# REALLY "one of a kind" movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394 "2003-10-30T05:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/41 "2003-11-13T11:40:15Z")
Despite my love of oatstraw tea and ginger pie… The most unusual movie I have seen that actually fascinated me is _Drowning by Numbers_. You probably will want to see it at least twice – once for counting and once for going _“Whoa! What?”_. Oh, and sit with the remote control in hand. ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/42 "2003-11-13T12:21:55Z")
Both Resevoir Dogs AND Pulp Fiction. Dr. Strangelove Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles) Monty Python and the Holy Grail …to name Just a few more… ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/43 "2003-11-13T12:35:54Z")
I’ll second _The Wicker Man_ and _Night Of The Hunter_. And add _The Kid Stays In The Picture_. **pugluver** there have been TV movie remakes of both _Night Of The Hunter_ and _The Bad Seed_. Both actually used to turn up on Lifetime occasionally. TBS was totally unremarkable. The early 90s NOTH remake starred Richard Chamberlain in Robert Mitchum’s “Preacher” role, and tried to play more as a straight dramatic film without the “dark fairy tale” atmosphere of the original classic. Plus Chamberlain played the role too weasely to make you think for a second he could worm his way into anyone’s trust. And he was more intimidating during his guest shot as Mr. Wick’s mother on _The Drew Carey Show_ to give you an idea how unscary he was. ---
**Author:** ![Sneeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sneeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sneeze)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/44 "2003-11-13T17:36:10Z")
I have to second **Miracle Mile**. It’s kind of an obscure film, but I just couldn’t stop watching it. By the end, I was sitting on the edge of the sofa and my hands were sweating. But it ended too soon. The only real glitch was why he didn’t make the phone call earlier. Didn’t really hurt the plot, though. Another great one was the made-for tv **World War III**. I’ve never forgotten the line that trying to stay out of a nuclear war has absolutely nothing to do with actually getting into one. **The Bedford Incident** , with Sidney Poitier was good too. You have to know a little about certain kinds of submarine based weapons to get the ending, though. The same was true of **The Hunt for Red October**. The ending was too confused until I thought about the weapons systems, then I got it. There’s also a 50s or 60s movie called **Games** , Simone Signoret(?), James Caan, and I forget the girl. It’s one of those “who’s outsmarting who?” movies, kinda like **The Sting**. I should also give a partial vote to **After Hours**. Odd movie, not as compelling as Miracle Mile, and you might think it’s pointless at the end unless you read Roger Ebert’s review. (In short, what the main character goes through is “just another night in New York”. I can never figure these things out on my own, so I need Ebert). There’s also a movie from the 40s, starring Kent Smith, Ann Sheridan, and Robert Alda. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s the same as the name of Ann Sheridan’s character (like _Anne Prentiss_, or something). She’s a nightclub singer, Smith is a doctor that leaves his family for her, and you **just won’t believe** what crime he’s convicted of in the end. It’s on TCM from time to time. Oh, I could go on… ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/45 "2003-11-13T19:01:35Z")
You’re thinking of _Nora Prentiss_ and you’re right, the ending is a humdinger. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/46 "2003-11-13T19:14:49Z")
**Crash**. When I saw it, more than half the audience walked out before it was even half over. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/47 "2003-11-13T19:51:45Z")
**Pink Flamingoes** because it’s the only movie I know of where a big, fat cross-dresser eats dog shit fresh from the dog. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/48 "2003-11-13T21:14:53Z")
**Untamed Mistress** , a pretty ghastly 60s zero-budget jungle adventure. Mostly notable for not-very-subtle references to gorilla-woman interspecies love. The lead actress, a real dish, spent her formative years with a gorilla tribe, until she was “rescued”, but she wants to return to her gorilla– I can’t type any more; my head is beginning to ache. However, Jacqueline Fontaine is a real treat for the eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Vetinari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/58f4c7/32.png) [@Vetinari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vetinari)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/49 "2003-11-13T21:28:48Z")
The earlier referenced “Brotherhood of the Wolves” is a good one–I can’t think of another movie that features such a collision of genres (plus, Monica Belucci!). However, I think foreign movies are more likely to produce that “one of a kind” reaction due to (i) a combination of lack of beholden-ness to big budget Hollywood story archetypes and (ii) different cultural emphases. Japanese movies in particular seem to bear this out (Audition, Battle Royale, Tetsuo). My pick–“Bubba Ho-Tep”. An elderly Elvis and a black JFK battling a mummy who’s been stealing souls from their retirement community. ---
