We enjoyed researching how long movies could actually run.  And trust me they could run long but don’t worry, we didn’t include ones that were over 500 minutes.  Instead of going for quantity, we discuss SUPER LONG films that have a wider…er…appeal.  Here’s a list of five films that are interesting, brilliantly shot and include kick ass characters–that just happen to have a minimum time limit of two hours. Check it!

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

Obviously we had to include this, but wait for it, you know we just reminded you to re-watch the extended version. So. Good. It bests the first two movies by a mile, and yet you still like watching them in order–though we think we love this one the best. That final battle sequence? Chill-inducing.

Demonlover (2002)

Spies. Manga Pornography. A foreign film that’s TOTALLY interesting.  We still think this movie is brilliant, even after watching it a few times. You really don’t notice that it’s two hours, because it’s so action-packed it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

Satantango (1994)

This over 4 hour movie follows a dilapidated community in Hungary. All they want is to actually have a chance at living, but they are a little tempted to stay and believe they can make it when someone they thought was dead returns to them. We know it’s long and in German, but if you have a few hours it’s completely worth it. (And the film doesn’t even have a trailer online…crazy talk)

Love Exposure (2008)

If Closer had taken place in Japan and included a lot more porn and a huge plot surrounding a cult, this would be that movie. Three intersecting story lines come together to form a destructive love triangle spawning from emotional abuse. It’s heavy but the performances are spectacular and the end? Two words: Street. Fight.

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Ingmar Bergman directs this 300 + minute movie that follows the lives of two children who are ripped from their surroundings and transplanted into a place they haven’t lived before. Somehow Bergman manages to make this insanely interesting, beautiful, and unique. Then again, has Bergman ever done anything by the book?

Science Fiction explores the great unknown.  A nice blend of the imagined based upon the love of technology and the world it will form.  As America’s technology advances more quickly and even more quickly, we want movies that reflect the change.  In a day where we can control TV’s using just our bodies, the following question is just as relevant today as it was when these movies released. Really, what can’t we do if we dump enough money on the project?

Metropolis (1927)

Those wacky German Expressionists really knew how to make a great cinema. Clocking in as the most expensive silent film ever made, it tells the story of a young man born to luxury who stumbles upon the harsh working life of the lower class.  From there he vows to fight  for their freedom and increase the quality of their lives.

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Coined as the worst movie ever made, director Ed Wood creates a luscious masterpiece of failure.  Now a cult classic, the story shows aliens coming to Earth to create zombies and vampires. It features Bela Lugosi’s final role and uses hubcaps on strings as UFOs. How could you get much better?

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Space travel and artificial intelligence tend not to go as well together as you might think, especially when said AI gets an ego complex and starts putting the lives of everyone on board in significant danger. Add some extraterrestrial life and evolutionary themes and you’ve got a pretty trippy movie that is sure to stir up some delightful discussion afterwards.

Star Wars (1977)

Does this film even need an introduction? Released as Star Wars, and rereleased as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, this science-fantasy movie changed what we thought was capable in cinema. If you can, try to watch an older VHS version before Lucas started drawing CGI all over his work. And for the love of all that is good, don’t bother with Episodes I-III.

Back to the Future (1985)

When Marty McFly uses a suped up Delorean to time travel to 1955, he needs to figure out a way to get back to his time. This is all well and good until he accidentally gets in the way of his parents meeting and inadvertently begins to unwrap the fabric of reality itself. He must not only send himself back to the future, but also save his parent’s marriage before it even begins. Check out the sequels while you’re at it. This and the original Star Wars are some of the only good trilogies out there.

Some of the best movies are about what happens when people don’t go with the grain, when people don’t do what they are told, and when they march to the beat of their own drum. Whether it be a documentary about someone who actually caused a riot or rebelled when he “should have” stayed quiet, or a comedy about coming to terms with the changing times–these movies are filled with unique and aware-the-world-is-changing characters who just want something different. Enjoy!

Across the Universe (2007)

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the power of Beatles music, this film follows the lives of friends trying to make it in New York. And by trying to make it we mean: in the music business, in the economy, in avoiding the war, in living a good and healthy life. They don’t listen to what the world wants from them, they listen to themselves.

Against the Tide (2010)

An activist standing up against the government to save the European Jews from the Holocaust. This film shows what he had to go through in order to get his voice heard–as well as President Roosevelt’s perspective and what it would mean for the US during WWII. This film is about how sometimes it only takes one person to create giant momentum.

Milk (2008)

Sean Penn brings Harvey Milk to life–the gay activist who fought hard for equality. It follows his life, his goals, his dreams, his love and his terrible assassination. All in the name of love and equality.

Footloose (1984)

Kevin Bacon just wants to dance guys! It’s not his fault his new town has outlawed it under the guidance of the local pastor! It’s not his fault he fell in love with the pastor’s daughter! He just wants to dance! And he’ll break all the rules to do it!

American Graffiti (1973)

1962 California. Pre-JFK assassination. A couple of teenagers trying to grow up and out of their hometown. They take a final adventure around the places they’ve always known. It’s a movie about the good times, before riots and violent demonstrations took place.  These guys rioted from within themselves.