A friend once told me he thought I'd seen more movies than anyone else he'd ever known. I also seem to recall him rolling his eyes a bit when he said that. I didn't mind. I'm well aware that I spend a lot of time in fantasyland, and I also realize that even though I've enjoyed a great many of those movies, I've also seen many that were a stupendous waste of time.
My post today is about some that weren't.
An Unscientific Study
First, I should point out that my all-time favorite movies (Jaws, The Godfather, Jurassic Park, To Kill a Mockingbird, Casablanca, Raiders of the Lost Ark, L.A. Confidential, 12 Angry Men, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Silence of the Lambs, Aliens, Lonesome Dove, The Big Lebowski, etc., are some of them) aren't included in the following list. Why? Because you've probably seen them. All of those are well-known.
I also didn't include three that I would've listed among the unknowns a few years ago--Galaxy Quest, In Bruges, and Blood Simple--because they've recently become more popular, maybe because viewers like me have tried to tell everyone about them. (If you haven't seen those, I suggest you treat yourself.)
Anyhow, here are my recommendations of movies of all genres that you might not know about but that I think are cool enough to watch many times each (the ones I consider the very best are at the top of the list):
50 Hidden Gems (and some Guilty Pleasures)
The Dish (2000) -- Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) -- Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Medicine Man (1992) -- Sean Connery, Lorraine Bracco
A History of Violence (2005) -- Ed Harris, William Hurt
The Spanish Prisoner (1997) -- Steve Martin, Campbell Scott
Signs (2002) -- Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix
From Noon till Three (1976) -- Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland
Always (1989) -- Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman
Wait Until Dark (1967) -- Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna
Monsters (2010) -- Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able
Suburbicon (2017) -- Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac
An Unfinished Life (2005) -- Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez
The Last Sunset (1961) -- Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone
Wind River (2017) -- Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Graham Greene
The Hanging Tree (1959) -- Gary Cooper, Karl Malden, George C. Scott
The Gypsy Moths (1969) -- Burt Lancaster, Gene Hackman, Deborah Kerr
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) -- Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer
Magic (1978) -- Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith
Ransom (1996) -- Mel Gibson, Gary Sinese, Rene Russo
Under Siege (1992) -- Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey
Third Man on the Mountain (1959) -- James MacArthur, Michael Rennie, Janet Munro
Lady in the Water (2006) -- Bryce Dallas Howard, Paul Giamatti
The Rocketeer (1991) -- Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton
Sorcerer (1977) -- Roy Scheider, Chick Martinez
Secondhand Lions (2003) -- Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, Haley Joel Osment
Shadow in the Cloud (2020) -- Chloe Grace Moretz, Taylor John Smith
Vanishing Point (1971) -- Barry Newman, Cleavon Little
Used Cars (1980) -- Kurt Russel, Jack Warden
A Life Less Ordinary (1997) -- Holly Hunter, Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz
Waterhole #3 (1967) -- James Coburn, Carroll O'Connor, Claude Akins
Brassed Off (1996) -- Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) -- Jason Robards, Stella Stevens
Fall (2022) -- Virginia Gardner, Grace Caroline Currey, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Out of Sight (1998) -- George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez
Night Moves (1975) -- Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, Melanie Griffith
Silver Bullet (1985) -- Gary Busey, Corey Haim, Everett McGill
While You Were Sleeping (1995) -- Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
Idiocracy (2006) -- Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph
Stranger than Fiction (2006) -- Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman
Lockout (2012) -- Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Peter Stormare
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) -- Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, Lorraine Bracco
Amelie (2001) -- Audrey Tautou, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Joe vs. the Volcano (1990) -- Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges
No Way Out (1987) -- Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young
Kings of the Sun (1963) -- Yul Brynner, George Chakiris, Shirley Anne Field
Necessary Roughness (1991) -- Scott Bakula, Kathy Ireland, Evander Holyfield
Cat People (1982) -- Nastassja Kinski, John Heard, Malcolm McDowell
No Escape (2015) -- Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan, Lake Bell
The Blue Max (1966) -- George Peppard, Ursula Andress, James Mason
Questions for the Class
Have any of you seen these? Did you like 'em? Any additions to the list? Full disclosure, here: Also among my favorites of the well-knowns are Die Hard, Blazing Saddles, and Rustler's Rhapsody, so you should consider that before taking any of what I say too seriously. But thanks for indulging me.
Have fun at the movies!
You mentioned two faves of mine at the start: In Bruges and Galaxy Quest. Here are some oddities I love. Picnic at Hanging Rock. In the Loop. Kills on Wheels. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. Juliet of the Spirits. Day for Night.
ReplyDeleteRob, you're the one who put me onto In Bruges years ago, and I've sung its praises ever since. As for Picnic at Hanging Rock, I re-watched it not long ago, but haven't seen the remake. I have NOT seen any of the others you mentioned. But I will.
DeleteI also didn't say anything about Miller's Crossing in this post, but it's another that I love, and I recall you do too. Lots of hidden gems out there.
