movies that are not mainstream

[dete]

back when I was with my first ex,
since we had different tastes in movies,
we made a deal, that the movies we would watch together would be
the ones that we normally would never watch.

and with her I discovered some amazing movies such as
The Red Violin

and now recently a girl recommended a wonderful movie to me,
"Once"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/

[Tank]

Red Violin is a great movie.
I have a hard time getting into musicals most of the time but I will add it to my queue and check it out.

One I just watched not to long ago that is not mainstream but has some mainstream actors is "Tape". It was really good.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0275719/

[Burchtree]

I'll have to think about that, but "Brick" comes to mind off the top of my head. I watched "Southland Tales" a while ago and was oddly enthralled by the movie. The same director that did "Donnie Darko" did this, but don't expect the same. "Dead Man" is one of my favorites -- :)

[Shike]

The Red Violin is a fav of mine. Great movie!

Here is another: Gorky Park.

[g.vantilburg]

"Green Street Holligans" I recomend it to anyone! It is one of the best movies that I have ever seen!!!!:D

[oregon]

Three off the walls, from out the vault, with a quote from each movie spoken by the lead male actor (C. Walken, J. Caan, R. Redford):

Dogs of War, "Kimba, kick his ass."

Thief, "It can't be like that."

Jeremiah Johnson, "Seen any indians?"

orego

[rycen]

"Green Street Holligans" I recomend it to anyone! It is one of the best movies that I have ever seen!!!!:D

A good friend of mine said I had to see it and I am glad I did.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0385002/


Hard Candy
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0424136/

[Gollum]

"Das Leben der Anderen"
"The Lives of Others"
Set in Cold War East Germany, excellent movie that won Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

[ozspyder]

"Baraka" - for lovers of visual indulgence. Made some time ago (10 years + ??). Showcasing the wold's naturl wonders, spanning over the globe, 5 continents, and many countries. I think you can get this out on DVD. If you have a large scren TV and surround sound this should inspire awe...or at the least inspire you to travel to some of these wonderful countries.

PS: I don't remember there to be many humans in this movie, mainly nature, natural wonders, an animals. No speech, just sounds, music and massive visuals.

[Doc Pyres]

I highly recommend the following non-mainstream movies, if you can find them (in no particular order):

- 'Bliss' (not the 1997 romance movie) but the 1985 Australian film directed by Ray Lawrence and starring Barry Otto as Mr. Harry Joy, a man who dies but is reborn, to unexpected consequences

- 'Hombre mirando al sudeste' ('Man Facing Southeast') about a patient who suddenly appears in a mental hospital but no one knows how he got there

- 'Withnail & I' (directed by Bruce Robinson, who wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for 'The Killing Fields') about two out-of-work actors in London in 1969 and the end of the Age of Aquarius

- 'How to Get Ahead in Advertising' (another great film written and directed by Bruce Robinson) about deceit, corruption and a talking boil

- Cypher (directed by Vincenzo Natali) and starring Lucy Liu in black leather

- Videodrome (from Canadian director David Cronenburg) sci-fi/horror about cultural imperialism and Debbie Harry from Blondie as an interactive TV!

Okay, there's more, but I think that covers my all-time favorites for now.:)

[buglerbilly]

"Spaceballs" if I remember the title correctly. German movie, VERY camp and gay and so bad its hilarious, a real send-up of the Star Wars genre.......

Watched it with my 13 year old daughter, her fave foreign movie now......

Regards,

BRIAN

[DRod]

I thoght Spaceballs was a Mel Brooks movie?

I saw previews for "In Burges" but it never came to my theater. I got the DVD and its freakin hilarious.

[quattrokid73]

"Pi" by Darren Aronofsky, same guy that did Requiem for a Dream.

My favorite movie. It's in B&W.

[g.vantilburg]

Spaceballs is a Mel Brooks film. I would say that it is fairly mainstream also. I don't know too many people that have not seen it before.

[MAT888]

Cyclo (1995) Vietnam/France

Some Frederico Fellini Films

Amarcord
Roma
Satiricon

La Sirene Rouge (2002) France
WAZ (2007) a combination of Seven /Saw.
The Last Hangman (2005) Britain
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005 )us
El Orfenato (orphanedge) 2007 italy

[SoCal Operator]

"Baraka"....PS: I don't remember there to be many humans in this movie

There are people, but they are portrayed in a way that draws comparison or creates contrast the footage of nature. It's a brilliant movie, I second the recommendation.

