# Underrated, Unsuccessful or otherwise Unknown films you love. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2004, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935 "2004-06-06T10:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/101 "2004-06-17T06:40:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Quatermass 2** (they didn’t use Roman Numerals for sequels in the 1950s. … Right! Because they hadn’t been invented yet! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/102 "2004-06-17T20:48:13Z")
> [@](#): > > by **commasense** > MHO, Choose Me is one of the great “lost” films of the 1980s. Interesting, quirky love story with several strange triangles going on. The only problem with seeing it on video is that unless you have a big screen TV, you may miss the running commentary on the film that’s written on the walls of the various rooms it’s set in. If you like that, try _Drowning by Numbers._ ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/103 "2004-06-17T21:47:04Z")
I haven’t shuttled all the way through page 2 yet, so forgive me if it’s been mentioned: **Quick Change**. Bill Murray tries to rob a NYC bank dressed as a clown. Never got much notice, even though it’s Bill Murray, but I think it comedic genius. ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/104 "2004-06-17T23:15:07Z")
**Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead** … Gary Oldman and Tim Roth Shakespeare style! Throw in a lil’ Dreyfus and you’ve got a winner! It’s witty and wonderful! If you _NEED_ to see a French, black comedy with subtitles, then rent yourself **Man Bites Dog**. Odd and offensive but what the hey! **Baxter** is a close second (as another French, black comedy with subtitles). ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/105 "2004-06-17T23:30:28Z")
**The Magic Christian** , with Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. I’m not totally sure what it was about, but it was really damned funny. It’s worth it just to see Yul Brynner, in drag, serenading Roman Polanski. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/106 "2004-06-18T02:03:19Z")
> [@SanguineSpider](#): > > If you _NEED_ to see a French, black comedy with subtitles, then rent yourself **Man Bites Dog**. Odd and offensive but what the hey! Nothing personal, **SanguineSpider** , but I must add a disclaimer. **Man Bites Dog** is a very violent film, and the protagonist is **extremely** sadistic. I didn’t find it to be “odd”: I found it to be pornographic. Be advised, anyone who’s thinking of checking it out. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/107 "2004-06-18T03:39:19Z")
**The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao** - If my word is good enough, then consider that Joel on MST3K declared this his favorite movie of all time. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/108 "2004-06-18T05:29:44Z")
I would just like to put in a vote for the social realist adventure comedies of the 70s: **Harry & Walter Go to New York** and **Swashbuckler** These are more like guilty pleasures, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/109 "2004-06-18T15:23:06Z")
My personal favorite obscure movie is _The Bounty_. Made in 1984, it’s a fascinating mixture of Hollywood veterans, rising stars, and as-of-then unknowns who have since risen to star status. Lawrence Olivier makes his final film appearance as a fleet admiral. Anthony Hopkins plays Captain Bligh. Mel Gibson is Fletcher Christian. Liam Neeson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Bernard Hill also appear as members of the _Bounty’s_ crew. The acting is first-rate in every sense. It’s also the first film of the events surrounding the famous mutiny that tells the story in an historically accurate manner. Captain Bligh is not reduced to a caricature of the sadistic disciplinarian, but played as a three-dimensional person with flaws and virtues. Fletcher Christian is not a stouthearted rebel, but a lovestruck weakling who throws away everything he knows (destroying many lives in the process) due to thinking with the wrong head. The only thing that feels at all out of place in this film is Vangelis’ score which, while often lush and beautiful, feels too modern in a period piece. ---
**Author:** ![Kings\_Gambit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kings\_Gambit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kings_Gambit1)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/110 "2004-06-18T15:57:46Z")
[Tremors](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100814/) The monster movie that breaks new ground. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/111 "2004-06-18T17:48:21Z")
