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):

Girl Asleep (2015): On her fifteenth birthday, a neurotic teen girl is thrown into a fantasy world. Looks like a less aggressively surreal version of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, or a more aggressively surreal version of Labyrinth. Girl Asleep official site.

SCREENINGS – (Multiple U.S. locations, Sep. 24):

“A Town Called Panic: Double Fun”: Indian, Cowboy and Horse return in two shorts set in the childishly surreal world of A Town Called Panic: “Christmas Panic” has C & I nearly ruining the holiday, while “Back to School Panic” has the mischievous duo invading a pig’s brain in an attempt to cheat on a class assignment. A strange but very welcome event from GKids: a list of participating theaters can be found at GKids A Town Called Panic page.

SCREENINGS – (Fox Theater, Toronto, Ontario, Sep. 29):

The Holy Mountain (1973): Read the Certified Weird entry! Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s classics sure are making the rounds lately; they’ve even made it all the way up to Canada! Check out the Fox Theater site.

FILM FESTIVALS – Fantastic Fest (Austin, TX, Sep. 22-29):

The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX may be America’s coolest theater. Their brand has grown so big that now they have franchised Drafthouses, and even distribute their own (generally weird) movies. One of the Alamo’s hippest projects is Fantastic Fest, going into its twelf th year. As per usual, there is a fantastic slate of weird movies and some neato revivals here.  Coming at the tail end of the film festival season, much of the movies are retreads, but the Drafthouse folks always find a way to save some surprise debuts. We won’t do more than mention films we’ve already mentioned from other festivals, including the sure-to-be-classic killer mermaid musical The Lure; Aloys, Assassination Classroom: Graduation, and Hentai Kamen 2 (all of which we missed at Fantasia Festival); Ana Lily Amirpour‘s post-apocalyptic cannibal effort Bad Batch and the animated My Entire High School Is Sinking into the Sea (two recent TIFF offerings); and the omnipresent Greasy Strangler. Here’s what we’ll be tracking down the road:

• Bad Black – Tongue-in-cheek Ugandan action/comedy made for about $200. Screens Sep 25-26.
  
• Colossal – An alcoholic woman (Anne Hathaway) discovers that the appearance of a giant monster in Seoul coincides perfectly with her blackouts in this absurd allegory. Sep. 29 only.
• The Dwarves Must Be Crazy – A scatological comedy about a Thai village of dwarfs that is attacked by flatulent Krause spirits—floating heads with attached intestines. Sep. 24 & 27.
• Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell – The Certified Weird Japanese vagina-faced space vampire horror screens on Sep. 26.
• Jungle Trap – A reconstruction of a nearly-completed 1990 shot-on-video atrocity about loincloth-clad headhunter ghosts killing patrons at a hotel in the jungle. Sep. 24.
• Phantasm: Remastered (1979) – The Certified Weird horror/fantasy/sci-fi classic screens in a new 4K print (Phantasm is also playing at AFI’s Silver Theater in Silver Springs, MD, with Don Coscarelli‘s FF Q&A being streamed live afterwards). Sure to be a tough ticket on Sep. 24.
• Phantasm: Ravager – The final installment in a franchise that has (to be frank) long outlived its welcome. Get closure on Sep. 25 or 28.
• Salt and Fire – A scientist venturing to South America to study a volcano is abducted by shadowy men; the programmers call this “[Werner] Herzog‘s most wildly unpredictable film,” which seems like overselling. Sep 25 & 28.
• Zodiac Killer (1973) – A restoration of the exploitation film speculating about the celebrity serial killer’s motives, including his telepathic conversations with his Satanist pet rabbits. Sep. 25 & 28.

Fantastic Fest official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT (KICKSTARTER):

Parts Unknown (est. 2018): A “deranged” horror movie set in the world of professional wrestling. Director Richard Chandler promises us it will be “a very surreal atmospheric film reminiscent of old school Euro-horror with practical effects and an all retro-wave/synth soundtrack.” The Boston Film Family seem like good eggs and they’ve already raised almost half of their modest $2,500 goal. Consider a donation. Parts Unknown Kickstarter page.

NEW ON DVD:

Cat People (1942): Read Alfred Eaker’s review! Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur‘s sublimated psychosexual horror classic gets the Criterion Collection treatment, in plenty of time to order for Halloween. Buy Cat People (Criterion Collection).

