Dark City is intense, but my favorite movie by Alexander Proyas is his first feature film: Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds. The genre of artsy post-apoc is small, and that's one of the best.
Keifer Sutherland before he became nothing but Jack Bauer. A great performance imo.
With a few shots where you go "oh, the Wachowskis saw this."
100% gave me some matrix vibes
For SF, I recommend Primer. Its definitely a challenging movie as there's no clear exposition, but I found myself wanting to watch it several times to piece it altogether.
One of my favorite movies, it’s a trip. Anyone curious curious to watch it, don’t concern yourself with understanding every little thing. It’s a lot of implied ideas /throw away lines to give the scenes more natural qualities, allusions to stuff you’ll never hear about again that aren’t plot-relevant. Just soak it all in and then watch it again :)
The only sad thing in hindsight is it has a pretty unnecessary slur (f—) in one part but it’s quick and, again unfortunately, pretty typical for the time it came out. Also kind of a tasteless joke about making their kid “wind up in the closet.”
Still, well worth the watch. Short too! Like 80min.
“They took what was needed from their surroundings and made from it something more.” (I think that’s the line lol)
It’s almost the inverse of these visual novel games. A movie that’s really a puzzle, a game.
Y'know that infamous quote about Rick & Morty that doesn't understand how enjoying things made by smart people is different from being smart yourself?
You have to be smart to appreciate this movie.
For better and for worse.
You can definitely enjoy it, taking it at its word that everything makes sense. It has some fantastic ideas casually sprinkled in, to make you worry and wonder, but not as part of any larger puzzle. The major thread of the film, and its conclusion, still work if you're only kinda following it.
But when you trace what's going on, you will find that the filmmakers did all their homework, and everything does make sense, even if it takes you ages to work out how.
Got two sci fis to recommend:
Coherence dinner party among friends gets stuck between alternate realities. One of those really good scripts that was shot on a microbudget. Weird movie, lots of fun to think about
Prospect a western film about a prospector going after a big score which also happens to be a sci fi movie set on an alien planet. Great film, very cool style and very underrated.
Coherence is fantastic!
Prospect a western film about a prospector going after a big score which also happens to be a sci fi movie set on an alien planet. Great film, very cool style and very underrated.
And Pedro Pascal!
Coherence is a good call.too.
Enter the Void is the most breathless barrage on the senses I have ever wittnessed. The intro could give you epilepsy. The whole film is shot from the ego perspective of the protagonist that gets shot dead 15 minutes into the film. I have never seen anything remotely similar.
Gaspar Noe is my fave. Climax is incredible as well.
Oh, I got a few:
Wings of Honneamise is an anime from the 80s that I rarely see mentioned that has a special place in my heart. It's about the first space program in some foreign world, with conflict and war that captures the frontier spirit.
Black Rain, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia, is not exactly some small indie movie but I never see it mentioned anywhere. I would describe it as a fish out of water story with two American cops going to Osaka. I love the movie and the soundtrack.
Colossus: The Forbin Project from 1970 is a sci-fi classic that I think really holds up.
A Taxing Woman from 1987, co-incidentally the same year as Wings of Honneamise, is a Japanese movie about a tax collector going after a criminal who is hiding his income really well. I caught this late at night on TV 30 years or so ago and just enjoyed it a lot.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec is a French movie, bringing a comic of the same name to the screen. I really liked the comics already and the movie was fun as well. Early 20th century Paris, some fantasy elements.
Forbidden Planet, 1956, is also a sci-fi classic, starring a young Leslie Nielsen in a serious role.
The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is my favorite version of the story. It stars Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum. You might have seen Sutherland from this movie as a meme.
La Haine is another French movie, starring Vincent Cassel, Very intense, very good.
Ladyhawke is a fantasy movie starring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick. I wish there were more movies like this. Just telling a nice story. A cursed couple, a thief and a lot of adventure.
The Name of the Rose, with Sean Connery, Christian Slater and Ron Perlman, is a lovely version of Umberto Eco's book of the same name, that tells the story in an actually entertaining way.
The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp is another book adaptation that I think is better than the book. Fantasy and mystery and suspense.
Oxygen is a French sci-fi movie with a really minimalistic set and cast that I was pleasantly surprised by.
The Patlabor movies are among my favorite anime movies. Mostly calm and mature characters and nice stories.
The Prophecy with Christopher Walken and Elias Koteas was an indie success in the 90s. Angels, the Devil and mortals caught in between.
Shin Godzilla (2016) is my favorite Godzilla movie of all time. I can see why people might not like it, but it just tickled me in all the right places.
Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk movies out there.
Top Secret! is brought to you by Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, who brought us, amongst other movies, The Naked Gun trilogy and Hot Shots. It's equally silly and funny.
Tampopo - it's not really a comedy but has comedic elements. It's a overview of Japanese food and food culture and is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.
I never thought about Japanese truckers being all cowboy'd up until Tampopo.
That trucker brawl is epic.
I've been telling people for years what a wonderful film Tampopo is. But when I explain the plot I just get shrugs and whatevers.
They're missing a poetic masterpiece.
Definitely watch that one if you are into food or cooking, it's a classic!
Love that flick
Weird 70s animated sci fi: Fantastic Planet. The original is in French (which I prefer) but it also has an English dub. It's French sci fi from the 70s so this probably goes without saying, but in case anyone was considering a first watch with their parents or small children: there's a fair amount of nudity and sex.
