This week I decided to do a little something different for my “overlooked entry.” Over the past few years, I have made it a goal of mine with this site, to talk about or highlight films that I love and that I feel are somewhat under-appreciated. This obviously fits in with the whole overlooked aspect of this Tuesday feature.
As a result, this week I have decided to go into my own archives and dig pick a few films that I have mentioned in the past that I would like to mention again.
Fish Tank (2010): directed by Andrea Arnold (Red Road, forthcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation) and starring recent Venice Film Festival winner Michael Fassbender.
Heavenly Creatures (1994): featuring the ever-awesome Kate Winslet in her feature film debut.
Shooting Dogs [AKA Beyond the Gates (2007)]: Came out around the same time as Hotel Rwandaa, therefore little seen. Which is a shame – it is still a moving heartbreaking story. Directed by Michael Caton Jones
Children of Men (2006): Easily one of my favorite films of the last 5, heck 10 years.
Never Let Me Go (2010/2011): Another one of those films that came in under the radar last year/this year. It is now on rotation on pay cable. Catch it if you can.
Appaloosa (2010): Delivers what is advertised on the tin; simply a nuts and bolts western.
My Last Five Girlfriends (2009): A very imaginative take on a man’s journey through the relationship maze.
Muriel’s Wedding (1994): The linked post was not directly related to Muriel’s Wedding but it does mention it. This is another one of those films I could watch over and over again.
Wait Until Dark (1967): A surprisingly thrilling film. Featuring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin.
The Snake Pit (1948): Possibly Olivia deHaviland’s best work
For more overlooked films as well as reading an insightful blog in general, be sure to visit Todd Mason’s blog, Sweet Freedom.
Hi, iluv and company:
An interesting batch of choices that covers a wide spectrum.
Kudos to Ms. deHavilland for taking on and handling such an groundbreaking role in ‘The Snake Pit’. The kind of decision that was usually reserved for Bette Davis.
‘Wait Until Dark’ still ranks in the stratosphere as a thriller par excellence for introducing Alan Arkin as Harry Roat Jr. from Scarsdale as a premiere slimy bad guy. Audrey Hepburn’s best dramatic performance in a non-Audrey Hepburn role.
‘Appaloosa’ takes me back to the bare bones, no-frills, Randolph Scott, James Coburn Westerns of Budd Boetticher. The times and cast may have changed, but the story hasn’t. Great catch! 🙂
Every actor and actress has to start somewhere and ‘Heavenly Creatures’ was a great place to start for Ms. Winslet under the helm of Peter Jackson!
I have only seen Never Let Me Go and Children of Men, both of whose being good movies. I shall keep the other ones in mind 🙂
Saw all of these except MY LAST FIVE GIRLFRIENDS. And like them all.
Patti – that is awesome! I do not know too many people who have seen Beyond the Gates/Shooting Dogs. 5 Girlfriends is a available on DVD. Never got a US full release.
As a piker, I’ve seen all of them but FISH TANK, BEYOND THE GATES and 5GF…but I bought FISH TANK for 60% off the Criterion disc, the other week at the collapsing Borders…a really nice write-up in SIGHT AND SOUND clued me. The only one I don’t much like is CHILDREN OF MEN (too much aging hippie self-congratulation), but gosh it’s an improvement over PD James’s pile of a novel. WAIT UNTIL DARK was actually 1967…do you like THEATER TALK, the syndicated series on public stations? Arkin’s episode is about to be refed nationally…and HEAVENLY CREATURES certainly gobsmacked me on first viewing, and I was impressed by this Winslet girl. Turned out I was very right.
all fixed @todd will have to check the original post as well. thanks!
have you seen andrea arnold’s first film, red road? it was good but rather disturbing …
let me know what you think of fish tank. we here at i.l.c. are fassbender fans and he can (almost) do no wrong 😉
as for theatre talk, i pass by it but have rarely gotten into it.
every week I find myself stumped to find a movie i have not previously mentioned to cover for the meme. so this week as i was thinking about it i decided to show some love for my older posts where i mentioned some under-appreciated films.
My similar list…which led up to my reviving the Tuesday’s Overlooked meme:
http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2009/08/10-forgotten-films.html