Labyrinth (1986): Read G. Smalley’s review.  Speaking of Labyrinth, which we just were, a 30th Anniversary home video re-release with new featurettes drops from Sony this week. Buy Labyrinth.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Cat People (1942): See description in DVD above. Buy Cat People [Criterion Collection Blu-ray].

Dead End Drive-In (1986): In a dystopian future, the Australian government solves the juvenile delinquency problem by creating drive-ins where teens check in, but they don’t check out. Arrow Films gives this odd Ozploitationer their usual Criterion-level treatment; special edition pressings include a special booklet. Buy Dead End Drive-In [Special edition Blu-ray].

Johnny Guitar (1954): Read Kevyn Knox’s review. Olive Films, who usually release bare-bones DVDs, have seen that special editions are the wave of the future, so their new “Signature” seies Blu-ray release of Joan Crawford‘s existential/feminist cult western includes multiple featurettes, a commentary track with critic Geoff Andrew, and an introduction by Martin Scorsese. Buy Johnny Guitar [Blu-ray].

Labyrinth (1986): See description in DVD above. Super-duper fans may want to spring for the expensive gift set, which comes in a weird triangular Escher-esque box. Buy Labyrinth [Blu-ray].

“Twin Peaks: The Original Series, Fire Walk With Me & The Missing Pieces”: Read our “Twin Peaks” review here, and our Fire Walk With Me review here. The entire run of David Lynch‘s seminal surreal soap was already on DVD, with copious extras; so was the prequel movie. But now you can have them all together on one reasonably-priced Blu-ray set. Buy “Twin Peaks: The Original Series, Fire Walk With Me & The Missing Pieces.

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):

Malibu Road: In 1960 a psychology professor and a starlet take LSD in a hotel room; the aftereffects haunt them up until the present day. There appear to be multiple “official sites” for this hard-to-pin-down project that premieres in L.A. this week but is likely to find more of an audience online than in theaters. Malibu Road official site.

The Vessel: On a remote island, a man survives a drowning that should have killed him and creates a monument to the schoolchildren who lost their lives in a tsunami. This enigmatic parable, the writing/directing debut of Julio Quintana, was executive produced by Terrence Malick and has been described as “dreamlike” more than once. The Vessel official site.

SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, Cinefamily, Sep. 16-18, 21):

Belladonna of Sadness (1973): Read the Certified Weird entry! Cinefamily was instrumental in restoring, debuting and promoting this long-forgotten psychedelic witchcraft anime, so we can probably expect them to dust off their print every now and then. Not weird, but of interest to cinephiles: individual segments of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Dekalog” will be playing throughout the week. Belladonna of Sadness at Cinefamily.

SCREENINGS – (IFC Center, New York City, Sep. 16-17):

The Holy Mountain (1973): Read the Certified Weird entry! A midnight screening of either a Certified Weird Jodorowsky or Lynch film has been a weekly ritual at IFC this summer. We find this heartwarming. The Holy Mountain at IFC Center.

SCREENINGS – (Silver Springs, MD., AFI Silver Theater, Sep. 18):

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Read the Certified Weird entry! Now this would be one to see on the big screen if at all possible; unfortunately, with astronaut actors Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in attendance for Q&A session, this one is sold out. Get in line by 4:30 if you want a chance at standby tickets. 2001: A Space Odyssey at AFI Silver Theater.

IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-production):

The Toxic Avenger (20??): A remake of the beloved but deeply so-so original 1980s trash classic. Original directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will executive produce, while Sausage Party‘s Conrad Vernon will handle the directing duties. Repeat to yourself, “I’m keeping an open mind, I’m keeping an open mind, I’m keeping an open mind…” Toxic Avenger remake announcement at Variety.

NEW ON DVD:

The Fits (2016): An unexplained epidemic of falling down, passing out and vomiting affects girls on an African-American dance team. Expect a review of this soon. Buy The Fits.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Fits (2016): See description in DVD above. At the time of this writing the DVD version was priced $10 higher than the Blu-ray! Buy The Fits [Blu-ray].

“Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection”: All eight of the original Universal horrors in which Frankenstein’s monster made an appearance, including, naturally, Bride of Frankenstein (the best and weirdest). The studio has not always won Universal praise (hee hee) for its endless repackagings of its horror classics, but if its the Monster you love this set looks rather definitive, with hours upon hours of rare extra features. (If you check out the similar set for The Wolf Man you’ll find lots of duplicates, both in films like Frankenstein vs. The Wolf Man and in the extras). Buy “Frankenstein: Complete Legacy 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…

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

SCREENINGS – (Boston, MA, Coolidge Corner Theater, Fri., Sep. 9 (midnight):

El Topo (1970): Read the Certified Weird entry! It’s great to see Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s surrealist Spaghetti Western, the first midnight movie ever, back in regular rotation on late night screens across the country. El Topo at Coolidge Corner Theater.

SCREENINGS – (New York City, IFC Center, Sep. 9 – 15):

Fellini Satyricon (1969): Read the Certified Weird entry! IFC Center’s Federico Fellini retrospective rolls on with screenings of one of the maestro’s very weirdest, most self-indulgent experiments. Also screening on Friday and Saturday night at 11:20: Blue Velvet, a Certified Weird nightmare that is fast becoming one of IFC’s go-to midnight movies. Fellini Satyricon at IFC center.

SCREENINGS – (United Kingdom, multiple locations, beginning Sep. 9):

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976): Read the List Candidate review! Nicolas Roeg‘s weird sci-fi parable, starring David Bowie as an alien stranded on this planet, returns to cinemas in the UK this week in a new 4K restoration. The film’s out-of-print soundtrack was also released on Sept. 9, and there are promises of a new Blu-ray and DVD release on the horizon, plus future screenings in the USA. Unfortunately we haven’t located a site with the names and showtimes of the actual theaters, but you can read more at Bowie’s official site.

FILM FESTIVALS – Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) (Toronto, Canada, Sep. 8-18):

TIFF has become the North American destination for sub-blockbuster films and the most important marketplace for independent releases, including (occasionally) weird ones. It’s importance (if not its prestige) has surpassed Cannes and Sundance. We found a number of intriguingly bizarre nuggets hidden in TIFF’s massive film buffet, and that’s excluding shorts and movies (like Ana Lily Amirpour‘s post-apocalyptic cannibal satire The Bad Batch) that already debuted at other festivals. If we’re lucky, half of the potential gems listed below will emerge from this festival with reasonable distribution deals:

• Ayiti Mon Amour – Three stories intertwine in this Haitian magical realist fable: a teenager finds a superpower, a fisherman searches the sea for a cure for his wife’s illness, and a character tries to find its way out of the story an author is writing. Screening Sep. 10, 12, 13, and 18.
• Blind Sun – An immigrant house-sitter finds himself persecuted by authorities in the midst of a record-setting heatwave in this slow-burn psychothriller. Sep. 9, 14, 15, 17.
  
• My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea – A crudely animated story that literally describes the disaster of its title. Sep 11, 13 & 16.
• Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – Attend a special, free 10th anniversary screening of the Certified Weird fantasy/war classic tomorrow, Sep. 10.
• Planetarium – A movie director seeks to exploit two psychic sisters (Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp) in between-the-wars Paris. Sep. 10,11 & 17.
• The Untamed – Mexican horror about an unhappy marriage and some sort of creature; programmers call it “uncompromisingly weird.” Sep. 13, 15 & 16.
• Weirdos – In 1976 two Canadian teens hit the road, accompanied by the ghost of Andy Warhol (who was still alive in 1976). True weirdos will catch it on Sep. 11.
• Yourself and Yours – A painter breaks up with his girlfriend but discovers multiple woman who look identical to her all around town. Korean. Sep. 13, 15, & 18.

Toronto International Film Festival official site.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Tale of Tales (2015): A triple fantasy of tales of three magical kingdoms; it’s sexy, it’s gory, and Salma Hayek eats a heart (which is both sexy and gory). Available on Blu-ray only, no DVD—is that an indication we’re coming to the Blu-standard tipping point? Buy Tale of Tales [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.

It’s time once again to disburse some of the distributor loot we collect to our faithful readers. We’ll make this contest easier to enter than the last one, because we have two prizes to give away instead of just one.

As you might have noticed, with the List now standing at 246 Certified Weird movies, this 366 movie project is now nearer the end of its run than the beginning. Only 120 titles to go! That’s not a lot of spots, and that’s why we want to listen to our readers as much as possible to determine which films get those precious final slots.

