Movie picks

Underappreciateds

• Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. A beautifully-crafted gem. The DVD extras are just as enjoyable. You cannot see this just once.

• Mystery Men. It falls short of greatness, a bit; I'm not sure why and I'm sorry it missed. But it's still quite enjoyable, and it grows on you nonetheless. Looking up the Herkimer Battle Jitney online in fact is what led me to the Unimog.

• Galaxy Quest. Superb casting. If you ever were a, or knew any, Trekkies, this one's for you. I particularly enjoyed Alan Rickman and Tony Shaloub, but the rest are not far behind.

• Waiting for Guffman. Small-town theater at its worst. Jill swears she knows "all those people!" (Nearly as enjoyable are their other movies in the same vein: Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Mascots, and the Ur-mockumentary: This is Spinal Tap.)

• What About Steve. It's not a romantic comedy, get over it. It's quite fun/funny for exactly what it is.

• Blow Dry. The marketing in the US tried to make this a romantic story about the young couple—that is so not what it is, in fact they're the weakest part of the movie. Forget Cook and Hartnett, see it because Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy are both in it, why don't you?

• Raising Arizona. Cage and Hunter are perfect in this. The poetic voice-over by Cage's redneck lowlife character really makes the movie.

• O Brother, Where Art Thou. I didn't like Clooney until this movie, he was fantastic in it. (As were the others.) Quirky and fun, and the music is fabulous.

• A Fish Called Wanda. John Cleese and Michael Palin in straight (well, semi-) roles? And Kevin Kline going over the top. Wow. The ending got a little stupid, but up 'til that... (Its 'successor', Fierce Creatures, is not nearly as good, but moderately fun nonetheless.)

• The Princess Bride. I put this here for my wife's sake, as it's one of her all-time favorites. I like it OK, but I was cursed/blessed with having sought out, purchased (and this was pre-online-shopping!), and read Goldman's book long before they made a movie out of it (thank you Spider Robinson for the glowing book review, and the Inigo Montoya excerpt), and think the movie just doesn't do justice to the book. (It needed to be a lot longer, and use real musicians. I also think some of the casting was a bit off, though Patinkin was perfect, as were Crystal and Kane. I'd be all for a better-done remake, but for the loss of these three performances.) The movie is good, but the book is great.

• Drop Dead Gorgeous. Kirstie Ally plays a great 'stage mom', and how can you not like a total two-storey bad-clam beauty queen hurlfest?

• The Maiden Heist. William H. Macy, Morgan Freeman, and Christopher Walken? Oh yeah!

• Slings & Arrows. Paul Gross and Mark McKinney. Not exactly a movie, but not quite a full episodic series either. Mini-series? Regardless, extremely entertaining, and Jill says it really captures theater life. My favorite moment might be the mad pseudo-Germanic interpretation of Romeo & Juliette: in iron cage costumes! Or not, there are so many to choose from. The slight Canadian goofiness only adds to the charm.

• Little Shop of Horrors. Surprisingly well-done musical remake of an unmemorable B movie. (Notable only for the fact that it was Jack Nicholson's first role.) I'm not overly fond of Rick Moranis, but he was the perfect nebbish and who knew that he could sing? Steve Martin had a very tasty over-the-top supporting role as a sadistic dentist, and it still boggles the mind that even at his most manic he managed to be upstaged by Bill Murray's masochistic dental patient! The voicing (Levi Stubbs) and puppetry of Audrey II were brilliant.

• Stardust. Beautifully put together, I can't think of a thing I'd change. A Gaiman fan recommended this to us, and right from the first we were captivated. A touching, pure fairy tale, yet told with humor and style. (No room for a sequel, no action figures.) I believe the changes to Gaiman's original story for the movie adaptation are actually superior to the original, at least so far as making a good movie is concerned. I can't recommend it enough, and as many have said, I'll never look at Robert De Niro in quite the same way again! I have no idea why this movie did not do better at the box office, perhaps it was not correctly marketed. It has been compared to The Princess Bride, and while the writing is equally good I think it is a much better movie. (Comparing books I think that The Princess Bride is much better than Stardust.)

