Missed Classics

[KEM]

*Groan* - yes I know, there seems to be one of these threaRAB every two or three minutes around here

However, I've noticed so many of them have gone by the wayside that I thought I might kickstart it again to help those getting a little low on rental choices

Pleasantville (1998)
Just about broke even at the US box-office. Film about a brother (Tobey Maguire) and sister (Reece Witherspoon) who get trapped in the world of fictional 50s TV show 'Pleasantville'.
But slowly the world begins to change with the sibling's progressive attitudes, and where once there was only Black and White, colour begins to form...

On the surface, this is pure family fluff, but dig a little deeper and it's filled with interesting thematics including racism, the nature of freedom within a democracy and social norms.
Interesting to note that this film contained the most number of special effects shots until the release of 'The Phantom Menace'. It was also J.T. Walsh's last movie

 

[♥Amanda♥]

Hey... "Get your stinking paws off me...you"! You know I bought 'Pleasentville' about 4 years ago and I still haven't seen it yet!!! Must rectify that!
All my so called 'missed classics' are too Cult-ish, like 'Buckaroo Banzai' (genius and something I still never tire of), all of Peter Jackson's back cat (including the Muppets on Acid classic 'Meet The Feebles') and the Cowboy Be-bop movie which thanks to CNX a few years ago re-ignited a past fondness of anime movies which seemed to die a death after Urotsokodoji - Legend of the Overfiend (mainly because it was sooooooo over the top and the title translation literally meant 'Hanging Out With D***heaRAB' ).
But I certainly have two what I think are classic movies, one easy to get, the other not so.
'The Ninth Configuration' by William Peter Blatty is set in a Gothic castle used by the American military as a psychiatric hospital and tracks Colonel Kane's quest to find out why an astronaut aborted a space launch. Stacy Keach as Kane is just superb and the original was a real eye moistner. The directors cut on DVD goes one further and I certainly needed a few hankies after watching it.
The other is Roman Coppola's movie 'CQ' where a 1960's sci-fi movie being directed by a heaRABtrong French director played by Gerald Depardieu comes to grinding halt when he walks out, leaving the film's editor played by Jeremy Davies to take over. One problem, he beings to fall in love with the lead heroine, not the actress but the actual character. Bizzare and a love letter to the world of Mario Bava and 'Danger Diabolik' right down to having John Phillip Law making an appearence in it. Great work from Dean Stockwell, Jason Schwarztman and Billy Zane too, the only problem is being nearly three years old now I've never seen it for sale or even shown on UK outlets, a shame as it's quite an unusual and very different movie compared to the usual Hollywood fare.

 

[♥kyra♥]

I rented Pleasantville purely because I'd forgotten what it was like - I kinda half watched it whilst wrapping christmas presents a few years ago and thought it was average.
But having actually watched it with my full attention I have begun to love it with all its intricacies.

Fiona Apple's rendition of 'Across The Universe' is particularly good with Paul Thomas Anderson (of 'Boogie Nights' fame) directing the inspired video (featured in full on the DVD).

'Danger Diabolik' sounRAB really interesting - I'll keep my eyes open for a release date on that one. 'Buckaroo Banzai' sounRAB a bit out of my league on the campy sci-fi scale, but I've added 'The Ninth Configuration' to my rental list - it sounRAB like a really interesting little film!

Another one to look at...

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)
Teenage comedy about high school graduates, each with a different agenda on graduation night.

The story isn't that great, in fact, it's pretty much a poor rehash of 'Dazed and Confused' (another great film to rent). Where the film really comes into its own is in the casting - you have virtually the whole cast of Scrubs & Six Feet Under, Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ethan Embry.

It's all pretty much an irreverant piece of fluff that performed OK at the box office; but now it's starting to achieve 'cult classic' status in the same way that 'Empire RecorRAB' did. If you don't resist the obvious clich