The Best of IndieWire After Dark: ‘Any Which Way You Can,’ ‘The Dressmaker,’ and More Midnight Movies

13. ‘The Saddest Music in the World’ (dir. Guy Maddin, 2003)

What it is: Guy Maddin’s dreamy black-and-white arthouse flick starring Isabella Rossellini as Lady Helen Port-Huntley, the Muskeg Beer Baroness of Depression-era Winnipeg. The beloved Canadian filmmaker transports audiences to a reimagined 1933 for a musical competition featuring a human-sized beer bath and contestants playing sorrowful songs from across the globe. Also starring Mark McKinney, Maria de Medeiros, Ross McMillan, and more.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: ‘The Saddest Music in the World’ offers a singular seriocomic experience that simultaneously plays like a historical North American period piece and an artifact from another planet. Outrageous and yet self-aware, this is the best cinematic tale of a double-amputee turned Prohibition-era mogul ever made — no contest. —AF

Isabella Rossellini Is a Double-Amputee with Beers for Legs in ‘The Saddest Music in the World’

12. ‘The Point’ (dir. Fred Wolf, 1971)

What it is: Adapted from Harry Nilsson’s pop-rock album of the same name, ‘The Point’ marked IndieWire After Dark’s first adventure into the wild and wonderful world of children’s entertainment. Director Fred Wolf’s deeply philosophical cartoon/animated TV special is narrated by Ringo Starr in the version we reviewed and features the voices of TV’s Bobby Brady (Mike Lookinland) and that kid from the ‘How Many Licks Does It Take?’ Tootsie Pop commercial (Buddy Foster). This throwback tells the story of 8-year-old Oblio: a round-headed little boy living with his parents and dog in a conformist, capitalist hellscape called The Pointed Village. 

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: No matter how all-encompassing the cinematic Venn diagram, ‘midnight movie’ and ‘fun for the whole family’ have a small overlap — but weirdos of any age can fully enjoy this unique treasure from 1971. What’s the point? What’s your point? Does everything have to have a point? These are the simultaneously abstract and ludicrously on-the-nose questions posed to Oblio when he’s exiled from his hometown and forced to reconsider society at large. Nilsson reportedly dreamed up ‘The Point’ while on acid… and, in the most complimentary way, it shows! —AF

Cuddly Rock Men, Absent Triangular Fathers, and Ringo Starr Are Here to Soothe Your Inner Child in ‘The Point’

11. ‘Why Don’t You Play in Hell?’ — aka ‘Jigoku de naze warui’ (dir. Sion Sono, 2013)

What it is: The genius filmmaker behind 2008’s ‘Love Exposure’ bottles explosive genre joy in this blood-soaked action film: a meta masterpiece that makes both volumes of the oh-so-American ‘Kill Bill’ look demure. Writer/director Sion Sono reimagines guerilla cinema in this ultra-gory but somehow still dreamy epic about a group of amateur movie-makers playing a very dangerous game. Working on Super 8 (with a member of their crew perpetually on rollerskates?), this ragtag pack of heroes calls themselves The Fuck Bombers. Can their pure love of the craft help them capture the best movie ever made…in the middle of a real yakuza war? 

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: More isn’t always more, but excess can feel beyond incredible when you’re already having a good time. Sono’s love for the movies — especially the sort of hyper-stylish, hyper-violent fantasies he’s honoring here — sprays from the screen with every fight sequence and narrative twist in this gonzo midnight treasure. You’ll be surprised from the jump when ‘Why Don’t You Play in Hell?’ cold open with a toothpaste commercial. What happens behind the scenes of that ill-fated advertisement for dental health sets several key characters on the path to revenge. Their destination is one of the most spectacular displays of crimson and crime ever committed to… digital? You’ll have to forgive Sono — he so clearly wanted the celluloid. —AF

Why Don’t You Play in Hell?’ Is a Love Letter to Cinema, Dismemberment, and Toothpaste Commercials

10. ‘Sugar & Spice’ (dir. Francine McDougall, 2001)

What it is: The meaner, dirtier, forgotten twin sister of ‘Bring It On,’ ‘Sugar & Spice’ is a cheerleader romp with some serious kick. Francine McDougall’s black comedy loosely bases its wild story — about teen girls pulling off a heist using cheer tricks in 1999 — on the real-life Kingwood girl gang robberies, but it sets the action in a cartoonish purgatory-like vision of upper-middle class suburbia.

