Comments on: Underrated Movies

Underrated Movies

Iridic — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:32:41 -0800

Notes on 124 underappreciated films.

To wit:

49th Parallel

The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T

Act of Violence

Alice's Restaurant

Antz

Apartment Zero

Artists and Models

The Atomic Cafe

The Ballad of Cable Hogue

Ball of Fire

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Below

The Big Easy

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey

Black Narcissus

Blast of Silence

Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice

Bright Young Things

Brother From Another Planet

Caught

Charley Varrick

Clockwatchers

Closer

The Court Jester

Defending Your Life

Demolition Man

Destry Rides Again

Diva

Doubt

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Electra Glide in Blue

Encounters at the End of the World

The Falcon and the Snowman

The Fireman's Ball

For a Few Dollars More

Fort Apache

Frenzy

Funny Bones

Funny Ha Ha

The Girl Can't Help It

Gold Diggers of 1933

The Great McGinty

Hamlet 2

Hard Rain

Happy Go Lucky

Hero

Holiday

Hopscotch

Il Posto

In the Loop

It's Always Fair Weather

Jackie Chan's First Strike

Jump Tomorrow

Junebug

Kansas City

Killer of Sheep

Killer's Kiss

The Killing

Kind Hearts and Coronets

King of Kong

Kiss Me, Stupid

Kontroll

La Ronde

The Landlord

The Lineup

The Little Fugitive

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner

Lost in America

Love and Death on Long Island

Lover Come Back

Manhattan Murder Mystery

Metroland

Metropolitan

Miami Blues

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

Mirage

Monkey Business

Monsieur Hire

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)

Murder By Contract

The Murder of Fred Hampton

Never Cry Wolf

Next Stop, Greenwich Village

Nothing But a Man

One False Move

Prick Up Your Ears

Pulp

Queen Christina

Real Life

Red Eye

The Red House

Reprise

Saboteur

Safety Last

Salesman

Scarlet Street

The Scorpion King

The Secret Lives of Dentists

Shattered

Shoot to Kill

Simple Men

Slums of Beverly Hills

The Small Back Room

Smile

The Sniper

Son of Paleface

Stage Door

Summer of Sam

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight

Tension

Terminal Velocity

The Thin Blue Line

To Live and Die in L.A.

Trading Places

Two For the Road

Unfaithfully Yours

Vera Cruz

Victim

Walkabout

Waterland

Went the Day Well?

Where The Sidewalk Ends

Who's That Knocking At My Door?

The White Sheik

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:38:14 -0800

Victim, Darling, and The Servant are all three amazing with Dick Bograde acting his ass off. Also I thought Slums Of Beverly Hills was a fondly recalled sleeper or was that just by me?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:42:12 -0800

(and some of these are very well-known favorites in my social circle which really says more about my friends...Summer Of Sam is better then it should be and Queen Christina? Seriously? Underrated? it's film history 101 and there's an entire sequence The Dreamers where they bond over having memorized the bedroom scene.) Anyway, pointless sniping. I like movies. I like lists. I should probobly pop open netflix in another tab....

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:48:14 -0800

Wow, fantastic. It even covers The Scorpion King in a way that actually made me think about the movie. But those Brought To You By end-bits are taunts: after the concise summaries of the movies, a mere tagline and cover art from a comic, but no more! I want to know more about the comics and pulp novels!

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:48:43 -0800

I've liked or loved every movie on this list* that I've seen, so putting the rest in my Netflix queue seems like a good idea -- particularly because the list can be divided into "movies I've seen" and "movies I've never heard of" -- which is wonderfully rare. * Exception -- I can't honestly say that I liked/loved Clockwatchers because I found it so jump-out-a-window depressing.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:50:43 -0800

Great list. My wife suffered through my endless praise of For A Few Dollars More until she finally watched it and realized I was right.

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:51:04 -0800

Nice list, not sure that I agree with all of it but any friend of "Brother from Another Planet" is a friend of mine.

By: incomple

incomple — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:52:15 -0800

Yeah, agreed with The Whelk. I'd say some of these films are basically canonical, certainly within their respective genres, but why pick nits? Movies are awesome.

By: cairnish

cairnish — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:52:37 -0800

Heh, "King of Kong" came up yesterday as a men's clothing shop clerk was recommending it to me as ... an under-appreciated film. So now I guess I *have* to put on my to-do list.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:54:17 -0800

Stage Door and Black Narcissus are two of my favorite movies, I've watched them countless times.

By: likeso

likeso — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:54:27 -0800

Some background on Australian director Matt Bird, who seems to be the author of the insightful critiques on this blog: wikipedia and imdb.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:54:35 -0800

Props to including "Demolition Man." Because of the shells.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:55:27 -0800

Also Red Eye is a really well-made example of a locked room thriller and is just generally neat and Murphy is so very very creepy.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:56:27 -0800

Some background on Australian director I thought the author had to be Not British cause several of these are not-at-all underrated in the UK

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:57:07 -0800

That five-minute opening sequence he talks about in Brother From Another Planet is indeed INCREDIBLE.

