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.

It’s a thin week for movies in general, much less weird movies. Film distributors don’t like to work the week after the holidays anymore than the rest of us do. Things should start to pick up again next week when everyone goes back to the office. Until then, here are a couple of neato weirdo events for folks in NY or LA, and a free movie for you to enjoy.

SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Jan. 1-3, 5):

“Season’s Beatings: A Christmas in Hong Kong”: Cinefamily celebrates the New Year with the ultraviolent underbelly of Hong Kong’s New Wave, the stuff that goes deeper and weirder than John Woo and Jackie Chan. It starts off with Sammo Hung’s oversized comedy kung fu in Encounters of the Spooky Kind 2 at midnight on News Years’ Day. Saturday brings us a “Category III Double Feature.” (“Category III” was (is) the most restrictive rating given to movies in Hong Kong, roughly equivalent to an NC-17 rating in the United States). First up is Riki-Oh (The Story of Ricky), the notorious ultraviolent cult film with a plot about how Ricky goes to prison and punches holes in everyone he meets and rips out their internal organs. Riki is paired with 1983’s little known Devil Fetus, a gross-out bonanza of demonic possession, worm-vomiting and monster sex. The final two offerings come from Tsui Hark: Sunday’s The Blade, a samurai-style romp, and the fantastical Zu Warriors [AKA Warriors from the Magic Mountain] (the 1983 original—Hark remade his own film in 2001). “Season’s Beatings: A Christmas in Hong Kong” at Cinefamily.

SCREENINGS – (Spectacle Theater, Brooklyn, NY, Jan. 7):

The Shining Backwards and Forwards and Inwards and Outwards: If you saw the The Shining fan theory documentary Room 237, you saw clips of an project where filmmakers projected two copies of the horror classic at the same time, running one forward and one backward to create random, surreal synergies. This updated screening adds anaglyph 3D to both prints to create a pulsating “chaos mix.” The Shining Backwards and Forwards and Inwards and Outwards at Spectacle Theater.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958): A much better movie than the tabloid headline would lead you to expect; this is actually a paranoid sci-fi sleeper a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Free online courtesy of Paramount. Happy New Year!

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… Christmas edition!

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-production):

Manos Returns (est. 2016): No real word on the style or substance of this sequel to the Certified Weird monstrosity Manos, except that it’s the brainchild of Jackey Neyman Jones (who played the little girl) and her father, Tom “The Master” Neyman, will have an acting role. Some funds are already in place and Jackey promises a Kickstarter campaign soon to raise the remainder. Manos Returns official site.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3h94v7_manos-returns_shortfilms

NEW ON DVD:

Queen of Earth (2015): A wealthy woman under stress retires to the countryside with an old friend, where her mental condition continues to deteriorate. From Impolex‘s Alex Ross Perry, this has earned a few cautious comparisons to Repulsion, Persona, and other female-identity disorder films. Buy Queen of Earth.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962): Read our capsule review! Shout! Factory’s restored (!) release of the public domain sleaze classic about a man stalking strippers to find the perfect body for his headless bride includes commentary by Steve Haberman and Tony Sasso, a deleted scene, and “Mystery Science Theater 3000″‘s skewered version as bonus features. Buy The Brain That Wouldn’t Die [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964): Read Alfred Eaker’s review! Enjoy this Christmas treat (?) as 1960s Martians kidnap Kris Kringle, only to find they’ve bit off more than they can chew when the fat man’s jolly brand of commercialism becomes infectious and destroys their indigenous warrior culture.

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):

The Genital Warriors (2015): A screenwriter in a mental institution pens a postmodern tale about two past girlfriends. The Village Voice called it a “weird, wired story.” We are assuming this is getting a theatrical release in NYC only, so the video on demand release may be your only bet to see it. The Genital Warriors official site.

DVR ALERT – (Turner Classic Movies, Sat, Dec. 19, 2:00 AM EST):

Possession (1981)/Black Moon (1975): Read Pamela DeGraff’s controversial take on Possession and the Certified Weird entry for Black Moon. TCM Underground gets very daring with this psychosexual double feature full of surrealism, unicorn breastfeeding, and octopus sex. Wowsa! Richard Harland Smith warns viewers what’s to come on TCM’s Movie Morlocks blog.

SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, CA, Cinefamily, Monday, Dec. 21):

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974): An American piano player collects a Mexican rancher’s south-of-the-border bounty on the titular head, with violent and tragic consequences. This surrealy macho existenial adventure was Sam Peckinpah’s strangest film; critics at the time hated it, except for Roger Ebert, who called it “some kind of bizarre masterpiece.” Followed by a concert from Dylan Carson as part of the ‘family’s “Band & a Movie” series. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia at Cinefamily.

NEW ON DVD:

Bread and Circus (2003): The son of Mother Earth is condemned by the System, and his descendants overthrow their oppressors, or something (the synopsis is confusing). This self-described Norwegian “bloody surreal horror” from 2003 is being dumped on the market this week by “Wild Eye Raw” together with a load of budget gore flicks. Buy Bread And Circus.

A F**kload of Scotch Tape (2011): A musical neo-noir featuring hard drugs, graphic violence and sex, and bad behavior. A last minute stocking stuffer from Wild Eye (not on the “Raw” label). The asterisks are in the original title and stand for “forkload.” Buy A F**kload Of Scotch Tape.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Dungeonmaster (1984)/Eliminators (1986): Read G. Smalley’s review of The Dungeonmaster. Reject our reality and substitute your own with this campy 80s double feature: the guilty pleasure Dungeonmaster paired with the mandroid/ninja buddy pic Eliminators. Buy The Dungeonmaster/Eliminators [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON SNAGFILMS:

Mondo Cane 2 [AKA Mondo Pazzo] (1963): A quickie attempt to cash in on the popularity of the original Mondo Cane, this cynical shockumentary begins with scenes of dog vivisection (as a protest against British censorship of the original) and progresses to survey leftover footage of transvestites, passion plays starring little girls, early attempts at wet t-shirt contests, and other bizarre human behaviors. Watch Mondo Cane 2 free at 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.

