Most Underrated Movies [Archive]

SigmaEcho

10-10-2006, 06:45 PM

What's on your list of the most underrated films of all time? Those wonderful pieces of cinema that you alone appreciate, and everyone else just doesn't understand how amazing they really are. London mentioned Independence Day, a massively entertaining flick that just goes unappreciated. And like ID4, most of my pics aren't very serious, so they get a bad rep, but are nonetheless superb entertainment.

Here's my list (in no particular order):

Gone in Sixty Seconds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187078/)
Last Action Hero (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107362/)
Dune (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087182/)
Clue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088930/)
Hackers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/)
Antz (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120587/)
Constantine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360486/)
The Money Pit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091541/)
The Hudsucker Proxy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110074/)
Mission: Impossible (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117060/)
Transformers: The Movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/)
Executive Decision (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116253/)
Brewster's Millions (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088850/)
Joe Versus the Volcano (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099892/)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100758/)
The Matrix Reloaded (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234215/)
The Matrix Revolutions (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242653/)
Hook (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/)
Goldeneye (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113189/)
Revolver (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365686/)
The Rocketeer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102803/)

What's on your list?

bird603568

10-10-2006, 06:56 PM

apocalypse now
billy madison
dr strangelove (best movie ever but noone knows about it)
groundhogs day
wargames

ViscountRadu

10-10-2006, 07:03 PM

In The Mouth of Madness
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dark City
Equilibrium

jonathanlondon

10-10-2006, 07:12 PM

apocalypse now
billy madison
dr strangelove (best movie ever but noone knows about it)
groundhogs day
wargames

Apocalypse Now and Dr. Stranglove are UNDERRATED!?! By who!?! In what cave!?! Those are 2 of the most applauded films in the history of cinema!

And they make PERFECT bookends to the REAL juggernaut on your list: Billy Madison. I love that shit.

bird603568

10-10-2006, 07:18 PM

well all my friends havnet seen those 2 so i put it as underrated.

jonathanlondon

10-10-2006, 07:22 PM

well all my friends havnet seen those 2 so i put it as underrated.

New friends time. This is the Drome homie. We're your friends now. And in the Drome, those movies are not underrated or unknown.

proglodyte

10-10-2006, 07:37 PM

bcool

10-10-2006, 07:44 PM

haha. executive decision cracked me up - Steven Segal dies within the first 5 min. so awesome. and then it's actually a decent movie.

jonathanlondon

10-10-2006, 07:47 PM

As far as horror movies go, I think Event Horizon is a very cool and scary movie and is very underrated. I also second the suggestion of In the Mouth of Madness. It seems like Sam Neill has done a lot of great and very much underrated horror movies. The Omen 3 is another that comes to mind.

Dude. Event Horizon is ass. When that dude makes that jetpack at the end and rockets back towards the planet I was laughing my ass off. This was one of the funniest jokes that my friend Kevin and I had during freshman year in college. That was such crap. He literally yells "here I come motha****as!!!" So retarded.

n_it2_winit

10-10-2006, 07:47 PM

Dude, Where's My Car
Pitch Black
The Ladies Man

Boxcarjay

10-10-2006, 07:51 PM

haha. executive decision cracked me up - Steven Segal dies within the first 5 min. so awesome. and then it's actually a decent movie.

that was so funny when he died my dad and i were watching it and all of sudden boop he gets sucked into space i just turned to him and was like did he just die haha good times.
i also like and can watch all the time but doesnt seem to get a lot of press:
Galaxy Quest
equilibrium
Ready to Rumble
Orange County
Shawn of the Dead seems to be a nice cult hit

SigmaEcho

10-10-2006, 07:54 PM

And

Mars Attacks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116996/)

This movie actually uses stupidity and campy-ness to its advantage.

guano

10-10-2006, 07:54 PM

Mission: Impossible (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117060/)

*Shakespeare in Love* This is one of my favorite movies, way better than M:I:3. It's so rewatchable it's crazy. Definitely one of the best spy movies of all time. I get the feeling J.Lo and DannyT don't appreciate it, though.

bird603568

10-10-2006, 07:57 PM

dude wheres my car is a great movie i forgot about that one. zoltan!

