Most underrated film

[wtmusic]

My vote goes to "Desert Bloom", starring Jon Voight & Ellen Barkin.



"A powerful and heartbreaking portrayal of what it is like to walk on egg shells in a household inhabited by an alcoholic husband and father.

The story deftly renders the awkward and secretive moral climate around alcohol, sex, and infidelity in post- WWII America. Unflinching in his lack of sensitivity, John Voight nonetheless succeeds in winning a kind of sad sympathy for his post-combat nightmares and his tortured reality. Jo Beth Williams, Annabeth Gish, and Ellen Barkin give outstandingly moving performances that could only be described as remarkable. John Garfield gives a subtle and important performance in a wonderful supporting roll.

This film was one of those sleepers that came out of left field, and knocked me down! It is a noteworthy American film, tragic, touching, and ultimately triumphant. It is truly unforgettable."

Yours?

[bigwillq]

1. 'The Life of David Gale'

With Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet. It's about the death penalty. Made me really think about that subject.

It's really intense and thought provoking.

I cried for the last 15 minutes.

[AlCzervik]

5. My friend just told ne about that movie

I had heard about if before but she explained the premis, i need to rent it.

[bigwillq]

6. I thought it was very good

Critics ripped it a new ass but it made me think a lot about the death penalty.

The acting is great and the ending just blew me away. I sat there balling for the last 15 minutes and for 10 minutes after the credits ended I just sat there speechless, still in tears.

[AlCzervik]

7. i tend to like the dark films

ie Monsters Ball, not all the time but i like a movie where i actually have to think. I'm going to rent it but please, please tell me it was better than pay it forward?

[bigwillq]

13. I didn't see Pay in Forward

Many that I know thought PIF was really good.

[IconoclastIlene]

19. Fitzcarraldo with Klaus Kinski

Also, Aguirre, the Wrath of God....must see.

[mitchum]

29. "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" is my favorite movie

Stunning work

[RoyGBiv]

22. I wanted to like it...

But I didn't. Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate it, and I thought it was better than a lot of critics did, but I found myself agreeing with many of the things they said.

I liked the message, and the performances were solid, especially Spacey's. But, for me, it was too contrived. This, I felt, defeated some of the intent behind the message.

[ET Awful]

2. Niagara Niagara

Starring Robin Tunney and Henry Thomas (many years ago known as Elliot from ET).

Bob Gosse's bittersweet misadventure pairs sensitive Seth (Henry Thomas) and Marcy (Robin Tunney), an offbeat teen with Tourette's Syndrome. After meeting in the aisles of a drug store from which they're both pilfering, they embark on a calamitous road trip to Toronto, via Niagara Falls. Set to soulful tunes by the Cowboy Junkies' Michael Timmins and Jeff Bird. Tunney's powerful turn won 1997's Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. (no, I didn't write this paragraph, but it's a good quick summary).

The soundtrack also features Lucinda Williams (excellent singer), along with several other contemporary folk /singer songwriter types).

Very highly recommended.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. "A Captive in the Land"

1990. The story of an American and a Russian in the Arctic. The Russian's plane has crashed; he is the only one left alive, and he's gravely injured. An American meteorologist, hitching a ride home on a RAF plane, volunteers to parachute down and stay with the man until help arrives the next day....only help doesn't arrive. A great story of survival and learning to get along with someone from a very different culture.

[Babel_17]

4. First movie that comes to mind

is Equilibrium.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/

The scenes where Bale used the "gun katas" were amazing.

[DerekG]

8. "Babe: Pig in the City"...

Don't laugh. It belongs in that rather exclusive fraternity of sublime sequels (you know, The Godfather: Part II, Aliens and The Empire Strikes Back). There is something so Dickensian about the piece: it's exuberant, macabre, somber, moralistic.

Just watch the thing--you'll do a double take when you discover how wonderful this film is.

[wtmusic]

26. Many wrote off the "Babe" films

as just more kid-loses-pet sagas -- but they were both terrific

[Fight_n_back]

9. The Fisher King

and
"Our Daily Bread" by King Vidor



also "1-2-3" by Billy Wilder

[Donkeyboy75]

17. You got it, Yang. The Fisher King was a great flick.

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. Joe Vs. the Volcano

It had some slow spots, but it also had a streak of originality and wit that I really loved. I still continually quote one of Meg Ryan's lines: "I have no response to that."