Narrated by Marla Sokoloff as bitter B-teamer Lisa doing her best Keyser Soze, this feisty film stars Marley Shelton as a kind-but-dim cheerleading captain who gets knocked up by her himbo boyfriend (an unbearably hot James Marsden) and promptly kicked out of her parents’ home. With bills to pay and no options left, she recruits her quirky squad of BFFs to put down their pom-poms and study up on ‘Point Break’ for a criminal operation that will send their town into a panic.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: Singular and yet evocative of so much teen cinema, ‘Sugar & Spice’ is a movie that was dumped in theaters by its distributor and disavowed by most people attached to it — including screenwriter Lona Williams, who had her name removed from the final product. And yet, this romp deserves all of the cult love and appreciation that other acidic, satirical looks at high school life — think ‘Heathers,’ ‘Jawbreaker,’ and Williams’ own ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ — receive from freaks, geeks, and fruitcakes alike. While its script may be rickety and a bit neutered, lurking underneath the crime comedy’s bimbo trappings is a movie far smarter than it appears. Come for Marsden’s wonderfully funny himbo performance and the delightful dialogue that mixes Conan O’Brien references with lyrics from Madonna’s ‘Papa Don’t Preach.’ Stay for a surprisingly sweet (and, yes, spicy) look at capitalism, strivers, and the American Dream. —WC

‘Sugar & Spice’ Is the Child of ‘Bring It On’ and ‘Usual Suspects’ You Never Knew You Needed

9. ‘Junior’ (dir. Ivan Reitman, 1994)

What it is: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito tried to repeat the success of ‘Twins’ with a bizarre comedy about a scientist who develops an experimental fertility drug and tests it on himself. What’s supposed to be a brief experiment turns into a nine month pregnancy that nearly concludes with the future Governor of California giving birth through his ass.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: ‘Junior’ has everything you could possibly want in a midnight movie — along with quite a few things nobody asked for. You have a beloved actor going against type (Arnold never gave birth in any of the ‘Terminator’ movies), brilliant bodily mutations (nobody gives birth through their colon ever), and some strange sexual politics (Schwarzenegger still gets laid while living at a nunnery) to look forward to. The day we can’t enjoy shit like this together is the day the midnight movie officially dies. —CZ

It’s Time to Revisit Arnold Schwarzenegger Nearly Giving Birth Through His Ass in ‘Junior’

8. ‘A Town Called Panic’ — aka ‘Panique au village’ (dirs. Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, 2009)

What it is: A feature-length adaptation of Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Tavier’s French-Belgian TV series of the same that proves a simple, charming, quaint concept can more than hold its own after midnight. In the stop-motion ‘A Town Called Panic,’ three best friends — who happen to be antique toys — must come together when a typo from an online raw materials order leaves their home surrounded by 50 million bricks. Yes, 50 million bricks. 

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: Just getting started with its ludicrous premise, this artful hidden gem from 2009 deserved its Cannes premiere. It’s exquisitely rendered, beautifully imagined, and manages to make a lasting impression with a unique universe that isn’t particularly provocative but still feels bold. The script is almost assaulting with its cleverness, packing solid dialogue into quick bursts that elevate almost every other joke — approached with both subtle visuals and deadpan slapstick. It’s not the most boundary-pushing film IndieWire After Dark has explored, but it’s wildly underappreciated and remarkably easy to like. Who said midnights can’t be cozy? —AF

‘A Town Called Panic’: The Best Stop-Motion Movie About Bulk Brick Sales to Ever Emerge from Belgium

7. ‘Any Which Way You Can’ (dir. Buddy Van Horn, 1980)

What it is: The bigger, wackier, and infinitely hornier of Clint Eastwood’s two monkey movies sees the ‘Unforgiven’ star breaking into a zoo to tranquilize a sexual partner for his pet orangutan, Clyde. And that might not even be one of the top five strangest things that happen in this outrageous sequel to ‘Every Which Way But Loose,’ which centers around Philo Beddoe (yep, we’re all agreeing to pretend that sounds like a real name) taking a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the best publicized underground boxing match in primate history. 

