Sometime after midnight, when one would expect the President of the United States to be either resting up for a big day or burning the midnight oil prepping for a diplomatic meeting, Donald J. Trump was apparently cruising the Web, and came across a site that rubbed him the wrong way:
What prompted this attack against a small-traffic, niche cinema website devoted to surrealist and cult cinema, fields in which the President had previously shown zero interest? Apparently, it was an offhand comment by leftist commentator Alfred Eaker in his review of Suicide Squad that drew the Preisdent’s ire:
A few minutes later, after cruising the site a bit longer, the President chimed in with another, unexpected criticism:
The President was, of course, referring to the 1989 Bo Derek vehicle where she plays the trophy wife of ghost Anthony Quinn, who wants Bo to kill a younger man so he can possess his body and have sex with her again, and also advises her in corporate negotiations:
A weird movie (though not a very good one), but where does this have a bearing on the point at issue?
Naturally, all tweets were deleted within half an hour of posting. Fortunately we were able to save screenshots to prove that this bizarre rant did indeed occur.
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 (WIDE RELEASE):
Ghost in the Shell (2017): Scarlett Johansson stars in the Hollywood remake of the classic anime about a cyber-hacker who can possess the minds of the numerous cyborgs of the future. We expect it to be pretty but over-explained, de-weirdified and de-philosophized. Ghost in the Shell official site.
IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):
David Lynch: The Art Life (2016): Documentary about 366 fave David Lynch, focusing on his formative years and on his painting. Hot off the film festival circuit, Lynch is playing venues unknown before heading off to its natural home on DVD/Blu-ray/video-on-demand. David Lynch: The Art Life official Facebook page.
IN THEATERS (RE-RELEASE):
Donnie Darko (2001): Read the Certified Weird entry! Released soon after the 9/11 disaster, Donnie initially flopped in theaters; perhaps this 15th anniversary restoration of the apocalyptic Christ allegory featuring a giant bunny will do better this time out. Find out if it’s playing in your town at U.S distributor Cartilage Films Donnie Darko page. If you’re in L.A., check it out at Cinefamily tonight, where writer/director Richard Kelly will be hanging out to answer questions about what the hell exactly happened in the movie.
SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, Cinefamily, Apr. 1):
Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982): Read the Certified Weird entry! Roger Waters’—I mean, Pink Floyd’s—trippy rock opera screens at midnight. Don’t blame us if it turns out to be an April Fool’s joke, we’re just reporting what they put on the schedule. Pink Floyd: The Wall at Cinefamily.
SCREENINGS – (Silver Springs, MD, AFI Silver Theater, Apr. 1):
The Wicker Man (1973): Read the Certified Weird entry! The pagan rites will be presented by “Dr. Sarcofiguy.” We honestly can’t say why venues are scheduling Certified Weird screenings on April Fool’s Day (except for the fact that this year it falls on Saturday, a traditional day for midnight movies). The Wicker Man at AFI Silver Theater.
Death Walks at Midnight (1972): “Susan Scott” (Nieves Navarro) stars as a model who takes LSD and witnesses a murder that happened six months earlier. This was released last year bundled with the (less-weird) Death Walks on High Heels; now available on a standalone disc (still packed with Arrow Videos usual extra features). Buy Death Walks at Midnight.
“Wishmaster Collection”: All four movies in the campy horror series about an evil djinn trying to escape captivity and wreak havoc by granting three wishes to teenagers. Wishmaster 2, which only recently got it’s first positive review at Rotten Tomatoes, making it recommended by 10% of critics, is in our reader-suggested review queue. Buy “Wishmaster Collection” [Blu-ray].
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…
SCREENINGS – (New York City, IFC Center, Fri, Mar. 24-Apr. 6):
“The Films of David Lynch”: IFC dips into their closet for a Lychstravanganza! Every one of Lynch’s feature films (and many shorts) are featured during this mini-festival; check following link for showtimes. The Films of David Lynch.
SCREENINGS – (Copenhagen, DEN., Cinamateket, Fri, Mar. 25):
SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, The Vista, Thurs., Mar 30):
Donnie Darko (2001): Read the Certified Weird Entry! Richard Kelly will be in person, and if he’s answering questions from obsessed fans who’ve come up with their own pet theories about the plot, we feel for him. Sponsored by Cinefamily,this is the first stop in a series of screenings of this restored Certified Weird classic. Donnie Darko restored.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
“Spring Breakers” digital series: A startup digital platform called Blackpills has purchased the rights to release a series based on the hedonistic satire Spring Breakers in “an unconventional digital format.” Harmony Korine will not be involved, nor, we suspect, will any of the original cast. No details beyond those, but you can read up on it at Screen Daily.
