Brain Breakers #2- MIDDLEWEIGHT Category

Things are getting fun now, everyone...!

Alright, so in this newest installment of the Brain Breakers film-viewing series we're diving into the Middleweight category. The films featured here are of a higher quality than the films we explored in the Lightweight category; they have more cinematic and critical merit but also have clout in terms of their reputations. These films, while some are more known than others, are worth taking note of for various reasons, be it the plot, their contribution to cinema as an art form or their ability to challenge the viewer to think outside the box in terms of what is considered humorous, deep, or riviting. Also, they're pretty fun to show to friends to see their reactions- you know; for kicks. Now, on to the films!

First on this list is probably the more well-known film in this category and that is David Lynch's surreal horror classic Eraserhead. Now, in choosing the films in this category I was looking for films that could evoke a certain reaction from the viewer, and that would be one of shock, disgust, possibly fear and a feeling of "...wtf?"  And while Eraserhead fits ALL of those criteria I would say that this film is honestly so much more than all of that. For anyone who knows anything about film and film history, they can tell you that this flick has influenced cinema in some really impressive ways and honestly deserves a blog all on it's own just to cover everything. I didn't want to go in too deep on all of that in this blog, however, because it would literally dominate the entire post and leave little room to discuss the other two films. Just know going into this blog that Eraserhead has a lot of history and information attached to it. Moving on.

The story follows Henry (Jack Nance), a quiet man who one day unexpectedly finds himself thrown into marriage and fatherhood. That's pretty exciting, right? Wrong-o, my friends. The movie starts off with Henry going to visit his sweetheart Mary, who he hasn't seen in a while. After having an incredibly awkward and horrific dinner with his baby-mama's family (bleeding, moving, miniature

Henry spending time with his... baby.

poultry anyone?), and an even more uncomfortable interrogation from Mary's mother we learn that Henry and Mary had been intimate at some point in the past, thus blessing them with a baby. However, we also learn that the baby is "premature" according to Mary's mother, while Mary; who is clearly distressed- is quick to say that doctors aren't sure what's "wrong" with the baby. Mary's mother states that the two must be married immediately, and that night Mary and the baby spend the night at Henry's tiny apartment.

We learn quickly that there is  indeed something very wrong with the baby- it's deformed, resembling some form of an animal. It refuses to eat and it cries incessantly which leads Mary to have a mental breakdown and she leaves the baby in the care of its father.

Now, that's probably the clearest I can describe the plot, but that is leaving a LOT out. It doesn't cover much of what transpires in the film. But let's be real- this is a David Lynch movie; there's ALWAYS a lot going on. If you're not aware of who David Lynch is or his directing style he's notorious for using strange imagery and abstract visuals or intensely odd acting to lead his films forward all of which Eraserhead is LOADED with. I haven't discussed the Man in the Planet, The Girl Who Lives Behind The Radiator, the very strong male-potency imagery and the giant worms/sperm that make appearances through the rest of the movie. Seriously- this flick is wild and very unsettling in the things you will see. I really feel like I'm rushing this part of the blog, but really there's no way to describe much of what this movie covers without taking up a huge chunk of space- this is something that really should be witnessed so you can draw your own conclusions. This is a film that will really make you think while it's creeping you out completely- if that sounds like something you want to challenge yourself with, Honey, this is a flick for you.

Next on our list is an animated film known as Felidae which is based on a book of the same name. This film comes from Germany, and is to date one of the most expensive animated films to be made there. This film is probably the most deceptive movie in this category because the animation is really well done and resembles something that could have easily been put out by the likes of animation studios like Ambelin or Warner Brothers in terms of artistic style. An animated movie featuring talking animals; kitty cats in particular? How can that be deceptive? My response: heh, lol.

Felidae is a movie that is narrated by the main character, Francis, a cat who is moving into a new neighborhood with his owner. Upon arriving in his new home, Francis goes exploring around the house and finds his way outside. There he sees a rough-looking cat who is intently looking at something in the back yard. As he approaches the strange cat, Francis notices what the other is checking out- there is a third cat on the lawn; however this one is lying dead, its throat clearly slashed. We're only a few minutes into this movie and we've already got gruesome animated-cat murder on our hands! Buckle up, fam- this ride is about to get bumpy.  As more and more cats turn up brutally murdered in the neighborhood it's up to Francis to figure out what connects all of the murders in time to save lives before the murderer can strike again.

