Unlikely Movies You Liked?

dgiharris · Apr 5, 2010

I was flipping through the channels and came across the beginning of a movie called Enchantment.

It is about a fairy tale animated princess-to-be being transported to Modern Day Manhattan (real world).

Now, i'm about as far away from the target audience as possible, but the premise looked intriguing and I wondered how they were going to pull it off. So I set out to just watch for ten minutes since I figured by then I would be so sick of it i'd be compelled to turn.

90 minutes later, the movie ended and I was pleasantly surprised. The movie managed to deliver on the plot without being stupid. I felt the writing/directing was well done and the overall storytelling was pretty decent. Casting of the characters was perfect (although the male lead could not match the princess)

So, what unlikely movies have you liked?

Mel...

Chris P · Apr 5, 2010

I went to Jim Carrey's The Mask simply to be social with some friends in a new town, expecting to hate it. I laughed my behind off!

I also started watching Son of Frankenstein on TV, expecting it to be a campy monster flick. It had a surprising amount of heart and angst. Frankenstein is now my favorite of the classic monsters (and books).

Cella · Apr 5, 2010

People are always surprised to learn that the first Rambo is one of my favorite movies.

Zoombie · Apr 5, 2010

I was surprised at how totally unlike First Blood was like what I thought it was going to be like. That is, I thought it'd be like...well, this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtAyJPuKuMY

But then it was not!

the addster · Apr 5, 2010

Ok, as long as we are on the subject of Frankenstein, I actually love Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Yep, I do.

I should hate this film. I'm a Universal monsters purist, I'm normally not crazy about Abbott and Costello, but somehow this movie works for me.

dgiharris · Apr 5, 2010

Cella said:
People are always surprised to learn that the first Rambo is one of my favorite movies.

FIrst blood is well written and a great flick.

Did Sly write that script too?

Anyways, it is a great film...

Gravity · Apr 5, 2010

A few years ago David Morrell, the man who wrote First Blood, and I were on staff together at a writers conference. That Saturday I got to have lunch with him, and in due course he told me the story of what it took to turn his novel into a film (short version? it ain't easy).

That said, it's a favorite movie of mine as well.

shawkins · Apr 5, 2010

re: the OP--I'm probably not the target demographic for Remains of the Day, but I LOVED that movie.

I used to hang out with an Army helicopter pilot--burly macho type dude--who, when you sent him out for videos and beer, would invariably come back with something like Curly Sue or Beaches. I remain baffled by this.

Re: David Morrell / First Blood - I read an interesting interview with him once. He originally wrote First Blood to fulfill an M.F.A. requirement or somesuch. (John Rambo was kinda sorta named for Arthur Rimbaud.)

He sent the manuscript directly to a publisher and got an offer. (This was the 1970s). In lieu of an agent, he paid an attorney $250ish to look over the contract that the publisher offered. The attorney offered only one piece of advice: change one clause so that if any toys or games got made from the book, he (Morrell) would get a cut. Of the toys and games. Made from his MFA thesis. At the time, he was thinking 'I just wasted $250.' However, when he gave the interview he was doing so from a beachfront house in Malibu paid for with his $0.05 per Rambo doll, the Rambo Ferrari was in the garage, etc.

MattW · Apr 5, 2010

Zoombie said:
I was surprised at how totally unlike First Blood was like what I thought it was going to be like. That is, I thought it'd be like...well, this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtAyJPuKuMY

But then it was not!

Sadly, Rocky and Rambo both faced the curse of success, and Sly paid the price the studio needs to compete with Arnold's success.

Ken · Apr 5, 2010

... I don't watch modern movies, made after 1951, except on rare occasions. One such was Jurassic Park about a year after it came out. Had my doubts about it being good, particularly with all the raving reviews it got. But it really was a very good flick from start to finish!

ps Have watched First Blood as well. Another exception. One of my favorite flicks.

dgiharris · Apr 5, 2010

One type of movie that i've always ALWAYS hated was musicals.

I don't know why, but people bursting out in song just annoys the hell out of me and completely takes me out of the movie.

And so, I knew I was not going to like this movie

And of course, the movie is the best of its kind ever made. Easily one of my top ten most favoritest bestest movies evar...

THe movie is pure genuis.

Mel...

Gravity · Apr 5, 2010

Yes it is. My wife and I must have watched that thing twenty times. Last week we were in the grocery store, cutting through the candy aisle. For no particular reason I started doing Bill Murray's "GIMME A CANDY BAR!! CANDY BAR, CANDY BAR, WOOOOOOO, CANDY BAR!!!" She nearly fell over laughing. The other shoppers just gave us some room...

underthecity · Apr 5, 2010

I really liked Remains of the Day, and that's about opposite from what I normally like.

Same with First Wives Club. Classic chick flicks (I hate chick flicks) but I love this movie. Maggie Smith is a riot.

I usually don't care for inspirational high school dramas, but I love Stand and Deliver.

wrangler · Apr 5, 2010

Wild Hogs

Rat Race

~*Kate*~ · Apr 5, 2010

I never intended to watch Kill Bill, but caught the first few minutes on TV and ended up watching both in one sitting.

charlotte49ers · Apr 5, 2010

Jim Carrey's Majestic. It got panned, but I really liked it!

Also, the Indiana Jones movies. I though I'd hate them, but I love them!

blacbird · Apr 5, 2010

Howards End, with Anthony Hopkins. I'd even read, and appreciated, the novel by E.M. Forster, but I didn't much think it would translate to film well. I got dragged to it, under whimpering protest.

Quite enjoyed it, would recommend it to anybody not addicted to lots of things blowing up and blood splatter and supernatural creatures with magic powers and stuff in movies.

