The 10 most underrated movies of all time

So, a lot of movies are really underrated. Sometimes it's because they were unfairly savaged by critics, sometimes it's because they are flops at the box office, or sometimes the movie's budget is so big, and expectations are so high. Here we go.

10. Pump Up The Volume: Christian Slater stars as an introverted high school student, who becomes an underground disc jockey. He eventually is pursued by the FCC as they try to pull the proverbial plug. This 1990 film was way ahead of its time, tackling issues like teen suicide and the potential problems with standardized testing.

9. Bubba Ho-Tep: Bruce Campbell is Elvis, who woke up after a 20-year coma. Ossie Davis is a man who claims to be JFK. This unlikely pair discovers a mummy who feeds on the souls of the elderly. Enough said. This has become a cult classic.

8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: A lot of you may not have heard of this movie. This is not long before Robert Downey Jr. hit pay dirt as Iron Man, and quite a while after Val Kilmer was "Iceman." It was written and directed by Shane Black, who wrote the first two "Lethal Weapon" movies, creating the iconic characters of Murtaugh and Riggs, and director of "Iron Man 3," which was a big leap over the mediocre second entry in the series. The movie has Downey's character accidentally ducking into a movie audition after his friend was killed and acing the audition. He is paired up with a Kilmer's character, an openly gay private eye. The two characters end up in the middle of a murder investigation, and all sorts of chaos ensue. The action and dialogue are both great, and this is a fine addition to the buddy-cop genre.

7. The Dark Knight: This was a wonderful movie that redefined and revolutionized both the comic book and action genres. Although Heath Ledger deservedly won posthumously for Best Supporting Actor, the film was not nominated for Best Picture. Because viewership was low for the Oscars, this prompted the Academy to change the rules and nominate up to 10 films for Best Picture in a very confusing process which I won't even attempt to explain.

6. Won't You Be My Neighbor: One of the best documentaries I have ever seen, and one of the best movies of 2018, this biography of Fred (Mister) Rogers was somehow not nominated for Best Documentary Feature. This is a travesty!

5. Life Itself: See above. Another great documentary, a no-holds-barred look at the life of film critic Roger Ebert, was also denied a documentary feature nomination.

4. Solo: A Star Wars Story: Everyone likes to throw shade at this movie because it grossed "only" $84 million on its opening weekend. People are blaming this movie for the death of the Star Wars saga. In reality, although not a masterpiece, it was a decent action movie with stunning visuals, and a surprising amount of character development. For the record, the plan is to put all Star Wars movies on hold after Episode IX later this year. Supposedly, director J.J. Abrams and the crew are sweating every detail to end the Skywalker saga with a bang, as opposed to the semi-mess that was Episode VIII (The Last Jedi).

3. The Cabin in the Woods: This is, hands down, one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It's not just a horror movie, it is a deconstruction of every horror movie, and provides an explanation for horror movie tropes. It is unpredictable, creatively written and pays homage to several horror and slasher movies (the great Joss Whedon was a co-writer). By the way, make sure you watch the last 20 minutes, when, frankly, all hell breaks loose.

2. The Cable Guy: So, I guess people at the time weren't used to seeing Jim Carrey in a more serious role, and I guess a lot of people, and critics, just don't like black comedy. This is about a man (Matthew Broderick), who is mentally disturbed, and gives him "the works" in exchange for his friendship. The results are bizarre, to say the least. The funniest scene in the movie takes place at Medieval Times where this exchange between Broderick and Janeane Garofolo as the "serving wench" takes place: 

"Can I get a knife and fork?"

"There were no utensils in medieval times, hence there are no utensils at Medieval Times. Would you like a refill on that Pepsi?"

"There were no utensils, but there was Pepsi?"

"Dude, I've got lots of tables."

Then, the two main characters battle in a great parody of the Star Trek episode "Amok Time," with Carrey providing the music.

Oddly enough, at the movie's climax, Carrey's character says about "Waterworld" (see below):

"I don't know what the big fuss is about. I saw that movie nine times. It rules!"

1. Waterworld: This Kevin Costner film was doomed from the start. At one point, the entire atoll set sank into the ocean, and the final price tag exceeded $200 million, the most expensive movie ever made at the time. However, what we have here is a very good action movie. It's derivative of Mad Max, (this time on a dystopian world almost entirely covered with water) and the acting is just okay, but the set decoration and action scenes are very well staged. There is also plenty of witty dialogue, thanks in part to Joss Whedon, who worked on the script, and Dennis Hopper, as the film's villain, The Deacon, who delivers most of these lines... 

When trying to stop their own gunner from blowing them out of the water: "Maybe he doesn't answer to Chuck. Call him Charles."

On the main character, a human who has "adapted" to the new world, with webbed feet and gills: "It's the gentleman guppy. You know, he's like a turd that won't flush."