I love movies. I love great movies, good movies, obscure movies, even a lot of bad movies. I grew up on John Wayne movies. In fact, the first movie I remember going to see in a theater was "Jeremiah Johnson" (one of the greatest westerns ever made, by the way). Being older than most of you, I've seen a lot of movies and, in the current over-heated political climate, I thought now would be a good time to share some of my favorite lesser-known, or long-forgotten movies.

Just a little something to give you (and me) a break from ranting about...well, apparently everything. They are listed in no particular order, and they won't change your life, but, at the very least, they'll entertain the living daylights out of you. Be warned however, some of them may make you think, or view familiar things a little differently.

Since this is a college publication, let's start with some that have a literary basis.

1. "The Man Who Would Be King"

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Based on the story by Rudyard Kipling, it stars Sean Connery and Michael Caine as two former British soldiers who set out to become kings in Kafiristan (think Afghanistan, or similar regions).

Directed by John Huston, with Christopher Plummer playing a Kipling-like role, this movie has it all: adventure, comedy, drama and suspense. There's even a historical angle. The Kipling story allegedly is based in part on Josiah Harlan, an American adventurer who became Prince of Ghor, a region of Afghanistan.

A fantastic movie that never gets old, thanks to brilliant direction and the chemistry between Connery and Caine.

2. "Gunga Din"

While we're on Kipling, I also recommend "Gunga Din," arguably the greatest adventure movie ever made. Starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., it's also one of the most influential movies ever made. Without it, we would very possibly not have Indiana Jones.

Although it expands far beyond Kipling's poem, it is true to not only the poem's spirit, but that of Kipling's other stories about British soldiers in India.

While it is definitely dated (particularly when compared to today's highly choreographed fight scenes) and possesses many racist elements (as do most old movies), it is possibly the most fun you'll ever have watching a movie.

3. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"

Written and directed by Tom Stoppard, based on his own play, which is based on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," and starring Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, it tells the story of Hamlet from the point of view of the bit characters in Shakespeare's play.

Filled with subtle but brilliant humor, this is my favorite version of "Hamlet." The movie is faithful to the original play, but much more entertaining (I've never been a fan of "Hamlet.")

It also sheds light on theater performance in Shakespeare's day, and features Richard Dreyfuss as the leader of the group of players.

4. "Mute Witness"

A mute makeup artist in a film crew making a low-budget slasher flick in Russia witnesses a horrific murder. Although the initial murder is graphic, it is also (unlike similar scenes in other movies) also horrifying and deeply affecting. It is not just gratuitous splatter. It sets the level of suspense for the entire movie.

It is much more akin to Hitchcock's thrillers than Eli Roth's torture porn in "Hostel."It's an old-fashioned thriller with a modern sensibility. Although the suspense never really lets up, it is leavened with moments of truly inspired humor that keep it from becoming oppressive.

5. "The Wild Bunch"

For my money, the best Western ever made, and one of the most influential. The opening and closing shoot-outs set the standard for years. The story of a gang of outlaws who've outlived their time, it has an all-star cast including William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, Robert Ryan and a veritable who's who of Western character actors. Bloody and visceral, it was shocking in 1969, but it still holds up today.

6. "The Great Race"

Phenomenally silly and fun movie about an auto race around the world (not a typo.) It stars Tony Curtis as the heroic "The Great Leslie," but the real stars are Jack Lemmon (Professor Fate) and Peter Falk (Maximillian Meen) as his nemesisses (nemessI?) Another all-star cast in a cross-genre slapstick action farce. Also, possibly the greatest pie fight in film history.

7. "Four Lions"

Terrorism is hardly fertile ground for comedy, but this is a brilliant and very funny, very thought-provoking satire on home-grown terrorists and their mindset. Although predominately concentrated around the four most inept terrorists imaginable, it also manages to skewer everyone else, while simultaneously treating the subject itself respectfully, mocking the people, the mentality, without ever minimizing the horror they inflict.

Anyway, that's enough for now. Enjoy!