Friday, March 24, 2006

Rubin and Ed


If you enjoy bizarre and offbeat characters, cool movie quotes, ("Why don't you keep your hands off other people's refrigerators!" & "My cat can eat a whole watermelon." are my two favs) and if you want to watch a good movie with Mahler, clogs used as weapons, and people with dead cat obsessions, you need to get down to the Tower Theater tonight, at midnight to watch Rubin and Ed, or tomorrow night, at the same time.

Rubin and Ed functions as a quest story, a road movie, a buddy film, and a study in abnormal psychology all rolled into one. Rubin (Crispin Glover), traumatized over the death of his cat (which he keeps in a refrigerator), spends his days alone in his room squeaking a toy mouse in synch with a Mahler symphony. Ed (Howard Hesseman) is a ne'er-do-well involved with a motivational cult called the Power of Positive Real Estate who mindlessly listens to a tape recording of the cult mantra: "I am a powerful real estate professional moving higher and higher on the path to success." Rubin bamboozles Ed into accompanying him on a desert trek in order to find the metaphysically right place to bury his dead cat.
I consider this a one of the "must see" films from the 1990s, and it's really hard to find, so this might be the only chance that you get to view this classic cult piece.

My dear fellow-Oregonian friends who introduced me to this movie have scheduling conflicts, and I will not be watching it with them. (Darn skiing trips, and baby birthdays!) Searching for a new victim...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd totally go with you if I were close enough... anything for a break from the endless parade of "art films with a message". How sad that you're so far away.
If you were out here, though, we could go see a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Nuart.
There isn't any message in that, is there?

Erin aka- absent-minded secretary said...

Dear "Hot Patootie" Otherwise known as ll:

"Listen, listen, listen", "I'm Going Home" so don't "Rose Tint My World" with half-promises that you "Can Make You [me] A Man" by almost being my date at the "Super Heroes" of all "Time Warp" movies, Rubin & Ed.

And if that isn't a message from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I don't know what is. ;)

Aprillina said...

I watched this movie for the first time way back in College, have a copy from back then (yes 1992) and find myself quoting (my cat can eat a WHOLE watermelon) to people who only look at me like I'm insane. It is kind of a rare people that are aware of what I think is a genius comedy. Glad you are out there!

Erin aka- absent-minded secretary said...

"Success!" Another cool person! It is such a good movie... I wish there were more people out there that could see how awesome this movie is.