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):

“An Animated World: Celebrating Five Years of GKIDS Classics”: Independent animated distributor GKIDS is re-releasing a program of eight films to select cinemas this summer. Of most interest to weirdophiles are the sorta-strange The Secret of Kells and My Neighbor Totoro; the other titles are A Cat in Paris, Ernest and Celestine, Tales of the Night, Eleanor’s Secret, Mia & the Migoo, and Nocturna, along with a selection of shorts. New York, Washington D.C., Dallas, Sacramento, Honolulu and San Diego are the cities blessed with the mini-festival, which tours through September 3. Animation World has more details.

Closed Curtain (2013): When dogs are banned in public, a writer retreats inside his home with his beloved pooch, but (possibly imaginary) visitors keep showing up to interrupt his work. A defiant, postmodern meta-movie from Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi, who is under house arrest and technically prohibited by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance from making movies. Closed Curtain on Facebook.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Untitled Guillermo del Toro project (est. 2015): There is almost no information on this one other than that it will be a “small” film, in black and white, del Toro wants John Hurt in it, and he describes it as “really, really bizarre” and a “strange little movie.” Only a glimpse of the Pale Man stirring could give us as many chills down our spine as this tease does. Collider breaks the story, with quotes from del Toro.

NEW ON DVD:

Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013): Read our review. This 2-disc DVD/Blu-ray combo set contains 45 minutes of additional documentary footage not seen in the theatrical version. Buy Jodorowsky’s Dune [DVD/Blu-ray].

Nymphomaniac, Volume I and II (2013): Discovered beaten in an alley, a nymphomaniac relates her life story full of dark erotic adventures to a kind stranger. Sexually explicit, but probably not so weird; it is part of Lars von Trier‘s unofficial “depression” trilogy, however, that includes the Certified Weird Antichrist (2011) along with the quieter Melancholia (2011). Although it’s a single story, Vol. I and Vol. II are also sold separately, although we’re not sure how many people would want to pay more to buy them that way. Buy Nymphomanic, Vol. I & II.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013): See description in DVD above. Buy Jodorowsky’s Dune [DVD/Blu-ray]

Nymphomaniac, Volume I and II (2013): See description in DVD above. As with the DVD, Vol. I and Vol. II are also sold separately. Buy Nymphomanic, Vol. I & II [Blu-ray].

Point Blank (1967): Lee Marvin stars as a mysterious man taking on a criminal syndicate for the return of a small debt. An underseen late 60s experimental film noir from the talented director who went on to float a penis-hating stone head in the stunningly misbegotten Zardoz. Buy Point Blank [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):

A Hard Day’s Night (1964): Way back in 1964, America was surprised when the first feature film by the Mop Top pop sensations was a plotless mockumentary filled with absurd humor. To coincide with the Criterion Collection DVD/Blu-ray release, Janus Films is re-releasing this rock touchstone theatrically, with scattered screenings across the US throughout the summer. Look for a date near you on Janus Films’ A Hard Day’s Night re-release page.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Pregnant (2015?): Someone dropped this trailer for an experimental/underground “pop symphony” off on our Facebook doorstep, with nary a word about how to see the finished product. We deduce that the status is “completed, not yet released.” A search turned up the following website: Pregnant official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Scavenger Killers (2013): A renegade judge and a sexy defense attorney team up for a torture killing spree, trailed by oddball FBI agents including a psychic with Tourette’s Syndrome (played by–naturally—disgraced “Saved by the Bell” geek Dustin Diamond). Film Threat called it “an insane film in every regard.” Buy Scavenger Killers.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Cannibal Holocaust (1980): Notorious Italian exploitationer about a documentary crew that is massacred by a cannibal tribe in South America; an ahead-of-its-time monstrosity that trailblazed two of our least favorite developments in recent horror: torture porn and found footage films. Although readers have frequently requested this film for review, we have repeatedly dodged it, because of the movie’s disturbing, unsimulated animal cruelty, and because to us it sounds more like “shock” cinema than “weird” cinema. For those who are interested, this release contains an entire bonus Blu-ray of extra features and the soundtrack on CD. Buy Cannibal Holocaust [Blu-ray].

Cry-Baby (1990): A square good girl falls for a dreamy “drape” with the ability to cry on command in this parody of 1950s juvenile delinquent movies. John Waters completists will want to check out this PG-13 release with a typically crazy cast: Johnny Depp, Susan Tyrrell, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Patty Hearst, and more! Buy Cry-Baby [Blu-ray].

NEPOTISM CORNER:

Tiny women love “366 Weird Movies 2013 Yearbook!”

The folks at The Underground Film Studio (makers of Savage Witches) were so excited by their positive review in the Yearbook that they used it as a backdrop for their voodoo doll ceremonies, and as the featured image for this news update.

