OT: Little-known films which knock you out:
- Thread starter LionJim
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Waking Ned Devine was great - you would swear none of the cast were actors.
Striking Distance
I'll add Olympus Has Fallen to the list. Not be be confused with London Has Fallen which sucked.
loved the boats jumping over the locks in Striking Distance!! If you look at the scene, heading to the locks, the boat has twin engines, when it goes over, it is a single engine!
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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So much harder to have 'smaller/little known films' these days, but some less popular ones I love (sadly, when thinking of this topic, I immediately went to - 'TV is so much better than movies these days!') are:
Bronson - Basically the breakthrough movie for Tom Hardy and director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive). It's a master-class in physical acting by Hardy and a great showcase for Refn's obvious talent (with restraint).
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Pretty unreal that this movie didn't get more love - Sam Rockwell kills it as Chuck Barris in the film adaptation of his autobiography of the same name. Also, George Clooney's directing debut (this guy can literally do everything) with appearances from Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. Did I mention a screenplay from Charlie Kaufman? Great movie if you've never seen it.
Hunger - Breakthrough movie for the other best actor of this generation Michael Fassbender. Also, director Steve McQueen's debut. About the 1981 H-block of Belfast's Maze Prison and the republican inmates, led by Bobby Sands (Fassbender), who refuses to eat until the British government acknowledges the IRA as a legitimate political organization. Below is a five minute monologue from Fassbender from the film...
Bronson - Basically the breakthrough movie for Tom Hardy and director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive). It's a master-class in physical acting by Hardy and a great showcase for Refn's obvious talent (with restraint).
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Pretty unreal that this movie didn't get more love - Sam Rockwell kills it as Chuck Barris in the film adaptation of his autobiography of the same name. Also, George Clooney's directing debut (this guy can literally do everything) with appearances from Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. Did I mention a screenplay from Charlie Kaufman? Great movie if you've never seen it.
Hunger - Breakthrough movie for the other best actor of this generation Michael Fassbender. Also, director Steve McQueen's debut. About the 1981 H-block of Belfast's Maze Prison and the republican inmates, led by Bobby Sands (Fassbender), who refuses to eat until the British government acknowledges the IRA as a legitimate political organization. Below is a five minute monologue from Fassbender from the film...
If you're a history buff will knock your socks off...
Stanley Tucci is one of those actors who sometimes takes 'risky' roles, in that the character he plays is often one who gets no empathy from the audience. Never seems to be a leading man, so subordinates his role in nearly every film. I think he is very good, and I enjoy his work very much.
Buckaroo Bonzai. It was a flop, but John Lithgow arguably gives the funniest villain performance ever while channeling Mussolini..
An underrated movie which I found surprisingly good was Clean and Sober. I think it is Michael Keaton's best work.
An underrated movie which I found surprisingly good was Clean and Sober. I think it is Michael Keaton's best work.
I think these fit into this category... maybe more that they seem to be underappreciated than little known?:
Almost Famous
Blood Simple
Body Double
Go
Two Days In the Valley
Those are the ones that come to mind first. Many others worth a watch.
Almost Famous
Blood Simple
Body Double
Go
Two Days In the Valley
Those are the ones that come to mind first. Many others worth a watch.
You should then look up Big Night, in which Tucci is very fine.
Yes, Almost Famous really has a special vibe and works uncommonly well.
Agree on Local Hero. Great movie worth finding.
The Great Santini
The Great Santini
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Two Days in the Valley will always be burned into my memory as Charlize Theron's debut....
The original Margot Robbie/Wolf of Wall Street floor scene....
Great list. This might be worth pinning Tom
Some movies that haven't been mentioned yet:
That Thing You Do -- droll parody of pop music in the early Beatles era. Good one to see with kids.
Cold Comfort Farm -- droll parody of English gothic romance, fantastic cast of British legend actors (and McAndrew Board favorite Kate Beckinsale when she was very young)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- one of those movies you watch multiple times to grasp all the layers. Again, incredible cast of British legends.
After the Wedding -- Danish movie w. subtititles, the rare serious family drama that I found gripping, plot has a mystery at the core and takes interesting twists.
Some movies that haven't been mentioned yet:
That Thing You Do -- droll parody of pop music in the early Beatles era. Good one to see with kids.
