SF films that make you go 'Umm...what?'

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Monday, March 23, 2009 16:54
VIEWED: 8363
PAGE 1 of 1

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 3:29 PM

List your favourite and/or most hated weird-ass SF films here.

My faves:
2001
Zardoz
Solaris
Supernova
Final Cut
Cherry 2000

I'm a strange man.

The laughing Chrisisall

JONGSSTRAW

Thursday, March 19, 2009 4:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
List your favourite and/or most hated weird-ass SF films here.

My faves:
2001
Zardoz
Solaris
Supernova
Final Cut
Cherry 2000

I'm a strange man.

The laughing Chrisisall

You may indeed be strange, but at least you generate interesting threads concerning sci-fi.

Zardoz....definitely not for the sci-fi beginner. This is a complicated film on many levels. You MUST see the full, un-cut version to fully appreciate this film. I have likely seen it a dozen times, and to this day I do not fully understand all elements of it. Zed is quite duplicitous and mysterious, and Consuella is a powerful and complicated woman. The ending is both surprising and a bit disappointing.

Cherry 2000.....Love this movie! Saw it in the theater when it ran. Pamela Gidley, as Cherry, stole my heart forever. I can't say if I would have made the same choice at the end as the protagonist made. Sandwich?

My contrubution to this list is Strange Invaders. One of my favorites for sure.

JAKE7

Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:16 PM

Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

Saw it on cable back in High School. My friend and I sat and watched this thing, all the time talking about how awful it was.

Neither of us could believe we sat through the entire thing. I guess we just kept thinking that it had to get better!

--------------
MAL: Everybody's makin' a fuss.
***********
"They just float out there, sending out raver breeding parties..."

STORYMARK

Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jake7:
Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

You're daft.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 5:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jake7:
Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

I own it on DVD, and tear up every time. I think it's a solid sci-fi, and a moving other-planetary version of Hell In The Pacific.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:

My contrubution to this list is Strange Invaders. One of my favorites for sure.

I suddenly don't feel so strange.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by jake7:
Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

You're daft.

Then again, I like Fantastic Four & Daredevil.

The laughing Chrisisall

JONGSSTRAW

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:

My contrubution to this list is Strange Invaders. One of my favorites for sure.

I suddenly don't feel so strange.

The laughing Chrisisall

Strange Invaders baby! Yeah dog, like it's dope! What a cast! :
Nancy Allen
Paul LeMat
Ken Tobey
June Lockhart
Mark Goddard
Louise Fletcher
Diana Scarwid
Charles Lane

Now I'm gonna make you feel completely un-strange, or almost "normal". I love these clunkers as well :
Journey To The Seventh Planet
Creation Of The Humanoids
Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
Not Of This Earth
Journey To The Center Of Time
Missile To The Moon
Angry Red Planet
Galaxina
She Demons
I Married A Monster From Outer Space
The Brain From Planet Arous
and many, many, many more. This IS my life, don'tcha know.

STORYMARK

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:
Originally posted by jake7:
Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

You're daft.

Then again, I like Fantastic Four & Daredevil.

The laughing Chrisisall

I like the Director's Cut of Daredevil....

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

KWICKO

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:32 PM

Donnie Darko. I love it, but I don't claim to understand it.

2001 - it really should be watched at various times in your life. If you're paying attention at all, you'll get different meanings out of it every time. It was a much different movie when I was 18 than it was when I was 6 - and even more different when I was 28. And more serene when I hit 38.

Mike

A baby seal walks into a club...

The "On Fire" Economy -
The Dow closed at 10,587.60 on January 20, 2001, the day GW Bush took office. Eight years later, it closed below 8000 on the day he left office - a net loss of 25%. That's what conservatives call an economic "success".

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
What a cast! :
Nancy Allen
Paul LeMat
Ken Tobey
June Lockhart
Mark Goddard
Louise Fletcher
Diana Scarwid
Charles Lane

How bizarre how bizarre.

I forgot The Time Travelers, The Power & A Scanner Darkly.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:

I like the Director's Cut of Daredevil....

We all have our little faults.

Mine's in California.

I had to say it.

The laughing Chrisisall

RIVERDANCER

Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
We all have our little faults.

Saint Andreas forgive you

I have to add Blade Runner to this list. I was more than a little boggled by that movie.

CITIZEN

Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:21 PM

Barbarella

I was reading in the paper today about this dwarf that got pickpocketed. How could anyone stoop so low?

STORYMARK

Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:

I like the Director's Cut of Daredevil....

We all have our little faults.

Mine's in California.

I had to say it.

What, you prefer the theatrical one?

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:

What, you prefer the theatrical one?

No, the theatrical one's so badly mangled I don't think it actually qualifies as a movie.
I just saw the chance to slip in a quote from one of my favourite all-time flicks.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by citizen:
Barbarella

That certainly qualifies as "weird-ass."

