Monthly Archives: September 2010

Abel Ferrara Movies

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Abel Ferrara movies frequently feature lots of graphic violence, complex questions involving the Catholic faith, the dangers of drug use, and men trying to survive in a decidedly crappy world. A rather unique individual away from the camera, Ferrara prefers to shoot his films on the cheap using the gritty streets of New York City as a backdrop. In addition to movies, he’s also made his mark on television by directing episodes of Crime Story and Miami Vice for good pal Michael Mann.

He’s also fond of working repeatedly with the same performers, so here’s a rundown of who you might expect to see while watching Abel Ferrara movies. Next to each name is the number of Ferrara films they’ve appeared in.

  • Christopher Walken (4 films)
  • Matthew Modine (6 films)
  • David Caruso (3 films)
  • Paul Calderon (3 films)
  • Victor Argo (6 films)
  • Harvey Keitel (2 films)
  • Forest Whitaker (2 films)
  • Willem Dafoe (2 films)
  • Annabella Sciorra (2 films)

Now here’s that list of Abel Ferrara movies that I’ve been promising:

  • Mary (2005) – Ferrara examines the feminine role in the Catholic faith, going so far as to suggest that Mary Magdalene was both an apostle and trusted confidant of Jesus Christ. Juliette Binoche stars as an actress who plays the legendary female figure in a movie about the life of Christ, then becomes obsessed with her subject and heads off to Jerusalem for further exploration. Matthew Modine is a money-hungry actor/director (who also plays Jesus), while Forest Whitaker co-stars as a television journalist putting together a program about God‘s favorite son. Like most films dealing with Biblical topics, Mary received both great praise and great derision. Watch it and decide for yourself.

  • Bad Lieutenant (1992) – Heralded as a modern classic by Martin Scorsese, this powerful tale of redemption stars Harvey Keitel as a corrupt cop who gambles, uses heroin and cocaine, and subjects teenage motorists to humiliating sexual situations. But that all begins to change when his latest case involves the rape of a nun. Full-frontal nudity from Keitel–as well as an unflinching portrayal of the downside of drug abuse–makes Bad Lieutenant worth a look for anyone who enjoys being challenged. Still the best of all Abel Ferrara movies.
  • The Addiction (1995) – Filmed in black and white and serving as an allegory for drug addiction, The Addiction stars Lili Taylor as an NYU philosophy student who gets transformed into a vampire. As she gives in to her newfound bloodlust and grapples with existential problems, she encounters the mysterious Peina (Christopher Walken), a man who claims to have overcome his vampirism. A bizarre-yet-fascinating film.
  • New Rose Hotel (1998) – X (Willem Dafoe) and Fox (Christopher Walken) are corporate extraction specialists who help scientists defect from one company to another without being killed. Sometimes the scientists come to them, while sometimes they use unethical means to bring about a defection. Based in a dystopian version of Tokyo, the two men set out to have a genius switch loyalties, but first they’ll need a prostitute (Asia Argento) to give him some encouragement (and by “encouragement,” I mean lots and lots of blowjobs). Music provided by old school rapper Schoolly D.
  • The Driller Killer (1979) – Ferrara directs and also stars as Reno Miller, a frustrated artist in New York City whose sanity is on the verge of unraveling. Between all the homeless bums sleeping around his apartment building and the punk band that just moved in next door, Reno finally flips out and goes on a rampage with a cordless drill. The film was particularly controversial in the UK, getting banned and becoming one of their infamous “video nasties.”
  • The Funeral (1996) – Set in 1930s New York, this Abel Ferrara gangster film stars Christopher Walken and Chris Penn as violent brothers Ray and Chez Tempio. As they come together to bury their murdered third brother (Vincent Gallo), the two criminals must learn who’s responsible and decide how to take revenge. A brilliant cast and twist ending makes The Funeral a crime film worth adding to your Netflix queue. Co-starring Annabella Sciorra, Benicio del Toro, Isabella Rossellini, and Gretchen Mol.
  • Ms. 45 (1981) – A controversial exploitation film that’s sort of a cross between Death Wish and I Spit on Your Grave. Zoe Tamerlis Lund is Thana, a mute seamstress who gets raped twice in one night. Her sanity beginning to slide, she kills the second attacker and takes his .45 pistol. That’s when the fun begins, as Thana goes on an armed rampage through the city. By the climax of the film, she’s wearing a nun’s habit and gunning for any man in her line of sight.

  • King of New York (1990) – One of the better Abel Ferrara movies, King of New York features a cast filled with current and future stars. Christopher Walken looks appropriately vacant as Frank White, a drug kingpin who’s just been released from prison and can’t wait to resume his old position. But the climb to the top won’t be an easy one, as Frank will have to square off against a group of determined cops, as well as rivals looking to brings him down. Cops include Wesley Snipes and David Caruso, while criminals are played by Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne (back when he was still billed as Larry Fishburne). A modern-day morality play about how crime doesn’t pay.
  • Body Snatchers (1993) – Somewhat based on the 1955 novel The Body Snatchers, Ferrara sets his movie on an army base in Alabama. While people are being replaced by alien doubles grown in plant-like pods, a rebellious teen girl (Gabrielle Anwar) tries to warn others of the danger. But the movie would be over pretty quickly if people actually listened, wouldn’t it? Co-starring Forest Whitaker, Meg Tilly, and R. Lee Ermey. Surprisingly, Ermey plays a military man.
  • Dangerous Game (1993) – A director (Harvey Keitel) working on his latest film begins to follow the script a little too closely in real life. This leads to all kinds of trouble, especially when he begins an affair with the leading lady (Madonna). The Material Girl took a public dump on the film, noting that her performance was strong even though it was a “shit movie.” Needless to say, Ferrara was displeased with her actions.

As you can see, Abel Ferrara movies cover a wide variety of topics, from paranoia-fueled science fiction to gritty crime dramas. The presence of Christopher Walken in many of his works partially qualifies them as odd movies, but its Ferrara’s Catholic-obsessed vision and unusual off-screen behavior that puts them over the top.

Also recommended:

10 Weird Christopher Walken Movie Roles

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These 10 weird Christopher Walken movie roles only begin to scratch the surface of an actor whose quirky persona and delivery have made him a favorite with cinema fans around the globe. Walken has starred in over 100 films and television shows, as well as directing, writing, and appearing in music videos for everyone from Madonna to Fatboy Slim.

Well-versed in both comedy and drama, he’s done Shakespeare, portrayed a sinister angel on multiple occasions, and even delivered a gravity-defying dance routine. He’s also a favorite subject of parody, with his signature deadpan voice and unusual pauses being emulated by everyone from Kevin Spacey to Kevin Pollak (my personal favorite).

Your friendly neighborhood Walken.

In the following post, I’ve listed some of Christopher Walken’s more bizarre roles, although almost any film he stars in could be labeled as somewhat odd. I’ve also included a favorite quote from each movie, although seeing them typed doesn’t do justice to Walken’s magical delivery.

  • Duane Hall in Annie Hall (1977) (See Good Romantic Comedy Movies for more movies like Annie Hall) – While Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) tries to romance Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), he must endure encounters with her bizarre brother, Duane. Seemingly out of nowhere, Duane confesses to Alvy his frequent fantasy involving head-on car crashes. A brilliantly bizarre moment, and one that helped propel Walken to bigger and better things.
    Great Line: “Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist, I think you’ll understand. Sometimes when I’m driving… on the road at night… I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The… flames rising out of the flowing gasoline.”

If David Bowie and Elvis had sex, this would be the result.

  • Feng in Balls of Fury (2007) (See OGM’s article about good 2007 comedy movies.) – Walken is Feng, a supposedly Asian crime lord with a passion for ping pong and Antique Roadshow. He doesn’t kid around when it comes to table tennis, holding tournaments where the losing player is immediately executed by his muscular female bodyguard. When former ping pong prodigy Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) infiltrates the tournament on behalf of the CIA, it leads to a climactic showdown with Feng that includes both men donning electro-shock vests and dueling on a rickety rope bridge. Wearing bizarre outfits that look like they were stolen from the closet of Ming the Merciless, Walken hams it up and raises the bar for bizarro film performances.
    Great Line: “Less talkie-talkie, more ping-pong.”
  • Captain Coons in Pulp Fiction (1994) (see Father’s Day Movies for more information.) – Being a kid can be frightening enough, but just imagine Christopher Walken appearing and setting you down for a talk. That’s what happens to young Butch (played as an adult by Bruce Willis), as the loony-looking soldier who served with his father in Vietnam arrives to hand over a family heirloom. Of course, there’s no way Butch can forget this brush with weirdness, and years later he braves hitmen, crime lords, and hillbilly rapists to retrieve a gold watch that spent two years up Christopher Walken’s ass.
    Great Line: “The way your dad looked at it, this watch was your birthright. He’d be damned if any slopes gonna put their greasy yellow hands on his boy’s birthright, so he hid it, in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass. Then when he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable piece of metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give the watch to you.”
  • Nick in The Deer Hunter (1978) – Nick starts off like any other soldier serving in Vietnam, but it all goes horribly wrong when he’s left stranded overseas and becomes something of an expert at playing Russian Roulette (or as much of an expert as one can be). He’s finally tracked down by his pal (Robert De Niro), but the two men are forced to play one last lethal game togather. There are plenty of weird Christopher Walken movie roles, but you’ll never see him look more detached and disturbed. A haunting portrayal…even by Walken standards.
    Great Line: “I like to starve myself: it keeps the fear up.”

