50 BEST LITTLE KNOWN LOW-BUDGET AND/OR B-MOVIES EVER MADE (including comment/short review)
(Off topic): For nature/animal buffs like me, here's my latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning: it's a bit shocking): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI/ and you can find my 80 BEST NATURE PHOTOS here: https://www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bilineata-wildlife-of-ticino-in-switzerland/ (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH. With that shameless bit of self-promotion out of the way, let's get to more cinematic matters ;-)
I have a soft spot for slightly obscure but in my mind above average B-movies/low-budget flicks, especially genre pictures. Some of my favorites are listed below, and while they may not be the best of their kind (yes, the title above is hyperbole), they're certainly very worthwhile for fans of well-made shlock and/or original low-budget gems. This list is in no particular order, and I will keep updating it.
I have a soft spot for slightly obscure but in my mind above average B-movies/low-budget flicks, especially genre pictures. Some of my favorites are listed below, and while they may not be the best of their kind (yes, the title above is hyperbole), they're certainly very worthwhile for fans of well-made shlock and/or original low-budget gems. This list is in no particular order, and I will keep updating it.
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- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsÁlex AnguloArmando De RazzaSantiago SeguraBent on committing as many sins as possible to avert the birth of the beast, a Catholic priest teams up with a Black Metal aficionado and an Italian connoisseur of the occult. Now, he must become an unrelenting sinner. Is there still hope?Crazy fun! Made by a very talented director (Alex De La Iglesia, who made 'Perdita Durango' after this), this hilarious black comedy deals with a cult who wants to bring the Antichrist back to the surface of the earth. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorL.Q. JonesStarsDon JohnsonJason RobardsSusanne BentonA young man and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland.Great post-apocalyptic low budget sci-fi. The humor in this film is pitch black and a very young Don Johnson gives a cool performance. A must see for genre fans. 7 stars out of 10.
- DirectorJason HowdenStarsMilo CawthorneJames Joshua BlakeKimberley CrossmanTwo teenage boys unwittingly summon an ancient evil entity known as The Blind One by delving into black magic while trying to escape their mundane lives.This hilariously disgusting, twisted, insane little gem from New Zealand is a must for fans of 'Evil Dead 2', 'Braindead' and similarly gory low-budget horror comedies. If you're into those kinds of films AND you're into Metal, don't miss out on this one: it's a blast. And it was obviously made by very talented people; especially the camera work is fantastic. The gore effects are good, most of the jokes are funny (depending on your sense of humor), and the actors may not win any Oscars any time soon but they seem perfectly well suited for their parts. My verdict: This is a splat-fest of the first order for gore-hounds with a twisted sense of humor, a love for Metal and a very high tolerance for real nastiness. It's a very well made film - especially for a first-time director - and I absolutely adored every minute of it. 7 stars out of 10.
- DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsMichael RookerTracy ArnoldTom TowlesArriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.Made for a little over a 100'000 dollars, this disturbing tale offers great acting and is very well done. Shocking - but also very intelligent - story of a cold blooded sociopath. 7.5 out of 10.
- DirectorJon WrightStarsKillian CoyleStuart GrahamMichael HoughWhen an island off the coast of Ireland is invaded by bloodsucking aliens, the heroes discover that getting drunk is the only way to survive.Very entertaining, ironic monster flick with pretty amazing effects - given the budget on this. Great original concept and fun by the pint load. 6.75 out of 10.
- DirectorJuan Martínez MorenoStarsGorka OtxoaCarlos ArecesSecun de la RosaAfter 15 years, Tomas, a not very successful writer, comes back to the village in Galicia where his family comes from, Arga, apparently to get an award. But he doesn't know the real reason why he is there, to end with an old curse that is been haunting the village for the last hundred years.Funny and original werewolf comedy from Spain with well done make-up. I'm a sucker for werewolf films (sadly, there aren't that many good ones out there). This one was a positive surprise. 6.5 out of 10.
- DirectorJason EisenerStarsRutger HauerPasha EbrahimiRobb WellsA homeless vigilante blows away crooked cops, pedophile Santas, and other scumbags with his trusty pump-action shotgun.Trashy, gory, over the the top low budget fun. This is the film 'Machete' wants to be. 6 out of 10.
