Top 10 Movies That Are Incredibly Hard to Find

There isn't enough room here to properly discuss all of the myriad changes made to the "Star Wars" films since the first film's release back in 1977. It is important, however, to mention how the original, unaltered cuts of the film still elude the clutches of many fans so many years later. Sure, those in the know are well aware of the fan-edited "Despecialized Edition," as well as the 2006 DVDs that featured inferior masters sourced from Laserdisc. However, the OG, un-tampered with films still have yet to be released on anamorphic widescreen format, leaving many fans still clinging to their THX VHS tapes for dear life.

How is it possible for an Academy Award nominated film to be unavailable on DVD or Blu-Ray? It may seem strange, but that's exactly the case for "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," an acclaimed adaptation of the cult novel starring Diane Keaton. The film was released the same year as her breakout role in "Annie Hall," and featured a plethora of popular 70s disco hits. This is likely the reason behind "Goodbar's" scarcity on home video, as the musical rights were only secured for a VHS release and a vinyl soundtrack. Today, the film occasionally pops up on YouTube or DVD bootlegs, but fans are still waiting for a properly restored home video edition.

If you're dying to catch this early, erotic drama effort with Vincent D'Onofrio at home, then warm up that VCR. "Naked Tango" was written and directed by Leonard Schrader, brother of "Taxi Driver" screenwriter Paul Schrader, and co-starred Mathilda May, known for her daring role in Tobe Hooper's "Lifeforce." Despite all of this star power, actually being able to track down a copy of "Naked Tango" can prove challenging, as the film has never been released on DVD. Furthermore, the film's VHS release can go for big bucks on the second-hand market, leaving the curious to either pay up, or search for a YouTube stream.

One might think that it would be a no brainer to release this early effort from acclaimed filmmaker Edgar Wright to the masses on home video, right? Wrong, as Wright's "A Fistful of Fingers" remains tantalizingly out of reach for fans who have grown to love the English writer/director for such efforts as "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," and "Baby Driver." The film itself is a comedic homage to the Spaghetti Westerns made in Italy during the 1960s and 70s, and has been teased multiple times by Wright and others about possibly receiving a home video release somewhere down the road, but this hasn't happened as of yet.

Hey, did you know that Michael Chiklis of “The Shield” once played John Belushi? It's true! Unfortunately, "Wired," Chiklis' feature film debut, was NOT well-received by audiences, critics, or those close to Belushi, although the actor's overall performance was praised. The filmmakers were jinxed from the start for trying to adapt Bob Woodward's controversial book, and their troubles continued after "Wired" was released, as it was largely trashed in the press. Still, the film's bizarre tone and poor taste almost beg for at least one cursory viewing, yet "Wired" has never been released on DVD, with only an out-of-print VHS release to entice the morbidly curious.

"The Day the Clown Cried" was an attempt at drama from comic icon Jerry Lewis, about a circus clown trapped in Nazi Germany. The film was fraught with production issues and gained notoriety almost instantly for being disowned by its creator as an embarrassment. The film was never released, and "The Day the Clown Cried" quickly became the bad movie everyone wanted to see... but which very few had the chance. Lewis only screened the film privately to a select few and submitted a copy to the Library of Congress in 2015, with a provision that there be no screening prior to June 2024. There is also no planned home video release.

The Beatles are undeniably one of the most influential musical groups of all time, so why is the 1970 documentary about the creation of their last album still unavailable on DVD? Perhaps because "Let It Be" showcases the band at their most combative and combustible, displaying John, Paul, George and Ringo... warts and all. The film was released on video cassette and LaserDisc, but neither were of great quality, while certain sequences were included in the mid 90s documentary series, "The Beatles Anthology." The rumor, though, is that the surviving Beatles have attempted to block a DVD release at every turn, for fear of damaging their brand.

When the Rolling Stones commissioned this documentary chronicling their 1972 tour, they probably didn't expect this level of realism. Perhaps that's why the band decided to block the release of this film from director Robert Frank, petitioning for an injunction to make it illegal to screen "Cocksucker Blues" unless Frank was physically present. The Stones were embarrassed of having their backstage bad boy behavior onscreen for all to see, and the film has never been released on legitimate home video, only being screened a small number of times since it was shot.

How is it possible that film produced by Lorne Michaels from "Saturday Night Live" and starring Bill Murray is unavailable on home video? The truth is sort of... complicated. "Nothing Lasts Forever" has been tied up in legal hell since first being filmed in 1984 and was never even released theatrically after it wrapped production. The film has seen certain 35mm screenings and television airings over the years and has been both leaked and yanked from YouTube. A proper home video presentation with extras remains off the table for now, however, frustrating film fans who finally want to see "Nothing Lasts Forever" restored.


Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions!


"Nocturna" [aka “Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula”] (1979)


"The Last Movie" (1971)


"Dream Demon" (1988)

It's the Disney film that gave us the classic "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," yet a full, uncut edition of "Song of the South" remains unreleased on home video in the United States. Portions of the film, mainly the animated sequences, have been released on various Disney compilation anthologies, but the U.S. to this day hasn't received the legitimate video releases afforded to Europe, Asia and Latin America. It's the live-action scenes that are the culprit, thanks to the film's perceived marginalizing of slavery, as well as its prevalent black stereotypes.