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.

NETFLIX EXCLUSIVES:

Paris Is Us (2019): A woman wanders through Paris in an ambiguous haze of memory and imagination after missing a plane flight that crashes. Crowdfunded for under 100,000 euros and snapped up by Netflix as cheap international inventory, there’s little to go on here besides the description and the trailer below. In an Oscar week without much new on the horizon, this looks like your oddest gamble.  Debuts on Netflix Feb. 22.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Baltimore, MD, 2/26 – Mandy (2018). At the Senator.
• Chicago, IL, 2/22, 2/24, 2/27 – Pink Flamingos (1972). At Gene Siskel Film Center.
• Los Angeles, CA, 2/22 (midnight) – Mandy (2018). At the Nuart Theatre.
• Los Angeles, CA, 2/23 – Phantasm (1979), with Three O’Clock High (1987) and 10 to Midnight (1983) (triple feature, Don Coscarelli in attendance). At the Aero Theatre.
• New York City, NY, 2/22-23 (midnights) – Blue Velvet (1986). At IFC CenterIFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/22-23, 2/26-27 – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 2/22, 2/25 – Enter the Void (2009). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 2/28 – Weekend (1967). At the Metrograph.
• Omaha, NB, 2/27 – Wild at Heart (1990). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• Portland, OR, 2/26 – The Boxer’s Omen [Mo] (1983). At the Hollywood Theatre.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/22 – Repo Man (1984). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/28 – Akira (1988). At the Roxie.
• Schenectady, NY, 2/28 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999). At Proctor’s Theatre.

FREE MOVIES ON TUBI.TV:

Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013): Read the Certified Weird review! A yakuza boss hires a group of underground filmmakers to chronicle his raid on a rival’s headquarters; things get weird (and bloody). Watch Why Don’t You Play in Hell? free on Tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: On Sunday we’ll announce the winners of the 9th annual Weirdcademy Awards race—a few hours before the Oscars announce their Most Conventional Picture awards—and there’s still time to get your votes in for features or shorts. There are a couple of races that are still close…  Then, we’ll have a trio of regular reviews. From the reader-suggested review queue, Pete Trbovich chows down on Paul Bartel‘s classic black comedy Eating Raoul (1982), while Simon Hyslop investigates the uncanny dystopian animation Metropia (2009). On the new release front, Giles Edwards catches us up on Tommy Wiseau‘s latest star vehicle, Best F(r)ineds (Vols. 1 & 2), now available (exclusively) on Blu-ray. Onward and wierdward!

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 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.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Lords of Chaos (2018): Read Giles Edwards’ review. Biopic/docudrama, appropriately narrated from beyond the grave, covering the scandalous rise of “True” Norwegian Black Metal, featuring church burning and, eventually, murder. Lords of Chaos official Facebook page.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

All the Colors of Giallo (2018): For dedicated giallo fans: this three disc set contains the title documentary on the genre, a second doc (The Case of the Krimi, with film historian Marcus Stiglegger), a trailer collection, and a CD of soundtrack cuts. Via Severin films, it’s a multi-format set (Blu-ray, DVD, and CD). Buy All the Colors of Giallo.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018): Scientists in a satellite orbiting the Earth accidentally open a portal to another dimension when experimenting with a particle accelerator. While we liked the other two Cloverfield movies (one a monster flick and one a thriller), we skipped this sci-fi themed one on Netflix because nothing about the initial installments led us to suspect there would ever be a weird movie in the bunch; the Internet (not the most reliable source, admittedly) suggests we may be wrong in that assumption. It’s now out on DVD or Blu-ray for those without a Netflix subscription. Also available in a “Cloverfield 3-Movie Collection” DVD or Blu-ray pack Buy The Cloverfield Paradox.

The Fifth Cord (1971): Franco Nero stars as an alcoholic reporter tracking a serial killer while simultaneously becoming a suspect. Maybe not 100% weird, but it has the psychedelic visual sensibility and alienated atmosphere of the period. Another neglected giallo exhumed by Arrow Video, now on Blu-ray. Buy The Fifth Cord.

