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Movies You Might Have Overlooked
Rushmore [DVD] [1999]Rushmore [DVD] [1999]
Smart, funny and witty. Not just in the script but also in the visuals. As stylish as it is, it's not stifled by its own quirky technique. It's rare for something like this to have any heart & soul.
Being There [DVD] [1979]Being There [DVD] [1979]
Buy used from: £4.50
I love movies about idiot's who intelligent people think are genuises. Peter Sellers best movie. See also Bill Murray in The Man Who Knew Too Little.
Soldier [DVD] [1998]Soldier [DVD] [1998]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £1.45
Big obscure flop.Cliched & generic sci-fi action flick.It's much better than anyone's willing to give it credit for.Very enjoyable.It reminds me of Hard Target -plods along enjoyably then giant climax
Personal Services [DVD] [1986]Personal Services [DVD] [1986]
Buy used from: £4.90
Amusing adult Carry On... movie by one of the Pythons. Well made & an oddly cosy but dramatic film.
The Last Seduction (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD]The Last Seduction (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD]
Buy new: £10.88
Brilliantly funny & dark film noir. The lead actress dominates the movie, just like she dominates all the men. You expect some softness from her eventually, but it never happens.
Croupier [DVD] [1999]Croupier [DVD] [1999]
Buy used from: £1.60
Small scale casino robbery movie were the robbery plot doesn't turn up until 60mins in. More about how a novelist uses his real life work as the basis of a best seller.
Phone Booth [2003] [DVD]Phone Booth [2003] [DVD]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £0.01
The movie's bigger than the idea suggests it is. Great acting & exciting visuals keep it going when it could easily have been a drag to sit through. I've seen it lots & still enjoy it.
Blow Out [DVD] [1980]Blow Out [DVD] [1980]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £2.19
Blow Up remade with sound instead of photos. Great flamboyant visuals & good conspiracy story. Unusual ending.
My Cousin Vinny [1992] [DVD]My Cousin Vinny [1992] [DVD]
Buy new: £2.98 / Used from: £1.12
Small not particularly funny middle of the road comedy. I enjoy it. It really goes into the mechanics of how the law & the courtroom work. Good character acting from the whole cast.
Grosse Pointe Blank [DVD] [1997]Grosse Pointe Blank [DVD] [1997]
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £3.04
Disillusioned hitman goes to his high school reunion. Smart & funny with lots of memorable moments. Great 80's soundtrack. Not as cliched as it sounds.
The General [DVD] [1998]The General [DVD] [1998]
Buy new: £3.88
The subject matter and the B&W photography makes it appear dull & serious. It's not. Imagine Michael "The Rock" Bay directing an IRA drama and you'll get a sense of how much fun this is.
One Night At McCool's [DVD] [2001]One Night At McCool's [DVD] [2001]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £0.05
Three guys see the one woman as they want to: slut, angel & domestic pain in the backside. Funny & stylish movie. Very well written.
Charade [DVD] [1963]Charade [DVD] [1963]
Buy used from: £0.74
Better than North by Northwest of which it's almost a remake. Charming romantic adventure comedy.
The Big Lebowski (Special Edition) [DVD] [1998]The Big Lebowski (Special Edition) [DVD] [1998]
Buy new: £3.97 / Used from: £2.25
Incident packed sprawling comedy noir. Slow paced, but if you adjust to its speed it will delight with its skewed, warped imagination. Some very weird characters populate its vision of LA.
The Killer [DVD] [1989]The Killer [DVD] [1989]
Buy used from: £6.92
Hard Boiled is the most violent action packed movie ever made. This has almost as much carnage but a bit more character & story. You know you're growing up when you prefer story to action.
House Of Games [DVD] [1987]House Of Games [DVD] [1987]
Buy new: £2.98 / Used from: £2.49
You expect trick twist after trick twist. Thankfully it only has a few so it makes sense dramatically. It's not a flamboyant film, but it is effective at what it wants to do.
I Heart Huckabees [DVD] [2004]I Heart Huckabees [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £3.78 / Used from: £0.70
Entertainingly pretentious comedy about unhappy people & their existential detectives. People hate this, but if you accept it on its own terms you might enjoy it. I find it to be very calming.
The Thing [DVD] [1982]The Thing [DVD] [1982]
Buy new: £2.98 / Used from: £1.39
Great special effect heavy horror movie. Pretty visuals. Lots of tension in the claustrophobic snowed in location. Carpenter's best movie.
Jason X [DVD] [2002]Jason X [DVD] [2002]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.49
Solid silly B movie.They know the series is bad so they tackle the old problems head on -Jason is known to his victims from the start so they can fight back instead of being picked off repetitively.
Office Space [1999] [DVD]Office Space [1999] [DVD]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £2.20
Sarcastic attack on office life. Like a Dilbert cartoon put on film. A co. drone no longer cares about his job so starts doing his own thing at work, keeps his own hours etc & gets promoted for it.
Gosford Park [DVD] [2002]Gosford Park [DVD] [2002]
Buy new: £4.18 / Used from: £1.28
Altman's best film. Very pretty & dramatic. Close to faultless. It's confusing at first but everything falls into place after 30mins. Maggie Smith steals the film by playing the ultimate snob.
What About Bob? [DVD] [1991]What About Bob? [DVD] [1991]
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £2.45
Funny story about a hated patient insinuating his way into a psychiatrist's family. Silly Bill Murray against pained faced straight man Dreyfuss makes for some great moments.
The King Of Comedy [1982] [DVD]The King Of Comedy [1982] [DVD]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £2.99
They say it's a car crash - difficult to watch, no jokes comedy. I've always liked it. Now that The Office has paved the way for cringe based comedy, there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy it.
The Killing [DVD] [1956]The Killing [DVD] [1956]
Buy new: £4.28 / Used from: £2.25
It keeps going backwards & forwards in time to tell its story. Very similar to what Tarantino does. A confident thriller with sprightly direction that keeps it from feeling dated.
Simone [DVD]Simone [DVD]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.29
All the reviews I read harped on about its logic. The logic works well enough not to bother me. It's a great idea for a movie. There's a real visual flash to this funny understated comedy.