A lot of very good films mentioned here!
I second/third Walkabout and Brazil

I will add some of my obscure (-ish) favorites:
Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (more adult than the wonderous Spirited Away)
Omega Man (Charlton Heston)
Soylent Green (Charlton Heston - his future SF period I guess)
Before Sunset
Cinema Paradiso

Here's mine...

Run Lola Run (mentioned before, but very cool)
Love & Death (Woody Allen)
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
The Sure Thing (best of John Cusak's summer movies)
Wings of Desire
The Fisher King

I'm sure more will come to me later.

I just saw Goodbye Lenin a german film about the fall of the Berlin wall, so funny, you have to get past the subtitles or learn german to enjoy it, but what a good film.

Thanks to those that who suggested cinema paradiso, saw it last week and my god it was brilliant. Didn't even feel 3 hours long despite doing the whole subtitles thing. Will be checking out some of the other foreign films posted on here next.

Be careful with Goodbye Lenin; it's funny in places, but it's much more of a drama than the marketing lets on.

If you liked Cinema Paradiso that much, you really should check out Il Postino. It really captures the spirit of finding a love for something--in this case poetry (and a beutiful woman)--the way Paradiso did with movies.

And don't worry about subtitles. If you can read at about a 5th - 6th grade lever at a reasonable speed, they shouldn't be a problem.

Other foreign language films you might want to try:

Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring
After Life
Life is Beautiful

Great movies mentioned so far!

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (with Sting), kinda like Snatch but really good.
Shallow Grave (Ewan McGregor)
The Enemy Below (Great sub movie)
Seven Samurai
Magnolia (Tom Cruise was awesome)
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce & Terence Stamp)
The Limey (Terence Stamp)
Sexy Beast (Ben Kingsley)

oh, there are so many!!

Borstal Boy - An account of the Irish author Brendan Behan's time in a British reformatory school.

Triumph of the Will - An eerie look into pre World War 2 Germany. Large amounts of footage of a Nazi party rally.

Eraserhead--probably everything Lynch has directed would qualify as obscure for this list but Eraserhead is where he got his start. It can be difficult to find through official channels, still unreleased on DVD in the U.S.

also try:
Tetsuo (violence)
The Cube - sci-fi with more brains fewer explosions (novel)
Microcosmos (bug doc. eye candy) or the movie it ripped off Hellstrom Chronicle
Schizopolis (brilliance)

SLC Punk!

It's hilarious, the characters are well developed and likeable, and the plot felt a lot like the interesting parts of real life. It said something true.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/slc_punk/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133189/


On obscurity - how can anyone judge it? If you love it and you don't know anyone who has seen it, isn't that good enough to mention a movie here?


Thanks for all the great movies I'm going to rush out and find.

Battle of Algiers (1966)
I saw this movie on a recommendation from a friend and I have to say it is one of the greatest war movies ever made that most people may not have heard of. Beautifully shot in the streets of Algiers in black and white documentary style, directed by Italian director, Gillo Pontecorvo with English subtitles. "The Battle of Algiers" was banned in France on its release and I can see why; as it deals with the violent struggle in the late 1950s for Algerian independence from France. It is a very powerful movie that is still relevant today, especially with the war on terrorism going on.

eXistenZ
Irréversible
Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes)
and, finally, one that hasn't been said already, Titus, with Anthony Hopkins and directed by Julie Taymor.

cheers to that!

Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring were both shown in my 3rd year French class. I didn't really appreciate it for what it was worth until I watched them again with my mom about a year later. Both are wonderful films.

Dead Alive (Peter Jackson)
Bad Taste (Peter Jackson)
I Spit On Your Grave
Freaks
Ravenous (Guy Pierce)

Elling (from the Netherlands, I think)
Little Otik
Primer
Das Experiment (already mentioned, but amazing!)
2LDK

I have three I'd love to recommend, simply so I have a chance to talk with someone about them!

Cold Feet (1989)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097076/

A great movie about horsethieves, jewel heists, hit men, high fashion boots, and good eatin'!

Highway 61
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102035/

A very smalltown Canadian barber helps a woman take a body containing drugs down Highway 61 while being followed by a guy who may or may not be The Devil. Along the way you will learn why you can't cheat at bingo and why chicken dinners are sometimes dangerous

Jesus of Montreal
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097635/

A modern passion play (in the old sense) created when several determined actors create a play that upsets the local religious establishment

Good viewing, one and all!

The Hardly Boys. Whichever movie you can find.
<img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1893842010.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg">
If you like dogs these are very funny dogs as people mysteries. Especially good with kids around.

Salute of the Jugger.

A Post-Apocalyptic sports movie. Kind of Mad Max (The Roadwarrior) plays Speedball with a dog's skull. Rutger Haur, Joan Chen and 'the guy from criminal intent'.

Saints & Soldiers
Rabbit Proof Fence

I searched this thread to see if Badlands was mentioned...and to my suprise it wasn't.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069762/
I just saw it for the first time last week [friend got it from netflix]; and although I didn't see all of it, it was amazing, and my friends were awed by it, though I was half asleep while watching it. I'm definitely going to try to rent this again this weekend..

*Rechecks out everyone's favorites again, has to go on a 12 hr train on tuesday*

cya,
will.

Asoka - Bollywood movie about a young would be Indian emperor sent into exile to avoid being killed. I wont ruin the rest of the movie for you but there are many plot turns.

