# Great movies you might not have heard of.



## sabrinathecat (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm sure everyone has obscure favorite movies. And some weird ones. Sleeper movies, by definition, are movies that somehow slip under the radar for some reason, but are sometimes better than the more mainstream counterparts.

So, as a change from my usual bitching about how ______ sucks, here are some good movies you might look into.

12:01  The day is repeating. For a reason. One poor personnel clerk is accidentally made aware. Based on a short story (not based on Groundhog Day)
Possibly a made-for-tv movie, but still pretty good.

Harrison Bergeron   HBO product about society after the 2nd American Revolution, when the government recognized that not all are created equal, and whenever possible it was the duty of Government to step in and make everyone as equal as possible. People wear brain impulse inhibitors to keep them from being too smart. Athletes have lights flashing into their faces to blind them or break concentration. Wobbly equipment. The ultimate goal is to be average. The perfect grades in school is straight C's.  One poor boy, however, is just too smart. No matter how much his band is adjusted, he it too smart, and his brain compensates. The only course of action: Lobotomy. Or is it?  Based on Vonnegut story.

Ring of Steel: One of the rare good sword fight movie made in the west that did not have Bob Anderson working on it in some aspect. Typical arena-of-death movie, but still manages to be good.

Fifty-Fifty: 2 mercenaries vs the dictator of a small pacific island. "Hey, that's great survival food. It doesn't rot in the jungle and wild animals won't touch it." "Did it ever occur to you that maybe they know something you don't?"

Guilty as Charged: frustrated by the failure of the laws of man to punish murderers, the kindly gentle owner of a meat-packing factory sets up his own death row, his own electric chair, and has to enforce the death penalty for himself.

Lionheart: probably the only other western sword movie not featuring Bob Anderson to be good. Eric Stolz and Gabrielle Byrne in the Crusades.

Weapons of Mass Distraction: Another HBO product. Two insanely wealthy people go to war over purchasing a TV station, and the effects of their war on each other, their families, and the various levels of employees under them.

The Second Civil War: HBO or Showtime. Either way, this is a cute subversive look at US Immigration policy prior to the 9/11 world. Twisted comedy, but still has a slight sci-fi bent.


Anyone have their own suggestions of quiet movies that were better than their lack-of-reputation?


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 24, 2013)

*And God Spoke*: a "mocumentary" in the tradition of *This is Spïnal Tap*, covering the making of a low-budget Bible epic.  Lots of famous faces, and he more you know about movies and the Bible, the funnier it is.

*Incident at Loch Ness*: another mocumentary, covering a doomed expedition to Loch Ness, featuring zak Penn, the great Werner Herzog, and Hezog's actual long-time film crew.

*The Stoned Age*: a stoner comedy that resides in similar territory as *Fast Times at Ridgemont High *or *Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.*

*Splinter*: a horror movie in which people throw together by chance must survive he onslaught of an alien life form in rural America.

*Kung Fu Hustle*: a full-on spoof of classic martial arts movies.


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## jonesy (Mar 25, 2013)

Ikarie XB-1. A charming Czechoslovak science fiction movie from the 60's about a journey to another planet. It was a bit mangled by the western release so you really want to see the original cut with subtitles.

La Jetée. I don't know how obscure this short movie really is nowadays, but this is the story that 12 Monkeys got its core plot from. Still great.

Angel of Death. Webseries from 2009 featuring Zoë Bell (Lucy Lawless's stunt double) in a roaring rampage of revenge.

Innocent Blood. A serious vampire movie that doesn't take itself seriously? Is it an oxymoron? Do they die when you shoot them in the head? It seems so so why don't they aim at the head all the time? I don't know. Does Robert Loggia have a single line he doesn't snarl? Who Knows? It's goofy and quirky and I kinda love it.

Her Highness and the Bellboy. Last Hedy Lamarr MGM movie. It's exactly what the title suggests.

The Inhabited Island, and it's sequel Skirmish. Seriously flawed duo of Russian science fiction movies that somehow still work despite being an utterly chaotic mess.

The Triangle. A 2009 horror movie that really fails at the horror, but still makes a fine mystery. After watching it twice in a row I still wasn't quite sure where the ending was going.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Might be an odd choice for this list, but if you haven't seen this movie you are committing a crime. Best courtroom movie ever made.

Primer. Holy moebius strip, Primer! A timetravel movie that actually works within its own logic and doesn't contradict its own loop? Inconceivable!


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 25, 2013)

*Primer* was cool.

*Fail-Safe*: a Cold War epic- the core question is whether the PUSA will order one of his own Air Force crews to drop a bomb on an American city to stave off global thermonuclear war after a nuclear accident over Russian airspace...

*Seconds*: starring Rock Hudson, this is a movie about a man who pays a company to give him a new life- a taut Sci-Fi thriller.

*Lifeboat*: Alfred Hitchcock's psychologically intense drama set on a lifeboat during WW II

*Abandon Ship* a.k.a. *Seven Waves Away*: another drama set on a lifeboat, based on the real life events of survivors of the wreck of the _William Brown._- one of the foundational cases studied in Lifeboat Ethics.