By: davebush

davebush — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:57:44 -0800

I'm so, so happy "Lost in America" is on this list. This movie deserves far more recognition. It's quoted endlessly in my house.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:57:48 -0800

Queen Christina? Seriously? Underrated? it's film history 101 and there's an entire sequence The Dreamers where they bond over having memorized the bedroom scene. It's kind of weird that I was going to say exactly this.

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:58:45 -0800

I'm one of the few people who saw Manhattan Murder Mystery before seeing Annie Hall and I'm pretty much underwhelmed by it, so I keep forgetting to go back and watching it in light of the fact that it's simultaneously Annie Hall 0 and Annie Hall 2.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:59:40 -0800

King of Kong really was fantastic. And not just for gamers, retro or otherwise. Glad to know somebody out there agrees with me on the Bill and Ted sequel, too. Although I usually only try and make that case after a few drinks and in the company of very close friends. Who still largely disagree, but I digress.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:50 -0800

Son of Paleface? Seriously? Ugh.

By: item

item — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:51 -0800

I'm not sure I understand where they're getting 'underappreciated' from - most of these are highly reviewed/rated/regarded, to say the least.

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:01:01 -0800

Excellent blog that thus far has put together an extremely thorough list of films, none of which I can immediately shout, "But that was awful!" In other words, I love this kind of stuff. But seriously, Iridic, I think you could have put a little more time into the construction of this post. not serious

By: item

item — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:01:54 -0800

...and Antz is a terrible movie.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:03:56 -0800

Yay! Someone who enjoys Demolition Man as much as I do... Wait.

The same critics that hated this movie were busy overpraising Paul Verhoeven's ultra-violent futuristic epics. Some of those movies weren't bad, but I always found Verhoeven's satirical elements to be juvenile and simplistic in movies like Robocop and Starship Troopers.

This man is not to be trusted.

By: ricochet biscuit

ricochet biscuit — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:04:03 -0800

Anyone compiling a list of underrated movies gets a huge boost in credibility of they include To Live and Die in L.A.. I have watched it at least a dozen times since its first release, and it never gets stale.

By: item

item — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:04:27 -0800

Summer of Sam is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of fucking movies.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:05:39 -0800

I'm not sure I understand where they're getting 'underappreciated' from - most of these are highly reviewed/rated/regarded, to say the least. My take was that it's a question of whether the films are sufficiently appreciated by film viewers generally, even if they are highly reviewed/rated/regarded. The term "underrated" is common enough in the vernacular that the choice of the term "underappreciated" rather than "underrated" seems, to me, intentional. It is not a list of underrated, underreviewed, or underregarded films, but a list of underappreciated films. If that makes sense.

By: diogenes

diogenes — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:05:59 -0800

I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm definitely going to start telling everyone that Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey is an underrated gem.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:06:15 -0800

Summer of Sam is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of fucking movies. If you were expecting it to be of that particular genre, it's no wonder you were disappointed.

By: item

item — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:06:18 -0800

What? Demolition Man over PV's epics? Yeah, no.

By: diogenes

diogenes — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:06:54 -0800

I mean underrappreciated...

By: absalom

absalom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:07:01 -0800

Yes.

By: Huck500

Huck500 — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:08:06 -0800

Jackie Chan's First Strike contains some of his very best action gags, and is definitely worth watching, but as a whole Supercop and Armour of the Gods 2: Operation Condor (just Operation Condor in the US) are the better movies from that era. That said, Jackie jumping through the steps of a stepladder feet first still blows me away. I'll have to watch Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey again, I remember it being awful. The first movie is now unwatchable, I agree with that. Demolition Man is somewhat interesting for the time, but I couldn't get through it recently. Robocop, though, I still enjoy, and Starship Troopers is one of my favorite movies. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is great. Interesting list.

By: adamdschneider

adamdschneider — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:10:13 -0800

On Demolition Man: This movie forms an informal trilogy with two other Andre Gregory movies, My Dinner With Andre and Vanya on 42nd Street. X-D

By: benito.strauss

benito.strauss — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:20:58 -0800

they include To Live and Die in L.A.. I have watched it at least a dozen times since its first release, and it never gets stale. The weird thing about that movie, for me, is that I think it's really good at setting a mood, in no small part due to the soundtrack by Wang Chung. I like Wang Chung as a guilty pleasure (everybody wang chung tonight!), but I have trouble convincing people that they are excellent artists.

