A film you think is underrated, and critically ignored. (1 Viewer)

I love all the films from the Coen brothers. Its just that simple. If they make a film, I will go see it. They are at their absolute best when making thrillers with the element of crime involved. Fargo is on my list for all time favorite movies, and in my opinion should have won an Oscar for best picture. Blood Simple is all types of cool, and even the weird Barton Fink is astonishing. Which leads me to a film that was ignored when released, lukewarm to the critics, and desperately looking for a second life on video, which to my understanding it never got.

MILLER'S CROSSING. Brilliant film, that none of my(movie loving) friends even heard of. A crying shame this film has been under the radar for so long, and why film critics dismissed this movie is beyond me. I've seen it about 15 times, and it's just one of those films that gets better with each viewing. The acting: Top notch oscar worthy performances by every actor in the film. Gabriel Byrne IMO has always been a great actor that deserves bigger roles. The story: I admit the first time I watched it I was a little in the dark, but I liked it, so I watched it again, and presto, everything clicked. The sets, and locations: Flawless. The soundtrack: Amazing. I have to pick this up on cd. A movie that I am very proud to own on dvd.

Do you have a favorite film you think is underrated?

In order to make this more appropriate for the DVD Software board, you might want to change the thread title to 'Vastly underrated/overlooked films on DVD'.

My contribution: Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Or we can move it to the Movies forum.

M.

There are a lot of great musicals, but I never see anyone else mentioning Broadway Melody of 1940 as one of the greats or their own personal favorite. I really don't know why. On the DVD, there is short special feature on the movie, and those in the feature speak very highly of the movie, as well as its last dancing, great sequence, Begin the Begiuine. Also, on the first That's Entertainment, this sequence is highlighted. So it looks like the movie once had some fame. Is that still the case? Looking at IMDB, only 345 users rated the movie, and there are only five external reviews of it.

The movie is fairly simplistic, with a little bit of romance, a little bit of mistaken identity, and a whole lot of great dancing. It's in B&W, so it doesn't have the Minnelli color so prominent in later musicals. The dancing features mostly a couple dancers at the same time, so it doesn't have the Busby Berkeley choreography. It also does not have Ginger Rogers, so maybe people do not automatically associate Fred Astaire with this movie.

Astaire is brilliant, as usual, as are Eleanor Powell and George Murphy. Each dance sequence is charming, and several are very exciting (at least to those who like dancing in movies). I have seen eight other movies in which Astaire dances, and I'd say Broadway Melody of 1940 has the best dances. Considering Astaire's talents, I think that should say a lot.

The Bad & The Beautiful this seems to get lost in shuffle for some reason, but its one of my favorite classics- favorite 'inside hollywood' themed movies, favorite Kirk Douglas roles, favorite Black & White films. For film buffs there are plenty of allusions to real people and real stories- with one of my favorite sequences being the Val Lewtonesque stroke of inspiration that sets the main characters producing career in high motion.

Wolfen one of my favorite horror/suspense films of all time. Wonderful curmudgeonly performance by Albert Finny; some great, sly humour; great NYC location work; and a unique, iconoclastic take on the werewolf myth.

Are the Coens really critically ignored?

I can think of two off the top of my head:

Grosse Pointe Blank
Peter Pan (2003)

No. They are usually the "critics darlings" so to speak. But Miller's Crossing is definately underrated, and the critics didn't help it one bit by all the negative, and lukewarm reviews. It deserved better.

Shadow of The Vampire was indeed a great film. I forgot I even owned the dvd. Think I'll watch it tonight.

defintely agree with Peter Pan. Excellant performance by Issacs and eye tickling production design. The majority of the child actors aquit themselves well also.

greatly looking forward to seeing
that show up on HD DVD.

While I agree with Peter Pan, the only problem I had with that movie was...Peter Pan. Jeremy Sumpter was out-acted by everyone else in the movie, and it definitely kicked the movie down a notch for me. Everything else about the movie was masterfully well-done.

