Reader submission: Dracula-themed short film in the spirit of the holidays

I always like it when somebody sends me their own work, and it doesn't happen nearly enough.

whimperwarrior@gmail.com is where you can contact me with your music, films, art, etc.

Here's an interesting little short film I was sent earlier in the week, just in time for All Hallow's Eve. 'Danse Macabre' comes from Chicago indie filmmaker Derek Quint and his Addovolt Productions. It fits right in with the movies I usually post here, as it's intentionally designed to have that timeless, b-movie look. My guess would be 16mm film, but it could be digital post-effects. Either way, it has that cool look to it, and aside from a few modern-looking people in a crowd shot, it definitely succeeds in feeling out-of-time.

The plot consists of Dracula and his brides riding around in a limo on Halloween. When they stop for the girls to buy some jewelry, Dracula is kidnapped by some Vatican officials who plan to do away with him for good. Interestingly, the director chose to have the vampire characters ACTUALLY speak in Transylvanian, and the Vatican officials speak in Italian.

I won't give away the rest of the plot, but the mood definitely trumps everything else in importance. It feels like a less-disgusting John Waters short film, with the gaudy costumes and big ideas put on bargain-quality film. There is a choice moment where a guy on the subway is looking at the cast members, and you can tell it was unintentional.

I'm not up on my Dracula mythology, but the fact that Mr. Quint chose to use the Transylvanian language tells me there are probably other allusions to other vampire-based works here as well. Regardless, it's a fun little piece of independent filmmaking from some fellow b-movie aficionados.



Check out Derek's blog for Addovolt Productions here.

New blog

I started a new blog, exclusively for my movie reviews. I will probably be posting more frequently in it than I do here:

Obscuro Films

Outsider cinema, vol. 2 - 'Hawk Jones'

First off, this post does NOT include a download link for the movie, BUT, it is extremely affordable from the creator's website, and I'd encourage all of you to support them.

This is one of the most bizarre things to come out of the 1980's VHS era that I've ever seen. We will start off with a quote from the director's website:

"Hawk Jones was the brainchild of Tor Lowry.  Tor got the idea for Hawk Jones when he saw a Bill Cosby Jello commercial in which all the kids were dressed as adults.  Tor thought that would make for an interesting movie to have an all child cast and his brother, Rico, agreed.  "

Yep. The only film I'm aware of with an all-children cast...but it's also not FOR children.

The plot is not very good, and the script isn't either...it's your basic thriller/crime caper with 40's film noir references. Obviously, though, that doesn't matter, because it's ALL CHILDREN.

So, it's an hour and a half of kids smoking cigars, driving cars, shooting each other up (yes, there is blood), hanging out at bars, and talking like 1940's adults ('The streets are no place for dames!'). All of which makes for an incredible viewing experience.

One review I read claimed that this is the type of film you couldn't get away with making in modern times, which is definitely true. I'm surprised that they found a whole cast of children whose parents were cool with this back in '86 or whatever. I mean, some of it is borderline creepy. Judging by the info on the director's website, they did have trouble finding a distributor, even in the anything-goes VHS era.

What's weirder is that it's actually well done...it does look to be shot-on-video, but the editing is flawless, and all the sets are well-decorated. My guess is that an extremely wealthy person did this, and had enough sense to hire people for production than do it himself. Somehow, he also found some pretty decent child actors...I mean, a few of them are REALLY good for how old they are.

Here are a few highlights:

-A kid hitman named 'The Eliminator' who wears some bizarre homemade sunglasses and a golfer hat.

-A lengthy, awkward scene where two kids 'make eyes' at each other.

-Multiple kid gangsters with drawn-on facial hair who keep asking their boss 'want me to waste him??'

-The music, which is gloriously 80's but also would be more appropriate for an early Olsen twins film or something.

-A kid playing an old man, complete with a walker and grey wig.

Yeah, it's great. I also wonder if any of these kids went on to become 'real' actors?

Outsider cinema, vol. 1 - 'Double Down'

It's been brought to my attention that some of you may be interested in this film...I uploaded it to share with a couple of interested parties on the RateYourMusic website, but the fact that people are asking about it means it's pretty damn hard to find...

I'm hoping that director Neil Breen doesn't sue the shit out of me, or get my Mediafire account taken down, but we will see. I don't necessarily feel bad about posting it, as Mr. Breen sort of condemns his films to obscurity each time he makes a new one. I even contacted him a while back about his second feature, 'I Am Here....Now' and he told me he wasn't making anymore copies. This one (his first film) is even harder to come by.

So, basically, this is 'outsider' cinema...made by a fairly successful real estate agent (the realty king of Las Vegas) who uses his earnings to make b-movies that he writes, directs, and stars in (and even does some of the music for, I think.) Which, if you know anything about film, means there is a LOT of room for things to go wrong...lots of situations where nobody else gives input or says 'maybe you shouldn't put that in your movie.' Fans of Tommy Wiseau's 'The Room' and 'Troll 2' would definitely be into his stuff. I'd wager that Breen creates even WEIRDER films...

Whereas Mr. Breen's two more recent movies are kinda sci-fi action, his first is mainly an action/thriller (I guess?!) with a LITTLE bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure.

Oh yeah, before I go any further, just in case Neil stumbles across this post...I have NOTHING negative to say about this movie. I will probably watch it over and over. Yes, it's basically a how-to on making a movie completely wrong, but that doesn't matter. It's pure entertainment, and it's also demented as hell.

The 'plot' concerns a genius computer hacker (who seems to not really know anything about computer) who is trying to save the world with his skillz, after years of working for anybody who will pay. It's unclear what he really does, but he spends a lot of time waking up halfway in his car in the desert (seriously, this happens about 10 times, and it's all different shots, so I'm not really sure if it's supposed to be a flashback or what) and dicking around with a whole bunch of laptops that never seem to be on. Most of the film is actually just that...the hacker (played by Breen) driving around Las Vegas with a car full of laptops.

Everything is held together by a voiceover explaining the story, that disappears halfway through for seemingly no reason...then reappears towards the end. Oh yeah, and somewhere along the way, the main character realizes he has the ability to cure cancer with his mind(!)

EVERYTHING you could want to go wrong most certainly does, from head-shaking music cues, to bizarre dialog, to the distinctly skewed worldview the film creates. And it's all completely awesome.

GET IT. Now, before the feds come for me...

HERE
HERE
HERE
and HERE

Also, if YOU somehow have a copy of 'I Am Here....Now'...help me out?

Films 15 - Bizarro Jerry's trip thru vintage anime OVAs part 1

Haven't done a movie post in a while because I got stuck on weirdo sci-fi anime, which I've never really posted up here. So, if you're into that, here are some of the things I was watching.