Francis discussing clues with a lead.

Felidae, despite being an animated movie about cats, is actually a really gritty, brutal and gruesome who-done-it style slasher mystery. While it is highly upsetting in terms of gore on the screen, the story remains intriguing and while there are some odd dream sequences that can be rather horrific and off-putting at times, this movie is a really good  murder mystery. Francis the cat, as you learn, is actually incredibly perceptive and has an eye for solving crimes. He's basically what the Great Mouse Detective wishes he could be.

This movie never got a release in the US- possibly due to it's graphic scenes of murder, harm to animated animals, sex, ritualistic cult suicide and animal vivisection. Yes- all of those things are in this film. However, the film, which was released in 1994, was distributed on VHS and Laserdisc; the latter of which featured an English dub, which was ripped and eventually found its way onto YouTube. As of right now this is the only place (at least that I'm aware of) that you can find the film in it's English-dubbed entirety. Obviously, this movie comes with a disclaimer- if you have a hard time watching those ASPCA commercials, this movie is definitely going to jack you up. Having said that, I myself am an animal lover, and while the scenes of horrible things happening to animated cats IS highly disturbing and hard to watch it really does add to the story; it makes solving the crime more urgent and imperative- something that off-screen death could never accomplish. And while it is really hard to see that stuff, it totally drags you into this twisted story and will leave a lasting impression on you for better or worse. Honestly, if you think you can stomach it, I highly recommend this film, especially if you like (literal) cat-and-mouse crime stories and race-against-the-clock mystery.

Okay guys- time to lighten this list up a tiny bit. The last movie in the Middleweight category is a movie that I only recently learned about (thanks again, May from Nyx Fears!) and I effing LOVE IT. It's a dark horror-comedy called The Greasy Strangler and it is, as of right now, one of the most quirky, awkward, gross and hilarious movies I've seen in a long time. The way I would describe this movie would be if Taika Waititi's Eagle vs. Shark had a love child with Napoleon Dynamite, and that child grew up on a steady diet of cheesy crime shows, porn and oil. Let's dig in, shall we?

Big Ronnie and Big Braydon leading
a disco tour. 

The Greasy Strangler follows father Big Ronnie and his son Big Braydon. Braydon and Ronnie live together and have a disco tour that Big Ronnie leads. One day after a tour, Braydon meets a woman by the name of Janet. The two quickly start a relationship that leads to Ronnie getting jealous of the pair. Ronnie, we learn, has a horrible secret- he's a serial killer who is called The Greasy Strangler. Before he commits a murder he covers himself with grease and then goes on the prowl for his victims.

As the story progresses, both father and son become fond of Janet, and they eventually compete with one another over her.

The plot on it's own sounds really odd, but I'll tell you, when you factor in the ridiculously strange soundtrack, the quirky humor, the ridiculous sex scenes and over the top full frontal nudity (I'm honestly not sure if the genitalia is fake or not...), you have all of the ingredients for an extremely weird dark comedy that will leave you asking "...seriously, what the hell did I just watch...?" I don't want to give away too much of the story, gags, kills or anything because they really are good for a laugh if dark comedy is your thing. Seriously- it's so awkward it's worth watching just to see how weird it gets. And it gets weird- it's beautifully weird and cringy and I love it.



Well friends, that concludes this portion of the Brain Breaker series. Next up is the really concerning titles. We're moving into the Heavyweight category and I'm going to be real- I'm a little nervous as to what I'm getting myself into on this one, fam. But I've come this far- there's no going back now.

As I mentioned in the previous entry, I did have to make some substitutions for films in this category. I couldn't find Pink Flamingos anywhere, so that will be substituted with a film called Into the Void. However, a A BIG thank you needs to go out to a friend of mine who found a copy of Visitor Q-  I almost had to substitute that one out, which made me sad because I hear this one is especially brutal but the day was saved. Thank you, movie friend! Your contribution is highly appreciated- you know who you are! The other film I'll be watching is Antichrist; from what I understand this one is gonna leave a mark.

Anyway, that's all for now. Thank you all so much for reading and I'll see you on the other side of this mental-torture. Pray for me.