Popeye

Starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall, Popeye adapts E. C. Segar’s comic strip, following the adventures of the strong-armed sailor and spinach lover who arrives in the chaotic town of Sweethaven in search of his missing father. Structured as a musical, it features original songs by Harry Nilsson, an icon of American pop from the 1960s and 1970s. Although it divided opinions upon its release, the film eventually achieved cult status thanks to its radical approach within the context of studio cinema. Paul Thomas Anderson, who counts it among his favorite films, used the song “He Needs Me” in Punch-Drunk Love.