This comic, which begins a new mini story arc, is 100% true (except for all the parts that didn’t happen). I did find the three movies listed in panel 1 in the Walmart bargin bin for less than $8 apiece, and I did feel a pang of bitter sweet irony upon being happy that I was able to acquire three films I consider to be essential classics for 24ish dollars and sad that they were crammed into a sadness tub with Scary Movie 2, Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. Oddly enough, most of the non-essential movies in the bargain bathtub were squeakquels… er, sequels. Interesting. Maybe the lesson is to make one impossibly shitty movie, then stop. Just resist the urge to explore the heretofore unknown avenues of shit the first film left open. Hmm, something to think abou… Oh, wait. What’s that, Hollywood? “No,” you say? Just a flat out, “NO?” Oh, and a, “Hey kid why don’tcha go fuck yerself while yer at it?” as well? Fair enough. I appreciate you taking the time to hear me ou… oh, just get right on to fucking myself then? Got it. Can do.
COMMENTERS: What’s your favorite seemingly underrated movie? I’m not saying Stand By Me or Willy Wonka are underrated. I assumed they are perfect rated. But I bet dollars to Death Blossoms that The Last Starfighter doesn’t always get its due.
Comments (127)
Adam D.· 103 weeks ago
Hudson Hawk, to me was an underrated film. Bruce Willis (with hair… some of it, anyways.) and Danny Aiello, ripping off one liners and comebacks like they never go out of style.“Oh Bunny! Ball Ball!”
“I think Bunny’s got today’s ball-balls….”I still get razzed whenever I suggest it, but… I’m glad I got my $5.00 blu ray copy, to treasure forever.
“How’s my commenting? 1-800-I’m Gonna Fuckin Die!’
geekfangirl· 103 weeks ago
Baby Geniuses is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is also consistently rated among the worst movies of all time.House of the Long Shadows . . . a very wink-wink riff on Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” from the early 80’s, with a bunch of horror greats: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and an ancient John Carradine (father of Wild Bill, Kung Fu, and Nerd Revenge Carradine)Mine is probably Ice Pirates. Though, admittedly, it isn’t aging particularly well. I’ll still watch the hell out of it, though.
Dave· 103 weeks ago
The Hudsucker Proxy. Everybody jumps to the Big Lebowski as the Cohen Brothers’ comedy masterpiece but I tell ya, The Hudsucker Proxy can give it a solid run for its money.You know… for kids.
Mrs. Doubtfire and Cool Runnings were staples of my childhood. Neither is considered particularly great, but I love them both to this day.
leeapeea· 103 weeks ago
The Sandlot (though this may be one everyone loves enough that they don’t need to talk about how much they love it?). The Cutting Edge. Stigmata. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. That one I quite literally wore the tape out on the VHS. Nothing like cute optimistic teens and goofy optimistic dictators and historical figures to make a 12-year-old’s day.
Царь· 103 weeks ago
The gold and silver for underrated films has to go to “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.” Granted, they were not groundbreaking, iconic cinematic masterpieces like “The Matrix.” But, lets be fair, little could have matched what the original accomplished. They are good in their own right.The bronze goes to “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.” Again, people compare it to the deep and intricate story lines from the games. An unjust comparison, to say the least. Please, lets give it its due. And, for the love of all things good and holy, please stop trying to convince me that “Final Fantasy VII – Advent Children” is anything but flashy fan service with a nothing of a plot. It is excruciatingly overrated, and in that category earns the gold.
Jason· 103 weeks ago
Space Jam. Never has there been a finer piece of cinema involving a professional athlete teaming up with animated characters to defeat aliens in a basketball game.
JeffCG· 103 weeks ago
Joe vs. the Volcano. It’s the only Meg Ryan movie I watch intentionally, and Abe Vigoda and Nathan Lane as nativzied Jews addicted to orange soda is probably the most ridiculous thing ever to appear on screen.