Cold Comfort Farm -- droll parody of English gothic romance, fantastic cast of British legend actors (and McAndrew Board favorite Kate Beckinsale when she was very young)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- one of those movies you watch multiple times to grasp all the layers. Again, incredible cast of British legends.
After the Wedding -- Danish movie w. subtititles, the rare serious family drama that I found gripping, plot has a mystery at the core and takes interesting twists.
Two Days in the Valley will always be burned into my memory as Charlize Theron's debut....
The original Margot Robbie/Wolf of Wall Street floor scene....
Be advised: Charlize is the future step-mother to my daughter. Fair warning to all. Perhaps if I tweet my undying love to her, she will notice my sincerity and search me out to begin our mutual Life O'Bliss.
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Six foot tall amazon who eats steak and eggs for breakfast. Reminds me of another 'lesser known' movie I love - 'Young Adult'....
Swoon!
So, you agree.... near perfection? Except I think she smokes. Yuck. I better go stock up on Bic lighters....
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
Yes, without a doubt. Cannot wait for 'Atomic Blonde'....(hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread @LionJim!)....
Yes, without a doubt. Cannot wait for 'Atomic Blonde'....(hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread @LionJim!)....
Phew!
Taken from our engagement photos, if I recall.
Speaking of recalling things....uh.... BRB.
(Knock twice and wait a couple minutes if you need me.....)
What?! I'm old(ish).... not dead.
Agree. And if you have watched it a number of times you will see that it was released in a couple of different versions..... I have seen it with a woman as the underworld top person.
A couple of my favorites:
Scent of a Woman (Pacino, I believe does his best acting in this film, as a blind retired Lt. Colonel. The lecture he gives to the Baird school assembly in defense of the kid may be my favorite movies scene. "If I was the man I was 5 years ago, I'd take a flamethrower to this place..."
A couple of westerns that I don't believe get there due acclaim:
Tin Star
Warlock
State and Main
Garden State
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Harvey (old movie...not sure how well known it was in its day)
Garden State
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Harvey (old movie...not sure how well known it was in its day)
A couple underappreciated sci-fi-ish films that I've enjoyed:
Star Man
And because I am a huge fan of Jason Bateman:
Hancock (with Charlize as the added bonus!)
Paul
Star Man
And because I am a huge fan of Jason Bateman:
Hancock (with Charlize as the added bonus!)
Paul
Agreed - Pacino's monologue in front of the student body is one of my favorites (I believe he won the Oscar for that performance).
The book was hilarious.Is "Thank you for Smoking" little known enough
Didn't realize they made a movie.
Am I the only person that doesn't like Pacino's acting?
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
Guest
He's been good in some roles...great in some...bad to awful in others. Like most long standing actors, he's become a caricature of himself, but I did enjoy his performance in Scent of a Woman.
His brother Marc played John Cappelletti in Something for Joey. As a side note, the actor who played Joe passed away in 2011.Breaker Morant
Made in U.S.A- partially filmed in Centralia! And if that doesn't knock you out, Lori Singer certainly will!!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095565/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_19
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A Man For All Seasons. It won an Oscar for Best Piicture in 1966, and yet, when I mention it at gatherings, few people have seen it. It is, perhaps, my favorite movie of all time.
Oft-mentioned, but like others the young ones may not be aware. Close to the funniest s**t ever.
One of Amy Heckerling's masterpieces, Johnny Dangerously. Loved it as a kid, hadn't seen it for 30 years, and then stumbled upon it. Decided to watch it to see if it really was funny. Was stunned that it was even funnier than I remembered. A lot more adult humor than I had ever picked up on as a kid. Peter Boyle was brilliant in it. Has Amy Heckerling made a bad movie? She's one of the best directors ever, imho.
Ditto--but with Harlan Ellison talking about it afterward. It was down at tOSU in the Ohio Union. Ellison had attended there at one point.
Also The In Crowd. Set in Philly in the early to mid 60s. Essentially about Hy Lit with the names changed to avoid infringment(s). With Donovan's kid as the lead (Ione Skye's brother). Lots of good Philly locales and authentic scenery (somehow they got to use some old Reading Blueliners, for example). One scene was set at the the late Kona Kai restaurant in Bala. And cameos by Sally Starr playing herself and Peter Boyle playing his father (as it was set in a tv studio where other shows were shot).
