Top 5: I’m Right – You’re Wrong
by John Nolte
Here are my five every-which-way-awesome films that get nowhere near the love they deserve. Those who haven’t seen them should. Those who have and didn’t like them were doing something wrong.
1. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) – Pure masterpiece. Ask anyone. Okay, ask me. The best comedy of the last ten years. A genius concept, perfectly executed with more quotable dialogue than any film since “Blazing Saddles.” But it’s The Mighty Rob Schneider who carries it off creating both a sympathetic character and major laughs as he reacts to the madness around him. Two other comedic greats in the reaction department, Bob Hope and Jack Benny, would’ve been proud. Don’t miss the sequel, either. Not only is there more Deuce, but Schneider throws in a little pro-America to boot.
2. Saving Silverman (2001) – The scene where Jack Black and Steve Zahn kidnap Amanda Peet is one of the finest set-pieces of comedy ever put on film. The editing, performances, choreography – brilliant. Straight out of the best of Blake Edwards’ “Pink Panther” series. Even if the rest of the film didn’t rawk, and rawk it does, that sequence alone should earn it a forever place in film lore. Plus, there’s R. Lee Ermey and Neil Diamond.
3. Deep Rising (1998) – “Mummy” director Stephen Sommers cut his chops on this ridiculously entertaining monster flick that stands to this day as the best thing he’s done. Treat Williams is a mercenary boat captain who doesn’t ask his customers questions, but should have. Tone has so much to do with the making or breaking a film, and “Deep Rising” perfectly mixes good scares and self-aware humor. A real gem on a late Saturday night.
4. Maximum Risk (1996) – The film that should’ve launched Jean-Claude Van Damme out of B pictures and into a real career. Ringo Lam directs an intelligent, exciting, sexy (thanks to Natasha Henstridge) globe-trotting thriller that’s head and shoulders above any of the dour, epileptic, shaky-cammed “Bourne” flicks. Plus, Van Damme plays twins, and you know what that means: Double the Van Dammage.
5. Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) – Charles Bronson kills people.
We all have a few of these tucked in our DVD collections. Care to share?
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100 Comments
Nice list. Although I would disagree a little on Maximum Risk. Van Damme is kind of like NyQuil…it’s okay in small doses but take half the bottle and it kind of numbs the brain.
The one movie I always thought should get some more love was “Mystery Men’…William H. Macy delivers some classic lines and does it with style.
Saving Silverman is a great movie. I am proud to say i have seen it several times.. If the chips stick together it’s one nacho!
I bought “Silverman” on your recommendation. Most of it is mediocre, mean and unfunny, but the guy camouflaged in the living room is a riotous moment.
I would add “Coneheads”, a hilarious movie jam-packed with SNL actors in bit and major roles. Reviled for being both an SNL project AND a retread of an old TV show (at a time when the movies had a glut of both, all of which were apparently made as product placement vehicles for Subway), Coneheads is unfairly ignored. This movie has some genius writing, great timing and it’s jam-packed with laughs.
BTW: It’s Deep Rising, not Deep Impact. Oops!
Another vote for ‘Mystery Men’. Undiscovered genius, I tell you. Going to stick my neck out and toss ‘Real Men’ into the ring.
While I believe Deuce is in fact hilarious and underappreciated, it’s not more quotable than Blazing Saddles. And besides, there are plenty of other more quotable films than Blazing Saddles: Caddyshack, Animal House, and even Coming to America are really in the top 10.
You should have on your list “The Tall Guy” with Emma Thompson and Jeff Goldblum. Rip-snorting genius, and almost unknown.
Clifford.
I may be alone, but I think this is one hilarious movie.
I could not agree more about Deep Rising. I love that movie.
Flash Gordon – the Dino de Laurentis version. Wooden acting, by Flash and Dale, but man oh man those sets!!
Neil, I agree that all those are quotable films, but they all obviously get the appreciation they deserve as great comedies. This article is about underappreciated movies.
For me: “Super Troopers” hits my funnybone everytime…even when I’m sober!!
My personal favorites that may fall just short of being on this list are “Night at the Roxbury” and “Dirty Work”
I gotta toss in “Demolition Man.” Here’s my review:
Created as a monster blockbuster with fast food tie-ins, Demolition Man is a failure of a movie when viewed purely in the spectrum of action movies.
However, view the movie as a comedy, even a satire, and it changes entirely. But a comedy or satire about what?
The future, as run by liberals. Sylvester Stallone plays John Spartan, a cop who is falsely accused of murdering a bunch of civilians. At some point the government begins putting convicted murderers in deep freeze aka cryostasis. One of those criminals, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), escapes while being unfrozen for a parole hearing.
The sissy-pants L.A. cops in the bland, politically correct on steroids try to apprehend Phoenix with hilarious results. They literally have to consult a computer to be told how to deal with a violent offender: “Use a stern tone of voice.” Obviously this doesn’t work. So the police commish decides to unfreeze Spartan, figuring that a stone age cop is the only way to catch a stone age criminal.
