ancient ways; natural balance versus progress. Tommé stands as a bridge between worlds; a character from whom we could all learn a lesson in respect for the native ways that emphasize a balance between man and nature.

The ending is dramatically satisfying magical realism, but, unfortunately, not a realistic solution to real problems. Still, The Emerald Forest is a beautiful, intelligent, dramatic and anthropologically accurate action film with a message even more vital now than it was a generation ago.

Rent this one for: The breathtaking cinematography.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Searchers, At Play in the Fields of the Lord; Dances With Wolves (native culture)

Critical Credentials:

• Tomatometer: All Critics: 87% liked it.

Dissenting Opinion:

• ...lack of emotional empathy...and contrived storyline weaken overall impact... —Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide

• Entertainment Weekly grade: D

Vidbits:

• Charley Boorman, who plays adult Tommé, is director Boorman’s son.

• A title card reads: Based on real events and actual characters.

Fly Away Home

(1996; PG; 1:47)

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, Dana Delany, Terry Kinney

Written by: Robert Rodat, Vince McKewin (based on Bill Lishman’s autobiography, Father Goose)

Directed by: Carroll Ballard

Synopsis: When her mom is killed in a car accident, thirteen-year-old Amy (Paquin) is shipped off to live with her dad (Daniels) in Ontario, Canada. Dad’s a sculptor and a flight freak, given to tinkering with hang gliders in the barn on his farm, but Amy is simply too depressed to be interested. She finally finds something to care about when she stumbles across an abandoned nest in the woods containing 16 goose eggs, which she hatches, then tends the chicks like a mother hen.

The problem is that geese need to migrate, and need to be taught how and where to migrate—and without parents, this flock will never learn. The good news is they’ve imprinted on Amy. If she can learn to fly an ultralight aircraft, she might just be able to lead them south for the winter. It’s a stupid, irresponsible, hare-brained scheme—not to mention dangerous and completely illegal. But...it might just work.

Discussion: A film directed by Carroll Ballard and featuring the cinematography of Caleb Deschanel is about as close as we’ll ever get to a guarantee that the movie will be gorgeous, and they fulfill that guarantee brilliantly here, as they did in the classic family film The Black Stallion. Deschanel’s exquisite flight photography is breathtakingly beautiful, and the movie is filled with primary colors that almost glow.

Fly Away Home is an exhilarating film about healing and about living in harmony with nature. It’s an inspirational story; heartwarming and adorable, and in the right ways—unforced and natural. Gentle, sweet, and often quite amusing, it’s a feature for the family that is quite literally uplifting.

Rent this one for: the inspirational story; the exceptional nature photography.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: The Black Stallion (Ballard and Deschanel); Never Cry Wolf, Duma (Ballard); Free Willy

Critical Credentials:

• Tomatometer: Top Critics: 100% liked it.

• Nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar.

• Entertainment Weekly named this one of the 50 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen (July 16, 2012) (...the rare family movie that’s...lovely and genuine...)

• Listed by Den of Geek as one of the Top 25 Underappreciated Movies of 1996.

• The IMDb Editors named it one of the Best Live Action Kids Movies (August 28, 2015)

• CinemaScore audience poll grade: A

• It’s a movie about dreamers that, for once, doesn’t make you feel like a sap for buying into their dreams. –Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Goodbye Solo

(2008; R; 1:31)

Starring: Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West

Featuring: Diana Franco Galindo

Written by: Bahareh Azimi, Ramin Bahrani

Directed by: Ramin Bahrani

Synopsis: Souleymane, aka Solo (Savane), is a Senegalese immigrant living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He’s got an impressive grasp of English (and uses it non-stop), and dreams of giving up the dead-end life of a taxi driver to become a flight attendant. When curmudgeonly old William (West) offers him $1,000 to drive him to a nearby state park in two weeks, Solo becomes intrigued with the sullen old grouch. Circumstances keep bringing them together, and as Solo slowly realizes William might be planning to end his life by jumping off a precipice in the park, he attempts to discover the source of his misery. But William resents any interference in his personal life by this gabby cabbie. As the fated day draws near, Solo does his best to dissuade the determined William...but can he succeed?

Discussion: The surface of this film is a masterwork of magician’s misdirection: Solo talks a blue streak, for instance, but he rarely says anything of substance. (His entirely amusing patter is an odd-couple counterpoint to William’s taciturn growls.) This is totally appropriate in a film about small emotional gestures and life-changing emotional decisions. And William’s story, no matter how intriguing, is misdirection from the real story: how Solo grapples with life and events outside his control, including his shaky marriage, his precocious stepdaughter, his incipient fatherhood, and his own dreams.

So don’t expect any answers to weathered William’s secret story; even his plan to leap from the mountaintop (maybe) is never explicitly mentioned. His role is as a cautionary tale for Solo: how not to end up with a life full of regrets and devoid of family and friendships. And what’s left unsaid is far more important that any exchange of dialog. The unanswered questions and unspoken sentiments in this unsentimental but compassionate film will stick with you.

Rent this one for: Savane’s performance; the slowly unfolding emotional mysteries.

You’ll (probably) like this if you liked: Man Push Cart, 99 Homes, Chop Shop (Bahrani); The Straight Story

Similar Killer B’s in this volume you might enjoy: Wendy and Lucy

Critical Credentials:

• Tomatometer: Certified Fresh. Top Critics: 97% liked it. Audience Score: 81% liked it.

• Metacritic Metascore: 89/100

• Grace is what defines Mr. Bahrani’s filmmaking. I can’t think of anything else to call the quality of exquisite attention, wry humor and wide-awake intelligence that informs every frame of this almost perfect film. –A.O. Scott, New York Times

• A darkly poetic parable of the solitude of human existence, somewhat ameliorated by the occasional generosity of the human spirit. –Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

• Touching and uplifting...a small gem. –Lou Lumenick, New York Post

• "Bahrani is the new great American director. He never steps wrong. In Goodbye Solo he begins with a situation that might unfold in a dozen different ways and makes of it something original and profound." –Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Dissenting Opinion:

• I felt the film was incredibly stripped down—which is fine—but there’s nothing else to sort of help build it back up again. –Ben Lyons, At the Movies

Vidbits:

• Co-star Red West was a bodyguard for Elvis.

Grand Canyon

(1991; R; 2:14)

Starring: Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Mary McDonnell

Featuring: Steve Martin, Mary-Lousie Parker, Alfre Woodard

Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, Meg Kasdan

Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan

Synopsis: When his car breaks down in Compton one night, successful L.A. lawyer Mack (Kline) is rescued from gang violence by streetwise tow truck driver Simon (Glover). They strike up a conversation, then a friendship. On a parallel track, Mack’s wife Claire (McDonnell) finds an abandoned baby, which brings out