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Favourite films are often discussed but what do you think are the most under-rated films?

I thought I would post here as I do not really think The Prestige received the acclaim it should have and still seems a somewhat an unknown entity.

Thoughts?

The stupid Hollywood remake of Godzilla was hugely entertaining. Okay, it wasn't really Godzilla in the purest of senses. But it was great fun.

Ridley Scott's movie of Hannibal got slammed by the critics when it was released, but I thought it was terrific. Even moreso, when you realise that this tight, tesnse movie came from such a rubbish book. I'll even go as far as saying that Hannibal was a much better movie that Silence of the Lambs, which I always felt was outrageously overrated.

Miracle Mile is one of my favouritest movies ever, but got lost in obscurity and is rarely ever spoken of. I can't tell you anything about it without spoiling the experience for you, should you ever get the opportunity to see it yourself.

First Blood is a brilliantly well-crafted, visceral thriller. It's important to remember that this movie came about before the whole 'Rambo' franchise was created. Sadly, its reputation has been sullied for those that haven't seen it by its association with the jingoistic and muscle-headed sequels.

Weekend at Bernie's made me laugh. A lot.

The Howling seems to have been forgotten in the vague fog of the 80s, and maligned by those who think they're in-the-know due to its association with some dreadful sequels... It was truly splendid, however.

Deep Blue Sea. It's lowbrow. It does everything it says on the tin. Big sharks eat people. Only a fool would try to look any deeper than that. And, as such, it's a nice little rollercoaster.

Die Hard is now seen as something of a caricature. It's a label used to identify stupid action hero fodder. Go back and watch it again. It's actually a phenomenally good movie!

I'm sure I'll think of more before the day's out.

Although it seems that the theme of today's sermon has been sometimes you just need a cheeseburger.

Pete

i really enjoy death to smoochy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_to_Smoochy

Depp's wonka has had it's crtics, but it's way closer to the book.

shadow of the vampire, the fictionalized version of the making of Nosferatu, is without doubt my favorite vampire flick. Defoe's Orlock, it utterly believable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Vampire

Rabbit Proof Fence
Counte of Monte Cristo
The Whale and the Squid
Princes's Bride

Oh so many films so little time...

pcwells wrote:Deep Blue Sea. It's lowbrow. It does everything it says on the tin. Big sharks eat people. Only a fool would try to look any deeper than that. And, as such, it's a nice little rollercoaster.

Die Hard is now seen as something of a caricature. It's a label used to identify stupid action hero fodder. Go back and watch it again. It's actually a phenomenally good movie!

Ahhhhh two of my favourite films!

While I think about it Top Gun is also hugely under-rated I feel. Yes it's a bit cheesy, yes some of the acting is a little... naff but overall it's brilliant. Fighter jet's, explosions, fly bys, Kenny Loggins and Kelly McGillis for the guys and the love story, Meg Ryan, Berlin and oiled muscle men playing the gayest game of Volley Ball ever for the girls.

Son your ego is writing cheques your body can't cash.

An Australian film called The Castle. It's brilliant.

Static

Mixed Nuts

It Couldn't Happen Here

It's frightening, knowing that PC and I have such similar opinions here, but he left out Howard the Duck

Princess Bride is most certainly a thumbs up as, I'd have to say, the first Never Ending Story would be as well.

I'm confident there are others I'd agree upon but my foggy mind just isn't recalling things at the moment.

I'll agree with Die Hard. It's an amazingly well crafted story. (In fact, if I remember correctly, it's analysed in a couple of places in McKee's book Story.)

I must have watched The Andromeda Strain about 30 or 40 times by now, starting when it first came out, when I was ten. I'm not saying it's the best movie ever made. or even nearly, but it's become something of an obsession. I've read the book at least an equal number of times, probably starting when I was about eight or nine.

Saw was widely dismissed by critics as "mere torture porn" when it came out, but most of these critics never actually watched it. It is indeed very gory, but it's a lot more intelligent than people gave it credit for. Very similar in many ways to an adventure game and its puzzles. My only complaint was that, being an adventure gamer, I pretty much foresaw the final twist.

I have to confess that I've never seen Howard the Duck

But I'll echo Grue's support of Static. It's a marvellous movie!

Oh, and...

Hancock was slammed on its release, but I think it just suffered from a completely irrelevant trailer. The trailer made it out to be a goofball comedy about a vagrant superhero. It wasn't. The actual story was, to my mind, much more intriguing, and quite nicely played out by the cast in a subltle and not in the least bit schmaltzy kind of way that's unusual for Hollywood.

pcwells i respect you and your opinions but GODZILLA?!?!?!

Its the only movie i've ever walked out of demanding a full refund no questions asked.

Godzilla......disappears. It disappears does it? We're supposed to believe that Godzilla managed to hide. In a city. A city full of people. It managed to squeeze itself where exactly? Subway wasnt it? It managed to enter there without being seen and then just hide. That's one clever lizard.

Too much. Way too much.

Grimshaw wrote:pcwells i respect you and your opinions but GODZILLA?!?!?!

Its the only movie i've ever walked out of demanding a full refund no questions asked.

Godzilla......disappears. It disappears does it? We're supposed to believe that Godzilla managed to hide. In a city. A city full of people. It managed to squeeze itself where exactly? Subway wasnt it? It managed to enter there without being seen and then just hide. That's one clever lizard.

Too much. Way too much.

Can't remember Zilla disappearing, but if he got onto the subway, I'm sure he had a valid ticket to get through the turnstyles. I actually don't recall the monster in the subway at all - I thought he was just pretending to be another skyscraper.

I do, however, remember Jean Reno's impression of an American GI, and all the baby monsters sliding around on gumballs.

I didn't expect much. And I got it - along with a fun rollercoaster ride.

OoH! And while I remember...

CANDYMAN. It got dismissed as being 'yet another generic slasher flick', but I thought the storytelling, characterisation, the cat-and-mouse relationship between the two main characters, and the whole 'urban myth' theme put it in a different league altogether. I was completely pulled in by the theme of an urban myth trying to survive in the face of reason... I loved it.

I would agree with most of the films Pete has listed, particularly Hannibal and Deep Blue Sea.

Personally, I pay no heed to film critics; with few exceptions, it's just not possible to categorically state that a film is either good or bad. It's far too subjective. Granted, a critic can claim that a film has been well-made, well acted, is technically proficient, etc. etc. but a normal person like me will mostly judge a film on how entertaining it is. (Same principle goes for food critics). Whether a film has met with wide acclaim from critics or been panned, makes no difference to me because I don't think it means a hell of a lot.