The Cassandra Cat (1963)

When I found out about this movie I pretty much flipped my shit. All of the proper elements were in place. It's from the 60's, it's Czech, it's obviously some kind of children's fantasy story and best of all it features a A CAT WEARING SUNGLASSES. Not just a cat. A MAGICAL cat. Not just sunglasses. MAGICAL sunglasses. This is more or less the selling point of the film for anyone with a heart. A magical cat, his magical sunglasses. End of story. How could I NOT obsessively need to see this? As a person who can spend hours looking at websites like this. (yes, hours). It became a moral imperative to track it down.

While the film may appear to be a cat lover's enchanted dream. It's mostly about a teacher named Robert and shenanigans of his small town life. His boss, the school director is a heartless jerk who kills animals for taxidermy. His girlfriend appears to be having an affair with the the school director. One day in class Robert brings in a friend to inspire creativity in the children, local wise-old-man-type, Oliva. He begins telling tales of his past and his encounters with a beautiful girl who had (...here it comes...) a magical cat that wore sunglasses. She told him never to take off the glasses because if they were removed the true feelings of everyone around him would be visible by their glowing color. Red is for lovers, Yellow is for cheaters, Blue is for jealousy and grey, perhaps worst of all is for the "average" person. Someone who lacks character and emotion. He then goes on to explain that such a dramatic reveal of individuals makes them go crazy. They went after the cat and killed it. Just as you're ready to throw your shoe through the screen outraged by such a terrible story of magical cat murder, we hear music in the distance. A circus is coming to town, and it appears to be a mysterious and extravagant one. Front and center is a magician who looks EXACTLY like Oliva and a beautiful girl holding a cat wearing sunglasses. What are the odds? You'd think this was a movie or something.

That evening the show begins. It's filled with ballet, pantomime, smoke, mirrors and obviously a little bit of magic. This whole scene is just phenomenal, and well worth sitting through the entire movie for. Clothes with no people in them dancing a choreographed vaudeville. The beautiful Diane appears in her red leotard and literally floats up to the trapeze where she sits admiring the audience as if she had a secret. As she swings, so does the music. It lifts from a lilting ballet to a jazzy number. The magician snaps his fingers and all these cats appear in mid-air! He snaps his fingers again, and a disapproving audience member joins them.

In another snap of the fingers, Mokol, the magical sunglass attired cat is rolling himself in mid-air towards Diane on a ball like some kind of fashionable mystic acro-cat. Then Diane does the unthinkable! She removes Mokol's glasses. The lights go down and his eyes begin to brighten, suddenly there are glowing red lovers dancing. The crowd scatters as one by one they start turning their "true colors". Violins swell while blue wives tug on the sleeves of their yellow husbands. Some people are rapidly changing colors to show that they are conflicted and unstable. A panic ensues and after Mokol has disappeared, they all want to track him down to destroy the creature who revealed their true identities.

Since this all takes place fairly early on you'd think this would set a nice tone for the rest of the film, but this point it's mostly personal dramas and extended exposition. Most of which didn't interest me much, especially after the second viewing. In fact you see very little of Mokol through out the rest of the film. Robert, his budding romance with Diane and figuring out how to stand up for himself becomes the primary driving force of the film. Perhaps it was always supposed to be? You mention magical cats wearing sunglasses and I tune everything else out.

Like most Czech New Wave films, the Cassandra Cat uses an abstract and psychedelic atmosphere as a building block to subtly showcase the oppressive ubiquity of the communist government. Often these films illustrate nonconformity in a paradigm of subversive fairy tales. The end result is something timeless that both adults and children can enjoy. In this case my inner child was demanding more cat magic, but that didn't distract much from enjoying this marvel if a film. The scenes that are beautiful are so attractive that you might think you're watching a Powell and Pressburger film. The music is a big part of it too, like Leonard Bernstein meets Zdnek Liska.

