366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

IN THEATERS (WIDE RELEASE):

Cats (2019): The holiday blockbuster the Internet has been dreading, a big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” T.S. Eliot’s volume of light verse. “It’s weird, and queer, and deliberately fetishistic, and you’ve never seen anything like it before… even if what you’re seeing should never touch human eyes,” says The Spool’s Clint Worthington. Cats official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT: PRE-PRODUCTION:

The Hawkline Monster (202?): For decades, Hal Ashby, and later Tim Burton, sought to adapt Richard Brautigan’s “The Hawkline Monster,” a “Gothic Western” novel about gunslingers sent on a mission to kill a monster that lives in Miss Hawkline’s basement. Regency Pictures has now acquired the rights and is giving it another go. The big news is that Yorgos Lanthimos is in negotiations to direct. Even though The Favorite was a huge step backwards (in terms of weirdness) for the Greek director, this one could be promising. More information at Variety.

IN DEVELOPMENT: POST-PRODUCTION:

Sister Tempest (2020): Joe Badon strikes again with another crowdfunded surrealist epic. This one is a psychological thriller-type tale taking place in a dreamspace equally inspired by Jodorowsky and Zardoz. We can 100% guarantee this will be weird; it’s now looking for $6,000 in post-production funds. Sister Tempest at Indiegogo.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

“Boogiepop Phantom”: Mind-bending 12-episode anime about a mysterious angel of death. The series was written by Satoshi Kon collaborator Sadayuki Murai and recommended to us by 366 reader Chie. On Blu-ray from a distributor called “Right Stuf.” Buy “Boogiepop Phantom”.

The Lighthouse (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ apocrypha candidate review! VOD purchases of Robert Eggers‘ claustrophobic two-handed horror start today, with physical media dropping the first week of January. Buy The Lighthouse.

Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018): Read our review. Gan Bi‘s Tarkovskian drama about a man’s dreamlike search for a lost woman has been available on DVD and VOD (and Kanopy); here it is on Blu-ray (with a second 3D Blu-ray disk so you can see it as originally filmed—if you have the equipment). Will not ship by Christmas. Buy Long Day’s Journey into Night.

NEW ON NETFLIX:

“Twice Upon a Time” [“Il était une seconde fois”] (2019): A man finds a mysterious box that allows him to travel back in time to a date before his girlfriend broke up with him. Uncertain weirdness, but “TV Guide” suggests this is a “Charlie Kaufman-esque conceit,” so this four-episode French miniseries many be worth taking a flier on. “Twice Upon a Time” on Netflix.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We’ll only list irregularly scheduled one-time screenings of this audience-participation classic below. You can use this page to find a regular weekly screening near you.

• New York City, NY
  • IFC Center
    • Spirited Away (2001)  (12/20-21, 23-25)
    • Eraserhead (1977) – (12/20 & 12/21) (midnights)
• Oakland, CA
  • The New Parkway – Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (12/20, 22-23, 25-26)
• Pittsburgh, PA
  • Row House Cinema – Night of the Hunter (1955) (12/26)
• San Francisco, CA
  • The Castro – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) with Batman Returns (1992) (double feature) (12/21)
  • The Roxie
    • Spirited Away (2001) (12/20-21)
    • Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983) (12/25)
• Washington, DC
  • Smoke & Barrel – “Danger 5: Series 2” + Fantastic Planet [La Planète Sauvage] (1973) (double feature) (12/23)

FREE MOVIES ON TUBI.TV:

Blue Velvet (1986): Read the Canonically Weird entry! David Lynch‘s most accessible weird movie is a tale of severed ears, sex slavery, and spontaneous bordello karaoke. Now listed as “leaving soon” on Tubi. Watch Blue Velvet free on tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: We’ll have a slight slate for the upcoming holiday week: all we promise is a review of the odd Colombian teen-soldier drama Monos, although we may throw something else your way as a surprise gift. We’ll be taking some time off as we prep for a year-end festivities the following week. So keep Christmas weird and enjoy your day(s) off. Onward and weirdward!

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

FILM FESTIVALS – Sundance Film Festival (Park City, UT, Jan 23-Feb 2):

The 2020 movie season will officially kick off with Sundance, where a hundred hopeful independent movies, including a few off-the-wall ones, come to vie for a handful of distribution contracts. In recent years, Sundance added the “Next” and “Midnight” screening sections to add some weirdness to the otherwise tame lineup of dramas about privileged white people and their problems. There is usually at least one memorably strange film that sneaks by the screeners: 2019 brought us the Groundhogian grief nightmare Koko-di, Koko-da. Of the recently announced titles (full list via Variety), here are the few we’ll be keeping our eyes on:

• The Nowhere Inn – Singer St. Vincent creates a fictional documentary described as “distorted and bizarre” and slated for the Midnight category.
• Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia – Portmanteau feature centered around a Miami speedboat; it counts Swiss Army Man directing team Daniels among the contributors.
• Wendy – Benh Zeitlin‘s second feature film comes 8 years after Beasts of the Southern Wild; it’s a retelling of Peter Pan set in Neverland and told from Wendy’s perspective.

