Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

It's difficult to make a list of overlooked or underrated movies, because inevitably someone else out there is going to love them, too. Furthermore, some "cult" movies have reached the point at which the "cult" is large enough to undermine the use of the word.

So, I'm creating this thread to catalogue and recommend a few films which I think deserve a bit more attention and recognition, but aren't really "cult classics" either. Ideally, you'll find some recommendations here you probably wouldn't have gotten elsewhere. First up...


Drowning Mona (2000)

"Would someone mind tellin me what the hell's goin on?"
"Your mother drove the car into the lake Jeff, I'm afraid she's dead."
"What was she doing in my car?"

A goofy little dark comedy about the town of Verplanck, NY; a place small enough that we know virtually everyone there within the first 10 minutes of the film. The residents of Verplanck have two things in common: they all drive Yugos (part of some form of product testing for a nearby Yugo factory), and they all hate Mona Dearly (Bette Milder). Everyone's got a beef with her, so when she turns up dead, everyone in the town's a suspect.

This makes things difficult for the town's chief of police, played by Danny DeVito. Things get tougher still when he starts to suspect Bobby (Casey Affleck), who's engaged to his daughter Ellen (Neve Campbell). Oh, and Mona's husband is having an affair with a local waitress named Rona Mace (Jaime Lee Curtis).

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.ya...evito/mona.jpg

It's a great concept, but the movie's charm is in the little things. While trying to get to the bottom of a particular beef, DeVito's character asks Bobby about an incident involving his landscaping partner, a lawnmower, and a small dog named Peaches.

"It's been different since Jeff killed Peaches."
"Jeff killed Peaches? I thought it was the other way around."
"Peaches killed Jeff?"

This movie's about as weird as it can be. Mona's husband Phil has a Wheel of Fortune fetish, and Will Ferrell has a small role as a creepy funeral home owner who seems to be creating amateur pornography on the side. Meanwhile, DeVito's character has to ask hoards of questions and sort out the conflicting responses. It's Rashômon on acid.

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Midler's character is completely over-the-top, but it's an absurd movie, and it works. Affleck's the perfect choice for Bobby, if only for his timid voice. They're the two standouts in a surprisingly strong cast. Marcus Thomas, as Mona's dimwitted son Jeff, plays a very convincing fool; it's got something to do with the way his mouth almost always hangs open, I think.

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Though not particularly hailed by critics or moviegoers, I love Drowning Mona. The ending gets a little strange(r), but as a whole it's bizarre and amusing, and sometimes amusing because it's bizarre. Your mileage may vary, but this one's just odd enough to see anyway.



More to follow. :)

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I have to watch this one again. I watched it with people who hated it from the get go so I admit that I didn't give it my full attention on the first viewing. I always meant to watch it again and now, as fate would have it, here it again circles into my radar right when I have my netflix cue open.

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I was interested in seeing Drowning Mona when it first came out, but I never did and then I forgot about it. I'll have to check it out next month sometime.

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Added to queue...

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The Frighteners (1996)

I mentioned this in the October is here... thread, and it's a good fit for this one, too.

As some of you know, I'm a sucker for concept films; and this one qualifies. Directed by Peter Jackson before he was Peter Jackson, The Frighteners is a supernatural thriller (kind of) about a man named Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) who can see ghosts, and uses his ability to con people. This is all well and good, until he sees a spirit that resembles, well, The Grim Reaper. It's going around killing people, and Frank decides to find out what's going on.

http://www.otherkidspacklunch.com/Wi...rs03_thumb.jpg

The thing that first struck me about The Frighteners was how crisp it looked. In an industry that's supposed to value style over substance, I couldn't believe that such a slick looking film (both for its time, and even today) had gotten such little attention. Then again, it isn't really a straight thriller or horror film; comedy is sprinkled throughout, and the film only takes itself seriously sporadically (usually when the Reaper-like ghost is on screen).

I think it works just fine, but perhaps moviegoers felt it was unfocused. One minute, Bannister's trying to save someone from Death. The next, a squirrely government agent with a hemorrhoid problem is tearing his shirt off. It's hard to know when you're supposed to laugh, and when you're supposed to be freaked out. It's not bloody or scary enough to satisfy horror fans, and not funny enough to be called a comedy. Basically, don't go in expecting any particular type of film, and you're far more likely to enjoy it.

http://www.thecobrasnose.com/images4...ostsbabies.jpg

The life-and-death stuff is pretty interesting, and I like the choice of Fox for the lead. He's not your typical hero, which is good, because a tall, square-jawed star would look tremendously out of place in this offbeat offering. At the same time, his character is required to be a bit of a jerk in the earlygoing, and he's too damn likable to pull it off all that well. He makes up for it later on, though, and his presence is a big reason that an otherwise serious-sounding film feels so strangely lighthearted.