(No funny commentary needed)

  • Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow (1999) (See our article about Tim Burton Movies for more information.) – When his severed head is disturbed, a bloodthirsty Hessian mercenary who perished during the Revolutionary War returns from Hell to behead others as punishment. It’s not a huge role, but the sight of Walken with crazy hair, a big sword, and pointed teeth is a real scene-stealer.
    Great Line: None. It’s hard to talk with a severed head.
  • Hatcher in The Rundown (2003) – In the hellish heat of South America, the slimy Hatcher pays his workers peanuts to dig for gold. He’s quick to double-cross a mob enforcer named Beck (Dwayne Johnson) who comes to retrieve his boss’s son, and he’s also fond of oddball references to the Tooth Fairy and Willy Wonka. His final tirade against the poor villagers ranks as one of the great Walken moments.
    Great Line: “What am I, psychic?” (obviously a nod to Walken’s performance in The Dead Zone).
  • Clem in Joe Dirt (2001) – With a series of crazy aliases, Walken portrays a high school janitor who used to be a made man in the mob. Now he’s in the witness protection program, dancing in the halls and talking to fire extinguishers to pass the time. Luckily, he winds up romancing Rosanna Arquette and threatens to stab Kid Rock in the face with a soldering iron.
    Great Line: [talking to a fire extinguisher] “You’re talking to me all wrong… It’s the wrong tone. You do it again and I’ll stab you in the face with a soldering iron. Hey, tell me, does your mother sew? BOOM. Get her to sew that!”

The only man who might stand a chance against Chuck Norris.

  • Gabriel in The Prophecy (1995) – There’s a war on in Heaven, and the Archangel Gabriel intends on winning it. To do so, he needs to come to Earth and steal an evil soul, but he still has plenty of time to let children play his legendary trumpet, recruit almost-dead agents (including Amanda Plummer and Adam Goldberg), and wax philosophic on the nature of the cosmos. Walken would also star as Gabriel in the second and third films of the series, and he looks just as crazy with his unnaturally black hair and pale complexion.
    Great Line: “I’m an angel. I kill firstborns while their mamas watch. I turn cities into salt. I even, when I feel like it, rip the souls from little girls, and from now till kingdom come, the only thing you can count on in your existence is never understanding why.”
  • Mr. Smith in Nick of Time (1995) – While Mr. Smith is intended to be a fairly normal villain, it’s Walken’s unique take on the character that makes him stand out. Trying to force a mild-mannered father (Johnny Depp) into assassinating a governor, Smith seems to be lurking around every corner with an oddball threat or morbid story. It’s not intended to be funny, but there’s just something about the way that Walken appears like a mustachioed specter every few minutes.
    Great Line: “That’s right, I did. I killed him. He fucked up one too many times, so I put a bullet in his eye. Then, I put two more into him just to make sure. Now, that was somebody I loved; I loved him! But I got the call, I put him down like a sick animal. So, if you got doubts about what’s gonna happen if you don’t deliver, let me tell you something. I’ll make gravy out of your little girl just to season that Black Irish cocksucker’s meat. You do what you’re supposed to do, young man. You do it now.”
  • J-Man in Envy (2004) – If you’re ever approached by Christopher Walken in a bar, it’s best to run away as quickly as possible. Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) doesn’t, and he’s soon drawn into a strange friendship with the drifter known as J-Man. Their relationship ranges from a plot involving a dead horse, to blackmail, to Dingman’s whole family winding up in the J-Man’s cabin in the woods. Here’s another piece of advice: don’t go to Christopher Walken’s isolated cabin.
    Great Line: “Don’t hassle me about crumbs man, because I am on the edge of the edge.”

That does it for our look at 10 weird Christopher Walken movie roles. If you can think of any I should’ve included, be sure to give your opinion in our comments section.

Also see Movie Psychics, an article at Only Good Movies that mentions Christopher Walken in the context of his role in The Dead Zone.

Also recommended:

10 Bizarre Takashi Miike Movies

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If you’d like to see the personification of the word “prolific,“ just take a look at director Takashi Miike. The Japanese filmmaker has helmed over 70 Japanese movies and TV shows since bursting onto the scene in 1991, many of which have proved highly controversial. And when you live in a country where tentacle porn is popular, that’s really saying something.

Takashi Miike movies are frequently filled with graphic violence and all manner of bizarre sexual situations. Of course, what else would you expect from a guy who lists Paul Verhoeven and David Lynch as two of his major influences (his favorite film is Starship Troopers)?

If you’d like to see what all the fuss is about, check out these 10 bizarre Takashi Miike movies. Once you’re done with these selections, you’ll have plenty more to choose from.

  • Rainy Dog (1997) – Yuuji (Show Aikawa) is a former yakuza who now makes ends meet as a contract killer. But things get complicated when his ex-girlfriend (who’s also a prostitute) shows up and wants Yuuji to care for their mute son. So he does what any reasonable hitman would: He takes the kid along on his bloody jobs, then makes him sit outside while he frequents a brothel (the kid eats garbage to pass the time). Other characters include a revenge-obsessed lawyer, a bumbling hitman, and a treacherous transsexual. Part of the Black Triad Trilogy, which also includes Shinjuku Triad Society and Ley Lines.

Not as pleasurable as it looks.

  • Audition (1999) – Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is a lonely widower. His movie producer pal tries to help him out, holding auditions for a non-existent film in which the lead actress will play Aoyama’s wife. The entire scheme is intended to help Aoyama meet a new love interest, and it works all too well. He becomes fascinated with the beautiful and demure Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina), but it’s quickly evident to the audience that the young woman is batshit crazy. When she’s not sitting like a statue in her tiny apartment, she’s keeping an eye on a large sack that occasionally moves and gurgles. It only gets stranger, as Aoyama’s feelings for the former ballerina continue to deepen. This results in a horrific climax, where we learn more about that mysterious sack and find out just how deranged Asami truly is. Male viewers will probably be jumpy around their wife or girlfriend for at least a few weeks.
  • Full Metal Yakuza (1997) – Things aren’t going well for yakuza member Kensuke Hagane (Tsuyoshi Ujiki). First of all, he’s impotent. Secondly, he’s just been killed by a rival gang. While that might normally be the end of the story, it’s just the beginning in this Takashi Miike film. A mad scientist gets his hands on Hagane’s corpse, and suddenly the gangster with a hard-on problem is back among the living. Now things are looking up. Not only does he have superhuman strength and the desire to gain bloody revenge, but his impotence has been cured thanks to his new cybernetic genitals. Yes, he has robot balls.
  • Dead or Alive (1999) – Filled with the usual dose of sexual deviants and gun-wielding madmen, Dead or Alive is the first film in a popular crime trilogy from Takashi Miike. Each film in the series stars Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi (check that bitchin’ hair), but they play dramatically different roles in each. This time around, Show is the plucky Japanese cop, while Riki is the former yakuza member turned Chinese Triad boss. They meet, and violence reigns.

And this is one of the film's more subtle moments.

  • Ichi the Killer (2001) – Of all the graphically violent Takashi Miike movies, Ichi the Killer manages to reach a whole new level. People are split in half, men are hung from hooks and burned with boiling oil, and a severed face slowly slides down a wall. The central characters are Ichi (Nao Omori), a disturbed killer who flies into a homicidal rage whenever sexually aroused, and Kakinada (Tadanobu Asano), a scarred criminal who wants to experience the ultimate pain. As these two men head towards a confrontation, you’ll witness an endless array of murders and misogynistic misadventures. Definitely not for the squeamish, but anyone who lacks a strong stomach shouldn’t be watching Takashi Miike movies in the first place.
  • Visitor Q (2001) – Shot like a documentary, this disturbing black comedy caused all kinds of controversy upon its release. A stranger comes into the lives of a fractured Japanese family, and he slowly restores their unity through a series of over-the-top (and patently illegal) acts. Corpses are screwed, heroin is injected, incest is committed, breasts are milked, and numerous people get hit in the head with rocks. Whatever you do, don’t invite Takashi Miike over for Christmas dinner.
  • One Missed Call (2003) – Takashi Miike tries his hand at the J-Horror genre, crafting a tale about Japanese teens who receive phone calls from the future foretelling their grisly deaths. A big hit, it would spawn two sequels and the predictably awful American remake (starring poor Ed Burns).

