Most Underrated Movies

[DeamondBleed]

What do you have against Vampiros Lesbos?

I should probably add BatMan The Animated Movie: The Mask of Phantasm.

[Nimruzir]

Vampiros Lesbos is a boring movie, and I cant find anything praiseworthy about it. It is a poorly made movie masquerading as an art film.

I think Hudson Hawk is another under-rated movie.

[RobRoy]

Guys, I believe a request was made at the begining of this thread that if you didn't agree with a selection, or thought it was a poor movie, that you simply not comment on it. We already have a thread or two regarding movies that we don't like. These are simply opinions regarding what movies we, individually, think are under-rated and why we think that.

Thanks.

[Nimruzir]

My apologies. I didn't know.

[RobRoy]

No worries, that's what I'm here for. Carry on. :bg:

[mpee]

Originally posted by Bern
[b]mpee, I saw The Princess Bride at the theater when it was released here. (Only learned there was a book some years later and still haven`t got round to reading it.) I would say it was underrated if I didn`t know so many people who know and love it.[/B]

Hey Bern, my interpretation on the word 'underrated' for Princess Bride, was moreso for its performance at the Box Office. I don't remember it doing much at the Box Office (in fact, don't remember it from the cinema at all), although certainly it is a highly popular movie. On the DVD extra features Rob Reiner & William Goldman comment on the value of video and DVD for this movie. They clearly state that video/DVD sales, made the movie the success that it is seen to be now!

Originally posted by Bern
The Man From Snowy River Not sure how well it was received when it was released, but I only discovered it at my video rental store.

Being from Australia, Bern, I can tell you quite a bit about this movie. This is based on the poem of the same name by A B Paterson, who was a 19th & 20th century bush poet. The poem is arguably the most famous poems by any Australian poet. In Australia, the movie broke all Box Office records (hazy memory on details) to become Australia's 7th highest grossing movie of all time ($17.2m). Other than the first two Crocodile Dundee movies, all others above it were produce 1990+, while TMFSR is 1982. It is a much loved movie in Australia, as are many of the movies from circa 1977-1984. That period was certainly the hiatus of film making in Australia, producing some of the best/most favourite films in Australian film making history. Since then, arguably, film making in Australia has gone backwards. Hollywood movies are marketed so much better than local films, and Australia lacks the funding to imbue movies with the same production values, so that many Australians (myself included) lean towards the Hollywood films moreso than local Australian films. Oops...I'm getting way off track here...maybe should start a thread on Aussie films!

[Bern]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mpee
Hey Bern, my interpretation on the word 'underrated' for Princess Bride, was moreso for its performance at the Box Office. I don't remember it doing much at the Box Office (in fact, don't remember it from the cinema at all), although certainly it is a highly popular movie. On the DVD extra features Rob Reiner & William Goldman comment on the value of video and DVD for this movie. They clearly state that video/DVD sales, made the movie the success that it is seen to be now!
Well if Rob Reiner and William Goldman commented on it, then it must not have done so hot at the box office. They oughta know. I saw it in the autumn, but have no memory of whether it was out since summer or was one of the fall releases (usually timed to pick up the Thanksgiving holiday moviegoing crowd). Okay, so for our purposes "underrated" means the public stayed away in droves. Gotcha.

Being from Australia, Bern, I can tell you quite a bit about this movie. This is based on the poem of the same name by A B Paterson, who was a 19th & 20th century bush poet. The poem is arguably the most famous poems by any Australian poet. In Australia, the movie broke all Box Office records (hazy memory on details) to become Australia's 7th highest grossing movie of all time ($17.2m). Other than the first two Crocodile Dundee movies, all others above it were produce 1990+, while TMFSR is 1982. It is a much loved movie in Australia, as are many of the movies from circa 1977-1984. That period was certainly the hiatus of film making in Australia, producing some of the best/most favourite films in Australian film making history. Since then, arguably, film making in Australia has gone backwards. Hollywood movies are marketed so much better than local films, and Australia lacks the funding to imbue movies with the same production values, so that many Australians (myself included) lean towards the Hollywood films moreso than local Australian films. Oops...I'm getting way off track here...maybe should start a thread on Aussie films!
Cool! I`m glad it is so well loved in its home country. We knew it was based on the poem by Banjo Paterson, but have been able to find out next to nothing about him other than that he was a poet. We assume the lawyer character in the movie is supposed to be a nod to him or actually to be the same man. Was A B Paterson a lawyer?

I have also looked for the poem The Man From Snowy River and/or a collection of Paterson`s works, but nada. I haven`t looked all that hard, just off and on over the years, but at one point thought that it didn`t seem right that someone who was such an icon in Australia should be almost unheard of in the U.S.

Yeah, why not start a thread on Aussie films? It would be interesting to see what has been produced there over the years. I wonder how much of it has made it to regular American movie theaters or just been relegated to the "art houses".

[Camech]

Bump

[RobRoy]

Originally posted by Camech
Bump

Why was this bumped?

Bumping is generally used by moderators and admins to bring threads back to the fore if there is something they want read, but don't want to make 'sticky'. Bumping can be used by forum members, but is usually accompanied by comments in regards to thoughts they might have had . . . and thus there would be no need to actually type "bump" but instead just type their thoughts.

