Next week, we’ll take a twisted tour of the Louvre with Russian avant-gardist Aleksandr Sokurov as our guide in 2015’s Francofonia; Pete Trbovich will tell you all about China’s biggest blockbuster ever, the Stephen Chow romantic fantasy/comedy The Mermaid; and we’ll knock another one out of that crazy-long reader-suggested review queue with a review of Federico Fellini‘s semi-autobiographical Amarcord. If that’s not enough, we won’t ignore the big hit out there this week, as Alfred Eaker takes a trip into the strange (by Marvel standards) with Dr. Strange. It’s a cosmopolitan selection of blockbusters and art films from across the globe next week as we transition into year-end mode.
There were only a few truly weird search terms we saw this week, but those we did catch were certainly bizarre enough to make it well worth the few pixels we’ll expend describing this week’s Weirdest Search Terms. Some advice: if you don’t want your search terms showing up here, you should learn basic spelling (especially distinguishing your homophones) and grammar. Otherwise, you might end up featured in this space, like the guy looking for “seeing a mother has sex with a lover sun became strange movie name?” Of course, for some people it’s useless to even attempt to search in the English language; for example, the poor soul who wasted his time typing “vlages anti bating sex vedio” into that Google box. (Although I think I figured this one out: he’s looking for “villages aunty bathing” movies, which is definitely a Hindi thing). Neither of these, however, can match the strangeness of our official Weirdest Search Term of the Week, “classical pron movie uspeakable acts of… mate mummy.” The ellipsis (“…”) really helps the weirdness; the “unspeakable acts of mate mummy” ain’t so strange, but the “uspeakable acts of… [wait for it…] mate mummy”—now that‘s weird!
Here’s how the ridiculously-long reader-suggested review queue now stands: Amarcord (next week!); Candy; The Last Days of Planet Earth; Jack and the Beanstalk (1974, Japan); The Saragossa Manuscript; Continue reading WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE→
The Tingler (1959): Read Shane Wilson’s review. Vincent Price frees the creature that lives in all of our spines that causes the fight response, and also takes LSD (wonder if those two are connected?) This screening will be shown in William Castle‘s original “Percepto” format—i.e., theater patrons seats will be wired for electricity, and random people will receive shocks to the tuckus when the creature escapes the screen and flees into the audience. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, for sure. The Tingler at Cinefamily.
“The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast”: Fourteen definitively awful Herschell Gordon Lewis exploitation and gore hits (including, of course, the atrocious Blood Feast and the abysmal The Wizard of Gore) spread across seventeen discs (eight DVDs and nine Blu-rays). Unpacking it all would take a separate article, but suffice it to say there are a few extra bonus features in this sprawling Limited Edition set from Arrow; two Blu-rays and a DVD here are exclusive to this set. Buy “The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast” [DVD/Blu-ray combo Limited Edition].
Manhattan Baby (1982): An evil spirit from an Egyptian tomb possesses a young New York girl and turns her into a murder machine. Another Lucio Fulcihorror that straddles the fine line between the surreal and the incompetent; this Limited Edition from Blue Underground includes a disc of extras and the soundtrack CD. Buy Manhattan Baby Limited Edition.
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
Queer Duck: The Movie (2006): The adventures of anthormorphic gay animals, including the title fowl and his lover, Openly Gator (groan). In this episode, Queer tries to go hetero in this “South Park”-esque “straight”-to-video satirical cartoon, with musical numbers like “Smile, You Bastard, Smile.” Watch Queer Duck: The Movie 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):
Creepy (2016): Kiyoshi Kurosawa‘s latest is a return to his horror roots, as a detective comes out of retirement to investigate a cold case and finds an irrational world instead. This Halloween season offering got good reviews during its film festival run, including one from Jonathan Romney mentioning its “weirdness.” Creepy official site.
SCREENINGS – (New York, NY, IFC Center, Fri.-Sat., Oct 21-22):
The Exterminating Angel (1962): Without explanation, guests at a bourgeois dinner party find themselves unable to leave, as the days turn into weeks and they start to starve and turn on each other. Luis Buñuel‘s surreal satire makes for an unconventional existential horror choice for this blessed Halloween season. The Exterminating Angel at AFI Silver Theater.
FILM FESTIVALS – Cambridge Film Festival (Cambridge, UK, Oct. 20-27):
Though it gets no big debuts, the Cambridge festival is a medium-large festival with mix of big movies (Denis Villeneuve‘s Arrival, and lesser Oscar bait like Manchester by the Sea), experimental features, and classic revivals (actress Ingrid Bergman and director Michael Curtiz are spotlighted this year).
