Mathew Keller

Wednesday, 31st March, 2010

Bunny Related Alt-Easter Films to Watch this Weekend

After an altogether positive response to my 12 Alternative Christmas Films round up post back in December I thought I’d share another set of alternative viewing recommendations, this time for your Easter weekend.

Now we all know that there is never anything decent to watch on TV over the Easter bank-holiday weekend, unless you’ve never actually seen any of the Bond films or “The Great Escape” before, and you are not a religious zealot who actually enjoys “Songs of Praise” (and let’s face it, who can be bothered with all the “Jesus” stuff anyway?). What you really want to watch whilst you devour your horde of chocolate and try to move as little as possible whilst you digest the massive lunch you’ve just had is something far more closely related to the true meaning of Easter… bunny rabbits!

So without further ado, here’s my Bunny-related alternative Easter viewing recommendations:

Some Light Morning Viewing

The Maxx: The Complete Series (1996)

Start your day off with this strange and extremely under-rated series from MTV.
In our world the Maxx is a vagrant who hangs around with and gets bailed out of jail by social worker Julie Winters, but in the alternative reality of “The Outback” the Maxx protects his jungle queen Julie from the hordes of Isz and the malevolent Mr. Gone… that is until the realities start to blur and Julie’s life is put in real danger.
You may wonder where the rabbit related link comes in… well you’ll just have to watch and see!

The Post-Lunch Slumber

Watership Down (1978)

What better way to let your meal go down than by watching this heart warming tale of myxomatosis and wholesale rabbit slaughter. if the buckets of blood and dark twisting psychedelic imagery doesn’t have you reaching for the nearest bin to be sick in then Art Garfunkel singing “Bright Eyes” should tip the scales.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

After you’ve slept off your Easter feast with fevered dreams involving horrible twisted blood soaked rabbits, why not devour your mountain of Easter eggs whilst enjoying this classic stop-motion animation staring eccentric inventor Wallace and his trusty side-kick dog Gromit? Laugh as the decidedly daft duo create a monstrous were-rabbit, chortle as they attempt to capture it again and save the villages vegetable growing contest, guffaw as the twist in the rabbits fluffy tale is revealed! No? Well I enjoyed it.

Some Evening Entertainment

Donnie Darko (2001)

After you’ve finished off your left over roast meat with a crusty roll, a salad leaf and some pickle on the side, why not settle down with a beer (or two) and watch this weird and wonderful tale of trouble teenager Donnie and his psychotic-delusional, rabbit costume wearing, future predicting, time bending pal Frank. If the world hasn’t ended after 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds then it’s probably time to go to bed. 

Late Night Lunacy

If you find you really can’t sleep after all the rich food, beer and chocolate you’ve consumed and you can’t think of anything better to do with your time (seriously?) then why not indulge in a small slice of ‘proper’ Easter viewing (i.e. all that Jesus business) by watching:

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis controversial novel which portrays Willam Defoe’s Jesus as a self-loathing, prostitute loving sinner who has vivid delusional fantasies including one were he marries Mary Magalene and lives happily ever after instead of dying on the cross. If you really must taint the Easter weekend with the Jesus stuff then this is an acceptable way of doing it… Plus the soundtrack by Peter Gabriel is the ULTIMATE chill out album.

Right, that’s more than enough lapin labialisation for one day, now GO TO BED!

Honourable mentions: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) - Jessica Rabbit, come on!; Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) - even more Peter Gabriel!; The Matrix (1999) - Follow the white-rabbit; Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - “Look, that rabbit’s got a vicious streak a mile wide!”.