Films With Incongruous & Bizarre Casts

[kidsick5000]

Barry Lyndon -
Ryan O'Neil
Leonard Rossiter
Pat Roach
Steven Berkoff

The Bounty -
Anthony Hopkins
Mel Gibson
Daniel Day Lewis
Larry Olivier
Liam Neeson
Neil Morrissey
John Sessions

[El Unicornio, mang]

Revolution

Al Pacino
Donald Sutherland
Nastassja Kinski
Steven Berkoff
Annie Lennox
Dexter Fletcher
Sid Owen (Ricky from Eastenders)

Also of note: Revolution cost $28 million to make, only grossing $346,761 in the United States.

[Puce Moment]

Derek Jarman's Caravaggio

Sean Bean
Robbie Coltrane
Lol Coxhill   
Nigel Davenport
Dexter Fletcher
Michael Gough
Jonathan Hyde
Tilda Swinton
Simon Fisher-Turner

[Crabwalk]

Ken Russell's Lisztomania

Roger Daltry.........Franz Liszt
Paul Nicholas........Richard Wagner
Ringo Starr..........The Pope
Rick Wakeman......Thor

[Glebe]

I'm fairly certain it's been mentioned before, but anyone recall sleazy British crime caper The Squeeze (1977)? I always remember seeing it as a kid, and my parents switching it over at a particular scene (see below)... did a bit of online sleuthing for info on it a while ago, couldn't even remember the name of it actually. Finally caught it thanks to a really bad, wonky version uploaded to YouTube recently, which seems to have been taken down now... there are clips of it available, though. Seems to be out-of-print, I think there's a Region 1 DVD available on Amazon US (and obviously eBay is worth checking), not into torrent sites but it doesn't seem to be available streaming anywhere (at least not for free).

Anyway, the cast includes Stacy Keach (who is still on the go and next appears in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For!), David Hemmings, Edward Fox, Stephen Boyd (Ben Hur, et al), Freddie Starr (as I believe some of you are aware) as Keacy's pal, Carol White (Cathy Come Home), Alan Ford, Roy Marsden (OFAH's Danny Driscoll) and Brit stalworth Leon Greene. It's directed by none other than Michael Apted and written by Minder creator Leon Griffiths.

The uncomfortable watching-with-parents scene I mentioned above involves the kidnapped woman (White) stripping for gangster Hemmings and his cronies (including Ford and Marsden). It was just one of those things that stick in your mind... watching it again it really is quite a seedy little film. Apparently some folks reckon it should be up there with Get Carter and The Long Good Friday, but I found it just a little too silly and exploitative.

[Glebe]

Okay, get ready for a long post:

Watched some of 1979 TV movie S.O.S. Titanic on Film4 recently, it features Ian Holm[nb]I wonder if, when in The Fellowship of the Ring Bilbo says "Gandalf, this'll be a night to remember!", it isn't intended as an obscure in-joke? Arrrggghhh, I need help!![/nb], David Warner, Helen Mirren, Cloris Leachman, Phillip Stone (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Temple of Doom), David Battley (Rutland Weekend TV, Willy Wonka, Krull), Warren Clarke (A Clockwork Orange, Dalziel & Pascoe), Mike Leigh regular Phil Davis, Karl Howman (Brush Strokes, them Flash ads) as well as other recognizable folk such as Harry Andrews, Nick Grimble and Ian Abercrombie to name just a few. IMBd says that Timothy Spall had his scenes cut and also points out that David Warner was in Titanic and Time Bandits, which features the Titanic in one sequence.

Somebody probably mentioned it before, but Kenneth Branagh's 1996 Hamlet has a big, intriguing cast, including Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Rufus Sewell, Richard Briers, Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, John Mills, John Gielgud, Judi Dench, Richard Attenborough, Gérard Depardieu, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Brian Blessed, Timothy Spall, Simon Russell Beale and - yes! - Ken Dodd as Yorick!