The 2015 Online Film Critics Society awards awards are out. As usual, weird films were underrepresented or ignored when it came time to dish out cinematic props. Despite some encouraging advocacy among my peers, our best weird shot, The Forbidden Room, Guy Maddin‘s love letter to lost film, was not nominated for any awards. Critical darling Roy Andersson‘s third chapter in his absurd “being human” trilogy, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, was also shut out. The best we weirdophiles could muster this year was a “Best Animated Feature” nomination for Charlie Kaufman‘s stop-motion psychological dramedy Anomalisa (where it was forced to compete with Pixar/Disney’s Inside Out juggernaut).

As always, despite the levity in my tone, I take my voting responsibility very seriously, and I do not put forward weird films at the expense of worthier mainstream candidates just because it’s “my thing.” Here is the list of this year’s winners, along with my choices and a touch of personal commentary.

BEST PICTURE

Winner: Mad Max: Fury Road

Also Nominated: Brooklyn, Carol, Ex Machina, Inside Out, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Sicario, Spotlight

G. Smalley’s Vote: Ex Machina

Comments: Mad Max winning the OFCS awards will be one of the shocks of the awards season, and will likely negatively impact the Society’s record of correctly predicting the Academy Award winner. Max was fine, and I’m not mad (or even furious) that it won, but Ex Machina was a far more thoughtful picture that still managed to deliver great drama and suspense. Disclosure: I did not see the late-release movies Revenant or Room (no screeners were provided by the studios for these contenders).

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Winner: Inside Out

Also Nominated: Anomalisa, The Good Dinosaur, The Peanuts Movie,
Shaun the Sheep Movie 

G. Smalley’s Vote: Inside Out

Comments: A toughie. In another year Charlie Kaufman‘s adult-oriented Anomalisa (rated R for graphic puppet cunnilingus) could have won. Though it’s an intensely different film aimed at a younger demographic, I thought the inventive and relatively sophisticated Inside Out edged Kaufman by a nose (sorry, Charlie!)

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Winner: The Assassin

Also Nominated: Goodnight Mommy, Mustang, Phoenix, Son of Saul

G. Smalley’s Vote: White God (not nominated), Goodnight Mommy (of the nominees)

Comments: I thought non-domestic filmmakers let us down this Continue reading 19TH ANNUAL ONLINE FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARDS (WITH OUR VOTES AND COMMENTS) →

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 – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Fri. Dec 11, 10 PM):

Belladonna of Sadness (1973): Read Alex Kittle’s capsule from Fantastic Fest. A rare screening of Japan’s lost psychedelic erotic acid trip anime about medieval witchcraft. This L.A. premier is the centerpiece of an “Animation Breakdown” mini-festival at the ‘family. Belladonna of Sadness at Cinefamily.

SCREENINGS – (Lincoln Center, New York City, Dec. 11-22):

“Lynch/Rivette”: The idea behind the Lincoln Center’s new series is to pair a film by French New Wave director Jacques Rivette with a thematically similar one from David Lynch. We get The Duchess of Langais together with Blue Velvet; Joan the Maid and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me; L’amour Fou and Wild at Heart; Paris Belongs to Us and Eraserhead; Lost Highway and Duelle; Story of Marie and Julien and INLAND EMPIRE; and, in the must-see double feature, the rarely screened Celine and Julie Go Boating paired with Lynch’s most popular movie, Mulholland Drive. The movies will be individually screened throughout the next two weeks, as well. What a Christmas gift to New York cinephiles! Check out the following link for showtimes. “Lynch/Rivette” at Film Society of Lincoln Center.

NEW ON DVD:

Thundercrack! (1975): A rare underground film with hardcore sex scenes, or a hardcore sex film with cult movie sensibilities, the scenario involves an old dark house and an amorous guy in a gorilla suit. Overheated, trashy dialogue supplied by Sins of the Fleshapoids scribe George Kuchar. First time ever on DVD. Buy Thundercrack!

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987): Seven deformed children with antisocial attributes help a friendless kid deal with bullies. Little people in horrifying latex masks supplied by Uncanny Valley Design Co. portray the disgusting “kids” (with names like “Valerie Vomit”) in this notorious PG-rated gross-out flop. Buy The Garbage Pail Kids Movie [Blu-ray].

Thundercrack! (1975): See description in DVD above. The Blu-ray contains the bonus documentary It Came from Kuchar and a DVD packed with extras, and is actually cheaper at this writing than the standalone DVD. Buy Thundercrack! [Blu-ray].

NEPOTISM CORNER:

“The Projection Booth Phase IV Podcast”: Our own El Rob Hubbard is one of the three experts discussing poster-designer and credit-sequence specialist Saul Bass’ only feature film, Phase IV, wherein ants mobilize and threaten the human race. The original film ended with a surreal 2001-style montage that was severely edited by the studio for the theatrical release. Rob discusses the excised footage and more with podcast host Mike White and fellow guest Josh Hadley. The Projection Booth Phase IV Podcast.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Ninja III: The Domination (1984): A deceased ninja possesses the body of an aerobics instructor and forces her to carry out revenge killings. Only in the 80s! Watch Ninja III: The Domination 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.