Oh, Rob - I'm in 100% with Picnic at Hanging Rock and Galaxy Quest. Other favorites:
DeleteFading Gigolo, Adaptation, My Life as a Dog, and my real guilty pleasures: Harold and Maude and The Magic Christian.
I didn't think Miller's Crossing was obscure enough to include, but it is a big fave with me. Eve, Harold and Maude is great and another flick from the same era: The King of Hearts.
DeleteEve and Rob -- I think both of you know how I feel about Galaxy Quest. And every single person I've EVER told about that movie loves it. It flew under the radar for a long time, but is finally being recognized.
DeleteI've seen all the others you two mentioned except The King of Hearts. Making a note.
Yes - the King of Hearts was GREAT.
DeleteI’ve seen Wait Until Dark and Night Moves and enjoyed them. Have you seen After the Fox (1966) with Peter Sellers and Victor Mature? it’s, shall I say, different.
ReplyDeleteEdward Lodi
Hi Edward! Yep, I saw After the Fox long ago--another little-known movie! One of the things I liked most about it was the crazy music. Yep, different in a lot of ways.
DeleteWait Until Dark was a huge hit among college kids when I first saw it--EVERYbody screamed at one of the Alan Arkin scenes toward the end. If you've seen it you know what I mean. As for Night Moves, can you believe Gene Hackman was ever that young?
"You hear that Gina, your Mama wants grandchildren!"
Delete"You're a crook. Steal her some!"
Another After the Fox fan!! I've gotta watch that again.
DeleteMy wife LOVED LOVED LOVED Joe vs. the Volcano; the most I could muster up for it was an unenthusiastic meh. My two favorite movies? Picnic at Hanging Rock (which show what great taste Robert Lopresti has) and Big Trouble in Little China.
ReplyDeleteJerry, your wife and I are probably among the very few who liked Joe vs the V, but I confess I've seen it a lot of times (actually three movies in one, right?). And WHOA, Big Trouble in Little China! I have it on DVD--talk about *different* . . . As for Hanging Rock, that one has become a classic, and for good reason. Another of those movies that WAS little-known not too long ago but that a lot of viewers talk about now.
DeleteThanks for stopping in, here.
I remember a few of these, too, John. I played the Richard Crenna role in a local production of Wait Until Dark. The original Broadway production had Lee Remick as the blind woman (I thought Audrey Hepburn was far too weepy/whiny) and Robert Duval as Rote. I thought Alan Arkin was terrific, but I wish I'd seen Duval.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten several others, and thanks for reminding me of them.
Steve, I'm impressed, as usual! You're a man of many talents.
DeleteSo many good memories of (the movie version of) Wait Until Dark. I think it was probably the first time I'd seen Richard Crenna in a role besides that of Luke McCoy (aging myself a LOT, here). Re-watching it is always fun, but seeing it in a theatre (several times) years ago was the best!
As for Duvall, I bet he was good as Rote. What a villain, stalking a blind woman, and the ways she outsmarted him (knocking out the lights in the apartment, etc.) always gave me goosebumps. What a movie!
Of those forgotten movies, watch The Dish sometime. It's fantastic, and NObody's seen it.
I liked The Dish. Oh, speaking of the late great Alan Arkin: The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!
DeleteRob, I liked that one, I liked that one! I think that was Arkin's first movie, and I also think he was nominated for an Oscar for it.
DeleteI watched The Dish again a few weeks ago, with one of our science-minded grandkids. He loved it.
My husband and I both loved The Ghost and the Darkness, a rare instance of agreement on a movie. I'm a big Val Kilmer fan, and it was a terrifying film in a good way. I hated Cat People, one of the few horror films I've attempted. I must have been a captive audience, or else I didn't know where it was going. I doubt I sat through it to the end. I have a vague recollection of being in someone else's home. Otherwise, John, you're such a...I was going to say "boy," but I guess "guy" does it just as well. I might have seen Amélie, because I've seen more than my share of French movies. I don't know which movies other people consider obscure. My favorites include Enchanted April and Strictly Ballroom, which might be, as well as My Cousin Vinny and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which are surely not.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead and say it, Liz--I never grew up. Yep, loved The G & the D, but I also liked Cat People--scared the hell out of me. Amelie is WAY different, which is probably one of the reasons I liked it. (Loved the music, too. I'm big on movie music.)
DeleteI agree that there's really no way to know what other folks consider obscure--the ones I listed are just some I liked but never hear anyone else mention. I've seen the ones you noted except for Enchanted April. But it's now on my list to watch--thanks!
I'm laughing because I had the same thought as Liz, in that you are such a guy!! A terrific list, with a lot of things I haven't seen on it. Thank you. Now, I wish someone would write a list of great films like above, that pass the Bechdal test. That is, films that have at least two females in speaking roles, who at least once in the movie, speak to each other about something other than a man. That said, I will still enjoy going through your list! Melodie
ReplyDeleteMelodie, that sounds like a good project for you! But you're right, there aren't enough of those.
DeleteOne girly movie that I did like, a LOT, was Somewhere in Time, the one with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve. Loved it. And you're right, who but a guy COULD like a movie like Rustler's Rhapsody?
