"Yesterday we got out of the inhuman urban area. That's why I think this sickness will soon better itself. Our surrounding has gotten a lot prettier too. now it all depends on me having enough strength."
— Father
The Crazy Family is a 1984 film directed by Sogo Ishii. The story focuses on a family of 4 who have moved into a new house and who come to adjust to their new surroundings. Unfortunately, it turns out that the family is insane and soon their conflicting personalities begin to cause chaos, especially after their grandfather moves in. The father takes it upon himself to keep them away from an asylum and take care of them himself... by any means necessary.
The movie is something of a cult film, as is much of Sogo Ishii's filmography. It is on Kinema Junpo's list of the Greatest Japanese Films [1]
Tropes buried under the house include (SPOILERS ahead!):
- Axe Before Entering: The father with the drill into the daughter's room.
- Bored with Insanity: After the battle-royale sequence, the characters settle back into a family again.
- Cabin Fever: The father believes the old house caused this, but with the arrival of the grandfather, things become cramped again.
- Doom It Yourself: After the father digs a significant hole in the middle of the living room, he hits a white ant nest.
- And later on a water main.
- Evil Costume Switch: The grandfather seems to acquire some bad values after putting on his old WW2 uniform.
- Explosion Propulsion: When the TV sparks and lights a gas leak, it blows back the whole family throughout the house.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: When the son after extinguishing a fire near a gas leak throws the extinguisher at the father which hits the TV, sparks, and ignites the gas.
- The Immodest Orgasm: Averted. The father hears strange noises from the daughter's room, but it turns out she is doing acting exercises.
- Improvised Armour: The whole family scrambles after the father goes nuts but particularly the mother with strapped objects and a Bucket Helmet.
- Kawaiiko: The daughter, who speaks in an overly "cute" voice and desires to be an Idol Singer.
- Mouthy Kid: The son towards the father... the father actually becomes scared of bothering him.
- Only Sane Man: The father believes he is, it turns out everyone thinks only they are sane.
- Sanity Slippage: The father loses his Mask of Sanity pretty quickly when he decides to dig a basement in the middle of the living room.
- Take a Third Option: When the grandfather decides to leave, the father - failing to convince the rest of his family to let him stay - decides to dig a basement for him in the middle of the living room.Grandfather:Yes! That's the way to victory! That's your best idea up to now!
- Workaholic: The son, who seems to spend every hour of every day studying for University entrance exams, to the point of insanity.
- The daughter perhaps as well, who is committed to practicing for a future acting and singing career.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: The mother does a striptease for the grandfather and his elderly friends (of all genders) while the father protests.