The last known photo of Icarus Li and his buddy, Chen.

  • The Bird People in China (1998) – The beautiful and mystical nature of China is explored in this change-of-pace film from Takashi Miike. Masahiro Motoki is Wada, a Japanese businessman who’s sent to an isolated Chinese village to appraise gemstones. Ujiie (Renji Ishibashi) is the yakuza member who travels along to make sure his organization gets their cut. What they find in the village will change the lives of both men, and Miike offers up a thought-provoking look at humanity and the delicate co-existence between nature and technology.
  • Fudoh: The New Generation (1996) – For some crazy-ass reason, Time magazine actually listed this film as one of their 10 best for 1997. While it’s certainly entertaining, it’s hard to imagine a mainstream American publication recognizing such an offbeat film. When Riki Tanihara (Shosuke Tanihara) witnesses his yakuza father behead his brother, he sets about gaining his revenge. He forms a gang, takes over his high school, and surrounds himself with bodyguards such as a gun-wielding sex kitten and a hermaphrodite who can shoot poison darts from her vagina. Based on a manga, which couldn’t have possibly been any weirder than the big-screen adaptation.
  • Gozu (2003) – This cult film from Miike is considered one of the stranger cinematic works in the history of Japan. I can’t emphasize what a distinction that is, as Japanese films are routinely crazy as hell. While young Minami (Hideki Sone) searches for older brother Ozaki (Show Aikawa), he gets his face licked by a cow-headed creature, a cute little dog is smashed into a pulp, and a crime boss sticks a soup ladle up his own rectum. And that’s just part of the weirdness you can expect in this film that places tongue firmly in cheek. Look for screenwriter Sakichi Sato in his role as “Charlie Brown” in Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Without a doubt, Quentin Tarantino is a big fan of Takashi Miike. He borrowed at least one scene from Rainy Dog for the first installment of Kill Bill, and he also co-starred in Miike’s Sukiyaki Western: Django.

I only included 10 bizarre Takashi Miike movies, but you might also want to check out the following: Imprint, A Human Murder Weapon, Osaka Tough Guys, Crows Zero, Zebraman, and MPD Psycho. You’ll find these titles just as deranged and wonderfully creative as those listed above, and you should more than meet your monthly quota for lactation and beheadings.

Also recommended:

Great Eyepatch Movies

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God, I love eyepatches. There’s something both sexy and dangerous about this piece of eyewear that’s been sported by stereotypical pirates for years (not that I find pirates sexy, mind you). If you share my love for this unusual facial accessory, you’ll want to check out this list of great eyepatch movies. From sinister Nazis to pissed-off women on a quest for revenge, the eyepatch has been a vital movie prop throughout the decades.

Before we continue, it should be noted that eyepatches are worn by more than just parrot-loving swashbucklers and movie badasses. In the days of old, sailors would wear an eyepatch over one good eye when above deck. Then, when descending into the darkened bowels of the ship, they would switch it to the other eye, the now-uncovered eye already being accustomed to the dark. Let me tell you, those old-timey sailors were some smart cats. But I digress…

Yes, this guy was actually popular.

Here’s a brief list of some of the real-life people who’ve sported an eye patch, whether for fashion or function:

  • David Bowie
  • John Ford
  • Sammy Davis Jr.
  • James Joyce
  • Fritz Lang
  • Raoul Walsh
  • Slick Rick
  • Nicholas Ray

Now here’s that list of great eye patch movies that I’ve been promising:

  • Valkyrie (2008) – Tom Cruise looks great in an eyepatch while playing real-life WWII German officer Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the chief conspirators involved in the last unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler. Even though it’s obvious from the beginning that von Stauffenberg and his allies are going to meet a bad end, director Bryan Singer does a solid job of drawing out the inevitable. The eyepatch wasn’t the only handicap that von Stauffenberg had to overcome: he was also missing his right hand and a couple of fingers on his left. While none of them wear eyepatches, the excellent supporting cast is comprised of Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Eddie Izzard.

"Call me Snake."

  • Escape from New York (1981) – When it comes to eyepatches and badasses, this John Carpenter film is perhaps the perfect melding of the two. Kurt Russell plays Snake Plissken, a former member of the U.S. Special Forces who lost his eye in the legendary Word War III Battle of Leningrad. Now indulging in a life of crime, he’s apprehended and sentenced to life on the prison island of Manhattan. But then the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) crashes somewhere in New York City, and Plissken is offered a full pardon to go in and rescue him. Along the way, he’ll participate in a gladiatorial match, dodge underground cannibals, and race against the clock to keep the microscopic devices planted near his carotid arteries from exploding. One of the iconic action figures from the 1980s.
  • True Grit (1969) – John Wayne stars as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, an aging, drunken lawman who proudly sports an eyepatch for all to see. He’s recruited by a 14-year-old girl (Kim Darby) to track down her father’s killer, and the duo are joined along the way by an ambitious Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell). They have to wade through a whole host of Old West cutthroats, including actors such as Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall. But their efforts paid off: Cogburn got his man (surprise), and Wayne would win the Academy Award for Best Actor. During his acceptance speech, he noted, “If I’d known that, I’d have put that patch on 35 years earlier.” A ringing endorsement for great eyepatch movies.
  • White Heaven and Hell (1974) – After being framed and disgraced, former samurai Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) is forced to lead the life of an assassin while caring for his young son, Daigoro. As Ogami pushes a baby cart across the countryside and seeks revenge against the treacherous Yagyu clan, he’s pursued by every manner of bizarre killer that the Japanese landscape can muster. It all comes to a head in the mountains of northern Japan, where Itto and son must take on all the remaining forces of Yagyu (Itto had been killing them off in the five previous installments of the series), including skiing ninjas. The eyepatch comes into play through Retsudo (Minoru Ohki), the crazy-haired leader of the diabolical ninja clan. Fans of samurai movies will want to see this one immediately, as our hero kills more people that any other character in a single movie. Actually, I would suggest you start at the beginning of the series, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance.

A mermaid gone bad.

  • Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) – Uma Thurman is The Bride, a former assassin who was ambushed by her former teammates on her wedding day and left in a coma. Now, years later, she’s back for revenge. One of her targets is Elle Driver (Darryl Hannah), an eyepatch-wearing bitch who also goes by the codename California Mountain Snake (her eye was plucked out when she disrespected her perpetually cranky martial arts teacher). The two women finally have their showdown in a mobile home in Texas, and it’s a catfight for the ages.
  • Thriller–A Cruel Picture (1973) – Also known as They Call Her One Eye, this Swedish exploitation film stars Christina Lindberg as Madeleine, a young women who’s mute thanks to an incident of sexual assault during her childhood. But things only get worse, as a stranger who offers a ride gets her hooked on heroin and becomes her pimp. Then she gets stabbed in the eye (after refusing the sexual advances of a client), requiring the use of an eyepatch from that point on. But when Madeleine has finally reached her limit, it’s time for some payback. Over 30 years later, the lead character would serve as something of an inspiration for Elle Driver, the previous entry on this list.
  • The Eagle Has Landed (1976) – Robert Duvall always looks like he means business, but he’s especially fierce in a Nazi uniform and eyepatch. He plays Radl, an officer given the task of coming up with a plan to kidnap Winston Churchill and deliver him to Berlin. So he turns to Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland), a member of the IRA, and Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine), a decidedly anti-Nazi German soldier, to carry out the mission. What follows is an exciting thriller filled with lots of WWII combat and appearances from Donald Pleasence, Treat Williams, Larry Hagman, and Jenny Agutter.
  • Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) – The Coen brothers take Homer’s Odyssey and set it in Mississippi during the Great Depression. George Clooney is Ulysses Everett McGill, a prison escapee who’s looking for the $1.2 million he supposedly hid before he went away. Joining him are Pete (John Turturro) and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), a couple of simple-minded cons eager to share in the loot. When the gang isn’t dealing with seductive sirens or a menacing policeman, they have to contend with Big Dan Teague (John Goodman), a massive Bible salesman who wears an eyepatch and serves as the film’s version of the legendary Cyclops.

I wonder if she ever wore the eyepatch for Billy Bob?

  • Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) – An overlooked film that was one of the first to be completely shot on a digital backlot, Sky Captain stars Jude Law as a 1939 hotshot pilot who must thwart the schemes of a sinister scientist (Laurence Olivier, courtesy of modern technology) and his army of giant robots. Angelina Jolie co-stars as Commander Franky Cook, immediately becoming the hottest woman to ever wear an eyepatch on the big screen. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Gwyneth Paltrow, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon, and Bai Ling.
  • Captain Ron (1992) – This Martin Short comedy may not be for everyone, but it does feature Kurt Russell wearing an eyepatch as a modern-day seafaring scoundrel. The film has gained a cult following over the years thanks to Russell’s wacky performance, and it even inspired a 2007 gathering known as “Ron Con” to celebrate the film’s 15th anniversary. For his part, Russell devised the eyepatch look as a nod to his Snake Plissken character (the second entry on our list).

