Fido (2006)

Zombie films..  Ok, honestly..I have to say I’m pretty sick of zombie flicks at this point. I mean after you enjoy the true masterpiece "Night of the Living Dead" by George Romero, (which scared the pants off me when I was younger) then subsequently (to the present day) been assaulted with every other half baked one that’s come down the pike where basically you know a big part of the story will involve dead people in various stages of decomposition chasing after living people.

After that, to me, it doesn’t matter what kind of story wrapper they put around it..weather it's zombies who were created by a big evil company in a lab aka (big industry gone astray)…. A social commentary about aids..…. A philosophical tirade on what we’ve become as a society….it still boils down to “Dead people in various stages of decomposition are going to be chasing those who are not." With that said I found "Shaun of the Dead" refreshing. Yes it was a comedy, and weve seen zombie comedies… yes… the living was being chased by the dead… bladda bladda .. but well, if you live under a rock….crawl out and see the movie. 

But today however we are talking about another zombie film that steps outside the genre as well. Fido.

As a matter of fact, if you really like odd strange films... you might as well call this movie "My new friend Fido" .. or.. "Why haven't I discovered you sooner...my new friend Fido."

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Are you a big fan of the old black and white B-horror movies? Do you like "cheesy?" Well let me introduce you to The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. From 2001, intentionally bad, a little dialog heavy but none the less a comedic masterpiece of the B movie horror genre. Remember when I just asked if you liked cheesy? Get out the can of your favorite spray cheese, remove the protective plastic cover, press the button, and spew that orange processed goodness all over yourself. Once you’ve done that you will know what its like to watch “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra”

And if that doesn’t want to make you watch it….I don’t know what will. (Oh come on, you know you’ve thought about it)



In a nust shell: A scientist, his ditzy wife, another scientist, a sexy catwoman, a silly alien couple, a ghastly three-eyed mutant pet and The Lost Skeleton are all trying to search for the rare mineral called Atmosphereum.

The City of Lost Children

In 1995 I remember dragging my brother to the local art house cinema “The Grand” because I had seen an ad for a strange new film called the City of Lost Children. I didn’t know anything about it, except it looked weird. And in my book “when weird comes knockin’ you answer that door.” (Not only do you invite it in, but you offer it a satisfying Jamba Juice)

2 shorts played before the feature and we both still remember them. The secret adventures of Tom Thumb and Franz Kafka’s It’s a wonderful life. Finally the film started and I remember being enveloped in a cocoon of strangeness that only Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet could bring to the screen. The movie is French with subtitles and to the young mind that only added an extra level of exotic. Yes….exotic and weird..in the same movie…my two favorite flavors...if only you could get them at Baskin and Robbins. The movie is a little dark in places, and not the “let-me slip-my-arm-around-your-shoulder-so-we-can-eventually-make-out” variety, so if you’ve never seen it and plan on watching it with that special someone…more than likely there will be no “hootchie kootchie time” during the film.…well unless you are a particularly amorous person…and you are sharing a bottle of wine.. . and the sound of off-kilter circus music gets your blood pumping… and the site of a brain in an aquarium of green liquid with gramophone speakers on either side as a henchman serves it anniversary cake makes you sing “The hills are alive with the sound of music”….then, maybe.. there would be some hootchie..anyway. Sorry…I digressed..

Anyway the film centers on several characters, one of which is Ron Perlman, (Yes, Hell Boy himself) who lives as a circus strongman looking for his baby brother who was snatched by a mysterious gang. Along the way he teams up with the young Miette (Judith Vittet) and together the two of them eventually face off against Krank, a mad scientist who lives off the coast in an old oil rig. Krank does not have the ability to dream, as a result he is getting prematurely old. To compensate for this he has young children kidnapped so he can extract their dreams.
 

Praying Mantis Love

I came across this on Youtube day, it is done beautifully. If anyone has any information on who did this, please leave a comment.