Seumas

10-10-2006, 08:34 PM

__________

AriaStar

10-10-2006, 09:14 PM

Who underrated Ninja Turtles? Send them all this way for butt-kickings!

I'm going to take off work early and go watch Ninja Turtles while trying out TreeNinja's meatball recipes while ignoring all the ninja influence around this pirate girl.

imagineer99

10-10-2006, 09:48 PM

--Being There (You're not a movie buff if you haven't seen this)
--Rocketeer (I watched this all the time as a kid. And, it seems like it's plummeted into the depths of Disney obscurity).
--The Player (Good Altman film that doesn't get a lot of acclaim)
--Frequency (Good supernatural thriller/drama)
--The Killing (My favorite Kubrick film. Often over shadowed by the likes of "2001" and "Strangelove")
--Harold and Maude (Used to be underrated, but is quickly becoming more and more popular. So, I don't know if this makes the list anymore)
--Holes (surprisingly deep kids movie that came out a couple years ago)

diela

10-10-2006, 09:59 PM

--Frequency (Good supernatural thriller/drama)

You stole mine that nobody else ever puts on these lists... until now. I might have to add you to my buddy list for that :p

imagineer99

10-10-2006, 10:09 PM

You stole mine that nobody else ever puts on these lists... until now. I might have to add you to my buddy list for that :p

*shakespeare in love* ;)

jonathanlondon

10-10-2006, 11:51 PM

imagineer99

10-11-2006, 12:08 AM

The Iron Giant got deep sixed into theaters with a weak ass marketing campaign and although the reviews were amazing, it totally tanked. I will never get how overlooked that movie was by non-geeks. It's a masterpiece.

I respect Brad Bird because he treats animation as a medium, instead of a genre. Iron Giant and the Incredibles are a testamen to this. Plus, Vin Diesel does a kick ass robot voice...

Seumas

10-11-2006, 12:12 AM

__________

darksydeavenger

10-11-2006, 12:21 AM

Election

or at least....I THINK it was underrated. I didn't even know it existed until it came out on video...

Seumas

10-11-2006, 12:35 AM

__________

icedsoul

10-11-2006, 12:59 AM

man... this thread brings out some scary posts... god... I need a drink on that.

jonathanlondon

10-11-2006, 01:51 AM

The whole time I was watching Iron Giant, I kept picturing Concrete (which would also make an awesome animated film -- note I said ANIMATED -- not CG-raped Disney crap).

Oh man. That would be great. An animated Concrete film would be so beautiful. Miyazaki!!! Where are you!?!

I know Jon supposedly hated it, but I have to say Brick seems very underrated.

I didn't hate it. Just didn't find it as loadblast-worthy as Dan did. It was fine.

Seumas

10-11-2006, 01:56 AM

__________

PaulSaves

10-11-2006, 03:27 AM

I really liked Primer... But I had to watch it three times, and take a class on it to understand what the **** was going on.

bcool

10-11-2006, 04:30 AM

I really liked Primer... But I had to watch it three times, and take a class on it to understand what the **** was going on.

I enjoyed watching primer, but it did totally lose me in the second half. At a certain point I think something that confusing just becomes bad story telling. I recently saw departed and was impressed at how a pretty complex situation was pretty easily understood. Primer could have been a lot more clear - it almost seems like they had a bunch of plot holes in the editing room and said, "well, if we take a bunch of 5hit out, no one will know what the hell is going on and just won't say anything."

matteekay

10-11-2006, 05:07 AM

Hrmm....

I've said it before, but Phantasm II has some awesome astmosphere. Hell, even the cluster**** that was Phantasm IV had its moments...

What else.... (checks DVD rack)

I felt Brotherhood of the Wolf (one of my top 5) was generally overlooked (such is the nature of wide-release foreign language fare), and Eurotrip is probably the best goofy teen movie ever made, though it will always be ignored as a late American Pie clone...

bcool

10-11-2006, 05:10 AM

popltree2

10-11-2006, 06:49 AM

I am going to say High Fidelity. I am a huge Cusack fan. Also Jack Black is hillarious.

bcool

10-11-2006, 06:58 AM

I am going to say High Fidelity. I am a huge Cusack fan. Also Jack Black is hillarious.

