Just thinking about movies that may have gone unnoticed by so many over the years up to recently. One movie in particular that I was chatting to someone about over the weekend was a movie called “STUCK” Well worth a watch, not many people I mention it too ever heard of it. Please post all your great movies that never quite made it mainstream.
The Pernicious One recommends One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , And provides below a synopsis of a work of art which he can feel somehow he has a real, almost innate connection with, you may or may not have heard of it.... In 1963 Oregon, recidivist criminal Randle McMurphy is moved to a mental institution after serving a short sentence on a prison farm for statutory rape of a 15-year-old. Though not actually mentally ill, McMurphy hopes to avoid hard labor and serve the rest of his sentence in a relaxed environment. Upon arriving at the hospital, he finds the ward run by Nurse Ratched, a steely passive-aggressive tyrant who intimidates her patients in order to keep them in line. The other patients include anxious, stuttering Billy Bibbit; Charlie Cheswick, who is prone to childish tantrums; delusional Martini; the well-educated, paranoid Dale Harding; belligerent and profane Max Taber; epileptics Jim Sefelt and Bruce Fredrickson, the former of whom gives his medicine to the latter; heavily-bearded quiet but violent-minded Scanlon, "Chief" Bromden, a very tall Native American believed to be deaf and mute, and several others with more chronic conditions. Ratched soon sees McMurphy’s lively, rebellious presence as a threat to her authority, and she confiscates the patients’ cigarettes and rations them, and suspends their card-playing privileges. During his time in the ward, McMurphy gets into a battle of wits with Ratched. He steals a hospital bus, escaping with several patients to go on a fishing trip, encouraging his friends to become more self-confident. McMurphy learns his sentence may become indefinite and he makes plans to escape, exhorting Chief to throw a hydrotherapyconsole through a window. It is also revealed that McMurphy (and Chief and Taber) are the only non-chronic patients sentenced to staying at the institution, as the rest are self-committed and could voluntarily check-out at any time, but are too afraid to do so. McMurphy, Chief, and Cheswick get into a fight with the orderlies after the latter becomes agitated over his confiscated cigarettes. Ratched sends them to the "shock shop", where McMurphy discovers Chief can actually speak despite feigning being deaf and mute to avoid engaging with anyone. After being subjected to electroconvulsive therapy, McMurphy returns to the ward pretending to have brain damage, although he reveals the treatment has charged him up even more. McMurphy and Chief make plans to escape, but decide to throw a secret Christmasparty for their friends after Ratched leaves for the night. McMurphy sneaks two women, Candy and Rose, into the ward, and bribes the night guard. After a night of partying, McMurphy and Chief prepare to escape, inviting Billy to come with them. Not ready to leave the hospital, he refuses. Billy asks for a “date” with Candy and McMurphy arranges for him to have sex with her. Ratched arrives in the morning to find the ward in disarray and most of the patients passed out drunk. She discovers Billy and Candy together, the former now free of his stutter, until Ratched threatens to inform his mother about his escapade. Billy is overwhelmed with fear. Miss Ratched has him placed in and the doctor’s office to wait for the doctor to arrive, where he commits suicide. The enraged McMurphy chokes Ratched, before being knocked out by an orderly. Ratched comes back with a neck brace and a scratchy voice, and Harding now leads the now unsuspended card-playing. Rumors spread that McMurphy has escaped in order to avoid being taken "upstairs". Later that night, Chief sees McMurphy being returned to his bed. He discovers that McMurphy has lobotomy scars on his forehead, and in an act of mercy, smothers his friend with a pillow. Chief finally throws the hydrotherapy cart through the window and escapes into the night, cheered on by Taber.
Two comedies, A Night at the Roxbury with a young Will Ferrell and Swingers with an even younger Vince Vaughn Must have watched it at least 100 times
One flew over the cuckoo's nest is quality but not exactly under the radar I would suggest... Oscar for best film and best actor
This was nominated for a bafta but not sure if it went mainstream. I seen it a good few years ago and was blown away by it. Great watch. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0472043/?ref=m_nv_sr_1
Winter's Bone Hanna The Children of Men The Secret in Their Eyes (Original - Argentinian) Kung Fu Hustle The Raid 21 Grams Into the Wild Not sure if these all count as under the radar or not but all great. Will post more as I remember.
Frozen River Moon A Separation The Big Sick The Hudsucker Proxy Raising Arizona Paris, Texas Miller's Crossing Again not sure how well watched they are but just some of my favourites.