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## Nytmare (Mar 25, 2013)

I was going to mention two other good Western non Bob Anderson sword movies, but then discovered that one of them WAS a Bob Anderson movie and I never knew it...  :7

By the (Bob Anderson) Sword - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101524/combined - Typical 80s-esque non typical sport film.  This time it's a bunch of kids in a fencing academy.

The Duelists - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075968/combined - Two French officers get into a dispute that ends in a duel that lasts, on and off, for the next 15 years. 

Mention of Primer made me think of Timecrimes - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480669/combined - Not a spectacular time travel movie, but clever, convoluted, and fun.


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## Ketherian (Mar 25, 2013)

Great thread. 
Here's a few of my unsung favorites:

*Lock, stock and two smoking barrels* (1998). Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash. Admittedly, this one became more well known after its DVD release.

*Lone Star* (1996) When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town. 

*Six-string samurai* (1998) In the post-apocalyptic world of 1960s Nevada, a rock 'n' roll samurai takes a young boy under his protection.


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## Morrus (Mar 25, 2013)

Ketherian said:


> Great thread.
> Here's a few of my unsung favorites:
> 
> *Lock, stock and two smoking barrels* (1998). Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash. Admittedly, this one became more well known after its DVD release.




Heh, yeah, that one's pretty well known, I'm afraid!


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## Mallus (Mar 25, 2013)

Ketherian said:


> *Lone Star* (1996) When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.



Good one -- that's my favorite John Sayles movie.

Here's one that's really hard to get: *Survive Style 5+*. It's Japanese, came out in the early 00s, and is kinda like a Charlie Kaufman film, except not and better!

Gasper Noe's *Enter the Void*.

*Dogtooth*. 

Danny Boyle's *Trainspotting* -- this probably counts as well-known. It's a classic of 90s cinema. Also, best soundtrack evar!

The movies of Wes Anderson. All of the them. Okay, maybe not Bottle Rocket or The Darjeeling Limited,  but definitely the stop-motion one with George Clooney as a fox. Edit: okay, Wes is really well-known, but if you go by box office, a lot of people don't see his films.

Whit Stillman's *Metropolitan* & *Barcelona*.

*Joe Versus the Volcano* aka, the best Tom Hanks movie and an unsung classic of 80s cinema.

Jee-woon Kim's *A Tale of Two Sisters* & *The Good, the Bad, and the Weird*.


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## Man in the Funny Hat (Mar 25, 2013)

Always hard to know what movies people haven't heard of.  Sometimes I'm surprise that people have all heard of movies I thought were obscure and equally surprised that they don't know movies I thought EVERYONE knew about.  The following popped up at me in going through my list of DVD's after filtering out those that have already been mentioned.

Battle of Britain - Dated effects and utterly disposable "love interest" subplot but otherwise excellent movie with a stellar British cast.
Bite the Bullet - Western about an endurance horse race.  One of Gene Hackman's finest (and he has a lot).  I especially love his soliloquy about the Battle of San Juan Hill and the people some people marry.
Into the Night - Fun quirky Jeff Golblum/Michelle Pfieffer movie which is sort of a mystery/chase.
Nate and Hayes - Pirates!
Sorceror - William Friedkin-directed take on a French film titled _Wages of Fear._  Four men on the lam for different reasons all take on a suicide job to buy their way out of the arse-end of Nicaragua.  Stunning visuals and Tangerine Dream score and the always underrated Roy Scheider.


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## Holy Bovine (Mar 25, 2013)

Chronicle (2012) Soon after three teens stumble upon an unidentified substance in the Pacific Northwest woods, they begin to exhibit powers beyond their wildest dreams. But harnessing their newfound abilities proves far more challenging than they ever imagined.  While pretty predictable it has enough going for it to keep the audience entertained.  The final scenes are very good in action and SFX.


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## sabrinathecat (Mar 25, 2013)

Ah yes, Nate&Hayes. Tommy Lee Jones young and swashbuckling.
Battle of Britain--was that the one with Susannah York? I remember a movie like that with a very nice view of her backside, completely kitless. And I don't normally find that sort of shot interesting.
By the Sword was a fun one too.
Does "Dog Soldiers" count? Hard to tell what people have heard of and haven't. I'd also list "Men Who Stare at Goats" and "Wrong is Right" as good, very off-beat movies, but I'm not sure if they count as obscure sleepers.
Sorceror was another goodie.
As was... I think it was called "Juggernaut." Might have been a made-for-tv movie, but decent.
And there's an old Roger Moore flick called "fFlolks" (yes, with 2 f's at the beginning).

 I was originally trying to limit myself to scifi fantasy, but where's the fun in that. Sometimes it seem just like movies that are old are unknown to the younger audiences. When I make jokes at work about #6 and "I am not a Number, I am a free Naan", most people just stare at me blankly--they never heard of The Prisoner. (Makes more sense when you know I work in an Indian Restaurant)


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## Umbran (Mar 26, 2013)

Hm.  Not a "great" movie, but an interesting and thought provoking one:

_TiMER_ - starring Emma Caulfield of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame.  Postulates that someone designs a device that you implant in your body that can detect *exactly* when you'll meet your soul mate, just so long the other person also has one of the implants.  It then examines the impact on people and social relations.  Available on Netflix streaming....


