Welcome to The Penny-Pinching Cinephile, a weekly spotlight of the best free flicks on the web. ‘Cuz sometimes you gotta eat.
1) Raw Deal**
Directed by Anthony Mann and shot by famed noir photographer John Alton, Raw Deal is a classic, hard-boiled film noir. Joe Sullivan (Dennis O’Keefe) starts out a mug and only gets unluckier. Having taken the fall for a crime he didn’t commit, Joe breaks out of jail with the help of his moll (Claire Trevor). On the lam, the lover kidnap a social worker (Marsha Hunt) who was trying to reform Joe in prison, thus triggering a doomed love triangle. On top of everything, there’s a gang boss (Raymond Burr) out to murder Joe. The guy can’t catch a break. Brimming with tough, terse dialogue and harsh, shadowy photography, Raw Deal is quintessential noir viewing.
2) Tomboy
Céline Sciamma’s meditative coming of age story is an expertly observed tale of youth and identity. Laure is a prepubescent French girl who’s just moved into a new neighborhood. When she is mistaken for a boy, Laure creates an identity as Mickael, partly to fit in with the neighborhood boys who’ve already adopted “him” into their social circle. Tomboy is the rare queer film that doesn’t seem interested in passing judgment on its characters. Whether Laure actually identifies as a male, or is gay, doesn’t really figure into the narrative. It’s an unanswered question that becomes less pressing as we’re initiated into the engrossing adolescent world of the film. Beautifully shot, Tomboy is a gem of a movie.
3) Louie Bluie
Terry Zwigoff’s first film, 1985’s Louie Bluie, is the story of blues musician Howard Armstrong, member of the last remaining black string band in America. Selected as one of Criterion’s picks of the week, the film is a chronicle of a dying culture that ironically helped to revive interest in Armstrong and his music, however briefly. Zwigoff has a deep love of teens and ’20s jazz and blues, and his passion for the culture is evident in every frame. You can tell his excitement at finding these guys alive and still playing is enough of a reward for him. On top of that, we get a great, intimate portrait of a man and his music.
4) Dogtooth
Is Dogtooth one of the most disturbing films ever made? Quite possibly. Giorgos Lanthimos‘ film is certainly depraved, shocking and bizarre–as well as a deeply, darkly funny, razor sharp satire and incisive look at family dynamics. I really can’t say too much more or risk spoiling the film’s manifold twists and surprising turns. Yes, there’s incest. And abuse. There’s one of the worst cinematic fathers in movie history. You might hate it. You might love it, as I do. But guaranteed, you won’t forget it.
The four films profiled above are actually good. Plan 9 From Outer Space is not good. It’s long been heralded as the worst film ever made and, having recently revisited Ed Wood’s hot mess masterpiece on the big screen, I can confirm, yes, its badness is indeed epic. Starring Vampira, a Swedish wrestler, and an undead Bela Lugosi, Plan 9‘s “story” concerns aliens who re-animate the dead in order to prevent humans from developing a super destructive bomb powered by the sun. Or, something. It’s not super clear. What it is, however, is awesome. Awesomely bad.
**Special thanks to oldfilmsflicker for suggesting Raw Deal
If you’d like to suggest a website or film that’s screening for free, leave us a comment below.