There are a number of other great eyepatch movies out there, but this list contains some of the best. Watch them, love them, and then buy an eyepatch to show your solidarity. Talking like a pirate is optional. Talking like Snake Plissken is mandatory.

Also recommended:

    1. Dead Pet Movies
    2. Dysfunctional Family Movies
    3. Travis Bickle

      Uwe Boll Movies

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      German-born filmmaker Uwe Boll is one crazy bastard. When he’s not fighting film critics in the boxing ring, he’s busy cracking on-screen Nazi jokes or making an upcoming film entitled Auschwitz. He’s even gotten into a public pissing match with director Michael Bay, which is kind of like cancer and AIDS fighting over who’s better (I was rooting for Boll, by the way). For the uninitiated, the following Uwe Boll movies should provide you with a fine sample of what the two-fisted legend is all about.

      I should warn you that some of these Uwe Boll movies just flat out stink, at least in my opinion. Still, our site is called Odd Films, and that’s something that Dr. Boll (yes, he has a PhD) specializes in. If you’ve ever longed to see Burt Reynolds play a king in a fantasy setting–while Ray Liotta glowers as an evil sorcerer–then you’ve come to the right guy.

      • Seed (2007) – A bleak little horror flick that actually delivers, Seed was both written and directed by Uwe Boll. Will Sanderson wears a sack over his head for his portrayal of Max Seed, a crazed killer who’s murdered 666 people over the last six years. Maybe it’s me, but wouldn’t someone in the local police department be getting canned after, say, murder #100? After finally catching the madman (he conveniently sends them some snuff videos to track down), Seed is sentenced to death in the electric chair. But some evil just won’t die, and Seed survives the first two jolts from ‘Ol Sparky. In this world, a prisoner gets to walk if he makes it through three jolts, so Warden Calgrove (Ralf Moeller) has him declared dead and buried alive. Like I said before, some evil just won’t die. What follows is even more graphic brutality, as Seed digs his way to the surface and goes after all those who’ve “wronged” him. There’s plenty of gore for the horror set, and the ending is a nasty little piece of nihilism. One of Boll’s best films to date.
      • Stoic (2009) – Supposedly inspired by a true story, Boll gets all sentimental with a heartwarming tale of three prisoners who save up money to buy their young cellmate a Christmas present. Just kidding. Actually, the three individuals (including Edward Furlong from T2) torture and rape their cellmate until he’s driven to suicide. Merry Christmas from Uwe Boll.

      • Postal (2007) – Uwe Boll is best known for bringing video games to the big screen, and Postal is a perfect example. A controversial PC game, Boll does his best to capture the bizarre and irreverent nature of the original. He certainly succeeds on that front, with Verne Troyer (Mini-Me) getting raped by a thousand monkeys, full-frontal nudity from comedic actor Dave Foley, and a Nazi-themed amusement park where Boll has a cameo as himself (just before a gun battle breaks out and dozens of children get wasted). And did I mention that Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush are best pals? It’s a cinematic car wreck, but one you’ll be unable to avert your eyes from. (This one even made the list of the 3 least awful Uwe Boll Films at OnlyGoodMovies.com!)
      • House of the Dead (2003) – Based on the light gun video game from Sega, this zombie flick revolves around a group of teens who head to an island where a rave is supposed to be going down. But there’s no rave to be found, as zombies have come along and killed nearly everyone. The teens must team up with other survivors to make it off the island, including the bizarre pairing of Jurgen Prochnow and Clint Howard as a sea-loving smuggler and his first mate. The movie was practically raped by critics, but it does include plenty of hot women and a number of moments that should please fans of the original arcade game.
      • Blackwoods (2002) – With an 11% freshness rating at Rotten Tomatoes, this is one of the highest-rated Uwe Boll movies. Patrick Muldoon plays a young man vacationing in the Blackwoods with his girlfriend, but things take a turn for the weird when they come across a motel run by Clint Howard. They decide to check in, thus violating a long-held movie rule: never stay at a motel run by Clint Howard (or Ron, for that matter). It only gets worse from there, and the young man is tormented both by a deranged family and his memories of a tragic car wreck years before. There’s a twist ending to be had, and Boll makes frequent use of the flashback. As you might expect, Boll regulars Michael Pare and Will Sanderson put in appearances.
      • Rampage (2009) – Uwe Boll shows some growth as a filmmaker in this motion picture about a young man (Brendan Fletcher) who’s had enough. After about thirty minutes of set-up time, the film shows him going on a gun-toting rampage though his hometown, mowing down people like he’s playing Grand Theft Auto (without the prostitutes). A lot of hand-held camerawork is done, so those who puked during Cloverfield might want to beware. Co-starring Michael Pare (naturally), Shaun Sipos, Lynda Boyd, Matt Frewer, and Katharine Isabelle. (See this post about Rampage movie reviews for more information.)

      • BloodRayne (2005) – Another video game adaptation from Uwe Boll, and an example of how a big budget and star-studded cast doesn’t guarantee a good film. Rayne (Kristanna Loken) is half human and half vampire, but she’s all about stopping her immortal father (Oscar winner Ben Kingsley) from wiping out the human race. To do so, she’ll team up with the vampire-slaying Brimstone Society, whose membership includes Michael Madsen, Michelle Rodriguez, and Matthew Davis. If Michael Madsen as a vampire hunter wasn’t enough for you, how about Meat Loaf as a vampire aristocrat or Billy Zane as Michelle Rodriguez’s treacherous father? And, as always, the film co-stars Michael Pare and Will Sanderson. Say what you will about Uwe Boll, but the guy is certainly loyal to his talent.
      • In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008) – Oh, Mylanta! Boll gets a reported $60 million budget and a cast that includes Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, Ron Perlman, Ray Liotta, John Rhys-Davies, Claire Forlani, Kristanna Loken, Matthew Lillard, and Burt freakin’ Reynolds. All the money must have went to the actors, because most of the effects and fantasy creatures look incredibly cheap. It doesn’t help that it plays out like a thinly-veiled Lord of the Rings knock-off. Still, for those viewers who like watching cinematic train wrecks, it’s worth a number of laughs (especially Matthew Lillard’s over-the-top performance). See it with someone who has a high tolerance for pain.
      • Tunnel Rats (2008) – Boll veteran Michael Pare stars in this largely improvised tale of “tunnel rats,” American soldiers who explored and cleared Viet Cong tunnels during the Vietnam War. As the rats head underground, their base camp comes under attack on the surface. But our heroes are too busy to care, as they must face confined spaces, booby traps, and plenty of Viet Cong who pop out of nowhere like some sort of lethal Whack-a-Mole game. After the movie was released, a video game adaptation was made, so hardcore fans of Uwe Boll movies will want to check that out.
      • Heart of America (2002) – Inspired by events such as Columbine, Boll examines the events before, during, and after a school shooting at an American high school. The cast includes such veteran actors as Michael Pare, Clint Howard, Jurgen Prochnow, and Maria Conchita Alonso. Another Boll movie that’s not as bad as some would expect.

      Now that you’ve completed this list of Uwe Boll movies, I imagine you’ll either frantically head to Netflix or bust out in laughter at how someone could do so little with so much money. Personally, I admire Boll’s never-say-die attitude, his ferocious love of cinema, and his ability to shamelessly self-promote. And his movies have been getting better in recent years, so maybe we’ll see an Oscar nomination in the not-so-distant future. Then again, I don’t know if Hollywood is ready for Boll’s brand of madness.

      Also recommended:

      1. David Cronenberg Movies
      2. Top 10 David Lynch Movies
      3. 10 Best Roman Polanski Movies

      Citizen Kane Analysis

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      I offer up this Citizen Kane analysis with the full acknowledgment that I’m hardly a scholar on the subject. Men and women have spent thousands of hours dissecting the themes and innovations of the first feature film from Orson Welles (see Famous Film Directors for more information), so what makes me think that I can do any better in 500 to 1000 words? Answer: absolutely nothing.

      I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here. I’m simply trying to introduce a few new viewers to a wonderful cinematic work. If you’ve already seen the film twenty times, I doubt there will be anything below to move you. If, however, you’ve barely even heard of the film, I’m hoping this Citizen Kane analysis will both pique your interest and encourage you to go out and rent or buy a copy.

      Citizen Kane – The Plot

      If you’re a fan of Citizen Kane, then you already know this part by heart. If not, here’s a basic rundown of what you can expect:

      Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), the owner of a vast media empire, passes away at his estate known as Xanadu. Holding a snow globe as he dies, Kane’s final word is “Rosebud.”

