We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again.
When the going gets weird--the weird turn pro.
The thing is, surprisingly--throughout the confines on this list series, we’ve managed
to highlight some of the most remarkable horror movies that just don’t…
fit… into any other category.
And much like the man who penned those legendary words, Hunter S. Thompson--he too, didn’t
fit into any other categories.
The point is, this is Part 6 guys--and if you can’t tell by now--being weird in horror
cinema is a fine art to deliver.
And yet still, there are many more where that came from--so in that case, let’s take a
look.
Hello horror fans, what’s going on, and once again welcome back to the scariest channel
on YouTube--Top 5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch, as today we curiously take a look at
the Top 5 Weirdest Horror Movies Of All Time--Part 6.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip--of course, was from 2016’s The Greasy Strangler--a
movie that just so happened to feature in Part 5 of this series--and I movie that will
certainly take your breath away with just how damn weird it is.
Really, that scene could probably sum up how much sense The Greasy Strangler makes--and
yet-- it’s entirely brilliant.
So.
Yeah consider this a reminder that if you came for weird--The Greasy Strangler is the
weird you’re gonna get.
But, thankfully for us--there’s a little more where that came from.
So, let’s get on with the show.
Kicking off at Number 5--The Dark Backward, 1991
I’d like to begin this segment by saying that Bill Paxton--was a remarkable actor.
He is missed, entirely.
He was the best kind of oddball, and he had the right balance of roguish charm for us
to believe it all.
And whilst throughout his career he played some pretty iconic roles, as well as featuring
in some pretty off-the wall horror movies like Weird Science and Near Dark--perhaps
one of his most bizarre career choices and lesser known roles--was with this thing.
1991’s The Dark Backward--a strange, off shoot from the plastic fantastic of the late
1980s--that was flung out of the bowels of bizarreness--and clung to the wall of horror
cinema like a green, dark, sludgy mess of a movie.
That’s exactly what this is--and if you’re looking for weirdness, please, look no further
than this shortstop trash round of a movie.
Written and directed by Adam Rifkin, who--as a side note, was the mind behind 1997’s
Mouse Hunt, which, may I add, was one of the greatest movies of the 90s--The Dark Backward
stars Judd Nelson as Marty Malt--and his best friend Gus, played by the one and only Bill
Paxton.
You see, Marty Malt is an unhappy garbage man--who often moonlights as an atrociously
bad standup comic and dreams of building up his career in the world of being funny.
The thing is though, he’s terrible--and his lack of comedy is reflected in the dark,
grimy, garbage-strewn netherworld that he lives in.
The only person that believes in him, is his best friend Gus--played by Paxton--who is
the only one to laugh at his jokes--and yet, his sincerity is questionable.
However, just as things seem hopeless enough for Marty--a strange lump starts growing out
of his back--and then suddenly, it gets bigger--and bigger--and a bizarre opportunity comes his
way.
Listen.
This movie won’t be for everyone--but much like with 2016’s The Greasy Strangler--there
isn’t a lot to be left to the imagination here.
It’s crass.
It’s gross.
It’s full of more weirdness than a Wellington Boot filled with fermented Black Garlic--and
Bill Paxton is absolutely brilliant in it.
The Dark Backward.
Give it a try--and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Swing in at Number 4--Taxidermia, 2006
Truth be told, I’ve wanted to cover this movie for quite some time--and whilst I was
leaving it out of the weird list for now, in the hope that a more niche list would potentially
come our way--just like a Hungarian champion speed-eater--I’m done with the waiting.
People need to see this absolute enigma of a movie.
The thing is though, if you’re looking for a straight up horror--then you’ll find yourself
lacking here.
Taxidermia is horrifying--it really is.
But it’s horrifying in a completely unique capacity.
This movie makes you feel weird, man.
In fact, I feel weird just talking about it.
The horror behind this movie is both psychological and physical--but it is subtle.
It relies on the ambiguity of the narrative to deliver it’s horror, and yet whilst that
may take some patience from the audience--it’s certainly worth it.
Visually speaking, this one of the most bizarre movies I’ve ever seen.
It’s one of the best examples of body horror in modern cinema.
Written and directed by Hungarian filmmaker Gyorgy Palfi--2006’s Taxidermia was created
with the intention of being a metaphorical socio-political retelling of Hungary’s history
from the Second World War--up until modern times.
The story itself is told by means of three generations of Hungarian Men--passed down
from father to son.
It begins with a military orderly during the Second World War, a Lieutenant who is posted
to a remote Hungarian Military Outpost and lives a wretched existence.
Then, his son--an aspiring speed-eater who rose to fame during the height of the Cold
War and becomes a grotesque and engorged man who can’t help but consume everything around
him, both physically and mentally--and then finally, it concludes with his son--a pale
and skinny taxidermist who is nothing like his father.
One of the tamest scenes in this movie features a cage filled with cats hungry for human flesh.
Yeah.
Exactly.
And the finale to this movie--is equal parts utterly horrific--and breathtaking.
You will be affected by Taxidermia.
I promise you that.
Next up at Number 3--Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, 1994
Alright--for the halfway point on this list--we’re going to be doing things a little differently.
You see, here, when we talk about Weird--we actually mean it in the sense that sometimes,
to do things right in horror cinema--you have to do things… differently.
You see, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is one of the strangest films that he ever created--and
yet, it features one of his most iconic characters--and one of the most legendary villains of horror
cinema ever to slash their way onto the silver screen.
Of course, the one and only Freddy Krueger.
You see, whilst Nightmare on Elm Street is certainly an iconic horror franchise--by the
fifth or sixth movie--things got a little… tiresome, to say the least.
And by tiresome, what we really mean is… hot trash.
This movie, though, it saved the entire franchise--and it took a particularly risky move that would
have certainly felt weird for long time fans.
