Beowulf and Grendel

We got quite a way into this flick before deciding it was "just plain bad" rather than "so bad it's good". It does have some very nice scenery (Iceland) but everything else is awful. Beowulf is inexplicably Scottish. Hrothgar is permanently pissed. There is a thoroughly annoying Irish monk who doesn't get done by Grendel because he's Christian. Oh the symbolism! And, to cap it all, many of the characters spend a lot of the time hitting themselves on the head with rocks. Not recommended.

Underrated films

Tell me about a film you think is under-rated or, at least, doesn't enjoy the popularity it deserves. Everybody knows about films like Lawrence of Arabia or Dr. Zhivago and the rest. What I want to hear about are some less well known gems.

My nomination would be The Duellists. It's based on a story by Joseph Conrad and was directed by Ridley Scott before he was famous. It has a fantastic cast; David Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Tom Conti, Albert Finney, Edward Fox, and it evokes the Napoleonic era better than any other film I can think of. It's lovely to look at and compelling from beginning to end. If you've never seen it, rush out and rent the DVD.