Obscure Film Favorites....
POSTED BY: Caligari
UPDATED: Saturday, April 2, 2005 09:38
VIEWED: 15433
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P1NKISPUNK had something with the idea of posting one's favorite movies, as in the Top Five "life-changingly brilliant" films, but for me, that was like talking about my five favorite breaths I ever took. So I thought that I'd run the premise to ground and propose this, something to make the burgeoning film student panic and run for their Kubrick Box Set.
What is your Five Favorite _Obscure_ Films?
This being your favorite films that, when mentioned in mixed company, usually means that you have some explaining to do. I'll start....
1 - The Week Before - It's a cheat on my part, it's a short film by Dave McKean that was never released theatrically, although his _MirrorMask_, scripted by Neil Gaiman, is soon to be in theaters. Just wanted to get you on your toes....
2 - Hana-bi - Beat Takashi at his best, the Scorsese of Japan. For the best film he's done in English, seek out _Brother_....
3 - Koyaanisqatsi - A film that makes its point with image and music and nothing else. A lovely film, albeit dated with the footage of humans walking around in Seventies clothing....
4 - Bubba Ho-tep - A drama about old age, with Elvis and a mummy, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. Trust me on this. Also, the most elegiac soundtrack this side of the Rohan sections of LOTR.
5 - The Most Terrible Time in My Life - Japanese detective-noir, shot in black and white, a fairly complex plot, and a nifty blend of genre.
6 - Audition - Miike Takashi has a way with amazingly disturbed plots. This makes _Fatal Attraction_ look like a Doris Day vehicle. In another vein is _Dead or Alive 2_, not to be confused with _Dead of Alive 1_, which is a _very_ different sort of creature....
7 - Marat/Sade - For folks who like their art a little more stable, there is this, a play written by a fictional Marquis de Sade and acted by a cast of fictional inmates at an insane asylum.
8 - The Wicker Man - Well, I generally have to explain it when I recommend it to folks, so I figure it's probably obscure enough for others to get curious about. Christopher Lee at his best non-fanged roles.
9 - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Kinda like what the man said about jazz, if you gotta ask, you'll never know....
10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....
Did I say Five? Oh well....
http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/
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Hey Caligari.... We may have a few things in common no?
Onto obscure favourites:
1: Tampopo
2: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
3: Wages Of Fear
4: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
5: Mr Vampire
Nice topic. I'd like to give a nod for Koyaanisqatsi also. Great film
The
Somnambulist
www.cirqus.com
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Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
1: Tampopo
2: The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
3: Wages Of Fear
4: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
5: Mr Vampire
Ya know, I always thought _Caligari_ was just there in the edge of obscurity, always mentioned in the same breath as _Nosferatu_ or the German Espressionists or the Goth culture. Someone somewhere always knew about it. _Tampopo_, however, is brilliant, and I only just saw it this month. Great fun, and I'll never look at an egg yoke the same way again....
http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/
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Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....
Did I say Five? Oh well....
http://www.livejournal.com/users/tomehoarder/
Am still thinking about this in general but gotta say, Caligari, am more than a little worried by “the most beautiful love story I’ve seen about necrophilia” – Am thinking I can understand why people require you to explain that one!
"I was doing a great job in The Deer Hunter" . .
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Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
What is your Five Favorite _Obscure_ Films?
what classifies as "obscure"? non theatrical release or something that is not on the blockbuster "guaranteed in stock" list?
well, i am not sure if this is obscure enough or not, but (and i am pretty embarrassed to admit this) i am kind of partial to the movie airborne. silly, yes. teeny bopper, most definitely, but i like the skating scene at the end.
i cannot come up with 5 (i am such a mass release movie kind of guy) but one other one i like is time chasers (only the MST3K version). oh man that was funny.
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Obscure movies, eh...Let's see.
In no given order:
Spoorlos: (The Vanishing) Slow, slow, slow, and an angonizing answer to the proverb "Be careful what you wish for."
J-Men Forever: This one was made to show on the old late night show "Night Flight" on the USA network. Still available on DVD, it takes old Republic serials, edits them together and changes the dialogue to make a semi-coherent story. The way they explain all the bad guys is priceless.
The Girlfriend From Hell: Not available on DVD, this B movie is just absolutely horrible, but has some of the sharpest writing I've ever seen in a comedy. Then again, I get a kick out of watching characters talk to the camera for no reason whatsoever.