Sundance Film Festival official site.

CROWDFUNDING:

“Sick ‘n’ Wrong Film Festival”: This is the first time we’ve ever seen a crowdfunding campaign for a film festival, but it’s a worthy one. This small Orlando festival “delirious celebration of cinematic weirdness” (mostly shorts) that’s been running for four years now and is looking for a fifth in May 2020. At the time of this writing the campaign had raised just over a thousand dollars; it runs for almost another three weeks. Perks include t-shirts, totes, hats, pins and ads. “Sick ‘n’ Wrong Film Festival” on indiegogo.

What is Sick ’n’ Wrong? from Stephen Stull on Vimeo

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

The Death of Dick Long (2019): Bandmates try to cover up the demise of the title character in this offering from Swiss Army Man‘s Daniel Scheinert. Beware spoilers for this bizarre black comedy. DVD, Blu-ray or VOD. Buy The Death of Dick Long.

Freaks (2018): Read Giles Edwards’ review. “A thinking man’s X-Men movie,” now out on DVD, Blu-ray or VOD. Buy Freaks.

The Limits of Control (2009): Read our review. Arrow Academy gathers together new and archival material for this Blu-ray Special Edition of Jim Jarmusch‘s odd, inconclusive anti-thriller. Buy The Limits of Control.

Millennium Actress (2001): Read the Certified Weird entry! This DVD/Blu-ray combo pack from Shout! Factory surprisingly marks the first time Satoshi Kon‘s retrospective of Japanese cinema seen through the eyes of a dying actress has been released to Blu-ray. It’s also a new restoration. Buy Millennium Actress.

Monos (2019): Enigmatic Colombian film about a purposeless group of soldiers camped in a fog-shrouded jungle, often compared to Apocalypse Now. Neon releases it to VOD (the Blu-ray has been delayed for a couple of weeks) with little fanfare, but we’re excited to finally see it. Buy or rent Monos.

The Peanut Butter Solution (1985): Read our review. This bizarro Canadian kiddie flick about a boy who loses his hair after being frightened by ghosts finally makes it to DVD, Blu-ray and VOD, thanks to the good folks at Severin Films. (Per Amazon’s delivery times, Blu-rays ordered today may not arrive by Christmas, though DVDs might make it.) Buy The Peanut Butter Solution.

The Sore Losers (1997): An alien sent to the American south to complete a killing spree hooks up with some delinquents and inadvertently messes up his kill count. Unclassifiable punk/rockablilly/trash/surrealism feature from Memphis’ own Mike McCarthy, in a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD/soundtrack CD set. Only available directly from the director. Get your ordering instructions at the Sore Losers official Facebook page.

“Twin Peaks: From Z to A”: There have been a lot of repackagings of “Twin Peaks” over the years, but this may be the ultimate set. The original series, Fire Walk with Me (1992) (with deleted scenes), “The Return,” and new behind-the-scenes featurettes, spread across twenty-one Blu-rays, in an innovative box that turns into a “red room display.” Buy “Twin Peaks: from Z to A”.

Until the End of the World (1991): Wim Wenders‘ apocalyptic road movie includes a subplot about a machine that can make the blind see and bring dreams to life; too bad the world’s about to end. The movie flopped in the two-and-a-half hour cut released to cinemas, but here it is in all of its almost five-hour long glory, courtesy of Criterion on two Blu-rays or three DVDs. Buy Until the End of the World.

Viy (1967): Read our review. The masterpiece of Soviet horror, from a Gogol story about a seminarian who must pray over a witch’s corpse, finally gets a decent DVD and Blu-ray release, courtesy of Severin. Buy Viy.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We’ll only list irregularly scheduled one-time screenings of this audience-participation classic below. You can use this page to find a regular weekly screening near you.

• Austin, TX
  • Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar) – Santa Claus (1959) (12/18).
• Los Angeles, CA
  • The Egyptian
    • Being John Malkovich (1999), with Three Kings (1999) (double feature) (12/14)
    • Brazil (1985), with Things to Come (1936) (double feature) (12/19)
• New York City, NY
  • IFC Center – Eraserhead (1977) (12/13-14, midnights)
  • The Quad – Orpheus (1950) (12/18)
• Oakland, CA
  • The New Parkway – Time Bandits (1981) (12/15)
• Santa Ana, CA
  • The Frida – Desperate Living (1977) (12/18-19)
• Washington, DC
  • Smoke & Barrel – “Aryaman: Warrior of the Universe” (short) with Sita Sings the Blues (2008) (12/16)

