Open Forum Friday: What Will Be the Best Under The Radar Summer Movie?
Well as you can see I’ve brought back the Open Forum Friday feature, and I thought we’d try combining it with a poll to encourage a little more participation. So now you can simply click to cast a vote, or if you have more to say you can post more detailed comments below.
With the summer blockbuster season just kicking off, there is no shortage of discussion going around about the upcoming flicks and which ones will or will not live up to the hype. I thought I’d take the discussion in a slightly different direction. Amidst all the huge tentpole movies, there are some smaller films that will be competing for your attention. While they probably won’t make as much money, I’m wondering which of these, if any, will be surprise hits or become a recommended alternative to the other bloated affairs in theatres this summer. I’ve included 10 choices in the poll below, some of which will be in limited release, while others will be fairly wide. Feel free to come up with your own. Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday!
Comments (8)
I’ve seen Rescue Dawn, it’s what I voted for “best” since it’s such an odd list… Eagle vs Shark was good, but not amazing. I don’t think 1408 is “under the radar”, it’s pretty big, but I’ve got high hopes for it. Bug wasn’t that great, saw that. DOA and Stardust look awful, just awful. Hot Rod may be good, but it’s a comedy, and those can only go so far… The Invasion has terrible reviews so far and I would call it pretty mainstream like 1408. And The Signal I’ve heard good stuff, but not good enough stuff to make me believe it would be a best.
So based on that interpretation, I voted Rescue Dawn.
Posted by Alex on May 18th, 2007Rescue Dawn is the only one I’ve seen so far and it was quite good. I am curious to see what mainstream audiences think of it. I agree some of the movies are bigger than others but I just figured that something like 1408 is in a different league than all the massive franchise sequels coming out.
Posted by Sean on May 18th, 2007Am I wrong or wasn’t Knocked Up one of the movies that you said could be a “sleeper hit.”
I think that movie looks like it could be great.
Posted by Mike on May 18th, 2007Hey Mike, that one’s definitely worth mentioning too… I considered putting it on the list but I just kind of thought Judd Apatow wasn’t so “under the radar” anymore. Maybe Superbad would qualify even more, but either way, both are original non-franchise movies that have to compete with the big boys this summer.
Posted by Sean on May 18th, 2007I got to say that my vote would have gone to ‘Superbad’ as well.
Posted by will on May 18th, 2007I voted for Eagle vs. Shark. It looks weird and funny (and “foreign”), which means that not a lot of people will see it at the cinema, but judging on how well Flight Of The Concords have been building up buzz I think it will build up a lot of word of mouth, and possibly be success. I almost voted for Hot Rod, but I don’t think a SNL-related movie can really be considered under the radar. Also would have voted for Superbad over any of the others. Cera + Rogen + Apatow = Hilarity
Posted by Derek on May 18th, 2007I intend to see Bug, The Signal, and Rescue Dawn.
Rescue Dawn really has me excited. Based on The Machinist, American Psycho, The Prestige, and Harsh Times, Christian Bale is fast becoming one of my favorite actors. Also, I have a soft spot in my heart for Steve Zahn based on his performance in Blowin’ Smoke (aka Freak Talks About Sex).
Bug just looks neat and I really want to know exactly what the movie’s about. Is it really bugs or are they just going crazy? (If anyone knows the answer to this, please don’t say…it was a hypothetical question)
The Signal interests me because it’s low budget and has a good possibility of being a memorable watch. Hopefully it’s nothing like Pulse, which had a somewhat similar premise.
I’ll see Stardust because I’m a comic nerd, though I don’t expect it to be anywhere near as good as the illustrated novel.
I was interested in Invasion just because it’s a Body Snatchers movie. I say ‘was’ because I’ve heard nothing but horrible, horrible things about it. I may still see it if I’ve got nothing better to do.
Again, I’d been interested in 1408 until reading some heinous reviews.
Eagle vs Shark doesn’t look very good to me, but it’s bound to be better than Alien vs Predator and Freddy vs Jason, so I may rent it someday if people say it’s good. Then again, people say Alien vs Predator and Freddy vs Jason are good, so I can’t really trust people, can I?
Sicko and Hot Rod also hold no real interest for me, and DOA can eat my ass.
Does anyone think Super Bad has a chance among the other films on this list?
Posted by Rian on May 19th, 2007Leave a Reply