The Guilty Pleasures - Movies I Maybe Shouldn't Like, But Do
A list of movies that, for some reason, I liked WAY more than I should have, and rated a lot higher than their aggregate. Some are a little off beat, some apparently cater to a small niche audience (me and maybe a few other unknown viewers), and some are probably just plain bad, but . . . I liked them.
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18 titles
- DirectorAdam WingardStarsSharni VinsonJoe SwanbergAJ BowenWhen the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.Dark black comedy send up of home invasion flicks; and a good one.
8/10 - DirectorJohn AugustStarsRyan ReynoldsHope DavisMelissa McCarthyA troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.Maybe this just got "whacked" because it had strong religious overtones? I don't know, but I DO know that I really liked it (even though I'm not religious) and Melissa McCarthy & Hope Davis were great.
8/10 - DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsChase WilliamsonRob MayesPaul GiamattiA new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion?This is just fun, and all the characters are done perfectly.
7/10 - DirectorMichael PolishStarsDuel FarnesNick NolteAnthony EdwardsSet in 1955, the residents of a small Montana community are forced to move their homes to make way for a new dam.Really out there, but interesting with unusual cinematography.
8/10 - DirectorMike FlanaganStarsKatie ParkerCourtney BellDave LevineA woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.Low budget "horror" flick. No gore, not many "gotchas", but realistic characters and a creepy idea. The "making of" extras on the CD are also great.
8/10 - DirectorBertrand TavernierStarsTommy Lee JonesJohn GoodmanPeter SarsgaardA detective in post-Katrina New Orleans has a series of surreal encounters with a troop of ghostly Confederate soldiers while investigating serial killings of local prostitutes, a 1965 lynching, and corrupt local businessmen.I've read a lot of the books that this character is based on, including this one, and Tommy Lee Jones just nails it. Also, I'm not a big John Goodman fan but he was great here too.
7/10 - DirectorChristophe GansStarsRadha MitchellLaurie HoldenSean BeanA woman, Rose, goes in search for her adopted daughter within the confines of a strange, desolate town called Silent Hill.Not a gamer so I didn't know this was based on a video game when I saw it. Explains why it was so disjointed at times. But the premise was solid, the characters were good, and I really like the very final scene (the last couple minutes).
7/10 - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyNatascha McElhoneUlrich TukurA troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.Hate George Clooney. There, I said it, and it feels good. But he was really good here. You have to be the kind of person that can settle in for a slow burn to enjoy this. I've read the book and seen the original Russian version. This is the weakest of the three but still good.
8/10 - DirectorLarry FessendenStarsLarry FessendenMeredith SnaiderAaron BeallSet in a gritty, real life New York City, alcoholic Sam meets up with a modern day succubus who marks him and controls his will. As his world unravels he slowly figures out what is happening and has to figure out what to do.Is she, or isn't she? Art school film that puts Hollywood to shame - in a low budget grungy kind of way.
8/10 - DirectorFaye JacksonStarsCatalin ParaschivRudy RosenfeldConstantin BarbulescuWhen the villagers killed Constantin Tirescu, they thought it was justice. Vlad Cozma thinks it was murder. Now Constantin thinks pickles might go nice with blood.Goofy, just goofy - but in a good way.
7/10 - DirectorMatthew AvantStarsDave PotterJed HimelMatthew AvantTwo documentary filmmakers accidentally uncover the greatest moon secret the world has never known, and the powerful organization determined to keep it that way.This movie was made for something like $5,000. And yet . . . it's fun, even though it bogs down in the middle. Just don't expect much polish.
7/10 - DirectorGregori ViensStarsHenry PhillipsEllen RatnerWade KelleyWinner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, this realistic comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fund raiser, he decides he's hit rock bottom. Seeking to shake things up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel brands him a neo-Nazi in the world of tabloid journalism. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs.Since there's only a few hundred votes for this movie on all of IMDB, I may not only be one of the few that liked it, I may be one of the few that have even heard of it. But it's REALLY funny.
8/10 - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsMads MikkelsenMaarten StevensonAlexander MortonForced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.Pure atmosphere, and some really graphic violence. I can't think of anyone I know that I would recommend this to, but for some reason I got caught up in it.
7/10 - DirectorOz PerkinsStarsEmma RobertsKiernan ShipkaLucy BoyntonTwo girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.While not awesome in any way, it has just stuck with me. Watched it more than once.
8/10 - DirectorScott DerricksonStarsEthan HawkeJuliet RylanceJames RansoneA controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.It isn't just a "gotcha" horror film (though it certainly has those moments), it's also a psychological portrait of self destructive personal obsession, with the two themes running head long into each other. Also has a great ending.
8/10 - DirectorSpike LeeStarsTracy Camilla JohnsTommy Redmond HicksJohn Canada TerrellStory of a woman and her three lovers.Spike Lee's first, and a true "one off". Need to keep the movie's time frame in mind while watching. Twenty-somethings likely won't get this at all.
8/10 - DirectorSean EllisStarsLena HeadeyUlrich ThomsenMelvil PoupaudAfter seeing herself drive down the street, Radiologist Gina McVey unravels a mystery centered around a broken mirror.This could have been so much better, but I still think it's worthwhile.
7/10 - DirectorMark PellingtonStarsRichard GereLaura LinneyDavid EigenbergA reporter is drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events, including psychic visions and the appearance of bizarre entities.Not that good maybe but, not that bad either.
7/10