# Underrated Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233 "2012-09-09T21:23:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/21 "2012-09-10T14:33:26Z")
_[Shadow of the Vampire](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/)_ springs to mind. Great concept, and superbly scripted and acted. Possibly it gets unfairly pigeon-holed as a “twist” movie, but that’s not the point at all. I also have a soft spot for [Excalibur](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0082348/). It’s certainly flawed, but has a sense of otherworldly-ness and internal logic that so few fantasy films manage to capture. Nicol Williamson made an excellent Merlin. It’s the only serious treatment of the Arthur legend I find watchable. Edited to add, _Without a Clue_ and _Ed Wood_ are great fun. I’m reading the thread with interest, as I’m looking for candidates for my rental list. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/22 "2012-09-10T14:44:57Z")
CalMeacham writes: \> . . . the equally underrated authot Rocery Sheckley . . . For the benefit of those of you who would like to read this great author, what CalMeacham meant to write was this: \> . . . the equally underrated author Robert Sheckley . . . ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/23 "2012-09-10T18:03:09Z")
In most discussions of Coen brothers films, T **he Hudsucker Proxy** gets reactions like: “never seen it” “never heard of it” “didn’t like it” “worst of the bunch” etc. But it is by far my favorite! So many great scenes and quotable lines. Plus the whole invention of the hula hoop montage set to the music of Khachaturian is inspired. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/24 "2012-09-10T19:27:24Z")
_Hudsucker_ is one of my all-time favorites. You know…for kids. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/25 "2012-09-10T21:22:30Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There are lots of flicks I love that aren’t generally known > > **Creator** – just watched this again recently. Script by Jeremy Levin, based on his novel. Peter O’Toole plays a Novel Laureate biologist who has been cultivating the cells of his wife, who died of a brain tumor (although the film doesn’t tell you this. It’s in the novel). He’s trying to clone her. The film isn’t at all what you’d imagine from that thumbnail description – it’s witty, literate, and depicts academia so that it actually looks and feels like academia. Unlike most cloning movies, O’Toole’s character realizes that it will take his cloned wife years to mature, but doesn’t care. With Vincent Spano, Virginia Madsen, Mariel Hemigway, and David Ogden Stiers as a non-Bostonian Charles Emerson Winvchester type. > \ If you haven’t read the novel, IMO DON’T. I love the movie, but the book was not nearly as good. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/26 "2012-09-10T21:44:48Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > _[Shadow of the Vampire](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/)_ springs to mind. Great concept, and superbly scripted and acted. Possibly it gets unfairly pigeon-holed as a “twist” movie, but that’s not the point at all. Ah, thanks for reminding me! I should have added that to my list…great movie. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/27 "2012-09-10T22:09:34Z")
Deathtrap (1982) Le Dîner de Cons (1998) (underrated in the U.S.) ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/28 "2012-09-10T22:13:40Z")
Stardust, more or less an adult fairy tail, totaly convincing, totally enjoyable, and the suspension of disbelief is total. Also Point Blank (NOT Gross Point Blank), a very beleivable, albeit incredibly violent movie, where there are no happy accidents and no luck involved. An incredible movie in spite of the fact that normally I can’t stand Lee Marvin. A S. Korean movie , R. Point, very spooky, very creepy. When it starts off you think that its a war movie . It isn’t. For best effect, watch it late at night , on your own, with the lights out. Though you won’t go to sleep afterwards. Also Angel Heart, a little bit disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/29 "2012-09-11T01:27:51Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > A S. Korean movie , R. Point, very spooky, very creepy. > > When it starts off you think that its a war movie . > > It isn’t. > > For best effect, watch it late at night , on your own, with the lights out. > > Though you won’t go to sleep afterwards. Good call. Have you seen **Spider Forest**? Not the best Korean movie by a long shot but an effective psychological horror/ghost story that many probably haven’t heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/30 "2012-09-11T02:32:53Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I consider 1999’s \*The Thomas Crown Affair \*to be grossly underrated, especially compared to the original. Renee Russo is sharp and sexy, Dunaway plays her cameo beautifully, and Brosnan is at his inscrutable best; This is one of my favorite movies. Sexy and stylish and playful, and the music is terrific throughout. In addition to Brosnan and Russo being in top form, Denis Leary is really great as the weary police detective. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/31 "2012-09-11T02:40:31Z")
Martin Scorcese’s under-the-radar _Bringing Out The Dead_. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/32 "2012-09-11T03:00:54Z")
A couple of Peter Weir movies I think are underrated: _The Mosquito Coast_ - Harrison Ford gives one of his best performances, in a role that diverges greatly from his typically heroic characters. River Phoenix and Helen Mirren are heartbreaking as his family who become prisoners to his egomania. \*Fearless \*- Jeff Bridges is, as usual, outstanding and Rosie Perez (who usually grates) is actually really good, too. An engrossing portrait of a man experiencing PTSD. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/33 "2012-09-11T03:17:39Z")