If you haven't seen Wolfwalkers it's also worth a watch. It's by the same studio that made Secret of Kells, and takes place during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. This one is kid friendly, but I've watched it with a group of adults and we all enjoyed it.
Failure named their best album after this movie.
Fantastic Planet's score was also sampled heavily on Quasimoto's "The Unseen".
I've been reading a lot of Stefan Wul lately. Fantastic Planet was an adaption of one of his books. Great stuff. So weird.
(You know the scene where the Oms in the park take down two Draags? In the book, they don't have weapons (and they're not as tiny). It's more like an attack by a pack of dogs. They bite the Draags to death.)
I'll have to see if my library has a copy of it, I've never read the book!
Kicking and screaming (noah baumbach) not the will ferrel one. Great comedy.
Paprika is an animated scifi.
Arrival and children of men are my 2 favorite movies, bkth scifi, not unknown tho.
The lobster/ anything by yorgos lanthimos.
Children of Men is so fucking good except for the creepy CGI baby.
I swear I've never seen a movie like that before or since. I love Alfonso Cuarons style but even he can't recreate smth this revolutionarily good.
Ayyy Ive seen the zizek video too! He isnt the best analyst of movies, case in point v for vendetta but this was good.
Yeah, his movie analyses are usually done through the lens of psychoanalysis akin to Freud/Jung. Which is great if that's your thing, but isn't great if it's not haha.
I actually just read how to read lacan a few weeks ago who's a major influence in his work. Infact I'd go so far as to say zizek gave lacan the relevance he never had by reworking many of his ideas.
Yesss! Didn’t know there was a “Paprika” movie! I loved the book.
Jizzmaster you have to watch that movie, it's one of the trippiest movie i've ever seen. And it's particularly charming with subs instead of the dubbed version.
I’m all in
Check out perfect blue by the same guy. Very different (psychological horror/thriller) but also trippy and amazing.
The Lobster was, and still is, my benchmark for whether or not I can stand to watch a movie.
Nothing has been as awful as that movie.
I feel like Galaxy Quest with Tim Allen, Susan Sarandon, Alan Rickman, Rainn Wilson and Tony Shalhoub is a criminally underrated movie.
NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!
Have you not been in the internet long? Anytime Galaxy Quest is mentioned it gets universal praise. It's known as the "best Star Trek movie" despite not being Star Trek.
Rainn Wilson is in that? The hell you say!!
The best non-Star Trek movie. Brilliant.
In my opinion not enough people know Hard Candy from 2005
This and "Funny Games" are my most underrated favorites
Forgot about this one. Really great!!!
Man, that kind of suspense film just isn't up my alley personally, but the description of the film sounds awesome as hell. It would probably make me too uncomfortable to watch, but hot damn it sounds good.
It's always a blast to show it to people who have no idea what it's about. All of my friends loved it lol
And let's do the combination: comedy sci-fi:
Big Man Japan
A Boy and his Dog
Dead Leaves - animated too for the trifecta
Fido
Fish Story
Frankenhooker
Grabbers
Killer Tongue
Meatball Machine Kodoku (probably want to watch Meatball Machine first)
Save the Green Planet
Special (2006)
The Story of Ricky
Tokyo Gore Police
Wild Zero
Wild zero, holy heck. Bizarre, surreal movie
This list absolutely slaps you've got some top tier weird going on
That's how I roll.
A Boy and His Dog is top tier weird 70's sci-fi.
Frankenhooker is just hilarious.
For sci fi, Run Lola Run is a fun 90s era take on how small changes in starting conditions results in big changes for different timelines.
For comedy, I'll always recommend Grandma's Boy. It's a stoner comedy that focuses on a game developer and has a strong cast. It's from Adam Sandler's studio so you'll see a lot of familiar faces, but not Sandler.
For animated, try The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Great cast, Wes Anderson asthetic without being too twee, and a great script.
These are all well known, are they not?
Not a huge movie guy but didn't know the two besides run lola run.
All extremely well-known.
Your mother's well known, Trebek.
Dead Man
One of my favorite movies of all time.
That was one of the first Netflix films I got in the mail. Ghost Dog made me want to watch Jarmusch's other stuff.
Down By Law is also a great one by Jarmusch, starring John Lurie (Fishing with John/Painting with John), Roberto Beningi (Life is Beautiful/The Tiger and the Snow) and Tom Waits (Tom Waits).
It was Beningi's first English film and he barely spoke english. His mistakes lead to some beautiful poetry from his character.
It is a sad and beautiful world.
His later work hasn't been as great as his early work, imo, but The Dead Don't Die was pretty funny.
I really enjoyed "Boss Level". (Sci-Fi Action with some comedy here and there)
Yeah, I wasn't sure how well-known it is as it got a run in cinemas but then seemed to drop off everyone's radar. Well worth a mention.
Yep - I'd agree with this. I always liked Frank Grillo. He's not an amazing actor or anything. Just enjoy his style. Loved him in Warrior.
I went in blind and ended up really liking it. Just a fun ride.
Huge in China but not much in “the west”: Wandering Earth big budget, wild plot. A bit ridiculous but in an Armageddon or Pacific Rim kind of way. Good popcorn/summer movie.
