MORE ON FILM: Underseen
 

With all the great film chat, here's a list of films many may not have seen in recent, and not so recent, years that would be good additions to your Netflix lists...

1.) RUSHMORE (1998): Like anything from auteur theory practioner Wes Anderson, under-marketed and highly underseen. Wonderful, with Jason Schwartzman brilliant and Bill Murray hysterical. With a thoughtful script, co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, Olivia Williams, Sy Cassel and Brian Cox support quietly. Great.

2.) THE KILLING (1956): Stanley Kubrick's first studio film, and a corking good caper story backdropped by the planning of a racetrack money room heist. Sterling Hayden, years later Capt. McCloskey in The Godfather ("I've frisked a thousand young punks"), as the ringleader, with a supporting cast of familiar faces with lesser known names. In black and white, the exact shading of the film's themes.

3.) THE PLAYER (1992): "A list" actors lined up when the just-past genius Robert Altman announced his plan to film Michael Tolkin's searing portrayal of the Hollywood movie-making apparatus. Art was imitating life here as no one had more trouble with the major studios than Altman, the first true "independent" film maker. Tim Robbins as vapid studio honcho Griffin Mill who literally "kills the writer". Must be seen 20 times to appreciate the nuances and notice all the stars with cameos.

4.) BARTON FINK (1991): With "Miller's Crossing" and "The Hudsucker Proxy", part of the Coen Brothers 'under-appreciated' legacy. While "Fargo" and "Raising Arizona" get the attention, these other three are all brilliant. Also a poke in the eye of the Hollywood studio system, this time from John Turturo's perspective as the title character, a NY playwright brought to LA by studio head Jack Lipnick (a perfect Michael Lerner) to make 'important films'. Instead he is assigned a Wally Beery wrestling movie, and his life spirals downward from there. Incredible turns from the Coen's casting index including treasure Jon Polito, John Mahoney, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Steve Buscemi and Tony Shaloub (incredible here as studio exec Ben Geisler).
If you've never seen it, you'll be stunned by its' depth.

5.) DARK CITY (1998): Roger Ebert made this totally unseen Alex Proyas sci-fi/film noir his 'Best of 1998', and the picture is undefinable. Along with "Being John Malkovich", it is the kind of movie that justifies the inordinate amount of crap typically churned out in theaters. The viewer is drawn into a bizarre world and a head-spinning murder mystery instantly as we follow Rufus Sewell through an ever-changing deco city. Who is he? Who are the strangers? What happened in the hotel room? Keifer Sutherland, as a doctor that helps Sewell answer questions, turned in a performance here that was the first indication that he had been handed down some of the talent his father has. William Hurt is tone perfect as Inspector Bumstead, and Jennifer Connolly, worth the price of admission to ANYTHING she is in, lights up the otherwise dark screen. With themes and visuals pulled straight from Fritz Lang, director Proyas ('The Crow', but also "I, Robot") creates a tension that is mesmerizing. Rent the DVD. Watch it once. Then again with the commentary track from Ebert. Truly a film for movie buffs.

SOME OTHERS...

LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945)

A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949)

BUFFALO 66 (1998)

HIGH ART (1998)






Will add more as they come to me..

Once again we're on the same page with my TOP:

Miller's Crossing***
Things to do in Denver when you die
Bronx Tale
Donnie Brasco***
The Young Lions
Suddenly
Streetcar
West Side Story
Sleepers
Gangs of New York***
The Pope of Greenwich Village (part of the Mean Streets trilogy)
Annie Hall
City Slickers
Analyze This
Easy Rider
The Hustler
The Color of Money
The Cinncinati Kid
Man With the Golden Arm
Casino
Battle Cry

Get ready to be SHOCKED:
Dirty Dancing

No one should be shocked over Dirty Dancing receiving a mention, a tremendous movie! I would add Serenity (2006) of course and most others from my list of favorites.

The Usual SUspects!!

BOONDOCK SAINTS!!..Willem Daffoe is badass

Thanks for those. A couple I haven't seen that are now on my to do list. A few that come to mind ...

