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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1995)
Classic college films keep reeling from the mainstream BY SEAN NELSON Til! / \ M M NX i)| Hock) Honor, the Iun,u \ of .Hondo ( one and tin: dark humot of Harold c Maude that s what cult inosn-s aie made of. Wc r|tiote them at patties and res el m tfieir ss it, hut ss hat makes a loss budget link a stilt classic? In umniliss jfficlo ihm unlike Inc om you ic .iUml to rv.nl Collect l‘'um,ilius have ituvi to deft in uh.it Hukl'l 4 tttlivtc ,1 c till t ,1 • iM 11i .Hid none h,o cum Muuuial Hut let v get tc.il ( tilt him* exot tuf .t fr.mm 1 hen .tntH’jl. jI though not sju.mnfi.ihlt j* tx.H.M ttilion.H JVH Jf, tH V4 of thcm; Oi V OIH Si- (hit \K 4s be t *»f e tin 4 d v e f 11 m fig i it d its11 r t .»11 v I* ,i»fled boss lit \mk it\ nefh int<« I he naive lloh of the vi it deni demo^Mphit Bi lnii felt ' IM(in hid e*1 f i rc I v h t j 111% 4 died « hole gc nf fituttn Be foie fittfbf't Hite Now. itisfcid of host mp obscure films, timm vollepe iMtctnjv pridr tlu nuelvt n on shou mg the same did crin you uiit hx' .it jn\ multiplex I he (t4£cdv of ci*l lege iiinnjji % t ipping out is t hit i. tilt films, above ill. defy the cun vcmiorn ot tin medium V\ hi t hi t in < < r mv of lotto oi siiittcnt these movies limn the whole I . II * \ k * Lunacy. B-grado horror, cowboy monga — cult filma off or tho whole achmoor. kIcj iIiji 4m thing hii% to in ilonc 4n.«irJni|; in ruLi ot.iMidud In MHISfiMU' tin In UKk mmn tU.u % v^M the punk ctltn I In Vann thing cMeruh to him I he v11 v luuitv ai the experimentation the tlivefgfmc tnim the ituJ nuirc traveled iv v\lui nuke* iht: him wntth hyiii^ I !u divvrjji'tKc hnwnd, thnsn t ftnciMnh nuke u gm*! whivh t> .motint iIjimv, hjlim.uk of inlt hltm, and *mc that mmt ncoftk' fail in uiulrnuiui the Ih'Juis ol 1 he nun ut ju often ifuom|Mcnily anemhlcd bit* of random teUtdoid wjnkcr* in the guivc of rtattafivc, lUit ih>tt guiw, .uni the thee tear tt down, u the whole 1 he St x PivtnU weren t about aiUfthv. I he> vtctr about the think ^ due of tailing thcnuclvc* the \muhr*M on the HIU It all anno down u» pt twmjl t x|MCMian ( ollcgt - ment is uud t * * v mbf jvc thew films iH'uiiu students were Ciger U'ckcrs of ideas that tvutMiu be pfCimil vstthm the dull confine* of numviium popu Ur 4*1 l )*» ViUl li mcmlur he .trine jImuu j unit- when eollcge slIH UU W4* s \ no n v in o u s w lift w oriU like "fringe. ~ under ground" and vet. \uh When off beat independent or foreign release* sou Id vuunt on college audience* (without advert is mg on M l \ to Cutt tllmm turn ovor A Naw Leaf. Cult classics every college student should see Heft are some cote picks - best viewed at midnight, ol course TTm» PmmUttx Vhaw {1974 Alan J Pakula) The scariest conspiracy him ot alt lime puts JfK lo shame Warren Beatty plays a reporter who gets caught up in a web ot intrigue and murder while investigating the assassinations ot politi cal tigures So cynical and dark a version ol America that even the light at the end ot ttie tunnel 15 dim 9p/d«c B*tt>y (19B4 Jack Mill) And you thought John Waters (Pink flamingos) was weird this tale ot a family ot inbred killers is the standard old dark house genre with twists so kinky they put hard core fetishists to shame Classic erploitalion filmmaking Mraevcf (1968 Bob Ratelson) Starring the Monkees and written by Jack Nicholson this is the only truly successful (although not financially) psychedelic film It s an active deconstruction of the prefab teenybopper rock stars, and it rev els in smashing icons — the group appears as dandruff in a hair commercial at one point and tweaks the nose ol rock movies in general Even the music is good A Buokmt Of Bloorf (1969, Roger Corman) Made in two days, this strange little horror story about a coffeehouse busboy with dreams ot being a sculptor proves that ultra low budget lilms can be not only well made but also more witty and subversive than studio protects Walter Paisley wants so badly to impress the artists who hang around the cate that he's willing to kill accidentally at first Jo* Vmrmum fh* Voloano (1990, John Patrick Shanley) With Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan1 Ves It s a criminally underrated allegory ot the movie business with a bad ending tacked on by timid producers This one combines the elements ot magical realism Brechhan theater, pulp '30s serials and cowboy songs Some of the best lunatic romantic dialogue ever lensed The story is daffy, as are the characters That's the best part Don't believe what you ve heard Q <Tt*a Wlnfjmnf Baryaant) (1962, l any Cohen) A prehistoric god m the form ot a giant pterodactyl has buirt a nest in the Chrysler building1 You real ly don't need to know any more about It, e*cept that it elevates the standards lor characterization in B grade horror films with an impressive array ot actors who are really allowed to act (Also see God Told Me To by Cohen ) Ttta Trial (1963, Orson Welles) The consummate Kafka nightmare done up in classtcalty eipressionist detail by the greatest director ot all time The spaces squeeze Josef K into odd comers. |ust like the plot does The real story lies in the shadows, barely visible A New Loaf (1971. Elaine May) Starring Walter Matthau, this long lost dark comedy is about class in America told through the eyes ot star crossed lovers One ot them spends most ot the him trying to kill the other in order to save the family fortune (in the vein ot The Ruling Class, which is also highly recommended) My Broahtamt Wttti BUammla (1963. Johnny legend, Linda lautrec ) Starring Andy Kautman this satire ot the pretentious My Dinner With Andre takes place at a Sambo s restaurant in los Angeles Two characters order greasy food and chew the tat about their careers as entertainers and wrestlers So subtle it's almost not even there But it is The |Oke is on you Nothingness hasn t been so absurd since Waiting lor Godot Torts Id dan /one (1980 Richard Ettman) Odd nightmare set in what looks like a Betty Boop cartoon ot hell, all ot which breaks loose Freaks and perverts abound as Queen Dons and King Fausto battle tor control ot the torbidden zone, where Outgo Bomgo make the music and everybody scores Consummate cult OK, we ran out ot space. But here are some more cult movies you won't want to miss Little Shop ot Horrors (original) The State ot Things, Invasion ot the Body Snatchers. The Cars that Ate Pans. Children Shouldn t Play with Dead Things and Mickey One (a Holy Gralt ot curt tilmdom — starring Warren Beatty). Sean Nelson a tumor at the U ot Washington, is the him critic tor the Glass Onion. and he watches way too many movies