So I'm a bit confused on this one. Please advise.

[Camech]

Sorry. It's done a lot on the gamefaqs board. I didn't realize that bumping was frowned upon here.

[RobRoy]

Originally posted by Camech
Sorry. It's done a lot on the gamefaqs board. I didn't realize that bumping was frowned upon here.

It's not frowned on Camech, I just don't understand the logic for this bump, since, as I said, when done by forum members, it is usually accompanied by comments.

You should feel free to dig up any old threads, that's why we keep them. But just explain why you're bringing it back up. Otherwise, it just looks like post count padding, which I know you're not doing.

[mpee]

Well, since the thread has been bumped...

The Fisher King with Robin Williams and Geoff Bridges does not seem so widely known as I would have expected. It is a movie, which for it to work, has to be interpretted. Watch it as a regular film and I can see how and why people don't like it.

But...look at this movie (not allegorically) but metaphorically, and the whole exploration of pain, suffering, grief, dealing with grief, etc., all become so poignant.

~ Matt

[Boomstick]

Well, everyone here that has even an ounce of respect for me will probably lose it now, but none the less:

I've got to say that the critisism Battlefield Earth recieved was completly unwarrented. Yes, it was plagued by its share of questionable decisions on the part of the film makers, but I have to say it wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be.

I actually own the movie on DVD and enjoy it quite a bit. Now, it's nowhere near the list of what I'd call 'essential sci-fi', but it's still alright, in my opinion! :bg:

[mpee]

Battlefield Earth...hmm, I just remember getting it out on video because I had never wanted to watch it. My curiosity got the better of me and so just had to see it. Can't remember anything about it except Barry Pepper's toothy smile and Travolta's demonic laugh.

I'm not saying it's bad...I simply don't remember it. It certainly made an impression on me!

I'm interested that you actually class it as 'underrated' Boomstick!:ohno:

~ Matt

[Boomstick]

Originally posted by mpee

I'm interested that you actually class it as 'underrated' Boomstick!:ohno:

Totally! It had some very good elements to it, and people missed them because of all the bad hype it got. Therefore, I think it's underrated!

[mpee]

Boomstick

My perspective was tainted by all the bad hype, so what would say were the 'good' elements? And like I said, my memory is to hazy to remember much about it at all, so my question is genuine and not sarcastic!

~ Matt

[Boomstick]

That's cool, I understand!

I've actually been meaning to watch it again and present something of an organized "defense" for the movie! :laugh: I'll do that when I have the time, so you'll see all my viewpoints then.

But, in general, I'd say that the movie did have it's pockets of good acting. Specifically, I felt that Terl's (John Travolta) speech to Johnny (Berry Pepper) in the library was executed very well. It's the one where he tells Johnny how the Psychlo's took over the planet with such ease, and that "man is an endagered species."

Basically, I feel that the movie makes a few good observations on the human condition, among other things. However, the fact that other films have made the same observations, and made them in a better, more organzied way, is why Battlefield Earth isn't a great movie.

[Sickie]

well... i love Kevin Smith's movies, the director i mean, you know, jay & silent bob, clerks, dogma, chasing amy.... all of those are really great movies, and i love his kind of humor...

other movie i really really love it's "welcome to the doll house" directed by Todd Solondz, I just think its a brilliant work, and the main character, performed by Heather Matarazzo, was just great. The movie is from 1995.

i love terror cinema, so i think Ginger Snaps (2000) it's really good, it sucked me in a few weeks ago in the tv, and I couldnt belive the movie, i loved the sisters (ginger and britget), the effects are a little poor, but the performances compensate it...

i dunno, i can't think of more... but as soon as i do... ill post them
luv
sick
"Brandon: Yo Weiner, you better get ready, 'cause at three o' clock today, I'm gonna RAPE you!" (welcome to the dollhouse)

[RobRoy]

Originally posted by Boomstick
Basically, I feel that the movie makes a few good observations on the human condition, among other things. However, the fact that other films have made the same observations, and made them in a better, more organzied way, is why Battlefield Earth isn't a great movie.

I think I can agree with this assessment of the movie. It falls into the "blah" category for me. Mediocre at best. But I agree that it really didn't deserve all the bad press it got. It was a . . . decent science fiction film. I want to say that some of the backlash might have been due to the bad press/feelings toward the Church of Scientology, which L. Ron Hubbard founded. But I couldn't support that claim if you pressed me. I had understood that they would be kicking out a second movie to finish off the second part of the book, but perhaps not.

Interesting note that I just found out. Battlefield Earth tied with Showgirls with 7 "wins" as the "Most Dis-Honored Film" in history at the Razzie Awards.

So yeah, I'll agree that was unfair. The best part of Showgirls was that eventually the movie ended, but you'd never be able to get those images out of your head. Trust me, I tried.

[Boomstick]

Originally posted by RobRoy
I want to say that some of the backlash might have been due to the bad press/feelings toward the Church of Scientology, which L. Ron Hubbard founded.

I'm convinced that this was a factor, but as you say, I couldn't prove it either.

And Showgirls...yeah...*shudder* I tell you, in all honesty, I watched it because I like Gina Gershon, and I've seen most of her work. All I can say is how she came away from that movie with her career intact is nothing short of amazing.