Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…

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

FILM FESTIVALS – Ithaka Fantastik Festival (Ithaka, NY 11/3-11/12):

For a film festival that’s held in the middle of nowhere—apologies to Cornell grads if that sounds like a slight—Ithaka Fantastik has assembled a fine slate of arty genre films. Most of them are second-runs (or, if you prefer, “best ofs”) from Fantasia or Fantastic Fest: we recognized The Endless, Vidar the Vampire (screening here as Vampyr Vidar), Let the Corpses Tan, November, Top Knot Detective, Lowlife, and Sequence Break. We did note one brand new title of interest:

• Snowflake – Hired assassins in Berlin fight over a magical screenplay that allows them to rewrite the story as they go. Screens Nov. 10.
  

There will also be a screening of the restored Suspiria and, more impressively, a concert version of Jean Cocteau‘s 1930 Surrealist experiment Blood of a Poet, with a new live score performed by Anna Coogan.

Ithaka Fantastik Festival home page.

NEW ON DVD:

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016): It sounds like a starting point for a Guy Maddin movie: 500 silent films are discovered in a vault under a hockey rink in a town near the Arctic Circle. This is more of a straight documentary than the cinematic poems Bill Morrison is best known for, but it still promises to uncover amazing oeneric images from the past. Buy Dawson City: Frozen Time

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016): See description in DVD above. Buy Dawson City: Frozen Time [Blu-ray].

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Columbus, OH, 11/7-11/9 – El Topo (1970). At Gateway Film Center.
• Ithaka, NY, 11/9 – Suspiria (1977). Part of the Ithaka Fantastic Festival.
• Los Angeles, CA, 11/3 (midnight) – Akira (1988). At the Nuart Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 11/7 – Donnie Darko (2001) with Nightcrawler (2014), introduced by Jake Gyllenhaal. At the Aero Theater.
• New York City, NY, 11/3 (midnight) – Night Train to Terror (1985). At the Spectacle Theater.
• New York City, 11/3-11/4 (midnights) – El Topo (1970). At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• New York City, 11/5 – Shock Corridor (1963). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, 11/8 – Barton Fink (1991). At the Museum of Modern Art.
• Silver Spring, MD, 11/3-11/9 – Suspiria (1977). At the AFI Silver Theater.
• Tuscon, AZ, 11/3-11/4 – Repo Man (1984). At the Loft Cinema.
• Tuscon, AZ, 11/6 – Blood Diner (1987). At the Loft Cinema.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 11/3 – Videodrome (1983). At the Rio Theater.

YOU CITE US! YOU REALLY CITE US!:

“Science Fiction Double Feature: The Science Fiction Film as Cult Text” – Students using this text to study science fiction films may note our Zardoz review is cited in support of the proposition that “some found the film’s subversive narrative an effective commentary on the culture of the time and a somewhat visionary, if ‘weird,’ sci-fi film that broke away from conventional morality…” Cool, but not as cool as the following citation in

“Graph Embedding for Pattern Analysis” – Here, the List is used to identify “‘horizontal anomalies’ based on the list of weirdest movies…” The resulting HOAD score outperforms the baseline algorithm, just as we might have predicted, if we had the slightest idea what the authors were talking about. Still, we’re proud of our small role in refining new algorithms for pattern analysis. That’s why we started this project, after all.

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

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…

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

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Mansfield 66/67 (2017): Read our review. Catch this campy experimental documentary about the relationship between blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield and Satanist huckster Anton LaVey this week in LA, with limited screenings across the country to follow. Mansfield 66/67 official site.

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND EXCLUSIVES:

Blood Dynasty (2017): A lesbian vampire haunts a woman in a motel. The third in a series of minimalist “Irina” films (we haven’t seen the other two) heavily influenced by the erotic vampire films of Jean Rollin  and Jess Franco. Rent Blood Dynasty.

FILM FESTIVALS – Video Nasty Film Festival (Seattle, WA, Oct. 29):

Disclaimer: Gregory J. Smalley served as a judge for this event. That said, he can give you a solid firsthand recommendation: although all of the selected shorts are watchable (with varying levels of “nastyness”), C.J. Gardella’s “Elegy” is the most promising gem here, a Kubrickian 20-minute surreal horror featuring a drowned corpse that should weird you out just in time for Halloween. Video Nasty festival at Film Freeway.