While watching this movie I was reminded of an 80's kids movie called the Peanut Butter Solution. It's a cheesy straight to video, considerably bad by most standards, Canadian movie about about a biy who gets "a fright" and loses his hair. Two ghosts show up and offer him a solution (made from peanut butter no less) that makes hair grow where ever applied. They warn him not to add too much PB or he'll suffer the consequences. He does, of course and as a result his hair won't stop growing. All day long it just grows and grows. An evil art teacher catches whim of what's going on so he kidnaps the boy, and basically ever other kid in town, to make a paint brush sweatshop using the never ending supply of hair at his disposal. The paint brushes create magical paintings you can jump into. This movie is so awesomely bad, I've considered reviewing it but I haven't had the opportunity to give it a fresh re-visit. Something about the Cassandra Cat reminded me of Peanut Butter Solution. The pacing, the madcap and the absurdness felt so familiar. Come to find out, Cassandra Cat director Vojtech Jasny wrote the Peanut Butter Solution some 20 years later! I don't necessarily recommend one if you love the other, PBS is a SUPER acquired taste but I suppose if you're really into weird kids movies, it's worth a shot!


The Cassandra Cat is delightfully elegant and oddball film that deserves better treatment than the dollar bin slim case double feature release it has here. But then again, so do a lot of under appreciated Czech films. I'm still anticipating a Karel Zemen boxset that will never happen. As these things go, we take what we can get, and if you can get the Cassandra Cat it's well worth the trouble.

Top 10 Appearances of Satan in Film

I was thinking about how cool Satan is the other day. Not the serious biblical version of Satan. The characterization of the Devil in movies. What makes a good movie devil? There are basically two different types you'll likely see in a movie he's featured in. There's the horror Satan. He's a really bad guy. Responsible for possession and the gnashing of teeth and whatnot. Then there's the bargaining Devil, Mephistopheles. He's much more charming, generally suave and disguises himself as the guy you'd least likely expect to steal your soul. Sometimes he doesn't even want your soul, occasionally he's just a teacher of very harsh lessons. I'm fascinated with the interpretations of Satan on screen. Can you think of a better Super Villain? It doesn't get much more intense then the Devil himself. So I decided to make an admittedly uneven list of my favorite appearances of Satan. There's still a lot I haven't seen. I feel almost foolish for not being able to list the Devil Rides Out or Vincent Price in the Story of Mankind. I sadly have not seen those films and probably a good portion of other classics. I made a point to make this list specifically personifications or embodiments of Satan. No Anti-Christs, no devil worshiping cults, no exorcism movies, none of that unless the big bad boss himself makes an appearance.

By the way, this whole blog is just full of SPOILERS. So if you don't want to know that characters you might not have known were actually Satan until the end of the movie, um...don't read this. You've been warned.

I had to leave a few off. Either I ran out of room or it didn't meet my strict standards. One flick I was very displeased for having to omit was Jan Svankmajer's 1994 esoteric rendition of Faust.

Having a list of Satan appearances without mentioning Faust is like writing an essay on Hell in literature and leaving out Dante's Inferno. It belongs here, yet it's overpowering elements of puppetry and animation went against the idea that Satan is personified. In this masterpiece, Satan speaks through strange dolls and marionettes. Faust Lesson is a notable entry to the genre and is easily my favorite take on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's monumental tale of man's thirst for knowledge versus his moral integrity.

On that note, let's get to the list! without further adieu...


10.

Tim Curry in Legend (1985)

I figured I should go ahead and get this one out of the way for #10. I thought about leaving it off for something perhaps a little less obvious, but who am I trying to kid? I can't leave this guy off! Tim Curry was a bad ass Satan , or Lord of Darkness rather. He often refers to another entity as being higher than he. I always assumed that Darkness itself was actually "Satan" and he is just it's incarnate. I mean, he has his army of goblins kill unicorns for Christ's sake. He is one ugly dude, complete with horns, hooves and a big red face. Somehow still managing to look like Tim Curry. He's easily the coolest mainstream Satan. The only thing that's disappointing about him is that he is somehow defeated by Tom Cruise of all people. Ugh.



9.

Charlie Davoa in the Killing of Satan (1983)

Possibly one of the most underrated b-movies of all time. This Satan is responsible for more nonsense and mayhem than any other on my list. The characters in this movie have a hard time trying to kill this Satan. His obstacles include laser blasting, boulder dashing and snake slapping. His bad ass sorcery has to be seeen to be believed <3




8.

