Movie review: Here are some greats you might not remember

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I’ve done a roundup of D-Day films (click here to read it – and click here for links to all my military film reviews) and even an overview of TV’s “The Love Boat” (click here to read that). I’ve also given my take on Christmas films (click here … oh, you know). So, today I’m giving whatever readers I have out there my opinion about some of the best films you probably didn’t see or might not remember. All of them are anywhere from excellent to exceptional. It used to be that a little-known film most likely had a “limited release” at theaters. In today’s world of DVDs, on-demand TV, illegal downloads and the expanding cloud technology, it’s difficult for a film to get by with little notice. However, I’ve come across a few that I’d like to share.

(CLICK HERE FOR ALL MY MOVIE REVIEWS)

Here are three outstanding films: one you might not remember, the other you might not have wanted to watch because of its brand of humor and the third is a horror flick with lots of gore (but much more). All are truly excellent and when you discover the first or actually get to enjoy the second, you won’t be sorry, and in the third you’ll find the best cameo by a comedian of the past two generations:

“Thank You for Smoking” was ranked 103rd at the box office in 2006 and is one of the most underrated dramas of the past generation. Aaron Eckhart, who was in “The Dark Knight,” does a tour-de-force as the chief spokesman for the pre-settlement era tobacco industry. You’ll enjoy it from the first reel to the last.

“White Chicks” was ranked 41st at the box office in2004 and is simply fall-down funny comedy from the Wayans family. Black guys pretending to be white women would be terrible in the wrong hands, but Wayans know what they’re doing. I’m sure a bunch of people didn’t watch it because they think the comedy would just be … stinky. They couldn’t be any more wrong.

“Zombieland” redefined the zombie film genre (the year before “The Walking Dead” premiered on TV) and it is – yes, I’m writing this – intelligent, well-acted and creative. Never thought you’d hear that about a zombie movie, right? Also, Bill Murray’s cameo is simply spectacular.

Next up are four films of a dark nature that are disturbing and present very little in the way of a positive message. All offer outstanding work by the entire cast. They are:

Sometimes it’s difficult to look past the dark nature of a film and just enjoy the actors’ performances. “Panic,” which stars William H. Macy as the most unconventional hitman you’ll find, takes a disturbing stroll into a criminally dysfunctional family.

“You Kill Me” was 209th at the box office and is another about an alcoholic hitman (Ben Kingsley) that bares a tortured soul amid the carnage of other disheveled lives.

Finally, there’s “The Cooler,” which was 140th at the box office. It didn’t get the notice it should have probably because Alec Baldwin was in it (and he got the Oscar nod) and is the story of a fading casino Las Vegas where the manager is old-school and doesn’t like the new era in his city.

“2 Days in the Valley” has sensational work by everyone, but especially by director Paul Mazursky, in a story about murder and deception. All seven of the previously mentioned films depend on deep characterizations and nearly perfect performance and 100-percent efforts from the actors.

They might not have a bunch of awards to show off, but each one in its own way is top-shelf, I can say without reservation. One kind of film that I enjoy is when a favorite novel comes to the big sceen. Most often it is done poorly (try “A Prayer for the Dying” – click here for my review), but there is one bright, shining exception (and it’s not “The Godfather,” which is in a class of its own for being adapted from a novel):

Director Fred Zinnemann does a splendid job of taking a very complicated assassination plot from a novel and put it on film. He takes his time, manages to explain detail visually that doesn’t drag and creates tension without special effect. It just doesn’t get any better than this (and you probably don’t remember the film, either).

Now, here are a couple of little-remembered comedy films. Everyone knows “Animal House,” “Caddyshack,” “American Pie” and “The Hangover,” but there are two comedy films you probably don’t remember or didn’t see that are pretty funny:

“Road Trip” never got the acclaim of the others because … well, I don’t know. It’s funny, tight R-rated comedy and has an amazingly eclectic cast that does a wonderful job (even Tom Green is funny here).

Of course since “Grandma’s Boy” is a stoner movie it alienated a large audience that didn’t get a chance to appreciate its fall-down funny humor and some of the best out-of-character work by older actors Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight.

OK, so in summation for today, I’ll give you a few of my favorites. Just because they are my favorite in a genre, doesn’t mean I believe they are the best in that genre. I just like them the most for a variety of reasons. Here goes:

© Chuck Curry and A Gator in Naples, 2015.
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