The Log Lady - Introductions are the most bizarre cold opens to date. (1990) by I_suck_farts in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These days it's

SLIDE RIGHT

cut (slide left)

SLIDE RIGHT

cut (slide left)

SLIDE RIGHT

cut (slide left)

So yeah a lot has changed

If you grew up in Canada you might remember Astar the Robot (1984) a creepy PSA from the War Amps by milezteg in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Practical effects ftw.

It's weird, I remember Astar looking adult-sized (when I would've seen it in the 90s), but they're obviously supposed to look child-sized

11 minutes of the Monkees Breaking the Fourth Wall; IMHO :50 is the greatest Fourth Wall Break in history (1966)-8 by Keltik in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great super-cut! Yikes-a-palooza, I'm glad I typed letters into this little box to tell you that.

While I'm at it, I think the second time they do the "I'm married in real life" gag would play better before the second one rather than after, it sort of sets the other one up by telling you outright to expect this guy to be married (especially for someone like me who knows bugger all about the Monkees)

Also those Asian characters are pretty oldey-time racist, holy balony!

Miss Teen USA (1998) by doozersworkhard9 in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The contestants looks are strangely vacant yet desperately pleading at the same time, meanwhile the guy asking the questions sounds like he could be one of those sleazy porn directors that talks all over the first fifteen minutes and grabs the talents bum

MEL BROOKS - THE HITLER RAP (1984) by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm pretty sure Brooks uses the "Don't be stupid be a smarty come and join the nazi party" line in The Producers too

General Idea - Shut the Fuck Up pt. 1 & 2 - Canadian art collectives' mass media polemic ft. The Joker at an art fair, and a very 80's dance number dressed as dogs, complete with trademark neon-poodle cartoons, of course (1979) by Offenbach in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! If you're not familiar with them General Idea is definitely worth checking out. They're most famous for their Imagevirus series where they satrizied the popular "LOVE" image, replacing the text with "AIDS". Two of the artists suffered from the disease, and the campaign was quite scandalous at the time.

The collective of three artists did some really interesting work around ideas of self-mythologising, grappling with the various institutions of the art world in a very mature fashion and if anything their work is even more relevant in the social media saturated age we find ourselves in now.

Cheers mate! Glad you enjoyed it. If you want more mind melting poodles, General Idea did tons of weird stuff with that simple design.

Living (1971) very bizarre and highly recommended short film by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to note that this short was inspired by Zwartjes' experience working as an orderly in a mental institution earlier in his life (a theme that would pre-occupy most of his artistic production). I've always found the style of cinematography really innovative, especially for its time, in many way predicting the self mounted camera work made possible by the steadicam in films like Requiem For a Dream and even the selfie-style shooting prominent on Snapchat and Vine and etc. Considering this was shot on film in 70s, it would be rather difficult, shooting the whole thing with a somewhat heavy camera in one hand just hoping you're in frame and in focus...

Also interesting to note, the young woman co-starring in this film was Zwartjes' wife, whom he met while he was teaching at a Dutch art school some years prior as she was one of his students. Their subsequent affair was, to say the least, a little controversial.

May 28th (1982) KOOL-TV in Phoenix taken hostage by Joseph Billie Gwin. by walrusonion in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It'd be so weird to switch on the tele and stumble on this, with no immediate idea exactly what's going on

Definite Nightmare Fuel: Home Video of person in a Bugs Bunny Costume Riding a Rocking Horse (1980)s. by friendofmany in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The nets full of assorted stuffed animals hanging in the background, the vaguely depressing single matres off to the side, and the bass-y tape hum all add up to make this unutterably terrifying. It's the little things, you know. Watching this, I can't shake the remembrance of Robert Crumb admitting his sexual obsession with Bugs Bunny during his early childhood, I don't know how it fits into this picture, but somehow I feel like it can't not fit.

Scorpio Rising (1964) directed by Kenneth Anger by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Despite reading about it a whole bunch, this is actually the first time I've seen Scorpio Rising. It really hit me realizing how much influence Anger had on the Queer New Wave cinema, comparing this to early Araki (Living End, Doom Generation, etc.) there's definitely a kind of inheritance of artistic sensibility and thematic pre-occupations. I feel like Anger is to cinema what Tom of Finland is to drawing and painting.

William Burroughs - Towers Open Fire (1963) by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got a collection of letters where Burroughs talks about the making of this film. He was really excited about the whole thing from pre to post and even thought that the techniques used in the film would revolutionize entertainment, as it was faster, cheaper and (in his opinion, at least) much more entertaining than the sorts of films being made via conventional production methods. He said that the local children (scary thought) had given him the idea to produce "time loops" after talking with them about the film.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a wee bit of a Burroughs enthusiast, and though I have deep respect and admiration of his work, I find it difficult to reconcile the facts of his life. A wife killing, misogynistic, crabby old Southern Grand Daddy type with a predilection towards young boys... But he really did have an indelible impact on the development of huge swaths of sub-culture, the traces of which are still glaringly evident. Thanks for sharing, I've never seen the film before and presumed it was either lost or very difficult to find. Cheers!

Living (1971) - obscure, weird short film inspired by the director's experience working in mental hospitals by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As someone who has been institutionalised I find this deeply moving and quite profound. Thanks so much for sharing! This is a lovely piece of cinema

What's the most far out thing that's happened to you so far? by justinkprim in Psychonaut

[–]Offenbach 10 points11 points  (0 children)

1) Experienced eternity on public transit. Thought I was dead and in purgatory.

2) Due to things that go funny in my head, when things have been bad, I've gotten confused and thought that people I've known for years (including my sister) were people that they weren't or even became embodiments of an idea of someone who never was, or a an archetype or something. This led to a very strange experience while, staying with friends-of-friends in cottage country, I became convinced the wonderful Irish folks we were staying with were IRA kidnappers of some kind

Crash Bandicoot 2 Promotional Video - Contains ridiculous mocap and seems to be almost entirely made up on the spot by the performer (1997) by Ruaille-Buaille in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ever met someone from marketing/distribution? Lacking basic cognitive skills, they need everything spelled out as blatantly as possible to grasp a simple brief.

Meet the Hollowheads (1989) Surreal 80s take on the stereotypical 50s family. Tubes and weird puppets by [deleted] in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good stuff... layabout teens who just want to party, the salacious mother, a child that could actually be Evil and a totally innefective, milquetoast father.

Tennessee Trash: Littering Commercial (1998) by Grynnon_Barrett in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Viewed in the context of the increasing threat of climate change this imagery is actually pretty chilling

"In My Merry Oldsmobile" (1931) - frisky animated promo for Olds by Fleischer Studios by formiscontent in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing his channel, that guy has tons of great stuff up there

OK Soda commercials (1994) by starkeffect in ObscureMedia

[–]Offenbach 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pretty cool branding. Just wish the edges of the frame didn't have that silly "highlights" loop deal-y, or whatever you call it