Just coz

It's been over a year since I added anything here. I guess in some way I use this page that no one ever looks at as a life preserver for myself when I hit a low point. I was going to say 'when I hit a low water mark' but then a life preserver wouldn't make much sense then, eh? Although in my bizarre inner space, the image of me walking through miles of quagmire whilst wearing a life preserver and looking for enough water to drown myself in makes a certain amount of sense as a personal analogy. 

In any event, here is a little filler content for me to reference at a later date:

I posted a short clip from the movie 'War Games' the other day and noted that it is quite an underrated/ under-appreciated film. So I started to compile my list of films that I think are under-appreciated. These are in no particular order. 

a) 'War Games' - while you can argue that this Cold War parable doesn't seem as relevant, the rising numbers and instances of cyberwarfare and the consequences that could follow makes it more important than ever. A fantastic early performance by Matthew Broderick, a great script and a tense third act make this one worth revisiting. 

b) 'Ref' - a rare look under the hood of the American suburban psyche. An outstanding and perhaps forgotten performance by Kevin Spacey. A prequel to the character he inhabits for 'American Beauty.' Judy Davis is his dramatic equal and Leary is hits the comedic exasperation notes exquisitely. Perhaps one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. I now watch it every December. 

c) 'Galaxy Quest' - Definitely the most underrated ensemble comedy cast ever. Seriously. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shaloub, Sam Rockwell. Great plot, well executed this film new what it wanted to do and knocked it out of the park. I'm not normally a fan of Tim Allen but as the Shatner-esque protagonist he is spot on. 

d) 'Priest' - This movie generated a firestorm of controversy when it came out and I don't think many folks actually went to see it. The protests were over the depiction of a Catholic priest who happened to be gay. Those that bothered to see it were treated to several amazing performances from Linus Roache and Tom Wilkinson and ultimately the movie proves to be one of the better Christian movies ever made. 

e) 'Dead Heart' - a deft performance by Bryan Brown as a European police officer assigned to an aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia. I have yet to see another movie that depicts the social and legal challenges between the cultures as accurately as this film. 

f) 'Finding Neverland' - Perhaps it is a stretch to call an Oscar-nominated film 'underrated' but alas it did not win and I feel it is among the most perfect movies ever made. Brilliant acting, amazing script, flawless art direction and a beautiful, tragic story. It is art at it's finest.