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

The Teenage Tasteless Tourist Tape (2019): Got an hour to spend on some no-budget experimental cinema? The director of The Teenage Tasteless Tourist Tape (below) explains this one is “supposed to be watched alone in the middle of the night, not knowing what the hell this is.” I bet he wouldn’t be upset if you watched it during the day.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: Have you bought your copy of the 2019 Yearbook yet? No? Just here for the free content? That’s fine. Next week we’ll alert you to a couple more pieces of odd culture you may not be aware of: Canada’s “Paul Anthony’s Talent Time” (at least, the episodes that are available to Americans via Amazon Prime) and Chinese mystic Gan Bi‘s latest technical marvel, Long Day’s Journey into Night. But if you’re looking for a last minute stocking stuffer, there’s still time to order a copy of that Yearbook… Onward and weirdward!

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Daniel Isn’t Real (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ review. We also have an audio interview with director Adam Egypt Mortimer about this psychological horror about a grown man and his evil imaginary friend. Daniel Isn’t Real official site.

In Fabric (2018): Peter Strickland‘s latest is a surreal horror about a haunted dress. We’ve been waiting for this one to debut in theaters for quite a while; the fact that it was picked up by A24 only stokes our enthusiasm. In Fabric official site.

Knives and Skin (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ festival note. A Twin Peaks-ey tale about “emotional idiots” (Giles’ words) in the aftermath of a student’s disappearance. Knives and Skin official site.

The Wolf Hour (2019): An agoraphobic writer (Naomi Watts) suffers in her apartment while the Son of Sam terrorizes the city outside. Mixed reviews, but Jeannette Catsoulis did call it a “punishingly theatrical experiment that teeters on the verge of surreality.” The Wolf Hour official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-publication):

“Antkind”: Not a movie (at least, not yet) but a novel: Charlie Kaufman‘s fiction debut (yes, he’d never written a novel) will be published in May 2020 by Random House. It’s about a failed film critic (not based on anyone here, to our knowledge) who discovers a lost masterpiece that might make his career—the problem being, he’s the only living person who’s seen it and, except for a single surviving still, the print has been destroyed. Kaufman’s editor described it as a “mind-bending opus.” We’re sure it will be viewed as a masterpiece on whatever planet it was written. Visit Penguin/Random House for more info on “Antkind.”

IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-production):

Twilight Park (202?): We can’t really tell you too much about this upcoming project from stop-motion animator Eric Leiser, except that the concept art looks fascinating and surreal. The footage below is to be incorporated into the finished production; that might get you excited. Twilight Park official Facebook page.

Little Band of Sailors from Eric Leiser on Vimeo.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

She (1984): Goofy post-Conan post-apocalyptic b-movie starring Sandahl Bergman as leader of a band of wasteland Amazons. Features a giant in a tutu and other vintage 80s nuttiness. A “special edition” DVD or Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. Buy She.

Slaughterhouse Five (1972): Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time… Adaptations of Kurt Vonnegut novels have seldom fared well either with critics or audiences, but this may be the exception. A typically packed Blu-ray from Arrow Video. Buy Slaughterhouse-Five.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We’ll only list irregularly scheduled one-time screenings of this audience-participation classic below. You can use this page to find a regular weekly screening near you.

• Bloomington, IN
  • Indiana University Cinema – Under the Skin (2013) (12/7)
• Boston, MA
  • Coolidge Corner – Suspiria (1977) (12/7, midnight)
  • Museum of Fine Arts – Barton Fink (1991) (12/8, 11)
• Houston, TX
  • The River Oaks – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) (12/6-7, midnights)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  • Uptown Theatre – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) (12/6-7, midnights)
• New York City, NY
  • IFC Center
    • Eraserhead (1977) (12/6-7, midnights)
    • Night of the Hunter (1955) (12/6-7, midnights)
  • Museum of Modern Art – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (12/6)
  • The Roxy – Wild at Heart (1990) (12/7)
• Oakland, CA
  • The New Parkway
    • Spirited Away (2001) (12/7-9, 11)
    • Twelve Monkeys (1995) (12/8)
• Toronto, ON
  • The Royal – Solaris [Solyaris] (1972) (12/7)
• Washington, DC
  • Smoke & Barrel – Singapore Sling (1990), with “Ulysses 31” (short) (12/9)

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: In the unlikely case you missed the news, we just got the 366 Weird Movies 2019 Yearbook out onto the shelves. Proofing and formatting that tome—along with fitting in late 2019 releases at the last minute—has taken up most of our time and energy this month, which has left us with little in the tank. For that reason, we’re only promising one review for you next week: a report on Matthew Barney’s Redoubt, now touring select locations. We may slip something else in, of course, but no promises. We should be returning to a normal schedule of two or three reviews per week, but in the meantime we encourage you to buy a copy of that Yearbook to stave off any weird movie review withdrawal symptoms.

