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MF, Then I apologize for my reaction to you. I figured that it was just assumed that everyone's posts were nothing more than their opinion, and I hastily concluded that you were being critical of everyone else's opinions.
Posts: 1256 | Registered: May 2005
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Oh geez course not, I was just amazed at how many of the movies are very well known and well liked (or too well liked) around here Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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I think the actual goal here is better described as "overlooked" movies. I know I'd rather find out about something good that I'd never heard of before than talk about movies that I've heard of which got bad reviews or low box office numbers but are actually good.
On that note: Dagon - Only if you like horror movies (and I don't mean modern suspence). Stewart Gordon takes another go at loosely adapting an HP Lovecraft story into drive-in splatterfest fun. This time it's The Shadow Over Innsmouth, only that's really more of a starting point. Mutant fish-people and a huge tentacled god, fun for the whole family.
I would swear I was the only person who ever saw this movie. Except those I have managed to make watch it with me who never seem to find it as funny as I do.
Posts: 35 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Crotalus: Smoke Signals (movie about a young native american man transporting his father's ashes...best depiction of forgiveness i've ever seen on film.)
I'll second that. I had to watch it for a history class, and I was astonished by how good it was.
Freeway is one of my personal faves - it's a modern version of "Little Red Riding Hood", and it's a great satire of the judicial/legal system. Lots of swearing and violence, but the acting is spot on, and it's hysterical. Sadly, I didn't like the sequel as much.
Equilibrium - a dystopia-esque movie that exemplifies making the absolute most of a relatively low budget. Beautifully acted, beautifully filmed.
And I loved Donnie Darko. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I only wish they spent a little more time on the soundtrack to Equilibrium, it could have been a near-perfect movie.
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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If anyone can find a copy of "Rosy Rapture" and review it for me that would rock!
It's one of the first films ever made... silent, based on a James Barrie play (the guy who wrote Peter Pan, yes), and stars G.B. Shaw and G.K. Chesterton... that one has got to be a hoot!
Posts: 3846 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I second Chris Bridges' mention of Oscar. I hadn't ever heard of this movie until I had a roommate who grew up watching it. It's hilarious! It's my favorite Sylvester Stallone movie (but then, I find him obnoxious when he's being serious). Great cast, great humor, great dialog.
Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:I think the actual goal here is better described as "overlooked" movies. I know I'd rather find out about something good that I'd never heard of before than talk about movies that I've heard of which got bad reviews or low box office numbers but are actually good.
Why? If you were dissuaded from seeing it, but you end up discovering something you like and would not have given a chance to otherwise, what's the difference?
Two more from plebian little me: Mulan HerculesPosts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Wait a minute... no... I think I remember that movie being the worst piece of crap excuse of a movie ever.
Posts: 116 | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Jim-Me: Glory is awesome, but, having been nominated for a bunch of academy awards, it's hard to say it's "most underrated"
Hm. Well, I think Glory is underrated in the sense that a lot of people I know have, sadly, neither heard of it nor seen it But I guess you could say the same about a lot of Civil war films.
And The Iron Giant rules; it's probably my favorite animated movie (up there with The Incredibles) I saw it on TV again today, and will see it again tomorrow. I hope Brad Bird makes more films.
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Garden State. Best movie ive seen in a while. Love Actually is a movie that is so good an complex. Also, Hitch. I loved that movie.
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The Black Stallion--For my money, the best 'children's' movie ever made. The cinematography alone is reason to see this movie.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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The Killing Fields--Older 'rackers will know of this, but many of the younger ones will not. It is what happens to one man after the fall of Viet Nam. If you don't get a tear in your eye watching this movie, you are not human.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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The Black Stallion is underrated? But...but...but...didn't it win all sorts of awards and glowing reviews when it was released? Wasn't it a hit?
Heck, it was one of the films that made the National Film Preservation Board's list. Posts: 6689 | Registered: Jan 2005
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As did The Killing Fields. Like TKF, The Black Stallion was released decades a go, so I figure some might not know about it. At least, I've never seen either mentioned on this forum that I can remember.
I think the point of the thread for me and some others is to mention films people here might not know about, not necessarily films that (film award organization of your choice) never gave an award to.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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A movie that knew what it was aspiring to be and executed it so brilliantly that it surpassed the limitations of the plot, the dialog, and the actors.
I mean, the villians goals are 1.) to try to beat up the hero in front of everyone so everyone will admit Villian #1 is better than the hero; and 2.) to get the VJ of a local dance show to play Villian #2's girlfriend's video. They weren't even trying for deep or profound moral conflict.
Throw in a quest for enlightenment, some very good comic relief, and well-executed roto-scoping and choreography in the main fight scene and you've got one hell of a movie.
It rises so far above all the schlock that it becomes good, and there's no real reason for it to be so except that someone knew what makes a good Kung Fu movie and what makes a good pop-music-based movie and combined the two perfectly.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I would nominate <i>Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow</i> as one of those sadly underrated flicks. I love it because it's an homage to those wonderful Saturday serial from the early days of movies. There are lots of crazy inventions, characters that pure serial types and yet wonderfully rich and full, and a villain that looms over the entire piece. The photography and costuming are also a treat.
