Underrated movies

blacbird · Apr 23, 2006

As long as today seems to be "movie thread" day, this one: Movies vastly underrated and underappreciated (and I'm not looking for obscurist French or Swedish symbolism things, but more normal Hollywood studio-type movies that for whatever reason, tend to be largely forgotten today, and don't deserve it. I'll start with a couple of 40-year-old-plus B&W westerns, both starring Kirk Douglas. He tends to get roundly vilified these days as a wooden actor with a mask-like smile who played clichéd hero roles, but in these two films, he played complex semi-villains, and is real good:

There Was a Crooked Man, also with Henry Fonda
Posse, also with Bruce Dern

I may add more to the list in a while.

caw.

robeiae · Apr 23, 2006

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.

Rob

aadams73 · Apr 23, 2006

Siesta, with Ellen Barkin and Gabriel Byrne.

ChaosTitan · Apr 23, 2006

61* with Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane. About the home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Wonderful film.

Mystery, Alaska. Russell Crowe right before he became infamous. Eclectic cast of Alaskan pond skaters play a pro hockey team. Peppered with David E. Kelley's signature dialogue.

Mindhunters. Forgotten thriller with a decent cast (who else but Renny Harlin would get Val Kilmer, Christian Slater and LL Cool J in one movie?). Great twist-upon-a-twist at the end.

Lake Placid. Another David E. Kelley penned film. Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda hunt a giant crocodile in a Maine lake. I'm serious. It's worth it just for Betty White's scenes.

With Honors. Has any college student not seen this movie? I still cry at the end, and I've seen it half a dozen times.

maestrowork · Apr 23, 2006

Cinderella Man. I usually don't go for Ron Howard's movies (except, maybe, Apollo 13) but I think that was one of his best movies.

Friday Night Lights. An all-American story about football that has an unconventional ending.

Annabella · Apr 23, 2006

chaostitan said:
61* with Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane. About the home run race between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Wonderful film.

Mystery, Alaska. Russell Crowe right before he became infamous. Eclectic cast of Alaskan pond skaters play a pro hockey team. Peppered with David E. Kelley's signature dialogue.

61* GREAT FILM!!! Thanks for reminding me about it.

I like Mystery, Alaska too. But then I have an obsession with hockey and I like all hockey films...

AdamH · Apr 23, 2006

The Abyss directed by James Cameron. Great underwater thriller.

Don't know if this would be considered underrated but I'll add Das Boot in there too. It's about a German U-boat crew during WW2. Pretty much the epitome of submarine movies.

SpookyWriter · Apr 23, 2006

Maddwriter said:
Don't know if this would be considered underrated but I'll add Das Boot in there too. It's about a German U-boat crew during WW2. Pretty much the epitome of submarine movies.

Hey, the book was great too! I am going to read it again later this year and then maybe see the movie.

poetinahat · Apr 23, 2006

Bugsy Malone --

Fun gangster-type musical film, with kids in all roles (Scott Baio and Jodie Foster as leads); excellent Paul Williams soundtrack. The gatling guns pumped out whipped cream and the cars were all pedal cars. Sounds absurd, but it really is a fun, original film.

writerterri · Apr 24, 2006

poetinahat said:
Bugsy Malone --

Fun gangster-type musical film, with kids in all roles (Scott Baio and Jodie Foster as leads); excellent Paul Williams soundtrack. The gatling guns pumped out whipped cream and the cars were all pedal cars. Sounds absurd, but it really is a fun, original film.

I'll have to dito that one.

BottomlessCup · Apr 24, 2006

The Fifth Element.

Das Boot isn't really underrated. It's 51 on imdb's top 250.

triceretops · Apr 24, 2006

The Road Warrior, with Mel. I can't get it out of my system as a cult film.

Tri

trumancoyote · Apr 24, 2006

Hands down, Driving Miss Daisy.

poetinahat · Apr 24, 2006

Interesting: I couldn't bear to watch it... but there you go. Chacun a son gout!

maestrowork · Apr 24, 2006

Roommates -- and I have my reasons.

robeiae · Apr 24, 2006

Meatballs with Bill murray.

jst5150 · Apr 24, 2006

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three with Walter Matthau.

robeiae · Apr 24, 2006

jst5150 said:
The Taking of Pellham One Two Three with Walter Matthau.

And Robert Shaw.

Cheryll · Apr 24, 2006

Snow Falling on Cedars. A beautifully made film that didn't get the attention it deserved.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Another sleeper that should have gotten more notice.

And Cinderella Man should have made the list for Best Picture.

Cheryll

jst5150 · Apr 24, 2006

Smilla's Sense of Snow

Stew21 · Apr 24, 2006

I'm going to second, What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

(and I'll probably be back with more)

blacbird · Apr 24, 2006

Hmmm . . . most of the movies cited after my initial post don't seem to me to qualify, really. Things like Gilbert Grape, Das Boot, Driving Miss Daisy, Snow Falling on Cedars, Cinderella Man, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Abyss hardly can be regarded as obscure or forgotten. Obviously most responders don't watch obscure films.

caw.

robeiae · Apr 24, 2006

Silent Running with Bruce Dern. (happy now, bird?)

LloydBrown · Apr 24, 2006

Better off Dead, with John Cusack.

The Goonies.

blacbird · Apr 24, 2006

robeiae said:
Silent Running with Bruce Dern. (happy now, bird?)

Excellent movie, maybe unknown to anybody who hasn't seen a movie more recent than The Phantom Menace, but hardly obscure. Well . . . maybe in Florida . . .

But, for SF, how about The Quiet Earth? Or A Boy and His Dog?

caw.

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