Movies you think are underrated [Archive] - Page 2

Hanshotfirst113

04-13-2008, 10:25 PM

Just out of curosity and as much as I respect your opinion but why would you consider The Lost Boys inferior? I thought it was a great modern take on the Vampire genre.

The Lost Boys is fun, but it's just what I expect from Schumacher: flash and trash. It toys with moving the mythology into a modern setting and plays with the idea of involving teens (lots of potential for allegory), but it settles for cliches a-plenty, and seems tailer-made for a certain demographic. Scorsese's boy Michael Chapman's cinematography is pretty to look at though, and Greg Cannom's makeup is pretty good. The movie is still a trashy Hollywood good time, but it doesn't approach the fun genre twisting of Fright Night or the bizzare genre-alchemic, strangely artistic wonder of Near Dark.

Not me. I own the DVD proud, and I look forward to - one day - the soundtrack being released in full. remastered. glory.

As for the end, after years of disliking it, it's grown on me. That had to resolve with the Black Hole, and some of the imagery has raised some debate to the nature of Maximillian, the angel (or was it McCrae?). It manages to give a slightly upbeat end while retaining a dark edge.

Pity about the strings though - my DVD copy really shows up EVERY string. I miss my old taped video version where such wasn't quite as clear. :(
My

Must rent that. Thank you. Good soundtrack, huh?

So, is this thread "Movies you think are underrated" or "Stupid Slasher Movie Love Fest"?

"Guilty pleasures :p?"

I was only curious to see if the slasher films I mentioned would count as being underrated. Like Maniac for example. You know, feminists for some reason had a grudge against that movie when it came out. Funny thing is, the president of some feminist group who bashed the movie without seeing murdered some guy one year later.

What does that have to do with anything?

Yes, I'm curious as to what this has do with much of anything...

Mynd Hed

04-14-2008, 12:40 AM

So, is this thread "Movies you think are underrated" or "Stupid Slasher Movie Love Fest"?

It seems to me that if you don't like the direction the conversation is going, your time would be better spent bringing up other examples of underrated movies that you'd rather be discussing than complaining about the ones other people are bringing up.

Robin2099

04-14-2008, 01:22 AM

So, is this thread "Movies you think are underrated" or "Stupid Slasher Movie Love Fest"?

Well the title of the thread is "Moviesyou think are underrated. Which is what we're talking about. If someone wants to discuss slasher/horror films because they think the movies are underrated so be it. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you need to talk down on those who do.

I was only curious to see if the slasher films I mentioned would count as being underrated. Like Maniac for example. You know, feminists for some reason had a grudge against that movie when it came out. Funny thing is, the president of some feminist group who bashed the movie without seeing murdered some guy one year later.

Well the movie is somewhat anti-female so of course they wouldn't like it. Be that as it may though I like that movie. Joe Spinelli is good and Tom Savini does what he does best.

Cinderella Man: Sure there were moments in the ring where the outcome was obvious but the emotional struggle during the depression was the main focus of the movie, not really the boxing...See past beyond that and you'll really like it.

Yeah Cinderella Man was good. It was hard for me not to think about Rocky watching it(even though I knew it was a true story) but it was still good.

Fright Night was in the shadow of the far more popular (and, IMO, much inferior) The Lost Boys, and Near Dark seldom gets mentioned, and went virtually unnoticed upon its release.

Lost Boys may get all the love, but Fright Night is hardly in it's shadow. That's almost like saying Dead and Buried is in the shadow of Day of the Dead. DOTD is more popular, but DAB still stands on it's own well.Near Dark has also been gaining more popularity through the years. Especially with how much it had in common with The Forsaken.

Movie06

04-14-2008, 01:32 AM

Well the title of the thread is "Moviesyou think are underrated. Which is what we're talking about. If someone wants to discuss slasher/horror films because they think the movies are underrated so be it. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you need to talk down on those who do.

That's right. I mean that's this thread's title.

Well the movie is somewhat anti-female so of course they wouldn't like it. Be that as it may though I like that movie. Joe Spinelli is good and Tom Savini does what he does best.

I like that movie too. It's an interesting slasher film.

Yeah Cinderella Man was good. It was hard for me not to think about Rocky watching it(even though I knew it was a true story) but it was still good.

Yeah, when I watched the trailer, Rocky was the only thing that came to my mind about that movie.

Hanshotfirst113

04-14-2008, 09:39 AM

Lost Boys may get all the love, but Fright Night is hardly in it's shadow. That's almost like saying Dead and Buried is in the shadow of Day of the Dead. DOTD is more popular, but DAB still stands on it's own well.Near Dark has also been gaining more popularity through the years. Especially with how much it had in common with The Forsaken.

Day of the Dead is generally the least-regarded (unfairly, IMO) of Romero's series, and I can't really think of much of anybody who's heard of Dead and Buried outside of genre fans. Fright Night is by far the less popular of the two vampire flicks of its year, with Schumacher's Hollywood flick getting all the love easily. Its built up its following in the years since too, but The Lost Boys is still the more popular by far, boasting Hollywood stars and director and producer. And while Near Dark may have built up a cult following over the years, it's still little known, and was all but missed by everyone on its initial release. I'm standing by my choices :p.

I've always felt that Day of the Dead was the unfair black sheep of Romero's franchise (Land, IMO, is far inferior). It's the pinnacle of his nihilistic vision, as he's finally done messing with allegory and going straight for the heart. The atmosphere is so dark and rich, the designs for the zombies have gotten even better, and there's some really haunting stuff on display, especially with the humanization of Bud. The slashed budget may have reduced what he originally envisioned, but it's still an extremely intelligent piece of social commentary, and Savini's makeup is top-notch.

Michael24

04-14-2008, 01:46 PM

I didn't care for Near Dark, but I agree about Day of the Dead. That's actually the only Romero zombie movie (aside from the Romero-produced Night of the Living Dead remake) I liked.

Movie06

04-14-2008, 02:02 PM

Day of the Dead? Now that is definately underrated. For me, at first I didn't like it but when I saw it the second time, that's when I loved it.

Hanshotfirst113

04-14-2008, 02:59 PM

Read Adam Rockwood's book Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film.

I never read the book actually, I only watched the documentary. But it's a good one.

Watch The American Nightmare, that's supposed to be an interesting look at the genre. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, A Decade Under the Influence, BaadAssss Cinema, The Spaghetti West, The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies, Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong, Wanderlust, all come to mind as interesting documentaries. And read the book, it's very interesting!

Movie06

04-14-2008, 03:07 PM

Watch The American Nightmare, that's supposed to be an interesting look at the genre. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession, A Decade Under the Influence, BaadAssss Cinema, The Spaghetti West, The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies, Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong, Wanderlust, all come to mind as interesting documentaries. And read the book, it's very interesting!

I intend on seeing those documentaries especially The American Nightmare. That one gets my interest along with the other ones you mentioned.

And you know, there is one book I like to see as a documentary:
Horror Films of the 80's.

Hanshotfirst113

04-15-2008, 01:14 AM

If only Tim Lucas' new tome about Mario Bava didn't have a 3-digit price tag...

FightingDreamer

04-15-2008, 11:48 PM

Just saw The Howling, and am here to spread some love for it.
-These are some bloody awesome werewolves! The requisite transformation scene is terrific, and Rob Bottin's creature effects are awesome as always. I also really dug the designs; I always like werewolves that look more like actual wolves, and these lanky, bipedal terrors definitely fit the bill.
-The tone of the movie is surprisingly bleak and genuinely scary. Joe Dante generally makes films that either straddle the line between comedy and horror (Gremlins, Small Soldiers) or outright comedy (Gremlins 2 [and don't even try to say that movie's scary at all], Looney Tunes: Back in Action). The opening sequence is particularly impressive, and the whole scene where Terry wanders through the woods, encounters a werewolf, gets to the cabin, and encounters another one (with less positive results) is insanely tense.
-Yay for Dick Miller cameo! He's the owner of the bookstore, in case you're not a Dante fan such as myself.
-Can Dante bring out different sides to Robert Picardo or what? Granted, I've only seen a few Dante films (the Gremlins, Looney Tunes, Small Soldiers), and he's barely in the last two, but in Gremlins 2 he's a sleazy TV executive, while here he's a psychotic lycanthropic serial killer. Man's got some range.

