Films that need a 2nd look

[king_ghidorah]

[kiryugoji04]

Batman & Robin.

[MouthForWar]

This is a very good idea for a thread. I can think of a bunch of these since I seem to like a lot of movies that a lot of people hate.

I'll second the Ruins, man. I liked it when I saw it in the theaters and I still like it now.

Here's some that come to mind:

Halloween III- not only do I wish the anthology concept for this series took off, but this is a wonderful, eerie little movie. A great companion to Carpenter's apocalypse trilogy.

Cosmopolis- I understand why a lot of people hate this movie since the last thing it is is for everybody, but it also seems like the audience that should enjoy it hate it and I think they should give it another chance. There's a lot going on under the surface of this film and like most Cronenberg movies, I found it a lot more rewarding on subsequent viewings (an odd thing to say since I'm the resident DC fanboy, but the majority of his films left me cold on the first viewing, this one included)

The Mist- Although it has kind of become a cult classic in its own right, it still remains incredibly divisive, mostly because of the ending. People should watch it again knowing the ending and maybe they'll like it more if they pick up the couple times the ending is foreshadowed throughout the film.

Prometheus- Now that the expectations are gone, I think perhaps a lot of people will warm up to this on another try. Sure, the scientists will still be dumb, but its still a pretty great genre flick full of atmosphere, amazing visuals, and Lovecraftian eeriness. Also, David is one of the most fascinating characters I've seen in a Sci-Fi film in years.

Texas Chainsaw Masssacre 2- Tobe Hooper's sequel to his classic is looked down by a lot of people for not being as terrifying. But Hooper made a pitch black parody of the original, along the same lines as Evil Dead 2 and Gremlins 2. I really think this movie is brilliant and even though its a bit of a cult classic, it still remains under appreciated.

Mimic- Now that this has the proper director's cut out there, its begging to be rediscovered. Probably the only good original monster movie of the 90s.

Land of the Dead- The only post-Day Romero zombie movie that I feel improves on subsequent viewings. Unjustly looked down upon, but this is the natural sequel to his original trilogy and it honors those films.

Freddy vs Jason- Yeah, I know this movie isn't good. But I don't see why it gets so much hate. This is a fun monster mash and it did the very best it possibly could trying to intertwine two unrelated mythologies. It really is a blast and better than the majority of the Nightmare and Friday sequels.

Innocent Blood- John Landis' only other feature length horror film besides American Werewolf is either hated, forgotten about, or hasn't been seen. It isn't any American Werewolf, not by a loooong shot. But it is a clever spin on the vampire story by putting it in a mob setting. It has some pacing issues and some parts of it haven't aged well, but its a pretty solid flick regardless. This one needs a BD release since the only available release is a primitive pan and scan only disc from the early days of DVD.

Revenge of the Creature- Maybe I'm just stupid, but I think this is a pretty solid monster movie, even if its no Black Lagoon. It isn't perfect by any stretch, but its as good as a lot of the other movies to come out of that period.

The Exorcist III- This has the stigma of being the second sequel to a classic and the follow up to one of the worst sequels ever, but if you go in not really expecting a full on Exorcist movie and instead a horror/thriller with some of the same characters, you may be surprised. This is William Peter Blatty's only true sequel to the original and its a solid movie through and through.

Let Me In- Seems a lot of people either dismissed this one and didn't see it or went in with their guards up because it was a remake of a recent beloved foreign film. But its actually almost as good as the Swedish version and it adds a bleak sense of dread that the original was missing.

[eabaker]

^Good call on Land of the Dead! It may not be as stunning a work as Romero's earlier trilogy, but it is a natural evolution of many of their themes, it continues to explore different social groups and comes up with a new set of responses to the scenario, and it's damned entertaining.

[jellydonut25]

Good topic. I may need to think this over for a bit, but some that jump to mind are:
Cable Guy - it seems to not be ever brought up when people discuss the good Jim Carrey films...I think it's hilarious.
Cloverfield - I think a lot of us on here like it, but it got dismissed fairly quickly. I thought it was great, especially for what it was trying to be.
The Adjustment Bureau - not sure why I felt like I was the only person that liked it.
The Other Guys - I find it uproariously funny. Like, favorite comedy of the past 10 years funny...nobody else does.

and in the world of "People say stuff like 'it's good, BUT'...or dismiss it as being lesser than prequels/sequels"
Batman Begins
Gremlins 2

[jellydonut25]

[Mac]

[king_ghidorah]

[MouthForWar]

[MekaGojira3k]

[king_ghidorah]

[lhb412]

[MekaGojira3k]

[MouthForWar]

[king_ghidorah]

[MouthForWar]

[kiryugoji04]

[king_ghidorah]

[jellydonut25]

I think the only thing about this that makes it a point of confusion is that it works differently for MFW than for EVERYONE else...because I saw it the instant he posted it and immediately thought "Oh, the entire forum...how original a joke...for me to poop on."

[MouthForWar]

Maybe I'm being haunted by a Megaguirus loving demon or something. I'm scared now.

[Dai]

Tomb Raider. Worth watching for its stunning sets/locations, and its Harryhausen-esque creatures. Just switch your brain off when people start talking.

In the Mouth of Madness. Rough around the edges, but this was the last time John Carpenter made a compelling movie before his creepy magic ran dry. If you're mourning the loss of del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness, this will give you your Lovecraft fix.

[klen7]

[DannyBeane]

[O.Supreme]

The 13th Warrior-Despite being a critical & financial failure I have always like dthis film, and most people I talk to do as well. Loosely adapted from Michael Crighton's "Eaters of the Dead" novel, it is an action/adventure that is unlike any other. I love the blending of cultures between the Northmen (based on Beowulf) and the Arabic Prince Ahmad ibn Fadlān.

[king_ghidorah]