My movies in this category are The Zero Effect --Bill Pullman–in a lead role!–as a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Ben Stiller as his Watson–and
Joe Versus the Volcano Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan on a journey involving some very heavy duty luggage on their way to jumping in a volcano.
I own a copy of Zero Effect. Quite amusing, though I didn’t like Pullman losing his character’s eccentricities as the movie went on. Just a personal opinion.
As for me, Aaron’s Top Ten Generally Unheard of Movies (in no particular order):
I own a copy of Zero Effect. Quite amusing, though I didn’t like Pullman losing his character’s eccentricities as the movie went on. Just a personal opinion.
As for me, Aaron’s Top Ten Generally Unheard of Movies (in no particular order):
The Forbidden Zone
Starring Danny Elfman, The Kipper Kids, Susan Tyrel, and Herve Villachiez as “King Fausto”.
Oh, for this one to be released on DVD!
Re: Freeway. I saw the pre-release version at a cinema in Santa Monica. The courtroom scene was much, much funnier before they cut it. Bloody audience writing “That wasn’t very nice.” on their survey cards!
I own Zero Effect as well, pretty good movie. I’d have to say Boondock Saints, though it is getting more popular…
Considering my age and the age of my peers, it may not seem like much a surprise, but no one has heard of “Dirty Harry”. One of my favourite movies.
Then we have the movie channels, and at any time of a day there’s a movie playing that no one has ever heard of. If they’re on Scream or Shadow Lane, I’ll no doubt like it. If it’s on Action of Adrenaline Drive, I may.
“Quest for Fire.” Directed by Jean-Jaques Annuad. Brilliant and to a large degree accurate portrayal of how our Pleistocene ancestors may have lived. The cinemetography is great- we get a sense of how small and humble the ancient ones felt against an imposing world, where every experience is new and there’s danger around every corner. Add to this a language developed for the movie by Anthony Burgess, and Desmond Morris helped with the body language. A must-see for anyone with a cursory interest in our ancient past, ‘One Million Years B.C.’ this is not.
For Y’ur height only (that’s what the title card says. It’s a Phillipino midget spy movie, and quite possibly the funniest thing ever filmed, but I’ve never met anyone who has seen it before I show them my copy.
Ooooo, Boon Dock Saints and Quest For Fire. I feel like Barry in High Fidelity after Dick thought of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” before he did.
Grand Prix & Le Mans may be the best racing movies ever.
The Twelve Chairs is early Mel Brooks. An unrecognized classic.
There are some, such as Freejack, Brazil, 200 Motels, or Zacharia , which leave you wondering, “What the heck was that?”
The King of Hearts is about an asylum full of crazy folks freed by the retreating army in a war. They enthusiastically inhabit the empty town for a while, fulfilling their fantasies, and then…well, that would be telling!
The Wall Yes, it’s the Pink Floyd movie
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
And Then There Were None
Any of the Beatles movies.
A Clockwork Orange. Strangely enough, no one my age in my school’s heard of it, outside of a few people who have the entire contents of the local Movie Gallery memorized by heart.
I mean, come on! Generation appeal! How many kids like to see weirdly-dressed British gangstas walk around speaking like they had a few chunks of cheese knocked out before their cord was cut? What about the many sex scenes? The weird murder scene with the old lady, Alex, and the… work of fascinating post-post-modernist art? Geez, bunch of barbarians, my friends are!
And I second The Wall. Most people have heard of Pink Floyd, but few have a clue that they put out at least one movie.
The Blood of Heroes with Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen. I loved this movie! Also, Babette’s Feast seems to be one that not many people have seen, that I really love.
The Whole Wide World with Vincent D’onofrio and Renee Zellweger.
It’s based on a memoir by a woman who knew–and dated–pulp writer Robert E. Howard.
I adore Zero Effect and own two - count 'em - two copies of it. (I admit that the two aspect of things was unintentional. Still, shows devotion, don’t you think?)
