Famed Palm Beach art critic “Indio” travels around the United States and Mexico showcasing some of the most shocking and disturbing art forms ever captured on Super 8 film! A feminist art film about a chauvinist penis houseplant, “Ammo Sexual” paintings, nudist colony body painting, a suicide artist’s final masterpiece, insane asylum creations, and a graphic live on-stage body piercing performance are just of a few of the chapters in this twisted, 1960s-style mondo grindhouse film.
366 Weird Movies is proud to add Mondo Art to our catalog of truly weird, truly independent underground films.
Currently available on DVD or video-on-demand (the current download-to-own price is $2.50, for a short time only).
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):
Viktoria (2014): A baby born without a navel in 1979 Bulgaria connects with her estranged mother after the fall of Communism. There may be some sort of political allegory at play here. Viktoria official site.
SCREENINGS – (IFC Center, New York City, Apr 29-30):
House [Hausu] (1977): Read the Certified Weird review! Who wouldn’t want to see this Japanese pop-surrealist haunted house movie—inspired by the fantasies of the director’s eleven-year old daughter and featuring a schoolgirl-eating piano among its many absurd horrors—on the big screen at midnight? House at IFC center.
IN DEVELOPMENT – STREAMING SERVICES:
Filmstruck.com: Normally, the launch of yet another streaming service is not something we’d get jazzed about, but this one is getting significant buzz, and promises to be the exclusive online home for many of our Certified Weird films (in fact, clips from eight of them dominate the sixty-second trailer). Yes, the Criterion Collection is moving its streaming digs from Hulu to this new startup, where they will team up with Turner Classic Movies. While everyone out there seems to be prematurely cinemagasming, many questions remain to be answered. Since the Collection is already (mostly) online, what exactly will TCM be throwing in from its library? (Every specific film example they site in the press release is a Criterion release). Also, there may actually be fewer films available at one time than the current Hulu set up. The press release refers to “a broad, constantly changing cross-section of Criterion titles,” which suggests a Mubi-style platform with a limited selection that rotates monthly. There is mention of a (separate?) “Criterion Channel” (extra charge)? And ominously, the price point remains yet to be determined. Don’t let that dim your enthusiasm (yet), but if it sounds too good to be true… Filmstruck official site (pre-launch).
NEW ON DVD:
That’s Sexploitation! (2013): Frank Henenlotter co-curates and co-hosts two-plus hours of naughty, sometimes bizarre sleaze from the golden age of pre-hardcore pornography, much of it rarities from the “Something Weird” label’s vaults. Something Weird founder/That’s Sexploitation! producer Mike Vraney and co-host/legendary B-movie producer David F. Friedman have both passed away since this doc wrapped. Buy That’s Sexploitation!
That’s Sexploitation! (2013): See description in DVD above. The 3+ hours of bonus material, including rare sleaze shorts, all fits on one Blu-ray. Buy That’s Sexploitation! [Blu-ray].
What? (1972): See description in DVD above. Both the DVD and the Blu come with a set of interviews, including one with Sydne Rome. Buy What? [Blu-ray].
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) WEBSERIES ON YOUTUBE:
“The Mephisto Box Episode 1: Jail Bait”: A seedy Anton La Vey clone introduces every episode of this new Kelly Hughes webseries with the phrase, “dear Children of the Beast”; in this first episode, a psychiatrist gets dunk and high with his employer’s young hot-to-trot daughter, which predictably turns out to be a poor decision. There’s some PG-13 blood, intoxication and disrespectful language in this episode; a disclaimer warns, “please view with caution if you are easily triggered by scenes of drug use, bloody violence, or Satanic violation. These will only grow more intense as the story progresses.” “The Mephisto Box” series on YouTube.
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.
A truly weird movie deserves an equally weird and wonderful movie poster. As cinema became the dominant art form of the 20th century, it spawned another visual medium, the film poster, which at some point broke free to emerge as a significant and enduring international Pop Art phenomenon. Various movie-loving nations cultivated their own top artists and unique styles. The American movie poster had a sweet run, about 70 years, before distributors began to ditch illustrated posters for cheaper—usually lamer—photographic options. In Europe, chiefly France and Italy, they kept poster art going for another ten years. And even though it looks like Photoshop is here to stay, appreciation for the art of the movie poster is at an all-time high and constantly growing.
I’ve been collecting original movie posters since I was 3 years old (starting with the US one-sheet for The House That Dripped Blood), and I have always been drawn to the salacious and macabre. When I was closing in on 3000 pieces, I converted the collection to WestgateGallery.com (named after my childhood porno theater in Bangor, Maine), an online movie-art boutique specializing in classic, cult, exploitation, giallo, Golden Age XXX and horror posters, the more striking and outrageous the better. They’re historical artifacts and unbeatable design elements that belong on walls, not in storage. Here’s a small selection from my store that are especially relevant to this great website. Anyone who decides they need one of these, or anything at Westgate Gallery, mention “366” or “Weird” for 25% off any order, through the end of the year.