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:24:46 -0800

Love that this blog mentions Ophüls, twice. "The Reckless Moment" is not on this list probably because it's hard to find on DVD, but here's a post from another blog that talks about it. The story is that Columbia refused to give Ophüls the budget to construct two sets to set up his infamous dolly shots, which plunged him into depression. It's still a perfect film. All the movies on the list are excellent or sound excellent too. Thanks for this find.

By: absalom

absalom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:24:46 -0800

I would like to disagree with something: Trading Places is already a comedy classic, not underrated.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:24:57 -0800

Kind Hearts and Coronets is criminally overlooked and one of my favorite films. Alec Guiness...yes, that Alec Guiness...steals the movie, playing every one of the (mostly) deserving victims.

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:25:49 -0800

Yikes, I just saw all the work that the OP put into linking and alphabetizing the list. Cheers!

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:27:01 -0800

they include To Live and Die in L.A.. I have watched it at least a dozen times since its first release, and it never gets stale. It's sad that that movie is about the last good thing that Friedkin has done.

By: IAmBroom

IAmBroom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:27:49 -0800

Missing Da, one of the greatest films I've ever seen. But I'm not surprised; it flew not just under the radar, but under the treeline. -- ...and Antz is a terrible movie. item, you are dead to me.

By: Wemmick

Wemmick — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:28:42 -0800

I love Kontroll, and Caught especially is an unknown gem - Max Ophüls seems to be consistently underappreciated. Excellent list.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:29:36 -0800

Yikes, I just saw all the work that the OP put into linking and alphabetizing the list. It makes up for the lack of an alphabetized list on the site itself, in the sidebar.

By: JHarris

JHarris — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:30:51 -0800

Awesome post! I just found out about the Alice's Restaurant movie like a couple of days ago. Son of Paleface looks like I should hunt it up too. But what I really like is the comic book cover postscript on each one. HE WAS TRAPPED BY ANIMALS IN THE CENTER OF TOWN! AND WHY NOT? IT WAS THEIR TOWN!

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:31:26 -0800

I thought Summer of Sam was fantastic, but perhaps I suspended my critical judgment after rocking out to the two Who montages. Gotta get to class so I will elaborate later (maybe) but there is just something about that film that is so evocative.

By: Sailormom

Sailormom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:38:21 -0800

Summer of Sam is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of fucking movies.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:39:06 -0800

Also I promise I will stop harping on this all the damn time but everyone please go see Junebug.

By: kmz

kmz — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:45:10 -0800

Ugh, Hero. Just... ugh. (Hooray for Legalism!)

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:45:57 -0800

Also Kontroll is an absolutely amazing film. Just completely fucking brilliant.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:47:48 -0800

YAY! there are so many of these movies that I 100% agree with on with this guy. The Falcon and the Snowman!! Hero!!!!(!!) Antz!!! Bill and Ted's Bogus Jouney!! Best. Post. Ever. Oh and Walkabout too! I really need to get that one on DVD and see it as it's meant to be seen. I've only ever seen it on a shitty 70's color TV, censored and cut apart by commercials. Our local independent channel showed it a few times as their 3:00 movie and I remember it being fantastic, even though I never got home early enough from school to ever catch the beginning. Oh and Demolition Man and The Scorpion King are awesome, I don't care what anyone else thinks.

By: OverlappingElvis

OverlappingElvis — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:48:25 -0800

The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T was my favorite movie as a kid, and I'm always pleasantly shocked when someone else has heard of it. I bought (and later lost) the DVD in college, but for a few years I forced pretty much all of my friends to watch it - I think that whether or not somebody gets just how awesome The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T is a pretty good test for how good of a person they are. The soundtrack is also absolutely phenomenal - I should really buy the new remastered release, since the rip from vinyl I have on my iPod is pretty bad quality. Did I mention that I'm a huge fan of The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T?

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:49:09 -0800

I'll have to watch Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey again, I remember it being awful. The first movie is now unwatchable, I agree with that. Oh Hell No, this cannot stand. I love the first Bill & Ted's. The second one is merely station.

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:52:03 -0800

but for a few years I forced pretty much all of my friends to watch it - I think that whether or not somebody gets just how awesome The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T is a pretty good test for how good of a person they are. I was on acid the first time I saw it (on a big screen at a local rep theater). I loved it. Does that make me a good person?

By: OverlappingElvis

OverlappingElvis — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:54:20 -0800

philip-random: Yes.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:54:57 -0800

Yikes, I just saw all the work that the OP put into linking and alphabetizing the list. Not all that much, actually. If you scroll down far enough, most of the films are listed on the sidebar; I just pulled the html from source and did a little tweaking. I spent the majority of composition time wavering between "underrated" and "underappreciated."

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:56:37 -0800

The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T was my favorite movie as a kid There have been days where I would not have had the ability to get out of bed if not for this song

By: Elly Vortex

Elly Vortex — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:13:26 -0800

Ah, "Alice's Restaurant". The perfect Thanksgiving movie. For Thanksgiving with your friends - not necessarily Cranky Aunt Edna.