• A Knight's Tale. Perhaps surprisingly, Heath Ledger's performance was not what I most liked about this, nor his leading lady's. I loved the creative use of anachronism, including the choice of music, and the supporting roles such as Paul Bettany's performance as Chaucer, along with Fraser, Addy, and Tudyk. Fun!

• Firefly. Oh the tragedy that was the undeserved early cancellation of this series. I loved the quirky combination of USA and China, high-tech and Wild West that was this vision of the future. Writing, casting, etc., all brilliant. Whedon knows what he is doing, all right. Unlike with most stupid network abortions of promising children, Whedon was able to swing the making of the consolation prize movie Serenity, which does help tie up the loose ends. See it after the series.

• Dollhouse. Another Whedon gem. Don't abandon it early, you need to get into the first season about halfway before the ruling network loosened the formulaic reins enough that the series really starts to shine. Darkly. It's not about the 'dolls' and their adventures, it's about all of us.

• Mary and Max. A quirky and totally charming treatment of Asperger's Syndrome, in claymation. It packs a punch.

• Fantastic Mr. Fox. Also quite charming, though not so emotionally intense as the above. I truly enjoyed George Clooney's voice work, which sort of surprised me.

• Going Postal. I'm not a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's books, they're a bit too silly without enough counterbalance of wit for my taste, but as a movie this was really quite good. (To be fair, I haven't yet read this particular book.) The somber tone of the cinematography and acting balances the silliness nicely.

• Lucky Numbers. Dark (and dorky) comedy, there's just something about this movie that I really liked, and the casting was brilliant. Travolta did an excellent job, and I really liked Michael Moore and Bill Pullman in this, though their roles were small. There were quite a few other big names in here, too.

• Sherlock. Brilliant. The best modernized Holmes treatment, ever. The casting, acting, writing, directing, and editing are unsurpassed, I can't imagine how it could be in any way done better. Cumberbatch's treatment is even better than Jeremy Brett's classic treatment, and Freeman's Watson is the best ever, as his character is not just a boob or a foil but rather a useful and indispensable, if not quite equal, partner. I do not know that I would really call this underappreciated, but it deserves all the appreciation that there is.

• Lars and the Real Girl. This is a beautiful little film. It's funny, and touching, and serious. Casting is perfect; Lars is a sweetheart, Margo is adorable. Brother and wife, and the doctor: all wonderful performances. You end up caring for all of the characters, even Bianca, who isn't as wooden as you might think! (This movie is sort of the exact opposite of Mannequin, and vastly better!) The only complaints about it seem to be centered on its unbelievability. No, I don't suppose that any real town, no matter how small, would act that kindly under the circumstances. But I'd sure like to believe that one could. This doesn't change my opinion of the film in the least.

• Swing Vote. This is the controversial 2000 USA presidential election taken to a farcical extreme. I think it's very well done, Kevin Costner does an excellent job playing Bud, a doofus slacker (who nonetheless manages to be somewhat appealing at the same time) thrown headfirst into a situation that is completely beyond him. The real gem of this movie is daughter Molly, played by Madeline Carroll. Utterly charming. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her. These two characters clearly love each other, yet are having a hard time relating; they are very different people, but family still. The rest of the all-star cast is having fun, playing their assigned roles with relish. Some have criticized the uncomfortable scene with the ex-wife, but I think it really helps explain how Bud and Molly came to be where they are in their lives. (Mare Winningham did a fabulous job here.) The driving scenes have also been criticized, but I think the critics just don't understand very small town (i.e. rural) America. I didn't find them objectionable in the least, or even all that unrealistic. In spite of the heavily political theme the movie manages to be non-partisan: unlike most of Hollywood's heavy-handed propaganda this movie manages to show that there is validity to more than one side of weighty issues; the movie is not about these issues, and that is unambiguous. Neither is the movie about who wins, and so I found the ending to be particularly delicious. This movie makes you care, makes you want to do better in your political life. See it.