Crash (1996) and Always (Crashing) – David Cronenberg‘s controversial movie about a secret cult of fetishists turned on by car crashes is paired with a new 14-minute experimental short based on the same J.G. Ballard story. On Oct 26.
The Kingdom of Shadows – The latest underground feature from Clara Pais and Daniel Fawcett is a typically surrealist offering, set in an old dark house. See it Oct 24.
Salome (1922) – Stylized silent adaptation of the Bible story that’s noteworthy for its extremely bizarre avant-garde costuming (made by Natacha Rambova for her friend and rumored lover, Alla Nazimova). Screens Oct. 23.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – You know this one. See it on the big screen Oct 23.
Untitled Willy Wonka Project: No firm news on this, except that Warner Bros. has cut a deal with the Roald Dahl estate for the rights to the Wonka character. Before we all freak out, it appears this is not a reboot of the Certified Weird Gene Wilder classic (which was already remade by Tim Burton and Johnny Depp—it seems like just yesterday). It’s to be an original story starring the character (most likely a prequel, maybe of his time spent in Loompaland among the Oompa Loompas). Will it be weird? With Warners behind it, not likely, but we thought you should know. Variety has the announcement.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006): Read the Certified Weird entry! The new Criterion edition ports over most of the features from New Line’s disc, including Guillermo del Toro‘s excellent commentary, and adds some new interview features with del Toro and Doug Jones along with “animated prequels” for some of the fantasy characters. Buy Pan’s Labyrinth (Criterion Collection).
The Pit (1981): A creepy, crazy kid takes advice from the talking teddy bear who advises him to lure his enemies into a pit where a bunch of subhumanoids eat them. A seldom seen, campy Canadian black comedy. Buy The Pit.
“Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro”: This Criterion Collection set matches Guillermo del Toro‘s Certified Weird fairy tale Pan’s Labyrinth with the vampirish Cronos and the Spanish Civil War ghost story The Devil’s Backbone. On five special-features-packed DVDs; the DVD release has a different (and to my mind, much cooler) cover than the Blu-ray. Buy “Trilogia de Guillermo del Toro”.
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. This Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo is a slightly scaled-back version of the Limited Edition Arrow Films released back in April (the main exclusion seems to be there is no extra disc with the R-rated cut of the film). Buy Bride of Re-Animator [DVD/Blu-ray combo].
Gas-s-s-s [AKA Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It] (1970): The military accidentally unleashes an experimental chemical weapon that kills everyone over the age of 25. This Roger Corman directed counterculture comedy would make a great double feature with Wild in the Streets (and it was in fact paired with that title on a previous DVD release). Buy Gas-s-s-s [Blu-ray].
“The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection”: The Blu-ray edition of the classic set including Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and of course our weird favorite, Duck Soup. With commentaries on every flick and archival interviews with Groucho and Harpo. Buy “The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection” [Blu-ray].
“The Secret History of Twin Peaks”: Co-creator (with David Lynch) of the cult TV series “Twin Peaks” produces a fictional history of the strange northwestern town where “the owls are not what they seem.” The series’ new season (season 3) will debut on Showtime sometime in 2017 so fans can see what’s been going on in the fifteen years since Agent Cooper last entered the Black Lodge. Buy “The Secret History of Twin Peaks”.
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.
SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Tues., 10/17):
Santa Sangre (1989): Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s armless serial killer movie is probably his most Halloween-y feature. Screens as a double feature with Hammer‘s Vampire Circus, with cocktails, live circus acts and other surprises (one presumes Bob Baker has scary marionettes prepared). Off site but hosted by Cinefamily, naturally. Santa Sangre at Bob Baker Marionette Theater.
Certified Weird Triple Feature: OK, these three movies all played at AFI last week, and they are not officially a triple feature (tickets sold separately), and we don’t think the programmers have been reading this column, but come on? How often do three Certified Weird movies line up by chance at a single venue? That’s right, you can catch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at 5:15, segue into Daisiesat 7:15, and cap it off with Blue Velvet at 9:00. It’s like an introductory course in weirdness. AFI Silver Theater.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Abracadabra (2017): Director Pablo Berger and actress Maribel Verdu (of the Certified Weird silent Snow White adaptation Blancanieves) reunite for this black comedy. The plot will follow Verdu’s efforts to rid her husband of an evil spirit and, according to Cineuropa, will “straddl[e] terror and ludicrousness.” More info at Cineuropa.
Re-Animator: Evolution (2017): A remake of the H.P. Lovecraft short story about a mad doctor bringing the dead to life. This version, by Serge Levin, with Johnathon Schaech co-scripting and starring as Herbert West, will attempt to make a true horror film out of the story that was previously adapted (with incredible success) as a transgressive black comedy by Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna. Skepticism abounds in these offices, but read more at Bloody Disgusting.
