Is anyone else starting to run out of movies to see in their preferred genres? What is a movie you love or is influential to your work but the rest of the world hasn't caught up with? What are your recommendations?
A way to test its obscurity is does it have less than 5,000 votes on IMDB
Here are some of mine - mostly crime dramas and thrillers so if you like that genre check these out:
Wake In Fright - a school teacher in the Australian outback misses the train back to the city and is stuck in a redneck town that really messes with his head
Street Law - the Italian "Death Wish" - with more action
Fear City - hookers, serial killers, cops, the mafia all in one movie
Unman Wittering and Zigo - A British boarding school teacher's class of boys claimed that they murdered his predecessor. Is it just teenage boys making stuff up or what..?
The Debt/"Dlug" - Russian entrepreneurs take a loan from some gangsters to fund their business - bad idea
Favor - Schlubby guy helps his better-looking "friend" get rid of the body of a girl he murdered - and uses this favor as leverage to get everything he wants
Nice Guy - English unemployed guy goes looking for excitement at the local strip bar
Filmmaking / Directing : Obscure favorite movie recommendations: by Dave McCrea
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It's an indie but you should check out Before I Disappear. It's available in the Leammle theaters as well as VOD and I THINK Amazon prime. I saw it a month ago and am STILL thinking about it.
Cool, I'm going to check that out Thanks Shannon! I see it on iTunes
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Wow, thanks for this thread! I, too, saw Curfew when it was up for the Academy Award and LOVED it, so I can't wait to check out the feature length version! Wondering how something that was so good as a short will hold together in a longer version..
I'm not sure this counts as obscure, but one of my biggest surprises ever on Netflix was "Prince of Persia" with Jake Gyllenhal. It had everything! Drama, action, comedy, romance, adventure, horses, beautiful architecture, villains, heroes, special effects, and amazing gymnastics/stunts. I never understood why it didn't do well at the box office. It does have a time-bending element, which is something I often hate, but it worked beautifully in this film.
I would also highly recommend "The Nines", which has characters that seem to morph mysteriously into new characters as the movie goes along. It is not simply using the same actors for different characters--there are plot themes that carry across but morph into something else. I did not totally understand it at the end, but it was even more fascinating when I watched it the second time. Very thought-provoking, and you will continue wondering afterwards if you really understood it--but in a good way, not in an aggravated way. Amazing cast. Probably very hard to market because I'm not sure what the genre would be--philosophical mystery.
A film with both Russell Crowe and Hugo Weaving before they became big stars. It's an Australian film called 'Proof'. Great work. The early films of Neil Burger (Divergent, Limitless). I love the Illusionist but for a really obscure but extremely smart indy watch 'Interview with the Assassin'. Why do i say extremely smart? Because to me one of the most important things an indy film maker can do is to come up with an intriguing LOW BUDGET premise. A premise which pulls people into your film but doesn't cost a hell of a lot of money to make. Watch about 15 minutes of 'Interview with the Assassin' and see if you aren't hooked for the rest of the movie. And note the performance by Raymond J. Barry who plays the assassin. He is excellent.
When I went to Playhouse West in 2002 they had their annual film festival and one of the features was a film starring their own talent, Shawn Hotosy, Jeff Goldblum and Scott Caan. It's called Dallas 362. I haven't seen the movie since, but it and the q&A with those three has the film still sticking with me. It's why I am fan of Shawn's (and cyber/tv stalk him). I really need to see if I can find that movie somewhere and see if it still makes the same impression.