I always thought of that as a highly rated movie. also, if you haven't read the book, do it now.

burntfire

10-11-2006, 07:09 AM

I am going to say High Fidelity. I am a huge Cusack fan. Also Jack Black is hillarious.

I wouldn't call High Fidelity underrated. Not as praised as it should be, but definatly not underrated.

My picks are:
Fallen (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119099/)
I Heart Huckabees (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356721/) (not for everyone)
Solaris (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307479/) (2002 version)

popltree2

10-11-2006, 07:10 AM

I always thought of that as a highly rated movie. also, if you haven't read the book, do it now.

I didn't think it did that well, but maybe I am wrong. And yes, I plan on reading the book but I have to get through these other 4 or 5 that I am reading. My collection seems to grow by the day...

Seumas

10-11-2006, 10:30 AM

___________

imagineer99

10-11-2006, 11:06 AM

point5o

10-11-2006, 01:28 PM

Oh, forgot to mention: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

In general, Batman: The Animated series was great, but Phantasm is often overlooked as a "kids" flick. I find it to be the best Batman movie next to Nolan's recent Batman: Begins.

Batman: MotP was incredible. It opened on Christmas Day and my cousin and I were there that night in a empty theater enjoying all its glory...hallelujah.

abacusand13south

10-11-2006, 02:51 PM

Batman: MotP was incredible. It opened on Christmas Day and my cousin and I were there that night in a empty theater enjoying all its glory...hallelujah.

I watched this again recently and remember why I liked it all those years ago, definiately holds up.

harlo

10-11-2006, 03:44 PM

Tank Girl (I freaking love this movie.. I'd pay $2.15 to see it again)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (much funnier then I was expecting)
Hudsucker Proxy (I know it was said before, but this movie is awesome)
Amityville II: The Possession (This movie was filled with trippy Italian horror goodness)
Elizabethtown (I'm a Cameron Crowe fan, but even I thought this would suck. I was wrong)
Apt Pupil (Bryan Singer did more then Usual Suspects and superheroes)

I'm sure I could go on, but that's what comes off the top of my head.

jcroft74

10-11-2006, 03:55 PM

Master and Commander.

Not a terribly geeky movie, but a damn fine flick. I guess that it did ok at the box office and I guess that it was nominated for something, but it seemed like it quickly faded from view. I saw it when it first came out on DVD as I was blown away. It is truly action and adventure and it seems like a well made movie.

I have been working my way through the corresponding series of book for the last couple of years. Also very good. Not for everyone though.

divadawg9234

10-11-2006, 04:38 PM

The Ladies Man
worst movie I've ever seen...

whoFLUNGpoo3

10-11-2006, 05:22 PM

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Lost Boys
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
After Hours
Hurlyburly
Killing Zoe

point5o

10-11-2006, 05:32 PM

Killing Time (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140312/)

mikeydub

10-11-2006, 05:40 PM

The Way of the Gun
Matinee (cheesy goodness)
Dark City
Orange County

divadawg9234

10-11-2006, 06:01 PM

=
Hurlyburly
I saw the play first then Netflixed the movie... both are amazing!

imagineer99

10-11-2006, 06:20 PM

Drop Dead Gorgeous (much funnier then I was expecting)

Elizabethtown (I'm a Cameron Crowe fan, but even I thought this would suck. I was wrong)

Good call on these two. If anything, Almost Famous is overly praised, and Elizabethtwon is unfairly maligned. And, Drop Dead Gorgeous is pretty damn funny.

matteekay

10-11-2006, 06:25 PM

Dyeeeeh..... I'll agree on too much praise for Almost Famous, but Elizabethtown was a real shitter. The burning prop/"Freebird" thing? C'mon... And the main love story was beyond stupid.
Speaking of (stupid), I liked FATF: Tokyo Drift more than either of the other two, even though it was the lowest-rated. Not that any of them were high cinema, but hey...

jonathanlondon

10-11-2006, 06:31 PM

Ricki Oh is amazing. Dan and I bonded over this movie. Summer of '99.

