Double feature of the week: WTF

Don’t you ever just want to watch a movie that makes no sense whatsoever? I do…. a lot actually. Last year I was treated to a 35mm screening of the ultimate ‘WTF’ film, “Hausu” (1977) at Madcap Theatres in Tempe. This film is now available on dvd and Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection and it’s a must for any cult film fanatic. That being said, I really can’t recommend this film to those who haven’t much experience with weird cult films. Call this double feature a “Hausu” prerequisite. It’s not that these films have anything to do with each other. It’s just that, if you see “Hausu” first, it will probably ruin everything you could ever think is weird in the future.

Alejandro Jodorowski’s “El Topo” (1970) is only one of several ‘WTF’ films from this filmmaker. It may not even be his weirdest. It’s essentially a Spaghetti Western about a gunslinger who takes his son on a spiritual journey of revenge and sexual maturation…….. er something, I really have no clue. What’s interesting about this film is actually how technically good it is. The cinematography, score, costume and set design are all very well done. By virtue of its extremely violent eccentricity, this film has become known as the ultimate ‘Midnight Movie’. I’ve never really thought that was fair. I usually refer to this film as an arthouse film disguised as a grindhouse flick.

I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve mentioned a Suzuki Seijun film in my blog. He’s among my absolute favorite directors and his Nikkatsu films from the late 50’s to the mid 60’s are fantastic. “Zigeunerweisen” (1980) however, is not one of those films. It’s actually very interesting to see this film in the context of his career. His Nikkatsu films were always supposed to be strait forward gangster, melodrama or sometimes erotica B-flicks. He would constantly add more and more surrealisms, dream logic and general oddities. It’s what eventually got him fired from the studio. Flash forward a few years and he’s not working for the studio and his former films have given him the clout that allow him to take a giant swan dive into the realm of bizarre. This film is definitely the most bizarre of his that I’ve seen. I couldn’t even come close to telling you what it’s about. I think it had something to do with this one guy who ummm…. and the other guy…. they had wives…… something about peaches and bones and German orchestral music. I’d love it if someone else would watch this and tell me.

Enjoy.