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 26, 2013)

Loved *Dog Soldiers.*


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## Umbran (Mar 26, 2013)

Oh, another movie worth a look that you probably haven't heard of (and will probably have a devil of a time trying to find, as I don't believe it has ever been released to DVD) - a 1995 Showtime film of the Vonnegut story, _Harrison Bergeron_, starring one of our favorite hobbits, Sean Astin.


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## Man in the Funny Hat (Mar 26, 2013)

Ghost dog: way of the samurai.  A modern assassin working for a small time mafia boss adheres strictly to a samurai code of loyalty.

If you don't know that one you should.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 26, 2013)

Love that one, too!


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## jonesy (Mar 26, 2013)

sabrinathecat said:


> Harrison Bergeron   HBO product about society after the 2nd American Revolution, when the government recognized that not all are created equal, and whenever possible it was the duty of Government to step in and make everyone as equal as possible. People wear brain impulse inhibitors to keep them from being too smart. Athletes have lights flashing into their faces to blind them or break concentration. Wobbly equipment. The ultimate goal is to be average. The perfect grades in school is straight C's.  One poor boy, however, is just too smart. No matter how much his band is adjusted, he it too smart, and his brain compensates. The only course of action: Lobotomy. Or is it?  Based on Vonnegut story.





Umbran said:


> Oh, another movie worth a look that you probably haven't heard of (and will probably have a devil of a time trying to find, as I don't believe it has ever been released to DVD) - a 1995 Showtime film of the Vonnegut story, _Harrison Bergeron_, starring one of our favorite hobbits, Sean Astin.



There's a third one as well called 2081 starring James Cosmo who is the Night Watch commander on Game of Thrones.


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## Mallus (Mar 26, 2013)

Ghost Dog is a fine little film. Reminds me of another art-house flick from the late 90s that I adore: Hal Hartley's *Henry Fool*, starring two guys I can never remember the names of and Parker Posey. 

And similar to Harrison Bergeron, there was a credible adaptation of *The Lathe of Heaven* that ran on PBS many years ago.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 26, 2013)

Cue my predictable response: I liked that adaptation of *Lathe of Heaven*.  Seen it at least 3 times.


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## Umbran (Mar 26, 2013)

Mallus said:


> And similar to Harrison Bergeron, there was a credible adaptation of *The Lathe of Heaven* that ran on PBS many years ago.




There seem to be two adaptations of The Lathe of Heaven available on DVD from Netflix - one from 1980, one from 2002.  

I have this vague memory of some odd deep voice speaking the name "George Orr" - I wouldn't be surprised if I half-watched the 1980 version at some point...


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## Ketherian (Mar 26, 2013)

*Shall We Dance? (1996)* Shall we dansu? (original title) A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons. It inspired an Australian story about two young dancers who challenge the ballroom scene. It's quite quirky and has been remade (several times) into US versions that don't have the same level of comedy. Can't find the name of that one.

*12 angry men (1957)* A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court. I thought everyone knew about this one, but a quick review in my office proves otherwise.

And at this point I'd have to go home and look over my movie collection. I appreciate the list of interesting films thus far - please do keep them coming!


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## Mallus (Mar 26, 2013)

Umbran said:


> I have this vague memory of some odd deep voice speaking the name "George Orr" - I wouldn't be surprised if I half-watched the 1980 version at some point...



I bet that was the turtle-alien talking in the 1980 version (I didn't realize there was another made in 2002).

I think pretty highly of 1980 version -- it features one my personal, indelible screen images at the end: where George and his lady-friend buy a hot dog from one of the turtle-aliens operating a pushcart in front of some Washington, DC landmark. It's stayed with me all these years, one my favorite moments in screen SF.


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## sabrinathecat (Mar 26, 2013)

Umbran said:


> Oh, another movie worth a look that you probably haven't heard of (and will probably have a devil of a time trying to find, as I don't believe it has ever been released to DVD) - a 1995 Showtime film of the Vonnegut story, _Harrison Bergeron_, starring one of our favorite hobbits, Sean Astin.




You mean the second movie I mentioned in the first post? 

If "Primer" is the movie I think it is, yes, that was pretty good.

There was an indy superhero movie called "Sidekick" that was pretty good too. Not much in FX--more about story.

"Shoot 'em Up" was pretty good for, well, the title tells you everything. The guy uses a gun to do everything, including cut an umbilical cord from a new-born baby. Just don't get into that one expecting Shakespearean dialog or plot.


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## Umbran (Mar 26, 2013)

sabrinathecat said:


> You mean the second movie I mentioned in the first post?




Maybe.  You stated the version was HBO.  I know (having looked it up) that the one I'm thinking of was Showtime.  I wasn't going to claim that they were the same.


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## jonesy (Mar 26, 2013)

And like I said there are three Harrison Bergeron movies (four if you count Between Time and Timbuktu, which I don't) so it's perfectly possible you each meant a different one.


One film that I am always surprised when people say they don't know about it is Cross of Iron. James Coburn plays a german army sergeant during the soviet counterattack of WWII. It's a gritty movie about the glory of war and how there is no such thing.