The film was released five years after Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but it would be another two years before he revealed his condition to the public. This would end up being Fox's last starring role in a major motion picture; afterwards, he had a supporting role in Mars Attacks!, and then stuck mainly to TV and voicework for animated films. Though everyone will always remember him as Marty McFly, I'll always think of him as Frank Bannister, too.

One can safely assume that Jackson's work on The Frighteners helped him in his bid to create The Lord of the Rings trilogy; it was the last film he directed before LOTR, and it showed what Weta Digital could do, even with a limited budget.

http://www.lesiteducinephile.net/ima...righteners.jpg

But, I digress: the film has plenty of twists and turns, though nothing overtly shocking. There's a lot of backstory to fill in, and a few flashbacks. It's all revealed at a sensible pace, and the scattered bits of action are always entertaining.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Nice thread, Yoda. :)

I'll have to give Drowning Mona a look, and I've always liked The Frighteners, which holds up very well on repeated viewings.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I think Drowning Mona is one of those movies that is trying way too hard to be "quirky". It all felt very forced and flat to me, like a cheap-o made-for-TV version of a Coen Brothers flick (but obviously minus their characters, brilliant visual style and playful wit). It's watchable and probably a teensy bit better than the critical drubbing it took, but it's not anywhere near a good movie, either. Not for me, anyway. Decent cast, but I felt they were mostly wasted as well. I'd slot One Night at McCool's into this same "trying too hard" arena.

Whatever the worst three episodes of "My Name is Earl" are, they are much, much better than Drowning Mona, and at its best that television series is infinitely more amusing, clever, better written & directed and just plain funny than Mona.


But, you're mileage may vary....even in a Yugo with cut brakelines.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I remember seeing Drowning Mona some years ago. I remember that it was funny and I liked it. But I can't remember a single thing about the movie itself!

I've got an offbeat favorite from the 1950s, Red Garters, a musical spoof of the Westerns that were so popular at that time, where men respectfully remove their hats each time they speak of "The Code of the West" and every shootout and lynching culmunates in a combination funeral and barbecue. Moreover it was staged like a Broadway musical with a surrealistic indoor stage setting that uses hanging windows and doors to suggest one-dimensional houses and stores against a colored background. The stars include Rosemary Clooney (George's aunt) and Guy Mitchell, both of whom were popular recording artists of that period (Clooney had her own TV show and Mitchell may have, too), and Jack Carson, who I think was always under appreciated in both his dramatic and comedic roles (remember him as the playwright cop in Arsenic and Old Lace and as the scheming older brother in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?)

The film is certainly offbeat, the staging is imaginative, the entertainment is light, and some of the songs--especially a ballad by Rosemary Clooney--are quite good. Worth trying to find on tape.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I actually agree with you somewhat, Holds. Some of the oddities come off as a bit deliberate, rather than natural extensions of the film. The whole Yugo thing is probably the best example of that. But I'd say that's the exception rather than the rule, and I can forgive the occasional contrivance if the underlying humor doesn't rest on it.

I think the movie is actually hurt by DeVito's character a little bit, as he's too aware of the strangeness around him. I think films like this work better when nobody on screen seems to realize how odd everything is; much like the "Funny Hat" principle.

Anyway, intentionally quirky or not, I just find the film straight-up funny.

Deathtrap
 

Deathtrap (1982)

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Long before Adaptation, there was Deathtrap. But instead of being a movie about writing a movie, it's a movie about playwriting based on a play in which characters write plays about what happens in the movie. And it's a whole lot of fun.

http://www.movieactors.com/photos/deathtrap408.jpeg http://www.homevideos.com/freezefram...thtrap412.jpeg

The film stars Michael Caine as Sidney Bruhl, a famous playwrite whose best days are behind him. He's desperate for a hit to reestablish his career, which has deteriorated to the point at which he's largely living off his wife Myra (Dyan Cannon). He receives a letter from a fan (Clifford, played by Christopher Reeve) who's written his first play, and asks for suggestions. Sidney reads it, and declares to his wife that it's fantastic. This leads to some joking about killing the young man and taking the play, a possibility which becomes more tempting when they invite him to their home and learn that no one else has read it yet.

