The President's Analyst (1967)

Only two people on earth want Sidney Schaefer alive. Sidney Schaefer. And the President of the United States.

James Coburn was one of the coolest guys to be in films, perhaps best remembered for Our Man Flint among others, but one film rarely mentioned features him at his funniest, and is one of the best satires to come out of the 1960s, along with Dr. Strangelove. This long-lost film manages to poke fun at every subject of prevalence imaginable - from the government and its dysfunction (obviously) to suburban family life to hippie culture.

The story involves a certain Dr. Sidney Schaefer (Coburn) who, as one of the top psychoanalysts in the country, is requested to become the official analyst for the President of the United States. Over the course of his sessions with the President, Schaefer learns many dark secrets about the country and its relations with others, and becomes an international liability. As his paranoia grows, he begins to suspect everyone, including his girlfriend. Even his refuge in a hilariously parodied suburban home is tainted with his irrational and ever-escalating fear. As the plot twists and turns, he uncovers a vast conspiracy that threatens the entire world.

The film has its bizarre 1960s moments, such as an acid-induced psychidelic rock concert (wherein Coburn plays the gong!) and the surrealism in much of what it parodies. There are some loose ends that aren't tied up, but the movie is so surrealistic, we half expect a character to wake up, the whole thing having been a nightmare. Director Theodore J. Flicker's expertise lies in television, having directed episodes for shows such as "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "I Dream of Jeanie," but he uses the cinematic format well. As the writer of this film as well, he shows that he is more than competent in crafting a creative, varied, and hilarious film.

This is a movie with loads of creative ideas, and an unexpected twist every turn. Coburn has never been better, his dry humor carrying much of the picture, but also features a solid supporting cast that makes the brilliant writing as funny as it can be. It is definitely a product of its era, but it parodies basically everything, making it a standout among its peers.

Seconds (1966)

The final film of John Frankenheimer's so-called Paranoia Trilogy (comprised also of The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May) is essentially a feature-length Twilight Zone episode. Despite its weak second act, Seconds stands as a prime example of 1960s paranoia film, and offers a chilling and disturbing commentary on human nature.

Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is a burnt-out old man who feels as if he has come to the end of a mundane, useless life, and now decides to start fresh with the help of a secret company. He is surgically given a new body, as well as a new identity, occupation, and place of residence -- now as Tony Wilson (played by Rock Hudson).

After Arthur's transformation into Tony, the movie takes a sharp left turn to show us Tony's ridiculously wealthy lifestyle, climaxing in a wine-making orgy that almost seems out of place. Frankenheimer admitted that the middle of the movie was its weak link, and the awkward dialogue and lack of forward motion cripple the film during this sequence. But before too long, it's back on paranoid track. All of the elements of the film fall into place with one of the most chilling and ironic third acts of any movie. Frankenheimer's television-based directorial style offers endless static shots, contrasted to frantic documentary-like camera work, all in stark black and white, with a subtle, creepy score by Jerry Goldsmith.

While flawed, Seconds represents innovative, minimalist 60s filmmaking at its best. Also of note is Frankenheimer's use of the camera mounted onto an actor's body, a technique later used by Darren Aronofsky in Pi and Requiem for a Dream. Though this is an unknown film, it is certainly a disturbing and rewarding watch.

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994)

This is a Disney movie. Get over it. There are lots of things that you could say about this movie that give the wrong impression--it's Disney, it's got crappy 1994 effects, it's only rated PG, it's based on Kipling's Jungle Book, and it has Jason Scott Lee, a pretty hit-or-miss actor. In its defense, I would say that it is not characteristic of Disney at all, it has very little resemblance to the animated movie of the same name (or to the original books), and despite its PG rating, it's a rather adult movie, especially for a Disney feature.

It's more a sequel rather than a retelling of the classic Jungle Book tale of a boy who grows up in the jungle and befriends the animals. In this movie, Mowgli, after living in the jungle until adulthood and completely losing touch with society, is thrown back into the mix when he stumbles across British soldiers in colonial India. Some corrupt soldiers get wind of a mythical place in the jungle said to contain mountains of treasure, and they kidnap Mowgli and force him to take them there. In the middle of all this is a love affair between Mowgli and Kitty, a general's daughter, a crush that has been going on since their childhood together. There are also undertones of racism, class distinction, and social formalities both necessary and archaic.

Since this was a lower-tier Disney production, it does have its "cute" moments, especially in the beginning when Mowgli is a child, as well as some special effects which are patchy at best. The script is tight, but often too simplistic. But when the film gets past the Disneyisms and dated effects, it transcends its studio's stereotype with the help of positively gorgeous cinematography and a majestic score by Basil Poledouris. It shows that a film can be enjoyable by both children and adults without being overlong, dependent on flashy special effects, rife with pretentious heavyweight actors, or dumbed down to its younger audience members. It also avoids unnecessary violence or language, something attributed to more "adult" films that often end up being more juvenile (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl). Nevertheless, it maintains a more serious tone, as well as a sense of adventure and fun that never loses focus.

While not a great film by any means, Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book is some of the best family fare you can get your hands on. I consider it superior to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, or any of the other more "adult" family movies coming out these days. This is surely a neglected film, seldom judged on its own merit.

The Narrow Margin (1952)

B-budget film noir in the 1940s and 50s usually entailed feeble attempts to live up to their A counterparts, or were interesting yet uneven forays into the experimental realm of expressionism and Freudian psychological art. The Narrow Margin stands head and shoulders above its contemporaries as a B noir that gets everything right.

The story revolves around the widow of a late great gangster (Marie Windsor), slated to testify at a trial and reveal the names of several of her husband's cohorts. Naturally, a large crime syndicate wants the list, and they're willing to kill if bargaining proves futile. The bulk of the film's action takes place on a train as the widow, under the protection of Sergeant Walter Brown (Charles McGraw), travels in order to testify. Nothing is quite as it seems, and Brown finds himself deeper than he had anticipated.

There is no music in the film (except for some tinny jazz heard over a phonograph), which makes the title sequence more eerie than most, and doesn't date the film as much as many others of its day. It also preserves a documentary-like aesthetic throughout the movie. The script is tight and doesn't over-sentimentalize, except for the slightly dated police-force heroics of Brown. Even so, the preaching is kept to a minimum, and never impedes the momentum of the story. There are no lulls; every scene reveals a new twist or brings forth a new plot point. Besides, at 71 minutes, the film hardly has time to stall.

The film's economy, expert pacing, and innovative use of the camera testify to its achievement as an above-average B-level film noir. All who were involved went on to greater things, most notably director Richard Fleischer who directed films such as the sci-fi effects film Fantastic Voyage and the U.S.A. sequences in WWII behemoth Tora! Tora! Tora!.