HeyZeusKreesto· 103 weeks ago
I always feel like Watchmen gets rated poorly, but I thought it was one of the best comic book movies of all time. Snyder captured the world of Watchmen as best you can. You could see specific panels from the comic come to life. I also thought the ending worked much better than the comic ending when translating it into a movie. Not to say the ending of the comic was bad. Just different mediums.Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Though I can appreciate “Willy Wonka,” (that word used to be “tolerate”), and I can admit that Gene Wilder is the better Wonka, I feel like “Charlie” is just a better adaptation of the book overall, and it’s one of only two films (the other being Little Shop of Horrors) that I can just watch to feel joy.And then there’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Oh god, what an awesome way to spend an hour and a half. It was everything I ever wanted out of a film titled “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
Kirby· 103 weeks ago
I like Scary Movie 2… at least compared to every other possible piece of crap that has the word ‘movie’ in it that’s been out in the last few.years. I’ve never cared for Willy Wonka… for the same reason the author tried to.violently wrest the rights away from them after it was made.As for a favorite under-appreciated movie… I’ve really got nothing, mostly because I’ve never really disliked a movie. Except Jarhead for reasons. I can find something to like in just about everything.
Guest· 103 weeks ago
Demolition man, It is hilarious and entertaining every time I watch it, Despite the fact that it’s rated lowThe Rock, despite Michael Bay’s penchant for explosions where there need not be any and despite Nic Cage it is a very watchable film helped largely by Sean Connery and Ed Harris with a stellar supporting cast. Just not sure how under appreciated it is, most of which would be down to Bay & his Transformer efforts. And Nic Cage.
Lynne· 103 weeks ago
I tend to get made fun of for how much I love Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman). It’s ridiculous and over-the-top and the source of one of the worst Mary Sues I’ve seen (quite an accomplishment), but it’s pretty clear that everyone involved knew all of that and decided to have fun anyway. It’s my go-to film for when I just want to enjoy myself and not have to think too much.
Mary· 103 weeks ago
Phantom of the Paradise and Shock Treatment. Both weird cult flicks likely to show up in the Bargain Bin.“Undercover Blues” is a constant joy to my wife and me (and now our daughter, too). There are horrible plot holes and just a lot of silliness — but there’s some great bantering super-spy romance between Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner.
Timothy· 103 weeks ago
A better way to look at it is that them being in the bargain bin means most people either have or have watched those movies. The rest don’t have taste.My favourite movie of all time is “Battle Beyond the Stars”. I’ve had a movie night with “The Seven Samurai”, “The Magnificent Seven” and BBtS.Or, maybe look at the bright side of that sad tub. Some poor sad sack who was looking for Michael Baysplosions IV may just stumble upon an awesome really good movie instead and buy it cuz its so cheap and then bam! That person’s life is changed forever!I liked “The Last Starfighter” myself, though I had to wonder about the long term viability of a civilization that essentially walls itself IN.I’d have to suggest Weird Al Yankovic’s “UHF”. Assuming one likes his rather bonkers form of humor, it’s a really fun movie.
And it’s not really a “movie” and more overlooked now than underrated – but it’s stunning to me how many people these days are completely unaware of how important “Michael Nesmith’s Elephant Parts” was to the development of music video – and thus to TV and movies.
lou· 103 weeks ago
I have a soft spot for the movie adaptation of HITMAN. Tim Olyphant is just so cool as Agent 47 and they didn’t jack up his look or his methods at all. Just crazy awesome action start to finish. Oh, and we got Olga Kurylenko topless. Winning!I feel like am one of the few fans of Quantum of Solace. Two other favs of mine that I don’t think are much watched are James Franco/Sophia Myles’ Tristan and Isolde and Ewan McGregor/Renee Zellwegger’s Down With Love. I also don’t understand why the Jason Momoa Conan wasn’t better received – it’s everything I could imagine wanting from a Conan movie!
skoby· 103 weeks ago
I actually quite like wild wild west and waterworld even tho they were total flops I really ebjoyed them and have seen both several times. When a mate came round recently he laughed at my dvd collection… not at my girlfriends disney films and johnny Depp collection but wild wild west and waterworldcoasterbear· 103 weeks ago
I don’t think I’ve seen it in the bargain bins, but FDR: American Badass! is one of those movies. Machine guns in the arms of his wheelchair, Hitler as a werewolf, and hot tub action all over the place. This one has it all…..Jon· 103 weeks ago
“Hawk the Slayer” is a brilliantly story, hamstrung by a non-existent budget, and Jack Palance. Now THERE is a remake waiting to happen.I have soft spots for a number of poorly rated films. I still like to watch “Antitrust” which managed to capture some of the spirit behind Open Source software. Die Hard 2 isn’t as bad as many people make it out to be (granted, it’s the weakest of the bunch)Other firm favourites for a lazy evening’s viewing: TimeCop (best JCvD sci-fi evaar), Fire Down Below (not sure why I like this film so much, but it’s definitely one of my favourite Seagal films).
