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 on the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

The Tales of Hoffman (1951) (restoration): A poet dreams about three women who broke his heart in this phantasmagorical opera. This newly restored print is playing in L.A. (Cinefamily) and N.Y. (Film Forum) this week only. A Blu-ray is scheduled for release in the U.K., but nothing on these shores (yet… the Criterion Collection put out a DVD in 2005 which has gone out of print). Find more info on The Film Foundation’s Facebook page.

SCREENINGS – (Austin, TX, Thursday, Mar. 19):

Human Highway (1982): The apocalyptic comedy done by folk rocker Neil Young on a lark, featuring insurance fraud, flying saucers, and DEVO. The slate at SXSW film festival was so non-weird this year that this re-release (which has been going around to festivals for about a year now) was the only thing we could find to highlight. Perhaps Neil will finally put this out on DVD soon. Human Highway at SXSW film festival.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

NEW ON DVD:

R100 (2013): A sadomasochistic sex comedy from Hitoshi Matsumoto about a businessman who joins a secret club that arranges for dominatrices to attack its members in public places. The quote on the cover (from Eric Kohn) calls it “Fight Club directed by Luis Buñuel.” (!) Buy R100.

Vampyr (1932): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. The Criterion Collection puts out Carl Theodor Dreyer‘s dreamlike early-sound vampire film in a lavish 2-disc set. Buy Vampyr.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

R100 (2013): See description in DVD above. Buy R100 [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SHOUTFACTORYTV:

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974): Based on the true story of Kaspar Hauser, who was kept locked in a dungeon throughout his childhood and then released onto the streets of Nuremberg to integrate into society with the help of a professor intrigued by his plight. Part of Shout! Factory’s recently acquired Werner Herzog collection that they are graciously putting up on the Internet for free (with only one pre-roll commercial). Watch The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser 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 on the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Buzzard (2014): A temp worker pulls off pathetic, miniscule scams in this slacker satire.  Alexander Lowe of “We Got This Covered” says that it “finds a way to be an enjoyable movie in the weirdest way possible.” Buzzard official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT (POST-PRODUCTION):

Cosmos (2015): Andrzej Zulawski returns to cinema after a 15-year absence with what he describes as a “metaphysical thriller noir.” It’s based on Witold Gombrowicz’s 1965 metanarrative crime novel of the same name. Zulawski is hoping to have it completed in time to screen at Cannes in May. Thanks to L. Rob Hubbard and Daniel Fawcett (tie) for the tip. More info available at culture.pl.

NEW ON DVD:

Blood Car (2007): A vegetarian develops a car that runs on blood to combat high gas prices. Gory, independently-produced low-budget horror-comedy that took eight years to make it to DVD. Buy Blood Car.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Blacula (1972)/Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973): Blacula is a famously campy mix of blaxploitation and horror with a strange, half-serious tone and a surprising, almost Shakespearean performance by William Marshall. Scream is redundant, but adds cult icon Pam Grier to the mix. Buy Blacula/Scream, Blacula, Scream [Blu-ray].

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): We prefer the original, but Tim Burton‘s take on Roald Dahl’s Dante-esque candy factory has its supporters. It looks like the only difference between this “10th Anniversary” edition and Warner Home Video’s previous 2011 release is a 32 page booklet. Buy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [10th Anniversary Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SHOUT FACTORY TV:

Heart of Glass (1976): A small Bavarian town loses the secret to making its famous “Ruby Glass” when its master glassblower dies; the locals go insane trying to recover the secret. This movie is a little bit infamous because of a gimmick: most of the cast performs after having been hypnotized by director Werner Herzog. Presented without commercial interruptions (though you have to sit through a spot before it starts). This is part of a small bonanza of Herzog films Shout! Factory owns the rights to; you may see more in the coming weeks and months. Watch Heart of Glass free on Shout Factory TV.

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 on the official site links.

SCREENINGS (BFI Southbank, London, U.K., Mar 1-17):

“Defiance and Compassion: The Films of Věra Chytilová” – Rare screenings of Chytilová’s avant-garde Czech movies, which aside from the Certified Weird Daisies [Sedmikrásky] are seldom seen by anyone. Highlights of the weeks-long retrospective include “The World Cafeteria” segment from Pearls of the Deep on March 1 and 5, Daisies on the 9th and 10th, Fruit of Paradise, a retelling of the Adam and Eve story BFI calls her “most experimental work,” on March 11 and 15, and documentaries, talks and reflections by critics and Chytilová collaborators throughout the month. Londoners can get details at the following link: Věra Chytilová retrospective at BFI Southbank.

NEW ON DVD:

Fellini Satyricon (1969): Read the Certified Weird entry! We did this one way before the Criterion Collection got hip to it, naturally, but we hope to bring you coverage of their edition, too. Buy Fellini Satyricon (Criterion Collection).

House of Last Things (2013): A mind-bending horror about a classical music critic, his depressed wife, and a trio of troubled youngsters who house-sit for them while they vacation in Italy. Sounds interesting and possibly quite weird, but beware; it has the kind of glowing reviews on Amazon and IMDB that usually come from those intimately connected with the production. Buy House of Last Things.

Watership Down (1978): Read Scott Sentinella’s capsule review. Martin Rosen’s animated tale of apocalypse among the talking rabbits is an unexpected, but welcome, addition to the Criterion Collection. Buy Watership Down (Criterion Collection).

