Movies

These are my favorites. What they have in common are weird storylines, unusual settings, and plot that you generally have to watch a couple of times before everything makes sense. If you don't like quirky movies and trying to find all the little hidden clues, you probably won't like any of these. They require a high degree of concentration, and a love of irony.

LA Story

The best thing Steve Martin ever did. Crazy LA isn't just a location, it's a character who speaks through the big bitmapped highway signs. "LA WANTS 2 HELP U" it says. In every scene there are at least three things happenning at once, when they're not re-enacting shakespeare. A tale of Magic in the City of Angels.

The Princess Bride

Perhaps the most quoteable movie of all time... "Hallo. My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." - "R.O.U.S.'s? Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist. Arrrrggh!" - "Incontheivable!!"/"You keep husing that hword. I do not tink it means hwhat you tink it means." - "You mean, I put down my sword and you put down your rock and we try to kill each other like civilised people?"

Last Action Hero

Nobody understood this movie! It's a parody people! It's Schwartzenegger making fun of every cop and action film ever made, including all of his. With Italian mafia, seas of cop cars, brothers-in-law called Vinnie, in-jokes, fart jokes, parallel worlds, and a particularly evil bad guy: "If God were a villian... he'd be me." The real power is in how this movie challenges your perception of reality, and wins.

Pump Up the Volume

This movie is a rallying cry for the X-Generation to which apparently I belong. Christian Slater as Happy Harry Hard-on, anonymous loner Pirate radio DJ who becomes, to his bewilderment, a Hero. With perhaps one of the most unexpected opening lines of all time.

Army Of Darkness

Another quotable movie, grand in it's silliness. There are two versions with different endings. The original is better, but the alternate one is a laugh too. "Groovy!"

Local Hero

A New Yorker is sent by the oil conglomerate he works for to buy a small Scottish town in it's entirety. In a turnaround in small-town vs. big business, the inhabitants actually want to take the money and run. There are so many layers in this movie, it takes a few goes to untangle them all.

Toys

No, not Toy Story, I said Toys. The one with Robyn Williams in the silly hat. Watching this movie is like eating a huge chocolate cake, slice by slice. Probably no movie will ever again have sets like this one. A visual feast.

Groundhog Day

Bill Murray lives the same day over and over and over again, trapped, unable to escape until he finds love. A black comedy of a strange kind.

Hackers

No plot, reasonable acting, but damn it's stylish! Just remember, what you see on the screens is all happenning in their heads. It's their perception. It has to be! How else can you explain the rotating phone boxes?

Noises Off

Based on the play of the same name, it is a Comedy Sex Farce about a Comedy Sex Farce about a Comedy Sex Farce about a... I've lost my place. The choreography and split-second timing is amazing. As Michael Cain says "It's all about sardines. Getting the sardines on, getting the sardies off. Doors and Sardines!" It's got a slow start, but a great ride.

The Matrix

Probably the only movie where even the bullets have more style than the main actor. Keanu can't be taken seriously, but then again, he's playing a nerdy hacker-wannabie, so that's all right. Every other character is just fantastic. Take Trinity - oh my god. The opening ten minutes will blow your socks off. It's a pity the last ten are saccarine enough to make you want to look for them again, rather than face the movie. There are some real brain benders in this movie, not just things blowing up.

You can find most of them in video shops. In Australia at least.