Off the beaten track movies
A list of movies that are a step away from the mainstream. Most are Sci-Fi, but all, in my opinion are worth a watch. Not saying that these are classic movies or anything like that, but are worth checking out if you're looking for something a bit different. Listed in no particular order. This is my first list, hope you like it, or at least find something useful on there :)
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- DirectorMichael AriasHiroaki AndôStarsKazunari NinomiyaYû AoiYûsuke IseyaTwo boys defend Treasure Town and Yakuza try to take over and clear it for new development.Possibly one of the most accessible anime stories in my opinion. But the real star of this movie is Treasure Town itself.
- DirectorClive A. SmithStarsDon FrancksPaul Le MatGreg SalataA malevolent rock star kidnaps a singer to force her to participate in the summoning of a demon, and her band must help her stop him.Great animation and great sound track. With the likes of Earth Wind and Fire, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick and Iggy Pop.
- DirectorGerald PottertonJohn BrunoJohn HalasStarsRichard RomanusJohn CandyJoe FlahertyA glowing green orb that embodies ultimate evil terrorizes a young girl with an anthology of bizarre and fantastic stories.Great mix of animation styles in this. Some of the stories are better than others. But still pretty cool.
- DirectorRalph BakshiStarsMews SmallRon ThompsonJerry HollandThe story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.None Sci-Fi. Anything, in my opinion, by Ralph Bakshi is worth a watch. Again great soundtrack to this movie.
- DirectorEnki BilalStarsLinda HardyThomas KretschmannCharlotte RamplingIn the distant future, Earth is occupied by ancient gods and genetically altered humans. When a god is sentenced to death he seeks a new human host and a woman to bear his child.Odd movie this one. Directed and based on 2 comic books by Enki Bilal. Some of the CGI is a bit hit and miss, but still worth checking out.
- DirectorJim MickleStarsConnor PaoloNick DamiciKelly McGillisIn a world of vampires, an expert vampire hunter and his young protégé travel toward sanctuary.Was not expecting the movie I watched. Expected this to be a gore-fest, but instead it was a pretty good and pretty subtle movie.
- DirectorShane AckerStarsElijah WoodJennifer ConnellyCrispin GloverA rag doll that awakens in a postapocalyptic future holds the key to humanity's salvation.Great animation and atmosphere to this one.
- DirectorRalph BakshiStarsBob HoltJesse WellesRichard RomanusOn a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.Another Ralph Bakshi. A dead strange mix of fantasy with Ralph previous urban movies thrown in for good measure.
- DirectorDouglas TrumbullStarsChristopher WalkenNatalie WoodLouise FletcherResearchers develop a system where they can jump into people's minds. But when people involved bring their personal problems into the equation, it becomes dangerous - perhaps deadly.Old classic here. Christopher Walken in top form.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDan O'BannonDre PahichBrian NarelleIn the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.If you've not seen this, where have you been. Very funny story about stoners in space.
- DirectorMoon-saeng KimStarsAndrew AblesonCathy CavadiniJoon-ho Chung2142: Pollution and climate change wiped out most of Earth's population. Ecoban city is built to withstand this. Suppression results in revolt. A childhood couple find each other as adults on opposing sides.Also know as Sky Blue. A pretty good Korean anime. Worth a watch.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.Great film. Really like this one. Original idea and well executed. Nothing more to say.
- DirectorAndrzej SekulaStarsKari MatchettGeraint Wyn DaviesGrace Lynn KungEight strangers awaken with no memory, in a puzzling cube-shaped room where the laws of physics do not always apply.Obviously not as good as it's predecessor, but builds on the concept of the Cube. I enjoyed it.
