The Weirdest Sci-Fi Thriller Ever Made Needs Your Help
The club scene in the early 2000s was dominated by a wicked combination of synth-pop and techno that was enshrouded by performance art. During its popularity, the aesthetics of what is now referred to as “electroclash” were modeled after one of the weirdest science fiction films ever produced. Though Liquid Sky was made nearly two decades prior, the film has had a lasting influence on art and music along with being elevated to cult status.
Clubs, Fashion, And Vengeance
Liquid Sky follows the exploits of New York fashion model Margaret (Anne Carlisle) and her newly acquired method of exacting revenge on those who have wronged her. The film follows its main character through the city’s early ’80s club scene and the after-parties as she and her consortium of lovers live a life where hard drugs are present so much that they should have had listings in the productions credits.
Margaret and her girlfriend, Adrian (Paula E. Sheppard), are constantly plagued by their drug-addicted fashion industry colleague, Jimmy (also played by Carlisle), who is always trying to extort doses out of drug dealer Adrian’s stash. Unbeknownst to any of them, a UFO that’s operated by a drug-addicted alien has landed on the roof of their apartment building and is silently watching Margaret.
Head-Plucking Revenge
Liquid Sky takes one of its many interesting turns when Margaret engages in intercourse with one of her former acting professors and he dies after the exchange. The model sees a crystal growing from her partner’s head, plucks it off, and sees it vanish as she studies it. Margaret soon realizes that she’s able to kill anyone she treats similarly, and decides to take revenge on a man who has assaulted her in the past.
It’s revealed in Liquid Sky that the rooftop alien discovered that the endorphins created in the brain during intercourse provide a better sensation than drugs, leading the being to use Margaret as a lever to extract the chemicals. Whenever her partners finish, a crystal of extracted endorphins appears on their heads and is then beamed up by the alien.
You Can Find Me In The Club
If all of the above plot points aren’t enough to paint a picture of an intriguing film production, you can be assured that the visual and audio effects of Liquid Sky are more than enough to hook viewers and keep them paying attention over its 112-minute running time.
The film plays out like something taken from a drug-induced fantasy, a half nightmare/half fever-dream that is coated with a healthy layer of early 80s synth music and vivid imagery of the underground scene in New York City. On the surface, Liquid Sky is a journey through the eyes of post-punk characters, each of whom are avant-garde works of art. Beneath the superficial layers of brilliant costuming and wild hair is where the film gets even more captivating.
Outrageous And Hilarious
Aliens extracting human endorphins, anti-establishment monologues, and a pile of human bodies stacking up from revenge combine to make Liquid Sky one of the most twisted films from the decade. It’s outrageous, sometimes hilarious, and will leave you with a feeling of uncertainty that can only be matched by a David Lynch film.
Hallucinogenic Hedonism
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Liquid Sky is a hallucinogenic journey of hedonism that eventually culminates in the ultimate reward. The copious amounts of drugs consumed on screen blend with the art and fashion to complex synth sounds, bringing a fevered dream to life on the screen.
Despite a massive cult following, Liquid Sky isn’t available to stream or rent On Demand. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time less than a decade ago and remains your best bet in seeing this visually beautiful and thought-provoking production.
