The Obscure Top 5

[Kam]

Alrighty, so how about a top movie list that isn't your usual top movies. not the blockbusters, the big names, or anything, but just movies we generally haven't listed on our favorite lists because we forgot about them!! so think back to that great movie you remember you saw way back when and share it! some may have well known names, but not the usual ones quoted from the masters, or at least a movie you haven't listed on your normal "top anything" list.

1. Fortress - i've mentioned this one a few times before and highly, highly reccomend it. this was a made for tv movie back in 1986 (not the new future movie one with christopher lambert) about a kidnapping of a school class in the australian outback and how it goes horribly wrong. There's some vicious lord of the flies type undertones throughout and an incredibly chilling ending. brilliant movie. and sela ward looks really sexy as a teacher.

2. Ridicule - a french film from 1996. period piece film taking place in the time of Louis 16th as a low french lord has to raise himself high and gain favor with the king by being the wittiest person around. sounds odd i know, but very entertaining movie.

3. A Pure Formality - another french film from 1994 with gerard depardiue and roman polanski. a famous writer (depardieu) is picked up by the police of an out of the way station after an accident of some kind, without any memory of the recent events and is interrogated by the inspector (polanski) who delves into what really happenned. great ending!

4. The 39 Steps - one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. a little slow for hitchcock, with some long, quiet moments, but just brilliantly comes together slowly, and another great ending.

5. To Be Or Not To Be ( the mel brooks one) - another of my favorite mel brooks comedy, right up there, imo, with blazing saddles and young frankenstein, although maybe just a touch beneath their genius. very funny movie about a theater troupe trying to get by in world war 2 poland, and the hilarity that can only ensue from mel brook's. just great fun and a smart comedy to boot!

so if you havent seen any of the above, i'd definitely put them on the list! let's hear what obscure reccomendations everyone else has!

peace
k2
go' canes!!

[dean_martin]

Great idea for a list! Here are some that are either a little quirky or that I just don't always remember.

1. Boys in the Band (1970) - dir. by William Friedkin who gave us The French Connection and the Exorcist, it's been called a landmark achievement in gay cinema.
2. Camille 2000 - I'm a huge Radley Metzger fan and this one is my favorite. From the elaborate cinematography and beautiful scenery to the hip music, I put it just above his more famous Therese and Isabelle and The Lickerish Quartet.
3. Danger Diabolik - A Mario Bava comic book caper with a super cool John Philip Law in the lead. The old Jaguars are great for car fans.
4. Attack of the Giant Leeches/The Brain That Wouldn't Die (tie) - When I was a student at law school, I would watch these a couple of times a week. Late night gems. Over-the-top dialog and outrageous premise are The Brain's strong points. Yvette Vickers on the bayou is what Leeches is all about!
5. Swingers! - I think most around here liked this film, but through memory lapse or brain freeze I often leave it off my lists.

BTW, Kam, I bet you're breathing a sigh of relief today! Your 'Canes had a close call last night.

[Kam]

VERY huge sigh of relief. would have ruined my whole weekend! whew! but that nov9th showdown with virginia is looking mighty scary now, will have to see what they do with fsu on saturday night.
good reccomendations, will have to put them on my to-see list!

[eisforelectronic]

Eurotrip, Roadtrip, Old School, My Father the Hero, Lake Placid, Searching for Bobby Fischer

maybe these are too mainstream?

[Kam]

5a) Force 10 From Navarone
5b) Ice Station Zebra.

and great big name casts in these before they were huge names! both great old feeling action movies, with great fun and drama as well, the way action movies should be!

[RGA]

Hmm 5 lesser known films on my top 100 list - can't remember where the are on my list but here's 5:

The War Zone directed by Tim Roth 1999: An alienated 15 year old (Freddie Cunliffe), forced to move away from his friends in London when his family relocates to rural Devon, struggles with the change and becomes an observer of the family. His mother (Tilda Swinton) is pregnant, his dad (Ray Winstone) is vocally abusive, and his 18 year old sister (Lara Belmont) is sexually active and open to her brother. However, the boy guesses at and finds that he is correct that his father has had sexual relations with his sister. The boy gets a sexual education from an older woman (Aisling O'Sullivan) he meets.

Death of a Salesman directed by Volker Schlondorff 1985: Salesman Willy Loman(Dustin Hoffman) is in a crisis. He's about to lose his job, he can't pay his bills, and his sons Biff (John Malkovich) and Happy don't respect him and can't seem to live up to their potential. He wonders what went wrong and how he can make things up to his family

Crumb directed by Terry Zwigoff 1994 (Documentary): This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind. As stream-of-consciousness images incessantly flow forth from the tip of his pen, biting social satire is revealed, often along with a disturbing and haunting vision of Crumb's own betes noires and inadequacies. As his acid-trip induced images flicker across our own retinas, we gain a little insight into this complex and highly creative individual.

Margaret's Museum directed by Mort Ransen 1995: In a town where half the men die down the coalpit, Margaret MacNeil(Helena Bonham Carter) is quite happy being single. Until she meets Neil Currie, a charming and sincere bagpipe-playing, Gaelic-speaking dishwasher. But no matter what you do, you can't avoid the spectre of the pit forever.

Felicia's Journey directed by Atom Egoyan 1999: A lonely middle-aged catering manager (Bob Hoskins) spends all of his time studying tapes of an eccentric TV chef (Arsinee Khanjian). Meanwhile, a young woman (Elaine Cassidy) is making her way from Ireland to find her boy friend (Peter McDonald), who moved to England to get a job in a lawn-mower factory. On arrival, she makes an early contact with the caterer, who recommends a boarding room to her. Slowly, it is revealed that the caterer has in fact befriended and subsequently abused more than a dozen young women. He, of course, now sets his site on this woman. Much of the story is told in flashbacks, revealing how each of the characters grew to the point where they now find themselves. However, the drama of the character interaction is more important to director, Atom Egoyan, than the potential horror of the situation.

