Official Film Recommendations Thread

[Killgore]

The point of this thread is to recommend great movies that are more esoteric and obscure and may be overlooked. Don't just make another list of your favorite movies, and don't recommend movies everyone has already seen. Fight Club is a great movie, but we don't need another thread preaching to the choir. On the other hand, don't hesitate to recommend a film such as Equilibrium that many have seen, but isn't as mainstream as a film such as the Matrix. Please follow a format similar to the recommendations in Elijya's comic recommendation thread -- title in boldface, director and main cast, poster and/or screen shots, followed by a concise and spoiler-free write-up that would entice a fellow hypster to view it.

A few of you have come up with some truly great selections. Good job, keep them coming. Others have missed the point. Terminator and Die Hard are BLOCKBUSTERS, the total opposite of OBSCURE. So to keep things on track, the film you submit MUST have LESS THAN 20,000 votes on imdb.

And here's an index for those that are counting (of the ones that qualify at least):

Page 1

Red Rock West
Delicatessen
The Shadow
Spun
Carnal Knowledge
The World According to Garp
The Ice Storm
It's All About Love
Willard
Eight Below
10th and Wolf
Water
Bubba Ho-Tep
The Search for Animal Chin
Formula 51

Page 2
Dazed and Confused
The Thin Man
The Long Good Friday
Ginger Snaps
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
Battle Royale
Versus
Infernal Affairs
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
Chunking Express
8 1/2
Joint secuirity area
Talk to her
Cabinet of Dr Caligari
All the little animals
Under Suspicion

Page 3
Waiting For Guffman
Best In Show
A Mighty Wind
Night Watch
Lady Vengence
Mirriormask
Harvey
Sleeper
Bee Season

 

[Killgore]

Red Rock West
Directed by John Dahl
Starring Nicholas Cage, Dennis Hopper and Lara Flynn Boyle

Red Rock West is a riveting thriller with a plot that endlessly loops back on in on itself like a tail-eating Ouroboros. Cage stars as an unemployed vagabond who wanders into a bar in a small western town named Red Rock. He is mistaken by the bartender for a Texas assassin (Hopper) who he has sent for to kill his wife (Boyle). Being indigent, Cage plays along, collects the money for the hit and decides to tell the wife that her husband is attempting to kill her. She then pays Cage to murder her husband. So Cage collects from her, the real hit man shows up and the plot begins to twist and fold into itself. Every time Cage thinks he has weaseled his way out of Red Rock, he finds himself pulled right back in. An extremely entertaining and suspenseful neo noir.

 

[Killgore]

Delicatessen
Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Delicatessen is bleak, dark comedy about a post-apocalyptic future inhabited by a murdering butcher, his cannibalistic tenants, and there next meal, a clown hired under the presumption of being the building's handyman. Instead of focusing on the macabre, the film is quite a farce, as the various tenant's lives intermingle. The French film is a bizarre and surreal fairy-tale that has an inexplicably heartwarming side.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Chunking Express
8 1/2
Joint secuirity area
Talk to her
Cabinet of Dr Caligari
All the little animals

 

[Killgore]

Cyrusbales, could you please edit your post and elabortate? Alist isn't very helpful. I'm not asking for a full review, just a sentence or two and a poster or a screenshot.

 

[trentoid]

IMO one of the greatest films in history and a film that has never recived the credit it was due, the visuals are truly a mind **** and was johnny depps greatest performance (**** all this mainstream recent pirates ****), this is the real deal for depp's acting abilities.

A large cast of cameos also makes this film great, including a young tobey maguire in a extremely hilarious role

 

[XwolverineX]

M'kay, some reccomendations.

Terminator, and Terminator 2.

Se7en

Those're probably my overall favorite films, actually.

Some others:

Pirates of the Carribean
Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2
Predator
Alien(s)
Saw, Saw II


And.. Of course..

DIE HARD

 

[Warhammer]

As some people on the Hype know my love for this flick:

The Shadow

Directed by Russel Mulcahy.
Starring Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Ian McKellan, and Tim Curry.

The Shadow was one of my favorite films. It is based on the pulp fiction radio serials of the 30's and 40's. The story is about Lamond Cranston, a WWI vet, who drifted into Asia and became a warlord and opium smuggler. He was kidnapped by Tibetan monks and taken to their monastery. Their leader, recognizing the power of harnessing Cranston's inner darkness, reformed and trained him to use that darkness against evil rather than for it. Cranston then becomes the Shadow to fight evil.

 

[Halcohol]

Die Hard is a classic. However, I'm a big fan of the mind-f*** drug trips, a la Fear & Loathing. Here's a couple good ones:

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connelly
Synopsis: (from imdb) Drugs. They consume mind, body and soul. Once you're hooked, you're hooked. Four lives. Four addicts. Four failures. Doing their best to succeed in the world, but failing miserably, four people get hooked on various drugs. Despite their aspirations of greatness, they succumb to their addictions. Watching the addicts spiral out of control, we bear witness to the dirtiest, ugliest portions of the underworld addicts reside in. It is shocking and eye-opening but demands to be seen by both addicts and non-addicts alike.