So, to enter this contest, all you have to do is make a one sentence comment, on this post, explaining why a movie not currently on the List of the 366 Best Weird Movies should be placed on it (for easy reference, you can see the complete current List in the sidebar to your left). Your movie can be one we’ve never considered, one that’s currently marked as a List Candidate, or even a movie we’ve previously rejected that you believe we should reconsider. More than one person can offer the same movie choice. You can use the format, “[movie title] should be put on the List, because…” Entries will be judged by persuasiveness, with extra points given for cleverness. Entries that are longer than one sentence or that nominate a movie that’s already on the List will be not be considered for a prize. Make as many entries as you like (although every individual will be able to win only one of the two prizes).

The staff will chose the best response and a runner-up for prizes. The best response will get his choice of two Blu-rays (see below), while the runner-up will get the other one. Winners must provide an email contact and a U.S. mailing address to receive your prize. If the winner does not respond to us by email with an address and choice of either the Der Bunker or Observance Blu-ray prize within 48 hours after his or her name is announced, choice of prizes will be offered to the runner-up instead. Contest closes at midnight Eastern Standard Time on September 13, one week from today, and winners will be announced on September 14.

The winner’s entry will not automatically be elevated onto the List, but winning the contest will be persuasive as we try to select those final 120 movies.

And now, for the prizes, both supplied by by Artsploitation Films (distributors of the Certified Weird Der Samurai). These are factory-sealed Blu-rays, not used review copies.

DER BUNKER (click for more information on this prize)

List Candidate! From our review: “a solid hit, with more than enough surprises to keep lovers of the weird glued to the screen.”

From the box cover: “Surrealistic yet strangely heartwarming, Der Bunker is a funny and bizarre modern fairy tale. A student rents a room in a bunker home and becomes involved in the bizarre dramas of his landlord’s family which includes a precocious 8-year-old who, despite being German and ‘learning-challenged,’ is being home-groomed to become the President of the United States.”

clip from Der Bunker

-or-

OBSERVANCE (click for more information on this prize)

From our review: “Lovers of the weird need fear not; the ending plunges down a rabbit hole, never to resurface.”

From the box cover: “A frightening psychological horror tale reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s THE TENANT and Hitchcock’s REAR WINDOW.  A troubled private investigator is assigned to observe a woman from an abandoned apartment but he slowly becomes aware that the derelict building he is on has a dark, threatening presence.”

Trailer for Observance

OK, begin… NOW!

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.

DVR ALERT (Turner Classic Movies, Saturday into Sunday, 9/3, 2:00 AM EST):

Zardoz (1974): Read the Certified Weird entry! Sean Connery, red diaper, wee hours of the morning… need we say more? Nathaniel Thompson does at Movie Morlocks.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Antibirth (2016): A hard-living party girl finds herself pregnant, without remembering how. Look for a full review of Danny Perez‘s druggy prenatal horror next week, but in the meantime you can check out Alex Kittle‘s brief report from the Boston Underground Film Festival. Anitbirth official site.

Yoga Hosers (2016): The second entry in an announced “True North Trilogy” (the first was 2014’s Tusk), this horror-comedy stars director Kevin Smith‘s daughter Harley Quinn and Johnny Depp‘s daughter Lily-Rose as a pair of Canadian teens fighting an invasion of Nazi sausages (!) Critics hated it, but apparently Smith included some prophylactic anti-critic jokes, so that’s probably why he got the negative reviews, eh? Yoga Hosers official site.

SCREENINGS – (New York City, IFC Center, Sep. 2-Sep 5):

8 1/2 (1963):  Read the Certified Weird entry! IFC Center’s celebration of Federico Fellini continues with the maestro’s ultimate autobiographical meta-masterpiece about a director who doesn’t know what movie to make next. Also playing at IFC Center this week: midnight screenings of Certified Weird classics Blue Velvet and El Topo Friday and Saturday nights, plus regular sessions of Antibirth (see above) all week long. 8 1/2 at IFC Center.

SCREENINGS – (Multiple Cities, AMC Theaters, Sep. 3-Sep 4):

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): Read the Certified Weird entry. In honor of the late, great Gene Wilder, AMC Theaters are sponsoring tribute screenings across the country of his greatest, weirdest role as eccentric chocolatier Wonka on Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 PM local time. Also playing: Blazing Saddles (separate purchase required) at 7:30 PM. Variety has a list of participating theaters.

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.