My little treasures that no one seems to know about but are nonetheless wonderful, entertaining, all-round good movies are “Murphy’s Romance” with Sally Fields and James Garner and “Betsy’s Wedding” with Alan Alda and Madeline Kahn (Madeline Kahn should have been in all comedies ever made, in my humble opinion).
What are some other little-known but totally solid movies (that I can rent - nothing too obscure, please)?
Not totally in a “not well known” catagory, but it’s an old movie, and I absolutly love it. “The Court Jester” with Danny Kaye in it. If you haven’t seen it, I highly suggest it.
“Rubin & Ed”, not to be found outside of Utah.
The coen brothers B&W self parodying noir The Man Who Wasn’t There. Beautiful, provoking, funny, well shot, and leaves you plenty to mull over once it’s over. The story revolves around a barber and a blackmail scheme gone awry, but that’s really just the surface. You should be able to buy it someplace at a cheap price, maybe rent it, and you can probably catch it on the USA channel if you’re lucky.
“You Can Count On Me” with Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo.
Reading a description, it doesn’t sound like it would have much appeal, but it’s very well-written, and fantastically acted. And some of the more “real” characters I’ve ever seen in a movie.
I heartily agree. I just TIVO’ed it this week and it is most certainly a wonderful movie. I remember wanting to see it when it came out, and then I have no further memory of it, which makes me wonder if it was released in the late summer/early fall of '01.
It just reinforces my respect for Billy Bob Thornton. That boy can downright ACT! Of course, it didn’t hurt that I watched Bad Santa this week too.
I would hesitate to call it a parody. I would think it’s more of an homage. I never felt that it was ridiculing the noir medium, but perhaps pointing out some of its more vulnerable aspects. I kept marvelling at the beautiful photography and, as always in a Coen Bros. movie, there is wonderful dialogue.
But to respond to the OP, I would suggest Tampopo. It’s a Japanese flick that revolves around various food related themes. Tampopo’s husband dies and she is left to make their noodle stand profitable. Food lovers help her. Numerous foody subplots capture your interest.
Oh! I forgot to mention the little-seen Frailty with Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey.
Surf Ninjas is one of my favorite fall-off-the-chair-laughing, ridiculous, “Snakes on a Plane”-style action comedies. When I’m sick, I make my friends watch it with me. I LOVE it! The stunts are more gratuitous than Dukes of Hazzard, the dialogue is funny, and there are ninjas who surf. Surfing ninjas! It’s fantastic.
Barfly with Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway playing out a Charles Bukowski scriptbased on his own life.
A Perfect World a much underrated Clint Eastwood movie with Eastwood, Kevin Costner and Laura Dern. Costner’s best role and some terrific moments.
Proof early Hugo Weaving and Crowe in a great Australian movie about a blind photographer. Terrific stuff.
Lantana another Aussie movie most wont have seen. Stars Anthony LaPaglia in a very clever low key thriller.
Creator- an odd little romantic comedy that was about 20 years ahead of its time. Peter O’Toole is a “mad scientist” geneticist at a CA research university who in his spare time tries to clone his dead wife in his workshop using “borrowed” university equipment and an egg from a teenaged hellion (Mariel Hemingway) who he hasn’t noticed is in love with him. Has flaws but on the whole a cute and sweet movie.
If you don’t mind a super low budget gay flick, Sordid Lives- a major cult fave. A redneck family has to deal with Grandma’s death in a sex scandal with her much younger whitetrash boyfriend (Beau Bridges). A funny movie throughout with great performances by Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedelia and Olivia Newton John among others, but nobody could deny that it is completely stolen and absconded with by Leslie “Brother Boy” Jordan.
I used to say Boondock Saints was most perfect unknown gem. But since the DVD release, everyone seems to have seen it now, so I must come up with new most perfect unknown gem. I give you Safemen
Rockwell, Zahn, Giamatti, Ruffalo none of those guys were anybody when this was made.
Eyes Beyond Seeing What is the real nature of faith?
L.A. Story Steve Martin plays a wacky TV weatherman who discovers that when you find the one woman in the world who laughs with you during the gravedigger scene from Hamlet, you use every (and I do mean every) means possible to win her heart.
My Man Godfrey (1936) William Powell and Carole Lombard as a forgotten man with a disgraceful, respectable past and the socialite who hires him as a butler. From the era when screwball comedies had better dialog than today’s arthouse fare. Includes the best closing line in movie history (and don’t let anybody tell you different.)
The Right Stuff Everybody thinks they know what that phrase means so they don’t have to bother seeing the movie. But strip away the cold-war hysteria and the touchy-feely pictorials in Life magazine, and there’s still a guy who’s willing to strap himself to a rocket and put the spurs to her. An epic.
Awwww, Robot Arm! I love L.A. Story! I don’t watch it as often as I’d like to (watch it about never, actually), but it’s so lovely and smart and sweet. Great choice!
Auto Focus. The Rogers Video on 14th St. has two copies.
They also have a copy of The Saddest Music In The World.
Zeppelin with Michael York. Kinda like an Edwardian Rambo movie.
No Highway in the Sky—With Jimmy Stewart, Glynis Johns and Marlene Dietrich. Don’t know how “obscure” it is. A classic tale of airliner metal fatigue.
Bubba Ho Tep…Elvis and Jfk living in an old ager home fighting a soul stealing mummy.Not the best movie in the world but anything with bruce campbell is better than without…And what was the name of that lean,clean Terrance Stamp movie where he is a recently released crook looking into his daughter’s death?
I’ve always liked The Man Who Would Be King.
Almost no one I know has seen this flick even though it was apparentl nominated for four Oscars.
Great cast with Sean Connery and Michael Caine.
Slee
I’m fond of We’re No Angels. It has Bogie in it. And he’s funny. And I see it’s finally being released on DVD on September 27th! Yay!
Rat Race The scene where they take Hitler’s car and crash into a VFW meeting made me laugh as much as any movie. And what a cast- Whoopi, Cuba, John Cleese.