I can't reveal much beyond this point without giving away the plot, of which there is quite a bit. The film piles twist upon twist, some of which are very clever, and some of which test our credulity, but all of which are entertaining.

Caine is quite good as the struggling writer, but Christopher Reeve steals the show as Clifford. His role requires a wide range of attitudes and emotions (for reasons you'll understand if you see the film), and he's believable all the way through. The two of them play off each other very well. Someone else must have thought so, too, because they would eventually co-star in 1992's Noises Off!, another movie based on (and about) a play. It also debuted the year Deathtrap was released, and it'll be finding its way into this thread before long.

http://www.altfg.com/Stars/d/deathtrap.jpg

Deathtrap is one of those films that you can tell is based on a play, mainly because it takes place largely in one wide-open space (the Bruhl's sprawling inset living room, in this case). In keeping with the venue it was originally written for, the film's various revelations are suitably over-the-top, and there's all sorts of drama. Every permutation of double and triple-crossing is explored. If you're the kind of person who likes to guess the next twist before it happens (like I am), you'll probably find yourself giving up through sheer exhaustion halfway through.

Movies these days are always trying to pull of a dramatic reveal that redefines all that's come before it, and audiences have become a good deal better at sniffing twists out as a result. Nevertheless, Deathtrap will keep even the most suspicious of viewers on their toes, and entertain the whole way through.

Deathtrap is a good one. I think part of why the movie got lost a bit in 1982 is because a decade before Caine starred in something similar, also adapted from a play, Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth (1972 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz) co-starring Laurence Olivier. The less said about that one the better as well, since the fun is in discovering the layers of deception. But that had dual Oscar nominations for Best Actor as well as Best Director and Score. So the success and notoriety of that one stole a bit of Deathtrap's thunder, I suspect, as critics and audiences couldn't help but draw comparisons between the two projects (even a decade apart).

Caine is also starring in the new re-make of Sleuth slated later for this year. Now he's in the Olivier role and Jude Law has Caine's old part (after already taking the title role in the Alfie re-make a couple years ago). This new Sleuth is directed by Kenneth Branagh and has been slightly reimagined and updated by Pulitzer Prize winner Harold Pinter.


But if you like Deathtrap, do check out the original Sleuth.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Ironically enouh, I've already got Sleuth on my Netflix queue. I don't remember if it was because someone else made a similar suggestion, or if I came across it while reading up on Deathtrap after seeing it. Ebert mentions it in his review of the film, so that might be why. Regardless, thanks for the recommendation.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Sleuth is good, I'm going to see the remake this weekend. I will add Deathtrap to the list of movies to see (a rather hopelessly long list that I keep on my hard drive at home.) This is a good idea for a thread. Category-licious.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

How about The Last Castle?

I dunno... I liked this one for no specific reason, it was just an interesting concept... and with both Redford and Gandolfini in it, its worth a look.
Most people I mention this one to tend to give me a blank stare, not a clue what it is...

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

GOTTA agree with Yoda on Deathtrap. And Noises Off!, which is just a fun romp that's well cast. Just don't get up in the middle, though. It's one of those movies that gains momentum and plays off it as things just get crazier and crazier. An easy movie to miss, but a lot of fun.

I'll be adding Sleuth to my Netflix queue as well.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Rewatch Drowning Mona, Yods. Surely you must remember that everyone in the town owns a Yugo! That alone is worth rewatching the whole movie! Those things crop up everywhere. I just saw it again recently and had forgotten how that movie, too, builds upon itself and keeps the momentum. Another good, fun ensemble cast.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

P.S. Note the yellow Yugo in your Drowning Mona pic above! :)

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Would you put 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag here too? I think I would.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Aye, I mentioned it in the review. I was just citing it as an example of what Holden was talking about; an overt attempt at making the movie quirkier.

I think I probably would. I'm not in love with it, mainly because I was watching it again awhile ago and found it didn't hold up as well as I'd expected. The first-time through, though, it's very enjoyable. And even if it's not a great film, it'd still be fair to call it overlooked.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I've seen the movie of Sleuth, and also saw it performed by an amateur theatre company. There's some stuff I'd love to share about that, but it would be a huge spoiler for those who haven't seen the movie.

