A post-apocalyptic journey to ikiki beach

November 30, 2005 8:53 PM

Obscure-Movie-Filter?: Setting: post apocalyptic (I think) Plot: Can't remember Starring: Can't remember Unique subplot (or possibly main plot): One character (20s-30's white male) has a torn postcard of Waikiki Beach, however the "Wa" is torn, so he thinks it's called "ikiki Beach", a paradise to which he can escape to once the madness of the current plot of the movie resolves.

Several years ago (late 90s, early 00s) I saw this movie either on TV or VHS. Since then I've tried to remember it, but without success. During a family gathering, my mom recalled seeing the same movie, yet I can't figure it out. She's asked the local library, I've googled till my fingers bled for "ikiki beach" and other similar google-fu phrases. "IMDB" "ikiki" sounds rather unique and straightforward, yet doesn't come up with anything (since I figure if the "ikiki" part were a main plotline, it would be in the movie description field).

thus, I figure the "ikiki" part is a subplot, but of the rest of the movie, I don't know.

I do know that it's not:
The Postman
Waterworld
No Escape

all 3 which sorta fit the feel of the movie I'm thinking about...

anyways... I've been lurking for a while, but it's really this question that finally pushed me to buy a membership :)

thanks for any insight or searching suggestions I could also try to finally solve this mystery that's been harassing my psyche for years now.

posted by johnstein to Media & Arts (21 answers total)

My first thought was Dark City.
posted by xyzzy at 8:56 PM on November 30, 2005

Another vote for Dark City. Even if this isn't the movie you're thinking of it's definitely worth seeing.
posted by sbutler at 8:59 PM on November 30, 2005

Yeah, me too. It's Shell Beach though. Here's the postcard.
posted by vacapinta at 9:00 PM on November 30, 2005

Apologies. I posted the wrong link from my search. Its on this page.
posted by vacapinta at 9:02 PM on November 30, 2005

Response by poster: My roommate (movie-aficionado) told me the same thing when I asked him... that it was Dark City and the beach wasn't waikiki. I've looked at the postcard of shell beach, and it's not torn, nor does it say 'ikiki' anywhere... that's the clincher here... a torn postcard where the 'Wa' in Waikiki is missing...

That's part of the unique-ness since the character mistakenly believes the name is "Ikiki". (and furthermore, why I thought it should be a cinch to find with a quick search)

I used to think I imagined this movie (as my roommate keeps not-so-subtly implying) until my mom (who generally doesn't watch scifi) definitely remembered the torn postcard aspect and said "oh yea. ikiki beach, right?". This leads me to believe that the movie HAS to be mainstream enough for my mom to hav seen it... but all evidence is showing that if this movie *does* exist, it's likely obscure enough to fall below google's radar... or worse... existing only in my head.

btw. I will have to check out Dark City anyways since I've heard a lot about it and surprised I haven't seen it yet :)

thanks
posted by johnstein at 9:18 PM on November 30, 2005

Best answer: I did a Google Image search for "ikiki beach" and got a result for this blog, which seems to indicate the movie you're looking for is Spirit of '76. Does it look right?
posted by Gator at 9:32 PM on November 30, 2005

Gotta be "Dark City".
posted by Radio7 at 9:32 PM on November 30, 2005

Best answer: Could it be Spirit of '76? Haven't seen it, but the description sounds right, and one of the reviews mentions the postcard.
posted by sanko at 9:33 PM on November 30, 2005

The review specifically says that

...as Adam is working on the very ship that will bring him and his companions to the past, he looks longingly at an old, torn postcard with his idea of Paradise and the words "Ikikki Beach". His hearts only desire is to go to "Ikikki Beach", his concept of Paradise."

posted by xyzzy at 9:37 PM on November 30, 2005

Wow that's ridiculous. I must be the tenth person to immediately think Dark City. Sounds like some copying took place.
posted by knave at 9:40 PM on November 30, 2005

Ikikki Beach. Wow, what a difference a single letter makes when you're a-Googlin'.
posted by Gator at 9:53 PM on November 30, 2005

Response by poster: Spirit of 76! that's it! man you all are awesome! barely 40 minutes!

Gator, I actually came across that pic during my GIS, but when I checked out the blog, but since it wasn't a postcard, I guess I dismissed it.

knave, my roommate was VERY adamant it was Dark City too... to the point of accusing me of making it all up ;p but I guess since Dark City is more recent (1998) compared to Spirit of 76 (1990), more people would remember it.

Thanks again gator and sanko (and everyone else too... I'll be getting them both to watch, soon)


and on preview... well. a search for waikiki
comes up with 3,000,000+ hits.
waikikki only has about 300... but then again, if my google-fu was strong enough, I would have tried them both :P
posted by johnstein at 10:07 PM on November 30, 2005

Oh, and the beach in Dark City is called "Shell Beach" -- very definitely *not* "anything-ikikki Beach".
posted by 5MeoCMP at 11:25 PM on November 30, 2005

Wow...isn't Mark Mothersbaugh the guy from Devo and Rushmore?
posted by vito90 at 12:14 AM on December 1, 2005

It really is "Ikiki" in the movie, not "Ikikki." I love that movie, but it is definitely cheese. You have to be a certain age and have a certain sense of humor to enjoy it, I think.
posted by litlnemo at 12:23 AM on December 1, 2005

I thought Dark City immediately, too. Methinks I should watch Spirit of '76 and look for plot point crossover.
posted by bedhead at 12:47 AM on December 1, 2005

As someone who has seen both movies, I assure you they could not be any more different. And the idea of Proyas "stealing" that plot point is hilarious. But both are worth seeing for their own reasons.

Spirit of 76 is a goof, but an entertaining one. A magnetic storm wipes out all recorded history in a typically cold mechanical future, so time travelers are dispatched to 1776 to rediscover history, instead ending up mistakenly in 1976. Yes, hilarity does ensue.
posted by O9scar at 5:44 AM on December 1, 2005

I would have thought (well, I did think) "Dark City," too. Spirit of '76 sounds like something worth watching when I just feel like lying on my couch and not moving (which is to say, I'll have to watch it at some point).
posted by Godbert at 6:35 AM on December 1, 2005

Spirit of 76 soudns exactly like Dark City!

Not.
posted by raedyn at 6:35 AM on December 1, 2005

Jamie Foxx stares longingly at a postcard of a tropical paradise in Collateral. Finally, people are realizing what a rip-off of Dark City that movie was...
posted by Ian A.T. at 10:27 AM on December 1, 2005

Holy Toledo! Carl Reiner made a movie with Devo?!?! Why wasn't I informed?!? (surfs screaming to Netflix)
posted by Eothele at 11:35 AM on December 1, 2005