      People around the world are interested in the life and death of Kane, so a newsreel reporter named Jerry Thompson (William Alland) tries to dig up some extra information, especially the meaning of his final word. As he interviews friends and lovers, the movie engages in a number of flashbacks to paint a portrait of a man who had everything…and a man who had nothing.

      Citizen Kane – Cast and Crew

      The cast and crew of Citizen Kane have been lauded through the years for their accomplishments on the film. Here are some of the individuals who you might want to be aware of:

      Notable Cast Members

      • Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane (the film’s lead character)
      • William Alland as Jerry Thompson (reporter who sets out to learn more about Kane)
      • Joseph Cotton as Jedediah Leland (the best friend of Charles Foster Kane)
      • Dorothy Comingore as Susan Alexander Kane (Kane’s mistress and then second wife)
      • Ray Collins as Jim W. Gettys (the political rival of Kane)
      • Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane (Kane’s mother)
      • Ruth Warrick as Emily Monroe Norton Kane (Kane’s first wife)
      • Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein (a loyal friend and employee to Kane)
      • George Coulouris as Walter Parks Thatcher (Kane’s legal guardian as a child)

      Notable Crew Members

      • Orson Welles (Director, Producer, Screenwriter)
      • Herman J. Mankiewicz (Screenwriter)
      • Bernard Herrmann (Composed Musical Score)
      • Gregg Toland (Cinematography)
      • Robert Wise (Editing)

      Themes and Motifs of Citizen Kane

      Throughout Citizen Kane, a number of themes and motifs are explored by Orson Welles. Here are some to watch for when viewing the movie:

      • What Makes a Man? – While we’re told much about Kane’s life during the course of the film, it all comes from the perspective of someone else. This proves how difficult it is to interpret a person’s life, and the final cry for Rosebud shows that even those who claimed to know Kane best were unaware of certain inner desires and sorrows.
      • Materialism - Kane is all about acquiring wealth and women. In the end, it doesn’t mean a thing. He would much rather have Rosebud than all the wealth in the world.
      • Dying of the Light – When Kane is younger, the entire film is brightly lit. As Kane becomes older, the lighting becomes increasingly dark.
      • Isolation - Regardless of his age, Charles Foster Kane often finds himself isolated from the rest of the world. This is most notable at the beginning of the film when he’s dying alone in Xanadu, but astute viewers will notice it throughout the film.
      • The American Dream – While most films up until that time had depicted capitalism and the American Dream as a positive, Welles’s film takes a different stance.
      • Unreliable Memories – As the life of Kane is recounted for the audience, it becomes clear that each narrator is unreliable for one reason or another. Some are drunks, others are elderly, and then there are those with a personal axe to grind. Regardless of the reasons, the memories of others are colored by a number of factors.
      • Old Age – In Citizen Kane, old age is not a thing of grace. It robs men of the vitality and reduces them to defeated husks.

      Citizen Kane – Cinematic Innovations

      Citizen Kane featured a number of cinematic innovations that are still influencing films and filmmakers to this day. Here’s just a sampling of the many important achievements:

      • Deep Focus – In almost every scene, all objects (foreground and background) are in focus.
      • Low-angle shots
      • Non-linear storytelling
      • Montage
      • The use of miniatures and special-effects
      • Overlapping dialogue
      • Audio transitioning to the next scene before the visual elements
      • Musical score that would sometimes last for only a few seconds to suggest a change in tone or emotion
      • Unusual camera angles
      • Lack of close-ups
      • Linking a montage sequence with related sounds
      • Flashbacks and flashforwards
      • Long, uninterrupted shots
      • Use of shadows (later used to great effect in the film noir genre)

      Citizen Kane – Recognition and Influence

      Upon its initial theatrical run, Citizen Kane failed to capture the imagination of the public. Of course, it wasn’t helped by the fact that William Randolph Hearst prevented reviews from being published or broadcast throughout his vast media empire. It fared better in France, where its 1946 showing (delayed because of WWII) drew rave reviews from both critics and moviegoers. In fact, it would inspire French critics-turned-directors Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut to revolutionize film in their own way by creating a new cinematic movement in their native land.

      The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Welles). It would only win one, however, for Best Writing, Original Screenplay (shared by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz).

      In the middle of the 1950s, Citizen Kane would begin to grow on American viewers, thanks in large part to television broadcasts of the film. When Orson Welles returned to the stage in New York City for the production of King Lear, the film was re-released and added even more people to its burgeoning fanbase.

      Aided by essays from such noted American critics as Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, Citizen Kane is now regarded as one of the greatest and most important films ever made. It holds a 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and everyone from Britain’s Sight & Sound to France’s Cahiers du cinema have praised it.

      Citizen Kane has also had a lasting impact on pop culture, with elements from the film or the title itself being incorporated into everything from cartoon strips to video games. Here are just a few of the places where Citizen Kane references and tributes have popped up:

      • Family Guy
      • The Simpsons
      • Peanuts
      • Cheers
      • All My Children
      • Wolfenstein 3D (video game)
      • “The Union Forever” (song by The White Stripes)
      • The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
      • Destroy All Humans (video game)
      • Nixon

      You can also find the influence of Citizen Kane in the work of the following directors:

      • Francis Ford Coppola
      • Steven Spielberg (See Steven Spielberg Movies for more information.)
      • Sergio Leone
      • Luc Besson
      • Martin Scorsese (See Martin Scorsese Movies for more information.)
      • Ridley Scott
      • Michael Mann
      • The Coen brothers
      • John Frankenheimer
      • Brian De Palma

      Citizen Kane Additional Reading

      Citizen Kane has inspired an almost endless stream of discussion since its initial release. Books and scholarly papers have been written on the subject, not to mention entire film classes devoted to the genius of Orson Welles. If you’re looking for some additional reading, here are my recommendations. All of these works are available through Amazon.

      • Citizen Kane (BFI Film Classics) by Laura Mulvey
      • The Cinema of Orson Welles by Peter Cowie
      • Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane: A Casebook by James Naremore
      • Focus on Citizen Kane by Ronald Gottesman
      • Citizen Hearst by W.A. Swanberg
      • The Citizen Kane Crash Course in Cinematography by David Worth and Muse Greaterson
      • Citizen Kane Book (Screen and Cinema) by Orson Welles, Pauline Kael, and Herman J. Mankiewicz
      • Walking Shadows: Orson Welles, William Randolph Hearst, and Citizen Kane by John Evangelist Walsh

      I hope my humble Citizen Kane analysis has sparked your interest in this classic piece of cinema. If you’ve seen it before, go back and watch it again. If you’ve yet to experience the unique vision of Orson Welles, do yourself a favor and screen this watershed moment in cinema for the very first time. Sure, the film is pretty sparse when it comes to car chases, explosions, and shootouts, but it remains one of the most influential pieces of American filmmaking ever produced.

      Poop Movies

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      Poop movies feature on-screen depictions of fecal matter, and it’s the kind of thing that would make most viewers gag in disgust. However, some movie fans actually find dookie humor amusing (see 75 Comedy Films to See Before You Die for some real amusing movies), and that’s why I’ve put this list together. Not all of these poop movies are humorous; some are just downright disturbing. But whatever the case, you can count on at least one quality scene per film where someone’s poo is on display.

      1. 2001: A Space Travesty – Another parody movie from Leslie Nielsen. This time he winds up at a space station on the Moon, and, while visiting the local cantina, he witnesses a human accidentally set foot in a box-like restroom reserved for aliens. Moments later, an alien also enters the box, and numerous sounds follow. The crowd at the cantina goes wild, and Nielsen is informed that the alien “only dumps once a year.” Moments later, the unfortunate human emerges from the box covered in a yellowish substance.
      2. 8 Crazy Nights – In this animated Adam Sandler holiday film (See Holiday Horror Movies and Best Christmas Movie Scenes if you’re into holiday movies.) , an old man is pushed into a port-a-potty. He then winds up getting frozen, and a group of deer have to lick the crap to keep him from dying. What will that wacky Adam Sandler think of next?
      3. Airplane! – Robert Hays plays a former combat pilot forced to land a passenger plane. When he withholds a vital piece of information from the control tower, he predicts that the “shit will hit the fan.” Seconds later, that’s exactly what happens…literally.
      4. Along Came Polly – While out on a date with Polly Prince (Jennifer Anniston — see Good Date Movies), Ben Stiller eats some extremely spicy food. Before long, he’s ready to explode, but the restaurant’s restroom is occupied. When he gets back to her apartment, he runs out of toilet paper and uses a piece of embroidered cloth given to Polly by her grandmother. This clogs up to toilet, and we get a view of poop stains on the commode in the ensuing chaos.