Overall, kicker movie.

Movie06

04-15-2008, 11:54 PM

Dick Miller rocks. I mean Joe Dante always chooses the right actors for his films.

Hanshotfirst113

04-15-2008, 11:56 PM

Yay for Dick Miller cameo! He's the owner of the bookstore, in case you're not a Dante fan such as myself.

Overall, kicker movie.

He's in Piranha too.

"What about the piranhas?"
"They're eating the guests."

Such a great piece of B-movie cheese from Corman and co.

FightingDreamer

04-16-2008, 12:08 AM

He's in Piranha too.

"What about the ******* piranhas?"
"They're eating the guests."

Hell, he's in every Joe Dante movie. He's Mr. Futterman in both Gremlins, a garbageman in Small Soldiers, a security guard in Looney Tunes, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Movie06

04-16-2008, 12:18 AM

Hell, he's in every Joe Dante movie. He's Mr. Futterman in both Gremlins, a garbageman in Small Soldiers, a security guard in Looney Tunes, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

But oddly enough, he never appeared in Joe Dante's episodes of Masters of Horror.

FightingDreamer

04-16-2008, 08:48 AM

On the subject of Joe Dante, has anyone seen his episode of Amazing Stories called "The Greibble"? It's a charming little tale about the blossoming bond between a housewife (Hayley Mills) and a strange creature (cool creature design, voice of Frank Welker) on a rainy day.

Movie06

04-16-2008, 02:37 PM

FightingDreamer

04-16-2008, 05:34 PM

Movie06

04-16-2008, 05:37 PM

http://www.latexmaskcentral.com/MaskDisplay.php?&ID=3085&Name=Greibble&Desc=This%20odd%20character%20was%20the%20basis%20for%20an%20episode%20of%20the%20show%20Amazing%20S tories.%20The%20episode%20shared%20the%20same%20title%2C%20The%20Greibble.&Image=Greibble_3085.jpg&Image1=NONE&FirstName=Henry&LastName=Alvarez&Studio=Steven%20Spielberg&Year=1986&Price=0&Editions=0&Category1=8&Category2=17&Category3=0
Here ya go, though I'm not sure if it's the suit they used in the actual show.

Hmm, sorry doesn't ring a bell. It's been years since I saw Amazing Stories and I didn't buy the DVD. I wanted to buy it but I forgot about it but thanks for reminding me and putting in the image. That is a very awesome looking creature.

FightingDreamer

04-16-2008, 05:56 PM

My pleasure.

Anyway, one of the more darkly amusing parts of the final scene in The Howling (SPOILERS-DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM) is the design of the werewolf that Dee Wallace's character turns into. Unlike the monstrous beasts we saw before, this one looks, uh, cute. Dante actually talks about this on the (awesome) commentary track on the DVD, and hearing him and Wallace giggle about how it looks like a Pekingese is priceless.

One of the creepy things about the commentary is the presence of actor Christopher Stone, who died in 1995 due to a heart attack, and the Special Edition DVD was released in 2003. Then, after doing some research, I learned that the commentary was originally recorded for the laserdisc edition prior to Stone's death. You can also hear Robert Picardo on the commentary, and he gets some amusing anecdotes in as well (particularly the ones dealing with the makeup and effects process he went through for the transformation).

Movie06

04-16-2008, 06:09 PM

Anyway, one of the more darkly amusing parts of the final scene in The Howling (SPOILERS-DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM) is the design of the werewolf that Dee Wallace's character turns into. Unlike the monstrous beasts we saw before, this one looks, uh, cute. Dante actually talks about this on the (awesome) commentary track on the DVD, and hearing him and Wallace giggle about how it looks like a Pekingese is priceless.

Yeah, that was one problem for me. I didn't like how the Dee Wallace-Werewolf looked. I liked all the other werewolf designs in the film, they were and still are better cool looking and they really look like dangerous beasts.

One of the creepy things about the commentary is the presence of actor Christopher Stone, who died in 1995 due to a heart attack, and the Special Edition DVD was released in 2003. Then, after doing some research, I learned that the commentary was originally recorded for the laserdisc edition prior to Stone's death.

Guess MGM thought it was cheaper to put in the commentary from the laserdisc onto the DVD.

Lonestarr

04-16-2008, 07:08 PM

Hell, he's in every Joe Dante movie. He's Mr. Futterman in both Gremlins, a garbageman in Small Soldiers, a security guard in Looney Tunes, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Actually, Dick Miller was a truck driver in Small Soldiers. His garbageman role was in The 'burbs. The actor who played his fellow trash collector? Robert Picardo.

I find The 'burbs quite underrated. There are some nice bits of slapstick and character comedy, quotable lines (the bulk of which come from Bruce Dern) and a fun score by Jerry Goldsmith.

FightingDreamer

04-16-2008, 11:38 PM

Crap, you're right. I'm behind on my Dante as it is (still need to see 'burbs, Innerspace, Explorers, Matinee [shakes fist at Netflix for not having it], his segment in Twilight Zone: The Movie, and his Masters of Horror episodes).

Desensitized

04-16-2008, 11:41 PM

I think Grosse Pointe Blank is really underrated, actually. It was fresh, fun and John Cusack and his other cast members pulled off great performances.

And the soundtrack? Perfection.

Robin2099

04-17-2008, 01:30 AM

I think Grosse Pointe Blank is really underrated, actually. It was fresh, fun and John Cusack and his other cast members pulled off great performances.

And the soundtrack? Perfection.

I was going to put that movie down but kept forgetting too. I agree the cast is great, the movie's funny, the soundtrack is awesome,and you have to love that fight scene with Benny Urquidez.

High Fidelity is really underrated too.

Michael24

04-17-2008, 01:45 PM

Actually, Dick Miller was a truck driver in Small Soldiers. His garbageman role was in The 'burbs. The actor who played his fellow trash collector? Robert Picardo.

I find The 'burbs quite underrated. There are some nice bits of slapstick and character comedy, quotable lines (the bulk of which come from Bruce Dern) and a fun score by Jerry Goldsmith.

To this day, my family and I still quote "Scope me, I'm outta here" whenever one of us is about to leave the house with something. :D

The 'burbs and Innerspace are probably tied for my favorite Dante movies.

John Pannozzi

04-17-2008, 01:53 PM

Joe Dante's movies are very underrated IMHO.

Hanshotfirst113

04-17-2008, 01:54 PM

Joe Dante's movies are very underrated IMHO.

Yet another Corman film school graduate. So, why has no one mentioned Larry Cohen yet?

Leaping Larry Jojo

04-17-2008, 02:20 PM

I'll go on record here and say I think every Tom Hanks + Meg Ryan movie is overrated, except for Joe versus the Volcano. That's the only movie I liked with those two together and I think it is underrated.

Keep in mind I have liked these two actors individually AND also paired up with other actors, but rarely ever together. But all I hear about is Sleepless in Seattle (they're barely ever together in that movie!), You've got Mail, etc.

Leaping Larry Jojo

04-17-2008, 02:51 PM

Not a "great" movie by any means, but a fun and seldom-seen one is The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human. It's basically a romantic comedy, but it's structured like a nature documentary with David Hyde Pierce as the narrator. It also has Carmen Electra as the girl. It's not all that bad, I swear! :sweat:

Movie06

04-17-2008, 02:57 PM

Yet another Corman film school graduate. So, why has no one mentioned Larry Cohen yet?