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## Man in the Funny Hat (Mar 26, 2013)

Ketherian said:


> *12 angry men (1957)* A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court. I thought everyone knew about this one, but a quick review in my office proves otherwise.




Sorry to pun, but that's criminal.  It violates a cardinal rule about jury duty regarding producing your own evidence, but it's MUST viewing for everybody.  There's a 1997 made-for-cable version starring George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon that was also very good; won Scott an Emmy I believe.

I'll add one more made-for-cable true-story movie.  The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom.  Stars Holly Hunter in a story about the Wanda Holloway case; she tried to have her daughters cheerleading rival assassinated in order to ensure her a place on the cheer squad.


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## Man in the Funny Hat (Mar 26, 2013)

Oh, and somebody mentioned Weapons of Mass Distraction, and HBO movie which reminded me of another HBO production - *Barbarians at the Gate*.  Stars James Garner in a true story about the chairman of RJR Reynolds/Nabisco attempting to buy the company to take it private and resulting in an LBO bidding war.


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## Mallus (Mar 27, 2013)

And one more...

*The Long Goodbye*. It's Robert Altman's take on Raymond Chandler, with Eliott Gould as Philip Marlowe in early 1970s California. My wife and I watched this and Chinatown back-to-back last year. It's better than Chinatown. No lie.


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## Hand of Evil (Mar 27, 2013)

I guess there are some from every generation:

*Red Sun* (1971) - Charles Bronson, Toshirô Mifune, and Alain Delon - Western with samurai!  Train robbery and the bad guys take a sword that was to be a gift; one bad guy turns on the leader, who then joins the samurai on a quest to get the sword back.
*A Boy & His Dog* (1975) - campy yes but in a fun way, some may say stupid movie but not to me.
*Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944) - Classic movie by Frank Capra, to me a must see.  Cary Grant at his funniest.  
*Once Upon a Time* (1944) - Another Cary Grant movie, about a dancing caterpillar.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 27, 2013)

*Electra Glide in Blue*: Robert Blake stars as a motorcycle cop promoted to the Homicide division in remote Arizona.  Not only is it a good movie- inspired by a real event- but there's all kinds of oddball trivia that goes along with it, like how several members of the band Chicago are cast as hippies in this movie.


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## Hand of Evil (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh, *Radio Flyer* (1992) -


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## Herschel (Mar 27, 2013)

*Still Crazy *- A former 70's rock group who broke up hating eachother try to get back together and ride the reunion train to actually make a living again. Bill Nighy, Timothy Spall, Stehen Rea and Juliet Aubrey rock.


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## sabrinathecat (Mar 28, 2013)

I would love to have Harrison Bergeron official factory release DVD. I would buy it. Some gut was auctioning bootlegs on eBay a few years back--mediocre copies from a VHS transfer. I bought one. Why? Because there was no official version to buy. (If anyone from HBO is reading this, that would be a hint: Release a factory official version!!! There is demand)
There was also a TV series called "Total Recal 2070". Only the pilot was ever released on DVD. Pity, because it really was an interesting series. Heck, even the pilot was good. More Blade Runner than Total Recall, but a lot of PKD inspired ideas.
Speaking of which, is "Imposter" obscure? I'd never heard of it until it popped on on Netflix, but it did have a theatrical release some time before 9/11. And while one of the twists was painfully obvious within 15 minutes or so, there were more that were not, which more than made up for the first one.

Wow, now people are digging up classics.
If you want to check that road, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" is a great. Follow that up with "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte", a twisted movie for Betty Davis. "DeathTrap" has more twists and turns than a snake on LSD.


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## Nytmare (Mar 28, 2013)

sabrinathecat said:


> "DeathTrap" has more twists and turns than a snake on LSD.




Oh my god I love that movie...


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## Abraxas (Mar 28, 2013)

I've seen quite a few movies that have been suggested - and the ones I haven't seen I'll have to check out.
Also, the original Lathe of Heaven was much better than the remake & Nate and Hayes is one of my all time favorite movies.

A few I think are great and relatively unknown are

1) Four Rooms - a quirky comedy that entertains me to no end
2) The Blood of Heroes - post apocalyptic football
3) Near Dark - Southern Vampires with out the soap opera trappings that are popular now and a Tangerine Dream Soundtrack
4) Let It Ride - Richard Dreyfuss as a guy having an incredibly lucky day betting on horse races


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## Plane Sailing (Mar 28, 2013)

Ketherian said:


> *Shall We Dance? (1996)* Shall we dansu? (original title) A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons. It inspired an Australian story about two young dancers who challenge the ballroom scene. It's quite quirky and has been remade (several times) into US versions that don't have the same level of comedy. Can't find the name of that one.




Um, Strictly Ballroom (australian movie about two young dances that challenge the ballroom scene) was from 1992!

However, I really enjoy the 2004 remake starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez under exactly the same name. 

Cheers


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## Raunalyn (Mar 28, 2013)

Abraxas said:


> 3) Near Dark - Southern Vampires with out the soap opera trappings that are popular now and a Tangerine Dream Soundtrack




Bill Paxton had me rolling in that movie. "MmmmmMMmm!! Finger lickin' good!"