I was really impressed by Journey to the West (2023, directed by Dashon Kong) and the (not film) television series Three Body Problem when it comes to Chinese film/television.
The Girl With All the Gifts was pretty good, based on the book of the same name.
For comedy, one of my faves is Stranger Than Fiction.
I didn't realize that there was a movie. Thanks! The book was great.
Agreed, great book. There is a second book in that series, The Boy On the Bridge, I believe. Also quite good.
I found the movie on Kanopy through my (Canadian) public library. I'm not sure how easy to find it is on other services, as it's not exactly blockbuster stuff. I discovered it quite by accident.
Literally the best zombie movie ever. I hate zombie movies in general, but loved this one.
Not in your genres listed, but Falling Down is a dark comedy / tragedy that is a fun but somewhat depressing watch.
It's about a man who snaps in a traffic jam and he goes a Lil bit crazy.
this little known gem from a major studio directed by one of the most famous durectors in the industry, aslo starying a best actor Oscar winner
It's also conveniently about a poor poor middle class white man and how having a bad day leads to him killing people. A entitled jerk who thinks the world owes him and is ready to ignore his wife's restraining order. What a stand-up guy. /s
Honestly, despite this movie not being absolutely terrible, kind of fuck this movie because it glorifies the fucking society we live in now.
It was meant to be a warning, not a User's Guide!
God Bless America is a much more self-aware take on that... for better and for worse.
It also illustrates what I call "the woods." Some works have a filter where half of the audience bails. The namesake is The Hobbit, where the characters go into the woods, and if you are not enthralled by Tolkein's writing style, you are not making it out of the woods. There's a point real early on, in this movie, where you are either laughing your ass off or hammering the nope button. Neither group will regret the decision.
I never made it out of the woods with God Bless America, myself. Which always disappointed me because I've been a long time Bobcat Goldwaith fan otherwise.
Well yeah, at the end on the dock he sincerely asks the cop "I'm the bad guy?"
He is the fantasy being played out. And it gets him nothing. His adventure is absurd and pointless.
I disagree completely. Check out my other comment.
I maintain that it’s an allegory for fascism. Defens is the man who has done everything “right” and his life is hell. It must be someone’s fault and it certainly couldn’t have been his. The whole film is him railing against whoever he can cast as the other, the villain. “Oh, I’m the bad guy?”
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Eric the Viking. (lots of the Monty Python crew)
In the same vein, Yellowbeard, most of the Monty Python crew plus Cheech & Chong.
Shout out to Shaolin Soccer, the movie from Stephen Chow just before Kung-Fu Hustle. They're both very, very good.
I'd also recommend God of Cookery, which is basically the same as Shaolin Soccer but about cooking.
Yep, love that too. There are quite a few Stephen Chow releases in the works somit might be Chow Time!
I LOVE Primer and had no idea Triangle was a time loop movie. Ive had it on my list of movies to watch for so long that I've forgotten why and maybe I knew that when I added it... lol.
Definitely grabbing Timecrimes now, thanks.
Triangle is a great film. Definitely give it a watch. I loved Timecrimes - gave it 9/10.
I didn't see your Timecrimes rec before posting mine. It's so well done & I want everyone to see it!
Definitely! The more recommendations the better!
It’s in my list, too!
John Dies at the End.
It’s sci fi/comedy. Best watched whilst high, but good regardless.
Comedy
Saving Silverman (Buddy/Romantic Comedy)
In Bruges (Dark Comedy about hitmen)
Swiss Army Man (idk Daniel Radcliff is a farting, talking corpse. Movie about self acceptance? An elderly couple walked out of the theater after the opening credits when i saw it lol)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Robert Downy Jr & Val Kilmer detective/noire)
The Naked Gun Trilogy (Leslie Nielson as a cop, idk how old you are but maybe you haven't heard of these)
Sci-Fi
Upgrade (quadriplegic man puts AI in his head)
Turbo Kid (Mad Max type dystopian future, one of my favorite movies ever but I've only been able to find it on YouTube or "free streaming". It's Canadian and their blu-rays don't work in the U.S.)
In Bruges is incredibly funny, and demonstrates perfectly why Colin Farrell deserves his place on the A list. Especially when he teams up with Brendan Gleeson.
Edit: just remembered I still haven't watched Banshees of Inisherin. That's tonight sorted!
I don't know if it's really "lesser" known but Hardcore Henry (2015) is quite an experience.
Ilya Naishuller has some fun stuff - check out his video for Leningrad - Kolshik if you haven't already.
It has a special place in my heart as it was one of the first two films I watched on VHS, the other being Alien.
Kung Pao is one of the dumbest and most underrated comedies. It's not exactly sci-fi, but it does have aliens and intelligent cows.
I watched it over ten times, and I don't regret a second.
*Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. I loved it when it came out but I'm afraid to watch it now for fear that it doesn't hold up. But I will always laugh at the way the lady picks up the baby and rolls it down the rest of the hill. "So cute"
I think it holds up, especially if you watch the original movie it was based on.
I thought Kung-Pow used scenes from a handful of different old films with the same actors (like Betty).
It's all pretty much from the same ridiculous kung-fu movie, as far as I could tell. There's even some similarity in the plot.
I feel weird recommending this movie because I fully acknowledge it's not exactly good, but...
