Here’s the poll to vote for May’s Netflix Weird Watch Party, which will start on Saturday, May 8 at 10:15 PM ET. If you plan on virtually attending, please vote for the movie we’ll be watching below. We’ll screen the movie that get the most votes; your host, Gregory J. Smalley, will personally break any ties. Note that unlike our other polls, you can only vote once. Poll closes at midnight ET on Thursday, May 6. You may vote for multiple movies, but not for every movie (because that would be pointless).
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Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…
Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.
FILM FESTIVALS –TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES FILM FESTIVAL (Cable TV – TCM and HBO Max, May 6-9):
This year’s TCM “festival” has no physical presence—it’s more like “regularly scheduled programming”—and is screening no canonically weird movies. Still, there are a couple of curiosities on offer that may be of interest to those who have access to these channels.
SF Sketchfest table read of Plan 9 From Outer Space(1959) – Comedian Dana Gould assembled a cast of comics (including MST3K‘s Jonah Ray and Baron Vaughn) to do a table read of the script; followed by a screening of the original. On TCM, 8 PM ET, 5/7.
let me come in (2021) – Bill Morrison presents eleven minutes of decayed frames of the partially lost silent Pawns of Passion (1928), presented with a new score by composer David Lang. Set your DVR because it comes on at 3:15 AM on TCM, also on 5/7.
About Endlessness (2019): The fourth part (not a misprint) of Roy Andersson‘s “Living” trilogy finally reaches these shores. A couple floating in the air watch over melancholy, absurdist vignettes. Available in select theaters and everywhere on VOD today. We’re on it. About Endlessness official site.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Crimes of the Future (2022?): If that title sounds familiar, it’s because it has been used before, by David Cronenberg in 1970 for a one-hour experimental feature that has been reviewed in these pages. Now, more than 40 years later, and six years since he last directed (Maps to the Stars), the 78-year old Cronenberg remakes his low-budget sci-fi thriller about killer cosmetics on a grand scale, with Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart attached. Croney’s later films have lost the pervasive weirdness (and the grotesque body horror) of his twentieth century work, but here’s hoping this return to his roots hints at a return to form. More info via Indiewire.
NEW ON HOME VIDEO:
Deep Blood (1989): Teenagers hunt a shark that is actually a Native American spirit, or something. “Oh the Horror!” says this Joe D’Amato cheapie is “a special, unwitting kind of terrible that actually works because there’s a weird, demented heart beating at its center.” Buy Deep Blood.
Donnie Darko (2001): Read the canonical entry. It’s that time again: time for the annual home video re-release of Donnie Darko! This time it’s been remastered for 4K Ultra and includes a 100-page hardcover book of interviews and critical essays, along with a poster and collectible postcards. One Blu-ray houses the theatrical cut, another the director’s cut, and numerous special features, most of which are presumably available on previous releases, are spread throughout. Buy Donnie Darko.
“Home Grown Horrors, Vol. 1”: Three movies from auteurs with imaginations bigger than their budgets, marketed to lovers of the weird. The ad copy says Beyond Dream’s Door (1988) “blends elements of surrealism, mystery, and grotesque and violent horror set-pieces” and describes Winterbeast (1992) as “[a] film which truly justifies the term ‘unclassifiable’… Loaded with surreal dialogue.” Fatal Exam (1988) looks like a mere slasher, though. Currently only available directly from Vinegar Syndrome; we suspect a wider release through regular retailers should follow.
This section is starting to fill out again, mostly thanks to Alamo Drafthouse, but we have some other contributors, too. More should join through the summer until we hopefully return to normal before the end of the year.
And speaking of Eaker and blockbusters, next week curmudgeonly Alfred brings you a bonus complaint, as our resident film masochist recently inflicted four hours of Zack Snyder’s Justice League upon himself and is dying to talk about it. Sticking with the mainstream theme, Giles Edwards whets your appetite for LeBron’s Space Jam reboot with a look at the 1996 original (which somehow found its way into our reader-suggestion queue while we weren’t paying attention). But don’t worry, we’ll still bring you some weirdness when Gregory J. Smalley checks out About Endlessness (see above). Onward and weirdward!
What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.
In just a few hours, the telecast of the Oscars (or, as we refer to them, the “Weirdcademy Awards for squares”) will begin. We are happy to steal the Academy’s thunder by announcing cinema’s weirdest winners of 2020 now.
In the category of “Weirdest Short Film,” the winner is “Sock Six” by David Firth.
In the category of “Weirdest Scene,” the Weirdcademy Award goes to I’m Thinking of Ending Things, for the janitor and pig scene. We won’t totally spoil the surprise for anyone who hasn’t seen the film yet, except to say it features this cutie:
In the category of “Weirdest Actress,” in something of an upset in the most competitive category, the Award goes to: Andrea Riseborough in Possessor, as a sociopathic assassin who inhabits other people’s bodies.
In the category of “Weirdest Actor,” the Award goes to Tom Hardy, chewing a carrot and firing a gold-plated Tommy-gun while wearing a diaper in Capone.
https://youtu.be/qD3XHHbUhxE
And finally, the award for Weirdest Picture of 2019 goes to… drum roll… Argentina’s stop-motion nightmare The Wolf House [La Casa Lobo].
Thanks to all voting members of the Weirdcademy, and see you again next year!
We’re sticking to our plan of one Netflix and one Amazon Prime watch party per month. It’s Netflix’s turn.
We’re open to suggestions for different starting times, dates, or methods of propagating the watch link.
The party is scheduled for May 8 at 10:15 PM ET. We’ll take nominations for movies to screen in the comments until we reach at least five entries (from five different attendees), then put up a voting poll.
