La cité des enfants perdus (1995)

 

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Exuberantly imaginative fantasy (more horror than just a surreal fairy tale) is mesmerizing throughout due to its fascinating settings and visuals, some of them disturbing, too; the plot itself is a bit perplexing in its twists.

Halliwell*: "A bizarre hyper-active fantasy that yields many incidental pleasures, although coherence is not among them."

Maltin***: "Provocative fantasy...Although dramatically uneven, this mix of Oliver Twist and BRAZIL is a marvel of production design, with sumptuous visuals and painstaking invention." 

Delicatessen (1991)

 

In a post-apocalyptic world the landlord of an apartment building occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.

Wildly imaginative madcap black comedy seems to know no boundaries and comes up with fast-paced twists and surprises, all made with style and panache.

Halliwell***: "A gruesome theme given an exuberant, witty, cartoon-like treatment."

Maltin***1/2: "At the very least, this is the most original and entertaining comedy about cannibalism made to this date. Brown-and-white color schemes, which would ordinarily look like a lab mistake, contribute to the film's trenchant visual style." 

New acquisition: La cité des enfants perdus (1995)

 

New acquisition: Delicatessen (1991)

A gift from my pal Ralf.