**Author:** ![1000monkeys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/7cd45c/32.png) [@1000monkeys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1000monkeys)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/50 "2003-11-13T21:36:15Z")
wasn’t there a film that ended with the film jumping the tracks and spinning off the projector? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/51 "2003-11-13T21:52:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Next would be “Colossus: The Forbin Project.” Which ends with the villain… > Spoiler: > > [spoiler]…Not only winning, but having succeeded in taking over the world.[/spoile] > > …However you feel about that, it’s damn novel. Not only that, but… It’s debatable whether the villain is really the villain, or the greatest benefactor humanity’s ever had. That movie gave me bad dreams as a child. My choices: _Last Night_, a truly off-beat and very Canadian movie about (this isn’t a spoiler) the last night of the world. And _The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T_. I apparently saw that movie as a small child and years later thought I’d dreamed it. Led to a catchphrase between my brother and me: “Is it atomic?” “It’s _very_ atomic!” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/52 "2003-11-13T22:33:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baldwin \* > And _The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T_. I apparently saw that movie as a small child and years later thought I’d dreamed it. Led to a catchphrase between my brother and me: “Is it atomic?” “It’s _very_ atomic!” Was that your brother Alec or Stephen?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/53 "2003-11-13T23:15:29Z")
**Clockwork Orange** ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/54 "2003-11-14T04:01:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Memento: Though the backward structure was done first in another film it was a very different kind of story (about marital infidelity) Try _Irreversible_ which is told in reverse order, and in which A man tracks down and kills the man who raped and beat his girlfriend. But we find out in the “later” part of the movie (earlier in time) that he has actually killed the wrong man. I nominate _The Vanishing_. By the end of the movie you’ll be wishing the proverbial “fate worse than death” on the protagonist. This despite the fact that he’s a decent guy and you’ve come to like him quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/55 "2003-11-14T04:10:23Z")
**Bugsy Malone**. Pretty much a standard (if seriously cliched) gangster movie, with an all-kid cast. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/56 "2003-11-14T04:18:43Z")
Going all the way back to the OP I have to second **Who is Julia?** I was surprised it handled the issues as well as it did, without being sensationalistic. It made you wonder " What would it be like to look in the mirror and see a totally different person staring back? Or the survivors guilt she felt, or the sadness when the little boy woke up and saw a woman who \*looked[/] like Mommy but wasn’t anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Sonyadora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sonyadora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonyadora)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/57 "2003-11-14T04:43:36Z")
_Death to Smoochy_ In what other movie is the Ice Capades a Mafia front hmm? _Pi_ No movie quite like it that I’ve ever seen Second _Brazil_ of course, since it’s my favorite movie. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/58 "2003-11-14T05:18:34Z")
I think [tetsuo](http://imdb.com/title/tt0096251/) has already been mentioned. Going left field from there, I would go through [Tromeo and Juliet](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0114733/). The only Shakesperen adaption to feature [Lemmy out of Motorhead](http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mccorp/lkilmister.html) as the narrator. For totally off the wall, I would nominate lmost anything by [Jan Swankmajer](http://www.illumin.co.uk/svank/). That’s genuinely strange. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/59 "2003-11-14T05:19:42Z")
I think [tetsuo](http://imdb.com/title/tt0096251/) has already been mentioned. Going left field from there, I would go through [Tromeo and Juliet](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0114733/). The only Shakesperen adaption to feature [Lemmy out of Motorhead](http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mccorp/lkilmister.html) as the narrator. For totally off the wall, I would nominate almost anything by [Jan Swankmajer](http://www.illumin.co.uk/svank/). That’s genuinely strange. ---
**Author:** ![cankerist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@cankerist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cankerist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394/60 "2003-11-14T05:35:19Z")
**Sleuth** with Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier aaaand…Michael Caine! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-one-of-a-kind-movies/210394.md?page=2)