Here’s two off the top of my head:
3000 Miles to Graceland
I Am Sam
Both were promoted as comedies, which never fails to amaze me. I was pleasantly surprised with 3000 Mi., and downright blown away with I Am Sam.
Anyone?
Adaptation. I thought it would be good but I didnt’ think it would be THAT good.
Oscar. That gangster comedy with Sylvester Stallone and Chazz Palminterri. Very cute, very underrated.
Blue Crush. Um, yeah. It was good bubble gum fun. And it was actually adapted from an article written by Susan Orlean – who also wrote the book “Adaptation” was loosely based on.
FALLING DOWN, it looked like every other movie but THERE WAS AN ACTUAL STORY, I highly reccomend it.
unclviny
Most recently, The Cider House Rules.
Falling Down, definitely.
I was very dubious before ever watching Boogie Nights, and was surprised.
Dark City, and several years before that, The Crow.
“Eyes Wide Shut”
“Moulin Rouge”
“Changing Lanes”
“Sum of All Fears”
I’l go along with Oscar as well. First saw it on a dead-end weekend, whilst sick as a dog and stuck on the couch, on HBO. Much better than I’d figured it’d be.
I think the other one I’m thinking of was Steel Magnolias. An undeniable “chick-flick” that the Mrs. was watching one night, as we worked around the (at the time) new house, getting settled in. I normally avoid these movies like the plague. Tom Skerrit blasting the birds out of the tree during the wedding reception cracked me up, as well as most of the back and forth verbal sniping with… uhh, what’s’er name. (Wheezer, I think, was the character’s name.)
With only a limited budget for movies the week of Thanksgiving, 2001, I had to choose between The Man Who Wasn’t There and Novocaine. I heard (possibly on these very boards) that Man really benefitted from the big screen, so I picked it. Man, oh man, am I glad I did.
Moulin Rouge - Caught half of it on a plane and was fascinated. I had to rent it when I got home. Glad I did.
George of the Jungle - Charming and really funny.
Fight Club - The trailers showed NOTHING of the genius of that film.
Field of Dreams. I love this movie
Let It Ride. A really funny feel good movie that I knew nothing about.
“Big Trouble” makes me laugh for the entire flick. Based on a book by Dave Barry. It stars Tim Allen, who I don’t care for, but it’s too funny to pass up.
Terminator – when I first saw the ads, I thought it would be about people in LA with rubber masks on shooting at each other. And Arnold S. acting? But I went to see it, and Cameron knew good SF, and how to make a limited budget look good. And casting Arnold as a robot was perfect.
RoboCop – again, this looked like a dumb idea, but it had a savvy script, good direction, and good acting. I was pleasantly surprised.
Another vote for Oscar.
Dick was much funnier than I would have guessed – though you have to be familiar with the events of Watergate and the popular culture of the time.
October Sky. Here I get the impression that Joe Johnston was a pure hack, and he comes up with a film with real characters and a good story. (I’ll also say that his “Jumanji” and “Jurassic Park III” were also pleasant surprises, but my expectations were low going in.
Ishtar – Does not deserve its reputation – usually by people who never saw the film (and many even went to it and never saw it). Parts of it are hilarious (and in a good way) and overall, it’s a very funny movie. It drags a bit in the middle, and the ending is a bit tacked-on, but the first half hour is just plain great and the arms auction scene is classic. Bonus for Paul Williams delightfully terrible songs.
Picking Up the Pieces. You’ve got to love a black comedy starring Woody Allen as a Texan. David Schwimmer’s first scene had one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard, and the casting was inspired.
Heart and Souls – Caught this on TV and ended up buying a copy. A sweet, sentimental story about four people who die in a bus crash and discover their ghosts linked to a boy who grows up to be Robert Downey, Jr. It’s very 1940s in feel and actually has something to say.
Snitch
and
Minority report. Because I was really really expecting an horrific movie, but quite enjoyed it.
I love this movie! I turned on HBO one day and there it was. I’m thinking I’m going to have to buy it and show it to my friends. I love Pinky, the dog.
Legends of The Fall - When it came out I seem to remember the promos emphasising the love story angle so I stayed away thinking it was a “chick flick”. I finally caught it on cable one day and I thought it was great. Yes, there’s a love story there but the movie was about so much more. It was more of a western than a chick flick.
Malice - Again it was promoted wrong. They promoted it using the whole “I AM God” thing with Alec Baldwin and it wasn’t about that. There’s a serial killer, and a con, and insurance fraud. It was much better than the promos led me to believe.
LOTR. I had never read the books, and I only went to see it cause it was my dad’s b-day and he really wanted to go. Hey dad, I haven’t seen you in a year and you want to go and see what? Is that the one with the midget? Ow, hobbits, geeze, I’m sorry. Is it animated, like the cartoon mom deliberately recorded over? IT’S HOW LONG?
Glad I went, it’s my favourite movie ever, currently.
Drumline. Much more fun than I figured it would be. I came outta that movie with a huge smile on my face.
Goldmember. I went in with low expectations, and ended up actually lying on the floor laughing at some times.
Iron Giant.
Mmm… Buffy, the TV show. I liked the movie, it was a decent B movie. What, the writer thought they messed up the script? He wants it to be dark? It’s named BUFFY!
Star Trek Nemesis.
I know, I know. Nobody else liked it. According to pretty much every thread about it sucked. Well, I liked it. A lot! So much that I cried!
This was surprise because I can’t stand to sit through most episodes of ST: TNG (I pretty much hate all the characters except Picard and Jordi)