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
This has long been one of my all time favorite comedies. I've seen it probably a half dozen times, and it still makes me laugh out loud. Bill Murray is brilliant and Alfred Molina is clearly having the time of his life. I absolutely love it.
This one is one of my all-time favorites. "Spencer knows how to deal with floaters!"
"Tell him to use the plunger or we're sunk!"
The Game, with Michael Douglas.
A favorite comedy that i haven't heard mention of in a while: Modern Love, from 1981. Just go in blind.
The Voices with Ryan Reynolds.
It's a comedy drama following a schizophrenic trying to live a normal life.
It hits pretty hard at times.
Knight and Day with Tom Cruise : very under rated movie a lot never saw this movie
The Saint with Val Kilmer also a great flick
The Replacements with Keanu Reeves
Gosh I think if I recall correctly The Saint was very badly reviewed, is it good?
I've watched it several times (own it on DVD). I love it.
It's really not a great movie but teenage me absolutely loved it. Between Tombstone and The Saint, Val Kilmer could do no wrong in the 90s
Dude, Val Kilmer could do no wrong straight out the gate in the 1980s and kept that winning streak throughout the 90s.
Top Secret!, Real Genius, Top Gun, Willow were all 80's. The Doors, True Romance, Tombstone, Batman Forever, Heat, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Ghost and the Darkness, and finishing off his hot streak in the 90s with The Saint. Late 90s is where he dropped off in quality throughout the 2000s.
Oh yes this is true. I only specifically mentioned the 90s because those were my coming of age years and I didn't really pay attention to his 80s movies until later.
Big ole list I’ve been curating off and on. The pad will only last 60 days so move it over to somewhere you won’t lose it
Thanks for reminding me Real Genius exists.
I really oughta watch Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead again. Such a fun show.
Phenomenal acting and Stoppard’s script is phenomenal. Definitely gotta be familiar with Hamlet, though!
3 Women, Robert Altman.
Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick.
Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmueller.
Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders.
Fitzcaraldo, Werner Herzog.
Paths of Glory is 10/10 stuff. So good.
Short Cuts is maybe my favorite Altman. What a genius.
Deathgasm. It's about a bunch of metalheads that find some sort of old hymn. When played, it summons hoards of demons/zombies. So then they start fucking up the zombies. I vaguely remember one of them being impaled with a dildo? Either way, it was an entertaining "turning your brain off" watch that's pretty unknown afaik.
Dinner in America (2020) I liked a lot
For animated sci-fi, I'd go with A Scanner Darkly. It is about a future LA deep in a drug war that uses rotoscoping to lean into the feeling that not everything is right.
It's such a great movie. That rotoscoping effect definitely gives it this weird uneasiness the whole time. Also shout out to the weird Alex Jones cameo. That was certainly a...choice.
99 Francs
It's a hilarious french comedy I keep going back to every couple of years.
I also watch that one every couple of years! Highly recommended if you like black humor.
What does SF mean?
science fiction :)
Iron Sky from 2012. It doesn’t have good ratings but the first time I watched it with my father, it was hilarious. Granted, the humour is quite dark but the cultural differences that you will come to see are so funny. I liked it, personally, but of course it’s not for everyone.
Creep (2014) and it’s sequel are some of the best horror movies I’ve seen from the last decade (not saying much, considering the genre is filled with stinkers, but still). They’re both presented as documentaries, and the characters are a little more believable than your average horror character.
I actually prefer Creep 2 over the first one. The protagonist in the first movie is compassionate to a fault and he makes some really dumb decisions. The protagonist in the second movie doesn’t take the threat seriously at the start, but once she realizes the danger she actually gets her shit together
The antagonist in both movies is a brilliant character, and you see some great acting on his part. The guy is an absolute mental case but endearing at the same time. His behavior is both deeply disturbing and hilarious
For comedies:
Waiting for Guffman
American Movie
For sci fi:
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (admittedly, foreign so you have to be cool with subtitles.)
I prefer A Mighty Wind to Guffman, but still a good rec. And American Movie is an all-time fav.
Best in show is my favorite, but they’re all great.
I liked the movie The Arrival with Charlie Sheen
Blackbeard's Ghost. Watchable on Disney+ right now. Family friendly, great performances and some epic physical comedy from Peter Ustinov (voice of Prince John in Disney's Robin Hood).
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is a hilarious comedy horror movie. Such a fun take on the genre and so stupidly funny all the way through.
In the same vein, The Cabin in the Woods is one you should go in blind for as well.
This movie was my first introduction to Alan Tudyk. He's great in pretty much everything he is in.
Especially Firefly.
How do reavers clean their spears?
They run them through the Wash!
Let's not overlook Death at a Funeral. Fucking incredible.
But definitely Firefly too.
"You guys.. eh.. you guys going camping? HEHEHEEHEEHEHE".
Dark City
Dark City is intense, but my favorite movie by Alexander Proyas is his first feature film: Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds. The genre of artsy post-apoc is small, and that's one of the best.
Keifer Sutherland before he became nothing but Jack Bauer. A great performance imo.
With a few shots where you go "oh, the Wachowskis saw this."
100% gave me some matrix vibes
For SF, I recommend Primer. Its definitely a challenging movie as there's no clear exposition, but I found myself wanting to watch it several times to piece it altogether.
One of my favorite movies, it’s a trip. Anyone curious curious to watch it, don’t concern yourself with understanding every little thing. It’s a lot of implied ideas /throw away lines to give the scenes more natural qualities, allusions to stuff you’ll never hear about again that aren’t plot-relevant. Just soak it all in and then watch it again :)
The only sad thing in hindsight is it has a pretty unnecessary slur (f—) in one part but it’s quick and, again unfortunately, pretty typical for the time it came out. Also kind of a tasteless joke about making their kid “wind up in the closet.”
Still, well worth the watch. Short too! Like 80min.
“They took what was needed from their surroundings and made from it something more.” (I think that’s the line lol)
It’s almost the inverse of these visual novel games. A movie that’s really a puzzle, a game.
Y'know that infamous quote about Rick & Morty that doesn't understand how enjoying things made by smart people is different from being smart yourself?
You have to be smart to appreciate this movie.
For better and for worse.
You can definitely enjoy it, taking it at its word that everything makes sense. It has some fantastic ideas casually sprinkled in, to make you worry and wonder, but not as part of any larger puzzle. The major thread of the film, and its conclusion, still work if you're only kinda following it.
But when you trace what's going on, you will find that the filmmakers did all their homework, and everything does make sense, even if it takes you ages to work out how.
Got two sci fis to recommend:
Coherence dinner party among friends gets stuck between alternate realities. One of those really good scripts that was shot on a microbudget. Weird movie, lots of fun to think about
Prospect a western film about a prospector going after a big score which also happens to be a sci fi movie set on an alien planet. Great film, very cool style and very underrated.
Coherence is fantastic!
And Pedro Pascal!
Coherence is a good call.too.
Enter the Void is the most breathless barrage on the senses I have ever wittnessed. The intro could give you epilepsy. The whole film is shot from the ego perspective of the protagonist that gets shot dead 15 minutes into the film. I have never seen anything remotely similar.
Sounds like The Holy Mountain type vibes.
That movie is such a fucking trip. I love it.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
intro
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.
Gaspar Noe is my fave. Climax is incredible as well.
Oh, I got a few:
Wings of Honneamise is an anime from the 80s that I rarely see mentioned that has a special place in my heart. It's about the first space program in some foreign world, with conflict and war that captures the frontier spirit.
Black Rain, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia, is not exactly some small indie movie but I never see it mentioned anywhere. I would describe it as a fish out of water story with two American cops going to Osaka. I love the movie and the soundtrack.
Colossus: The Forbin Project from 1970 is a sci-fi classic that I think really holds up.
A Taxing Woman from 1987, co-incidentally the same year as Wings of Honneamise, is a Japanese movie about a tax collector going after a criminal who is hiding his income really well. I caught this late at night on TV 30 years or so ago and just enjoyed it a lot.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec is a French movie, bringing a comic of the same name to the screen. I really liked the comics already and the movie was fun as well. Early 20th century Paris, some fantasy elements.
Forbidden Planet, 1956, is also a sci-fi classic, starring a young Leslie Nielsen in a serious role.
The 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers is my favorite version of the story. It stars Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum. You might have seen Sutherland from this movie as a meme.
La Haine is another French movie, starring Vincent Cassel, Very intense, very good.
Ladyhawke is a fantasy movie starring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick. I wish there were more movies like this. Just telling a nice story. A cursed couple, a thief and a lot of adventure.
The Name of the Rose, with Sean Connery, Christian Slater and Ron Perlman, is a lovely version of Umberto Eco's book of the same name, that tells the story in an actually entertaining way.
The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp is another book adaptation that I think is better than the book. Fantasy and mystery and suspense.
Oxygen is a French sci-fi movie with a really minimalistic set and cast that I was pleasantly surprised by.
The Patlabor movies are among my favorite anime movies. Mostly calm and mature characters and nice stories.
The Prophecy with Christopher Walken and Elias Koteas was an indie success in the 90s. Angels, the Devil and mortals caught in between.
Shin Godzilla (2016) is my favorite Godzilla movie of all time. I can see why people might not like it, but it just tickled me in all the right places.
Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk movies out there.
Top Secret! is brought to you by Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, who brought us, amongst other movies, The Naked Gun trilogy and Hot Shots. It's equally silly and funny.
Tampopo - it's not really a comedy but has comedic elements. It's a overview of Japanese food and food culture and is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.
I never thought about Japanese truckers being all cowboy'd up until Tampopo.
That trucker brawl is epic.
I've been telling people for years what a wonderful film Tampopo is. But when I explain the plot I just get shrugs and whatevers.
They're missing a poetic masterpiece.
Definitely watch that one if you are into food or cooking, it's a classic!
Love that flick
Weird 70s animated sci fi: Fantastic Planet. The original is in French (which I prefer) but it also has an English dub. It's French sci fi from the 70s so this probably goes without saying, but in case anyone was considering a first watch with their parents or small children: there's a fair amount of nudity and sex.
If you haven't seen Wolfwalkers it's also worth a watch. It's by the same studio that made Secret of Kells, and takes place during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. This one is kid friendly, but I've watched it with a group of adults and we all enjoyed it.
Failure named their best album after this movie.
Fantastic Planet's score was also sampled heavily on Quasimoto's "The Unseen".
I've been reading a lot of Stefan Wul lately. Fantastic Planet was an adaption of one of his books. Great stuff. So weird.
(You know the scene where the Oms in the park take down two Draags? In the book, they don't have weapons (and they're not as tiny). It's more like an attack by a pack of dogs. They bite the Draags to death.)
I'll have to see if my library has a copy of it, I've never read the book!
Kicking and screaming (noah baumbach) not the will ferrel one. Great comedy.
Paprika is an animated scifi.
Arrival and children of men are my 2 favorite movies, bkth scifi, not unknown tho.
The lobster/ anything by yorgos lanthimos.
Children of Men is so fucking good except for the creepy CGI baby.
EDIT: Slavoj Zizek talks about one of his favorite films, Children of Men. Great breakdown of what makes it so good.
I swear I've never seen a movie like that before or since. I love Alfonso Cuarons style but even he can't recreate smth this revolutionarily good.
Ayyy Ive seen the zizek video too! He isnt the best analyst of movies, case in point v for vendetta but this was good.
Yeah, his movie analyses are usually done through the lens of psychoanalysis akin to Freud/Jung. Which is great if that's your thing, but isn't great if it's not haha.
I actually just read how to read lacan a few weeks ago who's a major influence in his work. Infact I'd go so far as to say zizek gave lacan the relevance he never had by reworking many of his ideas.
Yesss! Didn’t know there was a “Paprika” movie! I loved the book.
Jizzmaster you have to watch that movie, it's one of the trippiest movie i've ever seen. And it's particularly charming with subs instead of the dubbed version.
I’m all in
Check out perfect blue by the same guy. Very different (psychological horror/thriller) but also trippy and amazing.
The Lobster was, and still is, my benchmark for whether or not I can stand to watch a movie.
Nothing has been as awful as that movie.
I feel like Galaxy Quest with Tim Allen, Susan Sarandon, Alan Rickman, Rainn Wilson and Tony Shalhoub is a criminally underrated movie.
NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!
Have you not been in the internet long? Anytime Galaxy Quest is mentioned it gets universal praise. It's known as the "best Star Trek movie" despite not being Star Trek.
Rainn Wilson is in that? The hell you say!!
The best non-Star Trek movie. Brilliant.
In my opinion not enough people know Hard Candy from 2005
This and "Funny Games" are my most underrated favorites
Forgot about this one. Really great!!!
Man, that kind of suspense film just isn't up my alley personally, but the description of the film sounds awesome as hell. It would probably make me too uncomfortable to watch, but hot damn it sounds good.
It's always a blast to show it to people who have no idea what it's about. All of my friends loved it lol
And let's do the combination: comedy sci-fi:
Wild zero, holy heck. Bizarre, surreal movie
This list absolutely slaps you've got some top tier weird going on
That's how I roll.
A Boy and His Dog is top tier weird 70's sci-fi.
Frankenhooker is just hilarious.
For sci fi, Run Lola Run is a fun 90s era take on how small changes in starting conditions results in big changes for different timelines.
For comedy, I'll always recommend Grandma's Boy. It's a stoner comedy that focuses on a game developer and has a strong cast. It's from Adam Sandler's studio so you'll see a lot of familiar faces, but not Sandler.
For animated, try The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Great cast, Wes Anderson asthetic without being too twee, and a great script.
These are all well known, are they not?
Not a huge movie guy but didn't know the two besides run lola run.
All extremely well-known.
Your mother's well known, Trebek.
Dead Man
One of my favorite movies of all time.
That was one of the first Netflix films I got in the mail. Ghost Dog made me want to watch Jarmusch's other stuff.
Down By Law is also a great one by Jarmusch, starring John Lurie (Fishing with John/Painting with John), Roberto Beningi (Life is Beautiful/The Tiger and the Snow) and Tom Waits (Tom Waits).
It was Beningi's first English film and he barely spoke english. His mistakes lead to some beautiful poetry from his character.
His later work hasn't been as great as his early work, imo, but The Dead Don't Die was pretty funny.
I really enjoyed "Boss Level". (Sci-Fi Action with some comedy here and there)
Yeah, I wasn't sure how well-known it is as it got a run in cinemas but then seemed to drop off everyone's radar. Well worth a mention.
Yep - I'd agree with this. I always liked Frank Grillo. He's not an amazing actor or anything. Just enjoy his style. Loved him in Warrior.
I went in blind and ended up really liking it. Just a fun ride.
Huge in China but not much in “the west”: Wandering Earth big budget, wild plot. A bit ridiculous but in an Armageddon or Pacific Rim kind of way. Good popcorn/summer movie.
I was really impressed by Journey to the West (2023, directed by Dashon Kong) and the (not film) television series Three Body Problem when it comes to Chinese film/television.
The Girl With All the Gifts was pretty good, based on the book of the same name.
For comedy, one of my faves is Stranger Than Fiction.
I didn't realize that there was a movie. Thanks! The book was great.
Agreed, great book. There is a second book in that series, The Boy On the Bridge, I believe. Also quite good.
I found the movie on Kanopy through my (Canadian) public library. I'm not sure how easy to find it is on other services, as it's not exactly blockbuster stuff. I discovered it quite by accident.
Literally the best zombie movie ever. I hate zombie movies in general, but loved this one.
Not in your genres listed, but Falling Down is a dark comedy / tragedy that is a fun but somewhat depressing watch.
