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Name the most obscure, not well known film you've seen?

470 replies

VampireSparkles · 21/06/2015 15:26

Basketball Diaries. I've never met a single person who has seen it and it's one of my favourites. Leonardo Dicaprio and Mark Wahlberg.

Like Crazy, pre Jennifer Lawrence being famous. Low budget and the cast had to make up 50% of the script.

Daydream nation. Stumbled across the trailer randomly on YouTube, decided to watch it. Really odd but turned out quite good.

OP posts:
KeepOnTryingTilYouRunOutOfCake · 21/06/2015 22:05

Candy. Heath Ledger film. A film about a drug addict couple. Actually quite good. Also has Geoffrey Rush in it. It is quite good regardless of the subject matter.

hedwig2001 · 21/06/2015 22:06

A Month in the Country with Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh & Natasha Richardson.
Set in rural Yorkshire during the summer of 1920, the film follows a destitute World War I veteran employed to carry out restoration work on a Medieval mural discovered in a rural church while coming to terms with the after-effects of the war.
Lovely little film.

pissovski · 21/06/2015 22:06

I have heard of many of these (teen years spent watching "Film .." with Barry Norman!) but have seen very few. I do love Empire records though :)

Mine are -
Swing Kids - set in Nazi Germany, all about the youth rebels who listened to swing music secretly. Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale as main characters

Secrets - Australian film, set there in the 1960s. A bit like Breakfast Club with Beatles fans! Danni Minogue is in it (but its still good!!)

ExcuseMyEyebrows · 21/06/2015 22:07

The violence shocked me in Pans Labyrinth, Pedestriana, otherwise I thought it was a good film.

Fedupofallthemud · 21/06/2015 22:10

Lantana - Australian film about double lives, nothing quite what it seems. I loved it, saw it at cinema with dh, he hated it and had no idea what was going onGrin
I would recommend it

youbethemummylion · 21/06/2015 22:10

The Human Centipede 3. As if 1 and 2 weren't bad enough ! !!!

Borka · 21/06/2015 22:12

Another Harold & Maude fan here, and I also love Tokyo Story and In the Mood for Love.

My top obscurities are:

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T
Over-sexed Rugsuckers from Mars
Times Square - seems like it shouldn't really be obscure, but I've never met anyone else who's seen it

OttiliaVonBCup · 21/06/2015 22:12

But surely by 3 you knew what to expect?
I wasn't going to suddenly morph into a sequel of the Sound of Music?

MrsToddsShortcut · 21/06/2015 22:14

Kundey I have a life long mistrust of statues and topiaried gardens thanks to that film....

Have any of the Gregory's Girl crew seen 'That Sinking Feeling'? It was Bill Forsyth's film before and was about a gang stealing porcelain wear (I think?). What I remember most about it was right at the very end when one of them sits down among a huge pile of new toilets and plays an absolutely stunning version of 'You Are The Sunshine of my life' on acoustic guitar. Lovely.Smile

starsandunicorns · 21/06/2015 22:16

Gleaming the cube its got christan slater and a load of then famous skateboarders fab film

Big wednesday surfing film set in usa in 1960s also very good have not met anyone who has seen it

MrsEmmaPeel · 21/06/2015 22:17

There is one film that sticks in my memory. My mother mentioned a highly political thriller called Missing (1982), she saw it in the 80s on television, late at night. Elaine Paige made a song based on the theme by Vangelis.

The film is actually based on the true story of an American journalist/photographer called, Charles Horman who disappeared in the very bloody aftermath of the US-backed right-wing agenda Chilean coup of 1973, to overthrow the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende.

It was banned for years apparently, especially in Chile under Pinochet's dictatorship, and there were lawsuits against Universal studios in the US, and against the film's director, Constantin Costa-Gavras, who also wrote the screenplay. Lawsuits against the US state department who lied denied about being involved. But, I managed to see a copy of the film rented from a video shop in the late 90s. It left a lasting impression on my then 15-year old self I can tell you.

It was bloody brilliant, Jack Lemmon played the father of Charles Horman, and Sissy Spacek played his wife. And you see them go to Chile (although the country itself isn't named), to find out what happened to Charles. His body was sent home to the states seven months after the coup.

