The Strangest Movie You Need to Watch

I fell in love with a movie over the weekend.

As I get older, it seems more rare that I come across films that mesmerize me so much they automatically get promoted to my favorites list.

So, I'm really excited.

The film is called House.

It is a Japanese fantasy/horror film from 1977. It is considered by many critics to be one of the strangest movies ever made.

Half of the people who watch it become obsessed with it. The other half deem it unwatchable because it's just too weird.

While I agree the movie is bizarre, it is exactly that element which makes it so endearing. I don't believe it is too weird to watch at all. It has an easy-to-follow storyline and charming characters and deliciously cheesy and over-the-top special effects.

The movie is a cross between the Powerpuff Girls and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Or, what an old Disney movie would be like if it got high.

Intrigued yet?

The film revolves around seven adorable giggly teenage girls (with their own distinct personality traits, like the Spice Girls) who spend their school break at a haunted house.

Craziness, adorableness, and creepiness ensue.

The movie was a mega smash hit in Japan when it was released 35 years ago. Especially among children.

It really changed the tone for Japanese cinema at the time. The country had never seen a movie like it before. Critics weren't sure how to review it. Parents weren't sure if they wanted their kids to see it. Studio executives weren't sure if they were happy the film succeeded.

After all, the movie studio had spent the previous two years trying to put the film script on the back burner, hoping it would be forgotten.

When Nobuhiko Obayashi wrote the script earlier that decade, everyone thought it was a joke. No director in the Japanese film industry wanted to touch it.

Frustrated, Nobuhiko used social networking in order to promote his undeveloped film.

 

He spread the word about it to the media. He passed out business cards promoting the film. He released manga and book versions of the script. He even created a pop music soundtrack for the film.

With all the hype and publicity already surrounding the script, the studio had no choice but to allow Nobuhiko to film it himself!

Most of the actors he chose were virtually unknown. But when the film was released, they became movie stars overnight.

And the film to this day remains a cult classic. House is heavily discussed in film classes. It is showcased in independent movie theaters all over the world.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend netflixing House.

I think everyone could use a little weird in their life.