Thursday Movie Picks: Cults/Secret Societies

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This week’s my movie picks are weird. Like, there is one very popular and highly loved recommendation, there’s an indie recommendation that should be known to most, and then there’s a teen-flick with supernatural powers and Sebastian Stan. Yes, that’s what I said, weird, right?

1. FIGHT CLUB, 1999

This recommendation wasn’t the first one that popped into my head. Frankly, I had to think about it, and when I finally realized that Fight Club is a secret society, I felt a bit dumb. But that’s not the point, the point is that this movie is brilliant. The performances by Edward Norton and Brad Pitt define brilliant, and it’s just, I mean, it’s a damn classic!

2. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, 2011

The first movie that popped into my head, and frankly, the only one regarding cults, was Martha Marcy May Marlene with Elisabeth Olsen in the lead. I saw this during a film festival years ago, and it has stuck with me. I don’t remember much of the movie plot, but I do recall the emotions I had during watching this. Definitely an interesting experience.

3. THE COVENANT, 2006

Like I said, my third recommendation is weird, like, I don’t even know how among all the movies I loved when I was a teenager and hate now, this has stuck with me as something positive. The performances and the plot aren’t that great and yet, 10 years later, I still remember some scenes and I still remember Sebastian Stan.  So yes, it’s bad, but it’s good bad and it is still better than Twilight.

* THE FOLLOWING, SEASON 1, 2013

Now, I’ve started to recommend series as well, so when I saw the cult topic, I knew I had to mention the first season of The Following. And I need to specify that I watched a little bit of the second season as well, but it wasn’t good, so the first season it is. Even with some clichés and a little bit of an illogical plot, The Following’s first season shows the really bad sides of cults and how these can affect people to do some really bad things.

THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES

20 responses to “Thursday Movie Picks: Cults/Secret Societies”

  1. ninvoid99 Avatar
    ninvoid99

    I haven’t seen The Following but I have seen the other films as I really dislike The Covenant where I wonder, why they didn’t have Sebastian Stan in the lead and instead put someone as bland and as un-charismatic as Steven Strait who can’t act for shit?

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Yes, Stan should have had a bigger part, but he hadn’t hit his stride yet so, that Strait, haven’t seen him since, got to be on screen more. BUT I still like it for some reason. xD

      Reply
  2. Big Screen Small Words Avatar
    Big Screen Small Words

    I really need to give Fight Club a rewatch as I don’t remember much of it. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a popular pick this week!

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      I think MMMM is the most “cult” movie out there. I need to watch Fight Club again too, I think I’ve only watched it twice!

      Reply
  3. Birgit Avatar
    Birgit

    MMMM is popular this week and I never heard of it before. Fight Club is a great movie and so well acted but it’s just so seedy and dirty….which is a no brainer because of the title. Haven’t heard of the 3rd one either

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Oh the third one is a awful movie, but I still like it. Like one of those so bad that it’s good movie, I have a few of those from my teenage years. I think I like Fight Club for those actual reasons, it’s dirty, and it is seedy, and gritty and just rude. I love it.

      Reply
  4. Brittani Avatar
    Brittani

    I need to watch the Following. I love your first two picks but I haven’t seen The Covenant.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      Like I said, The Covenant is a weird choice, but if you have patience, I’d be interested to know what you think!?

      I haven’t watched The Following since they ruined something that I liked, you’ll see when you get to it.

      Reply
  5. Joel Avatar
    Joel

    Nice variation of choices. I don’t love Fight Club, I guess I’d say I appreciated its outlook and what it was trying to say and the performances are ace but it’s not something I’d watch again.

    I meant to watch Martha Marcy…etc. when it first came out and was getting acclaim but then it slipped from my attention but with all the places its shown up now I’ve queued it up and am looking forward to it.

    Ack! The Covenant! What a cheese fest!! It was fun in that stupid mindless way that movies can be when you watch something obviously designed to show off it’s himbo cast more than tell a story. I’d NEVER watch it again but it was a silly time passer for that one view.

    I’ve never seen The Following.

    Mine are a mix of both cults and secret societies:

    12 Monkeys (1995)-In the future a deadly virus has wiped out most of mankind forcing those who remain to formulate a society underground while animals roam free on the desolate surface. James Cole (Bruce Willis), one of the workers in the underground world, has been selected by the ruling body to travel back in time and try to stop the secret society of the Twelve Monkeys who are believed to have instigated the plague. After a few misplacements in time he arrives in the present day and tries to find answers all the time pursued by people who think he’s insane. Potent, grim and fascinating with a completely unhinged performance by Brad Pitt that landed him an Oscar nomination.

    Ticket to Heaven (1981)-Reeling at the end of a long-time relationship with his girlfriend a young man (Nick Mancuso) seeking a change unwittingly falls in with a cult and is soon brainwashed and isolated. His best friend goes to great lengths to rescue him from their clutches and assist in his deprogramming but the cult does not let go easily. Intense, brutal low budget Canadian drama is loaded with now familiar faces including Kim Cattrall, Meg Foster and Saul Rubinek.

    The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970)-For the last 20 plus years a successful college professor (Glenn Ford) has belonged to a secret Ivy League society, The Brotherhood of the Bell, without being asked to actively participate in its inner workings. At the latest initiation a request is made of him with which he is leery to comply but does so against his better judgment leading to tragedy. Disgusted he attempts to exit the group but only as his life is systemically destroyed does he come to realize how insidious and far reaching the power of The Bell is. Premiered on television in the US but shown theatrically abroad.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      That’s why I love The Covenant I think, it’s cheesy, and sometimes, cheese is what I need, even if I do watch it for the second or the third time. I was all about the cheese when I was a teenager, and I’m no different nowadays at times.

      From your choices I’ve actually seen something, 12 Monkeys! That was a great movie, crazy, but great. The others again, haven’t heard of them but they sound interesting!

      Reply
  6. Myerla Avatar
    Myerla

    You do realise you’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club? You’ve broken the number rule!

    I also picked MMMM, proving to be a very popular pick

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      I keep breaking that rule, I’m so stupid!!

      It is the first one that came to mind, like, cult, oh, she escaped from a cult!

      Reply
  7. Courtney Young Avatar
    Courtney Young

    MMM was sooooo trippy! It birthed my love for Elizabeth Olsen.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      That’s a nice way to be birthed into love. 😀

      Reply
  8. Sonia Avatar
    Sonia

    I also picked Fight Club and honestly it’s the first film that popped into my head. Haven’t seen the other two, but MMMM was so popular this week I should probably watch it.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      It took me a while to actually pinpoint the secret society stuff, I was so slow, I’m still slow at grasping that meaning. Though I do get it, I mean I studied societies and the meanings of them, so I’m like, duh! It’s been too long since I went to university.

      And watch MMMM and let me know what you think!

      Reply
  9. Katy Avatar
    Katy

    Nice picks! I hadn’t thought of Fight Club as a secret society before either. Good catch!

    Reply
  10. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Familiar picks here – all good ones. Although I’ve not seen The Covenant. The Following is a good call. I actually only watched 2 episodes but it is perfect for this weeks theme.

    Reply
  11. Wandering through the Shelves Avatar
    Wandering through the Shelves

    I’ve seen the Covenant. Just don’t remember much other than it being like the male version of The Craft.

    Reply
    1. mettelray Avatar
      mettelray

      I haven’t seen The Craft but it sounds similar indeed! Should i watch The Craft?

      Reply

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