Terby

10-11-2006, 06:40 PM

Survive Style 5+

Its a Japanese movie that hasn't made its way overseas yet, but it definitely should. Its a really great movie with crazy visuals and where else are you gonna find Sonny Chiba and Vinnie Jones in the same movie? Plus its got Tadanobu Asano whos pretty much the Japanese Johnny Depp.

matteekay

10-11-2006, 06:49 PM

Ricki Oh is amazing. Dan and I bonded over this movie. Summer of '99.

Oh. My. God.

You guys are my heros even more now.

icedsoul

10-11-2006, 07:14 PM

Ricki Oh is amazing. Dan and I bonded over this movie. Summer of '99.

which ricki oh are we taling about?

masherscf

10-12-2006, 01:33 AM

I think that "Conan the Barbarian" is wickedly underated. The fact that Arnold coundn't act or even speak english forced the producers into some unconventional creative decisions. Instead of a second-rate sword swinger they made a modern day silent movie classic. Watch the movie closely sometime. With the possible of exception of Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones chewing up the scenery, it's really at its best when nobody is talking. Taken has an example of pure visual story telling, it's a remarkable film.

LosOjosdeMuerte

10-12-2006, 03:25 AM

1. Grandma's Boy
2. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
3. Day After Tomorrow
4. Armaggedon
5. Three O'clock High

bird603568

10-12-2006, 03:28 AM

4. Armaggedon

holy hell what a bad movie

Big Doze

10-12-2006, 10:12 AM

Newbie here, but I had to chime in with a few prime cinematic marvels that remain unmentioned:

Starship Troopers: If you can't enjoy this movie on one level or another, there is something wrong with your soul. It might be broken, or dehydrated.

The Core: "But what if we [I]could?[I]"

Mallrats: Unappreciated by the masses, but a shining monument to geeks everywhere.

And yes, I'll put it out there...

Fantastic Four

freecajunlove

10-12-2006, 11:17 AM

Fantastic Four

WHA????!!!!??

OH Yeah. This thread is worthless.

Big Doze

10-12-2006, 01:38 PM

Oh, forgot Serenity. Yeah, it's widely appreciated by the geek community, but it recieved lackluster recognition from the general populace. Besides, no amount of recognition could do this movie proper justice.

And YEAH, Fantastic Four! It's fun, it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's fulla jokes and cool special effects. It's focused on family, the characters are spot on (except for Doom, of course), and you walk away feelin' good. That's exactly what an FF movie should be!

Big Doze

10-12-2006, 02:00 PM

Oh god, I forgot PCU! So very important...

imagineer99

10-12-2006, 02:14 PM

And YEAH, Fantastic Four! It's fun, it doesn't take itself too seriously, it's fulla jokes and cool special effects. It's focused on family, the characters are spot on (except for Doom, of course), and you walk away feelin' good. That's exactly what an FF movie should be!

There's a fine line between popcorn fun and just plain stupid. Unfortunately, Fantastic Four was more the latter.

tokenuser

10-12-2006, 04:18 PM

haha. executive decision cracked me up - Steven Segal dies within the first 5 min. so awesome. and then it's actually a decent movie.Best part of the whole movie. First 5 minutes of Cliffhanger the same - Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

I love Hudson Hawk (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102070/). Terrible plot with wonderful overacting from the whole cast.