28 Weeks Later, the sequel to maybe the worst zombie horror movie to ever take itself seriously, is outstanding. Seriously really, really good horror. But because it was the sequel to the remarkably shitty 28 Days Later, everyone hates it. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/34 "2012-09-11T03:25:23Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to maybe the worst zombie horror movie to ever take itself seriously, is outstanding. Seriously really, really good horror. > > But because it was the sequel to the remarkably shitty 28 Days Later, everyone hates it. Now admittedly I haven’t actually seen _28 Days Later_ (did see _Weeks_ though, honestly can’t remember a thing about it), but isn’t it one of the most well received horror of the entire decade? In fact wasn’t _Weeks_ also really well revived when it was released? ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/35 "2012-09-11T03:27:28Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to maybe the worst zombie horror movie to ever take itself seriously, is outstanding. Seriously really, really good horror. > > But because it was the sequel to the remarkably shitty 28 Days Later, everyone hates it. What? _28 Days Later_ is great! ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/36 "2012-09-11T04:01:10Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > There’s no way that _Strangers on a Train_ could be considered underrated. It’s rated #136 on the IMDb top 250 list, for instance: > > [IMDb Top 250 movies](http://www.imdb.com/chart/top) > > This is a close to a standard rating of the popularity of a movie among film fans as you’re going to get. _Strangers on a Train_ also is rated high by film critics. While everything you say here is correct, I was referring to the average movie-going public. When the average person who is NOT a movie buff thinks of Hitchcock they usually think of “Psycho” and “The Birds” or “Rear Window.” I’ve discovered that while many average movie viewers know those I just mentioned, “Strangers On A Train” usually gets confused with “Throw Mama From The Train.” ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/37 "2012-09-11T04:10:04Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to maybe the worst zombie horror movie to ever take itself seriously, is outstanding. Seriously really, really good horror. > > But because it was the sequel to the remarkably shitty 28 Days Later, everyone hates it. Yeah, you’ve got that backwards. Danny Boyle made an exciting, vivid, frightening, tonally perfect, richly thematic film that happened to have an interesting modern riff on zombies. The sequel was uninspired. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/38 "2012-09-11T04:11:16Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > A couple of Peter Weir movies I think are underrated: > > _The Mosquito Coast_ - Harrison Ford gives one of his best performances, in a role that diverges greatly from his typically heroic characters. River Phoenix and Helen Mirren are heartbreaking as his family who become prisoners to his egomania. Nice pick. I love The Mosquito Coast. I find myself recommending it to people who love Breaking Bad. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/39 "2012-09-11T07:21:52Z")
A bunch of terrific movies already mentioned; so many, in fact, that I’d be quoting nearly half the thread just to say I agreed. Stuff I think is under-rated (or at least, stuff that hasn’t exactly become ragingly popular as of now) that hasn’t been mentioned yet: [Santa Sangre](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098253/) - I know; I know… lots of people hate it, but I think it’s fucking brilliant [Red Planet](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199753/) - sue me… I think this is an excellent SF movie [Grandma’s Boy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456554/) - possibly the best stoner movie of the last 25 years… it wouldn’t even be a contest except for _Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle_ [The World’s Greatest Lover](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076933/) - Gene Wilder, Carol Kane, Dom DeLuise… it’s freaking hilarious [Spun](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283003/) - best movie about tweekers EVER [Big Trouble In Little China](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/) - It’s all in the reflexes [Strange Brew](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086373/) - Even fleshy-headed mutants should enjoy this flick [Head](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063049/) - Brilliant. Astounding. Truly exceptionally genius movie-making. [Death Sentence](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804461/) - Kevin Bacon really took a chance making this movie, and it paid off in spades [Immortal](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314063/) - Too confusing for some, too weird for most, this movie is Enki Bilal’s art and fiction brought to life; it’s perfect in what it tries to be [Michael Clayton](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/) - An amazing film that bores the shit outta some people [Scott Pilgrim vs. the World](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446029/) - Much better than it had any right to be, and downright ingenious in many ways I could list lots more… I think a lot of terrific movies get overlooked by the general public for lots of reasons (marketing, a blockbuster that crowds other things out, etc.), but I like to see what other people post and I don’t want to hog the thread. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233/40 "2012-09-11T08:19:20Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Okay so we have another thread to discuss the overrated movies, let’s discuss movies that many viewers are unfamiliar with that we believe never got the kudos and recognition that they deserved. Here’s my number one: **American Dreamer** [American Dreamer (1984) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086886/) Looking at the credits part, I noticed a name. David Greenwalt. “THE David Greenwalt? From the Buffyverse, etc?” thought I. Indeed, twas the same. Why am I typing like that? Odd. Anyhoo, yes. Now I realize why I like it so much. This is how much I love this movie. Pre online fanwanking, when I went off to college\*, I met another girl that loved this movie as much as I did. We once had a spontaneous contest were we side by side recited it from memory for as long as we could. We got to over 30 minutes in before we cracked up and it ended. And my number two–I mean the second: **Hawks** [Hawks (1988) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097487/) Confession–I have a thing for Timothy Dalton, and that’s why I watched this movie originally. Not a perfect movie and a bit cheesy, but I’ve never shown it to anyone that hasn’t laughed their bahonkus off. I think that Anthony Edwards is an odd pick physically for the role he plays, but his acting is good. And Janet McTeer has won a Tony. They’re 20 yr old movies but they’re very fun and except for that other chick, I’ve never met anyone that has heard of either of them. Everytime I’ve shown them to people, they laughed pretty hard. (I have Hawks only on some old tape I did off the tv back in the day. About three years ago I found a copy of American Dreamer still in it’s plastic wrap in a goodwill shop in Austin. IT WAS SQUEE TIME! Yes, I still have a DVD/VCR.)\*\* \*Damn, I am old. \*\* See above. \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-movies/634233.md?page=3)