There are many others that I have highly rated that did poorly at the box office: Oscar and Lucinda, Welcome to Sarajevo, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Walkabout, Breaking the Waves, Remains of the Day, The Nasty Girl, Quiz Show, Sunshine, Gods and Monsters, Maelstrom, Nosferatu: The Vampyre, Strange Days, Anne Frank Remembered, Croupier, End of the Affair(1999), Alfie(1966), Ed Wood, The Last Seduction, A Perfect World, Priest, Big Night, Central Station, Pleasantville, Grand Canyon, Secrets and Lies etc.

[dean_martin]

[QUOTE=RGA[B]Crumb[/B] directed by Terry Zwigoff 1994 (Documentary): This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind. As stream-of-consciousness images incessantly flow forth from the tip of his pen, biting social satire is revealed, often along with a disturbing and haunting vision of Crumb's own betes noires and inadequacies. As his acid-trip induced images flicker across our own retinas, we gain a little insight into this complex and highly creative individual.


RGA,
Loved Crumb, Welcome to the Doll House and Ed Wood! Have you seen American Splendor? It's about Harvey Pekar, one of Crumb's Cleveland buddies. I didn't really like or connect with this movie the first time I saw it, but found myself glued to it a couple of nights ago when I saw it on a cable movie channel.

A couple of documentaries I usually forget to include in a favorites list are:

Roger and Me - Michael Moore (probably don't have to say much more)

The War Room - if you have any interest in American political campaigns at all you would
probably like this. It takes you behind the scenes of the 1992 presidential campaign focusing on the Clinton team. Those who don't care for Clinton (and you know who you are) may still find it interesting because Clinton isn't really the focus of the movie. It's much better than the poorly acted schlock Primary Colors. Another fictional piece about campaigns that I did enjoy was Bob Roberts (although some of it seemed forced). Jack Black is in it but his role is so "different" I didn't even realize it was him.

Paradise Lost - A bizzare HBO documentary on the brutal ritualistic murders of young children in Arkansas and the ensuing investigation and trials of three teens. Truth is stranger than fiction. My guess is that the original documentary purposefully left many questions unanswered. HBO did a followup but it didn't reveal much.

[Worf101]

I like this thread a lot!!

1. "Amelie" (2000) - Funny, quirky and original. I'll never look at lawn gnomes the same again.

2. "The Dish" (2000) - Fine Australian fare. They make a lot of quirky movies that don't always see the light of day around here.

3. "Once Were Warriors" (1993) - Australia/New Zealand again. Disturbing strong film. Shows that the scourge of racism and ignorance are not strictly American problems.

4. "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid" (1987) - A powerful film of love, redemption, conscience. I enjoyed it immensely.

5. "My beautiful laundrette" (1985) - A beutiful introduction into modern, multicultural London, black, brown, white and gay.

Da Worfster

[Smokey]

CrumbThrough interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind.

I really liked this movie also, especially his family. I wished more of the movie was spend with his family and the brother who like to read novels 24/7. MY landlord's brother was like that....he was not a social person. But had books stacked all the way to the ceiling, and read them night and day. I find those type of persons fascinating.

3."Once Were Warriors" (1993) - Australia/New Zealand again. Disturbing strong film. Shows that the scourge of racism and ignorance are not strictly American problems.

Worf, I didn't know you had such a good taste for exotic movies

Excellent choice.

[Dusty Chalk]

5. Wrongway Goldfarb, Please Come Home -- weird film, but when I was a kid, I got caught up in it every time I watched it. I'm not sure I still love it, I'd have to see it again to know for sure. All those types of films -- Those Daring Young Men..., Around the World..., etc., I just find terribly enjoyable.

4. Strange Days -- I love the way it starts of in one direction (Ralph Fiennes is the main character), and partway through it just shifts gears and Angela Bassett starts kicking ass.

3. I Was A Zombie For The FBI -- really dry delivery -- like those cop shows of old, yet it's still a horror movie. I love unorthodox juxtapositions.

2. Forbidden Zone -- Waters-type madness, except (a) with no transvestites, and (b) good. Oh, and Danny Elfman plays Satan.

1. From Dusk Til Dawn -- is it a comedy? A horror film? A Quentin Tarantino dialog film? I don't know, but it's not just the naked girls that keep bringing me back. The filmmakers obviously had fun making this film (I figured that out just by watching the movie -- long before I heard the commentary). I list this one not because I forget it -- it's often on my Favourite Films lists. It's just that I've never seen it on anyone else's. Plus, it's George Clooney at his most charismatic.

[jimmymagick]

and a very controversial movie when it came out. Notre Dame was very upset that its football players were characterized as drunken, womanizing louts.

Lord, what a simpler time that was. (And I can't believe the nonsense I have floating around in my memory.)

[jimmymagick]

Watched "Ridicule" last night based on your recommendation. Enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks.

[Geoffcin]

Fantastic movie, if a bit obscure. If your a diver even more so.

[shaemus]

Fantastic movie, if a bit obscure. If your a diver even more so.

I thought it was pretty good but mostly what I remember was how my girlfriend at the time kept going on about how the protaganist was the hottest man alive. Something about his eyes.

[IsmaVA]

No particular order

1- A Man Facing Southeast

2- Belle Epoque

3- Ghost in the Shell

[shaemus]

No particular order

1- A Man Facing Southeast

2- Belle Epoque

3- Ghost in the Shell

I totally forgot about Belle Epoque but I loved it and now that you've reminded me I'm going to search it out and watch it again. THANKS