CLICK ON THE POSTER THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER VERSIONS
Andy Warhol’s Bad (USA, 1977): While waiting for a long-overdue special edition uncut Blu-ray release including the complete dropped-baby-hits-sidewalk splatter-scene (what?? it wouldn’t stop crying), you can honor this gleefully toxic deadpan dark comedy cult classic with a 55 x 78″ Italian subway 2-panel, featuring Almoz art so stunningly surreal this poster could easily be Polish. True Baddies will recognize the blonde ‘do, handful of cash, cruelly white fur and vagina dentata as hallmarks of Queens electrologist/hit-girl dispatcher Hazel Aiken (Carroll Baker, perfection in the role), the meanest woman outside of a John Waters film.
Blue Velvet(USA, 1986): Depicting some Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) torment from the hour of scenes deleted from David Lynch‘s final cut, this Italian 39×55″ poster is many a fan’s favorite, thanks to the overwhelming sleazy darkness expertly conveyed by legendary maestro Enzo Sciotti.
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). After its Cannes debut (where it received good reviews) we heard nothing about Matteo Garrone‘s fairy tale experiment and had given up on seeing a Stateside release; it looks like IFC will play it in New York City, with a simultaneous VOD release agreement with Direct TV. Tale of Tales official site.
DVR ALERT (Turner Classic Movies, Sat., 4/23, 2:00 AM EST):
SCREENINGS – (New York City, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Apr. 22-24):
“An Early Clue to the New Direction: Queer Cinema Before Stonewall”: When sexuality is repressed, it surfaces in weirdness. That’s not the thesis of this week-long examination of pre-sexual revolution subtextual cinema, but from our perspective it should be. There are dozens of films playing this series, but to us the crucial screenings are the triple feature of Kenneth Anger‘s “Fireworks,” Jean Genet’s “Un Chant d’Amour” and Jean Cocteau‘s “Blood of a Poet” on Friday night; Persona (interesting choice) on Saturday evening; and gender-bending classick Glen or Glenda? on Sunday night. “An Early Clue to the New Direction: Queer Cinema Before Stonewall” at Film Society of Lincoln Center.
SCREENINGS – (New York City, Videology Bar and Cinema, Friday, 4/22 at Midnight):
Valley of the Gods (est. 2016): The story concerns the richest man in the world, his biographer (who may have the ability to alter reality with his words), and ancient Navajo legends. Josh Hartnett, Charlotte Rampling, and Keir Dullea are among the names attached; Lech Majewski will direct (that’s a good thing). Read more on Valley of the Gods at Variety.
NEW ON DVD:
Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents (2015): A documentary about the cult band the Residents, a group of eyeball-masked oddballs who dubbed one of their tours “the Wonder of the Weird.” More significant than the documentary itself may be the numerous rare Residents short films and music videos included on the disc, including an animated segment from an unfinished feature film. Buy Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents
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):
My Big Night [Mi Gran Noche] (2015): During a Spanish New Year’s Eve broadcast, the producers struggle with blackmail, huge egos, and an assassination attempt. This madcap farce from Alex de la Iglesia abandons the horror/comedy trappings of his most recent cult hits for exuberant campiness and kitsch. My Big Night U.S. distributor site.
SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, CA, Friday, 4/15 to Monday, 4/18):
“Underground USA: Independent Cinema of the 1980s Encore”: A little mini-festival of hip 80s weirdness courtesy of the ‘family. On Friday night it’s Forbidden Zone (with Richard Elfman in attendance and a “wild” after party); Saturday brings a double feature of Deadbeat at Dawn and Diary of a Deadbeat (see the DVD, listed below); and Sunday and Monday evening they’re screening the seminal punk-junk flick, Repo Man. Also, on 4/20 (?) there’s an event called “Keep Netflix Weird” (they won’t say what’s on the menu, but the announced guests are Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, Maria Bamford, Mitch Hurwitz, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Mike Price and Pam Brady). “Underground USA” at Cinefamily.
SCREENINGS – (AFI Silver Theater, Silver Springs, MD, Saturday, 4/16):
A Page of Madness (1926): An early example of Japanese film in the European avant-garde style: a surreal/expressionist tale of a sailor who goes undercover as a janitor in an insane asylum hoping to free his wife, who has been committed for infanticide against their son. Jazz drummer/composer William Hooker will provide a live score. A Page of Madness at AFI Silver Theater.