• The Baxter. The story arc reads a bit like a cliche-ridden Hollywood boy-meets-girl(s) bit of fluff, but that's not how it comes across at all. Every character in it, even the ones that you would conventionally 'hate', are genuinely likeable. It's really quite a refreshing change, and fun, and well worth seeking out. Michelle Williams' slow-motion bed-slide-hide was magnificent. There's even a tasty cameo role by Peter Dinklage as a wedding planner, which is how I came across this movie to begin with.

Needs No Help From Us

• The Incredibles. Top-quality vocal casting, writing, editing, and genre music. (The animation, top-notch when released, has naturally been surpassed, but that doesn't matter. Rocky & Bullwinkle had some of the worst animation ever seen, yet it is still quite enjoyable, and one of my favorites.)

• How to Train Your Dragon. A close second to the above. The wry snarkiness is quite entertaining, and the youth-oriented story does not (for a change) make the adults out to be idiots. Does anybody else think that Toothless is a cross between a cat and Disney's Stitch?

• Love, Actually. Once you get past the ludicrousness of Hugh Grant as GB's Prime Minister everything else will knock your socks off. (The many subplots mean you don't have to suffer through too much HG.) Alan Rickman not as a bad guy, nor even grumpy? Refreshing! The Liam Neeson subplot is particularly poignant, and we love how all the subplots tie together at the end.

• Fight Club. One of the best mind f***s out there. This is the movie that convinced me that Pitt might be somebody to watch after all. And Edward Norton was fantastic. (I loved Norton and Carter's divvying up of the support groups. Sometimes it's the little things...)

• The Nightmare Before Christmas. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton, how can you go wrong? We watch this annually, and love the music.

• A Christmas Story. Darren McGavin was perfect, as was the bubbly voice-over by the author. The movie's a sleeper, but it really sticks with you; it deserves to win a Major Award. We watch this annually.

• Dr. Strangelove. "Yes, mein Führer!" I love this movie, its wit, its satire, its noir character; I could go on forever. Peter Sellers at his (nearly) best. (Beaten only by Chance the gardener, in Being There.)

• Marvel's The Avengers. On paper nearly the same movie as something like Rise of the Silver Surfer. (A bunch of disparate superheroes facing an inimical foe.) But not the same movie at all, and what a difference! How to start? Well, how about the writing, the directing, and the casting! This is a marvellous (ahem!) movie. Plenty of action, but with some depth to the characters and a fair amount of humor thrown in. Just what I would expect from Joss Whedon. (My favorite moment is probably where the Hulk showed Loki just what he thought of him. But there are plenty of others.) The best part is that it didn't devolve into drek partway through, as Transformers did, which was surprisingly good through about the first half. That's rare, in my experience, and worth celebrating.

• Duck Dynasty. These are my people! The most redneck fun you can have and stay legal. I don't know why I like this so much. I just do. Makes me happy, happy, happy.

• Archer. Sure it's rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. It also has brilliant comic timing. I really like the pen-and-ink character of the animation, and the eclectic/anachronistic technology. Voice casting is superb, continuity is excellent. These dysfunctional boobs ought to be dead in a week, yet somehow they manage to muddle through. A testimonial to the adage "It's better to be lucky than to be good?" Except that they're not all that lucky, and sporadically are good (at what they're doing), at least when it counts. (In a moral sense they ain't good at all, pretty much ever!) Fabulous writing... Another one where I don't quite know why I like it so much. I just do.

• The Good Place. Wow. The best thing I've seen on network television to come out in years, what the fork happened? I just love the writing here, the casting is excellent, and Ted Danson really pulls off his big scene in the final episode of the first season. You'll know it when you see it, I don't want to spoil it for you by saying more. Do not watch this out of order, the progression is vital. What's most incredible to me is that even after the big conclusion of the first season, they can go on to make seasons 2 & 3 just as enjoyable. Fabulous work, guys.

• Good Omens. Another Gaiman/Pratchett contribution. This is quite a lot of fun, and IMHO not blasphemous as some have said. Do we really need to rush into Armageddon? God's plan is truly ineffable, who's to say it could not happen this way? David Tenant is what drew us into watching this, and the rest of the casting was equally good. I love the car, and the heavy use of Queen in the soundtrack.

