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Obscure films discussion

  • 04-06-2014 3:19pm
    #1
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Hi.

    This is continuing where this thread ended.

    Please post your favorite obscure movies with a few words supporting your choice.

    Cheers.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



«13

Comments

  • #2
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    Worztron wrote: »
    Hi.

    This is continuing where this thread ended.

    Please post your favorite obscure movies with a few words supporting your choice.

    Cheers.
    I saw Frank last night. Really enjoyed it. It got a mainstream release in Ireland but it's far from it.


  • #3
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    Raid 2 is great too....(i obviously wouldn't call it obscure ...but it probably is)


  • #4
    brian67
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭brian67


    Exit through the gift shop
    It's an absolutely brilliant case study by Banksy and I really hope he does more movies.


  • #5
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    Raid 2 is great too....(i obviously wouldn't call it obscure ...but it probably is)

    This?

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



  • #6
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    brian67 wrote: »
    Exit through the gift shop
    It's an absolutely brilliant case study by Banksy and I really hope he does more movies.

    Agreed, I saw it a few months back. The opening song is very catchy.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



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  • #7
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    Worztron wrote: »
    This?
    that's the one!!


  • #8
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    brian67 wrote: »
    Exit through the gift shop
    It's an absolutely brilliant case study by Banksy and I really hope he does more movies.
    i love that movie....but (and this is a good thing) i found it to be a total mind f**k.....my head was melted after it....like it seems simple....but it's not...it throws out more questions than it answers....WHAT IS REAL???? What is art? Is art as good as what you pay for it??? Can you rope in a few celebs to buy your stuff..and then it's art??? WHAT???


  • #9
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    Raid 2 is hardly obscure, the first one was one of the biggest non-English language hits in recent years. I think if a thread like this is to exist (When the first one was locked, especially) there needs to be an outline for what "Obscure" is. Personally, I can see a lot of very well known films people don't think is within the purview of the forum users being in this thread. I seem to remember a similar thread, with well known films being listed, like Westworld (Likely not in the thread, just an example of that sort of film). Also, not making it a list thread will help.

    Nothing (2003).

    I might have talked about this in the "What Have You Watched Recently" thread, but here it is. Two guys accidentally wish away the Universe, and end up living alone together in their house in a never ending white void.

    It's a pretty silly film, the acting is a bit rough some times, but I really enjoyed it. It can get quite tense in places. Obviously, it being a never ending white void, there's not a whole lot to look at, so you have to rely on the bizarre story. I don't want to give a much away, but I'd recommend it to someone who likes light movies or sci-fi who might enjoy seeing something a little different. 7 / 10.

    Timeryder: The Adventure Of Lyle Swann (1982).

    Featuring Fred Ward (Earl from Tremors) in the lead role. A motorcycle racer gets accidentally transported through time to the wild west. Hijinx ensue.

    I love this movie. I love this movie so hard. It takes the subject matter (Time travel) and makes the characters react to it realistically. For the entire film, Lyle has no idea he's gone through time. The people there don't know he's from the future. There's no "Oh, hey, things are different, I must be in the past, I guess." The story is fairly tight, there's some good action sequences, the characters are written well, and it gets out with only one paradox, which for a time travel movie is an amazing feat. Recommended for someone who wants a tight, ninety minute movie, or people like me who love time travel films. 9 / 10.

    PS: As an aside to Timerider, I prefer this to BTTF III.


  • #10
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    as i clearly stated i do find RAID 2 obscure....but i saw it in an empty cinema and nobody in this building has seen it....and none of my mates have seen it.


  • #11
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    as i clearly stated i do find RAID 2 obscure....but i saw it in an empty cinema and nobody in this building has seen it....and none of my mates have seen it.