Plus, what's not to like about Lance Henrikson?


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## sabrinathecat (Apr 12, 2013)

Remembered a couple more today.

Vibes: an attempt to give Cindy Lauper (remember her, kids? She was big--well kinda--back in the 80s) an acting career by pairing her up with Jeff Goldbloom. Silly cheeze, but fun.

Unforgettable: believe it or not, I have a hard time remembering the title. No, really. Still a good movie.

DOA: one of the rare cases when the remake was better than the original.


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## jonesy (Apr 12, 2013)

sabrinathecat said:


> DOA: one of the rare cases when the remake was better than the original.



Remake? What movie are you referring to there?


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## Hand of Evil (Apr 12, 2013)

jonesy said:


> Remake? What movie are you referring to there?




got to say, D.O.A. 1950, remade in 1981 but confused with DOA: Dead or Alive  

1950 - Small-town accountant Frank Bigelow goes to San Francisco for a week's fun prior to settling down with fiancée Paula. After a night on the town, he wakes up with more than just a hangover; doctors tell him he's been given a "luminous toxin" with no antidote and has, at most, a week to live! Not knowing who did it or why, Bigelow embarks on a frantic odyssey to find his own murderer.

1981 - Dexter Cornell, an English Professor becomes embroiled in a series of murders involving people around him. Dexter has good reason to want to find the murderer but hasn't much time. He finds help and comfort from one of his student, Sydney Fuller.

DOA: Dead or Alive - video game movie


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## Hand of Evil (Apr 12, 2013)

Oh, saw this once the other day and it kind of freaked me out: *After.Life* starring: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long.


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## Mark CMG (Apr 12, 2013)

Zero Effect - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120906/


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## Mallus (Apr 12, 2013)

Mark CMG said:


> Zero Effect - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120906/



I see your Zero Effect and raise you Wild Zero.


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## sabrinathecat (Apr 12, 2013)

the DoA video game movie was a lame-but-funny. Horrible actor for the villain.
Dead on Arrival remake was the one I liked.


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## jonesy (Apr 12, 2013)

I don't think I've ever seen Dead on Arrival. Either one. I'll have to check it out.


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## Mallus (Apr 12, 2013)

There's also the Japanese Dead or Alive directed by Takashi Miike:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221111/.

Also worth seeing (if you like Takashi Miike films).


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## sabrinathecat (Apr 13, 2013)

The funniest part of DOA: Dead or Alive was that the movie included a volley-ball scene. Just because.


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## jonesy (Apr 13, 2013)

sabrinathecat said:


> The funniest part of DOA: Dead or Alive was that the movie included a volley-ball scene. Just because.



I thought the funniest part was master ninja Ryu inflitrating the bad guy's fortress, in broad daylight, through the front door, in plain sight of everyone, with security guards falling left and right, and then he is surprised when a sliding wall trap captures him. Like, what was he expecting would happen with that approach? 

Edit: that's the same part, isn't it? He goes to the fortress because he somehow thinks everyone took a day off and went to the volleyball match.


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## Lord Mhoram (Apr 13, 2013)

Some I haven't seen mentioned (quick perusal).

Cold Souls - Starring Paul Giamotti as Paul Giamotti - he is doing a Chekov play, and can't get into it so he removes his soul to do better and it doesn't work. He goes back to get it and it has been stolen. He has to track it down. Really great quirky movie.

Undercover Blues - Kathleen Turner, Dennis Quade. Spy couple on maternity leave in New Orleans, and something comes up. Great movie.

Case of Libel - Showtime VHS from the 80s. Daniel J Travanti and Ed Asner in a great courtroom drama.

Water - starring Michael Caine in a great farce. A small British run island struck water (not oil) that could outsell Perrier - really funny.

The Crew - Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss and Dan Hedaya as retired mobsters in a hilarious movie about the hotel they are living in is about to evict them because it is being bought out.

Blind Fury - 80s - Rutger Haur as a blind swordsman. Good show.


I second Deathtrap, Kung Fu Hustle and Ghost Dog - those were great obscure films.


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## Olgar Shiverstone (Apr 13, 2013)

*Senna*.  Documentary biography of the greatest racing driver who ever lived.


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## Nytmare (Apr 13, 2013)

Lord Mhoram said:


> Blind Fury - 80s - Rutger Haur as a blind swordsman. Good show.




This reminds me of two others, "Blood of Heroes" which is a remarkably great post apocalyptic sport drama, and the Zatoichi series which is what I always assumed Blind Fury was based off of.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 17, 2013)

_Of Unknown Origin_: is about a guy who is renovating a brownstone for his family, and encounters the meanest rat of all time.  Its a retelling of _Moby Dick_, essentially.


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## geradarys (Apr 17, 2013)

Two great comedies - The Big Lebowski and Due Date


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## sabrinathecat (Apr 20, 2013)

Just remembered a TV classic (well, not quite) that almost totally slipped under the radar. Total Recall 2070. More "Blade Runner" than "Total Recall", but just a fun, sci-fi cop show with more brains than most. Sadly vastly under-rated. Just found out it got a factory DVD release. Now I can junk my cruddy bootlegs for a nice, clean version.


