Anyone got any surreal film recommendations?
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Topic: Anyone got any surreal film recommendations?
Posted By: The Hemulen
Subject: Anyone got any surreal film recommendations?
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:27
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Hello there! Well, I've decided I'm going to buy my dear ladyfriend a bevy of fun, twisted artsy films for christmas as her DVD collection isn't looking too good. I'm definitely getting her Jan Svankmajer's "Alice" and Jeunet/Caro's "The City of Lost Children". Can anyone think of any other films that might suit a young lady with a hyperactive imagination and a penchant for the twisted, fantastical and bizarre? Humour's a boon too, obviously. Thanks in advance! TP. |
Replies:
Posted By: Freak
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:30
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Not sure how twisted it is, but one of the most imaginitive and beautiful films I've seen in a long, long time is Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry. The style is amazing, and the imagery is wonderfully fantastical in many instances. The love story that's underneath all of it is real, though - not some hammed up cliche-ridden mess like a lot of films, it's amazing. Give it a try! ------------- 
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:32
Not sure how intensively surreal it is, but Kurosawa's "Dreams" ain't from this world.  ------------- 
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:37
I highly recommend Lynch's Eraserhead (very nightmarish, truly bizarre & a classic of that type) and the recent Mirror Mask (possibly the weirdest movie I've ever seen -- but clever!). 
Other fairly weird flics include Tim burton's Big Fish, Terry Gilliam's Brazil, and the Japanese animated work Spirited Away.
Have you seen Naked Luch? That's pretty twisted, too.
 I like weird movies.  ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:40
Peruvian movie "Captain Pantoja and the Special Service", based on Llosa's book 'Pantaleón y las visitadoras'. The whole story is so REAL that becomes totally SURREAL. ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:44
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In addition to Spirited Away as Mr. Rideout mention, I suggest Miyazaki's great film Howl's Moving Castle. Howl's Moving Castle is much more surreal and fantastic than Spirited Away. Both are asbsolute masterpieces in any case. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:46
| Un Chien Andalou by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel is the most surreal thing I've seen. Perhaps you'd like it. |
Posted By: Ed_The_Dead
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:46
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I second Mirror Mask. Really nice movie. Lovely, artsy special effects...
And of course, you could invest in some Chroma Key
 If you buy The limited edition of Chroma Keys Graveyard Mountain Home you will get a bonus dvd with the movie the soundtrack was created to. Interesting stuff. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ed_the_dead/?chartstyle=asimpleblue5"> 
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:47
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Ahh we're both big Miyazaki and general anime fans so there's not a lot either she/I don't have as far as that's concerned. We watched Eraserhead together a while back and were both a little underwhelmed to be honest (there's something about Lynch that just doesn't work for me). Brazil is one of my favourite films. I have made Sian watch it many times. Mirror Mask was on my "to do" list? Is it out on DVD now then? |
Posted By: echocharlie
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:48
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Mark my word:
AKIRA KUROSAWA'S "DREAMS" will fill the bill nicely |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:49
I too recommend Eraserhead. (See avatar. ) |
Peter Rideout wrote:Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:53
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Also check out the Klaus Kinski vehicle Aguirre -- the Wrath of God: Conquistador goes mad in the Amazon jungle, looking for the fabled Eldorado.
Not visually "surreal," but a bizarre story, and lushly filmed on location.
 (Shot in Brazil, was it not, Guigo? Possibly Venezuala, though... been a while!
 )   ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:55
Yes, I rented the DVD about 2 months ago.
A nightmarish dream brought to the screen! ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 16:56
Sounds like a winner!  |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:02
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I wonder wheeere that fish has gone.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU7rtgPLqjs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU7rtgPLqjs it is a most elusive fish....and it went, wherever IIIIII did gooo ------------- 
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Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:03
Shot in Brazil, you're sure, Peter... full of Brazilians acting like "Spaniards".
"Brancaleone's Army" (Italy) is another bizarre, almost surreal movie. Also with the great Vittorio Gassman, I recommend "Bread and Chocolate", sad and funny at the same time! ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:13
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^^^On the same theme, 'Fitzcorraldo' is certainly worth checking out... it's a great film, and one where Kinski & Herzog came to fisticuffs on set, and Kinski stormed off in a huff!!
Surreal Films??