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Away (2019): Dreamlike animated tale of a boy and his motorcycle trapped on a mysterious island and pursued by a monster. Amazingly, this was hand-drawn and scored by a single person, Latvian Gints Zilbalodis. Away official site.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

CoinCoin and the Extra Humans (2018): Read our review. Kino Lorber puts out Bruno Dumont‘s equally absurd followup to Lil Quinquin on DVD or Blu-ray (no streaming option yet). Buy CoinCoin and the Extra-Humans.

Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018): No relation to the Eugene O’Neill play; this Gan Bi joint is the dreamlike tale of a man seeking a lost love, with a final hour that is actually one amazingly long and detailed tracking shot. On VOD now, with DVD and Blu-rays to follow in mid-December. Buy Long Day’s Journey into Night.

The Machine Girl: Jacked! Definitive Decade One (2008): A schoolgirl is outfitted with a Gatling gun arm to seek revenge on yakuza bullies in this typically excessive and absurd Noboru Iguchi splatterpunk spectacle. Media Blasters puts out a 10th anniversary edition (two DVDs or one Blu-ray) jacked with almost two hours (!) of extra features. Buy The Machine Girl: Jacked! Definitive Decade One.

Nutcracker Fantasy (1979): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. Discotek upgrades their DVD of this bizarro Rankin-Bass-meets-Tchaikovsky-meets-Japan holiday special to Blu-ray. Buy Nutcracker Fantasy.

Tammy and the T-Rex (1994): A mad scientist implants Tammy’s dead boyfriend’s brain into a Tyrannosaurus rex. This new release restores the gore that was cut from the original to qualify it for a PG-13 rating. Comes in your choice of a DVD/Blu-ray or Blu-ray/HD combo. These limited editions must be purchased directly from Vinegar Syndrome (a regular commercial release should follow).

NEW ON NETFLIX:

I Lost My Body (2019): Animated French film about a disembodied hand. One of our most anticipated releases of the year drops exclusively on Netflix today. I Lost My Body on Netflix.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We’ll only list irregularly scheduled one-time screenings of this audience-participation classic below. You can use this page to find a regular weekly screening near you.

• Columbus, OH
  • Gateway Film Center – Akira (1988) (11/29, midnight)
• Kansas City, MO
  • Screenland (Tapcade) – Dark City (1998) (12/4)
• Los Angeles, CA
  • The New Beverly
    • Mulholland Drive (2001) (11/30, midnight)
    • Night of the Hunter (1955) (12/4)
  • The Nuart – Santa Sangre (1989) (11/29, midnight)
• New York City, NY
  • IFC Center
    • A Clockwork Orange (1971) (11/29-30) (midnights)
    • Suspiria (1977) (11/29-30) (midnights)
    • Night of the Hunter (1955) (11/30-12/2)
  • Lincoln Center – Save the Green Planet! (2003) (12/3)
  • Museum of Modern Art – Pi (1998) (12/3)
  • The Quad – Pink Flamingos (1972) (11/29, 12/1)
  • The Roxy
    • Vampire’s Kiss (1988) (11/29-30)
    • Wild at Heart (1990) (12/5)
• Oakland, CA
  • The New Parkway – Eraserhead (1977) (11/29)
• Pittsburgh, PA
  • Row House Cinema
    • Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (11/29-12/5)
    • Spirited Away (2001) (11/29-12/5)
• Portland, OR
  • The Hollywood – Metropolis (1927) (11/30)
• Santa Ana, CA
  • The Frida – Santa Sangre (1989) (11/29-12/1)
• Schenectady, NY
  • Proctor’s Theatre – Night of the Hunter (1955) (11/29-30)
• Toronto, ON
  • The Royal
    • Solaris [Solyaris] (1972) (12/1)
    • Audition [Ôdishon] (1999) (12/4)
• Vancouver, BC
  • The Rio – House [Hausu] (1977) (11/29, midnight)

NEPOTISM CORNER:

“Dead Wait”: Hardworking shorts czar Cameron Jorgensen is also a bassist in the SLC band Visitors, and is now moonlighting further producing videos for other bands. Last week he dropped a couple of ‘Tubes for Gloe: the single “Dead Wait” (embedded below) and a 20-minute visual EP for “Vol. None” (which includes a warning for epileptics) for spinoff project Gloamie. Please give ’em both a “thumbs up” if you like Cam’s work.

And—we’ll have a bigger announcement later when the print edition is ready, but if you just can’t wait, the Kindle version of the 2019 Weird Movies Yearbook just came out today. More next week.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: Between the holidays and formatting/proofing the 2019 Yearbook, we’ve been pretty busy, but next week we’ll still drop a couple of short reviews of recent releases: look for our takes on the modern queer giallo Knife + Heart and the animated biopic Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles. Onward and weirdward!

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.