Thomas Russell Day

Not all low-budget and/or obscure films are created equal - below are five films to watch when you’re in the mood for something offbeat.

1. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodovar, 1988

Not the first Almodovar movie I had seen, but it was the first one I watched while drugged on Vicodin from my dentist appointment earlier that day. As it turns out, having a loose grip on reality only enhanced this amazing film. Carmen Maura plays Pepa, who bounces around Madrid chasing her two-timing (make that three-timing) boyfriend, Ivan. It’s a colorful romp full of coincidences and missed messages – remember answering machines??? My favorite movie of all time with or without mild opiates.

2. The Good Girl, Miguel Arteta, 2002

Anyone who talks shit about Jennifer Aniston’s acting cred needs to watch this movie. She plays a frumpy cashier in a shitty department store who shakes up her boring life by having an affair with Jake Gyllenhaal’s much younger character. John C. Reilly is the cuckolded husband. A solid indie that never veers into Lifetime Movie territory thanks to simple comic situations amidst heavy melodrama. When you get to the part where she’s feeding him the berries, trust me, you’re going to laugh. And then about ten minutes after that you’re going to cry.

3. My Beautiful Laundrette, Stephen Frears, 1985

Before Brokeback Mountain there was this British film about an ambitious Indian man who opens up a kick-ass Laundromat with his English lover (played by Daniel Day Louis). Pretty ahead of its time compared to the rest of Gay cinema in the 1980’s (or any decade preceding if you think about it) – these dudes were in LOVE and the actors made it palpable.

4. Kinky Boots, Julian Jerrold, 2005

The story of a failing shoe factory and it’s reluctant savior, played by a geeky, de-hunked Joel Edgarton. Instead of making boring shoes for boring people, the workers come together to fashion women’s shoes – for transvestite men. The idea comes from Chiwetel Ejiofor’s giant manliness crushing the heels of dainty women’s pumps. It’s predictable, and gooey-sweet at times, but the British accents and unusual circumstances dress up an otherwise predictable plot.  Based on true events.

5. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Luis Bunuel, 1972

From a Dodgers vs. Rockies game, 2012. Posted this as a test when I was messing around in Tumblr. My first-ever baseball game and I went with some cool LA kids - a Latina Princess and a B-Actor you'll hopefully hear more about someday. Dodgers lost, both teams played like first graders at a T-Ball game which was cute but after an hour and a half we were over it. Had vegan California rolls and red wine, and a giant thing of popcorn.