- DirectorErnie BarbarashStarsZachary BennettStephanie MooreMartin RoachA young programmer whose job is to watch over the reality-warping Cube defies orders to rescue an innocent mother trapped in one of its rooms.Same as Cube 2. Not as good as the first, but builds on the concept.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsDavid HewlettAndrew MillerGordon PinsentAfter a terrible day, two good friends and housemates find the outside world converted into a featureless and empty white void.Directed by the Cube's Vincenzo Natali. I had to send for this from Canada and did so just based on how much I enjoyed Cube. Good, if a little odd, movie.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsJeremy NorthamLucy LiuNigel BennettAn unsuspecting, disenchanted man finds himself working as a spy in the dangerous, high-stakes world of corporate espionage. Quickly getting way over-his-head, he teams up with a mysterious femme fatale.Another by Vincenzo Natali. It was called Cypher when I watched it and god knows why the name change. Not to be mistaken for the Christopher Walken movie (also on the list). Good story with a pretty good twist.
- DirectorDarren Lynn BousmanStarsPaul SorvinoAnthony HeadAlexa PenaVegaA worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however.Very odd movie. Unfairly compared to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But this one has got far more horror. But I think the title says it all "The Genetic Opera." Says what it is on the tin.
- DirectorTetsuya NomuraTakeshi NozueStarsTakahiro SakuraiAyumi ItoShôtarô MorikuboAn ex-mercenary is forced out of isolation when three mysterious men kidnap and brainwash the city's children afflicted with the Geostigma disease.Forget the story. Doesn't make a lot of sense unless you've play the games, read the comics, brought the tee shirt, listened to their albums.... erm, you get the drift. Just watch it for the fantastic graphics.
- DirectorJamin WinansStarsChristopher Soren KellyQuinn HuncharJessica DuffyA mysterious creature, known as Ink, steals a child's soul in hopes of using it as a bargaining chip to join the Incubi - the group of supernatural beings responsible for creating nightmares.A very odd indie film which I enjoyed more than I expected.
- DirectorVictor SalvaStarsMary SteenburgenSean Patrick FlaneryLance HenriksenAn off-the-charts genius who is home schooled and shunned after his last relative dies shows the unconscious residents of his town about connection awareness and the generosity of the spirit.Felt similar to this movie as I did with Ink. Odd but pretty good.
- DirectorStanley DonenJohn BarryStarsFarrah FawcettKirk DouglasHarvey KeitelTwo lovers stationed at a remote base in the asteroid belt of Saturn are intruded upon by an anal-retentive technocrat from Earth and his charge: a malevolent eight foot tall robot.Ok, this is a bad Hollywood attempt at an Alien type film, and does have some pretty laughable scenes to. But still worth a watch with a few beers.
- DirectorRintarôStarsToshio FurukawaScott WeingerYuka ImotoKenichi and his uncle Shunsaku Ban must find the mystery behind robot girl Tima.Not to be mistaken with Fritz Lang classic 1927 Metropolis. This is a pretty good cyber punk anime that is worth a viewing.
- DirectorKurt WimmerStarsMilla JovovichCameron BrightNick ChinlundA beautiful haemophage infected with a virus that gives her superhuman powers has to protect a boy in a futuristic world, who is thought to be carrying antigens that would destroy all hæmophages.If you like the Matrix movies and have had a few beers, you'll like this one too.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.A great cyber punk anime.
- DirectorNaoko KusumiMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAkio ÔtsukaAtsuko TanakaTamio ÔkiIn the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner.Possibly even better than the first one.
- DirectorStephen ChiodoStarsGrant CramerSuzanne SnyderJohn Allen NelsonAliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.Definitely comes under the heading of B-Movie with beers. Good fun. And why not.
- DirectorJoseph MangineStarsClyde HayesLeilani SarelleDonna LockeA group of teenagers in San Francisco discover a nest of homicidal monsters living in a tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, but when they try to tell authorities, no one believes them.Same as Killer Klowns, watch with beer. Think I originally watched this on the same night as Killer Klowns on good old fashioned VHS. Oh yes, the days of grainy low definition pictures.
