Obscure Film Favorites.... by Caligari

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Obscure Film Favorites....

POSTED BY: CALIGARI
UPDATED: Friday, April 1, 2005 23:38
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 12121
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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:29 AM

P1NKISPUNK had something with the idea of posting one's favorite movies, as in the Top Five "life-changingly brilliant" films, but for me, that was like talking about my five favorite breaths I ever took. So I thought that I'd run the premise to ground and propose this, something to make the burgeoning film student panic and run for their Kubrick Box Set.

What is your Five Favorite _Obscure_ Films?

This being your favorite films that, when mentioned in mixed company, usually means that you have some explaining to do. I'll start....

1 - The Week Before - It's a cheat on my part, it's a short film by Dave McKean that was never released theatrically, although his _MirrorMask_, scripted by Neil Gaiman, is soon to be in theaters. Just wanted to get you on your toes....

2 - Hana-bi - Beat Takashi at his best, the Scorsese of Japan. For the best film he's done in English, seek out _Brother_....

3 - Koyaanisqatsi - A film that makes its point with image and music and nothing else. A lovely film, albeit dated with the footage of humans walking around in Seventies clothing....

4 - Bubba Ho-tep - A drama about old age, with Elvis and a mummy, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. Trust me on this. Also, the most elegiac soundtrack this side of the Rohan sections of LOTR.

5 - The Most Terrible Time in My Life - Japanese detective-noir, shot in black and white, a fairly complex plot, and a nifty blend of genre.

6 - Audition - Miike Takashi has a way with amazingly disturbed plots. This makes _Fatal Attraction_ look like a Doris Day vehicle. In another vein is _Dead or Alive 2_, not to be confused with _Dead of Alive 1_, which is a _very_ different sort of creature....

7 - Marat/Sade - For folks who like their art a little more stable, there is this, a play written by a fictional Marquis de Sade and acted by a cast of fictional inmates at an insane asylum.

8 - The Wicker Man - Well, I generally have to explain it when I recommend it to folks, so I figure it's probably obscure enough for others to get curious about. Christopher Lee at his best non-fanged roles.

9 - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Kinda like what the man said about jazz, if you gotta ask, you'll never know....

10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....

Did I say Five? Oh well....

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:48 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Hey Caligari.... We may have a few things in common no?

Onto obscure favourites:

1: Tampopo
2: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
3: Wages Of Fear
4: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
5: Mr Vampire

Nice topic. I'd like to give a nod for Koyaanisqatsi also. Great film

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 1:07 AM

CALIGARI

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

1: Tampopo
2: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
3: Wages Of Fear
4: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
5: Mr Vampire

Ya know, I always thought _Caligari_ was just there in the edge of obscurity, always mentioned in the same breath as _Nosferatu_ or the German Espressionists or the Goth culture. Someone somewhere always knew about it. _Tampopo_, however, is brilliant, and I only just saw it this month. Great fun, and I'll never look at an egg yoke the same way again....

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 1:14 AM

ZOOT

Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:

10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....

Did I say Five? Oh well....

http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/

Am still thinking about this in general but gotta say, Caligari, am more than a little worried by “the most beautiful love story I’ve seen about necrophilia” – Am thinking I can understand why people require you to explain that one!

"I was doing a great job in The Deer Hunter" . .

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 2:47 AM

EST120

Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
What is your Five Favorite _Obscure_ Films?

what classifies as "obscure"? non theatrical release or something that is not on the blockbuster "guaranteed in stock" list?

well, i am not sure if this is obscure enough or not, but (and i am pretty embarrassed to admit this) i am kind of partial to the movie airborne. silly, yes. teeny bopper, most definitely, but i like the skating scene at the end.

i cannot come up with 5 (i am such a mass release movie kind of guy) but one other one i like is time chasers (only the MST3K version). oh man that was funny.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:04 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

Obscure movies, eh...Let's see.

In no given order:

Spoorlos: (The Vanishing) Slow, slow, slow, and an angonizing answer to the proverb "Be careful what you wish for."

J-Men Forever: This one was made to show on the old late night show "Night Flight" on the USA network. Still available on DVD, it takes old Republic serials, edits them together and changes the dialogue to make a semi-coherent story. The way they explain all the bad guys is priceless.

The Girlfriend From Hell: Not available on DVD, this B movie is just absolutely horrible, but has some of the sharpest writing I've ever seen in a comedy. Then again, I get a kick out of watching characters talk to the camera for no reason whatsoever.

Rapid Fire: One of Brandon Lee's best films (Yeah, I know, other than The Crow), this movie contains, for my money, the best hand to hand fight scene in any movie (Take that The Matrix)

Battle Royale: Yeah, I know, someone put it on their best of all time list, and so, shouldn't be considered an "obscure" film. But, almost everyone I talk to about it doesn't know what it is. And, I genuinely enjoy the premise of this violent movie not released in North America.

Revenge: I'm pretty sure this one would make someone's worst list, but I can't turn down a flick with Madeline Stowe, a pissed off Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, and Miguel Ferrer (one of my favorite actors).

