UNDERRATED?

[Allhallowsday]

WHAT MOVIES ARE UNDERRATED? 
What film does everybody hate that you love?  What film do you love, or simply find interesting, and disagree with the consensus regarding the film(s)?   What reviled flick has merit? 

I just recently sat thru the seldom seen STAIRCASE (1969) on TCM, and though I can't crow about it being a forgotten masterpiece or even an overlooked gem, it's definitely worth a look for its two stars, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison.  Interestingly, the previous time the two had been paired on-screen was in CLEOPATRA (1963) for which Liz Taylor was paid the first ever million dollar fee. 

These two pros were paid $1 million a piece for playing, of all things, a longterm gay couple facing middle-age spread, baldness, aged mothers, and their constant bickering.  Apparently denigrated or disparaged by all film critics, including Robert Osborne and his guest programmer (?) for TCM's "Screened Out" series of films this past month, I did find it slow, boring in the beginning, annoyingly self-conscious particularly in Rex Harrison's performance, yet it somehow manages to come together and reveal a certain candid truth about relationships.   Hence, I don't think it's as terrible as I had read for many years.  Dated, sure, and yet had some tellingly relevant commentary about adoption.  Rex Harrison as a weepy queen?  Believe me, it is hard to sit thru this one at certain points, but you won't soon forget it!   

[zombie no.one]

I prefer Critters I and  II to the Gremlins films...not many would agree.

Jaws II...not as good as the original, but unfairly panned by most critics IMO

Happy Gilmore...Adam Sandler should annoy me but somehow he doesn't.

I also think "So I Married An Axe Murderer" is Mike Myers's best film. not sure if it's considered terrible but you never really see it mentioned in the same breath as Wayne's World or Austin Powers.

[Inyarear]

Well, I've always liked The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis, though some of the humor in it is rather cheesy and the ending's a bit cliched. I never understood why the critics hated it so much, though.

Bonfire of the Vanities was a good film too (also starring Bruce Willis, oddly enough) and I never could understand why the critics panned it. Granted, the misbehavior of the rich and spoiled is kind of disgusting to behold on the big screen, but all that immorality never bothered any of these same critics in other movies. The scene in which the put-upon Sherman drives all of his wife's party guests out of his apartment with a shotgun was priceless. I also liked the satire on Al Sharpton (the "Reverend Bacon") and the mayor's rantings. ("I don't care if today--is her mother's--bar mitzvah! You go NOW!!!") The only review I ever saw that gave any clear reason why the critics didn't like that one was Ebert's, and his complaint was that the movie wasn't over-the-top enough. (Huh?)

Steven Spielberg's film AI: Artificial Intelligence also has me wondering what's wrong with the critics. Come on, people! It's got a good story, the story's got depth to it, and Kubrick's twisted sense of humor shines through in a lot of scenes as well. What's not to like? I heard some people claim it was an emotionally manipulative film, but I thought that was sort of the point: to make you ask why your sympathies are with the young robot David in the one scene where he's pleading for his life with the people at the flesh fair, and yet you don't feel so bad for the loss of robotic life later on when you see David bash the head off of another robot who looks just like him. I like a film that inspires that kind of internal conflict in the viewer and makes him think.

Maybe I ought to do a corresponding thread in our Bad Movies section on films everyone else liked that I hated. (That's relatively few, since I tend to take a more forgiving view of most films' inadequacies than other reviewers, but I never really liked The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for one.)

[Allhallowsday]

Jaws II...not as good as the original, but unfairly panned by most critics IMO

Interesting choices, I think I particularly agree about JAWS II which was no JAWS, but JAWS II was everything everyone expected and should have expected...and also happened to be tackily 70s entertaining. 

Well, I've always liked The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis, Steven Spielberg's film AI: Artificial Intelligence also has me wondering what's wrong with the critics.

I like THE FIFTH ELEMENT, too, but not sure why! 
I was so excited to see A.I. that when the rotten reviews and viewer response became apparent I skipped it and have yet to see it!!! Now with your recommendation, I will give it a shot. 

[indianasmith]

THE PATRIOT with Mel Gibson is one of my favorite films of all time . . . but the critics sure hated it!!

[zombie no.one]

Jaws II...not as good as the original, but unfairly panned by most critics IMO

Interesting choices, I think I particularly agree about JAWS II which was no JAWS, but JAWS II was everything everyone expected and should have expected...and also happened to be tackily 70s entertaining. 

yeah, not that tacky tho'...the scene where cheif brody is filling those bullet tips with cyanide is pretty intense and eerie....the burning woman on the boat scene is quite harsh as well!

[AnubisVonMojo]

Movies I like that everybody hates:
Maximum Overdrive, Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera, Ghost Rider, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, The Hulk, Mallrats, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Car 54 Where Are You?

Movies I feel are OVER rated:
Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Scream, The Blair Witch Project, Halloween, Godzilla 2000, The Departed

[zombie no.one]

Maximum Overdrive,

good film, good soundtrack. I think "Who Made Who" was the first cassette album I ever bought. saw the film after...

