Zeb Haradon, the writer/director of the Certified Weird Elevator Movie and the bizarre documentary Waiting for NESARA, graciously agreed to provide us with a list of his ten favorite weird movies.
The Hawks and The Sparrows (1966) – It’s just a really funny, strange, under-appreciated comedy with several gags that are in a class by themselves and have no precedent elsewhere.
Edvard Munch (1974) – This is the only Peter Watkins movie I like much but it makes up for all his other boring preachy movies. I don’t know exactly how he does this but the style is perfectly in sync with the content, and the 3+ hour length is never boring, really effective movie at setting a mood of a life with one or two good things in it, always out of reach.
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) – Pasolini said he was making some kind of statement about capitalism or something with this movie, but to me it’s the best metaphor for public school I’ve ever seen on film, complete with sadistic teachers, fecal cafeteria food, other students turned collaborator, culminating in a graduation ceremony. A real horror movie where the monster is loss of freedom.
Careful (1992) – The first time I saw this I turned it off in the middle. Later I couldn’t get it out of my head. I picked it up again and now it’s one of my favorite movies and Maddin is one of my favorite directors. Watching this, and also his Cowards Bend The Knee, you get the sense he’s hiding some horrible scar underneath the surrealism. Aesthetically important in showing that a certain style isn’t worth giving up on just because something newer is available.
Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997) – A great documentary that touches on universal themes by focusing on a peculiar idiosyncratic subject, about a guy dying of cystic fibrosis who tries to take ownership of his inescapable pain by falling in love with it and becoming a masochist. Kind of a classic tragedy about someone who cannot escape his fate.
Last Feast of the Crocodiles (1996)- I saw this wildlife documentary in college and shortly afterward realized it was more than just another National Geographic special to watch on a bored Sunday, but I could never remember the name of it and spent years trying to find it again. Whenever I would mention it to someone who had seen it, they remember being similarly affected. It’s about a drought in Africa, and a small pond filled with crocodiles which is slowly drying up. Thirsty animals from all over the desert gather around this last source of water, but to get close enough for a drink, they have to face the hungry crocs. The crocodiles feast for a while, but finally the watering hole dries to dust, and the crocs die too.
Naked Army (1987) – This crazy documentary really jerks you around. It’s about a guy who served in the Japanese army during WWII who realizes that he was doing wrong, and now spends his life tracking down his former war buddies to make them confess their crimes. At first he seems like an uncompromising Japanese Simon Wiesenthal, trying to bring some justice to evil men who were never punished, but as the movie progresses you realize he’s fucking crazy. Also a very insightful look into the role of politeness in Japanese culture and what happens when expectations about politeness are violated. A movie to sharpen your morals by, makes you think about the roles of justice and punishment a lot.
Eraserhead (1977) – Another movie I turned off in the middle only to end up obsessed with it years later. I was about 13 the first time I saw this, and today I can still watch this again and again and see new things each time. These days I think it’s a movie about becoming an adult in a strange world, as seen through the eyes of someone with Asperger’s Syndrome.
The Noah (1975) – Really well done movie with only one character.
The Exterminating Angel (1962) – This, along with Obscure Object, are the best two Buñuel movies. Angel is not necessarily better but definitely a more “weird” movie where an explanation for the ridiculous premise is not provided, and the movie simply gets on with the drama.
I love the comparison between Salo and the public school system.
I haven’t even heard of most of these. I guess it’s about time I became more acquainted with them.