The laughing Chrisisall

PEACEKEEPER

Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:14 PM

Might not quite fall under the genus of sci-fi, but does anyone remember Jacobs Ladder. Still cant make head nor tale of it, Stoned or otherwise

CHRISISALL

Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:19 PM

That was a sick flick, I had it figured out after 3 viewings, but that was a while back.
Basically, he was dead & finding his way out of eternal Hell.

The laughing Chrisisall

STORYMARK

Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:58 PM

Just saw that for the first time about a week ago. Seemed pretty clear at the end what was up, though I don't really think it all holds together very well.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

RHYIANAN

Thursday, March 19, 2009 9:00 PM

The movies that make me say "...huh?"

12 Monkeys (this could be because I was 10 at the time, but I remember it being really convoluted)
2001 (I watched this a couple years ago because I had been told it was the quintessential sci fi movie...I was okay with it until after he pulled the plug on hal, then it just turned into some 60's drug trip)
The Fountain (speaking of drug trips, this movie makes little to no sense, but it's visually beautiful)

I'm a leaf on the wind

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Thursday, March 19, 2009 9:14 PM

Starship Troopers: It exists in 2 forms.

#1 A smart libertarian novel written in classic 1950's style. It stands as a commentary on the topics of meritocracy, moral philosophy, and the labor theory of value. Starship Troopers is at the same time a sci-fi novel, and an acedemic essay. Truely a must read along with Atlas Shrugged for any serious libertarian.

#2 A foolish, and at times bizarre, film from 1997, containing obvious plots and stale characters. It's rare nod to the source material is just insulting. The only saving grace of the film was that it ultimately provided uniforms for Alliance Federals in The Train Job, thus disproving the oft quoted statement that "No good would ever come of that film."

I hate that F**King movie. And btw, I have never sworn on fff.net in 5 years of posting. That's how much I hate it.

STORYMARK

Thursday, March 19, 2009 9:30 PM

I love Starship Troopers. Sure, it bears no resemblance to the novel, but taken on it's own, it's one of the most subversive and satirical big-budget action flicks of the last couple decades.

Third one is decent, too, if on a massivly reduced budget. The second... not so much. Just pure action, with none of the satire.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

BIGRICHARD

Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:

The Fountain (speaking of drug trips, this movie makes little to no sense, but it's visually beautiful)

The Fountain is probably one of my favourite films. I love the visuals, I love the soundtrack, I love the acting (and the actors...) and I love the epic tale of love, life, death, and eternity. It took me a few viewings to truly appreciate and 'get' the film, and it helps to read the graphic novel, and now I just love it to bits. Am waiting for it to be released on BluRay, as it's one that I HAVE to have in HD.

KWICKO

Thursday, March 19, 2009 10:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
That was a sick flick, I had it figured out after 3 viewings, but that was a while back.
Basically, he was dead & finding his way out of eternal Hell.

The laughing Chrisisall

Huh. I thought he was tripping from the stuff they sprayed 'em with. Like he hadn't ever left the 'Nam, but got shot and was dying the whole time, and tripping balls, and his whole life after was just in his imagination.

But hey, I was tripping pretty hard when I saw it...

Mike

A baby seal walks into a club...

The "On Fire" Economy -
The Dow closed at 10,587.60 on January 20, 2001, the day GW Bush took office. Eight years later, it closed below 8000 on the day he left office - a net loss of 25%. That's what conservatives call an economic "success".

RALLEM

Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by jake7:
Enemy Mine.

What an incredibly stupid, horrible movie!

Saw it on cable back in High School. My friend and I sat and watched this thing, all the time talking about how awful it was.

Neither of us could believe we sat through the entire thing. I guess we just kept thinking that it had to get better!

--------------
MAL: Everybody's makin' a fuss.
***********
"They just float out there, sending out raver breeding parties..."

As cheesy as “Enemy Mine” was, I really loved it. I remember renting the video and went to a friend’s house to see it back in the 1980s I believe and while all of the parts separately sucked and were campy, I think the movie as a whole was awesome.

Quote:
BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN
Starship Troopers: It exists in 2 forms.

#1 A smart libertarian novel written in classic 1950's style. It stands as a commentary on the topics of meritocracy, moral philosophy, and the labor theory of value. Starship Troopers is at the same time a sci-fi novel, and an acedemic essay. Truely a must read along with Atlas Shrugged for any serious libertarian.

#2 A foolish, and at times bizarre, film from 1997, containing obvious plots and stale characters. It's rare nod to the source material is just insulting. The only saving grace of the film was that it ultimately provided uniforms for Alliance Federals in The Train Job, thus disproving the oft quoted statement that "No good would ever come of that film."

I really liked the book “Starship Troopers," but can I ask you how does the Government in Robert Heinlein's story remind you of Libertarianism? I really liked the idea of only people who served being allowed to vote and everyone else getting every other right afforded a citizen, but from what I remember that is not what made up Libertarianism. I am not trying to squash your idea, and only want to know what parts of the story lead you to believe it was Libertarian literature.