Not a bizarre or even incongruous cast exactly, but Last Orders (2001) is worth a mention, starring as it does Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, David Hemmings, David Courtney and Ray Winstone - just looking on Wiki, it apparently also features a young Kelly Reilly and Nolan 'son of David' Hemmings.

Another one that's been brought up in the past is Clive Barker-adaptation Rawhead Rex, whose Irish cast includes Niall Tóibín, alongside (according to Wiki), Hugh O' Connor (Lamb, My Left Foot), Donal McCann (The Dead) and violinist Cory Lunny (daughter of Dónal Lunny).

Ken Loach's Bread and Roses (2000) features Adrian Brody, Tim Roth, Benicio del Toro and Ron Perlman among others (including Elpidia Carrillo, who appears in Predator, thanks Wiki!). Ron Perlman in a Ken Loach film, whatever next?!

Also, there's another old forum-discussion chestnut in the shape of David Lynch's The Elephant Man (1980), in which John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft and John Gielgud are joined by the likes of Hannah Gordon, Michael Elphick, Dexter Fletcher, Kenny Baker, Pauline Quirke and early The Bill policewoman/OFAH barmaid Nula Conwell, along with (cheers, IMDb!) Emmerdale's Lesley Dunlop and Miranda-mum Patricia Hodge among others. Also, didn't realise Freddie Jones played Bert in Adrian Mole... he apparently appears in Lynch's Dune and Wild at Heart too!

More recently, I guess you could include Scarlett Johansson alongside Glasgow's general public in Under the Skin. Oh, and finally, just thought I'd mention for the 100th time that Alice Cooper - who cameos in the film that kicked off this thread and has popped up in numerous films over the years - was friends with Groucho and did a Sky ad - with Ronnie Corbett!

Phew! That's all for now...

[Bad Ambassador]

Having watched Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace last night (it's horribly written, if you hadn't guessed):

Liam Neeson, Ewen MacGregor, Natalie Portman, Hugh Quarshie (from Holby City), Terence Stamp, Brian Blessed, Andrew Secombe, Ralph Brown, Celia Imrie, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic West, Sophia Coppola, Keira Knightley and the voices of Greg Proops, Scott Capurro, Lindsay Duncan and Peter Serafinowicz. Also an uncredited Richard Armitage.

[Blumf]

Wing Commander : shit, but has it's heart in the right place
David Warner
David Suchet
Jürgen Prochnow
Tchéky Karyo
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Matthew Lillard
Saffron Burrows
and Mark Hamill('s voice)

oh, and David Arnold doing tunes.

[Puce Moment]

Britannia Hospital

Leonard Rossiter
Brian Pettifer
John Moffatt
Fulton Mackay   
Graham Crowden
Peter Jeffrey   
Joan Plowright   
Robin Askwith   
Malcolm McDowell
Mark Hamill   
Robbie Coltrane
Dandy Nichols   
Brian Glover
Richard Griffiths
Dave Hill   
Barbara Flynn
Liz Smith   
John Gordon Sinclair
Patsy Byrne   
Alan Bates   
Arthur Lowe   

[NurseNugent]

The Magic Christian has a rather bizarre cast, not only do you have Yul Bryner in drag you get your British comedy stalwarts too such as Rita Webb, Clive Dunn and Jimmy Clitheroe. Admittedly these all uncredied performances but the main cast is no less bizarre.

See for yourself.
http://movie-dude.co.uk/[Film]%20The%20Magic%20Christian%20(1969).htm

Also Shock Treatment has quite an odd cast. Where else are you likely to see Charles Grey and Ruby Wax drive off into the sunset together?

[Glebe]

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a good one:

Peter Frampton
The Bee Gees
Frankie Howerd
Paul Nicholas
Donald Pleasence
Steve Martin
Aerosmith
Alice Cooper
George Burns

Was watching Frankie Howerd: The Lost Tapes on GOLD earlier, I was aware of the Sgt. Pepper movie but I'd never heard of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR7Jln5NuI0

[Glebe]

...another film that doesn't really have a bizarre/incongruous cast but is worth a mention is the 1972 musical version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which I recall watching on telly as a kid and finding really depressing, for some reason. Anyway, the cast includes:

Bond girl/Strictly contestant Fiona Fullerton as Alice.
Peter Sellers as The March Hare.
Spike Milligan as the Gryphon.
Dudley Moore as the Dormouse.
Michael Crawford as the White Rabbit.
Roy Kinnear as the Cheshire Cat.
Rodney Bewes as the Knave of Hearts.
Ralph Richardson as The Caterpillar.
Michael Hordern as the Mock Turtle.
Patsy Rowlands (of Carry On fame) as Cook.
Dennis Waterman as the 2 of Spades.
Music hall holdovers The Cox Twins as Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

...among several other recognisable faces.

Okay, I should be asleep.

[MrSerious]

What about that one with Robert Duvall and Ally McCoist, about a lower league Scottish team with a name as unconvincing as Harchester United from Sky One's 'Dream Team' winning the Scottish cup?

Duvall spent a lot of time in my home town, watching our team for inspiration. Nobody's glad he bothered to.

[Van Dammage]

What about that one with Robert Duvall and Ally McCoist, about a lower league Scottish team with a name as unconvincing as Harchester United from Sky One's 'Dream Team' winning the Scottish cup?

Duvall spent a lot of time in my home town, watching our team for inspiration. Nobody's glad he bothered to.

"A Shot At Glory" I think. Michael Keaton is in it too.

[MrSerious]

"A Shot At Glory" I think. Michael Keaton is in it too.

Oh, you're right! He was the stock "Ruthless American Capitalist"

This post is an admission I've seen it. Bugger. In my defence, I was about 13 and was probably killing some time before Eurotrash came on.

[stunted]

Admission?  Your description's sold the film to me. Of course in real life Ally McCoist did recently take a lower league football team admirably far in the Scottish cup.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

No mention of Run For Your Wife (2012)?

Main cast starring Danny Dyer, Neil Morrissey, Denise Van Outen and Sarah Harding off Girls Aloud. Boring. Film scores 2.5/10 on IMDB. Disaster.

Also features: Lionel Blair, Christopher Biggins and cameos from Russ Abbot, Richard Briers[nb]His last ever role.[/nb], Tom Conti, Barry Cryer, Dame Judi Dench[nb]As "Bag Lady", [/nb], Rolf Harris[nb]!!![/nb], Maureen Lipman, Geoffrey Palmer, Su Pollard, Cliff Richard, Dennis Waterman...

Executive Producer: Vicki Michelle

It's sort of mind boggling.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1965057/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[El Unicornio, mang]

The Young Americans

Harvey Keitel
Iain Glen (Lord friendzone from GoT)
Keith Allen
Thandie Newton
Viggo Mortensen

A Shot at Glory

Robert Duvall
Ally McCoist
Michael Keaton
Brian Cox

Evita

Madonna
Antonio Banderas
Jonathan Pryce
Jimmy Nail
Andrea Corr

[Glebe]

Guardian's of the Galaxy: as if the premise isn't wacky enough (a group of space bandits - including a talking racoon and a tree-man - have intergalactic adventures to the tune of 'Hooked on a Feeling'), check out the cast list:

Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation)
Zoe Saldana
WWE star Dave Batista
Vin Diesel
Bradley Cooper
Lee Pace (Thranduil in The Hobbit trilogy)
Michael Rooker
Karen Gillan
Djimon Hounsou
John C. Reilly
Glenn Close
Benicio del Toro
Josh Brolin
Peter Serafinowicz

Plus cameos from the like of Lloyd 'Troma' Kaufman and Rob Zombie. Peter Serafinowicz and Karen Gillen in a movie with Henry from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, goodness me.[nb]Although to be honest Michael Rooker has been in JFK and The Walking Dead, among other somewhat more 'commercial' fare.[/nb]