By Brett Blake Why do good movies fall through the cracks? Nobody can say for certain, of course, but I’m always fascinated by the times when I’m having a conversation with somebody and I learn they’ve never seen (and frequently never even heard of) a certain movie. It’s usually a shocking moment. How can they not have seen it?! There are certain films that always seem to come up, and over the years I’ve made mental notes of which ones have appeared most often. Some of these movies were acclaimed upon their initial release and have since been kind of forgotten, while others were basically forgotten as soon as they opened. In either case, it feels like these are movies still waiting to fully find their audience. It’s worth noting that my initial list for this article ended up being over 30 movies long, so obviously this is just a very small sampling (a smattering, if you will) of some seriously underrated and underseen films that more people should check out. Keeping the list at 5 also opens up the possibility of some follow-up columns in the future. I decided to choose more contemporary films for this first list (3 of the 5 are from the last decade), but any future lists will take us a bit further into the past. Let's begin with the oldest film, then work our way forward... On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) That’s right, this is the James Bond movie starring the guy (George Lazenby) that nobody remembers. That is a shame, as OHMSS is one of the few 007 films that takes an interest in Bond’s personal life, and it marks the first time that the character actually falls in love; there is an introspective quality to the story in this film that sets it apart from the standard Bond movie formula, in addition to being an engrossing spy yarn. The movie’s first hour and change, while never boring, aren’t exactly action-packed, but the final act (actually the last fifty minutes, or so) is extraordinary action filmmaking, boasting two (count ‘em!) ski chases, a car chase, an aerial helicopter assault on Blofeld’s mountaintop fortress in the Alps (some jaw-dropping scenery here), and a bobsled chase. The movie takes its time getting there, and there are some dodgy special effects shots that pop up, but it’s a breathless third act that sits alongside some of the best action setpieces of the era, culminating in a genuinely emotional climax that the series has yet to really match. John Barry’s score kicks all kinds of ass, too, which doesn’t hurt! The King of Comedy (1983) This is quite possibly the most uncomfortable comedy ever made, and I mean that in a very good way. Martin Scorsese’s film stars his frequent collaborator Robert De Niro as Rupert Pupkin, a wannabe stand-up comedian who decides to stalk - and then kidnap - his idol, a Johnny Carson-ish late night talk show host played by the great Jerry Lewis. Pupkin is dangerously delusional, but De Niro never plays him as anything less than completely affable, just a guy looking for his big break, which makes the character all the more upsetting; if the character were a mustache-twirling psycho, it would be so much easier to brush him off, but De Niro presents him as plausibly unhinged, which is terrifically effective. One of the blackest of black comedies, the movie fundamentally deals with the notions of celebrity and privacy in quite interesting ways, and it’s rare that a comedy is actually about something. THE KING OF COMEDY won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but whether you enjoy it or not, you won’t see many movies quite like it. Trailer here. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) Set during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s, MASTER AND COMMANDER is a rousing, thoughtful, and impeccably crafted high seas adventure film. An intellectual’s action movie, the film only really has two sequences of naval combat (at the beginning and the climax), but they’re spectacularly staged by director Peter Weir. In between these book-end setpieces, we are treated to a literate story of shipboard life, and of the friendship between the characters played by Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. On a technical level, the film is almost unmatched: rich cinematography, meticulous costume and production design, incredibly effective sound, and top-notch special effects. It’s a classy and intelligent movie that manages to be thoroughly and completely entertaining. Trailer here. Zodiac (2007) I’m on the record in several different places regarding how much I love this movie, but I’ll re-iterate it here. Detailing the years-long hunt for the Zodiac killer in the 1970’s, David Fincher’s film is a masterful examination of obsession. The film moves slowly, methodically, through the dead ends, bad leads, and screw-ups that ultimately prevented a clear suspect from emerging in the case (Zodiac’s identity remains - now and probably forever - a mystery). And although the murder sequences are handled within the movie’s first hour, they leave a huge impression, being every bit as chilling and horrifying as anything you could find in a straight-up horror movie. That’s not to say the movie is dour, or morose, though; it has a very healthy sense of humor (with many of the choice lines of dialogue coming from Robert Downey Jr.’s character) that keeps things buoyant, as do some rather inspired period music selections on the soundtrack. The trailer for this is kind of terrible, so here's a scene instead. Trick 'r Treat (2007) Horror anthologies (films made up of several shorter segments) usually tend to be a mixed bag. You’ll get one or two good stories, one or two so-so stories, and one or two awful stories. That is not the case with TRICK ‘R TREAT, as all of its stories are aces, drawing upon classic horror ideas (serial killers, werewolves, ghosts, etc.) to create an old-fashioned sort of scary movie, but one that feels completely fresh and contemporary, with stories that weave around each other and intersect at different points. Beyond that, what really makes the movie special is that there’s a pure, complete, and tangible love of the Halloween holiday on display in every shot that I find incredibly appealing. It even goes so far as to create the masked character of Sam, a somewhat devious little imp who embodies the traditions and folklore of the holiday, and who presides over the goings-on. There’s a slightly tongue-in-cheek sensibility to the film, and it’s certainly not the most terrifying movie you’ll ever see; it’s “fun scary,” rather than “scary scary,” if that makes any sense, so set your expectations accordingly. Here's the trailer. If you’ve seen any (or even all!) of these, let me know what you think of them, and feel free to share some of your favorite underseen movies!
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