Movies and shakers

Withnail & I
Richard E. Grant’s first film role has provided students with countless quotes since it was released in 1987. The film tracks two penniless alcoholic actors as they embark on a recuperative trip to the country – but it’s obvious from the outset that the relationship between the two is crumbling. The film can be seen as a treatise on the tragic effects that time takes on both the body and soul as each of the characters is yearning for a way out of their existential rut. Of course it can also be seen as an hilarious take on the sheer futility of life. Either way, it’s thoroughly enjoyable.
The Big Lebowski
Quite possibly the ultimate student movie, The Big Lebowski has it all. Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is a 10-pin bowler and also the world’s biggest slacker/stoner, who somehow gets tangled up in a ridiculously complex kidnap plot. As The Dude struggles to make sense of the escalating chaos around him, we encounter everything from surreal dream sequences, raging Vietnam Vets, nihilists and feminists, carpet pissers and porn barons. All of this, plus the sharpest dialogue imaginable and a great classic rock soundtrack makes Lebowski the highlight so far of The Coen Brothers’ illustrious directing career.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
It was always said that Hunter S. Thompson’s novel detailing the ultimate road trip was unfilmable but obviously nobody told former Monthy Python man Terry Gilliam. Like many of the best cult movies, Fear And Loathing was a flop at the box office – but that hasn’t stopped students embracing its story of drugged out debauchery with open arms. Of course there’s a cautionary message in there that you can seek out if you wish – or you might just prefer to sit back and admire Raoul Duke’s superhuman capacity for narcotics.
Rumblefish
Okay, so you can almost feel the pretentiousness dripping from the screen during Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film – but that doesn’t mean it’s not fantastic. Featuring great performances from a still human looking Mickey Rourke and a young Matt Dillon, Rumblefish charts the evolving relationship between the ridiculously cool Motorcycle Boy and his impressionable gang member and younger brother. Sad and moving, the film also has a great supporting cast including Nicholas Cage, Diane Lane, Chris Penn and Tom Waits.
Dawn Of The Dead
Every student movie collection needs a great horror movie and George A. Romero’s 1978 classic is possibly the greatest of them all. It almost single-handedly launched the ‘splatter’ craze in the horror genre but there was much more to it than simple guts 'n’ gore. As well as its subtext examining consumerism and materialism, Dawn Of The Dead is also well known for its examination of the negative effects of racism. So watching the undead roam the earth can also help your educational development!
The Blues Brothers
The legendary John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd join forces in John Landis’ 1980 musical/comedy – but, before you go running screaming from the building at the mere mention of the dreaded ‘m’ word, you should know that this is absolutely hilarious. Set around a loose plot to raise money to save the orphanage that was their childhood home, the movie is really an excuse for the Blues Brothers to get their old band together and bash out any number of great tunes with guests such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Ray Charles.
Easy Rider
Directed by and starring Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider hit the screen in 1969, and in many ways the film perfectly sums up the mood of discontent shared by many of those who felt cheated by the false utopias promised by the advocates of hippy culture in 1960s America. As the tagline goes, this tale of two young men who “went looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere” is an essential part of any self-respecting student’s DVD collection.
Pulp Fiction
Okay, so this is a must-have in any DVD collection, and not just if you’re a student – but it’s only during your college days that you will have the time to watch it over and over again and marvel at the nonlinear plotline and sublime dialogue in Tarantino’s gangster masterpiece. As well as featuring an effortlessly cool performance from Samuel L. Jackson, the movie also made John Travolta cool again and relaunched Bruce Willis’ flagging career.
Dazed and Confused
One of the coolest student movies of all time, Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused has been hailed by Quentin Tarantino as one of the 12 greatest films ever made. Revolving around a group of American high school students, the film is reminiscent of American Graffiti in that it lets us glimpse into the students’ lives for one night before most of them leave school. The movie’s marijuana-friendly stance and lack of conventional plot structure has ensured its place as a stoner classic – but it also has a cultural relevance beyond this as it is an exquisite depiction of a day in the life of an American teen coming of age in the mid ‘70s.
The Last Waltz
No student house would be complete without at least one great Rockumentary. Okay, Spinal Tap is also essential, but they don’t come any better than Martin Scorsese’s film of The Band’s final concert, featuring guest appearances from Bob Dylan, Neil Young and a high-kicking Van Morrison among others. To celebrate the end of 16 years on the road together The Band decided to enlist Scorsese’s help to capture the event on video and the result is one of the best concert films ever made.