Ten Great Movies You Probably Haven't Seen (but probably should): A Holiday Gift Guide - Page 2

Buckaroo Banzai is a neurosurgeon/rocket scientist/rock star/comic book hero who saves the world in his spare time. Starring Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow and Christopher Lloyd before they became big stars. One of those cult films that's too smart for its own good (c.f. Repo Man), this is a funny, entertaining comic book come to life.

Man loses passport on flight; is forced to live in the international zone at the airport. Inspired by a true story. This is unfortunately not available commercially, but if you're lucky enough to catch a screening or a bootleg copy, get your hands on it. Not a big film, but a very human one. The great Jean Rochefort is utterly charming as the befuddled passenger.

A 16-year-old pregnant high-school dropout and a thirty-something sociopathic electronics genius who still lives with his father have nothing in common. Right? Right? Filled with deliberately over-literate dialogue and characters who are just too darn smart for their own good, it's the closest that Hal Hartley ever came to writing a romantic comedy.

Angel falls in love, decides he wants to be human. Infinitely better than the Hollywood remake. A long, intentionally indirect movie about love, desire, and what it means to be human, this is probably Wim Wenders' most accessible film.