My Underrated Movies List

It's simple, really. Just imagine that Jerome is the only true artist in the movie, and I swear it'll all come together for you.

Want an anchor? Watch Max Minghella's face when he first sees his muse in the cafeteria. Adroitly directed, well acted; it tells you everything you need to know to truly appreciate Jerome's story.

I think the failure to see this flick as a "good" flick arose from the fact that the director (Zwigoff) refuses to take himself too seriously. I say: Allow him that, and grant this production your full attention. It'll pay off in silver dollars.

I also numbered this among my "prophetic" films, which should give you some idea why I include it here: I don't just think it's good, I think it's prophetic.

The film suffers from its having been labeled a comedy. The simple fact is that it's much, much more than that. It speaks some very vital truths.

This one's on the edge: the IMDb User rating is near 7; not so bad, especially considering the subject matter.

But this is a great movie, for many reasons.

One, it's a sterling time capsule that captures the wonder that is the radio show, A Prairie Home Companion.

Two, it's an obvious labor of love by all the acting talent.

Three, it was a fine note for Robert Altman to end his career on. It's all here: Superbly managed chaos, including overlapping dialog. His inimitable skill at managing the A/V to create an illusion of seamlessness is in full sway.

And finally, the overarching theme (finality) is brought home lovingly.

A friend put it... interestingly: "It's not a great movie, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying it."

I would go further. Yes, it's a sort of coloring book flick, a technicolor fable/fantasy. Perhaps the best way to process it is in light of William Blake's "Marriage of Heaven and Hell". I'm pretty sure the film makers had that in mind as they wrote it. it's about the redemption of the devil: Heady stuff, for sure!

It's not one for the ages, but I feel it deserves much more than the contempt that so many have heaped upon it!

Again, about a 7 rating from IMDb Users.... but I'm sure it deserves much more than this.

It's an ensemble masterpiece. It feels like raw stage work of the highest caliber. I described it in my comments as that last, exciting, give-and-take, free, loose tango scene from "Last Tango in Paris" stretched out over 90-or-so minutes.

Watch it, and let yourself be swept away by the surging and ebbing of the emotions... and the running question of exactly how far you can trust an actress!

Yes, it's a preposterous premise. Yes, it has butt and fart gags. Yes, yes, yes, and yes to most anything else you care to throw at it.

But it has these saving graces: The gags are quite non-gratuitous, for a B-movie. The acting is a labor of love; and what a cast! The timing is absolutely perfect, probably due to the fact that the director's prior work was in commercials. Finally, it was all the brainchild of Bob Burden, creator of The Flaming Carrot. That the colorful fruits of his creative loins got greenlit is a miracle beyond comprehension.

Watch it carefully!

If you never know anything else about Viv Stanshall, you should at least watch this film, just to get a heady snootfull.

Stanshall was a rare one-of-a-kind persona who broke down the barrier between self and art. He was a very, very gifted chap, and a weirdo, to boot. Watch this film carefully and see. In particular, bask in his awesome command of the English language; he does us all proud.

This is not quite to imply that a lot of people didn't like this movie (tho the IMDb rating seems a bit low).

The point is that the actual theme of this flick went right over most people's heads: So I suspect that most judgment calls were wasted critical energy.

The actual theme of this flick is timeless and almost prophetic: The great masses of humankind operate on their gut instincts, and subsequently don't know what's really going on.

Further: Some of this societal status quo is fed and groomed by mass media, for their own economic purposes, and to our collective detriment. The film is a clarion call to wake up!

In case you wonder what I'm talking about, here's a teaser: When you watch this flick, hold in your mind the baseline understanding that Mr. White, the Play-Tone talent manager, is *not* the hip, swank, groovy and spiritually with-it guy, but is rather an amoral creep. You'll start to get the idea.

Yes, yes, yes: It's a big, fat mess.

But it's a treasure box of satiric riches and, of course, a searing indictment of a culture that is, by now, beyond all shame.

That's right: I'm talking about YOU, Mr./Ms. American!

A good sight better than others in the cutting-edge, ensemble, seat-of-the-pants over-the-top comedy genre.

I've enjoyed "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind"... but The Big Tease demonstrates that it can be done right.

Right right right!

The script is pure poetry, where the beefy, tombstone free verse of West meets the haiku of East.

I was rapt. It starts out like a campy romp, but (if you pay close attention) you will be deeply touched. It's a free-flowing rhapsody not only on knowing, but even life and death itself.

My IMDb comment puts a fine point on all this, so you might want to look that up.

But the upshot was this: I think people are losing all capacity to understand that they have a right--nay, a duty--to expect the movies they spend precious time watching to be well written.

So many movies are a spectacle of star-power bent to the service of breathing life into lackluster writing. Well, that's just plain wrong. People should expect a 21st century version of Shakespeare when they go to a film, and to expect anything less is to cheat yourself and cheat the future artistic directions of film.

How Do You Know has the power to bend the wills of good actors to the demands of characters who are well-defined by the writing. And that power is nothing short of redemptive: Exhibit A: Owen Wilson.

So: If you've been chased off by the naysayings and poohpoohings of friends and family, consider my explanations and give it a chance. Watch and listen carefully. It's a lovingly made filmic theater piece, and deserves heartfelt respect.

At this time (Nov 2011) the IMDb rating is just shy of 7--not too bad.

But it deserves at least a 9. Rarely is a film that communicates essential truths so well written that the words fail to obstruct those truths. It's tells you what you (may well) need to know, and never insults your intelligence while doing so.

It dallies with suggesting something... taboo--that an inspired dilettante could be more valid than a licensed practitioner--yet it doesn't feel like it wants to rub this in the collective nose of the psychiatric profession. It invites us to digest this image in the most mentally healthy way possible.

Deserves more respect for two reasons: 1) the overarching theme that, when we mine a film for meaning beyond marketing or overt creator intent, pearls of moral probity can be found. And 2) people discount it for never showing the faces of the 5 interviewees. WRONG: The visuals lovingly track the flow of ideation and interpretation, reflecting a true labor of love on behalf of these brave and open souls. Would that this kind of painstaking focus could be lavished upon us; each and every one!