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

[gattaca]

Somewhere In Time. It didn't do well at the box office but it has it's own "cult" following. In fact, there is a yearly gathering on the island at the hotel where the movie was shot. They have a SIT weekend. It's such a beautiful place I'd love to go on one of those weekends.

Yeah it was a good hopeless romantic film with a stellar cast (Reeves/Seymour) which was overlooked at the box office - too corney or too "far fetched" for the paying public.   

This film remains easily in my top 10 of all time.   As a 16 year old teenager when I first saw it, I was fascinated, knocked for a loop...  (haunted is more like it) by SIT and the possibility that we are all old souls which have been here before.    I even tracked down the 1970 ish novel (out of print for a long time) "Bid Time Return" by Richard Matheson and purchased a copy - that movie totally knocked me for a loop and geeze it still does.  When I hear the music, I can sometimes play the scenes in my head, much like w/ BBM.    I'd have to say both of these films have lingered far longer and deeper than any others. 

wikipedia for those interested  is below and yeah there is quite a following for the fim, now 28 years later.. I wonder if BBM will achieve the same  (I sure hope so...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somewhere_in_time

Vincent

[dback]

I don't know how beloved the film is, aside from cultists (who adore it), but the soundtrack is generally regarded as one of the finest pieces of music ever done for the cinema.  The first time it pinged my "radar" as being bigger than its source was--I believe--a mention in the novel "Postcards From the Edge" in the mid-80's.

[chuckyv]

A film that was made around 1970: Walkabout. Directed by Nicolas Roeg.
Beautiful open skies,landscapes and  a great performance by Jenny Agutter. It will stay with you long after you see it.

[chuckyv]

OK, since I haven't been here in ages, here are some overlooked (or maybe not?) films I highly recommend:

Stevie - Glenda Jackson - about the poet Stevie Smith.  I have watched this many times and love it more and more each time.
Ruby in Paradise - with a very young Ashley Judd, might be her first movie.  Little slice-of-life, very well done.
House of Games - David Mamet.  I recommended it to everyone when I discovered it and everyone loved it. Lots of twists and turns.
Last Night - a great little Canadian film by the always-interesting Don McKellar, and featuring Sandra Oh, who's equisite.
My Life as a Dog - Swedish.  Directed by Lasse Halstrom, before he came to America and went downhill.
Citizen Ruth - black comedy about both sides of the abortion issue.  Laura Dern is always putting it all on the line & successfully.
Rambling Rose - another Laura Dern gem.
Manny & Lo - Scarlett Johannson as a kid in a wonderful story of two motherless girls.
Crumb - documentary about underground cartoonist R. Crumb.  Unforgettable.  (probably not so overlooked...?)
84 Charing Cross Road - based on a lovely little book  - with Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench - all in top form.
Dirty Pretty Things - our local film society patrons voted this their #2 fav, after "Whale Rider".  Got spontaneous applause in the middle!
Entertaining Mr. Sloane - black comedy by playright Joe Orton.  Not for everyone but I loved it.
The Shop Around the Corner - hopefully not overlooked.  Don't miss it if you've never seen it.  Pauline Kael called it "sheer perfection".

That's all for now....

I loved My life as a dog.Really heartbreaking,but the way the whole film was described as through the eyes of a child,kept it from getting too sentimental.Really lovely.A refreshing and honest way of depicting grief,and the way life continues.

[chuckyv]

MAYA:  Perhaps Brokeback wasn't a big deal in France because they are not as puritanical as so many Americans - I hope.  Curious to see if it will receive a Cesar nomination for Foreign Film.  Thanks!

I don't think gay themed films are such a big deal in Europe as the US [although I've never been to the US so could be wrong].  I remember watching 'Get Real' here - it was a nice little teenage romance story over here, but I wondered what the US would make of it.  The main character was a 16 year old boy who was clearly sexually active with men, and the film didn't protray this as 'a bad thing' .   I have got the impression that 16 seems to be considered younger in the US than it is here [i.e. still almost a child].

Does anyone remember a film from 1996 called The Wild Reeds (Les Rosseau Sauvage) .I can't name any of the cast,but it was so atmospheric.About two boys growing up,discovering their sexuality,learning about life. Really good,but was only seen on the arthouse circuit.

[Marz]

Im sure Michelle Williams new film 'Wendy and Lucy' will be overlooked, cos its a small budget film but i can't wait to see it and hope it gets alot of advertising

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Somewhere In Time. It didn't do well at the box office but it has it's own "cult" following. In fact, there is a yearly gathering on the island at the hotel where the movie was shot. They have a SIT weekend. It's such a beautiful place I'd love to go on one of those weekends.

Yeah it was a good hopeless romantic film with a stellar cast (Reeves/Seymour) which was overlooked at the box office - too corney or too "far fetched" for the paying public.   