'Baoh the Caller' - 1989

This one stuck out as rather strange. Sure, the plot is kinda similar to a lot of other 80's OVAs (people given weird powers by the government/military/corporate giant) but it's done fairly well and it's cheesy in all the right spots. There are also a whole heap of bizarre, unexplained things happening, and a lot of head-exploding goodness. If you haven't seen much anime but want to give this stuff a try (believe me, it's NOTHING like the streamlined shit Adult Swim puts out) this is a pretty good place to start.

'Darkside Blues' - 1994

This isn't like anything else I've seen, really. It is very stylish, and a lot more mysterious/suspenseful than most sci-fi animes. It's definitely not all blood, guts and robots. In fact, the only 'robot' in it turns out to be a regular guy. There is also a demented homeless blues musician, alternate-universe storylines, and a shit ton of surreal imagery. The opening scene is a little graphic, but don't worry, this one is much more tame than some of the stuff out there. It's also by the creator of 'Vampire Hunter D,' so you know it's classy.

'California Crisis' - 1986

I don't know why, but I really like Japan's take on 1980's American pop culture. It's so flawed and insane. They must've thought we did nothing but dance and eat cheeseburgers, and that's pretty much what happens here. This isn't a bloody one, or an 'artistic' film. It's just non-stop 80's action and super-stylish animation. I don't think I've seen anything MORE 80's than this. From what I remember, some guy and girl come into possession of some weird orb and get chased by gangsters for it. It's only 40 minutes, so the generic storytelling doesn't get boring.

'Cyber City Oedo 808' - 1990

This is pretty much the epitome of splat-fi cyberpunk anime. I liked it a lot better than more well-known stuff like 'Appleseed' and 'A.D. Police File,' and while a lot of anime fans seem to hate on English dubs, this one is fucking demented. So much unnecessary swearing! Plus, it's graphically violent, overflowing with creativity, and every one of the three episodes has ex-cons being mean to a C3P0-esque robot.

'Take the X Train' -  1987

When it opened with a dedication to Duke Ellington, I wasn't sure what to expect. But, indeed, this is a jazzy little OVA. It's more like an art-picture than some of the stuff I've posted here, and my only complaint was that the dialog was a little too fast to watch it with subtitles. Unfortunately, there is not an English dub, but oh well. It's an interesting (and also not especially violent or disturbing) story about a guy who works for a railway company that is trying to capture a ghost train. He has some kind of a link with the train, and his nose starts bleeding whenever it comes by. It just gets weirder from there. A lot of stuff happens for no reason. But, if you're into experimental filmmaking, this is worth checking out for sure.

...hopefully I will find time to post a LOT more because I watched like way too many of these things.

Films 12 - another helping of summer mindmelt cinema

Well, it's pretty much the hottest part of the summer, so here are some more movie reviews to watch in an air-conditioned room. Or you know, a cabin in the woods that's 'off the grid,' whatever the hell your setup is. Enjoy.

'Roller Blade' - 1986

Here's another example of a film failing on so many levels that it becomes a surreal kind of masterpiece. It's also one of many, many films that aped 'Mad Max' in the mid-80's. Apparently EVERYONE thought the future would be a desolate, nuclear-damaged desert with roving bands of freaks. Huh. Well, this time around, everybody's on roller skates. Not blades, mind you, because that would make sense. There ARE a lot of switchblades, but whatever. Basically, some nuns get their power crystal stolen by the bad guys, and they skate around trying to get it back. But, there's so much more than that. This is prime 1980's trash-culture surrealism at its finest. NOTHING in the film makes sense, and it almost reaches 'Samurai Cop' levels of greatness. The best part is actually not really related to the film. The director, Donald Jackson, along with martial arts master/writer/director/actor Scott Shaw, made about 60 movies using their 'zen' technique of filmmaking, which means they don't use a script. Yes, that's right. So, you've got b-list action celebrities like Frank Stallone improvising ridiculous action and sci fi movies with a handheld camera. I CANNOT recommend their stuff enough. Unfortunately, you have to pay for it, but it's worth it. (Scroll down till you start seeing titles like 'Max Hell, Frog Warrior') They've also done about seven post-apocalyptic rollerskating films, NONE of which was a real 'sequel' to this one.

'Evil in the Woods' - 1986

Apparently 1986 was a GREAT year for cinema. This one honestly has more subplots than a Paul Thomas Anderson flick. I dunno what the deal is, but shit seems pretty homemade. It's also 'knowingly' bad. I say 'knowingly' because there are a lot of 'jokes' about what's going on in the film, but the 'jokes' aren't 'funny,' meaning it's supposed to be knowingly bad but it's actually even stupider than it thinks it is. Or something like that. It was entertaining, though, and any film where the narration is a little kid reading stories in a book is usually good for a laugh. Especially when the directors forget to use that narration more than like, 2 times, making it irrelevant. A real 'what the fuck' experience.

'Max Hell Frog Warrior' - 2002

Again, it ain't free, but 2 bucks isn't a bad price to stream some of the greatest improv-sci-fi flicks ever made. I forgot to mention that Donald Jackson of 'Roller Blade' fame ALSO did the cult classic 'Hell Comes to Frogtown' before goin' off the deep end and doing the 'zen filmmaking' thing with Scott Shaw. Needless to say, he and Shaw did about 50 frog-mutant-related movies too. This one 'follows' a flick called 'Toad Warrior' (interesting acknowledgement of the 'Mad Max vibes these dudes put off) but I don't think it's really necessary that you watch them in order. It's just barely an hour long too, so there's that. It was pretty silly, but I'd probably watch it again. Unfortunately, Amazon isn't carrying what looks to be the best Scott Shaw film, 'Rock 'N Roll Cops.' They also don't have the Sun City Girls-scored 'Guns of El Chupacabra,' How he came to work with them is beyond me, but it's awesome nonetheless.

'The Executioner 2' - 1984

Ah, the 80's. Nowadays people pretty much watch whatever the advertisers cram down their throats, but back then, you had to TRICK somebody into watching your crappy film. Whereas a company like Troma made ridiculously unrelated posters which made their sub-basement productions look like goddamn 'Animal House,' some shadier producers would just lie outright. See, there IS no 'Executioner.' There is, however, a 'Terminator' and an 'Exterminator,' and one can only guess that these folks wanted to draw in the mostly-illiterate crowd. I mean, I GUESS that's legit. If you're too stupid to read a movie box, you probably deserve to see films like this. It's actually quite entertaining, too. Kind of like 'Rambo' on PCP or something. It's a crazy Vietnam veteran taking the law into his own hands in over-the-top violent ways, so yeah, a lot like 'Rambo.' But better, and definitely crazier. Worth your time, I'd say.