Congo is a guilty pleasure of mine. Smart gorillas, a young and biscuity Laura Linney, goofy dialog, an afropop infused Jerry Goldsmith score and a Bruce Campbell cameo.I’m the only person that thinks Waterworld was a good film or what? Because I’ve seen it three times and i still like it.
Robert· 103 weeks ago
“Toy Soldiers” A drug cartel takes over a boys’ boarding school full of pranksters and boys that have a problem with authority. Great phone sex scene and nice recipe for hidden booze.Just mention the title to the uninitiated and they as if it’s the one with the army guy toys that go crazy.
Laikai· 103 weeks ago
Ravenous.
Quirky, funny and also horror all in the one movie – the wendigo myth done it’s justice. So few people even know of it, let alone have watched it.Flight of the Navigator. It’s dated now, but I still have a squishy spot in my heart for it. And it was the first use of that ‘liquid metal’ CGI that looked absolutely AWESOME! Possibly responsible for my being a massive sci-fi geek.Also David Lynch’s Dune. Again, dated but still LOVE it as an adaptation.
As odd as it may sound, considering its critical acclaim at the time it came out, but I think people have begun sleeping on The Untouchables. I don’t know if it’s because The Sopranos hijacked the mob genre or what, but damn that movie is good.Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the original movie) was a victim of terrible marketing as someone decided to sell the campiest of camp B-movies as an action flick. Paul Reubens’ death scene is worth the $5 all by itself.
I’m also a huge fan of Blood of Heroes, a Rutger Hauer post-apocalyptic flick that features a couple of “before they were stars” appearances and some awesome action. The story is simple and the execution is great.
Lastly, Grandma’s Boy is the funniest Happy Madison production I’ve seen (probably because Adam Sandler isn’t in it). The cast is brilliant and it’s constantly hilarious.
Honorable mentions – Repo: The Genetic Opera; The Pretender (TV series), Blind Fury, Beastmaster, Darkman, Cloak and Dagger, Gotcha!, Blitz and The Rocketeer.
zee· 103 weeks ago
I’m going to have to call Tremors and Tremors 2. So, so bad, and yet so funny in its badness….
Eric· 103 weeks ago
Well one of mine was mentioned but all of Ernest movies are a guitly pleasure for me and some of my friends…Just classic humor that’s create to make you laugh and not worry about anything else…Also another one…The 3Ninja’s…i’m 28 and i still enjoy the bad sound effects and how they try to make you believe that a 80 year old guy could fight like that. I can’t wait until my son is a bit older and watch all those movies with him!I still think Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days is one of the best distopic sci fi films of all time. And yet no one I recommend it to has ever heard of it, much less seen it. Plus you can’t tell me that with the advent of Google Glass we aren’t one small step away from the “playback” experience. Memories sold underground like street drugs! A murderer that makes his victims watch from his POV as he kills them! Angela Bassett as a total badass who saves the day and gets the boy!
Dewy· 103 weeks ago
I absolutely LOVE Kung Fu Hustle. It’s like a live-action martial arts cartoon. Runner up would be Kung Pow! Enter the Fist. What can I say. I guess I just love wacky Chop Socky.
90percentgeek· 103 weeks ago
There’s an awesome Mel Brooks movie called “To be or not to be” which isn’t very well known but I love. It’s not as zany as his other stuff but it has Christopher Lloyd as a batty german colonel, and Mel Brooks dressed up as Hitler.
Also Murdered by Death which features Peter Falk as himself and Peter Sellers as a mad chinese detective. Its a massively underrated film but I think it’s comedy gold!
Lurkie· 102 weeks ago
I know I’m among geeks here, but the rest of the world doesn’t seem to appreciate The Fifth Element. Yes yes, Milla boobies are good, but aside from that, it’s just a goofy fun time. Bruce Willis playing a sullen tough guy, what a novel idea! I’ve even taught my 9yo daughter to say “Corbin, I have no fire”Lake Placid.
