OT: Favorite Movie/Best Under Radar Movie

Submitted by DirkMcGurk on
Since the Denard voting fest is done and it is going to be a grind till 4 pm tomorrow I thought this would help pass the time. Simple thing just post your favorite movie(s) or maybe a lesser known movie you found to be a great under the radar movie, or hell just a good recent movie you seen lately.

bacon1431

March 9th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^

Earth Girls Are Easy

I kid.

I think Beautiful Girls is underrated. It's not amazing or anything, but I thought the cast was great and a young Natalie Portman, especially, kicks ass.

DanRareEgg

March 9th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^

Among my well-known favorites:
Casablanca
The Maltese Falcon
The Sting
A Night at the Opera
Psycho
Charade
City Lights
Touch of Evil

Some lesser-known ones:
The Big Heat
High and Low
Red Beard
The Stranger
Duel

DanRareEgg

March 9th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^

The giveaway of it being made-for-TV is the font used for the credits is the same one used for every TV show/movie for something like a 10 year span back then.

You can really see hints of Jaws in that film, not to mention hints of Spielberg's face in the car's rear view mirror.

ca_prophet

March 9th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^

Richard Matheson, which he adapted for the movie. He also wrote I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, and the Twilight Zone episode " Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", plus many others.

My personal under the radar movie is Charade. I saw it during a film festival at the Stanford Theatre (shows lots of old movies in a wonderful venue) with movies like North by Northwest. I had never heard of it before and it is brilliant. "Where had this movie been all my life, and why haven't I heard of it before?!" was our reaction. The dialogue is fantastic:

"I already know an awful lot of people and until one of them dies I couldn't possibly meet anyone else. "
"Well, if anyone goes on the critical list, let me know. "

"Ha! She batted them pretty little eyes at you and you fell for it like an egg from a tall chicken!"

DC Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^

Big Trouble in Little China -- this is Jack Burton on the pork chop express

Mr. Mom -- 220, 221, whatever it takes

Clue -- Mr. Body's body, it's gone

Roadhouse - Left Boot

Red Dawn (original) -- one of the greatest films ever made.  WOLVERINES!  

DC Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^

Big Trouble in Little China -- this is Jack Burton on the pork chop express

Mr. Mom -- 220, 221, whatever it takes

Clue -- Mr. Body's body, it's gone

Roadhouse - Left Boot

Red Dawn (original) -- one of the greatest films ever made.  WOLVERINES!  

French West Indian

March 9th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^

...Red Dawn.  Wolverines indeed!

Having said that, I recently rewatched it and it's odd how geo-politics have shifted in relation to that film.  In the movie, of course, a bunch of American teenage kids retreat to the mountains & wage a guerrila war against an invading enemy power.  And now it's hard not to look at a place like Afghanistan & see how the tables are turned (i.e., America as the invading power & young kids resorting to suicide bombs to retaliate).  Weird how times changes.

jasonmkeith

March 9th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^

 

I personally can't enter a movie conversation without mentioning Shawshank Redemption, but I think the most underrated movie is the original Muppet Movie (1979).  Its even better when you have kids.

If you're feeling naughty, though, I highly recommend "Lawrence of a Labia".  Fantastic character development...

TheTruth41

March 9th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^

Last of the Mohicans.  Great cinematography, great soundtrack.

Cold Mountain also very good.

Fiday Night Lights - my favorite sports movie.  Lead me to Explosions in the Sky...one of my (if not my) favorite band.

28 Days Later - my favorite 'horror' movie.  Not that big into horror films but this one struck me.

Have to agree, Boondock Saints is a great under the radar film.

Any architecture enthusiasts out there: My Architect.  Very good film on Louis Kahn directed by his son.

 

Good topic.  I've scrolled the thread and have lots of movies written down I may need to see now!

jericho

March 9th, 2013 at 10:01 AM ^

For you sci-fi people: Serenity

Some of the best comedys ever: Bazzing Saddles and History of the World - Part 1

The one movie I have seen about 14,000 times: Princess Bride

Semi-acceptable chick flick: Notting Hill

chewieblue

March 9th, 2013 at 10:09 AM ^

That's a loaded question.  It's far from the best movie I've ever seen, but for sentimental reasons, Miracle may be my favorite.  I love Herb Brooks..... ok, and Kurt Russell.

Under the rada, Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton and Matt Dillon.  Great flick, good dialogue, funny stuff and a young Natalie Portman pre-hot days.

Bangkok Soiree

March 9th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^

and I literally mean ANY movie written/directed by Jim Jarmusch.  The guy is really a genius.  Can't believe he's not better renown. 

I also really like the earlier Woody Allen (Manhattan, Annie Hall, etc.).  Not really under the radar, but most people can't stand him or his movies.  But Woody has a way of getting under your skin and those earlier movies are really masterpieces. 

buddhafrog

March 9th, 2013 at 10:24 AM ^

La Haine, one of my top 10, few people know about it.

A fantastic French, gritty, B&W film from about 2000 (?) about Paris kid gangsters. Great, great film... it's not a foreign art film, btw.

buddhafrog

March 9th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^

a few:

Thin Red Line

Almost Famous

High Fidelity

Dr. Strangelove, OHISWALTLTB

Cloud Atlas - recently seen - just loved it.

School of Rock

Swimming to Cambodia

Children of Men

Pulp Fiction

Trainspotting

Fab Five and Hoop Dreams (not really, but favorite sports movies)

West German Judge

March 9th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^

Big Fish is my favorite movie ever and I only know of two other people who have even seen it.  It's one of the rare Tim Burton movies that doesn't have Johnny Depp in it (although it couldn't stay away from casting Helena Bonham Carter).

Great story, great visuals, very powerful.

Unfiltered Manball

March 9th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^

Great music, performers, cameos and quite funny.  Actually considered a musical.

Underrated:  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988 version)

Michael Caine and Steve Martin are brilliant.  Great ending twist for first-time viewers.  Can watch this a couple of times a year and always laugh.  Love it!

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

March 9th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^

Not really sure what my actual absolute favorite movie is. I'd be leaving out a lot of good ones by picking one.  It might just have to be Tommy Boy, or maybe Jurassic Park since when that came out I was, like, right in that movie's wheelhouse for a target audience that would walk out of the theater with their mind completely and totally blown by the awesomeness.  (I was 11.  You could probably say it was the first "grown-up" movie I saw in the theater.)

For under-the-radar stuff, that pick is easy: Titus.  It's Julie Taymor's (she's more famous for the stage production of The Lion King) adaptation of Titus Andronicus, which is one of Shakespeare's goriest, nastiest (and for that matter, itself very under-the-radar) plays.  It's fantastic.  Takes place in a very anachronistic version of Rome and has some serious talent in it, notably Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange.