What's The Best Film Most People Have Never Seen?

[kittyP]

A more fitting candidate, and topical at that, might be the original Woman in Black. I was aware of the remake of a few years ago but I was under the impression it was based on a book. But just today I came across a Guardian article that made me realise the remake was based on an earlier film, and according to the article one that's considered by many as the most scary British film of all time.

I'm slightly ashamed I wasn't even aware of this film's existence, but the article claims for whatever reason the original film all but disappeared from public consciousness shortly after its release in 1989. Apparently there are plans afoot to screen it again though.

The Woman In Black: why did Britain's scariest horror film disappear?

Herbert Wise’s 1989 TV gem wowed critics, inspired Oscar-winners and ruined Christmas for a generation. Then it was never seen again … until now

www.theguardian.com

Has anyone here seen it? When even established directors cite it as one of their major influences, it seems astonishing it disappeared from the face of the Earth.

I watched that on repeat (tapped off the TV) as a kid
My parents have on dvd.
In fact I might somewhere.

 

[Reno]

My Winnipeg by Guy Maddin

 

[Reno]

Just Another Love Story is and excellent Danish neo noir which should be better known. The thunderous trailer doesn't quite do it justice.

 

[kittyP]

@T & P in a similar vein this is a mostly missed gem of British horror

"A Ghost Story for Christmas" The Signalman (TV Episode 1976) ⭐ 7.6 | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

38m | PG

www.imdb.com

 

[yield]

Hardware a 1990 British science fiction horror film. The trailer is a bit misleading and naff. It's original.

 

[Reno]

Requiem probably is my favourite German film of the 21st century. Loosely based on the Anneliese Michel case which ended in a murder trial, it's about a girl caught between her devout Catholic upbringing and the permissiveness of the 70s, developing mental health issues which in combination with her epilepsy got "diagnosed" as demonic possession and resulted in an exorcism that killed her.

 

[yield]

Not seen any of those three Reno. Thanks! I'll have a look.

 

[T & P]

Oldboy (the original Korean film of course) was one of the most astonishing and memorable films I have ever seen, and I didn't even know it existed until a friend told me about it. This was before the godawful Hollywood remake, and only one of my other friends I mentioned it to after I'd watched it had even heard of it.

I suppose the American remake a few years ago made the existence of the original known to the wider public, though I reckon the overwhelming majority of the viewing public still hasn't seen it, and probably forgotten about it existing by now.

 

[Reno]

Sorry, I was being a dick, went out with friends, had too much beer, going to bed now.

Carry on recommending famous movies to each other.

 

[yield]

Sorry, I was being a dick, went out with friends, had too much beer, going to bed now.

Carry on recommending famous movies to each other.

Famous? Not everyone has seen as many films as you.

 

[belboid]

My Winnipeg by Guy Maddin

Wonderful film. Took me ages to confirm the bit about the horses, which shouldn’t surely be true, actually wasn’t true. I’m still on site whether I’m happy I actually found out.

 

[krtek a houby]

Hardware a 1990 British science fiction horror film. The trailer is a bit misleading and naff. It's original.

Original, kind of. Story was heavily influenced by a 2000AD one off.

 

[passenger]

Shit trailer again, but the film is wonderful, very sad and bleak but brilliant.

 

[Raheem]

La Commune by Peter Watkins

On paper, the most pretentious bunch of shite you've ever heard of. Something like 6 or 6½ hours long, made using non-professional actors who were asked to research the history of the Paris Commune and then write and improvise the film. Black and white, shot using a single camera with no cuts except occasionally between scenes. Filmed entirely in some sort of disused warehouse. In French.

But it's actually really good, and it goes so radically against the normal rules of filmmaking that it's like watching something from a parallel universe. You can't really compare it to anything else.

It was shown on French TV twenty years ago and you can get it on an imported DVD in packaging that makes it look like a souvenir for the cast, but in terms of the ratio of quality to how many people have seen it (in the English-speaking world), I'd defy anyone to beat this.

 

[8115]

Home. French film. Life for an isolated rural family is upended when a major highway next to their property, constructed 10 years before but apparently abandoned, is finally opened. (Description taken from Imdb). Genuinely such a great film and well worth a watch.

 

[D'wards]

I'd say Martyrs which hasn't been seen by most people. But also isn't really for a lot of people.

One of my favourite films is A Room for Romeo Brass, which is well loved but not widely seen

 

[D'wards]

Possession about alien shagging is fantastic but not a well known film amongst your average Friday night cinema goer

 

[Idris2002]

Goodbye Pork Pie

The firest New Zealand movie to make a profit at the local box office. Freelance journalist teams up with 19 year old larrikin and a swinging hippy chick. Together they take a stolen mini from Auckland to Invercargill, causing a mini crime wave as they go.

 

[Sue]

The original: The Postman Always Rings Twice from 1946

I have seen them both and prefer the original.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

For completeness, you also need to watch Le Dernier Tournant and Ossessione, both of which precede the 1946 version.

 

[discokermit]

apologies if it has been mentioned, or if everyone knows it, but i heard this get mentioned on the sopranos podcast the other day and thought it was very good. edie falco is in it. as is paul schulze. both excellent.
laws of gravity,

 

[souljacker]

Oldboy (the original Korean film of course) was one of the most astonishing and memorable films I have ever seen, and I didn't even know it existed until a friend told me about it. This was before the godawful Hollywood remake, and only one of my other friends I mentioned it to after I'd watched it had even heard of it.

I suppose the American remake a few years ago made the existence of the original known to the wider public, though I reckon the overwhelming majority of the viewing public still hasn't seen it, and probably forgotten about it existing by now.

Have you seen the other two from the vengeance trilogy? They aren't really a trilogy but they have similar themes, are all directed by Park Chan-Wook and are all a bit twisted!

Edit: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Lady Vengeance are the other two.

 

[T & P]

Have you seen the other two from the vengeance trilogy? They aren't really a trilogy but they have similar themes, are all directed by Park Chan-Wook and are all a bit twisted!

Edit: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance and Lady Vengeance are the other two.

Oohh... no I haven't. Thanks for the heads up

 

[passenger]

Really not the sort of thing you should watch if your tinkering on the verge of a nervous breakdown like I did at the time, still haunts me today as it did then. Only could find the cover,/ poster.

 

[krtek a houby]

Johnnie To does some excellent gangster films, Exiled (2006) in particular although critics seem to prefer Election from the previous year.

 

[petee]

I think I have a poster of this somewhere - I ought to see the film....

indeed you should, probably my favorite movie.
it's famous though?

 

[redsquirrel]

Possession about alien shagging is fantastic but not a well known film amongst your average Friday night cinema goer

On of the most WTF films I've seen. I'm not sure I like Żuławski's films but it's undeniable that he's got something.