Oh. And Avatar, which I was fully prepared not to like, and enjoyed completely, in a non-3d showing.

caw

Insana D · Apr 5, 2010

I love Indy films and have seen some really fascinating ones.
A little known sleeper that was lots of fun and very funny was "Waking Ned Divine". I found myself cheering for them to cheat the lottery system and get away with it. Wonderful plot and characters.

I also loved "Undertaking Betty". It's got some great actors including a hilarious role played by Christopher Walken. Silly funny love story, as are many of the movies with Brenda Blethyn

Netflix is your friend. I could list dozens of really fun unique movies that don't often make it to the big screen but really stay in your mind.

The Truman Show was one of the best in regards to how the theme correlated with life inside a cult. Bubble Boy is a good one as well as The Matrix for understanding such social control.

Insana D · Apr 5, 2010

Sorry for the size of those images. I'm still learning how to work with the editor aspects of this forum.

Insana D · Apr 5, 2010

Ohhhh, the entire series of "Pushing Daisies" was a visual feast and quirky twisted plot. The sets and costumes are fantastic. Fell in love with the characters the first episode. It's one that's best to watch in order from start to finish.

regdog · Apr 6, 2010

I don't like martial arts movies and I really liked House of the Flying Daggers.

Brukaviador · Apr 6, 2010

dgiharris said:
One type of movie that i've always ALWAYS hated was musicals.

I don't know why, but people bursting out in song just annoys the hell out of me and completely takes me out of the movie.

I used to really dislike musicals too but I found the problem wasn't that people were bursting into song, it was what they were bursting into song about. Most musicals I've seen (the ten minutes I could stand) were crappy love stories where all the singing was about romance and high hopes and sensitivity and... bleargh...

My opinion changed recently when I started seeing a few musicals with a darker twist. Here's a few of my recent favorites:

Sweeny Todd - a musical about a barber in 19th century London that would kill people while his associate baked the remains into meat pies to sell to the locals. Key moment in that one was ignoring the woman who's singing her love to him while he serenades his straight razors.
Repo: The Genetic Opera - a Rock Opera about a repo man in the future that repossesses cloned organs when people can't pay (and of course kills the host in the process). Anthony Stewart Head from Buffy plays the Repo man and there's a few other recognizable faces there as well including Paris Hilton. She really stretches her acting ability to the limits by playing a spoiled, surgery addicted, drug using slut.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog - If you're looking for something on the comedy side, it's a fantastically funny take on the old superhero/supervillain story. It's written by Joss Whedon too so you know it's going to be good. Nathan Fillion (of Firefly and Castle) plays Captain Hammer and he remarks in the special features, "This is the only role I've ever had where the director said 'Cheesier! We need more cheese!'" If you're willing to spend the $15 on this one (you won't be disappointed if you do) the special features are well worth it.

Brukaviador · Apr 6, 2010

regdog said:
I don't like martial arts movies and I really liked House of the Flying Daggers.

If you like the more fantasy based martial arts movies I'd recommend also checking out Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Iron Monkey has a few scenes that kind of look like they're from a video game but it's worth seeing as well for the amazing, fantasy action sequences.

Grrarrgh · Apr 6, 2010

Viktor Night said:
...Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog - If you're looking for something on the comedy side, it's a fantastically funny take on the old superhero/supervillain story. It's written by Joss Whedon too so you know it's going to be good. Nathan Fillion (of Firefly and Castle) plays Captain Hammer and he remarks in the special features, "This is the only role I've ever had where the director said 'Cheesier! We need more cheese!'" If you're willing to spend the $15 on this one (you won't be disappointed if you do) the special features are well worth it.

JimmyB27 · Apr 6, 2010

Viktor Night said:
I used to really dislike musicals too but I found the problem wasn't that people were bursting into song, it was what they were bursting into song about. Most musicals I've seen (the ten minutes I could stand) were crappy love stories where all the singing was about romance and high hopes and sensitivity and... bleargh...

My opinion changed recently when I started seeing a few musicals with a darker twist. Here's a few of my recent favorites:

Sweeny Todd - a musical about a barber in 19th century London that would kill people while his associate baked the remains into meat pies to sell to the locals. Key moment in that one was ignoring the woman who's singing her love to him while he serenades his straight razors.

Repo: The Genetic Opera - a Rock Opera about a repo man in the future that repossesses cloned organs when people can't pay (and of course kills the host in the process). Anthony Stewart Head from Buffy plays the Repo man and there's a few other recognizable faces there as well including Paris Hilton. She really stretches her acting ability to the limits by playing a spoiled, surgery addicted, drug using slut.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog - If you're looking for something on the comedy side, it's a fantastically funny take on the old superhero/supervillain story. It's written by Joss Whedon too so you know it's going to be good. Nathan Fillion (of Firefly and Castle) plays Captain Hammer and he remarks in the special features, "This is the only role I've ever had where the director said 'Cheesier! We need more cheese!'" If you're willing to spend the $15 on this one (you won't be disappointed if you do) the special features are well worth it.

Also, Pink Floyd's The Wall. Very dark, and no-one bursts into song, it's all set to Pink Floyd's music.
For funny, also The Blues Brothers. Only two examples that I can think of of them bursting spontaneously into song (not counting their gigs), and one of those is in a music shop.

Unlikely Movies You Liked?

Disgruntled Scientist

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Cella

Dragon of the Multiverse

Disgruntled Scientist

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

Ahhh. Sweet.

Company Man

Disgruntled Scientist

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

Finestkind

Dearest Strumpets and Knaves:

brings the random.

let it snow

Channeling Molly Ivins

Channeling Molly Ivins

Channeling Molly Ivins

The Scavengers

Not so new, not so much a kid

Hoopy frood