By: tigrefacile

tigrefacile — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:13:53 -0800

Waaaaay too much to take in, but bookmarked for a rainy day, thanks.

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:17:56 -0800

Also, the 5000 Fingers of Dr T was a fave back in high school during our "smoke pot and see if this synchs up with Monster Magnet" phase.

By: item

item — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:19:46 -0800

To be honest, I don't really even remember what it was about Summer of Sam that I hated so much, it's been so long now since I've seen it. I seem to recall it feeling really inauthentic, like Lee just mushed together every cultural & social event of the time period in a really awkward manner. Punk, disco, hustlers, serial killers, all paths lead to the same place in his film. It felt clumsy, like everything Lee learned about the 70's he learned from watching Nick at Nite reruns. I like a lot of shitty movies, though, and am in no way judging anyone for liking SoS or any other film - well, there're probably a few I'd judge you for liking. Rob Zombie's movies come to mind.

By: ovvl

ovvl — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:20:35 -0800

You'll want to check out Never Cry Wolf. It really is quite stunning. And hard to believe that it is a Disney production.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:21:13 -0800

I liked it because it was so goddamned messy. Like he really was trying to describe THE ENTIRE 70s AT ONCE and it ended up in a much less conventional, more hallucinatory place.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:26:58 -0800

and it has great musical sequences and I'm a sucker for a good montage.

By: haveanicesummer

haveanicesummer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:27:27 -0800

As soon as I saw this post I yelled UNFAITHFULLY YOURS and was delighted to see it made the list. It was a flop on release and is sometimes mentioned as having killed Preston Sturges career which is an absolute tragedy. The usual perfect Sturges dialogue meets some positively sublime slapstick. The slow and steady unraveling of Rex Harrison's character as reality repeatedly fails to live up to his fantasies is a wonder to behold. The recording device scene may be one of my favorite ever moments on film. Available on Netflix streaming! GO WATCH IT NOW!

By: absalom

absalom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:29:21 -0800

You should click his "Hero Project" tag. Good stuff.

By: lonefrontranger

lonefrontranger — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:30:44 -0800

on further review, the entire blog is fantastic, thank you Iridic!! My FIL happens to be an indie producer in Albuqerque thus has been introducing me & the mister to some fascinating not-so-well known gems of the industry. He's more of a book reader than an internet guy, so I shall have to see if he's heard of this blog or the author.

By: quin

quin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:44:05 -0800

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight Such an underrated movie. It's worth seeing just for the fantastic moment where Billy Zane finally has enough playing cat and mouse, and offers this piece of wisdom: "Fuck this cowboy shit! You fucking ho-dunk, po-dunk, well then there motherfuckers!" It doesn't matter how many other great roles Zane may go on to do, as far as I'm concerned, this line is his best and most perfect scene of all time. And Demolition Man isn't underrated! It's an absurdly prescient guide to our future that is slowly coming true, one ridiculous scene at a time. And I for one welcome the three seashells and fine dining at Taco Bell.

By: kyrademon

kyrademon — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:05:48 -0800

At first, I came here to post that I am thrilled to find that someone actually agrees with me about Antz. Now, I guess I am here to post that Item is dead to me.

By: bobo123

bobo123 — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:07:27 -0800

they include To Live and Die in L.A.. I have watched it at least a dozen times since its first release, and it never gets stale. From the blog: How it Came to be Underrated: Peterson connected right away with critics but audiences never embraced him as a movie star. Ironically, he would need to add twenty pounds, go gray, and start his own TV show before he finally fulfilled his early promise. Unfortunately, I have to agree with that. I think the two films To Live and Die in L.A. and the also underrated Manhunter would have been much more popular if they were starring someone other than William Peterson. There's just something a little bland about him in those movies.

By: audacity

audacity — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:10:31 -0800

All of these reviews are very well done. The author even does a good job of explaining why he thinks movies that I think are/were pretty popular (Doubt, Trading Places) are "underappreciated." Did anyone else watch Junebug and think it was really strikingly similar to True Stories? Like, True Stories if it were set in North Carolina instead of Texas? I need this feeling validated by others.

By: not_that_epiphanius

not_that_epiphanius — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:14:24 -0800

There's a cool moment in To Live and Die when the counterfeit money presses start up, and the sound from them determines the rhythm for the Wang Chung song that starts up.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:22:50 -0800

Wang Chung was a seriously underappreciated band.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:35:38 -0800

I'm going to go on record and say The Girl Can't Help It is the greatest film ever made.

By: pleasebekind

pleasebekind — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:37:40 -0800

Other links on the sidebar menu are worth a look. I find "The Hero Project" really interesting: Are All Heroes On The Same Journey? The Character Creation Checklist Why Does the Villain Fail? Inconvenient Revelations

By: Decani

Decani — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:48:36 -0800

Well, it's certainly true that "Bogus Journey" is about five times as good as "Excellent Adventure". I remember seeing "The Atomic Cafe" when it came out, and thoroughly enjoying it.

