Arye Gross & Louise Fletcher in Big Eden (2000)

Henry Hart (Gross) is a successful artist living in New York. On the eve of his latest show he receives word that his grandfather - his only living relative - is in the hospital back in his home town in Montana. Much to the consternation of his agent and friend Mary Margaret (Veanne Cox) he leaves to be with him. Upon arriving home he is immersed in old emotions about his best friend and high school crush Dean Stewart (Tim DeKay) and new entanglements with Pike (Eric Schweig), the native American store owner who has a crush on him.

Wikipedia

One of the most delightful aspects of Big Eden is the total lack of homophobia in the residents of the town, despite Henry's internalized homophobia. Each and every one of them completely accept the same-sex attraction between the central characters as natural, and they do everything they can to help it come out right with understanding and compassion. In stark contrast to yesterday's post, it's such a breath of fresh air to see a vision of a world where being gay is a non-issue.

This film was recently released, so it can be easily found on DVD. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by FrameLine.

Obscurity factor: 3 (known and loved in the gay community, largely unknown to the general public, available on DVD)

Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson & Patrick Swayze in Keeping Mum (2005)

I don't usually include films this recent on this blog, but this one is a charmer. It's a black comedy about a family that lives in a small village in England and their new housekeeper, Grace (Smith). The father is an absent minded preacher (Atkinson) who's a bit out of touch, the kids have problems of their own - Peter the youngest is bullied in school, while Holly lets her teenage libido run a bit wild. The vicar's wife, Gloria (Kristen Scott Thomas) has been neglected and is contemplating an affair with the new American golf instructor in town (Swayze). They hire a new housekeeper who goes about setting things right by eliminating the people causing the problems.

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There's a decided charm about this British film. The devilish glee with which Maggie Smith does away with her adversaries is delightful, and the plot twists are fun to see unfold.

This film was released recently enough to have a DVD release built into the marketing plan. It's more of a future obscurity factor candidate because it's still somewhat fresh in people's memory, but this blog is as much for posterity as it is for now, so I decided to include it. The trailer above is uploaded to YouTube by YarcoTV.

Obscurity factor: 4 (recently released, on DVD, doesn't have a high profile)

Mitzi Gaynor in Razzle Dazzle, The Special Years (2008)

Obscurity factor (3)

This special, which came out a few years ago, is a comprehensive overview of the 8 television specials Mitzi made between 1968 and 1978. She and her team really knew how to make good variety television. the numbers showcased in this special are spectacular in their execution and concept, and just delightful in their production values, which seem so far removed from today's style. The special was produced for public television and includes interviews with Mitzi and many of the members of her team, including the legendary costume designer, Bob Mackie. Additionally, the bonus features include 8 full length numbers from the specials and a long conversation with Mackie, showcasing the glamorous costumes he designed for her.

 

Though this was released recently on DVD, it's now out of print. Copies can be found fairly easily on Amazon and elsewhere, though they are a bit pricey. The trailer is above, uploaded to YouTube by scamardo. You can find a few of the original specials on DVD at iOffer.com.

Obscurity factor: 3 (recently released, available on DVD, somewhat hard to find)