Movie title?

December 1, 2007 12:31 PM

What was this late '70's / early 80's movie called - it was about blonde siblings in what turned out to be an incestuous relationship

I can recall having watched an interesting, if 'culty' movie in the early 1980's. The film may have been made in the late 1970's. I saw it on late night TV (City TV? in Toronto, at the time, that is most likely). I cannot recall the title, which is my mission (and yours, should you choose to accept it).

I can't remember too many details except that it had two main characters, a brother and a sister (though there may have been some gender ambiguity about one or both). These characters were blonde, and prone to wearing black leather straps. At the end of the movie, there was a shocking revelation about the gender, or perhaps sibling status of one of the couple. And that's about all I can remember. It may have been a European production.

I believe the film consisted of the adventures of these two, maybe they went to night clubs, or even sex clubs. It had a kind of 80's cult feel, Videodrome, Liquid Sky as vague examples of the feel and production values.

I realize this is pretty scant info, I'm pretty sure I would recognize the thing from a screen shot, or even a vhs tape cover. I appreciate any effort expended in this quest.

posted by not_that_epiphanius to media & arts (10 comments total)

I was going to say Flowers in the Attic, but since they never left the attic to go to sex clubs, probably not.
posted by clh at 12:46 PM on December 1, 2007

The Hunger?
posted by growabrain at 12:52 PM on December 1, 2007

I can think of two pictures: Invitation au Voyage, and Berlin Alexanderplatz; the latter was originally a TV miniseries, but I remember some art houses featured it. Both pictures were New Wave updates on the characters Siegfried and Sieglinde from Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Invitation, from France, featured the brother and sister as brunettes: there was a recurrent theme of driving along the countryside with a cello case tied to the luggage rack. Berlin had the pair in blond, in costumes appropriate to the opera...though, in a comic aside, Fassbinder included an anachronistic aside where the duo grow bored during the main character's soliloquy and decide to play cards.
posted by Smart Dalek at 1:03 PM on December 1, 2007

The Dreamers?
posted by infinityjinx at 1:05 PM on December 1, 2007

Whoops...revised link
posted by infinityjinx at 1:06 PM on December 1, 2007

Possibly Cat People.
posted by iconomy at 1:29 PM on December 1, 2007

Wow, you all rock.

"No" to Cat People and The Hunger, both films from the era which I enjoyed very much. I confess I did not have the stamina for all of Berlin Alexanderplatz, but have seen bits of
it.

Most likely by far is Invitation au Voyage. I will do further research on this one and confirm or deny if possible. The story fits to a large extent, though I remember blondes. I think I remember being shocked when it was revealed at the end that one of the characters turned out to have a dick.

Again thanks, and at least I now have another film to track down (Invitation...). I'm still open to suggestions for this one.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 1:56 PM on December 1, 2007

Angels & Insects (1995)
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:12 PM on December 1, 2007

Goodbye Gemini? I haven't actually seen the whole thing (it was one of those movies that my parents switched off after a little while) but it has a pair of fair twins and lots of freaky stuff.
posted by andraste at 12:17 AM on December 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

Andraste - thank-you! This almost has to be it! I'll have to see it to be sure, and that preject looks a bit challenging.

Angels and Insects I remember very well, and has some of the elements I described, but I did watch the one I'm after in the early 80's (could have been '79).

Again, thanks one and all - I have a couple of movies to track down now.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 2:42 PM on December 2, 2007