A horror movie that was more of a comedy. Betty White is in it. She says to a cop “If I had a D**k, this is when I’d tell ya to suck it!” Love Betty! 😉The Shawshank Redemption. I always recommend it. http://shawshankr.comKingMeIV· 102 weeks ago
Sunshine. I don’t know how it’s rated, but surprisingly few people seem to have actually seen it considering how amazing of a sci-fi flick it is. Lots of similarities to Event Horizon, but with what I consider to be a much tighter story with superior characters (and actors playing them).BaneDeadpool· 102 weeks ago
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure! That movie was swapped out almost daily with Wayne’s World for much of my tween years.
Bryce· 102 weeks ago
Everyone who’s seen it loves it, but The Princess Bride is not something that looks like it’d be as good as it is so I know a lot of folks who skipped it. Then it hits you with absolute sincere charm and you feel ten years old again, without a cynical bone in your body.
FSilvermane· 102 weeks ago
“The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen” was, from what I can tell, relegated to the dustbin of failure after it came out because I can find almost no one who has heard of it. That movie to me was amazing,..I mean Robin Williams as the King of the Moon [“you must refer to me by my full title,.. King of Everything. Rei di Tutto. But you may call me Ray.”] ,….. John Neville as the Baron,…. Uma Thurman as Venus,…its just a good all around movie ,..its funny and actually has a moral to it which is something most movies these days lack,….Dragonslayer. Amazing stop-motion dragon scenes and the first Disney boobies since Fantasia.
Mndrew· 102 weeks ago
Equilibrium and Ultraviolet (the Mila J. movie, not the even better BBC mini-series) are two that I can’t help but watch every time they come on.
Cherie· 102 weeks ago
Strictly Ballroom (the least known of Baz Luhrman’s films)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (a MUST, MUST, MUST See! Seriously! Go watch it now if you haven’t seen it yet!)And the one’s everyone thinks I should be ashamed of but I am not:
Tango and Cash
Big Trouble in Little China
Chaucer59· 99 weeks ago
I really enjoyed Ahhnold’s “Last Action Hero.” The jokes were mostly well-timed and brilliantly executed. The kid on bike is riding down hill, leading a high-speed chase after convincing himself he can’t get hurt in a movie and suddenly realizes he’s the comic relief–that was priceless. And the villain, transferred out of the movie, shooting an innocent bystander only to realize that he doesn’t hear sirens. He shouts out “I’ve just shot this man in cold blood!” The only response is a disgruntled neighbor shouting at him to shut up so people can sleep. It had its clunky moments, but overall it was a lot of fun. I later saw that the New Yorker gave it a positive review. Everyone else panned it.
Larry Frazier· 99 weeks ago
How can you mock Face/Off? It’s one of the best films ever, and how often do you get to see the 2 main actors switch roles between being good and evil? Ok, not including Arnold Schwartzenegger in Total Recall)Scott Pilgrim vs The World is and will always be one of my very favorite movies. I watch it often.
I think it actually lost money at the box office.
Gordon· 93 weeks ago
Golden Child!!! “My dear, sweet brother Numsi has forgiven me!”
Also buckaroo bansai!
I like Scary Movie 2… at least compared to every other possible piece of crap that has the word ‘movie’ in it that’s been out in the last few.years. I’ve never cared for Willy Wonka… for the same reason the author tried to.violently wrest the rights away from them after it was made.
As for a favorite under-appreciated movie… I’ve really got nothing, mostly because I’ve never really disliked a movie. Except Jarhead for reasons. I can find something to like in just about everything.
I actually quite like wild wild west and waterworld even tho they were total flops I really ebjoyed them and have seen both several times. When a mate came round recently he laughed at my dvd collection… not at my girlfriends disney films and johnny Depp collection but wild wild west and waterworld
I really enjoyed Ahhnold’s “Last Action Hero.” The jokes were mostly well-timed and brilliantly executed. The kid on bike is riding down hill, leading a high-speed chase after convincing himself he can’t get hurt in a movie and suddenly realizes he’s the comic relief–that was priceless. And the villain, transferred out of the movie, shooting an innocent bystander only to realize that he doesn’t hear sirens. He shouts out “I’ve just shot this man in cold blood!” The only response is a disgruntled neighbor shouting at him to shut up so people can sleep. It had its clunky moments, but overall it was a lot of fun. I later saw that the New Yorker gave it a positive review. Everyone else panned it.