One at random that I enjoyed that I don't think is well known is "God Bless America (2012)".
The title might be misleading, so I'll say that it is not a religious or patriotic film.
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, great movie!
Dunno what you might expect with obscure or niche, but if you're fishing for random non algorithm suggestions on something you could watch, I'll give you this: Fantastic Planet (1973)
I looked up the trailer and it's like if Hieronymus Bosch and Terry Gilliam did a Newgrounds collab. Very weird stuff.
Interesting, thanks!
I was thinking indeed movies that are usually not well known, and could be interesting to the rest of the community
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Both of those movies are excellent for very different reasons
Two movies I don't think I've met anyone who's seen.
Young Einstein (1988)
Super fun, slightly accurate, biopic.Spaced Invaders (1990)
Not good, but still funny alien invasion movieI've never seen Young Einstein but I'll never forget the poster, especially as it starred someone called Yahoo Serious.
I was reminded of the film several years ago when one of my favourite sites ran this article about the actor.
It was at a film fest in the 90's. A short film as an over the top mockumentary about the myth of "donkey shows" in Tijuana. They go to the home of a bar owner, his wife/performer, and the donkey. It' was almost proto- Best in Show style. There is a notable and hilarious strain in the husband's voice when he's asked about how it makes him feel. Is he jealous etc. He is clearly torn between how they are making money and not sharing his wife with a donkey. They interview two idiot drunk american sailor's on shore leave. They are over the top excited. The build up at the end is a twist reveal that the whole thing is actually real. The woman actually fucks a donkey on camera with full, unedited, penetration. Then just rolls credits and ends. My memory is not completely cohesive as to how they composed the end scene, as it could easily have been faked. But the effect was real enough for the audience. It was a shit show at the theater. People were yelling, throwing things at the screen, demanding to see the theater owner, and threatening to call the cops. Craziest shit I've ever seen at a movie theater.
I tried looking it up, but mostly got results on how its a shitty racist stereotype to promote the idea the Mexicans are filthy and without decency or morality.
That's one hell of an unsafe Google!
I dunno about obscure but I owned Meet the Feebles on VHS.
I love telling people it's by the guy who did Lord of the Rings.
I also subjected my friends to A Boy and his Dog and The Wicker Man without telling them anything about them going in.
They loved both.
I dunno about obscure but I owned Meet the Feebles on VHS.
I saw it in the cinema, my girlfriend was not impressed but I was already a Peter Jackson fan, so I had some idea what I was getting myself into. Talented guy, pity he never made it big.
“Street Trash” was one of the movies ever made.. if you’re into terrible gross out b-movies it should be at the top of your list
I have seen this on a few lists when searching for body horror movies. It's also on Tubi, so I'll have to finally check it out.
Definitely give it a spin!
If you do end up watching it I’d love to hear your impressions afterwards. The movie is fucked hah
The Greasy Strangler had a very minor theatrical release and is a fantastically weird movie I love to recommend.
I feel I can't recommend it - if they hate it, they'll wonder what kind of maniac I thought they were; of they love it, they'll become worried I might be able to see into their dark soul and try and so they try and kill me. Greasily.
I recommend this often and my girlfriend and her sister still think I'm a psycho for not only enjoying, but oft recommending, this funny-ass film.
The potato scene kills me, and the car wash screaming, and Hootie-tootie-disco-cutie.
I don't know if it's obscure, but Psycho Goreman is a fantastic movie and I can't recommend it enough. Anything by Steven Kostanski, really.
Also Termitator if you speak French and can manage to get a copy is hilarious.
Six-String Samurai, imagine if Elvis was literal King of Las Vegas, dies and leaves a power vacuum that send numerous baddies on a mission to become king, and Buddy Holly can not only play the axe, he can handle a katana blade even better. In hindsight this could just be a fallout movie with a few tweaks.
Honorable Mention: Wild Zero, very loud Japanese punk band Guitar Wolf takes on zombies with their instruments and maybe some magic?
Honorable Mention 2: Delivery, a pizza delivery driver is shit on constantly by everyone around him until he snaps and basically kills everyone who fucks with him.
The Red Elvises have Six String Samurai official full movie on their YouTube channel. They appeared in the movie and provided the soundtrack, or at least most of it.
Gundress (1999) is the most obscure anime movie I've seen and maybe also the most obscure movie overall -- of stuff that was actually professionally made and shown in theaters, anyway. I posted about it in one of the weekly anime threads a couple months ago with some screenshots and additional details.
Outside of anime, I've seen a number of cult films and non-English films that are probably obscure to English speaking audiences, but I have no idea how obscure they actually are. (The one above I know is obscure since it doesn't even have an English Wikipedia page -- unlike every other anime show and movie I've seen.)
Some examples are Wonderwall (1968) with music by George Harrison, eXistenZ (1999), Cemetery Man (1994), and I Served the King of England (2006). I know at least one other person on Lemmy has heard of Cemetery Man since it was brought up in a thread around Christmas, but they were surprised I'd seen it.