Spartan awakes to find an extreme leftist’s paradise: Machines fine you for swearing, you can’t eat anything but Taco Bell, you can’t drive (cars drive themselves). Physical contact is discouraged to the extreme: high fives and hand shakes are replaced with bizarre “non-touch” gestures, in addition to the absurd “Be well!” greeting.
Completing the comedy gold is Sandra Bullock, who plays a history obsessed cop. She’s assigned with helping Spartan, a role she relishes as she is fascinated with the past. Her giddiness at being around a real man is well played by Bullock- as well as her initial revulsion to sex: culminating in the hilarious scene in which she has “sex” with Spartan: which is really just the two of them wearing VR helmets and sitting cross legged and fully clothed literally feet away. The nature of this relation is hinted at when Bullock’s character casually asks him if he wants to have sex with him, to which Spartan says, using his Rocky Balboa voice: “Absolutely!”
Finally, we have Dennis Leary leading a band of underground rebels: people who eat rat burgers but don’t want to live in a sterile world. All of this culminates in big action sequences, and the ending is of course predictable: The city is forced to change, Bullock actually kisses Spartan for real, and the cops befriend the rebels. But it is a hilarious look at an overly politically correct society, which in this movie is deemed as bad even though it is by all accounts peaceful.
Wonderful movie… as a comedy. And it even has Rob Schneider in it!
@ JohnJ: I wouldn’t call “Meet John Doe” an underappreciated movie. Maybe it’s not as well known as some of the other stuff Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and Frank Capra did, but it’s still pretty impressive.
My suggestion for a movie that doesn’t get the love that it deserves: The animated Transformers movie from the 80s. It’s got flaws, to be sure, but the first 20 minutes or so are epic–the Optimus Prime/Megatron fight; Optimus Prime’s death; Starscream being blasted into dust by Galvatron. That’s everything a movie about giant robots that transforms into vehicles should be.
Better off Dead
Miami Blues
The Fifth Element
To Live and Die in LA
Hell comes to Frogtown
1. Without A Clue- Mixed reviews and (I think) a lukewarm reception; real shame. Michael Caine & Ben Kingsley gave hilarious performances in the funniest take on Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson I’ve ever seen.
2. The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen- Sean Connery’s last film (to date), and it’s a wonderful exit should it be the case for him.
3. Evil Under The Sun- Peter Ustinov as Poirot and the cast he lead make the film more than just watchable, but also enjoyable; this in spite of the fact it is regarded as a lazy sequel to Murder On The Orient Express & Death On The Nile.
4. Star Trek V- Not as memorable as the other films featuring the original cast, and I don’t understand it. It delves more into Spock’s past and shows the crew of the Enterprise really going where no man has gone before.
5. Invasion U.S.A.- Reminiscent of Red Dawn (Soviet-trained guerrillas launch terrorist attacks on US soil), and features Chuck Norris kicking Soviet-trained guerrilla butt. How anybody could go wrong with this, I’ll never know.
I have a few honorable mentions: Malone (Burt Reynolds kicking bad-guy butt; need I say more?), Meet The Robinsons (hilarious film; thanks for mentioning it, JohnJ), Paparazzi (Mel Gibson giving it back to them via Cole Hauser), Righteous Kill (proof DeNiro/Pacino can deliver what Clooney/Damon can’t)
The “Texas Chainsaw” remake. Yes, it lacks the terror of the original, and it leans too heavily on gore to make us jump. But it’s a very solid horror flick and it features Jessica Biel, who in a just world would take Jamie Lee Curtis’ former title as the new Scream Queen.
Rob Howard… I always wondered why I really sort of “liked” “Demolition Man” but couldn’t figure out why. You have decoded it! Bullock was fabulous is the role (and is never hard on the eyes, especially in THAT uniform)… Singing the “Oscar Meyer Wiener” song was classic!
Brain Donors. Sure it’s a Marx Bros retread, but some hilarious moments.
“You’re lying”
“Of course I am, but hear me out”
The first annual Vasectomy Bowl….a happy doctor is a good doctor.
The duck hunting scene still cracks me up.
The Sasquatch Gang – a totally overlooked gem with a great performance from Justin Long.
So I told your mother, “Forget the donkey, pick up the dollars and let’s get out of here”
Like the man said, great one liners.
Gotta weigh in on this one.
1) Barfly – Better than The Wrestler.
2) Clerks – Just plain funny.
3) The Last Starfighter – My teenage dreams come true.
4) Repo Man – “Let’s do some crimes man!” and “John Wayne was a fag.”
5) Phantom Of The Paradise – Better music than Rocky Horror.
1. Easy Money
2. Nothing in Common — Tom hanks, Jackie Gleason, Eva Marie St., Bess Armstrong and Hector Elizondo in Latino guru mode when Julia Roberts was still in high school. A little maudlin, but has some great moments.
3. The Fountain… great music, beautiful; I still have to watch it more to figure it out.
4 -5. the later Thin Man films… were they as good as the first? No, but Myrnal Loy and William Powell always rawk.
Gojira: The original Japanese version of the movie. It lacks the cheesy dialogue and Raymond Burr that the Americanized version gave us, but makes up for it in a grave social comentary. Warning, spoilers ahead.