Oh, and I like Deathtrap a lot.

Personally I'm wondering if State and Main is going to make it onto the list. I saw it a while back and can't believe it didn't get more attention.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Well, you could certainly start Prospero's Overlooked Movies. I love State & Main and think it got generally very good reviews and that few people actually saw it. You know, like most Mamet films. Whatareyougonnado?

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Oops, sorry I missed the Yugo reference in your review. I thought I read that all the way through, but apparently I skimmed a little. :rolleyes:

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Does it help, Yoda, that I DID notice you misspelled "DeVito"? ;)

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Nice topic discussion Yoda, mate.

Yeah, there are quite a few films out there that are more overlooked than they should be.

Like you said, Peter Jackson's The Frighteners didn't get the attention it probably could have. I dunno how that happened, as well. But it had possibly the best SFX I had seen in the nineties until a certain Wachkowski vehicle popped up towards the end of the millenium.

Another film that I feel doesn't get nearly near the attention it deserves is Dead Man's Curve, a nice piece of dark comedy with an interesting concept and poignant social commentary on the academics of America. This film starred Matthew Lillard and should have been the film to have launched him into some more good roles. Could have at least been a decent Indie star.

Guillermo Del Toro's Mimic was one of the more disturbing and intriguing horror films that went criminally unnoticed too. I get chills even thinking about certain scenes from this genuinely scary film. It's definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Gah! Not only have I seen it (several times), but I had it on the list to be reviewed here. Thanks for stealing my thunder. :D

Mimic is definitely an overlooked film, and I'll definitely be including it here before long. Good in its own right, my appreciation of it is admittedly enhanced by E. Michael Jones' book Monsters from the Id: The Rise of Horror in Fiction and Film, which details the link between horror in fiction and real-life sexual lib movements. I've mentioned the book in some other threads, usually in reference to the blatant sexual undertones of films like Alien.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

The Impostors (1998)

"The time has come to act."

http://www.movieforums.com/community...a36990b1cd.jpg

Stanley Tucci has certainly been around. His first acting credit came 22 years ago, and he's been very prolific, often landing at least bit roles in several productions virtually every year. I'd have to imagine he's established a lot of contacts in the industry, too, because when he creates his own films, he seems able to attract some very impressive ensemble casts. The Impostors is just such a movie.

Written and directed by Tucci (who also stars), it was released two years after Big Night, another overlooked film he wrote, directed and starred in. Set in the 1930s, it's a love letter to the entire industry; particularly, its history. There's at least one obvious reference to the Marx Brothers, and I'm sure more eagle-eyed viewers than myself will spot many more.

Tucci plays a struggling actor named Arthur, and lives with another struggling actor named Maurice (Oliver Platt). Neither of them are all that good; everything they do resembles a caricature, and it's always unintentional. Still, they love their craft, and seem to think of nothing else, except for maybe where their next meal is coming from. Naturally they combine the two, and in the earlygoing try to use their acting to con a local baker out of some pastries in one of the film's most hysterical sequences.

Long story short, they anger a more accomplished actor and find themselves as stowaways on a ship (The titlecard when they learn of this is: "An Ocean Liner?!"). To avoid detection they disguise themselves as baggage handlers. On this ship, we meet the rest of the cast, all of whom get to ham it up in roles well within their considerable talents. They don't just chew on the scenery; they swallow it whole.

"Do you know the gentleman who stole your wife?"
"He was my agent."
"Some agent!"
"He was a great agent. I loved him like a brother, I loved my wife like a mother and a hooker!"

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The film is populated by an array of character actors. Other than Tucci and Platt, the cast includes (deep breath): Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, Isabella Rossellini, Billy Connolly, Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins, Hope Davis, Dana Ivey, and Lili Taylor, among others. Oh, and Woody Allen has a cameo.

The film never dares to take itself too seriously, even when a plot to blow the ship up is revealed. Every single character has an easily identified (and always fun) gimmick; Steve Buscemi plays a suicidal lounge singer, Tony Shalhoub plays a Communist revolutionary, and Billy Connolly plays a tennis pro with a somewhat ambiguous sexual orientation. Campbell Scott completely steals the show, however, as the utterly bizarre Meistrich, a bespectacled German ship officer with well-oiled hair. Believe it or not, all of these characters and situations weave together in some form, and everyone gets a chance to do their thing.

