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.

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 Forbidden Room (2015): Guy Maddin‘s latest (co-directed with Evan Johnson) is a series of absurd early-talkie, two-strip Technicolor shorts, set in dreamlike submarines, caves, trains, and other locales out of 1920s melodramas. Every Maddin movie is an event. Room is being released to theaters from Toronto to Winnipeg this fall, but no U.S. dates announced—yet. The Forbidden Room official site.

Yakuza Apocalypse (2015): Takashi Miike‘s latest (now there’s a referent we have to refresh every couple of months) is about a new yakuza boss who finds his rival is a vampire. It is rare that a Miike film gets even a limited theatrical release on these shores, but there it, is in a few East coast theaters. Yakuza Apocalypse official site (in Japanese).

SCREENINGS – (Denver, CO., Glitterdome, Oct 8-31):

The Portal (2015): A multimedia psychedelic rock opera version of Dante’s Inferno. Until Halloween, a live onstage band will supply the score as the movie plays. Most of us will have to wait for the DVD version. No surprise that this project pops up in Colorado; recreational marijuana legalization is already paying cultural dividends. The Portal official site.

SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, Cinefamily, Sat, Oct 10):

The Mask (1961): Don’t miss a rare chance to see this otherwise drab B-movie about a magical mask that gives the audience bizarre 3-D color hallucinations when instructed to put on their anaglyph glasses, projected in vintage 3-D. Part of an overlooked horror movie series Cinefamily has entitled UNSEEN! UNSCREENED!! OBSCENE!!! Check the link for a full schedule. UNSEEN! UNSCREENED!! OBSCENE!!! at Cinefamily.

FILM FESTIVALS – SITGES FILM FESTIVAL (Sitges, Spain, Oct. 9-18):

Although Sitges as always has a fine slate of fantastic films, they’re more into quantity than exclusivity. We’ve seen most of the offerings at other film festivals. Here are a few notable films we noticed that appear to be debuting there (along with some special screenings of older cult films):

• The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin – As far as we know, the only feature length documentary on the work of Guy Maddin. Screens Oct 12.
• Arcana – The least seen of B-surrealist Giulio Questi‘s three major features is a supernatural horror about a non-psychic fortune teller and her psychic son. Screens Oct. 16.
• Cosmos – Andrzej Zulawski‘s first film in 15 years is a metaphysical farce about a law school flunkout vacationing in a strange house. Screens twice on Oct 16.
  
• Dyke Hard – Colorful spoof about a lesbian rock band fighting an army of ninjas and robots. Oct. 11 & 17.
• Female Werewolf – A mentally ill woman believe she is turning into a werewolf in this Canadian film described as “1 moody, sensual and surreal psychological thriller.” Oct. 16.
• Ink/The Frame – A Jamin Winans double feature; the 2009 Certified Weird allegorical dream fantasy matched with the “Twilight Zone”-ish 2014 followup, both on Oct. 17.

Sitges Film Festival official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Burnt Offerings (1976): A couple rent an old house for the summer on condition that they leave out food for a decrepit grandma who never leaves her room. This haunted house chiller made quite an impression on folks who caught it during its initial run, so much so that it made its way into our reader-suggested review queue. Buy Burnt Offerings.

Children of the Night [AKA Limbo] (2014): Argentinian horror about a colony of child vampires being indoctrinated into believing they are a master race. Artsploitation Films’ contribution to the Halloween season. Buy Children of the Night.

The Falling (2014): An unexplained plague of fainting spells strikes at a British girls’ school in the 1960s. Picnic at Hanging Rock fans are sure to swoon at this one. Buy The Falling.

Gravy (2015): Costumed cannibals hold the patrons of a Mexican restaurant hostage on Halloween. Shout! Factory is now picking up current releases; not sure how weird this one is but it has clear cult intentions. Buy Gravy.

“Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970”: 36 short films meriting the titular description; the 4-disc (2 DVD/2 Blu-ray) set includes a “unique” version of the Certified Weird classic “Meshes of the Afternoon,” as well as shorts from Marcel Duchamp, Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, and other names familiar to anyone with an interest in the avant-garde. A major release from specialty label Flicker Alley, and a major investment. Buy “Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970” [DVD/Blu-ray Combo].

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.

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015): Sharks rain down on over-the-hill actors in this third (!) installment of the toothy, spoofy series. We didn’t much like the first Sharknado‘s low-grade brand of idiot camp, but feel obligated to at least acknowledge this one’s existence. Maybe it’s “better.” Buy Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992): Read our review! This deluxe Blu-ray release contains a number of extra features, including an (old) commentary track featuring Francis Ford Coppola. We have seen reports saying that the framing is off; we consider them unconfirmed (but credible). Also available in limited-edition “clear case” packaging with a 24-page booklet. Buy Bram Stoker’s Dracula [Blu-ray].

Burnt Offerings (1976): See description in DVD above. Buy Burnt Offerings [Blu-ray].

Gravy (2015): See description in DVD above. Buy Gravy [Blu-ray].

“Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970”: See description in DVD above. Buy “Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970” [DVD/Blu-ray Combo].

My Own Private Idaho (1991): River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves play two gay street hustlers in Gus van Sant‘s loose and hallucinatory adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV.” From the Criterion Collection, so there are a wealth of extras (Criterion’s 2005 DVD release spanned two discs; it all fits on one Blu). Buy My Own Private Idaho [Blu-ray].

Roar (1981): See description in DVD above. Buy Roar [Blu-ray].

Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015): See description in DVD above. Buy Sharknado 3: Oh Hell no! [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.