Rapid Fire: One of Brandon Lee's best films (Yeah, I know, other than The Crow), this movie contains, for my money, the best hand to hand fight scene in any movie (Take that The Matrix)
Battle Royale: Yeah, I know, someone put it on their best of all time list, and so, shouldn't be considered an "obscure" film. But, almost everyone I talk to about it doesn't know what it is. And, I genuinely enjoy the premise of this violent movie not released in North America.
Revenge: I'm pretty sure this one would make someone's worst list, but I can't turn down a flick with Madeline Stowe, a pissed off Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, and Miguel Ferrer (one of my favorite actors).
Whoops, that was six, wasn't it? Sorry about that. No really...Okay, I'm not really, but I like movies! I love movies, and I'm not gonna turn one away just because I may not have heard of it. In a thread like this, its hard to discern if what you want to put is an obscure movie, or some cult B movie that only you'll like. I like "message" movies, but I like pure "popcorn" movies too.
Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."
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Quote:
Originally posted by manwithpez:
Battle Royale: Yeah, I know, someone put it on their best of all time list, and so, shouldn't be considered an "obscure" film. But, almost everyone I talk to about it doesn't know what it is. And, I genuinely enjoy the premise of this violent movie not released in North America.
i heard about this movie. interesting concept if a bit sinister. is it worth a rental? is it even available as a rental?
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I don't know if its available for rental...MY cousin sent away and got it and its sequel, so its must be available in Region 1 somewhere, or maybe he has a region free player. I downloaded it off Kazaa, and it was a great copy. So, your answer is, if you find it somewhere, rent it, if you can't, think about buying, but be warned...it is ultraviolent in parts, and the subject matter can be offputting. Granted, nowhere near as badly as some Japanese Shock Cinema, but definitely a reason it wasn't een marketed in the US. It shows teens killing each other, some with glee, and some in some really horrible ways.
But, it was worth watching. I hesistate to recommend it, because it can be rough.
Kaylee: "What's so damn important about being proper? It don't mean nothing out here in the black."
Simon: "It means more out here. It's all I have..."
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Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
P1NKISPUNK had something with the idea of posting one's favorite movies, as in the Top Five "life-changingly brilliant" films.
10 - Kissed - The most beautiful love story I've seen about necrophilia. On a different tack, there is _Secretary_, which is the most beautiful love story about Sub/Dom relationships I've seen....
Why thank-you very much. Unfortunately, I've only become complete obsessed with movies over the past year. (It went..Buffy..Angel...Movies...Firefly...More Movies..so I guess I have Joss to thank for introducing me to art on the screen.) This means I probably couldn't suggest one title that you all haven't heard of, because I'm still pretty much in the mainstream at the mo. Ah well..
I nearly choked on my coffee reading your description of Kissed above. If a movie can make you see necrophilia as something beautiful and romantic I gotta see it... (Suddenly wonders if the Angel and Buffy relationship was necrophilia and feels deeply twisted inside.)
Zoe: You could have just stayed in your bunk Jayne
Jayne: Could-a should-a would-a!
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1. The Pirates of Penzance-- Kevin Kline and Angela Landsbury doing Gilbert and Sullivan. What could be better? Fantastic singing, choreography, set design, and especially comededic timing. But be forewarned-- Most people I show this to don't like it so much on the first viewing, but love it on the second. Probably because it takes a viewing to get used to hearing the language.
2. Hellzapoppin-- Hmm, another muscial. This one's from the 40's and stars Martha Ray. It's kind of an Abbot and Costello ripoff. But funny, funny stuff.
3. Any non-Samurai Kurosawa movie. The Samurai ones are good too, but they're less obscure and I don't like them as much. I can't remember the names of any except Dodeskaden. (sp?)
4. Memories-- If you're an anime fan, or are thinking about becoming one, get this movie. The best Japanese animation creators come together to create three short films which are compiled as "Memories." The first one, "Magnetic Rose" reminds me a lot of Firefly. With music by Yoko Kanno (of Cowboy Bepop fame, among other things), you can't go wrong.
5. The 5 Pennies-- Good luck finding this one anywhere. Danny Kaye plays a jazz performer through the ups and downs in his life. With help from Louis Armstrong, this movie has some of the best jazz performances I've seen. If it doesn't get you toe-tapping, you might want to check out Caligari's necrophilia movie instead. ;)
I have heard of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.
--Teal'c
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