In my last issue on Cameron Crowe, I listed that I considered Elizabethtown a very underrated movie. Well, I thought that would be a perfect reason for a Top 10 list. By underrated I imply that no matter what amount of popularity or critical acclaim that it did receive, it was not enough based on my opinion of what it truly deserves. In this case, I only intend to include movies that were released during the last 30 years since those have been my prime movie watching years. You will probably notice that many of these films have popped up on previous lists, but some have not. I felt strongly about so many films that I decided to give you a bonus 10 to really make a Top 20. So let's just get right to it, here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 MOST UNDERRATED MOVIES (1978-2008 + Bonus 10):
Honorable Mention. Office Space (1999) - Though this film, written and directed by Mike Judge, did not enjoy box office success, it has since become sort of a cult classic. That is why I am putting only as an honorable mention because it would probably rank #1 on my list otherwise. Every time I watch it, I notice something new and it never fails to make me laugh. It amazes me that this film took so long to gain popularity because to me it is one of the funniest movies ever made.
20. The Station Agent (2003) - Most people have not seen this little film, written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, and that is a shame. It features amazing character interaction with great performances by the cast which includes Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Peter Dinklage. I took a chance on it and I am so happy that I did. If you want to see a great character driven movie, I highly recommend this one.
19. Brewster's Millions (1985) - This is one of my favorite movies from the 80's and also ranked on my Top 10 John Candy movies (January 21^st issue). It stars Richard Pryor as a minor league baseball player who can inherit $300 million if he is able to spend $30 million in 30 days without having anything to show for it at the end. It actually is a great screenplay and should receive more credit than it does.
18. Elizabethtown (2005) - You only have to go back to my last article (February 27^th issue) to see about this Cameron Crowe film. As I said there, Crowe created a very deep character, played perfectly by Orlando Bloom, who you become emotionally attached to and that is what is at the heart of this movie. This film has many fantastic qualities to it, so I definitely recommend it if you have yet to see this one.
17. Enemy of the State (1998) - This film stars Will Smith and Gene Hackman who both put in fantastic performances. This will definitely appear on my Top 10 list for both actors when I decide to publish those to you. This action drama follows Smith's character as he becomes the target of a government agency trying to protect their own interests. This film somehow did not get the same notoriety of most Will Smith movies even though it is actually one of the best he has ever been in.
16. Tin Cup (1996) - This film, which is written and directed by the very underrated in his own right Ron Shelton, will easily rank on my Top 10 Sports Movies list which is scheduled to be published in the next month. What makes it special is that it is much more than just a sports movie and it features a solid cast which includes Kevin Costner, the beautiful Rene Russo, Don Johnson and Cheech Marin. If you follow golf you will probably enjoy this film a little more, but the story is entertaining enough even if you are not a golf fan.
15. Confidence (2003) - I am a big fan of what I refer to as a "caper" film and this is one of the best I have ever seen. A "caper" film would be anything about con artists or schemers like Ocean's 11 for instance. This film does not do anything revolutionary for the category, but has a strong story that is brought to life by a truly outstanding cast. The cast is lead by Edward Burns (who I feel is one of the most underrated actors out there), but also includes Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz among others. As with every single movie on this list, I highly recommend this one especially if you have never seen it.
14. Jersey Girl (2004) - This film is written and directed by Kevin Smith who is one of my absolute favorite filmmakers. It did not get widespread critical acclaim or box office success and some of that may have been impacted by its stars' off-screen relationship. Though the tabloids were covering the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez relationship like a blanket, the amazing and emotional performance Affleck puts in is totally overlooked. This film ranked on my Top 10 Affleck & Damon Movies (January 23^rd issue) and I am still confused why more people do not enjoy this movie. The great cast also includes Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jasson Biggs and introduces a little girl named Raquel Castro. Along with the message it delivers, they all help make this movie pretty special to me.
13. Finding Forrester (2000) - This movie, directed by Gus Van Zant, is best described through its tagline which reads "In an ordinary place, he found the one person to make his life extraordinary." This is one of those films that sneaks up on you and then when it is over you step back and feel impressed. The story is about an inner city high school boy who meets a Pulitzer Prize winning author (played by Sean Connery). It is a little bit predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable so you should definitely give it a try.
12. Diggstown (1992) - I admittedly did not see this one in theaters, but I do remember renting the video when it was released and being very impressed by it. The film obviously was overlooked and deserves much more credit for its originality and outstanding performances. James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr. both shine in their roles as a con man and boxer respectively. There is a good chance that you have never seen or maybe even heard of this movie and, if that is the case, I suggest you definitely check it out.
11. The Story of Us (1999) - This film ranked on my Top 10 Rob Reiner films list (January 12^th issue) and is another film that was somehow overlooked when it was released. It stars Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple over 15 years going through the normal ups and downs of marriage and at the end showing that true love endures. It features a tremendous soundtrack mostly by Eric Clapton which adds that extra touch to make it even more special. I enjoy this movie very much and I would guess that you would too.
10. That Thing You Do! (1996) - Written and directed by the great Tom Hanks, this fun and light-hearted film probably had high expectations to live up to. I feel they met and exceeded those expectations and this film deserves a lot more credit than it normally receives. It features a great soundtrack of mostly original songs and a exceptional cast which includes Hanks himself. I feel that Tom Everett Scott plays "Guy Patterson" perfectly and am still surprised that this actor did not turn into a superstar. This is a movie that most people probably did see, but is maybe worth watching again to recognize some of the brilliance on display.