By: Decani

Decani — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:49:11 -0800

I still say "Antz" was shite, though.

By: yeloson

yeloson — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:49:31 -0800

Ugh, Hero. Just... ugh. (Hooray for Legalism!) I always read it the other way around. At the end, no one is happy, including the Emperor, entire scholarly/philosophical cultures are destroyed, the amazing people of distinction are killed/driven into hiding, and the tide of yes-men who will obey any order, no matter how horrible, run the system. In comparison, Battle of Wits, had a similar theme, though the protagonist of that story never bought into the idea that unification would naturally lead to peace.

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:51:37 -0800

It doesn't matter how many other great roles Zane may go on to do, as far as I'm concerned, this line is his best and most perfect scene of all time. And Demolition Man isn't underrated! It's an absurdly prescient guide to our future that is slowly coming true, one ridiculous scene at a time. favorited for the Billy Zane link. As for Demolition Man, if a movie stars Ahnold Scwartzenberger and he's not playing either himself (a narcissistic muscle man) or an android, it can't by definition be under-rated, because no such movie could ever be rated low enough.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:54:31 -0800

As for Demolition Man, if a movie stars Ahnold Scwartzenberger and he's not playing either himself (a narcissistic muscle man) or an android, it can't by definition be under-rated, because no such movie could ever be rated low enough. He's not in Demolition Man.

By: Sticherbeast

Sticherbeast — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:56:48 -0800

they include To Live and Die in L.A.. I have watched it at least a dozen times since its first release, and it never gets stale. It's sad that that movie is about the last good thing that Friedkin has done. I disagree entirely. To be honest, I'd say that The Hunted and Bug are two more excellent examples of underrated movies. This is a great list, except for the fact that Hamlet 2 is fucking awful.

By: adamdschneider

adamdschneider — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:15:46 -0800

At the end, no one is happy, including the Emperor, entire scholarly/philosophical cultures are destroyed, the amazing people of distinction are killed/driven into hiding, and the tide of yes-men who will obey any order, no matter how horrible, run the system. I would amend this only to say that the final scene seems to show that the system is running the emperor at that point, since he is obliged to obey it at the expense of his own wishes. The yes men aren't obeying the order, they are generating it; it's a consequence of the system he has created and is now a slave to (sort of).

By: quin

quin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:29:24 -0800

This is a great list, except for the fact that Hamlet 2 is fucking awful. I was going to disagree, preparing to cite the argument that it was subtly built narrative which both paid homage to Shakespeare and Tom Stoppard's work, while at the same time going a further into the layers of meta self-referential-ness, when I realized that I wasn't thinking of Hamlet 2, but Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead. I didn't hate Hamlet 2 though. Coogan is just too likable for that.

By: yoyo_nyc

yoyo_nyc — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:34:56 -0800

How about "The night porter?"

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:35:21 -0800

On the one hand: if you replaced Ethan Hawke with Campbell Scott in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead you'd go from well-written-but-miscast indie to something with a higher quality. On the other, the inclusion and insightful review of Simple Men is great. Sad to see how Hartley has fallen off the grid.

By: cottoncandybeard

cottoncandybeard — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:52:36 -0800

I was hoping he was referring to a different Monkey Business

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:53:05 -0800

Wow, Trading Places? I love that movie but I thought it was still highly regarded as far as 80s comedies go. Maybe he's right though; I can't think of a good Dan Ackroyd movie since Grosse Point Blank and Eddie Murphy hasn't been in funny movies in decades. People might be forgetting.

By: Flashman

Flashman — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:01:08 -0800

Waterland is one of the most moving films I've ever seen. I can still remember how it felt. I'm glad somebody else hasn't forgotten about it.

By: P.o.B.

P.o.B. — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:01:20 -0800

Funny? Murphy has been in 3 or 4 Shrek movies in the past decade but the last "good" film he was in was probably Bowfinger. He was fantastic in that and now that I'm looking at his filmography he also did Life in '99, which is a highly underappreciated film.

By: sneebler

sneebler — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:04:29 -0800

Great stuff altogether. Having devoted much of the last ten years of my life to parenting, I feel like I've missed out on a lot of movies, and this is like a guide to a huge trove I never knew existed. Fabulous website, and the comments here are very interesting.

By: P.o.B.

P.o.B. — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:08:00 -0800

And if anyone wants to see Spike Lee do a great pastiche of what it was like in the earlty '70s, for him at least, check out Crooklyn.