Whoops, that was six, wasn't it? Sorry about that. No really...Okay, I'm not really, but I like movies! I love movies, and I'm not gonna turn one away just because I may not have heard of it. In a thread like this, its hard to discern if what you want to put is an obscure movie, or some cult B movie that only you'll like. I like "message" movies, but I like pure "popcorn" movies too.

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:16 AM

EST120

Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:
Battle Royale: Yeah, I know, someone put it on their best of all time list, and so, shouldn't be considered an "obscure" film. But, almost everyone I talk to about it doesn't know what it is. And, I genuinely enjoy the premise of this violent movie not released in North America.

i heard about this movie. interesting concept if a bit sinister. is it worth a rental? is it even available as a rental?

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:27 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

I don't know if its available for rental...MY cousin sent away and got it and its sequel, so its must be available in Region 1 somewhere, or maybe he has a region free player. I downloaded it off Kazaa, and it was a great copy. So, your answer is, if you find it somewhere, rent it, if you can't, think about buying, but be warned...it is ultraviolent in parts, and the subject matter can be offputting. Granted, nowhere near as badly as some Japanese Shock Cinema, but definitely a reason it wasn't een marketed in the US. It shows teens killing each other, some with glee, and some in some really horrible ways.
But, it was worth watching. I hesistate to recommend it, because it can be rough.

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:42 AM

P1NKISPUNK

Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
P1NKISPUNK had something with the idea of posting one's favorite movies, as in the Top Five "life-changingly brilliant" films.

10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....

Why thank-you very much. Unfortunately, I've only become complete obsessed with movies over the past year. (It went..Buffy..Angel...Movies...Firefly...More Movies..so I guess I have Joss to thank for introducing me to art on the screen.) This means I probably couldn't suggest one title that you all haven't heard of, because I'm still pretty much in the mainstream at the mo. Ah well..

I nearly choked on my coffee reading your description of Kissed above. If a movie can make you see necrophilia as something beautiful and romantic I gotta see it... (Suddenly wonders if the Angel and Buffy relationship was necrophilia and feels deeply twisted inside.)

Zoe: You could have just stayed in your bunk Jayne

Jayne: Could-a should-a would-a!

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:44 AM

NYWOE

1. The Pirates of Penzance-- Kevin Kline and Angela Landsbury doing Gilbert and Sullivan. What could be better? Fantastic singing, choreography, set design, and especially comededic timing. But be forewarned-- Most people I show this to don't like it so much on the first viewing, but love it on the second. Probably because it takes a viewing to get used to hearing the language.

2. Hellzapoppin-- Hmm, another muscial. This one's from the 40's and stars Martha Ray. It's kind of an Abbot and Costello ripoff. But funny, funny stuff.

3. Any non-Samurai Kurosawa movie. The Samurai ones are good too, but they're less obscure and I don't like them as much. I can't remember the names of any except Dodeskaden. (sp?)

4. Memories-- If you're an anime fan, or are thinking about becoming one, get this movie. The best Japanese animation creators come together to create three short films which are compiled as "Memories." The first one, "Magnetic Rose" reminds me a lot of Firefly. With music by Yoko Kanno (of Cowboy Bepop fame, among other things), you can't go wrong.

5. The 5 Pennies-- Good luck finding this one anywhere. Danny Kaye plays a jazz performer through the ups and downs in his life. With help from Louis Armstrong, this movie has some of the best jazz performances I've seen. If it doesn't get you toe-tapping, you might want to check out Caligari's necrophilia movie instead. ;)

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:52 AM

MANWITHPEZ

Important people don't do field work.

OH! I forgot one, and if you ever get the chance to see it, its great! I saw it on IFC one night, and I haven't seen it again, but its called Kaidan, and it was made in 1964. While I was watching it, one of the stories seemed very familiar, until I realized I had seen it before, in Tales From The Darkside: The Movie. The section called Gargoyles. This original Japanese version (which I think is based on an old folk tale) is much creepier. But, this horror film is deeply moody, very creepy, and no gore to speak of. Highly recommended!

Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 5:30 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by est120:
Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
What is your Five Favorite _Obscure_ Films?

what classifies as "obscure"? non theatrical release or something that is not on the blockbuster "guaranteed in stock" list?

yeah, I would say not out on commercial release
or very hard to find
is close enough to 'obscure'

Caligari: I love LOVE Marat/Sade 1966
(first film for a young Glenda Jackson)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005BKZN/104-0632235-0
975119?v=glance
NYWOE: I adore Pirates of Penzance 1983
Kevin Kline's second film (he made Sophie's Choice first)
I'll add:
Home Before Dark 1958 starring Jean Simmons
Little Shop of Horrors 1960
(the B&W non-musical version w/young Jack Nicholson)
http://www.liketelevision.com/web1/movies/lilshop/
Monsoon Wedding 2001
http://www.mirabaifilms.com/monsoon.html
Blow Dry 2001
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212380/
okay the last two are not strictly obscure,
but too few people have seen them....

