WEDDING ANNIVERSARY #8/MOVIES THAT DESERVED BETTER
(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading...Celebrated 8 years of matrimony this past weekend with a trip to Topanga Canyon and brunch at the Inn of the Seventh Ray. We had a table outside, close to a stream as yoga studio music played in the background. Very pleasant, very hippie/healthy, very costly, very Southern California.
I thought it was called Inn of the Seventh “Veil” when I was looking for directions. Turns out that’s a strip joint on Sunset.
Our anniversary ended with wine and a screening of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. The film played a large role in courting the wifey back in San Francisco. I tried to tell this to Mr. Crowe when I met him, but my mind blanked on the name of the film, resulting in me telling Mr. Crowe that I would not tell him which of his movies was crucial in securing said wife. (it was a really weird exchange.)
Anyway–it’s a great film (what the hell happened with Kate Hudson’s career?), but it didn’t do well at the box office, which got me to thinking of great films that didn’t make any $$$ but deserved to. My top three:
1.Almost Famous– Everything’s great about this flick. The actors. The music. The Eastern Airlines plane. The only thing they got wrong was the black kid’s hairstyle in the mom’s classroom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycu7cP-rp-U&feature=related
2.The Iron Giant-I was just talking to an animator that worked on this film at Comic-Con. This was so good that a politician begged on the floor of Congress for people to see it (to no avail).
3.Children of Men-By the director who made the only Harry Potter movie I could recommend. This is another flick with so many really good actors and GREAT shots.
“Idiocracy,” far and away the most underrated satire of a long time, spiked at the box office by corporate types who were horrifed at a movie that openly made fun of Fox News, Starbucks, and of stupid people – espcially stupid people who would pay to see a movie within the movie called “Ass.”
“Bubba Ho-Tep,” a Gothic ghost story with Elvis and JFK (?) in a nursing home in Mud Creek, Texas. And, it’s a movie that had a moral of “Never Give Up!”
“Jesus of Montreal” — screw Mel Gibson and his stenographic approach to the crucifixion of JC! The 20th Century Jesus is a small-time theater actor, surrounded by Bohemian friends, who finds himself getting drawn into the events of teh Bible as played out in the big city.
Keef, those are three of my favorite movies. I loved Iron Giant, and was hoping for a sequel. Sadly, it was not to be. And Children of Men? One of the best films of the last decade. Everything about it was great. Not to mention deeply disturbing. . . yet ultimately hopeful.
Inn of the 7 Veils very funny – I do that sort of think all the time too, makes life more interesting. Thanks for sharing the crucial role Almost Famous played in securing your wifey. We loved the movie too. Kate Hudson’s look may be a little offbeat for some of the current movie makers, alas. I’ve become a huge fan (in LA isn’t that what people say?) especially since I’m an immigrant from UK and understand some of your wife’s responses to the oddities of life here and for past 6 six years have been partnered with a great guy who tells me he used to be “negro” when he lived in Ohio ! Our experiences as a mixed race couple even in the SF Bay Area have shown that racism is alive and well in subtle yet sometimes funny if ugly ways. I look for your toon first thing every morning. Good luck in LA.
edit to above post: I’m a huge fan OF YOURS
Agree a thousand percent on Iron Giant. Stupid movie made me cry over a robot (I was 29 when it came out.) They better do a Bluray release of it.
My three favorite ‘under the radar’ movies of the last half decade or so: Once, Shut Up And Sing, The Lives of Others. The last one won the foreign language Oscar and people still stayed away in droves.
I agree on Iron Giant, Idiocracy, and Bubba Ho-Tep.
I’d have to add 2002’s Big Trouble, which was delayed and under-promoted after 9/11.