LosOjosdeMuerte

10-12-2006, 06:41 PM

holy hell what a bad movie

I love this damn movie, its great. Cheesy and heart felt, so chut up.

masherscf

10-12-2006, 08:16 PM

I don't think "Serenity" is underated. It is underappreciated.

colemip

10-13-2006, 06:39 AM

Goldeneye (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113189/)

GoldenEye = BEST BOND MOVIE EVER
The Machinist
Kung Fu Hustle (supposedly a smash hit in China but barely made a splash in the states)

delacommon

10-13-2006, 08:44 AM

Pool Hall Junkies and The Rundown.
The only reason I said the Rundown is Walkin trying to explain the tooth fairy.

and bullshit whoever said or agreed with Elizabethtown. I like the overall movie but to call it underrated movie is a stretch. That movie proved that Orlando Bloom is one of the worst actors ever. Ben Stein has more inflection and life into his characters than Bloom. The last 30min begining with the place catching on fire while playing Freebird saved that movie. Besides that overrated in my view

freecajunlove

10-13-2006, 10:16 AM

Pool Hall Junkies and The Rundown.
The only reason I said the Rundown is Walkin trying to explain the tooth fairy.

Don't bring up Pool Hall Junkies; JLo will pounce on you...

baulsaak

10-13-2006, 07:02 PM

The only reason I said the Rundown is Walkin trying to explain the tooth fairy.

Walken can really make a bad movie watchable, I don't really remember his scenes in Gigli, but I remember thinking a 15 minute version of the film wouldn't be too bad.
Ernie Reyes Jr. really wrecked shit in that movie also, unless it was all wire work and stunt actors, it was amazing.

Grandma's Boy, some of my friends just think it was a bad movie, but I laugh at nearly every scene.
Zoolander
Sahara
I'll think of more when I look at the DVD collection.

divadawg9234

10-13-2006, 07:53 PM

bump567890

baldmonkey

10-13-2006, 09:02 PM

Airheads, I saw that movie so many times as a teen.
And I always feel that a lot of people underrate Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

LosOjosdeMuerte

11-02-2006, 04:57 PM

I was watching MI:3 last night. Who else out there thought this was a great movie, cause I did. J.J. Abrams is a genius. The movie was like a roller coaster ride. Despite the attention this movie didn't get, it's great.

I can separate the actor from his personal life, and that's why this movie did not do well. His personal life killed the movie.

Putting that aside it was great. Who else saw this movie I want to know what you thought.:D

Shaolindrunkard

11-02-2006, 09:55 PM

The most underrated movie of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D :D "Shaolin Drunkard" :D :D

Need I say more, its a real movie, check it out and if you havent seen it then you havent seen anything. If your a film student then you must own this movie.

kramertron

11-03-2006, 12:36 AM

Last Action Hero, so awesomely ridiculous.
Hook, eventhough Spielberg is a bit embrassed by this one I really love it, maybe because I'm a sucker for "What If?" situations.
Only problem is that it gets a little hokey towards the end with the finale battle.
Jingle All the Way, more Arnold hilarity (probably a little unintentional).

Seconding Armageddon and Ricki-Oh

So really to me underrated means movies that I don't take seriously at all.

ascacdgiimosnmtvppstbwd

11-03-2006, 03:01 AM

It might sound lame but i liked "hard ball" i don't know why but it was good

Peter Gandalf

11-03-2006, 04:39 AM

Bachelor Party

and

Blue Velvet

djhyjak

11-03-2006, 05:05 AM

Zapped (Starring the Baio)
Event Horizon (a well done ghost story)

bigwhiteryan

11-03-2006, 08:20 AM

Frailty. I think it's still one of the best horror movies to come out in years. The ending legitimately surprised me, very smart, great performances, and for a first-timer (?) Bill Paxton did an amazing job in the director's chair. It's generally well thought of, but I think it's a classic.

I love the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. It was so campy, and had tons of great lines... and freakin' Rutger Hauer and Pee Wee Herman as vampires! Plus, Kristy Swanson was insanely hot.

Nowadays, I obviously prefer the TV series, but the cheese of the movie still holds a spot in my heart.l.

imagineer99

11-03-2006, 10:56 AM

Frailty. I think it's still one of the best horror movies to come out in years. The ending legitimately surprised me, very smart, great performances, and for a first-timer (?) Bill Paxton did an amazing job in the director's chair. It's generally well thought of, but I think it's a classic.
.

Good call. I think that Paxton gets a bad rep. He's a decent actor and shows some flair as a director. Even "Greatest Game Ever Played" was shot well.