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):

Radio Free Albemuth (2010): A record-store clerk receives a communication from a mysterious entity he calls VALIS that prompts him to try to overthrow the U.S. government. This is an adaptation of the Philip K. (“A Scanner Darkly”) Dick novel of the same name (Dick really believed that he had been contacted by aliens). Radio Free Albemuth official site.

Snowpiercer (2013): The remnants of humanity survive on a perpetual motion train after an environmental disaster freezes the globe. We Americans finally get to see the movie the rest of the world has been talking about for a year (at least, some of us do, given the limited release). Snowpiercer official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Enemy (2013): Read our review! Unfortunately there’s no commentary on the DVD, meaning no insight into the movie’s mysterious ending (although maybe that’s for the best). Buy Enemy.

Faust (2011): Alexandr (Russian Ark) Sokurov’s minimalist, hallucinatory retelling of Goethe’s phantasmagorical classic about Mephistopheles tempting the titular doctor. Though it’s definitely in an arthouse vein, Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York called it a “triumph of the weird.” Buy Faust.

A Hard Day’s Night (1964): America was surprised when the first feature film by Mop Top Pop sensations was a plotless mockumentary filled with absurd humor. Director Richard Lester would later bring us the surreal post-apocalyptic comedy The Bed Sitting Room (1969). Criterion natural includes documentary extras on the film and Beatlemania in general, although note that you’ll need to spring for the Blu-ray/DVD combo package to get the whole lot. Buy A Hard Day’s Night [Criterion Collection].

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

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

A Hard Day’s Night (1964): See description in DVD above. This is a DVD/Blu-ray combo, but note: this set includes a disc of extra features, including Lester’s surrealist comedy short “The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film” (starring Peter Sellers), that are not available on the single disc DVD. Buy A Hard Day’s Night [Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD].

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):

Coherence: Described as “part cerebral sci-fi and part relationship drama,” this reality-bending debut is garnering comparisons to Shane Carruth’s Primer for its mix of hard science and low budget. Opening this week in New York and Los Angeles with summer screenings in major cities to follow. Coherence official site.

SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Bing Theater, Tuesday, June 24):

Jump [Salto] (1965): A man jumps off of a train and lands in a strange, nearly abandoned town. A rare work of Communist-era Polish surrealism. Jump at LACMA screening.

NEW ON DVD:

A Measure of the Sin (2013): An orphaned girl moves to a strange house with a tyrannical patriarch and a bear that only she can see. A very under-the-radar independent arthouse horror film that sounds strange and picked up a few good notices in the horror press. Buy A Measure of the Sin.

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975): The remaining residents of an Australian girls’ school are haunted by the unexplained disappearance of three of their classmates from a school outing. Chief among the extras on this Criterion Collection 2 DVD set is director Peter Weir’s earliest feature-length narrative not shot for television, the 50-minute Homesdale, a weird-sounding black comedy about an eccentric who forces his houseguests to play strange, dangerous games. This is a dual DVD/Blu-ray set (one of the last ones Criterion will be issuing, as they’ve decided to release the two formats separately going forward). Buy Picnic at Hanging Rock [Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD].

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975): See description in DVD above. Buy Picnic at Hanging Rock [Criterion Collection Blu-ray/DVD].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

The Book Of Revelation (2013): A literal, amateur animated version of the Book of Revelation. Purple-faced prophets with robotic voices are one of the least weird things about this reverently (if not revelatory) hallucinatory oddity. Props to lester 1/2jr for discovering this.

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):

The Human Race (2012): Random American citizens are whisked away to a netherworld to participate in a brutal death race; two of them are deaf, and the main character has only one leg. The Facebook page lists it as opening June 13th, but doesn’t say where. The Human Race official Facebook page.

Witching and Bitching (2103): Alex de la Iglesia’s latest sounds like From Dusk Till Dawn with witches; bank robbers fleeing a heist run into a coven in the woods. The Village Voice says it’s “the rare wannabe cult hit that smears the screen in grade-A craziness.” Playing at IFC Center in Manhattan this week; no word on future dates or venues. Witching and Bitching official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles [AKA Bushido Man] (2013): A martial arts student goes on a quest to defeat the legendary masters of seven different weapons, and provides a detailed report on the meal his opponent ate before each battle. It’s the first samurai flick for foodies. Buy Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles.

Hide and Seek (2013): A man’s search for his missing brother leads him to a strange apartment complex with mysterious symbols scrawled everywhere. Fearnet’s Scott Weinberg promises that this Korean mystery/horror “gets pretty weird.” Buy Hide and Seek.

Visitors (2013): Godfrey Reggio (Koyaanisqatsi) again teams up with composer Philip Glass for a wordless, minimalist documentary parade of images, this time themed around man’s relationship to technology. Guaranteed to be a not-for-everyone experience! Buy Visitors.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles (2013): See description in DVD above. Buy Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles [Blu-ray].

Visitors (2013): See description in DVD above. A Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Buy Visitors [Blu-ray/DVD combo].

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.