8 Movies you might have never heard of that are actually pretty darn good!

I've seen a lot of movies in my life; most of them were crap! I've also suggested a lot of movies to people and was told that they had never heard of them. Here, now, is where I am going trough this same process with you, the reader.

Top 8 movies you might have never heard of that are actually good:

8- Sunset Park
Hmm, what's it about?
Coach Carter, but with a woman coach (actually well played by Dany Devito's wife, Rhea Pearlman) and a very similar story line where a young basketball team must overcome adversity. If you liked Coach Carter, you'll like this movie! It also stars a young Terrence Howard working a sweet KidnPlay fro.
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
Well, it was a low budget movie and it gained some following in the basketball world but was never marketed to the general audience. If you're into sports movies I highly suggest it! The basketball sequences are half decent as well (so hard to find in movies).

7- District B13
Hmm, what's it about?
One cop, one criminal, one nuclear bomb protected by an army of bad guys and a whole lot of action sequences.
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
First of all, its French (but please, PLEASE, don't let that put you off) and as most of you know, you've probably never watched a French movie before. If you've never heard of Parkour, watch this movie. Parkour is slowly gaining popularity in this world we live in and this movie jump started it in Europe. The action sequences are worth it alone. If that didn't convince you, Luc Besson wrote and produced (Fifth Element, The Professional, etc...)

6- Sunshine
Hmm, what's it about?
In the future, a small group of scientists/astronauts are sent to re-ignite the sun using a nuclear warhead (more nuclear bombs, I know).
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
Well it had a very limited theatrical release and was directed by Slumdog Millionaire oscar winner himself Danny Boyle. The average per theater was very strong however but it never got a major release. Dany has a way of making movies that mess with your head (Trainspotting, 28 days later). This one does as well; you really feel like you're part of the crew and feel their problems as they strive towards getting their job done amidst all the obstacles that come their way. It also stars a bunch of "that guy" or "that girl", ie: that guy from Fantastic Four (Chris Evans), that girl from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Michelle Yeoh), that dude from Die Hard 4 (Cliff Curtis), that bad dude from Batman Begins (Cillian Murphy) and that hot girl from Damages (Rose Byrne).

5- Bye Bye Love
Hmm, what's it about?
Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine and Randy Quaid are three divorced fathers who only get to see their kids on the weekend... Their situation forces them to deal with their issues in their own ways.
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
It's actually almost a chick flick for guys, especially if you're divorced father (I can only imagine this, not being divorced or a father myself). The story is very touching and it's more of a movie to be watching with your girlfriend and you can both enjoy it. This is for a more mature audience because the subject matter deals with adulthood -> I have no clue how I ever got to seeing this movie to be honest but I liked it! (No, no one is paying me write this).

4- Night Watch & Day Watch
Hmm, what's it about?
Two movies that follow each other about magicians, witches, shape shifters, vampires and werewolves living among us and fighting a secret war where us humans are trapped in the middle. Sounds sweet doesn't it!
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
Well, they are Russian movies and Night Watch never got a theatrical release in North America. Day Watch enjoyed a limited release in North America where no one went to see it (except me). The story is based on a series of books (Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch and The Last Watch) and the movies are just wonderful. The character development is very good; the action sequences are original and inventive. Both movies are directed by Timur Bekmambetov (that dude that directed Wanted) and the visuals are amazing. I highly suggest renting both and watching them back to back. Remember, night comes before day...

3- Memento
Hmm, what's it about?
A man with no long term memory tries to piece together the murder of his wife as the story is told in reverse (starts at the end and ends at the beginning).
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
Well, imagine pitching this movie to hollywood big shots: "So you see this guy can't remember anyting so he tries to piece together how his wife died but we show it to the viewer in reverse..." Yeah, so they didn't really market it but they did release it and some people went to see it but most people didn't get it. It gained a strong following once DVD's became popular because you could watch it again right after watching it (cuz you need to see it twice in a row to understand it). It was Christopher Nolan's (yes, the guy that MADE Batman what he is today) first major picture.

2- Southland Tales
Hmm, what's it about?
Pfff, I can't even start to describe it; but lets just say you're following the lives of some random people in the not too distant future and everything comes together in the end.
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
Well, it did get a lot of buzz for not meeting expectations. You see it was Richard Kelly's follow up movie to Donnie Darko. So everyone in the world was expecting a Donnie Darko II and this is isn't Donnie Darko II so many people were disappointed (including movie execs who didn't market it). However, all things considered it's actually a great movie and some people show some serious acting skills (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Sean William Scott & Justin Timberlake). The music used in the movie is amazing and if you don't mind some random dance sequences you'll enjoy it. I like a director that's not afraid of taking chances and this is one of those movies.

1- True Romance
Hmm, what's it about?
The tittle says it all; two crazy kids fall in love and violence soon follows as they accidently end up with a lot of dope!
Huh, why haven't I heard of it?
There's a chance you have heard of it, if you haven't I'll give you the following reasons to watch it:
Director: Tony Scott
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson, James Gandolfini and other people you'll recognise (Saul Rubinek, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot).
If that is not enough to get you to see this movie, I can't help you! :)

That's it, more lists to come later!