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Black Sunday (1960): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. Please note: this is the AIP “American Release” version of the film with Les Baxter’s score, which many (including Alfred) consider inferior to the uncut version—which, confusingly enough, was also released by Kino Lorber with the same cover art three years ago, and is now listed as “out of stock” on Amazon. Buy Black Sunday [AIP Version Blu-ray].

Fellini Satyricon (1969): See description in DVD above. This fits the same material onto one Blu-ray, as opposed to two DVDs. Buy Fellini Satyricon [Criterion Collection Blu-ray].

God Told Me To (1975): Read Pamela De Graff’s review. Larry Cohen’s strange genre mashup starts with the premise of a plague of serial killers striking with the excuse “God told me to,” and then gets weirder. Buy God Told Me To [Blu-ray].

Watership Down (1978): See description in DVD above. Buy Watership Down [Criterion Collection Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SHOUT FACTORY TV:

Corman’s World (2011): Our weekly selection from Shout TV’s new free streaming catalog is this documentary on the dime-movie mogul Roger Corman, focusing (of course) not on the Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman movies he distributed in the USA but on his goofy, deranged B-movie productions like Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968) and  Death Race 2000 (1975). This one has no commercial breaks. Watch Corman’s World on Shout Factory TV.

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 on the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Kung Fu Elliot (2014): An actor/director longs to become “Canada’s first action star” with self-produced low budget movies like They Killed My Cat and Blood Fight, but as this self-styled “surreal documentary” continues it seems that his identity is based on a web of lies. Limited screenings in the next two weeks take it to New York, Los Angeles, Columbus, Philadelphia, and the Texas trio of Houston, Austin, and Lubbock (!) Kung Fu Elliot official site.

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND:

Heart Attack! The Early Pulse-Pounding Cinema of Kelly Hughes: An hour-long look back at “Heart Attack Theater,” an anthology of transgressive melodramas featuring drug addiction, demonic possession, and psychic nuns with evil twins that ran on Seattle public access in the 1990s. Guest appearance by Kitten Natividad. Watch Heart Attack! The Early Pulse-Pounding Cinema of Kelly Hughes ($3.99).

SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Feb. 20 & 21):

The Color of Pomegranates (1968): Sergei Parajanov‘s stunning impressionistic biography of Armenian poet Sayat Nova, in a newly restored print. Screens tonight (Friday 20th) at 7:30 PM PST, and again tomorrow at 5 PM if that’s too short notice. You can also check out The Duke of Burgundy, which is screening at the theater all week. The Color of Pomegranates at Cinefamily.

NEW ON DVD:

Birdman, or (the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance) (2014): Read our capsule review. This year’s only movie nominated for both an Academy and a Weirdcademy Award. Buy Birdman.

Cult of the Damned [AKA Angel, Angel, Down We Go] (1969): An overweight heiress with a retired porn star mom falls in with a gang of revolutionary rock musicians. This seldom-seen trashy exploitation film has musical numbers and is frequently described by those who’ve seen it as “bizarre.” Buy Cult of the Damned.

Jake Squared (2013): A Hollywood director decides to film his own party as an experiment, but is shocked when dead relatives and past versions of himself show up to castigate him. It’s a little 8 1/2, a little Synecdoche, New York, and a little Hot Tub Time Machine. Buy Jake Squared.

Motivational Growth (2013): A mold growing in filthy home of a depressed man starts giving the homeowner motivational advice (which may not be in his best interests). Featuring the voice of Jeffrey Combs. Buy Motivational Growth.

Le Pont du Nord (1981): Two women discover a magical map that turns Paris into a hallucinatory board game. Curious that this is obscurity finally released on DVD, 14 years after its debut, but Jacques Rivette’s far more eagerly awaited Celine and Julie Go Boating remains missing. Buy Le Pont du Nord.

Psych-Out (1968): A deaf girl goes to Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love looking for her missing brother and winds up hanging out with a psychedelic band fronted by “Stoney” (Jack Nicholson); everyone drops acid and indulges in some free love. Pair this with Cult of the Damned above for a swinging Sixties sexploitation double feature. Buy Psych-Out.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013): Read our review. This classic Japanese fairy tale from Studio Ghibli about a tiny princess found in a bamboo stalk didn’t screen much in the U.S., but Universal put a lot of work into the DVD, including an entire disc of extra features. Buy The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Birdman, or (the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance) (2014): See description in DVD above. Buy Birdman [Blu-ray].

Cult of the Damned [AKA Angel, Angel, Down We Go] (1969): See description in DVD above. Buy Cult of the Damned [Blu-ray].

Motivational Growth (2013): See description in DVD above. Buy Motivational Growth [Blu-ray].

Le Pont du Nord (1981): See description in DVD above. Buy Le Pont du Nord [Blu-ray].

Psych-Out (1968): See description in DVD above. Buy Psych-Out [Blu-ray].

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013): See description in DVD above. The set includes 2 DVDs for a total of 3 discs. Buy The Tale of the Princess Kaguya [Blu-ray + DVD]

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SHOUT  FACTORY TV:

The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010): Read our capsule review. Luc Besson‘s French fantasy about a Renaissance woman dealing with mummies and a pterodactyl in a pre-WWI Paris. This is the “director’s cut,” which means the brief topless scene (in what is otherwise basically a kids’ movie) is fully intact. Watch The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec free on Shout Factory TV.

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.