Dr. Serizawa, creator of the Oxygen Destroyer used to kill Godzilla, fears the secret of how its made could be used as a weapon, a real fear of many that worked on atmoic energy and weapons. Also thorughout the movie is the specter of Godzilla being an atomic monster, something the recenting nuked Japanese feared greatly. And then throw in the fact that Godzilla isn’t portrayed as a bad guy, so much as a force of nature. That last is a theme carried out through many of the Godzilla movies. In one of the more recent movies, GOdzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack, Godzilla is described as being embodied by the souls of those who died on both sides of the war because of the Japanese in WWII. Its kind of a shame that more people don’t even look at any of the Godzilla movies seriously.
13th Warrior: Antonio Banderas as an arab muslim in Viking North? It works. Its a much better telling of Beowulf then the recent computer animated one. But thats to be excepted when 13th Warrior was written by Michael Crichton (orginally released as Eaters of the Dead). This is a movie that me and my brother quote back and forth regularly.
Major Payne: This one of my favorite comedies. Its another one of those that my brother and I quote back and forth. We have a friend that was in the Marines that can sound just like Major Payne. The story also drives the point that there are somethings worth working hard and sacrificing for, and the typical movie standard of happiness where you least expect it.
Tombstone: A great western that I don’t think gets enough credit, then again, there aren’t as many westerns anymore to compare it to. Its superbly acted, and the dialogue is easily quotable.
All of these are movies I can watch over and over again.
1. Big Trouble in Little China” – A Kurt Russell, Saturday matinee type classic.
2. Mystery Alaska
3. The Fifth Element
4. Deep Rising (agree, good pick)
5. Extreme Prejudice
OK, my nomination is “The Gumball Rally” – made on the heels of Brock Yates illegal “Cannonball Run” – the race across the US, the cars are the stars but the actors get in some memorable lines:
When Michael Sarrazin’s character – with a 427 Cobra – is razzed by his friend and rival for having such an old car – he replies “Well – some things get meaner as they get older!”
Raul Julia, playing a sauve F1 driver and driving a Ferrari Daytona Spyder – says upon starting the car – “The first thing-a you have to know about Italian driving….(grabs rear view mirror, rips it from the windshield and tosses it away) – “It makes-a no difference what’s behind you – only what’s in front of you!”
Somebody should have tackled John Nolte before he was able to post this column, but by lauding “Saving Silverman” as an “awesome” movie he has utterly and irrevocably destroyed any credibility he may have had as a commentator on the state of the movie industry.
“Saving Silverman” is one of the worst movies ever made. It’s one of those movies that’s so bad you’re not sure which you regret most: the money you paid to see it, or the hours out of your life you wasted watching it and will never get back. I wish there was a way that I could UN-see “Saving Silverman”.
And comparing “Deuce Bigelow” to “Blazing Saddles”? You just gave up the right to post anything resembling a movie review ever again.
PLANET TERROR: This movie becomes a work of genius when you realize what it’s really an homage to — those bad old Cannon Group films of the ’80s. This is what Golan and Globus would have done if they’d had any real money.
THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI: I don’t apologize to anyone for loving this film. It has a gleefully Douglas Adams-esque sense of humor — if you’re expecting it to make perfect sense, you’re clearly not approaching it with the right mindset. Forget all those Sundance-bait indie movies out there, this should be the baseline definition of a “quirky” movie.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER: People have forgotten how groundbreaking the special effects were when this first came out. And you’ve got to love stories about ordinary guys rising up to save the galaxy.
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM: Everybody says that this was the weakest of the original trilogy, but it’s still my wife’s favorite.
THE WARRIORS: A larger-than-life comic book story of gang-ridden ’70s New York, featuring some of the most suspenseful plotting and most criminally underrated actors of the era. (Thank god for Dexter, or we all would’ve forgotten James Remar and his talent for one-liners.)
LAST MAN STANDING: Another Walter Hill pic, this one transposes Kurosawa’s Yojimbo to early-1930s Texas as fluidly as A Fistful Of Dollars to late-1850s Mexico. Bruce Willis deserves to stand beside Toshiro Mifune and Clint Eastwood as the epitome of the menacing lone-wolf badass.
CREEPSHOW and MARTIN: Speaking of comic-book movies… Everybody only remembers George Romero’s zombie films, but before they became his specialty he produced some fascinating work outside the genre. MARTIN is a brilliantly acted tale of suspense about a young man who believes himself to be a vampire. CREEPSHOW is simultaneously the darkest and funniest thing Romero’s ever done; I’m surprised no one thought to pay homage to the bad old EC comics until he sat down with Stephen King to work on the screenplay.
THE WALL
RONIN
ANY/ALL LORD OF THE RINGS
THE MACHINIST
TORA TORA TORA
DOES THIS WORK?
How can The Jazz Singer (1980 Neil Diamond version) not be on this list?
Alright John, you win – I’m going to rent Deuce Bigelo tonight. Maybe Blazing Saddles as well. Hell, I can use the laughs.
