Great Movies It Seems Like Nobody Else Has Ever Heard Of

NOBODY I talk to has ever even heard of Detroit Rock City. And it's rather annoying.

Any of you ever had this? A great movie that not a damn soul has seen?

Heard of the name. Never saw it.

Buckaroo Banzai

Dark Star

If... (oh, OK, it *seemed* great at the time)

Silent Running (Brilliant demented performance from Bruce Dern)

I guess Rainbow Bridge isn't really a great film, but it goes well with drugs.

Powers of Ten won't take up much of your life, but it's well worth the time it occupies. If you don't have time for the movie, at least checkout the website

You don't have to see Ghost in the Shell first to enjoy the sequel, but it helps.

I've seen bits and pieces of Dark Star, years and years ago. My dad still has the VHS somewhere, I think.

Ibram wrote:

I've seen bits and pieces of Dark Star, years and years ago. My dad still has the VHS somewhere, I think.

Yes, it was a well-worn cult classic at the 1976 Worldcon...where they were showing preprduction art and costumes for this new film called "The Star Wars" by some unknown guy.

Dark Star is very immediately postVietnam in flavor. And was insanely cheaply made; it was essentially a student film. Nontheless there's some more timeless and really classic tropes and conceits in it. Beachball and The Elevator. The Smartbomb. The Frozen Captain.

You kids with hippie-envy (and the older nostalgia-stricken crowd) might suddenly find deep and/or rediscovered insight from a decade later in Riders of The Storm if you can find a copy.

Personally, I've kinda moved on from such...

Koyanisqaatsi.

I probably misspelled that.

Koyaanisqatsi, Life out of Balance. Got it. And Powaqqatsi, Life in Transformation. But I'm still seeking the third one, Naqoyaqatsi, Life as War.

Check it out.

BigV wrote:

Koyaanisqatsi, Life out of Balance.

Ah..well spotted. It's one of the first VHS dubs anybody ever gave me.

www.glasspages.org wrote:

Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Philip Glass. Knock-knock.

Black Cat White Cat

Ibram wrote:

NOBODY I talk to has ever even heard of Detroit Rock City. And it's rather annoying.

Any of you ever had this? A great movie that not a damn soul has seen?

Let's see, kids running off to see Kiss, parents eating a pizza with 'special mushrooms'. That's all I really remember.

I saw Buckeroo, Dark Star, and Silent Running.

Silent Running is an all-time classic.

I would add Electra Glide in Blue and The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. 'Marigolds' was directed by Paul Newman.

Summer of '42 was a great coming of age movie that came out 1-2 years before American Grafitti.

I would also put up The Incredible Mr. Limpet, but I think a lot of people have seen that one.

Follow Me, Boys! is an Disney comedy about a man who becomes a boy scout troop leader for generations of boys in his town. It's a very good movie, with some dark moments to make it a little more realistic. It's sort of a Norman Rockwell painting turned into a movie.

The Gods must be Crazy.....

the adventures of a South African bushman trying to return a coke-bottle that fell on him from an air-liner.......

(when was the last tiime you saw a Landrover winch itself up a tree?)

Speaking of Powers Of Ten, you can now watch it online

And then there's this. D'oh!

Heavy Traffic

Early 70's animated....I think it was rated R.

capnhowdy wrote:

Heavy Traffic

Early 70's animated....I think it was rated R.

Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Deputy Dawg, Cool World)....1973

Happy Monkey wrote:

Black Cat White Cat

I saw that one. Emir Kosturica is one of my favorite directors.

Seen most of what you all have posted.
Flesh and Blood
Illuminata
The Storm Riders
Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left for the East?
The Tune
Dementia 13
Dreams
Imposters

Oh yeah...Cube is decent. Unfortunately Cube 2: Hypercube sucks.

King of Hearts - a good one. It ran at a theatre in Cambridge, MA for 20 years.

Near Dark, one of the more thought-provoking vampire movies I've ever seen.

