10 Underrated Collection of Filmed Images You Should See

Chances are, you’ve all seen a handful of these, but it always comes as a shock as to which movies people just do not give due credit. Please note: The following list focuses on movies from 1980 and on...

10. An American Tail. One of my favorite animated movies from the 80s, primarily because the main character, a small Russian mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz, was the only animated Jewish person (or animal) I had come to know and love as a child (Gonzo not included.) And yet, you never hear about this movie! Clearly, an anti-semitical conspiracy. Somewhere out there, An American Tail Betamax tape is crying itself to sleep.

9. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It almost feels like nobody saw this hilarious flick by the mastermind behind the Lethal Weapon series. Robert Downey Jr. is as delectable as a Marzipan Robert Downey Jr., and Val Kilmer plays a hilaaaaarious gay detective. Must see!

8. The Adventures of Milo & Otis. THE MOST ADORABLE CHILDREN’S MOVIE EVER MADE! R.I.P. Dudley Moore’s accent.

7. Gattaca. It’s Jude Law… on wheels. Plus, Gore Vidal is in it. As a buddy of mine put it, “It’s a good Ethan Hawke movie for people that don’t like Ethan Hawke.” And what’s not to like about a man whose mouth served as the inspiration for Teeth?

6. National Lampoon’s European Vacation. A comedy staple that was left out of the mainstream Swingline. One of the funniest movies ever made, right up until the last 30 minutes or so, where something I think called “plot” tries to take over and it loses some steam. Also, hands down the most underrated soundtrack EVER...Still, if you can forget for just a second that Chevy Chase is a selfish jerky alleged cokehead, you will love it.

5. Bottle Rocket. It’s Wes Anderson before he became “The” Wes Anderson. It’s Owen and Luke Wilson before they became “The Wilson Brothers.” It’s the same immigrant love story found in most of Wes Anderson’s movies, minus the pretentious race relations seen in, say, The Darjeeling Limited. OK, it’s not Rushmore, but we’re talking underrated people. And if you haven’t seen this, shame on you.

4. Die Hard With a Vengeance. Say what you will, the third installment to the Die Hard series remains my favorite Die Hard. Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson are on top of their comedic game, and if you thought Jeremy Irons was effable before (rent Damage to prove this point), you have no idea. Any Nazi fetishists out there? No? Moving on…

3. Six Degrees of Separation. To this day, my favorite Will Smith movie (after The Legend of Bagger Vance, obviously), Six Degrees was really the first movie to say: “Hey, Fresh Prince! Yeah, we know you’re on a prime-time sitcom playing the comic foil to an uptight Huxtableish family. But something tells us you would also make a bravura dramatic actor, in a role that requires you to be a stuck-up gay con artist.” The unbelievable Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland round out this fantastic ensemble drama, which also features a young J.J. Abrams in his meatiest role to date.

2. The Man Without a Face. I have this tendency to clean my apartment while watching emotionally draining movies. Flashback: Man Without a Face starts on Starz, and I think: “Oh, Mel Gibson’s directorial debut will serve as a fantastic backdrop to my Swiffering ways!” Cut to me, 2 hours later, sitting in a pile of unfolded J. Crew boxer breifs, hysterically sobbing while repeating out loud, to no one in particular, “He just loves his teacher so much!” Sure, Gibson would go on to receive numerous awards from the Academy and ACLU, but does anyone EVER talk about how amazing this movie is? No, no they don’t. So let this be a little Jewish olive branch from me to Mel, saying “Hey! I may have caused all the wars in the world. But you’ve caused all the tear stains on this here pillowcase.” And for that, sir, we are even.

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley. Hands down, the most Underrated Movie Ever. I’ve long said it’s the most beautiful movie ever made — the cast includes an adorkably murdery Matt Damon, a fresh off God’s heaven cloud Jude Law, and my first love Gwynnie Paltrow; the locales include some of the most beautiful cities Europe has to offer. And while the world showered director Anthony Minghella’s other movie with dozens of accolades, Ripley sort of fell off the map. For God’s sake, it’s the movie that proved both Law and Damon to be reputable actors. And if that hasn’t convinced you: James Muthaf**king Rebhorn, ya’ll!