SPUN (2002)
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Mickey Rourke, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit
Synopsis: (from imdb) An out-of-control speed freak (Schwartzman) is introduced his drug of choice's creator (Rourke) by his dealer (Leguizamo). A massive three-day adventure ensues (with Fugit, Murphy, and Suvari in tow).

 

[XwolverineX]

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM kicks ass.

Edit, another movie to throw out there is 'A Clockwork Orange'

 

[Halcohol]

^I don't know if I'd ever be able to sleep if I had that poster, though

 

[The Shape]

Plot: A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.

"You can erase someone from your mind. Getting them out of your heart is another story."

Amazing film. If it was just this straightforward plot, it might not be so great. But the way the film is so uniquely pieced together makes it so much more special.

 

[XwolverineX]

Sounds cheesy, lol.

 

[The Shape]

Sounds cheesy, lol.

It may sound it, but it's everything BUT cheesy.

 

[The Chairman]

M'kay, some reccomendations.

Terminator, and Terminator 2.

Se7en

Those're probably my overall favorite films, actually.

Some others:

Pirates of the Carribean
Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2
Predator
Alien(s)
Saw, Saw II


And.. Of course..

DIE HARD

Yeah, those films are really obscure.

Anyway, here's my recommendation:

Carnal Knowledge
Directed by Mike Nichols
Starring Jack Nicholson, Ann-Margret, Art Garfunkel and Candice Bergen

An incredibly overlooked 1971 masterpiece whose stark portrayal of sexual fidelity and obsession ignited an entire Supreme Court case. Jonathan (Nicholson) and Sandy (Garfunkel) play two college buddies who endlessy dote upon their sexual escapades. Garfunkel's character falls for a lovely new girl in town Susan (Bergen), much to the chagrin and jealously of Jonathan, who tries to woo Susan himself (Sandy is not aware of this).

10 years go by, Susan is out of the picture, and the second half of the film focuses on Jonathan's relationship with Bobbie (Ann-Margret). At first, things get off to a fabulous start. However, as time passes, things to start to self-destruct, resulting in an explosive standoff between Bobbie and Jonathan (bits of it were occasionally used on Howard Stern's show).

It is an incredibly hard film to watch, as it is a grippingly accurate depiction of the 1960s' sexual revolution. However, once you've finished watching it, you can't help but be in awe of how truly great it is.

 

[superduperhero]

The World According To Garp:

Based on the John Irving novel, this film chronicles the life of T S Garp, and his mother, Jenny. Whilst Garp sees himself as a "serious" writer, Jenny writes a feminist manifesto at an opportune time, and finds herself as a magnet for all manner of distressed women.


The Ice Storm:

In the weekend after thanksgiving 1973 the Hoods are skidding out of control. Benjamin Hood reels from drink to drink, trying not to think about his trouble at the office. His wife, Elena, is reading self help books and losing patience with her husband's lies. Their son, Paul, home for the holidays, escapes to the city to pursue an alluring rich girl from his prep school. And young, budding nymphomaniac, Wendy Hood roams the neighborhood, innocently exploring liquor cabinets and lingerie drawers of her friends' parents, looking for something new. Then an ice storm hits, the worst in a century. Things get bad...


It's All About Love:

It's All About Love is the story of two lovers and their attempts to save their relationship in a near-future world on the brink of cosmic collapse. John, and world-famous ice skating star, Elena, are about to sign divorce papers when they realise that, in spite of everything happening around them, their love is worth fighting for. It's All About Love is a fresh take on modern love and future life as two lovers struggle in a conspiracy of epic proportions.

 

[Mr.Webs]

Willard
Directed by Glen Morgan
Starring Crispin Glover, Laura Harring, and R. Lee Ermey
________________________________________________________

This quirky, brilliant film is hard to pinpoint. Is it a horror film? Character study? Maybe even a black comedy? False...it's a great, tasty mixture of all three elements, and oh how it works. But first, let's read the synopsis from IMDB.com, shall we? - Willard is an awkward, inept young man ostracized by the world around him. His gloomy existance takes a turn for the weird, though, when he discovers that his connection with a pet rat has gained him acceptance among the ranks of rodentia, and soon, Willard is using his newfound army of vermin to get revenge on everyone who's done him wrong. - The idea itself, of a man 'commanding' rats is generally...stupid. And silly. But, thankfully, the movie handles itself well enough so that this thought isn't glaring.

The acting in this movie is generally fantastic. Crispin Glover's been said to have very little charisma as an actor, and is always type-casted as the mousy character with no confidence. Type-casted or not, Glover was born to play Willard Stiles. That's a fact. He plays the character perfectly, and truly carries this film. If his performance wasn't as good as it was, the entire film would fall apart...thankfully, that never happens. Some of his mannerisms, or the way he spouts his lines are overexaggerated, but it works in the context of the movie so well, that it never really matters. Harring plays her part just perfectly, as the only balance of true good in Willard's dark and lonely life. Her portrayal is just so dead-on, that I will ultimately run out of adjectives to describe it anyway, so I'll stop now. Then Ermey, who's always played generally himself, is just a treat to watch. His constant yelling, his weird as Hell remarks and curse words. He makes you HATE him so much, that it motivates the entire film.

