I’ll start: “Happy Death Day”
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I didn’t think the trailer looked good and it felt meh, but I ended up loving the movie a lot.
It was super attentive to d&d details such as almost all the classes of the party using intelligence as dump stats or the specifics of the spells mechanics while also not needing the audience to know any of that to have a good time and understand what was going on.
And the use of d&d lore and mechanics were woven into the characters and narrative, it wasn’t just hey remember this thing from d&d. Way underrated, probably bad marketing.
VVitch (=witch) Logan Eklavya (Hindi)
The Cabin in the Woods. Only seen it once so far and I’m still floored thinking back on it and how well it did its thing.
I was about to say the same, the purge was such a creative joy
WWF wrestler discovers magic sunglasses and yuppie aliens. It’s a John Carpenter film and has one of the longest fist fights.
A few that come to mind
2022 - Lovecraftian Horror/Dark Comedy/Fantasy - Glorious
2019 - Mystery/Horror/Thriller/- The Colour Out Of Space (or Color Out Of Space)
2015 - Action/Violence/Scifi - Hardcore Henry
2010 - Action/Violence - Machete
2010 - Action/Comedy/Romance - Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
2009 - Zombie Horror/Dark Comedy - George: A Zombie Intervention (or George’s Intervention)
2009 - Adventure/Fantasy/Scifi - Ink
1999 - Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy - Dogma
1997 - Action/Adventure/Scifi - The Game
All were really good movies that I myself initially passed over (numerous times even) before coming back a while later to be blown away on the first watch. Most of these I ordered on dvd as the credits were still rolling. I can list some more if you like any of these.
I’m going to have to make a list of the movies recommended here that I want to watch. Lots of interesting picks. Cool idea for a post.
Sucker punch.
Looks like a mindless action with titties, but it’s actually a good movie. Give it a try if you haven’t.
This description reminded me of Club Dread, loved that movie as a preteen/teen
I watched a lengthy video essay about this movie that really made me want to watch it. Was definitely shocked by the level of thought put into the symbolism within the film.
Con Air
It is absolutely not well written but I just love how the film and all the actors are completely aware of how dumb the entire thing is.
Oh, and casting Chief Engineer Miles O’Brien as the jerk that everyone hates is the icing on this guilty-pleasure cake.
I loved this movie when I was younger but it’s been a while… I’m sorry, WHAT?! O’Brien?! oh I need to see this one again
Con Air is an amazing “Sunday evening after eating too much dinner” film.
I watched Running Scared with Paul Walker at like 3am probably over fifteen years ago. I thought it was brilliant, really dark but fun.
Disney’s “The Black Hole”. It came from a time just after Walt Disney had died and they were still figuring out they shit.
So they made an extremely dark SciFi flick with a cute robot that appeals to children which is such a weird combination, but I liked it a lot. I can’t even say why.
The U.S.S. Cygnus looks fucking badass, too. One of the best ship designs in a SciFi movie, change my mind.
Disney writer #1: Let’s make a Tower of Babel parable, but set it space!
Disney writer #2: Are we going to end the movie with the antagonist being sent to actual-factual Hell?
Disney writer #1: You fucking know it!
They were trying for their Star Wars.
A space-ship that’s 60% glass, 20% stiffener bars and 20% normal space-ship stuff,
Perhaps that was transparent aluminum, and not glass.
Then throw an air traffic control tower on top.
Yeah I can only imagine the number of untraceable air leaks in that thing, especially as it ages and the DAP around the glass starts to crack
Smallest of crack in the glass? Flex-Seal
Oh yeah that thing is a classic.
Free Guy
Generic video game movie stuffed with trendy references and fanservice is actually a really good singularity story
Tucker and Dave vs. Evil. Looks like another dumb Netflix original, but it was one of the best horror/comedies I’ve seen.
Speaking of the genre, big nods to another one - Little Evil.
It Follows - just read the premise of the film and tell me it doesn’t sound dumb… Then go watch it
Oh and Colossal!!! Ann Hathaway stars in this bizarre and very deep movie about a giant monster that can be controlled from a playground. Amazing movie. Trust me
I think I wtched it follows, fully expecting to be awestruck and it just ended.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil! Amazing movie! I put it on one day just so I could check it off my list of new things out and, figured if I love the Evil Dead series (and also, as someone else mentioned in the thread, the Re-Animator) how awful could this be… it wasn’t. It was fantastic.
Enjoyed Little Evil too. So, I’m putting Colossal on my list right now!
I think Colossal will surprise you. It’s not exactly a horror comedy, but a very serious film wrapped in a ridiculous story
Similar vein: Slaxx. I’m not sure how vampire pants fits into things but boy does it start a conversation about using cheap labor for profit and the cost of life for that profit.
It Follows… Amazing
Colossal was weird, but i liked it. I could see where people would be thinking, what is this and why am I watching it, but it felt like real life to me. For a movie about monster avatars unwittingly being controlled from half a world away, anyway.
Pandorum. At a glance it like like just another bad sci-fi, but it’s really good horror sci-fi mind fuckery with a fantastic twist. Dennis Quaid is great in it.
Pandorum was fantastic. I need to watch it again.
Yes! Unexpectedly good movie!
Army of thieves.
Prequel to army of the dead, actually an amazingly enjoyable film superior in every way to its stupid predecessor
Clue
Movie based on a board game? Blegh
But it’s awesome. Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren
It is then we’re reminded of the ability of good writers and performers to take even a low-potential idea and fucking kill it. With a pen. In the study.
This is top 3 of all time for me. There is so much happening in every scene you can watch it multiple times and still catch little jokes or sight gags each viewing.
No matter how many times I see it I can never figure out if it was 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 or 1 + 2 + 1 + 1.
It was 1+2+1+1 or 1+2+2+1
Unless Scarlett is right!
Having John Landis write the story didn’t hurt.
I also expected a disaster. I wasn’t prepared for how entertaining it was!
Absolutely one of my favorite movies
