In other words: What’s a hidden gem I probably haven’t seen but totally should? And why is it a must-watch?
Cashback I feel is pretty unknown. Maybe not but still very good. Also Gentleman Broncos is fantastic if you’re into the napoleon dynamite style of comedy, same creators.
The three tensest films I’ve seen -
Flight of the Phoenix (original B&W one)
Duel (Spielberg’s first film)
And one with David Wotsisname that plays Poirot but he’s a terrorist on a plane
Detective Heart of America: The Final Freedom is a comedy film that will either be the funniest thing ever or an absolute cringefest, depending on your opinion of Jason Steele’s brand of humor. There is no in-between. It’s available to watch for free on YouTube, or whatever alternative frontend you use.
Jason Steele, AKA FilmCow, you may recognize from YouTube series such as Charlie the Unicorn or Llamas with Hats. Yeah. That guy. Imagine 70 minutes of that.
The film is a sequel to a pair of 4 minute long shorts (here and here). The film contains characters from these shorts and references events from them. So watching the film without watching the shorts first leads to some characters showing up out of nowhere with unexplained details. But that’s how every other character in the movie is, so… whatever, lmao.
I still recommend watching the shorts first. If nothing else they can serve as an appetizer for you, to decide whether or not it’s your cup of tea. The film is the same vibe as the shorts, just longer. If you hate the shorts you will despise the film.
It’s unironically my favorite film, so, I hope you get some amusement out of it. But if you bounce right off, I won’t be surprised. If you like it, enjoy quoting every line of it for the next month. If you hate it, sorry for wasting your time.
Snatch mighhhhht be well known? It is hilarious and just fun to watch!
It’s a Guy Ritchie movie that follows a few groups of people and how they all come to be involved in either chasing or having been in the presence of a diamond that was stolen. It’s a lot of fun to see the interaction between the different groups they follow and some of the lines are absolutely hilarious.
I few are talking about lesser-known movies then
Gloria Bell
The movie is a remake of a 2013 film and is directed by the same guy who made the original.
It’s about a middle-aged woman living in LA (or it New York? Idrc) and dating.
The reason it’s one of my fav movies of all time is that Julianne Moore gives a performance that is so human that you can see yourself and everyone else and all our normal human experiences in just one woman who is living her life and dating, it’s a beautiful experience.
Upgrade (Cyberpunk movie from Australia)
It weirdly felt like a Venom movie, and what made it even more weird - it came out around the same time as the actual Venom movie, and even the main hero looked somewhat like a discount version of Tom Hardy😅
A Man for All Seasons. Excellent legal drama and look into the birth of the Anglican church.
A 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.
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.
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.
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.
Tomorrowland
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.
Jojo Rabbit is like if Wes Anderson and Leni Riefenstahl collaborated.
In no particular order (and yes some are more well known in film circles, maybe I should’ve ommited them, but you never know what the reader hasn’t seen):
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.