American films that Aussies haven't seen (most likely many Americans have not see them either) - The Big Picture Show

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American films that Aussies may not have seen

Recently the hosts of The Big Picture Show, Ben McEachen and Mark Hadley, were discussing how to put the fun back in foreign films. For fans of foreign films and for those who did not realise flimsier made in other countries, it was a great episode and worth a listen.

Listen to the episode on The Big Picture Show

Since I am from a foreign nation, they asked me to put together a list of good films that did not get released or may not have had a long run in Australia. It may seem a bit strange for some people to consider American films as foreign, but we do live in Australia. Even though most of the films seen in Australia are American, they still qualify as foreign.

The challenge for the show was to find films that these film experts had not seen or heard of from the US and name them off in three minutes. Yes, in three minutes! 

It was a blast and a great challenge. After the show there were requests for the list (Since I did have to deliver the titles in rapid fire succession). 

So, here is the list of 16 films in three minutes: 
  1. The Good Lie - Why didn't the church get behind this film. Brilliant film from 2014 that no one went to see. (This has one of the most endearing Christian characters in cinema.) 
  2. The Station Agent - For you Game of Thrones fans, Peter Dinklage's start to his career
  3. Sling blade - Billy Bob Thornton - Academy Award winner for his screenplay- Disturbing, but brilliant.
  4. Avalon - Barry Levinson biopic film. You cut the turkey? (Bonus Levinson film: Wag the Dog) 
  5. O Brother Where Art Thou? - Coen Brothers! Enough said... Most people know the soundtrack, but the film was worth checking out too. 
  6. Stranger than Fiction - A gem of a film. Yes, Will Farrell made the list.
  7. The Straight Story - Homage to David Lynch. A director that only reviewers seem to love, but this is an endearing film about a John Deere lawnmower and forgiveness. 
  8. Rushmore - For all of the Wes Anderson fans, this was his break out film
  9. Sam Rockwell Trifecta (One of the great actors of this generation) - Moon, Matchstick Men and The Way, Way Back
  10. Family category - Fly Away Home, The Iron Giant, October Sky, & Zathura
Go check the bargain bins, see if you can find these little known but good American films that you may not have seen. Make sure you check them out for content details, but this might be a good list for future Netflix or weekend viewing. 

What films would you add? Criteria: The film cannot have any Australian actors and it would not have been released in Australia. Send me any suggestions. 

 Also, make sure to listen to The Big Picture Show each week!

Rankings by Russell Matthews @ Russelling Reviews #russellingreviews #thebigpictureshow

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