The Shawshank redemption syndrome…

[kvnstv]

I was watching Oh brother where art thou? with the wife last night and had forgotten what a great film it was. Excellent cast, great music and snappy dialogue. It got us discussing films that have not received the praise we believed they were worthy but that maybe time and word of mouth could revive. The wife thought of the polar express as a future Christmas classic and I have to agree just, wondered if anybody else had any nominees. 

[AndrewT]

I was watching Oh brother where art thou? with the wife last night and had forgotten what a great film it was. Excellent cast, great music and snappy dialogue. It got us discussing films that have not received the praise we believed they were worthy but that maybe time and word of mouth could revive. The wife thought of the polar express as a future Christmas classic and I have to agree just, wondered if anybody else had any nominees. 

Shawshank Redemption is hardly unsung - it regularly comes near the top of 'Favourite Ever Films' lists.

Like this one - http://uk.imdb.com/chart/top

[thetank]

Yesh, but I think the point is it took time to get there.

Didn't make much at the box office, but is now recognised as a classic.

[Sark79]

I love the Shawshank Redemption .   I noticed the Kurgen ( Clancy Brown ) was in LOST the other night on

[kvnstv]

Yeah and his put on some pud as well.

[lazaroonie]

Oh brother is a great movie - and the music is fantastic too.

future classics ? hmm I think Capote will stand the test of time. Hoffman is such a capable actor, such a shame he had to be in such garbage are MI3 and "along came polly", before getting some decent roles.

[thetank]

I'll nominate "White Men Can't Jump"

[Trace]

I love the Shawshank Redemption .   I noticed the Kurgen ( Clancy Brown ) was in LOST the other night on

Isn't the Kurgen from Highlander??  Or am I getting my weird names and films muggled up?

[AndrewT]

Yesh, but I think the point is it took time to get there.

Didn't make much at the box office, but is now recognised as a classic.

OK, fair point, but a whole lot of films were 'slow burners' back in the days before movie companies became 'opening weekend' obsessives. In the days before major movie hype, a lot of films became successful simply through people going to see them, then telling their friends, which led cinema owners to continue their runs longer, which allowed more people to see it etc.

A film like Shawshank (or Sixth Sense, which is another one often quoted in this context) simply stands out more these days because they are rarer in these 'Who is Will Ferrell and why is he in a new film every week?' times in which we live.

A film I'd offer would be Fight Club, which underperformed at the box office because its marketing was completely targeted at people who would hate it (because they thought it would be like a martial arts film, only with boxing) and put off those who would actually get the film. It really took for it to hit DVD before the correct audience got interested in it.

Also Withnail & I, the success of which is one thing we have students to thank for.

[Sark79]

I love the Shawshank Redemption .   I noticed the Kurgen ( Clancy Brown ) was in LOST the other night on

Isn't the Kurgen from Highlander??  Or am I getting my weird names and films muggled up?

He is,  but I have renamed him Kurgen.  Any film he stars in or even appears in, he is called the Kurgen 

[Newmanseye]

I found the Baz Lurmann Take of Romeo and Juliet particularly good, as was the Recent Merchant of venice starring Al pachino as the rich Jew looking for his pound of flesh.

There is a new trend sweeping hollywood these days to give movies a good ending, not a happy ending but a great cinematic ending, for example a film like Gladiator would have been ruined if Maximus had lived and continued to public power.

I like the change, it shows life for what it is most of the time and makes the storyline much more believable.

[Eck]

I found the Baz Lurmann Take of Romeo and Juliet particularly good, as was the Recent Merchant of venice starring Al pachino as the rich Jew looking for his pound of flesh.

There is a new trend sweeping hollywood these days to give movies a good ending, not a happy ending but a great cinematic ending, for example a film like Gladiator would have been ruined if Maximus had lived and continued to public power.

I like the change, it shows life for what it is most of the time and makes the storyline much more believable.

Yep very plausible that Gladiator movie. To paraphrase someone i forget "what a pile of pisch!" if that is what real life is like for you then now i am beginning to realise why my heid is still bursting from that damn quiz!!!!

[Trace]

I love the Shawshank Redemption .   I noticed the Kurgen ( Clancy Brown ) was in LOST the other night on

Isn't the Kurgen from Highlander??  Or am I getting my weird names and films muggled up?

He is,  but I have renamed him Kurgen.  Any film he stars in or even appears in, he is called the Kurgen 

Ahhhh got ya!  Don't mind me I'm having a 

[Newmanseye]

I found the Baz Lurmann Take of Romeo and Juliet particularly good, as was the Recent Merchant of venice starring Al pachino as the rich Jew looking for his pound of flesh.

There is a new trend sweeping hollywood these days to give movies a good ending, not a happy ending but a great cinematic ending, for example a film like Gladiator would have been ruined if Maximus had lived and continued to public power.

I like the change, it shows life for what it is most of the time and makes the storyline much more believable.

Yep very plausible that Gladiator movie. To paraphrase someone i forget "what a pile of pisch!" if that is what real life is like for you then now i am beginning to realise why my heid is still bursting from that damn quiz!!!!

The plausable part is not expecting him to live.  as for battling with the emperor thats a stretch.

[NoflopsHomer]

I vote for "The Hudsucker Proxy" just for Jennifer Jason Leigh's fantastic accent which seems to be a tribute to all those great old screwball comedies like "Bringing Up Baby".