By Velvet Winter

Copyright abc

Heads up fans of The Substance, that satirical body horror has an ancestor in 1988 black comedy Society. High school senior Bill (Billy Warlock) is living a privileged life with his parents in Beverly Hills. Beautiful girlfriend, sports star, never-ending cash — everything is perfect, except for the fact his family and all their wealthy friends are part of a murderous alien death cult (pobody’s nerfect?).

Trashed upon original release due to its over-the-top gore (shout out SFX luminary Screaming Mad George), director Brian Yuzna’s pointed satire on class warfare and the insatiable appetites of the wealthy has only become more relevant over the past 30 years. Inspired by the art of Salvador Dalí, the movie’s final scene is even more gruesome than The Substances’ bloodbath finale — you won’t be able to shake the image of Bill’s family and neighbours “shunting” for a long time.

Where to watch: Brollie

Back in 1970s Australia, there was no TV show more controversial than Number 96. The saucy soap opera concerning the salacious lives of couples living in a Sydney apartment block was even heralded with the tagline “Tonight, Australian television loses its virginity”.

In addition to the titillation, the show also broke incredible ground for LGBTQIA+ representation on TV, including the first gay kiss on Australian TV (years before homosexuality was decriminalised in NSW) and the first transgender TV character Robyn Ross, played by legendary trans cabaret performer Carlotta. Number 96 covered everything from drug addiction, interracial relationships and abortion to S&M relationships. With a whopping 1,218 episodes produced (and more than a few becoming lost media), dip into this trailblazing piece of Australiana while you can.

Where to watch: Brollie

Smoking Causes Coughing

Smoking Causes Coughing is unlike any film you’ve ever seen. Which is not surprising considering it came from the brain of Quentin Dupieux, the French filmmaker who broke into the scene with a movie about a killer tyre. Smoking Causes Coughing is somewhat of an anthology, as we follow the superhero crew Tobacco Force (whose powers extend to killing their foes with a collection of fatal cigarette smoke) to a cohesion retreat after an embarrassing loss to a giant turtle creature.

The team teases out a selection of surreal stories around a campfire that range from silly to immensely silly, with some garish gore thrown in for good measure. Fans of provocateurs like Monty Python will find themselves giddy at Dupieux’s commitment to immaturity.

Where to watch: Brollie