Ah, thank you for reminding me. I like to mention that I consider It's Alive to be an underrated film. Why? Well, let me put it to you this way, the film was more than just a killer monster baby movie.

HG Revolution

04-17-2008, 04:04 PM

Movie06

04-17-2008, 04:17 PM

Hanshotfirst113

04-17-2008, 05:14 PM

In school today, we started watching Raise the Red Lantern and unless the ending is really bad, I simply have to say WOW! Zhang Yimou's martial arts films get a lot of discussion but I'd never heard of this amazing drama until today. It's really intense and also has some excellent visuals. I get the impression Tarantino's a fan of this movie (he probably borrowed the foot massage metaphor in Pulp Fiction and maybe the ear-cutting scene in Reservoir Dogs from this movie, plus he'd support Yimou's later films). Has anyone else seen it?

Yes. It's a masterpiece, visually breathtaking, rich in character and dramatic depth from one of the great living directors. Simply staggering. Let me know what you think of the end. I warn you now that the ending is a powerful and deeply unhappy one, however. What class are you watching that film in?!

No, but it sounds good. That and I like martial arts films. Is it on DVD?

It's not a martial arts film. It's a very low-key and very slowly-paced drama character study and social critique. Yes, it is on DVD, but be careful, as some editions of it are really, really bad.

HG Revolution

04-17-2008, 08:58 PM

What class are you watching that film in?!

World History. It's how we're starting off our unit on China.

Movie06

04-17-2008, 09:00 PM

Yes, it is on DVD, but be careful, as some editions of it are really, really bad.

How bad? And what do you think of Larry Cohen's It's Alive?

Hanshotfirst113

04-17-2008, 10:13 PM

World History. It's how we're starting off our unit on China.

Ah. Where do I get a teacher like that :p?! Yimou's film actually got banned in China for obvious reasons, and the sociological issues about Chinese culture and women that it takes on a very powerful.

How bad?

Virtually uwatchably bad (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/rtrl.htm). There are some decent copies, though there's no need to fret ;). See link. Still not a version with decent extras though, and given all of the astonishing cinematic techniques and more importantly, all of the cultural information that it contains, so info from Chinese films scholars and people who know information that could be useful watching the film could be extremely helpful.

And what do you think of Larry Cohen's It's Alive?

Haven't seen it. Yet.

Movie06

04-17-2008, 10:41 PM

Does anyone consider God Told Me To an underrated film? It's another Larry Cohen film.

Joe

04-17-2008, 10:58 PM

Yes, I agree that Raise the Red Lantern is an excellent film as well as an engaging look at the roles of women in imperial China and parallel to the contemporary. Low-key is definitely the best way to describe it. Of course I only watched it on a fade Orion VHS release. I'm glad a decent DVD finally exists.

I thought Runaway Train was a good film along with a great performance by John Voight. While rough around the edges, I thought it worked well as both an escape picture and an angaging tale of an aged criminal.

HG Revolution

04-18-2008, 03:40 PM

Ah. Where do I get a teacher like that :p?!

My history teacher has great taste. I mean, one day when we were doing an art project, she played a bunch of Danny Elfman and Joe Hisaishi soundtracks. I hear we'll be watching Seven Samurai to go with our Japan unit (will be the 4th time I've seen it, but it gets better every time).

I thought the ending was very well done. Deeply haunting.

Movie06

04-18-2008, 03:42 PM

My history teacher has great taste. I mean, one day when we were doing an art project, she played a bunch of Danny Elfman and Joe Hisaishi soundtracks. I hear we'll be watching Seven Samurai to go with our Japan unit (will be the 4th time I've seen it, but it gets better every time).

Somehow I have a feeling your history teacher will show Rurouni Kenshin or Ninja Scroll in your class.

Hanshotfirst113

04-19-2008, 12:58 AM

Does anyone consider God Told Me To an underrated film? It's another Larry Cohen film.

I've owned that for years and never actually watched it :p!

Yes, I agree that Raise the Red Lantern is an excellent film as well as an engaging look at the roles of women in imperial China and parallel to the contemporary. Low-key is definitely the best way to describe it. Of course I only watched it on a fade Orion VHS release. I'm glad a decent DVD finally exists.

It begs to be seen in crisp widescreen. The cinematography is among the best I've ever seen. It's the very definition of an art film: rich photography, slowly paced, rich in characterization and dramatic depth, social themes, and no car chases, sex, gunfights, or glorified violence or happy ending :p. You have to stick with it, but if you're willing to give it your full attention, it's astonishingly resonant and rewarding film.

I thought Runaway Train was a good film along with a great performance by John Voight. While rough around the edges, I thought it worked well as both an escape picture and an engaging tale of an aged criminal.I find Voight virtually unbearable most of the time (a block of wood has more charisma than he does :p), but while I haven't seen that it years, I remember that as Cannon exploitation flicks go, it was near the top of the tree, remarkably smart and exciting.

My history teacher has great taste. I mean, one day when we were doing an art project, she played a bunch of Danny Elfman and Joe Hisaishi soundtracks.

Wow. I'm impressed :D!

I hear we'll be watching Seven Samurai to go with our Japan unit (will be the 4th time I've seen it, but it gets better every time).

Ah, as good as filmmaking gets. Kurosawa-san at his absolute best.

I thought the ending was very well done. Deeply haunting.

Quite so. A masterpiece, IMO.

Somehow I have a feeling your history teacher will show Rurouni Kenshin or Ninja Scroll in your class.

I can't see Ninja Scroll being show for much of ANY reason :p! I understand that Rurouni Kenshin get some historical details very accurate, though I have no idea how true that is or is not.

Movie06

04-19-2008, 01:18 AM

I've owned that for years and never actually watched it :p!

How come? And what about The Stuff? That's one of my favorite Larry Cohen films.

Desensitized

04-19-2008, 02:29 AM

I was going to put that movie down but kept forgetting too. I agree the cast is great, the movie's funny, the soundtrack is awesome,and you have to love that fight scene with Benny Urquidez.

High Fidelity is really underrated too.Is High Fidelity underrated? I always see people praising it and very few people dogging it.

I know fans of the book love it, even Nick Hornby. Also on Rotten Tomatoes it's rating is like 90%, so even the critics loved it.

RSNaco

04-19-2008, 09:09 PM

Movie06

04-19-2008, 09:10 PM

You know, to me, Coneheads is underrated? I mean, yeah, it's not like the skits seen in the show (SNL) but hey, everyone tried their best working on that movie.

Quacktoon

04-19-2008, 09:11 PM

I think the George of the Jungle movie is underappreciated. The thing is, at least it tried to capture the spirit of the cartoon.

I'm with you 100% for life. Best movie ever. Well, in the top 500.

Movie06

04-19-2008, 09:15 PM

Then there's also Mike Judge's Idiocracy. The studio unfairly didn't give it a wide release although it's no surprise why.

HG Revolution

04-19-2008, 10:03 PM

Then there's also Mike Judge's Idiocracy. The studio unfairly didn't give it a wide release although it's no surprise why.

I mentioned that a long time ago.

Movie06

04-19-2008, 10:05 PM

I mentioned that a long time ago.

Oh. Whoops, my bad.

Discloner

04-20-2008, 12:57 PM

NinjaJack

04-20-2008, 02:21 PM

HG Revolution

04-20-2008, 02:24 PM

It holds up well and they managed to pull off something better than decent for a Superhero movie. Remember, this was back when Batman was the only Superhero movie with any effor tin it.

Richard Donner takes issue with that statement.