As for my guilt guilty favorites, they come from that classic 70’s white trash cinema drive in era. Never get tired of “smokey and the bandit”, “Every Which Way But Loose” and “White Lightning.” Burt, Clint, Jerry Reed. Need I say more? And Jackie Gleason’s red neck sheriff doesn’t age, still right on the money.
More? Okay…
Shock Treatment. Sequel (of sorts) to Rocky Horror. Brilliant soundtrack.
How to Get Ahead in Advertising. For the college crowd, a bit heavy handed but good performances.
Jo Don Baker in Walkin’ Tall. classic drive in. whoop!
I’ve got a soft spot for UHF – from Weird Al Yankovic. It always makes me laugh.
Love it, John. You and I have very similar tastes.
All right, Nolte, on the strength of your Deuce Bigalow recommendation, which led me to a film that made me laugh indecorously, I’ve just put the rest of your recommendations on my Netflix queue. They better be good. I know where you live. At least I know where people who know where you live live.
As for my own sad confession, I’ve never turned off “Road House.” It’s like “Afghanistan Banana Stand.” The minute it hits me, I lapse into a staring daze.
There’s just something about “That Thing You Do” that makes me completely useless when its on. A wonderful movie.
“Cannery Row:” something about the magical realism slays me every time. It was a litmus test date movie. If the young lady didn’t get the flick, game over. When I failed to heed the outcome of the test once, I ended up married for a while to the second Lady Jiggy (imagine “The Lion in Winter” with angry fundamentalist feminist lawyer…okay, it’s more of a horror film than a costume drama).
“The Tall Guy” Absolutely awesome, smart love story featuring Jeff Goldblum and early Emma Thompson. How can you not give yourself to a movie that features the musical about John Merrick, called “Elephant!” and its rousing finale “Somewhere in heaven there’s an angel with big ears.”
“Serendipity” Yes, John Cusack may have infantile political views, but a very nice romantic comedy that features a lot about friendship along with the pursuit of the object of long ago love.
I’ll agree on the 13th Warrior…and add two more.
My Blue Heaven…Steve Martin and Rick Moranis doing the Merengue! That’s all you need to know.
The Great Race…Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn, and the absolute-best-nothing-else-comes-close pie fight of all time.
Repo Man “The more you drive, the less intelligent you are”
TexasGuy- You rule for the “Real Men” mention. That is a gem of a flick.
I’ll put “Slither” out there. A great little horror movie that is a tribute to other great horror movies, including Night of the Creeps and The Thing.
@Trish ~ Holy Crap! How could I forget UHF? I still laugh thinking of stanley and his mop. I wonder if they have it out on blu-ray… I have to find out now. Weird ‘Al’ did great with the movie, maybe some day a studio will let him make another one.
1) Spaced Invaders-I never get it back after I loan it to friends-on my 3rd copy.
2 )Phantom of the Paradise-great soundtrack and visuals/
3) UHF-makes me smile every time I see it.
and a guilty pleasure- Dumb and Dumber. How they filmed it without breaking up,I’ll never know.
LOVE some already mentioned, here’s some more (although some may not be obscure enough):
Tremors
All of Me
The Quick and the Dead
Just Like Heaven
Boondock Saints
Payback
Rob Roy
Blue Sky
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse
All This and Heaven Too
The Other
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death
Island of Terror
Class
About Last Night
Oh Heavenly Dog
Funny Farm
Bed of Roses
Very Bad Things
I know, I’m all over the map – some just fall into that “I came across it flipping channels and couldn’t stop watching” category.
1. Freddie Got Fingered
2. Convoy
3. Raw Deal
4. Lionheart
5. The Lost Boys
Shoot! Nickolas is right. I screwed up the premise – I’m sure a lot on my list were well recieved.
Someone already got Hell Comes to Frogtown, though.
Oh – I know! ANY Cynthia Rothrock movie!
UHF! My all time favorite (”Supplies!”).
The Addams Family movies were also great.
I also love Roadhouse (”I thought you’d be taller”).
I have a few that I’m not sure are under-rated, I just don’t know many people who have seen them:
1) “One, Two, Three” – It’s on cable occasionaly. James Cagney plays a Pepsi executive in West Berlin, who is responsible for his Boss’ daughter. She runs off and marries a communist from East Berlin, and hilarity ensues. My favorite scene uses the “Sabre Dance” during a chase and I have never laughed so hard.
2) I am David – Jim Caviezel has a small, but important part. There is a twist at the end that is very touching.
3) Red Belt – It got lukewarm reviews and even though it was promoted as a martial arts movie, it is not what most consider to be such (i.e., Jackie Chan/Jet Li), there are only two lengthy fights in the film. Instead, it involves the philosophies of martial arts. Tim Allen has a good dramatic turn. Chiwetel Ejiofor was great as always ( but not as good as he was in Serenity). The very last scene, when he steps in the ring and looks up, is a great pay-off.Also, Mamet has very little exposition about Mike (Ejiofor’s character), so you have to figure out things about him on your own.
BTW – John, I stumbled across Dirty Harry’s Place the weekend before Big Hollywood launched. I was hooked on it because of the Top Five lists and I’m glad to see them here.