I am not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but the US had the blood of its own citizens who lived in Chile at the time all over its hands with this. All to push a right-wing dictator into power. It was a very moving film, because you see the realization of a father who previously held his own country's democracy in a state of reverence almost, then being involved in the murder of its own people, and indeed his own son.

And yet nobody else I know has heard of this film, apart from my mother.

There is also a book out, which I haven't read called, The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice. The film finally got released again in 2006. I might buy a copy from Amazon.

standingonlego · 21/06/2015 22:19

The Cement Garden
Jamon Jamon

CantBrainToday · 21/06/2015 22:22

As a film student I've seen a fair few of these including un chien andalau and series 7 (I love that movie)

I raise you plan 9 from outer space (old sci fi -z- b movie) and Gia (piece of shite early angelina jolie)

greenhill · 21/06/2015 22:23

hedwig 'a month in the country' survives a few watches and the film was filmed in Bucks not Yorkshire as Mr Branagh had commitments in the West End. I also like Dead Again which got an honourable mention earlier, has anyone else seen Shackleton too? Emma T and K Branagh are great actors in most things.

SmartAlecMetalGit · 21/06/2015 22:24

Just thought of another; Stone, a 1974 Australian bikie film. I only watched it because a young Hugh Keays-Byrne some of the original Mad Max cast were in it. It was actually pretty entertaining, I'd watch it again for the nudity Grin

NotJustaPotforSoup · 21/06/2015 22:29

Whathaveilost, the ski jump scene will stay with me.

Not long ago, I saw For Those in Peril. That will be with me a long time too.

There are so many great films that are not widely available. It's such a shame. Good for you, OP, for starting this thread.

NotJustaPotforSoup · 21/06/2015 22:31

Oh, Branagh reminds me to mention How To Kill Your Neighbours Dog.

ImNotShpanishImEgyptshun · 21/06/2015 22:37

Survive style 5. Japanese film with Vinny Jones.

Last life in the universe. Thai/Japanese with Tadanobu Asano. Beautiful and slow, until the last 15 minutes, which are heart stopping.

The lords of time. French/Japanese anime, shown once on BBC 2.

Streets of fire. A rock and roll fable. Rick Moranis and Diane Lane, with a great soundtrack.

FreudiansSlipper · 21/06/2015 22:41

Festen (The Celebration) a Danish film which is farcical at times and terribly sad. Wealthy influential family hold large dinner party for the fathers birthday. do not want to give story away it is one of the best films I have ever seen

Halfaouine - coming of age film about a young boy growing up in Tunis. shows a very different culture but also family dynamics that are not that different, shows women not to be downtrodden but feisty and strong, the men world is somewhat separate and the angst of teenagers and the awakening of sexual desire is the same worldwide. Its funny and sad at times but an enjoyable film.

Walkabout - set in Australia outback beautifully shot and very moving

Dog Day Afternoon - ok not an obscure film but surprised so few have seen it. It is Al Pacino's best performance imo and something happens that you just do not see coming at all. Brilliant brilliant film

Paris Texas is a great film

have seen Chopper, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Harold and Maude (many times) and Francis Ha all great films

getbusyliving · 21/06/2015 22:42

Timescape a film with Jeff Daniels, he runs a hotel and a group of time travellers come to stay, they travel through time to just witness famous disasters. It's far better than how I've described but hardly anyone has seen it

travertine · 21/06/2015 22:43

As a pp mentioned, 'the amazing or blunden' fantastic film, I got a German
copy off eBay but plays in English. Not obscure as such but I don't know anyone who has seen 'grosse point blank' which I think would be my desert island film.

mejon · 21/06/2015 22:43

guiniepig1 - I worked on Solomon and Gaynor. It was a monstrous shoot for many reasons but I'm glad you liked it Smile.

For me, a hippy-dippy film from the earl 70s I think called Brother Sun, Sister Moon based on the life of Francis of Assisi with music by Donovan I think Blush. I can remember being moved to tears by it. I only saw it once and I'm sure I'd think it was a load of tosh by now but I was very moving as a teen.

Takver · 21/06/2015 22:45

I loved My Own Private Idaho.

Anyone else seen Girl Slaves of Morgana le Fay? It's not actually (quite) as bad as you might think . . .

Takver · 21/06/2015 22:46

Festen is amazing, we watched it then worked our way through all the Dogme 95 films.

getbusyliving · 21/06/2015 22:47

Christiana F, true story about drug addiction set in Berlin.

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