So. Weird movies then. I've been giving them some thought in between packing things into boxes for our move to a new staffroom. And while attending a union meeting. And on the metro to and from work. Quite a lot of thought really.
So. Weird movies then. There are plenty to choose from but the question is, what do I mean by "weird"? And in at least a couple of cases, what do I mean by "movie"? Can a movie with a perfectly logical structured plot be weird? Can an otherwise mainstream movie that suddenly lurches into weirdness be counted (Repo Man, anybody?). What about a piece of out-and-out surrealism?
As for "movie", will a short piece made for television count?
Ah well, pondering the imponderables.
Anyway, because it's a rather suitable number I'll mention 13 of my own favourites, though I'll leave the reviews to others and make do with single comments that may or may not be an accurate reflection of the films in question.
First the ones mentioned already.
Donnie Darko : Harvey's evil twin.
The Naked Lunch : William Burroughs novel, thought by many to be unfilmable. Many who have seen it, that is.*
Now for the rest.
Brazil : Terry Gilliam creates an unholy cross between Monty Python and Franz Kafka.
Eraserhead : I'll give sixpence to anyone who can tell me what it's about. (I'm lieing) You can always rely on David Lynch for something disturbing.
La Cabina : Short? Yes! Weird? Yes! You'll never use a public phone box again.
Videodrome : No I don't know what it's all about either but Cronenberg is more reliably weird than Lynch.
The Bed-Sitting-Room : Spike Milligan is in it. A man mutates into a bed sitting room. Need I go on?
Pan's Labyrinth (aka El Laberinto del Fauno) : A touch more mainstream but still very odd indeed.
Jacob's Ladder : Cop out ending but a strange enough journey getting to it.
L'age d'or : Luis Bunel and Salvador Dali. Expect surrealism.
Being John Malkovich : Probably the strangest plot ever conceived.
Dark City : Possibly shouldn't be here. Has a plot with a beginning, a middle and an end, but I think it's weird.
Neco z Alenky (aka Alice) : The most utterly disturbing vision of Alice In Wonderland ever commited to film. And likely to remain so regardless of what Tim Burton does with the story.
I suggest you go out and get them all and watch them. Then, assuming you haven't commited suicide, tell me if you know any that are weirder so that I can get them and watch them.
*Actually this is a lie. I thought that The Naked Lunch was a terrible film. It was weird though, especially the giant typewriter bug.
So. Weird movies then. There are plenty to choose from but the question is, what do I mean by "weird"? And in at least a couple of cases, what do I mean by "movie"? Can a movie with a perfectly logical structured plot be weird? Can an otherwise mainstream movie that suddenly lurches into weirdness be counted (Repo Man, anybody?). What about a piece of out-and-out surrealism?
As for "movie", will a short piece made for television count?
Ah well, pondering the imponderables.
Anyway, because it's a rather suitable number I'll mention 13 of my own favourites, though I'll leave the reviews to others and make do with single comments that may or may not be an accurate reflection of the films in question.
First the ones mentioned already.
Donnie Darko : Harvey's evil twin.
The Naked Lunch : William Burroughs novel, thought by many to be unfilmable. Many who have seen it, that is.*
Now for the rest.
Brazil : Terry Gilliam creates an unholy cross between Monty Python and Franz Kafka.
Eraserhead : I'll give sixpence to anyone who can tell me what it's about. (I'm lieing) You can always rely on David Lynch for something disturbing.
La Cabina : Short? Yes! Weird? Yes! You'll never use a public phone box again.
Videodrome : No I don't know what it's all about either but Cronenberg is more reliably weird than Lynch.
The Bed-Sitting-Room : Spike Milligan is in it. A man mutates into a bed sitting room. Need I go on?
Pan's Labyrinth (aka El Laberinto del Fauno) : A touch more mainstream but still very odd indeed.
Jacob's Ladder : Cop out ending but a strange enough journey getting to it.
L'age d'or : Luis Bunel and Salvador Dali. Expect surrealism.
Being John Malkovich : Probably the strangest plot ever conceived.
Dark City : Possibly shouldn't be here. Has a plot with a beginning, a middle and an end, but I think it's weird.
Neco z Alenky (aka Alice) : The most utterly disturbing vision of Alice In Wonderland ever commited to film. And likely to remain so regardless of what Tim Burton does with the story.
I suggest you go out and get them all and watch them. Then, assuming you haven't commited suicide, tell me if you know any that are weirder so that I can get them and watch them.
*Actually this is a lie. I thought that The Naked Lunch was a terrible film. It was weird though, especially the giant typewriter bug.
No comments:
Post a Comment