I forgot I wanted to see Hot Rod.
What about Rhinestone. Dolly Parton and Sly Stallone – what’s not to love?
PS – Having read on Big Hollywood that James Cagney was a communist, I may enjoy “One, Two, Three” a little more, considering his cahracter’s situation.
Also, Michael Richard’s monologue in UHF, “Life is like a mop…” Is great.
Don’t forget “Grandma’s Boy” with Alan Colvert. It gets funnier with each viewing. I think Andrew Breitbart would agree.
Damn you, John, you’ve dragged me in!
5 not yet mentioned:
1. Grandma’s Boy – Pure genius. And, a job requirement here at Breitbart.
2. Midnight Run – Great actors, great comedic performances. Plus a dash of a chagrined Yaphet Kotto.
3. Big Trouble In Little China – So camp. I don’t know why I love it so much. But I do.
4. Karate Kid – “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, sir!” “Sweep the leg.” “If do right, no can defense.”
5. Ready To Rumble – Admitting I have both seen and loved this movie is my personal call for help. Please, someone intervene.
1. Kate & Leopold-I thought this movie perfectly captured the loss of grace, manners and chivalry in modern society, as well as showing the downside of extreme feminism. Also, a bit part by a current Oscar nominee Viola Davis as a cop in Central Park.
2. Hangin with the Homeboys-Four losers hang out for a night trying to find a party, with hilarious results.
3. Only the Lonely-John Candy(I really miss him) was great in this as a lonely Chicago cop who finds love, only to have it threatened by his overbearing mother played wonderfully by Maureen O’Hara.
4. Navy Seals-U.S. Navy Seals kick terrorist a**. With the georgeous and underrated Michael Biehn(Why didn’t he ever really make it big?), and Charlie Sheen playing a somewhat stereotypical part for him-brash, reckless, unwilling to follow rules-and Dennis Haysbert, pre-President Palmer.
5. Undercover Brother-not a fan of Eddie Griffin, but Dave Chappelle was gut-bustingly funny in this. If only Barack Obama had followed the “General”, and opened a chain of “fried chicken restaurants” instead of running for president.
I also agree on Second Hand Lions and Frailty as mentioned above.
Kung-fu Hustle. This is a great satire of Chinese martial arts films. Unfortunately it was classified as a serious kung-fu movie here in the states. Big mistake. It is one of the funniest movies I have seen in years. The attention to detail as well as a great comedy plot makes a classic in my opinion.
The taking of Pelham One Two Three. Gesundheit!
Boondock Saints, absolutely one of the funniest movies ever.
Barcelona. You just have to see it.
Lawn Dogs, interesting movie about an only child who befriends her families landscaper
Big Trouble in Little China
Serenity
Oscar (Stallone, Tim Curry, Marisa Tomei and Don Ameche, c’mon…)
Joe Vs. the Volcano (Lost all respect for Hanks the other day, still like movie)
Primer (Makes your brain hurt)
Poor sad sacks. I can’t believe y’all missed this one. The mighty Jon Voight in Anaconda.
Bunch a losers.
Evil Roy Slade – John Astin “I learned two things today. Never trust a pretty woman or a lonely midget.”
Love, too UHF “What most people don’t know is that Turtles are nature’s suction cups…”
The Spirit of ‘76 – David Cassidy
So I Married an Axe Murderer
TRON
Heathers
1. Phantom of The Opera – that’s right. Joel “nipples on batman costume” version. I thought it was exactly what an overblown musical should be. Especially considering it’s ALW….
2. Navy SEALS – Already mentioned, but I thought it was just an awesome movie. Blow up stuff, Lebanon, terrorists, good ol’ Navy SEALS = good times.
3. America’s Sweethearts – it’s a horrid little movie, but it’s fun to watch John Cusack and Julia Roberts barely contain their disgust for each other whilst acting like they’re falling in love. And Chris Walken in the Unibomber’s shack directing a movie is just funny to think about.
4. You Don’t Mess With The Zohan – Oh, the ending blows, but it’s funny as hell. Mostly the bad Israeli accent on Sandler, The Zohan’s awesome fighting skills and the tiny little inside jokes that one doesn’t get unless one (a) is Israeli or (b) has been to Israel (Moshe Dayan’s pic, motek, b’seder, etc)
I think we can all safely say that this thread officially got out of control at “Juawanna Man.”
My 2 cents:
Stripes: Everyone gives love, deservedly, to Caddyshack, but my roommates in college could quote this one from memory. Funny stuff and the jokes about the military are in good fun
Clash of the Titans: Ray Harryhausen, the Kracken; Laurence Olivier as Zeus. ‘Nuff said
Armageddon: The science was a nightmare, but fun and an all time line:
You’re NASA for crying out loud…you’re geniuses. You’re the guys that think this s**t up. I’m sure you got a team of men sittin’ around somewhere just thinkin’ s**t up and somebody backin’ them up…
Evil Dead 2: Bruce Campbell is absolutely fricking hilarious in this horror movie spoof.