SCREENINGS – (Alamo Drafthouse, Kansas City, MO, Sat., 4/16):
The Devils (1971): Ken Russell‘s artsploitation/nunsploitation classic is loosely (and we mean loosely) based on Aldous Huxley’s non-fictional examination of 17th century witchcraft hysteria, “The Devils of Loudun.” Warner Brothers basically suppressed their own production due to (quite accurate) complaints that the film was blasphemous; a print has been making the arthouse rounds recently, but no word on whether Warners is testing the waters and intends on loosening their grip on the property’s home video prospects. The Devils at Alamo Drafthouse.
FILM FESTIVALS – Tribeca Film Festival (New York City, April 14-24):
With more arthouse, revival and first run theaters per capita than anyplace in the world, every day in New York City is like a film festival, so Tribeca as an event is almost redundant. Still, there are some fine movies debuting here. Besides festival fave High-Rise, which is at the end of its fest cycle, here are some possibly weird offerings (plus one fairly big event):
Icaros: A Vision – In the wake of Embrace of the Serpent comes this trippy pseudoautobiographical film about first worlders traveling to the Amazon to partake in ayahuasca rituals; the co-director died of breast cancer soon after the movie was completed. Take the shamanistic journey 4/16, 18, 21 or 24.
Lavender – Psychological thriller about an amnesiac photographer who discovers she may be a murderer; programmers describe it as “a riveting hallucinatory tale…” Check it out on the 18, 19, 22 or 23.
Parents – Two empty nesters return to the apartment where they lived as a young couple in this Danish drama with “just a touch of surrealism.” North American debut tonight (4/15), with encores on the 17th, 20th and 21st.
Seances – Not a movie per se, but (it appears) a Guy Maddin experimental movie making machine that shows short reels in random order; you will recognize what look like outtakes from The Forbidden Room. See it n the 16th or 17th.
Bride of Re-Animator (1989): Dr. Herbert West and his glowing green needle return from the 1985 cult original to re-animate more dead bodies, with predictably tragic and gory results. Brian Yuzna takes over directing duties from Stuart Gordon, and while this outing is not as transgressively original as the first film (or as disgustingly surreal as Yuzna’s previous Society), it is still worth seeing for fans of gross-out horror comedies. Buy Bride of Re-Animator [DVD/Blu-ray combo].
Diary Of A Deadbeat: The Story Of Jim VanBebber (2015): Portrait of underground director VanBebber (Deadbeat at Dawn, The Manson Family). Includes tributes from fellow undergrounders Richard Kern (Fingered), Damon Packard (Reflections of Evil), Buddy Giovinazzo (Combat Shock) and others. Buy Diary of a Deadbeat: The Story of Jim VanBebber [DVD/Blu-ray combo].
German Angst (2015): Angsty Germans—Jorg Buttgereit, Andreas Marschall, and Michal Kosakowski—tell a trio of surreal and transgressive stories about death. Buttgereit’s segment is the first and the shortest; we confess to being unfamiliar with the other two directors. Buy German Angst.
The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (2015): We originally thought we would pass over Joann Sfar‘s latest as too conventional, but audience complaints like “none of the pieces ever add up or seem to have been meant to add up” and “coherence and sense make a lot of watching any film” made us reconsider. Buy The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun.
Medousa (1998): A retelling of the medusa myth set among thieves in modern Athens; distributor Mondo Macabro describes it as “surreal.” It’s director George Lazopoulos’ only known film. Buy Medousa.
Bride of Re-Animator (1989): See description in DVD above. The Arrow release contains the unrated version with special features on DVD and Blu-ray, and the R-rated edit on a second Blu-ray (by all accounts the differences in the two versions are hardly noticeable, however). Buy Bride of Re-Animator [DVD/Blu-ray combo].
“Sex, Murder, Art: The Films Of Jorg Buttgereit”: Set includes Nekromatik, Nekromantik 2, Der Todesking, and Schramm (see above), plus rare shorts and music videos, and CD soundtracks of all four films. If you had your heart set on winning this package in our contest but your entry wasn’t picked, you pretty much have to buy this now, right? Buy “Sex, Murder, Art: The Films of Jorg Buttgereit”.
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES:
The Quest for the Cine-Rebis, A Mutant Film (2016): From Clara Pais and Daniel Fawcett comes this witty experimental manifesto on film calling for an embrace of mutant cinema. Look for quick clips of Certified Weird movies mixed in (we caught at least one). An accompanying .pdf text is available as “Film Panic Issue #2“.
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.
Celebrating the cinematically surreal, bizarre, cult, oddball, fantastique, strange, psychedelic, and the just plain WEIRD!
Famed Palm Beach art critic “Indio” travels around the United States and Mexico showcasing some of the most shocking and disturbing art forms ever captured on Super 8 film! A feminist art film about a chauvinist penis houseplant, “Ammo Sexual” paintings, nudist colony body painting, a suicide artist’s final masterpiece, insane asylum creations, and a graphic live on-stage body piercing performance are just of a few of the chapters in this twisted, 1960s-style mondo grindhouse film.
