Oh how I pine for the 90s, the era in which I grew up, which was the last in which terrestrial TV was still relatively dominant and they would show any old films, from any old era, from anywhere in the world. Channel 4 was of course renown for its cinematic eclecticism, although the BBC and even ITV would occasionally get in on the act. I remember Mario Bava's bizarre 'Lisa And The Devil', and some more obscure Italian director's even more nonsensical 'The Visitor' on BBC1, the description-defying 'The Monk' by Luis Bunuel on BBC2, something by Charles Band called 'Crash!' - about a possessed wheelchair that causes car smashes - on ITV, and pretty much one film a week that would fit the 'strange' bill on C4. 'Tetsuo' and 'Plastic Jesus' were particularly nonplussing to me as a teenager, although it didn't matter as I was just lapping up film in all the shapes and forms that the TV channels could throw at me
Juraj Herz’s filmThe Cremator has been described in many ways - as surrealist-inspired horror, as expressionist fantasy and as a dark and disturbing tale of terror. Combining horror with humour, this brilliant black comedy, set in Prague during the Nazi occupation, tells the story of Karl Kopfrkingl an increasingly deranged cremator for whom the period offers great possibilities for acting out his psychotic impulses as contribution towards the’salvation of the world’.
Based on the novel of the same name by Ladislav Fuks the film centers around a truly chilling lead performance by Rudolf Hrusinsky as the demonic, death obsessed Karl Kopfrkingl. He is the owner of a crematorium in the early stages of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia who finds in the situation an opportunity to fulfill his business ambitions, justify his anti-semitism and exert his obsession for control. His discovery that his wife has 'impure' blood sends him a psychopathic spiral that leads to the murder of her and their son.
Oh how I pine for the 90s, the era in which I grew up, which was the last in which terrestrial TV was still relatively dominant and they would show any old films, from any old era, from anywhere in the world. Channel 4 was of course renown for its cinematic eclecticism, although the BBC and even ITV would occasionally get in on the act. I remember Mario Bava's bizarre 'Lisa And The Devil', and some more obscure Italian director's even more nonsensical 'The Visitor' on BBC1, the description-defying 'The Monk' by Luis Bunuel on BBC2, something by Charles Band called 'Crash!' - about a possessed wheelchair that causes car smashes - on ITV, and pretty much one film a week that would fit the 'strange' bill on C4. 'Tetsuo' and 'Plastic Jesus' were particularly nonplussing to me as a teenager, although it didn't matter as I was just lapping up film in all the shapes and forms that the TV channels could throw at me
I actually recall seeing the Jan Švankmajer version
of "Faust" on BBC2 as a teenager and it was
excellent, especially with all the Andrew Sachs
voices. :cool:
I actually recall seeing the Jan Švankmajer version
of "Faust" on BBC2 as a teenager and it was
excellent, especially with all the Andrew Sachs
voices. :cool:
BBC2 actually had a 'weird night' at one point - it was during the two-week 'Christmas season', possibly 94 or 95 - where showings included Romero's 'Martin', Lynch's quite Svankmajer-esque 'The Grandmother', and something with Claude Rains called 'Strange Holiday' about an imagined post-communist takeover world, that I doubt you can now see anywhere in the world! It was all enthralling stuff to my spotty teen self
3 Dev Adam. Some poorly made film with a budget of about 10 Turkish Lira starring Captain America, Santo and an evil Spider-Man in costumes that look like novelty Pajamas's you'd get from Woolworth's. It defies description really, it's an utter shambles of a film, but oddly hilarious, taster below. Watching this years ago actually got me into Turkish films, they've remade so many big Hollywood films and each one is a goldmine of awfulness, it's well worth trying some out.
Oh how I pine for the 90s, the era in which I grew up, which was the last in which terrestrial TV was still relatively dominant and they would show any old films, from any old era, from anywhere in the world. Channel 4 was of course renown for its cinematic eclecticism, although the BBC and even ITV would occasionally get in on the act.
I was introduced to so many fantastic and often weird films through Channel 4's film seasons as well. Also, through BBC 2's Moviedrome series (with Alex Cox as its presenter). I wish there was a site that listed films shown through C4's film seasons during that period. Short films, too. (Short and Curlie, I think it was called?)
Anyway, this might interest you: Someone here a while ago provided a link to downloadable reproductions of Moviedrome guides: Alex Cox's Free Stuff.
I think 'A Field In England' was pretty strange - it was disturbing and I barely understood it - I didn't feel better for seeing it - it was like a car crash situation I couldn't stop looking at - it was awful!
I've still no idea what 'Eyes Wide Shut' was about - it was entertaining to watch though.
IMO, it was largely a commentary about the elite feeding off the rest in society (hence the sex ritual, death of the junkie/prostitute and cover up) and the middle class desperate to join them. Also the power of lust and wanting more than you have (in both Bill and Alice's case).
I'd go for Society, Magnolia and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk witb Me
Afraid of the Dark - I watched it for Paul McGann, It's about a kid who can hardly see, and his mother who is blind, and he has this obsession with blind people and knitting needles. He imagines everyone around him is blind and "sees" some very disturbing things take place. Worst part of the film is where his character stabs Paul McGann's character in the eye with the knitting needle.
Channel 4 used to show some wonderful late night oddities back in the 90s, ones that I can remember:
Bad Boy Bubby - the twisted Australian Forrest Gump, a film that nearly 20 years later I still can't forget
Clean, Shaven - schizoprenic father in search of his daughter
There was a film I watched once that had this family and they held this man captive as an adult baby. I don't know what it was called, but I think it was a 70's film.
