I think it was either called Slugs or Breeding Ground. Awful straight-to-video rubbish of the ‘killer animal’ variety.
The only reason I watched it is that it’s very loosely based on a couple of novels (of the two names above) by a British author called Shaun Hutson. The first one has a fairly localised outbreak in suburban south London; in the second book, the outbreak spreads throughout London (including some memorably disgusting scenes) and eventually involves the Army being brought in as bait. I wondered how they’d get across the scale of the horror in a low-budget video; they didn’t, just relocated it to small-town USA.
I met Mike Jittlov at a science fiction convention many years before the full-length The Wizard of Speed and Time came out. I saw a lot of his short films (that I haven’t seen since) and his original short version of TWOSAT. He described his vision for the full-length film, and it was originally supposed to be a straight story – not a film about Jittlov’s own travails in trying to get his film made. I was surprised, and a little disappointed when I saw TWOSAT, because it didn’t match up with his description (and which I’m convinced he always wanted the film to be). I think Jittlov’s problems with Hollywood started long before the distribution of TWOSAT. More’s the pity. His stuff is great.
Shallow Grave - I’m sure most of the people in this thread have seen it, but I’ve introduced many people to this fantastic movie.
Unfortunately, the most recent batch didn’t get it. At all.
Sigh. The sound effects in the forest - so much better than graphic gore.
Another favorite (also starring Christopher Eccleston) - Jude. It’s one of the few based on a book (Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure) that I did not find disappointing. Again, sound is used brilliantly.
Very very upsetting, though.
The Pillow Book. It was stunning on the screen. Not so much on the tube, but still an impressive film.
Finally, Antonia’s Line. Everything about it is beautiful.
The two movies I always list in answer to this type of question are Two-Lane Blacktop and The Loved One, but no one ever acknowledges them. Surely some dopers have seen these two gems!
I think I’ve seen about 80% of the films listed thus far. ::sigh:: I am a geek!
Donnie Darko was an excellent film. So was Session 9.
I own a copy of Boondock Saints (“You and your F*cking rope!”)
I’ve seen TRON upwards of 500 times (and no, I’m not ashamed)
I also recommend SugarTown (But I have to - my best friend has a bit part in it LOL)
Another favorite obscure movie: The Attic Expeditions
And Paint Your Wagon (Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin Sing!). And Cat Ballou (“Yep. He did it. He missed the barn.”). Neither of which are particularly obscure, except that none of my friends had seen them until I insisted.
Also, there’s some movie with Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood - City Slickers, I think - that no one but me and my family seem to have seen. Very humourous.
**Smilla’s Sense of Snow ** is a movie I remember hearing about, wanting to see and then it wasn’t anywhere to be found. Still haven’t seen it.
**Buckaroo Bonzai & The Adventures Across the 8th Dimesion ** I have only met one person who has ever understood the
“Laugh it up, Monkey Boy” line. Great little cult film. I can’t beleive I am the first one to post this classic here.
** His Girl Friday ** Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant. This is in my top five films. She’s a newspaperwoman. He is her editor. They are divorced. She is remarrying to a sap (Bruce Baldwin, I think.) The more they fight the more you realize how much they love each other. In the midst of this, the biggest story the city has ever seen (execution) is going on and the convicted guy *escapes * and only Rosalind Russell can help out the paper. Hilarity ensues. Very hard to find this flick at the video store. Took me twelve years to locate it.
**Miller’s Crossing ** Irish mob violence, cris crosses and Gabriel Burn…yowsir…
**Lion in Winter ** My number uno all time favorite film. Peter O’Toole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton (both very young) as King Henry II, Queen Elinor, Richard the Lion Hearted and the King of France, respectively. All battle over who will succeed Henry when he dies. Took me years to find this one as well.
**East is East ** A brit comedy-drama about a large family of Paki-Brit kids who do not fit into their Pakistani roots nor their british neighborhood where they live. Odd little ending, but I liked it greatly.
Ah. I forgot “The Lion in Winter”. GREAT film. Great John Barry score. I also have a secret crush on John Castle, who played middle son Geoffrey.
“Buckaroo Banzai”—how could I forget this one? John Lithgow is fabulous.
“Subway” with Christopher Lambert. I LOVE this film! I first saw the subtitled version at a crammed little theatre at the Beverly Center mall—loved it. I prefer the subtitled version by far. I only see the dubbed version now.
“Malcolm”. Obscure Australian (or New Zealand?) film. Very odd—very funny.
You are probably thinking of “City Heat” from 1984, a Blake Edwards/Richard Benjamin cult classic. Definitely for hard core fans only! But more power to ya, cult classics are what make the world go round…Timmy
A couple of my favs are here, including Cold Comfort Farm and Erik the Viking.
I’d also recommend My Dinner with Andre as one of those movies like Koyaanisqatsi that you must see, even if you end up not liking it. (I like both, by the way).
Whoooo HOOOOOOOOOO! One of my top ten flicks.
I just watched it again last night. A gem of a romp ( a pirate flick, for those who want to be in on the fun.)
**Quiet Earth ** I saw at the movie theater when it came out. My cousin dragged me to it as a payback for dragging him to see White Nights, which he hated. **Quiet Earth ** has stayed with me all these years. White Nights is fairly forgettable, except for the song, Say you, Say Me and the scene where Barinikov bets Gregory Hines how many rotations he can spins…and does something like fifteen.
The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain. This is a film you can watch with your grandma next to you. She won’t like Hugh Grant, but it’s ok, it was before he tried to pick up a hooker.
**Cold Comfort Farm ** saw and liked the movie. Rufus Sewall is a major hottie in this. But what was the deal with Grandma always saying, " I saw something nasty in the woodshed?"
I know she was an eccentric old loony, as if there are any other kind, but in the book, is there a reason for her fear of the woodshed (beatings as a child?) or is she always nuts?
Take your time. I was really disappointed in this one; I’d heard it got mixed reviews because it takes a really wacky turn about 2/3 of the way through the movie. I’m usually all over that. The problem is that even when it gets completely implausible it still manages to be stone cold dull.
(And btw, 2 of the movies you mention, Miller’s Crossing and His Girl Friday are also in my top 10. Miller’s Crossing is my favorite movie, ever.)