The Man from Snowy River: Great scenery and a dual performance from Kirk Douglas make this “Western” set in Oz a blast.
Miami Vice
Saving Silverman
Seven Pounds
Grandma’s Boy
Hot Rod
Legend of Bagger Vance
Unbreakable
Barbershop 2
Speed Racer
Okay, time to get serious before John breaks up the party.
‘Once Were Warriors’ (1994)
Directed by Lee Tamahori. A brutal film with amazing performances by the two leads, Rena Owen and Temura Morrison. Also, one of my favorite character actors, Cliff Curtis. Great soundtrack too if you can find it.
‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’ (1973)
Directed bt Peter Yates. Mitchum at his best. The man will break your heart as Eddie ‘Fingers’ Coyle. Great supporting cast, Peter Boyle, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco, Mitch Ryan, and Richard Jordan, who damn near steals the friggin’ movie.
‘O Lucky Man!’ (1973)
Directed by Lindsay Anderson. You have to see it to believe it. Magical.
Malcolm McDowell stars as ‘Mick Travis’ who takes you on quite the trip.
Also, one of my favorite scores by Alan Price of ‘The Animals’
‘Minnie and Moskowitz’ (1971)
Love story from John Cassavetes, stars Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel. I could watch the opening scene, in the diner, between Seymour and Tim Carey (the absolute best) all day long.
‘Mean Streets’ (1973)
The movie that made me want to become an actor. I’ll never forget the first time I saw it. I couldn’t move as the final credits rolled.
Directed by Martin Scorsese. Robert DeNiro as Johnny Boy and Harvey Keitel as Charlie are like great dancers/fighters. The movie has energy.
I swear to God, my mother and father wanted to have me committed. I used to drive from Cape Cod to Boston (about 90 miles, sometimes in the snow) to see this movie at some local revival house. Clocked in at around 50 times seeing it way before VHS/DVD’s came on the scene.
My all time favorite, thanks Marty, where ever you are.
I’ll shut up now.
My “under appreciated” list
1) Brainstorm
Walken, Wood, Fletcher, Robertson. Great scenes mixed in with camp, but I still love this movie– and miss Natalie Wood.
2) Man on Fire
Too violent for some, perhaps. Denzel and Dakota are excellent.
3) Starship Troopers
Incredibly deep, thought provoking… just kidding. It’s great HT demo material and very funny.
4) Office Space
Brilliant.
5) Predator
I seriously think this is one of Ahnold’s best “non-Cameron” films. Very well done action/sci-fi.
SOme recent ones, mostly. Two Tony Scott films to start:
1) Man on Fire – a fascinating exploration of vigilantism, moral certainty, and the Mexican Kidnapping industry.
2) Domino – a tall tale version of a tall-tale life. A post-modern anti-biopic. An exploitation film about exploitation, in a world in which lying is the only way to preserve your integrity.
3) The Invasion – A liberal psychiatrist gets stuck inside the nightmare of her perfect ritalin world.
4) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind – the best Charlie Kaufman film, one that completes its thoughts rather than descend into madcap antics.
5) The Band Wagon – Cyd Charisse and Fred Astaire in maybe the best MGM musical, but relatively unknown to the average filmgoer.
Glad I’m not the only person who likes A Lot Like Love. It’s one of those rare rom-coms that actually cares about its characters. It even finds a halfway likable midwesterness to Ashton Kutcher. Nearly listed it myself.
I’m in there for “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” but give me George Stevens 1943 “The More the Merrier” with turns by Jean Arthur that are knee slapping and for which she was nominated in the “Best Actress” category.
I’m with Klavan, they better be good cause I haven’t seen one of these movies, and I know where he lives so that means two of us are coming.
Going on my Netflix…thanks.
MB Snow
I second Barcelona – a truly great movie – the protagonist is a military attache in Spain during the cold war when Reagan was installing the Pershing missiles in Europe. He’s funny, charming, quick on his feet and an unapologetic conservative. He gets the girl too!
my other underrated picks are
Barbarian Invasions – it’s Frech Canadian but dot let that stop you – it’s about a beat down old commie prof getting deathly ill and having to rely on his super successful oil trader son to rescue him from the tender mercies of socialized medicine. Funny touching and true
Grizzly Man – grizzly bears vs. liberalism – who ya got?
plus 3 quick comedies – Foot Fist Way, Super Troopers and Brain Candy (early cameo of Brendan Fraser)
if you don’t laugh at Brain Candy, You sir are worse than Hitler!
(apologies to Greg Gutfeld)
Two with P. Newman, “Nobody’s Fool” and “Absence of Malice”
Two with Steve Martin,”Parenthood” and “L.A. Story”
“Spartan” with Val Kilmer
Dittoes:
Secondhand Lions
Tremors
Soldier
The 13th Warrior
One, Two, Three
Buckaroo Banzai
comedy
Kung Fu Hustle
Big Trouble in Little China
Buckaroo Banzai
Joe vs the Volcano
Arsenic & Old Lace
Poison Ivy: Not the seduction story with Drew Barrymore but the Michael J Fox/Nancy McKeon summer camp movie. This really needs to be released on DVD.
