I happened to stumble upon one of my all time favorite movies on late night television. Once again the genius minds behind an "all Nic Cage Weekend" were responsible for airing Good Will Hunting. At this time we would like to thank the good people at TBS for compiling two of the greatest movie on television weekends of all time. You all do terrific work at TBS and all your hard work is not for naught as we truly appreciate it. TBS...very funny.
So after that shameless attempt at scoring some TBS sponsorship I must return to the thoughts that were going through my head. Good Will Hunting is simply put one of the best movies I've ever seen. But if you were asked to name your top 5 movies of all time. chances are Good Will Hunting gets the shaft. Of course you get your standard list of movies like The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casablanca, Gone With The Wind and Citizen Kane. Blah Blah Blah. And I say that with full confidence knowing that Godfather, Goodfellas and Casablanca are in my top 10 movies of all time (which will be coming soon). So that got me thinking about a few movies that are constantly underrated. Whether they belong in the same breath as Academy Award winners for best picture, or in the same breath as "that's one of Nic Cage's finest moments on screen", we have assembled all the worthy candidates.
I have limited it to 5 of the most underrated movies of all time. Naturally when it comes to a title for the most underrated list there was only one name that came to mind. Jeff Feagles. That's right the Giants punter is the most underrated player in the NFL, and I want him to know that his effort is not unnoticed by us here at ETC. ETC. ETC.
So here's my list and I will give as good of an explanation as I can muster up. Not to mention I highly recommend you see all of these movies if you haven't already.
Top 5 Most Underrated Movies of All Time
5. The Truman Show- Jim Carrey hasn't fared well in serious roles, but this is a perfect blend of comedy and drama (I refuse to use the term dramedy). Do i prefer Carey in comedies like Dumb and Dumber and Liar Liar? Of course. Do I like answering my own questions? You bet. But I find people leave this movie off the list when talking about Carey's best movies. It's a very unique movie and it shows the range that Carey can bring to a movie.
4. Cocktail- One of Tom Cruise's finest pieces of work. It made bartending cool. And there's a chance that you haven't seen this one. Cruise was the first and last barman/poet. Sure Cruise has gone off the deep end lately but his string of hit movies from 1983 to 1996 is incredible.
3. Swingers- "You're so money baby and you don't even know it". I'm sure at some point in your life you have heard someone say that line. But did you know it was from Swingers? Maybe, Maybe not. But this movie is Vince Vaughn at his finest. If you liked him in Wedding Crashers, you will absolutely love him in Swingers. Consider his performance in this movie like his time in AAA baseball perfecting his game, before he could be sent up to the Majors and perform at a level as demanding as Crashers. Vegas baby, Vegas.
2. Catch Me If You Can-Any time Leo and Tom Hanks star in a movie together it has to be solid. But this movie continues to fly under the radar of good movies. Its incredibly entertaining, based on a true story, and its a story that amazes the mind of the viewer. It takes you on a ride like few other movies can. It also boasts a great supporting cast including Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, Christopher Walkin, and Jennifer Garner. Not to mention Steven Spielberg serves as the director. If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend you make a trip to blockbuster and get comfortable because you will love this movie.
1. Good Will Hunting- It's a crime that this movie is not mentioned in the same breath as Casablanca and Forrest Gump. If Leo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp had written and starred in this movie instead of 2 relative unknowns at the time Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, then this movie is considered one of the greatest films in movie history. With Leo in the role of Damon and Depp in the role of Affleck, not only does it win the Oscar for best original screenplay (as Affleck and Damon did) but it wins best picture and probably best actor and best supporting actor (which didn't happen for Ben and Matt). Despite that, the irrefutable claim is that this movie is one of the best ever made, but is continually overlooked. You can identify a true movie fan by asking their thoughts on this movie. If they don't say its one of their favorite movies of all time, then they don't know squat about movies, and you should end the conversation politely and immediately.
"The Pauper"
I have a few new updates from the Pauper and "The Tale of the Pauper: A Cross Country Trip of Enlightenment" has its next chapter. I encourage you to check the archives if you are unfamiliar with this epic, masterpiece adventure. To enhance your reading experience we ask that you imagine Morgan Freeman as the narrator of this tale.
June 8, 2009 7:57 PM : Lincoln City, OR. Finally reached Pacific
Chapter 4 "The Gold Coast"
As it turned out, John Denver was not full of shit. The Rocky Mountains were pretty damn rocky. Even in the hottest dog days of summer, the majestic peaks were capped in snow. The Pauper decided that there would be no greater location to spend a night then the awe inspiring wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. Although there were many more reasons why the Pauper should have been nervous about staying there, it ended up being the most peaceful night sleep of the trip to date. As always his travel companion and imaginary friend SAK was right there with him. Instead of trying to drive through the vast mountain range, he went around it. He figured he had plenty of time to waste, so why bother with the tough terrain.
The Pacific was now within a days drive. A once seemingly impossible goal was within reach. The sense of accomplishment had never been as high as it was at that moment. The Pauper was a living example of why we fight through adversity and put ourselves through miserable situations. I can only imagine what the Pauper as thinking at the moment he pulled up to the coast line of Lincoln City, OR. He had seen the ocean hundreds of times in his life, but for the first few minutes he spent staring at the Pacific, he felt like he'd never seen water so blue. Some people thought the Pauper was crazy for taking a trip like this, maybe even the Pauper himself thought the same thing. But this moment was the justification for it all.
He sat on the hood of his car at looked west. With no more land to conquer in that direction, he was a satisfied man. He didn't even have a conscious thought pass through his mind, instead he just stared in awe. He had hoped the Pacific was as blue as it was in his dreams and he was not disappointed. But he knew his journey was not finished. It was off to Cali, the place where dreams come true. Like a true Pacific beach bum the Pauper spent the night parked at the beach. With the ocean waves crashing on the sand, a more satisfying environment there could not be. California here we come.
-Coming Soon: Chapter 5 "Tahoe"-
"What to Expect When You're Expecting"
You can't force the words and I haven't got much else for today. A full sports recap and a few pieces from our loyal contributors. Shout out to Paulie Walnuts, the Iceberg and MP4 for spreading the blog around Yankee Stadium this weekend, and our friends at stereotype.fm for helping them out with putting ETC. ETC. ETC. on the permanent favorite page of the Diamond Club. So until Wednesday....Stay Sweet
No comments:
Post a Comment