Unique movies

[Flatfrog]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (and other Charlie Kaufman movies, the guy is a genius)

Dogville - possibly the most unusual bit of set design I've ever seen: the entire movie takes place in an empty studio with the layout of a town drawn on it like a rehearsal room. Only watch if you're ready to give it some time, it's pretty harrowing

Bubba Ho Tep - Elvis lives in a nursing home and fights a mummy. Hell yeah.

 

[Flatfrog]

C'est arrivé prês de chez vous, or Man Bites Dog. Awesome.

I agree, but a warning: this film has a rape scene that's pretty horrible and my wife was disturbed by it for literally years afterwards.

 

[Not PvP Flagged]

Hmmmm, The Butterfly Effect? Black Swan?
Man I know I know some better than that but can't remember...

ZOMG! You have Richard as your Avatar too!

OT Zombie Land, it was pretty unique for me.

 

[KingofallCosmos]

C'est arrivé prês de chez vous, or Man Bites Dog. Awesome.

I agree, but a warning: this film has a rape scene that's pretty horrible and my wife was disturbed by it for literally years afterwards.

Well, whatever you do, don't let her watch Irreversible. Couldn't stand that. And I normally don't have any problems with graphic scenes...

 

[Purplecoyote]

My Own Private Idaho (seriously, watch Keanu Reeves ACT!).
Black Swan and Suckerpunch for something recent. Basically anything Terry Gilliam like Twelve Monkeys, Tidelands, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas,...

 

[Flatfrog]

C'est arrivé prês de chez vous, or Man Bites Dog. Awesome.

I agree, but a warning: this film has a rape scene that's pretty horrible and my wife was disturbed by it for literally years afterwards.

Well, whatever you do, don't let her watch Irreversible. Couldn't stand that. And I normally don't have any problems with graphic scenes...

Graphic isn't the problem, it was the context. (Minor spoiler follows but I can't be arsed to censor it...) She was freaked out by the fact that it happened right in the victims' home, without any warning or preamble. There was something very shockingly casual about it. Which of course was the point of the scene, and of the whole movie - how we become participants in violence by being interested in it. But anyway, it freaked her out something chronic. To this day I can't mention the movie in her presence.

 

[Halceon]

Mr. Nobody - a movie about a many worlds interpretation universe, where one very old man remembers all possible lives he could have lived.

 

[Nenad]

Hmmmm, The Butterfly Effect? Black Swan?
Man I know I know some better than that but can't remember...

ZOMG! You have Richard as your Avatar too!

OT Zombie Land, it was pretty unique for me.

ZOMFG! I do! Not only that: Zombie Land was awesome for me too!

 

[KingofallCosmos]

Graphic isn't the problem, it was the context. (Minor spoiler follows but I can't be arsed to censor it...) She was freaked out by the fact that it happened right in the victims' home, without any warning or preamble. There was something very shockingly casual about it. Which of course was the point of the scene, and of the whole movie - how we become participants in violence by being interested in it. But anyway, it freaked her out something chronic. To this day I can't mention the movie in her presence.

It is precisely because of that fact that I mentioned it. I said graphic, I meant awfully realistic (my bad, english not being my first language); the scene lasts as long as it would take in real life. Only scene I never want to see again.

 

[Inconnu24]

Moon: A solitary man overseeing a mining operation on the Moon for a huge corporation begins seeing and hearing things and starts questioning the plans the corporation has for him.

Into The Wild: True story of a young man who graduates college and then gives up everything to live a solitary life in the wild.

Triangle: A sort of supernatural horror where a group of friends run into a storm while sailing in the Bermuda Triangle and board a deserted ship. A mindfuck ensues.

EDIT: To reinforce earlier suggestions:

Primer: As was said, time travel done right.

Zombieland: A wonderfully told story of survivors in a zombie apocalypse.

 

[Lilani]

okay, so i just watched Let Me In (american remake, go see it NOW) and enjoyed it much more then the general slightly clichéd movies that are coming out.
So can you suggest slightly offbeat or unique movies for me, and preferably explain why.

I highly recommend A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. It was made in the 70s, and it is a very well made adaptation of a stage musical. The writing is genuinely funny, the characters are lovable, and the story goes completely batshit insane in the second and third acts (in an awesome way, not in a "wtf what did I miss" way), but it all comes back together for an extremely satisfying ending. Plus the music is darn catchy. Here's the opening number. It gives you the basic setting and a good idea of its sense of humor:

 

[Custard_Angel]

Primer is pretty unique because next to nothing is ever explained and the plot progresses with or without the audience i.e. pay attention and understand or you get left behind. It's also quite unique as it had a production budget of less than $10,000 but actually looks pretty good despite that.

Falling Down is also a pretty unique movie as the actions of the protagonist gradually seem more deranged to the point where its uncertain whether he's a protagonist or antagonist, and then goes even further to finally decide which he is.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is easily one of Nicholas Cage's best movies and is definitive proof that although he may be a little crazy, he is definitely a talented actor. An absolute joy to watch as you see a drug addict spend the entire duration of the movie taking various substances and losing his mind in the process.