Quick note, about one of those in the list. Monsters is a movie I have absolutely never ever heard ANYone else mention, very low-key, very slow movie, no recognizable stars, low budget, etc., etc., but absolutely terrifying. The buildup of tension before anything is really shown is unbelievable. Anybody else seen that one?
Thank you, Melodie, as always. Love your comments.
John, I love Somewhere in Time. But would you believe, I don't think it passes the test. I will definitely have to think about movies that do. There aren't many, from recent times. Lots from the 40s. Melodie
DeleteYou're right, Somewhere in Time doesn't quite fit the bill.
DeleteI really do think you should do a post on that, Melodie. Don't forget!
Just remembered Spirit of the Beehive (Spanish, 1973). No way to describe it (some writer I turned out to be) except that it has stayed in my mind these many years.
ReplyDeleteEdward Lodi
Never saw it, Edward! Another one for my to-be-somehow-acquired list. Thank you!
DeleteThe Road to Wellville, Reversal of Fortune, The Producers (Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder version), Inside Man, Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil, The Inspector General. I absolutely love Idiocracy!
ReplyDeleteIdiocracy is becoming more true all the time, Elizabeth! Love that movie. As for the others, my favorite of those is probably The Road to Wellville (different, right??). And I haven't seen The Inspector General. I'm getting a lot of good recommendations, here!
DeleteThanks as always, and keep writing!
The Informant! (exclamation point is part of the title.) "Based on a tattle-tale."
ReplyDeleteI too liked The Informant!! (Add another exclamation point to the title.) Another of Matt Damon's wild movies--he's made several (see Suburbicon, above).
DeleteThanks for the comment.
I saw Vanishing Point when it first came out, as part of a two-film matinee (I think the other film was about the Monterey Pop festival). Back then, they didn't run you out of the theater after a movie, so I actually sat through it twice, the other movie sandwiched between the two showings of VP.
ReplyDeleteAnother little-known treasure is Silent Running with Bruce Dern, a science fiction movie in which Dern is the only human character through much of the movie.
Zachariah, the first (and perhaps only) rock'n'roll western is another little-known treasure. I had the soundtrack long before I ever saw the movie.
Among my favorite movies, though they are far from unknown: The Princess Bride, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Young Frankenstein, all of which I've watched several times.
Michael, I know why you sat through Vanishing Point twice: the girl on the motorcycle, right? I really really liked that movie--it was the first time I'd heard of Cleavon Little. For me, though, sitting through it twice was easier--it wasn't part of a double feature.
DeleteAh, Silent Running--another gem from long ago. But I have NOT seen Zachariah!
Yep, love those last three, but as you said, they're known quantities. Plenty of great quotes came from all three. The great screenwriter William Goldman said The Princess Bride was the highlight of his career.
BTW, lately when I post a comment and click the Notify Me box, and then publish, it publishes the comment, but doesn't notify me. Anyone else having this problem? Anyone have any idea as to how to fix it? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing this out, Eve. I didn't know about it. (And I'm no help in fixing it because I've never clicked the Notify Me box.) Any answers, Leigh? Rob?
DeleteThe Blogger program itself is often a mystery.
I meant to add this in my earlier post, but forgot. How about Charade from the early sixties? Great cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthou, James Coburn, George Kennedy, and a logical surprise ending that's set up from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteLast year I watched Charade and To Catch A Thief, both for the first time in 50 years. I concluded that if you want to watch only one Cary Grant- starring Hitchcock-style movie set in France you should definitely go with Charade. "Of course, you won't be able to lie on your back for a while but then you can lie from any position, can't you?"
DeleteSteve, I didn't list Charade because I figured everybody'd seen it, but it's always fun to watch it again. (Seeing a young George Kennedy, James Coburn, etc., always reminds me how old I'm getting.)
DeleteRob, I watched both those not too long ago, myself. One of my favorite Cary Grants, believe it or not, is Father Goose. Corny but great fun, and I still hum the music now and then. Love those old old movies.
Talk about memory lane . . .
Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Arsenic and Old Lace-- I love Cary Grant films. As for your list above, I've seen 13 of the 50. I rewatch While You Were Sleeping around Christmas every couple of years.
DeleteNoreen, 13 out of 30 ain't bad--I actually think lots of folks haven't *heard* of some of these, much less seen them. And I LOVE While You Were Sleeping. It's one of those I could watch over and over. (As my wife would approvingly say, there are no bad guys in that whole movie.)
DeleteSorry, 13 out of 50.
DeleteI've seen some of them! And heard of some of the others! And my best friend in High School's little sister was scared to death of the commercial for "Magic..."
ReplyDeleteOh and I'll add the 1967 movie "The Spirit Is Willing" to your list!
ReplyDeleteJeff, Magic has been one of my favorites for many years. The novel (Goldman) was every bit as good, also. Anthony Hopkins was wonderful. As for The Spirit is Willing, haven't seen that one!!! But I will (the spirit is willing . . .).
ReplyDelete