What are your fav “Off Hollywood” films

Hmmm, do I have to narrow it down to 2?
1- Jean Renoir's 'La Grande Illusion'
2- Catholic High School Girls in Trouble

A film that I didn't think of when I submitted my earlier post in this thread: "The Gods Must Be Crazy."

http://www.godsmustbecrazy.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gods_Must_Be_Crazy

(Just the original, not the sequels).

I can't imagine anyone not having a smile on their face after seeing this film.

Regards,
-- Al

check out the "girl with the dragon tattoo" trilogy--swedish thrillers w/ a sorta dark, punk-rock "chinatown" sensibility. a nice surprise for people like myself who thought all swedish films were made by ingmar bergman

A couple new Hollywood releases prompt these suggestions. First, another remarkable film with child actors is the original Swedish "Let the Right One In". The Hollywood remake look like they pumped it up with special effects and such, I have heard its not bad. But I really loved the low budget original.
The second is that runaway train blockbuster that I dont remember the name of. The one I recommend is called appropriately, "Runaway Train". Staring Jon Voit (a cantidate for that weird actor thread) and Eric Roberts, with Rebecca DeMornay. Based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, featuring great performances, by the leads, and the powerful and raw imagery make this real a one of a kind action film.

Someday, when I have time, maybe I will bore everyone going on and on about the Asian films I have fallen for lately.

Memories )f Murder from Korea

Fishing for Gandhi
The machinist
Bad Lieutenant

Saw "Dogfight" over the wknd with my wife. Perfect entry for this category. See Netflix, Rotten Tomatoes sites for comments. Other unjustly neglected ones are "Ripley's Game" c John Malkovich, "The Duellists" and "Smoke" c Harvey Keitel.

Requiem For A Dream
My Life As a Dog
The Sweet Hereafter

"The Last Station" About the last days of Tolstoy. Stars Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren.

"Make Way For Tomorrow" A heartbreaking movie from 1937 starring Buelah Bondi and Victor Moore. Entire film made with character actors, no stars or leading men/women. Directed by Leo Mccarey who directed Cary Grant the next year in "The Awful Truth" He won the Oscar for best director for "Awful Truth". While giving his acceptance speech he said "You have given me the award for the wrong film. "Make Way For Tomorrow" is the best movie I ever made".

"Freaks" the 1932 original. A very disturbing movie

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Trite, I know. Scary good though.

"stanger than paradise" jim jarmusch
"down by law" jim jarmusch
"Dead Man" jim jarmusch
"ghost dog" jarmusch...ok, all of his work is stellar.

"ichi the killer" takashi miike
"visitor Q" takashi miike
"gozu" miike..ok, almost all of his work is noteworthy. His early yakuza funded films are also amazing, i.e the triad society trilogy

"dreams" akira kurosawa...actually, EVERYthing by kurosawa.

"happiness" todd solondz
"welcome to the dollhouse" solondz...ok, all of his films are better than most.

"boogie nights" pt. anderson...once again, he is another major player in my favorite movie scene.

"barton fink" coen brothers...ok, you get the gist.

one more director, anything by Terry Gilliam. "brazil" etc.

some recent films which I thought were noteworthy:

Waltz with Bashir: part animation of Israeli incurion into Lebanon circa 1980 which maybe the best film I've seen re. the insanity of war.
Terror's Advocate:
The Secret Lives of Others:

The Cone bros. put out a few good ones too.

Malcolm X, Clockers, Get On The Bus, He Got Game, Summer Of Sam, & The 25th Hour are must see's. Unfortunately, lately the only thing I hear about Spike is his courtside antics at basketball games. He seems to have lost his fire.

Also try Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" and "School Daze"

A friend lent me his box set of SL films. Jungle Fever, Mo Betta Blues, Do the right thing, Mo money (?)

Since those films knowing only of one previously, I've been inclined to check out his film fare more avidly.

bjim, intersting post. on your sayso, i'll definitely check out the spike lee--i've had mixed feelings about his films in the past--some of them were too stylized and or polemical for me, while i though his more straightforward stuff like "inside man" and "25th hour" just great.

Loomisjohnson

LOL.... "inglorious basterds" LOL...

Loved the story… hated the way it was showcased with it’s litany of subtitles.

If you liked those so much, check out Spike Lee’s “The Mystery of St. Anna”. It has as good a story line as the ones you mention here and plenty of subtitles to keep anyone who enjoys them quite happy. Truth be told I think it’s a better story overall than either of them.

Other pretty good movies lost something IMHO with their incessant volleys of print littering the screen underneath the emotive content.. such as “Passion Of the Christ”…. “Davinci Code”… “Apocolypto”, “The Mummy”… etc.
.
it never ceases to amaze me when a film is a regional or period piece that it is still being subtitled. Especially given the intended distribution it will ultimately get if it’s good. Independent movies I can see doing such a thing.