9. Minority Report (2002) - This movie was very successful at the box office, but still does not get the tremendous credit that I feel it deserves. It appears on both my Steven Spielberg Top 10 (February 12^th issue) and my Tom Cruise Top 10 (January 7^th issue). They create a future world with incredible advances in technology, but the film still revolves around tremendous characters. As I have said before, this film is complex and has a lot going on, so even I did not appreciate it nearly as much until I watched it a second time. So whether you have seen it before or not, please watch it again because you notice so much more the second or third time through.
8. Love Actually (2003) - I enjoy watching this film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, especially around Christmas time. Taking place in England, it follows several different characters lives as they sort of crossover during the holiday season. As I am sure you have noticed by now, character development and interaction is the key element that really makes a film special to me. This movie really delivers in this capacity as rich characters are brought to life by a tremendous cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth and Laura Linney. I know Christmas is still about 9 months away, but if you do not see it sooner, I highly recommend that you see at that time.
7. The Sandlot (1993) - Many people consider this a children's movie, but just because it is about children does not make it a movie just for children. This is a coming of age film that has surprisingly rich characters with fantastic dialogue and interaction. I admit that this movie probably definitely appeals more to guys since it revolves around baseball and all of the main characters are boys. I rank it highly on this list because I enjoy this film probably more as a 35 year old than I would have as a child. The added perspective I have gained with age allows me to appreciate this film that much more.
6. Big Fish (2003) - I would describe this as a modern day fairy tale for adults and that is something we all can use a little more of in our lives. It is directed by Tim Burton, but definitely does not have the darkness I usually attribute to Burton films. The movie is a little quirky, but I tend to like that more than not. I would go as far as to compare it to the amazing Wizard of Oz (which is one of my very favorite films of all time) in its ability to tell a story that blurs the line between fantasy and reality in its effort to simply celebrate the joy of life. Like many of my favorites, this movie seems to get better each time I watch it. If you have yet to see it even once, I highly recommend you give it a try.
5. Beautiful Girls (1996) - I love this movie which follows a guy back to his hometown to attend his high school reunion and take inventory of his life, too. I have loved it since they day I saw it in the theater and each and every time I have watched it since then. Again it develops some rich characters who are brought to life by an outstanding cast which includes Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Michael Rappaport, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and so many others. The dialogue is special and the character interaction memorable. Ranked this high you know that I obviously give it my highest recommendation.
4. Indian Summer (1993) - Another one of my all-time very favorites, this film written and directed by Mike Binder did not receive much attention then and still not all that much now. I continue to champion this movie as another well written story featuring very rich characters. It follows a group of seven friends as they re-unite at their childhood summer camp and this premise sets up the opportunities for these characters to interact. The cast is lead by the great Alan Arkin and includes several other well-known actors like Elizabeth Perkins, Bill Paxton, Diane Lane and Kevin Pollack. I never attended a summer camp like this, but for some reason I am just attracted to this movie because of the great story, characters and performances. There is a good chance you may have never seen (or even heard of) this film, but I can't recommend it any more highly.
3. Out of Sight (1998) - Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, this film united director Steven Soderbergh with actor George Clooney. It also includes very strong performances by Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle and Ving Rhames among an incredible cast. It has a little bit of everything in it and it gives me some of special elements that I feel my all time favorite film Pulp Fiction provides. I always hoped and thought there was a chance a sequel to this movie would be made, but up to this point I have not heard anything about that possibility. This film falls into my "caper" category of action dramas, but it also makes me laugh quite a bit. Again like nearly all of the films on this list, it features a great story, with great characters and dialogue brought to life by an amazing cast. What else could you want in a movie?
2. Dogma (1999) - Another film written and directed by the amazing Kevin Smith, this is also another of my all-time favorites. Many people were distracted by the religious subject matter of this film and overlooked the fact that it is a pretty phenomenal movie. Anybody who claims this film is blasphemous or anti-religion has obviously not seen the movie. Though it does poke a little fun here and there, it really is a film that promotes faith and religion. Kevin Smith is an expert with dialogue and character development and this film is no different. It ranks #1 on my Top 10 Damon & Affleck list (January 23^rd issue) and will rank very highly if and when I actually release my Top 200 Favorite Movies of All Time.
1. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - This dark comedy is definitely not going to appeal to everybody, but it is perfect to me. It ranked #3 on my Top 10 Independent Films (January 26^th issue) and #2 on my Top 10 John Cusack list (January 15^th issue). I am not necessarily a fan of violent films, but if the violence is a function of the story and the humor, then it does not bother me at all. This film is about a professional hitman who is going back to his high school reunion and then hilarity ensues. This movie has never received the acclaim that I feel it so justly deserves, but it still is one of my favorite films of all time.

What do you think of that list? It gives you more insight into my taste in movies and I hope it gives you some ideas on movies you would like to see. Let me know if you take my advice on any of these and what your reaction is. All of the movies ended up being between 1985 and 2005 with most being between 1993 and 2003 even though I was considering the past 30 years. There are so many outstanding films and many of them do not get the credit they deserve. It is interesting that certain films tend to be box office smashes and certain films receive awards and critical acclaim, but there are others that get neither yet are so much better that the films that do. These are some of the best movies I have ever seen.

That will wrap a long issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Please continue to spread the word and I appreciate any traffic you send my way. Be sure to click on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column to make sure you have not missed any of the past issues. Have a wonderful weekend. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is a link to very entertaining and talented magicians Penn & Teller showing their "Cups & Balls Trick."

Quote of the day: On this last day of Black History Month, I will leave you with these great words... "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Download this: "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt