First off…

Next week, Alex Kittle will explore The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears (Cattet & Forzani’s neo-giallo followup to Amer), while new contributor James Harben explains what the deal is with The Bothersome Man (2006). Bothersome is in our reader-suggested review queue, and G. Smalley will take a look at another film from that clan, an unassuming little flick you may have heard of called Pink Flamingos (1972). Thursday you can take a breather from that weirdness as Alfred Eaker faces The Gunfighter, another Gregory Peck oater from the 1950s.

And, believe it or not (and you have no reason not to), the publication of the 2013 Yearbook is right around the corner… we may interrupt regularly scheduled programming for an announcement.

We didn’t see the usual host of weird search terms this week. We blame spring fever: folks who’ve been cooped up all winter must be leaving behind their perverse, pasty keyboard exploits for some (yech!) fresh air and sunshine. Still, we’ll highlight what we can in our never-ending quest to bring you the Weirdest Search Term of the Week. We’ll start with “movie about a girl who cant get wet shes an alien”—see, we told you we were having a hard time coming up with weird search terms! Just a little bit weirder was the search for “obscure hirsute movies,” which is only strange because the searcher assumes there are commonplace hirsute movies, and wants no part of them. For our Weirdest Search Term of the Week, however, we’ll have to bite the bullet and go with “80s 90s movie with old guy mustache dwarf eats chicken.” Next week, you guys need to come inside and start looking up bizarre stuff on the Internet. The novelty of the outdoors wears off quickly.

Here’s how the ridiculously-long reader-suggested review queue currently stands: The Bothersome Man (next week!); Pink Flamingos (next week!); Celine and Julie Go Boating; Abnormal: The Sinema of Nick Zedd; Nightdreams; Rubin & Ed; The Real McCoy; Themroc; Candy (1968); Northfork; Continue reading WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE →

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.

FILM FESTIVALS – Tribeca Film Festival (New York City, April 16-27):

Besides an April 26 special screening of Certified Weird classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (which concludes with a scientific panel discussing the possibility of the film’s memory-erasure technology becoming a future reality) and a suite of shorts collectively titled “Totally Twisted” (programmers describe the set as “Fun. Creepy. Weird.”), there’s only one film playing at Tribeca this year which looks to have some potential bizarre impact:

• Der Samurai – A small German town believes itis being menaced by a wolf, but onepoliceman discovers the killer is actually a samurai (in lipstick). Screens Apr. 19, 22 & 24.

Tribeca Film Festival official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

The Lobster (est. 2104): Dogtooth auteur Giorgos Lanthimos‘ first English language movie involves a “Hotel” where singles are forced to find a mate in 45 days or be transformed into an animal of their choosing. The latest news is that John C. Reilly joined an ensemble cast that already included Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz along with Lanthimos regulars Aggeliki Papoulia and Ariane Labed. Read the latest news at Variety.

NEW ON DVD:

The End of Time (2012): An experimental documentary on the nature of time. Looks to be in the same cinematography-centric vein as Koyaanisqatsi and its progeny. Buy The End of Time.

Wrong Cops (2013): Quentin Dupieux‘s third feature is an absurdist comedy about cops-gone-wrong entitled, oddly enough, Wrong Cops. The cast includes Eric Wareheim, Marilyn Manson, and former “Twin Peaks” spouses Grace Zabriske and Ray Wise. Buy Wrong Cops.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Alice [Neco z Alenky] (1988): Read the certified weird entry! Jan Svankmajer‘s stop-motion surrealist version of “Alice in Wonderland” is a crucial addition to the Blu-ray ranks, even though the First Run Features disc arrives sans extras. Buy Alice [Blu-ray].

Touch of Evil (1958):  Orson Welles’ overheated noir about a Mexican lawman (Charlton Heston!) who uncovers border town corruption, embodied in the massive, commanding personality of bad cop Hank Quinlan (Welles).  Maybe it’s not completely weird, but if you’ve never seen it you’ll likely be amazed at the ornate camerawork, frighteningly quirky characters, Code-challenging evocations of drugs and rape, and general ahead-of-its-time style. This Blu-ray contains the same content as the 2-disc “50th Anniversary” DVD, including three separate cuts of the film and four (!) commentaries. Buy Touch of Evil [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 on the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Only Lovers Left Alive: Jim Jarmusch’s latest tackles vampires in love; with Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton (as vampires named “Adam” and “Eve”) and Mia Wasikowska in a rare villainous role. It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for this one to come to theaters. Only Lovers Left Alive official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Glilgamesh (post-production, estimated release November 2014): An expedition accidentally releases Innana, the Sumerian goddess of lust. The U.S. government plans to use the divinity as a weapon of mass destruction, while Communists plot a coup, and immortal Gilgamesh decides whether to intervene. With a plot like that it could be weird. From the writer/director of Scrooge in the Hood. No official page but updates appear on production company Boston Film Family’s Facebook page.

