Take a bigger bite from "Delicatessen"

Last evening, CineVerse unwrapped a sumptuous main course: "Delicatessen," a quirky film that defies categorization. For those who wish to better understand the ingredients that make this film so unique and enjoyable, here's a rundown of our discussion talking points:

HOW DOES "DELICATESSEN" DEFY YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND SURPRISE YOU AS A VIEWER?

• When cannibalism is introduced as a subplot/theme, you perhaps expect the movie to delve into dark horror conventions and be more gory and graphic, but it isn't: the film can be very lighthearted and sweet at times
• It's a distinctive study in contrasts, blending romance with horror, laughs with suspense
• It relies more on clever sound design than a proper traditional musical score
• It employs an oversaturated color scheme of earth tones like brown, yellow, green and orange for a unique atmosphere and look
• While the compositions, colors and overall visuals of the movie capture our attention, this is a movie that relies on strong, interesting characters to capture our imaginations
• Tonally, it feels very postmodern, despite its 1950s setting, as if it often attempts to be "weird" for the sake of being weird

IF YOU WERE TO PLACE THIS FILM ON A VIDEO SHELF UNDER A CERTAIN CATEGORY (BESIDES "FOREIGN"), WHAT CATEGORY WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?

• It's hard to classify this film within any specific genre: it works as a comedy, drama, fantasy, horror film, science-fiction movie, and romance

WHAT ARE THE MOVIE'S GREATEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?

• Arguably, it benefits from interesting characters, an intriguing setup and escape plot, and bravura editing and sound design
• It could be criticized for being too disparate in tone and mood, for being "too quirky" and eclectic, and for possibly lacking a predominant theme or "moral to the story."

CAN YOU CONJECTURE ANY INFLUENCES IN FILM OR LITERATURE THAT POSSIBLY INSPIRED "DELICATESSEN"?

• The dystopian, oddly fantastical movies of Terry Gilliam, such as "Brazil" and "Time Bandits"
• The cruel humor of Grimm's fairy tales
• Sweeney Todd and the Danish comedy The Green Butcher (both stories of cannibalism)
• The successful silent comedy and slapstick formula evidenced in films by Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton
• The films of Alfred Hitchcock, also known for their wry black comedy leanings and dark themes without relying on blood or gore
• Mission Impossible
• The works of surrealist masters like Luis Buneul and Salvador Dali, as well as filmmakers Marcel Carne and Jacques Prevert, all of whom the directors of "Delicatessen" cited as influences
• The cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg

OTHER FILMS BY CO-DIRECTORS JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET AND MARC CARO

• The City of Lost Children
• Alien: Resurrection (Jeunet)
• Amelie (Jeunet)
• A Very Long Engagement (Jeunet)