Movies that hit you like a Sledgehammer(Fuck the Radar)

[ahoythematey]

Bought the Special Edition of Dances with Wolves the other night, and on a whim picked up Changing Lanes because, like three-plus hour movies with Kevin Costner, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with Samuel L. Jackson.  Also, it was cheaply priced.

Well, I just finished watching the flick and suddenly realized that my life had been slightly more empty before viewing the movie.  Not only did I greatly enjoy it, but I found myself inexplicably moved more by Ben Affleck's character and performance than even the mighty Sam-L.  So much was I affected, that I am willing to forgive him for all his missteps( a great many, mind you) simply based on the fact that this movie exists.

Anybody have a particular movie or "show" that produced a similar reaction, or was equally effected by Changing Lanes?  I need to make sure I'm not crazy...

[Rodent]

Bubba Ho-tep... But then again I knew that would rock.

I suppose one movie that caught me totally off guard was We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson. I was expecting some ultracheesy Braveheart in Vietnam performance, boy was I wrong. I suppose it helped watching the movie with my old man, he's usually a fan of watching movies but when he likes one it can take the movie to the next step just by listening to his comments.

[ahoythematey]

I still have a hard time watching that section of We Were Soldiers, where the jets begin bombing with napalm...

[Merusk]

Is your dad a vet, Rodent?   I agree watching war movies, particularly Vietnam movies, with my dad puts a whole new spin on them. He'll make comments about what it was like getting ambushed in similar fashion, or what they were doing wrong, or tell stories about some other similar battle he'd been in.

   We got him "We Were Soldiers" last year for his Birthday and watched it.   I found out he would have been in the crew with Gibson's character's men, but had signed-up for some additional training or gotten into some other crew that held him back a few months.  That made it somehow a lot more disturbing a picture, personally.

[LordDax]

Watching Band of Brothers with my grandfather. We always here about Vietnam, in fact my grandfather(God bless his soul) would always tell us to never forget it, but would also make sure that we remember his generations war. A war that proved even in the most just of causes, war still demolishes countries and changes civilizations.
"Remember each and every war, and how they happened. If you don't I'll come kill you myself." ~John E. Pitcher, the efforts you and your men will never be forgotten.

[Rodent]

Is your dad a vet, Rodent?

I'm Swedish, the only vets we have are mercs. And they probably won't talk about it since it's extremly illiegal. He loves history though, so he has alot of booksmarts ( if there is such a thing when it comes to war ) about the historic generals etc though.

Glad to hear your dad managed to dodge that hellhole.

Edit: Remembered we have a few Vets who fought in the Finnish Winterwar and some who fought for the nazi's.

[Kenrick]

It's not exactly under-the-radar, but has anyone else here seen the new Phantom of the Opera movie yet?  It's been in theaters here in Austin for a couple weeks, and I went to see it last weekend.  I thought it was quite brilliant.  Granted, I'm a huge fan of the original Gaston Leroux book and I've seen the stage musical in both New York and London, so I'm obviously a bit biased... But as a true fan of the musical, I was not let down.  Kudos to Joel friggin' Schumaker, who'da thunkit?  Not quite a Peter Jackson LoTR type masterful adaptation, but still a damned good one IMHO.

[Shockeye]

Sliding Doors

It was the movie that made me not hate Gwyneth Paltrow.

WTF do you name your kid Apple? I mean, that's just asking for trouble in school.

Ok, back to the point. Very good movie and missed by many people. John Hannah is excellent in it as always.

[Dark Vengeance]

What Dreams May Come

Robin Williams is absolutely masterful in this one, with a strong supporting cast including Cuba Gooding Jr, and Max von Sydow. Plus Annabella Sciorra manages to make a couple that is seemingly as unlikely as The King of Queens seem like a pair of very real, devoted soulmates.

Incredible imagery throughout, strong performances, and a beautiful story. While the plot's outcome is a bit predictable, the journey most certainly is not.

PS: Watching it with the lady in your life is like a free pass to punanny-land. As long as you like banging chicks that have just stopped crying. But be warned, don't heckle, or you'll be on the couch for a week.

Bring the noise.
Cheers.............

[CmdrSlack]

Sliding Doors

It was the movie that made me not hate Gwyneth Paltrow.

WTF do you name your kid Apple? I mean, that's just asking for trouble in school.

Ok, back to the point. Very good movie and missed by many people. John Hannah is excellent in it as always.

I have a Fillipino friend who has a sibling named (possibly nicknamed) Apple.

Which, oddly enough, was the name of my new cat at the shelter.  That was changed quickly, I don't name pets after food.

[Stephen Zepp]

Zig Zag hit me pretty hard. Definitely worth seeing in my book.

Basketball Diaries as well. Yes, I know this is Leo, but it's pre-stardom Leo, and actually a damned good performance, as well as one of the most brutal treatments of high school drug addiction I've ever seen. Another must see in my book, just don't plan on feeling good about life for a while afterwards.