Small Star Seminar (est. 201?): Collaborative film project by and starring The American Astronaut‘s Cory McAbee as a singing motivational speaker traveling the country and inspiring people to dream small. He’s accepting donations through Fractured Atlas (a new crowdfunding platform we’ve never heard of before). In the accompanying video, McAbee implies he might accept a couch to crash on in your town in lieu of a donation. Small Star Seminar at Fractured Atlas.
NEW ON DVD:
The Astro-Zombies (1968): In a very slow week for weird movie releases, you might take a chance on this Ted V. Mikels proto-slasher mad scientist atrocity, starring John Carradine and busty Tura Satana as some kind of Iron Curtain Mata Hari. The optional commentary track by Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett may make it all tolerable. Buy Astro-Zombies.
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
The Astro-Zombies (1968): See description in DVD above. This is one of Wayne “Trapper John” Rodgers’s two produced movie scripts (the other was Dr. Sex). Buy Astro-Zombies [Blu-ray].
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
Purge (2010): Set in the “257th parallel universe,” the protagonist is a dominatrix unhappy with her assigned role in a totalitarian society. Director David King says it’s “an experiment in using a variety of unusual techniques to create a dystopian reality with virtually no money… influenced by Jean-Luc Godard’s more intellectual films of the 1970’s and visually by George Lucas’s THX1138.” Watch Purge 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.
Phantasm: Ravager (2016): The Phantasm series comes to an end in this fifth installment that sees Reggie Bannister battling the Tall Man (the late Angus Scrimm) across a series of alternate realities. Reviews are all over the place, but Variety calls it “the surreal thing.” Phantasm: Ravager official site.
Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016): Essentially, this is Terrence Malick‘s remake/reworking of the “birth of the universe” sequence from The Tree of Life. The IMAX version, which runs a trim 45 minutes, is garnering more universal praise than the 90 minute cut that will play regular theaters. Voyage of Time official site.
FILM FESTIVALS – London Film Festival (London, UK, Oct. 5-16):
The London Film Festival is large, but features relatively few premieres (at least, outside-of-the-U.K. premieres). The programming is not exceptionally adventurous but we did catch sight of a few weird and near-weird titles we’ve seen playing elsewhere, such as Phantasm: Remastered;Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp as psychic sisters in Planetarium; and the soon-to-be cult favorite Psychonauts. Here are a few offerings we’re highlighting here for the first time:
Blue Velvet Revisited – A non-narrative, experimentally altered selection of behind-the-scenes footage from Blue Velvet. Screens Oct 7-8.
On the Milky Road – Emir Kusturica‘s latest features the actor/director as a character in three magical realist roles: a milk deliveryman during a war, a star-crossed lover, and a rock-collecting monk. Screening October 15-16.
Spaceship – Gothy teenage girl with headbanging archeologist dad is (possibly) abducted by aliens. Oct. 6, 8, 16.
FILM FESTIVALS – Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival (Sitges, Spain, Oct. 7-16):
Although Sitges as always has a fine slate of fantastic films, they’re more into quantity than exclusivity. We’ve seen many of the choicest offerings at other film festivals. Skipping those, here are a few notable films and longshots we noticed (along with some special screenings of older cult films):
Alipato – The Very Brief Life Of An Ember – Filipino film with a “bizarre” atmosphere about a street gang that robs a bank and then gets bumped off one by one. Screens on the 11th and 13th.
Antiporno – Shion Sono‘s latest is set in the Japanese softcore porn industry. Oct. 12 & 13.
Artist of Fasting – Japanese adaptation of Franz Kafka‘s “The Hunger Artist.” Oct. 15 only.
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) – Elvis and now-black JFK battle a mummy in the old folks home in another Certified Weird revival. Catch it on Oct. 13.
Likely Stories – An anthology of fantastical Neil (Mirrormask, Coraline) Gaiman short stories. The full two hour, four episode version screens on the 8th and 12th, while a shorter 90 minute cut plays on the 9th.
Perfect Blue (1997) – Satoshi Kon‘s anime classic about a retired J-pop star, her stalker, and the labyrinth of memory. See it on the big screen Oct. 14.
Remainder – Amnesia pic in which the victim hires actors to re-enact his dreams to try to spur his recollection; the hitch is his memories turn increasingly violent. Oct 10 & 12.
The Wailing (2016): Read our Fantasia Film festival review. We judged this Korean Exorcist variation very good but not weird enough for the List; it would still make great Halloween fare for anyone who loves occult arthouse horror with a side of comedy. Buy The Wailing.
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