Films 11 - more weirdness for summer

Been diggin' in the archives again for some odd flicks....found plenty of 'em. If you need some drunk flixxx for summertime, look no further. I'm puttin' up links again, so you don't have to even hunt 'em out.

'Samurai Cop' - 1989

This is it. This is the ULTIMATE bad movie. Forget your 'Room' or your 'Plan 9' or even your 'Troll 2.' This takes the cake. What's more, it's kind of like a weird amalgam of all those films. The acting is awful, the dialog is terrible to the point of being bizarre, the storyline is more convoluted than a head shop employee's urine, and it's pure fucking 80's. Basically, you've got a cop who's been brought in to fight some gangsters. He's the best of the best, and he's also a Samurai warrior who 'speaks fluent Japanese.' However, he doesn't really do any police work and spends most of his time getting laid while his 'friends' get shot, stabbed, and burned. He's STILL supposed to be the hero despite this, and despite his awful dialog which makes him sound like a total asshole. Throw in a complete lack of understanding of Japanese culture, and a writer/director who probably doesn't speak English too well, and you've got a classic film. I also read somewhere that Iranian filmmaker Amir Shervan would often neglect to get permits, and one time was arrested for going 100 in a residential area with a rented stunt cop car. Upon being arrested, he threatened to  burn the police officers' houses down and kill their families. Yeah. See this at ONCE. Dude's got two other English flicks, and they both sound promising.

'For Y'ur Height Only' - 1981

I posted this a week or so ago, but for the record, it's a Filipino parody of the James Bond flicks starring a midget named Weng Weng as 'Agent 00.' The only thing is, it's not all that funny....sure, it's got some jokes, but no more than a regular Bond film. It's more like a straight tribute to Bond with a midget instead. Okay....That being said, I liked it a lot more than most 80's Bond flicks I've seen, and it was totally entertaining. Not badly made, either, just unusual. The Filipino people apparently aren't too proud of this film, as it was the ONLY thing that drew any attention from a Filipino film festival organized by the First Lady.

'Scalps' - 1983

I can't do much better than this review from RateYourMusic user Cinematery:

"This is one of those movies that is so bad that it transcends all preconceived notions of what good and bad is to deliver a truly surreal experience. And it's been a favorite of mine for a long time. To put it frankly, "Scalps" is amazing. An ancient demon runs around in blue jeans and tennis shoes (before anyone is possessed). Superimposed monster masks appear out of thin air and spout mumbo jumbo. A mysterious cat/man creature appears at random times and is never explained. It's pitch black night and broad daylight in the same scenes. The music is often eerie and oddly hypnotic, but very strange in some ways I can't quite put my finger on. Most of the kills are shown immediately at the beginning for no reason at all. There are long stretches where nothing happens, yet they somehow feel like those dreams you have that are nightmares in tone, despite nothing too nightmarish really happening. Of course, there are other scenes where plenty happens: rape, splattery deaths, and whatnot. This movie has one of the most hysterical (yet realistic-looking) decapitations I've ever seen. In summation, unless you're put to sleep by it and hate bad movies on principle, "Scalps" has quite a bit to offer for the trash connosseiur or even the good-humored surrealist."

'Miami Connection' - 1986

Another film that, while not quite as entertaining as 'Samurai Cop,' is pure undiluted 80's entertainment. This is like 'Karate Kid,' 'Miami Vice,' and some shitty afterschool special all rolled into one. According to my friend, it was also the basis for a pretty good video game. So, then....you've got your good and evil gangs. The good gang is pretty puke...they're an awful synth-rock band who does Tae-Kwon-Do and is more fucking ethnically diverse than the Magic School Bus. The bad gang is pretty lame too, but you still don't mind seeing them kick the synth kids' asses. Also, there's a third gang, kind of...ANOTHER synth rock group who writes shitty 'bad guy' songs about cocaine, and get their gig at a bar stolen by the good guys. They're pretty much pissed at everybody. Apparently, the director/actor (you KNOW it's gonna be fucked when you see that...) did this film, and nothing else ever. Good deal. It's also currently on Netflix, if you swing that way.

...more to come...

...had to post this...

So, this is a real thing:




...and it's on Youtube in 6 parts, so you should probably watch it. I wouldn't really call it a 'parody' even though everyone seems to describe it as such...it's actually better and more action-packed than most of the older James Bond films I've seen...plus the dude slides everywhere. You'll know what I mean if you watch it. Do it. NOW.

Films 10 - mindfuck flicks for summer...

Alriiiiiiggghhhhtt,,,,

I sifted through some more garbage to find y'all the coolest underground low-budget shit I can muster.

...with LINKS this time:

'Tuesday Never Comes' - 1993

Surrealist 'Scarface'-esque drug kingpin story from writer/director/actor Jason Holt who made this ridiculous film I've yet to see. Troma re-released this flick, so that should let ya know it's quality. In fact, the sleazy vibe this dude conjures up is much more natural than most of Troma's sleaze. I dunno, I always felt like 'Scarface' was way too big-budget to be as seedy as it was trying to be, so this is like a much more accurate version of 'coked-out nightmare.' Holt himself plays an Irish former priest who's looking to get revenge on the mob for not paying him. The mob is mostly Erik Estrada who smokes crack and makes crazy faces throughout. By the time Holt's character is smoking crack in the sewer and chilling with rats, you know this thing's gone off the deep end. Weird stuff. Like Holt says, be careful if yer gonna watch it alone, because it IS a head trip. Holt also apparently had a musical alter-ego in the 70's called 'Daniel,' whose lone album is pretty high-up on collector's lists. You can hear some of the tracks here, which features Holt singing and playing an amplified cello(!) Oh yeah, if you have a link for 'Desperation Rising,' PLEASE share it with me, I'd love to see this thing...

'Death Warmed Up (aka Death Warmed Over)' - 1984

Supposedly the first horror flick out of New Zealand which, if you're familiar with the work of Peter Jackson,  should indicate that this is nutzoid. In fact, I don't think I've seen a more dreamlike film. Right from the first scene of the main character running feverishly through a hospital (never explained) this shit just drops you in its own world and doesn't let up. Basically, you've got a punkish guy who gets experimented on by an evil doctor...he then (under the doctor's mind control) kills his parents and goes to the psych ward. When he gets out, obviously the first thing he wants to do is fuck the doctor's shit up, so he brings some friends (who don't know the story) on a 'weekend getaway' to the doctor's private island dealie. However, the doctor's evil biker zombies (you read that right) are messing things up and the revenge plot gets left behind until the VERY end and it's mostly just people trying to survive the biker maniacs. None of this is explicitly laid out, though. It's all gathered through weird, surreal sequences that left me more confused than scared. It's kind of like someone SERIOUSLY mentally disturbed tried to make a 'regular' horror flick, and this is what came out. Oh yeah, it's deadly serious too, despite the plot. A unique film experience.

