Unappreciated

I started thinking about some of the movies I’ve seen that never made a lot of money and never got a lot of attention, but in my humble opinion were better than a lot of the blockbusters that the brain dead masses pour money into. Some of these you might have heard of, and some of you might have seen a few…but if you’re ever at the video store and aren’t sure what you want to see…you might want to give one of these a try:

-The 13th Warrior: One of the best action movies that you’ve never seen. Antonio Bandaras is a banished Arabian who runs into a group of Vikings who ensnare him into a war with The Wendol, creatures of the mist. Funny, scary, edge of your seat stuff. Directed by John McTiernan who helmed Die Hard! (I am probably the only person I know who thinks that matters).

-Happy, Texas: Two escaped convicts (Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn) arrive in the town of Happy, Texas, where they are mistaken for a gay couple who is to host the town's Little Miss Fresh Squeezed beauty pageant. Very funny!

-That Thing You Do: Tom Hanks wrote, directed and co-stars in this great film about a small time band in the early sixties who break into the big time (briefly). Another movie highlighting the comic genius of Steve Zahn! (The title song still haunts my dreams).

-Shooter: No one is more shocked than I am that Mark Wahlburg is one of my current favorite actors. But with great turns in Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Departed and this movie, I have had to ignore my previous repulsion to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. I love this movie because it blends a lot of my favorite movie conceits (man on a mission, man on the run, government conspiracy, etc.) It boasts incredible scenery, intense action scenes, and an awesome scene with Levon Helm as a not so simple bumpkin in Tennessee. Finally, this movie removes any lingering sympathy you might have had for poor Ned Beatty from his squeeling role in Deliverance. His character in this film makes you want to send him back down the river once again.

-A Good Year: This is not typically my type of movie, but I watched it one evening in my hotel room and found myself enchanted. (I also do not typically use the word “enchanted,” but that is how I felt). It stars Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard and a beautiful vineyard in Provence, France. I love a movie where there is a character arc of some kind. I enjoy seeing a character change, hopefully for the better, over the course of the events depicted. This movie is a perfect example of a character that starts the movie in one place and ends it in a spiritual, emotional and physical place that is infinitely better. It is not a movie about changing the world. It’s a movie about changing one man. That is something that always gives me hope.

-State of Play: While I was thinking about Russell Crowe, I remembered this movie from earlier this year. Reminiscent of All the President’s Men, it stars Crowe as an old-fashioned journalist trying to unravel a complicated series of events and murders which might involve his friend, Senator Ben Affleck. Complicating his life at first, but then eventually helping him is the incredibly cute and smart Rachel McAdams. It’s the rare movie anymore that doesn’t talk dumb to its audience (which is probably why it didn’t make any money).

-Mystery Alaska: Sticking with my “Russell Crowe” theme, I’ll finish this short list with one of his earlier movies that I love. A funny, sweet movie about a small town with a great local hockey team, it always reminds me of the quirky TV show, Northern Exposure. I don’t mean that in a bad way, and it’s definitely not a rip-off of that show, but it has a lot of oddball characters and local color, just like most small towns. Crowe makes a great lead, and shows his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his roles when you compare his hangdog, chubby look here with the lean, mean Gladiator Maximus filmed the next year.

I think that’s enough for now. Let me know what some of your great, unappreciated films are. Maybe there’s a gem that I need to see!