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The film is alternatingly witty and slapstick, but it's always funny and, at times, surprisingly sweet. A couple of the jokes fall flat, but there's always another one coming down the pike, and all the intentional over-acting is fun to watch. There's actually a bit of a plot, too, that has a logical payoff and resolution.

This is one of my top ten favorite films of all-time. It's the kind of film that must have been as fun to make as it was to watch, and I smile every time I think of it.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

It's funny, I almost invariably confuse Mimic with Relic. Not sure why I can't get those two films straight...

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Yoda, I realize I keep bringing up comedies (perhaps comedies are generally more overlooked...?), but how about Brain Donors? I think that's another homage to the Marx Brothers, and although it's not nearly as witty (perhaps) as some of the things in this thread, I seem to remember it being funnier than I thought it would be when I first watched it.

It might not hold up under a repeat viewing, though. Haven't seen it in ages.

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Lol, it's cool mate. I'll steal your thunder and lightening as much as you want;). Revenge for mentioning The Frighteners first! Perhaps I mentioned one too many films and should have given somebody else a chance. I'll be less selfish next time ;)

Yeah, Mimic needs to be acknowledged more often than it is. That book sounds interesting from the title you have mentioned. I might have a quick look at it if I ever get the chance. There was a similar chapter of the link you mentioned in another book called The Monstrous Feminine or something like that. I think it's by Barbara Creed.

The book talks about how certain creatures in horror films mention the archaic mother and all that freudian talk. It was interesting though, despite the fact that most of the words contained more than 5 syllables....more than I can handle.

Also, I like that 'The Final Girl' is not exactly used to full effect in Mimic despite there being one. This is another thing that sets it apart from other coventional horrors. The link between violence and sex doesn't seem to serve that much of a purpose in this film compared to slasher flicks where the sexually experienced get hacked to death.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

This thread is great.

I believe The Frighteners is the only movie I've seen out of the ones you've listed so far. It's one that I saw on TV years ago as I was flicking through (I didn't even know the title for a while). I remember laughing quite a lot, and being pleasently suprised to see Michael J. Fox in a leading role, who was one of my idols growing up (Teen Wolf and, of course, the Back to the Future trilogy).


Damn, Yods, you just keep coming up with these ways of listing movies I need to watch.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Well Yoda nice review about "The Frighteners", I really like this one and I watched it a million times...

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Nah, I'm not going to steal his thunder. ;)

...although in my review thread I do try to review films that I think others may not have seen.

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Thanks for the great reviw and recommendation. This is going on my Netflix queue.

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I'm updating this thread to let you guys know that The Frighteners is scheduled to be on AMC tomorrow evening (Tues., Oct. 23) at 8 p.m. EDT. I know some of you dislike AMC, but it would be a quick way for some of you to get a peek at this overlooked movie without having to wait for a Netflix queue or renting it....

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You just got to get that little kid from Mimic stuck in your head that's all... "Funny, funny shoes." and then go into your impersonation of Spoon man.


Great list Yoda, I've seen them all and I'm not sure I agree that they are over looked or underrated people like you and me seem to find these flicks just fine and maybe its a good thing that its that way.
I find Drowning Mona very funny the Wheel of Fortune thing is just hysterical. "I'm a wheel Watcher!" For anyone who hasn't seen these though they are all quite good.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Hello everyone.
This is a great thread.
I hadn't thought about this movie in ages.
What I do recall, is that he was in the mode of Clint Eastwood as, Harry Callahan, and Charles Bronson, as Paul Kersey, and just tore people up.
Has anyone else seen this neat film?

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I haven't seen anything on your list besides The Frighteners (awesome, entertaining and weird little flick) but the rest I have heard of. Some of them I want to view, others I'd rather not even bother with.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Bowfinger (1999)

"We're trying to make a movie here, not a film!"

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Bowfinger is a movie about making movies. Bad ones. Like, really bad.

The film starts with small-time director Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin, who also wrote the film) reading a script called "Chubby Rain." The writer explains the title thusly: aliens invade the earth by coming down to earth inside the rain drops, making the rain "chubby." I'm not making this up.

Bowfinger is 49, and is running out of time. Hollywood won't deal with you after you turn 50, he says. "They can smell 50." Out of sheer desperation, he says he'll make "Chubby Rain" and embarks on a ridiculous quest to get megastar Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to star in it. His efforts fail, of course, but he can't break the news to his patchwork cast and crew.