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:17:06 -0800

Funny? Murphy has been in 3 or 4 Shrek movies in the past decade I think I'm the minority on the Shrek movies--I found they're basically a bunch of booger-and-fart jokes and corny kids joke-book gags. I thought the appeal was that parents could see these with their kids and not want to die. I'm still in the Eddie Murphy was funnier in the 80s camp. I didn't see Life, though.

By: P.o.B.

P.o.B. — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:23:51 -0800

I found they're basically a bunch of booger-and-fart jokes and corny kids joke-book gags Yeah, pretty much sums it up. Be aware, if you watch Life, it's not a straight up comedy.

By: kyrademon

kyrademon — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:43:47 -0800

The Court Jester! I *love* The Court Jester! And yes, for some reason, Danny Kaye seems to have fallen off the radar a bit compared to other comedy greats of his era.

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:54:28 -0800

and it has great musical sequences and I'm a sucker for a good montage. Yeah, the Baba O Reilly montage alone made the five bucks or so I spent (ancient history!) to watch it in the theater totally worth it.

By: Sebmojo

Sebmojo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:54:34 -0800

Other links on the sidebar menu are worth a look. Indeed, particularly this one about breaking in to the industry, comparing it to being an Orc storming Helms Deep. Not for the post, so much, but for the awesome first comment. Or maybe you answer a craigslist ad for a dog sitter in the downtime before the storming commences. You're supposed to have all sorts of references and foreign language skills, but you've pulled the wool over the eyes of every orc officer you've encountered since recruitment; how hard could a dog-sitting interview be? Well what if I were to tell you this dog owner was none other than Fudian Shaggyfoot, owner of the Crooked Fang? The Crooked Fang- you know, where those dwarf twins who do their racy mindreading limericks got their start. If you want your morality play to go anywhere in Minas Tirith, get it in the hands of Shaggyfoot! This is it. Your orc mother warned you to be on the lookout for this one opening, and here it is!

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:55:25 -0800

O Reilly? Baba O Riley, of course. *cuts up Who fanclub membership card, drives rental car into hotel pool*

By: Sebmojo

Sebmojo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:01:51 -0800

This is a fantastic blog, thanks for the link. My pick for underrated movie would be Long Kiss Goodnight - it's a smartass genre action/comedy flick that parodies and exults in the standard tropes, and Geena Davis is a surprisingly excellent action chick. And come on, Samuel L Jackson before he hit big. 'Gracias'. 'De Nada'.

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:41:06 -0800

I always say that The Last Action Hero is my top underrated movie. Although "meta"-ness can get tiresome, I thought the film handled it in a jaunty and fun way. Like others have said, a lot of the films on this list are quite important and notable if you are a huge film buff, but it is still a really enjoyable list and his notes on each film are generally illuminating and worth reading.

By: Go Banana

Go Banana — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:44:56 -0800

And yes, for some reason, Danny Kaye seems to have fallen off the radar a bit compared to other comedy greats of his era. Definitely not off my radar--great film. As is Long Kiss Goodnight--I can't believe Terminal Velocity made it onto the list and that didn't.

By: Haruspex

Haruspex — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:06:46 -0800

'Electra Glide in Blue:' "...John Ford by way of Kenneth Anger." Precisely.

By: dglynn

dglynn — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:18:44 -0800

Is Local Hero well known, or completely forgotten? What about Sullivan's Travels? Teacher's Pet just for the hangover scene. Glad to see Hopscotch. And Brother from Another Planet, but you could also pile up a lot of John Sayles into the under-appreciated category(Lone Star, Matewan is amazing, Sunshine State if just for Alan King and his band of cynical golfers). I liked Summer of Sam, but I like Spike(loved Crooklyn, for example), Antz was forgettable, so I have. Verhoeven is an oaf. Yes, we're all slyly in on the joke, subtly delivered via dump truck. Heard the argument, think the 9th grade education necessary to muster it is wasted on analyzing Verhoeven.

By: scalefree

scalefree — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:15:31 -0800

The thing that needs to be said about The 5000 Fingers of Dr T is that it's the only live-action movie Dr Seuss ever made. Now I've given you a reason to see it. What are you waiting for?

By: ovvl

ovvl — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:31:24 -0800

He has some pretty interesting things to say about screenwriting in the side threads.

By: ovvl

ovvl — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:33:46 -0800

...and Antz is a terrible movie. I didn't think it was particularly great, but I did crack up at the line: "Am I hurt bad?"

By: Lovecraft In Brooklyn

Lovecraft In Brooklyn — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:35:46 -0800

I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm definitely going to start telling everyone that Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey is an underrated gem. You don't already? Its a neat piece of urban fantasy/metaphysical sci-fi.

