Hello again Stage 32! For those who haven't met me here, nice to meet you! And to those that have, good to see you again. I usually like to ask a different icebreaker question to get your thoughts.
What's a film, TV show, etc. that you think deserves another chance? For whatever reason whether it was not living up to expectations, or it being released at the wrong time, or simply not clicking with people when it came out, what's something you think got judged unfairly and deserve another look?
So here's two of my favorites, which happen to be sequels: 1. Ghostbusters 2. (ducks people throwing rotten tomatoes at me): Okay, hear me out. I am NOT saying it's as good as the first one. BUT, that doesn't mean it was a bad movie. The issue was that the first is a classic that represents everything coming together in exactly the right way, and some of that is due to chance. It's called "lightning in a bottle" for a reason! The second Ghostbusters still has a lot of the charm and humor of the first, and the idea of a malevolent slime that becomes destructive when exposed to negative emotions is an interesting premise. Give it another chance without the hype and you'll find it's a fun viewing experience.
Second is Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. (ducks even more people throwing rotten tomatoes at me): Most people didn't like the film at the time because Michael Myers doesn't play a role in the film. However, the horror in this film is as scary as anything that came out in the 80s, including a chilling performance from Dan O'Herlihy and a compelling protagonist in the always welcome Tom Atkins.
Looking forward to your responses!
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While I am not really a fan of the films you mentioned, I am a real fan of Resurrection (1980). It is an amazing film, with an amazing story, and amazing performances by an amazing cast.
The people who distributed it did not understand the film. They opened it in the Bible Belt and because the preacher in the film was the antagonist, it died a quick and painful death.
I met the director several times and he was overwhelmed, as he considered this the greatest film he ever made and almost no one saw it.
It is one of the very few films, in my life, that actually brought me to tears.
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It's a great question, Brian, and I wish I could answer it, but I can't honestly think of anything that ticks the right boxes!
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The 13th Warrior (199) based on M. Crichton's Eaters of the Dead. It got panned and did bad at the box office but overall thought it was a good film.
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David C. Velasco - Abso-FRICKIN-lutely! I love The 13th Warrior, and if you compare it to today's Viking obsession, I really do think it set the stage for that success. There are SO many other films of that genre/setting that are just disjointed or lackluster. Admittedly, it was a slap in the face to have Antonio Banderas play Iban. If they remake it, I nominate Riz Ahmed play him!
Well, you know my nomination, Brian Carlin - Firefly. LOL Just thinking back on it ('cause I watched it recently), it is a little slow to start, but it sets the tone at that pace. If I had to REMAKE something that could have been better, though, I am bidding to do the remake of Ocean's 8. Y'all, it ended, and I literally said, "Was that directed by a man?" Sho 'nough... smh. Of course, if it was Soderbergh, it would have had a chance at being great.
Eugene Mandelcorn - Resurrection looks like an interesting film - directed by Daniel Petrie, yes? I may have to check that one out. It's a little before my time, but looks like a fascinating premise.
David C. Velasco - Agree with you on 13th Warrior - another example of John McTiernan's versatile range as a director. To think he also directed Die Hard and Predator! And Antonio Banderas turns in a charismatic leading performance with a character that uses his talents well.
Katherine Blessan - if it helps, this question is about swimming against the tide. Maybe if there's something a lot of people panned, but you liked and think it's better than it's reputation, I would be happy to hear your thoughts!
Karen "Kay" Ross - FIREFLY! I'm always happy to meet a fellow Brown Coat. I would categorize it as more of a "cancelled way too soon and never really got a chance," but you do make a good point. If Firefly had managed to catch on with a larger audience, and life was fair, we would have gotten a proper 5-7 seasons of Captain Mal Reynolds and the crew of the Serenity ducking The Alliance and traveling the outskirts of the galaxy.
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Sicario 2 day of the Soldado is a better movie than people think. It's also a sequel. Thank you for posting
Bryce Thomas I still have to check those out. I'm a big Yellowstone fan, and I understand Taylor Sheridan is behind both of those and I've been meaning to check out more of his work. Glad you liked the question - this is how you find out what's underrated!
Of course, I also like Wind River and Hell or Highwater. Both Taylor Sheridan projects
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2009 V, it was cancelled and many storylines were not concluded! Would love to at least see one last season! Nice to meet you Brian!
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Brian,, If you or anyone in this discussion would like to watch "Resurrection" (1980) it is now available on YouTube.
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Alright Mr. Carlin.... I'll bite.
THE EXORCIST Tv series (I, too, shall take those tomatoes to the face with pride). I felt like Geena Davis playing as an adult version of Regan, trying to raise her own family only to be troubled by the same demon from her past really made for some high stakes as it pertained to the safety of her children.
The villain was one you can't outrun and even as an adult, Regan battled back much of her own childhood trauma to be even slightly prepared to deal with the eventuality of another run-in with Pazuzu. Cancelled after a single season, when the audience finally gets the definitive proof that the main character is indeed Regan MacNeil determined to protect her children from a pending demonic possession at the hands of the demon that took her.
I think the new series EVIL has captured some elements of what THE EXORCIST Tv series was trying to, but EVIL has done so in a much sleeker, intellectualized manner - blending the trippy "hyptnotic arthouse" aesthetic of CBS' Hannibal with some of the scare tactics of THE EXORCIST Tv series. .