Has anyone seen Darkstar? I loved that film too.

http://www.swyzzlestyx.com/index.html

WHOZIT

Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
List your favourite and/or most hated weird-ass SF films here.

My faves:
2001
Zardoz
Solaris
Supernova
Final Cut
Cherry 2000

I'm a strange man.

The laughing Chrisisall

2010 made me say Umm....why'd they make a sequel? This stinks.

RHYIANAN

Friday, March 20, 2009 3:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BigRichard:
Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:

The Fountain (speaking of drug trips, this movie makes little to no sense, but it's visually beautiful)

and it helps to read the graphic novel

There's my problem, I don't do graphic novels. Since the age of 7, I prefer my reading material to be sans pictures, unless it was a Graeme Base book. I do like the movie, and I do own the dvd, it just doesn't make sense.

I'm a leaf on the wind

BIGRICHARD

Friday, March 20, 2009 4:10 AM

ah, see, I said it 'helps', but it's not necessary. It's just an amazing book, that is structured slightly differently and allows it to be clearer. I read the novel after I understood the film, and, while it helped to clarify it a bit better, I already understood.

Plus the art is astonishing.

22CLAWS

Friday, March 20, 2009 7:50 AM

I just finished Sunshine. It was pretty wacky. Also, I'll say Event Horizen and The Black Hole (at least it weirded me out as a child).

22

CHRISISALL

Friday, March 20, 2009 3:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 22Claws:
I just finished Sunshine. It was pretty wacky. Also, I'll say Event Horizen and The Black Hole

Three DEFINITELY weird-ass ones.

The laughing Chrisisall

STORYMARK

Friday, March 20, 2009 4:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:
Quote:
Originally posted by BigRichard:
Quote:
Originally posted by Rhyianan:

The Fountain (speaking of drug trips, this movie makes little to no sense, but it's visually beautiful)

and it helps to read the graphic novel

There's my problem, I don't do graphic novels. Since the age of 7, I prefer my reading material to be sans pictures, unless it was a Graeme Base book. I do like the movie, and I do own the dvd, it just doesn't make sense.

You forgot the "to me" at the end. Made sense to me, and I havn't even read the graphic novel.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

STORYMARK

Friday, March 20, 2009 5:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BigRichard:
ah, see, I said it 'helps', but it's not necessary. It's just an amazing book, that is structured slightly differently and allows it to be clearer. I read the novel after I understood the film, and, while it helped to clarify it a bit better, I already understood.

Plus the art is astonishing.

If I recall, the GN was based on the version of the movie that got scuttled at the last minute (If you didn't already know, the movie almost got made a year earlier, with a much larger budget and Brad pitt in the lead - when Pitt bailed, 2 weeks before shooting started, the whole thing collapsed). The structural and story differences are due to the changes made in the script to bring the budget down to a lower level.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Friday, March 20, 2009 9:32 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rallem:
I really liked the book “Starship Troopers," but can I ask you how does the Government in Robert Heinlein's story remind you of Libertarianism? I really liked the idea of only people who served being allowed to vote and everyone else getting every other right afforded a citizen, but from what I remember that is not what made up Libertarianism.

You ask a complicated question that brings with it a complicated answer. It's not really the focus of this thread but I'll answer in as simple terms possible that will no doubt read long.

There are 2 values to a libertarian. Economic freedom and personal freedom. In the USA we often see these values expressed on two polarized spectrums...for the sake of simplicity I'll define them as "the left" and "the right". On the right are a set of belief systems that produce a system of economic freedom. On the left are values that promote personal freedom. The lie told to the american people year to year is that one of these 2 represents a correct philosophy and the other is a fraud. But the truth is that they both suck. "The Right" often seeks to squash personal freedoms of the citizenry through vehicles like religon and moral controls. The Left seeks to prevent economic freedom by installing socialistic controls.

A true libertarian in america should seek out the moral philosophies of thinkers like Jefferson and Madison. Citizens should pursue happiness in whatever form or fashon they see fit so long as they do not infringe the pursuit of another's happiness nor violate the rights of anothers life or liberty.

The reason Starship Troopers exists in the libertarian library is that of it's many essays, one is economic freedom. Characters attack Karl Marx (as a "pompous fraud"), the labor theory of value ("All the work one cares to add will not turn a mud pie into an apple tart..."), and Plato's The Republic ("ant-like communism" and "weird in the extreme"). Where people become confused is in it's focus on Meritocracy, which is a form of political structure (a "cracy") not a philosophy (an "ism"). I think that is where you might be getting off track. Think of it this way. The government of the novel is a "Libertarian Meritocracy" with much of the book's political focus being on the "Meritocracy" portion.

For a book that focuses totally on economic freedom read Atlas Shrugged. I'm currently halfway through my second reading of that book. It seems very important to me in these new pro-Obama socialistic days.

But to end on the topic of the tread's focus...the movie angered me. There was no focus at all on political discourse with the one rare nod at the beginning when rico's teacher asks rico "Tell me the moral difference, if any, between the citizen and the civilian" Rico answers: "The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not." The instructor replies: "Yes, those are indeed the exact words from the text. But do you understand it? Do you believe it?"