Blow Dry in particular, if you loved Strictly Ballroom then you'll love this...
and besides, Alan Rickman has got to do more comedies!

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:14 AM

EST120

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
yeah, I would say not out on commercial release
or very hard to find
is close enough to 'obscure'

oh oh oh! going to get blasted for this one but megaforce. loved that when i was a kid.

okay, you can start the bashing now....

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:17 AM

SLAYER730

I don't have 5, but I have to add:

"Attic Expeditions" (2001)
- For those of you who like having your head messed with...the main guy is in a mental institution after murdering his girlfriend...but did he do it or is it a memory implanted by the doctors? It has really cool, weird imagery and it features Jeffery Combs, Ted Raimi, and Seth Green!

"Red Riding Hood" (2003)
- I found this at Blockbuster and thought it was gonna be a cheesy horror flick. It was actually a pretty macabre morality tale with a fantastic young actress named Susanna Satta. She steals the film in a warped yet fascinating way. (And this is her only film!)

"Neo-Tokyo" (1987)
- It's an amazing anime movie with 3 short stories including:
LABYRINTH - a girl who wanders "through the looking glass" into a bizarre and dark wonderland
THE RUNNING MAN - a futuristic race car driver physically and mentally pushes himself to the brink of death (**my favorite one**)
CONSTRUCTION CANCELLATION ORDER - a city being built by robots is given the order to stop, but they are quite unwilling to do so

"Freeze Frame" (2004)
- A man aquitted of a heinous murder films himself constantly so he will always have an alibi. But when someone winds up dead and tapes begin disappearing.... This film starts a bit slow but picks up and twists and turns ya all the way to the ending. Very cool...for people who liked "Memento".

Honorable mention (cause they're not too obscure): "Pi", "Donnie Darko", "Cube", and "Existenz"

***Never judge a book by its movie***

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:58 AM

THATWEIRDGIRL

The first four were mentioned by others:

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover…just wow
Pirates of Penzance…I can’t get enough of Lansdbury, this and Gaslight
Little Shop of Horrors (1960)…I prefer this one too.
The Five Pennies…I cry every time I see this movie
Toby Tyler aka Ten Weeks with a Circus…as far as I know, this one is unavailable. I know it’s a sappy kids movie, but here is so much feeling in this one. Kevin Corcoran does a wonderful job carrying the film, he may be a kid, but his skill shows in this one.

www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
Can we not revel in our cyber-love?

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:06 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by thatweirdgirl:
…I can’t get enough of Lansdbury

Oh you reminded me of my all time favorite Angela Landsbury film:
The World of Henry Orient
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006FDAY/102-0614200-6
939361?v=glance
only to find it isn't THAT obscure after all...
so I've just ordered it!
(I haven't seen it in decades)

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:52 AM

BATMARLOWE

These are some of mine. Couldn't narrow it down to five, sorry. But in no particular order:

Diplomaniacs
Something to Sing About (aka Battling Hoofer)
Men Must Fight
The Beloved Rogue (Been waiting decades to see that one again)
Elmer the Great
Half-Shot at Sunrise
Mickey One
Stand Up and Cheer
Jungle Moon Men
Smile
All at Sea

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:56 AM

RAT

Quote:
Originally posted by thatweirdgirl:
Toby Tyler …as far as I know, this one is unavailable.

On DVD August 2, 2005!

-Ratboy

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:01 AM

COSMICFUGITIVE

Here's my selection:

* THE 'BURBS: It's a REALLY funny movie! A family moves in next door to Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. Their new next door neighbours pretty much keep to themselves. Noone has really seen them and there are weird noises coming from the basement. Tom Hanks and a few other neighbours decide to investigate the house when the family goes out for the day. A lot crazy stuff ensues!

* EVIL DEAD: Low budget ‘splat-stick’ horror movie from director Sam Raimi featuring Bruce Campbell. It’s gory, funny stuff!

* CYPHER: A brilliant, tense, sci-fi thriller from director Vincenzo Natali. It keeps you guessing until the end. Lucy Lui also appears in it.

* LAGAAN -Once upon a time in India: A four hour movie about a group of Indian villagers taking on British colonial troops in a high stakes game of cricket. If they win, they no longer need to pay their annual village taxes. The music and dancing is brilliant and the plot drags you in.

* STAND BY ME: I love this movie. It’s an adaptation of a Steven King novella. It deals with a group of boys who search for a dead body 20 miles from their home in Oregon. The ‘Lard ass’ campfire story is a memorable part of the movie! A young Kiefer Sutherland - and an even younger Will Wheaton, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Jerry O Connell star.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:23 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by CosmicFugitive:
Here's my selection:

* THE 'BURBS: It's a REALLY funny movie! A family moves in next door to Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. Their new next door neighbours pretty much keep to themselves. Noone has really seen them and there are weird noises coming from the basement. Tom Hanks and a few other neighbours decide to investigate the house when the family goes out for the day. A lot crazy stuff ensues!