Six String Samurai - Rockabilly samurai flick in a post apocolyptic US. Must See.

Pinero

Grave of the Fireflies -- pretty much the only anime movie I like, it's about two siblings in Japan during WWII.

Memento -- already mentioned but awesome nonetheless.

The Warriors -- awesome 1979 gang movie

Not exactly obscure, but I suspect many people will not have seen it or even heard of it, so:
Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" - a retelling of Shakespeare's "King Lear" in feudal Japan.

No one has mentioned one of my favorite movies: The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eight Dimension. Sure it's a hokey mid-80's sci-fi movie, but I like it.

"Testament" with Jane Alexander - the most moving film about nuclear war I have ever seen

"Smoke Signals" the most moving film about a pair of Coeur d'Alene Indian buddies I have ever seen

"Lathe of Heaven" (not the remake) - the original made-for TV movie about a man whose dreams literally come true - every night!

David Mamet's films:
"House of Games" great dialogue and great story about confidence men
"Homicide" not to be confused with the TV series - I'm still waiting for it to become available on DVD. I don't know why it hasn't been released.
"The Spanish Prisoner" another one about the confidence game
"Spartan" probably my favorite of his movies

"Smiley's People" and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" based on the John Le Carre novels - loyal adaptations of both novels to these two BBC miniseries. The most convincing "cold war" stories I've ever seen.

Yes! Orgazmo is probably the funniest movie of all time! Too bad it's rated NC-17 because it would have been a huge hit!

My library has dvd's of several indi films.(which is free!) One was Rabbit Proof Fence, thanks for recommending it. I'll get it next time.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a fun movie...haven't seen it in ages! I got a lot of new wanna see's now.
He Died With A Falafel in His Hand was pretty good...it was kinda baked, but good.

Excellent movie about quantum physics: What the Bleep do We Know

Don't support Cocksucker Video!! Go to your local library!

Most of the ones I was thinking of were said but I will repeat them anyway...

Equilibrium
Boondock Saints
Orgazmo
Gossip

night of the lepius

AHHH BIG SCARY BUNNY! hehe what a great plot. The best movie ever made about giant killer bunny rabbits.

Bang, Bang You're Dead
The Battle Of Shaker Heights
All I Want

Ill have to say..

Downfall-- Well done foreign film about Hitler, with English subtitles to boot.
http://www.downfallthefilm.com/

Where the Buffalo Roam-- Bill Murray portrays Hunter S. Thompson

has anyone seen 2046? i'm wondering if it's good...

Tully......

"Groove" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212974/

I saw it on Bravo or Showcase while flipping channels, and it managed to hold my interest far longer than the average film on TV. Has been compared to American Graffiti

If you want to watch a feel-good, sort of sentimental movie, then I think you'll enjoy this one. It takes place around a rave (I know, sooooo 90s), and the events that come from it. Not recommended for children or the highly impressionable, as there is a good deal of drug use employed as a plot device.

I give it four and a half glowsticks out of five, mostly because I'm a sucker for sentimentality.

*sidenote: From the comments on imdb, it looks like I only caught the last half of the film.

Add Glengarry Glen Ross to that list :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104348/

Excellent movie based on an excellent play and with an awesome cast.

Don't know if that is an alternate title, but in he US its called Blood of Heroes, and I agree, its an obscure gem if you like post apocalyptic flics. One of Hauers best.

Tuvalu

Institute Benjamenta

Tetsuo the Iron Man

Stick to "In The Mood For Love" if you are interested in Wong Kar Wai (or is it Kar Wai Wong?) movies . Happy Together is probably his most critically acclaimed. Chungking Express might be his most popular. (Didn't Tarantino produce a re-release). Regardless "In The Mood For Love" is my favorite of his and one of my favorite movies in general. 2046 was extremely disappointing.

If you're interested in Tony Leung (an actor in all of the films above) and you like crime/police movies, you should see Infernal Affairs. I enjoyed it. Scorcese's new film is a remake of it.

Testament - the best, most honest drama about a family and nuclear war made.

Smoke Signals - funny, sad and engaging story, in a modern setting, about a young native American man who hears that his long lost father had died in Arizona. With his best friend he goes on a quest off the rez to recover his father's ashes.

Way of the Gun - great performances are the highlight of this simple story of two thugs played by Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Philippe. If you don't buy into the style or don't like the characters you won't like the film. But, if you like it, then you'll watch over and over again.

Tampopo - the funniest film about Japanese ramen ever made ...

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle - This film could have been miserable but it's well crafted and funny as heck. It helps that you can tell the two actors really enjoyed playing their parts.

Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt) - German film made with a narrative that goes all over the place but never ceases to surprise.

Shaolin Soccer - you HAVE to see this film. It's very very funny. It's about Shaolin monks who form a soccer team ... but the movie doesn't cop out by going for the obvious "underdog-comes-out-on-top" angle. It pulls no punches and keeps nothing sacred. Some gags are refreshingly original.

I liked Smoke Signals. It was a simple story with a lot of funny characters.

Another simple story: The Station Agent. It was released a few years ago. A great film about a little person who inherits a defunct train station.

I liked Run Lola Run. So fast paced! It was very entertaining. Plus, I liked that song that played over and over again.


I didn't love this film, partially because my DVD player crapped out in the middle of it. However, it was very interesting. The style was different from any other movie I have seen.