Snobbin: Beautiful Trash in the Pop Culture Gutter

10. River's Edge (1986) Few coming-of-age films are as tragic or engaging as Tim Hunter's River's Edge,  which steadily raises the stakes for its characters throughout its 100-minute running time, illustrating how trauma and peer pressure can be as horrific as any movie monster. Fine performances from Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, and Crispin Glover temper Neil Jiminez's dark script with humanity and realism. Reeves, in particular, stands out as a compassionate teen caught between protecting his friends and doing what is right. He shows depth that does not surface as often in his later films, allowing him a range that many critics ignore. If you like Kids (1995) or other transgressive teen dramas, you should watch this one as soon as possible.  9. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) Martin Scorsese's comedic drama is possibly my favorite of all his films because it presents realistic human relationships through understated performances. Straying from the crime th...

15. Wild At Heart (1990)  It's definitely not my favorite David Lynch film, but Wild at Heart has grown on me. Although the film includes a fairly straightforward plot because Lynch is adapting Barry Gifford's novel, the casting and over-the-top performances add those Lynchian elements that keep the viewer guessing. His addition of  audacious characters like Mr. Reindeer (W. Morgan Sheppard) and focus on the darker aspects of  popular culture as exemplified by Elvis and Marilyn Monroe fixations filtered through a near Joe Coleman level of morbidity make this a unique study on American obsession. However, the film still finds space to be funny, particularly in how Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage portray those obsessions. Think Lynch with a side of John Waters, a dash of the Coens, and a dessert that recalls the fantastical elements of  The Wizard of Oz (1939) updated for the consumer-obsessed 1990s.  14. Winter Kills ( 1979) I weighed including The Parallax View ...

Film Seventeen: Quadrophenia (1979). Director Franc Roddam's drama about a young man, Jimmy, played aptly and rudely by Phil Daniels, and his struggles to find himself is loosely based on the Who's 1973 Rock Opera. The film sets the young Mod's attempts to escape his dull job and teenage life against the backdrop of the Mod/Rocker battle on Brighton Beach in 1964. The battle on the beach and Jimmy's attempts to befriend Ace Face, a teenage idol Mod played by Sting, and some of his other rebellious antics are quite fun to watch.  I should have probably seen this film as a teenager because it would have fit perfectly in with readings of The Catcher in the Rye or The Bell Jar and other such stories of teenage disillusionment. Instead, I found that I did not relate to the characters or Jimmy's relationship troubles. The excellent music by the early Who and other 1960s groups like the Ronettes and the Kingsmen really capture the mood and feel of the period. Despite it...

Film Fourteen: No Maps on My Taps (1979). A fascinating tap dancing documentary that features performances from three of the greats: Bunny Briggs, Chuck Green, and Howard "Sandman" Sims to a backing band led by Lionel Hampton. The film weaves interviews with each man with chronicles of their techniques and personal histories. It also includes footage of early tap dancing greats like Bill Robinson and John W. Bubbles. George T. Nierenberg filmed the documentary at a time when the tap dancing community was lamenting decreasing public interest in their art . The performances and interviews show the versatility and passion that these men bring to the dance floor. As the audiences debate which one is best, it becomes evident that, while interest in tap dancing might wane, it will continue to wow people. The revival of the art form in the 1980s attests to that.