Oh good choice!!!! I love the 'Burbs' this is rife with subtle understated humour. I can watch this over and over. Jerry Goldsmiths music is a character used to great effect. For example the scene near the beginning when each principal character has there own motif within the theme music and then right at the close of the scene, there's a close up shot of the dog (Poodle's) eyes and he's given a sort of cowboy slant to his moment. Cracks me up everytime!!! Joe Dante at his best.

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:39 AM

COSMICFUGITIVE

Quote:
Thesomnambulist wrote:

Oh good choice!!!! I love the 'Burbs' this is rife with subtle understated humour. I can watch this over and over. Jerry Goldsmiths music is a character used to great effect. For example the scene near the beginning when each principal character has there own motif within the theme music and then right at the close of the scene, there's a close up shot of the dog (Poodle's) eyes and he's given a sort of cowboy slant to his moment. Cracks me up everytime!!! Joe Dante at his best.

The poodle's eyes moment is classic! :D

My favourite parts include Tom Hanks and the other guy trying to get over the fence (the 'Red Rover' radio conversation is hilarious), and the part during the stakeout where Corey Feldman shouts: "It's the Pizza Dude!" :)

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:52 AM

CHRISISALL

I did a list of bests, now

MY OBSCURE GREATS:
Blood of Heroes (Rutger Hauer)
Cherry 2000

Westworld
Dreamscape
Fire and Ice (Ralph Bakshi)

Believe me, none of these will dissapoint.

Chrisisall

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 8:55 AM

LWAVES

Gotta agree with Embers about Blow Dry. Alan Rickman steals every scene he is in.

And CosmicFugitive with Stand By Me. Best King adaption by far.

My list would also include:

Lawn Dogs. Early Sam Rockwell/Mischa Barton film. A poor lawn mower man makes friends with a young rich girl

Dolphins. A short film that has no dialogue but makes you really feel for the main character.

Freeway. Dark early Reese Witherspoon tale of Red Riding Hood.

Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. Tim Roth and Gary Oldman as lesser characters from Hamlet. Very funny and charming.

The Bumblebee Flies Anyway. Nice story about a young man who is dying but has amnesia so he doesn't show any symptoms.

Also pretty much anything else featuring Reese Witherspoon before Legally Blonde hit big. And anything with Rachael Leigh Cook or Laura Fraser as well.

lwaves

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:01 AM

VOLSTOCK

Strange Brew
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
Knight Riders - (This is Camelot on Motorcycles, with Rutger Hauer)
Diabolique (The original french version)
Afraid of the Dark (70s made for TV)

"I've seen you with no clothes on, never thought I'd see you naked."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:25 AM

MSCKAREN

Well, since you're all Firefly fans, you might like:

Clay Pigeons - dark comedy about a serial killer (Vince Vaughn - did an awesomejob!!) who wants to become friends with somebody (Jaoquin Pheonix) who he thinks is also a serial killer, but, actually ... not so much...

I Married a Monster From OuterSpace - one of those great old 50s B-movies about invasion from outspace. While often accused of being a copy of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", actually did a lot of stuff that, in turn, got copied. Think Desparate Housewife meets Predator - unintentional hilarity!

An even older oldie, Blythe Spirit. IMDB description: "Adapted from a play by Noel Coward, Charles and his second wife Ruth, are haunted by the ghost of his first wife, Elvira. Medium Madame Arcati tries to help things out by contacting the ghost." Ironic, as I've often thought Joss channels Noel Coward in some of his sharpest and funniest writing. Oh, and Rex Harrison plays the husband to snobbish, befuddled perfection.

BoonDock Saints - Violent and quirky. Seems to have developed a cult following of it's own, as I've seen it in the top 20 list of DVD sales on Amazon and it recently showed up on the racks at Walmart.

Currently in selected theaters: "What the Bleep do we know?!" A thought provoking (i.e., controversial) blend of quantum physics, metaphysics and brain chemistry.

The Gate to the Minds Eye - Really computer art more than a movie has some great sequences...some will look familiar but some are still uniquely beautiful, especially with Thomas Dolby's soundtrack behind them.

Koyaanisqatsi - I actually saw that in a theater the year it came out. Also, got to see Metropolis with the Rock soundtrack in that same theater probably a few years later. Both pretty amazing!

Was Marat/Sade the original French version of "Quills"? Disturbingly funny...

What Science Fiction/Comedy/Movie Fan hasn't heard about MST3K?! Get thee to a video store immediately!

But I obviously need to broaden my horizons to eastern filmmakers so I'll look for some of your recommendations. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Appears they've canceled the show and we're still here. What does that make us?"
"Big damn junkies, Sir!"
"Ain't we just."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:32 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by CosmicFugitive:
Quote:
Thesomnambulist wrote:

Oh good choice!!!! I love the 'Burbs' this is rife with subtle understated humour. I can watch this over and over. Jerry Goldsmiths music is a character used to great effect. For example the scene near the beginning when each principal character has there own motif within the theme music and then right at the close of the scene, there's a close up shot of the dog (Poodle's) eyes and he's given a sort of cowboy slant to his moment. Cracks me up everytime!!! Joe Dante at his best.