Michael24

04-20-2008, 03:09 PM

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie

It holds up well and they managed to pull off something better than decent for a Superhero movie. Remember, this was back when Batman was the only Superhero movie with any effor tin it.

Even though I was pretty much out of my Power Rangers phase by the time the movie came out, I remember being surprised that it was much better than I expected. It's easily the best thing to have ever come out of the entire Power Rangers empire. And Paul "Belloq" Freeman is a real hoot as Ivan Ooze. :D

I keep meaning to pick it up at Target, where they've had copies for $5 for the last couple of months.

Movie06

04-20-2008, 03:47 PM

I would also like to mention Dario Argento's Phenomena being an underrated film. The reason is because that film has been butchered by the U.S. distributor and gave it a stupid title known as Creepers. That and this film deserves some credit as Jennifer Connelly's big screen debut. I mean, many people say Labyrinth was her big screen debut but it was this film. I mean, Argento casted her first, not Jim Henson.

Kevin the Geek

04-21-2008, 07:17 AM

Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, which I believe was a big box office bomb. Sure, this movie is stupid, but that's what makes it funny. When watching this movie, people should turn off their brains, and enjoy the stupidity.

Another movie that I think is underrated is Dragon Wars. A lot of people missed a cool fantasy movie, which has a beautiful music piece during its credits.

FightingDreamer

04-21-2008, 08:42 AM

Van Helsing-This is one of those movies where I can definitely see that there are a lot of problems (incredibly stupid plot, uneven CGI, bad Transylvania accents), but I enjoy it anyway. It's hard to hate Stephen Sommers when he's so eager to entertain.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow-Now THIS is a movie so underrated it's downright criminal. Almost every review I read got hung up on how the characters/story were shallow (I disagree, although neither is terribly deep), and I almost choked in disbelief. Just look at the movie! Have we become so jaded that we can't enjoy a movie for what it is? The look of the movie is awe-inspiring, and while the CGI effects aren't "realistic" (they're not supposed to be anyway), they're still breathtaking. It's also just plain fun, with the same kind of heedless joy seen in Raiders of the Lost Ark or the original Star Wars. One of my favorites from the past few years.

Hanshotfirst113

04-28-2008, 08:51 PM

Agreed. I personally thought it was superior to the original, but most people just write it off because it's a remake of something they consider a classic piece of horror and/or because it had Michael Bay's name in the credits.

Having a movie that they love remade by a filmmaker that they hate is bound to irk the ire of many longtime fans (http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=137717&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13#tabs). You must understand this :p.

I intend on seeing those documentaries especially The American Nightmare. That one gets my interest along with the other ones you mentioned.

Just saw this recently, and felt the need to bump. It's really a superb documentary. Simon touches on the social context that informed so many of the great genre pictures of the period, including interviews with the filmmakers about their inspirations. It's a great, great look at how the little genre pictures have so much more on their minds than many people give them credit for sometimes, and some of the films that they're discussing actually have great social commentary and overtones, and actual artistic merit and meaning. There are interviews with the like of John Carpenter (who looks a bit worse for wear :p), David Cronenberg (who's smart as a whip), Wes Craven (remarkably articulate), George A. Romero (if ever anyone had a finger on the pulse of the society and understood to lace blood and guts with meaning, it was him), John Landis (who looks delightfully amicable), and Tobe Hooper (who's a wee bit spooky). Some of the parallels aren't drawn as richly as they could be and should be fleshed out (no pun intended) more, and the thing is way too short, but it's great to see a documentary with so much on its mind. Adam Simon, the writer and director, clearly loves the genre, and aims to share the love.

Oh come on, it's a decent remake. It's unfairly bashed by fans

They wouldn't bash it if they were fans.

art freaks

What's an "art freak?"

What I like about it, is that it's disturbing, tried to be scary and violent. I loved it and I still do.

As opposed to the original, which didn't?

And you know, there is one book I like to see as a documentary:
Horror Films of the 80's.

Never even heard of that one. I so want Tim Lucas' new tome on Mario Bava, but I don't have the cash.

Movie06

04-28-2008, 10:04 PM

Having a movie that they love remade by a filmmaker that they hate is bound to irk the ire of many longtime fans (http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=137717&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13#tabs). You must understand this :p.

Bay didn't direct the remake.

As opposed to the original, which didn't?

I'm aware. I like both versions and they all have the same elements.

Never even heard of that one. I so want Tim Lucas' new tome on Mario Bava, but I don't have the cash.

Trust me, Horror Films of the 80's is an informative and interesting book. In fact, the author appears in one of the featurettes of the Return of the Living Dead Collector's Edition DVD which came out last year.

Hanshotfirst113

04-28-2008, 10:21 PM

Bay didn't direct the remake.

Yes, I know this.

Trust me, Horror Films of the 80's is an informative and interesting book. In fact, the author appears in one of the featurettes of the Return of the Living Dead Collector's Edition DVD which came out last year.

I need a name :p.

Movie06

04-28-2008, 10:24 PM

I need a name :p.

Forgot the name, sorry. His name is John Kenneth Muir.

This link shows his list of books, he even write books about filmmakers suchas Kevin Smith and Sam Raimi.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=John%20Kenneth%20Muir (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=John%20Kenneth%20Muir)

Robin2099

04-29-2008, 02:25 AM

Michael24

04-29-2008, 02:33 AM

Having a movie that they love remade by a filmmaker that they hate is bound to irk the ire of many longtime fans (http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=137717&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13#tabs). You must understand this :p.

Oh, I certainly understand it. But it's just like I said, I know many people who refused to watch it and instantly labeled it as "crap" just because Michael Bay was involved, and only as a producer. I otherwise thought it was a well-done flick, much better than I expected from the recent state of the genre. But, maybe that's because I generally don't have a problem with remakes and can expect them on their own terms.

Just saw this recently, and felt the need to bump. It's really a superb documentary. Simon touches on the social context that informed so many of the great genre pictures of the period, including interviews with the filmmakers about their inspirations. It's a great, great look at how the little genre pictures have so much more on their minds than many people give them credit for sometimes, and some of the films that they're discussing actually have great social commentary and overtones, and actual artistic merit and meaning. There are interviews with the like of John Carpenter (who looks a bit worse for wear :p), David Cronenberg (who's smart as a whip), Wes Craven (remarkably articulate),

I know what you mean about Carpenter. I love the guy, but was a bit shocked when I watched the Cigarette Burns featurettes. :eek: And (yes, perhaps another name-drop, but oh well) I saw Craven at the San Jose Cinequest in 2000 and he was very articulate, and funny.

I think I have this documentary on my NetFlix list, but I'll have to double-check. Sounds very good.

Wonderwall

04-29-2008, 03:24 AM

Two words....Con Air. Im super serial.

Ajax

04-29-2008, 04:24 AM

Two words....Con Air. Im super serial.
Really Con-Air underrated? The same Con Air that made 200 million dollars, was a summer blockbuster and was nominated for two academy awards? Unless I just completely missed what you were saying:shrug:

Wonderwall

04-29-2008, 12:36 PM

Really Con-Air underrated? The same Con Air that made 200 million dollars, was a summer blockbuster and was nominated for two academy awards? Unless I just completely missed what you were saying:shrug:

While that may all be true, since it came out I really dont hear anything about it. Its like it never happened. As cheesy action movies go, its really up there. And I never hear anyone bash it either for the same reasons other cheesy action movies get bashed. I'd also like to add the Stallone classic Cobra to this list. I'd put Over the Top but that seems to have quite a following, so I guess its not really underrated....oh and also its not that great a movie, but thats all politics.

Movie06

04-29-2008, 01:51 PM

$60???? What on earth is in that book to possibly make it worth that much money? It better be along the lines of Crystal Lake Memories in terms of content.