Anton Lavey in The Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969)

When it comes to the occult you can always turn to Kenneth Anger for delivering a shamelessly iconoclastic product. The Invocation of My Demon Brother is arguably Anger's best short, and certainly his crowning achievement of the hippie movement. The (roughly) 10 minute short features a colorful cast of characters for a movie with zero dialog. Mick Jagger (who also did the wonderful score), Keith Richards, Kenneth Anger himself, Bobby Beausoleil who would later that year be convinced of killing Gary Hinman under the orders of Charles Manson, and none other than the creator of the Church of Satan, Anton Lavey AS Satan himself. Lavey only made two film appearances (this and the Devil's Rain, in which he also played Satan). As a character, I find him unassailably cool, but then again you only see him for a brief moment in this film so his appearance doesn't warrant I higher spot on this list. I couldn't exactly NOT include him though could I?! That would be like not including an Aleister Crowley film appearance or the Devil himself. As you can see, he's dressed like what I can only assume inspired Francis Buxton's devil costume in the Pee Wee's Big Adventure. I like that he's more of a cartoonish devil than something dark and grim. Perhaps my standards are a bit skewed. As I said, I like Anton Lavey as a character and in pop culture. His song "Satan Takes a Holiday" is pure camp, and seeing him in this classic art house favorite was a real treat.




7.

Tom Waits in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

I think we all thought it at one time or another. "Tom Waits should totally play Satan"...ok, maybe that was just me. It's always a delight to see Waits' film appearances, and this long awaited almost-didn't-happen Terry Gilliam film appeased my appetite in more ways than one. Waits plays the "devil on your shoulder" type in this one. He really doesn't seem like a bad guy at all, in fact I'd quite enjoy his company if Satan was really like this. In the end he appears to be more like Doctor Parnassus' friend than foe. That's why he's officially this lists nicest Devil, aw shucks :-)




6.

Peter Cook in Bedazzled (1967)

Not all Satans are serious. Some are just down right delightful. In Bedazzled we're treated to Peter Cook's mischievous antics against a lovesick Dudley Moore. He's more of a whimsical prankster devil. At his hellacious factory he has a conveyor belt where new hit records are being delivered specifically for him to scratch and repackage. He's the "be careful what you wish for" kind of Devil as he takes the pussified Moore through a series of would-be fantasies gone awry. It's hard to imagine that the atrocious remake with Elizabeth Hurley sprung from the loins of this comedic masterpiece.




5.


Jose Luis Aguirre ‘Trotsky’ in Santa Claus (1959)

      Once you've entered the world of cheesy Mexican kids movies, there's really no turning back. It's like making a pact with the devil in its own way. Anything with K. Gordon Murray's name attached to it is sure to be a riot. He's also responsible for Robot Vs. the Aztec Mummy, the Witch's Mirror not to mention a slue of mediocre sexploitation and El Santo movies. Add to the that, the UNfamous Rene Cardona being in the directors seat! Oh yeah, it just doesn't get better than this! "Pitch" is the bright red devil whose goal is to ruin Christmas for all the little boys and girls. I guess he's more of a minion of hell than thee actual Satan himself, but whadaya want?! For all intents and purposes he is a representation of the Devil. This movie is pure unbridled camp. Probably the plushiest movie in my Satanic roster from back when kids' movies really had something to offer and their makers had some balls!

     4.

   John Goodman in Barton Fink (1991)

      Leave it to the Cohens to insert a subtle (or not so subtle) average Joe kinda Satan in one of their bleak comedies. For the record, I'm new to Barton Fink. I only saw it this week and it was actually the inspiration for this entire list. Some people doubt that Goodman was Satan at all. I guess those people assume the hotel walls igniting into flame was just for dramatic effect? Or that his role defining quote "I'll Show You the Life of the Mind!" was just the ramblings of "Madman Mundt"? I think it's safe to say that this Faustian tale of selling ones soul to Hollywood is a bit more straight forward than that. John Goodman as Charlie Meadows falls under the likable Devil category. He's not bargaining for Barton's soul, he's just letting Fink's own arrogance lead the him down a path of misfortune, with a little extra push. In the end, Barton is trapped. Contractually shackled to Los Angeles and the broken existence of a fallen hack writer.