The poodle's eyes moment is classic! :D

My favourite parts include Tom Hanks and the other guy trying to get over the fence (the 'Red Rover' radio conversation is hilarious), and the part during the stakeout where Corey Feldman shouts: "It's the Pizza Dude!" :)

That is a great scene.

"Red rover, red rover let Art go on over..."

How about the shot of Tom hanks and Rick Ducommon (Art) cleaning out the shed and then they do a reverse shot and there's a perfect cut out in the roof of Art's shape where he fell through from cutting the power cables!!!

Also the scene where Art, raids Tom Hanks' fridge, he carries it all over to the table, and he has stacks of food piled up high, and while he's busy eating off the plate and pouring maple syrup over some pancakes, he grabs a handful of berries that Carrie Fisher is walking past with; and the look on his face when he tastes it!!! Man that makes laugh out loud everytime...

"Sardines????" Oh man I'm almost crying from remembering it. I'm going to have to watch this tonight, I still have it on vid from years ago somewhere....

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:37 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by msckaren:
Was Marat/Sade the original French version of "Quills"? Disturbingly funny...

Oh I saw Quills and it IS something different!
But no, Marat/Sade was a stage play
and the Royal Shakespeare Company filmed it
pretty much right from the stage...
very 'arty' and moving...
but completely different from Quills

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:47 AM

BYTETHEBULLET

Night of the Comet - Guns, Girls, zombies
Never on Tuesday - quirky
Time Rider - Motorcycle action in the past - time travel
House - and House 2 - umm, not sure how to describe
Big Trouble in Little China - Classic

There, five, not counting the sequel.

ETA: Darkly Noon - sue me, 6.

ByteTheBullet (-:

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 10:17 AM

HJERMSTED

1. Forbidden Zone - Herve Villachaize (yes... Tatoo!) and Susan Tyrell are the king and queen of the sixth dimension. Danny Elfman (who also plays the role of Satan) wrote the original music in the late 1970s (qualifying FZ as his first official film score) and the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo performed it. Artistically low budget and perverse.

2. Koyanisqaatsi - A plotless, yet not entirely storyless visual masterpiece utilizing mainly in camera special effects and NO computer effects at all. Philip Glass' accompanying soundtrack is superb. See this fantastic mid-80s film if you haven't already.

3. The Road Warrior - Not all that obscure, I know. However, this is the film I had watched more times than any other way back before anyone knew it would spawn the desert fashion trend known as "Burning Man". I have not watched this film in over 15 years and am patiently waiting for it to receive the deluxe DVD treatment. Still Mel Gibson's finest work!

4. Repo Man - The only Emilio Estevez film I like plus my favorite Harry Dean Stanton film. Before Alex Cox directed Sid & Nancy, he made this film about punk rock, Reagan era malaise, and aliens. This is a great film with many familiar faces and songs... which brings me to the soundtrack album which is a nice little postcard from where south central L.A. punk rock was at the time (1984).

5. The Clash: Rude Boy - Now this one is obscure. I'm still waiting for someone to figure out this will be pure gold on DVD. This film is part documentary on the Clash part live concert presentation and part narrative on the life of a punk rock roadie. It's been ages since I've seen this and I am dying to see it again.

6 & 7. Fantastic Planet and Light Years - French psychedelic animated sci fi from the early 80s. FP is about a world where humans are the tiny habitrail pets of giant aliens (I'm positive that Perry Farrell was thinking of this film when he wrote "Pets"). LY is (if I remember correctly) about an uber powerful computer laying systematic waste to the peaceful ecotopian civilizations who created it. Isaac Asimov had something to do with the english translation of the film, I do believe.

8. Sorcerer - Roy Scheider stars in this remake of a european film about a collection of ex-patriots, scaliwags, and all around ne'r do wells who are hired to transport crates of nitro glycerin across rugged south american terrain in rickety old trucks. This one is directed by the guy who did the original Exorcist. Very suspenseful.

9. A Fistful of Dynamite aka Duck, You Sucker - The last of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns is also his most political. James Coburn and ROD STEIGER* attempt to get rich AND help the peasants of revolution-era mexico. Yet another film begging for the royal DVD treatment.

10. & 11. The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun - Martin Scorsese's two spiritual epics are my favorites of all of his films. Wilem Dafoe is captivating in the role of Jesus and the plight of the young 14th Dalai Lama is simply heart-wrenching.

Okay, that's enough for now I think!

Have fun and enjoy your hair!

Mattro

*edited correction... I had Eli Walach in there at first.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 10:35 AM

HJERMSTED

Quote:
Originally posted by msckaren:
Currently in selected theaters: "What the Bleep do we know?!" A thought provoking (i.e., controversial) blend of quantum physics, metaphysics and brain chemistry.

From the Dept. of Knowing What You're Buying:

This film is actually pure New Age and not based on science. "Quantum Metaphysics" is as close to the lab as any of this talk gets. What the Bleep... is put out by the Ramtha people (J.Z. Knight Inc.) and the "experts" in it are not known by those in the relatively small Physics and Quantum Mechanics communities.

