So, a really quick list of some stuff to check out:
Super
Defendor
Special
These first three are all about "everyman" superhero types, regular people who "become" superheroes.
"Super" features Rainn Wilson (Dwight from "The Office") as a married man wronged by his wife's drug dealer, with whom she runs away. The story takes a decidedly dark turn when Wilson's character decides to fight crime in all it's forms with a pipe wrench and a twisted sense of right and wrong. Also starring is Ellen Page, who has probably the funniest scene in the movie, the most awkward scene in the movie, and meets a grisly end. Highly recommended. Favorite quote: "SHUTUP CRIME!"
"Defendor" is a different type of superhero movie, which touches more on mental illness than any type of comic book superhero stuff. Woody Harrelson stars as Arthur Poppington, a construction worker by day and vigilante by night. His arsenal is that of a 10 year old boy and includes marbles, bees, and a WWI trench club. He is on a mission to find "Captain Industry", the individual who he believes is responsible for his mother's death. The story makes you initially laugh at Harrelson's character for how woefully unprepared he is to actually fight any real criminal, however as the film progresses you sympathize more and more for the man-child who's only real talent is sticking to his principles and attempting to avenge the death of his mother. Very good film, sad at the end, also highly recommended.
"Special" is a superhero movie dealing primarily with mental illness. A medical study leaves one of it's participants believing he has super powers like the ability to fly, read minds, and run through walls (when in fact he is definitely not flying, and is running into rather than through walls). The film follows him as he attempts to fight crime, and as the pharmaceutical company who created the drug attempts to catch him so that he doesn't create bad publicity for them. It's an interesting film, although I didn't like it as much as the two prior. Something about it's sort of meandering feel and the fact that you're watching somebody who is honestly just delusional is almost like watching a mentally disturbed homeless person (which the main character ends up looking like eventually) sort of crash around and battle invisible monsters is kind of depressing.
The Bridge
The Bridge is an exceptional documentary about the people who chose to end their life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The film makers set up cameras and monitored the bridge for a year in 2005 to 2006 I believe and captured 24 suicides on film. Just the footage itself is shocking, and fairly disturbing, but the interviews with family and friends of the people who jumped add a completely different dimension. After viewing the movie you get the impression that if you put enough people next to a really tall thing that's easy to jump off of then a certain percent of those people are just gonna jump. Very strange to see people calmly talking on a cell phone, then hang up, climb over the guard railing and just lean forward and let go. Definitely check it out if you can find it.
Fritz the Cat
Fritz the Cat is a 1972 R-rated animated film by Ralph Bakshi. It's lewd, there's lots of drug use, and it just feels very 70s in a funky sort of way. I won't describe the story because it's very trippy and bounces around a lot, but the animation is unforgettable and some of the characters are characters that could never be portrayed the same way again (think of creating an animated movie today and making all the black characters crows, or all the cops pigs). All in all Fritz the Cat is just plain fun to watch, and as long as you're not a "square", you'll enjoy it.
Das all for now, catch you cats on the flip side.