1)'Bodymelt' awesome if strange Aussie horror. It has a scene where a pregnant woman is attacked by her own placenta.

2) The other 'Deadman Walking' .....futuristic dystopia ....actually it's a fucking awful film but it has Jeffrey combs in it and he gets buried up to the neck so that's pretty cool.

3) 'It's all Gone Pete Tong'.....excellent film, have any of you seen it?

4) 'From Beyond' ..... terrible terrible...but in a cool way.

5) 'The Bird with Crystal plumage' Dario Argento at his best.

6) 'In the Woods' The short film which led to Evil Dead.

MaggieL wrote:

Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Deputy Dawg, Cool World)....1973

Thanks, Maggie. Ordered it this evening from Amazon. Can't wait to see it again.

Fritz...that reminds me.

I remember years ago, when I was about ten, our kid got a video out which was awesome. It was a cartoon, and set in some fantasy land during a ww2 style conflict. The only thing I really remember about it was that the war was between fairies and some other group and a character shouting "Fritz! fritz! those goddamn fairies ...they killed fritz!"

Oh...yeah and I think there was a giant dickshaped ballon in it too.....
I remember it being funny and very rude and quite dark....but that's about all. Anyone have even the vaguest notion as to which film that was? That wasn't fritz the cat right?

Ha! It's ok.....I just had a flash of inspiration and googled my vague notion.....Film was called Wizards (1977) if you can see it , see it, it's funny as fuck....but I may have imagined the giant dick balloon.

(Was called 'War Wizards' in the US)

Reading through it now, I remember how chilling it was in places too.

http://www.ralphbakshi.com/films.php?film=wizards

What about Batteries Not Included? Anyone seen that?
Or what about the movie with a black cat that could talk and move stuff by telekensis? That's all I remember. Good stuff though.

Film was called Wizards (1977)

I was woundering when that flick was going to come up , GOOOD Movie to sit and Nurse a Bong to . ;)

DanaC wrote:

Film was called Wizards (1977)

Derivative...kind of a cutrate "Cheech Wizard"/"Sunpot". Most Bakshi is somewhere between "kinda disappointing" and "very disappointing".

"Fairies bad, not good, go around."

DanaC wrote:

(Was called 'War Wizards' in the US)

I've seen it several times, probably have a copy on VHS somewhere. It was just called "Wizards" here. Cool animation, heavy-handed message.

Bakshi's LOTR was cool-ish, but I hate LOTR, so object to it on that basis, much as I like Bakshi.

Morgan! (A Suitable Case for Treatment)
The Slender Thread
Dark City (has been on power rotation on Encore this month, reminding me of how cool this movie is)

Poseidon and Just like Heaven!

"the magic christian" -peter sellers and ringo starr
"steppenwolf" (I was a pretty high teenager, but I think it was great)
"baraka" by the cinematographer for koyanasqtsi (sp?) his rebuttal to reggio's premise that life is out of balance, fricke asserts that life is constantly seeking balance. IMO, an extremely beautiful movie with an exceptional soundtrack. (anything other than glass)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Best musical film ever (well, ok not best but up there with The Wall)

DanaC wrote:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Best musical film ever

Dreary. When we got it from Netflix we didn't even finish watching it.

I wanna see it, but Velvet Goldmine is higher on my list.

Pity we dont have a copy and my mother won't netflix it for me ("It's not appropriate", etc... I hate responsible parenting...)

they have netflix in Thailand? Isn't that where you are?

I wish I had bought stock in netflix at the beginning.

Taiwan, actually.

Well, I dont think Netflix actually ships here, BUT, the embas--... er, American Institute in Taiwan has an address you can send stuff to in Virginia, and when it arrived there it's promptly sent to the AIT office here where it's distributed to the rightful recipients. Quite a nice system.