It's about a man who snaps in a traffic jam and he goes a Lil bit crazy.
this little known gem from a major studio directed by one of the most famous durectors in the industry, aslo starying a best actor Oscar winner
It's also conveniently about a poor poor middle class white man and how having a bad day leads to him killing people. A entitled jerk who thinks the world owes him and is ready to ignore his wife's restraining order. What a stand-up guy. /s
Honestly, despite this movie not being absolutely terrible, kind of fuck this movie because it glorifies the fucking society we live in now.
It was meant to be a warning, not a User's Guide!
God Bless America is a much more self-aware take on that... for better and for worse.
It also illustrates what I call "the woods." Some works have a filter where half of the audience bails. The namesake is The Hobbit, where the characters go into the woods, and if you are not enthralled by Tolkein's writing style, you are not making it out of the woods. There's a point real early on, in this movie, where you are either laughing your ass off or hammering the nope button. Neither group will regret the decision.
I never made it out of the woods with God Bless America, myself. Which always disappointed me because I've been a long time Bobcat Goldwaith fan otherwise.
Well yeah, at the end on the dock he sincerely asks the cop "I'm the bad guy?"
He is the fantasy being played out. And it gets him nothing. His adventure is absurd and pointless.
I disagree completely. Check out my other comment.
I maintain that it’s an allegory for fascism. Defens is the man who has done everything “right” and his life is hell. It must be someone’s fault and it certainly couldn’t have been his. The whole film is him railing against whoever he can cast as the other, the villain. “Oh, I’m the bad guy?”
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
Eric the Viking. (lots of the Monty Python crew)
In the same vein, Yellowbeard, most of the Monty Python crew plus Cheech & Chong.
Sci-Fi
Timecrimes
The McPherson Tape
The Dead Zone (not that lesser known, but old enough that maybe it's getting that way)
Animation
A Town Called Panic
Perfect Blue
Comedy
It's a Disaster
One, Two, Three (might be better known than I think, since it's a Billy Wilder movie)
Perfect Blue and all of Satoshi Kon's works are a masterpiece.
I'm not usually into anime, but Perfect Blue captivated me from the start. Its whole vibe was so engrossing.
I'll check out some other Satoshi Kon titles. PB is all I've seen so far. Any specific recommendations?
Paprika was a real trip.
Paranoia Agent (series) and Millenium Actress (movie).
His filmography is a little short so you can go through all his works in a day or a week.
Fritz the Cat 😉
Ralph Bakshi stuff is a must-watch with a lot of content warnings and trigger warnings.
Fritz the Cat, Coonskin, Wizards, The Lord of the Rings, American Pop, Cool World... I miss animation this fluid and wild.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy one of my favourite comedies of all times. Watermelon Man is an old fave.
When I was little boy mother would sing me song. It goes like this "life is short, life is shit, soon it will be over."
In the same vein, 1997's The Wrong Guy with David Foley is a fun romp.
Sunshine is a great Sci-fi movie with a stacked cast.
I'll go way old school with one too. Logan's Run from the 70s. If any film could do with a modern remake I think it's that one.
Predestination
It's difficult to know what is less known these days as film recommendation posts happen a lot.
If you told us what you liked we could probably come up with recommendations that let you drill down a bit further.
However:
SF:
Comedy - I'm rather partial to a kung-fu comedy:
For you, I recommend Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.
Cheers - got it on DVD, great film
That's a lot of nuts!
Shout out to Shaolin Soccer, the movie from Stephen Chow just before Kung-Fu Hustle. They're both very, very good.
I'd also recommend God of Cookery, which is basically the same as Shaolin Soccer but about cooking.
Yep, love that too. There are quite a few Stephen Chow releases in the works somit might be Chow Time!
I LOVE Primer and had no idea Triangle was a time loop movie. Ive had it on my list of movies to watch for so long that I've forgotten why and maybe I knew that when I added it... lol.
Definitely grabbing Timecrimes now, thanks.
Triangle is a great film. Definitely give it a watch. I loved Timecrimes - gave it 9/10.
I didn't see your Timecrimes rec before posting mine. It's so well done & I want everyone to see it!
Definitely! The more recommendations the better!
It’s in my list, too!
John Dies at the End.
It’s sci fi/comedy. Best watched whilst high, but good regardless.
Comedy
Saving Silverman (Buddy/Romantic Comedy)
In Bruges (Dark Comedy about hitmen)
Swiss Army Man (idk Daniel Radcliff is a farting, talking corpse. Movie about self acceptance? An elderly couple walked out of the theater after the opening credits when i saw it lol)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Robert Downy Jr & Val Kilmer detective/noire)
The Naked Gun Trilogy (Leslie Nielson as a cop, idk how old you are but maybe you haven't heard of these)
Sci-Fi
Upgrade (quadriplegic man puts AI in his head)
Turbo Kid (Mad Max type dystopian future, one of my favorite movies ever but I've only been able to find it on YouTube or "free streaming". It's Canadian and their blu-rays don't work in the U.S.)
In Bruges is incredibly funny, and demonstrates perfectly why Colin Farrell deserves his place on the A list. Especially when he teams up with Brendan Gleeson.
Edit: just remembered I still haven't watched Banshees of Inisherin. That's tonight sorted!
I don't know if it's really "lesser" known but Hardcore Henry (2015) is quite an experience.