The rest of the film was guns, bugs, and CGI. They wisely waited until Heinlein was dead to produce it.

CHRISISALL

Friday, March 20, 2009 10:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:
the movie angered me. There was no focus at all on political discourse with the one rare nod at the beginning when rico's teacher asks rico "Tell me the moral difference, if any, between the citizen and the civilian" Rico answers: "The difference lies in the field of civic virtue. A citizen accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic, of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not." The instructor replies: "Yes, those are indeed the exact words from the text. But do you understand it? Do you believe it?"

The rest of the film was guns, bugs, and CGI. They wisely waited until Heinlein was dead to produce it.

That was the most interesting part of the flick. I could have done with more political analysis and less Robocop-rip-off dark humour.

The laughing Chrisisall

THESOMNAMBULIST

Friday, March 20, 2009 11:27 PM

Sci-Fi films that make me got... Ummm What?

The Matrix - I still don't fully understand it. I know I like it, but really, understand it... Not so much.
My Science Project - This is one strange yet enjoyable little 80's film
The Monster From Green Hell. Truly low budget bizarre stuff. Around about 2/3 in it goes to colour, ten minutes later it's black and white again... No explanations!
2001 - I don't get it, like it or hate it.. I just... Oh look! An eagle!!
In the Mouth of Madness. Now I love John Carpenter films, I love his style, humour and sense of pace, but this one I just didn't understand at all, and I most definitely said... "Ummm What?"
The Soldier Daft!
Star Trek Can't remember the number, may be 5, where they meet God or something....
Pulse Just happened upon this not so long ago... Didn't get it!! Why!!!?!?!!?!?
Urotsukidôjii - the legend of the overfiend Gibli fans beware, this aint no "Kiki's delivery service".... Weeeeird!
A boy and his Dog Strange and twisted.
Dr Cyclops - Eerie, and inconclusive - but enjoyable 50's stuff!
Godzilla vs the Smog Monster In fact most of the Godzilla films, I just can't work out if they fear Godzilla or like him. It's very strange.
Attack of the killer Tomatoes It's just... well... how'd they keep a straight face long enough to finish the film!!!
Retroactive I actually really liked this :D

There ya go...

CHRISISALL

Friday, March 20, 2009 11:30 PM

The time paradoxes in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure boggle my mind.

The laughing Chrisisall

THESOMNAMBULIST

Friday, March 20, 2009 11:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by peacekeeper:
Might not quite fall under the genus of sci-fi, but does anyone remember Jacobs Ladder. Still cant make head nor tale of it, Stoned or otherwise

Ohhh. Classic stuff! But you're right, it's out there smoking the carpet stuff! If it's any consolation I've never been stoned and I was most assuredly alert when watching Jacobs Ladder and I didn't understand it fully either. Oddly enough I thought maybe I shoulda been stoned, or gritted or top soiled... (Sorry not up on the jargon.)

I liked the freaky vibrating creatures though! Kinda like' Wylie Coyote' after he ate the earthquake pills!

BIGRICHARD

Saturday, March 21, 2009 12:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:

If I recall, the GN was based on the version of the movie that got scuttled at the last minute (If you didn't already know, the movie almost got made a year earlier, with a much larger budget and Brad pitt in the lead - when Pitt bailed, 2 weeks before shooting started, the whole thing collapsed). The structural and story differences are due to the changes made in the script to bring the budget down to a lower level.

You are correct! This is actually why I bought the GN (other than the amazing art), as I'd heard it was based on his bigger budget and his original vision. I'm actually incredibly glad that it didn't get made in the first place, as I'm not sure Brad Pitt could've done as great a performance as Jackman's, although if anyone could get it out of him, it's Aronofsky.
But yes, the graphic novel is apparently the 'directors cut'. Although to be honest, if you read it, it's not vastly different. Some effects look like they may have changed, and there are a few scenes here or there that are slightly different, and the order of the thing is shifted around slightly, but ultimately it is very similar.

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
In the Mouth of Madness. Now I love John Carpenter films, I love his style, humour and sense of pace, but this one I just didn't understand at all, and I most definitely said... "Ummm What?"

YES! I'd forgotten about this one. I'm a huge fan of Carpenter (Someone up above said Dark Star? I loved it.) and have loved most of his films, and this was no exception. But I'm fairly sure it ended and I understood about half the movie. I'll have to get around to watching that again, as I seem to remember it being brilliantly made, and being very intriguing, I just didn't quite get it!

CLJOHNSTON108

Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:17 PM

Mine is Primer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primer_%28film%29

Even though Wikipedia has a timeline chart, here's a more detailed one...

http://neuwanstein.fw.hu/primer_timeline.html

(BTW, I saw Enemy Mine in the theatre opening night and loved it!)

IMNOTHERE

Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:

The rest of the film was guns, bugs, and CGI. They wisely waited until Heinlein was dead to produce it.

