A Deep Dive into Weirdo Cinema [16] Quiz

Answer: Hulk Hogan

Though the original "3 Ninjas" movie may be considered a bit of an understated classic of early '90s kids martial arts films, the series continued to trend in...interesting directions by the time it his this, the fourth in the series, in which none of the original actors came back to fill the roles of Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum, even if their characters persisted.

In this one, they were fortunate enough to be at Mega Mountain, a generic amusement park, on the same day as a group of nefarious bad ninjas who, led by Medusa (played by Loni Anderson), set a bomb on the premises. Hulk Hogan, who played Dave Dragon, ended up getting the credit for the save while the boys (and their new friend, Amanda) went back to training (though they never came back for a fourth sequel).

Distressingly late-'90s, "3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain" was a flop at the box office even compared to its predecessors. If you're into bad movies, Rotten Tomatoes had this one at a 0% rating, a rarity to be sure. Director Sean McNamara continued to make movies after this early one in his filmography including Razzie Worst Picture nominee "Bratz" and the seven-years-shelved fantasy film "The King's Daughter" (2022).

Answer: Jim Carrey

In the 1990s, Jim Carrey seemed to reign in film comedies, and "Liar Liar" brought him back to the forefront after a small handful of duds like "The Cable Guy" and "Batman Forever". Playing Fletcher Reede, a lawyer known for spinning the truth to succeed, the film posited a day in his life where his son, wishing on his birthday cake (and meaning it!) asked that his father not be able to lie for a day. What resulted was nothing short of chaotic in the way that only Jim Carrey, with his physical comedy, could portray.

"Liar Liar" was colossally successful, taking in over $300,000,000 USD in the box office, and while it's not Carrey at his zenith, it is amongst what is regarded as his top comedies. He would follow it up the next year with the well-received dramedy, "The Truman Show", while the 'what if he could only do this?' conceit returned in "Bruce Almighty" in 2003 and "Yes Man" in 2008, both times being further successes.

Answer: Girlfriend

Releasing direct-to-the-internet in 2020, "TFW No GF" is the type of movie that deserves to be seen online if only because it's a product of its environment. A documentary pertaining to a niche and sometimes concerning internet subculture originally buried in the annals of old 4chan and Twitter posts, the movie took a look at both the rise of incels and the fostering of meme culture as it translated, loosely, to the real world. The acronyms of the title stand for 'That Face When No Girlfriend', if that's any indication.

Although quickly dated due to the fast pace of internet memery, the movie is a window into a time and vibe that did exist in a unique way, only fostered due to the accessibility of forum spaces online. Releasing during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a virtual South by Southwest Film Festival, it's hard to say if it ever would have seen any significance in another setting, and for that, it's quite fascinating.

Answer: Yojimbo

By the time the 1980s rolled around, Roger Corman had already made a name for himself in B-movie spheres and with cult classics, and after a number of films under his banner were filmed in Argentina, he released the bulk of them, uncredited, with "The Warrior and the Sorceress" amongst them. To put it simply, this was basically a rip of "Yojimbo" in which David Carradine played a holy warrior who fought for his supremacy as a mercenary on a distant planet while a number of women in varying states of undress perpetuated the awkward sword-and-sorcery fantasy of the era.

Was it slap-dash? Why yes it was, but Carradine's right hand was broken days before filming, so if you look closely, you can see that in the effort of getting it done quickly and cheaply, he has a cast on one hand and fights, awkwardly, with his less-dominant left. It's kind of worth it for the needless dramatics of all of that, even if "Yojimbo" is better (and the original).

Answer: American Rickshaw

You read that question right. A young man in San Francisco who pulls rickshaws gets himself stuck in the middle of a battle for the ages as a witch tries to bring down Satan himself (in the form of a reverend played by Donald Pleasence), but along the way there are murders on boats, drug runs, a mysterious woman with curly, red hair, and other hi-jinx. Oh yeah, and the main character is 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in Gymnastics, Mitch Gaylord, for some reason.

Directed by Italian giallo filmmaker Sergio Martino and released in 1989, quite late in his career, the movie is a confluence of all things weird and, to a large degree, doesn't even make sense, especially when considering that its international title ('American Tiger') bears no relevance to the contents. Yes, I obviously recommend this movie.

