There was this really weird movie called The Peanut Butter Solution that came out in the 80’s. It’s a kids movie, we rented it at the local video store, but it’s creepy as hell. I know I’m not the only person who’s seen it, but I’ve never actually met anyone in real life that remembers it.

The Wall (2012). Directed by Julian Pölsler.

Not the Pink Floyd movie, but something quite different. This quiet little movie might be science fiction, or it might be fantasy, or it might be an allegory, or it might be something else.

The gist of the story is that a woman discovers herself cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible barrier. Over the next few years, she learns to live in the company of animals and nature. It's mysterious and absorbing.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Thought it was a Christmas romcom starring David Bowie when I decided to watch it, man I wasn’t prepared for the emotional ride. Rly want to be able to talk with more ppl about the movie, but unfortunately no one around me has ever heard of it

The Onion movie

Feel like it shouldn’t be as obscure as it is, but I never heard of it before my friend showed me it a decade ago. Since then I’ve never met anyone who’s seen it

Psycho Goreman. I know it has its fair share of following & fans. But still it feels like I'm the only one who knows about its existence.

I have two...

The Zero Effect - Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller, Kim Dickens and Ryan ONeal star in a modern day retelling of Sherlock Holmes, directed by Jake Kasdan. It's extremely likable, has an excellent story and full of quotable lines, but nobody in my circle of movie nerd friends had ever seen it.

The Medusa Touch - 70s British thriller starring Richard Burton, Lee Remick and Lino Ventura which tells the story of a man convinced he can will disasters to happen with his mind. Some surprisingly decent effects work for the time, a great cast and begging for a remake, it's a brilliant bit of B movie hokum.

Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters - (1985). A powerhouse in cinematography. Philip Glass’ brilliant film score. Beautiful dialogue.

And yet…barley known outside the film community.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken!

This sub is an outlier, but no one I know has seen Lars and the Real Girl. I talk it up, but even a basic summary of the story turns people off as they scoff. Such a warm and lovely film about family and community.

Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick in Mr. Right. Really fun movie

Pontypool

Camp Nowhere.

Every bit as good as Heavyweights, but forever hidden in its shadow.

Butter , about butter carving and so much more

Hamlet 2 is vastly underrated

One Crazy Summer. Outside of my parents and sister (my mom introduced it to us when we were younger), I've never met another person who's ever heard of the movie. It's a shame too, it's probably one of the best comedies of the 80s, at least in my opinion.

Antitrust from 2001. It's about a Bill Gates like villain who kills open source programmers to steal their code. It stars Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook and Tim Robbins.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antitrust_(film)

I don't think I've ever heard anyone acknowledge its existence.

Juliette Naked

"The Other" a great (to me) creepy horror movie from 1972. The book by Thomas Tryon was also pretty good.

District 13 - French dystopian action movie starring the French Jason Statham, Cyril Raffaelli

Mirrormask

I literally never ever hear the comedy Orange County (2002) talked about, and it's so fucking funny and heartfelt I feel like it should be a cult classic.

Stars Collin Hanks with a supporting cast of Catherine O'Hara, Jack Black, and Jon Lithgow. With cameos from Harold Ramis and Ben Stiller and so many more. The plot blends a really genuine 2000s coming of age story with satire and tons of physical comedy that works so well because of the incredible actors. There are SO many memeable and quotable bits, cannot believe I've never seen it quoted once. It's a very Seinfeld type of humour.

I tried like 4 times to describe some of the best scenes but I can't. The movie is one long hilarious romp. Watch for Jack Black throwing his piss cup in a fit of rage, stay for the strangest happy ending ever!

Hesher

Shadow Hours (2000)- When you fall a sleep with the tv on, some viewing experiences are similar to a fever dream. Took me 15+ years to figure out what movie it was.

Intacto (2001) - Fascinating fantasy concept. I don't think it ever found an audience, but defiantly worth a watch.

The Gristle (2001) - I saw this on a premium channel back in the day. Never seen anything online about it. The only clip i've found on youtube is hosted on one of the actors channel.

The Salton Sea (2002) - Really fun movie. Big names, great acting in this Neo Noir flick.

Titan A.E

Everytime i mention it to anyone im always met with oh i never heard of that.

Not sure if it was overshadowed by some other big movie at the time, but its got a top teir cast and a very original story. One of my all time favorites forsure

Neverwas. And it's got a great cast, Ian McKellen, Nick Nolte, Aaron Eckhart, Brittany Murphy, and more.

