The Film Connoisseur’s #3 Bizarro Film: ERASERHEAD (David Lynch, United States, 1977)
When talking about Bizarre films, it goes without saying that David Lynch has to pop up in the conversation at some point. The man is known for making films that mess with your head. But it all started with a little film called Eraserhead. Eraserhead was David Lynch’s first film. He made it while attending film school during the span of six long years. He would film a little bit every now and then until the masterpiece of bizarre cinema known as Eraserhead was born. At first glance, one might look at this movie and think that it’s just a weird movie for weird’s sake. But it isn’t. When we look deeper into it, at its core, Eraserhead is a film about the horrors of living with someone you don’t love, and worse yet, having a child with said person. The main character in the film -a working class hero called Henry- ends up getting a girl he has absolutely no feelings for, pregnant. Suddenly, he has to live with this girl and the baby they brought into this world. Problem is, the baby they end up having is deformed! The film focuses on how uncomfortable a situation it is to live with someone you don’t love, or don’t have any sexual desire for. And also how awful it is to be forced into parenthood when you are obviously not ready for it, or have no desire to be a parent. The film is made that much more bizarre simply because David Lynch is the one who is directing. He manages to harness truly awkward and uncomfortable situations on this film, the vibe felt in many of the scenes in the film is the complete opposite of happy or normal. True uneasiness is felt through out the performances and situations. These are characters who are not happy at all with their lives. In a way Lynch is saying: don’t let yourself turn into this! You should know a couple of things before seeing this film: its black and white, it’s very symbolic and surreal, and it won’t make you feel all happy and shiny inside. It’s grim, dark and depressive. And shocking! I showed this movie one time to a friend of mine and midway through the movie he simply turned his back on the film and said “Im not watching any more of this! I refuse!” The movie is that bizarre! If you feel like exploring more of David Lynch's extremely bizarre filmology, then check out Lost Highway or Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me two films that I also considered putting on this countdown.
Outstanding Bizarre Sequence: A dream sequence has Henry meet this lady who is singing a song from a stage. Her cheeks are bloated for some reason, and she sings a song called “In Heaven Everything is Alright” As she sings, these giant spermatozoa starts falling from the sky! She avoids them, the giant sperm hit the floor and then she proceeds to crushes them with her shoes.
The Celluloid Highway's # 3 Bizarro Film: TETSUO (Shinya Tsukamoto, Japan, 1989)
Tetsuo is a frenzied and insane cinematic experience and one which has to be seen to be believed. It was the product of Japanese auteur Shinya Tsukamoto (a man whose bizarre passion for odd imagery has remained undiluted over the years - see Tokyo Fist (1995) and A Snake of June (2002)) who acted as writer, director, producer, cinematographer, editor and art director on this sixty minute mind bender. Shot in arty black and white, the film manages to address urban and environmental anxieties in the Tokyo of 1989 as well as having an appeal to western audiences through its recycling of the ‘body horror’ themes of David Cronenberg and the industrialised nightmare imagery of early David Lynch. The films elliptical and fragmented editorial strategy means any attempt to construct narrative sense is very difficult. Instead one must give in to the sheer audaciousness and savagery of this unique metallic nightmare. Tsukamoto contrasts the dour and depressing existence of a salaryman with the masochistic ecstasies of a metal fetishist, but when there mutually opposed worlds collide it is the life of the salaryman that is most radically altered. His discovery that bits of scrap metal are growing from his body is a shock, but nothing compared to the monster he becomes at the end - a vengeful creature in which the flesh has been totally corrupted and lies subjugated beneath the rusty detritus of modern industrial endeavour. The film is a metaphor for the relentless march of industrial progress, a journey that Tsukamoto pushes to an extreme, one in which man and the products of industrial enterprise have merged into one tortured being. From a formal perspective this is a fascinating film, but one which does have to defend charges of being a little too self-consciously arty. Tsukamoto utilises a rapid fire cutting style, weird camera angles, stop motion techniques, and virtually excises all dialogue - instead the soundtrack is filled with a thumping industrial score that never allows the audience a moments peace. The result feels like a visual and aural assault. Tsukamoto followed this film with a sequel Tetsuo II: Body Hammer in 1992 and a third film Tetsuo: The Bullet Man in 2009, but none of his films since have achieved the energy and bizarreness of this startling debut.
This Top Five Countdown of Bizarro films is being done in collaboration with Shaun Anderson from the excellent movie review blog The Celluloid Highway, check it out if you haven't done so already, its a very well written and informative blog I know many of you will enjoy! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the #2 choices for most bizarre films. The countdown will only get weirder and weirder! See you tomorrow!
