Recommend Currently Under-appreciated Films

[plover]

the Coen brothers' "Miller's Crossing" needs a mention,

and also Werner Herzog's "Aguirre: Wrath of God"

 

[Kalimaa23]

I'll second memento, c'est arrivé pres de chez vous, das experiment and office space !

One of my favourite movies ever : Gattaca
In the (near) future, your social status is decide by how much your parents spent on your genetic make-up. It's the story of an unaltered guy (Ethan Hawke) who dreams of going into space, a job only open to the genetic elite. He assumes the identity of a crippled "superman" (Jude Law). Allongside with Uma Thurman, a great cast! And great music!

 

[BoulderHead]

My pick; Rashomon

Two more;

Gods and Generals
Excellent compliment to Gettysburg

Hemp For Victory
Download it here;
http://www.archive.org/movies/detai...ture_films&collectionid=Hemp_for_victory_1942

 

[Les Sleeth]

Very good choice. Orpheus is another fine Cocteau film.

Yes, and you reminded me of other foreign films like Camus' "Black Orpheus," that takes place in Brazil during carnival. Most people have seen or heard of Fellini's "La Dolce Vita," but I think his greatest films were "The Nights of Cabiria" . . . Masina was so endearing as that dreamy prostitute . . . and "La Strada" with Anthony Quinn and Masina (again) playing a great roles, and the music was really good too. I love almost every film Kurosawa made. A lot of people don't know Kurosawa wrote the screenplay for "Runaway Train," another gem with Jon Voight in one of his best roles. I'll never forget that image of him tied to the front of the engineer-less locamotive flying through the snowy Alaska wilderness.

While I was collecting, I realized I didn't have silent films, so I started getting them just to say my collection was comprehensive. I didn't expect I'd enjoy them much, and then I found out some of the films were amazing. I've mentioned Eisenstadt's "Potemkin" which is one of the most powerful films I've seen, silent or not. When I watched Erich von Stroheim's "Greed" I was similarly impressed. It is a story about a man driven crazy by his wife's greed. It is a amazing to see such great film making so early in the industry. The last scenes take place in Death Valley really blew my mind.

Anybody see "Fallen" with Denzel Washington as a detective trying to catch an something evil that passes from person to person? Recently Washington did "Out of Time" playing a policeman again, and I thought that was relatively underrated.

Of all the movies on my first list, I think "The Duellists" is the most overlooked. It was directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed "Blade Runner." I am not sure I've run into anybody yet who's seen this true story. It is one of the most beautifully photographed movies I've seen (the on-location scenes remind me of the quality seen in Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon"). They duel with different weapons very realistically, and continue late until late in the contestants life. The ending is a bit of a surprise too.

 

[gravenewworld]

Maria Full of Grace

 

[loseyourname]

Wine Country? Since when? I enjoyed "Next Stop, Wonderland" too.

Actually, not yet. I'm moving in about a month. Still in Long Beach for now.

 

[Les Sleeth]

Actually, not yet. I'm moving in about a month. Still in Long Beach for now.

Cool. What part, Sonoma or Napa County? Play racquetball?

 

[cragwolf]

4. “Gettysburg.” A 271 minute Turner network production that recreates the battle of Gettysburg in exact detail.

I haven't watched Gettysburg but I have watched the second film in the trilogy, Gods and Generals. This film is one of the most awful films I've seen in a long time. While they tried to make the battle scenes realistic, with mixed success (and they are to be commended for that), nothing else about the film is realistic. Was this a film about humans on Earth, or saints in Heaven? I couldn't tell. It was mostly a film of rousing speeches and stirring music. No matter how honourable, dignified and educated you think the US civil war generals were, there's no way they spoke and acted and communicated like the film depicts. People don't talk and interact like that today and they didn't talk and interact like that back then. People swear, spit, grunt, umm and ahh, they scheme, they politicise, they socialise, they laugh, they do good and evil.

This film is yet another example of the American tendency to canonise their historical figures, turn them into saints. It really is a process of dehumanisation. I think the only way the civil war film genre (mostly awful up till now) is going to be redeemed is if directors stop focusing on these "saints" and the famous battles, and start telling stories of the little guy in the war, the Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks. But I'm skeptical of this ever happening. Too much has been invested in this civil war mythology.

