The Best Movies You've Never Seen About Lost Treasures
(Welcome to The Best Films You've Never Seen, a collection that can take a appear at extra hidden marginally, under-the-radar, or under-appreciated movies simply. This week we go looking for moveld ann maybe a little iron pyrite in the search for Freelesbianpassport site some underseen gems about people looking for lost, hidden, or legendary treasures.)
There's something endlessly appealing about a search for hidden treasure, and movies have captured the feeling time and time again. From the Indiana Jones trilogy to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, from The Rundown to Three Kings, there's a thrill to the pursuit of something lost or legendary. Some films focus exclusively on the journey and the puzzles along the way while others frame it as a race against time and the enemy, but the goal remains the same: find "it."
Despite the subgenre's popularity, though, there are more than a few out there that never quite caught on or maybe just deserve all the eyeballs, and that's where I come in. So keep reading for a look at six highly entertaining movies about people in pursuit of lost treasure you've probably never seen. Rather than hand you a map filled with clues and challenges designed to ultimately point you towards some fun movies you probably haven't seen yet, I've decided to eliminate the middle man and just name them.
Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981)
A hunter finds the crashed remains of a missing World War II plane that was reportedly carrying a fortune in gold. For them Unfortunately, some bad guys are hot on their trail and want the gold for themselves. He enlists the help of his daughter and a local chopper pilot to try and salvage the lost treasure.This is a simple little adventure tale, but there's such a sense of fun in both the performances - from Donald Pleasance, Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard, and Bruno Lawrence - and the action sequences. Helicopters and boats happen to be utilized in some genuinely amazing chases, stunts, and set-pieces that keep adrenaline high. The gorgeous New Zealand locales add to the film's appeal as it takes full advantage of the landscape's eye-catching beauty.
The film's highlight comes with a heavy dose of tragedy, though, as the centerpiece stunt sequence - a wickedly cool boat chase - left three airboat pilots dead when things got out of control during production. The relatively long sequence is fantastic and easily among the best boat chase scenes ever filmed as it features speed, jumps, collisions, and genuine thrills. This was during the region's heyday of crazy stunts being attempted and achieved without regulation, and while things have come a long way since and the film can and should still be enjoyed, our appreciation will come with the understanding of the cost paid by filmmakers.
Race for the Yankee Zephyr is available on Blu-ray/DVD.
White Fire (1984)
A brother and sister orphaned at the end of a flame-thrower and a machine gun grow up to work in a diamond mine. They're not keen on their current station in life, hence with the male who preserved them as kids along, they plan to rob their employer. Things take a turn when the legendary White Fire - a diamond the size of a bread box - is discovered, sending the siblings, their friend, and a whole lot of bad guys into a frenzy.Remember when I mentioned iron pyrite in the intro above? From there we cut to the siblings as adults and things get really nuts with Robert Ginty, Fred Williamson, some gory chainsaw attacks, a mysterious surgeon and her cult-like lesbian entourage, lots of gunfire, and a magical gemstone that burns people today when it is touched by them. Let's just say this absolute gem and objectively bad movie is the fool's gold I was referring to. The opening scene offers a slow-motion survival run set to a ballad that ends with a ridiculously irresponsible fire stunt - one of two in the film! It's poorly made by most standards, but good gravy is it a crazy fun slice of exploitation.
It's not shy about the T&A angle either, but it gives the fleshy bits a twist of sorts in that the focus is usually on some unnerving affection between the siblings. On Later, he fondles a woman who's been surgically altered to look like his sister and it's a while before he hesitates. Ginty's Bo gawks at his nude sister - she was skinny-dipping, Freelesbianpassport site and he yanked her towel away - and wonders aloud about what he'd do if they weren't related. Possibly. It's weird, icky, and all component of this bonkers actions/venture. Will be there extra incest than diamonds camping?
White Fire is available on DVD and streaming.
Armour of God (1986) / Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991)
Asian Hawk is a famed adventurer and treasure hunter tasked with finding the truth behind legendary artifacts and lost gold piles. Hwill be first adventure sees him tracking down pieces of armor while squaring off against an evil cult with nefarious intentions, and his second puts him in search of lost Nazi bullion.Jackie Chan's run of movies through the '80s and '90s remain an unparalleled achievement in pure action bliss, and it includes a bunch of films that will be eminently rewatchable even so. The first film also features one of Chan's worst onset injuries - a simple jump to a tree branch - and they serve as constant reminders of the risks he repeatedly took in pursuit of action excellence. These two riffs on the Indiana Jones franchise are heavy on silliness (and on the body count in the 1st film), but their bread and butter is a glorious blend of big stunts (Chan skydiving onto a hot-air balloon!), fight scenes, and action sequences (a motorcycle chase that feels like it could very well have been an inspiration for thwill be year's Mission: Impossible - Fallout).
