Authors Ardis Sillick and Michael McCormick will introduce you to lost classics such as Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974), arguably Coppola's best film and Gene Hackman's best role, or Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (1958), a comedy adventure that George Lucas acknowledges as the inspiration for Star Wars. If you like westerns, there's Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962). Fans of the horror flick will want to see Bob Balaban's Parents (1989). And the whole family will enjoy The Brave One (1956), a touching story about a Mexican boy who saves his pet bull from the bullfighting ring. As a bonus, famous writers, critics, and screen-writers, including Greil Marcus, Gay Talese, and Jonathan Yardley, reveal their favorite movies.
While Blockbuster offers only the latest from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Julia Roberts and while Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert encapsulate the good, bad, and indifferent in telephone book-size guides, Great Movies You've Probably Missed is an excellent browse for hardcore cinephiles, casual movie buffs, and anyone who would like to be pleasantly surprised at the video store.
