Any Great Obscure Movies? - 2013 Edition (Thanks Mark Vader)

[Juror#8]

I made a thread last year for recommendations for a marathon movie watching session that I do once a year:

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/146084-any-great-obscure-movies/

 

Well, vacation is a month away and I'm trying to watch about 15-20 movies in a week.

 

Movies that were recommended, that I didn't get to from last year, but will be watching this year, are:

 

1. ADAM and PAUL (Tcali recommedation)

2. Brick (Mark Vader recommendation)

3. American Splendor (Max Fischer recommendation)

 

Other movies on my list are:

 

1. Last Year at Marienbad

2. Saragossa Manuscript

3. Mulholland Drive (again to see if I can make sense of it this time)

4. Pi

5. 21 Grams

6. Triangle

7. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

 

Looking for 5-10 more good, relatively obscure, preferably "indie" or "foreign" movies. Recommendations, please....

 

Also, if you've seen any on my list of 7 above that were decidedly bad (or good), please share. Would love to take different perspectives into my movie marathon experience.

 

Thanks!

[Wooderson]

I posted this in the most recent movie thread we had. Try out the Swedish versions of the Stieg Larsson Millennium Trilogy, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". I enjoyed them all.

 

Pi is a realllyyyyy strange movie. I watched it years ago, when I was much younger, so I may have a different perspective now-a-days.

 

Some other suggestions:

Seven Samurai (really long)

Spirited Away (it's a cartoon, but it's extremely well done)

M (tension, suspense, horror)

 

Check 'em out! Seriously, do it.

[Juror#8]

I posted this in the most recent movie thread we had. Try out the Swedish versions of the Stieg Larsson Millennium Trilogy, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". I enjoyed them all.

 

Pi is a realllyyyyy strange movie. I watched it years ago, when I was much younger, so I may have a different perspective now-a-days.

 

Some other suggestions:

Seven Samurai (really long)

Spirited Away (it's a cartoon, but it's extremely well done)

M (tension, suspense, horror)

 

Check 'em out! Seriously, do it.

 

Is that Fritz Lang's "M"?

 

I've heard all kinds of interesting things about Pi - literally from one end of the opinion scale to the other. That lack of consensus makes me want to see it more.

 

The Larsson movies - is it related to the Fincher version from a couple of years ago? If so, I'd be surprised to find out that that was an adaptation.

[Wooderson]

Is that Fritz Lang's "M"?

 

I've heard all kinds of interesting things about Pi - literally from one end of the opinion scale to the other. That lack of consensus makes me want to see it more.

 

The Larsson movies - is it related to the Fincher version from a couple of years ago? If so, I'd be surprised to find out that that was an adaptation.

 

Yes, it's done by Fritz Lang. It's from 1931, but it's very entertaining.

 

Fincher's was an adaptation of the Swedish version. It was also based on a book trilogy. I personally liked the Swedish version a lot more.

[dib]

Second Hand Lions

Summer Rental

[Juror#8]

Yes, it's done by Fritz Lang. It's from 1931, but it's very entertaining.

 

Fincher's was an adaptation of the Swedish version. It was also based on a book trilogy. I personally liked the Swedish version a lot more.

 

I recall 'M' being the impetus for 'Dark City.' Dark City is one of my favorite movies.

 

I'll check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Second Hand Lions

Summer Rental

 

Gonna check out Second Hand Lions. Thanks.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

 

 

I recall 'M' being the impetus for 'Dark City.' Dark City is one of my favorite movies.

 

I'll check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

 

 

Gonna check out Second Hand Lions. Thanks.

 

Was dark city where the people all fell asleep except for the few people who controlled everything?

 

I vaguely remember that movie

[Dante]

The Man From Nowhere

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1527788/?ref_=sr_1

[DC Tom]

I posted this in the most recent movie thread we had. Try out the Swedish versions of the Stieg Larsson Millennium Trilogy, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". I enjoyed them all.

 

Pi is a realllyyyyy strange movie. I watched it years ago, when I was much younger, so I may have a different perspective now-a-days.

 

Some other suggestions:

Seven Samurai (really long)

Spirited Away (it's a cartoon, but it's extremely well done)

M (tension, suspense, horror)

 

Check 'em out! Seriously, do it.

 

Anything by Kurosawa Akira. I think The Hidden Fortress is my favorite of his.

[Just Jack]

Anything by Kurosawa Akira. I think The Hidden Fortress is my favorite of his.

 

I think that one ended up on my Netflix queue because someone mentioned it earlier. It was interesting seeing some of the Star Wars influences that Lucas got from the movie.

[DC Tom]

I think that one ended up on my Netflix queue because someone mentioned it earlier. It was interesting seeing some of the Star Wars influences that Lucas got from the movie.

 

I haven't watched it in a while, but my recollection is that the overall influence isn't as obvious as you'd expect, but several scenes in Star Wars were lifted almost whole from Hidden Fortress.

[Mark Vader]

I made a thread last year for recommendations for a marathon movie watching session that I do once a year:

 

http://forums.twobil...obscure-movies/

 

Well, vacation is a month away and I'm trying to watch about 15-20 movies in a week.

 

Movies that were recommended, that I didn't get to from last year, but will be watching this year, are:

 

1. ADAM and PAUL (Tcali recommedation)

2. Brick (Mark Vader recommendation)

3. American Splendor (Max Fischer recommendation)

 

Other movies on my list are:

 

1. Last Year at Marienbad

2. Saragossa Manuscript

3. Mulholland Drive (again to see if I can make sense of it this time)

4. Pi

5. 21 Grams

6. Triangle

7. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

 

Looking for 5-10 more good, relatively obscure, preferably "indie" or "foreign" movies. Recommendations, please....