Johnny Dangerously: One of the funniest movies I have ever seen.
Secret Admirer: Fun chick flick type movie. Great cast. Sort of a modern day Cyrano De Bergerac
The Final Countdown: Fun sci-fi/time travel movie about a modern day air craft carrier transported to the Pacific just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
i liked many of the choices here, but had to correct one…. ‘one, two, three” James Cagney’s character was an executive at Coca-Cola, not pepsi….
Breastmen- For obvious reasons-Could someone fill me in on the storyline?
Barry Obama Saves The World-Ooops! This one is still in production , but I guarantee it will be obscure.
Young Frankenstien- A classic.
Here are some of my favorites:
Secondhand Lions – “I must meet this man” I just love Duvall and Caine. Perfect casting, great story. I could watch this movie every week.
The Sandlot – Caught it on tv the other day, still love it. One of my daughter’s top 10 so that means I’ve seen it at least a hundred times!
50 First Dates – Worth the rental price to see Rob Schneider as the best friend. Very funny and quite touching. See if even if you don’t care for Adam Sandler.
The Hot Chick – One of my top 10 comedies. The storyline is so off the wall, it’s a riot. I actually like this better than Deuce Bigalow!
Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Disregard the male frontal nudity. Its a gem.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – Michael Caine and Steve Martin as a couple of con men who join up to try and bilk a woman out of the cash she won in a contest. Absolutely hilarious.
Waking Ned Devine is pure joy.It’s the most enjoyable movie I’ve seen in 10 years.
Quigley Down Under
Last of the Mohicans
The Visitor
Assassins [Stallone & Banderas]
Red Sun [Bronson & Mafune]
Last Man Standing [Willis]
Ronin & Heat [DeNiro]
The Yakuza [Mitchum]
The Professional [Reno & Portman]
Congratulations. At least your column is about movies and Hollywood.
@ James S.:
“I’ve got to throw one in here for my brother. An old B/W Peter Sellers movie called “Kind Hearts and Coronets”. Peter Sellers playing the main character and most of the characters relatives as he kills them off.”
It’s not Peter Sellers you’re thinking of; it was Alec Guiness who played the victims. Dennis Price played the main character.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is a great movie and a classic. I wouldn’t call it underappreciated, although maybe it’s not well known today as it should be.
I second the following movies:
-Serenity – must-see (as is the series Firefly)
-Office Space – Funny every time
-Rocky Balboa – Very uplifting.
-Kung Fu Hustle (Shaolin Soccer is also great)
-The Chase – The scene after the credits is entirely worth it.
-Second Hand Lions – Although I prefered the alternate ending
Also, I have never seen “Major Payne”, but I highly recommend Lthe Private War of Major Benson”, with Charlton Heston, which was the basis for “Major Payne”. It is hilarious.
The Princess Bride
“as you wish”
“inconceivable”
“my name is Inigo Montoya…”
“do you have six fingers on your right hand?”
“sleep well, i’ll most likely kill you in the morning”
Kelly’s Heroes
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Waking Up In Reno
Pompatus of Love
Very Bad Things
Snatch
The Tao of Steve
Jesse Stone:Night Passage
Long Kiss Goodnight
Mr. Nolte,
I just finished Deuce Bigelo. Why did I hesitate? This made me laugh. Loved it. Thank you for the recommendation.
Dead Heat on a Merry-go-round
Nothing but the Best
Quicksand (the Mickey Rooney noir of 1950)
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
The Last Wagon
Did anyone mention Point Break? Patrick Swayze as the whacked-out adrenalin-junkie surfer who robs banks wearing the masks of ex-presidents. Think he was Reagan.
And who could forget Keanu Reeves in teh BEST ROLE EVER?
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Kung Pao: Enter the Fist — A monumentally stupid movie, all the more entertaining for its stupidity. Realizing how it was made makes it both funnier and more stupid.
THE LIMEY
COBRA
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
THE WILD GEESE
WILD THINGS
GET CARTER (STALLONE)
THE MACHINIST
GOIN’ SOUTH
TAPEHEADS
TEQUILA SUNRISE
WILD AT HEART
GRAND CANYON
SPANISH PRISONER
THE SALTON SEA
BLACK KNIGHT
EVEL KNIEVEL (HAMILTON)
UNDERTAKING BETTY
TIME BANDITS
FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE
THUNDERHEART
Darn – thought I was going to have some original movies to add, till David Clay threw in “Machinist,” “Spanish Prisoner,” and “Time Bandits.” Would also ditto a ton of previously mentioned movies, including “Deep Rising,” “Big Trouble In Little China.” Just off hand, would add “The Frighteners” – pre “LOTR” Peter Jackson, “Bubba Ho-Tep,” and “Johnny English.”
Lady Iron Monkey. One of those cheap 2 for 1 martial arts DVDs had this. Pretty much all monkey kung fu movies are fun, but this one is unusually trippy. It’s the saga of a young girl raised by monkeys to the extent that she actually became a simian herself, who is then adopted by a monkey fu master and turned back into a real girl. Oh, yeah, and she falls in love with the wrong guy before turning into a real girl and politics ensue. And of course there has to be an excuse for drunk monkey-style….