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## sabrinathecat (Apr 29, 2013)

Fortress. Australian teacher and her class are kidnapped, and fight back. Not a kiddie movie, but lots of kids behaving, well, like kids. And then they go "First Blood" tactics against their abductors. Never, Ever, _ever _think that kidnapping kids who grew up rural is a safe bet on their own turf. Yeah, the teacher isn't bad to look at either.

Vampire Princess Miyu (OVA). If you want to see something creepy and slightly disturbing, but not a bunch of animated guts and tentacle porn (hentei), try this one.


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## Nytmare (Apr 29, 2013)

I just re-discovered The Man From Earth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/).  An absolutely brilliant low budget film that I saw at Comicon four or five years ago that is now on Netflix.

Watch it immediately.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 29, 2013)

Looks interesting...


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## Jhaelen (Apr 30, 2013)

Did anyone already mention Screamers? I'm not sure I'd actually call it 'great' but it's decent. And it's based on a short story by Philip K. Dick. Which is really all the reason I need to recommend it


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 30, 2013)

It was definitely fun.


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## Fast Learner (Apr 30, 2013)

Not for everyone, but *Slipstream* has a lot of fun sci-fi in it, an enjoyable premise, really excellent acting by Bob Peck as an android, and enjoyable roles by Mark Hamill and Bob Paxton. There are some highly cheesy bits, but some great original ideas and existentialist android-as-being stuff.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 20, 2013)

Finally got to see a movie that's been sitting on my DVR for a few months- Bong Joon-ho’s _The Host._

It's a really good Korean giant-monster movie that first came to my attention in Lucius Shepherd's review in F&SF Magazine back in 2007.

It has a nasty monster, human triumph & tragedy, and humor.


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## sabrinathecat (May 21, 2013)

Not to be confused with the crappy Slipstream movie w Anthony Hopkins.


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## Mallus (May 21, 2013)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Finally got to see a movie that's been sitting on my DVR for a few months- Bong Joon-ho’s _The Host._



Awesome, ain't it?

Here's an older Asian film: King Hu's _A Touch of Zen_. A warning -- it's 3 hours long and the DVD Netflix has is of poor quality. That said, it's a great, with some of the best camera work I've ever seen. Plus super-serene, ass-kicking Buddhist monks!


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## FoxWander (May 27, 2013)

Awesome thread!  See a few of my quirky faves from back in the day here (Near Dark, Death Trap, and Into The Night).  Here are my suggestions.

After Hours (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088680/) Griffin Dunne goes to SoHo for a date and has a very crazy night. Love the last scene in this.

Warlock (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098622/) Julian Sands plays one of the best villains ever!!  Modeled one of my best evil characters on this movie.

Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100519/) Hamlet from the view of two of its bit parts. Awesome acting from Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, and Richard Dreyfuss.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 27, 2013)

FoxWander said:


> Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100519/) Hamlet from the view of two of its bit parts. Awesome acting from Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, and Richard Dreyfuss.




I watch that every time I find it on TV.


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## sabrinathecat (May 27, 2013)

Ah, Warlock. Loved that movie when I was in college. Took me 10 years to notice a single internal inconsistency. (in the graveyard, the regular ground is holy, and the original cemetery ground isn't!)
Based on a book that was, well, pretty awful. Best thing the screenwriters did was ignore most of the author's more puerile an juvenile ideas, and stick with the core plot.

Never could get into RaGAD. Tried a couple times.


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## jonesy (May 27, 2013)

[video=youtube;7C6LjfE5FTA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C6LjfE5FTA[/video]


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## Scrivener of Doom (May 31, 2013)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> * (snip) **Kung Fu Hustle*: a full-on spoof of classic martial arts movies.




Good man. One of my favourites... but very well known in the parts of Asia I live/have lived.

Grosse Point Blank is one of my favourites. It's a John Cusack film about an assassin who discovers he has a conscience about his job.

Great thread by the way. I've found quite a few movies on YouTube as a result.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 31, 2013)

I believe there is a sequel to KFH in the works...but as the first news I saw about it was in 2005, it may be one of those projects that never gets going.


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## ExploderWizard (May 31, 2013)

*The Resurrected (1991) *A cool direct to video adaptation of the Lovecraft classic story _The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. _It stars Chris Sarandon and John (Hawk the Slayer) Terry.

It is a must see for any COC fan because the film plays much like the game. The protagonists are an investigative team. It was released on DvD in 2005.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jun 1, 2013)

I'll have to look for that!


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## sabrinathecat (Jun 1, 2013)

Ah yes, the Resurrected: That _was _good. There was also The Unnamable, and Unnamable 2. Sadly, only the second one was released on DVD (Ryhs Davies and David Warner beefed up the cast a bit).


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## Hishen (Jul 26, 2013)

i think the girl next door
john tucker must die 
are the ones


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## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 23, 2013)

Resurrecting this thread because I just popped the new NIN CD in my car's changer, and it reminded me of another movie, the Hungarian thriller _Kontroll_.  Nicely done, with elements of comedy, heroism, and either insanity or a bit of the supernatural...