To reconcile his dreams with his reality and keep the production afloat, Bowfinger decides to follow Ramsey around and film him secretly. The film, he decides, isn't really going to be any worse on account of a little thing like its star not saying any of his scripted lines. He sells this to his cast as some sort of branch of method acting, helped along by the fact that none of them are terribly bright. He doesn't have much money, even for such a sparse production, but deludes himself into thinking he does:


"It's enough to get us started: $2,184."
"But movies cost millions of dollars to make."
"That's after gross...net deduction profit percentage deferment...ten percent of the nut....CASH, every movie costs $2,184."

http://www.movieforums.com/community...b2084f2406.jpg

Sound implausible? It is, a bit. But it's helped along by the fact that Murphy's character is basically insane. Like many Eddie Murphy characters, his dialogue comes fast and furious, and he's highly temperamental. He also belongs to a bizarre cult called "MindHead," presumably a jab at Scientology. The members wear pyramid-shaped hats and walk around what looks like a dot-com gardenesque office while a woman's voice repeats "Welcome to MindHead" over and over, with a different inflection each time. "Welcome to MindHead. Welcome to MindHead."

Ramsey, you see, is kind of screwed up in the head. He believes, among other things, that aliens are trying to get him. This fits rather conveniently with the film Bowfinger is secretly trying to film him in, but it's best not to scrutinize such plot details too closely.

The sequences involving Ramsey's affiliation with MindHead are rather bizarre, but always hysterical, especially his coaching sessions with one of the MindHead gurus, who tries to talk him down from his anxiousness by repeating "Happy Premises."

"Guru: Happy premise #1.
Kit: Happy premise #1. There are no aliens.
Guru: Happy premise #2.
Kit: Happy premise #2: There is no giant foot trying to squash me.
Guru: Happy premise #3.
Kit: Happy premise #3: Even though I feel like I might ignite...I probably won't."

Sound odd? It is. But Murphy throws himself into the weirdness and pulls it off. And, being that it's Eddie Murphy we're talking about, it's probably in his contract that he has to play at least one other character. In this case, it's Jiff, who Bowfinger finds while trying to round up Ramsey look-a-likes. Jiff works a menial job and can't really fathom being in a movie. "Getting a job running errands would be a major boost for me," he says during the interview process. His hairstyle is a bit different, though, which presents a problem. Bowfinger asks: "Would you be willing to cut your hair?" Jiff is hesitant "Well...yes. But it would probably be better if someone else did it. I've had a few...accidents."

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Overall, the craziness works through its sheer ambition, and because everyone involved sells the living daylights out of it. The film's strength is largely in its ridiculous dialogue, though, which never really lets up. What's stunning is not the number of jokes, but how many of them actually land. Shotgun comedy usually means lots of bad puns and a very low joke-to-laugh rate, but Bowfinger is a notable exception.

"Oh I love the Flintstones too, that's so good, do you like that? Now, okay, do you like walks in the park?"
"In the rain!"
"Oh God, you know what, I want you to see the Music Man, because..."
"Isn't Robert Preston good?"
"He's so good! Do you LOVE Smashing Pumpkins?"
"Are you kidding? I love to do that!"

The film's resolution is not especially important, but things do eventually weave together in a way that, if not exactly likely, is at least consistent with the insanity that's come before it. Martin is surprisingly quick and energetic as the titular Bowfinger, and Murphy plays the movie star caricature of Ramsey extremely well. He does a surprisingly good job as the low-key Jiff, too, even though none of the characters are quite real.

I loved this film, but I don't have any trouble imagining someone disliking it. It's odd, and downright surreal at times. You've got to have an inherent affection towards zaniness for its own sake to enjoy Bowfinger, but if you do, you'll get to enjoy a film that's both witty and crazy, and, if nothing else, truly unpredictable.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I should add that, while I feel Bowfinger is somewhat overlooked, it was not by any means a bomb, and isn't really obscure. It made a fair bit of money, and received very strong reviews. It's just not a film I ever hear talked about, which I think says something, being the proprietor of this here establishment and all.

Also, on an unrelated note, everyone should read Roger Ebert's review of the film, which runs circles around my own (even if mine's meant to be fairly casual).

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

How about Raising Arizona... i was looking through the old movie section one day and discovered it and its one of my favorites. I love this movie and so many people i know have never heard of it before!