   3.

     
   Burgess Meredith in The Sentinel (1977)

                                                                    

      My love for Burgess Meredith may have made me a bit biased in bumping this entry to the #3 spot, but you know what? The ending of this otherwise mediocre film really shocked me! This is where that spoiler alert really comes into effect. When it's realized that the beautiful apartment our lady protagonist is living in is the gateway to Hell and that our sweet little old guy neighbor is actually the human manifestation of SATAN, I was literally floored. Consider my mind blown. I just love him and his charming face so much that I can't even begin to imagine him squashing a spider let alone being the Prince of Darkness. I don't have much to add other than "Holy Shit, I love Burgess Meredith"...

    2.

    

    Benjamin Christensen in Haxan:Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)

      Perhaps the earliest and still one of the most frightening portrayals of Satanism, witchcraft and the occult to be put on film. Haxan is like a Goya painting come to life. No film has ever matched it's beauty and horror and there will likely never be anything that tops it in that respect. Benjamin Christensen wrote, directed and starred as the beast like Devil in this fantastic opus of science and story telling. It was banned in America for it's shocking portrayal of torture and sexual perversion, which even in the pre-code 1920's, was unheard of in decent film going society. The public was not ready for such graphic depictions of debauchery. I could see how it may have influenced directors such as Kenneth Anger whose themes of magick and ritual would still be considered controversial some 30-50 years later. Now Haxan is more than a cult classic, it's a legend and I whole heartedly consider it one of the greatest efforts ever emblazoned on film. The copy readily available now includes a score done by Jean-Luc Ponty and narration by William S. Burroughs. Can you think of anything more incredible? I raise my glass to Benjamin Christensen. Cheers.




   1.

    
   Danny Elfman in Forbidden Zone (1982)

It's been quite few years since I've even breached this subject and I'm fairly certain it's never been mentioned in this blog. Forbidden Zone is pretty much the movie that started it all for me. Being a dumb teenager with nothing more than a few slashers in her collection I somehow ended up with a vhs copy of Forbidden Zone. It changed everything. It heightened my standards of "weird movies", it opened up new doors as far as my musical taste goes and most of all it introduced me to a Pre-Tim Burton Danny Elfman.The entire film is a strange vaudevillian Alice in Wonderland inspired tale of a girl finding herself in the 6th Dimension. She falls in love with it's midget King, a dashing Herve Villechaize. Of course his Queen, the forever iconic Susan-fucking-Tyrell has something to say about that. The whole movie is like a lurid Max Fleischer cartoon come to life. The high light for me? Danny Elfman scored the film along with The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Before they were simply "Oingo Boingo" they were a traveling theater group, and Forbidden Zone was a way of capturing their monkeyshines on film. Danny Elfman plays the Satanic conductor of this mad circus. An image so vivid and profound that I painted it on my bedroom wall at my Dad's house...

This is obviously a choice made for very personal reasons. I basically orchestrated my entire taste in cinema around my fondness of Forbidden Zone. Danny Elfman's animated interpretation of the Devil made me want more of what I was seeing. Of course there's nothing quite like Forbidden Zone and there's no portrayal of Satan quite so jovial. That in itself if the primary reason he has earned the # 1 spot.

Danny Elfman encompassed what's unabashedly cool about the Devil. My point in writing this blog is not to say that evil is good and Godliness sucks. We need these characters in fiction to make movies interesting. Whether they're monstrous or funny, the caricature of Satan isn't something to be feared, it's something to be embraced. As the Ultimate Super Villain or the ultimate Irony. Satan's infamy is a powerful archetype in the realms of there cinematic stratosphere. He reminds us of our own humanity. Despite your religion or lack there of, the image of Satan is alarming. In any culture El Diablo is recognizable, and we can't help but be reminded of our own morality and death. I think that's why so many people are uncomfortable talking about Satan and everything that he represents. It's not really about facing him its about facing ourselves and our choices in life.

Well that pretty much sums it up! I hope you enjoyed my list. I know there's a lot not included here. Maybe this will be annual thing I post around Easter? In the meantime, what are some of your favorite on-screen Devils?