One Strange Movie: City of Lost Children

Movie: City of Lost Children

Year: 1995

Country: France/Germany/Spain

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunot is at his quirky best in this dark fantasy about Krank, a mad scientist whose inability to dream leads to a method of stealing dreams from children. When Krank's Cyclops army kidnaps the younger brother of circus strongman One, the performer must travel to the City of Lost Children to get him back. Far more strange than it sounds, and twice as stylish!

Cavebabble Episode 60: Comedy Film Smackdown

Strap on your joke book, and prepare for the Comedy Film Smackdown. Each Cavebabbler brings four funny fighters to the competition, and battles to determine a winner. After the dust clears, we also share our review of How To Train Your Dragon. Join us! This week's episode is brought to you by Rubber Chickens.

One Strange Movie: Big Man Japan

Movie: Big Man Japan

Year: 2007

Country: Japan

Masaru Daisato has the ability to grow to immense size, making him the perfect choice to defend Japan from various giant creatures. The only problem is that he's not very successful. This film features some of the oddest computer animation you're likely to see, including the main character, whose hair sticks straight up. You certainly won't forget the experience.

One Strange Movie: The Impossible Kid

Movie: The Impossible Kid

Year: 1982

Country: Philippines

The sequel to For Your Height Only. The Filipino answer to James Bond is Weng Weng, the 2'9" secret agent 00. Stare in awe as he spoils the nefarious plans of Mr. X. Must be seen to be believed.

One Strange Movie: Brazil

Movie: Brazil

Year: 1985

Country: UK

Director Terry Gilliam is famous for stylish oddity. Brazil is one of his oddest. When a snafu within a hopelessly bureaucratic system sends an innocent man (Mr. Buttle) to his death rather than an enemy of the state (Mr. Tuttle), Sam Lowry is charged with investigating the error. During his investigation, Sam himself becomes labeled as a terrorist, and also pursued by the state. Don't let the description fool you- this is One Strange Movie. It also remains the only film I know which has a character removed from the plot by being overcome by flying scraps of paper.

One Strange Movie: Lost Highway

Film: Lost Highway

Year: 1997

Country: USA

With rare exceptions, most any film by David Lynch would fit quite nicely as One Strange Movie. Lost Highway is a great example. From IMdb: "Fred Madison, a saxophonist, is accused under mysterious circumstances of murdering his wife Renee. On death row, he inexplicably morphs into a young man named Pete Dayton, leading a completely different life." This is only the beginning. Bonus points for featuring Robert Blake in kabuki face paint. Yikes!

One Strange Movie: Donnie Darko

Movie: Donnie Darko

Year: 2001

Country: United States

A jet engine falls on Donnie's house while he is outside chatting with a freaky giant rabbit which may be a figment of his imagination. The rabbit, Frank, warns Donnie that the world will end in 28 days. Donnie spends those days attempting to discover why he survived. A mind trip worth taking.

Cavebabble Episode 59: In 3D!

The theater is bursting with 3D films, and studios are lining up to take advantage of the Avatar Effect. Tonight, the Cavebabblers discuss past experiments with the third dimension, and share their views on the latest offering, Alice in Wonderland. This episode is brought to you by In Your Face.

One Strange Movie: Kung Fu Hustle

Movie: Kung Fu Hustle

Year: 2004

Country: China

If you never have seen this gonzo Stephen Chow classic, you must! When a gangster wannabe finds himself stuck between the Axe Gang and the denizens of a low-rent apartment complex, he must choose a side. Don't let the standard martial arts setup fool you! No description works- just wait until you see the Toad Technique. Watch now!

The Dead... Live Again!

Digging, scratching, crawling, shambling from the depths of the crypt... I live! I can't say this has been my favorite week ever, but I'm back online and ready to roll again. It was a real bummer having to yet again postpone the podcast last week. The topic is still a good one, though, and the gang's all here and healthy this weekend. At last! Recording on Sunday.

I'm Starting to Wonder

The last two nights, I've been in bed by 6pm. Headaches, low-grade fever, aching muscles, raging sore throat. Blah, blah, blah. I can't be off work this week, so I'm trying to rest as much as possible during off hours until I feel better. I'm starting to wonder if I'm slowly being poisoned. I'm joking, of course... or am I?

One Strange Movie: Naked Lunch

Movie: Naked Lunch

Year: 1991

Country: Canada/Japan/United Kingdom

Lee, an exterminator, believes he is a secret agent with giant insect controllers. Following the murder of his wife, Lee flees to the Interzone, where he produces reports of his spying activities on a giant, talking insect typewriter. When ordered to investigate a doctor, Lee uncovers a narcotics operation- peddling drugs made from human-sized centipedes. Trust me, this barely scratches the surface of this movie. Watch at your own risk.

One Strange Movie: Wicked City

Movie: Wicked City (live action)

Year: 1992

Country: Hong Kong

Based on a Japanese comic series, Wicked City tells the story of the Anti-Monster Squad. And boy, are they ever needed. There are monsters everywhere, disguised as humans, and it's up to the Squad to take them down. One of the oddest films I watched in the 90s, Wicked City has something to confuse everyone.

Cavebabble Episode 58: The 2 Origins of Bioshock Dragon Age

The Cavebabblers are back from their tours of Rapture and Ferelden, the worlds of Bioshock 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. Join us for our reviews of and experiences in these epic games. This week's episode is brought to you by The Bees Knees.

Thoughts on All-TIme Box Office Champs

As Avatar's receipts continue to grow, so grows the inevitable backlash. Star Wars fans are crying foul over Avatar's claim to being the top-grossing film of all time. When adjusted for inflation, Avatar's total pales in comparison with those of Star Wars: Episode IV, not to mention films such as E.T., Jaws, and Gone With the Wind. This is the only way to get an accurate picture, right?

Well, not quite. First, these other movies have had multiple releases over the years. Those re-releases are counted in their overall totals. Avatar is in its initial release. But even if you throw out this argument, the biggest problem I have with rankings is that only U.S. totals are cited. In my opinion, there can only be one way to count a movie's box office total- worldwide.

Avatar's worldwide box office take currently stands at 2.45 billion dollars. In comparison, Star Wars: Episode IV has a worldwide take of 775.4 million dollars. No amount of adjustment for inflation could possibly make up this deficit. Pretending otherwise doesn't make much sense.

In the end, does it really matter? Take heart, Star Wars fans. It will always have a huge place in history, and continue to be incredibly influential. Avatar will most likely go down in history as the technical triumph that it is- a lush, vibrant alien world- yet will always be weighed down by its rather silly script. Unobtainium? Really?