"Velvet Goldmine "

Enjoyable film. Eddie Izzard rocks

Mystery Train

"When jesus comes back does he really want to see a bunch of crosses?" B. Hicks

Aww....Bill Hicks, what a guy. I went to see him when he played the beer tent in Manchester. Was awesome. My ex and I were in Manchester just hangin around and we bumped into his dad who just happened to be a Guardian critic at the time. He told us he was reviewing Bill Hicks and invited us to join him. We'd never heard of him but we leapt at the chance of free entry to a comedian's show and free half time drinks to boot.

Two years later he was dead and well on the way to hero status. ( Bill that is.....Ex's dad is still going strong)

Ibram wrote:

Taiwan, actually.

Well, I dont think Netflix actually ships here, BUT, the embas--... er, American Institute in Taiwan has an address you can send stuff to in Virginia, and when it arrived there it's promptly sent to the AIT office here where it's distributed to the rightful recipients. Quite a nice system.

Sorry, I knew there was a tai invloved somewhere. Sounds like a good system, except when it comes to things like ice cream.:D

what about liquid sky? did that suck?

BigV wrote:

Eraserhead

Who has not heard of Eraserhead?

footfootfoot wrote:

what about liquid sky? did that suck?

Oh wow, I almost remember seeing that. It was the early 80s, which is why I only almost remember.

It was bizarre.

Horseman on the Roof - epic-style French drama set in time of cholera plague and war - holds the attention well despite the subtitles

footfootfoot wrote:

what about liquid sky? did that suck?

Maybe...but October Sky didn't.

wolf wrote:

Oh wow, I almost remember seeing that. It was the early 80s, which is why I only almost remember...

See? That's what I'm talkin about.

rkzenrage wrote:

Who has not heard of Eraserhead?

Show of hands, please?

I've seen it laying around, but havent actually watched the movie

Same here ... just never managed to see it. And I love films by David Lynch.

Just like regular chickens...

Ahhh, Eraserhead. A classic, no doubt!

wolf wrote:

Same here ... just never managed to see it. And I love films by David Lynch.

Did you get the shorts?... very cool.

KinkyVixen wrote:

What about Batteries Not Included? Anyone seen that?
Or what about the movie with a black cat that could talk and move stuff by telekensis? That's all I remember. Good stuff though.

The Black Cat, 1981

My favorite movie that no one has ever heard of? The L-shaped Room, starring Leslie Caron and Tom Bell. This movie I happened to catch on TV some years ago, and it made me fall in love with the independent film genre.

Has anyone else seen it?

Shawnee123 wrote:

The Black Cat, 1981

My favorite movie that no one has ever heard of? The L-shaped Room, starring Leslie Caron and Tom Bell. This movie I happened to catch on TV some years ago, and it made me fall in love with the independent film genre.

Has anyone else seen it?

If you like L-shaped room - try three other British films starring Carol White from around the same time: 'Poor cow', 'Cathy come home' and 'I'll never forget what's 'isname' - first two very much of the style of L-shaped Room, last one a bit glossier. less believeable but still good for its day (also starred a young looking Oliver Reed)

Courtesy of one of our national dailies (Daily Mail) I've just acquired a set of DVDs of some of the great British Ealing Studios classics - includes 'Kind Hearts and Coronets', 'The Man in the White Suit', the original 'The Ladykillers'
'Passport to Pimlico' and a good few others...

Anyone heard of Half Baked? It's not too obscure, and with this crowd, im sure someone's seen it.

Cyclefrance wrote:

If you like L-shaped room - try three other British films starring Carol White from around the same time: 'Poor cow', 'Cathy come home' and 'I'll never forget what's 'isname' - first two very much of the style of L-shaped Room, last one a bit glossier. less believeable but still good for its day (also starred a young looking Oliver Reed)

Thanks for the recommendations. I will put them on my list of movies I need to see!:)

Cyclefrance wrote:

'The Man in the White Suit'.

That was a tremedously funny movie.

Alec Guinness made a lot of comedies in the 50's and 60's

I also remember seeing part of "The Captains Paradise", about a ferry captain who is a bigamist with wives on both shores.

In Barnacle Bill, Alec Guiness is a seasick captain from a long line of naval heroes who inherits an amusement pier.

