Sleepers

Movies Forum

What's a Sleeper,

It's a move that all the critics say is a flop or they don't review because they think it's not very good or is made with pratically no money. Some will even not make it at the box office. However they they end up being a great movie.

Have you seen a movie lately (new, video, TV) that everyone said it was not good but you thought it was one of the best movies you've seen in a long time. Maybe a movie that nobody's heard of.

Tell us!

Real Genus

A movie that I think was a sleeper that we just watched was Real Genius staring Val Kilmer. A real funny movie about a 15 year old Phisics major who gets accepts to a college with other genius (who were accepted as kids) to build a powerful laser. His roommate is a loonie bunny slipper wearing Val Kilmer. Once they figure out the laser, it is taken from the college and put in a B1B for testing. The smartest person in the world lives in the steam catacombs unders the campus and is a throw back from the 70's and he figures out that the governement is going to use the laser as a weapon and helps the kids to make the test go wrong. He also figured out how to win 64% of the prizes in the Frito Lay's sweepstakes.
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The film is more about the antics of these college kids kind of in the style of Animal House.
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I've always liked this movie and now my 13 year old likes it.

I loved that movie! Good pick, Ron!!

Favorite scene... the popcorn in the professors house!

I think my favorite scene is when the put the radio tranceiver in Kents braces and he thinks God is talking to him....

Well there were so many funny scenes.

Two movies that I'm watching for and will record are "The Last Starfighter" and "My Science Project".

Oh my god... that was so funny when he thought that was "god" talking to him!!!!

The Last Starfighter was a great flick. Bad special effects and costume make up, but a great movie.

Which one was My Science Project? I remember Weird Science, which I loved. The 80's had great movies...

My Science Project is about a kid who only cares about cars and girls and isn't doing well in high school except for auto shop. But he needs a great science project to graduate. He finds an alien gadget in a military Junk Yard, Davis Monthan AFB. Not knowing what it does he connects it to his car battery and moves a couple of levers and an object appears before their eyes.

He figures this is the science project that will get him graduated and takes it to his teacher played by Dennis Hopper. Dennis (his teacher) is an x Viet Nam Vet and decides to connect it to the power grid. Then things really start to happen and objects and people start appearing from the past.

Any way the kid and his girlfriend see that this is something that is too dangerous and realize they must cut the power but they can't get to the object to do it so they decide to dynamite one of the powerline towers. Problem is that they need to get ahead of the spike moving down the line. That's were the his Hot Rod comes into play. They dynamite the tower and end the power spike of course he passes.

Here are some comments about the move, seems you either really like it or you hate it. Me I liked the movie. This is why it is a sleeper.

"Really bad teen 80s flick... "

"I love 'My Science Project'. I first saw it on HBO one day back in 87 and loved it right away, it's a great sci-fi thriller, with many moments of comedy as well."

"This is such a great movie,please don`t pass it up if you havn`t seen it yet,after you see it you`ll remember it for years to come!"

"For some reason I liked this film when I was young, but now I can't imagine why. "

As I started reading what you wrote, I remembered the movie. It was a typical, corky 80's flick... but I did like it.

I loved house of 1000 corpses. It was an awesome movie. It's really like sort of a tribute to 70 style b movies with a sort of texas chainsaw massacre feel. It was great but all the critics hated it. ROb Zombie really knows what hes doing and I can't wait for the release of House of 1000 corpses part 2.

Critics hate all horror movies, but I think they're just afraid of being thought of us uncultured if they indicate that they enjoy it So the best way for them to feel better about themselves is to think of the most creative ways to trash the horror genre.

I personally love good horror movies (house of 1000 corpses was definately a great one, just as was said above), and think a good scare, along with a good laugh, is one of the best feelings in the world.

Oh, I'd like to add the 13th floor. It was a great movie, and I don't remember a single piece of publicity it got.

Hmmm.....

Biggest sleeper of all? Wasn't it the MATRIX? It really caught on through word of mouth, or at least that's what one critic said... I wanted to see it as soon as I saw the first preview...

Hmm... Sleepers....

Awakenings? I never knew anything about this movie, then I watched it on tv one night. I LOVED it! Really a powerful movie. I have NO IDEA what was said about it by critics and the media...

btw, Awakenings stars Robert DeNiro as a patient who wakes from a 30 comatose-like state, through the efforts of his doctor, played by Robin Williams. Fantastic movie. Made me let loose a couple of normally well-guarded and locked-down tears... <sniff... sob...>

Sleeper of the year was 28 days later.
I read a lot of reviews and people tended to either love it or hate it.
This IS a horror/suspense movie that has some depth of thought to it, and was the most pleasant surprise of 2003 for me so far.

Ooh I saw awakenings... yeah that was good.

28 days later, I didn't know it was a sleeper... seemed popular enough

Matrix, I'll agree only caught on through word of mouth... it was promoted enough, just had nothing interesting to entice people to see it (except the "what is the matrix" thing). I must admit I only saw it because I was at the right place at the right time and said "sure, what the hell, I'll watch it."

I'd say Jeepers Creepers was a bit of a sleeper, but obviously it did good enough for there to be a sequel...

true... people hated that movie though, but I think it was damn good, didn't try and please the audience; it did it what should really happen if you're faced with an unstoppable killing monster hahaha

Plus, it could be a franchise. Was there any mention of what timeframe Jeepers Creepers was set in? It could have been meant to be in the present, or maybe in the 80's?? I can't remember too many era-related specifics from the movie. Just that abandoned church basement... GRUUUUEEE-SOME!!!

Maybe after 2, they'll pick up the 3rd one from the beginning of the monster's feeding cycle around this timeframe (2000's)??

Oh, what about the comedy of the year last year? THAT was a sleeper... I live in Winnipeg and I forgot about that one... The leading lady was only raised here, and her parents still live here.....

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Must've forgot it cuz I've never seen it, and have no desire to either........ (Sorry Nia... Just not intersted...)

Hmm... haven't seen Jeepers Creepers 2 yet, but I saw the clip and it seems to have some "modern day jocks" in it... so I'm not sure if they could pick up the franchise again. Though I don't remember anyone using a car in the first one that was made in the past 23 years...

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was good - the movie was one of the funniest I've seen in a while! I didn't really wanna watch it in the first place, but it was worth it.