      1. American Pie III: American Wedding – After the wedding ring he swore to protect gets eaten by a dog, Steve Stiffler has to follow the pooch around and wait for a bowel movement. When it finally happens, he ends up with dog poop wrapped in a napkin. Then a wedding guest mistakes it for chocolate, and Stiffler is forced to eat it rather than admit what really happened.
      2. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me – The poop of the villainous Fat Bastard is taken back to a lab for analysis, where Austin Powers (Mike Myers) mistakes it for coffee. After drinking it, he remarks that it tastes “a bit nutty.”
      3. Big Fish – Have you ever seen an elephant taking a dump? You will in this Tim Burton movie, and, as an added bonus, Ewan McGregor sits on its back and talks about daffodils.
      4. Black Cat, White Cat – Filmed in the former nation of Yugoslavia, this film subjects the story’s villain to a horrific plan involving a collapsing outhouse seat. The plan works, and he quickly finds himself submerged in a pool of urine and feces. To make things even worse, he grabs a big white duck and uses the poor creature to partially wipe himself off. Quack!
      5. Brazil – In Terry Gilliam‘s look at a dystopian future, a la 1984, a pair of government heating engineers show up at the main character’s apartment in full-body plastic suits with air hoses. As they begin to tear up the place, Robert De Niro shows up and replaces their air hoses with a full sewerage line. The suits of the engineers begin to fill with poop, and we soon hear one of the suits burst and see poo splash across the window.
      6. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason – The title character goes skydiving, only to end up in a pig pen covered in swine feces. Actually, it’s kind of an improvement for Rene Zellweger.

      1. Caddyshack – In one of the film’s most famous scenes, a Baby Ruth candy bar floating in a pool is mistaken for a turd. Bill Murray’s groundskeeper later takes a bite out of it (causing a woman to faint). It’s a Cinderella story to be sure.
      2. Dead Men Can’t Dance – A group of soldiers are being trained to sit absolutely still for long amounts of time. They’re told to either hold in their solid waste or go in their pants. Several soldiers opt for the latter, and brown liquid is shown leaking onto the floor.
      3. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo – After a kid flushes a fish down the toilet, Deuce (Rob Schneider) tries to retrieve it. He instead fishes out a brown log, which he promptly hands to the little girl. Can anyone get enough of the comic stylings of Rob Schneider? I certainly can’t.
      4. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – The son of Vivi Walker (Ashley Judd) has crapped in his pants due to an illness, and she gets him into the bathtub to clean him. Then her daughter begins to puke, and Judd steps backwards right onto the poop-covered pajamas. Even with crap on her foot, Ashley Judd is still all kinds of fine.
      5. Dreamcatcher – The Shitweasels. If you’ve never seen aliens erupt from a person’s digestive tract, check out this film based on the story from Stephen King.
      6. Formula 51 – Samuel L. Jackson plays an American chemist who flees to Britain to sell a new superdrug. During one scene, he’s captured by some UK skinhead types who want the drug formula for themselves. Jackson agrees to mix some up for them, but he instead creates a powerful laxative. The criminals are ready for a legendary high, but they instead end up in a pool of their own feces while their captive makes his escape.
      7. Jabberwocky – After traveling to see his girlfriend in the swamp, Dennis (Michael Palin) comes across her father sticking his butt through a hole cut into the wall of their home. A momentary glimpse of poo can be seen exiting his rear, and that’s followed by a noisy splash in the swamp.

      1. Jackass: The Movie – A member of the Jackass crew heads into a hardware store and relieves himself in a display toilet. He promptly flees when questioned by an employee.
      2. Joe Dirt – Lovable redneck Joe Dirt (David Spade) comes across what he thinks is a meteorite, but it’s actually frozen feces that fell from an airplane. Later, he collects what he believes to be an atomic bomb, but it’s actually a septic tank. When it explodes, our hero gets covered in excrement.
      3. Johnny English – Tasked with infiltrating a villain’s castle, a superspy and his allies come up through the sewer system. As they emerge from the toilets, they’re predictably covered in poop.
      4. Jurassic Park – Laura Dern checks on a sick dinosaur by examining its feces. According to Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), “Now that is just one big pile of shit.”
      5. Jurassic Park III – A man is eaten by a dinosaur, and we can later hear his cell phone ringing inside the beast’s stomach. Even later still, the survivors hear ringing and track the sound to piles of dino dung on the banks of a river. While searching for the phone, they also pull out a leg bone and a pair of glasses.
      6. Labyrinth of Passion – A woman desperately needs to use the bathroom, but a man stops her on the street and insists on talking to her. Finally unable to control her bowels, she craps her pants. Fans of poop movies will be treated to the sight of some of it running down her legs.
      7. The Ladies’ Man – When Leon (Tim Meadows) challenges another man to a contest to see who can eat the most nasty pickled bar items, he concedes defeat after his opponent unwittingly scarfs down a pickled human turd wrapped in a sausage casing.
      8. The Last Emperor – After the young Emperor of China does a number two in a chamber pot, monks adorn it with roses, let it roll around in the pot, and then take a big whiff.
      9. The Magic Christian – A rich eccentric (Peter Sellers) and his recently adopted son (Ringo Starr) have a tank filled with blood, urine, animal excrement, and money. They then offer the cash for free to anyone willing to dive in and get it. As more and more people begin to take them up on their offer, the duo look on in amusement.

      1. Monsturd – Chemicals inside a sewer mutate a serial killer into a monster comprised entirely of human waste. As he murders the crap out of people (har,har), both the police and the FBI are in hot pursuit.
      2. Naked Gun 33 1/3 – The evil Rocko (Fred Ward) is hooked to a bungee cord with a bomb in his hand. Flying upwards, he crashes right through the roof and into a toilet containing a guy named Papshmir. As the poop-covered Rocko addresses his colleague, the bomb goes off.
      3. Ned – In this Australian parody of the Ned Kelly legend, one member of the gang unknowingly takes a bunch of laxative. When he needs a place to crap, he uses Ned Kelly’s famous metal helmet. The law arrives later and chases the bushrangers away, the leader of the expedition picks up the helmet and gets covered in poop.
      4. North Country – While a woman is peeing inside a port-a-potty, her male co-workers turn it over with her inside it. Needless to say, she gets drenched with urine and feces. Later, the men write graffiti on the wall of the ladies’ room using human waste. Boys will be boys, I suppose.
      5. Not Another Teen Movie – Three high school boys hide in an air duct and watch a girl use the restroom. They eventually fall out of the air duct onto the girl, and their combined weight causes the floor to collapse, with everyone getting covered in diarrhea.
      6. Out Cold – Before they can compete, a group of skiers are required to take a drug test. They’re each given a cup and told to use the bathroom in it. Wouldn’t you know it, the dumb guy takes a dump in the cup.
      7. Pink Flamingos – Divine is considered the filthiest person alive in this gross-out comedy from director John Waters. In the final scene, she follows a dog around until it poops on the sidewalk. Without batting an eye, Divine proceeds to gobble it up…for real.
      8. Raising Arizona – While escaping from prison, Gale and Evelle Snoats (John Goodman and William Forsythe) run afoul of the underground sewerage system and emerge covered in fecal slime and mud. Even after washing themselves off, the lead character comments on their pungent aroma.
      9. Runaway Train – Jon Voight and Eric Roberts plan to escape from prison, but first they’ll have to climb down into the sewer system. They then proceed to strip naked and cover themselves with poop, so they can slide through the underground pipes more easily. After his cohort complains of the stench, Voight responds with, “Smells like freedom to me.”
      10. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom – A deranged group of Italian leaders capture a group of teenagers and torment them during the days of World War II. Besides being raped and tortured, the children are also forced to eat plates of feces for dinner. Not for the feint of heart, and probably about the most depraved of all scatological movies.
      11. Saw – While looking for a hidden key, a captive sticks his hand into the green foulness of a toilet. Unfortunately, what he’s searching for isn’t there.
      12. Scary Movie 2 – Anna Faris plays Cindy, a beautiful young woman who pauses to apologize to her cat for pooping in the litterbox. Moments later, we’re treated to the sight of several human-sized droppings in the poor cat’s litterbox.

      1. The Shawshank Redemption – Placed in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Andy Dufresne (Tom Robbins) manages to escape by crawling through the sewer pipe that runs into a nearby creek. As he struggles to freedom in the rancid pipe, he frequently pauses to gag and vomit from the smell.
      2. Sin City – Marv (Mickey Rourke) needs information, and he has no problem dunking a thug’s head into a toilet to get it. Unfortunately for the victim of the dunking, three large pieces of poop are visible in the bowl. As you may have guessed, he tells Marv everything he wants to know.
      3. Spun – Tells the story of a group of meth addicts. Mena Suvari plays one, and we get to see her take a dump in the toilet, complete with the fecal matter splashing into the water. A great moment in the history of poop movies.
      4. Sweet Movie – This bizarre film is told in two parts. In the first, a performance artist and his cronies takes turns vomiting, defecating, and urinating. And they’re not even the focal point of the story!
      5. Todd Haynes’ Poison – Three stories linked into one film, the motion picture was a big hit at the Sundance Film Festival in the early ’90s. In the third tale, known as “Homo,” two childhood friends are imprisoned together. Forced to walk round and round a room, the inmates raise their hands when they need to go to the bathroom and then mount a large scaffolding to do their business. As one of the main characters does this, his poo can be seen falling through the air.