If international distribution is the aim up front, it’s worse a thing still.

Don’t todays audiences have sufficient intelligence to figure out the guys in the German uniforms are German? That they would be speaking German ordinarily? That the fellas in the monster suits are monsters or aliens? The folks wearing fig leaves are well, probably not up on the English language?

We get it. Trust me all you film makers! We get it!

Sheeshhh! Give ‘em accents if you have to but let’s move on from on screen text… save that for commuting to and from work while we’re behind the wheel where no one gets hurt!
!

It’s confounding to me.

Especially if that’s what they think then why use sub titles at all? Shouldn’t we be too dunb to read them? Oh yeah… there’s that texting thing again.

Sometimes films try to hard. Get too artsy fartsy as they attempt to envoke more ambiance into the films nature, and by doing so subtract from it’s impact, it’s flow and it’s entertainment coefficient..

BTW… I felt this way long before reading became a serious challenge for me.

If a film is intended for widespread distribution across many language barriers, and as well a major well funded project, some of the budget ought to be spent on adding those additional varied language tracks too.

All that being said… my DVD of the orig version of “Inherit The Wind” featuring Spencer Tracy, has Russian Subtitles! Front to back! Ya gotta wonder how the Russian school teacher presented this to the class. Was it a class on there is no God, or theatrical comedic pursuits, or… How about those crazy Americans!, see how they litter their judicial system with such things?

Sorry…. I’ll put the soap box away now.

my favorite this week is "district 9", a sorta sci-fi film for guys like me who don't like (or understand) sci-fi. made by a first-time south african director (albeit under the aegis of peter jackson), it's a really imaginative, sad, socially-conscious story about a mass of cool-looking aliens who get stranded on earth. many things get blown up, hearts are broken, tears are shed. three thumbs up.
i dunno if tarantino qualifies as "off hollywood", but "inglorious basterds" also kicked serious ass.

"Northfork", "Birdy", "Crossing Guard", "The Outsiders", and "Rumblefish" might be interesting.

Shadorn, thanks. I'll check it out.

Cerrot,

Based on your list - you would likely enjoy Dear Frankie.

Og..Glengary Glenn Ross

Shawshank Redemption, Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, American History X,And Justice For All

Try films by John Cassavettes and Rainer Fassbinder to start.

You could start with The Killing of a "Chinese Bookie" and "Veronika Vos".

..memories are made of this..

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is one of my favorite soundtracks.

If you can think of those ‘non main stream’ efforts, or those films which either didn’t get their due, or only a few likely know about, but are indeed, very good to great film experiences, please share your thoughts here.

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964), directed by Jacques Demy (in French).

"Summer" (1986), directed by Eric Rohmer (in French)

"The Last Picture Show" (1971), directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

"Nazarin" (1959), directed by Luis Bunuel (in Spanish).

"The Red Balloon" (1956), directed by Albert Lamorisse (in French); for children of all ages!

Regards,
-- Al

Add "Solaris" (Soderbergh & Cameron) to my list. Suspenseful, dense, disturbing yet utterly hopeful. And Dylan Thomas is the greatest poet ever.

If I had to live on an island with only 10-
In no particular order.

Sideways- Paul Giamatti

The Player- Robt Altman directs Tim Robbins

Short Cuts- Robt Altman

Boiler Room-

Das Boot-

Blame It On Rio-

Casino-

Jackie Brown-

Four Rooms-

Sin City-

That should keep you entertained for awhile.

So many,

The Hidden, sci fi horror / comedy, "B" flick with a good story line for sci fi, not seen anything like it past or present....I need the key's...

The re-make of the Blob, The Thing, re-make

Happy Birthday Wanda June, certainly differant, dark humour ,a good laugh....sick

Angle Heart, Mickey Rourke and Robert Deniro as the Devil.

Brazil, Time Bandits, The meaning of Life, The Holy Grail, non Hollywood,

Snatch, non Hollywood

American Beauty

Up in Smoke

Heaven Can Wait

Down By Law

Miami Blues

Paper Moon

2001

Mid Night Express

Taxi Driver

True Grit

Dead Wood

OutLaw Josey Whales

Concrete Jungle

The Best Years of Our Lives.

Modern day, Guy Richie and most of Quinton Terintino's films and yes the Cohen brothers including some off beat foreign films.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" classic Rodriquez/Tarantino
and a great soundtrack Juliette Lewis steals the show.

my definition of "off hollywood" - either not made by the top studios, OR made by the top studios but not acknowledged by the masses.