Well, he probably wrote every single detail about 80's Horror movies.

Hanshotfirst113

04-29-2008, 05:56 PM

Forgot the name, sorry. His name is John Kenneth Muir.

This link shows his list of books, he even write books about filmmakers suchas Kevin Smith and Sam Raimi.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=John%20Kenneth%20Muir (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=John%20Kenneth%20Muir)

If I had the cash, I'd love to read some of those.

$60???? What on earth is in that book to possibly make it worth that much money? It better be along the lines of Crystal Lake Memories in terms of content.

That's nothing. Look at THIS (http://www.videowatchdog.com/bava/).

I know what you mean about Carpenter. I love the guy, but was a bit shocked when I watched the Cigarette Burns featurettes. :eek:

Yeah, he definately lived in the 70s :p. Still, listen to him, while he's quitte not as articulate as Craven, Cronenberg, or Romero, Carpenter is nothing if not honest. He seems like a genuinely nice guy; looks like he'd be fun to share a drink with ;). He's very frank, very funny, and much smarter than I initially gave him credit for. Glenn Erikson said it well: while, of all of the 70s generation directors, Carpenter is probably the least, he is in many ways, the most natural. There's a certain non-pretentiousness about his work that I've come to like. Again, it's your doing :D!

And (yes, perhaps another name-drop, but oh well) I saw Craven at the San Jose Cinequest in 2000 and he was very articulate, and funny.I'm not his biggest fan by any stretch, but Craven is a very smart guy. His sense of humor is very black in the interviews that I've see, but he is very funny, and he's far from the weirdo sadist that he's sometimes painted as.

I think I have this documentary on my NetFlix list, but I'll have to double-check. Sounds very good.[/quote]

Two words....Con Air. I'm super serial.

Really Con-Air underrated? The same Con Air that made 200 million dollars, was a summer blockbuster and was nominated for two academy awards? Unless I just completely missed what you were saying:shrug:

Ditto. Doesn't fit under the "underrated" banner.

While that may all be true, since it came out I really don't hear anything about it. Its like it never happened. As cheesy action movies go, its really up there. And I never hear anyone bash it either for the same reasons other cheesy action movies get bashed. I'd also like to add the Stallone classic Cobra to this list. I'd put Over the Top but that seems to have quite a following, so I guess its not really underrated....oh and also its not that great a movie, but thats all politics.

Con Air is idiotic. But it knows that it's idiotic, and its willingness to embrace its own silliness leads it the same endearing goofiness as, say, a Stephen Sommers picture. It's nothing memorable (and many of the action scenes are pretty clumsy), but the opportunity to see so many indie actors with big guns is a hilarious treat all the same..

Well, he probably every single detail about 80's Horror movies.

WHAT? Dude, that sentence made no sense :p. Proofread, man ;).

Another fantastic documentary is about the genre is called Boogeymen II: Masters of Horror (not to be confused with the TV show). Unfortunately, I've only seen it show up very rarely on the sci-fi channel late at night in October, and cannot locate a DVD or VHS release anywhere. Bruce Campbell (YEAH!) host a series of interviews with a roster of genre greats (Carpenter, Craven, Stuart Gordon, my hero and my idol Guillermo del Toro, the boy from KNB FX, and on and on), with some great clips and insights similar to those in The American Nightmare. I'd give real money for a decent copy, but it doesn't appear to exist much of anywhere. I'll tape it if it ever comes on again though. The title leads me to believe that it's evidently a sequel, but I don't know of a first installment.

Movie06

04-29-2008, 06:18 PM

WHAT? Dude, that sentence made no sense :p. Proofread, man ;).

Sometimes, I don't notice my mistakes at first. Okay? Don't be so rude about it. You know, my dead friend had a similar response that was just as rude.

Another fantastic documentary is about the genre is called Boogeymen II: Masters of Horror (not to be confused with the TV show). Unfortunately, I've only seen it show up very rarely on the sci-fi channel late at night in October, and cannot locate a DVD or VHS release anywhere. Bruce Campbell (YEAH!) host a series of interviews with a roster of genre greats (Carpenter, Craven, Stuart Gordon, my hero and my idol Guillermo del Toro, the boy from KNB FX, and on and on), with some great clips and insights similar to those in The American Nightmare. I'd give real money for a decent copy, but it doesn't appear to exist much of anywhere. I'll tape it if it ever comes on again though. The title leads me to believe that it's evidently a sequel, but I don't know of a first installment.

I've seen that documentary. It's awesome. Did you know that del Toro never ate meat for three years because Of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Hanshotfirst113

04-29-2008, 06:26 PM

Sometimes, I don't notice my mistakes at first. Okay? Don't be so rude about it. You know, my dead friend had a similar response that was just as rude.

I had no intention whatsoever of being rude, so I apologize. That's what the :p indicates. A joke. It's just awful difficult to discern what you're trying to say sometimes. No offense intended. Apologies :(.

I've seen that documentary. It's awesome. Did you know that del Toro never ate meat for three years because Of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Yes indeedy. I believe that he mentions that in the documentary, in fact. God, I'd give my teeth for a cop of that...

Movie06

04-29-2008, 06:29 PM

I had no intention whatsoever of being rude, so I apologize. That's what the :p indicates. A joke. It's just awful difficult to discern what you're trying to say sometimes. No offense intended. Apologies :(.

It's alright. All is forgiven.

Yes indeedy. I believe that he mentions that in the documentary, in fact. God, I'd give my teeth for a cop of that...

Does the Sci-Fi Channel still air that documentary by any chance?

Hanshotfirst113

04-29-2008, 07:09 PM

Does the Sci-Fi Channel still air that documentary by any chance?

Rarely; sometimes, around Halloween, but usually from something like 2AM-3AM.

Ajax

04-29-2008, 07:09 PM

While that may all be true, since it came out I really dont hear anything about it. Its like it never happened. As cheesy action movies go, its really up there. And I never hear anyone bash it either for the same reasons other cheesy action movies get bashed. It came out 11 years ago, and besides throwing Chappelle out of an airplane, its not a movie people are gonna be consistingly citing or talking about or remembering as a classic. But that hardly makes it an underrated movie. Cause if that were the cirtera we were using, then essentially 3/4 of all of movies that have ever come out are underrated LOL.

Movie06

04-29-2008, 07:18 PM

Rarely; sometimes, around Halloween, but usually from something like 2AM-3AM.

I see. Thanks.

Anyway, would Del Toro's Chronos count as being underrated?

Lonestarr

04-29-2008, 09:19 PM

Flushed Away - This film got lost in the great CGI talking critters glut of aught-6, but I sincerely believe it's one of the best animated films of the last few years. It's a nice blend of Aardman's style (the scenes with Rita's family) and American sensibilities (the groin hit montage).

Michael24

04-29-2008, 09:56 PM

Yeah, he definately lived in the 70s :p. Still, listen to him, while he's quitte not as articulate as Craven, Cronenberg, or Romero, Carpenter is nothing if not honest. He seems like a genuinely nice guy; looks like he'd be fun to share a drink with ;). He's very frank, very funny, and much smarter than I initially gave him credit for.

Yeah, sometimes I'm surprised by his frankess. In his liner notes for the Vampires soundtrack, he mentions how he and the other musicians used to like to go out and get "s***-faced drunk." Haha!! The book John Carpenter: The Prince of Darkness is a pretty good read for any fan. It's basically a really long interview with Carpenter that covers his early life, his film school days, his methodology, thoughts on filmmaking and the industry, and pretty much every movie all the way up to Ghosts of Mars.

Con Air is idiotic. But it knows that it's idiotic, and its willingness to embrace its own silliness leads it the same endearing goofiness as, say, a Stephen Sommers picture. It's nothing memorable (and many of the action scenes are pretty clumsy), but the opportunity to see so many indie actors with big guns is a hilarious treat all the same..