Mind F**ks

• The Usual Suspects
• Fight Club
• The Sixth Sense
• The Crying Game
• Total Recall (1990)
• The Good Place

• Pulp Fiction
• Kill Bill

Actors

• Alan Rickman. I was blown away by him in Die Hard, and have been impressed by his work ever since. Such a tragedy that he has passed.

• Bill Nighy. Loved him in Love, Actually, and in the other things I've seen him in.

• Anthony Hopkins. What's to say? The man is good. Try the Chianti...

• Julia Roberts. A Pretty Woman then, and now. Beautiful, fun, and an excellent actress. She has a girl-next-door aura that I find very appealing. (She has a particularly fun rant against her 'sister' in America's Sweethearts that I just can't forget. [The rest of that movie, meh.])

• Sandra Bullock. I saw her in Speed, thought she was beautiful and oh-so-sexy, and probably wouldn't last in the business. (OK, the cheesy role in a poor movie didn't help!) I am so happy to have been proven wrong. She just keeps getting better and better.

• Johnny Depp. I'd seen him in a thing or two and didn't think much one way or the other, and then I saw Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wow. I don't much like the story, or the movie for that matter, but he absolutely nailed the Hunter S. Thompson character. This guy has got chops, no doubt about that. I haven't liked everything he's done, but you cannot argue that he didn't nail whatever he set out to do.

• Leonardo DiCaprio. I didn't really like Titanic, but see him in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, Catch Me If You Can and even The Quick and the Dead and tell me this guy doesn't have some serious acting chops.

• Heath Ledger. I'd seen him in a thing or two (A Knight's Tale, and The Brothers Grimm) and thought he was OK. Then I saw The Dark Knight... Wow, that was creepy. It is such a tragedy that he died young, he would have borne watching as his career progressed.

• George Clooney. Didn't think too much of him until I saw O Brother, Where Art Thou, but that and Fantastic Mr. Fox have made me think twice.

• Brad Pitt. 'Mr. Pretty Boy' was not on this list until Fight Club. He may bear some watching after all.

• Helena Bonham Carter. My favorites roles of hers are in Fight Club and Alice in Wonderland.

• Christopher Walken. Pulp Fiction, Suicide Kings, Click, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone.

• John Lithgow. Shrek, The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai (a terrible movie, but with some memorable moments), The World According to Garp.

• Daryl Hannah. If all you can think of are Splash and Roxanne, try her in Blade Runner or even more so in Kill Bill. She's got chops.

• Samuel L. Jackson. Pulp Fiction, A Time To Kill, Changing Lanes. (The latter of which has even made me have to think twice about Ben Affleck, which I still can't believe.)

• John Cusack. Grosse Pointe Blank, and pretty much everything else I've ever seen him in.

• Peter Dinklage. Game of Thrones. I had heard of his role in this series, though I don't think I'd seen him in anything else. Then he appeared on Saturday Night Live, in a Drunk Uncle sketch. (I don't much care for Drunk Uncle, I don't think it's well done, or even funny. Drunk Dinklage, on the other hand...) "You know what I think..." Wow, in one sentence he stole the show. The man has talent, and more than enough presence to belie his small stature. I've since seen some of Thrones, which I'm not all that fond of. It's worth watching anyway, just for him. I'm looking forward to seeing him in more roles. I've seen him in Knights of Badassdom, that was fun. (And filmed locally!) He was truly stellar in The Station Agent, which I highly recommend! There's also a tasty cameo appearance in The Baxter.

Daniel's Picks

• V for Vendetta. An interesting twist that the 'terrorist' is the good guy.

• Black Adder. A well-made comedy.

• Big Bang Theory. A bunch of funny geeks.

• Galaxy Quest. The best comedy in the galaxy.

• The Nightmare Before Christmas. Gotta love Tim Burton!

• Dr. Strangelove. Confusing Cold War.

• Raiders of the Lost Ark.

• Mystery Men. (See above.) "Who are these Mystery Men?" "That's it, the Super Dudes!"

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