Hidden Gems
Rare finds people have been hunting for. These are the films and shows people saw once as kids and asked about for years on Reddit and lost-media forums. Every one plays from its rights-holder or a verified public-domain copy.
The Peanut Butter Solution (1985, Canada)
Why it's rare: A Canadian 'Tales for All' film shown on pay TV and in schools in the late 80s. So many people only half-remember the hair-growing ghost story that Reddit threads are full of 'I thought I dreamed this'.
Source: Free Movies By CONtv (Cineverse licensed channel)
When the Wind Blows (1986, UK)
Why it's rare: Raymond Briggs' animated film about an elderly couple after a nuclear strike. It looks like a kids' cartoon, which is why people saw it young and never forgot it, but it has rarely been on TV or disc since the 80s.
Source: Free Movies By CONtv (Cineverse licensed channel)
Jim Henson's The StoryTeller (complete series) (1987, UK/USA)
Why it's rare: John Hurt and a talking dog telling dark European folk tales with Henson puppets. It ran for only 9 episodes in 1987 and was hard to find for decades.
Source: Shout! Studios (official Jim Henson distributor)
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985, USA)
Why it's rare: Will Vinton's claymation film, famous for the terrifying 'Mysterious Stranger' scene that people remember from childhood without knowing the title.
Source: Bigtime - Free Movies (licensed AVOD channel)
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964, USA)
Why it's rare: A low-budget 60s Christmas sci-fi film that late-night TV and dollar-bin VHS kept alive. It features a young Pia Zadora.
Source: Free Movies By CONtv; the film itself is public domain (copyright never renewed)
The Christmas Raccoons (1980, Canada)
Why it's rare: The Kevin Gillis TV special that launched The Raccoons. It aired on CBC and US pay TV around Christmas in the early 80s and then mostly vanished, so people remember Cyril Sneer and the Evergreen Forest without knowing where it came from.
Source: The Raccoons (official channel)
The Raccoons (series) (1985, Canada)
Why it's rare: A Canadian cartoon that ran on CBC and the Disney Channel and was hard to find on disc outside Canada. Many people only remember it by its theme song, 'Run With Us'.
Source: The Raccoons (official channel)
Gulliver's Travels (1939, USA)
Why it's rare: Fleischer Studios' answer to Snow White, and only the second American animated feature ever. It played on endless afternoon TV and cheap VHS, so many people saw a faded copy as kids and never knew who made it.
Source: FamilyTime (free movie channel); the film itself is public domain (copyright not renewed)