Weird and Forgotten Movies

[Wally_Hood]

Solar Babies
Laser Blast
The Man Who Fell to Earth (left the theater about half-way through: does Bowie survive?)

 

[GeniusInTheLamp]

I once saw the movie 'They Saved Hitler's Brain' at The Incredibly Strange Film Festival.

It lived up to the name of the festival! It was possibly (what am I talking about? I was) the WORST film I have ever seen. Made in the 50s, later in the 60s someone spliced in extra scenes that had nothing to do with the plot, which was minimal, I admit. Mainly the same two guys running past a doorway with spaceguns. Oh, and a brain on a plate with electrodes in it....

I remember seeing that on TV years ago. It starts off with Geraldo Rivera being chased around by the Blues Brothers. Then suddenly, everything about the movie - the cast, the plot, even the film stock - changes. Talk about cinematic cheese ...

 

[bobalooba]

Alright, I couldn't be bothered to re-read the whole thread, but here's one for the older (my age and up ) of us...

does anyone else remember the ORIGINAL Star Wars Christmas special?

Animated. Wookies. Wookie Planet. Original Cast Voices.

Stretch them braincells would ya'?

If anyone has a copy they videotaped, or has a REAL LIFE source, not one of the "I know a guy who says he has it, but won't show it to anyone" sources, own up and share with the world.

dv

the two television specials with the Ewoks were "The Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage" (1984) and "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor" (1985). Both specials aired originally on ABC and were available officially on home video and laserdisc, and now on DVD. They used to frequently air on the Disney Channel.

These were the animated ones, the holiday special was partially live action with an animated short thrown in. If you really want a copy I would suggest going to a comicon in your area, there are always vendors with bootleg copies, you could also try a local comic shop(non-chain of course) and ask if they know a vendor if you don't want to delve into the comicon scene.

 

[Falconetti]

House of the Damned.. Early 60's I reckon.. really quite creepy, early part for Richard (Jaws) Kiel.

 

[fiddletown]

The thread has been going on so long I don't know if these have been mentioned already --

• It's in the Bag -- a fine Fred Allen comedy made in 1947. It includes the "Allen's Alley" crowd with Jack Benny, Jerry Colonna and William Bendix thrown in. Very funny, but now apparently sunk into obscurity . It's not on DVD, but was available on VHS.
• Our Man in Havana -- Alec Guiness, Noel Coward and Ernie Kovacs and based on a Graham Greene novel. How can it get any better than that?
• Baghdad Cafe -- with a charming and thoroughly off beat bunch of characters.

 

[Widebrim]

The thread has been going on so long I don't know if these have been mentioned already --

• It's in the Bag -- a fine Fred Allen comedy made in 1947. It includes the "Allen's Alley" crowd with Jack Benny, Jerry Colonna and William Bendix thrown in. Very funny, but now apparently sunk into obscurity . It's not on DVD, but was available on VHS.
• Our Man in Havana -- Alec Guiness, Noel Coward and Ernie Kovacs and based on a Graham Greene novel. How can it get any better than that?
• Baghdad Cafe -- with a charming and thoroughly off beat bunch of characters.

Boy, this is an old thread...I saw "It's in the Bag" some years ago, and despite what modern "critics" say, found it to be very funny, too (and what a cast!). I especially recall a great bit where the stairs of a movie house appear to spiral as high as the Tower of Babel. (It also has a funny scene with Fred and Jack Benny.) The other two that you mentioned, I haven't seen...When I was a very young grade school kid, I somehow made it into a theater to see F. F. Coppola's, "You're a Big Boy Now," as part of a double feature. I seem to vaguely recall a scene where the lead goes into a peep house, which if so is kind of interesting because I believe that the film came out just before we had ratings. I have since found out that the soundtrack was by John Sebastian of the Loving Spoonful, although I don't remember it at all, except maybe the title song. I should rent it and see what memories are stirred up. I've read that it is considered by some to be a "cult" film.

 

[fiddletown]

The movie theater scene in It's in the Bag is classic, as is Fred and Jack's scene. I'll have to look for You're a Big Boy Now -- Coppola has made very fine movies.

