In other words: What’s a hidden gem I probably haven’t seen but totally should? And why is it a must-watch?
Coming-of-age comedy about three teenage friends – Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and the eccentric and unpredictable Biaggio (Moises Arias) - who, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land. Free from their parents’ rules, their idyllic summer quickly becomes a test of friendship as each boy learns to appreciate the fact that family - whether it is the one you’re born into or the one you create – is something you can’t run away from.
The Slammin Salmon. Same group that did super troopers and beerfest. Great comedy, I don’t see people ever talk about it. Enjoy!
Known to horror aficionados, but not to general movie watchers: Lake Mungo (2008)
I highly recommend you don’t read up on it. Besides the fact that the film just works so much better when you come to it fresh, most reviews - both in print and YouTube videos - spoil pivotal scenes, including in the artwork they choose to use as a thumbnail/heading. Just watch it. Even if the horror doesn’t work for you (many people report being bored by the film), it’s still a great film with surprising depth and heart. It’s worth checking off your list for sure.
The basics: It’s a mockumentary set in Australia, made by a director/writer who hasn’t done anything before or since, featuring actors who probably aren’t known to you, even if you’re an Aussie. Much of the dialogue is improvised, so it feels very real and natural.
Try to watch it alone, in the dark, with no distractions (turn off your phone). This will help maximise your chances of being one of the lucky people the film has managed to scare in a profound way. I’m one of those lucky people, I’m happy to say!
Pecker 1998
A talented young photographer, who enjoys snapping photos of his satirical, perverted Baltimore neighborhood and his wacky family, gets dragged into a world of pretentious artists from New York City and finds newfound fame.
Written and directed by John Waters.
Starring Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci and Bess Armstrong.
In no particular order:
Jojo Rabbit, 2019 - a comedic coming of age in Nazi Germany. Jojo and his imaginary friend, Hitler, face a complicated and rapidly changing world.
The Mitchells versus the Machines, 2021 - animated family adventure for fun with the whole family.
Rise of Leslie Vernon, 2006 - mocumentary following slasher killer Leslie Vernon.
Bunny and the Bull, 2009 - an, in my opinion, gorgeously set film about two friends on a road trip in Spain.
Parallel Mothers (Madras Paralelas), 2021 - not a hidden gem if you know anything about Spanish cinema, but maybe you don’t. Penolpe Cruz is a new mother whose life becomes intertwined with another women’s when they give birth in the same hospital.
Hero (英雄), 2002 - again, if you know Wuxia film then this isn’t a hidden gem. A pinnacle of the genre, a Chinese Rashomon with wire fights.
Blow Up, 1966 - British New Wave classic. A photographer used to a free and casual 60s life becomes certain he has accidentally photographed evidence of a murder.
Berberian Sound Studio, 2012 - exploration of sound and feeling. A mild mannered amateurish British sound technician gets a big job working on the sound effects for a giallo film in Italy.
Martyrs, 2008 - the pinnacle of French New Extreme movement. It made a big name for itself at the time for being the sort of torture porn film that really gave it a point beyond vouyerism. Not for the faint of heart.
Rye Lane, 2023 - a romcom love letter to London.
The Day Shall Come, 2019 - an eccentric black preacher gets caught up in a web of madness that runs deep.
Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em is a 1988 Australian short feature about an underground party held in post-apocalyptic Melbourne. The film is a product of nuclear anxiety at the height of the Cold War.
Director: Ray Boseley. Cast: Rob Howard, Nique Needles, Polly Croke, Daniel Lillford, Fred Dugina, Maddog Bott, George Huxley, Chris Windmill, Ian ‘Quinsy’ Maclean, Lindsay Brundson, Clayton Jacobson, Adam Learner, Myrtle Woods, Bill Johnston, Smiley Rowe, John F. Howard, Claire Bordas, John Flaus, Wayne ullman, Dennis Tupicoff, Peter Lane, Wain Fimo, Bruce Barnes, Angus Algie, Loretta Bell, Grant Barling, Claire Boseley, Julian Faull, Zlatko Kasumovic, Anthony Kay, Ollie Martin, Penny McKimm, Dennis Prosser, Adrian Scully, Aleksi Vellis.
Sir! No, Sir! (2005, 1080p)
Sir! No Sir! is a documentary film about the anti-war movement within the ranks of the United States Military during the Vietnam War. It consists in part of interviews with Vietnam veterans explaining the reasons they protested the war or even defected. The film tells the story of how, from the very start of the war, there was resentment within the ranks over the difference between the conflict in Vietnam and the “good wars” that their fathers had fought. Over time, it became apparent that so many were opposed to the war that they could speak of a movement.
Wong Kar-Wai’s films, particularly his 90s Hong Kong vibes of Chungking Express and its spiritual counterpart Fallen Angels.
Dersu Uzala (1080p, Eng subtitles)
Based on the work of the scientist and writer, famous traveler and explorer of the Far East V. Arseniev. The story of his friendship with the guide Dersu Uzala with extraordinary personal qualities. Their journey through the taiga-forest, full of dangerous adventures, is the plot of the film, but the meaning of the story goes far beyond the plot: it’s a story about the brotherhood of people, that we are all children of the same land.