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsWilliam KattKay LenzGeorge WendtA troubled writer moves into a haunted house after inheriting it from his aunt.A really good horror comedy. Worth checking out all the House series of movies but watch out for House 3 (The Horror Show). Goes from horror comedy to just horror. Not quite the same.
- DirectorTed NicolaouStarsDiane FranklinMary WoronovGerrit Graham"TerrorVision" is a 1986 horror / science fiction movie; telling the tale of when a family's new satellite television system starts receiving signals from another planet, and soon it becomes the passageway to an alien world.Rubber monster extravaganza. A load of rubbish, but still worth a watch. Again with a light beverage or 2.... or maybe 3.
- DirectorDave BorthwickStarsNick UptonDeborah CollardFrank PassinghamA boy born the size of a small doll is kidnapped by a genetic lab and must find a way back to his father in this inventive adventure filmed using stop motion animation techniques. Tom meets a variety of strange creatures and eventually discovers a race of miniature humans like himself.Pretty gloomy movie this one, and not everybody's cup of tea. I'd class this one as interesting.
- DirectorMarc CaroJean-Pierre JeunetStarsRon PerlmanDaniel EmilforkJudith VittetA scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.First real movie outside both the States and the UK that went for the special effect type angle, but with a French twist. Makes for a pretty interesting mix.
- DirectorGerald McMorrowStarsEva GreenRyan PhillippeSam RileyA portrait of the broken lives of four people (a vigilante detective, a worried parent, an awkward man looking for love and a suicidal artist) as they all struggle to cope in their religiously-dystopian city.This got slated when it came out, but I thought it was pretty good. Nice twist on what is real and what isn't.
- DirectorDouglas TrumbullStarsBruce DernCliff PottsRon RifkinIn a future where all flora is extinct on Earth, an astronaut is given orders to destroy the last of Earth's botany, kept in a greenhouse aboard a spacecraft.Ahead of it's time with the message it wanted to portray. Yes, it's very dated now, but I still think it's pretty good.
- DirectorRichard StanleyStarsDylan McDermottStacey TravisJohn LynchThe head of a cyborg reactivates, rebuilds itself, and goes on a violent rampage in a space marine's girlfriend's apartment.Low budget Sci-Fi horror based on a story originally featured in the UK comic 2000AD.
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsCatherine Mary StewartKelli MaroneyRobert BeltranA comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.I shouldn't like this movie, but there's something about those 80s chicks with big hair being chased by zombies, just hits the spot.
- DirectorShinji AramakiStarsAi KobayashiJûrôta KosugiYuki MatsuokaIn a utopian society created at the end of the third world war, a female warrior who has been plucked from the badlands begins to see cracks in this new facade. And what does this community have planned for the rest of humankind?A remake of the original anime, but this time with some pretty cool computer animation. Check it.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsMichael ParéLisa EichhornDean DevlinAn unconventional corporate agent is given the task of shaping a group of violent criminals and technical wizards into a helicopter defense force assigned to protect a mining station on a remote moon.A pretty passable low budget sci-fi from the then pretty unknown Roland Emmerich.
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsTim LoaneIan BeattieOlwen FouéréA space trucker and his cute fiancee are on their way from a space station to Earth with an unknown cargo. When space pirates hijack them, 5000 disintegrator robots are found in the cargo.A camp bit of fun. With Dennis Hopper too. How cool is that. Need to add beer.
- DirectorDavid Webb PeoplesStarsRutger HauerJoan ChenDelroy LindoIn a future where most of mankind and technology is wiped out, six people travel from place to place playing a brutal form of football with a dog skull. They hope one day to play in the league in a city.A kind of Mad Max gladiator type of movie. I didn't think it was too bad. I can't believe it got slated for its violence when it first came out. It's pretty tamed compared to stuff these days.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsPierre JolivetJean BouiseJean RenoIn a post-apocalyptic future where no one is able to speak, the few remaining humans fight over resources in order to survive.I'll be honest and say I can't remember a lot about this one. I think it was black and white, but it's got no dialogue. But I can remember thinking it was good stuff.