What annoyed me was the unsubtle use of fascist imagery to make really, really sure that we knew that Heinlein's political ideas were wrong.

Now, methinks his system would rapidly degenerate into a military dictatorship supported by a token electorate who had been conditioned to follow orders. However, I'd quite like to decide that for myself, thanks, not have a filmmaker paint an almost-a-swastika on it lest I form the wrong opinion.

CHRISISALL

Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cljohnston108:
Mine is Primer...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primer_%28film%29

I need to track this down!

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Saturday, March 21, 2009 4:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ImNotHere:

What annoyed me was the unsubtle use of fascist imagery to make really, really sure that we knew that Heinlein's political ideas were wrong.

There was a lack of subtle there, yes.

The laughing Chrisisall

DREAMTROVE

Sunday, March 22, 2009 5:42 AM

Spacehunter
Barbarella
Earth Girls are Easy
Blood of Heroes
Existenz
13th Floor
Anything Chris just posted
The Quiet Earth
MMB Thunderdome

I love threads like this. I could live here. I'm assuming things that are cult classics or underground classics like all of Gilliam doesn't really apply here.

But speaking of
Underworld
Resident Evil
Mimic
Mole People
Anything by Jeunet, but mostly City of the Lost Children
Equilibrium, hell, I even enjoyed Ultraviolet.
It's it's frelled up and has twisted characters I love it, as long as it's actually halfway decent writing and acting. I couldn't stomach Alien From LA. This is waiting to be rewritten, like teenage catgirls in heat.

But I have to throw in one of the biggest Huh? movies of all time: Liquid Sky.
I'll add Vanilla Sky to that.

Back in the day when people followed liquid sky like a cult, they also flocked to the rare extant copies of warriors of the wind, now more commonly known as Nausicaa. I doubt there is anyone on the board who hasn't seen the film, and maybe now it's mainstream in retrospect, but if we were going by pure Huh? factor, then Spirited Away would have to follow.

I'm not sure any of these measure up to Cherry 2000 though, which is probably the ultimate Huh? film. the 80s also had their own genre of sci-fi pseudo-porn.

Oh, what's that one where they trek through this desert of white flashes, it's like a nuclear desert on their journey. Oh, there has to be a database for this, like imdBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!

CHRISISALL

Sunday, March 22, 2009 1:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:

Oh, what's that one where they trek through this desert of white flashes, it's like a nuclear desert on their journey. Oh, there has to be a database for this, like imdBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!

Damnation Alley! That was very "What?"

Also Escape From LA.

The laughing Chrisisall

DREAMTROVE

Sunday, March 22, 2009 3:11 PM

didn't see LA, Escape from New York though... not so Huh? but nice B, to a lesser extent Demolition Man, Freejack

Oh, we do need imdB, not just IMDb (notice that's how it is really spelled)

I want a site that says "People who liked Cherry 2000 also liked Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone"

because this would not only be true, but useful.

Allow me to introduce you to useless:
Check out the actual recommendations at the bottom
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092746/

If you just watched Cherry 2000, you've already seen those films, and worse, if you just watched and liked Cherry 2000, you will yawn at those recommendations.

Oh dear, the full list is worse
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092746/recommendations

no, this is not a judgment on the films recommended, but on how on target they are for someone thinking "I want to see something like Cherry 2000"

Okay, some credit to Netflix here:

Red Sonja
Freejack
My Stepmother is an Alien
Night of the Comet
The Ice Pirates

More creds to Amazon, who came up with

Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy
Tank Girl
Drive-In Cult Classics

But we could still do better.

New game: I want to hear some lists for "If you liked Cherry 2000 you might also enjoy." Have fun with it, but be serious. See if you can come up with a list of films that someone in the mood for Cherry 2000, but has already seen it too many times, would actually like as a substitute.

The danger of recommendation systems is "People who bought this book also bought Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" ... because everyone did.

Ah, here's the page to beat: Amazon's "Similar Items" list. That's pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/Cherry-2000-Melanie-Griffith/sim/B0000542CA/2/re
f=pd_cp_d_sexpl

And I'm not just saying that because they picked Spacehunter as a first choice for Cherry 2000 fans.

It falls apart on some titles, but overall, that's a nice recommendation system. (the amazon similar titles page) It really falls apart here:
http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Edward-James-Olmos/sim/B001
HUWQEA/2/ref=pd_cp_d_sexpl
(more useless information.)

Another interesting resource:
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=cherry+2000

I'm sticking with the title because I have to confess it's probably one of the ultimate fun "Huh?" films of all time. A little jealous that Chris picked it first

People who enjoyed this movie might also enjoy these controlled substances...

Okay, mission parameters are clear, if we have any volunteers.

SAFEAT2ND

Sunday, March 22, 2009 7:45 PM

HEY!! I liked Night of the Comet... but then I like zombies movies. It seems to be one of those genres where the writer or directer can get away with questionable dialogue and such where they wouldn't in any other genre.

