Why did Clueless became a classic and Valley Girl, its predecessor, suffered obscurity? There are countless examples of movies that should have become classics and gained a cult following yet didn’t for one reason or another. There’s also no exact formula for making a classic movie, a cult film, and a blockbuster – perhaps it’s a combination of mastery, magic and luck but nobody really knows.
Here, we will look at five movies that were overlooked by most people and, thus, didn’t get the cult following that they should have. Perhaps, by spreading the word, we can right this wrong, a possibility considering the power of social media and the movie industry combined. And yes, these movies may still be shown in your neighborhood Movie Tavern particularly during its Retro Cinema.
Miss Meadows (2014)
Kate Holmes has a pretty face and a vanilla personality that makes her seemingly more suitable for Disney princess-like roles. But many also forget that she can be a good actress and she proves it in Miss Meadows, an American thriller film written and directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins. While the movie itself was enjoyed by the audiences in the film festival circuit, it wasn’t as appealing to the general public – and Holmes was even lambasted for her performance, a shame, indeed.
Here, Miss Mary Meadows is a young woman who speaks in a childlike manner and who works with children in an elementary school. But appearances can deceive as she’s actually a vigilante who carries a semi-automatic pistol in her dainty purse and who kills criminals whenever she gets the chance. She may be a wisp of a thing in her conservative clothes but she can kill like it’s nobody’s business.
What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
Mock documentaries, or mockumentaries, can be a tricky thing for filmmakers because it can either go over well or go overboard – no gray areas. Sadly, What We Do In The Shadows went overboard with the general public although it managed to make a respectable profit when it earned nearly $7 million on a $1.6 million budget.
Loves This is a horror comedy film about a group of down-on-their-luck vampires living in Wellington. Jemaine Clement, its writer, director and main protagonist, probably envisioned it to be a mainstream film but it didn’t make a wave as expected when it was first released.
We, however, with our niche tastes loved it for its combination of silly dialogues and horror scenes. Watch it and see what we’re talking about, perhaps even recommend it to your friends who like campy movies.
I Origins (2014)
Mike Cahill, the writer and director of I Origins, is an ambitious man and his film is evidence of it. I Origins is a science-fiction drama that premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Best Feature Length Film Award at the 2014 Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya.
Keep in mind that it isn’t a movie for everyone but a movie that will make its audience ask questions about their faith, world view, and emotions. It’s a movie that begins as a love story but soon enough transforms into a sci-fi thriller underscored by the push and pull of what makes man what he is.
It’s a movie with a relatively original concept and an understated beauty that should have captured the audience’s attention but didn’t for reasons we can’t understand. But, hey, if you’re the type who wants sci-fi films for the thinking audience, then you may just find I Origins a great movie to watch again and again.
The Mist (2007)
Fans of Frank Darabont, the mastermind behind the hit television series The Walking Dead, will love The Mist, a sci-fi horror film based on Stephen King’s book of the same title. Darabont, the film’s writer and director, has said that he has been interested in the film adaptation since the 1980s and the long wait is definitely worth it. We also see a few of the TWD actors on the film including Melissa McBride, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Laurie Holden; the film features an ensemble cast.
While the special effects aren’t as good as expected, the concept and performances are riveting, and the actors delivered on their job with their fear palpable on the screen. The Mist is a monster movie, after all, but it’s also about explorations into what ordinary people can and will do to survive under extraordinary circumstances.
Romance and Cigarettes (2005)
No, the musical romantic comedy genre isn’t dead and we have Romance and Cigarettes to show for it, although it wasn’t exactly a crowd favorite. Produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, and written and directed by John Turturro, it’s a musical about a husband engaged in infidelity who must choose between his suffering wife and seductive mistress, perhaps to get redemption from his sins.
The ensemble cast included many of the big names in Hollywood – Kate Winslet, Susan Sarandon, James Gandolfini, Steve Buscemi, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, and Christopher Walken, among others. Every cast member delivered a strong performance that made its audience riveted despite the film’s musical aspect.
Don’t wait for several more years before watching these movies! Ask about possible re-runs and enrich your movie-going repertoire.