'The Abomination' - 1986

Rural Texas trash made all the creepier by the backwoods vibe of the filmmakers. Upon describing this film to a friend, he said it sounded like 'redneck Cronenberg' and this is pretty accurate. For the probably 7 dollar budget, the effects in this film are pretty outstanding. A guy who lives with his mom gets taken over by an evil tumor she coughs up, but he doesn't think much of it and starts hiding his own coughed-up tumors around the house. The tumors take over and turn into monsters with giant teeth, then he kills his friends to feed the monster because that's apparently what he's supposed to do. Oh yeah, and the first 10 minutes of this film are more like a trailer than anything, giving away ALL the gore...I guess it's supposed to be like the guy is telling a psychiatrist about the whole thing, and it may or may not have really happened...he might just be a murderer with no good reason. Whatever the case, if ya liked 'Videodrome' but wish it made even LESS sense and was created by some farmer instead, you'll love this shit.

'Arise! The SubGenius Video' - 1992

I didn't know much about the Church of the SubGenius before seeing this, but it didn't really matter. What you get is a proto-Tim and Eric video collage made by some pranksters who started a fake religion. Members include Mark Mothersbaugh (who does much of the soundtrack), Robert Anton Wilson and Paul Reubens. This is supposed to be a 'recruitment' tape for potential converts, but it plays more like a Mr. Show sketch. If you have a fairly dark sense of humor, you'll get a kick out of this weird thing. I won't give much else away, but the SubGenius Rap is pretty amazing.

'Toxic Crusaders: The Movie' - 1997

Basically the entire 'Toxic Crusaders' TV series cut down to movie length. If you've seen the show, you don't really need to see this, but if you haven't, watch this instead...it's much more bearable. If you're completely unfamiliar with this, it's the kid's cartoon based on Troma's Toxic Avenger series. Let that sink in for a second....it's a KID'S version of a film that features a headcrushing radioactive monster, created by a studio known for making the sleaziest trash around. Fuck, I even had action figures of this thing when I was a kid...I had no idea. More or less, it's 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' only dumber and with more environmental messages. If you're a fan of Kaufman and Troma, you NEED to see this. It's great.

'Drunken Wu Tang' - 1984

Absurd Kung Fu film that plays like it should be a cartoon. A ridiculous, drunken master has to fight some evil guys and make it through all these traps they set up, including the 'Watermelon Monster,' an annoying-voiced puppet. He also drives around in a tiny car that looks like a rat or something. The whole thing is pretty great. If you like the surreal nature of low-budget Kung Fu flicks, this one will be yer new favorite thing.

...alright, that's it for now.

Films 9 - More Low Budget Nitemares

Okay...after spending a whole shit-ton of time this week watching bargain-bin flicks, I've got some more to review.

'The Jar' - 1984

Don't know much about this, other than it is VERY weird. In an Amazon comment, the main 'actor' talks about how low-budget the project was, and apologizes for his acting. I dunno, it wasn't really that bad...a lot of lists seem to cite this as one of the worst horror movies of all time, and I guess if you go into it expecting a 'horror' movie that's probably true. It IS a very good surrealist piece, though, and I don't think the surrealism is completely unintentional. Sure, the acting is a little wooden, but (and I hate to keep going back to this, but it's true) so is the acting in MOST David Lynch films, because it's not really 'about' the acting. Basically, a guy comes into possession of a jar that contains some weird, possibly alien being. It starts fucking with his mind, and days start and stop at random...he'll end up someplace different for no reason, and it's not clear what's a dream and what's not. It also doesn't really end. It's apparently not shot on VHS like I thought, but whatever the low quality film stock is, it amps up the menace for sure. I can't recommend this enough for fans of surrealism and creepy low-budget oddities. Probably going to be watching this one a lot more...

'Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness' - 1986

This one is also fairly weird. It seems like it's supposed to be a 'regular' kinda slasher film, but is just a big oddball mess. Not as low-budget as you might think, but there are some very strange editing/story decisions that don't really make sense in terms of filmmaking. It kind of just follows this guy along as he goes crazy from finding his wife cheating on him...he keeps doing ridiculous shit, then getting put in the psych ward (it happens like 3 times) then he gets out and inevitably plays 'truth or dare' with someone...usually imaginary. The 'dares' include things like popping out eyes and cutting arms off...shit like that. I heard this described as a 'fever dream' and that's kind of fitting. The score music comes in at the wrong time often, and stops for no reason, and there's really not a point to the film...it just kinda keeps going and going...aside from about 20 minutes of being way too slow, it was pretty entertaining.

'The Dark Planet' - 1989

This one's so underground it's not even on RateYourMusic...impressive...apparently the work of Richard Corben, who had a lot to do with the 'Heavy Metal' film and the 70's comic book it was based on. I don't remember the film too well, but his segment was called 'Den.' The review I read for this was basically perfect...you almost don't believe the guy worked on such a cool thing as 'Heavy Metal' upon seeing this...it's VERY poorly done. I don't think there's anybody involved but him and maybe one or two other people.  A lot of the film is amateurish clayamation and puppet-work, and if there's a live actor, it's usually just one on the screen at a time. I guess the structure is pretty similar to 'Heavy Metal,' as it's an incomprehensible mess of 'segments' only held together because they occur on the same imaginary planet and involve the same ancient artifact. I really don't know what to say about this...it's definitely artistic, but it's pretty much a failure, but it's still kinda cool...even though I couldn't even begin to tell you what it's about.

'Woodchipper Massacre' - 1988

Possibly the most zero-budget film I've ever seen...maybe even moreso than 'Quadead Zone.' Basically a young dude (probably 19?) and his family making a shot-on-video flick about a crazy aunt who accidentally gets killed by her nephew while babysitting. Since they have a woodchipper rented for the weekend, the kids decide to just chop her up, but they have to freeze her first because apparently woodchippers don't work for 'wet stuff.' Then they kill her son because he's an asshole and why not? For a 'splatter' flick, it's not very violent, and it reminded me more of an afterschool special or 'Full House' or something. Lots of fun if you have 80 minutes to kill. Writer/director/actor Jon McBride seems to have made some other, gorier flicks that I'll have to check out. This one, like 'Quadead' also seems to be scored on a cheap Casio keyboard. Cool.

