As you, the careful and long-suffering reader, may have noticed, we’re starting to run low on slots for the 366 Weirdest Movies Ever Made. Only 67 spots remain at the time of this writing. In the past, we’ve relied on reader input to help shape the List by running regular polls. Readers are responsible for directly placing Alice [Neco Z Alenky], Visitor Q, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Trash Humpers, The American Astronaut, Dead Ringers, Keyhole, Sweet Movie, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, Ninja Champion, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Vampire’s Kiss, and Why Don’t You Play in Hell? into the field of 366. (That’s not even counting reader-suggestions which we reviewed and found worthy).

Some of those misfit films above surely would have made the List anyway without readers selecting them. But this new poll will be your last (maybe your last) chance to have direct input on the List. After this, you’ll be left hoping, begging, and cajoling us to pick your favorites. (You might want to consider “bribing,” also—just throwing that out there).

Here’s how it’s going to work this time around. We’re going to shut down the suggestion box for the time being, and you can post all your suggestions in the comments on this post. You may nominate any movie at all, whether it’s something we’ve never heard of, something that’s been languishing among our List Candidates, something that’s already sitting in the reader-suggested queue, or even something that we’ve already reviewed and rejected. The nominations are subject only to a few minimal rules:

1. One official suggestion per reader.
2. Don’t suggest a movie you had a part in creating. If you want us to review your work sent us a note via the contact form.
3. Every movie suggestion will require a “second” from someone else in the comments to become a nominee. (Seconding someone else’s movie choice will not preclude you from forwarding your own nominee).
4. Current contributors to 366 Weird Movies cannot nominate movies; they can second readers’ choices, however.
5. If your nominee appears to be a joke (i.e. Star Wars) even a second will not help. But don’t be afraid to make a non-conventional choice for a non-conventional movie—you just have to be more persuasive about why you think it belongs here.

We will leave the nomination process open for an indeterminate length of time. Twenty titles seems like the most we’d be willing to deal with, so we’ll shut down the process if we reach that goal. Otherwise, we’d predict leaving it open for about two weeks, maybe longer if we don’t get enough candidates.

We’re trusting our readers are sophisticated enough to avoid recency bias and won’t only suggest movies made in the last two or three years.

Once we have enough nominees (we’re hoping for something in the ten to twenty movie range), we’ll shut off this post to new comments and create an official poll to officially add two of these movies. (Others from the poll may make the List at the editors’ discretion). At that time, we’ll also reopen the “Suggest a Weird Movie!” page, though using it will be a Hail Mary pass for latecomers only.

Since you’ll need a second to get your nominee on the ballot, you’ll probably want to campaign as persuasively as you can for your choice. Since you can only vote for two movies in the end, it would be a good idea not to second more than two.

Ready? Got to it! Comment away!

We’ll list the nominees (whether seconded or not) in the body of this post for clarity.

OFFICIAL NOMINEES (voting to commence soon):

The Addams Family (1992)

Amer (2009)

Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

The Beyond (1981)

Big Man Japan (2007)

The Butcher Boy (1997)

Chronopolis (1982)

City of the Pirates (1984)

Heart of a Dog (2015)

I Am Here… Now (2009)

Incubus (1966)

It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

Multiple Maniacs (1970)

O Ornitólogo (The Ornithologist) (2016)

Pink Narcissus (1971)

Save the Green Planet! (2003)

Survive Style 5+ (2004)

Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971)

Under the Skin (2013)

Just missed (for historical purposes):

L’ange (1982) (russa03) – awaiting a second

Live Freaky – Die Freaky (Ben) – awaiting a second

Samurai Rauni (Aki Vainio) – awaiting a second

The Skin I Live In (Blakeg) – awaiting a second

Talking Head (chie) – awaiting a second

Madam Satan (1930) (Cham Ferguson) – awaiting a second

Wave Twisters (2001) (travis) – awaiting a second

The Spirit (2008) (Motyka) – awaiting a second

Fateful Findings (Wootex) – awaiting a second

Messiah of Evil (1973) (Scott Dwyer) – awaiting a second

Raising Arizona (Sebastian Murillo) – awaiting a second

mother! (2017)  (Barry Strickland) – awaiting a second

Seizure (1974) (Ricardo dos Santos) – awaiting a second

Dr. Caligari (1989) (Maico Nafarrate) – awaiting a second

Fight Club (Justin Gans) – awaiting a second

Blak Mama (2009) (Marco) – awaiting a second

Ritual dos Sádicos (Awakening of the Beast – 1970) (Douglas Fricke) – awaiting a second

Reflections in a Golden Eye (Ray C) – awaiting a second

Medea (1988, von Trier) (PeterRox) – awaiting a second

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.

