By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
I'm quite surprised by the overwhelming response to a post of mine that I thought rather quotidian. I seem to have struck a nerve.
When I asked, "Are There Any Highly Regarded Films Whose Popularity You Cannot Fathom?", I deliberately refrained from phrasing the question in the usual way, i.e., "Which films are the most overrated?" because I wanted to avoid hearing folks repeat something they read once in a film guide or in a movie critic's retrospective. I wanted to hear about the films that the rest of the world seems to love, but that the commenter just doesn't "get", that doesn't "grab" him, that bores him, that leaves him cold. As some have noted, this can reveal something interesting about the dissenter.
There have been requests to open a thread on the most underrated films. But, again, allow me to pose the question in a slightly different way: Which are some films that you have discovered and treasure, and yet have not found a large audience or great acclaim? We're less interested in hearing about how, contrary to the critics' opinions, you found Porky's 3 hysterical, and more interested in hearing about the real gems that got lost in the shuffle of the marketplace but that touched you deeply or entertained you immensely--and why.
For me, a good example is Local Hero. It is a comedy--with broad humor at times--and yet I consider its message profound and bittersweet. (Mild spoiler ahead.) The final scene, in which Peter Riegert's character MacIntyre returns to his apartment in Houston, removes beach shells from his pockets, and calls the (empty) telephone booth in Furness, Scotland, is heartbreaking to me. It never fails to elicit moisture in the ocular region.
I believe the reason is that, the first time I saw the movie (during its theatrical release), I was undergoing a wrenching time at the end of college and the cusp of employment. I was on a trajectory toward a job in the oil business, like MacIntyre's, and I was deeply ambivalent about it. And what college student doesn't dream of forgoing a "traditional" career and instead living in a picturesque seaside town as an innkeeper, or a fisherman, or a minister, or a marine biologist who may or may not be a mermaid?
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Feb '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Strong agreement on Local Hero. My list is long, but some highlights: The Man Who Would Be King Connery, Caine & Huston in top form in Afghanistan/Baluchistan during the British Raj; Peter Sellers' tour de force Being There (previewing Joe Biden); The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas in exile in Norselands; Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen a brilliant meditation on Romance versus Reason; The Age of Innocence with Scorsese turning his eye on Old New York; Barry Lyndon which is IMHO Kubrick's best; 2005's Beowulf & Grendal a flawed but brilliant retelling of the classic tale filmed in Iceland; Black Robe a tough 1991 Franco-Canadian production about Jesuits and Algonquin's in 17thc. Quebec; the hillarious The Gods Must Be Crazy from South Africa, Greystoke a brilliant upgrade of Tarzan, Kenneth Branaugh's Henry V is seminal, The Hotel NH is better than Irving's book (and the book is great); Jabberwocky is a semi-Python production previewing Terry Jones' post-Python interests; and Whit Stillman's Metropolitan and successors are a great homage to a dying breed, the old school preppy.
Lastly, although it did well, Master & Commander derserved better.
Edited on December 30, 2011 at 5:16pmAug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Tommy De Seno:
...The Flamingo Kid - great summer story...
As you can see, I like movies about neighborhoods.
Dec 30 at 7:48am
Edited on Dec 30 at 07:52 am
Amen to The Flamingo Kid. I like summer stories the way you like neighborhood stories. Speaking of which, have you seen City Island? I didn't care for the subplot about the son, but it has good performances by Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, and the rest of the cast, playing an endearingly mendacious and dysfunctional New York family.
P.S. Please bring your Profile bio into compliance with the CoC by writing "wee wee in the tall grass."
P.P.S. I play in a Jersey band; you should sit in with us sometime.
Aug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
The scene on the bus about "how to be a real indian" is hysterical.
Jan '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
I'm surprised I haven't seen The Mission mentioned. One of my favorite films of all time. Fantastic cast: Jeremy Irons, Robert Deniro (in his prime), Liam Niesson. Beautiful story of redemption and tragedy as well as a sophisticated look at tensions in the Church and it's role in world politics in the 16th century, that doesn't deal in caricature. And of course the masterful soundtrack by the amazing Ennio Morricone is incredibly beautiful. If you haven't heard of it or seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it.
Mar '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Three movies I find myself watching over and over:
Those two fine examples of Mamet Speak, The Spanish Prisoner and House of Games. And finally, as referenced by Mollie in her post about Stephen Glass, Shattered Glass. If you can get past the New Republic worship, it's a really riveting movie.