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## Nellisir (Oct 24, 2013)

Ach.  *Blood of Heroes* and *Slipstream*.  Man, I haven't thought about those movies in ages.  

I'm not sure *Kung Fu Hustle* is obscure.  You might as well mention *Shaolin Soccer* too.

I'm not sure if these are "obscure" or just foreign, but *Nightwatch* & *Daywatch*; *The Good, The Bad, and The Weird*; and *Judge Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame* are all pretty cool.

Other movies that I've given 5 stars on Netflix (but don't always remember why): *Harry Brown*; *Moon*; *The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch*; *Chocolate* (Thai martial arts film); *Defiance*; *Jar City*; *Winter's Bone* (fricking amazing and haunting; Jennifer Lawrence has my eternal respect because of this movie); *Sound of Noise*; *Black Death*; *MirrorMask*; *The Secret of Kells* (breathtaking animation); *Tomorrow When The War Began* (Aussie Red Dawn); *Hogfather* (about a thousand times better than I expected); *London Boulevard*;


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## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 24, 2013)

> Nightwatch & Daywatch




Saw those.  Interesting, but they didn't completely grab me.  Definitely worth seeing at least once, though.


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## Nellisir (Oct 24, 2013)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Saw those.  Interesting, but they didn't completely grab me.  Definitely worth seeing at least once, though.




Ayup.

I watched all of those on Netflix, but a lot of them are not available to stream anymore.  Some of them I don't recollect, particularly *The Heir Apparent*, *Jar City*, *Black Death*, *Defiance*, and *London Boulevard*.  Clearly I thought they were good (or I wanted them to sway my Netflix recommendations).  I'd particularly like to watch *Jar City* again, as I've since read a lot more Scandinavian crime fiction, including the book _Jar City_.


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## Zombie_Babies (Oct 24, 2013)

Nellisir said:


> *The Good, The Bad, and The Weird*




Amazing movie.  It's beautifully shot, the plot is wonderful and it's always entertaining.

Don't know if it's been added but Rubber is one of my favorite oddball movies.  That and Dead Man.


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## trappedslider (Oct 24, 2013)

I'm gonna suggest Heathers because it's an extremely dark deconstruction of the other teen movies of the 80s

But be prepared for tons of Harsher in hindsight due to everything that's gone on in between the movie's release back in 89 and now regarding teen violance


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## Hand of Evil (Oct 30, 2013)

Our Man Flint was on TCM, great movie!


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## Nellisir (Oct 30, 2013)

*Plunkett & MacLeane*.


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## Zombie_Babies (Oct 30, 2013)

Hand of Evil said:


> Our Man Flint was on TCM, great movie!




Yeah, that's a quality flick.


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## calronmoonflower (Nov 2, 2013)

Coward of the County: Yes, it is also a song.
Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King
Outlander


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## sabrinathecat (Nov 3, 2013)

Don't forget Circuitry Man 2!

I cringe at some of the movies mentioned, but get a warm glow from fond memories of other.


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## ShinHakkaider (Nov 3, 2013)

There are some movies that are listed here that I've heard of that ARE in fact pretty obscure (Jake Speed? Plunkett & Macleane, River's Edge, YEAH!) but The Big Lebowski? Really? Kung Fu Hustle? I dont know guys...


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## Grehnhewe (Nov 3, 2013)

I have only read the last couple pages, but I would like to agree with Nellisir about Winters Bone.  Great movie!  I also dig on Hogfather...time of the year to watch it is coming up!

A couple of my own:  Local Hero, about a Texas oil exec trying to buy an Irish Town.  SLC Punks, about punks in Utah in the mid eighties.  Green Street Hooligans, about West Ham hooligans...great if you can believe Frodo as a brawler.  That's a start anyhow.


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## Zombie_Babies (Nov 4, 2013)

Bubba Ho-Tep  Yeah, I said it.  Oh, and Ghost Dog is so, so much better than you'd think it'd be.  Oh!  _Leon__.  _It's the original (and, you know, gooder) version of The Professional.

EDIT: Somehow forgot Black Dog!


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## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 4, 2013)

Bubba Ho Tep kicked ass. 

That is all.


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## Homicidal_Squirrel (Nov 4, 2013)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Bubba Ho Tep kicked ass.
> 
> That is all.



That was a pretty cool movie.


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## Mallus (Nov 4, 2013)

It warms my heart to see how popular _Ghost Dog_ is in this thread. I don't see many Jim Jarmusch films, but when i do, I prefer _Ghost Dog_. 

_Our Man Flint_ is to Bond movies as _Galaxy Quest_ is to Trek, ie a loving parody that's nearly indistinguishable from its source.

And may the poster who recommended _Local Hero_ live to be a thousand.


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## Zombie_Babies (Nov 5, 2013)

Did I mention Hell Comes to Frogtown?  Man, I hope I didn't forget to mention that.


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## Grehnhewe (Nov 6, 2013)

Mallus said:


> And may the poster who recommended _Local Hero_ live to be a thousand.



I really need to up my 401K percentage.


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## AuroraGyps (Nov 10, 2013)

Two movies with Vincent D'Onofrio:

Happy Accidents: Is a time traveling love story. 