Answer: Shut Up, Little Man!

Releasing at Sundance, "Shut Up, Little Man!" is a weird, little documentary brought on by a story of two men who lived together in San Francisco. As the film unfolds, it appears that their arguments, recorded on tape in the early 1990s, are abusive, often devolving to quotes like the one in the film's title, but the odd mythology behind the pair gives way to, as the filmmakers discover, a uniquely compatible and loving relationship, even if the two subjects are alcoholics who inevitably died of their addiction.

It didn't start with this movie though-- the idea of this story had a cult following for decades before with the original recordings having been played on what became "This American Life" on NPR. Those recordings became samples at least one song by Devo, references in a number of animated shows, and a stage play by the name of "Shut Yer Dirty Little Mouth!" (based on another film) in 2001.

Answer: In space

Although the first few "Leprechaun" movies exceed the consideration of reality by the very nature of having a magically-inclined antagonist who can do basically anything, "Leprechaun 4: In Space" (1996) takes this conceit to a new dimension, pushing the storyline far into the future and to a distant planet where a group of space marines, off to save Princess Zarina (who's not too good, herself), stumble upon the Leprechaun's gold (already in space) and fall victim to not only his terrifying magic, but the evil machinations of the eccentric Dr. Mittenhand...who I will note becomes Dr. Mittenspider partway through the film.

It's a notably camp movie that touches on a number of confusing items from melting space bodies to scantily-clad spacewomen to cross-dressing cyborgs to...well...a leprechaun, but in space. It would be followed up four years later by "Leprechaun in the Hood", which brought things back to Earth. Both are equally fascinating options to say the least.

Answer: Governor Gabbi

I have a lot to say about this interesting film which, honestly, isn't the easiest to find or watch. Directed by James Niebauer and starring his wife, Gabrielle, the movie chronicled the events that unfolded as an unexpected young woman and small-town baker managed to stumble her way into the chaotic world of politics, getting small-scale help from her friends and other local citizens to take on the role of governor. It was equal parts earnest and inoffensively problematic, and that's part of why it's just one of those weird movies that needs to be seen to be believed.

Although "Governor Gabbi" may be their best collaboration, the Niebauers also created the films "Karate Do" and "Heart Kpop", both featuring what appear to be interests of the lead actress, in years prior. Neither reach the baffling highs of the film in question.

Answer: The Open House

Ever wonder what might happen when you let the Netflix algorithm create the film on its own? "The Open House" premiered on the streaming platform in 2018 and featured Dylan Minnette, hot off the success of the show "13 Reasons Why", playing a co-lead in a 'what's really happening in this spooky house' thriller. Shortly after the tragic death of his father (who was hit by a car on a trip to the store), Logan and his mother, Naomi, stayed in a relative's for-sale mountain home only to face high tension and the fear of someone lurking in the shadows.

When the movie was all said and done, it turned out that not only was someone actually lurking in those shadows, but the movie had set up nothing more than red herrings in regards to the main characters' fortitude under pressure. In one scene, the killer removes Logan's contact lenses from his eyes and lets him run out in the forest for an indeterminate amount of time before finishing the job. And when all was said and done, the killer was just some random guy.

All said and done, "The Open House" achieved a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was regarded as a tactless swing and miss from the streaming service, and was a clear example of having a number of puzzle pieces that couldn't fit together on their own.

Answer: South Korea

Though filmed in mid-2019, "#Alive" was able to see VOD release during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, joining the Netflix library as part of its continued effort to obtain international content. The concept wasn't complicated-- people in and around a South Korean apartment building handled a zombie outbreak in an effort to stay alive-- and in the wake of movies like "Train to Busan", films like this from this region of the world were quite in-fashion.

Tense at times, "#Alive" managed to get solid reviews despite not reinventing the zombie genre. It's a worthwhile trip into zombie territory, even if it doesn't have the ability to venture too far beyond its apartment complex and it may hit the spot nicer, for some, than "Train to Busan's" actual sequel, "Peninsula", which released a month later.