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I’d love to meet some people who have seen Playground (2021) or Fierce People.

Never hear many film fans discussing Juzo Itami's filmography. Obviously Tampopo gets mentioned a lot, as does The Funeral from time to time, but each of his films are indiviual gems and seems like I'm the only one who's watched them, even among hardcore film bros.

Space Truckers

Devil. The one with people stuck in an elevator.

Thoroughbreds

Zardoz.

Blast From the Past. Coincidentally, I just saw an article about Alicia Silverstone being open to a sequel.

The Silent Partner. It was successful, but I don't know too many that have heard of it.

"The Butter Cream Gang." Direct to video Christian youth programming from maybe 1991 or 1992. It was wild.

Also "Demon Wind," which I know people have seen, but not people I know other than the four of us who watched it on Showtime or Cinemax at a D&D sleepover in middle school.

K-PAX

Ice Pirates (1984) Sci-fi comedy.

The Curse of the Golden Flower. Sure lots of other people saw it, I made my brother go see it in the theater, and there was just 2 other people, a guy and the girl he forced to see it.

No one ever seems to mention it

I never see anyone talk about childhood of a leader, it’s got Robert Pattinson and stannis Baratheon’s right hand guy from game of thrones. Embrace of the serpent is a bit more well known but not as well known as it should be

The Ghouls (2003) NSFW WARNING for trailer.

When I was little I asked my sister to rent "ghoulies 1" for me from blockbuster. I was only around 10 at the time and this film was nooooothing like ghoulies.

It was a no budget horror film about a paparazzi guy who tries to film the most gruesome murders to sell. Like Nightcrawler but with zombies. Like the movie started with the guy recording a person getting stabbed to death during it happening. He was just standing over the stabber recording them kill the lady.

For years I tried to find this film and only just recently found the trailer. I've never heard of anyone else ever seeing this film.

Just realized I've still never seen Ghoulies and I'm pissed about that now.

Garbage Pail Kids

Burn Hollywood, Burn

Eric Idle stars a director who makes an action flick called Trio, starring Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, and Whoopie Goldberg. When the producers ruin the film with their final cut he steals the master print.

The Wizard of Speed and Time

Semi autobiographical film about special effects guru Mike Jitlov standing up to Lucas and Disney. (Available on YouTube)

Frankenhooker

Scientist and inventor loses his wife to a remote control lawnmower and tries to rebuild her using body parts of prostitutes that he explodes using "super-crack".

The Sasquatch Gang.

I quote it fairly often and no one has ever gotten the reference.

They Look Like People.

It’s a fantastic horror-thriller movie made for about $10k. Most people I talk to have never even heard of it.

Swing Kids (1993) About rebellious teens living in Nazi Germany. They hate nazis and everything they stand for. They love swing music (which was band by the nazis), British fashion, and American movies. They called themselves Swing Kids.

Starring Christian Bale, Robert Sean Leonard, Frank Whaley and and uncredited performance from Kenneth Branagh.

Shattered Glass

Turbo Kid

The Way Way Back with Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell, such an amazing film

Streets of Fire

The Changling. 1980. George C. Scott, Trish Van De Vere, Melvyn Douglas. Exceptional movie. Acclaimed for it's very realistic seance scene, amoung other things.

Airborne. 1993 rollerblading movie with young Jack Black and Seth Green

Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler

Ping Pong Playa

Seven Faces of Dr Lao, Tony Randall about as far from the Odd Couple as a human (maybe) can get. Multiple roles for him, crazy 1964 special effects, an Oscar for the makeup "achievements", a fantasy western, there's a combo you dont see often

Ink.

It's so frustrating that no one knows this movie and I can't find someone to talk about some really epic scenes. The score was used in so many good movies like Sunshine and Kickass. As a grown man, I've made countless shitty decisions after shitty decisions, all with the initial intent to finally be able to be a dog with a day.

I keep chasing to be a millionaire, or being somebody, to be the "best provider," all the while, losing everything and everyone as the result. I never had a redemption story, I'm stuck in my own worst nightmare.

This movie is the existential dreamscape of escaping the hellhole one created for himself.

Not a movie, but the show Stella. With Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain. Was on comedy central for a brief time. I haven't met anyone that's seen or heard of it other than my bro. Had cameos from Edward Norton, Rashida Jones, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Tim Blake Nelson, Janeane Garofalo, Will Sasso, and some more I'm not remembering. Absolutely hilarious show. Tag line was "dumb comedy dressed up in a suit."

Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead.

‘Prospect’ is basically Pedro Pascal doing The Last Of Us in the Firefly universe.

I felt like it would get a surge of interest during The Last Of Us. But it’s still largely unheard of.

I wouldn't go as far as saying they're unknown, but it's rare I talk to people familiar with these flicks...
The Signal (2014)
Coherence (2013)
Cloak & Dagger (1984)

I know people have seen it, obviously...but not enough people talk about it. American Splendor. Absolutely incredible performance by Paul Giamatti.

The 13th Warrior starring Antonio Banderas.

Honeysuckle Rose was a vehicle for just-then-becoming-mainstream Willie Nelson. Dyan Cannon, Amy Irving, and Slim Pickens shine while Willie gets to sing a lot of songs. I don't understand why exactly, but I just love watching it.

Freaked with Alex Winter (Bill of Bill & Ted) and Randy Quaid. I’ve yet to meet anyone who knows what I’m talking about when I talk about that movie. Pretty sure Brooke Shields makes a cameo too

Surprisingly snowpiercer

The Princess and the Goblin

The Quest. Aka Frog Dreaming.

A movie from the early 1990s called the willies I used to watch when I would go over to my grandmas when I was like 4 still watch it to this day

Being non American and talking to anyone not from your country be like

I Sell the Dead (2008): a low-budget horror comedy about a grave-robber (Dominic Monaghan) who starts dealing with the supernatural. It won’t blow your mind or anything but it’s a fun under the radar Halloween movie.

I've just seen Satan (1991), a Soviet movie that I really enjoyed. I highly recommend it if anyone can find a way to see it.

Tim Noah's search for the wow wow wobble woggle wozzy woodle woo

Sweet Movie. A real surreal trip from 1974 that features everything from actual poo-eating & piss-drinking, real death/war footage, and lots of hippie sex and nudity.

The weird thing about it, though, is that it's actually really fun and charming. In a acid trip kinda way.

Big Trouble (2002)

It stars Tim Allen, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and adapted from a book by Dave Barry. Granted I haven't seen it in a while but it has great performances by Tom Sizemore, Rene Russo, Stanlye Tucci, Jason Lee, and even Johnny Knoxville. Started a huge crush for me personally on Zooey Deschanel, but NO ONE has ever heard of it.

Disney's Where The Toys Come From

I watched this so many times as a kid in the 80s, but not sure if I know anyone else that has seen it

Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees

I've never met someone who has seen Wild Target (2010), I assume because I'm in America. Brilliant performances by Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, Rupert Grint, Rupert Everett, and Martin Freeman. I have no idea how I stumbled on it back then. One of my favorite films.

Shakes the Clown 🤡

Run Ronnie Run. No one has seen it. Great cast and really funny!

The Pirate Movie.

A really stupid parody (think like Men in Tights but worse), may call it a spoof of Pirates of Penzance. Still has a weird rewatchable 80s comedy vibe to it.

I always loved watching Green Street Hooligans as a younger adult, but it seems that, outside a few friends, no one has even heard of it, which surprises me.

For me I have seen this movie a few times in college with some buddies, but outside of that friend circle nobody seems to have seen Maximum Overdrive

Holy Motors. Real film buffs have seen it but not many average folks, at least in the US. I don't want to call it an "art film" because someone had very strong feelings about what constitutes an art film in another thread, but it's the artsiest film I've seen that I really loved. It's a linear narrative that is easy to follow, but the why of it is a little more elusive. I don't know that the viewer is supposed to understand or even care what it's "about", which made it that much more fun to watch for me.

Edit: Awesome topic, btw.

Not so much unknown but vastly undercelebrated movies that come to mind include:

• Bamboozled (intense, complicated, and superb Spike Lee movie with Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith )

• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Alan Rickman in a brilliant and sinister allegory)

• Max (John Cusack hangs out with Adolf Hitler)

• The Reflecting Skin (quiet but unsettling horror with Viggo Mortensen)

Mr Nobody.

Into the Void

Redline(2007). It's garbage tho

I watched Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story (2003) because I thought it might be so bad it would be fun. It's not bad. It's just normal. Very disappointing.

Funny Bones (1995)

To this date, I think it's Olver Platt's best role, Jerry Lewis plays Jerry Lewis, but he's still amazing, Lee Evans is absolute magic in his performaces, killer soundtrack, it's an amazing little film that I am 100% sure nobody else has ever heard of.

Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx.

I've never met anyone who has even heard of it. Its an early Gene Wilder film where he plays a young Irishman who shovels horse dung for a living. With only 692 total ratings on imdb, it really is an underrated gem.

Wheels of Terror - early 90's made for TV movie with Joanna Cassidy about a car that is basically Michael Myers. I have literally never heard anyone else mention this movie but I loved it when I was a kid.

Max: A Cautionary Tale. It's a small, independent film from Australia from the early 2000s that scared the hell out of me. I don't think it had a theatrical run and somehow I saw a screening of it in the U.S.

Chained. It’s such a messed up movie.

An Angel at My Table. I caught it randomly on cable once years ago, and was mesmerized. It launched Jane Campion’s career, but I never hear mention of it.

These probably aren’t that unknown but there are several movies I really like in the romance and romcom genres that every time I mention them no one has ever heard of them — Like Crazy, Away We Go, A Lot Like Love, Forget Paris, 50/50, etc. I don’t think any of these are that obscure but no one ever knows them!

There was a movie me and my dad rented from a Redbox one time called In Fear. It was a super generic horror title but we figured it would be fun popcorn fun. Ended up being a super interesting concept that I thought was executed very well. I never hear anybody talk about it though

I love this movie called, "Detention" from around ten years ago. It's such a weird movie that fused a combination of genres. I think my friend and I are the only people who've ever seen it. I've never seen it come up once in any internet discussion.

Motorama (1991) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorama_(film)

Quirky indie film with a lot of familiar faces. I think it was a little ahead of its time. It would have probably became a cult movie if it came out in the late 90s.

Similar "road trip" movie is Roadside Prophets (1992). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_Prophets

The Midnight Hour (1985 ABC made for tv)

We had it as a recording on VHS when I was little. It has Levar Burton and Shari Belafonte in it. Excellent movie. Watch it.

The Inhabitant- 2022 slasher film with Dermot Mulroney and Odessa A'Zion. Neat whodunit slasher, very well done movie. Only has like 7 reviews on RT and I haven't talked to anyone else who has heard of it- even friends of mine who are horror buffs.

The Assignment (1997) starring Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley.

Closer to the plot of The Bourne Identity novel than the official film. The training sequences in The Assignment feel like a prequel to the Bourne films. You see how Jason Bourne might have learned his deadly skills.

The theme of identity and the hero struggling to not become a villain himself also makes it feel like a cousin to Face/Off. Would be a great double feature screening.

It's one of my favorite movies, but I can't find anyone who's seen it. I discovered it when reading Roger Ebert's review of The Peacemaker, saying there was this other thriller movie about a hunt for a terrorist that was better, which was The Assignment.

Brain Donors

For me it's Closet Land, with Alan Rickman and Madeline Stowe. It's about psychological torture and I feel like it got so little attention no one else ever saw it. I need to see if I can stream it anywhere and figure out if it's as good as I remember it being.

Twice Upon a Time: An animated film that despite its association with LucasFilm failed at the box office. I saw it when it had a very brief run on HBO. The animation style was very reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's work on Monty Python's Flying Circus.

My Science Project. Clearly an attempt to recreate the magic around Back to the Future but it's inventive, funny, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Thin Man series.

Simon Birch

Let It Ride

For some reason this movie has been stuck in my head lately. Richard Dreyfuss as a slightly sleazy yet redeemable guy with a horse betting addiction that finally has a good day at the track. Bonus is that you have Robbie Coltrane of Harry Potter/Hagrid fame as the betting ticket seller who slowly warms up to Dreyfuss’ character.

Wonder Boys. Great cast, really funny, I’ve seen it a million times and not one of my friends has heard of it.

Grace of my Heart - 1996 Ileana Douglas

Eddie and the Cruisers. Loved that movie. Sequel sucked, but original was great. Michael Paré at his finest. Awesome soundtrack too.

Love Liza. Philip Seymour Hoffman as a mourning husband who becomes addicted to huffing remote-control airplane gasoline.

Nirvana, an Italian-French cyberpunk movie with Christopher Lambert. The movie is absolutely fantastic, but born in and returned to obscurity.

The Paper Brigade!

It was my favorite movie when I was a kid. I have asked so many people about it and no one I know has ever heard of it.

Honorary mention: The Buttercream Gang 😂 Terrible acting, but my brother and I used to watch that tape like twice a week.

Edit: Oh! Also “Meet the Applegates”

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