NEW ON DVD:

Castle in the Sky (1986): Read our review. GKIDS continues its Studio Ghibli re-release schedule with this flying machine fantasy from crossover anime master Hayao Miyazaki. Buy Castle in the Sky.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Castle in the Sky (1986): See description in DVD above. Buy Castle in the Sky [Blu-ray].

DVR ALERT!:

Turner Classic Movies: TCM’s October lineup includes several Certified Weird features, screened commercial-free. This week, the silent Satanic semi-doc Häxan (1922) gets its slot at the witching hour, midnight Eastern Standard Time (Oct 29 into Oct 30). For lots of other horror offerings of less Certified weird interest, check your local listings or see the entire schedule at Thought Catalog.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Lexington, KY, 10/29-31 – Suspiria (1977). At the Kentucky Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 10/28 – The Tingler (1959) with Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977). Also playing: An American Werewolf in London (1981), Popcorn (1991), Hack-O-Lantern (1988), Shocker (1989), Brain Scan (1998). Part of the “All-Night Horrorthon.” Standby tickets only. At the Aero Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 10/31 – Carnival of Souls (1962). With Candace Hilligoss in attendance. At the Aero Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 11/1 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999) & The City of Lost Children [La cité des enfants perdus] (1995). Double feature with Takashi Miike in attendance. At the Egyptian Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 11/2 – The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) & Visitor Q (2001). Double feature with Takashi Miike in attendance. At the Egyptian Theater.
• New York City, NY, 10/27 – Suspiria (1977), with “dance installation.” At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 10/27 (midnight) – Evil Dead II (1987). At Nitehawk Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 10/28 – Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 10/30 – Nosferatu (1922), with live score by Tenth Intervention. At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• Oakland, CA, 10/27 – Phantom of the Paradise (1974). At the New Parkway Theater.
• Oakland, CA, 10/28 – Evil Dead II (1987). At the New Parkway Theater.
• Oakland, CA, 10/29 – Nosferatu (1922). At the New Parkway Theater.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/27-31 – Evil Dead II (1987). At Row House Cinema.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/27-31 – Suspiria (1977). At Row House Cinema.
• Silver Spring, MD, 10/27 – Nosferatu (1922). With live musical accompaniment by Andrew Simpson. At AFI Silver Theater.
• Silver Spring, MD, 10/27-28, 30-31 – Suspiria (1977). At AFI Silver Theater.
• Silver Spring, MD, 10/28 (midnight), 10/29-11/1 – Phantasm (1979). At AFI Silver Theater.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 10/30 – Phantom of the Paradise (1974) triple feature with Carrie (1976) and Halloween (1978). At the Rio Theater.

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

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…

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

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017): Giorgos Lanthimos‘ latest reunites him with The Lobster‘s Colin Farrell, playing a cardiologist who befriends a 16-year old boy. Much anticipated, and finally here (well, at least it’s in selected U.S. cities). The Killing of a Sacred Deer official site.

Never Here (2017): An artist whose work violates others’ privacy finds herself pretending to be a witness to a murder while slowly losing her mind. Reviews were mixed but generally positive, and the poster describes it as “Lynchian,” but the main press coverage has revolved around the fact that it’s the last film appearance for the late Sam Shepard. No official site found.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Chained for Life (est. 2018): The title is a reference to (although not a remake of) a 1952 exploitation film starring conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton (who also appeared in Freaks). We found this one in a casting call listing looking for female twins, a giant, a dwarf, an amputee, and an actor with Down syndrome. The listing explains it’s about “freaks” cast in a movie who “swipe the film’s camera equipment after-hours and make their own film.” Sounds like an exploitation-era throwback, but we note it’s the upcoming sophomore feature of Aaron Schimberg, whose praised but little-seen debut Go Down Death earned comparisons to the work of Guy Maddin. Chained for Life casting call (closed) at Backstage.