Summer is over and the weird movie world is heating up now that blockbuster season is past…

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

The Challenge (2017): Experimental low-dialogue documentary about the strange hobbies of wealthy Qatari sheiks who converge for a meeting in the desert. In a generally negative review, Variety nonetheless suggests it’s a “non-fictive but scarcely less fantastical (or mannered) equivalent to Matthew Barney’s cinematic oeuvre.” The Challenge U.S. distributor site.

Napping Princess (2017): In the near future a student discovers that the secret to freeing her arrested father may lie in her dreams of a science fantasy kingdom. Light, whimsical anime magic. Napping Princess U.S. distributor site.

FILM FESTIVALS – Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto, Ont., Canada, 9/7-9/17):

TIFF continues to be one of the world’s major film festivals, even as it continues to evolve and find its own niche in a crowded field. This year, they have narrowed down the slate (from 296 to 255 films) and appear to be focusing more on potential awards contenders, perhaps in an attempt to position themselves as Oscar kingmakers. (Thanks to Variety for recognizing the trend.) Unfortunately, this shift in emphasis means that a few scrappy, weirder films may be the first to be shunted aside for more conventional titles—but there’s still plenty of unusual stuff hiding in the program. Aside form a few titles we’ve noted elsewhere (like Bruno Dumont‘s rock opera Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc, James Franco’s Tommy Wiseau biopic The Disaster Artist, Guillermo del Toro‘s The Shape of Water, Darren Aronofsky‘s mother!, and Palme d’Or winner The Square), here’s what caught our eye:

• All You Can Eat Buddha – A mysterious man performs miracles at a tropical result in this low-key film programmers describe as a “trippy and complex cinematic experience.” Screens Sep. 11-14.
• The Crescent – Hallucinatory horror about a grieving woman and her 2-year old child. Sep. 13-15.
  
• Gutland – Billed as a “surrealist rural noir,” the scenario involves a German drifter who wanders into a strange village in Luxembourg. Sep 8, 10, 12, 13, 16.
• I Am Not a Witch – Magical realist story about an African girl exiled from her village on suspicion of witchcraft. Sep. 8, 13, 14, 16.
• The Killing of a Sacred Deer – Giorgos Lanthimos‘ latest reunites him with The Lobster‘s Colin Farrell, playing a cardiologist who befriends a 16-year old boy. The Sep 7 debut is passed, but you can still catch it Sep 9 or 10.
• Let the Corpses Tan (Laissez Bronzer les Cadavres) – Gold thieves engage in a shootout with cops in this tribute to Italian poliziotteschi films; doesn’t look as weird as their previous giallo-inspired work, but it’s always interesting to see what Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are up to. Sep. 9, 13, 14, 17.
• Mom and Dad – Pitch black comedy wherein mass hysteria causes parents to hunt their own children; what makes it notable, however, is cranky director Brian Taylor teaming up (again) with ever-hammy Nicolas Cage. Sep 9, 10, 13, 16.
• Motorrad – Brazilian dirt biking kids are hunted by a machete-wielding biker gang; we probably wouldn’t have noticed this one except that the programmers called it “wild and weird” (twice!) Sep. 9, 11, 13, 16.
• Oblivion Verses (Los Versos del Olvido) – An elderly cemetery caretaker sets out to bury a woman killed by the secret police in a world gone mad. Sep. 11, 12,. 13, 15.
• Occidental – Set entirely inside a stylized French hotel, where the arrival of a gay couple sets off a series of absurd xenophobic events. Sep. 9, 10, 14, 16.
• On Body and Soul – Two Hungarian slaughterhouse employees try to recreate the identical recurring dream they share. Sep. 15-17.
• Redoubtable – This biopic portrait of Jean-Luc Godard at an artistic crisis point after making 1967’s flop La Chinoise is not weird, but potentially of interest. Sep 9, 14, 15, 17.
• Simulation – Gritty Iranian drama told in reverse chronological order with dreamlike moments. Sep. 12, 14, 17.

Toronto Film Festival home page.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Cabin in the Woods (2012): Read our review. There’s nothing new in this Blu of the ultimate meta-horror except for the fact that it’s been updated to a 4K Ultra HD presentation for those with next generation TVs. Buy The Cabin in the Woods [4K Ultra HD 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.