It made Freddy Kreuger… real.
You see, written under the working title, A Nightmare on Elm Street 7: The Ascension--during
production, Wes Craven kept his cards close to his chest.
To shake the tiresome franchise up a bit, he set out to deliberately make a more cerebral
film than any of the recent entries--which at the time, Craven regarded as far too cartoonish
for his own liking--and considered them a set of films that have strayed far from his
original themes.
Compared to any other of the Nightmare movies, this one is far, far darker--and far, far
less comical.
There is nothing funny about this movie, in fact--it’s pretty damn horrifying.
Craven set about to do away with the plastic fantastic premise of Freddy Kreuger, and instead
ask the question--what happens when these horror films are brought to real life.
Really, if you haven’t seen Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, and have ever wondered how
Robert Englund’s slasher would fare in the real world--give this weird little sore thumb
of a horror gem a look see.
It’s brilliant.
Coming in at Number 2--The Boxer’s Omen, 1983
Okay.
Alright then.
Where do we even begin with this particular enigma of a horror show?
Now, I don’t say this lightly--but 1983’s The Boxer’s Omen may very well be one of
the greatest examples of practical effects in the whole of 80s horror cinema.
Truly, it is a shining example of every weird theme that you could ever imagine, crammed
into what is actually a surprisingly compelling narrative--and it features more black magic
voodoo style zombie demon explosive weirdness than you could ever hope to cram into a single
movie.
So then, you’d be pretty perplexed to discover this isn’t a horror movie per say--but instead,
it’s a… well, it's a movie about a Hong Kong kickboxer.
Yeah.
Exactly.
Bare with me a moment.
Originally, titled as Mo, 1983’s The Boxer’s Omen was written by Szeto On and directed
by Keui Chih-Hung--and it is just as much a kung-fu movie as it is a horror show, and
through that bizarre combination, it manages to deliver the gore and shocks in spades.
After a Hong Kong kickboxer is paralayzed by a cheating Thai competitor, his brother,
Hung, vows revenge and so he journeys to Thailand for a duel for his honor.
However, once he arrives--he quickly gets sidetracked by a quest of fate to save the
soul of a deceased Buddhist monk--who just so happens to be Hung’s twin brother in
a past life--who tragically died at the hands of a powerful black magician.
To cut a long story short, Hung must instead become a taoist monk--so that he can defeat
the evil wizard--and break the poisonous spell that has befallen his intertwined lives.
This film is weird magic meets mystical kung fu--and the result is an absolutely astounding
visual extravaganza.
We’re talking boat loads of maggots, we’re talking ancient arcane rites and cryptic curses.
We’re talking eel vomiting, flying disembodied heads--crucified bats--armies of snapping,
decomposed crocodile skulls--swarms of ocular spiders.
The end result of this movie is good vs evil--and it’s wrapped up in one of the most mind
bending visual onslaughts that you may ever see.
Really, The Boxer’s Omen needs to be experienced to be believed.
It’s--it’s something else.
And finally, coming in at our Number 1 spot--Spider Baby, 1968
Of course.
A movie that has been a long time coming over
here at Top 5 Scary Videos--and another movie that has since cemented itself as one of the
most bizarre examples of cult horror, and a shining, ear-marked flag post of what it
means to be weird in horror cinema.
Really, Spider Baby deserves its own category.
It is a movie like no other--and yet, surprisingly, considering the themes that it manages to
cram into it’s 80 minute runtime--this movie has so much strange charm to it that it’ll
leave you questioning just exactly what side of the line you fall upon.
Written and directed by the legend of exploitation cinema, Jack Hill, Spider Baby stars some
of the most prolific horror oddballs to have ever graced the silver screen.
The legendary Lon Chaney Jr, the late great Sid haig, Jill Banner and Beverly Washburn.
You see, although it was released to relative obscurity--Spider Baby is perhaps the greatest
demonstration of what cult horror can deliver.
It tells the tale of three particular children of the mysterious Merrye family--who live
in their families decaying ancestral mansion--alongside their loyal and loving protector, Bruno--played
by Lon Chaney Jr in one of his most remarkable roles.
You see, the children--as well as the entire ancestral family--suffer from a rare genetic
syndrome--an affliction that is unique to members of their family--which causes them
to mentally, socially, and physically regress down the evolutionary ladder--beginning in
their late childhood.
Despite this horrendous curse, Bruno has tried his utmost to keep the family secret hidden
from the rest of the world--yet, unfortunately for them, two different relatives have recently
taken an interest in their supposed inheritance.
After arriving with their lawyers--they begin to examine the property and stake their claim
as the rightful heirs of the estate--yet, they have no idea what remains lurking in
this dark and dusty house.
Honestly, I’ll say no more because Spider Baby is a film like no other.
In some sense, it’s hilarious--in others, it’s the most disturbing story ever told.
It’s weird.
But in all the right ways.
Well, there we have it horror fans--our list for the Top 5 Weirdest Horror Movies Of All
Time--Part 6.
What do you guys think?
Do you agree?
Disagree?
Have any more to add to this list?
Then let us know your thoughts down in the comment section below, as well as any choice
picks of your own.
Before we depart from today's video though, let’s first take a quick look at some of
your more creative comments from over the past few days.
First up, Billie Vallacher says--
Why does he always say, As always, I’m your host?
You’re not always the host, Jack.
Egotistical much?
--- Okay.
Good point.
But I’m always the host… in the videos that I host.
--------
And finally, Alencar Faulkner says--
[Insert cliche comment here [this, a cliche in itself]]; now, I demand my comment to be
read; if not …
--- Well played sir, well played.
Also, Alencar Faulkner.
Great name.
Thanks buddy.
Well, on note, unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got time for in todays video, cheers
for sticking around all the way until the end.