Meet the Internet’s Scrappiest Home for Obscure Cinema

As a cinephile who values the hidden gems of film history, I find Jon Whitehead’s creation, Rarefilmm, to be nothing short of a treasure trove. His relentless pursuit of forgotten films and his dedication to preserving them for the world to see is truly inspiring.

If you’re in search of an obscure film like “Tonight for Sure,” a soft-core comedy directed by Francis Ford Coppola a decade before his masterpiece “The Godfather,” which involves two men planning to bomb a burlesque club, your best bet would be to look it up on Rarefilmm, a niche, free-to-use website. Established in 2014 by archivist Jon Whitehead with the goal of preserving forgotten cinematic treasures, this platform now boasts around 3,000 titles and proudly refers to itself as “the cave of forgotten films.

To give you an insight into the site’s diversity, it houses a variety of enigmas such as a 1983 documentary delving into sex and intimacy within the disabled community, a TV drama featuring a young Adrien Brody, and a 1972 Italian imitation of Tarzan titled “Karzan, Jungle Lord”. Rarefilmm is ideal for those keen on learning about Peplum, an Italian subgenre of mythological and historical epics, or diving into Eurospy, the ’60s films and parodies that capitalized on James Bond’s popularity, or any other unique subcategories of our visual history. Whitehead was motivated to initiate it after discovering rare and lesser-known films on exclusive online forums. “I couldn’t find a blog sharing them”, he said, “so I thought, why not make these stunning and obscure movies accessible to the world instead of keeping them hidden?

Eager to explore their offerings, we gave Rarefilmm a try and came up with some useful suggestions on navigating the site, as well as suggestions for additional videos to watch.

A Paradiso for Cinema

Rarefilmm doesn’t have an app, but you can access it on both desktop and mobile browsers. Its home page is simple, with none of the flashy carousels or annoying auto-plays that define most popular streaming services these days. It labels the most recent additions to the site with genre, date of release, date of upload, and a synopsis. When you click the “Browse” tab, you’ll find the site’s library divided into 40 genres, including art house, giallo, and blaxploitation, as well as formats like documentaries, shorts, and made-for-TV movies. You can find films catalogued by decade, from the 1910s to the 2000s, or by the awards they’ve won, from the Oscars to the Chicago International Film Festival’s Gold Hugo. Another category divides the films by their country of origin: At last count, movies from 73 countries feature on Rarefilmm.

Whitehead organizes the movies he uploads by month and year, keeping his discoveries current and making browsing through his collection more enjoyable. If you’re searching for a particular film, the “Film Index” tab will present an alphabetically sorted list. Clicking on a movie provides information such as category, credits, year, country of origin (which may be contributed by users or refined by the site’s community), and the quality of its available copies.

The Trouble With Hosting

Thanks to the dedication of its users and Whitehead’s leadership, Rarefilmm maintains a vibrant, grassroots vibe that sets it apart from other streaming platforms. It’s more than just a platform; it’s a community, despite its modest capabilities. Unlike many others, there are no “watch lists,” but the chat is bustling with ongoing conversations about films and digital preservation. Though some films may not have multiple language options, and certain categories or countries, such as Albania, might have fewer selections, the users of Rarefilmm still acknowledge the immense effort put into making these works accessible.

Showing these films individually raises both legal and practical issues. As Whitehead mentions on his site, he obtains his films from private collectors. Previously, a “Requests” section outlined his guidelines for uploads, but it has since been taken down; a new “DMCA” section indicates that Whitehead will remove any film upon the copyright owner’s request within 72 hours. Last year, Rarefilmm faced significant losses when the Czech platform hosting its movies stopped file sharing following Europe’s Digital Services Act regulations.

Whitehead isn’t new to having his archives removed, and it can be disheartening to re-post the collection as he prefers focusing on releasing fresh content. However, he persists because he understands the disappointment of encountering a broken download link, and he doesn’t want Rarefilmm users feeling that way. He has been gradually restoring the old uploads, but now he replies to movie requests via X direct messages at his own speed, and kindly asks people to limit their queries to two films at a time.

Despite numerous obstacles, it’s astonishing that Whitehead’s archive has remained accessible online for over a decade thanks to donations and volunteer efforts. His ambition is to grow this collection even more, eventually employing professionals such as translators and captioners. Movie enthusiasts will reap the rewards: Few places offer the opportunity to discover a 1980 Oscar-winning animated short, entirely narrated from a fly’s perspective. “Rarefilmm is here to stay,” Whitehead affirms, “and we have exciting plans for the future.

Four Hidden Gems to Queue Up

The Fly (1980)

As I darted and hummed, my world was filled with the symphony of buzzes – a three-minute odyssey through a vibrant garden and the intimate corners of a house. My journey was fraught with danger as I evaded the looming threat of being swatted. This captivating short film, a testament to its creators’ talent, took home the award for Best Animated Short Film at the 54th Academy Awards.

The Lady Is My Wife (1967)

In this tale, a prosperous horse farm owner brings on a duo to assist with management, yet it’s gradually unveiled that his motives aren’t entirely benevolent. This intriguing episode was overseen by director Sam Peckinpah and appears in the anthology Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre. Whitehead found this gem among his Facebook acquaintances. Unfortunately, the video quality isn’t top-notch, but given that out of the show’s approximately 100 episodes, only a few remain available.

Contact (1992)

In a 1993 Oscar-nominated short film titled “The Sand Pit,” Brad Pitt portrays an American soldier who unknowingly stumbles into hostile territory and catches the eye of an Arab solider named Elias Koteas. To stay alive, they are forced into an uneasy alliance.

Meet Marlon Brando (1966)

In this brief documentary, Marlon Brando charms journalists during an interview about his 1965 film, Morituri. Initially intended as a promotional event, it transforms into an engaging depiction of a renowned star, showcasing his warmth and playful humor.

2024-09-19 21:54