Before seeing this film, do some research by Googling the following: "What the Bleep Do We Know + J.Z. Knight"

There's nothing wrong with New Age in and of itself. It's certainly another way (or ways) to look at our world and is just as valid as any other theory. But deceptive packaging is STILL deceptive packaging. What the Bleep is pseudo science passed off as science. This is the same tactic that creationists use to pass off "Intelligent Design" as science or Britny Spears as artistic.

Buyer beware!!

Mattro

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 10:55 AM

COSMICFUGITIVE

Quote:
Thesomnambulist wrote:

How about the shot of Tom hanks and Rick Ducommon (Art) cleaning out the shed and then they do a reverse shot and there's a perfect cut out in the roof of Art's shape where he fell through from cutting the power cables!!!

LMAO! Brilliant! I forgot about that bit. I can picture Art checking his teeth with singed fingers after he fell off the fence! :D

Quote:
"Sardines????" Oh man I'm almost crying from remembering it. I'm going to have to watch this tonight, I still have it on vid from years ago somewhere....

Ooh... Sardines! ("Packing dust." :D ) Horrible! *Cringes* :)

I have to watch this again too. It's been a while since I've seen it. I need to find the old VHS copy now. Thanks for talking about it!

Keep flyin'!

- Cos.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 11:45 AM

FREMDFIRMA

With Quote from each.

1 - Boondock Saints, less obscure now than it used to be, thanks to fan support, but well worth it for some awesome, awesome work by W. Dafoe

"We could kill.... everybody!"
"I'm strangely comfortable with that."

2 - Republic Pictures version - Space Marines, very B flick, very firefly-ish sense of humor.

"A rescue is NOT... throwing a grenade in the room with the hostage!"
"He was behind cover!"

3 - Surviving the Game, which I like because Ice-T's (in my opinion only) is a right good actor, and unlike many movies of similar bent, he's not some ex-super agent.. he's just some mechanic from the hood.

"I'll show these M^#F*&K@'s some therapy!..."

4 - Heavy Metal, how can ya not like classic cult stuff, ehe ?

"As for me,... I put it down as a two day ride... with one hell of a tip."

5 - Savior, but I warn you, it's quite upsetting, but a good look into the psychology of the conflict in question.

-F

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:15 PM

ODDNESS2HER

I don't know if these meet your criteria for obscure, but they count as such among the crowd I'm usually in:

Hedwig & the Angry Inch
Ladyhawke
Shadow of a Doubt
Dogma (Alan Rickman again)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (and again!)

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:17 PM

CHRISISALL

I haven't even thought about Night of the Comet for years! It was so bad it was great!
Another like that: Warlords of the 21st Century.

Hey, Elektra comes out next tuesday, anyone see it? Should I buy or rent...I liked Daredevil up until the last 20 minutes if that matters.

Chrisisall

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:21 PM

OLDENGLANDDRY

1. My Life As A Dog:
2. The Tin Drum:
3. Millions Like Us
4. Cyrano de Bergerac (the Depardieu version)
5. Topsy-Turvy.

Not nesseccerily in that order.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 4:59 PM

SICKDUDE

This is my first post. The thread sounded too much like someone wanted my opinion...

Thank you, Hjermsted, for Sorcerer. I'm glad I'm not the only one who liked that movie.

Here are some others:
The Beast. A soviet intellectual tries to be a good soldier in the Soviet/Afghan war.

The Rains Came. Myrna Loy as a stuck-up socialite face-to-face with the humanitarian disaster of massive flooding. Also has great stunts- before the age of CG.

Bedazzled. The original with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore was so much better than the remake.

The Hard Way. Patrick McGoohan as an Irish assasin trying to retire. Simple yet fun, and so hard to find.

Edge of Darkness. Okay, not really an obscure movie so much as an under-appreciated BBC mini-series. But it is so good! Mystery, drama, political thriller, environmental message, psychology, philosophy, and a killer soundtrack by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton. The best!

Although I've never seen it, my wife insists I mention Ikiru by Kurasawa. It's the story of a bureaucrat who breaks out of his mediocracy when faced with his mortality.

"Don't say 'ka' until you've tried it."

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:12 PM

OPPYH

5. VAMPIRE CIRCUS

4. VAMPIRE'S KISS

3. AMERICAN MOVIE

2. SLACKER

1. MY DINNER WITH ANDRE

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Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:56 PM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by Sickdude:
Edge of Darkness.

And you get to enjoy it on DVD. There is no Region 1 version. VHS only in North AngloAmerica.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . . (wutzon) Allman Bro's, "Dreams"

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:13 AM

the movie is not the Series. Only the facts have been changed, to irritate the innocent; the names of the actors and characters remain the same

Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
your favorite films that, when mentioned in mixed company, usually means that you have some explaining to do.

