Underrated Movies
- Thread starter EmoBorg
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^I liked it, too. I think "Spanglish" and "Punch Drunk Love" are the only films of his that I actually liked.
Don't forget her sex while standing up scene in that jail cell. High art. Those sets are straight out of the Desilu lot circa '68!!
Speaking of, I'm going to champion one you called "atrocious." Ghosts of Mars
Come on! It has Ice Cube and Natasha Henstridge and ancient evil Martian cannibal ghosts! And Natasha's gay! How does anyone not love this?!!
I actually owned it for a few years but while trimming the collection back parted ways with it.
I've not yet seen Punch Drunk Love.
Guess I'd go with indifferent on Spanglish.
His "formula" for his comedies is getting increasingly stale though.
Seriously, Lea Thompson.....
I'll second the
...On topic (and it's a great topic):
Clueless - so damn underrated. Full of deliciously vicious satirical humour AND deliciously pretty girls. WTF more do you want?!
Weekend at Bernie's - honestly, it's an amazingly well constructed movie and script. Watch it again and think about how every scene really counts and how the pacing is spot on throughout.
ST: Generations - yes it has its flaws, but it has real heart and actually has some genuine artistic pretensions in places, which is more than can be said for any other ST film.
Pushing Tin - macho/neurotic air traffic controllers is such an odd topic for a film, but if you haven't see it, you're missing out.
Finally, a few hyper-formulaic movies that somehow rise just enough above their formula to be worth watching: Undisputed, Take the Lead, GI Jane, The Fast and the Furious (the first one), Boiler Room. And one last choice, just to annoy some people: Matrix Reloaded.
I'm quite fond of The Phantom and The Shadow.
I picked up the Blu Ray of W@B a little while ago. Given the kind of film it was I seriously doubted a decent transfer. I was pleasantly surprised, it looks really good. Definitely worth the upgrade if you can find it cheap.
Oh yes. I agree with this. It's one of my favourite Trek movies. To my mind it also has one of the series of films' most sympathetic villains in Soran - all the bad deeds, just to get back to the nexus, and his family.
And one last choice, just to annoy some people: Matrix Reloaded.
I didn't think that Reloaded was that great, or that bad to be honest. It was just what it was, the middle film. It was always going to suffer because of that, and because it came off the back of the original movie which was outstanding.
Personally, I don't really see what the beef is with Revolution - I know it's got that ending, but I enjoyed the vast majority of the movie.
Seriously, Lea Thompson.....
I'll second the
ST: Generations - yes it has its flaws, but it has real heart and actually has some genuine artistic pretensions in places, which is more than can be said for any other ST film.
.
Can I third the
?As flawed as the STG is, it does have its moments, although I still feel the ENT-D destruction sucked. Bad.
I will say, First Contact and The Undiscovered Country are quite underrated as well.
The Phantom may be Billy Zane's best role outside of Titanic.
The Shadow was better than I expected as well. Best flick with Alec Baldwin outside Hunt for Red October imo.
I like all 3, the directors cut of Daredevil makes the theatrical mediocre film into a much better one imo as well.
I'm biased, of course, having written the novelization of DD, but I remember being surprised at how much they cut out of the theatrical release. Thank god they let me keep all those missing scenes in the book!
One of my others is a small romantic comedy that doesn't get noticed much. However to me it contains the best performance in any movie of Alan Rickman. The movie is Truly, Madly, Deeply. It is very funny and poignant and its sorry more people haven't seen it.
I could mention movies I percieve to be underrated for what might seem like forever, so I'll just mention one I saw not too long ago, "They Might Be Giants", with George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward. It's a fantastic, warm, clever and very funny variation on the Sherlock Holmes formula. I believe it's still available on Netflix Instant.
And if you'll forgive me the cheap, shameless plug:
http://drunkmonkeys.onimpression.com/2012/04/captain-canadas-movie-rodeo-april-17.html
And if you'll forgive me the cheap, shameless plug:
http://drunkmonkeys.onimpression.com/2012/04/captain-canadas-movie-rodeo-april-17.html
I LOVE this movie. I cry buckets every time I see it.
My underrated films;
Strange Days: First, it's important to note this film was made when cameras were still cumbersome.. so they had to invent a new camera for the POV shots. It's an amazing story of a flawed hero, a realistic future (or, now, an alternate past) with some racial subtext and a story that is, for a while, brewing in the background. In some ways, because it shows how a certain technology is incorporated into the real world, it is far more probing than Inception
House; A horror comedy that is always a little freaky, and always a little funny. It's anchored down by William Katt's performance, he gets the tone of the film. Big Ben just rocks, and is my favorite horror villain, even over Freddy and Jason. One thing I love; What do you do when you see something odd in your haunted house? by some cameras! the film hits THAT note to perfection.