[Paelos]

Dangerous Liasons

I expected it to be horribly done, and it turned out to be one of the best films I've ever seen John Malkovitch in. The minor detrator is the small part played by Keanu Reeves.

"Woah, I'm like in ancient France. Shall we like, watch an opera or something milady?"

[Ardent]

The first time I watched Donnie Darko, I thought it was ambitious, but ultimately juvenile and empty. And yet, in the days that followed, I couldn't get it out of my head. Thoughts and concepts that didn't occur to me while I watched it began to trickle into the deepest, darkest recesses of my consciousness, like rainwater filling the cracks in a sidewalk. So I watched it again about a week later, and the lightbulb went off and it hit me like a medicine ball to the chest.

I've now seen it five times, including the fantastic director's cut that hit theaters last summer. It now is truly is a work of art that speaks to my innermost being.

(On another slightly amusing note, I really hated three of the movies mentioned above. I suppose they might be worth another look, but ... no.)

[Dark Vengeance]

Basketball Diaries as well. Yes, I know this is Leo, but it's pre-stardom Leo, and actually a damned good performance, as well as one of the most brutal treatments of high school drug addiction I've ever seen. Another must see in my book, just don't plan on feeling good about life for a while afterwards.

Leo is decent in the role, it's the true life story of Jim Carroll that makes the movie worthwhile though. This also took me from skeptic to believer about Mark Wahlberg as an actor, not to mention the rest of a stellar supporting cast, including a cameo by Carroll himself (the guy talking about the "shark skin easter suit" in the shooting gallery).

Personally, I wanted to see more of Winky and Blinky.

Bring the noise.
Cheers............

[Fargull]

In the Mouth of Madness is one of the best horror movies I have seen that really takes a good stab at watching somone go insane.

Clear Cut is a pretty unusual movie that seems to aim mostly at the environment; however, the one sceen in which the leg is handled is just the most graphically cringe worth scene from a movie I have ever had.

Now, for my personal favorite indie movie that jumps beyond the pale, Smoke Signals is a great look at youth, rebellion, racism, and the bonds of son and father.  Damn good writing and directing, besides, the song on the bus has stuck in my mind for a few years now...

[Kenrick]

Okay so this crowd isn't into musicals?  :)  Here are some very good documentaries:

American Movie

Hands on a Hardbody

The Thin Blue Line

[Shockeye]

In the Mouth of Madness is one of the best horror movies I have seen that really takes a good stab at watching somone go insane.

I completely agree that this is one very good horror movie that doesn't treat you like a moron when watching it.

Now, for my personal favorite indie movie that jumps beyond the pale, Smoke Signals is a great look at youth, rebellion, racism, and the bonds of son and father.  Damn good writing and directing, besides, the song on the bus has stuck in my mind for a few years now...

I completely forgot about listing this movie and it definitely deserves to be watching by anyone and everyone.

[stray]

Shattered Glass

Totally changed my mind about Hayden Christiansen. Seriously, he was really good in it. The story is about Stephen Glass, who, if you don't recall, almost managed to get away with publishing dozens of made up stories at the New Republic in the late 90's. If anyone here is interested in journalism, then it's a must see imo.

[Dark Vengeance]

So I watched it again about a week later, and the lightbulb went off and it hit me like a medicine ball to the chest.

I had the same experience with What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

First time I watched it, I saw some dark humor, and laughed at Leo in his natural role as a retarded boy....but upon a second viewing, there was really a lot more to the story that I could identify with.

As a result, I immediately started banging the wife of my insurance agent, slapping around retarded kids, and burning my mom's house down.

Bring the noise.
Cheers.............

[Stephen Zepp]

Basketball Diaries as well. Yes, I know this is Leo, but it's pre-stardom Leo, and actually a damned good performance, as well as one of the most brutal treatments of high school drug addiction I've ever seen. Another must see in my book, just don't plan on feeling good about life for a while afterwards.

Leo is decent in the role, it's the true life story of Jim Carroll that makes the movie worthwhile though. This also took me from skeptic to believer about Mark Wahlberg as an actor, not to mention the rest of a stellar supporting cast, including a cameo by Carroll himself (the guy talking about the "shark skin easter suit" in the shooting gallery).

Personally, I wanted to see more of Winky and Blinky.

Bring the noise.
Cheers............

I had to give Leo kudos for the scene where he was arguing with his mother, as well as the "drying out" sequence. Having known a couple of hardcore addicts, his performance was pretty damned accurate.

[stray]

I had to give Leo kudos for the scene where he was arguing with his mother, as well as the "drying out" sequence. Having known a couple of hardcore addicts, his performance was pretty damned accurate.

I just wonder if he can get away with a scene like that now, being much older. Just about everything he did when he was younger was great. This Boy's Life being another.