Aug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Mine already had over 1,000 titles on it BEFORE I started reading this thread!
Nov '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
I used to be a big fan of A Boy and His Dog but as I grew older, I found its parodic portrayal of Middle America increasingly annoying.
You could read it that way. Or, you could argue --as I would-- that part of what was monstrous about the utopia its rulers had made was that it was precisely a cruel parody of Middle America. And corruptio optimi pessima.
Aug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Basil Fawlty: Three movies I find myself watching over and over:
Those two fine examples of Mamet Speak, The Spanish Prisoner and House of Games. And finally, as referenced by Mollie in her post about Stephen Glass, Shattered Glass. If you can get past the New Republic worship, it's a really riveting movie. · Dec 30 at 8:39am
Hear, hear, on all three counts.
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
I think I developed my Jeremy Irons obsession by watching The Mission and Damage in short order.
Jun '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Big Local Hero fan...a whimsical film that has moments of transcendence and magic...in the phone booth during the aurora borealis, for example. The Man Who Would Be King is now available on Blu-ray. Wonderful films.
Dittos on The Mission. A great double bill would be The Mission and Aguirre, Wrath of God by Werner Herzog with Klaus Kinski in the leading role. Great film.
Jun '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Shadowlands with Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.
Nobody's Fault and Little Dorrit with Alec Guinness, Derek Jacobi and other great British actors. Just aired on TCM.
Jan '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Another Liam Neisson film that doesn't get enough love and was IMO much better than its contemporary Scottish period piece, Braveheart, is Rob Roy. Great supporting roles by Jessica Lange, Brian Cox, John Hurt, and Tim Roth.
Mar '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
MMPadre
I used to be a big fan of A Boy and His Dog but as I grew older, I found its parodic portrayal of Middle America increasingly annoying.
You could read it that way. Or, you could argue --as I would-- that part of what was monstrous about the utopia its rulers had made was that it was precisely a cruel parody of Middle America. And corruptio optimi pessima. · Dec 30 at 8:40am
You could be right. Perhaps it was the Jason Robards/Ben Bradlee association that got to me.
Mar '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Many excellent titles mentioned so far. Another:
Shallow Grave.
Feb '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Yes, I agree Rob Roy is great. Ditto Shadowlands. I'd also add Sliding Doors, with Gwyneth doing her Emma accent in contemporary London.
Apr '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Tampopo is quite good. I'll add, The Scent of Green Papaya and Eat Drink Man Woman.
We also liked Uncle Buck. High Anxiety is another favorite Mel Brooks movie. It takes on many of Hitchcock's films and is very funny.
Apr '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
No Caesar
Yes, I agree Rob Roy is great. Ditto Shadowlands. I'd also add Sliding Doors, with Gwyneth doing her Emma accent in contemporary London. · Dec 30 at 9:40am
Sliding doors is great, but to my mind she's even better in Possession, a film much derided for not making all of the same post-modernist points as the novel did (because the medium really, really, didn't allow for it), but which is a marvelous, moving, and thoughtful work in its own right. In particular, the change from an imaginary prejudice against working class accents to an entirely real prejudice against Americans was a great improvement.
Aug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Another film that doesn't get enough love is That Thing You Do. Perfectly captures the feeling and music of the era. Great directing and acting by Tom Hanks. And terrific music. The scene where the band first hears its song on the radio is expertly executed, and priceless.
Aug '10
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Sliding Doors is good?!
I've never seen it, but I've always imagined that it belonged in the same category as Love, Actually or Serendipity. Blech!
Won't I have to turn in my M.A.N. membership card if I rent Sliding Doors?
(Plus, I cannot understand why people praise Paltrow's British accent. It always sounds terrible to me.)
Edited on December 30, 2011 at 7:31pmJun '11
Re: By Popular Demand: Are There Any Films You Love Whose Unpopularity Or Relative Obscurity You Cannot Fathom?
Kevin Walker
Hackman is one of my favorite actors, along with Robert Duvall. Although Gene didn't die, he did retire rather abruptly, didn't he?
Gene Hackman was on The Dennis Miller Show a few months ago when his fourth novel was coming out. He lives in Santa Fe where his wife owns a store and seems quite happy to be writing and not on screen. I agree, he's up there with the greatest living actor, Robert Duvall.