The story is great, quite frankly. It's pacing is slow and takes it's time building up the character of Willard and his life as a whole. The character is so interesting and twisted that the film never gets boring, and ultimately would've benefited by including some more of that slow build-up, which they sadly cut. Then, the script is just so wraught full of great moments, full of heartbreak, full of warmth, full of drama, and then sometimes even full of sheer insanity. The camerawork is awesome, and the score is one of the best I've heard in years. It's just brilliant all around.

Yes...brilliant surmises the movie well. Everything, even some of it's quirks, helps the movie become what it is. And what it is, is a wonderful, sadly forgotten, piece of cinema.

Final Vote: 9/10

 

[Obsidian]

-Great movie for the families! It really tugs at the heartstrings. The dogs (Old Jack, Maya, Cody, Max, Truman, Dewey, Shadow, and Buck) are the stars of the movie.

-Good movie. I was expecting it to be pretty bad because of the reviews, but it turned out to be a decent film. The movie holds together because of the cast. James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, and Brad Renfro are really charismatic in their roles and the performances are what makes the movie work.

Caught this early in the summer and have to say that it's one of the best movies of 2006. It's incredibly heartbreaking and at the same time, offers a glimmer of hope for the women who are forced to a life of exile for being widows.

 

[Ash J. Williams]

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Plot Outline (from IMDB):
Based on the Bram Stoker Award nominee short story by cult author Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba Ho-Tep tells the "true" story of what really did become of Elvis Presley. We find Elvis (Bruce Campbell) as an elderly resident in an East Texas rest home, who switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before his "death", then missed his chance to switch back. Elvis teams up with Jack (Ossie Davis), a fellow nursing home resident who thinks that he is actually President John F. Kennedy, and the two valiant old codgers sally forth to battle an evil Egyptian entity who has chosen their long-term care facility as his happy hunting grounds.

The Search for Animal Chin (1987)

Description: Featuring the Bones Brigade in one of the most famous videos in the history of skateboarding. It was filmed at the peak of the Bones Brigade era in 1986-87 by Stacy Peralta and feature Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, and more. The five Bones Brigade skaters end exploring to find an Asian guy by the name of Won Ton "Animal" Chin.

 

[XwolverineX]

Yeah, those films are really obscure.

Anyway, here's my recommendation:

Carnal Knowledge
Directed by Mike Nichols
Starring Jack Nicholson, Ann-Margret, Art Garfunkel and Candice Bergen

An incredibly overlooked 1971 masterpiece whose stark portrayal of sexual fidelity and obsession ignited an entire Supreme Court case. Jonathan (Nicholson) and Sandy (Gar***el) play two college buddies who endlessy dote upon their sexual escapades. Garfunkel's character falls for a lovely new girl in town Susan (Bergen), much to the chagrin and jealously of Jonathan, who tries to woo Susan himself (Sandy is not aware of this).

10 years go by, Susan is out of the picture, and the second half of the film focuses on Jonathan's relationship with Bobbie (Ann-Margret). At first, things get off to a fabulous start. However, as time passes, things to start to self-destruct, resulting in an explosive standoff between Bobbie and Jonathan (bits of it were occasionally used on Howard Stern's show).

It is an incredibly hard film to watch, as it is a grippingly accurate depiction of the 1960s' sexual revolution. However, once you've finished watching it, you can't help but be in awe of how truly great it is.

Yeah, that's why I posted them.

 

[Max J Power]

Formula 51
Directed by Ronny Yu
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Rys Ifans, and Meat Loaf

Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) is an American master chemist who has invented the perfect drug. After double-crossing his boss, The Lizard (Meat Loaf), Elmo travels to England to sell the drugs. Elmo's plan goes awry, and he and his escort, Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle) are wanted by Liverpool criminals and Elmo's former associates. Formula 51 is a fun crime comedy in the vein of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. In the UK, this movie is called The 51st State

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, that's why I posted them.

You obviously don't know what obscure means. The point of this thread is to recommend movies that have not been seen and are not well known throughout the general public. Those films (especially T2 and Die Hard) by pretty much everyone, and therefore fudge with the concept of this thread.

 

[Rob Lobo]

Cidade De Deus (City Of God)

Directed by: Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund (Co-Director)

Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960's that--in the early 80's--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. The tale tells the stories of many characters whose lives sometimes intersect. However, all is seen through the eyes of a singular narrator: Busca-Pé, a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw but also to smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. He grows up in a very violent environment. The odds are all against him. But Busca-Pé soon discovers that he can see reality differently than others. His redemption is that he's been given an artist's point of view as a keen-eyed photographer. As Busca-Pé is not the real protagonist of the film--only the narrator--he is not the one who makes the decisions that will determine the sequence of events. Nevertheless, not only his life is attached to what happens in the story, but it is also through Busca-Pé's perspective of life that one can understand the complicated layers and humanity of a world, apparently condemned to endless violence.

 

[Rob Lobo]

oops! double post

 

[ZeroSuit]

GREAT movie.
even better dialouge.
if you havn't seen it check it out ASAP.