OBSCURE MOVIE GEMS (and Other Favorites)

It’s very rare for me to watch movies in theaters anymore. I do partake in the occasional blockbuster, AAA, mega-budget popcorn flick; Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC, Lord of the Rings, ETC. For the most part, I enjoy horribly cheesy B movies. Mostly horror, sci-fi, drama and comedy, with some mixture of multiples of these genres. Here are a few of my favorite films and reasons why I enjoy them.

Basket Case 1982

What’s in the box?! That’s the question you’ll be asking most of the film. A horror story about a boy and an entity in a box…that must be fed. Two brothers separated at birth join forces to kill the physician that separated them.

Oh man. The gore is the best part of this movie and movies like it. Practical effects and a lot of imagination are the way they convey most of the grotesque goings on in “Basket Case.” Schlock, cheesy, low budget. I love it!

The Toxic Avenger 1984

A movie about a weakling janitor at a health club that falls out a window into a drum of toxic waste…to become a freak-faced fighter of crime. Toxie, as he’s nicknamed is far from peaceful as he takes revenge on evildoers.

Where to begin…

Toxie is the hero America needs. He rips limbs off and squished guys. This is one or MANY Troma films. They are all low budget and the practical effects are always really ambitious and over the top. I love what they do with gore and the creative ways they kill off characters. This is, by far, my favorite series of movies from Troma.

Cannibal! The Musical 1993

A story about a group of expeditioners headed for Breckenridge in search of a gold strike. Everything goes horribly wrong a la the Donner Party. They face trappers with bad French Canadian accents, Native Americans (played by Japanese actors), a raging river, a Confederate general, frostbite and, eventually each other.

Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park fame, made and acted in this musical. It was a college project and still some of the best work they’ve ever done. The musical numbers are hilarious. These scenes are all memorable. My favorite number is “That’s All I’m Askin’ For.”

These were just three of many of my favorite obscure movies.

Here’s a few more off the top of my head:

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn

Forbidden Zone

Frankenhooker

ReAnimator

Dead Alive

Rabid Grannies

I Was a Teenage Werebear

The Diary of Anne Frankenstein

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Down by Law

Night on Earth

SGT Kabukiman, NYPD

The Room

Angels with Dirty Faces

The Big Sleep

Empire Records