Adam's Apples (Adams æbler) -a danish film about good and evil:). Its got neo-nazis, a vicar, a sex offender, a gas station robber, an alcoholic and cake.
http://adamsapplesthemovie.net/
Danish film! How about 'Pelle erobreren' (Pelle the Conquerer)?
or
'Babettes gæstebud' (Babette's Feast)
Another fun foriegn film (Norwegian/Swedish) is 'Salmer fra kjøkkenet' (Kitchen Stories).
Oh and 'Eat, Drink, Man, Woman' from the other side of the globe
or 'Stand and Deliver' with Olmos and Diamond-Phillips?
Oh and 'Eat, Drink, Man, Woman' from the other side of the globe
or 'Stand and Deliver' with Olmos and Diamond-Phillips?
I kind of feel as if Eat, Drink left the realm of "obscure" and was more a case of "foreign movie that should have been obscure but got rammed down your throat instead." Stand and Deliver was a great movie, but as near as I can tell was as widely viewed as, oh, maybe Titanic or Star Wars -- "obscure" wouldn't really come to my mind.
Then again, different regions may have had more or less aggressive advertising and release promotions. Dunno.
I kind of feel as if Eat, Drink left the realm of "obscure" and was more a case of "foreign movie that should have been obscure but got rammed down your throat instead." Stand and Deliver was a great movie, but as near as I can tell was as widely viewed as, oh, maybe Titanic or Star Wars -- "obscure" wouldn't really come to my mind.Then again, different regions may have had more or less aggressive advertising and release promotions. Dunno.
I live in the Ozarks where Cashew Chicken is counted as 'foriegn food', but you are right about that one catching on (just not locally). Wasnt sure of how obscure it was...apparently pretty prominent. And I thought only teachers had seen 'Stand and Deliver', but maybe that got shown in classrooms all over (which it should!)
And I thought only teachers had seen 'Stand and Deliver', but maybe that got shown in classrooms all over (which it should!)
That's something I hadn't considered; I myself was a teacher when I saw it. But then again, it seems like my non-teacher friends quote it regularly:
"Looks like Jimmy is late as usual?"
"Apparently."
"Have you seen him, Greg?"
"I killed him. His body's decomposing in my locker!"
Lots but damn...I can't remember the name of any... I have a lousy memory for names... So my post its prettymuch SPAM!
hehehe...sorry ;P
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Not sure about the obscurity of it, and haven't seen it mentioned yet, but The Boondock Saints is an awesome movie that I don't remember having a very high profile.
Oh, man, I thought I mentioned that one. F!+$!
"The Boondock Saints" is the source of SO many good quotes... It's my all-time favorite film.
"Chekov, eh? This here's McCoy. Find Spock and we'll have an away team."
"M-make like a tree, and g-get the f-f-F*!# OUTTA HERE!"
"We gotta get you a proverb book or somethin', 'cause this mix-and-match s**%'s gotta go."
"I killed your cat you druggie b$#~+!"
"You Irish cops are perking up. That's two sound theories in one day, neither of which deal with abnormally-sized men. Kinda makes me feel like Riverdancing."
"F&!@ing... what the f#@~ing f*#%... who the f*#& f%~@ed this f!&&ing... how did you two f$*!ing f$~@s... F+#!!"
Dr. Srangelove by Stanly Kubrick
the Trial by Alfred Hitchcock
I'm not clear on the sense in which you're using "obscure" for those. Certainly, in terms of widespread impact (EVERYONE has seen Strangelove at least twice, haven't they?) and in terms of accessibility of message, neither one could possibly be considered "obscure..." But those certainly aren't the only two possibilities of the sense of the word.
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I'm not clear on the sense in which you're using "obscure" for those. Certainly, in terms of widespread impact (EVERYONE has seen Strangelove at least twice, haven't they?) and in terms of accessibility of message, neither one could possibly be considered "obscure..." But those certainly aren't the only two possibilities of the sense of the word.Dr. Srangelove by Stanly Kubrick
the Trial by Alfred Hitchcock
Obscure as in not widely known. Very few people I know have seen Dr. Stranglove, they may know of the movie but have never watched it.
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A couple movies that really struck a chord with me are:
Tell No One, a French movie based on a book. Absolutely amazing acting, it followed the book to a T and even though the plot was a little convoluted, a great watch no matter what direction you come from.
Radio. This movie is one of the few that brought tears to my eyes. The whole concept is beautifully portrayed and the message powerful. Based on a true story, this movie is a true tearjerker.
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I don't know if it counts as obscure but Children of Men is hands down the best action film of the new millenium by a long way.
Children of Men isn't just one of the best action movies, it is one of the best MOVIES of this millennium. The cinematography is ridiculously good. It has a number of shots that I still scratch my head over. And it has standout performances by every single actor. Watching it is like living in the world it portrays, and the world is a character in its own light.
Repo Man is also teh s@#t!
"The more you drive, the less intelligent you become."
Classic!