Yeah, what a great cast. I actually hated Con Air when I saw it in the theater. A few years later I saw it again on TV, and I actually liked it. Perhaps it just plays better on the small screen. "Put the bunny back in the box." :D

Harlan_Phoenix

04-29-2008, 10:02 PM

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Seriously, everyone I talk to about this film laughs off my attempts to suggest it's a marvelously touching and powerful movie; can't blame them since the commercials revolved around a toy shop (and with a G rating that doesn't spell anything wonderful for anyone over 6 years old) - but it's immensely touching, wonderfully deep, and an extremely powerful movie about the topic of death and the state of anomie we all experience while growing up.

I actually wanted to see this movie because the commercials had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibe, and it felt like it'd be the closest thing I'd ever get to a Great Glass Elevator adaptation.

I also realize that movie is probably nothing like Great Glass Elevator.

Hanshotfirst113

04-29-2008, 10:40 PM

I see. Thanks.

Anyway, would Del Toro's Chronos count as being underrated?

Well, I think so, but I'm a huge del Toro fanboy, so I'm biased ;). He's really risen to prominence in the wake of his Hollywood projects like Hellboy, Blade II, and his critically acclaimed personal project Pan's Labyrinth, of course, but I think that Mimic, while butchered by the Weinsteins beyond all recognition, still boasts some extraordinary images. I'd love to see del Toro do a sort of quasi-"Donner Cut" type of thing and try to piece together his original vision for the film as best he can for a DVD release. The Devil's Backbone is still my favorite del Toro film. I think that it's a brilliant masterpiece of intersecting politics, emotions, characterization, storytelling, supernatural, Gothic romance, and brilliant visuals. It deserves a much larger audience in wake of del Toro's recent success, especially with The Hobbit coming up around the bend. Cronos is hard to find, but it's a superb effort, a very Catholic-guilt type of tale about a man who had to die to learn how to live. They say that there are no new stories and that it's all in the telling, and if that's so, then del Toro deserves credit for making such a unique take on the vampire genre. His visuals are really like no one else's. So yeah, I'd be perfectly willing to with Cronos, especially given how hard it is to find. But as I say, I'm biased :D.

Yeah, sometimes I'm surprised by his frankness. In his liner notes for the Vampires soundtrack, he mentions how he and the other musicians used to like to go out and get "s***-faced drunk." Haha!!

There's a really hilarious piece in the Boogeymen II section where's he's interviewed.
"Before I watch a great film, I set it up on my home theater system and then I get really stoned."
"Does that enhance your experience?"
"I'm not gonna tell you! Go try it!"
LOL!

The book John Carpenter: The Prince of Darkness is a pretty good read for any fan.Definitely gotta check that out. Thanks!

It's basically a really long interview with Carpenter that covers his early life, his film school days, his methodology, thoughts on filmmaking and the industry, and pretty much every movie all the way up to Ghosts of Mars.

Yeah, what a great cast. I actually hated Con Air when I saw it in the theater. A few years later I saw it again on TV, and I actually liked it. Perhaps it just plays better on the small screen. "Put the bunny back in the box." :DYeah, it's definately a late-night cable type of movie. I've always loved Steve Buscemi's eerie killer ("Define 'irony'"), Colm Meany's cranky DEA man, M.C. Gainey's "white trash" pilot, and Dave Chapell's wisecracker. You can say a lot of things about Bruckheimer, but he sure know good actors, and laugh-out-loud jokes, and seeing John Cusack go from Say Anything to action hero is pretty hilarious!
"On any other day, that might seem strange."
It's the definition of a guilty pleasure. It's so stupid. It's so bad. Yet it's so much fun :D.

Dr. Daedalus

04-29-2008, 10:46 PM

Wow, 15 pages and nobody's mentioned UHF. A terribly underrated film that defined being swallowed up in bad head-to-head release matchups, which had tons of great quotables, a pre-Seinfeld Michael Richards, and some classic gag shows mixed in (Wheel of Fish, Raul's Wild Kingdom, and of course Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse). Sure, the story was kind of lacking at points and included (shudder) Fran Drescher, but it really didn't get in the way of things that much. I suppose only fans of Weird Al have seen this movie and it's kind of a shame. Good choice. A friend and I still quote that movie to this day. It may not be the most refined comedy out there, but it has more than its share of laughs anyway. One of my all-time favorite comedy movie lines came from this movie:
"I can't believe the incompetence in this place! People like that should be put to sleep." Just the way Kevin McCarthy as Fletcher delivers the line gets me every time.

Movie06

04-29-2008, 11:11 PM

Ok, anyone else feel that Cursed is kind of underrated? I mean The Weinsteins screwed up that film.

Robin2099

04-30-2008, 01:59 AM

Ok, anyone else feel that Cursed is kind of underrated? I mean The Weinsteins screwed up that film.

No. Weinsteins or not, that movie was plagued with problems from the very first moment, and pretty much would of sucked regardless.

Another fantastic documentary is about the genre is called Boogeymen II: Masters of Horror (not to be confused with the TV show). Unfortunately, I've only seen it show up very rarely on the sci-fi channel late at night in October, and cannot locate a DVD or VHS release anywhere. Bruce Campbell (YEAH!) host a series of interviews with a roster of genre greats (Carpenter, Craven, Stuart Gordon, my hero and my idol Guillermo del Toro, the boy from KNB FX, and on and on), with some great clips and insights similar to those in The American Nightmare. I'd give real money for a decent copy, but it doesn't appear to exist much of anywhere. I'll tape it if it ever comes on again though. The title leads me to believe that it's evidently a sequel, but I don't know of a first installment. ___________

It was supposed to be a sequel to Boogeymen:The Killer Compilation, which featured random clips from Friday the 13th. Halloween, The Dentist and other horror movies. After the crappy sales of that(I think I bought the only copy) and Ultimate Fights, they sold Boogeymen 2 to the Sci Fi channel.

Ajax

04-30-2008, 02:26 AM

Ok, anyone else feel that Cursed is kind of underrated? I mean The Weinsteins screwed up that film.You know I dont necessaily think that you could slap a "underrated" tag on every film that had it studio mess with its rating/production/editing whatever. Shockingly some films really were that bad. But i like how Movie06 keeps this thread alive by doing the whole "picking movies out of hat" thing. Good stuff.

Michael24

04-30-2008, 04:20 AM

There's a really hilarious piece in the Boogeymen II section where's he's interviewed.
"Before I watch a great film, I set it up on my home theater system and then I get really stoned."
"Does that enhance your experience?"
"I'm not gonna tell you! Go try it!"
LOL!

Haha!! Wow.

Definitely gotta check that out. Thanks!

There's also this (http://www.amazon.com/John-Carpenter-Adrienne-Barbeau/dp/B0001BKALC/ref=cm_lmf_tit_21) (no picture, of course). It's basically sort of an A&E Biography-style look at Carpenter's career, with comments from people he's worked with (Kurt Russell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Debra Hill, Roddy Piper, etc.). It's not bad, but at only 60 minutes, it brushes over some films and even skips a couple entirely. Not bad, but I'm sure a better one could have been made.

Yeah, it's definately a late-night cable type of movie. I've always loved Steve Buscemi's eerie killer ("Define 'irony'"), Colm Meany's cranky DEA man, M.C. Gainey's "white trash" pilot, and Dave Chapell's wisecracker. You can say a lot of things about Bruckheimer, but he sure know good actors, and laugh-out-loud jokes, and seeing John Cusack go from Say Anything to action hero is pretty hilarious!
"On any other day, that might seem strange."
It's the definition of a guilty pleasure. It's so stupid. It's so bad. Yet it's so much fun :D.