    OK, here's the rub, and I hope this doesn't come off as mean, because it's not meant to at all. The film forum has a lot of users who watch a lot of films. If a film is in the cinema any where in the country, you can almost guarantee it's not obscure by the forum standard. If it didn't get a cinema release, but it played at Cannes, it's not obscure by the forum standard. The thread might be better suited to what the forum considers obscure (Like Street Wars) rather than it being obscure because none of your friends saw it. None of my friends have seen Equilibrium, which is hardly obscure, but many have seen Eri Eri Rema Sabakutani, so that's not a very good gauge for what is and isn't obscure.


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  • #12
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    OK, here's the rub, and I hope this doesn't come off as mean, because it's not meant to at all. The film forum has a lot of users who watch a lot of films. If a film is in the cinema any where in the country, you can almost guarantee it's not obscure by the forum standard. If it didn't get a cinema release, but it played at Cannes, it's not obscure by the forum standard. The thread might be better suited to what the forum considers obscure (Like Street Wars) rather than it being obscure because none of your friends saw it. None of my friends have seen Equilibrium, which is hardly obscure, but many have seen Eri Eri Rema Sabakutani, so that's not a very good gauge for what is and isn't obscure.

    Also if a film has let's say 10000+ votes on IMDb then it's certainly not obscure. For example, you mentioned Equilibrium (2002) -- it got 214013 votes.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



  • #13
    Ash.J.Williams
    Registered Users Posts: 20,929 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    is gummo obscure?


  • #14
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    is gummo obscure?

    I used the 10000 figure as an example. I guess there will always be grey areas as to whether a film is obscure or not. I've watched a lot of films but never heard of Gummo.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



  • #15
    LuckyFinigan
    Registered Users Posts: 866 ✭✭✭LuckyFinigan


    Ash.J.Williams wrote: »
    is gummo obscure?

    I'd describe gummo is obscure, very strange and disturbing film.


  • #16
    gugleguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭gugleguy


    Moon with Sam Rockwell. Kevin Spacey does the voice of the robot. There is discussion of Moon 2 on the DVD but I'be nvere heard of it.


  • #17
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    Again, it's not exactly obscure. It has two very big named actors, and nearly 200,000 votes on IMDb.


  • #18
    e_e
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭e_e


    Syndromes and a Century

    Thai drama/comedy/surrealist hybrid set in 2 different hospitals (one modern and one rural). Enchanting, funny, heartfelt, thought-provoking and truly (I don't use this word lightly) innovative. One of my favorite films of all time.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I11KCob7CMQ


    Joe's other features and shorts are well worth checking out too.


  • #19
    e_e
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭e_e


    Also I mentioned this in the other thread but if you want a really terrific catalog of previously obscure movies then check out the DVDs that Second Run releases. They've brought out 2 of Weerasethakul's (above) movies too.


  • #20
    Liam McPoyle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,846 ✭✭✭✭Liam McPoyle


    Clean, Shaven.
    Criminally underseen portrayal of mental ilness and a fantastic central performance from Peter Greene.

    Cutting Moments.
    Very nasty short dealing with the aftermath of child abuse revelations. Harsh stuff.

    Goodbye Uncle Tom.

    "Shockumentary" from Italian film makers Jacopetti & Prosperi using actual and dramatised footage of the slave trade. These are the same guys behind Mondo Cane and are cited as been a big influence on anything from Cannibal Holocaust to The Blair Witch Project, Goodbye Uncle Tom is them at their most exploitative.

    Leave your morals at the door and wade in.


  • #21
    IrishAlice
    Registered Users Posts: 557 ✭✭✭IrishAlice


    The Ramen Girl.

    I'll probably get shot for that but I really enjoyed it!


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  • #22
    Maphisto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,014 ✭✭✭Maphisto


    A couple I enjoy

    Johnny Got His Gun - Dalton Trumbo
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067277/?ref_=nv_sr_1


    Fortress of War or "Brestskaya krepost"
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343703/?ref_=nv_sr_1


  • #23
    Worztron
    Registered Users Posts: 8,664 ✭✭✭Worztron


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    Again, it's not exactly obscure. It has two very big named actors, and nearly 200,000 votes on IMDb.