[nathan310]

I watched "the orphanage" last night and it was awesome.

I agree that pi and requiem are awesome flicks.

If you're into scary as hell movies check out "vacancy"...

I consider myself to be a pretty tough individual and it had me scared:eek:

[StuntDouble]

One that I never heard anything about, but ended up enjoying was Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/).

Another one the gf and I enjoyed was Exiled (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796212/) (also known as Fong Juk).

[java]

I don't remember Memento as being mainstream although it had two of The Matrix's actors. Twisty tale that messed with my short term memory or lack thereof.....

Christian Baile also turned in an great performance in another less than mainstream movie called The Machinist.....I like twisted movies

Dennis Christopher of Breaking Away played a great repressed neurotic mouse turned murderer in another dark twister called Fade to Black. It co-starred the King of B-Movie Actors - Tim Thomerson (Cherry 2000 and the Dollman series)- and introduced us to Mickey Rourke who then gave us another sorta mainstream twisted movie - Angel Heart.

Romeo Is Bleeding more twisted stuff with Gary Oldman. Speaking of Oldman; not sure if Leon: The Professional was considered mainstream

Eating Raoul less than mainstream dark comedy.

Does Pan's Labyrinth count as mainstream????



j

[to_the_edge]

+1 for Memento, what great movie!

As for personal reccommendations, I would like to add Ginger Snaps and Dog Soldiers to the horror buffs section of this list. Rails and Ties was a pleasant suprise from director Alison Eastwood. Howl's Moving Castle or Princess Mononoke are also worth your time even if you loathe anime.;)

[SoCal Operator]

The Professional was also great! Thanks all for bringing these up, I've forgotten about some of them.

[diaBECKtic]

Memento is amazing. I would probably consider it to be the most innovative film I have ever seen (well, in my short 21 years of existence). I've simply never seen anything shot in such a way. The Boondock Saints is also a classic. To me, it seems like a lot of people have seen it, but I believe it still qualifies as a cult/underground (non-mainstream) film. Great combo of action, story, and "lesson."

:D

[J D Wijbenga]

I resently saw a very impressive Italian movie: La conseguenze dell'amour.

JD

[MAT888]

The Kite Runner (2007) US also a great latest one.

After reading again;

You guys are spot on with;

Perfume ( the novel by Patrick Suskind is also great)
Memento
Pan's Labyrinth
Exiled

A bit more mainstream is that one with Samuel Jackson; Black Snake Moan.

That Red Violin got me intreaged.

[Gollum]

21 Grams another good one!

[Shike]

The Kite Runner (2007) US also a great latest one.


That is a very good movie!!!

[diaBECKtic]

That is a very good movie!!!

I never saw the movie, but I had to read the book for one of my college courses about a two or three years back. It was actually pretty good. Does anyone who's both read it/seen it know how different the two are?

[dete]

That Red Violin got me intreaged.

Red Violin is excellent and started the journey of un mainstream movies for us, too bad that the first was probably the best.

I think the second movie we rented was City of The Lost Children.

To The Edge - I agree with you on Howl's Moving Castle, but that might be because I'm a Dracula nut. From Miyazaki's works, I think Laputa The Castle in The Sky is better for most people.

for martial arts people, you gotta see these:

(for MMA curious)
Choke
Rites of Passage

(for KF curious)
Iron and Silk

:)

[Shike]

I never saw the movie, but I had to read the book for one of my college courses about a two or three years back. It was actually pretty good. Does anyone who's both read it/seen it know how different the two are?


Pretty close. Of course details are left out in the movie.

[bluemist]

saddest music in the world - twisted but funny
eraser head - love it or hate it

[picobrain]

Gummo
Dead Alive-(kick aahs :0))
Blue Velvet

+1 on
The Red Violin
Videodrome
Pi
The Machinist


peace

[peacefuljeffrey]

Why is it that I know that I know a bunch of good non-mainstream movies, but now that I want to, I can't think of the good ones that I've seen. I can look through my DVDs, but I don't actually own a good many of the movies I've seen that fit this category (many are from the library).