'Rubber' - 2010

Pretty decent for a 'newer' flick...which I don't usually like. Aside from the whole 'oh my god, can you BELIEVE we MADE this movie?!' attitude throughout, it was fairly enjoyable. Yes, it's about a tire that blows up animals and people for no reason, but no, it's not a 'retro'-style B-movie. It's more of an art-project kinda thing...about how strange of a concept the film actually is. It makes some good points in that respect, but it's VERY heavy-handed. I dunno, it might have been better if they'd gone for a more retro vibe. As it is, I probably won't re-watch it anytime soon, but I don't regret the 90 minutes I spent on it.

'Big Money Hustlas' - 2000

Yup. The Insane Clown Posse's first movie. I remember being fairly impressed by this in high school (and I hated them then) so I re-watched it. Hilarious. If you hate ICP, watch this, because you will look at them in a totally different light. Yes, it's cheesy, low budget, stupid, gross and foul, but so are the blaxploitation films they're parodying, and they do a much less pretentious version than say, Quentin Tarantino (who I DO still hate). I mean, they even got Rudy Ray Moore to be in it....as well as The Misfits and fucking Harland Williams. Definitely the hardest I've laughed in a while, and it shows that ICP might be loud and obnoxious, but they're NOT stupid. They totally know what they're doing, and the fact that Violent J supposedly wrote this film in like 2 weeks is incredible. Harland Williams, of course, steals the show, in possibly my favorite role from him as officer Harry Cox.

R.I.P. Dennis Flemion (Frogs re-up)

Since I don't normally fuck with the internet unless I'm at work, I didn't know until yesterday afternoon that one of the key members of The Frogs is missing, presumed dead. This plus MCA makes this like the worst summer for good music.

Longtime readers know how much I love The Frogs, and how often I play them on the radio (whenever I can get away with it.) So, here's my Frogs story:

I paid $50 for a Smashing Pumpkins ticket like two years ago. Before you call me a lame, let me say that the only reason I paid this much was because I heard The Frogs would be opening this show. Considering how rarely they play out, I was willing to drop 50 on that, plus, since they were opening, I wouldn't even really have to sit through Corgan and Co. if I didn't want to.

So, I get there about half an hour after the 'doors-open' time, knowing full well that most shows don't start until AT LEAST an hour after doors-open time. So, I was pretty surprised to find out that The Frogs had already played...

What the fuck, Billy Corgan? It was bad enough that the Frogs' set wasn't promoted all that well (I had to do some digging to find out they were opening in the first place) but to have them play BEFORE the doors-open time? That's just stupid. So, I never got to see The Frogs live, and now I never will, which is a bummer.

But, in response to the comments I got, here is a re-up of the Frogs' legendary 'CBGayB's' tape.

Apparently a live set from the CBGB's club recorded in '89, this has some great, rockin' versions of the classics. The best part is that when someone yells 'Free Bird!' drunkenly at the end of the show, they actually play it for a few seconds before telling the dude to fuck off.

ATTENTION FROGS FANS...KEEP READING

...because I'm dropping some more extremely rare shit on your heads right now.

Maybe you've heard of the legendary VHS tape the Flemion brothers put together for Kurt Cobain. Or maybe it was Billy Corgan. I'm not entirely sure. Anyhow, it's definitely a real thing. There is definitely a 2-hour compilation of ridiculous skits, totally fucked live clips (many from open mics) and 'music videos' made to while away the long hours on the road. It's called 'Toy Porno' and it's absolutely hilarious.

And here it is.

And here's a really well-recorded live set from Portland, ME on 3-27-01:

Tracklist:

1. Negro on Fire
2. Pleasure
3. Drugs
4. Homos
5. Whisper
6. Where's Jerry Lewis
7. Lord Grunge
8. Negro on Fire
9. Lord Grunge (Conclusion)
10. I Only Play 4 Money
11. Sleep on the Street
12. Dykes are We
13. N.Y. Shitty
14. Enter I
15. (stage banter)
16. Better than God
17. Hell Patrol
18. (stage banter)
19. Winter Lady
20. (stage banter)

DOWNLOAD

NOTE: To use Ween terminology, this was a particularly 'brown' set....lots of fuck-ups, lots of yelling at the crowd, songs played twice, and made-up songs. Plus, this is the only place I've heard live version of 'Better than God' and 'Lord Grunge.' Enjoy, y'all, and keep these amazing weirdos in your hearts.

Also, apparently The Frogs just released a double-album THIS month?! I didn't hear anything about this, but I'm glad I found it. I'm not going to post it because you should totally pay 20 dollars for the whole thing. I just did and it's definitely The Frogs we know and love.

Films 4

According to my 'stats,' people seem to like these film reviews, so here's a few more while I'm bored at work.

'The Groove Tube' - 1974

Maybe you know Richard Belzer from TV's 'Law and Order.' His character Detective John Munch has been on pretty much every cop show ever...even 'The X-Files.' So, perhaps it's surprising, then, that Belzer used to be a foul-mouthed, drug-fueled standup comic. This culminated in 'The Groove Tube,' an hour-and-20-minute sketch comedy film. Yeah, Chevy Chase is in it too. He's pretty good, but Belzer steals the show, especially in the sketch called 'The Dealers.'

If you dig 70's stoner humor like 'Cheech and Chong,' or 'Kentucky Fried Movie,' you'll definitely dig this. I don't remember much of the indivual sketches, but I remember Belzer being particularly hilarious as a black prostitute. Just some good, crude fun.

'Pink Flamingos' - 1972

If you like trashy, weird cinema, you're probably already familiar with John Waters' mega-offensive early films. Yes, 'Hairspray' and 'Pecker' are hilarious, but I've always been partial to the no-budget pictures Waters made in the 70's with the Dreamland crew. First of all, most of these actors are dead. One stepped on some glass while on PCP and bled to death. Another from AIDS. Divine him/herself died from obesity, basically. While working on these films, John Waters was expelled from college for smoking dope.We're talking about a pretty trashy bunch of people.

The first time I watched this film, it was with a roomful of people who had never seen it. By the end of the film, only three of us were left. It's pretty gross. But, if you can find the humor in a pervert tying a sausage to his dick or a white trash hair-farmer yelling 'Do my balls, mama!' then you'll be able to stick it out.

Basically all of Waters' films are worth checking out, if you're looking for something tamer than this, 'Hairspray' or 'Polyester' would work.

