Mayhem!

[Mofo Rising]

I've been thinking about this for a while, but it seems to me that one of the traits I admire most in movies is a sense of mayhem.  The sense that maybe a film's story has slipped off the reels and everything that follows is going to be utter chaos.  Now you may disagree with some of my following examples, mostly because I'm comedy oriented and most comedy is give or take to people, but let me try to explain what I mean.

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD - It's pretty much inherent in any zombie movie that things are going to go from bad to worse.  But ROTLD follows this path in such an assured, don't-give-a-damn manner.  The first time I saw this, when I was very young, it scared the hell out of me.  When I went back and rewatched it later, I was struck by how chaotic it was, and also how it didn't care to be anything else than gore, 80's punk music and things going wrong.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is cinematic mayhem.

GREMLINS 2 - This is where I imagine I'd lose most of you.  I love this movie.  It takes all the cinematic tropes of the original and plays with them until the entire movie is one big Warner Bros. cartoon.  Hell, when I saw those gremlins break into the genetics lab and start mutating. . . "Stay here and die!"

ONE CRAZY SUMMER - Like I said, I'm comedy oriented in my entertainment choices.  At first glance, this is just another stupid teen comedy.  But the way the setups keep building off each other into craziness. . . brilliant I tell you!  An old man throws a cigar into the mouth of a Godzilla costume worn by some guy, which leads to him stomping out a miniature model for a housing development., which somehow relates to another couple having an ill-fated date on the opposite side of town being attacked by a troup of boy scouts intent on first-aid. . . "Were you that little fat boy?"

So maybe you don't agree with my examples, and why not you weirdo?  But I'm sure you can come up with your own examples of cinematic chaos.  Tell me your examples of mayhem because, gosh darn it, I want to see them.

[Drezzy]

I'm of the few that thinks Gremlins 2 owns the original. Why? I can give you three reasons, in order of importance (least to most):

3. Roger Clamp. The character is so great it's amazing.

2. Hulk Hogan. I forget which version he's actually in, but his cameo is great...BROTHER!

1. SLAYER is on the soundtrack. The breakdown to "Angel Of Death" is heard when Mohawk drinks the spider chemical.

[Foywonder]

One Word: INFRAMAN

[Scott]

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of my all time favorite films. My favorite parts are:

The older of the two guys in the warehouse. His reactions are too funny.

The guy who runs the creamatorium. When he starts getting serious.

The cadaver that gets out of storage

When he tells the creamatorium guy that he's trying to get rid of some cats.

When they two guys are declared dead and they are still conscious and talking. To funny.

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD II is also pretty good. Not as good, but still alot of fun.

[JohnL]

>a Godzilla costume worn by some guy

Worn by Bobcat Goldthwait.

[Vermin Boy]

Fantasy Mission Force. It starts out with Abraham Lincoln getting kidnapped in Canada in World War 2, and gets less lucid from there. A Dirty Dozen style team including a hobo, a greaser, a psychotic woman, and a Chinese Scotsman. Amazons. Vampires. Musical numbers. Nazis riding around on 70s muscle cars. Jackie Chan wandering in and out of the movie at odd intervals. An ending completely inappropriate for the tone of the rest of the movie. Said it before, say it again: Best war movie EVER.

[jmc]

I like the end of BLAZING SADDLES, when they start crashing the sets of other films.  "p**s on you, I'm workin' for Mel Brooks!"

[Lee]

To Kill With Intrigue- Every time you think you are starting to understand the plot something else gets thrown at you and your lost again!

Killer Meterors- At the end everything seems wrapt up but they forgot to show off the heroes secret weapon so they have to figure out how to fit in one more fight(weird twist which I won't give away).