Now that Academy Awards are just around the corner, I'm thinkin' of movies . . .
Not big hits with big stars (nor "Classics") Simply sleeper/non-cult films worth watching . . .
Including a minimum of "action scenes" involving exploding stunts and drivers.

Feel good flicks . . . at least to me. And worth a watch. If you have the time.

In no particular order, except as they came to mind . . .

Repo Man (1984) (starring a host of character actors. interesting sci-fi cinematic canvas)

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) (artistic camera-work and more)

Sweet Land (2005) (i've met and known folks like this)

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982) (technically, i think this was a TV/HBO deal. that's okay in my book)

El Norte (1983) (another reason i have to continually fight empathy and sympathy to stay balanced)

House of Sand and Fog (2003) (whole new respect for Post-Shah Persians in America)

Downfall (2004) (you've seen all the parodies. this was the source video. talk about expectation deficits.)

Smoke (1995) (so . . . who doesn't like Harvey Keitel? no matter what your opinion of tobacco)

Panic (2000) (Hawkeye Pierce vs. The Cooler. How can one resist it?)

(i can't think of Number 10 right now . . . but it's the one with those two runaway kids in puppy love on an island as a big storm was approaching . . . =)

Any "Sleepers" (with no respect whatsoever to Woody Allen) that made an impression on you?

Moon, the intouchables, the perks of being a wallflower, warrior, 50/50, and in Bruges are prob my favorite movies that not many people have seen. Each has a solid story and great acting. Highly recommend all of them.

Moon, the intouchables, the perks of being a wallflower, warrior, 50/50, and in Bruges are prob my favorite movies that not many people have seen. Each has a solid story and great acting. Highly recommend all of them.

Are any of them available on Netflix?
(or alt?)
I would hope so.

If I read you rite that would be

Moon
The Intouchables
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Warrior
50/50
[in?] Bruges

(My Dinner With Andre and a couple of other remembrances of worth are poised on the fingertips of Netflix hopes . . . =)

My Dinner with Andre - one of my favorites. If you like philosophical movies, try these (something tells me you've maybe already seen them):

Vanya on 42nd Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111590/)
The Sunset Limited (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510938/)
The Man from Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/)

My Dinner with Andre - one of my favorites. If you like philosophical movies, try these (something tells me you've maybe already seen them):

Vanya on 42nd Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111590/)
The Sunset Limited (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510938/)
The Man from Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/)

I have to admit that I was previously unaware of even the existence of what I am sure are examples of excellence in the art of movie-making. If that weren't true, you wouldn't have said nor implied it. They will provide an appropriate alternative to the mass consumption of mediocrity (only my opinion) that will be this year's Academy Awards ceremony. =)

The Last Tycoon (1976, with Robert DeNiro as a movie mogul) ain't no slouch.
(did I forget "ElectriGlide in Blue" (Robert Blake)? Vanishing Point" (Barry?whatever)

Philosophy is a deep subject. =)

Ronin is one of my favorites even though DeNiro isn't exactly an unknown.

Here are 2 Will Ferrell movies you might not have seen but are worth the time.

Everything Must Go
Stranger Than Fiction

Neither one are his typical movies where he plays a dumb-***. In Everything Must Go he plays an alcoholic who loses his wife and job on the same day. In Stanger Than Fiction he plays an IRS agent who starts hearing a voice in his which is narrating his life, which turns out to be an author writing a book in which he is the main character and is killed.

If you like movies that constantly keep you guessing try the following:

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Informant.

If Foreign Films are your thing I like the following:

Amelie - French
Rocket Singh, Salesman of the Year - Indian
Cashback - British (warning not kid, and probably not female spouse, friendly)
Fierce Creatures (sister movie to Fish Called Wanda) - British

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is really good. Two con men trying to out-con each other, and both end up getting conned. Cleverly made movie, and I don't think any other actors could have pulled it off quite the same way.

I guess having Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins would prevent Shawshank Redemption from being a sleeper, but man, there aren't any explosions, and its such a darned good movie...great introspections about prisoners becoming comfortable in prison, yet free folks becoming imprisoned in their own minds by their own perceived limitations....just a great movie :)

I think an underrated flick is "Quiz Show", which Robert Redford did as a semi-retrospective piece on the game show scandals of the 50's - drawn mostly from fact with at least some dramatic license taken. Redford does that kind of movie so well that it just makes it hard not to watch, and the characters are drawn so well it help you understand the dynamic of the scandal and how it might not have seemed quite so scandalous at the time.

'nuff for now :)

All of the films mentioned are now on my "to see" list . . .
Except for the ones that I've seen: "The Shawshank Redemption" (excellent), "Amelie" (saw it, loved it and so did my wife), and "Quiz Show" (another masterpiece and reminded me of that film about Edward R. Murrow, the title of which escapes me at the moment).

I must admit that I haven't seen a single one of the films nominated for this year's Best Picture.

Are any of them available on Netflix?
(or alt?)
I would hope so.

Intouchables, Warrior, and In Bruges are on Netflix as of yesterday.

I really enjoyed Enough Said, which was just released on DVD.

It was the last role by James Gandolfini and a big departure, as he plays the love interest of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Two surprisingly great performances in a nice, well-written romantic comedy.

I really enjoyed Enough Said, which was just released on DVD.

It was the last role by James Gandolfini and a big departure, as he plays the love interest of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Two surprisingly great performances in a nice, well-written romantic comedy.

Your mention of "Enough Said" reminded me of "As Good As It Gets" (1997?) (yes, Jack "Star Power" Nicholson was in it, but it was one of the few "chick flicks" that I thought was a charming film.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE_X2pDRXyY

Winter's Bone was an amazing film.

I thought of four more:

Local Hero (Oil company rep, goes to Scotland. Falls in love with it. Music by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.)

Wise Blood (strange, John Huston directed, film about "religious" contradictions)

Inside Moves (a sports movie that isn't a "sports" movie)

The Grey Fox (last of the Canadian train robbers)

It was amazing.....
When I first heard about it I was sure just by the name that is had to be a porno.

Children of Men - bleak and not too distant future. Stars Clive Owen.

The Hanoi Hilton. Vietnam POW movie that came out in the 80's. Hardly anyone saw it. It showed in Oklahoma City for one week at the old AMC at Memorial and Penn. I was one of two people in the theater when I saw it. It should be required in American History classes or any class about the Vietnam War. Jimmy Webb did the soundtrack.

Bigray in Ok

Werner Herzog's Nosferatu (the 1979 version). Definitely the creepiest vampire movie I've ever seen.

I recently watched the Hunt, not knowing it was up for best foreign film this year, and it was a very solid film that tackles real uncomfortable situations. def worth a watch.

also on the foreign film train, I would also recommend Headhunters.

both are on Netflix.

Matchstick Men
The Cooler
Glengarry Glen Ross