Buckaroo Banzai... A hunh? film for me.

Somebody said it before, and I agree, I'm more forgiving if there are some redeeming features in a film. Sorry to say I have a weakness for a well designed spaceship or one with character. Also if the core of the story is intriguing but the director wasn't skilled enough to pull it off... (cough...Supernova...cough).

Damnation Alley! I rmember thinking it was a cool flick but it hasn't stood the test of time very well.

Then there was that movie about the Space vampire that was some sort of energy parasite or something...

_______________________________________________________________
"Got a headful of lightning
And a heart full of rain
And I know that I said
I'd never do it again
Oh and I love you sweet baby but I always take the long way home."

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 12:07 AM

I liked Spacehunter as well, saw it in 3D at the cinema.

Here's another one:
Lifeforce. Vampire naked chick from space. VERRY "What????" -The one Safe was thinking of.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 12:31 AM

Event Horizon was one I desperately wanted to like, but in the end: FAIL!
Same with the first AVP, and Soldier.
See a pattern here?
*CoughDirector*

The laughing Chrisisall

DREAMTROVE

Monday, March 23, 2009 4:27 AM

I didn't see AVP because everyone said it sucked. Also, I thought it was a dumb contest. The Alien is an intensely evolved species, and the predator is really just a guy. True, Ripley can beat the alien, and that's really about the will to live.

In fact, the whole story is about will to live. That's what makes killing Newt in Alien3 the dumbest move by another director who is not as clever as he thinks he is, in spite of one clever success, and 7, or was it 5, which is probably the most predictable piece of torture porn I've seen, in which the only surprise during the entire film was that our heroes can actually be this dumb and still be members of the same species as the rest of us.

But re: event horizon, it's another "Knife in the Wormhole" which is what I call this space madness story, all of which are some sort of variation on "Knife in the Water" which is actually a dubious thing to take any derivation from.

Soldier was better, but you knew there was no real underlying writing talent and so it wasn't going anywhere, they just wanted to build this cool car, which is why they made the movie, they actually said so in an interview. Still, it's the sort of thing you can rape when you want to steal ideas for other stories, and then you need to stick the knife in, twist it a few times, and come out with the soul of its mortal enemy, eventually you have something useful. Interesting questions and situations with dumb answers are always useful to a writer in this way. You can make some other choice, and invert variables, and get something out of it.

Supernova was an even worse rendition of Knife in the wormhole.

Mathilda May is naked? For the entire film? I think I need to see this movie, even if it's another kitw.

Oh,

Something is Out There
Repo Man
Species

That movie where juliet lewis sings naked, 1999?

I didn't give full credit to Zardoz for its Umm What? factor, but in the category, I think Cherry 2000 still holds the crown. I thought Liquid Sky was a solid competitor though.

I think real competitors should take a right angle turn in the middle of the film, and never look back, and ideally they shouldn't do it because of a loss of actor or change of director, they should mean to do it all along.

Okay, now I want two lists. One of just logical connections of "If you liked Cherry 2000 you might also like" and another list of movies that just wander off into space.

In androids dream of electric sheep, the book takes a right hand turn in the middle, before adjusting back to course. I was disappointed when it adjusted back. I thought the right angle turn was awesome, and I would have loved for it to walk completely off into the desert for no apparent reason. I would have been happy for the film to do the same.

It's not the end, Not the kingdom come,
It is the journey that matters

Take me out, to the black, tell them I ain't coming back.

Okay, top wanderlust movies, or "if you like this" lists. I realize that there may be people out there who did not see Cherry 2000.

BIGRICHARD

Monday, March 23, 2009 9:01 AM

Quote:
Dreamtrove:
That's what makes killing Newt in Alien3 the dumbest move by another director who is not as clever as he thinks he is, in spite of one clever success, and 7, or was it 5, which is probably the most predictable piece of torture porn I've seen...

A few things to think about.

1. David Fincher did not write Alien 3. To my knowledge, he hasn't written any of his own films, and therefore it is rarely a director's fault if something like that happens, not to mention this was Fincher's first film, and so he would've had very little to no creative control.

2. David Fincher agrees with you. He has stated on many occasions that he hates Alien3, doesn't like to watch it, and doesn't like to talk about it, because it was such a horrible experience for him. He disowned the film, and actually walked out on it before editing even began. He also had nothing to do with the Director's Cut, as he thought the film was unsalvageable.

3. Alien3 was such a horrible experience because of studio interference. Guess who the studio was.

4. You may not have liked Seven, but a lot of people did. And it wasn't torture porn. Hostel is torture porn. Seven was just a dark, gritty and violent thriller.

And here, some more Trivia from IMDB's Aliens3 page:

-On the set at Pinewood Studios, a giant lead foundry took 12 weeks to construct and put the production way behind. Even with 6 day weeks and 14 hour days, the crew were unable to keep up with the schedule.

-The production effectively shut down for three months while the script was undergoing rewrites.

