'Neon Demon,' 'Swiss Army Man' lead movie weekend of the weird
Summer is starting with this year's wackiest weekend for Hollywood stars at the box office.
Opening fare Friday includes Elle Fanning in the flesh-eating modeling world of The Neon Demon; dead Daniel Radcliffe farting through a buddy movie with Paul Dano in Swiss Army Man; and Wiener-Dog, which follows a dachshund passed from one oddball owner to the next — from Greta Gerwig to Danny DeVito to Ellen Burstyn.
Adding to the mix is Colin Farrell in The Lobster, the absurd arthouse cult comedy which remains in the top 20 after a month and a half in theaters.
"This is normally the season where people are complaining that everything is a superhero movie or a sequel, (but) that's not the case this weekend," says Keith Simanton, editor of IMDb.com. "There's some unique content out there."
Film historian Leonard Maltin chalks it up to A-list actors looking for interesting, challenging work with directors who bring a strong point of view. "When these movies become talking points, it adds to the actors' street cred, however bizarre they are," says Maltin.
A brief rundown:
THE NEON DEMON
Odd plot: Fanning's not-so-innocent aspiring model Jesse thrives in the human-eat-human (literally) modeling world of Nicolas Winding Refn's look at society's narcissism.
Strangest moment: After the manager of her seedy hotel (Keanu Reeves) removes a mountain lion from her room, Jesse imagines that he breaks in and sticks a knife slowly down her throat.
In summary: Neon Demon was booed when it screened for critics at Cannes Film Festival in May. "No one is ever going to say it's boring," Fanning says.
SWISS ARMY MAN
Odd plot: A hopeless, stranded man named Hank (Dano) befriends a flatulent corpse that he calls Manny (Radcliffe), who washes ashore and helps him find his way back home.
Strangest moment: Hank uses the dead Manny's involuntarily erect penis as a navigational compass.
In summary: "The idea that you can make a film that is so beautiful and reflective, but also so gross and juvenile, seemed so exciting," Radcliffe told Paste BN.
WIENER-DOG
Odd plot: The story is a series of vignettes that follow a dachshund through various owners, complete with name changes that reflect the dog's strange keepers — from Doody to Wiener-Dog to Cancer.
Strangest moment: After the pooch ingests a near-lethal dose of granola, it unleashes a steady stream of excrement to the soundtrack of Debussy's Clair de lune.
In summary: The dog takes us through the unusual world of Welcome to the Dollhouse director Todd Solondz.
THE LOBSTER
Odd plot: Colin Farrell's divorced architect David checks into a hotel where he has 45 days to find a mate or be turned into an animal of his choosing.
Strangest moment: Lisping Man (John C. Reilly) breaks the hotel's ban on masturbation and is forced to stick his hand in a toaster by the manager.
In summary: "It's just really bizarre," Farrell told Paste BN of Yorgos Lanthimos' comedy, for which he put on 45 pounds.