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

I love Raising Arizona, but it has built up enough of a cult status that I think only casual moviegoers have overlooked it at this point. It received its due, in my mind, when it was named the 31st funniest movie of all time on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs list. I appreciate the suggestion, though. :)

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this need a BIG bump, gimme more Yoda!

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Yeah, I've got a few more films in mind for this one. Thanks for giving me a little kick in the butt; I'll try to get another review up this week. :)

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The marvelous magic that molded 'Drowning Mona' together was, more or less, the malicious maneuvers that mend most Americans together... in a mute sort of way, you could argue. In other words, we're a little of this and a little of that, privately pawning off the things that position themselves into our lives somehow (most of these embarrassments are found throughout this particular jewel of a film). If you watch this film, firmly facing its floor, you'll furnish yourself with all sorts of fun that's subtly going on with its characters. As it was briefly mentioned, there's so many tiny tortures comedically connecting the centralized cast. The "Dearlys" come off as circus cons, costing you to cash in with laughter when they've behaved in a way that belittles your sense of importance. This can be remarkably humorous; like it or not. (Possibly why Jerry Springer became so successful)

I own this trailer-park odyssey of a picture because I can find ways to wander through the waste that the characters fight to subside. It's that joke of a journey that jolts my joints. I still can't stop laughing at how much of this film I'd seen before I'd ever watched it.

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Aye, there is a tabloid-feel to the Dearlys. And poor Bobby feels a bit like the person backstage who has no idea what he's about to be brought out to.

Good post, though I must say:

"A lot of alliteration from anxious anchors placed in powerful posts!"

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Exactly.
Guilty, on both counts.

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Hoodwinked! (2005)

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"Grandma, what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear your many criticisms with."

That was the line. Three minutes into the film, that was when I knew this wasn't going to be another formulaic, pleasant-enough-but-nothing-to-write-home-about all-CGI family film.

I hadn't heard much about Hoodwinked!, but was movie-starved at the time so my girlfriend and I decided to go see it. The only other people in the theater were a woman and her little boy, and I'd like to go back and apologize to them for laughing so loudly and most likely drowning out a third of the film.

For those who don't know, Hoodwinked! is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. But it's approached as a detective story in that quasi-Rashômon style we all know so well. It's a pretty short story, after all, so why not retell it from four different perspectives? Those four would be: Red's (Anne Hathaway), The Wolf's (Patrick Warburton), Grandma's (Glenn Close), and The Woodman's (Jim Belushi).

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We learn pretty quickly that none of these characters are the way we've come to think of them from other retellings. Red is hopelessly sarcastic, The Wolf is actually an investigative reporter, Grandma's an adrenaline junkie, and The Woodsman is a starving actor. If it all sounds a little gimmicky, well, it is...but it's a good gimmick, and the humor is crisp and surprisingly adult.

"What's with the handcuffs on a little girl? Her wrists can slip right out. How about a cage?"
"Bring in the cage!"
"I was being sarcastic."
"Sarcasm. Strike the cage..."

Lines like this need great voice work and comedic timing to land properly, and everyone here is up to the task. Close and Belushi don't really sound anything like themselves as Grandma and The Woodsman; I was surprised to see both of their names in the credits.

Warburton, in particular, excels as the dry, sardonic Wolf W. Wolf who, as the name implies, is a bit of a takeoff on Fletch. He wears a number of disguises as the film goes along, and seems bored half the time.

"What do you do for a living, Mr. Wolf?"
"I'm a shepherd."

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The animation is, as you can see, not quite top-notch. It looks quite good in some places (there are some superb lighting effects at times), but it's all just a bit shy of first-tier. This, combined with the glut of such films, and the bizarre humor throughout, stopped Hoodwinked! from banking too much at the box office. Thankfully, it cost a miniscule $15 million, so it was plenty profitable, and a sequel's in production as we speak. Happy happy, joy joy.

The animation doesn't hurt the film too much, bcause it's passable, and the movie is hysterically funny. This is thanks in large part to the dialogue, and the bizarre secondary characters.

Far and away the most entertaining is Japeth, a mountain goat Red meets on her way to Grandma's. As weird as that sounds, he's also, uh...well, I'll let him tell you:

"I'm looking for Granny Puckett's house?"
[singing] "Graaaaaaaanneeee Puckeeeet..."
"Could you stop singing for one moment?"
[singing] "No I can't, wish I could, but a mountain witch done put a spell on me, 37 years agoooooooo, and now I gotta sing every thing I saaaaaaaaayyyyyy..."
"Everything?"
[speaking] "That's right."
"You just talked! Just now!"
"Oh, did I?" [singing] "Did I? Dididididodadidididoooo..."