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: ‘Any Which Way You Can’ is the epitome of an unintentional masterpiece. What began as an ill-advised vanity project and an excuse to string a bunch of country music cameos together now feels like one of the most entertaining films of Eastwood’s career. Everything from the static acting to the needless sexual tension between man and ape to the fact that a real snake fights a real ferret (not a mongoose!) melds together to form a glorious symphony of weirdness that’s best enjoyed as a cult classic. —CZ

‘Any Which Way You Can’ Has More Monkey Sex Scenes Than Every Other Clint Eastwood Movie Combined

6. ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ (dir. Rajkumar Santoshi, 1994)

What it is: Rajkumar Santoshi’s ludicrous comedy of errors couldn’t be a better foray into Hindi cinema for IndieWire After Dark. The film follows the lazy schemers Amar (Aamir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan) on their quest to win the hand of rich heiress Raveena (Raveena Tandon) — while her evil uncle (Paresh Rawal) plots to murder her and her father and steal their fortune for himself.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ has gained a cult following since its 1994 release and for good reason. It’s not the kind of Indian movie you’ll see on the festival circuit, at the Oscars, or in the classic Bollywood rom-com family, and that makes it the kind of lovable underdog that belongs on a midnight movie watchlist. With over-the-top performances, hilarious choices that range from the page to the edit, and one outrageous twist after another, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ truly has a style unlike any other. —PK

‘Andaz Apna Apna’: The Best Bollywood (Midnight?) Movie the West Has Never Heard About

5. ‘Bunny Lake Is Missing’ (dir. Otto Preminger, 1965)

What it is: Directed by legendary European auteur Otto Preminger, ‘Bunny Lake Is Missing’ offers a vintage mystery that’s impressively kaleidoscopic for a film shot in black and white. When single American mom Ann Lake (Carol Lynley) drops her daughter Bunny (???) off at a new school, none of the British caretakers remember seeing the child. Did she ever exist? Ann’s brother Steven (Keir Dullea) stands by his increasingly panicked sister, but police inspector Superintendent Newhouse (Laurence Olivier) suspects he could be hiding something as well.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: Chockful of red herrings, this isn’t so much a whodunnit as a did-anyone-do-it. That smart set-up would’ve worked wonders for midnights in 1965, but it holds up just the same all these decades later. The question asserted in Preminger’s title proves a sturdy framework for what’s ultimately a ferocious piece of feminist cinema with an earnestly scary conclusion. Great performances and an equally strong story make this yesteryear genre effort a modern must-see. —AF

Women Without Kids Get the Monster Movie Treatment in 1965’s ‘Bunny Lake Is Missing’

4. ‘The Dressmaker’ (dir. Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015)

What it is: Kate Winslet’s barn-burner of a revenge drama, cloaked in haute couture and Aussie accents! Decades after being thrown out of her small town because of a child’s death, Tilly (Winslet) returns as a fashion designer to wreak havoc on the bigots who called her murderer and sent her away — along with a few other shocking reveals, turnabouts, and twists. Female rage never looked so good.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: Some movies are so extreme in their tonal shifts that they cry out for a group viewing, and ‘The Dressmaker’ is top of the list. Does it work as a movie per se? Probaby not. But who cares when Winslet is at her best and the supporting cast (Sarah Snook, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving) offers indelible performances? Not to mention it’s got a cascading series of shocks in store and a bolt of flaming red fabric that’s hurled into the wilderness like a shaft from Athena’s quiver. ‘The Dressmaker’ remains totally committed to itself throughout, and that demands your attention…and respect. —MP