-Scanners (directed by David Cronenberg)
-The Brood (same)
-Existenz (same)
-Excalibur (directed by John Boorman: and check out all the now-famous names that appeared in this 1981 film)
-Phantasm (a 1979 cult horror classic produced on a tiny budget)
-American Psycho (a real wacked-out role for Christian Bale)
-The Machinist (another one for Bale)
-Equilibrium (a stunning movie, and my favorite starring Bale)
-Hot Rod (the funniest movie I have seen in at least two years)
-Slither (Nathan Fillion is great)
-Hard Candy (a bit disturbing, but interesting)
-Dark Star (early John Carpenter SF spoof)
-Open Water (cheap, but pretty damned interesting)
-Black Sheep (horror comedy about mutated man-eating sheep)

[peacefuljeffrey]

Yeah, Memento was good.
That reminds me of another movie that had a similar feel to it: The Limey.

I love that guy Terence Stamp, who played the one and only General Zod in Superman II! He's a vengeful ex-con father of a girl who was killed in suspicious circumstances connected with film producer Peter Fonda. He comes to America for answers and, well, vengeance.

Oh, I just remembered a German movie called "Anatomy" that is really super creepy. After you watch it, do a Google search for "bodies". The very top result is the one you want. But go there only after watching "Anatomy."

[DRod]

Equilibrium was great.

Waiting...
It scarred me for life. I don't think I will ever look at resturants the same again.

[java]

Just watched The Brother From Another Planet. Quirky stuff and fine acting in a non-speaking role for Joe Morton. Have to add it to the not-really-ready-for-mainstream-playlist. A very young David Strathaim also showed me where the original MIB came from. John Sayles wrote the screenplay and was the other MIB.

And speaking of John Sayles.....he wrote and directed another slightly more mainstream movie that desrves watching. Lone Star is slick, sick, and one hell of a twisty movie. Fine understated acting from Chris Cooper, Kris Kristopherson, Matt McConaugnhey, and Elizabeth Pena.....and Joe Morton again :cool:





j

[DRod]

Three words folks.

Howard.
The.
Duck.

... that is all.

[spydutch]

I particularly like "Red Sun" with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune.

Gives a nice view of the differences between the old wild west and the samurai.

Furthermore "the 7 samurai"(black and white version)

[peacefuljeffrey]

OMG,
I can't believe I didn't think to mention IDIOCRACY!

GREAT movie. Totally depressing, though, if you have one iota of intelligence.

You will realize that the stuff that is happening in the movie is not spoof, it's REAL. It's REALLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW in our REAL WORLD. :(

[DRod]

Once I got past the cheesyness I loved that movie.

"Welcome to Carls Jr."
"You are an unfit mother."
lol.

[gac]

And speaking of John Sayles.....he wrote and directed another slightly more mainstream movie that desrves watching. Lone Star is slick, sick, and one hell of a twisty movie. Fine understated acting from Chris Cooper, Kris Kristopherson, Matt McConaugnhey, and Elizabeth Pena.....and Joe Morton again

Lone Star is a really good movie. I have watched Matewan several times as well. Another Sayles picture with Cooper and Straithern. The ending shoot-out is well done.

[dete]

it's sort of a chick flick, but I saw The Secretary the other day, it's good :o

and as far as Sci-fi, the on that seems to be often times underrated is Equilibrium, bad title, cover looks like a Matrix rip-off, but actually it's quite good.

And for Vampire movie fans, Underworld and Blade never did it for me, but if you want to see a movie about vampire societies, then The BREED with the star from Highlander tv series was a good one!

[SoCal Operator]

Okay, how about Six String Samurai?

[Monocrom]

One of my favorite independent films of all time is "Exposure," starring Peter Coyote. Came out in the early '90s. It's about a photographer who becomes obsessed with the death of a young prostitute, and the search for her killer.

Along the way, he learns how to use a knife. The knife fighting scenes are not all that realistic.... But some of the training is!

Far better than anything Hollywood ever put out in terms of knife fighting.

Definitely worth a look.

[MAT888]

Most Women like;

Memoirs of a Geisha mentioned before;

I like Javier Bardem; playing the killer in ; No Country for Old Men.

So women like:

Love in times of cholera (2007) ; featuring Javier Bardem
Trying to heal his broken heart he will at the end recieve peace of heart.


'El amor en los tiempos del cólera' from Gabriel García Márquez ( writer).

;)