Million Dollar Hotel. Yeah, I know, someone already put it on their (life changing) list, but that was me. Screwball tragedy with murder mystery. Gibsonesque. Dir Wim Wenders. Story by Bono. Ensemble cast incl Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, Mel Gibson, Jimmy Smitts, Peter Stormare. Jazzy soundtrack, with U2, MDHBand incl Bono.

Long Good Friday, the. Noir. First starring roles for Bob Hoskins (iconic performance) & Helen Mirren, first role for Pierce Brosnan (no lines). Driving, edgy soundtrack. Second movie financed by Handmade Films, the production company founded by George Harrison to save the Life of Brian, when its original production company ran outa money & dropped it.

One Trick Pony. Paul Simon, Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree, Steve Gadd. If you don't already know @least three of them, you probably won't enjoy this movie. VHS only

One False Move. Noir. Dir Carl Franklin. Co-starring & co-written by Billy Bob Thornton (not yet a good actor, but a great screenplay); also co-starring his then wife Cynda Williams & a fine ensemble supporting cast. First starring role for Bill Paxton (he & Bomber reunited for a Simple Plan). Eerie, bluesy soundtrack. Gene Siskel's favourite movie of 1992 (just found that out on IMDB). Not obscure enough for you? Well, had you even heard of it, let alone seen it?

Suicide Kings. Black comedy. Five frat bro's put the bag on Don Corleone. Ensemble cast of Christopher Walken, Denis Leary & the Five Young Guys (aka FNGs). When five young actors all come off well in major roles, there must be a great script. Dir Peter O'Fallon, who also directed Wonderfalls.
Btw, one o' the FNGs (Sean Patrick Flannery) was in Boondock Saints, & will be in the sequel, now in production for release this year.

Go. Comedy. A day in the life of three supermarket clerks & two (soap star) customers. Sex (tantric), drugs (X), rock & roll (No Doubt, Steppenwolf, more). When five young actors all come off well in major roles, there must be a great script. Jay Mohr is one of the FNGs in this & in Suicide Kings. OK if we can't count Jay 'cause he was N in SK, we gotta count Taye Diggs, whose role is as big as Jay's (maybe bigger -- you know the old saying), so it's still Five. Oh, and the day is Christmas Eve.

Hi Life. Comedy, theatrical. Ensemble cast of Eric Stolz, Chuck Durning, Darryl Hannah, Peter Riegert & more, led by Campbell Scott. An off-white (sorta eggshell) lie leads to another off-white (maybe ecru) lie, which leads to a bartender attempting to collect debts just before Christmas, so he can give the money to his sister, who intends to give the money to her boyfriend, whom her brother hates, who said he needed the money for . . . Another Christmas movie, for those who've seen It's a Wonderful Life as often as they care to.

Aside from One Trick Pony, all the others are available on DVD.

For other groups, I would also add Ultraviolet, a BBC miniseries with a lotta fans (& quality) in common with Firefly.

These aren't the most obscure films I've seen; most of those have deserved their obscurity. The first five have my top rating. The last two are Christmas movies and not rated on the same scale; they are among my favourites of the season.

I've spent more time drafting, checking details, & editing this post, than any other I've made -- half a day. Others may already have mentioned some of the above since the last time I read the thread. Whatever, these are mine.

Keep the Shiny Side Up . . . (wutzon) Greg Howe, Victor Wooten, Dennis Chambers , "Crack It Way Open", from "Extraction"

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 1:20 AM

REAVERINA1985RIVIERA

Most people know of the Nick Cage "Gone in 60 Seconds" and some people know it's a remake of H.B. Haliki's 1973 "Gone in 60 Seconds".

But how many have seen "Gone in 60 Seconds 2 "?

Haliki stared, directed, financed, and produced all of his movies mostly by himself. He was killed during the filming of Gi60S 2, so the movie was scrapped. When they brought his movies to DVD, all the footage was put together to make a 30 minute plot-free movie that destroyed over 400 cars

.

---------------------------------------------
The real-life box droppin', man-ape gone wrong thing, now without the pesky falling boxes

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:57 AM

NYWOE

Wow, you guys are reminding me of a lot of movies I've forgotten about. Repo Man, Cyrano De Bergerac, etc. Good stuff. Anybody ever seen the Mario Brothers Movie. Call me crazy, but I love it. Okay, yes, I admit, I'm crazy. Okay you can stop calling me crazy now.

Re: What the Bleep Do We Know:

Quote:
This film is actually pure New Age and not based on science. "Quantum Metaphysics" is as close to the lab as any of this talk gets. What the Bleep... is put out by the Ramtha people (J.Z. Knight Inc.) and the "experts" in it are not known by those in the relatively small Physics and Quantum Mechanics communities.

Thank-you! I can't tell you how grateful I am to have someone confirm what I was thinking about this movie! I only went to see it because my sister ended up as an accidental extra in one of the scenes. Before seeing the movie, I had read reviews online about how it really stretched your brain and made you think. The online trailer implied this, too. One lady said it was too much for her to be able to follow. So I prepared myself for a challenging brain exercise, hoping I would be able to follow it. What do I get? Unsubstantiated "facts" that are loosely connected and then some sort of preachy section telling me I should love myself better.