    Also, I thought it was very overrated.

    Mitch Hedberg: "Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something."



  • #24
    Seedy Arling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,002 ✭✭✭Seedy Arling


    Bad Boy Bubby is one of my favourite movies that i discovered in the last few years. I think i got the recommendation from someone in here.

    It's a darkly comic tale of 'mothering' that has gone too far.

    It starts off very, very grim but develops into a very nice story by the end of it. Nicholas Hope excellently plays the lead role as Bubby in a great performance. He looks a bit like Nick Cave after getting a massive electric shock.

    From wiki in relation to the unique audio and visual aspects of it:
    Director de Heer describes the film as one large experiment, especially in the method used to record the dialogue: binaural microphones were sewn into the wig worn by leading actor Nicholas Hope, one above each ear. This method gave the sound track a unique sound that closely resembled what the character would actually be hearing. The film also used 31 individual directors of photography to shoot different scenes.


  • #25
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    Worztron wrote: »
    Also, I thought it was very overrated.

    That's beside the point, but OK then.

    Hell (2011).

    German post apocalypse movie. The Sun has reached almost critical mass, and water is scarce. We follow a small group of people making their way through the world.

    Quite well acted, and a decent script. There's a couple of niggling character moments, but over all a decent film, and quite grim. There's a constant, slowly growing sense of dread, where around each new corner is something worse than before. Lots of "Damn, something moved in the background, there." moments, which I enjoy a lot. It's a little bit all over the place with what's going on, over all, but not enough to annoy. Recommended to viewers who enjoy slow-moving post apocalypse movies. 7 / 10.

    Summer Time Machine Blues (2005).

    The Sci-Fi Club and Photography Club of a Japanese High School meet a time traveller from the future on one of the hottest days of the year, also a member of the Sci-Fi Club!

    I love this film, and in my opinion, is the greatest time travel movie of all time. The fact that the time line is so convoluted is made because of something so stupid, a broken remote control for an air conditioner, is the kicker. It's like if Primer happened because someone lost their keys. I watch a lot of time travel movies, and this is the only one which has a completely logical approach. There's millions of little background moments, so it's well worth repeated viewings (I watched it for the eighth time a few weeks ago). Such a great movie, dangerously close to perfect. 9 / 10.


  • #26
    e_e
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭e_e


    L'Eclisse

    Can't describe what makes this film so powerful, so I'll let Martin Scorsese do it for me. ;)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d0eFv1vHxo


  • #27
    e_e
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,464 ✭✭✭e_e


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    Hell (2011).
    For a second there I thought you were referring to Heli, a really absorbing and intense film I saw at the IFI a few weeks back. Kind of a journey to hell and back with this one Mexican family who accidentally have a run in with a cartel. Very grim but compelling film that I think can be eligible for this thread since it's kind of been overlooked, has echoes of No Country for Old Men too.


  • #28
    catallus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭catallus


    Would Swimming With Sharks count? Anytime I mention it to anyone they say they've never seen it, which I find odd.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114594/?ref_=nv_sr_1


  • #29
    Ape Lincoln
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,860 ✭✭✭Ape Lincoln


    Swimming With Sharks might count as obscure to some aye. I saw it on DVD about 10 years ago when DVD had taken off and films like that appeaered on shelves. Empire had done a review of it. I've talked to people who have seen it and I think it might have been on RTE one late night.


  • #30
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Anything by Tom DiCillo:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DiCillo

    Or, Hal Ashby:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Ashby

    I'm sure they are not strangers to regular users of this forum but I'd hardly call them or their films well known, maybe with the exception of "Harold and Maude".


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  • #31
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Worztron wrote: »
    Agreed, I saw it a few months back. The opening song is very catchy.

    'Tonight, the streets are ours' by Richard Hawley.


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