I also agree with Billy Joel--<i> Whale Rider</i> is one of the best movies I've seen all year. What draws me to this film is it's mystical nature. The film makers could have really gone over the top with the whole "mystical whale" thing, but instead they allowed the mystical nature of the story to run it's own thread and become so naturally woven into the film that it is almost its own character.
Another film that many have forgotten (or maybe not) is <i> Fried Green Tomatoes</i>. My nine-year -old son discovered this movie just a few months ago and watches it every time he can see it on tv (I need to buy a copy). For weeks after he sees it again, he'll come up to me and simply say, "Secret's in the sauce!" It's one of those movies that reminds me why I love being from the South so very much. Tawanda!
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Though I do think that even if it's not within the letter of the law, it's within the spirit as exemplified by the comment "I'm hoping to hear about movies I've missed but will be glad to see". I guess I kind of transmuted 'I' into 'people on Hatrack'. Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I just watched Merchant of Venice and thought it was great. I have only ever heard it mentioned once and I can't remember exactly where that was. It was some show where the critic made a quick comment about how it was one of Pacino's best roles. I figure that makes it underrated. I picked it up because I love Pacino and Shakespeare so I figured the two together would be great and it was.
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote: If you were dissuaded from seeing it, but you end up discovering something you like and would not have given a chance to otherwise, what's the difference?
Couple reasons, and these may very well not apply to most people who aren't me. 1) I don't put much stock in critics and box office numbers in the first place. So an "underrated" but widely-known movie has a good chance that I've already seen it. 2) I have enough movie-buff friends with different tastes that if something was in mainstream theaters for more than a month or two and I haven't seen it yet, I've probably heard good and bad opinions about it. 3) No matter how crappy a movie is, there's probably somebody who loved it. Maybe the "underrated" movie that I suggest really earned those bad reviews
So I'd rather an unheard of gem than something that I've already heard "no, it's really good despite the reviews" about. This is all, naturally, just my opinion and shouldn't prevent anyone from posting about whatever movie they feel like. As if it would, anyway.
Moving along. Shadows of the Vampire had some reasonably big actors but didn't make much splash outside of a few horror buffs. It has John Malkovich as the director of the old silent film Nosferatu, with the twist being that he found an actual vampire to play the lead role. Willem Dafoe plays the Count in question, and is creepy as ever.
Wasabi is a strange French action movie set mostly in Japan. Jean Reno plays an overly violent cop who travels to Japan to settle the estate of his old love and finds out he has a daughter there he never knew about. Fun, overexagerrated action bits and a good sense of humor. Directed by Luc Besson, of Fifth Element and The Professional.
Puffy, Return to Oz ruled! Yes! That's when I developed my love of Fairuza Balk. (and before you get grossed out by me loving an 11 year old, I was 11 at the time as well.)
For my own pick, Last Night was a great film about the last night on earth and what people would be doing. I loved it.
Also Starchaser: The Legend of Orin is fun, a cartoon that rips off Star Wars big time with it's characters.
Posts: 870 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by beatnix19: I just watched Merchant of Venice and thought it was great. I have only ever heard it mentioned once and I can't remember exactly where that was. It was some show where the critic made a quick comment about how it was one of Pacino's best roles. I figure that makes it underrated. I picked it up because I love Pacino and Shakespeare so I figured the two together would be great and it was.
I'm glad someone liked it. It kind of bored me. I was really excited to see Pacino doing Shakespeare, but was left wanting. The movie did pick up for me near the end, but... meh.
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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This thread is confusing. Are we naming underrated movies, as in, movies that many have seen but rated lowly unfairly. Or are we talking about good movies that relatively few people have seen?
Many of the movies being listed on here highly acclaimed, but are cult favorites. Others have been widely seen and underrated. I don't know what to list.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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A movie that knew what it was aspiring to be and executed it so brilliantly that it surpassed the limitations of the plot, the dialog, and the actors.
I mean, the villians goals are 1.) to try to beat up the hero in front of everyone so everyone will admit Villian #1 is better than the hero; and 2.) to get the VJ of a local dance show to play Villian #2's girlfriend's video. They weren't even trying for deep or profound moral conflict.
Throw in a quest for enlightenment, some very good comic relief, and well-executed roto-scoping and choreography in the main fight scene and you've got one hell of a movie.
It rises so far above all the schlock that it becomes good, and there's no real reason for it to be so except that someone knew what makes a good Kung Fu movie and what makes a good pop-music-based movie and combined the two perfectly.
Villian #1! VILLIAN #1!!!
The name is Sho'nuff fool!
And what's this about a hero? I'll whoop up on that fake wanna be master, Bruce Leroy.
I am the baddest...the meanest...the prettiest mo-fo around this town.
Posts: 251 | Registered: Mar 2002
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But in all seriousness, Dag said exactly what I was coming in here to say.