[SnohoDem]

11. The first couple of minutes

as they walk into the factory are hilarious.

That movie inspired me to quit a job, and Meg looked so good.

[warrior1]

12. Zardoz

http://w1.860.telia.com/~u86014447/zardoz.html

[Dogmudgeon]

33. But it's a bad review

It has more insight than most, but it's still a stinker.

Most of the critics hated Zardoz -- and just about any kind of science fiction.

I liked Zardoz, though I could see it had flaws. Connery's character arc was particularly compelling, even if the societies Boorman depicted were a little too cardboard-like.

--bkl

[MikeG]

42. Here's the script.

http://www.corky.net/scripts/JoeVSTheVolcano.html

"I know he can get the job, but can he do the job"

[NashVegas]

14. Real Genius

It was such fluff .. but so dead on and still relevant considering how our "higher institutions of learning" are churning out soulless bots.

[Jade Fox]

53. Love it

and who knew Val Kilmer could be funny?

[ForrestGump]

15. A few, but I recently saw "Seconds," a John Frankenheimer film from 1966

that starred Rock Hudson. WAY ahead of its time, and I'm not just talking about the frontal nudity. Pretty amazing, overlooked, black-and-white masterpiece.

[mitchum]

30. Apparently, Charlie Kaufman also saw "Seconds"

genius, my ass :)

"Seconds" is a great movie

[ForrestGump]

45. I wouldn;t call Charlie Kaufman a genius, either, 'cos

I have no idea who he is. Is his entire style based on watching the Frankenheimer film, or something? A lot of the camera angles and technques and lighting in Seconds were radical for the day and much more in line with some of the more interesting stuff from today. It really blew me away -- I'd never heard of it before (someone recommended it and lent me their DVD).

[chenGOD]

48. Charlie Kaufman is a writer...

He wrote:

Being John Malkovich
Human Nature
Adaptation
Confessions of A Dangerous Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I have yet to see Adaptation, but the other ones have all been quite enjoyable and original. Just saw eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind the other weekend, and it was quite an interesting way to look at relationships.

[Flaxbee]

54. "Adaptation" is just zany and wonderful!

"Being John Malkovich", I have to admit, bugged the shit outta me. But I loved "Adaptation"...

[edbermac]

38. Loved Seconds...check out the Swimmer

Great story, great camera work. Final scene with Hudson being wheeled into the operating room is a shocker.

I saw this on TV many years ago and made a tremendous impression on me. Also saw a film about the same time called the Swimmer with Burt Lancaster and always link the two together. Very underrated as well.

[ForrestGump]

44. I saw "The Swimmer" many years ago and still recall it as a very

powerful film in which not a whole lot actually happens, in some ways. I'll have to try to catch it again. I remember thinking that it was a very atrypical film for Burt Lancaster, back then, as Seconds was for old Rocky.

[gulfcoastliberal]

16. "Miracle Mile"

Anthony Edwards stars. It's a pretty cool, kind of crazy movie. Here's a sample review I found online:

Wouldn't it figure that the end of the world would have a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream?

The score is eerie and off-putting and contributes in a big way to the dreamy, irritating and harrowing Miracle Mile. Here's a movie that's built its considerable cult reputation on an admittedly cool premise: a guy picks up a ringing pay phone in the middle of the night and accidentally receives a tip that World War 3 has begun, and that the United States is about an hour away from a devastating nuclear holocaust.

Anthony Edwards is the guy who's not quite sure whether to believe what he's heard, but hooks up anyway with a motley bunch of customers at an all-night diner. Denise Crosby is the severe, statuesque woman who looks up from her Cliff's Notes on Gravity's Rainbow long enough to dial some mysterious numbers on her cellular phone and arrange for a helicopter to airlift everyone to a plane that will take them to Antarctica. Mare Winningham is the love-at-first-sight girlfriend who complicates the proceedings further -- Edwards met her early in the day, won't leave without her, and lights out for her apartment building to pick her up.

