Quirky and underappreciated films
 

Here is a place to list movies that you feel are quirky or underrated.

If a movie gets a bunch of Academy Awards I usually don't bother to watch it. I've never seen ET, and only recently watched Close Encounters. I tend to prefer the low-key sort of movies to the big block-busters.

I could probably list 10 titles without too much thought, but I think each film deserves it's own post. I'll keep the description short, but with a link to IMDB.

The Linguini Incident - a comedy with Rosanna Arquette as an aspiring escape artist and David Bowie as an illegal immigrant

I'd give it about a 7.2 out of 10.

The Life Aquatic with Bill Murray

Buck

A really sweet documentary on Buck Brannaman - a true life horse whisperer. Its out on DVD now I think.

And it's available for streaming on Netflix!

Local Hero

That sounds a little like The Coca Cola Kid.

Harold and Maude

Oh good one!

Great thread. There are so many underrated movies, and so many I hadn't even heard of, so this thread gives me ideas of movies to see. I need to start a list.

The L-shaped Room will always be my favorite "no one has ever heard of it" movie. Caught it on cable, one lazy afternoon years ago, quite by accident, and fell in love with the "quirky and underrated" genre.

HLJ, awards don't impress me either, but there have been some movies worthy of the oscar.

Didn't see ET? I couldn't wait for my HS boyfriend to get home from vacation so we could see it together!

A car chase or something blowing up usually turns me right off even considering seeing a movie, though there have admittedly been good ones in the blowing up genre.

And I love a scary movie, if it really scares me.

The Last House on the Left is a quirkster.

Comfort and Joy

Pieces of April

sidebar: Patricia Clarkson is an underrated actress, but she sure does work a lot! She's my idol!

Kind of how Depp used to be.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0165101/bio

That's a good movie. Fucked up family.

I just found this quote.

Joy Burns: I don't know why I'm so hard on you Beth, when you've always been the daughter of my dreams. We're almost the same person, except I don't have your weight problems and you're making the same mistakes I did and I wish you would make your own.

(Joy, played by Clarkson, is the mother of the family, she has terminal cancer. She's a nut. She's GREAT!)

Joy Burns: I keep waiting for a good time to tell you, but there's really no good time. I need everyone to listen.
[pause]
Joy Burns: I don't know how to say this.
[pause]
Joy Burns: We need to discuss how each of you, Oh God...
Jim Burns: It's OK, sweetie.
[everyone assumes that Joy is trying to discuss her imminent death from cancer]
Joy Burns: How each of you is going to handle
[pause]
Joy Burns: discarding food without letting our hostess know.
[starts laughing]

And:

Joy Burns: [Joy is smoking marijuana in a convenience store bathroom] Honey, roll it tighter next time.
Timmy Burns: Sorry, mom

I've added five films to this thread.
And written about them in such glowing terms, you'd all have borrowed, bought or stolen them.

I've lacked the courage of my convictions and deleted all posts.

In truth I'm worried that they are not quirky enough or under-appreciated enough and I might suffer scoffage. Films have to be well distributed to catch my attention.
And then once they are, they are hardly underappreciated. They tend to have a cult following.

I think I know what you mean. I put Local Hero up there, but it's one I know pretty well, and I've known other people who know it well, so it's not really unknown. But I figure a lot of people have never heard of it.

I encourage you to post yours. Either I know of them or I don't, and if I know of some of them, then that's even a bonus, because it helps me see what your taste is.

Unfortunately, a lot of the good ones are not available for streaming from Netflix.

Sundae, at least post one.