By: Lovecraft In Brooklyn

Lovecraft In Brooklyn — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:52:38 -0800

oh man Streets of Fire. this movie pretty much sums up my worldview, even though it's a bit thin the world is so compelling it pretty much works. i need to post about it

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:19:09 -0800

STREETS OF FIRE - previously please note that philip-random is not one of those singing its praises in said thread ... and he ain't about to here either

By: Quinbus Flestrin

Quinbus Flestrin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:06:12 -0800

This is a far better and more interesting approach than any of those hundred best lists, whether or not you think any given movie on the list is sufficiently underrated. Also any list with both Charlie Varrick and Hopscotch on it must have something going for it.

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:46:58 -0800

Speaking of Charlie Varrick, it's not just underrated, under-regarded, under-appreciated -- it's one of the best damned movies I've ever seen. Period. Smart, raw, unpredictable ... Walter Mathau playing it dead straight.

By: One Second Before Awakening

One Second Before Awakening — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:33:45 -0800

Wow, this thread was completely worth it for introducing me to Brother From Another Planet! Just finished watching it, amazing film. When I'm at school I like to run a series of 'Secret Screenings' where I advertise the films being screened without giving away their names. I think the tagline I'll use for my next one will be "A mute alien fixes pinball machines in 80's Harlem."

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:46:41 -0800

It turns out I have no less than 12 of these on my guilty pleasures list.

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:39:40 -0800

I agree it's not so much "underrated" movies as movies that don't really fit into rather narrow definitions of what's considered good that appear to have prominence (either because the films are old or because they're too Hollywood). So hurrah. The 5000 Fingers of Dr T was on the TV when I was very small (late 60s) and it wasn't until I read a description in the NFT brochure when I was in my late teens that I got to see it again (my and my best friend, who'd been told "you have to see this" and a lot of small children with their parents.) Up until then it had been a fevered jumble of imagery that I couldn't quite believe existed outside my dreamworld. Had a similar experience watching The War Games recently, remembering watching things I last saw thirty-two years ago. Films that I would put on my own such list (sans analysis, 'cause I'm not good at that kind of thing): After Life (the Japanese film), Dean Spanley, The Final Programme, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (saw that in the same NFT2 cinema, but without toddlers, thankfully), Play Time, Housekeeping, Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (videoed from the 1982 BBC2 showing, and a household cult film thereafter. In the wider world it was one of those things, like 5000 Fingers... that it was difficult to make people believe existed). There are so many films in the world that are at least interesting, and people seem to get hung up on about two hundred of them at the most.

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:42:14 -0800

my guilty pleasures list There are no guilty pleasures. This side of legality, pleasures are pleasures. Just enjoy.

By: harriet vane

harriet vane — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 05:07:10 -0800

Given how much I adore Happy Go Lucky and King of Kong, I'd be pretty happy to watch anything else off this list. I bet even if I didn't like it as much as he did, it'd still be worthwhile. Also I have been too lazy for too long in chasing up Kubrick's early films. Also also, I'm glad to see the love for The Court Jester here. When I was a kid one of the tv stations must have got a bulk deal on it, because I swear it was on the Saturday afternoon slot at least once every six months, and I watched it every time.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:28:18 -0800

Speaking of Charlie Varrick...it's one of the best damned movies I've ever seen. I suspect that the Coen Bros. signed on to No Country For Old Men wholly because it was a chance to do a Varrick of their own.

By: pleasebekind

pleasebekind — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:39:24 -0800

Long Kiss Goodnight Yes! I really liked this and thought the Geena Davis/Samuel L. Jackson chemistry was fantastic. I still watch it from time to time and it's still great.

By: Matt Bird

Matt Bird — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:07:44 -0800

Wow! I just checked my blog stats and my head exploded! What the hell?? I checked to see where all the traffic was coming from and found my idea of heaven: more than a hundred commenters discussing my blog posts and giving their own thoughts on my favorite movies. Thanks to everybody for checking out the blog and saying so many smart things about the movies. Special thanks to Iridic for giving me this spotlight! And yeah, I'm very loose with my use of the term "underrated": it's an umbrella term that really means "underrated, under-appreciated, or just under-seen" As for those who cast aspersions of some of the picks, what can I say: I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

By: Matt Bird

Matt Bird — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:23:49 -0800

And thanks to dglynn for the recommendation of Teacher's Pet. I had never heard of it but it looks great.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:26:20 -0800

Welcome Matt: Your hero series is really enlightening.

By: Matt Bird

Matt Bird — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:00:33 -0800

Oh, and I should also mention that I'm not the Australian director of the same name. I have no IMDb page. None of the screenplays I've sold have gotten made yet, alas, and I chose not to put my student films on there.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:15:42 -0800

I am not one of the Astro Zombies featured in Ted Mikels films, which are grotesque anti-Astro Zombie propaganda. So I feel for you.

