Films I Would Force You to Watch...if I haven't already.
I've had some questions from former Ai students, asking for a refresh on some flick I forced in a class long long ago. I love it when this happens, because they are usually students who faught me tooth and nail, or had a very uninterested attitude toward the film at the time it was shown in class. Sometimes they didn't 'get'...or appreciate why it was appropriate to show during the course. And sometimes it was just because they just weren't paying attention at all due to hangovers and the lights being turned off. Here's a list of my favorites that I had shown at one point or another, mostly in the hopes of inspiring some kind of conceptual or creative crumb to the surface of your brains.

1. Dreams; Akira Kurosawa

Although just about any Kurosawa film is important to absorb, my all-time favorite is "Dreams". If for no other reason, watch this concept film to see Martin Scorsese play Vincent Van Gogh. Many critics will say Dreams is their least favorite of all Kurosawa's films, and the average Joe will avoid it because it has subtitles. My response to this is, first, the 'photography' in this entire set of shorts is incredibly beautiful and symbolic. Stop the film on any frame and you have an image that is coffee-table-worthy. Second, the subtitles require little effort, and the actual dialogue in this series is minimal, so get over it.

If I had to chose from all the dreams the 'must see', you MUST make it to the last 'dream', "The Watermills". Runner up in my book is "The Tunnel". I get a shiver every time.

2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari; Robert Wiene

A serious silent film of historical significance, a rare find with actual psychological depth and flat out horror. Any student of graphic design, design history, or just history in general will find something to appreciate in this freaky freaky film, The "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". Check out the German Expressionism in the set design and keep in mind what was going on in the world at the time of the making of this film. Huge! If you find a remastered version to rent, there is phenomenal commentary and 'extra' features. I'm thrilled to find that this crazy film is finally getting some attention again. Even though most of it is coming from Horror and ComicCon Fans...I personally feel that it should be a part of any Modern Art History curriculum in some way. Here's another website, Highlander Films LLC.  about the film with some contemporary reflections.

3. Metropolis; Fritz Lang

An absolute must for students of design, film freaks, and history buffs. A major MAJOR film. Metropolis is another one that is available in a remasterd edition with an excellent set of extras. This includes an outstanding documentary on the making of Metropolis by Enno Patalas, a Featurette: The Digital Restoration, Photo galleries featuring production stills; missing scenes; architectural sketches; poster artwork, and Audio commentary in English, German, French, and Spanish