NEW ON DVD:

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): Read the Certified Weird entry! GKIDS acquired the license to all of Hayao Miyazaki‘s films from Disney and is re-releasing this steampunk/fantasy along with a number of others this week. Buy Howl’s Moving Castle [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): A teenage witch starts her own delivery-by-broomstick service. Part of GKIDS’ wave of Miyaki reissues (see also Howl’s Moving Castle). Buy Kiki’s Delivery Service [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Read our review. Miyazki’s first crossover hit in America is about an (imaginary?) magical childhood friend. Buy My Neighbor Totoro [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Ponyo (2008): Read our capsule review. Japan’s environmentalist take on “The Little Mermaid,” full of Miyazaki’s childlike magical realism. Buy Ponyo [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Princess Mononoke (1997): A warrior tries to intercede in a war between a mining colony and followers of a forest god. Typical Miyazki fantasy mixed with environmental themes. Buy Princess Mononoke [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Spirited Away (2001): Read the Certified Weird entry! Miyaki’s most popular and acclaimed movie, about a little girl lost in the spirit world, may also be his weirdest. Buy Spirited Away [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): Read our review. This Criterion Collection edition of the prequel to “Twin Peaks” repeats a lot of material available on other releases (particularly the “Entire Mystery” box set), but does have exclusive new interviews with actress Sheryl Lee and composer Angelo Badalamenti. Buy Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

“Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection”: A set of 15 of Alfred Hitchcock‘s greatest hits, including, of course, the Certified Weird Vertigo (1958), along with two discs with select episodes of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Obviously a big-ticket item, but at a list price of $85, it actually comes out to a bargain at $5 per disc. Buy “Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection”.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004): See description in DVD above. All the GKIDS Miyazaki releases are available in dual format combo packs only. Buy Howl’s Moving Castle [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989): See description in DVD above. Buy Kiki’s Delivery Service [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

My Neighbor Totoro (1988): See description in DVD above. Buy My Neighbor Totoro [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Ponyo (2008): See description in DVD above. Buy Ponyo [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Princess Mononoke (1997): See description in DVD above. Buy Princess Mononoke [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Spirited Away (2001): See description in DVD above. Buy Spirited Away [DVD/Blu-ray combo].

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): See description in DVD above. Buy Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me [Blu-ray].

The Voice of the Moon (1990): An escaped mental patient (Roberto Benigni)  Federico Fellini‘s final movie never received North American distribution and has remained a largely unseen curiosity in his filmography; Arrow Academy tries to reverse that perception with this 2-disc special Blu-ray. Buy The Voice of the Moon [Blu-ray].

DVR ALERT!:

Turner Classic Movies: TCM’s October lineup includes several Certified Weird features, screened commercial-free. If you still have cable or satellite and a big pot of coffee, you can check out a double feature of Eyes Without a Face and Kwaidan overnight on Monday (heading into Tuesday) starting at 2:00 AM EST. Wednesday brings us Carnival of Souls at 8:00 PM. Check your local listings or see the entire schedule at Thought Catalog.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Bloomington, IN, 10/20 (midnight) – Bubba Ho-Tep (2002). At Indiana University Cinema.
• Chicago, IL, 10/20-10/21 (midnights) – Jacob’s Ladder (1990). At Music Box Theater.
• Louisville, KY, 10/20 – Donnie Darko (2001). Free patio screening. At Lydia House.
• Oakland, CA, 10/22 – Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). At the New Parkway Theater.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/21, 10/23 -10/26 – Evil Dead II (1987). At the Row House Cinema.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/21, 10/23-10/26 – Suspiria (1977). At the Row House Cinema.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/22, 10/26 – Nosferatu (1922). At the Row House Cinema.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/22 – Vampyr (1932). At the Row House Cinema.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 10/22 – Häxan [Witchcraft Through the Ages] (1922). At the Row House Cinema.
• Tuscon, AZ, 10/21 – The Wicker Man (1973). The “Final Cut.” Free outdoor screening at MOCA Tuscon.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 10/26 – Suspiria (1977). At the Rio Theater.
• Yonkers, NY, 10/20 – House [Hausu] (1977). At the Drafthouse.
• Yonkers, NY, 10/25 – Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977). At the Drafthouse.

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

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…

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

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Sylvio (2017): The story of a small-town gorilla stuck in a debt collection job, who dreams of starting a puppet show. Premiered at SWSX and earned a very limited theatrical run (in NYC and Baltimore, with a few more small festivals to go). Sylvio official site.

NEW ON DVD:

The Lure (2015): Read Alex Kittle’s festival review. The Criterion Collection wisely snapped up this mermaid horror musical and gives it their special treatment, with interviews, deleted scenes, and two Agnieszka Smoczynska shorts. Buy The Lure.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Lure (2015): See description in DVD above. Buy The Lure [Blu-ray].