Way Down in Chinatown (2013, seeking distribution): A playwright and a theater director flee to a sexually surreal underground world to escape the apocalypse. I think. There’s no question this one will be weird. Way Down in Chinatown official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Apocalypse Kiss (2014): On the eve of a future apocalypse, a miffed serial killer assists a detective in tracking down a thrill-killing couple whose sloppy murders are being falsely attributed to him. Lloyd Kaufman plays the President in a cameo. Buy Apocalypse Kiss.

A Field in England (2013): Read our review! Historically, far too few psychedelic freakout movies have been set in 17th century England; Ben Wheatley‘s latest seeks to rectify that oversight. Buy A Field in England.

I Am Divine (2013): A documentary on the world’s favorite 300-pound copraphagiac transvestite, Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine. Likely to be an un-weird doc on a very weird guy. Buy I Am Divine.

The Last Time I Saw Macao (2012): A filmmaker searches for his missing transvestite friend in Macao and uncovers a shadowy conspiracy. The description makes it sound like your typical gay-interest sci-fi documentary/noir hybrid. Buy The Last Time I Saw Macao.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

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

FREE MOVIES ON CRACKLE:

Run Lola Run (1998): Read the Certified Weird entry! We’re not crazy about the idea of watching movies with commercials—especially this one, which depends on relentless momentum for its effect—but free is free. Not the ideal way to see Lola for the first time, but maybe a good chance to catch up with her. Watch Run Lola Run free on Crackle.

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):

Go Down Death (2013): Stories of a town full of captive soldiers, blind prostitutes and child gravediggers, adapted from the works of fictional amputee poet Jonathan Mallory Sinus; there’s a definite Guy Maddin influence at work here. We never expected this film to see any form of distribution, so it’s nice to see it playing for a week at the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn (Friday and Saturday nights’ midnight showings are even in Smell-O-Vision). Go Down Death official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Phantasm V: Ravager (2014?): After the divisive fourth installment of the Phantasm franchise ended on a cliffhanger, official word has come down that there will be a fifth (and final) entry in the series. According to Bloody Disgusting David Hartman scripts and directs; Don Coscarelli produces. More at the Phantasm series official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Crave (2012): A disillusioned crime scene photographer retreats into a world of vigilante revenge fantasies. The ad copy spoke of an “inner world of dark fantasies” and “dangerous visions,” but the reviewers spoke of “empty movie-shout-out posturing” and “a misleading, long-winded chore.” Ouch. Buy Crave.

Disco Exorcist (2011): See description in VHS below. This is a VHS/DVD combo pack (!) with two different sets of cover art. Buy Disco Exorcist [VHS/DVD Combo Pack].

“Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXIX”: Nothing extremely weird in this particular set, but a trip to the Satellite of Love for some B-movie badness is always welcome. Episodes included are Mamie Van Doren running wild in Untamed Youth, the standard sword-and-sandaler Hercules and the Captive Women, the seemingly interminable The Thing That Wouldn’t Die, and the strangest film in the set, the ultra-rare Italian superhero epic Pumaman. Buy “Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXIX”.

Persona (1966): Read the Certified Weird entry! As opposed to Warner’s indifference to Performance (see below), the Criterion Collection releases their weird Per- title with appropriate respect. This restored version of the film includes the usual suite of interviews, archival footage and extra features (including the full-length documentary Liv & Ingmar) you expect from a Criterion release. Buy Persona [Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo].

The Swimmer (1968): Read our review. This dreamlike Burt Lancaster vehicle adapted from a John Cheever story gets an elaborate special edition courtesy of… Grindhouse Releasing? Yep. Buy The Swimmer [Blu-ray/DVD Combo].

The Truth About Emanuel (2013): Read out capsule review. Yet another in a long line of movies that chose not to use our quote on their box cover (c’mon—I think “‘the movie as a whole feels very slow-developing’–366 Weird Movies” has a nice ring to it). Buy The Truth About Emanuel.

Wonderwall (1968): A professor drills peepholes in his wall to spy on his fashion model neighbor and sees psychedelic visions. This collector’s edition includes the original theatrical version and a re-edited director’s cut with unused footage. Music by George Harrison. Buy Wonderwall.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Performance (1968/1970): Read the Certified Weird entry! Amazon and other outlets list Warner Archive (normally known for DVD-R’s of deep catalog titles) as releasing this classic on Blu-ray on March 25, but as of this writing it is listed as out-of-stock everywhere. Buy Performance [Blu-ray].

