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):

Entertainment (2015): A struggling comedian with a tragic combover tours the Southwest. We’re excited about this black comedy with surrealist touches and positive reviews. Entertainment official site.

SCREENINGS – (Film Society of Lincoln Center, New York City, Nov. 13-17):

“Action and Anarchy: The Films of Seijun Suzuki”: This retrospective of the remarkable career of experimental B-movie auteur Seijun Suzuki actually began last week, but kicks into high gear tonight with the classic deranged yakuza double feature of Tokyo Drifter and the Certified Weird Branded to Kill. Through Tuesday you can catch the arty trilogy comprised of Tsigoineruwaizen, Kagero-za and Yumeji, followed by Suzuki’s later works, the bizarre Branded spiritual sequel Pistol Opera and the fantasy musical Princess Raccoon. The series ends with a return to his 1960s exploitation work for Nikkatsu Studios with the lesbian-themed sleaze of Carmen from Kawachi and the gangster film Kanto Wanderer.  “Action and Anarchy: The Films of Seijun Suzuki” at Film Society of Lincoln Center.

SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Nov. 13, 7:45 PT):

Daisies (1966): Read the Certified Weird entry! This screening of the subversive feminist/Surrealist Czech classic is presented by “Women of Cinefamily.” Women of Cinefamily present Daisies.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels (est. 2016): Anthology of horror short-shorts “from twisted minds of filmmakers from across the globe.” Lloyd Kaufman lends a cameo to “UFO John vs. Space Zombies,” and “Heart Attack Theater”‘s Kelly Hughes offers the intriguingly titled “Don’t Kill Grandpa Until We Strangle the Babysitter.” We didn’t even know there was a Grindsploitation 1. Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels official home page.

NEW ON DVD:

Forbidden Zone (1980): Read the Certified Weird entry! After numerous delays, the Richard Elfman approved version of the Sixth Dimensional weirdo classic is finally released on DVD. Buy Forbidden Zone.

Je T’Aime, Je T’aime (1968): Read Giles Edwards’ capsule review. Kino Lorber surprises with a fanfare-free release of Alain Resnais‘ overlooked, weirdly fractured time travel experiment. Buy Je T’aime, Je T’aime.

Queen of Blood (2014): A vampire who sucks blood through her fingertips wanders through the woods. This slow-paced feature, which is heavily indebted to Jean Rollin, is a direct sequel to 2012’s Blood for Irina. Buy Queen of Blood.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Forbidden Zone (1980): See description in DVD above. Buy Forbidden Zone [Blu-ray]. Also available: Forbidden Zone “Ultimate Edition”, which includes a CD of the film soundtrack.

Je T’Aime, Je T’aime (1968): See description in DVD above. Buy Je T’aime, Je T’aime [Blu-ray].

Queen of Blood (2014): See description in DVD above. Buy Queen of Blood [Blu-ray].

YOU LINK US! YOU REALLY LINK US!:

Alfred Eaker‘s essay on Maya Deren‘s “At Land” was selected as supplemental reading for an A2-level film course.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

The Second Coming: Brought To You In Low Definition (2014): A mealy-mouthed hippie comes to believe he is the second coming of Jesus. This microbudget feature was proudly shot on VHS and has a scene set inside the main character’s bowels. Director Andrew Savage claims Giuseppe Andrews, Adam Cooley, Harmony Korine and gross-out comedies as inspirations. Contains pixelated nudity, scatological humor, and vulgar language, but it’s not as tasteless as some of its inspirations. Watch The Second Coming: Brought To You In Low Definition for free.