      1. Trainspotting – In this film about heroin addiction, Ewan McGregor passes a suppository and then dives into a filthy toilet to retrieve it. Later, another character soils his bed and flings it all over his girlfriend’s parents as they’re enjoying breakfast.
      2. The Triplets of Belville – An animated film from France about a set of triplets. They befriend an old woman and her dog, inviting them to their apartment. On the way up, they pass a toilet in the hallway that’s stacked to the brim with feces.
      3. Van Wilder – After ingesting a protein shake filled with Super Colon Blow, a campus jerk tries to take his medical school exam. While he manages to tough it out for a while, he breaks down and explodes into a trashcan during his oral exams.
      4. Without a Paddle – While fleeing from pot growers in the wilds of Oregon, three pals come across a pair of girls living up in a tree. The ladies keep their poop in sacks, which doesn’t bode well for the villains when they show up and start trying to saw down the tree. Soon, the bad guys find bags of feces raining from the sky. A classic moment in fecal cinema.

      If you’re still reading, I can only assume you have an interest in poop movies. That certainly qualifies you as a fan of bizarre cinematic works, which works out perfectly considering our site is named Odd Films. For another dose of weirdness, check out the following articles:

      1. Weird Animated Movies
      2. Sex Films
      3. Weird Movie Posters

      10 Best Roman Polanski Movies

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      These are my selections for the 10 best Roman Polanski movies. While the diminutive Polish-French director is known as much for his personal life as anything else, he still remains a versatile and skilled filmmaker.

      He’s had a trio of nominations for the Best Director Academy Award, with the third time being the proverbial charm (for 2002’s The Pianist). Polanksi has also popped up in acting roles throughout his career, including his own films (The Tenant, The Fearless Vampire Killers) and those of others (Rush Hour 3?!).

      • The Pianist (2002) – Polanski draws upon his own experiences living in a WWII Jewish ghetto to tell the story of Wladyslaw Spellman (Adrien Brody), a Polish Jew trying to survive the Nazi occupation of his country. Beautiful classical music is juxtaposed with the horrors of war, and Brody would go on to become the youngest performer to ever win the Best Actor Academy Award.

      • Chinatown (1974) – Polanski takes on the film noir genre in this tale of Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), a streetwise private detective who gets caught up in an L.A. water rights dispute, not to mention murder and incest. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, it’s considered one of the finest American films ever produced. Nicholson is at the top of his cynical game, and excellent performances also come from Faye Dunaway and John Huston. Watch for the director’s cameo as the guy who slices Jake’s nose open with a knife. Easily one of the 10 best Roman Polanski movies.
      • Rosemary’s Baby (1968) – Mia Farrow stars as Rosemary Woodhouse, a New York housewife who begins to suspect that something is horribly wrong with her pregnancy. She’s right, of course. Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer are outstanding as the nosy old neighbors who harbor an ancient secret, and John Cassavetes plays Rosemary’s actor husband. Gordon would go on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. One of the finest Roman Polanski movies, as well as one of the best horror films ever made.
      • Tess (1979) – Set during England’s Victorian period, Tess is an adaptation of the novel Tess of the d’Ubervilles. Nastassja Kinski is radiant in the title role as a young woman who finds misery and later redemption through her relationships with a dissolute nobleman and simple farmer. Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, had given him a copy of the novel the last time he saw her alive (she was murdered by Charles Manson’s “family”), and he made the film in her honor. It’s a fitting tribute.
      • Repulsion (1965) – This psychological thriller was Polanski’s first English language film. In it, Catherine Deneuve plays Carol Ledoux, a London manicurist who suffers from a psychological fear of men. When her sister goes away on a trip, Carol plunges deeper and deeper into her fears, eventually falling prey to hallucinations and resorting to multiple murders. Considered a classic of the thriller genre, Repulsion has served as the inspiration for a number of movies and music videos (including Darren Aronofsky’s Pi).

      • Frantic (1988) – Harrison Ford and Roman Polanski team up for this film about an American surgeon (Ford) who travels to Paris for a medical conference. Getting out of the shower in his hotel room, he finds that his wife is missing. Soon, he realizes that she’s been kidnapped, and he must team with a professional smuggler (Emmanuelle Seigner) to secure her release. A tense thriller that makes perfect use of its European locale.
      • The Ghost Writer (2010) – Based on the Robert Harris novel, The Ghost, the film follows a British ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) who’s hired to help with the memoirs of former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). But as he picks up where the last (now deceased) writer left off, it begins to become clear that a dark secret is hidden within the pages of the manuscript–a secret that could very well get him killed. Olivia Williams plays Lang’s wife, and Kim Cattrall co-stars as his mistress. This white-knuckle political thriller–with plenty of allusions to Tony Blair and the “war on terror”–also features Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Jim Belushi, and Eli Wallach.
      • The Tenant (1976) – An adaptation of the Roland Topor novel, The Tenant features Polanski as both actor and director. He plays Trelkowski, a man who’s recently rented an apartment in France. It turns out that the previous tenant tried to kill herself by jumping out a window, and Trelkowski soon comes to the realization that something’s wrong in the building. His neighbors stand like zombies in the toilet, and he finds a human tooth hidden in his apartment. Before long, he’s putting on panties and dreaming of severed heads. The moral of the story? Don’t rent an apartment in France.
      • Death and the Maiden (1994) – Sigourney Weaver plays Paulina Escobar, a South American housewife who was once blindfolded, tortured, and raped by an agent of the previous fascist regime. When her lawyer husband (Stuart Wilson) gets a ride home one night from a stranger, Paulina becomes convinced that this man–known as Dr. Miranda (Ben Kingsley)–is none other than the person who brutalized her years ago. He refuses to confess, so Paulina gets a gun and forces her husband to represent him during a makeshift trial. What follows is a psychological cat and mouse game that shows off the range of both Weaver and Kingsley. Based on a play by Ariel Dorfman.
      • The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) – Combining the sensuality of a Hammer vampire flick with a liberal dash of humor, this quirky gem from Polanski is often overlooked. Professor Abronsius (Jack MacGowran) and his bumbling assistant Alfred (Polanski) head to Transylvania to do a little vampire hunting. They don’t have to look long, as a small village is being plagued by Count von Krolock (Ferdy Mayne), not to mention his hunchback assistant and gay vampire son, Herbert. Polanski’s late wife, Sharon Tate, shows off her striking good looks in the role of the local beauty who’s abducted by the bloodsuckers. Years later, the movie would be adapted into a successful musical known as Dance of the Vampires (the film‘s original title).

      So there you have it: kooky vampires, cynical private dicks, and Sigourney Weaver with a gun. These 10 best Roman Polanksi movies are all over the place, showing the director’s gift for working in multiple genres. While his personal life may be a shambles, his cinematic talents have never been in question.

      Also recommended:

      Darren Aronofsky Movies

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      If you like your films to be slightly off-kilter, Darren Aronofsky movies may be just what you’re looking for. He’s only directed five films since his 1998 debut, but this installment of Odd Films is dedicated to looking at each and every one. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I think you’ll find a diverse filmmaker whose projects range from sad meditations on faded athletes to the dream-crushing ability of addiction.

      In fact, the theme of having it all and then losing it occurs frequently in Darren Aronofsky movies. In The Wrestler, for example, Randy Robinson was the equivalent of Hulk Hogan (or Randy Savage) during the 1980s. But as the movie opens, he’s living in a trailer park and reliving his glory days through an old video game based on his in-ring exploits. The same can be said of Requiem for a Dream, where three young people and a older woman engage nurse destructive addictions in a quest to find happiness, not realizing that it was front of them all along.

      Darren Aronofsky movies aren’t usually uplifting affairs, but they are guaranteed to engage both your emotions and your higher brain functions. You’ll be challenged. You’ll be moved. But most of all, you’ll be entertained.