Persona (1966): See description in DVD above. Buy Persona [Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD combo].

The Swimmer (1968): See description in DVD above. Buy The Swimmer [Blu-ray/DVD Combo].

The Truth About Emanuel (2013): See description in DVD above. Buy The Truth About Emanuel [Blu-ray].

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

NEW ON VHS:

Disco Exorcist (2011): A Seventies swinger is cursed when he spurns a voodoo priestess. Releasing this throwback movie in an inferior format at a higher price is either a stroke of marketing genius, or idiocy. If it’s a clamshell case, though, I’ll take one. Buy Disco Exorcist [VHS].

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):

Falcon Song (2014): Judging from the trailer, it’s about a guitar-playing drifter who meets a telekinetic hottie who’s involved in a land dispute with the Masons. No one has seen it yet, but co-star Rainey Qualley, who’s Andie McDowell’s daughter, has movie star looks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her show up in something more prominent soon. Falcon Song official site.

Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013): This documentary covers Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s failed attempt to adapt Frank Hebert’s cult sci-fi novel to the big screen (a task later completed less than admirably by David Lynch). This documentary is getting more buzz than Jodorowsky’s actual new release, The Dance of Reality, which suggests that the general public likes the idea of Alejandro Jodorowsky better than they like the reality. Opening in New York City this week, future dates unknown. Jodorowsky’s Dune official site.

Maladies (2012): A retired, mentally ill soap opera star (James Franco) loses his grip on reality and hears voices as he lives with his equally deranged sister. Directed by “internationally acclaimed multimedia artist Carter,” it has currently earned a o% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Maladies official site.

FILM FESTIVALS – Ann Arbor Film Festival (Ann Arbor, MI, Mar. 25-30):

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. The program that catches our eye is next Friday’s (3/28) “Animated Films in Competition” slate, which features a new stop-motion short from the Quay Brothers and “Sangre de Unicornio,” a Spanish-language cartoon about teddy bears hunting unicorns. We’re sure there’s other good stuff there, too. Why not go there and find it for us, Michiganders? Ann Arbor Film Festival home page.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Forbidden Zone 2 (201?): After years of talk about a sequel to 1980’s trip to the groovy, cartoonishly Satanic 6th Dimension, the time for talk is over. Richard Elfman is putting his money where his mouth is… or rather, he’s putting your money where his mouth is, with a crowd-sourcing campaign on Indiegogo. Per the synopsis, an angry clown, interracial love affair, a princess in pasties, and an army of pinheads figure heavily in the new plot, along with an all-new score from brother Danny Elfman. The FZ fanbase is big enough that this one is certain to be funded; at this writing they’ve earned about a third of their $100,000 goal, with more than a month left to go. Forbidden Zone 2 at Indiegogo.

Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem (201?): A blasphemous gore comedy from Spain that will feature Jesus chopping up zombies and mutants with the skeleton of a giant fish. The trailer reveals an absurd level of carnage that approaches Tokyo Gore Police: Spanish splatterpunk. It’s an expanded version of the successful festival short “Fist of Jesus,” that featured the Messiah botching the resurrection of Lazarus and inadvertently creating a plague of zombies. Raising money via Kickstarter, they filmmakers are asking for an ambitious $150,000, and have raised $11,000 in pledges with a month and a half to go. Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem at Kickstarter.

NEW ON DVD:

“Is This a Zombie?” (Season 1) (2011): See description in DVD below.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

“Is This a Zombie?” (Season 1) (2011): A teen is killed by a serial killer, resurrected by a zombie, then killed again by a chainsaw-wielding magical girl and resurrected as a female magical zombie… The plot description of this 13 episode gender-bending harem/zombie anime caught our eye in a week with few home video releases to consider. Buy “Is this a Zombie?” (Season 1) [Blu-ray/DVD Combo].

Mysterious Skin (2004): A teen who believes he was abducted by aliens tracks down a childhood pal, now a hustler in New York City, while investigating the source of his amnesia. This searing drama is generally considered Gregg Araki‘s best work. Buy Mysterious Skin [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Broad Daylight (2004): More madness from Memphis’ John Michael McCarthy (Teenage Tupelo). This one is simple nostalgia: a recreation of Bettie Page-style burlesque loops (featuring garters and stockings, pasties and feather boas) shot in washed out 8mm Kodachrome color, set to psychobilly music. It’s still kinda weird. Watch Broad Daylight 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.