Five Easy Pieces. The "chicken sal san" scene worth seeing 1000x.

Swingers. Silly fun with Vince Vaughn at his best. So many beautiful babies.

The Gambler. See Axel. See Axel lose. Who hasn't come close to dropping the radio into the tub? Better still is the book of the same name, a Dostoevsky classic.

The Apartment. Lemmon, MacMurray, McClaine. Superb Billy Wilder Best Picture, it was the last black n white movie to win until Schindlers List.

The Insider. Pacino, Crowe and Plummer in the story of big tobacco and 60 Minutes. Great, great movie. Crowe at his best.

LA Confidential. Super film noir of the sordid core of the big city and the hugely flawed people who live in it.

Reservoir Dogs. "are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" "Stuck in the Middle With You" never the same.

Imaginary Crimes. Strictly for Harvey Keitel junkies and always worth a view when a solid dose of depression is called for.

five easy pieces---overrated

The Gambler with James Caan thank god you reminded us with that, movie is true blue classic

If you liked " Imaginary Crimes ", which I also did ( I love Faruza Balk ), then you should read the book " The Duke of Deception " by Geoffrey Wolff.

And, yeah, Steve, I forgot Rushmore from my list. It is the greatest movie ever made.


" We were supposed to be three ".

I thought Rushmore was a terrible movie. Schwartzman is a hack. Bill Murray was okay pre 1990 but now is amayeur at best. You need to get out more.

Sorry if you felt insulted by my comments but I get out plenty and see over 100 movies a year ( in theaters ).

I like the theaters too, and no i wasnt insulted, i was being candidly honest. I hated Rushmore. Painfully grimaced through it twice.
I dont see 100 movies a year in the theaters but usually one a week. Bill Murray should really hang it up. Hes embarassing himself and that movie he was in a few years ago with Scarlet J- Lost in Translation, was the epitome of bad movies. I didnt go to the theaters again after that for 6 months for fear of another bomb. Scarlet was good in "In Good Company" with Dennis Quaid. I'd like to meet her.

I think she's beautiful....and a terrible actress, though I liked both movies you mentioned, but " Lost in Translation " moreso.

Everybody hates Bill Murray. There's that funny story about the guy who worked the crew on one of his movies ( I don't think it was " Broken Flowers "...it may have been " Lost in Translation ) and paid $500 to go to some gala and stood up and blasted Bill Murray. You may well have heard the story.

Thats funny, and no havent heard that story. Not in the movie business, just had one cameo in Walk the Line because a certain ex-coach of mine knew the producer and thought the film could use a guy like me... Hot damn, I met Reese Witherspoon!

I am on the KC Chief's coaching staff, third job out of college and loving it. You cant beat the perks this league provides. Unreal.

intermission is quite brilliant

I see Lost in Translation mentioned here and just want to stick up for it. Its perhaps not for everyone, but I really liked both Murray and Scarlett in it. She is beautiful of course but her acting is either quirky/brilliant or quirky/lame, I haven't quite decided yet.
In addition I loved the feel and sound of the movie. I've been a guest in Japan several times and the alienation that you feel as a westerner over there I thought was really well captured.

The only movie I liked her in was Girl with a Pearl Earring..than again, I'm a chick so am probably not watching her for the same reason as the guys. :D

I think all the PT Anderson movies are excellent and I thought " Punch Drunk Love " was much better than most. But I could watch Emily Watson sitting silent on a bare stage and be happy.

I liked " Lost in Translation " quite a bit. I just think she's a reasonably weak actress though OK in that movie.

I saw the Pearl Earring movie and thought it was just okay. personally i wouldn't chose a movie to go see just based on a particular hot chick being in the movie, even Scarlett. i have to have some clue that it might be a decent movie.

dittoes on PT Anderson and Boogie Nights. that was great!

I absolutely love Art and historical films so I couldn't wait to see this movie...which probably made me think it was a lot better than it was. :D

Anyone see Memoirs of a Geisha? Did you like it or hate it?