The Dark Backwards - the best film Judd Nelson has ever made.

Barton Fink - John Turturro

Irreversible - French...watch it. Not for the squemish

Naked Lunch - wierd but entertaining

Birdy - one of a FEW movies worth a damn that Nick Cage and Matthew Modine have done.

The Thing - 80's version. story, special effects are awesome

Man Bites Dog - French...freaking hillarious and shocking.

Blair Witch Project - for what it cost vs. originality...excellent.

Re-Animator - one of the BEST B movies ever made. For many reasons.

The Descent - British...one of a few all female movies where everything works.

Subject Two - very interesting plot concept.

Evil Dead - another worthy B movie.

Jabberwocky - British...Pythonesque

Mulholland Dr - acting, plot, directing is just simply amazing

Repo Man - classic

Sunshine - one of the best sci-fi's in decades.

Il Postino (The Postman) - Italian

Tree's Lounge

Time Bandits
The Dish
My Left Foot
Birdy

Everything the Coen Brothers make (even though they are "Hollywood")

its impossible to find any film that 'hollywood' money didn't go into sooner or later....including all mentioned...If you mean, off the beaten trail however, my favorite trilogy is IF, OH LUCKY MAN, BRITANIA HOSPITAL

The Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean
Goin' South
Ruggles of Red Gap
The Razors Edge (w/Bill Murray)
House of Games
Things Change
Run Lola Run
Delicatessan
The Favor, the Watch and the Very Big Fish
Manon of the Spring
Cinema Paridisio
Babettes Feast

In no particular order...
Tideland (Terry Gilliam)
The Big Lebowski (Joel & Ethan Coen)
Asylum (David Mackenzie)
La Cité des Enfants Perdus (Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro)
Das Wahre Leben (Alain Gsponer)
Dancer In The Dark (Lars von Trier)
The Visitor (Thomas McCarthy)
Man In The Chair (Michael Schroeder)
The White Countess (James Ivory)
Fargo (Joel & Ethan Coen)
...there are so many more, but I guess this'll do for now :)

Some excellent suggestions, but no mention of my favourite director, Kurosowa. OK some mentioned Seven Samurai. The best 2 though, I thought were:
Kagemusha, the opening shot of a warrior running down a castle, lasts about 8 minutes and stopped me dead in my tracks.
Ran, his version of Macbeth, very suitable for the era of cruelty and deception in the time of the Shoguns

Sweet Hereafter
Wings of Desire
Royal Tannenbaums
Down By Law (Tom waits! Roberto Benigni! John Lurie!)
Ghost Dog
Groundhog Day
Life Aquatic
Tony Takitani
Waiting for Guffman
Usual Suspects
A Scanner Darkly

The Third Man, Paths of Glory, Red Rocks West, 12 Angry Men, American Psyco, 24 Hour Party People.

If not only American movies to be listed, here is what I liked:

Everything is Illuminated
Death at a Funeral
In Bruges
You Kill Me
A Love Song for Bobby Long
Holy Smoke
Atonement
The Dog Problem
Reign Over Me
Angel-A
Legend of 1900
The Inheritance
Evil
Beyond Silence
Facing Windows
The Last Kiss
Malena
Mostly Martha
Character
Modigliani
Star Maker
Little Fish
Factotum
Gloomy Sunday
Amores Perros
London
Underground
Happiness
The Station Agent
The Princess and the Warrior

Lars and the Single Girl

Should be: Lars and the REAL Girl

I loved One Hour Photo

Others:

Raising Arizona
Harold & Maude
Birdy
Big Fish

Reservoir Dogs is awesome.

A few others:

American History X
Pecker
One Hour Photo
Small Time Crooks
Usual Suspects

Eating Raul
Lars and the Single Girl
Local Hero
Comfort and Joy
Labyrinth
Fargo
Baraka
Anartuajuat
Stardust
Princess Caribou
Reservoir Dogs

"Hollywood" but still cool:
Fifth Element
Waterworld
Outland
Blade Runner
No Way Out

Jax2
yeah. Some were, but I'm pretty far removed from thaeir eras so the Hollywood bounce didn't hit me as squarely when I thought of them... they weren't from my generation. Well the Humphrey ones anyways. The Hitch flicks were I suppose, but again, not now. Now they all seem more to me as classics for sure, but off the beaten path picks... because of age.

They sure ain't in hot demand at Blockbuster lately! hell, I don't think BB even stocks many of them. Via Netflicks, it took so long to get film noir, or classics, I stopped my subscription.