Year of production: 1975
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Screenwriters: Yuri Nagibin, Akira Kurosawa
Composer: Schwartz Isaac
Cinematographers: Gantman Yuri, Dobronravov Fedor, Nakai Asakazu
Production Designer: Raksha Yuri
Cast: Yuri Solomin, Alexander Pyatkov, Maxim Munzuk, Vladimir Kremena, Svetlana Danilchenko, Suymenkul Chokmorov, Mikhail Bychkov, Dima Korshikov, Nikolay Volkov, Igor Sykhra, Janis Yakobson, Alexander BaranovPrizes and awards:
1975 - FIPRESCI Prize at the IX IFF in Moscow
1975 - gold prize at the IX IFF in Moscow
1976 - “Oscar” by the American Film Academy in Los Angeles (USA) for the best foreign film
1976 - diploma of the II degree “for achieving the best results in the artistic, visual and technical solution of the film” at the I All-Union competition for the best use of domestic negative color films when shooting feature films
1976 - participation diploma at the XIV New York International Film Festival (USA)
1977 - Special Prize of the National Association of Screenwriters of Spain, for the best foreign film shown in the country
1977 - diploma of participation at the IFF in Brussels (Belgium)
1977 - honorary award to producer Krichevsky Georges (posthumously) at the IFF in Brussels (Belgium)
1978 - M. Munzuku French critics’ award “for the best acting work”
1976 - diploma of participation at the IFF in Vienna (Austria)
1977 - International Cinema Prize “David di Donatello” (Italy) for the best foreign film shown in ItalyRampage, it’s such a good popcorn flick. It’s so over the top that I wouldn’t blame you for writing it off without watching it, but give it a chance, it’s ultimate action silliness.
Cabin in the woods, its a top 2 horror satire, but you may have heard of that one
Tucker and Dale vs evil, maybe watch this one before cabin in the woods, it’s the best horror satire.
Galaxy quest, easily the best star trek movie ever made, one of the top 5 movies ever made.
I’m not sure how many of these are hidden gems, it depends on your viewing habits (not many people would consider horror to contain much good cinema)
Yeah. Tucker and Dale vs Evil still gets way too little love.
It’s a must watch because:
- The twist is perfect.
- Even after the reveal, it’s just so dang fun and hilarious.
- Horror movies with a deep respect for life are often the best horror movies. Tucker and Dale has that, even if in a stupid goofy way.
As a horror fan, I disagree.
The premise gets old fairly fast and then the twist doesn’t really add anything or accentuate the spoofiness, just makes the film more generic.
If you’re a fan of a certain era of teen slashers, sure go for it.
《Little Monsters》 and 《The Rise of Leslie Vernon 》are recent takes on horror films I personally prefer.
Officer, we have had a doozy of a day!
Highly recommend that you go in to watching Tucker and Dale versus evil without looking up any information on the movie. Watching it blind is the best way because the less you know about it the more it will entertain you.
So many, so very many, classic lines to be found in that movie.
Watching it blind is the best way because the less you know about it the more it will entertain you.
Yes! I just tell friends that it’s a horror flick, and a rollicking good time.
(don’t want to edit my post so adding another in the reply)
Another somewhat mainstream movie that was very easily missed, “forward unto dawn”, if you know much about the Halo universe you’ll know this story pretty well, but if you’ve only heard of Halo in passing this is a great place to start (and probably stop unless you’re going to play the games or read the books) the series.
By Grabthar’s hammer, what a list!
Barring Rampage these are massive cult classics.
Which is generally defined as a lesser known movie that people consider worth watching?
Cult movies are well known but didn’t make money at the box office.
I will preface this with it’s not going to be for either of us to decide, there are plenty people with plenty more intelligence who have debated this topic, according to Wikipedia: “The difficulty in defining the term and subjectivity of what qualifies as a cult film mirror classificatory disputes about art.”
However the general definition according to Google has nothing to do with it’s box office success,
“A cult classic is a movie or other work that has a devoted following, but is often not well-known or popular with the mainstream.”
Further on,
"The definition of a cult classic can be difficult to define, and there are different interpretations. Some definitions include major studio productions, while others focus on more obscure films. Some definitions also exclude films that have been released by major studios, or that have tried to become cult films. "
So it’s open to interpretation, and I’m going to stand by my list, and reinforce the notion that even if they are cult classics there’s a good chance someone looking for movies might not have seen some on this list.
They are good movies. I’m not reading all that over such a slight disagreement, hope you have a good rest of your day if I bothered you with my comment.
Here are a few movies from my Jellyfin server that I loved and that seem less popular:
- Blow the Man Down
- The Holdovers
- Jojo Rabbit
- This movie made me shriek at points. Like, not because I was scared, but just from… I dunno, delighted outrage?
- Me and You and Everyone We Know
))<>((- If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t look this up.
These are some of my favourite, in no particular order:
The Phantasm series
Dale and Tucker Fight Evil
Cabin in the woods
Snowpiercer
Equilibrium
A bitter sweet life
The man from nowhere
I saw the Devil (you may not want to watch this one)
Train to Busan (1 and 2)
Lady Vengence/Sympathy for Lady vengence
Sympathy for Mr Vengence
OldBoy (the Korean version - you may also not want to watch this)
Wrath of man
The Family (DeNiro and Pheiffer)
Keeping up with the Joneses
Gran Torino
Boondock Saints
Layer Cake
RocknRolla
Operation Fortune
Lucky Number Slevin
A man called Otto
Stand up guys
King of New York
The Dead Zone
7 Psychopaths
Biloxi Blues
In Bruges
The Matador
From Paris with loveA decent number of folks have still never seen “Primer”, since it was kind of an indie classic before it got a cult following.
It’s a a must watch because:
A. It’s just really well made. B. It’s delightfully mind bending.
Swept Away and really anything else those two co-stared in.
Upgrade (Cyberpunk movie from Australia)
I was about to say this, that movie is such a gem. Saw it in theater without knowing what it would be.
Is it about the pimp from Idiocracy?
