Bacon taped to the bathroom wall and the bizarre world of cinema

Cinema has always been thought-provoking and bizarre from The Kiss (1896) all the way up to films such as Poor Things (2023) but why have people been drawn to these bizarre experiences for over 100 years? However we need to remember that weird art isn't a new idea. People such as Hieronymus Bosch and his infamous piece The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-1515) have been captivating audiences for over 500 years. In this I will explore some of the lesser known abstract and bizarre films and really get into why they were made and if they are overlooked and overrated.

The first film I want to talk about is Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain (1973). This film is extremely hard to put into words but in the simplest way it's about a master (The Alchemist) who executes a plan to turn the world into a better place by tricking the most powerful people on Earth to renounce their power. This is a film in which I think you need to have the director's commentary on to fully understand the absurdity of what you are viewing. You may be wondering why if it is so off-kilter and bizarre then why was something like this even made?

The film was made because Jodorowsky was inspired by the novel Mount Analogue (1952) and that seems to be the extent of it (John Lennon and Yoko Ono put money into it which is interesting). The main controversy is due to its graphic depictions of violence, particularly animal cruelty, combined with its heavy use of religious symbolism, nudity, and surreal imagery. However does that mean the film should be disregarded? No. Just because you don’t agree with the content and subject matter doesn't mean the film is not worth watching.

You may be thinking why should I watch this? You should watch it because you will probably never experience something similar to this film ever again so why not at least give it a try? However if it seems too much for you but you want to dip your toes into Jodorowsky's weird world I would recommend Santa Sangre (1989).

The next film I want to talk about is Andrzej Żuławski’s On The Silver Globe (1988). Before I talk about this film I do want to say that it is an unfinished film because the Polish government stopped the production since they were worried that the film was an indirect criticism of Poland’s Communist rule (and also some budget issues). Luckily a lot of the film had already been shot and in the final cut there are voice overs explaining what the missing scenes would have shown. In short the film follows a group of astronauts who land on a mysterious planet and try to establish control. The film is classed as disturbing not for things such as over the top violence but instead for its unnerving narrative and disorienting effect on the viewer. You may be thinking again about why you should watch this?

It could be said that this is the greatest science fiction film ever made. This film is an absolute spectacle and the costumes are some of the most elaborate and absurd yet beautiful costumes I have ever seen in a film. It's also a great achievement that this film is here and hasn't been lost to time. The film has a more linear narrative and it seems comprehensible then The Holy Mountain hence it is an easier gateway into weird and wonderful films. However as I mentioned before if this film sounds a bit too abstract for you straight away I would recommend Żuławski’s earlier film Possession (1981) since it is a more grounded linear story  then On The Silver Globe but it still has its other-wordly elements.

The third and final film I want to talk about is Harmony Korine's directorial debut Gummo (1997). Out of the films I have mentioned this film is the least bizarre in terms of visuals but that doesn't take away from the bleak southern-gothic story that underpins the film. This film is Americana in its purest and rawest form which is really hard to come by.

The film is about a bunch of kids in the tornado-stricken town of Xenia, Ohio who try to fill their empty and depressingly boring life with acts such as bathing in a dirty bath with bacon taped onto the wall. It would be wrong to say the film has no plot but it's more a sequence of events in these kids' lives. The saddening part of the film is that these acts that these kids do are normal to them, they are just living their lives. The film has a level of intimate detachment which is hard to come across aside from the likes of Mike Leigh's Naked (1993) and in a strange way Robert Bresson's Au hasard Balthazar (1966).

The film is hard to recommend to people who aren't familiar with Korine's work and aesthetics so why should you watch it? Because it is a depiction of poverty and the people that live in that poverty which is extremely hard to come by in films. The film makes you feel dirty and gross and stays with you for a long time after which shows the profound impact of Gummo.

However if you want to venture into the world of Harmony Korine I would recommend Julien Donkey-Boy (1999). It is not Korine's most normal film, but it is one of his most interesting and bizarre films but it’s not as shocking as Gummo. I would also recommend the 1976 documentary Grey Gardens since it has a similar level of decay as Gummo.

So what am I saying? I'm not saying you should watch the most random and bizarre thing you can. I'm saying that you shouldn't be so quick to disregard films that are slightly strange and bizarre because most of the time they aren't weird just for the sake of being weird.