When these threads come along, I always mention **The Year My Voice Broke** , so I’ll say [The Year My Voice Broke](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094347/). A bittersweet coming-of-age film set in rural Australia. Really nice. I also recommend its more widely seen squel [Flirting](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0101898/), which includes a young Nicole Kidman in its cast. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/112 "2004-06-18T19:01:26Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > IMHO, \*\*[Choose Me](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087054/combined) \*\* is one of the great “lost” films of the 1980s. Interesting, quirky love story with several strange triangles going on. The only problem with seeing it on video is that unless you have a big screen TV, you may miss the running commentary on the film that’s written on the walls of the various rooms it’s set in. By the same director, [Alan Rudolph](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0748928/), who directed **Made in Heaven** , mentioned above, which I also like a lot. I haven’t seen that one, but another Alan Rudolph movie, [Trouble in Mind](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090209/combined) I found intriguing, if very quirky. Its IMDb rating of 6.0 reflects that it’s not everyone’s cuppa more than the quality of the film. Women 30-44 _love_ it for some reason. It’s not on DVD yet. DD ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/113 "2004-06-18T19:22:46Z")
Some really great movies in this thread! How about: _Buckaroo Banzai_ _O, Lucky Man!_ _The Milagro Beanfield War_ And I second the vote for _Three-Cornered Moon_. I had always thought that \*Bringing Up Baby \* was the best screwball romantic comedy until I saw this one! ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/114 "2004-06-18T19:31:37Z")
And how could I forget one of my favorites! \* Performance \* with Mick Jagger, James Fox, and Anita Pallenberg. A very twisted little movie about sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and gangsters. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/115 "2004-06-18T20:06:07Z")
[Our Vines Have Tender Grapes](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037963/) (1945). A sentimental old movie about the a family of Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin. Edward G. Robinson plays the father with Margaret O’Brien as the seven year-old daughter. Have a tissue handy. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/116 "2004-06-18T21:00:11Z")
_Dragonslayer_ It probably wasn’t great art (like I care), but it was a delightful fantasy that worked for small children, and a fair amount of comedy and even satire for the grownups. Excellent effects, good writing and acting. Unfortunately, it was released just about the same time as _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, and it never stood a chance - completely overshadowed. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/117 "2004-06-19T05:29:01Z")
A few years back I had the chance to check out this really great, realistic thriller. I think it was called [Titanic](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/) or some such. Such a superb movie that no one I knew had seen it. The realistic stylings of the era it was portraying was largely underated as well. I also think it did not make that much at the box office whenever it was released. Really a shame, should be better known. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/118 "2004-06-19T06:22:58Z")
Kizarvexius writes: \> Lawrence Olivier makes his final film appearance as a fleet admiral. Olivier lived for five more years after this film and made two more feature films, a TV film, and three more miniseries. ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/119 "2004-06-21T06:26:55Z")
**Dragonslayer** … I love that movie, too! 🙂 And I did say **Man Bites Dog** was offensive. I remember only one scene with sex in it, though. Honestly, I wasn’t all that offended by this flick… how many killers go around with a camera crew recording their every move? I don’t think it’s any more sadistic than **Natural Born Killers**. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935/120 "2004-06-21T07:22:14Z")
> [@SanguineSpider](#): > > And I did say **Man Bites Dog** was offensive. I remember only one scene with sex in it, though. There’s violent porn as well as sexual. I was talking about the violence. > [@](#): > > Honestly, I wasn’t all that offended by this flick… how many killers go around with a camera crew recording their every move? I wasn’t concerned with that. I was concerned with the **completely** unsympathetic main character. But as far as the camera crew, how about the way he insisted that a new sound guy be brought in, brushing off the fact that **two** of them had already been killed? > [@](#): > > I don’t think it’s any more sadistic than **Natural Born Killers**. That film didn’t sit any better with me. And it’s not a matter of my not liking any film that has violence in it. **Fight Club** is on my top ten list, and **Reservoir Dogs** was on it for a long time, till it got edged out by newer discoveries. MMV. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underrated-unsuccessful-or-otherwise-unknown-films-you-love/248935.md?page=7)