'Bubba Ho-Tep' - 2002

Don Coscarelli's 'Phantasm' tops many 'weird film' lists. This one is his lesser-known horror-comedy with Bruce Campbell. By putting this on here, I avoid the two obvious choices of 'Phantasm' and 'Evil Dead II.' You've read 1,000 reviews for those ones, I'm sure, so I don't need to throw in my 2 cents.

What's notable about this film is that, while it's about an Elvis impersonator (possibly the real Elvis) and a black dude who thinks he's JFK meeting in a retirement home and fighting a mummy, it's not really all that funny or cheesy. It's actually pretty serious. Leave it to Coscarelli to turn an unbelievably stupid idea into legitimate art.

While there are some funny one-liners, suspense is the most important mood here. It's low-budget, sure, but no more so than 'Phantasm.' Plus, it doesn't move quite as slowly as that film. And, it's got Bruce Campbell in one of his last respectable roles. 'The Man with the Screaming Brain' was just awful, I thought.

Anyhow, this is like the b-movie equivalent of a supergroup, so if you're into cheap horror, you'll wanna pick this one up.

'Repo Chick' - 2009

Alex Cox's 'Repo Man' is one of my favorite films ever. The only reason I haven't posted it up here yet is because it's one of the better-known 'strange' films, and I felt I could clue y'all into some more obscure stuff (I mean, this IS Obscuro, after all.) If you haven't seen 'Repo Man,' definitely check that out first. It's a punk-rock-action-scifi-comedy that's apparently an allegory for nuclear war. After seeing this in high school, I immediately sought out all of Cox's available films...the punk-rock spaghetti western 'Straight to Hell,' the slow, Jesus-story 'Three Businessmen,' and the historical work 'Walker.' Oh yeah, and 'Sid and Nancy.' All are good, but I was promised a 'Repo Man' sequel, right? I mean, Alex even wrote the script ('Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday') in the 80's.

Then, I heard that Cox was planning a sequel finally...nothing to do with the original script, starring only Miguel Sandoval from the original, and entirely shot on a green screen. Could be really shitty, right?

But sometimes you gotta just have faith that people don't get shittier at things as they get older. This shit is wild. Really wild. Totally maintains the spirit of the original, while doing something completely new. It reminded me vaguely of Mike Judge's 'Idiocracy,' but more colorful and cartoonish. And, Cox's token oddball dialog is still intact.

I think this is finally available on DVD, too, so you don't have to wait around for it to come to some tiny theatre in your town. I played that game for like two years to no avail. Basically, Alex Cox definitely hasn't lost his touch. This one's gonna be a classic.

'The Happiness of the Katakuris' - 2001

I see lots of Takashi Miike films on 'weirdest' lists...'Visitor Q,' 'Gozu,' 'The Audition,' etc. But not much love for this one. I saw this in high school before I knew about this guy and his reputation for completely fucked cinema. I'd still say it's ten times weirder and more enjoyable than any of the aforementioned titles. Like the tagline says, it's pretty much a horror musical. Lots of crazy violence, lots of catchy 80's-style songs, and lots of full-cast dance numbers. There's also a completely deranged claymation intro for some reason.

If you've seen any of Miike's other films, you know they can be uncomfortable to watch. This one is a bit more tame, and I think is a really good introduction to his work. Even better maybe than 'Ichi the Killer.' Whatever the case, it's a mind-blower.

Alright, I think that's enough for now. Enjoy this week's movies, and here's a tip: Veehd and Stagevu have most of these up. If you google the film title and 'Veehd' or 'Stagevu,' you'll probably be able to find them pretty quickly. Good quality, too.

Films 3

Okay, by request, here's some more films that are well outside-the-norm. On a similar note, I haven't seen 'Branded to Kill' yet, but it sounds great so it'll probably get posted here at some point.

'Combat Shock' - 1986

Yeah yeah, it's a Troma movie, and I said I would hold back on the horror comedy genre, but this is most certainly NOT your average Troma picture. Don't watch this movie unless you're kind of pissed off at the world, otherwise it'll bum you out really bad.

On the surface, 'Combat Shock' is a pretty regular post-Vietnam film. Guy gets back from the war, nobody is happy for him, he's kinda crazy, he can't find work, and he's got a newborn to take care of. Only problem is the newborn suffers from Agent Orange poisoning and looks more like the baby in 'Eraserhead.' In fact, this film has quite a bit in common with 'Eraserhead.' It's kind of like a streetwise, tougher, more linear version of that film. It's also, if possible, more disturbing and depressing, and definitely more violent.

I won't give too much away, but if you want to see something that's so realistic it almost hurts, check this'un out.

'Solaris' - 1972

This one is a lot more well-known than some of these weirdo films. That doesn't mean it's any less weird, though. Maybe you're familiar with the 2002 remake by Steven Soderbergh, which I haven't seen, but this is the OG adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's novel by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky.

So, we're in space, some folks are investigating a recently-discovered planet called Solaris. One dude starts seeing his dead wife walking around the space station, and gets a little too attached to her. Yeah, there's really not a whole lot going on. That doesn't matter though, because in the right mood this film will really get inside your head. It's slooooowwww, but not in a boring way...lots of unusual effects, like different film colors (sepiatone is featured heavily, I think) and weird future stuff. Maybe 1972's idea of the future seems a little outdated, but it kinda seems cooler than what actually happened...

Lem, the author of the 'Solaris' novel, didn't think this version of the film (or the remake, for that matter) stayed true to his original idea of extraterrestrial communication, but I think the message carried through. Basically, it's saying that if an alien lifeform tried to communicate with us, we would probably have no idea what to do because its communication form would be nothing like ours. Pretty interesting stuff. Calmly weird, whereas some of this stuff is beat-you-over-the-head fucked up.

'Xtro' - 1983

In the early 80's, EVERYONE wanted a piece of 'E.T.' Right down to the fact that someone decided to make 'Mac and Me,' an even more commercialized version of the E.T. story. Yeah, nobody like that shit. However, lots of Italians and Brits wanted to make 'negative' E.T. pictures...you know...'Alien' knockoffs without all the money, and with more 'familial'-type settings than a bunch of astronauts fucking around.

I dunno about some of the others, but 'Xtro' is pretty damn cool...and also surprisingly surreal. Let's see...some kid's dad gets stolen by aliens...a few years later, the alien comes back and gets his wife pregnant, then she gives birth to her full-grown husband and she obviously dies. The kid and his new alien-dad start hanging out and doing alien things to people. The kid also has a bad habit of making surreal clowns and shit appear when he's mad.

