Favorite obscure movie

[Kamala]

Tampopo - Japanese film called "The first Japanese noodle western!" Hard to explain, but it's hysterical. Mocks how seriously the Japanese take their ramen. Has the best ridiculous sex/food scenes and general non-sequiters I've ever seen.

The Warrior and the Princess (Der Krieger undDie Kaiserin) - German dark drama/romance. But very little romancing. Sort of one big non-sequiter actually.

 

[Louie]

Love the cheesy once-considered riskee films, in particular those by director Jesus Franco.

Vampyros Lesbos has got to be the best: great aesthetics, LSD-inspired plot and the most wonderful furniture.

 

[Mo2vation]

What is you favorite movie that not many other people may have heard about? So what's your secret movie?

There are movies, and then there are "films." Obscure movies are rare - obscure films are many.

Some of my favs:

(The "film" variety)

Babettes Feast - gotta be near the top of the list. Written by Isak Denison (sp?) of "Out Of Africa" fame. Its an allegory of Grace. Way cool film.

The Legend of 1900 - a movie that really should have stayed a film. Tim Roth is always amazing. Man. What a film. The music sweeps me away.

The Winslow Boy - I have a secret crush on Rebecca Pidgeon (sp?). Maybe I'd have a shot if I'd learn to spell her name... cool film.

84 Charing Cross Road - Anthony Hopkins (young) and Anne Bancroft. A charming story. Wifie is a book fan... worth the rental. I like this one just because its fun to watch my wife watch it.


(Movie variety)

Local Hero - just a funny little movie. "I could be a good Gordon, Gordon..." Another movie I have completely memorized.

The Red Violin - a film that blew up into a movie. Not too shabby, really. I like it. More great music.

Sharkey's Machine - completely unwatchable, but a very, very important movie to me. Great sound track. More cop humor than you can shake a night stick at. I have it completely memorized.

Silent Running - High school 70's environmental values. Another movie that's pretty unwatchable today, but a very important movie to me.


Anyway - I could go on and on. There are treasures out there, for sure. I can't wait to check out some of the ones you guys have listed in this thread.

Bravo.

---
Ken

 

[WileEDiver]

The Spanish Prisoner featuring Steve Martin in a non-comedic role.

 

[mania]

Babette's feast is great but it makes you very, very hungry when the feast there starts. Dellicatessen - worth seing, a lot of fun.
Fargo and all Coen brothers movies
"Down by law" (not sure if this the english title)by Jim Jarmush with the best role of Roberto Benigni (Me nome e Rroberto but you can call me Bob, it's the same).
Mania

 

[Kim]

I'm not sure how really obscure it is but my vote would be:

The Kiss of the Spiderwoman

Director: Hector Babenco.
William Hurt, Raul Julia and Sonya Braga.

It's an amazing story set in a South American jail. Raul Julia plays a political activist who shares a jail cell with a young gay man (William Hurt).

Mania - is one of the films you listed the one where they just eat all through the movie getting fatter and fatter until they explode? I can't remember the name of it - just that it was quite gross!!

 

[Marek K]

I keep waiting for this to come out in DVD (they have it in Region 2 but not Region 1).

So do some Internet research, and find whether your DVD player has a "secret" code entered through the remote that pulls up a hidden menu where you can change the Region setting through software. Surprising how many players can be done that way.

You'll want to set it to "Region 0"; that is, no regional blocking.

I just did it for my new Akai; I got it through a "diplomatic sales" company in Denmark, and it was supposed to be set to Region 0; but it was actually set to Region 2 or 3. The change worked with no problems. I've heard the same thing from other folks, with other brands.

--Marek

 

[The Kraken]

"Go Tell the Spartans"
with Burt Lancaster. Summed up the Viet Nam war way ahead of its time.

 

[mania]

Mania - is one of the films you listed the one where they just eat all through the movie getting fatter and fatter until they explode? I can't remember the name of it - just that it was quite gross!!

No. It's about I think XIXth century Denmark, village in the middle of nowhere, and a French girl comes to work as a servant for two oldery daughters of a village pastor. All is rather dark, very Scandinavian and Ibsenian. In one moment Babette wins in the lottery and makes the real feast. I won't tell you more - you have to see this.

Mania

 

[Marek K]

Dust... Prashina in the original... a very violent and dark "Macedonian Western" by director Milcho Manchevsky from 2001. About two American cowboys who come to Macedonia in the 1910s under Turkish rule.

The best line: "The Balkans... where the centuries don't follow one another; they coexist."

Amen.

--Marek