It's every bit as goofy as it sounds, but the voice work of Benjy Gaither is tremendous, and makes it work. But Japeth's mere appearance is pretty funny all by itself. Hats off to whoever devised and/or designed him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TreGGyg6gOg

Another, more serious supporting character is the detective interrogating the suspects, Nicky Flippers, voiced authoritatively by David Ogden Stiers. And in case you're wondering why he's called "Flippers," well, Red asks him the same question, and you'll just have to see the flick to find out.

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"Ah, remember Ted, pieces of the puzzle make funny shapes, but they still fit together in the end."
"Boy, you're just full o' those, aren'tcha?"

There's also a hyperactive squirrel named Twitchy. Most people will note that he's a good deal like Over the Hedge's Hammy, though Twitchy came along the year before. He's voiced by director Cory Edwards, who recorded his lines and then sped them up 150% to achieve the desired effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHWIOIwVSuI

There's a lot more, as the entire incident is set within the larger context of finding a thief who's been stealing everyone's recipes. The revelation is just another excuse to keep going after the interrogations are complete, though, and to that end it works fine.

Hoodwinked! is best for those who have an innate appreciation for absurdity, or anyone who can enjoy the one-liners without being turned off by the occasionally poor animation. But seriously, how can you not love a fairy tale adaptation that uses the word "Eurotrash"?

Of all the CGI-based family films (and there are quite a few), this is among the funniest. And while all such films these days are smart enough to make themselves palpable to adults, this one seems practically targetted to them. I give it .

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By the way, while walking down the hall to see Hoodwinked! (it was kinda tucked away in the back of the theater), my girlfriend and I came across a little boy; the same one we saw in the theater with his mother. He stopped when he got to us and asked:

"Ya'll going to see 'Hoodwinked!'?"
"Yup."
(pause)
"There ain't nobody in there..."

He said this in an extremely high-pitched voice. I think this somehow added to the charm of the movie for me.

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Oh my god, that looks like something you'd see on a Saturday morning cartoon show. Or a video game. No wonder there's ain't nobody in there! I don't remember when this movie came out, and I vaguely remember the title. It's probably worth seeing just for Glenn Close, though.

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Sounds like a movie I'd like. I have picked this one up to rent a couple of times, then changed my mind at the last moment and went with something else. I'll make sure to actually rent it next time.

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Gun Shy

Great cast, great story, fun as heck. It helps I really like Oliver Platt.

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This is still playing in the theatre??? Or is this an old review?

I thought it was really funny, but wanted it to be more epic then it was. The animation wasn't all that great either.

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Old Review

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Well, the review is new, but the film is a couple years old.

Anyway, you're right about the animation; it's not that great. I just didn't care, though. I get my fill of crisp animation from any number of films; I find Hoodwinked!'s level of comedy to be far rarer than great visuals.

As for epic, well, it'd have to be an entirely different film to invoke that sort of feeling, and I'm not sure how epic the tale of Little Red Riding Hood can be, anyway. I think a lot of people who were disappointed by this flick were probably expecting another Pixar-style tale of scope and grandeur, rather than a witty, sarcastic laugh-fest. As much as I like the former, the latter is increasingly hard to find, which is probably why I loved Hoodwinked! so much.

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I found that they didn't use the settings as much as they could. They were in the woods, in the alps and the mine, but I wanted more. I wanted to know more about this world and everytime the book opened I wanted to be introduced to another part of the world they lived in. It seemed to small in scope for me.

But yeah, it does get a bad rap, I found it to be better then a lot of other animated films.

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Overlooked by way too many:
This Boy's Life -It's freakin' DeNiro, for cryin' out loud.
Brainstorm- Early 80's C. Walken AND Natalie Wood's last flick
The Dead Zone- Stephen King and Walken
Mediterraneo- Best Foreign Film '90 (Italy)
Outside Providence- Funny, classic scenes abound

Re: Yoda's Overlooked Movies
 

Great thread Yods :yup:

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So, are we ever going to get some more reviews on some underrated movies, Yoda?

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Good question. :) I've got a list of other films I can use here somewhere. Still got a lot on my plate for the next few days, but hopefully I'll be able to track it down and get another review up. Thanks for the kick in the butt. :)