Subject: Well, in that case... :>
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Posted on: 2019-08-09 15:57:00 UTC

I'll keep the descriptions shorter, because I have plenty of good finds.

* Diabolique - a taut, high-tension French thriller about two women conspiring to murder their abuser... but then the corpse vanishes, and strange things start to happen.

* Viy - a Russian adaptation of Gogol's short story of the same name, this is a quaint but surprisingly scary folk horror movie about a monk asked to pray over the dead body of a witch.

* Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession - a very silly and very strange Russian comedy about a scientist accidentally inventing time travel and bringing a grouchy Russian czar into the present day, and the shenanigans that ensue because of this.

* Possibly in Michigan - this one is a short film about two women and their stalker, but it's incredibly unsettling, surreal and dreamlike. Basically, it doesn't get more art house than this.

* Bitch - pardon the language, but it's literally the title of the movie. It's a strange and quirky drama about a stressed and frustrated housewife who one day snaps mentally and assumes the personality of a vicious dog, and about the way her family reacts to this bizarre situation. I love this movie to bits, honestly.

* Cat City - one of the best Hungarian animated movies ever made (if not THE best), this movie is a spy thriller-comedy about a planet where cats and mice are at war, and a high-profile mouse secret agent sent to retrieve plans for a weapon that could alter the course of the conflict. It's weird, dark, occasionally morbid and incredibly funny. It's a staple of my childhood, although I have no idea how anyone could let a child watch this.

* Control (Kontroll) - another 'Best Hungarian Movie' contender, this one is a social drama-black comedy-thriller about quirky metro ticket inspectors and a serial killer murdering metro passengers. Also, this is easily the most Eastern European movie I've ever seen, and I'm saying that as a compliment.

* Mädchen in Uniform - this one is just a lovely little drama from 1931 about a sensitive girl who falls for her teacher at an all-female boarding school. It is a bit... strange to watch because of the age difference issues, but this was the first big screen movie to portray female homosexuality in a sympathetic manner.

* Perfect Blue - basically, anything by Satoshi Kon tends to be a masterpiece, but this movie is my favorite. It is a dark, surreal, bloody and incredibly tense animated thriller about a singer-turned-actress' psyche crumbling under the strain of trying to build a career while being threatened by a creepy stalker. Be warned that it's a very messed up movie, but also an incredible experience.

* Revengers Tragedy - the very obscure adaptation of an already obscure Elizabethan revenge tragedy, this movie is about an unhinged man seeking revenge for the death of his beloved on a very screwed-up family; except it's set in modern times, with very trippy visuals, absolutely bonkers costumes (if you don't want to be scarred for life by seeing Derek Jacobi wearing lipstick, nail polish and cleavage-flaunting robes, you might want to avoid this one) and a great cast.

I could also mention must-see cinema nerd classics like Oldboy, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Plan 9 from Outer Space and such, or some films on the more disturbing side, but I'm not sure if I want to put the latter on the Board. The above movies are definitely great watches, though.

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