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 – (AFI Silver Theater, Silver Springs, MD, Nov. 6-17):

There’s an uncommon amount of great weird stuff screening at the American Film Institute’s east coast outpost this week. We’ll start off by mentioning that Charles Laughton‘s lone directorial effort, the Certified Weird Appalachian noir Night of the Hunter, will be playing all week. The continuing silent movie series also rocks this week, with the Expressionist masterpiece Cabinet of Dr. Caligari taking the spotlight tonight at 7:00 PM, while Lotte Reiniger‘s cutout fantasia The Adventures of Prince Achmed  plays a hip Saturday matinee at noon. Both silents feature live musical accompaniment by composer Gabriel Thibaudeau, and Caligari offers an unbeatable perk: free admission. Finally, actor Keir Dullea will be on hand Sunday for Q&A screenings of Otto Preminger‘s odd thriller Bunny Lake Is Missing (at 4 PM) followed by a little movie some of you may have heard of, 2001: A Space Odyssey, at 7 PM. Classic weird movie fans in Maryland should be in heaven. AFI Silver Theater homepage.

IN DEVELOPMENT (POST-PRODUCTION):

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016): We don’t have great hopes for this long-gestating project: the graphic novel seemed original when it came out in 2009 but was beat to the screen long ago by lousy period undead ripoffs like 2012’s Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Still, the autumn doldrums have fallen on the weird movie horizon like a lead curtain, and there are few rays of hope to highlight. P&P&Z could end up as passable amusing entertainment, though it does seem aimed at the mainstream.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Roar (1981): A gang of lions, leopards and tigers attack African homesteaders in a nonstop barrage of fangs and claws. The danger was very real; the ad copy brags that over 70 members of the cast and crew were injured making this insane feature! Not necessarily “weird” but definitely out-there and hard-to-believe. Buy Roar [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SNAGFILM:

The Bedroom [AKA Unfaithful Wife: Shameful Torture] (1992): “Pink” movie set in a fetishistic club where female volunteers are drugged with a sedative/hallucinogen, then left to the pleasure of their male clients. Things are complicated when real life murders start to occur at the club. Speaking of real life murders, one of the actors in the film is Issei Sagawa, a confessed cannibal who murdered (and partially ate) a Dutch woman, but was set free due to a bizarre series of international legal conflicts. Because of his presence, some may have moral objections to the movie even beyond its perverse content (the synopsis should tell you this is not one for the kiddies). Watch The Bedroom free on SnagFilm.

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 – (AFI Silver Theater, Silver Springs, MD, Oct 30-31):

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922): Read the Certified Weird entry! The occult classic screens for Halloween, with live accompaniment by the Silent Orchestra. Fri. at 7:00 and 9:30 PM, and a Saturday matinee for the kiddies at 1:00 PM. Nosferatu at AFI Silver.

NEW ON DVD:

Flowers (2015): Six female victims of a serial killer find themselves trapped in a crawl space after their deaths. From the descriptions the film is genuine, purposeful exploitation-surrealism. Buy Flowers.

Get Mean (1975): Fantasy Spaghetti Western in which a Man with No Name fights Vikings and Moors in his effort to return a princess to her hometown. Video Junkie claims this under-the-radar oater “lives in its own little world of surreal weirdness…” Buy Get Mean [Blu-ray/DVD Combo].

Heart of Midnight (1988): Carol (Jennifer Jason Leigh) inherits a nightclub called “the Midnight” from her “weird” uncle in this surreal psychological horror film. Largely forgotten but fondly remembered by a few; believe it or not, Yanni did the soundtrack. Buy Heart of Midnight.

Mulholland Drive (2001): Read the Certified Weird entry! There are a few people reading this site who like this movie and who may be mildly interested to know there is a new Criterion Collection edition out. Buy Mulholland Drive.

Phase IV (1974): Ants develop communal intelligence and wage war on humans in this “trippy” cult sci-fi movie, the only feature film from opening titles specialist Saul Bass. Controversy swirls around this Olive release, in that this Blu-ray presents the version that screened in theaters, one in which Bass’ surreal ending montage was excised by the studio. That footage had been recovered (if not restored), so fans of the film are (perhaps justifiably) upset that there is no “director’s cut” of this sometimes maligned film forthcoming. Buy Phase IV.