Here are some other ones to nosh on:
From Hell
Gun Crazy
Snatch
City of God
The Professional
Aguirre: Wrath of God
Run, Lola, Run
The Science of Sleep
One movie that is important to see, but incredibly difficult to watch is Funny Games (either version). I have to say, it is not enjoyable to watch, at all, but it's commentary on violence in media is spot-on. I saw the remake at Sundance a couple years ago, and I had to walk out two-thirds of the way through it. I am glad I saw it, and think that others should see it as well, but I doubt I will see it again.
Give me a couple days to think of some more...
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I don't know if it counts as obscure but Children of Men is hands down the best action film of the new millenium by a long way.Children of Men isn't just one of the best action movies, it is one of the best MOVIES of this millennium. The cinematography is ridiculously good. It has a number of shots that I still scratch my head over. And it has standout performances by every single actor. Watching it is like living in the world it portrays, and the world is a character in its own light.
Repo Man is also teh s@#t!
"The more you drive, the less intelligent you become."
Classic!Here are some other ones to nosh on:
From Hell
Gun Crazy
Snatch
City of God
The Professional
Aguirre: Wrath of God
Run, Lola, Run
The Science of SleepOne movie that is important to see, but incredibly difficult to watch is Funny Games (either version). I have to say, it is not enjoyable to watch, at all, but it's commentary on violence in media is spot-on. I saw the remake at Sundance a couple years ago, and I had to walk out two-thirds of the way through it. I am glad I saw it, and think that others should see it as well, but I doubt I will see it again.
Give me a couple days to think of some more...
I disagree with "Snatch" being classified as obscure, but I agree with all your other choices, and would like to give a big "Hell Yes!" for "From Hell". One of the best interpretations of the jack the ripper stories (If I remember right) that I have ever seen.
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Love the Flint movies. More gadgets and women than all the bond movies put together. Any movie that has a weponized bra in it gets extra credit.Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
Our Man Flint
I loved his gun, which had only one purpose, to be taken away from Flint. After all it fired backwards, so he would never want to use it.
Oh,I had forgotten funny games :) "Welcome to the Dollhouse" directed by Todd Solondz. I squirmed in my seat for 88 minutes.
Other funfilms from Scandinavia are Junk mail (budbringeren) the postman doesn't knock -he reads your mail or throws it away;) Together(Tilsammans) imdb tagline; 1975 ;one house; one revolutionary; two open straight marriages; three gay people (maybe four); three children; two carnivores and eight vegetarians; there's only one way they're going to make it... together
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One of my favorites is Fantastic Planet, a 1973 animated slice of pure awesome. As far as I know, it is out of print, but one of the comments on imdb mentioned that they bought the DVD and Sci-Fi had shown the movie. It has it all: fantastic art, great story, social allegory and it just oozes fantasy in so many ways.
This isn't a kids movie, btw, if that is not already apparent.
The Duellists
I loved that movie: 5 stars from me on Netflix. Every scene opens with a still-life painting. Beautiful, beautiful cinemetography, and directing skilled enough to conceal the fact that Kaitel can't actually fence.
Can we extend this to obscure mini series? White Dwarf gets my vote.
Suggested by a friend of mine upon seeing this list.
. . . Try this experiment with anyone who's seen this flick: just whisper "kiri kiri kiri". . . guaranteed to produce a shudder.
Various people have mentioned "City of Lost Children" but don't notice anyone mentioning "Delicatessen". . . Stumbled upon this dark, hilarious gem at some God-awful hour of the morning on a movie channel purely by accident and became a cult classic (at least in my mind) instantly!
Almost forgot about a squirm-in-your-seat great movie in the same fractured narrative vein as "Memento": "Irreversible" if you've seen it once, and think that vengeance was served, watch it again. . .you may have missed something.
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Did anyone see Bug? It was given low rating because many people thought is was supposed to be a "monster movie" when in reality it was an intense psychological thriller based upon a play. It faded away quickly after a national release and I caught it on pay-per-view. I found the movie great because I had no preconceived notion of what the story was about.
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Bug looked interesting to me, and the play is supposed to be good.
Has anyone seen "The Station Agent"? It's a great film about a train-enthusiast who inherits an old train station and moves there to live in solitude. Oh, and he's a dwarf. His interactions with the people he meets are hysterical in some cases and cringe-worthy in others. Of particular note is the local hot dog-truck worker, Joe, who seems completely oblivious to the fact that his new friend is a dwarf.
I also recommend "In Bruges". I don't know if it counts as obscure, as it had a rather wide release, but I love Martin McDonagh. If you like In Bruges, you should read (or see, if possible) his plays, particularly "The Pillowman". He writes viciously disturbing comedies. They're brilliant.
Anyone seen a tight little suspense gem, "Frailty"?
Awesome little movie, produced by - of all people - Bill Paxton (yeah, of "Game over!" fame in "Aliens") for about $30,000.
The premise is simple: what if - during your childhood - your dad woke you up at 3 a.m. to tell you he'd been chosen by God to kill demons. . .
Watch it. Awesome.
Ever find a movie on the shelf at the video store that you never heard of before and figured, "what the heck, I'll give it a go," and your gamble paid off?
Tampopo: A truly hilarious foreign film about a young Japanese woman on a (literal) quest to make the perfect noodles for her start-up restaurant.
