Please help me find this movie
July 9, 2021 2:23 PM
Hi. I watched part of a movie while channel-surfing many years ago. I neither remember its title nor any of the actors.
I do however seem to recall that it had an intriguing if rather preposterous storyline: a man resembling Hitler is living in an apartment in the US, and takes a perverse pleasure in attempting to convince one of the other tenants that he is actually Hitler. (I don't remember if it's established that this character is someone else indulging in mind games, or if this is an alternate history movie in which this character is actually supposed to be Hitler.) I'm guessing the story is set in the 60s or 70s, though if I had to guess the movie itself was probably made in the 80s or 90s. I know this is rather vague, but if anyone could shed some light on this I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
I do however seem to recall that it had an intriguing if rather preposterous storyline: a man resembling Hitler is living in an apartment in the US, and takes a perverse pleasure in attempting to convince one of the other tenants that he is actually Hitler. (I don't remember if it's established that this character is someone else indulging in mind games, or if this is an alternate history movie in which this character is actually supposed to be Hitler.) I'm guessing the story is set in the 60s or 70s, though if I had to guess the movie itself was probably made in the 80s or 90s. I know this is rather vague, but if anyone could shed some light on this I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
What language was it in? The only thing close that I can think of is Look Who's Back, which is a comedy where Hitler appears in present-day Berlin with no memory of events past 1945 and nobody believes that he is actually Hitler.
You might try browsing through this Letterboxd list. I doubt it really has all of the narrative films with Hitler as a major character, but if you're lucky maybe a poster will jump out at you.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 2:53 PM on July 9, 2021
You might try browsing through this Letterboxd list. I doubt it really has all of the narrative films with Hitler as a major character, but if you're lucky maybe a poster will jump out at you.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 2:53 PM on July 9, 2021
@Whatevernot: I believe this is set in the States, possibly NYC. If memory serves, the other tenant had an unmistakably American accent.
@Forbiddencabinet: English. I don't think it was a comedy, though that comes with the caveat that I only watched a bit of it, and that this was a long time ago.
posted by DavidfromBA at 2:58 PM on July 9, 2021
@Forbiddencabinet: English. I don't think it was a comedy, though that comes with the caveat that I only watched a bit of it, and that this was a long time ago.
posted by DavidfromBA at 2:58 PM on July 9, 2021
P.S. I neglected to mention that this character was getting on in years, reaching the end of Hitler's life expectancy had he not committed suicide and died of natural causes.
posted by DavidfromBA at 3:16 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by DavidfromBA at 3:16 PM on July 9, 2021
Just chiming in to say I also have memories of this movie, and people have called me crazy for describing it and claiming it exists. In my recollection it was Zooey Deschanel or a similar "quirky" actress, and it was in New York City, and other characters in the movie were giving her a hard time for treating Hitler like a human being. But your question prompted me to do ten minutes of Googling and there does not seem to be any record of this film or anything like it. But I'm so happy at least one other person recalls it! At this point I've given up on ever knowing if it was real or if I'm just conflating different memories into something that never was.
posted by seasparrow at 3:31 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by seasparrow at 3:31 PM on July 9, 2021
this character was getting on in years, reaching the end of Hitler's life expectancy had he not committed suicide and died of natural causes
That sounds a lot like Fritz Leiber's Catch That Zeppelin!, in which a cranky old Hitler waits at the airship dock atop the Empire State Building. But as far as I can tell, it was never made into a film.
posted by SPrintF at 3:34 PM on July 9, 2021
That sounds a lot like Fritz Leiber's Catch That Zeppelin!, in which a cranky old Hitler waits at the airship dock atop the Empire State Building. But as far as I can tell, it was never made into a film.
posted by SPrintF at 3:34 PM on July 9, 2021
@Whatevernot: I believe this is set in the States, possibly NYC. If memory serves, the other tenant had an unmistakably American accent.
That wikipedia link about Heil Honey, I’m Home, says all the characters had New York accents, despite it being a British sit com, because it was supposed to be a spoof of American sit coms.
posted by penguin pie at 4:07 PM on July 9, 2021
That wikipedia link about Heil Honey, I’m Home, says all the characters had New York accents, despite it being a British sit com, because it was supposed to be a spoof of American sit coms.
posted by penguin pie at 4:07 PM on July 9, 2021
You can watch the full episode of heil honey I’m home, in case that might be it. I watched just a few seconds and they definitely have American accents.
posted by sillysally at 5:49 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by sillysally at 5:49 PM on July 9, 2021
I'm sorry to say I watched that whole episode out of morbid curiosity and it doesn't appear to match the OP's description.
posted by papayaninja at 6:54 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by papayaninja at 6:54 PM on July 9, 2021
The show "Man Seeking Woman" had a plot where the protag's ex-girlfriend dates an old version of Hitler, sort of hiding in plain sight in hipster NYC I think? And they own a swank condo together and everyone loves him except the protagonist (Jay Baruchel). Could be what seasparrow is thinking of but doesn't quite sound like the original request.
posted by kittensyay at 8:18 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by kittensyay at 8:18 PM on July 9, 2021
Thanks everybody for your feedback. I'll have to check out the links and suggestions you've submitted.
posted by DavidfromBA at 8:36 PM on July 9, 2021
posted by DavidfromBA at 8:36 PM on July 9, 2021
Doesn’t match the full description, but there’s Conversation with the Beast.
posted by tomcooke at 12:35 AM on July 10, 2021
posted by tomcooke at 12:35 AM on July 10, 2021
Any chance you're thinking of Apt Pupil, which came out in 1998 and was based on the Stephen King story of the same name?
The character there is a different famous Nazi war criminal, not Hitler, and I seem to recall that part was heavily implied at least at first, and he took a perverse enjoyment in dropping hints about it while denying it, and then eventually admits it and starts sharing stories more directly.
It's pretty disturbing, definitely not a comedy. The plot involves sexual abuse of the young male neighbor, in case that either jogs your memory or lets you know that you don't want to watch it to find out if it's the right one.
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:38 PM on July 10, 2021
The character there is a different famous Nazi war criminal, not Hitler, and I seem to recall that part was heavily implied at least at first, and he took a perverse enjoyment in dropping hints about it while denying it, and then eventually admits it and starts sharing stories more directly.
It's pretty disturbing, definitely not a comedy. The plot involves sexual abuse of the young male neighbor, in case that either jogs your memory or lets you know that you don't want to watch it to find out if it's the right one.
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:38 PM on July 10, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
"Heil Honey I'm Home! is a British sitcom, written by Geoff Atkinson and produced in 1990, which was cancelled after one episode. It centres on Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, who live next door to a Jewish couple, Arny and Rosa Goldenstein"
Unbelievable that this was made.
posted by whatevernot at 2:45 PM on July 9, 2021