Oddball movies that go onto being favourites

[Metryq]

It's not sci-fi, but the Japanese film Tampopo is my favorite "weird" film. Every aspect of life is examined through the lens of food. The main story is a "noodle western" where the hero, a truck driver wearing a cowboy hat, rides into town and ends up helping a widow turn her fourth-rate noodle cafeteria into a first rate restaurant. The movie is fleshed out with short vignettes, like a husband rushing home to his dying wife. The conclusion of that scene was so bizarre I literally did not know whether to laugh or cry, and tried to do both. "Oh, that's terrible! Ha-ha-ha!" The real prize-winner is the gangster and his moll.

(WARNING: This movie will make you hungry, so watch it while eating dinner.)

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by Metryq

Tampopo is my favorite "weird" film. Every aspect of life is examined through the lens of food. The main story is a "noodle western" where the hero, a truck driver wearing a cowboy hat, rides into town and ends up helping a widow turn her fourth-rate noodle cafeteria into a first rate restaurant.

(WARNING: This movie will make you hungry, so watch it while eating dinner.)

Awesome mention Metryq, this is a fantastic film!

I highly recomemend this 1986 "food" themed film. Great characters in the movie, my favorite is the good hearted truck driver helping the charming Tampopo to become an excellent chef.

I'm popping the corn, I got my used subtitled VHS copy of Tampopo ready in the VCR. (I'm definately watching this in the near future)

The Wages of Fear (1952)

Truck drivers are needed to haul "nitroglycerine" on dangerous roads.

Remade in 1977, directed by William Friedkin - Sorcerer (I like both versions)

[JunkMonkey]

Originally Posted by Starbeast

The Wages of Fear (1952)

Truck drivers are needed to haul "nitroglycerine" on dangerous roads.

Remade in 1977, directed by William Friedkin - Sorcerer (I like both versions)

The book was pretty good too.

[Jammill Khursheed]

The Devil Dared Me To (2007, New Zealand) - A purposefully overly gory story about a stuntman with a dream, struggling against his own ineptitude and a vitriolicly blood-thirsty safety marshal out for revenge. Think Evil Kineivel meets the Evil Dead (for un-necessary gore, there are sadly no zombies)

Or one of my favourite films of all time:

Upworld: A Gnome Named Gnorm (1990, US) - A Gnome (pronounced Gah-nome, humans just say it wrong apparently) witnesses the murder of a police officer involved in a failed sting, and the police officer's partner has to protect the little gnome and solve the case as they are both hunted down by the real killers. A lot more like Witness with Harrison Ford in than I actually remembered until I typed that sentence. Except with a G-Nome instead of the G-N-amish.


Jammill

[Alex, The G and T]

I was watching a documentary, a couple of nights ago, about the making of the new Elton John/Leon Russell album. Elton mentioned that he had turned down an offer to do Harold and Maude. I was thinking music; but apparently the offer was for the lead role. Elton declined because his musical career was on the verge of skyrocketing.

Either way, music, or role, would have been disastrous. Bud Cort was perfect, as were the Cat Stevens songs.

[CyBeR]

Once saw a film on TV, one of those old John Travolta flicks that are basically feel good tripe: Phenomenon. Had a problem for many years even pronouncing the name in English.
Basically, the premise was this:

An ordinary man sees a bright light descend from the sky, and discovers he now has super-intelligence and telekinesis.

It ended sad but it was a fun film to watch and one I never saw again but remember so fondly that I really wouldn't watch again.

There was a plot point in the film where the character kept having a rabbit munch on his garden. He tried to fence the garden...rabbit still got in. Got higher fences...rabbit got in. He buried the fence, wire and all to almost half a meter in the ground...rabbit got in.
As his powers and intelligence increase, he comes to a realization: he had fenced the rabbit inside in the first place. That moment of the film still brings a smile to my face even now, as it shows so much about normal problems in real life.
Fun stuff.

[Starbeast]

Gamera Super Monster (1980)

If you like giant monster flying turtles that blast fire out of it's mouth, silly songs, clips from previous Gamera films, flying superhero women from space, very cheap special effects and a villain who travels in a starship that looks like the Star Wars Star Destroyer (rear of the ship looks like Darth Vader's helmet), then this movie is for you.

I like watching this fine mess, it's good for a laugh.



JunkMonkey, I do want the novel The Wages of Fear.

[JunkMonkey]

This is my copy:


Wages of Fear by the_junk_monkey, on Flickr

You can't have it.

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by JunkMonkey

This is my copy:
You can't have it.

Heh heh. Eventually I'll get a copy. For now, I think I'll watch the 1952 version of the film.



Fantasy Mission Force (1982 - a.k.a. Dragon Attack & Mi ni te gong dui)

This is the strangest movie actor/martial artist Jackie Chan has ever been involved in. Some people call this film the Taiwan version of The Dirty Dozen (1967).

Basically, the story is about Japan trying to take over the world. But the "world" in this movie is a surreal place where you're not sure what time period this flim is in. I don't want to give away any spoilers, because this movie throws everything into it, I can narrow it down by calling it a fantasy/action/comedy.

Jackie Chan is only in the film for about 15 min.s, but that's ok, because the movie is loaded with unusual characters that are weirdly enjoyable.

For me, Fantasy Mission Force is one of the strangest, coolest and wildest flick I've ever had fun watching.