Try 'Being John Malcovitch' and 'Adaptation'
'Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind'
btw, if you want an absolutely fantastic mind-f**k, try Christopher Nolan's 'Following' ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:16
I agree with both recommendations, but I personally find Spirited Away to be more surreal. I love those movies. ------------- 
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Posted By: Bastille Dude
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:22
I second this recommendation.  You cannot go wrong with this movie.------------- DEATH TO FALSE PROG! |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:34
They're both superb. My girl's favourite Miyazaki is Princess Mononoke. Mine's a tie between Porco Rosso and My Neighbour Totoro. Thanks for all recommendations folks! I've decided to go for Mirrormask as my third choice. My bank balance can't really stretch much further, other than for materials for my customary homemade present. Feel free to hijack this thread for general crazy film discussion! Anyone seen Gilliam's latest? |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 17:41
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I'm not exactly sure on this one, but 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' might be a good choice. It's very trippy and surreal. -------------  
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Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 18:06
I'd think there's a fair chance you both'll enjoy these:   De Noorderlingen (Northeners) Alex van Warmerdam, Netherlands '92.  Author: http://us.imdb.com/user/ur0454921/comments - Vesel This is just about the strangest film I've ever seen. I never knew the Dutch had a sense of humor, and maybe they don't, as I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry. See it in good company.   ...An obsessive, absurdist film artist whose visionary work has been described as "slapstick Ingmar Bergman" (J. Hoberman), the Swedish perfectionist Roy Andersson has made but three feature films in a career that spans more than three-and-a-half decades, ...Unsettling and uncompromising, grotesque yet gag-filled, Andersson's apocalyptic vision, his bizarre, bracing view of ghoulish consumer capitalism and its enervated victims, makes for visually enthralling, mordantly comic cinema.
 
TAXANDRIA Raoul Servais (Probably looks a little better than it actually is)
------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 19:06
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VERY surreal and bizarre film: 4 (Chetyre) by Ilya Khrzhanovsky     The Cremaster Cycle by Matthew Barney also intrigues me, but only part of the third film (Cremaster 3: "The Order") has been released on DVD, and it's rather expensive. I think I paid about 30 euros for 30 minutes of film... but it was worth it! (It's not exactly narrative, I would rather call it video art.) Now I am trying to find other ways to watch the rest of the Cycle.  http://www.cremaster.net/ - http://www.cremaster.net/ I hope this tickles your curiosity... |
Posted By: Meddler
Date Posted: November 27 2006 at 19:21
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Shame you dont like Lynch - but he is a little difficult. If you wanna give it one more try, see his film Dune (1984), I really enjoy it, and it has great dream/surreal sequences! i also would like to say the casting in the movie is PERFECT
------------- [IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/amorfous/astro-1.jpg"> |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 06:33
I don't think "difficult" is the problem, to be honest. I've watched films that are tougher on the brain than Lynch's before. There's just a kind of overbearing smugness about his particular approach to filmmaking that I just can't get past. I appreciate his work in principle, I just can't bear to actually sit through any of it!  |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 06:49
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I forget what it's called (typical), but I saw a short film from Holland once that wasn't exactly surreal as such, but it was very good. No talking in it either. Maybe Joren can help me out here? It's set ain an Airport waiting room, I believe. It has a one word title, if I remember correctly. I've seen some odd French and Japanese films in my time, but can never remember the titles. -------------   
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Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 07:06
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I was about to mention Jan Svankmajer's "Faust", but do you already have it? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109781/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109781/
Also Herzog/Kinski films are great, "Wrath of God" is nice, but I think that "Fizcarraldo" and "Cobra Verde" are evene better.
For real artistic class, get Andrey Tarkovski's movies!