Colm Meaney was one of the highlights for me. I was so used to him on ST:TNG that it was hilarious to see him playing such a foul-mouthed hard-ass. And I just love how ridiculously-drawn out Malkovich's death is. First he gets handcuffed to the fire truck ladder, then thrown through the windows of an elevated walkway, then falls through some electrical lines, then finally ends up under the rock crusher outside the casino. LMAO!!! Wile E. Coyote would be proud! :D

Brad Redfield

04-30-2008, 04:58 AM

I'm gonna have to say The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Sure, the CG was obvious at points and the pacing was off during Reloaded and the dialogue was goofy at times but damn the action sequences were great. (The Burly Brawl is still one of my all-time favorite fights.) I loved how the Wachowskis opened their world up and created a compelling mythology that was superior to what was shown in The Matrix.

The messages and philosophical discussions were interesting but hurt both film's pacing. The Architect/reincarnation twist in Reloaded (Best trilogy twist since Vader was revealed as Luke's father, IMO.) and the final outcome in Revolutions were refreshing after so many trilogies ended with the typical happy ending.

...though I must admit, even back then the cliffhanger with Neo being trapped in the Trainman's station was tiring. How many trilogies does that make now that one of the characters gets trapped/caught at the end of the second film and having the other characters rescue them in the beginning of the third? Star Wars, Back to the Future, Pirates of the Carribean...Sometimes writers need to lay off of Joseph Campbell. :p

All in all though, I really enjoyed the sequels and found them to be very underrated.

Hanshotfirst113

04-30-2008, 09:51 AM

Ok, anyone else feel that Cursed is kind of underrated? I mean The Weinsteins screwed up that film.

No. Weinsteins or not, that movie was plagued with problems from the very first moment, and pretty much would of sucked regardless.

Cursed was probably the most utterly mediocre movie that I've ever seen in my life. I don't think it was out-and-out bad, just utterly forgettable. Which is in some ways even worse, I think. It looked like a total "work for hire" with zero passion. It could've been written and directed by anybody. If we're talking about Craven, I'd say New Nightmare is one of his most intriguing and perhaps underrated. It's a fascinating concept, but I think that it ultimately paints itself into a corner about halfway and just becomes another "Freddy vs. whomever with SPFX" Elm Street sequel. Images and ideas have always been more Craven's strong suit than words, like most genre filmmakers, but New Nightmare predates Scream by a few years, and it's nothing if not ambitious. Craven fuses his horror filmmaker job with his old profession as and English professor with intriguing results.

It was supposed to be a sequel to Boogeymen:The Killer Compilation, which featured random clips from Friday the 13th. Halloween, The Dentist and other horror movies. After the crappy sales of that(I think I bought the only copy) and Ultimate Fights, they sold Boogeymen 2 to the Sci Fi channel.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. You'd think that the interviews with people of that calibur would at least merit a release as a DVD extra or something.

There's also this (http://www.amazon.com/John-Carpenter-Adrienne-Barbeau/dp/B0001BKALC/ref=cm_lmf_tit_21) (no picture, of course). It's basically sort of an A&E Biography-style look at Carpenter's career, with comments from people he's worked with (Kurt Russell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Debra Hill, Roddy Piper, etc.). It's not bad, but at only 60 minutes, it brushes over some films and even skips a couple entirely. Not bad, but I'm sure a better one could have been made.

I believe that there's a DVD of "The Directors" series of him, though I could be mistaken.

Colm Meaney was one of the highlights for me. I was so used to him on ST:TNG that it was hilarious to see him playing such a foul-mouthed hard-ass.

"Of course you can't reach him. He's off saving the rainforest, or recycling his sandals or something!"

And I just love how ridiculously-drawn out Malkovich's death is. First he gets handcuffed to the fire truck ladder, then thrown through the windows of an elevated walkway, then falls through some electrical lines, then finally ends up under the rock crusher outside the casino. LMAO!!! Wile E. Coyote would be proud! :D

You know, in a lot of way, I think that you could make a compelling case for the influence of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery on modern action films as many of them grow increasingly absurd. Really.

Lonestarr

04-30-2008, 09:58 AM

No. Weinsteins or not, that movie was plagued with problems from the very first moment, and pretty much would of sucked regardless.

"...would have sucked..." I'm sorry, but this error is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Oh, and I do agree that Cursed bit the big one.

Movie06

04-30-2008, 01:27 PM

I believe that there's a DVD of "The Directors" series of him, though I could be mistaken.

Well, Craven has a "The Directors" DVD episode about him. But that one's an extra on The Hills Have Eyes 2-Disc DVD.

And I do think Cursed sucked as well. I was just curious if anyone feels that it's underrated although a Wes Craven werewolf movie had potential.

Michael24

04-30-2008, 10:23 PM

If we're talking about Craven, I'd say New Nightmare is one of his most intriguing and perhaps underrated.

New Nightmare was actually the first Freddy movie I ever saw. Craven actually wanted to utilize that same idea for the third film, but the studio thought it was "too cerebral" and that audiences wouldn't understand it. It's also been said he returned to that idea for the seventh film because he watched all of them prior, couldn't make heads or tails of the storyline as developed by the sequels, and thought making an entry separate from the others was the only way he could do a seventh film. :)

I believe that there's a DVD of "The Directors" series of him, though I could be mistaken.

I have the Spielberg and Zemeckis DVDs on my NetFlix, but there isn't one for Carpenter. Was The Directors just a special DVD series, or was it a cable series or something? I'd never heard of it until I found those ones on NetFlix.

Movie06

04-30-2008, 11:21 PM

New Nightmare was actually the first Freddy movie I ever saw. Craven actually wanted to utilize that same idea for the third film, but the studio thought it was "too cerebral" and that audiences wouldn't understand it. It's also been said he returned to that idea for the seventh film because he watched all of them prior, couldn't make heads or tails of the storyline as developed by the sequels, and thought making an entry separate from the others was the only way he could do a seventh film. :)

New Nightmare's awesome. I didn't like it at first because it didn't have the character Freddy I know and love but now I like it alot. It's a great Horror film that I enjoy over and over.

I have the Spielberg and Zemeckis DVDs on my NetFlix, but there isn't one for Carpenter. Was The Directors just a special DVD series, or was it a cable series or something? I'd never heard of it until I found those ones on NetFlix.

I remember that show, it used to air on Encore. I saw the James Cameron episode and the Wes Craven episode.

socialcrawl

05-06-2008, 05:03 PM

Georgia Rules Starting Jane Fonda Felicity Hufman And Lindsay Lohan . The Acting In This Film Is The Best.the Story Line Is So Reality.

Bones Justice

05-19-2008, 12:46 PM

Here's some of mine:

The Batman vs. Dracula - the best Batman movie ever. Lots of great action!

Daredevil (director's cut) - great superhero film, much better than the Spidey or X-Men films.

The Last Starfighter - wow, I really love this movie! I got a lot of laughs out of this one. I so wish there had been a sequel.

The Golden Child - again, a lot of laughs. I thought this was Eddie Murphy's best film, a lot better the Beverly Hills Cop.

The Cat in the Hat - I avoided this because I heard it was horrible. I finally saw it on cable and was surprised by how funny it was! Mike Meyers is great as the Cat. The story is kind of ho-hum but most of the Cat's bits are hilarious!

Howard the Duck - another misunderstood movie. Tim Robbins and Jeffery Jones had some really funny lines in this movie. I guess people thought Howard was supposed to be cute or something.

K9 - this movie is always rated at one star but it's a really enjoyable film. Okay, it's a run-of-the-mill plot for a buddy-cop movie but it's really about Belushi's character learning to live with the dog. Those scenes make the movie fun.

Captain America - totally a B-movie but still not nearly as bad as people say. Far better than most of the superhero films at the time.