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Chicago, IL, 10/13 & 10/14 (midnights) – Evil Dead II (1987). At the Music Box Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 10/13 – Suspiria (1977). At the Aero Theater.
• New York City, NY, 10/13 & 10/14 – Barbarella (1968). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 10/13 & 10/14 – The Holy Mountain (1973). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 10/13 – 10/19 – Stalker (1979). At IFC Center.
• New York City, 10/14 – The King of Comedy (1983) with Adaptation. (2002). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, 10/14 – Donnie Darko (2001). One ticket purchaser will win a replica of Frank’s bunny suit (on condition that they wear it for the screening). At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 10/15 – Akira (1988). At the Rio Theater.

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

Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…

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

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

As*holes (2017): This incestuous anal sex themed comedy with a butt monster aims to be the grossout anti-hit of the year. We’re a bit surprised it got distribution; this is the kind of movie that promotes its (almost universal) negative reviews as a badge of honor. As*holes official Facebook page.

IN DEVELOPMENT (Filming):

Abruptio (2018): A bomb is implanted in a man’s neck by an unknown puppeteer to coerce him into criminal acts. Sounds pretty average for a thriller, except the kicker is that the entire cast will consist of “life-sized, realistic latex puppets.” Jordan Peele, Robert Englund and Sid Haig will provide voice talent. This is the only title in Looper’s list of Bizarre Movies Coming Out in 2018 That Will Melt Your Mind that looks like it has moderate mind-melting potential to us.

FILM FESTIVALS – Sitges Film Festival (Sitges, Spain, Oct. 5 – 15):

Although Sitges always offers an excellent slate of fantastic films, they’re more into quantity than exclusivity. We’ve seen most of the choicest offerings listed at other film festivals. Skipping those, here are a few notable films and long shots we noticed:

• Black Hollow Cage – A girl who lives alone with her father and talks to her dog through a device called “mom” discovers a black cube in the woods. Screening Oct 9-11.
  
• Purgatoryo – Filipino film about an illicit outfit that rents out corpses to weirdos.  Catch it Oct 6 if you can.
• Tokyo Vampire Hotel – Shion Sono always pings our radar; his latest involves a feud between vampire clans. Another Oct. 6 date.
• Ulrike’s Brain – An undead battle between the corpses of a radical left-wing activist and a neo-Nazi who died of AIDS, from avant-garde provocateur Bruce LaBruce. Oct 11 & 12.

Sitges Film Festival home page.

NEW ON DVD:

A Ghost Story (2017): Read our review. Definitely an unconventional Halloween viewing choice, but would make a great costume. Buy A Ghost Story.

The Ornithologist (2016): While searching for an elusive black stork in Portugal, an ornithologist gets lost in the forest and experiences events that mimic the story of St. Anthony of Padua, with a gay twist. This was a nominee in our just-concluded readers’ choice poll, so it has at least two fans here. Buy The Ornithologist.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

A Ghost Story (2017): See description in DVD above. Buy A Ghost Story [Blu-ray].

Vampyr (1932): Read the Certified Weird entry! The Criterion Collection upgrades Carl Theodor Dreyer‘s weird Expressionist horror to Blu. Buy Vampyr [Blu-ray].

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Columbus, OH, Oct. 11 – The Greasy Strangler (2016). At Gateway Film Center.
• New York City, NY, Oct. 6 – Oct. 7 (midnights) – House [Hausu] (1977). At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• New York City, NY, Oct. 6 – Oct. 7 – The Holy Mountain (1973). At IFC Center.
• New York City, Oct. 6 – Oct. 12 – Stalker (1979). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, Oct. 9 – Night of the Hunter (1955). At Film Society of Lincoln Center.
• New York City, NY, Oct. 12 – Dead Man (1995). At Film Society of Lincoln Center.
• Oakland, CA, Oct. 6 – Suspiria (1977). At New Parkway Theater.
• Oakland, CA, Oct. 7 –Phantasm (1979). At New Parkway Theater.
• Silver Spring, MD, Oct. 6 – Oct. 7 – House [Hausu] (1977). At AFI Silver Theater.
• Silver Spring, MD, Oct. 9 – Oct. 11 – Shock Corridor (1963). At AFI Silver Theater.
• Sitges, Spain, Oct. 7 – Suspiria (1977).  Part of the Sitges Film Festival.
• Sitges, Spain, Oct. 10 – Nosferatu (1922). Part of the Sitges Film Festival.
• Toronto, Canada, Oct 7 – Beauty and the Beast [La Belle et la Bete] (1946). At TIFF Bell Lightbox.

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