Rags (2011): The tagline of this movie about methamphetamine abuse calls it a “drug-fueled exploitation fairy-tale!” Made in 2011 but not released on DVD until now. Buy Rags.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Army of Darkness (1992): Read our review. Shout! Factory’s “Collectors Edition” Blu-ray of the Evil Dead franchise’s conclusion contains three different cuts of the film (!) on three Blu-rays, along with hours of special features. Buy Army Of Darkness [Collector’s Edition Blu-ray].

Breeders (1986): Alien rapists attack virgins in Manhattan. Made by a director of porn films, this awfully strange, awfully-acted movie ends memorably, with nude women crawling around in a pool of alien semen. Buy Breeders [Blu-ray].

The Fifth Element (1997): Read our review. Luc Besson‘s whacked-out sci-fi cult epic gets the Blu-ray it deserves. Also available in a “cinema series” special edition with a commemorative booklet. Buy The Fifth Element [Blu-ray].

Get Mean (1975): See description in DVD above. Buy Get Mean [Blu-ray/DVD Combo].

Heart of Midnight (1988): See description in DVD above. Buy Heart of Midnight [Blu-ray].

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Read our review. This new Blu features one recent interview along with extras recycled from earlier releases; the “Limited Edition Castle Catapult Gift Set” comes with all this, plus a cardboard castle and rubber farm animals and a few other physical goodies. Buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail [Blu-ray].

Mulholland Drive (2001): See description in DVD above. Buy Mulholland Drive [Blu-ray].

Phase IV (1974): See description in DVD above. Buy Phase IV [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986): Rather than attempting to top the strange intensity of the first movie in the series, Tobe Hooper went in a different direction and made Chainsaw‘s first sequel into an absurd self-parodying black comedy. If Dennis Hopper had gone more over-the-top in his first post-Blue Velvet role as a chainsaw-wielding Texas Ranger, this could have been a classic rather than a cool curiosity piece. The free viewing is courtesy of Paramount, who has added a select number of back-catalog titles to YouTube. Obviously this is R-rated stuff, so no one under 17, please. Watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 free 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.

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):

Crumbs (2015): Ethiopian (yes, Ethiopian) post-apocalyptic black comedy about a deformed man who must defeat Santa Claus (yes, Santa Claus) to find a UFO…How cool is it that this completely surreal low-budget Ethiopian movie found distribution in the U.S.? Crumbs official site.

Heart of a Dog (2015): Avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson’s first feature film is an experimental film essay which includes pieces on her dog and the Tibetan Buddhist afterlife. Starting its limited release in New York (obviously) before heading off on a tour of America’s big cities and college towns. Heart of a Dog official site.

Tokyo Tribe (2014): Shion Sono’s latest (well, one of his latest) is described as a “yakuza-street gang-hip hop-musical epic.” It’s listed as a limited release on October 23, but no one will say where—we’re guessing NYC only. Tokyo Tribe‘s U.S. distributor site.

SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Sun. Oct. 25):

Blood Diner (1987): Read the Certified Weird entry! A very rare screening of Jackie Kong‘s bizarre, excessive and inept tribute to Blood Feast, presented as part of the series “Ladies of the 80s: A Decade of Horror Directed by Women.” In a double feature with Spookies. “Ladies of the 80s: A Decade of Horror Directed by Women” at Cinefamily.

SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Wed. Oct. 28):

Begotten (1991): Read the Certified Weird entry! Speaking of rare screenings, this is the first time in many years we’ve heard of this experimental “existential snuff film” showing up on the big screen (or the small screen, for that matter). Creator E. Elias Merhige will be there, and they’ll show his follow-up short, “Din of Celestial Birds,” as a bonus. Weird Los Angelinos (are there any other kind?) are urged to attend! Part of the “Spectrefest” series. Spectrefest 2015 at Cinefamily.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Aimy in a Cage (es. 2015): A family puts a headstrong and creative young girl through a procedure to “civilize” her, while ignoring a deadly virus that is sweeping across the world. High Pope of Oddness Crispin Glover gives this budget indie the imprimatur of weirdness. We list this as “in development,” despite the fact that the film is completed, because there is no word on any sort of release or distribution yet. Aimy in a Cage Facebook page.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Kwaidan (1964): Read the Certified Weird entry! Criterion’s long-awaited Blu-ray of the Japanese expressionist ghost story classic comes with an unexpected bonus: the new restoration includes 22 minutes of additional footage “never before released in the U.S.” Buy Kwaidan [Blu-ray].

BOOKS:

“Gilliamesque: A Pre-posthumous Memoir” (2015): Four-time (and counting?) Certified Weird director Terry Gilliam tells his life story, with original drawings and rare photos. A coffee table book for cool people. Buy “Gilliamesque: A Pre-posthumous Memoir”.

FREE MOVIES ON SNAGFILM:

My Breakfast with Blassie (1983): Andy Kaufman’s sly parody of My Dinner with Andre, where he discusses life, his career as an intergender wrestling champion, and hand washing with boorish pro wrestler Fred Blassie over breakfast at Sambo’s. Blassie, of course, is the man who coined the phrase “pencil-necked geek.” Watch My Breakfast with Blassie free on SnagFilms.

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

Mulholland Drive (2001): Read the Certified Weird entry! This weekend IFC Center puts on two midnight (well, 11:30) screenings of David Lynch‘s mysterious psychological thriller about souls lost in Hollywood. Mullholland Drive at IFC Center.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Black Sun/The Kingdom of Shadows (est. 2016): Two new experimental film projects from Clara Pais & Daniel Fawcett. Black Sun means to explore “humankind’s relationship to darkness” and will be shot in almost pitch blackness. The Kingdom of Shadows will be a retelling of portions of the Book of Genesis “[i]nspired by dreams and early silent cinema.” The projects are described as “mid-length” and will be intended to be screened together. An interesting perk: every contributor gets their own personalized experimental film (you can see some of the already completed films on their Vimeo page). Black Sun & The Kingdom of Shadows at Indiegogo.

NEW ON DVD:

The Brood (1979): Family members of a woman under the care of an experimental psychiatrist are attacked by a swarm of deformed children. This early David Cronenberg effort gets the full-scale Criterion Collection treatment, and includes DC’s second self-financed feature, 1970’s Crimes of the Future, as a bonus. 2 DVDs. Buy The Brood.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966): Read our review. Yes, this is the legendary, Master-approved (hee hee!) restoration of the so-bad-it’s-weird “classic,” with featurettes and a commentary track (!) If it were us, we’d spring for the Blu-ray to get the unrestored “grindhouse” version as a bonus (which we still suspect is the superior way to experience Manos). Buy Manos: The Hands of Fate.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Brood (1979): See description in DVD above. Buy The Brood [Blu-ray].

Edward Scissorhands (1990): Read our review! The “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” comes with extra features (including Tim Burton commentary) and includes a “collectible heart-shaped cookie cutter, topiary air freshener and paper dolls.” Buy Edward Scissorhands: Ultimate Collector’s Edition [Blu-ray]. Also available in a bargain edition with no advertised special features (except for the ubiquitous “digital copy”): Buy Edward Scissorhands [Blu-ray].

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966): See description in DVD above. The “grindhouse” cut of Manos is only available on the Blu-ray release. Buy Manos: The Hands of Fate [Blu-ray].

FREE MOVIES ON SNAGFILMS:

Night Train to Terror (1985): Read the Certified Weird entry! This horribly mangled anthology of three feature films edited down into shorts introduced by God and Satan on a train is the perfect movie to watch when everybody’s got something to do—everybody but you. Watch Night Train to Terror free on SnagFilms.

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.