[MoronBoy]

I don't hear of  people  hating  these movies, just most have never heard of them:

Parents with Randy Quaid, where the kid finds out what the "leftovers" his folks are feeding him are.

Moving with Richard Pryor.

One people groan when I tell them I like:

Police Academy Like I read someone else say(may have been on this board a while back, not sure), I think the sequels are what really makes people scoff at the mention of this movie.

[RCMerchant]

the first POWER RANGERS MOVIE.  Blackangel already thinks I'm a low life because of this.  Oh well! 
.ANACONDA-I hear lotsa groans about this one...I don't care. I like it!
.ACE VENTURA-PET DETECTIVE
My kids hate most of the movies I like...of course,I like a lotta garbage...that's why I am here! 

[JaseSF]

All the Alien and Predator sequels. Yes, I like 'em all. ROBOCOP 2 and 3. The Rocky Sequels. Most of these delivered what I was looking for from them, only ROCKY V kind of disappointed me. TERMINATOR 3 too was far better than I was expecting. MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME too.

Also feel the following are underrated:

2010
THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI
ANDROID (1982)
THE BLACK HOLE
THE CAR
THE ARRIVAL (1996)
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
DEEP RED (1994)
DR. STRANGE (1978)
MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR
PANIC IN YEAR ZERO!
TASTE OF FEAR
THE UNDEAD (1957)
THE WEREWOLF (1956)
WOLFEN

[telegonus]

Agreed on The Werewolf, The Undead and Panic In the Year Zero, Jase, all very watchable, interesting variations on themes handled in better known but not necessarily better films. I haven't seen the others in your list.

Apropos of the OP and staircases I'd like to nominate the 1946 Robert Siodmak The Spiral Staircase, the best lady in distress thriller I've ever seen, and by far the most atmospheric. That they had a generous budget, thanks to Selznick and Schary's involvement, helped enormously.

Also better than its reputation might indicate is the 1948 The Accused, sort of lady in  distress also, with Loretta Young as a professor involved in a murder case. Nicely directed by Wm. Dieterle, with fine supporting performances.

Another from Dieterle, Dark City, Charlton Heston's Hollywood debut, in which he's literally "introduced" as Charlton Heston, is a very professional job, mostly done in studio (but what's the harm in that?). Liz Scott sings one too many songs for comfort, or mine anyway, but Viveca Lindfors' performance helps make up for this somehow; and we get to see Jack Webb, very early in his career, his future partner (hmm...I mean on Dragnet), Harry Mogan, plus Don DeFore (don't laugh, he's very good), the always reliable Ed Begley, the always smug Dean Jagger and a barely glimpsed at Mike Mazurki (one glimpse is enough with him).

[Allhallowsday]

Hi Telegonus,
Not sure I agree that THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is underrated; it's certainly well known, and I think it works well (Ethel Barrymore is always a treat). 

I can't laugh at Don DeFore, as he was much more talented than his longtime appearance on "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" TV show might imply.  Ed Begley was a superb actor (can't claim the same for his son) but Dean Jagger always smug . . . ?  Hmm, y'know, Dean Jagger was always smug!   

[ulthar]

OVER Rated:

The Blair Witch Project

Now, you see, that's one I liked that so many didn't.  I like the fact that it was an original idea (no script, set-up like it COULD be real) - or if not totally original, at least DIFFERENT from the typical Hollywood formulaic crap.

I was smiling all through TBWP when I saw it on the big screen.  It was just....fun.  Not really scary, but perhaps creepy if you let it be.  The premise for the story certainly was well thought out in terms of being easy to be self contained.

What I find interesting is that we BEG filmmakers to take a chance, to do something different.  Then, when the do, when they really experiment with filmmaking, it gets panned for being too different, or not working completely, or for this or that triviality.  No wonder so many young up-and-coming film makers follow the Hollywood molds - it's a safer way to make a buck.

[RCMerchant]

OVER Rated:

The Blair Witch Project

Now, you see, that's one I liked that so many didn't.  I like the fact that it was an original idea (no script, set-up like it COULD be real) - or if not totally original, at least DIFFERENT from the typical Hollywood formulaic crap.

I was smiling all through TBWP when I saw it on the big screen.  It was just....fun.  Not really scary, but perhaps creepy if you let it be.  The premise for the story certainly was well thought out in terms of being easy to be self contained.

What I find interesting is that we BEG filmmakers to take a chance, to do something different.  Then, when the do, when they really experiment with filmmaking, it gets panned for being too different, or not working completely, or for this or that triviality.  No wonder so many young up-and-coming film makers follow the Hollywood molds - it's a safer way to make a buck.

I liked the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT as well. It was really quite spooky,the charecters were interesting,even if the camcorder effect was kinda farfetched. It was alot better than most of the crap out at the time...I mean,how many times can you you remake FRIDAY the 13th,HALLOWEEN,Or NIGHTMARE on ELM STREET? There are BAD movies, (ie: FRNKENSTIEN's DAUGHTER) and their areBORING movies(most of the FRIDAY the 13th series)