I wouldn't blame you if you started dozing halfway through this one...it gets pretty slow in the middle, but then the weirdness kicks in. I'm guessing the director was influenced quite a bit by Dario Argento's pictures, because it has that same surreal look, but it's definitely not an Argento ripoff.

'Fantastic Planet' - 1973

I thought this was a pretty popular 'weird' movie, but maybe not. I guess if you're into 'adult' animation and its origins, you've probably heard of this one, or maybe you just stick to 'Family Guy.' Anyhow, the 70's were a really good time for animated pictures...Ralph Bakshi was doin' 'Fritz the Cat,' 'Heavy Traffic,' 'Wizards,' and 'Coonskin,' and the French were just ripping through fucked up sci-fi stuff like this.

'Fantastic Planet' seems like a really anti-human film to me, which is kind of cool. In the distant future, humans are kept as pets by giant blue aliens with dead eyes. Some of them rudely escape (really, you don't feel any sympathy for them...I felt way worse for the little alien dude losing his pet) and go live in the weird-ass 'forests' of their new home planet. There isn't much dialog, which is good because I've only been able to find this film with subtitles for the French. Maybe it makes me an ugly American that I hate that, but if I'm watching an animated film, I want to be paying attention to the action, not reading.

This one's got a weird cutout animation style that's kind of like bizarro-proto-'South Park.' Plus, whereas most modern-day adult animation is humor-oriented, this isn't really funny at all, just creepy. I only put this film up here, but director Rene Laloux did two other badass animated features in the 80's called 'Time Masters' and 'Gandahar' (aka 'Light Years.') Both of these are definitely worth checking out, too. It was a little easier to follow the story in 'Time Masters,' but it's not quite as creepy as this one.

'Putney Swope' - 1969

I've seen Robert Downey Sr.'s 'Greaser's Palace' and 'Pound' on a lot of weird-film lists, but this one not so much. Yeah, 'Greaser's Palace' is totally incomprehensible and hilarious and 'Pound' has people acting like dogs, but neither of them have a dope-smoking German midget as the US president or a fucked-up biker dude telling a roomful of advertising execs that a glass of beer is 'pee-pee dicky.'

Downey, the guy who reportedly made his 3-year-old son get high, wrote and directed this completely stoned comedy about a black dude working in an advertising firm who ends up taking over when the president dies. The joke is that all the other execs vote for him figuring no one else will, in an effort to throw their votes away. He then turns their company into the 'Truth and Soul' firm and starts making street-smart commercials.

Sounds like some SNL/Rodney Dangerfield type shit, right? But this is the most off-the-wall, bizarre comedy I've ever seen. Chock full of memorable one-liners, you'll probably end up watching this one a few times just because the jokes are so hilarious. I'll give a few examples:
-Two Asian fellows are randomly throwing firecrackers in the hallway before their meeting with Truth and Soul. Putney (the black dude) walks out and says 'What's their bag? Do-it-yourself Pearl Harbor?'
-A fake ad for box fans that features a woman dancing to psychedelic music and saying 'You can't eat an air conditioner!'
-The tiny German president inviting Putney to 'shoot up in the big city' with him.

If that's not enough, Louis C.K. cites this film as a direct influence on his short films and TV show.

'Ginseng King' - 1988

We're gonna finish things out today with one that's so obscure it's probably impossible to find. I got this film on a VHS rip from a pirate video website years ago, and was not disappointed, aside from some of the subtitles being cut off.

This is a low-budget horror-comedy-action-fantasy from Thailand, so you know it's gonna be fucked. I can't tell you too much about the plot because it doesn't really make that much sense, but it's some kid saving his mom with the help of a living ginseng root that follows him around, THEN the ginseng root gets kidnapped by a three-headed monster and the kid has to help it. Then, there's a Nazi zombie. I dunno, a lot of it is filmed in the woods because it's REALLY low-budget, but it's got some completely incomprehensible computerized special effects as well.

If you are into b-horror films, and especially the ill-advised foreign ones, you'll wanna track this down. There's a brief article on it at this blog.

That's it for today...

Films 2

A sequel to this post.
So, I've been scouring the internet while bored at work, trying to find some unusual movies to watch and came to the realization that I've probably seen all of them. Yup. I can only find a handful of challenging, strange-sounding films I haven't seen, and this is disappointing. I mean, granted, some of my favorite films are pretty 'normal,' like 'Wonder Boys,' 'Chinatown' and 'Evil Dead,' but the majority of movies I really like are kind of out there, and that's what you come here for anyhow.
So, here's a brief list of some totally fucked up movies that are worth checking out:

'House' (aka 'Hausu') - 1977

Reportedly, the director of this film was asked to make a 'Jaws'-style movie for Japanese audiences, and somehow this is what came out. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi was involved in television commercials before this, and the movie has a LOT of commercial-type stuff...quick jump-cuts, purposely unrealistic special effects, and amateur actors.

Basically, it's about a girl who is pissed at her dad for wanting to bring his new girlfriend (her mother has been dead a while) on their summer vacation, so she goes to visit her mom's sister with her friends instead. Turns out her mom's sister is actually dead, and needs to eat all the unmarried girls in order to set her own soul free. Or something like that. Or it's her cat who's evil/dead. Yeah, it's nothing like 'Jaws.'

'What Is It?' and 'It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine.' - 2005 and 2007 respectively

Crispin Glover is fucking insane. I mean, he's also probably one of the best character actors in the world, and a brilliant filmmaker, but that's beside the point. These films don't appear on too many 'weirdest films' lists, probably because Glover refuses to release them on DVD, preferring instead to travel the country's small arthouse cinemas doing question-and-answer sessions. I managed to catch these in a double feature in Grand Rapids, and found Mr. Glover to be a really nice and intelligent fellow, if incredibly awkward. The films, on the other hand...

'What Is It?' is pretty mean...it's got lots of Nazi imagery, and the entire cast has Down's Syndrome except for Glover. It's also the only film I've ever seen to feature music from both racist country singer Johnny Rebel and cult leader Charles Manson. Yeah, it's completely offensive on every level, and bizarre to the point of alienating almost everyone. I loved it, though. I guess it helps if you've seen Glover in 'River's Edge' or heard his album from the late 80's...to me, what really made the film work was the contrast of a really nice, quiet guy casually putting unbelievable offensive shit out there.

'It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine.' is mayyyyybe a little more 'tame.' It's pretty much the film-equivalent of a Wesley Willis album or something. Glover somehow got hold of a script written by a creepy amateur guy with cerebral palsy. The script was all about a guy with cerebral palsy who the women can't get enough of, even though he gets really pissed off when his dick doesn't work and kills them. I think he intended it to be an afterschool-special type drama, but Glover turned it into something else entirely. Oh yeah, and he put the author of the script in the starring role. They actually just barely finished the film before the dude died.

