Recommend an obscure film thread

[Molina]

If anyone is inclined, recommend a film that is not particularly well known. Generally along the lines of art-house, non-english films, independent films, documentaries. Please either comment upon the film you recommend or provide a link to a synopsis or review, don't just list 30 films.

Clockwork Orange, Donnie Darko, Fight Club etc. don't count. Being hilarious and recommending a porno doesn't count either. I'm not making a 'my five favourite movies' thread here, I just wanna get some indirect recommendations and hopefully get some of you to watch a film I suggest.

Because everyone thinks they're a bit knowledgeable about films. Right?

[Molina]

My first recommendation is Das Experiment

Basically it's a 2001 German film inspired by the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment whereby volunteers had to play the roles of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison environment. I'm not sure whether detailing the findings of the experiment will detract from the film if you've never heard of it, though it's easily googleable. The film draws from the findings and extrapolates from there

Anyways the film creates a huge amount of suspense and tension. Aisthesis will be able to understand it without subtitles because it's in German.

It's not particularly arty.

Even though it's not a horror film, the fact that you see the development of the characters makes this a scary film because it's a lot more real than any ghost or zombie film.

[Ojingo]

La Grande Bouffe

Maybe not really obscure since it has a stellar cast, but a bit older and in french, so probably less known.
Theme: a group of gourmands with midlife crisis decides to eat themselves to death.

[NorthView]

[Allstar7]

[EscapePlan9]

[Nortonesque]

Not super obscure, but "The Station Agent" from a few years ago is pretty good. Stars Peter Dinklage as an antisocial dwarf who likes trains. It has some funny moments and likeable characters.

"The Five Obstructions", very arthouse. Not really a plot movie, but more of a documentary about a particular short movie from 1967 and five variations on it, brought about by Lars Von Trier challenging the creator of the original to make five variations, each with a unique restriction. Entertaining because Von Trier is somewhat sadistic.

[Tyrannic]

[Johnny Hughes]

[Jarren]

hard boiled is awesome

the killer is good too

also I reccomend "the city of lost children "

[NorthView]

A few more assorted good 'uns:

Wings of Desire (the original Wenders film, very arty and poignant, brilliant)

Harold and Maude (very funny, black offbeat hunour)

M (classic old Fritz Lang film about a killer, very nasty and good film noir)

À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (the Godard original, a classic of French New Wave, very very cool)

[Alchemist]

Nikita



Great film, very tense throughout and good acting. Of course, Hollywood had to remake it as The Assassin but watch the original, it's so much better

Got to be in french language with subtitles, dubbed in english is just awful and loses the whole ambience of the film.

Leon



Same director (Luc Besson) as Nikita and starring a very young Natalie Portman. Again very gripping and wonderfully acted.

Ong Bak

http://imdb.com/title/tt0368909/

Extreme raw martial arts film made in Thailand. Some ridiculous moves put on by the star, and just to make sure you didn't miss his best ones, they are shown twice more from different angles in slow motion. Highlight of the film is the main character jumping through a barb wire hoop

[Tyrannic]

[Stoneburg]

How the hell is Leon an obscure movie? Or Nikita for that matter.

Eraserhead or The Grandmother by David Lynch. Those score a 10 on the weird scale.

My Best Fiend by Herzog. It's an incredibly interesting documentary and portait of his friend and nemesis (and best actor ever) Klaus Kinski, who really was just... I dunno, words fail to describe him but intense, manic, brilliant and narcissistic are words that come to mind.

[Tyrannic]