[Paelos]

I forgot to mention the Big Lebowski. On the first viewing I hated it because I didn't know what to expect. Only on the next viewings did I really get at the great movie that it was.

Also, American Psycho affected me the same way. It was a movie I hated on the first time through and then loved every time since.

[stray]

I forgot to mention the Big Lebowski. On the first viewing I hated it because I didn't know what to expect. Only on the next viewings did I really get at the great movie that it was.

It was a Coen Brothers film. From now on, expect Genius from anything they do.

[LordDax]

One that suprised the hell out of me was...Hackers 2:Operation Takedown. I downloaded it on a whim wanting to see how bad it was since the first one blew hard. Imagine my suprise when it turns out to be the Kevin Mitnick story. And a well done one at that.

Oh yeah, and don't forget one of my favorite J Depp movies...

Crybaby. Soooo bad it a smashing success

[Mortriden]

For those of you that enjoyed watching We Were Soldiers, pick up the book and give it a read.  It is a bit dry to start with (like the first 20-40 pages), but he describes the conflict very well.

[Abagadro]

As someone mentioned Thin Blue Line up there, I'd say anything by Errol Morris. Mr. Death is particularly good.  I haven't picked up Fog of War yet, but it is on my list.

[Grelf]

We were soldiers was a damn good movie, I remember watching it and going, "Why is this so damn familiar?" and then I realized about halfway in I read the book years ago when it first came out. My father died in vietnam, so I read a lot of various things, and I have to say the movie almost lived up to the book, which says a lot for the movie.

The Big Lewbowski is also high on my list of "wow" movies, since I hate the Bridges. Also, Boondock Saints, was another under the radar movie for me. I picked it up on a whim and it wound up being in my top 5 favorites of all time.

Gummo was a good movie also, good in a weird, indie, "what the fuck are they on" kind of way.

[Viin]

I wasn't expecting much from Death to Smoochy when I watched it, but it was pretty damn funny.

Speaking of movies, Netflix came out with two new features: Profiles and Friends. Profiles are cool because I can let my girlfriend have her own queue of movies and I set that 1 out of 3 movies sent comes from her queue. The rest come from mine. She even gets her own login.

Friends is interesting because you can see recommendations and each others queues and ratings. If anyone wants to do the friends thing, send me an invite.

[toma levine]

I think just immediately after seeing Glengarry Glen Ross was when I decided humanity was a lost cause.
After seeing Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, I realized things weren't so bad after all.

Also, Donnie Darko, just for the fact that no two people can agree on what the film really means.

[Zetleft]

The Fisher King, really enjoyed that movie in spite of Robin Williams who I generally don't like.  Jeff Bridges does a good job too.

[RipSnort]

"Box of Moonlight "with John Turturo was apretty cool.
Ancient history here but "After Hours" directed by Scorcese was a real departure from hi usual stuff.

[Dark Vengeance]

I almost forgot The Devil's Own, which is probably the best Harrison Ford/Brad Pitt movie that nobody has ever heard of.

After thwarting the IRA as Jack Ryan in Patriot Games, Ford takes on a very un-Ryan-like role as NYPD Sergeant Tom O'Meara, and agrees to put up an Irish immigrant as a favor for a friend. The immigrant, played by Pitt, is actually a member of the IRA who has come to NYC to try and acquire stinger missles and smuggle them back to Ireland.

Pretty good flick overall.

Bring the noise.
Cheers.............

[stray]

"Box of Moonlight "with John Turturo was apretty cool.
Ancient history here but "After Hours" directed by Scorcese was a real departure from hi usual stuff.

After Hours is the shit. One the better Scorsese flicks imo (as if any of them are bad). Griffin Dunne (also from American Werewolf in London) is such a funny guy, but it seems he's been relegated to minor support roles for the past 20 years.

[Ardent]

Here are some very good documentaries:

American Movie

Hands on a Hardbody

The Thin Blue Line

All of these are excellent recommendations.

I would also highly recommend "Capturing the Friedmans", a soul-shattering movie if ever there was one. And utterly unique, because a lot of it is comprised of actual family home movies that you couldn't make up if you tried. Riveting shit, trust me.

Also, all human beings should be required to watch "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Lost 2", about three teenagers serving life sentences for murder. At first you're convinced they are guilty, and five minutes later you're practically on the phone to the governor of Alabama demanding their release. And back and forth. Brilliant filmmaking, and is full of the infuriating (but fascinating) ambiguities of the real-life legal system.

The Big Lebowski is probably the funniest movie made in the last decade.

[Shmtur]

Okay so this crowd isn't into musicals?  :)  Here are some very good documentaries:

American Movie

That movie was pain.  Pure pain.  If I am remembering correctly...this movie involved a long, overdone scene involving an old man in a bathtub.  They cut away from it, something else happens...and they once again cut back to the old man in the bathtub.

At that point I died inside, and have been dead ever since.