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Posted By: Meddler
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 07:48
lol! Well, maybe just for me, but I'm a loser!  His fims are like that, but that's probably why I watch them in the first place. ------------- [IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/amorfous/astro-1.jpg"> |
Posted By: Scapler
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 07:55
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I would reccomend The Mirror Mask, and the French film Cache ------------- Bassists are deadly 
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 09:38
Nope, sorry... |
Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 11:52
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Fellini should easily win this. Try the following:
· 8½ (1963) (The end of this film was ripped off in that big fish thing, though Fellini's original sequence is much stronger than the lame copy of mr. Burton) · Giulietta degli Spiriti (1965) · Satyricon (1969) · I Clowns (1970) · Roma (1972) (this movie is just impossible to top; pure genius) · Amarcord (1973) (major ripp off of this film can be seen in the cheesy "Cinema Paradiso") · Il Casanova di Federico Fellini · Prova d'orchestra (1979) · La città delle donne (1980) · E la Nave Va (1983) · Ginger and Fred (1986) · Intervista (1987) · La voce della luna (1990) I hope you can find at least a couple of those. Brilliant beyond comprehension. ------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: jalas
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 13:16
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Anything by Monty Python, The Toxic Avenger, The Wall, Jacob's Ladder ------------- 
JOIN THE COMMUNIST PARTY! |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 13:54
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great list, cuncuna!!! ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 17:47
I wasn't going to buy any other DVDs but after researching this film a bit it looks simply too good to miss, so I've ordered it. I've also taken a good hard look for De Noorderlingen and Taxandria as well, with little success. Looks like you have great taste in films, though, Rocktopus! |
Posted By: eugene
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 18:04
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Luis Bunuel "Le Charme discret de la Bourgeoisie" or "Cet obscure objet de desir" or anything by Luis Bunuel really, if you want surrealism classic.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068361/ -
------------- carefulwiththataxe |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 18:17
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Maybe not surreal, but try Miike Takashi's film's, especially Visitor Q. I must confess that I havnt actually seen Visitor Q, but the premis is around a strange visitor (Q) and an exceedingly disfunctional family. Apparantly its garranted to offend everyone. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: November 28 2006 at 18:20
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Great! Now I know what to ask for this Christmas.
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Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 09:36
As long as surreal goes, you can't do better than Fellini. So incredibly beautiful. ------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 09:50
Well you're a lot of use! -------------
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 11:51
I haven't seen the film, buddy.  |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 11:59
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I realise that. No idea what it could be? It'll come to me eventually. It's a title like Voyeur, or Stalker, or somesuch.
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 12:08
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There is a very surreal film called Stalker, but it's neither Dutch nor set in an airport. I can't find any info about that film right now... I'm pretty sure it was called Stalker, but all I get on allmovie.com and IMDb is some sci-fi movie from 1979 - which is definitely not it.  |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 12:12
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That's not it. This is a short film, made a few years back and is completely silent. Very surreal too.
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Posted By: eugene
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 12:33
There is a Masterpiece film called Stalker made by Andrey Tarkovskiy. It based on sci-fi novel by brothers Strugatskiy, but it's not a sci-fi in a sense. Characters there are going into very strange and dangerous forbidden place called Zona, and only true Stalker can explore it...
Is this the one you are thinking of?
------------- carefulwiththataxe |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 12:44
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I was totally wrong! It was called The Waiting Room. No idea where I got the other titles from, possibly from the content of the film. Part three is "The Waiting Room," a Dutch short by Jos Sterling, which succeeds on its own terms. Dialogueless, it shows a railroad-station (or airport?) scene in the Netherlands, in which everything is expressed through faces and camera angles. A man with a roving eye (a rapidly middle-aging but still quite handsome Eugene Boervoets, just the sort of actor who should have played the part in the previous segment) glances around the faces in the waiting room. He stops to leer at the more attractive female patrons, making some of them uncomfortable and arousing outright irritation throughout the room. Then in walks a tall, awe-inducing blonde with model looks. The man fixes his gaze on her, and to his surprise — and unease — she stares right back. His confidence falters and he's no longer the cocksure macho man he imagined himself to be at the beginning. The woman steps forward and his manhood is given a serious test. This short feels like an experiment, hardly a must-see piece of filmmaking, but it does a nice job of depicting emotions, psychology and social codes through small cues. It's an unexpected little amusement in a collection that could have used more material of this caliber or better. -------------
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 13:59
I had already read about it just now and I am pretty sure this is not the film I've seen. Although the name Andrey Tarkovskiy does sound familiar. I'll email my dad, he was the one who suggested to watch Stalker. I'll get back on this. |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 14:02
Haven't seen it... sounds interesting though. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 14:23
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What about this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061452/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061452/ A James Bond persiflage ... from 1967, with David Kniven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen and many others. Totally weird, even borderline psychedelic.  ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 14:32
^^^
personally, I think that Woody Allen's 'Jimmy Bond' is the most convincing portrayal yet!!  ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 14:36
On a similar theme, I would warmly recommend you watch Christopher Nolan's debut 'Following' (he later went on to direct 'Memento' and 'Insomnia') it's B&W, low budget (acted by all his friends) and fabulously intelligent...  ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Dreamer
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 15:05
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Hello there, have you seen "Allegro non tropo"?