There was a film I watched once that had this family and they held this man captive as an adult baby. I don't know what it was called, but I think it was a 70's film.
It was called The Baby! It was made in 1973 and starred Ruth Roman as the matriarch of the warped family unit. Good stuff that Alex Cox premiered on BBC2 some time in the 90s (not as part of Moviedrome, that had finished by then). It has unreal saturated colours, on top of the generally pervasive twistedness.
Another vote for 'A Field in England' here; though I absolutely loved it!
The all-time strangest I've ever seen is a film from Thailand called 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'. It's like nothing I've ever seen before in my life. A non-stop journey into a world of weird. I didn't particularly like it that much though, but it really has to be seen to be believed!
It was called The Baby! It was made in 1973 and starred Ruth Roman as the matriarch of the warped family unit. Good stuff that Alex Cox premiered on BBC2 some time in the 90s (not as part of Moviedrome, that had finished by then). It has unreal saturated colours, on top of the generally pervasive twistedness.
Thank you ! I tried finding out what it was called but I found no luck. It was a very odd film, kind of arty. Most Art Narrative films are odd
I've seen a lot of strange films over the years. The one that sticks out in my mind is a Japanese horror film called UZUMAKI. It's about a small town infected by spirals. The word bizarre doesn't do it justice. There's a lot of unsettling imagery in this film.
The trailer will give you an idea of what to expect: LINK
Comments
And the ending is magnificent, accompanied as it is by an excellent rendition of the 2nd movement from Beethoven's 7th.
I've not seen it, but Maya Deren knew Kenneth Anger, so
there's a sort of link with "Lucifer Rising" above...
The Cremator
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cremator-DVD-Rudolf-Hrusinsky/dp/B000EHSCJU/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1378923956&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cremator
The Cremator (Spalovaè mrtvol) A film by Juraj Herz Czech Republic / 1968 1972 Sitges Film Festival / Best Actor - Rudolf Hrusínský
Juraj Herz’s filmThe Cremator has been described in many ways - as surrealist-inspired horror, as expressionist fantasy and as a dark and disturbing tale of terror. Combining horror with humour, this brilliant black comedy, set in Prague during the Nazi occupation, tells the story of Karl Kopfrkingl an increasingly deranged cremator for whom the period offers great possibilities for acting out his psychotic impulses as contribution towards the’salvation of the world’.
Based on the novel of the same name by Ladislav Fuks the film centers around a truly chilling lead performance by Rudolf Hrusinsky as the demonic, death obsessed Karl Kopfrkingl. He is the owner of a crematorium in the early stages of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia who finds in the situation an opportunity to fulfill his business ambitions, justify his anti-semitism and exert his obsession for control. His discovery that his wife has 'impure' blood sends him a psychopathic spiral that leads to the murder of her and their son.
I love this film, stayed in my head for a long while just because I was trying to make sense of it all!
I watched the film 'Otis' a couple years ago and had no idea why I watched it or who it was appealing to.
I actually recall seeing the Jan Švankmajer version
of "Faust" on BBC2 as a teenager and it was
excellent, especially with all the Andrew Sachs
voices. :cool:
BBC2 actually had a 'weird night' at one point - it was during the two-week 'Christmas season', possibly 94 or 95 - where showings included Romero's 'Martin', Lynch's quite Svankmajer-esque 'The Grandmother', and something with Claude Rains called 'Strange Holiday' about an imagined post-communist takeover world, that I doubt you can now see anywhere in the world! It was all enthralling stuff to my spotty teen self
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvX2JNobSXA
I was introduced to so many fantastic and often weird films through Channel 4's film seasons as well. Also, through BBC 2's Moviedrome series (with Alex Cox as its presenter). I wish there was a site that listed films shown through C4's film seasons during that period. Short films, too. (Short and Curlie, I think it was called?)
Anyway, this might interest you: Someone here a while ago provided a link to downloadable reproductions of Moviedrome guides: Alex Cox's Free Stuff.
IMO, it was largely a commentary about the elite feeding off the rest in society (hence the sex ritual, death of the junkie/prostitute and cover up) and the middle class desperate to join them. Also the power of lust and wanting more than you have (in both Bill and Alice's case).
I'd go for Society, Magnolia and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk witb Me
Others -
Crash (Cronenberg) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115964/?ref_=sr_3
The Woodsman - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361127/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Silence - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1361835/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Idiots - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154421/?ref_=sr_1
Paris Trout - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102638/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Bad Boy Bubby - the twisted Australian Forrest Gump, a film that nearly 20 years later I still can't forget
Clean, Shaven - schizoprenic father in search of his daughter
It was called The Baby! It was made in 1973 and starred Ruth Roman as the matriarch of the warped family unit. Good stuff that Alex Cox premiered on BBC2 some time in the 90s (not as part of Moviedrome, that had finished by then). It has unreal saturated colours, on top of the generally pervasive twistedness.
The all-time strangest I've ever seen is a film from Thailand called 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'. It's like nothing I've ever seen before in my life. A non-stop journey into a world of weird. I didn't particularly like it that much though, but it really has to be seen to be believed!
Thank you ! I tried finding out what it was called but I found no luck. It was a very odd film, kind of arty. Most Art Narrative films are odd
Dear God, she's one creepy looking person, is she drunk, or really old under all that make-up.
The trailer will give you an idea of what to expect: LINK