Apologies to the person who recommended this movie, but it just makes me roll my eyes.

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 5:00 AM

NYWOE

Quote:
Hey, Elektra comes out next tuesday, anyone see it? Should I buy or rent...I liked Daredevil up until the last 20 minutes if that matters.

Rent it. It started out pretty good, but then it evolved into a really predictable pattern. You know, the kind of thing where you can say the line before the actor does. Worth seeing once.

I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 5:20 AM

REGINAROADIE

There are a few films that I like that can be referred to as Obscure Films. But there's one in particular that for the intents and purposes of this board I really like that I think any sci-fi fan here should check out.

It's this Canadian film called LAST NIGHT. It came out here in 98 and in the states in 99. Directed by Don McKellar and starring a pre-SIDEWAYS Sandra Oh, this is a black comedy about the last six hours of human existence. And it follows all these different people around Toronto and the various stories and occurrences that happen to them as their waiting for midnight, when the world ends. It's sort of an anti-ARMAGEDDON, but it's such a sublime film that everyone should see, particularily when it runs on CBC, because the tv edit for this film is actually better than the actual theatrical release of the movie.

Has anyone here on the board actually seen LAST NIGHT?

"NO HAI ES BANDAI. THERE IS....NO.....BAND. AND YET....WE HEAR A BAND."

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 5:26 AM

THATWEIRDGIRL

You asked if I speak French...I used to speak French. Years ago. I was fluent, but now I am so far removed from it in my life that I can only read it. My ability to think as I speak has completely abandoned me (quite often in English too).

On that note...as a former musician, I fell in love with this gem of a movie:
Tous les Matins du Monde

It has subtitles, I think, if you’re interested in seeing it. It actually attempts to answer the question 'what is music'. It really does. This isn't Amadeus, Immortal Beloved, or Mr. Holland, oh no, this story keeps asking you over, and over, and over 'what is music?' The others? They ask 'isn't this guy really cool,' he is, but I want to listen to the music.

www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
Can we not revel in our cyber-love?

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 6:05 AM

CHRISISALL

Thanks for the imput, I guess I'll rent Elektra unless walmart has it for under $15, then I might buy it. Predictable is okay with me as long as the fight scenes are fast and furious.
And I like Ms. Garner...

Another obsure one...Timecop 2, I swear it was really good!(not like the hokum of the first)

Chrisisall

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 6:16 AM

LISTER

1. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead

2. The Hudsucker Proxy (also on my top 5)

3. Rustlers Rhapsody

4. The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen

5. Cabin Boy

That was a hard list to put together.

Run to the Tower, and call out the Magus
If he has caused this, we'll tear out his pages
Throw him in shackles, AND REMOVE HIS HANDS!
- Red Horse Rainbow, CLUTCH

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 6:33 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Chrisisall

I've still not seen Timecop 2 yet ~ it was on sky the other night but I missed it. It'll be on again soon though so chances are I'll get to see it.

thatweirdgirl
That sounds like quite a film! I'll keep an eye out for it, and many others mentioned here. I'd love to watch some films in their original language. Maybe you've not lost it for good, perhaps a refresher would have you speaking like a native once again...?

I just thought of one more that I recall seeing when I was very young called Americana with David Caradine as a wonderer who stumbles upon a run down merry-go-round in a sleepy little American town, and he begins restoring it...

It was pretty much his project as he Wrote, starred, directed, edited it, and I believe he sang the end song too. I like that film.

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 6:54 AM

CHRISISALL

Somnambulist, have you ever seen The Legend of Hell House (1973)? For my money it's the spookiest movie I ever saw due to the fact that it all seems like it could, maybe, you know, happen!!
No big effects, and thats why it works. (that AND Roddy McDowell!)

uh-oh, ghosts, gotta- ah, I'm tired of runnin'.

Chrisisall

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 8:13 AM

THESOMNAMBULIST

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Somnambulist, have you ever seen The Legend of Hell House (1973)? For my money it's the spookiest movie I ever saw due to the fact that it all seems like it could, maybe, you know, happen!!
No big effects, and thats why it works. (that AND Roddy McDowell!)

uh-oh, ghosts, gotta- ah, I'm tired of runnin'.

Chrisisall

No not seen it but good old Roddy never fails does he :)

Talking of effects free horror flicks have you seen The Haunting the one directed by Robert Wise ? It's way spooky :)

The
Somnambulist

www.cirqus.com
For Pictures:
http://www.cirqus.com/lightfantastic.html

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Thursday, March 31, 2005 8:22 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Quote:
Originally posted by Sickdude:
Here are some others:
The Beast. A soviet intellectual tries to be a good soldier in the Soviet/Afghan war.

Probably one of my favorites of all time, didn't know anyone else had even heard of it... Sickdude, if you liked that, go rent a copy of Savior, you would like that every bit as much.

"Hey Tank boyyyyyyy!"
Damn that guy was a kook.

-F

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