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.

chatster

March 9th, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^

Some Favorite Under The Radar Films

  • The Conversation (Gene Hackman as Private Investigator Harry Caul plus John "Fredo" Cazale and a young Harrison Ford)

  • The List Of Adrian Messenger (George C. Scott and campy cameos from Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum and Frank Sinatra)

  • Don’t Look Now (1973 thriller directed by Nicholas Roeg featuring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, the canals of Venice, Italy, a memorable love scene and a shocking ending)

  • House Of Games (1987 feature that David Mamet wrote and directed, with Joe Mantegna and Lindsay Crouse, Mamet’s wife at the time, plus a great supporting cast in a memorable con game)

  • Festival Express (documentary of the musical caravan from Toronto to Winnipeg to Calgary on a train in 1970 with The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band and others)

  • The Kids Are Alright (The Who’s on first in this 1979 documentary of their career) 

  • Where's Poppa? (a.k.a Going Ape) (Ruth Gordon and George Segal as mother and son, Lucky Charms and Pepsi for breakfast, Rob Reiner before he became Michael "Meathead" Stivic and a memorable chase through Central Park)

  • The Station Agent (Peter Dinklage before he became Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, Bobby Cannavale before he became Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire and Patricia Clarkson before she became Patti "Mrs. Herb" Brooks in Miracle)

gbdub

March 9th, 2013 at 11:25 AM ^

Under the radar: Hot Fuzz. I have never laughed harder in a theater. For some reason everyone's seen Shaun of the Dead, but many fewer have seen Hot Fuzz despite it being IMHO much funnier.

Bill the Butcher

March 9th, 2013 at 11:25 AM ^

I'm a huge fan of Gangs of New York.  That Bill the Butcher is one hell of a character.

 

Seriously though, any movie with Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal.

"I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE"

M-Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^

Star Wars as a favorite.

Under the radar is tougher...so many good ones and what qualifies as UtR? I mean, are Kevin Smith movies UtR? Probably not with this crowd, but to the general public. I saw Charade mentioned as a favorite above, but I'm not sure how many have seen it in this day and age. Does the cheese of Flash Gordon qualify? Then there some movies that made good money but maybe underrated with how much money comic book movies are making- I think Sin City is awesome, and Watchmen underrated because I don't think it ever could satisfy all expectations. Moulin Rouge is a great musical if you're ok with melodramatic camp. But I guess if I'm going to try and stick with one that people go "WHA?" on, I'd say Shall We Dance? The original Japanese version, not that Jennifer Lopez remake nonsense. I love that movie.

champswest

March 9th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ^

I have seen it so many times, I know most of the lines. (Drives my wife crazy). Other favorites: Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Forrest Gump, The Wedding Singer, The Usual Suspects, Shrek, The Bridesmaids, Crimson Tide, Tombstone, The Unforgiven, Scent of a Woman, School of Rock, Silence of The Lambs. I could go on.

Waldorf Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^

A Korean horror film, "Thirst," directed by Park Chan-wook, who also directed "Old Boy."  It's a vampire film, but one that grapples with the morality of it, and it is darkly funny at times. 

Another underrated Korean film is "Memories of Murder," about a rural detective who tries to solve a serial murder - a slow-paced but satisfying mystery thriller.

"Tell No One" is another great mystery-thriller (French), heavy on the thrills.

The BBC serial adaptation of "Wallander" starring Kenneth Branaugh is very good; really great atmosphere.  I think most people will like it better than the Swedish adaptation ("Henning Mankell's Wallander"), which is also very good but focuses more on the day-to-day job of being a police detective and less on the psychological toil that being immersed in murder cases puts on one's emotional state.

UMAmaizinBlue

March 9th, 2013 at 11:50 AM ^

Movie had to be Frequency. Great story, suspenseful, and full of emotion. It also deals with that age old father-son relationship with a well done twist on time travel.

Four Brothers is also up there for under the radar. Perhaps I like it because it's set in Detroit (like Gran Torino, another great film), but I gotta give it up for Mark Mark.

Favorite movie - probably The Patriot.

samsoccer7

March 9th, 2013 at 11:59 AM ^

3 UTR movies everyone should watch (foreign, but impressive):

1. Lives of Others

2. The Counterfeiters

3. Tell No One

A last movie I'll throw in that's great is The Debt (with Hellen Mirren and Jessica Chastain before she hit it big).

bsgriffin1

March 9th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^

Saving Private Ryan has to be one of the greatest of all time for me. Also, cant pick favorites without the movies Blow, A Beautiful Mind, and Ferris Beuler's Day Off.

