Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Looking for some good movies that aren't very well known, but not totally obscure either. Just something that you thought was pretty good that wasn't a box office smash or won a lot of awards etc. Also try to describe the movie in a paragraph or so without giving too much away but also letting me know if it's the kind of movie I'd even enjoy.

I'll start:

The Life of David Gale: Kevin Spacey stars as a death row inmate for the murder of one of his peers of an orginization that protests the death penality located in somewhere in the heart of Texas, I believe Wichita but don't quote me on that. A journalist and her colleague set out 3-4 days before he is scheduled to be executed and interview him on the events preceding his sentence. Lots of very great twists and turns in this movie and I've watched it several times now, definitely reccomend it.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

American History X is a very good one.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I thought The Life of David Gale was more a pro-life propaganda piece than an actual film, but it was still entertaining.

There's a movie out now called This Is London. It's about skinheads in England during the Faulkands War in 1983. It was pretty good, and got great reviews, but of course most people here haven't heard of it.

Irreversible is a great, but brutal, French movie that most people in the U.S. haven't heard of. If you're not faint of heart, I recommend it.

Like 90% of my DVD collection is comprised of movies that aren't very popular, but of course now I can't think of any that aren't foreign.

EDIT: Another foreign one - Chopper, starring Eric Bana before he was famous. It's about Australia's most famous criminal. Another Australian one - Romper Stomper. Another skinhead movie, starring Russell Crowe before he was famous. That one's kind of brutal.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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American History X is a very good one.

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I would consider this movie popular.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The Vanishing while older, is absolutely phenomenal if you like the mystery/thriller genre, and I don't think many people (in my experience) have seen it.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I recommend Arlington Road and The Rocketeer (love this movie for some reason). A 2+2er watched Arlington Road on my rec though and hated it so YMMV.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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The Vanishing while older, is absolutely phenomenal if you like the mystery/thriller genre, and I don't think many people (in my experience) have seen it.

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That's probably the first and only movie in my life where I caught myself yelling at the screen. I was at my house thankfully.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Drunken Master

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The United States of Leland is one i saw recently that is pretty great. About a kid who murders a retarded child, and the families affected, and the life/psyche of the murderer.

There are a ton of movies like this that I like, most of them pretty depressing but also pretty poignant/powerful. Igby Goes Down is another one that comes to mind. Starring McCauley Culkin's little brother who comes from a very wealthy but disfunctional family, and at a young age elects to leave his home to live a quasi-bohemian life in the city.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I would consider this movie popular.

Also, not good.

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I would consider this movie popular.

Also, not good.

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i'm glad i'm not the only one, and i'm a huge fan of ed norton. we will get flamed for thinking this too.

a movie i really liked, that is not very well known, is a movie called safe men with sam rockwell.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I watched Arlington Road on shrooms randomly.... it blew my [censored] mind, mang!

Saving Grace is good.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The Lives of Others

imdb's tagline is: Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.

Easily one of the better films I've seen this year.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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I thought The Life of David Gale was more a pro-life propaganda piece than an actual film, but it was still entertaining.

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Pro-life doesn't mean what you think it does.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

11:14
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Tells the seemingly random yet vitally connected story of a set of incidents that all converge one evening at 11:14pm. The story follows the chain of events of five different characters and five different storylines that all converge to tell the story of murder and deceit.

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Don't read the second IMDB plot outline - it gives away too much.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Running Scared

Most people I know haven't seen it and some of the parts in it are really [censored] up, but I really liked it.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The Talented Mr. Ripley - one of my favorite movies, although maybe too popular

Vanilla Sky - way underrated IMO - but you have to not be spoiled going in

Revenge (Costner) - fun guilty pleasure movie

Clay Pigeons and Return to Paradise - both really good movies that don't get much credit IMO

Tree's Lounge - awesome indy ish movie with Steve Buscemi

Permanent Midnight - another one of my favorites and possibly the only role Owen Wilson role that doesn't get on my nerves

Flirting with Disaster - funniest Ben Stiller movie next to Meet the Parents

Waiting for Guffman - by far the best of those movies IMO, and the least seen

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Any of the old charles band Full Moon movies

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Safe Men is a good pick.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

2046

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Shakes The Clown starring Bobcat Goldthwait.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Guffman is a great call. Not that mainstream and easily one of the funniest movies ever made.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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The Vanishing while older, is absolutely phenomenal if you like the mystery/thriller genre, and I don't think many people (in my experience) have seen it.