Primer (2004) and Dark Star (1974) also came to mind, but I don't think those are actually that obscure. They are interesting though.
Edit: rephrased for clarity
Edit2: typo in title fixed ("Kind" -> "King")
Netherbeast Incorporated (2007)
No one I know has ever seen this movie. Dave Foley, Darrel Hammond, and uh... Steve from Blue's Clues... in a delightfully weird vampire office comedy.
Not the most obscure but i never would have watched it if not for my Goth friend in high school
Not counting the ones made by family members, Forbidden Zone.
An Argentinian Sci fi movie called Moebius. Broke my fucking teenage mind. The theme still is relevant and the msssage is more sound than ever.
The Tune (1992) by Bill Plympton is definitely an experience. Hausu (1977) is a weird fever dream. Dead In the Water (2006) was co-written & directed by a friend and is a decent indie zombie movie. It was fun seeing his parents cameo as zombies and then have Thanksgiving dinner with them.
Oh I love The Tune. Had it taped once off IFC.
It is admittedly weird.
I love Plympton's stuff in general, but The Tune is epic. I lucked into a DVD at a used shop years ago and I'm so happy to have it.
It wasn't popular and it took forever to get on DVD, while also being an hysterically dark take on reality TV. No idea why it didn't end up a cult hit.
Not sure they are what you’d call “obscure” but ones I don’t know anyone else who has seen them:
Clan of the Cavebear and Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS
Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS
I always get a kick out of seeing this one mentioned. My friend's uncle was an extra in that one and my friend's mom lives telling people, punching the story with the title of the film.
That’s awesome!
My dad loved Clan of the Cavebear. Daryl Hannah was a kick ass. But that's as much as I remember.
To bad the vcr eats all the old tapes, or I would totally go back and watch it.
Begotten is probably the most inaccessible I've seen. Least known I used to do some 48-hour film festival we'd watch everyone's in a local theater at the end and most of those never get a general release so any of those are the least available or seen. Most indies I'll watch these days are horror or drama movies. One of my favorites is the man from Earth not exactly underground but definitely under most radars.
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I've never heard anyone else ever mention Crossworlds (1996).
For me, probably Incubus, the 1966 Shatner flick filmed in Esperanto https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Incubus_(1966_film)
Went to school with the writer/director, so it's fun for me picking out all the landmarks I recognize. But it's also a commentary on the play on words of the title. And who doesn't love a gory zombie movie?
Cool - I enjoyed it.
Who Killed Captain Alex - Uganda's first action movie
Paradise Now is almost like a non-comedic version of Four Lions. Both are worth a watch.
Not sure how obscure it is, but The Lure is a Polish musical about carnivorous mermaids who get jobs in a nightclub. I fucking love it.
Tanpopo was one of the more... interesting experiences I've had lately.
I've seen quite a few via mystery science theater
Garage Days
Garage Days is a 2002 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Alex Proyas and written by Proyas, Dave Warner and Michael Udesky. Garage Days is the story of a young Sydney garage band desperately trying to make it big in the competitive world of rock music. Its soundtrack includes the song "Garage Days" composed by David McCormack and Andrew Lancaster and performed by Katie Noonan. The climax of the film was filmed at the Homebake festival in Sydney in 2001.
Got two for you:
Dogman: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6768578/ Italian movie about a meek dog groomer. My friend and I still quote “SEE-MOE-NAY” to each other at least once a week.
Memories of Murder: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0353969/ Cop thriller about corrupt cops trying to track down a serial killer.
"A Letter to Dad" with an updated ending shot 10 years later. I would not recommend.
To get a measure of obscurity, O went to IMDb and sorted by number of ratings, high to and these are the films, most obscure first:
- The Day the Earth Stopped (2010)
- Wan ling xing shi / Voyage of the Dead (1954)
- Ezra: Fear of a Faceless God (2009)
- The Naked Cosmos (2005)
- Samurai Bells of Death (1979)
- Here's Johnny (2008)
- Du hang da bao king / Magnificent Chivalry (1971)
- Guan dong wu ta xia / Five Kung Fu Daredevil Heroes (1977)
- Ninja in Ancient China (1979)
- Mao shan dao shi / Demon Strike (1979)
Thanks!
It's kinda cheating relying on HK/Chinese films but I am surprised by Naked Cosmos - I am sure I have it on DVD.
Phone Booth
Of Unknown Origin (1983). A man becomes destructively obsessed with killing a dangerous rat, which has taken residence in his recently renovated house.
I remember watching Evil Bong (2006) because it was included in a 10-movie horror bundle in a Walmart bin. I don't know how niche it is, but none of my friends have ever seen it before showing it to them.
I can't say it's worth watching, but it certainly exists.
I'm a big indie movies watcher so I wouldn't even know where to start