• Bloomington, IN, 9/8 (midnight) – The Holy Mountain (1973). At Indiana University Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 9/8-9/9 – Stalker (1979). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 9/9 – Eraserhead (1977). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 9/11 – Phantom of the Paradise (1974). At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 9/13 – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). At the Metrograph.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 9/8 – 9/14 – Batman Returns (1992). At Row House Cinema.
• Tuscon, AZ, 9/13 – The Holy Mountain (1973). At the Loft Cinema.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 9/8 – Run Lola Run (1998). At the Rio Theater.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 9/10 – The Tin Drum (1979). At the Rio Theater.
• Venice, Italy, 9/8 – Zéro de conduite (1933). At Sala Casino, restored for the Venice International Film Festival.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

“toco toco”: toco toco is a professional short documentary series profiling Japanese artists. Their latest offerings should be of interest to our readers: interviews with splatterpunk gurus Noboru Iguchi (Robogeisha) and Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police). Both contain clips from these arterial auteurs gory films and therefore come with a “viewer discretion advised” warning. Highly recommended for fans. Watch them free on YouTube: Noboru Iguchi Episode — Yoshihiro Nishimura Episode.

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.

FILM FESTIVALS – Venice International Film Festival (Venice, IT, 8/30-9/9):

The world’s oldest film festival, Venice is still one of the most prestigious movie events of the year, although it has been losing ground in late years as many producers who miss the chance to debut at Cannes choose to premiere at the better-attended Toronto Film Festival instead. Like Cannes, its tastes tend towards the vino e formaggio crowd, but there’s always some adventurous and/or interesting  stuff to be found in the catalog, and some high-profile debuts, as seen in our list below:

• Controfigura – French film about a small crew trying to remake The Swimmer in Marrakesh. Screening Sep. 8 &9.
• Dangerous but Necessary – Documentary about two-time Certified Weird director Marco Ferreri (Dillinger is Dead, La Grande Bouffe). Screens Sep. 3 & 4.
•  Il Signor Rotpeter – Italian Kafka adaptation about a monkey who becomes a man. Screening Sep. 8.
• Mother – Darren Aronofsky‘s psychothriller starring Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most hotly anticipated movies of the year. First peek comes on Sep. 5.
• The Shape of Water – Guillermo del Toro‘s adult fairy tale about a cleaning woman who falls in love with a merman; some critics are calling it the equal of Pan’s Labyrinth. The opening night screening has already passed but you can catch it in wide release in December.
• Woodshock – Looks like a grieving woman (Kirsten Dunst) smokes synthetic cannabinoids in the woods and hallucinates a lot. Debuts Sep. 4, also playing Sep. 5.
  

Venice International Film Festival official site.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Manster (1959): Read our review. Not sure this campy low-budget B&W creature feature merits a hi-def release, but B-Blu collectors may be interested. Buy The Manster [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.

• Los Angeles, CA, 9/1 – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). At the Aero Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 9/1 (midnight) – Spirited Away (2001). At the Nuart Theater.
• New York City, NY, 9/1-9/2 – Eraserhead (1977). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, 9/1-9/2 – Stalker (1979). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 9/1-9/2 (midnights) – Black Devil Doll from Hell (1984). At Nitehawk Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 9/1-9/3 – Stalker (1979). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 9/1 & 9/3 – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, 9/3-9/4 – Belle de Jour (1967). At the Metrograph.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 9/1 – 9/7-  The Triplets of Belleville (2003). At Row House Cinema.
• Silver Spring, MD, 9/1, 2, 5 & 7 – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). AT AFI Silver Theater.
• Tuscon, AZ, 9/6 – El Topo (1970). At the Loft Cinema.

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.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Barton Fink (1991): Read the Certified Weird review! This Kino Lorber special edition disc of the Coen Brothers‘ surreal writer’s block classic contains interviews and deleted scenes and fills a gaping hole in the Blu-ray market (and the Barton Fink market). Buy Barton Fink [Blu-ray].

Jezebeth (2011): A young woman “at war with God” invokes a demon. Looks like a feature-length goth-metal video, and one Amazon reviewer wondered “I have scratched my head until it bled trying to figure out what the heck I just watched?” Buy Jezebeth [Blu-ray].

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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, 8/25 – Suspiria (1977).  At Gateway Film Center.
• Los Angeles, CA, 8/25 – The Woman in the Dunes (1964) with The Face of Another (1966) (double feature). At the Aero Theater.
• Los Angeles, CA, 8/25 (midnight) – Viva la Muerte [Long Live Death] (1971). At Cinefamily.
• Los Angeles, CA, 8/30 – 200 Motels (1971), introduced by Diva Zappa. At Cinefamily.
• New York City, NY, 8/25 (midnight) – Dogtooth [Kynodontas] (2009). At Videology Bar & Cinema.
• New York City, NY, 8/25 – 8/31 – Stalker (1979). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 8/31 – Stalker (1979). At the Metrograph.
• Seattle, WA, 8/25 – The Holy Mountain (1973), with a new live score performed by Zen Mother. Sold out but you can check for standby tickets at 7:30 PM. At Northwest Film Forum.
• Silver Spring, MD, 8/25 (midnight) – Evil Dead II (1987). At AFI Silver 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.