Hidden Gems (in the world of movies/videos/television)

[Flightpath07]

Hidden Gems (in the world of movies/videos/television)


I thought we could perhaps use a thread here like this, to talk about little known movies (whether on the big-screen or direct-to-video, or television shows). You know the ones I mean; the things not everybody has seen or knows of, the hidden gems that we like despite the fact that others look at us puzzled when we mention them.

For instance, I thought about talking about how Mystery Men [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132347/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] is one of my favourite superhero movies. What do you all think? Is Mystery Men perhaps too mainstream to even be mentioned on this thread? It is definitely a lower-echelon movie, but still a fair number of people have seen it or at least know of it.

Defendor [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1303828/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ] (starring Woody Harrelson) is, perhaps, a superhero movie (of a sort) that I like, that could be mentioned for this thread. Equal parts funny and yet serious, it tackles social issues and issues of mental health, all in the guise of a guy in a funny costume who does good things (or tries to) – at its heart, isn’t that what being a superhero is all about?

Going in another direction, if you enjoy zombie movies (or perhaps even if you don’t, but you like dark comedies), then A Little Bit Zombie [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1912982/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ] might be an off-the-wall pick for you to see and enjoy.

In the horror category, if, like me, you enjoy movies that feature great makeup and prosthetic use, as well as some occasional stop-motion filming, or if you lean a little more towards the macabre in your horror, or if you find creature-features more to your liking than the straightforward teen-slasher-killer fare that seems to populate most of what people watch in horror movies now, then I would like to suggest that you may find Full Moon’s (that’s the company name) Subspecies quintet of films to your liking. For those keeping score at home, that would be Subspecies [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103002/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ] , Bloodstone: Subspecies II [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106436/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] , Bloodlust: Subspecies III [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109302/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] , Subspecies IV: Bloodstorm [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181315/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] , and Vampire Journals [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120428/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] . If you watch these, don’t expect jump-out-of-your-seat horror, but be prepared to be entertained nonetheless.

If we are talking television, I enjoyed the TV series The Cape [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1593823/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ] , starring David Lyons, where a cop framed for murder comes back as a masked vigilante. I was disappointed only one season was made of this show, I would have gladly watched at least 100 episodes.

Back in the horror genre, if you liked the classic From Dusk Till Dawn (Robert Rodriguez-director, Quentin Tarantino-screenplay), then you will probably get a kick out of the creature-feature, sci-fi horror trilogy, Feast. Filmed in a desert biker bar, an abandoned small town, and some sewers, some of the stars of this trilogy include Henry Rollins, Jason Mewes, and Martin Klebba (who also starred in The Cape). Each of these films picks up immediately where the last one left off, creating a true trilogy. Feast [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426459/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ] , Feast II: Sloppy Seconds [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104835/?ref_=tt_rec_tt ] , and Feast III: The Happy Finish [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104836/?ref_=tt_rec_tt ] . Expect over-the-top gore, ridiculous situations, completely one-dimensional characters (that’s done on purpose!), fast moving frights, no discernible good guys to be found, and much hilarity.

And another well-done superhero period piece is the 2013 film Sparks [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234429/?ref_=nv_sr_5 ] , a super-powered mystery whodunnit set in the 1940s. I thought that this was a classic example of a well-done film, excellent storyline, a tiny bit like a Sin-City-lite with superpowers, yet it got no love at all from filmgoers. Well worth seeing!

So, I leave it up to all of you; do any of you like films that don’t make the most money, don’t get the most viewers, and don’t cost $100-million to make? Whatever the genre, share your love of these films here!