By: tehloki

tehloki — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:21:29 -0800

Is anybody else just using this list to validate their adoration of movies they've already seen and ignoring all the ones they haven't heard of? Because I'm totally doing that. woo bill and ted's bogus journey wooooo

By: JHarris

JHarris — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:22:09 -0800

I was wondering how this guy could be so incredibly cool about everything. I discovered how in "How to Alienate an Audience Part 3: The Hero Isn't Misunderstood", when he said "There's a great line in the Tick cartoon." He's seen the Tick cartoon! He has tasted ambrosia, food of the gods!

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:02:36 -0800

No Ishtar? More people panned that movie than watched it. It's actually pretty funny.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:11:40 -0800

It's actually pretty funny. I suspect that the bar for inclusion on the list is somewhat higher than "actually pretty funny."

By: philip-random

philip-random — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:45:44 -0800

This has gone META by the way. In a nice way, I might add, although I'm sure we can f*** it up if we all pull together.

By: straight

straight — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:14:31 -0800

Ugh, Hero. Just... ugh. (Hooray for Legalism!) That is what elevated Hero for me to something more than just a fantastic looking marital arts movie with charismatic actors, a fascinating plot, and a wonderful use of color. The ending made me think, Wow! I've stepped into a completely different culture. This movie was Not Made In America. Curse of the Golden Flower hits that button even harder (but is otherwise not as good as Hero).

By: Deathalicious

Deathalicious — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:36:22 -0800

I suspect that the bar for inclusion on the list is somewhat higher than "actually pretty funny." True, but its level of ratedness is so low that even if it were merely average in quality (i.e., below good) it would be more underrated than virtually every film out there.

By: Grangousier

Grangousier — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:40:59 -0800

marital arts movie That's a euphemism for porn, isn't it?

By: mediareport

mediareport — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:30:02 -0800

After Life (the Japanese film) Oh, man, that is such a great movie. Very slow, if that bothers folks, but so worth it for the gorgeous emotional payoff at the end.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:36:18 -0800

Great list, really thoughtful critiques. For example, I now want to see The Scorpion King. Thanks for stopping by, Matt. You win my personal Netflix prize; I'd take recommendation from you any day. Demolition Man and both Bill & Ted movies are two of my all-time favorites. Demolition Man in particular shines for me because all of the lovingly crafted detail that went into making the world. There are so many subtle little touches that really reward repeat viewings. And B&T are both just such wonderful people deep down that their way of caring about folks wins out in the end, changing the world forever. There is so much affection for all the characters in that universe; even Napoleon, who is played for laughs at times, becomes a sympathetic character. With the exception of the Macguffin badguy (Denomolos, anagram for Ed Solomon; amazing I still remember that), and isn't he won over at the end? It's really the best Christian movie ever made, because the message is basically the same as Jesus's: Just be nice to each other and a lot of the problems in life will evaporate. And the real problems, like feeding people and time traveling so you can finish an oral report, will be conquered so much more easily because we're all working together. I also second all the people who mentioned Last Action Hero and Long Kiss Goodnight. Both are delightfully self-aware (dare I say... meta?). "'As for Demolition Man, if a movie stars Ahnold Scwartzenberger and he's not playing either himself (a narcissistic muscle man) or an android, it can't by definition be under-rated, because no such movie could ever be rated low enough.' He's not in Demolition Man." Well...

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:12:46 -0800

And really, that's what makes this blog so great. It's not really about slamming any movies, just helping you appreciate ones you might have missed. It passes the Bill & Ted standard of being excellent to each other (or, in this case, movies).

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:21:07 -0800

And don't miss the TV posts.

By: philip-random

philip-random — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:01:12 -0800

He's not in Demolition Man." oops. I did mean to fact-check that. 1993 was so long ago. As penance, I'll spare you my anti-Stallone rant, which is actually more withering, because I don't believe he can even play a boxer.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:46:39 -0800

I'll spare you my anti-Stallone rant, which is actually more withering, because I don't believe he can even play a boxer. That's probably a good thing, since it's gonna come to blows if anyone maligns the first Rocky movie.

By: Potomac Avenue

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:22:22 -0800

Hi Matt, if this is the place for suggestions: please watch some films from my favorite/french director Bertrand Tavernier--especially Deathwatch (La Mort en direct), Laissez-passer, and the Passion Of Beatrice.

By: Matt Bird

Matt Bird — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:52:10 -0800

I've only seen The Clockmaker, which is great. I wish Tavernier's work was more readily available in America!

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:17:38 -0800

Tavernier's Round Midnight is one of the really great jazz films.

By: Bonzai

Bonzai — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:12:28 -0800

tehloki: "Is anybody else just using this list to validate their adoration of movies they've already seen and ignoring all the ones they haven't heard of? Because I'm totally doing that." I started off totally doing that but now I'm using it to fill my Netflix queue.

By: Huck500

Huck500 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:56:50 -0800

After Life (the Japanese film) Oh, man, that is such a great movie. Very slow, if that bothers folks, but so worth it for the gorgeous emotional payoff at the end. Agreed, slow and amazingly great.