Ilya Naishuller has some fun stuff - check out his video for Leningrad - Kolshik if you haven't already.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
Leningrad - Kolshik
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.
My favorite SF comedy is Dark Star.
It has a special place in my heart as it was one of the first two films I watched on VHS, the other being Alien.
Kung Pao is one of the dumbest and most underrated comedies. It's not exactly sci-fi, but it does have aliens and intelligent cows.
I watched it over ten times, and I don't regret a second.
*Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. I loved it when it came out but I'm afraid to watch it now for fear that it doesn't hold up. But I will always laugh at the way the lady picks up the baby and rolls it down the rest of the hill. "So cute"
I think it holds up, especially if you watch the original movie it was based on.
I thought Kung-Pow used scenes from a handful of different old films with the same actors (like Betty).
It's all pretty much from the same ridiculous kung-fu movie, as far as I could tell. There's even some similarity in the plot.
I feel weird recommending this movie because I fully acknowledge it's not exactly good, but...
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
This has long been one of my all time favorite comedies. I've seen it probably a half dozen times, and it still makes me laugh out loud. Bill Murray is brilliant and Alfred Molina is clearly having the time of his life. I absolutely love it.
This one is one of my all-time favorites. "Spencer knows how to deal with floaters!"
"Tell him to use the plunger or we're sunk!"
The Game, with Michael Douglas.
A favorite comedy that i haven't heard mention of in a while: Modern Love, from 1981. Just go in blind.
The Voices with Ryan Reynolds.
It's a comedy drama following a schizophrenic trying to live a normal life.
It hits pretty hard at times.
Knight and Day with Tom Cruise : very under rated movie a lot never saw this movie
The Saint with Val Kilmer also a great flick
The Replacements with Keanu Reeves
Gosh I think if I recall correctly The Saint was very badly reviewed, is it good?
I've watched it several times (own it on DVD). I love it.
It's really not a great movie but teenage me absolutely loved it. Between Tombstone and The Saint, Val Kilmer could do no wrong in the 90s
Dude, Val Kilmer could do no wrong straight out the gate in the 1980s and kept that winning streak throughout the 90s.
Top Secret!, Real Genius, Top Gun, Willow were all 80's. The Doors, True Romance, Tombstone, Batman Forever, Heat, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Ghost and the Darkness, and finishing off his hot streak in the 90s with The Saint. Late 90s is where he dropped off in quality throughout the 2000s.
Oh yes this is true. I only specifically mentioned the 90s because those were my coming of age years and I didn't really pay attention to his 80s movies until later.
SF: Europa Report
https://pad.riseup.net/p/khd1NmOXqbhZYMeivrdr
Big ole list I’ve been curating off and on. The pad will only last 60 days so move it over to somewhere you won’t lose it
Thanks for reminding me Real Genius exists.
I really oughta watch Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead again. Such a fun show.
Phenomenal acting and Stoppard’s script is phenomenal. Definitely gotta be familiar with Hamlet, though!
3 Women, Robert Altman.
Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick.
Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmueller.
Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders.
Fitzcaraldo, Werner Herzog.
Paths of Glory is 10/10 stuff. So good.
Short Cuts is maybe my favorite Altman. What a genius.
Deathgasm. It's about a bunch of metalheads that find some sort of old hymn. When played, it summons hoards of demons/zombies. So then they start fucking up the zombies. I vaguely remember one of them being impaled with a dildo? Either way, it was an entertaining "turning your brain off" watch that's pretty unknown afaik.
Dinner in America (2020) I liked a lot
For animated sci-fi, I'd go with A Scanner Darkly. It is about a future LA deep in a drug war that uses rotoscoping to lean into the feeling that not everything is right.
It's such a great movie. That rotoscoping effect definitely gives it this weird uneasiness the whole time. Also shout out to the weird Alex Jones cameo. That was certainly a...choice.
99 Francs
It's a hilarious french comedy I keep going back to every couple of years.
I also watch that one every couple of years! Highly recommended if you like black humor.
What does SF mean?
science fiction :)
Iron Sky from 2012. It doesn’t have good ratings but the first time I watched it with my father, it was hilarious. Granted, the humour is quite dark but the cultural differences that you will come to see are so funny. I liked it, personally, but of course it’s not for everyone.
Creep (2014) and it’s sequel are some of the best horror movies I’ve seen from the last decade (not saying much, considering the genre is filled with stinkers, but still). They’re both presented as documentaries, and the characters are a little more believable than your average horror character.
I actually prefer Creep 2 over the first one. The protagonist in the first movie is compassionate to a fault and he makes some really dumb decisions. The protagonist in the second movie doesn’t take the threat seriously at the start, but once she realizes the danger she actually gets her shit together
The antagonist in both movies is a brilliant character, and you see some great acting on his part. The guy is an absolute mental case but endearing at the same time. His behavior is both deeply disturbing and hilarious
For comedies: Waiting for Guffman American Movie
For sci fi: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (admittedly, foreign so you have to be cool with subtitles.)
I prefer A Mighty Wind to Guffman, but still a good rec. And American Movie is an all-time fav.
Best in show is my favorite, but they’re all great.
I liked the movie The Arrival with Charlie Sheen
Blackbeard's Ghost. Watchable on Disney+ right now. Family friendly, great performances and some epic physical comedy from Peter Ustinov (voice of Prince John in Disney's Robin Hood).