The Whole Wide World: About Robert E. Howard and his relationship with Novalyne Price. 

These two movies totally surprised me by how much I loved them. I tend to stay away from "chick flicks", but I'm a huge fan of D'Onofrio, so I watched them. Loved them enough to even buy them and I hardly ever buy DVDs, especially not "chick flick" ones.


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## Grehnhewe (Nov 10, 2013)

AuroraGyps said:


> Two movies with Vincent D'Onofrio:
> 
> Happy Accidents: Is a time traveling love story.
> 
> ...



I remember liking his performances in Feeling Minnesota and Salton Sea.  He has a removable nose in the latter and Val Kilmer before he got fat.

might have to check out a movie about REH.


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## calronmoonflower (Nov 21, 2013)

The last Dragon
Inner Space


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## Zombie_Babies (Nov 22, 2013)

Mad_Jack said:


> I just picked up a used copy of the special edition of _Bubba Ho-tep_, with the white jacket cover, on sale for $3.99 at my local supermarket, lol.




That's a good pickup.  I had another one of these movies in mind the other day but now I can't remember.  Dammit ...


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## Hand of Evil (Nov 22, 2013)

The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again - horror movies


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## AuroraGyps (Nov 23, 2013)

They're only 1/2 an hour each, but The Amazing Screw-On Head & A Wish For Wings That Work are two very strange, but cool animated films. Screw-On Head is from Mike Mignola and Wish for Wings is an Xmas cartoon with Opus & Bill the Cat from Breathed's Bloom County/Outland comic strip.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 23, 2013)

Just watched _Tucker & Dale vs. Evil_ last night and laughed a whole bunch.


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## Jester David (Nov 23, 2013)

calronmoonflower said:


> Outlander



I quite liked Outlander. One of those rare monster movies where the characters did the smart things. Not a _good _movie but a fun one. 

The last unknown movie I enjoyed was the equally not-good-but-fun Lockout. The plot was pretty much _Escape from New York_ in space but Guy Pierce gave a great performance as a magnificent bastard.


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## sabrinathecat (Nov 25, 2013)

So, I thought I'd put together a compilation list of the suggested movies. Some that I think are too mainstream to be obscure will be at the bottom. "Good" is a relative term, so I will not be commenting on quality or my thoughts on the movies. This is only a list.

12:01
Harrison Bergeron   
Ring of Steel
Fifty-Fifty
Guilty as Charged
Lionheart
Weapons of Mass Distraction
The Second Civil War
And God Spoke
Incident at Loch Ness
The Stoned Age
Splinter
Ikari XB1
La Jetee
Angel of Death
Innocent blood
Her Highness and the Bellboy
The Inhabited Island
Skirmish
The Triangle
Primer
Fail-Safe
Seconds
Abandon Ship
By The Sword
The Duesists
Time Crimes
Lone Star
Enter The Void
Dog Tooth
Metropolitan
Barcelona
Tale of Two Sisters
The Good, The Bad, And the Weird
Battle of Brittain
Bite The Bullet
Into The Night
Nate and Hayes
Chronicle
Dog Soldiers
Wrong is Right
Juggernaut
fFolkes
TiMER
Lathe of Heaven

Honorable mention (not really obscure):
Kung Fu Hustle
Witness for the Prosecution
Lifeboat (Hitchcock)
Lock Stock & two Smoking Barrels
Six-String Samurai
Train Spotting
Joe Vs The Volcano
Sorceror
Men Who Stare At Goats
Ghost Dog
The Gods Must Be Crazy

OK, that's Page 1 of 6. I'll update this later. So much for the question "What should I put on my Netflix queue?"


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## sabrinathecat (Dec 16, 2013)

Pages 2 and 3 summarized: (once again, Honorable mentions are "Not really obscure", but have been posted as good movies.)

Shall We Dance? (1996) Shall we dansu? (original title) 
Sidekick
Shoot 'em Up
Cross of Iron
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom
Barbarians at the Gate
The Long Goodbye
Red Sun
A Boy & His Dog
Once Upon a Time (1944)
Electra Glide in Blue
Radio Flyer (1992)
Still Crazy
Total Recal 2070
Imposter
Lathe of Heaven
Nate and Hayes
Four Rooms
The Blood of Heroes
Near Dark
Let It Ride
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Vibes
Unforgettable
Due Date
Fortress
Vampire Princess Miyu (OVA)
The Man From Earth
SlipStream
Senna
Blood of Heroes
the Zatoichi series
After.Life 
Zero Effect 
Wild Zero
Dead or Alive (Japanese)
Cold Souls
Case of Libel 
Water
The Crew
Of Unknown Origin


* Honorable Mentions:*
12 angry men (1957) 
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane
Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte
DeathTrap
DOA (Dead On Arrival, 1981)
Undercover Blues
Blind Fury
The Big Lebowski
Screamers


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## Hand of Evil (Dec 16, 2013)

Was watching TMC the other day, Bob Hope movie The Princess and the Pirate (1944) - a number of laugh out loud moments, got a kick out of the "rough" town when Bob sees two man throw a man in a bag into the sea, Bob goes to the watch, asking if they are going to do something about it.  The Watch responses that the men have a permit.


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