I have not seen that movie enough times yet, probably only 3-4 times.
I'd like to see it many times for the reason you mentioned. i'd start mentioning lines or situations but its pointless because there are hundreds and they're all funny.

I like good movies whether its artsy/historical types or smashem up action movies. Which is why I took a chance on the Pearl Earring movie. It wasn't bad. I probably need to see it a few more times. One thing i think they did well is to capture the dreariness of the time.

Have not been able to catch Memoirs of a Geisha yet. I have been looking for it on cable. Looks like it could be a compelling story.

I read the book, which was right on target from what I learned in Asian History in college of their lives.

My favorite quote from the book, which immediately made me think of horse racing is; "Some people have difficulty telling the difference between something great and something they've simply heard of"

oh god yes! when they went to cut their album? hysterical.

PRINCESS BRIDE!! LOVE that movie!

Boogie Nights is great. The exchanges at the pool party between John C Reilly and Mark Wahlberg are classic.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, Scotty, is my favorite. He's hilarious.

Okay I can't resist one reference to one of my favorite lines in the movie.
How about when John C Reilly and Mark Wahlberg are at the studio trying to get the recording tapes without paying for them.

the producer gets fed up and says "Thats not an MP, thats a YP, your problem"

To which Reed Rothschild (John C Reilly) responds "Okay, now you're talking above my head. I don't know all of this industry jargon, MP, YP. All I know is that I can't get a record contract, we cannot get a record contract unless we take those tapes to the record company. And granted, the tapes themselves are a uh um oh, you own them, all right, but the magic that is on those tapes. That f**king heart and soul that we put onto those tapes, that is ours and you don't own that. Now I need to take that magic and get it over the record company. And they're waiting for us, we were supposed to be there a half hour ago. We look like a$$holes, man. "

i like their action movie screen names, Brock Landers and Chest Rockwell.

You're the greatest Dix!

Let me guess....your nickname was Axel?

the man, the myth, the legend.

i'm seeing a decent screenplay or two just from your memoirs. no?

A Face In The Crowd
 

Just saw this for the first time in a few years and it's still a great, highly underseen movie.

Late 1950's Kazan film starring Andy Griffith as Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes," a singing hobo who is "discovered" and rises meteorically to great fame and fortune as he becomes an icon during the early days of Television. But fortunes change and Lonesome's fall is as dramatic as his rise.

Also with PAtricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa and Lee Remick.

This is one of those films that is critically acclaimed, yet was not popular at the box office. People just did not like seeing Andy Griffith playing a sociopath and also did not like a satirical movie about the power of early television.

Hooray for other people who liked "Punch Drunk Love!" I really liked that film. More so, I think, than a fellow in the theater when I saw it who obviously expected it to be a typical Adam Sandlers film. Listening to him at first laugh hysterically every time Sandlers opened his mouth, and then gradually fade out about halfway through the movie was almost as entertaining as the film.

And STS, props for "The Apartment!" One of my all-time favorite films.

I also really, really liked "Very Bad Things," which most of the country hated.

And, of course, "Ed Wood." To quote Martin Landau, the six people who saw it in the theater really liked it. Thank goodness for video.

Oh! And "Living in Oblivion!" Love that movie!

" Living in Oblivion " is an all-time great. I love that movie.

I didn't realize people didn't like " Very Bad Things ". I thought it was terrfic. It's Steven Frears....isn't it?

Larry Clark (dir. of Bully & Kids)
"Wassup Rockers" was a very tender story
of poor latino kids who skateboard in LA
excellent!

I remember I went to see "Smoke" and before the movie they ran a preview for "Living in Oblivion" and I laughed so hard I came back two days later to see it. Much better than "Smoke," though "Smoke" wasn't awful.

"Very Bad Things" got some very bad reviews, and two of my friends with whom I saw it, who are quite hip in all things entertainment, thought it was the worst movie they'd ever seen. Peter Berg directed it; Frears directed "Dirty Pretty Things."

(I'm not a movie savant; I had to google that.)