Loved Tampopo.
Tetsuo the Iron Man - Wacky Japanese live action/stop motion.
...And not "Haha" wacky, either. More... Umm.. "What the hell is going on?" - wacky.
I was just linking folks to this movie the other day. Very strange, unique, experimental, and evocative. A one of a kind.
The Man Who Knew Too Little: Bill Murry makes fun of every spy movie ever made.
I wish that was on right now.
Hardware.
this is what you want... this is what you get.
Hardware was brilliant. Saw it in the theatres.
The Circle of Iron also called the Silent flute - Written by Bruce Lee and filmed after his death. It's about a fighter seeking enlightenment and the trials he faces each push him further along the path to true Zen. Stars David Carradine (kung fu) in multiple rolls, Roddy McDowell (Cornelius from the plant of the apes movies) and Eli Wallach (Tuco from the good, the bad and the ugly). I'm not sure if this would be considered obscure but a good movie none the less.
I truly love this film. I own a copy and sent one over to Heathansson.
Thing is... David Carradine beat Bruce Lee out for the part of Qui Chang Kane... a part Bruce Lee wrote for himself! When he died before the Silent Flute could be made, how bizarre that once again Carradine plays the role written by and for the master himself. Brother can't get a break.
BTW, first thing I ever taught myself on flute was the theme to this movie when I was 14.
Freeway - Reese Witherspoon as a sassy, foul mouthed runaway and Kiefer Sutherland as her nemesis. Modern take on Little Red Riding Hood. Reese is awesome.
Own it. Awesome.
Death to Smoochy- Robin Williams in his first genuinely funny role in years plays evil foil to Edward Norton in this satirical take on the dark underbelly of kids' TV shows.
This Film is Not Yet R-ated- A documentary film about the MPAA that was nearly banned. Directed by Kirby Dick, and featuring John Waters, Kevin Smith, Hilary Swank, and a pair of lesbian private investigators.
Morgan's Ferry- Henry Rollins as serial killer. 'Nuff said.
a lot of the films on people's lists I really liked, but I can't comment on because I don't think they're obscure.
Death to Smoochy got terrible reviews but I thought it was brilliant. Ed Norton's best role alongside American History X.
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Anyone seen a tight little suspense gem, "Frailty"?
Awesome little movie, produced by - of all people - Bill Paxton (yeah, of "Game over!" fame in "Aliens") for about $30,000.
The premise is simple: what if - during your childhood - your dad woke you up at 3 a.m. to tell you he'd been chosen by God to kill demons. . .
Watch it. Awesome.
I loved that movie. One of the few genuinely scary movies I've seen in a long time.
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I loved that movie. One of the few genuinely scary movies I've seen in a long time.Anyone seen a tight little suspense gem, "Frailty"?
Awesome little movie, produced by - of all people - Bill Paxton (yeah, of "Game over!" fame in "Aliens") for about $30,000.
The premise is simple: what if - during your childhood - your dad woke you up at 3 a.m. to tell you he'd been chosen by God to kill demons. . .
Watch it. Awesome.
I just wached it a couple of days ago on late night cable. A little slow in the build up but the shocker at the end was worth it and the end is almost as good a the Sixth Sense.
Yep, I have Frailty on DVD too.
Bloorg. Somebody fetch "Vomit Guy" for me! The "surprise plot twist" at the end of Frailty didn't match a lot of the rest of the movie, so the whole thing came across to me as being lame and incredibly contrived, rather than a being a "whoa" moment. (It's not as blantant as some, but still grated on me quite a bit.) Contrast with the above-mentioned Sixth Sense, in which an astute viewer, getting the final "twist," can see how it nicely matches all the clues given previously -- even better than the movie does without the twist.
Far and away my biggest movie "pet peeve" ever is when the "surprise plot twist" blatantly invalidates earlier portions of the movie. That's lazy storytelling, sacrificing internal consistency for a cheap "wow." Memento is one of my favorites because each new twist -- including what you learn in the microburst of flashbacks in the last 5 minutes -- beautifully fits the rest of the story.
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Has anyone suggested "The Last Sword Drawn". Japanese film. Multi-award winner. You have to put up with one too many landscape shots with poetic voice overs, some "heh heh heh"ing at the camera, and some over-sentimental/histrionic actiong. That's par for the course IMHO. However, this samurai film is amazing. Tear-jerker tragedy the whole way through. It centers on the rivalry of two samurai at the fall of the Tokugawan shogunate in the 19th century. One of the most innovative uses of flashback I've ever seen, which, frankly would normally leave me cold as a filmic device. But this? Tremendous. Just great.
There was a great animated version of the Soldier's Tale that I saw when I was younger, with music by Igor Stravinsky. It was really cool / depressing. It remains my all time favorite depiction of the Devil.
If you have seen Darren Aronofsky's Pi or Requiem, check out The Fountain
If you have seen Kurasawa's Seven Samurai or Roshamon, go seeSanjuro or Ran
If you have seen F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, go see Faust
If you have seen Fritz Lang's Metropolis, check out M
Guilty pleasure: Casshern or The Game of Death