As much fun as both of these movies are, all of it shows up from Chan and the actions practically. If you only have access to the U.S. releases, it's worth noting that the geniuses at Miramax put the second film in theaters first as Operation Condor and then released the first to DVD with the title Operation Condor 2: Armour of God. It's rough going at times, but thankfully, the action through both films is always there to remind you why you're watching. You can skip the third film (Chinese Zodiac) altogether. The actual attempts at humor, of which there are usually many, are a blend of effective physical comedy and some fairly derwill beive bits featuring "dumb" women and "funny" foreigners.
Armour of God 1 & 2 are available on Blu-ray/DVD and streaming.
The Good the Bad the Weird (2008)
Manchuria in 1939 is as Old West as the East gets, and three men are on a collwill beion with violent destiny. All three find themselves tied together in pursuit of a treasure map and the bounty it points towards. One is a villain, the other a lawman on his trail, and the third is a petty crook more malicious than malevolent.Like Chan's films above, this Southerly Korean work of genius will be from imprecise much, but being a foreign language release, it's a movie still not enough people have seen. Terrifically crafted set-pieces litter the film with small interactions and epic chase sequences across the wide-open landscape. Seek it out now if that's you: the movie is a beautiful, stylish, and action-packed riff on Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) that stakes its claim throughout as more than mere homage.
Director Kim Jee-woon is no stranger to cinematic brilliance having also gifted us with the likes of I Saw the Devil (2010) and A Bittersweet Life (2005), but he applies it to somewhat lighter fare here. There's still plenty of death, but it seems much much less harsh in its performance. This usually will be entertainment to watch loud, and on as big a screen as you can find. Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, and Jung Woo-sung bring the lead trio to life, and each of them embodies their chaotic alignments with energy, personality, and charisma.
The Good the Bad the Weird is available on Blu-ray/DVD and streaming.
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014)
A young Japanese woman tired of her life finds purpose after watching 1996's Fargo. The movie ends without anyone retrieving the cash hidden along the fence, and believing the film to be a treasure map of sorts, she heads to America in pursuit of the loot.Movies about the hunt of lost treasures are almost always adventures filled with thrills and excitement, but this beautiful and somber motion picture can be additional of an intimate and mental tragedy. A sad journey, to be sure, but an engaging one. Sounds fun, I know, but the Zellner brothers - David and Nathan, who also made this year's brilliant Damsel - craft the film and their character with such warmth and soft wit as to make it every bit of an interesting journey.
The strength of the film belongs to lead Rinko Kikuchi, who melts our hearts possibly mainly because the perfect hemorrhoids up around her. Her Kumiko is a woman determined in her quest for thwill be treasure, and her innocence and hope depart us urging her despite figuring out her dream is a fantasy forward. There's a low-key sense of humor running through it all, more dark than laugh out loud, and it prospects to some laughs possibly as points brain in sad instructions.
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is available on Blu-ray/DVD and streaming.
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)
A small town in Canada's Yukon Territory was home to a grand discovery of lost treasures in 1978: hundreds of film reels from the early 20th century kept intact beneath a permafrost layer covering an abandoned and buried swimming pool. Collectively with information clippings and archival images, they tell the whole story of Dawson City itself.Documentaries don't typically come into play on these lists, but the motion picture reels symbolize a display unlike any various other and had been believed similarly shed. Many of the reels represent the only surviving copies of films, meaning their discovery and subsequent clean-up revealed images thought gone forever. It's a glimpse we're made privy to without the distraction of narration or talking heads, too - we're simply watching Dawson City. Their monetary value may not be as impressive as the one associated with piles of gold bars or tombs filled with treasures, but as a glimpse into the past, these treasures are priceless.
Bill Morrison's doc is a mesmerizing experience for the senses as we fall into the town's past, from financial booms to devastating busts, and as it unspools before us, the story of America and of Hollywood's burgeoning film industry comes equally to life. It's a fascinating trip filled with intriguing hwill betory and unlikely emotion, and you'll wish its two-hour running time was several times longer. These films weren't missed until they were found, and there's a lesson there we can all take to heart.Dawson City: Frozen Time is available on Blu-ray/DVD and streaming. We see the town face the calamity of major fires (more than once!) and watch as it's built up again and again, and their battles usually hand mirror the ups and downs of the United Expresses as a complete. Rather than a tale about searching for treasure, the film getcomes one about its burial and unexpected discovery.
