Akira. Yes, I know that most anime is weird, but Akira takes the cake. I would say what it’s about, except that I still haven’t figured it out myself.
And for the record, Chas.E, I’m not necessarily saying that it’s good, I’m just saying that it’s weird.
I might also nominate Dark City, although I did understand most of it (I think).
One of the indie movies I rented this week fits the bill. Urbania(2000) It was really good, and I think most people (save the homophobic) would enjoy the twists and turns that weave reality, flashbacks/halucinations and urban legends together. You have to do the same sorting out of what is really happened and what didn’t that you do with Lulu on the bridge.
In my earlier post, I don’t know how I forgot to mention Satyricon by Fellini [sup][sub](I think he may have been on acid at the time)[/sub][/sup]
Chronos Akira is an excellent story, but if you haven’t read the books, the movie isn’t going to make much sense. I read them a couple of years ago, my then-roomie had bought them. There were 12 of them, about 200 pages each. Of course, there are a lot more details in the books, and when I saw the movie (after reading the books) it seemed like a condensed version of the books. If I hadn’t read them, I wouldn’t have gotten most of it. The books are on the expensive side (4 years ago, my roomie paid 40$CAN for each of them.) but well worth it. Really georgeous images and an Epic, Gargantuan story. My guess would be to try to find them used if you have the time (and the interest, of course!).
I can second Tetsuo:the Iron Man and O Lucky Man. The most obscure movie I have ever seen is called Shock! Shock! Shock! and is really weird, kind of like Rat Phink a Boo Boo which anyone into really weird movies also needs to see. It starts out as a slasher flick, then turns into an ultraman style superhero thing, where the hero can shoot lasers out of his ping-pong ball eyes. There is a pretty cool song by an on screen band that reminds me of Shonen Knife a little. Oh, and Allan Rickman is in it.
I hated Tesuo, but I suppose it was weird. The mention of Ratfink-a-boo-boo reminded me of Ed Wood’s I Change My Sex, Glen or Glenda. Also, I don’t think anyone has mentioned Superstar, the Karen Carpenter story told with Barbies.
But I have to agree with Chas. E,
Henry and June?
The Road to Wellville?
Until the End of the World?
Harold and Maude?
Altered States?
I like all of these, but they hardly seem weird.
Hmmm…I don’t see “Texas Chainsaw Masacre”. I guess it is horror…disturbing horror.
Miracle Mile
I’ve sprung this one on unsuspecting friends. When they leave for the evening they thank me sarcastically from a distance of 12 feet and walk off looking disconcerted.
Sorry, no spoilers 
In the Kentucky Fried Movie vein, there’s also The Groove Tube and Tunnelvision, the latter of which is made even more interesting by seeing how many of their satirical predictions of future TV actually became came true. For example, the segment about the “Filthy Family” isn’t too far off from Married… With Children, and restaurants that just serve salad were apparently a really far-out idea in the 70’s.
Remember: when simulating an erect human penis by shoving a length of pipe into the pelvis area of a rotting corpse, always use a condom.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Hodge *
[list]
[li]Lair of the White Worm (heck, any Ken Russell flick qualifies)[/li][/QUOTE]
Gothic - Very weird Ken Russell movie. If you like nipples that turn into eyes, this one’s for you.
Was it Russell’s The Music Lovers that had Glenda Jackson squat down (sans undies) over a ground level grating on the grounds of an insane asylum that was then accompanied by the sounds of manic slurping?
Kissed or the Joys of necrophilia.
And invoking our dear Eve (come back soon, we miss you), I would recommend Tod Browning’s Freaks.
Spanking the Monkey disturbed me pretty badly. I’d call it weird and bizarre.
In the “recent” category, I’ve got to nominate Magnolia. Also, how about Picnic at Hanging Rock and * Walkabout*? Recently recommended on SDMB (don’t ask me for the link) was Shakes the Clown: very odd, including a young Adam Sandler doing some actual acting. Described (pretty accurately) as “the Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies”.
Being John Malkovitch
that was a weird one
My nomination is Six String Samurai. This godforsaken piece of crap is being run by HBO every time I turn on the TV. Starring: A Buddy Holly-esque warrior in a postapocalyptic world, on his way to be the King of Vegas (in an odd Fisher King sort of way), with a speechless whining boy as his tagalong. They follow the radio signal of Wolfman Jack, giving news about the vacant throne. On the way through the desert, they meet cavemen, cannibals, hired assassins, loonies in space suits, and Los Lobos.
Warning: The above description is much more coherent than the movie itself.
The Pillow Book
Very beatiful, very weird, and very good.
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees.
Am I the only person here who has seen this? That would be odd.
Or am I the only person who thinks it was weird? That would be downright scary.
When I saw this with a friend of mine, we both needed milk and cookies in a brightly lit room immediately afterwards.
How can this thread have gotten this far without mentioning Freaks?
It was made in the late 20s/early30s about a circus performer (young lady) who takes some interest in one of the sideshow performers/freaks. She ends up using him and breaking his heart.
The clincher is that they actually used circus freaks in the movie.
At the end, the chants of “One of us! One of us! One of us!” is used frequently among my friends.
Shadows and Fog - A really, profoundly odd Woody Allen movie with a ridiculously famous cast.
Providence - John Gielgud, Ellen Burstyn and others in a movie I simply could not comprehend. At all.