Films to creep your friends out
2/8/2010
By Dan Pickles
Staff Writer
I think it’s safe to say that my writing has been fairly well behaved thus far. I’ve stuck with recent movies, and tried to only write about those movies that a person could easily find in a local theater, if they so choose. Sure, I did spend two articles bashing Avatar, but aside from that one indulgence I’ve tried to keep myself on subject. And I want to keep doing that, I really do, but I’m finding myself in an odd situation.
You see, my plan is to write couple of articles about the Academy Awards - the first of which looks at the best original screenplay category, to see what kind of nominees are out there this year. The aforementioned “odd situation” arises from the fact that, while I’ve arranged to see most of the movies I need to write that article, I don’t have anything to write about for this article. That said, I’ve decided to capitalize on this time of unpreparedness by writing about something that comes easily to me and brings me much joy - weird and disturbing movies.
If you’re like me (and statistically speaking, at least one of you probably is) you delight in showing your friends movies that disturb them and leave a mildew on their soul that not even the longest shower can wash away; the following movies will do that - and have done so, by my hand, to my friends.
Disclaimer: I make no claims that these movies are good, ethical, or even harmless. I say only that they are weird and/or disturbing, and will succeed in making your friends feel uncomfortable.
Now that we have that out of the way, onward to the list (which is in no particular order).
Meet the Feebles. Picture a movie about the behind-the-scenes lives of a group of highly, (notice that I’m saying it twice) highly dysfunctional muppets.
Incidentally, this perverse gem was written and directed by Peter Jackson, who would later go on to direct Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Anyone with a dark sense of humor should give his early films a look (particularly Dead Alive and Bad Taste, the latter of which has a place on this list).
Pink Flamingos: The plot of this film surrounds two families in competition with one another for the title of “Filthiest People Alive.”
Directed by John Waters, this movie is, bar none, the most disturbing movie I’ve ever beheld in my life, and I’ve beheld some disturbing movies. This is the Necronomicon of disturbing movies (for those of you that didn’t spend your youth with your bespectacled face mashed in a Lovecraft book, Google can tell you all about the Necronomicon).
To put in in the simplest of terms: this is not for the weak of heart - or stomach.
Bad Taste: A story about an alien eatery that comes to earth to harvest humans and make them into Crumb’s Crunchy Delights. The Earth’s only line of defense is the brave Astro Investigation and Defense Service.
As mentioned earlier, this is one of Peter Jackson’s early films. And while it’s evident that it’s a first outing, it’s considered a campy classic by many - myself included. This one has a lot of gore, but falls more under the category of weird than disturbing.
Ichi the Killer: A twisted tale of a young man turned into a weapon to be used against the Yakuza.
Directed by Takashi Miike (who could easily have populated this entire list with his disturbing catalog of movies), this movie is the only one on the list that could possibly rival Pink Flamingos in terms of sheer depravity. Maybe it’s better, maybe it’s worse - I don’t know; there must be a safety mechanism in my brain keeps me from thinking too much about that.
Imprint: a horror story about how parents leave their imprint on their child.
Saying that this movie is hard to watch would be a vast understatement. Imprint will leave you dry-heaving and scratching your head at the same time. Also, it has what may very well be one of the weirdest villains of all time.
As a side note, Imprint was directed by Takashi Miike as an entry for the notoriously no-holds-barred Showtime series, Masters of Horror.
It was rejected on the grounds that it was too disturbing for the network.
I could go on and on, but I think I’ve provided you with enough ammunition to righteously scar several of your friends for life, so I’ll stop.
Coincidentally, should you choose to check out any of these movies and want to tell me about the experience, I can be reached at dpickles@uwsuper.edu. I’d love to hear all about it; especially if you’ve done as I’ve asked and used this list to disturb your friends.
So, go forth and be disgusted. Next week, we talk Oscars....
You see, my plan is to write couple of articles about the Academy Awards - the first of which looks at the best original screenplay category, to see what kind of nominees are out there this year. The aforementioned “odd situation” arises from the fact that, while I’ve arranged to see most of the movies I need to write that article, I don’t have anything to write about for this article. That said, I’ve decided to capitalize on this time of unpreparedness by writing about something that comes easily to me and brings me much joy - weird and disturbing movies.
If you’re like me (and statistically speaking, at least one of you probably is) you delight in showing your friends movies that disturb them and leave a mildew on their soul that not even the longest shower can wash away; the following movies will do that - and have done so, by my hand, to my friends.
Disclaimer: I make no claims that these movies are good, ethical, or even harmless. I say only that they are weird and/or disturbing, and will succeed in making your friends feel uncomfortable.
Now that we have that out of the way, onward to the list (which is in no particular order).
Meet the Feebles. Picture a movie about the behind-the-scenes lives of a group of highly, (notice that I’m saying it twice) highly dysfunctional muppets.
Incidentally, this perverse gem was written and directed by Peter Jackson, who would later go on to direct Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Anyone with a dark sense of humor should give his early films a look (particularly Dead Alive and Bad Taste, the latter of which has a place on this list).
Pink Flamingos: The plot of this film surrounds two families in competition with one another for the title of “Filthiest People Alive.”
Directed by John Waters, this movie is, bar none, the most disturbing movie I’ve ever beheld in my life, and I’ve beheld some disturbing movies. This is the Necronomicon of disturbing movies (for those of you that didn’t spend your youth with your bespectacled face mashed in a Lovecraft book, Google can tell you all about the Necronomicon).
To put in in the simplest of terms: this is not for the weak of heart - or stomach.
Bad Taste: A story about an alien eatery that comes to earth to harvest humans and make them into Crumb’s Crunchy Delights. The Earth’s only line of defense is the brave Astro Investigation and Defense Service.
As mentioned earlier, this is one of Peter Jackson’s early films. And while it’s evident that it’s a first outing, it’s considered a campy classic by many - myself included. This one has a lot of gore, but falls more under the category of weird than disturbing.
Ichi the Killer: A twisted tale of a young man turned into a weapon to be used against the Yakuza.
Directed by Takashi Miike (who could easily have populated this entire list with his disturbing catalog of movies), this movie is the only one on the list that could possibly rival Pink Flamingos in terms of sheer depravity. Maybe it’s better, maybe it’s worse - I don’t know; there must be a safety mechanism in my brain keeps me from thinking too much about that.
Imprint: a horror story about how parents leave their imprint on their child.
Saying that this movie is hard to watch would be a vast understatement. Imprint will leave you dry-heaving and scratching your head at the same time. Also, it has what may very well be one of the weirdest villains of all time.
As a side note, Imprint was directed by Takashi Miike as an entry for the notoriously no-holds-barred Showtime series, Masters of Horror.
It was rejected on the grounds that it was too disturbing for the network.
I could go on and on, but I think I’ve provided you with enough ammunition to righteously scar several of your friends for life, so I’ll stop.
Coincidentally, should you choose to check out any of these movies and want to tell me about the experience, I can be reached at dpickles@uwsuper.edu. I’d love to hear all about it; especially if you’ve done as I’ve asked and used this list to disturb your friends.
So, go forth and be disgusted. Next week, we talk Oscars....