 

[Les Sleeth]

I haven't watched Gettysburg but I have watched the second film in the trilogy, Gods and Generals. This film is one of the most awful films I've seen in a long time. While they tried to make the battle scenes realistic, with mixed success (and they are to be commended for that), nothing else about the film is realistic. Was this a film about humans on Earth, or saints in Heaven? I couldn't tell. It was mostly a film of rousing speeches and stirring music. No matter how honourable, dignified and educated you think the US civil war generals were, there's no way they spoke and acted and communicated like the film depicts. People don't talk and interact like that today and they didn't talk and interact like that back then. People swear, spit, grunt, umm and ahh, they scheme, they politicise, they socialise, they laugh, they do good and evil.

This film is yet another example of the American tendency to canonise their historical figures, turn them into saints. It really is a process of dehumanisation. I think the only way the civil war film genre (mostly awful up till now) is going to be redeemed is if directors stop focusing on these "saints" and the famous battles, and start telling stories of the little guy in the war, the Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks. But I'm skeptical of this ever happening. Too much has been invested in this civil war mythology.

Yes. I didn't want to disagree with someone here who recommended it, but I hated it. After loving "Gettysburg" so much, I was ready to find a way to appreciate that movie at all costs, and I still couldn't watch it. Check out Gettysburg, it is quite different (not that there isn't some romanticizing of the characters, but I can handle that if it doesn't ruin the overall thrust of a story).

 

[loseyourname]

Cool. What part, Sonoma or Napa County? Play racquetball?

Sonoma county. I haven't played racquetball in forever, but my girlfriend plays. She's always asking me to.

 

[meteor]

Under-appreciated Films...

Starship Troopers was a failure in the box office, but I enjoyed seeing those giant insects devouring and slaughtering humans. Probably, I was in a wild day
In general, I tend to enjoy the movies of Paul Verhoeven

 

[arildno]

Starship Troopers was a failure in the box office, but I enjoyed seeing those giant insects devouring and slaughtering humans. Probably, I was in a wild day
In general, I tend to enjoy the movies of Paul Verhoeven

Starship Troopers was GREAT fun, particularly the brain bugs..

 

[meteor]

particularly the brain bugs..

So, a brain bug for you!
http://www.ncxri.com/bug9.jpg

PS: the image is not recommended for weak souls...

 

[meowxorz]

"The Gods Must Be Crazy" - I'm not sure how many saw this in the theater, but I would think a lot of people eventually saw this. Great comedy about an African Bushman trying to return a gift from the Gods that turned into a curse.

I saw this movie in my high school Sociology class, of all places...

Anyway, I am into some strange films. I see a lot of obscure and experimental cinema as a challenge; enduring the challenge may not be a particularly enjoyable experience, but when all is over, you can feel satisfied that you completed your journey and reached your intended destination.

I am bad at remembering directors, unfortunately, so I will eternally fall short of sounding like the pretentious film buff I aspire to be. :P But for informational purposes I'm going to look them up.

Some important titles:

Eraserhead (David Lynch)
Holy Mountain (Jodorowsky)
Begotten (E. Elias Merhige)
Irreversible (Gaspar Noe)
Man Bites Dog (Andre Bonzel) (this one I actually found enjoyable. very funny)
I Stand Alone (Gaspar Noe)
Ichi The Killer (Takashi Miike)

There are a lot of other ones, particularly asian films, that I'm missing... ah well. My current endeavor is tracking down the various John Waters films. I just saw "Desperate Living," and man, was it difficult.

 

[tribdog]

One movie that I always stop and watch is "The Full Monty" I know it's a bunch of guys stripping, but it is a good movie. Does this mean I'm gay?

 

[marlon]

One movie that I always stop and watch is "The Full Monty" I know it's a bunch of guys stripping, but it is a good movie. Does this mean I'm gay?

yes it does...but don't worry about that...


I saw a great movie yesterday though it is not really an underappreciated movie (8 academy awards hhiaaahahahaha) : AMADEUS...


regards
marlon

 

[The_Professional]

Spielberg's "AI" is underappreciated

 

[Les Sleeth]

"Duets" with Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis. I loved Paltrow's angelic voice.