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I like Tim Krabbe (the author of the original book from which The Vanishing is based), though mostly for The Rider and his Chess Curiosities blog. I admit I've never seen The Vanishing myself.

I don't know how popular it was upon release, but I love All the President's Men, and it seems to have pretty much vanished from the radar screen.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The City of Lost Children
Dark City

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Grand Canyon

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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I thought The Life of David Gale was more a pro-life propaganda piece than an actual film, but it was still entertaining.

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Pro-life doesn't mean what you think it does.

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Holy [censored], I don't know what I was thinking! Been a long day at work. I mean anti-death penalty, obv.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Box Full of Moonlight- Starring John Turturro and Sam Rockwell in a heartfelt comedy/drama.

The Machinist-Christian Bale as an insomnaic who hasn't slept for a year.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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Shakes The Clown starring Bobcat Goldthwait.

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no

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Festen (English Title: The Celebration) is a remarkable film. The true example of how little money and tech you need to make a brilliant movie.

Do yourself a favor and don't read too much about it because there's not so much a twist, but a big plot point that is just amazing if you are watching the movie without knowing of it.

Basically the movie is about a rich family that is celebrating the fathers birthday, at the family Farmhouse mansion like they do every year; and every year the eldest son gives the same speech before dinner. This is the first birthday party after the suicide of one of the daughters. Everything goes as planned the son gives his speech. Instead of offering the same speech he holds up two envelopes, letting the father choose which speech to give. The father chooses, and the family is changed forever.

it's a foreign flick, but just superbly written, directed and acted. An absolute treat.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

The Straight Story - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...raight%20story

Happiness - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...ss?q=happiness If you like this, also try Storytelling - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...q=storytelling

Big Night - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...?q=big%20night

Thirteen - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...003?q=thirteen

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...?q=ghost%20dog

Sexy Beast - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...q=sexy%20beast

Grosse Pointe Blank - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...pointe%20blank

Bob Roberts

Capturing the Friedmans - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...he%20friedmans

The Sweet Hereafter - http://www.metacritic.com/video/titl...et%20hereafter

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

Off the top of my head, I have two

1. Employee of the Month- NOT the one with Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson, but the one with Matt Dillon, Christina Applegate, Steve Zahn and Jenna Fischer (Pam from the Office) playing a whore with the filthiest sexiest talk ever.

2. City of God.- Portugese, sort of popular for all the Oscar nods it got when releases. great movie. Great thread, I'll tackle it more when I get home from work.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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Grand Canyon

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Very good movie that most people my age haven't seen (I'm 24)

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Hollywood Knights

Great comedy with Tony Danza, Michelle Pfieffer, Robert Wuhl, all before people knew thier names. About a 1950 car cruiser "gang" ....Came out in early 80s.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

"Running Scared". This could be popular, but before I watched it on some movie channel at a hotel a few months ago I had never heard of it. It was one of the coolest movies I've ever seen.

Also, "Shade" is an awesome gambling/poker movie, but I never hear anyone talk about it.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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Hollywood Knights

Great comedy with Tony Danza, Michelle Pfieffer, Robert Wuhl, all before people knew thier names. About a 1950 car cruiser "gang" ....Came out in early 80s.

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I love this movie.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I will second Happiness, Storytelling and City of God. If you've never watched a Jim Jarmusch movie, watch Down By Law. It's awesome.

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The Trial with Tony Perkins
King of Hearts (Roi de Coeur) with Alan Bates

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

I'm 27 and I remember watching Grand Canyon as a kid, but I remember almost nothing about the content.

It's not really obscure but I loved "Nodoby's Fool" (1994) starring Paul Newman. It was also Jessica Tandy's last movie.

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

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2. City of God.- Portugese, sort of popular for all the Oscar nods it got when releases. great movie. Great thread, I'll tackle it more when I get home from work.

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yep

Re: Good movies that aren\'t extremely popular
 

A good older movie is Cool Hand Luke. Not enough people under 30 have seen it, I thinks.