Ali: Director's Cut, by Michael Mann. Every time I see it I have a spontaneous, overwhelmingly positive reacton. People point out flaws, but they mean nothing to me next to the sheer exhileration that fills me when watching every second of that movie. I consider it the best film of 2001, just above Mulholland Dr. and FOTR.

Regards,
Nathan

I have said it before, but I don't think anyone agrees. Anna and the King. I love that movie, and it was such a failure. I have shown a few people, and they all seemed to really like it as well. I am sure I am way in the minority. Some of the cinematography in that film is so beautiful, great to show off a properly calibrated set with.

The Magnificent Seven and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid are two westerns that certainly don't get appropriate accolades by many western fans, for reasons that are incomprehensible to me.

The Changeling - Easily the most chilling movie in my collection. Tell me the hair on the back of your neck doesn't stand up during the seance. I enjoy it more with each viewing.

Enemy At The Gates - I was letdown when I saw it for the first time. A subsequent viewing changed that. I wish they had gone for Russian accents rather than English, or "European," or none at all (I'm talking to you Ed Harris). Better than most period war films. I love it now.

G.I. Jane - Simply an entertaining flick. Smart script and awesome performances all around. I hope this gets the SE treatment. Hell, an anamorphic upgrade would be very welcome.

The 13th Warrior - Hated it the first time I saw it. Like Enemy at the Gates, a subsequent viewing changed that. There's a lot of heart in the performances and the action is fabulous. It's a shame they took the film away from McTeirnan. I'd love to see an alternate cut or an SE upgrade.

Kiss of the Dragon - Love every frame of this actioner. The fights are wicked and the performances, particularly Li and Fonda, are exceptional.

Nighthawks - Sly Stallone & his beard, Billy Dee Williams and Rutger Hauer with David Shaber's taut scripting? No contest. I wish I could see the real ending.

Spartan - Kilmer is awesome and the twists are excellent. Mamet's script is dizzying. This is one I frequently recommend to friends because almost no one has heard of it.

They Live - Great premise, one of the best fight scenes in movie history and some clever visuals make this a treat. One hopes Carpenter has a few more of these in him.

Overboard - Simply fun.

Stage Door - a perfect movie, overlooked and forgotten for the most part but incredibly well written, brilliant performances and one of the best back stage stories ever. it also has quietly masterful cinematography that never draws attention to itself but is quite brilliant.

Gold Diggers of 1933 - 42nd Street gets all the praise for a backstage story that doesn't seem to click or make much sense with only a few really killer songs (shuffle off to buffalo, for instance) whereas this film is infinitely funnier, more clever songs and a more interesting story (though I couldn't really tell you much about it) with better choreography. But the amazing songs and sequences make this my favorite 30s musical, and one of my favorites ever.

Empire of the Sun - Visual poetry; storytelling at its highest level. superb performances, and the best film ever made about the leap from childhood to adulthood.

How Green Was My Valley - It beat Citizen Kane therefore its okay to belittle and/or ignore it. an elegant and powerful piece of nostalgic filmmaking

A Matter of Life and Death - Powell and Pressburger's best, about the things that make life worth living and fighting for. wonderful film.

Whisper of the Heart - Terrific film about self discovery and one of the most touching and sweet perfectly controlled gradual romance I've ever seen, it truly captures the magic in the everyday real world.

"Crossing Delancey" is one of my favorite 80s movies, but hardly any critics acknowledge it. Maybe it's because nobody slaps another person across the face and says "Snap out of it!" or fakes an orgasm in a deli, but this movie has never gotten the respect it deserves. It's witty, charming...If you want to see my full thoughts on it, follow the 80s Movies Rewind link in my signature and look for my review in the index.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

Looking forward to the DVD release of this in 2007.

Actually, Miller's Crossing was always pretty highly regarded. I'd have to say that The Hudsucker Proxy is more an underrated Coen bros film, as it was completely ignored by audiences when it was first released, and only now is recognized as an original and visual masterpiece.

Definately 2003's Peter Pan!!!!

Angus - can't even get a DVD release. :frowning:

Boondock Saints

Lemon Sky

Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Pump Up the Volume

Searching For Bobby Fischer
The Fisher King