-The film spent over a year in editing.

-When the powers-that-be decided on a new ending to be shot, Elliot Goldenthal had one night to come up with a new score.

-$7 million had been spent on sets that were never used thanks to the ever-changing script before filming had even started.

-At one point, David Fincher was denied permission by the film's producers to shoot a crucial scene in the prison understructure between Ripley and the alien. Against orders, Fincher grabbed Sigourney Weaver, a camera and shot the scene anyway. This scene appears in the final cut.

I know I went on a bit, but I've enjoyed all of the Fincher films I've seen thus far (I haven't seen Alien 3 and don't plan to.) and I just wanted to make a point.

PEACEKEEPER

Monday, March 23, 2009 9:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by 22Claws:
I just finished Sunshine. It was pretty wacky. Also, I'll say Event Horizen and The Black Hole
Three DEFINITELY weird-ass ones.

The laughing Chrisisall

Now thata a cool movie. Danny Boyle can do no wrong in my eyes

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Monday, March 23, 2009 2:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Event Horizon was one I desperately wanted to like, but in the end: FAIL!

I feel the same. But I will say this, and I thought it was cool:

4 years after seeing that movie, I discovered that the writer of the film was a Warhammer 40K player. He had the idea for the Event Horizon script after a 40k game when he asked himself: "Humanity uses the Warp to travel from star system to star system in the 40k universe. But what happened thousands of years prior to 40k when humanity 1st discovered the warp?" Warp travel in 40k results when ships punch a hole from reality to Chaos Warp and use shield tech to protect ships from Chaos Hellspace when travel occurs. Humans discovering the warp on Old Terra would not have known that shields would have been needed and would have tried to travel without them. The result is that the experimental run from Neptune to Proxima Centuri was instead a trip from Neptune to Chaos Hellspace. Opps.

You'd need to be a tabletop gamer to even know what I'm talking about, and few on this site are going to be. But if you ever played 40k and know about Chaos and the Warp, you'll understand.

Learning that put a whole new lens on Event Horizon. I raised my grade of it from a C to a B-. I always like seeing 2 seperate mythos' come together like that. Like when I was a kid and we all got excited in Predator 2 when the Alien skull was on a wall in the ship. "You mean that the Alien mythos and the Predator mythos are the SAME?" In 1990 it was a shocker. Now Alien vs. Predator stuff abounds.

KWICKO

Monday, March 23, 2009 2:38 PM

Quote:

That movie where juliet lewis sings naked, 1999?

Strange Days?

Kind of an odd sci-fi...

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

Monday, March 23, 2009 2:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
Urotsukidôjii - the legend of the overfiend

Holy cow. I can't believe someone on here even knows about that one. I recall that it sat on a video store shelf for years in my hometown with a "Must be 17 to rent" sticker on it. It had it's own corner of a forgotten shelf in a rarely walked section of the store. Years of sunrises had shed light on the box, fading the color and aging the cardboard. "What could this be?" I'd wonder to myself. What is this forbidden animated film that sits forgotten in a corner? How can an animated film be forbidden? Of course those were the days when I hadn't seen any anime past playing Phanstasy Star II on Sega and had never even heard the word Hentai.

I turned 17 and rented it.

OK well.....To describe the experience I'd harken to the south Park episode when the kids are playing Lord of the Rings and have the 18+ video (Saurons Ring proxy) and Token volunteers to watch it. He goes inside...insert 1 minute pause...comes out and says "I'm not Playing anymore"

Yes indeed. That was my exact experience with Urotsukidojii. Innocence stripped away in 2 hours 20 minutes.

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, March 23, 2009 3:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bluesuncompanyman:
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:
Urotsukidôjii - the legend of the overfiend

Holy cow. I can't believe someone on here even knows about that one. I recall that it sat on a video store shelf for years in my hometown with a "Must be 17 to rent" sticker on it. It had it's own corner of a forgotten shelf in a rarely walked section of the store. Years of sunrises had shed light on the box, fading the color and aging the cardboard. "What could this be?" I'd wonder to myself. What is this forbidden animated film that sits forgotten in a corner? How can an animated film be forbidden? Of course those were the days when I hadn't seen any anime past playing Phanstasy Star II on Sega and had never even heard the word Hentai.

I turned 17 and rented it.

OK well.....To describe the experience I'd harken to the south Park episode when the kids are playing Lord of the Rings and have the 18+ video (Sarons Ring proxy) and Token volunteers to watch it. He goes inside...insert 1 minute pause...comes out and says "I'm not Playing anymore"

Yes indeed. That was my exact experience with Urotsukidojii. Innocence stripped away in 2 hours 20 minutes.

Jeez you lasted the full 2hrs 20! I gave up after just about 30mins. Dreadful thing was I bought it for my sister in law as she said she liked Japanese animation. We all sat there, my brother included, and... well we were aghast at what was presented before us. It's not really a film - it's more like a series of lovingly animated perversions. Quite who loves to animate such things is anyones guess. I just felt so bad because I bought it as a gift. I've been redeeming myself ever since by overloading on Gibli studio animation instead! She's fond of that style of Japanese animation.