 

Also, if you've seen any on my list of 7 above that were decidedly bad (or good), please share. Would love to take different perspectives into my movie marathon experience.

 

Thanks!

First of all, your welcome.

 

Hope you enjoy "Brick", using film noir in a modern day high school setting seems odd, but it works.

 

I loved "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". It's a SLOW movie, I'm talking "2001: A Space Odyssey" slow, but it's fantastic. This is not a James Bond spy movie. Lots of dialogue. This movie should have been nominated for best picture. Gary Oldman is fantastic in giving a very subdued performance. The rest of the cast is tops as well.

[Just Jack]

I haven't watched it in a while, but my recollection is that the overall influence isn't as obvious as you'd expect, but several scenes in Star Wars were lifted almost whole from Hidden Fortress.

 

Oh, I agree. I'd have to see it again to give my idea on which scenes I think are used in SW. But I do remember thinking the two main characters were similar to C3PO and R2-D2.

[swnybillsfan]

cannibal: the musical.

i believe it's the first film put out by trey parker and matt stone (creators of south park). it is insanely awful. so bad that it is good. i think the budget was about 12 dollars, really strange.

 

another would be "bad taste". i think this was peter jackson's first film. again, falls in the so bad it's good category.

[Metal Man]

A friend recently suggested Martha Marcy May Marlene to me and I enjoyed it a lot. It is a fictionalized story about cults and the psychological effects from them centering on a girl who escapes from one.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441326/?ref_=sr_2

 

Also my father recently caught a movie called Five Fingers on cable and suggested I check it out. Not a very long film but an intriguing story about a terrorist kidnapping that keeps you engaged right to the end trying to make sense of it.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428541/?ref_=fn_al_tt_8

[Juror#8]

Was dark city where the people all fell asleep except for the few people who controlled everything?

 

I vaguely remember that movie

 

Yes. That is the one. I believe that it won Academy Award for best cinematography. It has been compared against "M" (which I've never seen) and, I believe, the 30s-era "Nosferatu."

 

I'm firmly of the belief that "The Matrix" ripped off of Dark City significantly both cinematographically and with basic plot elements. Watch the end of "Dark City" and then the end of "The Matrix." Notice the way that both Murdoch and Neo's powers culminate and why. Notice the ending and the motiff of "light."

 

It's a great movie that is sadly undervalued and underappreciated.

Edited May 30, 2013 by Juror#8

[Juror#8]

Anything by Kurosawa Akira. I think The Hidden Fortress is my favorite of his.

 

Is Akira a genre specific director? Just wondering what his style is since you've recommended the director instead of a specific movie.

 

I could look this info up but I'd appreciate if you'd just elaborate...

 

First of all, your welcome.

 

Hope you enjoy "Brick", using film noir in a modern day high school setting seems odd, but it works.

 

I loved "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". It's a SLOW movie, I'm talking "2001: A Space Odyssey" slow, but it's fantastic. This is not a James Bond spy movie. Lots of dialogue. This movie should have been nominated for best picture. Gary Oldman is fantastic in giving a very subdued performance. The rest of the cast is tops as well.

 

I'm ok with "slow." I really enjoyed "Good Night and Good Luck" and many said that that was dry and slow.

 

The Man From Nowhere

 

http://www.imdb.com/...7788/?ref_=sr_1

 

That looks really good and the reviews are impressive. Added to my 'Amazon' list. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

cannibal: the musical.

i believe it's the first film put out by trey parker and matt stone (creators of south park). it is insanely awful. so bad that it is good. i think the budget was about 12 dollars, really strange.

 

another would be "bad taste". i think this was peter jackson's first film. again, falls in the so bad it's good category.

 

Like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" 'so bad it's good,' (because you can see people changing scenes sets in the background, and they're really trying to make a good film) or "The Stuff" 'so bad it's good,' (because watching such bad ideas, plot details, and execution of the dialog is blissfully entertaining and no one is taking it seriously).

[Wooderson]

Is Akira a genre specific director? Just wondering what his style is since you've recommended the director instead of a specific movie.

 

I could look this info up but I'd appreciate if you'd just elaborate...

 

He was a very influential director to a lot of the more popular directors of the past few decades. Coppola, Lucas, Scorcese, Spielberg all have noted Akira as an influence to them. He did some remarkable things in cinematography. I've only seen Seven Samurai, but I also hear Rashomon and Yojimbo are also very good films.

[Mark Vader]

A friend recently suggested Martha Marcy May Marlene to me and I enjoyed it a lot. It is a fictionalized story about cults and the psychological effects from them centering on a girl who escapes from one.

 

http://www.imdb.com/...1326/?ref_=sr_2

 

Also my father recently caught a movie called Five Fingers on cable and suggested I check it out. Not a very long film but an intriguing story about a terrorist kidnapping that keeps you engaged right to the end trying to make sense of it.

 

http://www.imdb.com/...ref_=fn_al_tt_8

I recommended "Martha Marcy May Marlene" in the first "Obscure" thread. Elizabeth Olsen is great in it. For a movie that was made on such a small budget and scale, the cinematography is very good, and John Hawkes is downright creepy in it as well.

[Chilly]

Couple relatively obscure movies I loved are primer and the cube.