Not really a square eyed film buff,

Withnail and I.
Lock Stock and two smoking Barrels.
Eraserhead.
Breaking Glass.
Girl on a Motorcycle.
The Motorcycle Diaries.
Das Boot
Seven Samurai

Hitchcock, Mitcum, Bogart...all classics, but mostly not what I'd consider "off Hollywood" though certainly they are immortals. Love Hitchcock though - you mentioned Rope, which I think is one of his more innovative films - "Rear Window" and "North by Northwest" would be two other favorites, but that's big-time Hollywood IMO.

There's a whole other category that fits in that mold that few have mentioned: Documentaries! There are some truly wonderful documentaries that have been made entirely outside of the Hollywood machine. Top of my list would be:

Crumb
I Like Killing Flies (I mentioned that one already)
Grey Gardens
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (anything by Errol Morris for that matter)
Deliver us From Evil
Lake of Fire
Why We Fight
Who Killed the Electric Car

A couple of other films that popped to mind, albeit some of these are Hollywood efforts -

Being John Malkovich
Adaptation
American Beauty
10 Items or Less
Broken Flowers
Basquiat (brilliant performance by Jeffrey Wright)

What about films so bizarre that they are rendered tolerable only by the hard-core, and even then test the limits. I can think of one in particular, which I wonder if anyone else here as seen. Named by Time Magazine as one of the most important films of the 20th century:

Begotten - this film makes "Eraserhead" and "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" seem like Saturday morning children's cartoons.

A very strange and beautiful film that I CAN recomend, however: Jan Svankmejer's gorgeous animated film called "Alice" (based upon Alice in Wonderland)

I held back mentioning “Out of the Past” but am glad Albert did. Mitchum always has been a big deal for me. With an immense filmography to his credit, I especially liked The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Eldorado, and Five Card Stud, just to name a few. I’ll look into finding ”The Hunter” next.

Other’s RM did which are timeless contain, Cape Fear, (it’s better than the Deniro remake), Thunder Road, Home from the Hill, and The Yakuza..

Mitchum also did a movie whose name escapes me wherein he is in the Navy and his ship goes down during WW II and he finds himself on an island with a nun… and doesn’t want to return to active duty.

On that same shipwrecked premise, Nick Nolte made what I believe is one of if not his best role, in “Farewell To The King”. A similarly set yet far more intricate and violent film.

As for Bogie, To Have and Have Not, Sahara, and The Harder They Fall were and still are among my Favs… The Big Sleep, one Mitchum redid as well, is a worthwhile view. Anyone remember Bogie in a film with the Dead End (Bowery boys) Kids? Naturally, The Harder They Fall is a super film as well. I didn’t care for Key Largo quite as much as many others have seem to though. The Maltese Falcon & African Queen are I feel his best efforts… along with Have and Have Not.

Of so many remarkable actors and actresses, I’ve yet to find a Deniro Flick I couldn’t stand to watch yet. Two films many aren’t aware of are, “A Bronx Tale, & Stardust ” the former is definitely worth seeking out, the latter is a humorous fantasy that’s well put together and RD has a minor but integral role nearing the end of the flick. Check it out, I think you will be glad you did… and likely quite suprized at the role he is cast into.

From an actor known for his comedic efforts, “The House of D” puts Robin Williams in perhaps his best non comedic role as an emotionally & mentally challenged man. The pic shows the growing up process of two people, himself and his best friend. Everyone I loan this DVD out to likes it a lot.

Speaking of ‘Rock’ movies… Bad Day At Black Rock stands out as one I recently got, along with “Red Rock West” an interesting fast paced thrill ride of poor circumstances becoming much worse, and fast. Nick Cage & Dennis Hopper. Great flick.

“Hollow Point” is a star studded action comedy worth seeing, starring .Donald Southerland, John Lithgow, and the bad pony tail wearing sensei, from the Karate Kid films. Another darkly quirky comedy is one with Joe Peshy, “Eight Heads In a Duffle Bag”.

Anyone here a fan of Hitchcock?

Walter - Some brilliant pics in there that I hadn't thought of and unusual to boot. I'm going to have to check out the very few that I have not seen (I think there are only two: Election and Away from Her) - Man, I didn't think anyone else bothered with "Music of Chance" which I thought was just brilliant and thought provoking in an Egoyan (read slow and quiet) kind of way. I loved that film...how could I have forgotten!

If you liked Whale and Squid, check out "The Savages" recently released on DVD - another all-time favorite actor in that one; Phillip Seymore Hoffman!!! For more great diverse rolls with him check out "Punch Drunk Love" (small roll - but so brilliantly played - worth it for that one single scene in the matress store), "Flawless" with Deniro, and "Boogie Nights". "Capote" of course, but there's Hollywood written all over that. And back to Whale and Squid - the same director did "Margot at the Wedding" with Jack Black, not as good as W&S, but worth watching if you liked the first.