Oscar: I think they filmed this film in order, as there were a few shaky early on, but there is a comic gem here... written with a bit of class that is missing from any other modern comedy. Stallone really grows into his roll, and I almost forget its Stallone and he becomes Snaps. The stuttering informant is great, Peter Reigert is superb as the butler, Kurtwood Smith is really really funny, and well, as the film goes, a real comic tone is set. It's a funny story and a good movie if you care to watch.
Disorganized Crime; What if you wanted to plan a small time heist in a low-rent Ocean's Eleven style but you, the leader, get arrested before telling your cohorts what's going. The joy of this film is its slow build as they mistrust and learn about each other, and then figure out what they are supposed to do. It's funny without any burst-out laughing moments. What's more important is that it satisfies.
I, Robot: Not perfect, not as good as it could have been, but there are some truly interesting and Asmovian ideas here. Just look at the last shot. I also think the Del's backstory is fairly gripping, particularly smith's delivery of the story.
Strange Days: First, it's important to note this film was made when cameras were still cumbersome.. so they had to invent a new camera for the POV shots. It's an amazing story of a flawed hero, a realistic future (or, now, an alternate past) with some racial subtext and a story that is, for a while, brewing in the background. In some ways, because it shows how a certain technology is incorporated into the real world, it is far more probing than Inception
House; A horror comedy that is always a little freaky, and always a little funny. It's anchored down by William Katt's performance, he gets the tone of the film. Big Ben just rocks, and is my favorite horror villain, even over Freddy and Jason. One thing I love; What do you do when you see something odd in your haunted house? by some cameras! the film hits THAT note to perfection.
Oscar: I think they filmed this film in order, as there were a few shaky early on, but there is a comic gem here... written with a bit of class that is missing from any other modern comedy. Stallone really grows into his roll, and I almost forget its Stallone and he becomes Snaps. The stuttering informant is great, Peter Reigert is superb as the butler, Kurtwood Smith is really really funny, and well, as the film goes, a real comic tone is set. It's a funny story and a good movie if you care to watch.
Disorganized Crime; What if you wanted to plan a small time heist in a low-rent Ocean's Eleven style but you, the leader, get arrested before telling your cohorts what's going. The joy of this film is its slow build as they mistrust and learn about each other, and then figure out what they are supposed to do. It's funny without any burst-out laughing moments. What's more important is that it satisfies.
I, Robot: Not perfect, not as good as it could have been, but there are some truly interesting and Asmovian ideas here. Just look at the last shot. I also think the Del's backstory is fairly gripping, particularly smith's delivery of the story.
I generally like the film, and the future portrayed, but I could never understand why it was set so close to the year it was released (the film takes place in 1999, the film was released in 1995). It's simply far too advanced for such a short time span.
Well, the only thing really more advanced is the SQUID receptor device, which, as portrayed in the film, is merely a new kind of CD-R. To set the film much further in the future would be to divert the audience's attention: they would be looking too much in the frame for new technologies and flying cars, or even a new kind of government. Also, 2000 was a milestone year, so they wanted to use that. It's not the best, but neither the worst, decision in science fiction film-making. I think it plays as a wonderful alternate history.
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The Shadow depresses me because every time I see Alec Baldwin in that tux, playing a millionaire playboy, it reminds me just how great it would have been if Tim Burton had thought to cast the other http://alec.helenheart.com/gallery/shadow/11.jpglead actor from Beetlejuice as Batman.
While I'm quite happy with the choice of Michael Keaton as Batman, Alec Baldwin is someone I never considered before. I can picture him as an excellent Batman/Bruce Wayne.
i actually liked Micheal Keaton as Batman as well.
BTW i would like to say that the two "Dead Space" animation movies based on the Dead Space game were not bad either. Combining horror with animation is a very cool idea.
Dead Space Downfall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXgXN45wsR4
Dead Space Aftermath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmnzXWSYbns
And also let not forget Resident Evil Degeneration, the anime movie that is related to the game and not to the Resident Evil live action movies.
Resident Evil Degeneration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obj5QTdrJBc
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Fantastic movie - one of my favourites. Charles Dance is fucking brilliant in it as well.
Speaking of Dance I think The Golden Child is a movie that's more entertaining than it's generally given credit.
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