This film remains easily in my top 10 of all time.   As a 16 year old teenager when I first saw it, I was fascinated, knocked for a loop...  (haunted is more like it) by SIT and the possibility that we are all old souls which have been here before.    I even tracked down the 1970 ish novel (out of print for a long time) "Bid Time Return" by Richard Matheson and purchased a copy - that movie totally knocked me for a loop and geeze it still does.  When I hear the music, I can sometimes play the scenes in my head, much like w/ BBM.    I'd have to say both of these films have lingered far longer and deeper than any others. 

wikipedia for those interested  is below and yeah there is quite a following for the fim, now 28 years later.. I wonder if BBM will achieve the same  (I sure hope so...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somewhere_in_time

Vincent

I actually read the novel before I saw the film when it came out.  I
must admit that I was a bit disappointed because the book was
written about the Hotel Del Coronado which I absolutely love and
I assumed it would be shot there and it wasn't.  The Del is quite
famous for Some Like It Hot and The Stunt Man, though.  But I
quickly got over that and do really like the film.

I don't know why it didn't do well on its first release.  It's always
been a video favorite.  I remember when it was released that
it was very difficult to find a theatre it was playing in.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Does anyone remember a film from 1996 called The Wild Reeds (Les Rosseau Sauvage) .I can't name any of the cast,but it was so atmospheric.About two boys growing up,discovering their sexuality,learning about life. Really good,but was only seen on the arthouse circuit.

I saw Wild Reeds and thought it was quite good.

[oilgun]

Does anyone remember a film from 1996 called The Wild Reeds (Les Rosseau Sauvage) .I can't name any of the cast,but it was so atmospheric.About two boys growing up,discovering their sexuality,learning about life. Really good,but was only seen on the arthouse circuit.

I saw Wild Reeds and thought it was quite good.

Wild Reeds was recently re-released in North America as part of a 4-film Téchiné collection.  Also included are:  Hotel Des Ameriques, J'Embrasse Pas & My Favorite Season.

I just watched The Greenstreet Hooligans (aka Hooligans, 2005) and although not a great film, I thought it was pretty darn good & I don't think many people have seen it.  I didn't even know it existed until a few months ago.   It stars Elijah Wood, who isn't one of my favourite actors, I found him insufferable in LotR, and Charlie Hunnam, who I do like a lot, but man, he sure isn't the Twink from QaF-UK, that's for sure.  There is a brief scene of him without a shirt that sent my jaw dropping to the floor with a large thud.  Let's just say that he's in amazing shape, god-like, really.  Anyway, wrapped around this tasty scene is a fascinating story about the football hooligan sub-culture.  Highly recommended but, as to be expected, it is quite violent.

[oilgun]

I'm pretty stoked because Cinemathèque Ontario is having a Terence Davies retrospective, including his latest OF TIME AND THE CITY.  I got for DISTANT VOICES STILL LIVES which plays tomorrow and THE TERENCE DAVIES TRILOGY on Feb 7th. oTatC is also being screened at the Bloor cinema Feb.1-4 which is when I'll see it.

[dback]

Terrence Davies is love-it-or-hate-it filmmaking--in an odd way, it reminds me of Rufus Wainwright's voice, in that it's so romantic and personal, yet so idiosyncratic.  "Distant Voices Still Lives" is a terrific drama, though hard to watch at times, but "The Long Day Closes" is a frigging masterpiece.  Mind you, I'm not saying it's a masterpiece everyone will love--it's too deliberate and moody for that.  Yet the artistry is staggering--just one long tracking shot of a wall on a rainy night while Nat King Cole sings "Stardust" becomes one of the most lyrical, haunting things you've ever seen.

[oilgun]

Terrence Davies is love-it-or-hate-it filmmaking--in an odd way, it reminds me of Rufus Wainwright's voice, in that it's so romantic and personal, yet so idiosyncratic.  "Distant Voices Still Lives" is a terrific drama, though hard to watch at times, but "The Long Day Closes" is a frigging masterpiece.  Mind you, I'm not saying it's a masterpiece everyone will love--it's too deliberate and moody for that.  Yet the artistry is staggering--just one long tracking shot of a wall on a rainy night while Nat King Cole sings "Stardust" becomes one of the most lyrical, haunting things you've ever seen.

Actually, Rufus Wainwright's voice is like nails on a blackboard to me. 

THE LONG DAY CLOSES was being screened tonight but I had another engagement 
I'm still hoping for a North American DVD release....

[fofol]

Three Dancing Slaves (en Francais, Le Clan): Three brothers, two of them openly gay and involved in Brazilian fight dancing, one of them a small time hood.  Small time hood gets a severe beating (and his little dog, too) as a result of a bad drug deal.  The youngest brother winds up taking care of him, and also winds up with the hoodlum's boyfriend.  Older brother and middle brother threaten the younger one with a total body shave: they follow through, although we only get to see the results.  It is worth it.   Beautiful scenery, actors; lovely ending.

[tfferg]

A film that was made around 1970: Walkabout. Directed by Nicolas Roeg.
Beautiful open skies,landscapes and  a great performance by Jenny Agutter. It will stay with you long after you see it.

Even better, Walkabout was the first film with the wonderful David Gulpilil.

[tfferg]

Does anyone remember a film from 1996 called The Wild Reeds (Les Rosseau Sauvage) .I can't name any of the cast,but it was so atmospheric.About two boys growing up,discovering their sexuality,learning about life. Really good,but was only seen on the arthouse circuit.

Yes, I found it well worthwhile.