The film does have elements of 70's television, but it's more like a sitcom. Well, the sets and the delivery of the actors anyhow. The film itself is more horror than anything. I dunno, I can't really even convey how fucking gone this one is. You'll just have to look it up on Netflix, er.....nevermind. Seriously though, see it if you can, and talk to Crispin afterwards. He's super cool.

'Easy Wheels' - 1989

Speaking of 70's television, here's Sam and Ivan Raimi's biker parody film. Obviously, this is kind of cheesy--I mean, it's coming from the bros who made the 'Evil Dead' trilogy, as well as 'Darkman.' I'd say this is a little more fucked than 'Evil Dead,' though. It's about two rival biker gangs, a girl gang and a guy gang. The girl gang are kidnapping babies in order to have wolves raise them, creating a super wolf-girl race. Why? Because the main biker girl was in fact raised by wolves. The guy bikers are trying to solve the baby-nappings, and find good light beer. Huh?

Yeah, it's silly, slapstick, and kinda low-budget, but it's also incredibly weird. I don't think I've laughed this hard at a movie in a long time. And the laughs are intentional, which is even better.
'Hair High' - 2004

First off, the Simpsons wouldn't exist without the work of Bill Plympton. It's well-publicized that Matt Groening was a huge fan of this dude's early work, and you might've even seen it on MTV back in the day. He did '10 Ways to Quit Smoking' and 'Your Face,' both pretty popular during the 'Liquid Television' era. His full-length films are all pretty messed up...lots of things morphing into other things, senseless violence, and scatological humor. But it's all so artistic that you never really notice how low-brow most of the topics are.

This one is like 'Grease' in hell. Popular girl falls for shy, nerdy guy...her football player boyfriend runs them off the road killing them right before prom, then tries to steal the prom-king crown. Girl and nerd dude come back to live and scare the shit out of everyone. It's kind of like 'Superjail,' 'South Park,' the work of Ralph Bakshi and 'Happy Days' all thrown in a blender together. If you're a fan of 'adult' animation like the previously mentioned stuff, you need to start watching Bill Plympton's films now. Matt Groening even does a character's voice in this one.

'Street Trash' - 1987

If you can't stand low-budget stuff, prolly stay away from this one...I don't think I've seen many lower-budget films....however, if you like trash cinema like John Waters' early works and the Troma library, you'll love the shit outta this. From melting hobos to blatantly racist comments to fat guys exploding, there isn't a second of this movie that doesn't make you feel dirty. Almost the whole thing is filmed in back-alleys and dumps, and there's not really a single likeable character. That's okay, though, because this is the ultimate work of 1980's VHS-haze. This stuff is probably the reason Harmony Korine made 'Trash Humpers.'
Oh yeah, the story...basically, a cheap Jew of a convenience store clerk (hey, THEY said it, not me) starts selling some gut-rot liquor he finds in his basement. Hobos love it because it's cheap, but turns out it melts them. While this is happening, a crazed Vietnam vet has declared himself king of the homeless, and is fucking shit up left and right. The two stories eventually come together violently. Lots of other offensive garbage happens along the way, and it's all great. An hour and a half of the sleaziest stuff you'll ever see on film.

'TerrorVision' - 1986

Okay, I'm trying to do a diverse list of films here, but I couldn't resist putting one more cheesy 80's horror-comedy. Granted, a lot of films that fall within this category are just shitty, but Full Moon Pictures has been known to put out some gems. Check out 'Trancers' or 'Puppet Master' if you want to see zero-budget done right. This one doesn't seem to have a much larger budget, but it's more colorful and humorous than either of those films. So, then. We've got a gun-crazed granddad who eats lizard tails because 'it's a self-regenerating food source,' an obnovious 80's girl and her punker boyfriend named O.D., an alien television signal terrorizing a yuppie-swinger family, and a goofy soundrack by Cali art-rockers The Fibonaccis.

If that doesn't do it for you, how about the fact that, while rated R (I think,) the movie goes WAY out of its way to not use any curse words. This makes for some downright ridiculous dialog, which doesn't even make sense because there's nudity and tons of violence. Charles Band is a fucker, for sure. The plot is just as silly--yuppies get a fancy satellite TV which accidentally pulls in a signal from outer space. I guess it's where some extraterrestrials trapped a criminal alien, because he shows up and starts killing the family one by one. Hilarity ensues.

'Forbidden Zone' - 1982

I love Oingo Boingo, and I grew up with Danny Elfman's soundtrack work, so I was floored when I first got to college and found out that Danny and his brother Richard made an Eraserhead-style musical comedy before forming their acting troupe into the Oingo Boingo band. This was especially true when I read that the only other film Richard made was a whacked-out horror-comedy called 'Shrunken Heads' (a Full Moon release, actually) that I had seen on VHS in grade school.

Like I said, it's a lot like 'Eraserhead'....AND 'Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Somehow. I'm sure these folks were all into the works of Luis Bunuel and David Lynch, but it's not just some surreal black-and-white knockoff. There is nothing else like this movie. Rapid-fire jokes, totally fucked characters, and obviously great musical numbers make this probably the coolest thing Danny Elfman ever did.

The plot, while not really important, involves a family disappearing into the 8th dimension, which is actually in their basement. They meet the king and queen of said dimension, piss them off, get incarcerated, and get involved in a number of scandals. Like I said, not really important. The plot is mostly an excuse to have all sorts of fucked up stuff going on. Trust me, if you are a fan of the surreal and can track down this film, you will not regret it.

'Kill the Moonlight' - 1994

This one isn't so much weird as it is quirky. The first feature film of Steve Hanft, who went on to direct some great music videos in the mid-90's, this film is the embodiment of 90's slackerdom. If you're a Beck fan, it's notable that this is where the 'I'm a driver, I'm a winner' line in 'Loser' comes from, and was also a big inspiration for the lyrics of that song. It's about a slacker guy who wants to be a famous stock car racer, but can't really get his shit together. We follow him around as he smokes dope with his friends, argues with his dad and cleans up toxic waste.

I dunno...it's kinda slow, and reminds me of Linklater's 'Slacker' film, but it's got a vibe all its own. As an added bonus, Beck composed the majority of the soundtrack, along with Hanft's own band Loser. It's got a couple laugh-out-loud moments, but is mostly just a subdued piece of 90's weirdness. If you dig 'Slacker,' or Beck's early musical output, you'll get into this one for sure.

Alright...I think that's it for now...I'll probably post some more movies soon because I've got nothing to do at work and that seems to be the norm.