[Supply Side Jesus]

31. great movie!

That was recommended by a friend and I wasn't disappointed!

[Beaker]

52. the movie plays like a bad dream...

the kind you wake up from, but then wish you hadn't.

[Kat45]

18. The Search for One-Eye Jimmy

Hardly anyone even heard of this movie, never mind saw it. It was such a riot. A young film school graduate returns to his old neighborhood to make a film, but when he hears that the whole neighborhood is looking for a missing resident, One-Eye Jimmy, he joins them to film the story. They encounter a lot of weird folks in the neighborhood (I think the Bronx). This description doesn't do it justice--it's really funny. The cast includes Steve Buscemi, Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, Nick Turturro, Michael Badalucco (from the Practice), Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Anne Meara, Jennifer Beals, Sam Rockwell.

[LostInAnomie]

20. Dolemite

Mother F@cker!!!

[Beware the Beast Man]

21. Great lines in that flick

"I'm so bad I kick my own ass twice a day!"- Hamburger Pimp

[Radical Activist]

23. Waking the Dead

Staring Jennifer Connelly. A great film that will especially appeal to anyone who likes politically themed movies. Very powerfull and very sad at times. It's my favorite movie, but few have heard of it.

[fameless]

24. Outside Providence

[mia]

25. The Spitfire Grill

loved the characters, scenery and music

[PittPoliSci]

27. Casablanca

I know what you're thinking? MOST UNDERRATED?! THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILMS OF ALL TIME.

If I think that movie was underrated after knowing the above, that should tell you how much I absolutely love that movie.

[mitchum]

28. "Claire Dolan"...

a late 90s film about a call girl. None of that "Pretty Woman" nonsense in this gem. The great Colm Meany is in it.

[Supply Side Jesus]

32. 25th Hour- A Spike Lee Joint

By far one of the best movies that year, and IMHO Spike's best movie yet. I was severely disappointed that it received NO nominations whatsoever. Terrence Blanchard's music is beautiful.

The 25th Hour depicts the last day of freedom for a young man before he begins serving a seven-year jail term for drug dealing. Prowling through the city until dawn with his two close male friends and his girlfriend, he is forced to re-examine his life and how he got himself into his predicament, which leads to a shocking, disturbing finale.

[Dogmudgeon]

34. The Day The Earth Caught Fire

I haven't seen it in over 20 years, but it left its effects deep in my brain.

One of the first disaster movies shot on a lowish budget and focusing on the characters.

Is this on DVD yet?

--bkl

[Speck Tater]

43. Second the motion. Excellent movie.

I found a used DVD of it on ebay, so it must be available new somewhere.

[neverborn]

35. May!

[killbotfactory]

36. The Salton Sea

And my wife votes for Jeebus Christ Superstar.

[JCMach1]

37. Wide Sargasso Sea

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108565/


Karina Lombard (MEOW!!!)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0518312/

[wtmusic]

39. Thanks everyone for responding to this thread!

What a great list. I've got a busy summer ahead of me... :)

[MikeG]

40. "Joe vs. the Volcano"

[soleft]

41. The Wonder Boys

Michael Douglas's best performance - ever.

[slaveplanet]

46. the Cube

http://www.feoamante.com/Movies/ABC/cube.html

CUBE was originally released in 1997, but because it is an indie movie it has had trouble getting decent distribution. Tri-Mark Pictures, the distributor for the U.S.A., would have done well to put up the money for a theatrical release. CUBE is not only that good but, even with the no name cast, it outshines a lot of the big budget pictures released in 1999.

[The Zanti Regent]

47. La Strada

Fellini's first GREAT film with Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart. Basehart was incredible as "Il Moto" (the fool) and he did several incredible stunts such as walking on a tightrope and eating pasta while on the rope. Criterion just restored and reissued this marvelous gem.

[Richardo]

49. Blood Simple

The first Coen Brothers movie (1984) is a classic.

[Hotler]

50. Under Cover Brother

Soul, funk, and laughs

[tjwash]

51. Turk 182

:silly: