[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

FISH OUT OF WATER FILMS

1. Withnail & I – included for the "We've come on holiday by mistake" section of the film in which the two titular characters are out of place in the Lake District.
2. Some like It Hot – one of the greatest comedies and extremely funny because of Tony Curtis' impression of Cary Grant,the wonderful blend of slapstick and wordplay.
3. North by Northwest – speaking of Cary Grant, with him playing an advertising executive thrust into the world of international espionage.
4. The Wicker Man – Sgt Howie is in a completely alien environment, one that doesn't recognise his authority as a policeman, believes in the reincarnation of people as animals, and treats his religion as a curiosity. The reason for him being in this strange location seems straightforward at the beginning, but once his presence on the island is fully explained, the terror is probable.
5. The Gold Rush – a bit different, but Chaplin's classic is about a down on his luck Tramp who really has no business in the snowy wilderness with hard and miners.
6. Army of Darkness – deserving of its place on my list for many reasons including lines like "This is my broomstick" and the confusion over how exactly to say "Klaatu Barada Nikto"
7. The Third Man – perhaps the greatest British film ever made and one where Joseph Cotten is a great fish out of water in post-war Vienna, with the city alien ageing him as much as the military and those who know his mysterious friend, Harry Lime.
8. Splash – I adore this delightful romantic comedy with star turns from Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and John Candy and it comes closer than any other on the list to literally being a film about a fish out of water!
9. Back to the Future – only the second time travel film on my list and another which introduces comedy by accentuated of the main character's knowledge of the future though, this time, determined not to interfere with anything in a way which jeopardises his own existence. The performances, soundtrack, dialogue and direction are all great.
10. Barton Fink – a superb film by the Coen brothers which often seems to fly under the radar, the nightmarish imagery and wonderful performances by John Turturro and John Goodman, with Turturro's book-ish playwright thrust into a hell of writer's block and murder.