Taking things in stride

[Inyarear]

When reading the review for Leprechaun III recently, I noticed that our esteemed host mentioned how nobody much noticed an actual leprechaun walking down the street in plain view there because... well, it's Las Vegas. He doesn't really look out of place next to Elvis impersonators and casino lounge acts. Our reviewer then went on to speculate on whether there were any other films in which outlandish characters fit right in to the situation. I can think of several, in fact:

--Spaced Invaders
Since it's Halloween, nobody much notices or cares about the little green Martian guys or their cute little robot until they make a really concerted effort to get some attention by blowing up the town's grain silo.

--Terminator III
Arnold drew a few rude stares and lewd comments in the first two films for turning up naked in modern-day civilization, but this time he turns up near a male strip club, drawing only the most favorable attention from all the female patrons in the place. He also has a lot less difficulty convincing the disposable male in the black leather clothing to give up his clothes this time around, since the guy was right in the middle of his strip act.

--Teen Wolf
Michael J. Fox thinks his father's going to be pretty shocked to find out his son is a werewolf, but when his father makes him open the door to the bathroom where he's been gazing at himself in the mirror in horror, he sees that his father is likewise all furry and wolfish. Not only that, but the rest of the town thinks it's pretty cool having a werewolf around, since he also turns out to be very good at basketball when he's in werewolf form, and the town's basketball team sucks.

--Death Race 2000
Crazy as the whole situation is, Frankenstein (David Carradine) takes everything in stride. People making attempts on his life are just a regular part of the game, just as running down people for points is. I like how he's portrayed as this really mellow fellow, and nothing ever really seems to bother him.

Well, those are the ones I know. What examples have you guys seen of this phenomenon?

[Psitticine]

It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I think there's something of this in Dellamorte Dellamore (aka Cemetary Man).  Granted, the phenomenon had been going for awhile, but nobody really seems all that concerned about the dead popping back up 1 week later.

[Yaddo 42]

--Death Race 2000
Crazy as the whole situation is, Frankenstein (David Carradine) takes everything in stride. People making attempts on his life are just a regular part of the game, just as running down people for points is. I like how he's portrayed as this really mellow fellow, and nothing ever really seems to bother him.

Was Frankenstein really mellow or just jaded and emotionally closed off from all he had done and all that had been done to him? A murderer countless times over (except by those keeping score) who had left pieces of himself all over the country all for the sake of a distracting national pastime. Plus he had a hidden agenda the whole time, to kill Mr. President and end the Race.

[RCMerchant]

 I like the scene in BRIDE of FRANKENSTIEN,when the Monster stumbles on Dr. Preatorious,and the doc barley raises an eyebrow.,even offering him some chicken and booze..." Do you like gin? It's my only weakness."

           

[soylentgreen]

I like the scene in BRIDE of FRANKENSTIEN,when the Monster stumbles on Dr. Preatorious,and the doc barley raises an eyebrow.,even offering him some chicken and booze..." Do you like gin? It's my only weakness."

I've always taken that scene(and a few similar ones throughout the genre) as a play on the idea of Jesus and the lepers....something about outsiders and the idea of all God's creatures getting along...or something like, as 'freaks' in the science community, they share a brotherhood...ya' know, something in that vein....oh I'm not articulating this very well.....

Let's just say, I like that scene too.  It get's me right inside.

[soylentgreen]

Well, those are the ones I know. What examples have you guys seen of this phenomenon?

- all of HALLOWEEN 1 and 2 ride on that idea.  The killer's rampage is facilitated to a devastating degree by the sheer fact that's it's Halloween night.  Something exploited almost identically aboard a train with a New Years costume teen party in Spottiswoode's TERROR TRAIN(with, surprise surprise Jamie Lee Curtis...but an always awesome Ben Johnson as the conductor!)

- In TIME AFTER TIME, the citizens of 1979 San Francisco take the victorianly appointed HG Wells pretty much in stride.  Some jokes are made, but the average American is portrayed as being just  ignorant enough of the British as to assume that [i[that's[/i] what people were still wearing in old Blighty.   Nicholas Meyer makes a great deal about the moral ambivalance of Frisco so as to accomodate Jack the Ripper's spree.(Which itself, is taken as pretty much standard by the police!)

[raj]

- In TIME AFTER TIME, the citizens of 1979 San Francisco take the victorianly appointed HG Wells pretty much in stride.  Some jokes are made, but the average American is portrayed as being just  ignorant enough of the British as to assume that [i[that's[/i] what people were still wearing in old Blighty.   Nicholas Meyer makes a great deal about the moral ambivalance of Frisco so as to accomodate Jack the Ripper's spree.(Which itself, is taken as pretty much standard by the police!)

I thought the scene where she was seducing Wells, and he asked her if he was being a bit too forward, and she replied "don't be silly, I'm practically raping you" to  be amusing.

[Andrew]

In Microwave Massacre it is a lot of fun to watch the main character, Donald.  Every time he does something new and horrifying he looks aghast for a moment, but then shrugs and seems to mentally say, "Oh well."


Killed my wife!  Oh well...

Ate part of my dead wife!  Oh well...

I am driven to pick up women, have sex with them, then kill and eat them!  Oh well...


The jarring part for the viewer is that Jackie Vernon is Donald.  He was the voice of Frosty the Snowman in the animated films.  My wife still cannot watch the Frosty movies, because all she can hear is Frosty saying, "I'm so hungry I could eat a whore!"   

[Zapranoth]

I haven't seen Microwave Massacre, but I can put it together in the sound studio of my mind.

"HAAAAAApy BIRTHDAY!     I'm so hungry I could eat a whore!!"

Yeah, guess that'd disconcert me, too.   

Your Katie is a rare woman indeed, Andrew.  She actually watched a movie in which Frosty the Snowman's voice actor slices, dices and microwaves.