Down By Law

This is undoubtedly the film that put Jim Jarmusch into your consciousness in the late 80s, and it may have been your first introduction to the “art film” as a legitimate big-house screening. At the very least, it would have introduced you to Roberto Begnini, a formerly hilarious Italian comedian who imploded under the pressure of his own hubris after winning an Oscar for the highly problematic Life is Beautiful . (What, you didn’t notice you were in a concentration camp?!) Jarmusch here displayed an early view of his genius—writing the meanest of stories, and hanging it on the sparse performances (although not as mean or sparse as his earlier work, Stranger than Paradise ) of non-traditional actors—aside from Begnini, this film also stars uber-hipsters Tom Waits and John Lurie. Jarmusch is due for a major retrospective, and why not? Night on Earth, Mystery Train —his filmography includes some of our all-time favorites. Get a jump on the inevitable reissues.