Our Man in Havana is about a British Intelligence contractor who invents stories in order to make ends meet. It's like The Tailor of Panama, but it's a comedy and was done decades before leCarre wrote the novel that became that movie.

Guinness is fine as a serious actor, but he is brilliant in comedies.

rkzenrage wrote:

Mystery Train

I love Jim Jarmusch's movies. My favorite is Stranger Than Paradise, the first one of his I'd seen in a little arthouse-type theatre way back when. There was an old man sitting in the front row, with this really crazy guffaw...the movie was funny on its own, but with that guy providing the bonus laugh track, it was totally hilarious.

Argh - I seem to have lose the ability to insert links with my own wording..! Well, below is the Amazon link for the film I wanted to reference anyway.

It's called Blood on Satan's Claw, The Blood on Satan's Claw or Satan's Skin depending on which release you watch. I watched an early VHS recording from the television and it scared the life out of me (too young to watch it I think).

Recently I found it had been released in a box set DVD with other Tigon films (British horror studio in the 70s) and a commentary was offered by my heroes The League of Gentlemen. I had to buy it, and was amazed that it's even more creepy and atmospheric that I remembered, even if the real scares are few & far between.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6302872715/ref=sr_11_1/002-5396018-1090424?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=404272

And I have seen Buckaroo Banzai and Eraserhead...

Anyone see Manon Des Sources? Cried til I retched over that.

Also Derek Jarman's Edward II? I saw those at The Penultimate Picture Palace in Oxford (England) which showed some really amazing films...

The Cook,The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.

Some obnoxious drunk guy that knocked over a display and caused a scene at the movie store recommended this to us - and it was surprisingly good.

Another DVD laying around the house that I never actually watched.

jinx wrote:

The Cook,The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover.

Loved it. Beautiful use of colour and has been referenced in many films I've enjoyed since.

As we're on a French trip, how bout Delicatessan and The City of Lost Children? (cheating as most of my friends have seen both)

City of Lost Children, I've seen in bits and pieces. Don't remember much though.

Let's not forget Rockula.;)

And Blackula... which I was not very fond of.

Shoalin Soccer - very funny from the maker of kung fu hustle (also good)

bluecuracao wrote:

I love Jim Jarmusch's movies. My favorite is Stranger Than Paradise, the first one of his I'd seen in a little arthouse-type theatre way back when. There was an old man sitting in the front row, with this really crazy guffaw...the movie was funny on its own, but with that guy providing the bonus laugh track, it was totally hilarious.

I love that movie, but his last is my favorite, Coffee and Cigarettes.

Ibram wrote:

City of Lost Children, I've seen in bits and pieces. Don't remember much though.

My wife and I are still in an argument over whether it was a sexual relationship or not....

Oldboy. I enthused about this Korean film over in What DVDs are you watching.

See it. Please.

Doppelganger (old drew barrymore.)

Things to do in Denver when you are dead.

The Game (Michael Douglas)

Pass The Ammo.

Tim Curry as an evil televangelist -- whose chickens come home to roost when he bilks two bandits' grandma out of her life's savings and the bandits jack him.

The bandits have a taste for Moon Pies, one of them so much that he rather resembles a Moon Pie -- the blond variety.

There's wackiness with shotguns, infidelity, video editing, song & dance, and an 81mm mortar.

I was lucky enough to catch a prerelease showing of Wizards in college -- ran a bit longer, had more detail of Blackwolf's campaign of conquest, more of Peace losing his chickenhorse early in the film, and Avatar as the reluctant hero came through more clearly. They cut this for pacing, but for all of me they could have left it all in.

I was drawing elves all over my notebooks for weeks, and so was my best buddy. Been drawing elves since, really. And yeah, I read Elfquest, up to about 2000 anyway.

No one has watched Dreams?
Pass the Ammo is GREAT!!!!

Midnight Run, where DeNiros character says "I've got two words for you - shut the fuck up!"

Urbane Guerrilla wrote:

And yeah, I read Elfquest, up to about 2000 anyway.