- StarsPaul 'Bubble' FergusonJaime WinstoneAndy NymanDuring a fictional series of Big Brother, a zombie outbreak occurs, but the house-mates are unaware of the impending doom outside of the Big Brother House.Very well done (and very funny) albeit not very well known zombie outbreak mini-series. Great, gory - and quite intelligent - low budget fun and a mean stab at reality TV-shows. This one deserves an 8 out of 10.
- DirectorMike MendezStarsDave LarsenDavid GunnDamian HofferOdessa and Kyle James were just your average American boys until the night they went upstairs and killed their parents in cold blood... and smiled.Totally demented serial killer/hostage farce. Over the top trash - and therefore a lot of fun for the sick and twisted mind. 6 out of 10.
- DirectorJohn PogueStarsMercedes MasonJosh CookeMattie LiptakA plane is taken over by a mysterious virus. When the plane lands it is placed under quarantine. Now a group of survivors must band together to survive the quarantine.I didn't expect anything from this one - and was pleasantly surprised. The crazy low rating doesn't do this film justice at all: this is a very tight and well made (dead serious) zombie flick. Especially the part in the plane is really gripping. Don't expect 'REC 2' (with which it has absolutely nothing in common) and you'll be able to enjoy this quite a lot. 6.5 out of 10 for sure.
- StarsErnst-Hugo JäregårdKirsten RolffesGhita NørbyDoctors at an ultramodern hospital in Denmark become convinced, by way of weird, inexplicable happenings, that the place is haunted.Lars von Trier's weird, crazy (haunted) hospital series with an amazing atmosphere and a great cast. Shows that you don't need a budget as long as you've got great actors, good writing and the perfect location. Shot entirely on an ordinary video camera, this is 'no budget' Arthouse cinema. There's a second part for this series from 1997 which is just as good (I wish there would have been a third part, but some of the actors died). 9 out of 10.
- DirectorChristopher SmithStarsEddie RedmayneSean BeanCarice van HoutenSet during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk is given the task of learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.Very dark film that is perhaps a bit too smart for its own good. What makes this film special is that it takes a modern, secular perspective when you least expect it - which makes us suddenly wonder just who the 'bad' guys really are in this bleak tale about Christianity/paganism. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorChristopher SmithStarsMelissa GeorgeJoshua McIvorJack TaylorFive friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.With a budget of roughly 12 million dollars, I'm not exactly sure whether this still qualifies as either a low budget or a B-movie (it probably doesn't). But since it wasn't exactly a big production either (and it certainly isn't very well known), I chose to include it anyway. If you can accept a film which will leave you with more questions than answers, then I would highly recommend this twisted mindfu** of a movie. 7.5 out of 10.
- DirectorGregory WidenStarsChristopher WalkenElias KoteasVirginia MadsenAt the scene of a bizarre murder, L.A. homicide detective Thomas Dagget discovers a lethal heavenly prophecy now being fulfilled on earth. In his fight to stop the forces of evil, he finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher.Great original concept about a war in heaven with a stellar cast list which reads like the "who-is-who" of indie films and B-movies for the nineties. And Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel is simply priceless (by the way, Aragorn is Satan). Beautifully shot and directed. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorSkip WoodsStarsThomas JaneAaron EckhartPaulina PorizkovaA former L.A. drug dealer has moved to Houston to make a new life for himself as a married architect. Everything falls apart when he is suddenly visited by one of his former cohorts who comes carrying heroin.Cool, brutal indie flick that was made on a tiny budget with two soon-to-be stars. Clever script with lots of twists; perhaps it is a bit of a Tarantino wanna-be, but hey: that's not necessarily a bad thing. This was well done and very entertaining (except for the rather unoriginal ending). Great and very funny black comedy. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorJaume BalagueróStarsCalista FlockhartRichard RoxburghElena AnayaAt her new job in a rundown children's hospital, a nurse desperately tries to keep her patients safe from a plague of random, mysterious attacks.For those among us who like creepy ghost movies - this one delivers the chills and the shivers (and a bit of terror) quite nicely. Jaume Balaguero (Rec I+II) is definitely a very talented genre director. 6.5 out of 10.
- DirectorGregory JacobsStarsEmily BluntAshton HolmesMartin DonovanTwo college students share a ride home for the holidays, but when they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they are preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.Another one of those creepy ghost movies that deserves a much higher rating on IMDb. Great cast, nice scares, great production values a lot of atmosphere. This one may be low budget, but it was executive produced by none other than Steven Soderbergh; make of that what you will, but I thought it was a quality genre film. 6.75 out of 10.
