Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:45 am
There exists a multitude of film aficionados (filmies? cinemites?) whose diverse interests are mirrored by their collections --hodgepodges of cloying drama, absurdist comedy, popcorn action, and dystopian sci-fi. And I shan't dare to leave out the stacks of films from countries not our own; those wonderful films which require the viewer to observe and to read at the same time.
However, there is a subgroup of cinema which I hold very dear to my heart: the undiscovered gem. These are films which justly or unjustly failed to find an appropriate audience upon release, whether due to lackluster marketing, a mood deemed unsuited for mainstream appeal, or the meagre coffers of a green filmmaker.
The distinctive quality of the undiscovered gem subgroup is its lack of boundaries; the films in this subgroup have only their obscurity in kind. Thus, an undiscovered gem can be anything from an independent character study, a foreign film yet untreated by Criterion, to a classic 1940s Western or even a glossy Hollywood action film whose buzz was muffled by competition.
How peculiar it is for an entire subcategory of cinema to depend wholly on perceived failure and the chance discovery by an eager cinema lover.
At present, two films which fall into this label are Haiku Tunnel and Code 46. The first is an office comedy which has recently started to gain momentum as a cult hit. I first watched Haiku Tunnel several years ago on HBO at some unholy hour. I knew nothing of the story nor of the actors in it, but the curious charm of the moon-faced main character ("Josh Kornbluth" as played by monologuist Josh Kornbluth) stole my attention. I even broke a 'movie law' of mine which forbade watching a film already in progress. I adored the film despite my transgression, thinking of it as an awkward office hug one receives by co-workers on his birthday. However, I could not find anyone who had heard of the film, much less had watched it. I resolved the problem by hosting a "moviethon" at which I screened the comedy alongside various segments of John Lurie's fishing show parody, Fishing with John.
The second film, Code 46, is an Oedipal romance in the guise of a science fiction piece. Though directed by the relatively well-known and able Michael Winterbottom, the film appeared to slip through the marquees of art-house theaters. Had I not seen it in New York on a whim, I doubt I would have noticed its presence (as neglible as it surely was) in Pittsburgh. It's a very contemplative story, however, and deserves to be watched for its ambient "feel". Unlike most sci-fi films, the focus of Code 46 is not futuristic locales or hi-tech gadgetry. Instead, the film makes good use of present land- and cityscapes throughout its subtle narrative. A sublime film to watch at twilight when feeling a touch plaintive, I feel.
Other undiscovered gems in my own collection range from the manic (George Axelrod's Lord Love a Duck) to the dramatic (Arliss Howard's Big Bad Love) to the absurd (Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor).
What are your own undiscovered gems? Do you find more pleasure in showing the film to others or in keeping the film to yourself?
However, there is a subgroup of cinema which I hold very dear to my heart: the undiscovered gem. These are films which justly or unjustly failed to find an appropriate audience upon release, whether due to lackluster marketing, a mood deemed unsuited for mainstream appeal, or the meagre coffers of a green filmmaker.
The distinctive quality of the undiscovered gem subgroup is its lack of boundaries; the films in this subgroup have only their obscurity in kind. Thus, an undiscovered gem can be anything from an independent character study, a foreign film yet untreated by Criterion, to a classic 1940s Western or even a glossy Hollywood action film whose buzz was muffled by competition.
How peculiar it is for an entire subcategory of cinema to depend wholly on perceived failure and the chance discovery by an eager cinema lover.
At present, two films which fall into this label are Haiku Tunnel and Code 46. The first is an office comedy which has recently started to gain momentum as a cult hit. I first watched Haiku Tunnel several years ago on HBO at some unholy hour. I knew nothing of the story nor of the actors in it, but the curious charm of the moon-faced main character ("Josh Kornbluth" as played by monologuist Josh Kornbluth) stole my attention. I even broke a 'movie law' of mine which forbade watching a film already in progress. I adored the film despite my transgression, thinking of it as an awkward office hug one receives by co-workers on his birthday. However, I could not find anyone who had heard of the film, much less had watched it. I resolved the problem by hosting a "moviethon" at which I screened the comedy alongside various segments of John Lurie's fishing show parody, Fishing with John.
The second film, Code 46, is an Oedipal romance in the guise of a science fiction piece. Though directed by the relatively well-known and able Michael Winterbottom, the film appeared to slip through the marquees of art-house theaters. Had I not seen it in New York on a whim, I doubt I would have noticed its presence (as neglible as it surely was) in Pittsburgh. It's a very contemplative story, however, and deserves to be watched for its ambient "feel". Unlike most sci-fi films, the focus of Code 46 is not futuristic locales or hi-tech gadgetry. Instead, the film makes good use of present land- and cityscapes throughout its subtle narrative. A sublime film to watch at twilight when feeling a touch plaintive, I feel.
Other undiscovered gems in my own collection range from the manic (George Axelrod's Lord Love a Duck) to the dramatic (Arliss Howard's Big Bad Love) to the absurd (Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor).
What are your own undiscovered gems? Do you find more pleasure in showing the film to others or in keeping the film to yourself?