Rule Your Class: 10 Movies to Ensure Back to School Cool

We all know that ten spots on a movie list are the ten hardest to fill. The criteria for this particular list is quotability, cynicism (the hipster meter for cool), and the potential to deepen your knowledge of some of your favorite actors and actresses. Each one of these movies can open a door to a whole new list either by following actors, directors, or genre. Each of these movies is very watchable; there's none that are critically acclaimed but ask for long periods of patience or concentration. In the end, there's none that are too serious. Load your guns with these babies and their coinciding trivia, and back to school will be a cinch.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums - Director Wes Anderson portrays a family of child prodigies all grown up and struggling to live under the shadows they've cast for themselves as they deal with their family and all its quirks. It's loosely based on the Glass family, characters from novels written by one of America's great writers of disillusioned youth, J.D. Salinger (ding! Hipster point!). We know this because Wes Anderson said so in Premiere magazine in 2001.

Notable Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke & Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - The ultimate feel good and let loose high school movie. Ferris rules his school and socks it to the villainous principal, all while cutting class to see the city, driving around in a "borrowed" convertible, and refusing to take life too seriously.

Notable Cast: Matthew Broderick

3. Amelie - To pass the hip test, you must be down with foreign films (or at least a few). Amelie follows the adorable french Audrey Tautou as she innocently stalks a handsome stranger with a seemingly odd and random fanaticism that aligns with one of her own.

Notable Cast: Audrey Tautou

4. The Princess Bride - Quotable to the extreme with a charming cast of characters, Mel Brooks skims the line between obvious ridiculousness and earnest fantastical love story. For example, I had no idea growing up that it was supposed to be funny like Anchorman, not funny like The Little Rascals. This became a joke on me as I discovered that Mel Brooks dabbles mostly in spoofs. But no matter whether you take it seriously or laugh at its over-realization of classic story roles, it remains the same: Awesome.

Notable Cast: Andre the Giant, former famous wrestler, Robin Wright-Penn, wife of Sean Penn, and Mandy Patinkin, star of recent shows Dead Like Me and Criminal Minds

5. The Big Lebowski - Directors worth following, the Coen Brothers rarely miss a beat. Meet the Dude, your new favorite white Russian drinking, pot smoking, rug loving middle aged bowler. The Dude gets caught up in a scheme over his head and meets a plethora of hilarious and dangerous characters along the way. To join the Dude fan club is to open a new chapter of your life; cities have since begun to hold festivals in his honor.

Notable Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and John Turturro, king of cult film supporting roles

6. The Professional - Natalie Portman's first feature film (ding!) and arguably one of her best, the professional is the most serious on this list. Supposed to have been killed with the rest of her family, 12-year-old Mathilda happened to be grocery shopping. Upon finding her family, she begs the assistance of Leon, a neighbor who just so happens to be a completely handy with weaponry.

Notable Cast: Natalie Portman, Gary Oldham (Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies), Jean Reno

7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - So, you liked Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, did you? Well, feast your eyes on the first hit that heralded his comeback from jail time and drug abuse. For the generations that never knew him in the eighties, he was this hilarious A-lister that came out of nowhere. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has only become more popular since it left theatres, and follows Harry, a thief, as he manages to get embroiled in a murder and attached to a private investigator, played by an LOL-deserving Val Kilmer.

Notable Cast: Val, Robert, and Michelle Monaghan, recently the star of Eagle Eye with Shia LeBeouf

8. American Psycho - Most famously known for his current dynasty as the persona of Batman, Christian Bale is the emperor of insane (a common hipster delight). He specializes in dark characters, and does mind-boggling things like drop 63 pounds for a role, emaciating himself. American Psycho was the beginning (ding!) of a new age for Christian as he played yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman, obsessed with pop music, business cards, and his image. Adapted to the screen from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis.

Notable Cast: Christian Bale

9. Office Space - A box office flop that soared post-DVD release, Office Space was the beginning of realistic corporate cubicle comedy. Our protagonist Peter gets permanently hypnotized (accidentally) to simply not care; about his job, his cheating girlfriend, and the annoyances that come with real life. He feels so carefree that he pioneers a scheme to rip off his work for hundreds of thousands of dollars... a scheme that backfires. Filled with pent up anger and an evil copy machine that gets its due, this movie is a must-see.

Notable Cast: Jennifer Aniston

10. This Is Spinal Tap- A mockumentary of eighties metal hair band Spinal Tap, this movie goes all the way to eleven for ingenuity and opening the door to a new kind of comedy. Followed by such gems as Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman, (among others), this is a door once opened that you will never want closed.

Notable Cast: Christopher Guest, also in The Princess Bride

Such is the end of this painfully short list, and so begins "Well, what about...?" Let me correct one error, and simply state that Pulp Fiction is not a part of the list because it would rather be more appropriately the mother of this list. From whence many modern cult movies were inspired, the womb of Quentin Tarantino will be held sacred. Of course Ferris, Princess Bride and Spinal Tap came out before, but they are a different genre all together. But I digress. Enjoy your travel to hipsterville.