- DirectorMichael WadleighStarsAlbert FinneyDiane VenoraEdward James OlmosA New York cop investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks.An almost forgotten gem. I really liked the atmosphere in this one; great actors, great music - but I wouldn't really call it a horror film. It's not really a werewolf flick either - this unique film has many characteristics of a genre movie but is very much its own beast. The director has an interesting background; he was the dude who made history in 1969 by making Woodstock happen. He took Strieber's werewolf novel and brought something personal to it. Call it a mythical/ecological psycho thriller if you will. Anyway, this gets a 7 out of 10.
- DirectorGonzalo López-GallegoStarsSharlto CopleyThomas KretschmannJosie HoA man wakes up with no memory in a pit full of dead bodies in the wilderness and must determine if the murderer is one of the strangers who rescued him, or if he himself is the killer.I stumbled upon this film knowing absolutely nothing about it, and I think that's exactly the right way - perhaps the only way - to approach this bleak suspenseful tale. So I won't spoil anything for you and concentrate instead on my impressions from the film. Firstly: great production values; set and sound design can compete with anything you normally see in big Hollywood productions. Secondly: fantastic actors, and if you're into dark, disturbing films, great story. The current rather low IMDb rating bugs me and I think it will go up as soon as more people have seen the film. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone who likes a well told gritty story - I rate it a solid 7 out of 10.
- DirectorGeorge P. CosmatosStarsPeter WellerJennifer DaleLawrence DaneA man becomes destructively obsessed with killing a dangerous rat, which has taken residence in his recently renovated house.The ultimate antidote to Ratatouille. After this film, a harmless little rat will never look the same to you again. Fun, suspenseful thrill ride. Imagine 'Mouse Hunt' as a low budget horror film with Robocop himself as the exterminator. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDan O'BannonDre PahichBrian NarelleIn the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.Allegedly made for only 60'000 dollars, this was John Carpenter's first film. Half of what makes this film fun is the cheap effects work, but there are also some clever elements of satire. Dan O'Bannon, who later wrote the script for 'Alien', was the co-writer on this and he also stars in it. Great stuff! 7 out of 10.
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsSarah PattersonAngela LansburyDavid WarnerA teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.What a weird fairy tale: director Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire) seems to have had the intention of taking a Freudian approach to the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. The result is an almost surreal collection of stories about rather testosterone driven werewolves who all have a little more on their minds than "just" to kill. If you like old school practical effects and transformations, this film has 'em by the truck load (although they do seem a little dated by now). Not everything works in this strange tale; the mix of sexual symbolism, poetic beauty and gory horror moments seems a bit forced at times - but when it does work it's utterly fascinating. For fans of the weird and lovers of the pre-CGI era, this is a rare treat. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorMatthew BrightStarsReese WitherspoonKiefer SutherlandBokeem WoodbineA twisted take on "Little Red Riding Hood", with a teenage juvenile delinquent on the run from a social worker travelling to her grandmother's house and being hounded by a charming, but sadistic, serial killer and pedophile.Seeing that this one's got nearly 20'000 votes on IMDb by now, it appears to have garnered a bit of a cult following. Still, most people don't know this crazy take on 'Little Red Riding Hood' and although some would argue that it is a very intelligent satire and an Arthouse film (it certainly does have some satirical qualities), I still think it qualifies more as a B-picture (and it definitely is a low budget film) - albeit a very good one. This violent, mad black comedy has a great cast - amazing performances from both Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Whiterspoon - and is just one hell of a ride. 7 out of 10.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsVincent PriceMaggie PierceLeona GageThree tales of terror involve a grieving widower and the daughter he abandoned; a drunkard and his wife's black cat; and a hypnotist who prolongs the moment of a man's death.This list wouldn't be complete without at least one film by the king of low budget and B-movies: the great Roger Corman. This is my favorite of his E.A.Poe themed films from the sixties, mainly because of the terrific cast: Peter Lorre and Vincent Price. Great fun (and actually quite good). 7 out of 10.
- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsRosie PerezJavier BardemHarley CrossA psychotic criminal couple kidnaps a random teenage couple. The woman rapes the male captive, and lets him watch his lover being raped by the man. They then plan to sacrifice the couple.Another one from the Spanish maestro Alex de la Iglesia; this one's actually rather disturbing and certainly not for the faint of heart or guardians of decency and political correctness. A violent, crazy, twisted road movie with two amazing leads: Javier Bardem and Rosie Perez. 7 out of 10.