Kate Winslet Burns It Down in Australian Haute Couture Revenge Movie ‘The Dressmaker’

3. ‘Pieces’ — aka ‘Mil gritos tiene la noche’ (dir. Juan Piquer Simón, 1982)

What it is: An utterly bonkers English-dubbed Spanish slasher movie that tries and fails to be a generic ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ knockoff. When a mother makes the mistake of confiscating her son’s pornographic jigsaw puzzle, she initiates a chain of trauma that results in him becoming a grown man who goes on a bloody rampage through Boston. When nobody can discern the identity of the man wreaking havoc on college girls across the city, the cops enlist a college freshman with absolutely no policing experience to help them crack the case.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: The poster for ‘Pieces’ boasts one of the best taglines in horror marketing history: It’s Exactly What You Think It Is. But while that really rolls off the tongue, it’s completely false. ‘Pieces’ is a movie that confounds at every turn. It’s filled with bizarre plot developments, strange attempts at humor and sexuality, and a… kung-fu professor. Pair that with some genuinely fun kills and you’re left with a horror flick for the ages. —CZ

‘Pieces’ Is the Bonkers ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Knockoff That Proves Pornographic Jigsaw Puzzles Have a Dark Side

2. ‘In a Glass Cage’ — aka ‘Tras el cristal’ (dir. Agustí Villaronga, 1986)

What it is: Agustí Villaronga’s chilling Spanish revenge epic reveals itself to be an incisive psychosexual Holocaust movie early on — but the filmmaker’s rich-yet-subtle tragedy takes its time once that ghastly stage is set. Günter Meisner, who some viewers will recognize as Slugworth from 1971’s ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,’ plays a former Nazi doctor notorious for conducting sadistic experiments on children. Opposite David Sust as Angelo, the pedophilic war criminal is confined to an iron lung by the time his former victim — now an adult seeking reparations — comes to collect his payback. 

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: An extreme film in most regards, ‘In a Glass Cage’ makes shocking use of complex emotion with a two-hander character dynamic that’s as jarring as any of its more explicitly violent scenes. The homoerotic overtones at work here make for a profoundly challenging viewing experience that demands dissection and has earned its dedicated cult following. It’s aesthetically striking and, at times, strangely romantic. That’s an arthouse midnight movie for you. As recommending editor Ryan Lattanzio put it, ‘beauty, sometimes, can only be wrapped up in horror.’ —AF

Spanish Revenge Flick ‘In a Glass Cage’ Unleashes Homoerotic Hell on a Nazi in an Iron Lung

1. ‘Donkey Skin’ — aka ‘Peau d’âne’ (dir. Jacques Demy, 1970)

What it is: Jacques Demy’s adaptation of the classic French fairy tale (about a princess who dresses as a donkey to avoid marrying her father, obviously) is a Technicolor musical with some truly strange ’70s vibes. Taking place in an unnamed kingdom where nobody has any obligations besides hanging out with their face-painted servants and pilgrim-esque royal advisors, ‘Donkey Skin’ is a 90-minute ode to scheming and daydreaming that results in a game of romantic musical chairs destined to produce the most awkward Thanksgiving of all time.

Why it’s IndieWire After Dark: What are midnights for if not fantasizing about sitting on a cat-shaped throne, waited on by blue men, listening to the distant sounds of a traveling salesman who is singing about the healing power of his gazelle milk? ‘Donkey Skin’ sometimes feels like a sweet Rodgers & Hammerstein fairytale musical (albeit one with lyrics about incest producing [checks notes] ‘tainted offspring’) and sometimes resembles a raunchy Shakespearean comedy of manners. But even swinging between those ideas, it’s a bespoke creation that never fails to entertain as an ode to the magical horniness of make-believe lands. —CZ

‘Donkey Skin’ Uses the Power of Song to Remind the World That Incest Is a Massive Bummer