It's an italian parody on Disney's Fantasia with great classical music, more amusing and thought provoking cartoons, and with a great yet odd sense of humour. Quite surreal as well. Check it out, hope you like it.
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Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 15:24
That Sci-fi 1979 movie is not only a masterpiece, but also a point of reference regarding motion pictures. 
------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 29 2006 at 15:27
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I always thought Return to Oz was quite weird.
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: November 30 2006 at 08:53
I just asked my dad, and apparently this was the film I've seen. Those stills look a bit more famililar, but the story was completely lost on me... |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: December 12 2006 at 19:28
| I was wrong. I have seen Nostalghia, another film by http:// - Andrei Tarkovsky . I had those two Tarkovsky films mixed up. |
Posted By: ResidentAlien
Date Posted: December 12 2006 at 19:33
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Some of my favorites: Subconscious Cruelty Begotten The Holy Mountain Un Chien Andalou |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: December 12 2006 at 20:26
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May I suggest the Park Chan-Wook Vengance trilogy: Sympathy For Mr. Vengance Oldboy Lady Vengance There's no linking story between the three films, just a theme (vengence). I've seen the first and third films (hopefully getting Oldboy for christmas). They are simplystunning films but not to be taken lightly. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: ResidentAlien
Date Posted: December 12 2006 at 21:10
Those aren't surreal films. Good films.... not surrealism, though. |
Posted By: Viajero Astral
Date Posted: December 13 2006 at 16:15
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The ones that cames to my mind right now The Wall Jacobs Ladder La Planete Sauvage Waking Life Yellow Submarine ------------- 
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Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: December 13 2006 at 20:16
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Kurosawa's Dreams
I'm not quite sure what you're looking for, since surreal has multiple meanings, but for weirdness try A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, or really any Kubrick film but Eyes Wide Shut.
Also, whenever I watch Apocalypse Now I leave earth for a few hours.
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Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: December 13 2006 at 20:51
Any Kubrick film but Eyes Wide Shut? I think Eyes Wide Shut is pretty surreal too... |
Posted By: ResidentAlien
Date Posted: December 13 2006 at 22:06
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Eyes Wide Shut is pretty much his only truly Surreal film. Well, Eyes Wide Shut and 2001, the last half of it anyways. Eyes Wide Shut is also a brilliant, brilliant work of art; discrediting it as everyone seems to do is incredibly narrow-minded. So yeah, my advice to the original poster is definitely go for some Eyes Wide Shut. |
Posted By: Palmer Eldritch
Date Posted: January 20 2007 at 23:17
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Ah, Stalker is Russian, by the great director Andrei Tarkovsky (he also did the original Solaris).
(I didn't see anyone else address this - sorry if I'm restating the now obvious).
Anything by Jodorowsky, if you can find it. Apparently there are plans afoot for Abkco to finally release El Topo and The Holy Mountain in the US, hopefully later this year. Also a release for Fando Y Lis (which was available for a time through Fantoma). Sante Sangre, well, if you can find a VHS used.
Don't know of any plans for this on DVD at this time.
Most of David Lynch's stuff.
Bunuel's Tristana, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeousie, Viridiana, Belle du Jour, The Phantom of Liberty, L'age D'or, etc. In fact, nearly anything of his you can find is worth checking out. The only copy of Un Chien Andalou I've ever seen was of really inferior quality.
The Brothers Quay.
Jan Svankmajer.
There is a collection of surrealist short films (variable film quality) by Man Ray, Liger, etc.
Most of these wouldn't be of interest to the casual viewer, methinks.
Gozu by Takashi Miike is incredibly surreal, as are parts of many of his films.
Fernando Arrabal has a trio of films: Viva la Muerte, I Will Walk Like a Crazy Horse, and, uh, the name of the third eludes me at the moment. I own them, but they're not my favorites.
Walerian Boroczyk's films, particularly The Beast (La Bete).
Repulsion and The Tenant by Polanski.
The films of Jean Rollin.
And so on and so forth...
And don't get me started on the surrealism of "bad" films.
Hope this helps,
Heloise
P.S. The news is increasingly surreal. ------------- "That's Confidence in the System, in easy to swallow propaganda form, a new fast-acting thought control. So have some...today." --- Ben Bland |