Only in the 80s could a movie like that have been made.
Don't have any other movies to add off the top of my head. There's been a lot of good ones mentioned already. Only some of which are actually "underrated". Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Let me clarify, even if that means contradicting what I posted originally:
I want people to post movies that they LOVE, but that they feel are either underrated, overlooked, praised and/or watched and/or heard of less than they deserve. Really the field is wide open, though I'm hoping to hear about movies I haven't seen or thought about (which I have from many of you, thanks), so I'm not really looking for Pretty Woman no matter how much you think it deserves or doesn't deserve what you percieve as its reputation.
What I most want, though, is your reason why you are posting the movie you are. Assume that I haven't heard of it, or have heard bad press about it, and convince me that it is something I should move to the top of my Netflix queue.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I second Glory...that is the best Civil War movie I have ever seen. I loved the fact that they were from around here, in MA, where I now live.
Also, I really liked LEap of Faith, with Steve Martin. He did a great job, and the ending was a perfect ending for that film..although a lot of people I know didn't understand it, and disliked htat movie because of it...
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:Originally posted by KarlEd: Let me clarify, even if that means contradicting what I posted originally:
I want people to post movies that they LOVE, but that they feel are either underrated, overlooked, praised and/or watched and/or heard of less than they deserve.
I adore love stories that aren't conventional. The version of this movie that was released in the US was butchered by taking out all of the material showing Mathilda's feelings for Leon.
Obviously, the idea made some people uncomfortable. But not all love is romantic/sexual love, and the fundamental love in this story had nothing to do with romance or sex.
You can see the full (European) version on DVD now. -
I wasn't sure if I should include this. I really liked it a lot, and it's definitely underrated, but love is a strong word, and I'm not sure it fits here. Still, if you haven't seen it, see it. -
Groundhog Day is a great movie. This movie came out around the same time, and it's not a comedy. It even has a pseudo-science cause for the day repeating, and a semi-thriller plot tossed in the mix. I originally saw it because Helen Slater is in it, but it's terrific even aside from that. -
Kristen Bell is amazing. I mean, Veronica Mars rocks, but her acting in this movie is simply out of this world. Anne Heche... as hard as it is for me to say, she was stunning in this movie. I hated her character so, so, so much, that it's hard for me to say anything good about her acting. It was that powerful. -
The Matrix, eXistenZ, and The Thirteenth Floor all came out at around the same time. All of them dealt with questions regarding the nature of reality, and how we know we're real. I thought eXistenZ was a nasty bit of trash. And while the effects in The Matrix were amazing, I think The Thirteenth Floor was a much better movie.
Oh yeah, I saw that, ages ago. Good call, Lisa. It was wonderful. That movie was where I first got the idea for poisoning people with cyanide in their tea and cookies.
Some day, I'll have to try that out, to see if it works as good as in the movie.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Brain Donors - a modern version of Marx-brothers style zany comedy, with John Turturro in the Groucho-role. The funniest movie about ballet ever. Fast paced silliness and clever dialogue.
Oh yeah, I saw that, ages ago. Good call, Lisa. It was wonderful. That movie was where I first got the idea for poisoning people with cyanide in their tea and cookies.
Some day, I'll have to try that out, to see if it works as good as in the movie.
<grin> I'll remember that if you ever offer me tea.
They're finally releasing this one on DVD come October. It's about time. It was actually hard for me to watch the West Wing for a while after the last time I watched this. I'd see Bartlett and hear this growl coming up from the back of my throat...
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Alot of people who I talked to about this movie said they didnt like it. They thought the previews made it look better then it was. I think the previews made it look scarier then it was, but I loved it!!! If it was not so hyped up to be a scary movie I think those who didnt like it would have a different opinion.
I absolutely LOVE Joaquin Pheonix!!!
Posts: 218 | Registered: Jul 2005
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While I can't argue with loving Joaquin Phoenix (Helloooo hottie with a scar, i love scars) I HATED The Village. Bah, booring.
I totally agree with Leon, though. Amazing movie. Weird that you actually start rooting for them to get together. (I did, anyway)
Posts: 870 | Registered: Mar 2005
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About a Boy -- Nick Hornby has a way of depicting immature but sincere men that makes them extremely symathetic and charming. And, of course, no one does charming better than Hugh Grant.
Signs -- People are so fixated on M. Night Shyamalan's surprise endings that they sometimes overlook his mastery at creating believable characters facing intensely personal decsions about faith, destiny, and love.
Raising Victor Vargas -- A story about first love that doesn't rely on brain numbing cliches. Although not as sophisticated as some of the other movies I enjoy in this genre (e.g. "Say Anything," "Lucas," "The Man in the Moon"), this movie's simplicity makes it feel truer than any other coming of age tale I've seen in a long time. (It also has one of the most erotic kisses I've ever seen between actors. )
Posts: 4116 | Registered: Apr 2002
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But I guess you could say the same about a lot of Civil war films.![[Wink]](wink.gif)
