6. The Howling by An American Werewolf in London
Much like the domination of vampire films in the first half of the 21st century, werewolf films were the highlight of the ‘80s cult film canon. “An American Werewolf in London” and “The Howling” were two of the first films to start this trend.
Whereas “An American Werewolf in London” is widely seen and known by filmgoers, “The Howling” had taken a more underground seat. If one is not a werewolf film fan, despite these film being released in the same year, the chances are less that they are introduced to “The Howling,” whereas “An American Werewolf in London” is always featured in must-see lists.
At that time, “The Howling” was not a great hit among cinemagoers. However, as the underground film culture exploded with time, this film started to earn appreciation. It was a horror film unlike “An American Werewolf in London,” which was a horror-comedy. Den Wallace had a sultry look, the dark comedy was effective, and the effects by Rob Bottin was also noteworthy. However, “The Howling” ultimately failed to stand before the “An American Werewolf in London.”
7. Peggy Sue Got Married by Back to the Future
“Peggy Sue Got Married” was a fun little “Back to the Future” inspired film with little implication in its time-space continuum because of the mad activities of its protagonist. Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly is here replaced by the female counterpart Peggy Sue Bodell.
Like “Back to the Future,” in this film Peggy Sue is transported to her past with future knowledge in hand of where she would meet her future husband, and can predict future innovations without changing anything as a result. This absence of cause and effect helps this film grant a light-hearted feel, while there is ample scope for the audience to enjoy the employed fantasy of what one can do if someone meets their former self.
A comparison to “Back to the Future” is always granted based upon their similar plot lines and it holds true to this day. But it is a crime to think that the legacy of Marty McFly and Dr. Brown can be replicated so easily by another film. Although “Peggy Sue Got Married” could never match the pop culture legacy of “Back to the Future,” It is a rewarding must-watch in itself.
8. Churchill by Darkest Hour
Biographical films, official or unofficial, have always been a staple product for audiences to consume. Politician, King, Sportsperson, Actor, Painter – the range of biographical films is widespread. There is an umpteen number of films that have been done on the life of politicians. The most recent example of a politician’s life being scrutinized in the reel screen is Sir Winston Churchill.
While the not-so-old war drama “Darkest Hour” by period film specialist Joe Wright gained critical momentum from judge, and also succeeded to sew its name in history for the first Oscar win of acting chameleon Sir Gary Oldman, another biographical war drama named “Churchill,” released around the same time, remained unnoticed. Artistic freedom exercised by a feature film for the sake of narrative flow and entertainment is not new in Hollywood.
However, it was the biggest allegation against “Churchill.” But if slight historical inaccuracy can be overlooked, it featured an excellent performance from Brian Cox in the role of Churchill, and film was also a great entertainer.
Although the film “Darkest Hour” had its own fair share of historical inaccuracies, it went unnoticed in favor of the historical moment of Oldman’s win, and more surprisingly, unlike. Oldman, Cox didn’t even secure an Oscar nomination for his magnificent turn as Churchill.
9. Never Say Never Again by Thunderball
Two identical plots, but one canonical, and the other not: this difference largely divided the commercial success and attention of these two James Bond films. While “Thunderball” was as usual produced by the “unofficial” James Bond production company Eon Productions, “Never Say Never Again,” based on the book of the same name, was produced by a new independent production company whose producers also included Kevin McClory, one of the collaborators of Ian Fleming and a co-story writer of the original novella.
Sean Connery returned as an older Bond in the film “Never Say Never Again,” and the plot revolved around the theft of two nuclear weapons by the agency Spectre. It generally exists outside the James Bond continuity as a non-canonical film.
While “Never Say Never Again” was a financial and critical success itself, “Thunderball” had a larger share of success. “Thunderball” is the second most financially successful film of the whole James Bond franchise to date, and continues to amaze its audience. Although generally revered, “Thunderball” ultimately wins over “Never Say Never Again” in a close margin.
10. Infernal Affairs by The Departed
The film to earn Michael Scorsese his first Oscar win for Best Director, “The Departed” is more popular than the original “ Infernal Affairs” upon which it is based. The official title of the original Hong Kong film means ‘Hell,’ and the script also features this absurdism based upon Christianity and Buddhism in its core philosophy.
The most surprising fact is that while “The Departed” won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the far better “Infernal Affairs” was never nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film accolade at same awards ceremony.
“The Departed” was a decent film with a great pop soundtrack and acting from the lead and supporting cast, but overall “Infernal Affairs” was a more accomplished film. But by the vice of fate, a film released in the relatively unknown East Asian market never had the momentum in its favor like “The Departed,” and it is a big reason for the relative obscurity of this superior film.