NEW ON DVD:
Evolution (2015): Alex Kittle described it as “subtle sci-fi mystery about an island of pale-faced women who have found a way to propagate without men” while warning it “definitely isn’t for everyone.” Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s long-gestating third feature finally arrives in a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack. Buy Evolution [DVD/Blu-ray combo].
Other Madnesses (2015): A NYC tour guide definitely NOT named Travis Bickle turns vigilante after a series of nightmares about an abducted girl. One of the only existing reviews, from The Hollywood Reporter, is generally positive and mentions the “surreal-leaning screenplay.” Buy Other Madnesses [DVD-R].
Multiple Maniacs (1970): See description in DVD above. The Blu contains the same extra features as the DVD, including a Waters commentary and interviews with surviving Dreamlanders. Buy Multiple Maniacs [Criterion Collection Blu-ray].
Other Madnesses (2015): See description in DVD above. Be aware that these discs come on the cheaper burn-to-order DVD-R and BD-R formats, which are supported by most but not all players—do your homework. Buy Other Madnesses [BD-R].
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.
FILM FESTIVALS – Ann Arbor Film Festival (Ann Arbor, MI, Mar. 21-26):
Ann Arbor is the destination of choice for experimental filmmakers whose work is too academic, obscure and/or weird to screen at mainstream film festivals. As usual, we recognize almost none of the featured titles (almost all of them are shorts). One exception is the March 22 screening of the silent Japanese avant-garde classic A Page of Madness, about a man who takes a job as janitor at an insane asylum to be near his committed wife. It screens with a live score played by “Little Bang Theory” on toy and handmade instruments. We’re sure some of the shorts are worthwhile, but some adventurous Michigander will have to check them out for us and tell us what’s worth tracking down.
The Love Witch (2016): A California witch who casts magic spells to seek out her true love finds that her lovers keep dying in this tribute to 1960’s Technicolor spectacles. Samantha Robinson was the surprise winner of the 2016’s Weirdest Actress for her enchanting performance in the title role. Buy The Love Witch.
Ghost in the Shell (1995): Read our capsule review. Anchor Bay re-releases this classic philosophical anime on Blu to capitalize on the upcoming Scarlett Johansson live-action remake; they just put out (widely criticized) versions in 2015 and 2016, but this is an “o-ring” (??) release. Buy Ghost in the Shell [Blu-ray].
The Lovers on the Bridge (1991): See description in DVD above. Kino Lober throws in a featurette and a booklet essay (the same features are on the DVD). Buy The Lovers on the Bridge [Blu-ray].
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):
Raw (2016): After a hazing prank, a vegetarian at veterinary school develops a taste for meat. It sounds more transgressive/disturbing than weird, but the red-blooded segment of our readership will crave a taste of this. Raw official site.
SCREENINGS – (New York City, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Mar. 10-16):
Who’s Crazy? (1966): Insane asylum inmates escape and set up camp at an abandoned farmhouse. This nearly-lost avant-garde Belgian feature film sounds a bit like Even Dwarfs Started Small without the little-people gimmick, but with a dissonant free-jazz score by Ornette Coleman. Sponsored by Kino-Lorber, so a home video release seems likely. Who’s Crazy? at Lincoln Center.
FILM FESTIVALS – South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) (Austin, TX, Mar. 10-19):
If you can’t get your indie film into Sundance, the massive SXSW festival in Austin, Texas is your next best bet. With the continued mainstreaming of Sundance, and the increasingly homogenized “indie” product spotlighted there, if your movie’s a bit on the weirder side, SWSX may even be a better fit. There are a few repeats from other festivals, like the documentary David Lynch: The Art Life.There are also a ton of Virtual Reality installations, which are becoming more and more of a “thing” at film festivals, but… no matter how strange or psychedelic they promise to be, we’re not covering them… we already have enough on our plates right now. Here are some of this year’s weirder movie offerings:
“American Gods” – Sneak-peek of the premiere episode of a TV series about an ex-con who gets caught up in the struggle between the Old and New Gods. This adaptation of a Neil Gaiman novel screens Mar. 11.
The Disaster Artist – a fictional account of the making of the notorious disaster The Room, starring James Franco as Tommy Wiseau. “In-progress” screening Mar. 12. To refresh your memory, the original Room screens Mar. 10.
Meatball Machine Kodoku – Looks like a straightforward remake of 2005’s Meatball Machine, directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura. Mar. 11, 12 & 16.
The Relationtrip – Comedy about two young people who refuse to commit to adult relationships but go on a trip together that turns “really, really weird.” Screen Mar. 11, 13 & 15.
Sylvio – The story of a small-town gorilla stuck in a debt collection job, who dreams of starting a puppet show. Mar 11, 13, & 15.
Notfilm (2015): A documentary about the making of Film (see description in Blu-ray below) which, at 130 minutes, is almost six times the length of its subject. Includes outtakes from Film and lots of archival extras that didn’t make it into the documentary proper. Buy Notfilm.
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