Chopper is a semi biographical movie about the life of Mark "Chopper" Read, an Australian convicted criminal responsible for dozens of murders and only ever tried for one (which he beat). The role of Chopper is played by Eric Bana who was so good at his role that even the real Mark Read praised as looking more like "Chopper" than he did himself. The movie is quite Australian, so some things may fall down on a foreign audience, but the violence is visceral enough to transcend international barriers (one scene features Chopper being stabbed a dozen times and ignoring the wounds).

Each of these movies I'd consider fairly unique. You might not agree that they're unique, but I think it goes beyond question that each is special.

 

[blAAAm]

Old Boy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/

 

[thylasos]

So can you suggest slightly offbeat or unique movies for me, and preferably explain why.

Certainly. I suggest these for your perusal, chap.

The Darjeeling Limited - Three brothers travel through India, still getting over their father's death and tryign to repair their relationship, with a truly excellent soundtrack and visual style.

Russian Ark (Русский Ковче&#1075 - 2 hour one-shot first-person journey through various time periods and rooms of the Winter Palace and Hermitage in Saint Peterburg, a pair of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world. An exploration of Russian history and the nature of art and memory.

Daisies (Sedmikrasky) - Czech New Wave film of 1966, exploring the lives of two sisters, Marie I and Marie II, who decide to "go bad" presaging the coming of the Prague Spring in 1968, exploring their lives under the Czechoslovak regime of the time, through a vaguely psychedelic journey. As it comments at the end, "This film is dedicated to all those whose sole source of indignation is a trampled-on trifle."

La Double Vie de Veronique - Kieslowski's excellent exploration of the life of Weronika and Veronique, both in (still-"Communist")Poland and France, with excellent music and a compelling consideration of both lives.

Everything is Illuminated - Wonderfully scripted exploration of Ukranian Jewish identity, with an excellent soundtrack and wonderful visual style, especially beautiful Eastern European countryside (though it's actually filmed in the Czech Republic, rather than Ukraine.). Funny at times, touching at others, wonderful throughout.

I Heart Huckabees - Amazingly odd story of a group of people who become entwined with an "Existential Detective Agency" supposedly to resolve conflicts or coincidences in their lives, exploring various schools of philosophical thought, eventually resulting in a modus vivendi and synthesis of various philosophical ideals. Big ideas, amusing dialogue, a wonderful aesthetic, with a quirky but fitting soundtrack.

Yeah that's all I'm coming up with right now, along those lines.

 

[liquidsolid]

Donnie Darko The Directors Cut

Eraserhead

Stanley Kubrick Films are pretty unique, A Clockwork Orange is out there.

 

[bagless_hound]

Time Crimes- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480669/ Great time travel paradox/thriller movie about a peeping tom fat fuck Spaniard accidentally going back in time an hour and having his day ruined to say the least on account of him being a fat fuck peeping tom Spaniard.

The Chipmunk Adventure- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092752/ No, seriously! Don't go! This isn't that CG version that came out a few years back or the brilliantly subtitled "squeauel" neither of which I've seen but have heard that people hate. This is an oddly entertaining movie about bad people getting naive chipmunks to smuggle diamonds all over the world. It features great musical set pieces including the amazing "Girls and Boys of Rock and Roll" and the equally amazing "Diamond Dolls". Very funny and charming animated feature which happens to be in my top ten list of films.

Grosse Pointe Blank- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119229/ It's a comedy about a depressed hitman going to his ten year high school reunion, not because he wants to but because his latest target happens to be in his old hometown. He meets up with his H.S. girlfriend whom he stood up on prom night and he gets chased around by another hitman, brilliantly played by Dan Akroyd, who wants him to join an assassins union. He also gets chased around yet another hitman looking to off him for botching a job and NSA agents (or were they FBI?). A really funny and introspective movie.

 

[GonzoGamer]

So can you suggest slightly offbeat or unique movies for me, and preferably explain why.

Before I even look at the rest of the thread, I love weird movies and there are some directors that are really good at them. As such, some of my favorite directors are Terry Gilliam (Brazil,12 Monkeys, Fisher King & Fear and Loathing), Jean Pierre-Jeunet (Delicatessen[a must see for any Fallout fan], City of Lost Children, and Micmacs), and Chronenburg (Naked Lunch & Videodrome). If you pick up one of their movies, you are sure to see some unusual and intricately detailed movies. That is to say the plots and themes are strange and layered enough that you will want to watch the movie more than once. These directors also put so much thought and detail into each and every shot that you will also want to see their movies more than once.

There's also some anime you should check out:
Akira & Ghost in the Shell are classics.
Cowboy Bebop was also great but not quite as good as the TV series.
You might also dig Perfect Blue which is like what would've happened if Hitchcock made an anime movie.

And some random movies you will probably dig:
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Repo Man
Night on Earth
Big Lebowski
Fight Club
What's Up Tiger Lilly (even if you don't normally like Woody Allen)

 

[Gabanuka]

Princess bride. Ignore the name and see that damn film!

 

[kayisking]

Corpse Bride, it's a cute little tale, and it's little over an hour so it won't take up to much of your time.