COOLNESS.

uh. me too.

I don't know whether I am sad or thrilled that they never got the movie version off the ground, because I know it would probably be ruined.

wolf wrote:

COOLNESS.

uh. me too.

I don't know whether I am sad or thrilled that they never got the movie version off the ground, because I know it would probably be ruined.

There was supposed to be one done by one of the TV movie production companies (not HBO), I was in it... the producers split to Mex with all the jack early in production. So, I assume they still own the rights.

Putney Swope

rkzenrage wrote:

There was supposed to be one done by one of the TV movie production companies (not HBO), I was in it... the producers split to Mex with all the jack early in production. So, I assume they still own the rights.

There is supposed to be some half-assed version that is usually described as "cutouts pasted to popsicle sticks." I have avoided learning more.

Saw Harold and Maude last night. Really good and pretty weird.

I love that movie!! I quietly fear in the back of my mind that they'll try to remake it someday.

OH Shhhhhhhhhhhushhhhh!
Now you've done it.

brilliant movie.

I want an E-type hearse when I go

rkzenrage wrote:

I love that movie, but his last is my favorite, Coffee and Cigarettes.

Do you own a copy? If not, you can have mine. I love all of his other films, esp. night on earth. coffee and cigs didn't turn my crank though.

Clodfobble wrote:

I love that movie!! I quietly fear in the back of my mind that they'll try to remake it someday.

Well, I looked up Ruth Gordon and she won 2 Golden Globes, 1 Emmy, and 1 Oscar, a Triple Crown. If she had done more stage, she probably would have ended up with a Tony.

If they do a remake, they had better pick someone good enough.

In 20 years, Meryl Streep and Glenn Close will be ready for the part. As for Bud Cort, I love the look on his face in the shot they used for the cover. I haven't seen a deer in headlights look like that since Dan Quayle.:p

It's too bad Angelina Jolies baby is a girl or you would have your "Harold".

Of course, there is no chance of switching the roles around to that of an 76-year-old man and his 20-year-old girlfriend. That's not a movie classic, that's real life.

richlevy wrote:

Well, I looked up Ruth Gordon and she won 2 Golden Globes, 1 Emmy, and 1 Oscar, a Triple Crown. If she had done more stage, she probably would have ended up with a Tony.

If they do a remake, they had better pick someone good enough.

In 20 years, Meryl Streep and Glenn Close will be ready for the part. [/URL].

It is my personal bias but Streep doesn't/won't have the chops for that part. Ms. Gordon played it right up to the edge and stayed believable, Streep would overplay her hand.

Griff wrote:

It is my personal bias but Streep doesn't/won't have the chops for that part. Ms. Gordon played it right up to the edge and stayed believable, Streep would overplay her hand.

Although I think we diverge a bit in our esteem of screen goddesses, I have to agree with you about streep. There is something almost desperate about her acting. In the early days I thought of it as just intensity, these days it seems that she's overcompensating for not being flavor of the month anymore.

I've seen most of those listed.
Hows about -
1. Eat The Rich
2. Brain Smasher - A Love Story
3. Orgy Of The Dead
4. Carnival Of Souls
5. Dementia 13
6. Suspiria
7. Rock And Rule
8. They Saved Hitler's Brain
9. The Audition
10. Hated - GG Allin and the Murder Junkies

GG Allin?

Wow.

Griff wrote:

It is my personal bias but Streep doesn't/won't have the chops for that part. Ms. Gordon played it right up to the edge and stayed believable, Streep would overplay her hand.

I think Glen Close might be able to pull it off.

4. Carnival Of Souls
5. Dementia 13
7. Rock And Rule

Well, I've seen three of them ... I would like to see They Saved Hitler's Brain. Sounds classically bad, so I'm not sure about the "great" aspect of it.

SLC Punks...
"We didn't sell out, son. We bought in."

And I remember loving "Pi", althought I can't remember it now. Need to watch it again.

AlternateGray wrote:

And I remember loving "Pi", althought I can't remember it now. Need to watch it again.