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 3:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
list of movies that just wander off into space.

Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun, as close as Gerry & Sylvia Anderson ever got to 2001-style greatness in the WTF category.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 3:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

Jeez you lasted the full 2hrs 20! I gave up after just about 30mins.

Me too. Animated sex I can deal with, but THAT was torture porn IMO.

The laughing Chrisisall

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 3:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
I didn't see AVP because everyone said it sucked.

AVP: Requiem was pretty good, though. At least I thought it was. It was no "Aliens," but worth a rental.

The laughing Chrisisall

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, March 23, 2009 4:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by dreamtrove:
I didn't see AVP because everyone said it sucked.
AVP: Requiem was pretty good, though. At least I thought it was. It was no "Aliens," but worth a rental.

The laughing Chrisisall

I was so saddend by AVP that I'm staying well clear of anything claiming to be it's sequel.

CHRISISALL

Monday, March 23, 2009 4:21 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TheSomnambulist:

I was so saddend by AVP that I'm staying well clear of anything claiming to be it's sequel.

Requiem's not a sequel, it has NOTHING to do with the first horrible one. And it's bloody.

The laughing Chrisisall

DREAMTROVE

Monday, March 23, 2009 4:54 PM

Big Richard

Thanks for the overreaction. Of course, my motto is, if I comment on something at all, it's a compliment. I kind of like Fincher. I hated 7 because talk about FAIL, if you figure out everything that is going to happen in a mystery about 15 minutes in, it's just painful to watch. It's made more painful as torture porn. Sorry. One of the people I was watching it with says, no, you gotta hang on to the twist at the end, you'll never guess who's driving up there. I said "Kevin Spacey with Brad Pitt's head in a box?" and he said "Oh, you've seen it?" And I said "No, this is just he most predictable film I've ever seen." It was really painful to watch abysmally stupid heroes fail to solve an obvious mystery.

I liked Fight Club. That's the only reason I cut Fincher any slack. Alien3 was terrible, but nowhere near as bad as Se7en.

BSCM,

Okay, I'll admit that's cool. If more of that has come through in the film, it would have worked for me. Yeah, I'm a geek and I know exactly what you're talking about. I think that the problem was probably that the studio had no interest in 40k, and twisted it to make it more like another knife in the wormhole story.

Mike,

Strange Days? that was it. The question isn't are you paranoid, but are you paranoid *enough*. :)

Quote:
Urotsukidôjii

I skipped mentioning this because I thought it didn't count. I guess I'm not sure on the parameters. Ultimately, doesn't all decent anime make you say Huh? even without tentacle sex?

I mean Hentai is a lot of huh, but even the rest of anime. I did mention something. But I think there's an element of Hayao Miyazaki no longer being outside the box, but there's a lot of disturbed confusion there. For that matter, Fantasia is sort of Umm What?

Frem recommended Elvenlied earlier, I have to second that.

Somewhere between waterworld and nymphoid barbarian from dinosaur hell there are some movies actually worth watching.

No one has yet mentioned Peter Jackson, like Dead Alive/Braindead. I thought we were going for a sort of wrong turn into nowhere land

Speaking of which, for anyone who wants to see a bad b-movie that is very disturbed and feels that they aren't getting enough Eliza Dushku, there's "Wrong Turn."

Some movies just leave me saying "Why?" Silent Hill for example. it's almost clever. I feel that a story editor is needed to make this not suck. I surprised by how many of these things are in my head.

Like a lot of people would put the Game on this list, I just find it too mundane. I'll grant Existenz, but I think that would be my limit.

Dreamscape is another 80s film in need of an editor.

Here's one I really liked, while not totally in the huh category, a decently executed film: Lost Souls with Winona Ryder. Oh, and another satanic film about a book dealer, someone help me out here.

To get horror to be interesting I think that abandoning christianity which is getting kind of boring in favor of classical pagan deities in something more than just random satanism and better more seriously done than Xena, though it can keep all the girl on girl...

Oh, there's another one Warlock, a bunch of stuff like that. Here's a huh with sean connery iirc Outland.

That one where i think it's vin diesel, and claudia black gets cut in half.

Of course, a lot of these aren't nearly as Huh? as random Farscape or Lexx.

Still looking for challengers to Cherry 2000.

On the Alien list, Cameron is best, but Joss-Jeunet's Resurrection was a decent huh. There were some truly disturbed moments in it. The underwater scene was nice but weak, in that it had that element of deep blue sea. Monster of the week "Let's see how many characters we can sacrifice for no apparent reason" which as a theme got the ultimate send up from Shaun of the Dead. Yes, we actually are morons, that's why we keep dying.

I really want to see "Aliens take Manhattan" It's been a long time coming. Here's hoping that summer's 4 week absence from T:SCC was because they're putting her in the new movie, btw.

The more we tal