      • Pi (1998) – Aronofsky’s directorial debut, he also served as the film’s screenwriter. The movie follows the paranoid life of Max Cohen, a numbers genius who finds a bizarre 216-digit code that may hold the secrets of the cosmos. Pursued by Hasidic Jews and agents of Wall Street, Max struggles to find the codes true meaning before it overwhelms him. A challenging film that mixes the game of Go with modern mathematics and the Kabbalah.
      • Requiem for a Dream (2000) – Aronofsky once again serves as writer and director, this time in a tragic tale of addiction. Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and pal Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) are all hooked on heroin, but they also dream of selling enough of the drug to improve their circumstances. Meanwhile, Harry’s mom (Ellen Burstyn) is obsessed with appearing on a game show, and she begins taking weight-loss amphetamines in order to fit into her favorite red dress. Things don’t get any better from there. In fact, the characters are each on the fast track to their own personal hell. The film’s waning minutes are some of the most harrowing I’ve ever seen, with Aronofsky pulling no punches about the dangers of addiction and what some people will do to feed their monster.
      • Below (2002) – Aronofsky didn’t direct this film, but he was one of its many writers. During World War II, the USS Tiger Shark is dispatched to rescue three survivors from a torpedoed British hospital ship. But odd things start happening from the outset, and soon ghostly apparitions are appearing and crewmen are dying in droves. WWII ghost stories are always entertaining, and this one features Zach Galifianakis as an eccentric crewman named Weird Wally.

      • The Fountain (2006) – Love, morality, and the fear of death are examined in this film starring Hugh Jackman and Aronofsky baby mama Rachel Weisz. Set across time and space, the leads play three distinct sets of characters: an astronaut hallucinating about a lover (inspired by David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity“), a conquistador and his queen, and a scientist and his wife who’s suffering from cancer. A visual and spiritual feast, The Fountain will stay with you for days and have you pondering the meaning of life and death.
      • The Wrestler (2008) – Darren Aronofsky scored a commercial and critical homerun with this bittersweet tale of Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) a former wrestling great desperately looking for both a personal and professional comeback. Marisa Tomei is the aging stripper who catches his eye, and Evan Rachel Wood is the daughter he abandoned long ago. The casting of Rourke was perfect, as he’s personally experienced the career success and failure of the lead character. A moving portrait of a man whose best days are long behind him, The Wrestler should appeal to viewers of a certain age. Young viewers may just enjoy the wrestling sequences and looking at Marisa Tomei’s naked body.
      • Black Swan (2010) – While this film doesn’t hit theaters for several months, it’s already dividing critics over its quality and content. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star as ballerinas competing for roles in a production of Swan Lake. Sounds innocent enough, right? Yeah, until Portman’s character begins to explore the darker aspects of her soul. Anyone who saw her curse-laden rap on Saturday Night Live knows that it’s trouble waiting to happen. Vincent Cassel plays the manipulative ballet director, Barbara Hershey is Portman’s bitchy mom (herself a former ballerina), and Winona Ryder is the prima ballerina dethroned by the up-and-coming Portman. I’m certain that people in tutus have never seemed more miserable.

      Now that you’ve got an idea of what to look forward to, run on out and grab yourself a handful of Darren Aronofsky movies. But before you do, be sure to read these other fine articles from Odd Films:

      Top 10 David Lynch Movies

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      When it comes to odd films, nobody–and I mean nobody–can top David Lynch. That’s why I’ve put together this list of the top 10 David Lynch movies. As it turns out, Lynch has only made ten features as of this writing, so at least nobody can complain about one being omitted.

      Lynch loves dreams and dreamlike imagery, and his works are also filled with allusions to industry, deformity, crime, and split personalities. In addition to writer Franz Kafka and artist Francis Bacon, Lynch has admitted to an admiration for filmmakers Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and Akira Kurosawa. Unfortunately, he’s never been the most prolific of filmmakers, so you’re unlikely to find his work among the movies now playing at the local hangout for teenagers and text whores.

      If you’re a fan of David Lynch movies, I would also suggest that you give the TV series Twin Peaks a look. Thirty episodes aired from 1990 to 1991, and Lynch’s trademark weirdness (The Log Lady, for example) managed to draw in high ratings during the first season and become a pop culture phenomenon.

      10 – Dune (1984) – David Lynch was initially passionate about this big-screen adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel, but interference from the studio resulted in the director washing his hands of the project (even going so far as to have his name replaced with Alan Smithee in the credits). The plot is a complicated one, but it ultimately revolves around a “chosen one” (Kyle MacLachlan) who travels to a spice planet and helps free the population from the tyrannical ruling class. To this day, Lynch prefers not to discuss the film in interviews, and it only makes this list of top 10 David Lynch movies by default.

      9 – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) – Combining elements of both a prequel and sequel, this bizarre outing from David Lynch (is there any other?) wraps up the Twin Peaks saga originally started on network television. Kyle MacLachlan is back as FBI Agent Dale Cooper, and he’s joined by Special Agent Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak) for an investigation into the murder of a young girl in a sleepy Washington town. Dealing with the consequences of incest for both the victim and the victimizer, the film was not at all well-received by critics. In fact, it was booed during a screening at Cannes. Still, hardcore fans of the series will want to check it out.

      8 – Lost Highway (1997) – Siskel and Ebert gave Lost Highway “two thumbs down,” and the filmmakers actually ended up using this as part of their promotion for the movie. Bill Pullman stars as a saxophonist living in L.A. with his possibly unfaithful wife (Patricia Arquette). When she turns up dead, he’s promptly convicted and placed on death row. But that’s where the patented weirdness of Lynch raises its head, as the character suddenly disappears from his prison cell and is replaced by a perplexed auto mechanic (Balthazar Getty). It only gets stranger from there, and Robert Blake is all kinds of creepy as the bizarre Mystery Man in Black.

      7 – Inland Empire (2006) – Laura Dern stars as Nikki Grace, an actress who’s about to land a major part in a movie. But that’s not necessarily good news, as it’s based on an uncompleted German film where the two leads died horribly. The line between fantasy and reality begins to blur sharply for Nikki, and she must face a crazed women with a screwdriver and a guy with a red lightbulb in his mouth. It was critically acclaimed, but even the actors appearing in the production weren’t able to figure out what in the hell the film was about.

      6 – Wild at Heart (1990) – With repeated references to The Wizard of Oz and Elvis Presley, Lynch once again set new standards for on-screen freakiness. This time the plot centers around Lula (Lara Dern) and Sailor (Nicolas Cage), a pair of young lovers on the run from Lula’s domineering mother (Diane Ladd). This pursuit sets off a chain of events leading to murder, a botched robbery, and Willem Dafoe showing off the nastiest-looking set of teeth ever seen (as criminal Bobby Peru). Also starring Harry Dean Stanton, Crispin Glover, Isabella Rossellini, and J.E. Freeman.

      5 – Eraserhead (1977) – It doesn’t get any stranger than this, folks. Lynch outdoes himself with the film that kickstarted his career. Jack Nance plays Henry Spencer, a printer who’s trying to enjoy a quiet vacation. Good luck with that, pal. His girlfriend Mary X shows up with her new (and horribly deformed) baby, and Henry winds up caring for the little beast once Mary leaves him. The rest of the film is filled with bizarre dream sequences, sexual encounters with the babe across the hall, and conversations with the grotesque lady who lives in the radiator. Lynch called it “a dream of dark and troubling things.” I don’t know what to call it.

      4 – Mulholland Drive (2001) – David Lynch received an Oscar nomination and the Best Director award at Cannes for his neo-noir tale of an aspiring actress (Naomi Watts) who moves to Los Angeles and encounters a dark-haired amnesiac (Laura Elena Harring) hiding out in her aunt’s apartment. Other events occur, and a few are even related to the film’s overall narrative. It’s often remembered for the passionate make-out sessions shared by the two lead actresses, which is worth the price of admission alone. Even David Lynch can’t detract from the appeal of an all-female tonguefest.

      3 – The Elephant Man (1980) – Nominated for eight Academy Awards, this sophomore effort from David Lynch stars John Hurt as John Merrick, a real-life individual suffering from extreme deformities and health problems in Victorian England. Rescued from a freak show by surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), Merrick slowly comes out of his shell and learns the joys of friendship. A beautiful black-and-white film that speaks volumes on the human condition.

      2 – The Straight Story (1999) – A G-rated movie from David Lynch? That’s right, The Straight Story is the inspiring true tale of an elderly man (Richard Farnsworth) who drives across Iowa and Wisconsin on his lawnmower to visit his estranged and ailing brother (Harry Dean Stanton). Farnsworth was suffering from terminal bone cancer during filming (his difficulty walking wasn’t an act), and he would commit suicide a year later.

      1 – Blue Velvet (1986) – David Lynch blows the lid off of small-town America in this dark and disturbing tale of lust and crime. Kyle MacLachlan plays a clean-cut young man who finds an ear in a field. Determined to solve this mystery, he teams up with a plucky high school student (Lara Dern), but they soon run afoul of an abused torch singer (Isabella Rossellini) and the psychotic Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper in perhaps his most memorable role), a man who loves to curse, beat women, and inhale gas. Voyeurism and noirish elements fuse together to create a memorable Lynchian concoction.

      That concludes our look at the top 10 David Lynch movies, at least until he gets off his ass and makes another one. When that happens, you can bet that we’ll be talking about it here at Odd Films. In the meantime, be sure to check out some of our other articles: