Little-known movies you've watched

[rocklobster]

Lots of movies tend to get unnoticed because of poor promotion. Are there some movies you've watched that you think few people here have? Post them here.
Here's one to start us off: The Spitfire Grill--This is a good story about a female criminal who's hired by a restuarant in an attempt to reform her. It's a well-written story about redemption.

[bigsleepj]

I recently watched a forgotten movie from the 1980's called Runaway Train, a movie Leonard Maltin described as Hollywood's only "existential action movie". It was thoughtfully adapted from an unproduced screenplay by Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai), and was directed by a Soviet heavyweight called Andrei Konchalovsky who was doing some side-work in the US.

PLOT: Two convicts (Jon Voight & Eric Roberts) escape from an Alaskan prison and climb onboard a freight train. The engineer sets the machine on full speed, has a heart-attack and slams the emergency breaks. Eventually the emergency breaks burn off, leaving the train to gain speed. Throw in a crazy warden, some easily excitable rain engineers and some existential musings and you've got a unique film with an ending that will haunt you, even if you don't agree with the movie's somewhat nihilistic tone.

[Roy Mustang]

I recently watched a forgotten movie from the 1980's called Runaway Train, a movie Leonard Maltin described as Hollywood's only "existential action movie". It was thoughtfully adapted from an unproduced screenplay by Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai), and was directed by a Soviet heavyweight called Andrei Konchalovsky who was doing some side-work in the US.

PLOT: Two convicts (Jon Voight & Eric Roberts) escape from an Alaskan prison and climb onboard a freight train. The engineer sets the machine on full speed, has a heart-attack and slams the emergency breaks. Eventually the emergency breaks burn off, leaving the train to gain speed. Throw in a crazy warden, some easily excitable rain engineers and some existential musings and you've got a unique film with an ending that will haunt you, even if you don't agree with the movie's somewhat nihilistic tone.

Where this movie is unknown to most people. It was a very very big hit within the railfan groups. So far, it was one of the best railroading movies ever made, other then the fact that nothing like this could really happen in life.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[ShiroiHikari]

I don't know too many people that have heard of The Red Shoes or Black Narcissus, which are two of my favorite films. They're British films from the 1940s.

ETA: Hey, I have Runaway Train on Betamax. I bought it just for the novelty of it. Maybe I should actually watch it sometime.

[Cloud500]

I've heard of The Red Shoes and I've watched some of it.

There are many movies I've seen that I'm sure most people (at least the people around my age) wouldn't know, but only because of the age of the movies.

[Atria35]

A 1948 French version of Beauty and the Beast. While you can guess at the plot, there are definite differences between that and the Disney version.

[ShiroiHikari]

A 1948 French version of Beauty and the Beast. While you can guess at the plot, there are definite differences between that and the Disney version.

I've seen that version. I enjoyed it; it was visually very impressive for its time.

[Wyntre Rose]

I've got quite a few that most people I know have never heard of/seen.

The Gods Must Be Crazy - a hilarious story about a bushman tribe in the Kalahari and what happens to them when someone drops a Coke bottle from a plane into their midst.

Ladyhawke - starring Michelle Pfieffer (sp?) Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer. A medieval tale about a knight and his lady who are cursed to be always together, but eternally apart - anything more and I'll spoil it for you - and the little thief that befriends them. Matthew Broderick's irreverent prayers alone are worth the price of admission. XD

Snow Falling on Cedars - this one is probably a little more well known, but I've still heard very few people talk about it. A story about a little fishing community in the time around WWII. A mystery, a tragic romance, and a heartbreaking drama. This opened my eyes to some of the injustices we committed to the Japanese American population during that time in our history.

The Secret of Nimh - my first inkling that animation didn't have to be made by Disney to be amazing. The actual plot itself is simple: a little farm mouse needs to move her house before "moving day" - when the farmer starts tilling the fields where she lives - and the things she needs to go through to get it done. Including befriending the klutziest crow ever, seeking the advice of a very formidable owl - and she's a mouse, remember - and partnering with some rats who have a strange connection with her deceased husband, and lived through some horrific experiments which made them very...unique. Trust me, it's much better than I'm making it sound. lol

[Kaori]

The Secret of Nimh - my first inkling that animation didn't have to be made by Disney to be amazing. The actual plot itself is simple: a little farm mouse needs to move her house before "moving day" - when the farmer starts tilling the fields where she lives - and the things she needs to go through to get it done.

That movie is little-known? I remember enjoying it when I was younger--and also, the book that the movie is based upon, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, is a good read.