Judge Dredd was a fun one.

I loved the beginning. But after Dredd gets arrested, it just becomes your standard Stallone action-flick. Not only should Dredd never be seen without the helmet, but all of the satire from the comic is sucked out of the movie's story as it becomes all serious. They needed to have some of the comic's ironic endings, too.

The Hudsucker Proxy seems a bit underrated.

Agreed, I loved that movie. I was really surprised when it bombed.

Basil the Great Mouse Detective is a highly underrated Disney movie, everyone always goes on about the others but they seem to forget this beauty. The artwork, story and characters are just brilliant

Yes, agreed! This is one of Disney's finest works.

Not me. I own the DVD proud, and I look forward to - one day - the soundtrack being released in full. remastered. glory.

The Black Hole is an interesting film. And VINCENT is my all-time favorite robot from sci-fi. I never really understood the attraction to R2D2 or C3PO.

I think Grosse Pointe Blank is really underrated, actually. It was fresh, fun and John Cusack and his other cast members pulled off great performances.

And the soundtrack? Perfection.

Agreed. I thought Dan Akroyd was great, too.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow-Now THIS is a movie so underrated it's downright criminal.

This movie should have been a franchise. Nobody seems to enjoy action movies like this anymore for some stupid reason.

DarkAngel

05-19-2008, 01:07 PM

The Batman vs. Dracula - the best Batman movie ever. Lots of great action!
I prefer MOTP and ROTJ, but I did enjoy it, moreso than I would have thought. Definitely some good stuff there.

Daredevil (director's cut) - great superhero film, much better than the Spidey or X-Men films.
Oh, boy. And I thought I was the only one. Yeah, the Daredevil DC is one of my favorite superhero movies. Loved it. I've considered it the best Marvel movie, though I might have to re-consider that after Iron Man.

I loved the beginning.
Same. But after that, things quickly began to suck.

And I'll throw my support behind The Great Mouse Detective and Sky Captain. The latter was relatively well-reviewed. Did it suffer at the box office?

I'd also put the SW prequels, the two Matrix sequels, and The Godfather, part III on my list of underrated/underappreciated movies.

DA

Hanshotfirst113

05-21-2008, 12:05 AM

I've got to throw another one in here that I just saw this morning: Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break. While the English language doesn't have words for how idiotic the plot (if it can be called that) is, and the acting is rather hammy (Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, and Patrick Swayze, there's a duel of giants), Bigelow's direction is positively electric. THIS is how you stage an action sequence. Full of spectacular sky-diving and surfing photography, she and her ASC DP Don Peterman make the film crackle with life. It's like a comic book brought to life, with a unique vibe to it, and even the most ridiculous dialogue sounds fun. It's a great pulp fiction piece, and even if it's just one of the many gimmicky Top Gun and Lethal Weapon knockoffs that came out during the time period, Bigelow treats it like she's gotten the opportunity to make something far better, her crackling direction makes for a great cult item, something that manages a level of uniqueness when it was probably intended as nothing more that a factory-line shoot'em up.

Desensitized

05-21-2008, 12:20 AM

Hanshotfirst113

05-21-2008, 01:22 AM

Hot Fuzz gave me newfound appreciation for that movie. (Unlike Bad Boys 2... Which will probably never change in my mind) It is a pretty fun watch. Mindless, but it is very fun and a bit different.

Ah, Bad Boys II. Bay at his Bay-y-iest. But let's not get onto that subject...

Point Break is no masterpiece by a long shot, it's really overlong (It could do with some judicious trimming, and takes nearly an hour to get going). Bigelow doesn't deconstruct genre cliches or indeed even try to bring anything new to the narrative (same old, same old), but her visual approach is lots of fun, and she really gives the action scenes a lot of snap. Again, there's nothing intrinsically special about the movie, but it's a great snapshot of the times of early 90s action filmmaking, and there's something in it that just feels so...alive, which something that I can't say for many action flicks. At least the action in Point Break actually gets the adrenaline pumping. It's not necessarily because of great suspense (the stock characters don't exactly engender a lot of empathy, though Swayze's weirdo Zen-master surfer is sort of unique), or even wild creativity, but a certain great craftsmanship. Bigelow's choreography of actors, vehicles, shootouts, and on and on is very crisp and punchy. It's certainly better than a lot of other genre fare from the same period, IMO.

Movie06

05-21-2008, 02:01 PM

Not to mention Point Break earned itself to be parodied on the Clerks cartoon.

Desensitized

05-21-2008, 05:02 PM

Itself an underrated cartoon.

'I named him Ghost like that movie I did!'
'Gotcha.'
'Swayze, get back here and clean up after these cats!'
...
'Let's go, Point Break.'
'I thought you said his name was Ghost?'
'I did... Point Break is his last name.'

On topic, though. There was a lot of me-too action movies in that era. It seems a lot were trying to capitalize on Speed's success. None of them were good or memorable, though. Anyone remember 'Blown Away'?

... No, didn't think so.

Michael24

05-21-2008, 05:08 PM

Actually, I really liked Blown Away and wish it hadn't gotten caught in the shadow of Speed. Jeff Bridges, Tommy Lee Jones, and Forest Whitaker were great. Excellent Alan Silvestri score, too.

And since it was directed by Stephen Hopkins, that reminded me of his Judgment Night, which I thought was a pretty solid little suspense piece. Many people seem to just write it off because it stars Emilio Estevez, but I thought it was rather good, and Denis Leary was deliciously-evil. :D

Hanshotfirst113

05-21-2008, 09:56 PM

I think that Bridges has always been a much-underrated actor. Films like The Fisher King and Carpenter's Starman showcase him in really brilliant performances, and he's long been under appreciated, IMO. On that subject, The Fisher King is much underrated, a transposition of the Arthurian Legend into modern NYC, full of great Gilliam imagination, humor, and heart.

Michael24

05-21-2008, 10:04 PM

Yeah, many people don't seem to know that he even got a Best Actor Oscar nod for Starman.

mookie75

05-22-2008, 12:44 AM

Yeah, many people don't seem to know that he even got a Best Actor Oscar nod for Starman.

I didn't even realize that was him in that movie. Then again, I saw Starman for the first time on cable a year or so ago. I missed the first 1/4 of it, but I really liked what I did see.

Robin2099

05-22-2008, 01:54 AM

On topic, though. There was a lot of me-too action movies in that era. It seems a lot were trying to capitalize on Speed's success. None of them were good or memorable, though. Anyone remember 'Blown Away'?

Blown Away was made the same time Speed was. Unfortunately it came out two months after Speed and that pretty much killed it. Still a decent flick though.

I've got to throw another one in here that I just saw this morning: Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break. While the English language doesn't have words for how idiotic the plot (if it can be called that) is, and the acting is rather hammy (Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, and Patrick Swayze, there's a duel of giants), Bigelow's direction is positively electric. THIS is how you stage an action sequence. Full of spectacular sky-diving and surfing photography, she and her ASC DP Don Peterman make the film crackle with life. It's like a comic book brought to life, with a unique vibe to it, and even the most ridiculous dialogue sounds fun. It's a great pulp fiction piece, and even if it's just one of the many gimmicky Top Gun and Lethal Weapon knockoffs that came out during the time period, Bigelow treats it like she's gotten the opportunity to make something far better, her crackling direction makes for a great cult item, something that manages a level of uniqueness when it was probably intended as nothing more that a factory-line shoot'em up.

I don't really know if you could call it underrated. While it didn't do as well as hoped in theaters, it still made a respectable amount of money and a killing in rentals and VHS sales. Plus the movie oftentimes ends up in in critics lists of best Action movies.

Between this and Roadhouse(and to a lesser extent, Next of Kin) Swayze cemented his status as king of the stupid action movie.