"When I was a kid, my mother always told me not to stare into the sun. So when I was six, I did."

I remember appreciating it, but also distinctly thinking that I would never need to see it again. Kinda like the movie "Kids".

AlternateGray wrote:

SLC Punks...
"We didn't sell out, son. We bought in."

Right, Dad.

I AM THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT NATION!!!

Hmmm....

The Cellar: We are the future of this great nation.

wolf wrote:

4. Carnival Of Souls
5. Dementia 13
7. Rock And Rule

Well, I've seen three of them ... I would like to see They Saved Hitler's Brain. Sounds classically bad, so I'm not sure about the "great" aspect of it.

Carnival of souls was one of the first movies I remember seeing. It was years before I could drive in the car at night without being in constant terror. I must have been about six or seven. My folks weren't always on ball when it came to censorship.

I couldn't remember anything about the movie except a few creepy nighttime driving scenes. Based uopn that description my sister deduced the movie was Carnival of souls and she gave it to me for my birthday.

I love Dementia and Carnival... awesome. I have the new tinned Carnival, great documentary with it.

Friendship's Death - I don't think I've ever met anyone else who's ever seen this, and I've been trying to buy it for years.

The City of Lost Children is also one of my favourites, and rkzenrage:

My wife and I are still in an argument over whether it was a sexual relationship or not....

nah, I don't think it was sexual. Neither of them had any real sexuality - One wasn't even that interested in the floozy in the bar - but they were definitely in love. I love the bit where One's pretending to be a heater.

Breaking the Waves tore me apart, but the very last bit with the bells seemed so unnecessary and a bit too twee.

Bad Boy Bubby - fantastic!

The Big Lebowski is one of my favourite comedies. I like most stuff from the Coen brothers.

Didier - particularly great if you like dogs (me) and soccer (husband). I saw it once on TV subtitled, but have only been able to buy it in French only.

Themroc - outstanding French movie with no real dialogue, just noises that sound like language (in this case French) but could just as easily be English.

By the way, since there's so many film fans in this thread: do any of you know of a good film forum, something like Booksleuth but for movies.

(I was trying to find a particular anthology for decades - asking in speciality shops, blablabla - and then one bookseller suggested I try Booksleuth and I had a response (the correct one) within 24 hours! I've been trying to identify a few movies I saw long ago, but the only movie forums I've found have been pretty mainstream.

Oh, but in case you think I'm getting uppity... I'll confess my alter ego movie passion for Bollywood. I have a DVD collection of about 700, but about 50 of them are Bollywood. Don't suppose there are any other Bollywood fans in here? (clanging silence!)

Mrs Elspode and I have enjoyed a few Bollywood efforts, but most of them have sucked...and we've tried.

Should have added that the only men I've ever met that enjoy Bollywood are either gay or Indian (or both). Also, they're best viewed in an altered state of one sort of another.

I don't watch them as I watch other movies, just as you can't drink Indian chai and compare it to tea. It's the complete entertainment package I love about them:

- the absolute disregard to continuity - hair length, bosom size and location can change ten times in just one song sequence

- their depictions of western people, with cliches much like western movie cliches of Indians. In one favourite, the foreigners just drive around madly in open top cars, all standing up and waving their arms in the air shouting "yeah! yeah!"

- the scenes filmed in Europe are a scream. In my favourite movie, they can't find a room in a Swiss town, so they sleep in a farmer's big wooden barn, and... light a fire in the middle of it (between the hay bales) to keep warm. Alas, a hole in the roof lets in snow, which puts out the fire, so they get drunk, rush into town (where it is still day time) buy a cocktail dress and boots, and dance on a snowy mountain, beside a fire built right on top of the snow, before collapsing back into bed (and it's still the same night)

Bollywood likes to "re-make" Hollywood film plots and even complete dialogue, just like Hollywood likes to "re-make" foreign movies and call it their own, which results in stuff like an all singing and dancing Reservoir Dogs. Brilliant!