[bigsleepj]

Where this movie is unknown to most people. It was a very very big hit within the railfan groups. So far, it was one of the best railroading movies ever made, other then the fact that nothing like this could really happen in life.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

Somehow I suspected that you would know it.

[Wyntre Rose]

That movie is little-known? I remember enjoying it when I was younger--and also, the book that the movie is based upon, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, is a good read.

Well, little known to anyone of my acquaintance.

[ShiroiHikari]

I've heard of Secret of NIMH but I haven't got around to watching it. (And I call myself an 80s kid?)

[Roy Mustang]

The 1956 Disney film called "The Great Locomotive Chase". This is based on a true story. During the Civil War, a Union spy, Andrews, is asked to lead a band of Union soldiers into the South so that they could destroy the railway system. However, things don't go as planned when the conductor of the train that they stole is on to them and is doing everything he can to stop them.

The movie is not great, but the film is based on the event and the book "The Great Locomotive Chase" written by William Pittenger in 1899. William Pittenger was Cpl. and later Sgt in the 2nd Ohio Infantry that was one of the members of the Andrews' Raiders.

The only part that was off was the time of day that they stole the steam engine called the The General. The real time was about 5 or 6 in the morning and in the film, the time of day was around 9 am. They had to do this, so that they had light to film that scene.

If it wasn't for this movie, people wouldn't know about the history of this very inserting event in the Civil War. Andrews' Raiders became the first recipients of the Medal of Honor and if they hadn't failed the mission, the war would have been over by 1863.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Wyntre Rose]

I've heard of Secret of NIMH but I haven't got around to watching it. (And I call myself an 80s kid?)

I'd highly recommend it to you. I think you'd love it.

[Makachop^^128]

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School, the title sounds like it's a lame movie but man this movie was awesome I loved it.

Mongolian Ping Pong, This is one of my favorite movies, its really cute a bit surprising in some parts but funny too. Sad most people don't know this movie.

Children of Heaven, really interesting cute movie. Its placed in Iran so its interesting how you see the difference in culture and all. This movie almost made me cry lol >.>

Breaking away, my favorite movie. I love this movie but most people have never seen it and the people that have are usually older lol.

[ShiroiHikari]

Oh, I thought of another one. There's a Japanese film called Nobody Knows (Dare mo Shiranai). It is one of the saddest films I have ever seen in my life, but not a lot of people know about it.

[GeneD]

The Gods Must Be Crazy
Ladyhawke
The Secret of Nimh

I've seen all of these, but a long time ago. I really enjoyed Ladyhawke and should try and find that again. I've also seen The Gods Must Be Crazy 2, which is great too.

Bigsleep, I think I've seen some of that train movie quite recently, but I don't remember if I saw the end.

[rocklobster]

Don't know how well-known this movie is, but I just saw Rat Race for the first time and could not stop laughing. It is that funny. Plus, it's an all-star cast.

[bigsleepj]

Bigsleep, I think I've seen some of that train movie quite recently, but I don't remember if I saw the end.

In the end they shoot off the tracks and end up on Pluto, which was still a planet back then. Just kidding.

Well, technically to understand the ending you'd have to see the whole movie, which is rather grim, dark and gritty at times.

Speaking of little-seen movies, there's Fritz Lang's M, which was one of the first "talkies" from German cinema and was released right on the brink of the Nazi take-over. It is also one of the key movies from which the film noir genre grew and which influenced the sci-fi movie Dark City stylistically.

It tells the tale of a child murderer, played by Peter Lorre (if you've seen old Hollywood movies then you've run into him at some time), who is too smart for the German police. As the police run out of forensic methods they begin to fall back on the usual techniques, like randomly raiding criminal dens. This tactic, in turn, angers the criminal underworld, who decide to track down the killer themselves to stop all the police interference. (slight spoilers follow). [spoiler]At first they just want to get the reward and split it amongst themselves, but when they do get their hands on him they decide that rather than hand him over to the police they'll simply put him on trial themselves. This leads to a kangaroo court scene that is both funny, chilling and unsettling as the child murderer, in one of cinema's finest performances, give a long, chilling monologue in which he gives his view on his actions. Lorre's performance can bring fourth from the viewer scorn, dismissal and finaly a bewildering sense of empathy, the same amount you might give a rabid dog.[/spoiler]

[Radical Dreamer]

Dude, I was reading up on Peter Lorre the other day after watching Casablanca again, and I saw that he was in this movie directed by Fritz Lang. XD I would really like to see that!

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Primer
Following
Pi
Ink

Johnnie, is Fritz Lang's M any good? I've heard of it but it's very difficult to get your hands on in Australia.

[bigsleepj]

M is very good, but it is a bit slow at times (even for me). But I believe that it is worth it, particularly if you take note of the time the movie was made and released, and take that with you into the watching experience. Like many Lang movies it eerily foreshadows the dark times to come.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Thanks mate. Actually, I've managed to find it for free online (legally - it's in the free domain). Just downloading it now.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The Gods Must Be Crazy

I've seen that! Pretty crazy movie

The Secret of Nimh

Seen that too. I didn't really like it, myself - not because it was a poorly-made movie in itself, but I didn't feel like it adapted the book very well. The movie made the rats too Redwall-ish, if you ask me.

Don't know how well-known this movie is, but I just saw Rat Race for the first time and could not stop laughing. It is that funny. Plus, it's an all-star cast.

Oh, I saw that ages ago! I would crack up when they get to the rock concert at the end and the boy is like, "Smashmouth, YEAH!" Rowan Atkinson was also hilarious, of course.

Let's see...well, I think it's pretty safe to assume that I'm the only one who's seen The New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love or Mummy - and loved it. I love Laurel and Hardy, and I think the new actors did a great job at imitating the originals and keeping up the same kind of humor. I quote this thing with my family all the time Example:
"How can I ever repay you?"
"Well, do you have a quarter?"
"Oh...well, let me see...do you have change?"
"I have a quarter."

I don't remember what it's called, but I'm probably the only one here who's bothered to see the pretty cheesy Jackie Chan movie where he goes to Istanbul, Turkey. I'm probably the only one who'd pay to see him stumbling through the Grand Bazaar.

In the same vein, I've never heard another living soul mention an old movie called Topkapi, which is about a group of criminals trying to steal a jewelled dagger (I think) from Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. That was just too cool to see people running across the domed roofs I've seen with my own eyes.

Oh, and has anyone seen the animated Pippi Longstocking movie? XD I used to love Pippi Longstocking, but then my sisters started watching it incessantly and I lost my enthusiasm.

[Bobtheduck]

I've seen Pi. I thought it was funny that there were supposed to be 216 letters in God's name (when 216 is 6x6x6) according to the Kabbalist guys.

I saw Faith Like Potatoes... It's rather unknown, outside of the small circles it runs in.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Wyntre Rose, The Gods Must Be Crazy series were well-known back in the day. Maybe not in the US though? (I'm guessing you're from there).

The_wolfs_howl, The Secret of Nimh movie is rather different to the book but I really enjoyed both of them. Both were also made before the Redwall books but I see the similarity you're talking about.

Bobtheduck, Yes, I thought that element in Pi was a bit odd, still interesting. I've seen Faith Like Potatoes. It was decent but the huge flaw is that there was worship scene in the bar/pub scene! Talk about taking you out of the moment.

[Atria35]

The Secret of Nimh was AWESOME!

How about the old, live-action Adventures of Pippi Longstocking movie? Anyone see that? (and perhaps know where I can get a version on dvd for my mom who loved this movie and was sad when the tape broke because we couldn't find another?)

[ich1990]

I am reasonably sure that at least bigsleepj has seen both of these, but I don't think many others have:

The Third Man

With Orson Welles directing and acting and Graham Greene writing the script, I had pretty high expectations for this movie, and they were met. There were lots of details that I didn't see until I listened to the course "Existentialism in Film and Literature" from Berkeley. One of the things the professor pointed out was how the various characters correspond to Kierkegaard's archetypes of the Knight of Infinite Resignation, the Knight of Faith, and the aesthete. It is an impressive film even without the philosophy, though.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Definitely not a movie for everyone, but personally I loved it. Think James Bond. Now think of the opposite of James Bond, which is this movie.

[Atria35]

Hrmmm....

12 Monkeys, anyone? Saw it in a film class I took, really scary/bittersweet.

The original Phantom of the Opera, with Lon Chaney. I was Terrified when he turned around!!!

Water and Earth- two indie films in a trio by Deepa Mehta, chronicaling women in various stages of India's history. I haven't seen the first, Fire. Water is about a girl who is widowed at 9 and sent to a house for widows. Set during when Ghandi is speaking about independence. Earth is about a girl from a middle-class family, set during the times when Pakistan and India are being made into seperate countries by the British before they leave, and shows the social impact of it.

[Htom Sirveaux]

Oh, I liked 12 Monkeys. One of Brad Pitt's best performances, I thought. Only problem is, the key plot twist has a huge flaw.

David Lynch's Eraserhead and Lost Highway. Eraserhead was very, very abstract, but actually kinda fun. Lost Highway I couldn't recommend though. A little too heavy on the sexual content.