For an under the radar type movie, Zoolander is halarious.

Cali Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^

...just kidding. Under the radar sports movie...Warrior. Not really into UFC...but this movie was surprisingly good.

Acceptable chick flick...Love Actually.

Love the Memento, Last of Mohicans, Usual Suspects, Tomstine, Gladiator, True Romance, Snatch, Lock, Stock..., Almost Famous, Better off Dead posts. I love BTILC...but it is a terrible movie!

Some more awesome movies I did not see above...Traffic, No Country For Old Men, True Grit, Royal Tenenbaums, LA Confidential, The Big Chill, Swingers, Jaws, Fugitive, Kingsom of Heaven, The Two Towers, Empire Stikes Back, Dazed and Confused...and I love Old School, Hangover and Wedding Crashers.

Ike613

March 9th, 2013 at 1:43 PM ^

a terrible movie.  It is the pinnacle of the action comedy genre.  You can like or dislike that genre in general, but it is one of the best of it's kind.

"China is here?  I don't even know what the hell that means!"

Cali Wolverine

March 9th, 2013 at 2:22 PM ^

... watched it at least 50 times as a kid. Cinematic masterpiece it is not. Pinnacle of action/comedy...meh. Try Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Die Hard, 48 Hours...Even Remo Williams! But given your Avatar and the fact u liked the Burbs...I am not going to change your mind.

antoo

March 9th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^

  • I Saw The Devil (2010) - A voilent South Korean thriller. It's crazy and super intense.
  • In Bruges (2008) - Black comedy with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes
  • RocknRolla (2008) - Guy Rtiche crime comedy caper film like Snatch. Big cast list with Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Jermey Piven, Ludacris, Toby Kebbell, Thandie Newton, and Tom WIlkinson. It's a fun ride.
  • Dead Man's Shoes (2004) - British psychological revenge thriller. Army vet returns home to help his brother deal with the local gang. The ending brings it all together

Leonhall

March 9th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^

Pulp Fiction, Dazed and Confused, Dumb and Dumber, Tommyboy, Friday Night Lights, Troy, Goonies, Spider-Man 1,2,3, The Hangover, 40 year old virgin...just to name a few.

Don

March 9th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^

but my choice for under-the-radar movie is Chronicles of Riddick. I'm a huge fan of good sci-fi, and I think it's one of best of that genre ever made.

This probably doesn't qualify as under-the-radar, but Reservoir Dogs is awesome.

Also Amores Perros, The Devil's Backbone, and Pan's Labyrinth.

ca_prophet

March 9th, 2013 at 2:17 PM ^

... I see Chronicles as a mish-mash of potentially interesting science fiction themes ground together as backdrops for the putative action scenes on which the plot is overlaid to tie them together. I do watch for a bit when it's on because those action scenes are visually striking but I wouldn't call it great science fiction.

What about it puts it in that category for you?

Reservoir Dogs is the second-bloodiest movie I've ever seen behind only the second half of Event Horizon (the first half of which is quite good and abandoned in the second half when the director punts and says "Release The Blood!"). An excellent movie though, as little of the blood is gratuitous.

VC2011

March 9th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^

It is one of the funniest and more original movies have ever seen without knowing anything about it going in. I recommend it to everyone.

goblueatkettering

March 9th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^

One of my favorite underrated movies is Law Abiding Citizen.  Highly recommend that one.

All time favorites are Godfather I and II, The Empire Strikes Back, and the Dark Knight.

WMUgoblue

March 9th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^

As far as underrated movies goes how about Dark City, and Oldboy. A more recent film but doesn't really qualify as underrated is The Cabin in the Woods, great flick, and the elevator scene is nothing less than pure gold.

blueak

March 9th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^

Terrific mystery/suspense film with great dialogue. Thug George Kennedy tells Peck, "I owe you some pain, Mr. Stillwell" just before beating the shit out of him.

corundum

March 9th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^

I'm surprised no one has mentioned 2001: A Space Odyssey or Blade Runner yet. Those are some great sci-fi flicks, although not under the radar.