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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Last edited by Yoda; 03-12-09 at 10:11 AM.