"Funky Films & Where to Find Them"
The quest for links to niche films online.
If it wasn’t obvious- I’m a big fan of movies.
Accessibility when it comes to finding films and seeing them is really important to me. I live in a cinema desert essentially, I am 5 hours away from multiple theatres that regularly play independent films or do special screenings of more ‘arthouse’ films.
I’ve never really been much of a detective, but I really like the quests and investigations of finding where films are streaming online for free. I’ve found some of my favorite shorts this way, and have been able to deep dive into subjects I love through niche behind-the-scenes documentaries.
It makes me keel over when people want to watch something but since it’s not on a streaming service they just give up. So behold, a guide to finding funky films online:
In Defence of Sailing on the High Seas like a Pirate
(I’m using some metaphors here to avoid going to jail LOL)
I think I learned to “sail the high seas” at age 9. I simply was annoying my dad too often asking for new albums, shows, and movies to watch so he just ended up showing me how to do it- granted his instructions came with the bonus step of virus-scanning at every step “or else it won’t work”. This skill has come in handy all my life when my early teenage friends would whine about certain shows or movies not being available on Netflix, which was really the only streaming service we had from like, 2011 to 2017.
(If you do plan on sailing the high seas, I would recommend having a good anti-virus software and basic knowledge of what links to click on in a sea of fake “click here” buttons. Check this Medium article out for more info)
Now in defence of “sailing the high seas”:
Sometimes you live in a cinematic desert, like I said. Again, besides my local theatre, the closest one playing more arthouse or indie films is 5 hours away- it’s just not sustainable to make that drive constantly with all the expenses it requires.
Some films just straight up go missing, are never able to be streamed, and/or never make it to physical media. Yes, there are companies who mainly focus on re-releasing these but sometimes buying physical media just ain’t in the budget.
I never would have seen everything I’ve seen without sailing the high seas. You will miss out on so much cinematic education if you limit yourself to just what’s available “legally”.
Obviously this does not mean ignore your own local cinema and/or never pay to see a movie ever again. I would have missed out on so many of my favorite films (like buried treasure) had I never sailed the high seas, but on the flip side: You can’t beat seeing a movie in theatres!
Now, I would give a detailed instruction list for “sailing” online, but I would like this Substack to not get shut down and/or me to go to jail for committing one of the “atrocities” in the “YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A CAR” ads from the early 2000s.
However… I will give you a handy list of sites for finding films if it’s not readily available on the streaming services you have:
Don’t discredit YouTube- there’s a lot on there. Refer to this list for some examples.
Dailymotion (If you remember that site), is actually a godsend and SO MANY old and new films are on there. This is a link to their movies section but you can pretty much just google the film title plus dailymotion and be able to find it.
I <3 the Internet Archive, and you should too! Here’s a list of my favorites on there for you to check out. Search around and find something to watch easy-peasy!
The New Yorker has a LOT of short films available on their website as well as their YouTube page. Check their catalog out here.
Back in 2020, when I begun my life as a bonafide cinephile, I created a list on Letterboxd called “funky films and where to find them”. I used this list as sort of an archive of films I wanted to watch or wanted others to watch that weren’t easily accessible with a google search of the title plus “watch online”.
Here’s a few of my favorite films around the corners of the internet you should check out:
Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me - Extended Blue Rose Cut
This gem, hosted on the Internet Archive, is a very well edited together version of both ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’ as well as adding in ‘The Missing Pieces’, which were deleted scenes released in 2014 by CBS alongside a boxset of the first 2 seasons of ‘Twin Peaks’.
Don’t make the mistake of watching this movie before seeing the first 2 seasons of the show!
We’ll never see how David Lynch would have added these scenes back into the film, but I’m hoping this version is pretty damn close.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Elvira's Movie
Oh look! Also on the Internet Archive: Watch Elvira’s ‘Movie Macabre’ episode on the quintessential American film, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’.
LUNATICS: A Love Story
Maybe one of the best hor-rom-coms (horror romantic comedy) out there. I’m waiting for this film to have a renaissance and finally get a proper wide release. Oh well, this YouTube version has been a frequently revisited resource for me since first discovering this film in 2020.
Final Destination 3
The best ‘Final Destination’ movie is available on Dailymotion! I would argue you could watch this film without needing to see the first two films. A totally mid-2000’s horror blast!
This Substack can serve as a living document as well, if you’re struggling to find a film online, shoot me a message or leave a comment!
I love digging into weird sites online to find where films live (as well as then adding that film to ‘funky films and where to find them’ as a resource for other people looking).
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