Underrated Movies Appreciation Thread

[StevieG]

I watch "Outland" (1981) the rare times it is on cable.

It's basically High Noon, set in space, with Sean Connery playing the guy cleaning up the town, and Peter Boyle playing the heavy. They turn in great performances, and so does the actress that later played Cliff Clavin's mother on "Cheers".

Looked it up on IMDB, her name is Frances Sternhagen

[Blarg]

Not really. I think it was appreciated by its target audience, which is not really a big one. I don't think a high percentage of people have ever gone in for movies like this.

And it's heading on 30 years old. Look at the movies mentioned here. Most of them are from the last five or ten years, and a lot of them are even blockbusters. Many of them are/were quite popular. People have no memory for movies, and lots of the people here are kids, so it's no surprise they don't remember the golden oldies. It's not a matter of underrating them so much as being fixated on the present and blind to the past.

Plus I think a lot of people misunderstood "underrated" as a concept and just applied it as if it meant "some of my favorites, possibly even ones that aren't on constant t.v. and cable rotation." Many of them aren't even close to underrated.

I'm sure some of my favorites, like "Shadow of a Doubt," which Hitchcock considered his personal favorite, are equally unknown to most people, especially on this forum, but how underrated they are is arguable. A lot of them, and a lot of people in general, are just too young to have seen it, much less have any opinion on it. Badlands is kind of like that; a really, really good movie, but one that isn't so much underrated as unknown to anyone who's not a film buff. I haven't met a film buff who hasn't rated it highly yet.

[Rushmore]

[ QUOTE ]
Not really. I think it was appreciated by its target audience, which is not really a big one. I don't think a high percentage of people have ever gone in for movies like this.

And it's heading on 30 years old. Look at the movies mentioned here. Most of them are from the last five or ten years, and a lot of them are even blockbusters. Many of them are/were quite popular. People have no memory for movies, and lots of the people here are kids, so it's no surprise they don't remember the golden oldies. It's not a matter of underrating them so much as being fixated on the present and blind to the past.

Plus I think a lot of people misunderstood "underrated" as a concept and just applied it as if it meant "some of my favorites, possibly even ones that aren't on constant t.v. and cable rotation." Many of them aren't even close to underrated.

I'm sure some of my favorites, like "Shadow of a Doubt," which Hitchcock considered his personal favorite, are equally unknown to most people, especially on this forum, but how underrated they are is arguable. A lot of them, and a lot of people in general, are just too young to have seen it, much less have any opinion on it. Badlands is kind of like that; a really, really good movie, but one that isn't so much underrated as unknown to anyone who's not a film buff. I haven't met a film buff who hasn't rated it highly yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a reasonable response.

That said, what about the others on my list?

[Jon34]

1) Dirty Work
2) Top Secret
3) The Saint

others:
UHF
the Ref


boondock saints is too good to be in this list.

[Blarg]

One False Move was really good but very disturbing. Really, really hard to watch. I seem to recall a bit of cheating or notable implausibility at the end, but it's been years since I saw it.

River's Edge was also very, very good. I remember when the original incident flared up that it was based on. Stephen King later did his own take on the found body scenario in Stand By Me. River's Edge wasn't underrated at the time, and got lots of good press and was talked about a lot. I think it had a few oscar nominations and won for best screenplay or something? Really good movie that I think has been imitated a bit by lesser movies.

I haven't seen the others on your list.

[DcifrThs]

Chapman's films

1) the great dictator: in this film (which got him exiled from the US to france) he mocked hitler by making a guy Himler, dictator of Tomania (german) pre wwII. he speaks a funny sounding made up german. chapman plays both himler and a jewish barber who saved as SS soldier to be in the first world war and who lost his mind and gets out thinking nothing has changed at the time tomania is being overrun by the "nazi"esque soldiers picking on the jews. in the end, there is the greatest speech in cinematic history (2nd only to Network - a 70's era drama about a dan rathers type anchor who says he's gunna kill himself on the air. great movie)

2) city lights: another chapman classic that is seroiusly heartwrenchin in its scerenity and complexity. yet it still has an utter simplicity about it. this movie is vastly underrated because it was made during the transition to "talkies." he started out making it a silent movie but the world changed in the middle of him making his movie (unimaginable in todays world). he then decided to satirize himself and make fun of the silent films in thismovie. the characters talk but in wierd unexpected kinda voices and the score (which he composed and directed) is simply perfect.

basically, charlie chapman is the singular greatest director/writer/composer (movie wise) i have ever watched in action (he acts very well too but doesn't get the greatest ever title for that). and yet nobody knows who he is or what he's accomplished.

underrated is an understatement for a man of this talent.

-Barron

[Blarg]

Chapman???

A true fan.

[zephed56]

Pootie Tang

[Sponger15SB]

I'm shocked nobody has mentioned...

The Cable Guy

[IndieMatty]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm shocked nobody has mentioned...

The Cable Guy

[/ QUOTE ]

I was actually waiting for you in this thread. For some reason I knew you'd have a good one.