Overlooked Films--Great films (most of) the world missed

[afhickman]

Am I the only person in the world who thinks "Dill Scallion" is the funniest mockumentary ever made?  Billy Burke is peerless in the title role and Sheryl Crow contributed to the score.  Even Henry Winkler gets a fair number of laughs in what may be his best role as a record producer.  Of course, this one comes with a warning: doing the Scallion shuffle may result in permanent injury to your funny bone!

[dback]

I didn't see where Momento was mentioned, but I thought it was an excellent film.

Memento is mentioned on page one of this thread. 

Another recent film that inexplicably didn't find an audience is The Lookout by director Scott Frank.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427470/
A smart taut thriller with the always excellent (and Heath lookalike) Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Jeff Daniels and Matthew Goode also give good performances.

Check out Rotten Tomatoes for the synopsis: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lookout/about.php
Critics loved this one as the 88% fresh rating will attest.

Thought it was just OK, since the main character's handicap seemed a tad convenient (he can drive?).  Builds to a strong climax, though, and J-Go continues his strong winning streak of indie turns ("Mysterious Skin" "Brick").  Best of all is Jeff Daniels, doing his best work since "The Purple Rose of Cairo."  If there were any justice, and there probably isn't, his performance would be remembered come awards season.  He'll probably pick up an Independent Spirit nod for it, and deservedly so.

[oilgun]

Thought it was just OK, since the main character's handicap seemed a tad convenient (he can drive?).  Builds to a strong climax, though, and J-Go continues his strong winning streak of indie turns ("Mysterious Skin" "Brick").  Best of all is Jeff Daniels, doing his best work since "The Purple Rose of Cairo."  If there were any justice, and there probably isn't, his performance would be remembered come awards season.  He'll probably pick up an Independent Spirit nod for it, and deservedly so.

J-Go?!  Shame on you!  He deserves better than that, he's one of the most promising young actors out there.

Anyway, as for your comment about his handicap, it seems a lot of people have a problem with the fact that he was able and/or allowed to drive a car,  but it never bothered me. (I do wonder why it's an issue here but never was with Memento.)  It was easy for me to just assume that his ability to drive a car was part of a set of memories unaffected by his head trauma.  He might forget where he's going or why he's going there, but that happens to everyone, lol!

I agree about Jeff Daniel's performance, it would be nice if it was remenbered come awards season.

[sinne]

Jeff Daniels was wonderful in "The Squid and the Whale" last year!

[dback]

True--repellent, but wonderful.

[Lola]

Jeff Daniels was wonderful in "The Squid and the Whale" last year!

I hated that movie with a passion, but I really like Jeff Daniels.

[oilgun]

Has anyone seen a movie called Tomorrow starring Robert Duvall? Horton Foote (Tender Mercies) adapted his play which in turn was based on a Faulkner story.  It's an absolutely wonderful film!  I first discovered it in the eighties and loved it.  It recently found out that it was released on DVD a couple of years ago so I got a copy and watched it last night. It's as good as I remember but what really struck me time is how much Robert Duvall's performance reminded me of Heath ledger's in BbM!  With major differences of course, Duvall's Fentry is in Mississippi and sounds like Forrest Gump, but I still couldn't stop thinking of Ennis throughout the film.  I highly recommend it!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069393/

[jpq716]

BARRY LYNDON comes to mind immediately. Also DAYS OF HEAVEN and AMARCORD.

[afhickman]

This is one of the great overlooked threads on this site.  There are some great suggestions here.  I picked up a copy of Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des Loups) on DVD and watched it last night.  It was a pleasant surprise!  I bought it for Jeremie Renier, but I got caught up in the "love story" between Samuel Le Bihan and Mark Dacascos, as, respectively, a French adventurer and an Iroquois Indian.  I never expexcted to like Dacascos in anything, but he's an appropriately enigmatic presence here.  Set in 18th c. France, Brotherhood is based on an actual series of unsolved murders that are given a political explanation here. Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassell co-star.  The music and cinematography are gorgeous, and the fight scenes incredible.  A somewhat long but worthwhile film.

[Flyboy]

Well, I'll probably get shot down here, but one of my favorite films that I believe had breakout performances by both stars was The Owl and the Pussycat, with Barbra Streisand and George Segal.........it was her 1st film where she did zero singing, strictly comedy and some drama, I just never felt it got the attention and award attraction it deserved. Both stars really played their hearts out, just a raw performance from both

Year: 1970
Director: Herb Ross
Writer: Buck Henry
Stars: George Segal, Barbra Streisand,Robert Klein, Roz Kelly, and Marilyn Chambers
Awards: Babs was nominated for a Golden Globe, no win, and Buck Henry for a Writer's Guild award, no win

Trivia bit: Streisand wanted Sidney Poitier as the male lead, but producers or backers thought audiences were not ready for that coupling in this genre of film. Babs was upset, but stayed with the film, she wanted something/anything that was NOT a musical, IMHO, may be her best film choice ever.........

 

[ingmarnicebbmt]

Oh Jonn, I'm sooooooooo with you here!

I love that film! I even know a lot of quotations by heart!

I think Streisand is brillant in it, a true comic talent - and the whole story and dialogues are simply hilarious!

I saw it as a teenager, and will never forget the scene when GS walks into a porn cinema and sees BS for the first time on screen when she comments (off screen for us) how she is being double penetrated! Fabulous! And maddeningly funny!

I bought it as a DVD some years ago for almost nothing, showed it to friends, but somehow they didn't seem to find it as fab as I did and do!

[Flyboy]

My Mother took me to see it when I was still in diapers and on the bottle............. .............LOL......... ......I've never been the same since!!

[ingmarnicebbmt]

You mean your diapers were never the same again !!   

[Flyboy]

Well, I did PiMP a lot back then, so they tell me!

[Tammy]

Jeff Daniels was wonderful in "The Squid and the Whale" last year!

Totally agree - and wonderful film!