Have You Seen These Essential Films? 7 Movies for the Dark and Twisted

Ok, so you have spent your first day of social distancing binge watching Tiger King on Netflix. Now you are switching the dials looking for something to keep you entertained.  Don’t fret, LuLu has you covered.  With all of our wild nightly entertainment such as Burlesque, drag, magicians, bongo players, dancers, fire eaters, it’s no wonder you might have missed our selection of LuLu’s favorite films we showcase on our big screen.  In case you ever wondered, “what the #@ movie is this”, we have put together a list, compiling some of the classic, classy, outrageous, obscene and just plain silly films that LuLu loves.  Grab a bottle of wine, some truffle popcorn and your Itunes account and keep yourself entertained.

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill

Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is an American exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer. The 1965 film was co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran and produced by Meyer and his wife Eve Meyer. 

The film follows three go-go dancers who embark on a wild killing and kidnapping spree in the desert of California. The go-go dancers, Varla, Rosa, and Billie, were played by Tura Satana, Haji, and Lori Williams, respectively. 

The film was initially a box office failure, a rarity for Meyer, and was widely dismissed as a "skin flick" with no storyline. However, in the years since, it has become a cult classic.

After being re-released in 1995, the film gained a new appreciation. It's widely considered to be a great, influential movie, with directors such as John Waters and Quentin Tarantino specifically citing it as influential to them. The film was included in the most recent edition of the "1,000 Greatest Films" list.

Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a  satirical musical comedy/drama, also directed by Russ Meyer. The 1970 film was co-written by Meyer and Roger Ebert, who would later become famous for his film criticism.

The film was originally intended to be a sequel to Valley of the Dolls, a dark drama from 1967, but instead, they changed it into a parody of the original film. The musical centers around three young women in a band who travel to Los Angeles to find one of the members' estranged aunt, but instead fall into a life of drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Like most of the films on this list Beyond the Valley of the Dolls opened to poor reviews, however, this film was a box office success. After fading into obscurity it gained a cult following and has since been named in several "best of" lists and holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover is a crime drama film directed and written by Peter Greenaway. The 1989 film stars Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, and Alan Howard, respectively, in the titular roles. 

The film's plot is easily explained by the title. A gangster (The Thief) has taken over a restaurant, where he brings his posse every night and creates a ruckus. Georgina (His Wife) soon finds herself in an affair with one of the regulars at the restaurant, a bookshop owner named Michael (Her Lover). After being found out, she is forced to hideout in the bookshop, and the chef of the restaurant (The Cook) sends her food while she's in hiding. The rest? You'll have to find out.

8 1/2

8 1/2 (Original title: Otto e mezzo) is an Italian surrealist comedy/drama. The 1963 film was directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi.

The plot of 8 1/2 centers around an Italian director struggling to direct a science fiction film, and was a masterfully shot black and white masterpiece. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and is now widely considered among critics to be one of the greatest movies of all time.  

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a science fiction film directed by Nathan Hertz. The 1958 film was written by Mark Hanna and starred Allison Hayes, William Hudson, and Yvette Vickers. 

The film centers around Nancy Archer, who becomes a giantess after an encounter with aliens. The film didn't make a huge splash at the time, but with a tiny budget of only $88,000 it was still a box office success. Since then it has become a cult classic, and currently has a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Billy Jack

Billy Jack is an independent drama/action film directed and produced by Tom Laughin. Laughin also co-wrote the 1971 film and co-starred in it alongside Delores Taylor.

The film is about the titular character Billy Jack, an American Navajo who is also a Vietnam War Veteran. In the film, Billy goes up against a racist villain named Bernard Posner who attacks and humiliates the diverse students of a hippie school. It's a violent, controversial take on the civil rights movement going on at the time.

The film was divisive at the time, heralding great reviews from some critics and terrible reviews from others. The movie gained a cult following among younger audiences and later inspired Quentin Tarantino in his film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Delicatessen

Delicatessen is a dark comedy directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro. The 1991 film was co-written by Jeunet and Caro along with Gilles Adrien and starred Dominique Pinon and Marie-Laure Dougnac. 

The film is set in post-apocalyptic France, where grain is used as a currency due to food shortages. It centers around a butcher who murders unsuspecting job seekers and sells their meat, and a new employee who catches on to his evil. 

Unlike many of the films on this list, Delicatessen has been mostly positively reviewed since its release. It was nominated for and won many European film awards upon its release, and is still a cult favorite to this day.

These Essential Films Brought To Life

If you're hooked by these essential films and love film noir cinema, you're going to love Lulu's. It's a carefully curated experience that brings the 1960's dark New York lounge scene to Singapore nightlife.

 Next time you're ready to bring classic film noir to life, visit us once we open our doors and experience it for yourself. Fancy a dinner to go with your movie? Order fresh pasta and Ready-To-Bake Lasagne trays here.