Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of Sodoma

The film follows taciturn detective Lipton Cockton in a near future where victims are literally blown apart under mysterious circumstances. Cockton traces a peculiar clue, a white halter dress identical to Marilyn Monroe's outfit in The Seven Year Itch, and that lead steers him toward the executive ranks of a vast corporate entity called LTD Prods. As he pushes through layers of secrecy, bureaucratic indifference, and strange encounters with a female detective and other eccentric characters, the investigation becomes increasingly surreal and violent. Cockton keeps trying to connect the dots, yet the story never spares him from escalating danger or absurd, explosive consequences. The tone shifts between noir tropes and offbeat science fiction, blending dark humor with grim worldbuilding.

Released in 1995, the film is credited to Jari Halonen, Kai Raumonen and Jorma Tommila, who originated the concept and screenplay. Its production leaned into underground Finnish genre filmmaking, mixing sci fi aesthetics with gritty practical effects and theatrical performances.

There are no widely reported box office figures for Lipton Cockton, and the film did not register a major commercial profile outside niche festival screenings. Its audience remained small, composed of fans of offbeat European science fiction and cult cinema.

One of the film's most memorable images is the white halter dress motif, which links the murders to popular cinematic iconography and gives the movie a jarring, uncanny edge. Its blend of pulp violence and theatrical absurdity has made it a reference point for niche discussions of Finnish genre oddities.

Critical reaction was mixed to negative, reflected in low audience scores and an average rating under five out of ten on some databases. The film tackles themes of corporate control, identity, and media spectacle, wrapping them in pulp noir, absurdist humor and graphic, explosive set pieces which often divide viewers.