I have loved The Night of the Hunter (a b-and-w suspense movie starring Robert Mitchum as a character I find as creepy as Hannibal Lecter) for ages and ages, and yet I’m the only one I know who has ever seen it. I find this particularly strange because I live in LA and have friends who work in, ya know, that Entertainment Industrial Complex thing we’ve got here. (Actually, after careful consideration of the kinds of things the current industry releases, I have to retract that statement: it isn’t strange at all that my friends have never seen anything older or less popular than Broadcast News.)
I also really like Nomads (another suspense movie, but it’s in color and there’s no Robert Mitchum). However, I’m not sure if I like it because it’s a great movie or if I like it because of original viewing context.
Finally, a strange nomination: Dark City. This is the best SF movie I’ve ever seen, and it was released in 1998, so why is my LO the only person I’ve met who has seen it? (Not entirely true; I know someone else who has seen it and described it as “too dark.” This person’s idea of a great movie is Patch Adams, though, so don’t take his word for it.)
You guys must hang out with some very movie-illiterate folks indeed to find anyone who has not heard of ** A Clockwork Orange** (it’s Stanley freakin’ KUBRICK) or Dark City (it has an all star cast and came out only 4 years ago) And how can The Wall be obscure? The awesome DVD is available in every mass market video retailer in the nation!
Gobear’s List of Great Movies Nobody Else Has Seen
Pennies From Heaven (1981). Even though this movie, adapted from the Dennis Potter BBC series, stars Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Walken, its dark subject matter and uncharacteristically serious role for Martin (he plays a travelling salesman unjustly convicted of murder) combined with lipsynched musical numbers from the 1930s made it a hard sell to American audiences who were used to Martin as The Jerk.
Lisztomania (1975). While I’m not sure this Ken Russell film can be called “great,” or even “good,” there’s no denying that this phantasmagorical look at the relationship between Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, with its kitschy pop culture references, Nazi/Marvel Comics/Broadway musical look at the influence of Wagner on the Nazis, and just plain gaudiness, like a peacock on mushrooms, make it a must-see. Any movie that features a cameo by Ringo Starr as the Pope is worth a view in my book.
The Magic Christian (1970). This adaptation of the Terry Southern novel stars Peter Sellers as an eccentric millionaire whose purpose in life is to show that everyone has his price. With a Badfinger score and an appearance by Ringo Starr as Sellers’ son, this black satire of greed is extremely funny. Don’t miss a quick cameo by Raquel Welch as the Priestess of the Whip.
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953). This live-action musical was written and designed by Dr. Seuss. It is a story of a young boy (Tommy Rettig of “Lassie” fame) who dreams that his tyrannical piano teacher (the irrepressible Hans Conried) is a cruel dictator. It’s a wildly inventive movie that certainly warped my tiny little brain when I was a kid. Available on DVD.
The Ruling Class (1972). Despite its recent nifty Criterion Collection DVD release, this movie seems to be completely unknown to the Great Unwashed. It’s a wickedly funny satire on the mores of the English upper classes that centers on a nobleman, played by Peter O’ Toole, who beleives that he is Jesus Christ. This vicious little movie sets you up to laugh, then
sinks its fangs in your throat at the end. Great movie.
All mine have already been named (which actually is kind of cool - I’ve seen cool movies, it seems!) except one which I just saw a couple of weeks ago called Donnie Darko. Pretty good flick. Anyone seen it? Everyone seen it?
-Kris
Some of the old Brit comedies like Passport to Pimlico and Whisky Galore made by Ealing Studios.
The less famous Carol Reed films like Odd Man Out and Fallen Idol.
Less well-known Tracy/Hepburn comedies like Pat and Mike and Deskset, (which I actually prefer to the more famous Adam’s Rib and Woman of the Year which I found overly preachy)
Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things and Jenifer Jason Leigh with Rutger Hauer in Flesh & Blood are two movies that only me and the people I’ve forced to watch have seen. I have a thing for stupidly campy, I-can’t-believe-they-made-this-movie type B’s.
Because very few people in the US watch subtitled moves, Atame! (Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down) is a fav of mine that absolutely no one besides me and my husband have seen.
“Transylvania 6-5000” - Carol Kane is hilarious in this movie
“Hysterical” - The Hudson Brothers
“Final Destination” - just a good movie with great special effects and nice hooks