“The Hong Kong Connection” is a legal thriller about a gutsy female attorney who takes on high ranking International officials. It’s a taut, rollercoaster of a ride from New York to Palm Beach to Washington D.C. to Hong Kong. The plot is expertly woven, the characters persuasive, and the dialogue snappy and spot on.
http://www.StrategicBookPublishing.com/TheHongKongConnection.html
Shucks, Scott and Blackwater.. you took my primary ones I was going to add to the list..
I’m a sucker for Executive Decision… mainly because I got tired of seeing Seagal in all these “take a beating, but never have a mark on his face” movies… not to mention Oliver Platt is IMO, the gem of that movie.
I’ll add my other personal choice then though… “The Quick and the Dead”. Just for seeing the look on Decaprio’s face when he’s shot by Hackman.
“Like I always say – put a fox in the henhouse and you’ll have chicken for dinner every time”
Uh, there’s no Cabin Boy on your list. FAIL.
Here’s one so obscure (despite all-star talent) that you may never have heard of it and I’m not even sure it’s DVD-available, but wow is it a classy little epic: “The Silent Partner” is a Canadian flick (I know, I know…) in which Christopher Plummer is a really nasty badguy bankrobber who aborts a hold-up at a big Toronto mall branch of a bank where Eliot Gould is a teller (along with a yet-to-be-discovered John Candy for comedic effect and Susanna York for beauty and romance.) Though the robbery doesn’t happen that day (Plummer’s disguise is as Santa because the mall is in full Xmas frenzy) Gould finds the note and, knowing the guy will strike again, puts a bunch of cash in his briefcase when he sees Santa Plummer standing in line to rob him the second time.
When the press reports a much larger take than Plummer knows he got, he knows that Gould has become his “silent partner” in the crime and begins exerting really scary creepy pressure on him to cough up the dough. The rest is about a cat-and-mouse game where Gould, the mouse, roars. Find it, watch it, and treasure it, not the least for the great jazz piano score by Oscar Peterson.
You guys are killing me … my Netflix queue is approaching infinity. Wowser.
Ishtar!
Truth,
The Silent Partner was a very good call.
Roger Dodger. Mean spirited womanizer tries to get his teenage nephew’s virginity behind him in a night on the town in Manhattan. Character is revealed. Really smart. Razor dialog. Nice, nice, nice.
Dead Man. Weirdest western Depp or anyone else was ever in. Might Robt. Mitchum’s last role. Might want to be under the influence of your favorite intoxicant on this one.
The Mistress. Hot Director on a roll (Tim Robbins) suffers when his leading man (Walken) commit suicide on camera. He disappears to write the perfect script vowing he will not let anyone in Hollywood corrupt it. Then he meets Martin Landau the old schmoozer and fun ensues.
The Loved One. Classic spoof on Forest Lawn. Rod Steiger as Mr. Joyboy, the embalmer. John Winters as the owner of the cemetery.
The Apostle. Just liked it. Duvall’s tour de force. Nice to see a southern story told with some respect.
Silent Partner. See above. Creepy and great, even Gould.
Four Layer Cake. Clever Brit. crime flick. Daniel Craig is great.
Final Shot. FBI leads a script writer on to investigate Hollywood. Good writer humor. Worth watching for the scene wherein Baldwin gets some notes from the suits at the FBI.
Lars and the Real Girl. I don’t know. Just hit me for the humanity in the story, although most find it slow.
Not my top five but films folks may have missed and will enjoy.
The real top five: Lebowski, Schlinder’s list, China Town, Dr. Strangelove, Lives of Others, and, and, and…
Ishtar?
How about Howard the Duck? Or for the schlocky horror fans The Boogens. Gotta love an old man pointing at a monster like the ghost of christmas yet to come to let out a feeble yell (or yelp) “Boooooogens!!!!” Funny stuff.
Also late to the party but:
I second My Blue Heaven, Serenity, Galaxy Quest, Princess Bride and Hunt for Red October.
I just can’t believe with this long string of comments that nobody mentioned Real Genuis.
Okay, how about:
Hollywood Shuffle. A classic by Robert Townsend.
“Gimme my activator!”
“I ain’t be got no weapon.”
“C’mon Rufus, we’re going to the Promised Land.” “Minnesota?”
That movie skewers Hollywood but good!
and
Who Dares Wins (think it was called “The Final Option” on this side of the pond). All I remember is it was based on a true story, involves the SAS and some cloak-and-dagger, and there is all kind of terrorist butt-kicking going on–great movie!
Good call on “Strange Brew”, eh.
I loved Ishtar- It helps to be a songwriter. Those songs were perfect.
“I feel so small when I look at the stars,
How big is Venus? How big is Mars?”
Also Mystery Men, and Galaxy Quest, guess I like groups of losers who make good!
Re Hollywood Shuffle, that name in the quote should be “Jasper” not “Rufus”–thanks YouTube!
Mr. Deeds (Sandler version). Just pure fun with a good moral.
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