 

[Wally_Hood]

It's in the Bag is great- even set within the framework of radio stars making a film, the gags and situations are funny. The view from the mezzanine in the movie house is dizzying. Also, Fred has as shot where they've made him up with enormous "bags" under his eyes.

 

[fiddletown]

I decided to check on Amazon to see if there was anything new about It's in the Bag being available on DVD. Surprisingly enough, there were several listed, new and used, from Amazon sellers, but not Amazon itself.

I'm not sure what the story is, and it's expensive -- $36.95, new. But I decided to take a flier and find out. So I ordered a new copy.

I'll be interested in seeing what it looks like and how it works.

 

[John in Covina]

Ebay has those for $9.98.

 

[fiddletown]

Guess I overpaid. Well, I prefer dealing through Amazon anyway.

 

[Falconetti]

I'd forgotten all about Bagdad Cafe.. Saw it at the cinema many years ago... charming little film and it had Jack Palance.

 

[Story]

Something new -


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1811315/
In this throwback to the original 1966 Batman movie, FDR rides a "wheelchair of death" to stop the world from werewolves who carry the polio virus, including werewolf versions of Hitler, Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito.
Trailer has potty language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R898wegx6Y

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The strangest movie I'd ever seen is, without a doubt, the Franco-Czech animated film Fantastic Planet (1973). I saw it in the theatre as a kid -- it was a double feature playing along with the film "documentary" Chariots of the Gods. It can't get any weirder than that!

[video=youtube;Oo4zwiYSGfU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo4zwiYSGfU[/video]

 

[Benzadmiral]

I don't think this one qualifies as "weird," but it's certainly "forgotten": "In the Devil's Garden." I saw it on a double bill in 1974 or so, right after "The Exorcist" made anything with "Devil" in the title a commercial property. My memory says it's a neat little British crime story, an actual mystery with a well-concealed criminal.

Another that might come under "weird" is this one: "The Beast Must Die." It's a closed mystery too, but the mystery this time is "Who is the werewolf?" It wasn't the best photographed movie I'd ever seen. But it was rather fun, and includes a "werewolf break" -- a sort of "Challenge to the Viewer" in the way the Ellery Queen series with Jim Hutton would use it a year or so later.

 

[jessesgirl08]

not golden era at all but while on vacation in 5th or 6th grade - somewhere in the mid/late 80's i remember them playing "Nice girls dont explode" on the hotel tv, it was on 3-4 times a day on the one cable tv channel they got. totally weird premise and no one ever knew what movie i was talking about when I talked about it until i found it online. so i guess it qualifies as forgotten

 

[BigFitz]

I was nine or ten when I first saw this one. Definitely thought it was weird then but I still like it.

[video=youtube;2n5qVJEg3qA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2n5qVJEg3qA[/video]

 

[W-D Forties]

'Death Line' - classic gritty early 70's horror, very influential, especially on John Landis.

'Mind the doors!'

 

[Romy Overdorp]

Hellzapoppin' (1941) Weird and funny!
2001: A space odyssey(1968) That movie creeps me out for sure with that maniac board computer.

 

[Widebrim]

The strangest movie I'd ever seen is, without a doubt, the Franco-Czech animated film Fantastic Planet (1973). I saw it in the theatre as a kid -- it was a double feature playing along with the film "documentary" Chariots of the Gods. It can't get any weirder than that!

[video=youtube;Oo4zwiYSGfU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo4zwiYSGfU[/video]

I remember seeing that one, too, when it came out...

Wild Weed (1949) is definitely up there. (Alternate, and IMO better title is She Shoulda Said No!) Supposedly an anti-drug movie, it is just an exploitation film which played in the "wrong side of the tracks" theaters, much like Reefer Madness. And like the latter film, the characters in Wild Weed act more like they're on LSD rather than marijuana. Interestingly, Lila Leeds was cast as the lead actress because she had been arrested in 1948 with Robert Mitchum for possession of marijuana. Stalwart Lyle Talbott and "newcomer" eye-bulger Jack Elam "round out" the cast of this low-budget, low-intelligence film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041865/