Lu Over the Wall: Little Mermaid variation in which the fish-girl joins a teen rock band. This kids’ movie that carefully describes itself as “joyously hallucinogenic but family-friendly” comes from Masaaki Yuasa—the mind behind the Canonically Weird Mind Game (2004). Blu-ray, DVD, VOD. Buy Lu Over the Wall.

The Possessed (1965): A depressed novelist goes looking for his lost love, a waitress at a remote lakeside resort who has disappeared mysteriously. A “proto-giallo” co-scripted by the curious Giulio Questi, who would go on to direct a pair of Canonically Weird films. Another Arrow Video Blu-ray release. Buy The Possessed.

Shame (1968): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. Ingmar Bergman‘s surreal tale of war coming to Fårö is largely overlooked. The Criterion Collection hopes to change that with this single-disc release including both new and archival interviews. Buy Shame.

St. Bernard Syndicate (2018): A Danish businessman partners with an investor who’s just been diagnosed with A.L.S. in a scheme to sell St. Bernards to the Chinese. Sounds subtly strange at best, but Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com did claim it is “very funny at times, but also chilling and always interested in weirdness…” Now on VOD (only, for the present time). Buy or rent The St. Bernard Syndicate.

Zachariah (1971): Read Pete Trbovich’s review. This hippie comedy-Western-musical billed itself as the “first electric Western”; Kino Lorber grabbed the rights and upgraded the featureless MGM DVD to a sparkling new Blu-ray with a commentary track and everything. Buy Zachariah.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Boston, MA, 2/8 – Performance (1968/1970). At the Brattle.
• Boston, MA, 2/9 – Don’t Look Now (1973) with Masque of the Red Death (1964) (double feature). At the Brattle.
• Los Angeles, CA, 2/8 (midnight) – Blue Velvet (1986). At the Nuart Theatre.
• Nashville, TN, 2/9 (midnight) – Akira (1988). At the Belcourt.
• Nashville, TN, 2/14 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999). At the Belcourt.
• New York City, NY, 2/8-9 (midnights) – Suspiria (1977). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/8-9, 11-13 – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 2/9 & 11 – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984). At the Quad.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/9-10 – Fantasia (1940). At the Castro Theatre.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/12 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/13 – Wild at Heart (1990). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• Toronto, Ont., Canada, 2/8 – Heavenly Creatures (1994). At the Royal.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2/8 – Moonstruck (1987) with Wild at Heart (1990) (double feature, single tickets available). At the Rio Theatre.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2/12 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). At the Rio Theatre.

FREE MOVIES ON TUBI.TV:

Dogville (2003): Read the Canonically Weird review!  Lars von Trier‘s dark, misanthropic fable is like de Sade’s “Justine” played out on the set of Wilder’s “Our Town.” Listed as “leaving soon” on the service. Watch Dogville free on Tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Next week, look for a review from the reader-suggested queue: Simon Hyslop on 2004’s Lovecraftian J-horror, Marebito. We’ll also have Giles Edwards with late-ish coverage of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani‘s latest, last year’s Let The Corpses Tan, and a reader-supplied statistical analysis of the List. And maybe we’ll even have a mystery pop-up review (though if we promised one for certain and told you what it was, it wouldn’t be a mystery… forget we said anything, OK?)

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.

Time for another giveaway! This one is for true fans only, though all are welcome to try. All you have to do is convince us that you’re 366 Weird Movies’ Biggest Fan, and therefore deserving of this fine prize. We know a couple of you have gone the extra mile to promote this project; now is your chance to show us what you’ve done. Pimp your own creativity while pumping our egos; everyone benefits. (Or just compliment us really, really well). We’ll pick the most impressive submission provided in the comments below. Even if you’re ineligible to win the prize (for example, because you live outside the U.S.), please let us know about your fandom. And even if you think you’re a Pretty Big Fan, but not the Biggest, let us know. Our pride needs it.

Even though, in a way, you’re all winners, the choice of an actual prize winner is solely at the discretion of 366 Weird Movies’ staff.

Eligibility rules: You must comment on this post. To receive the DVD, you must supply us with a mailing address in the United States. (Don’t publish your address in your comment! We’ll contact the winner through email). 366 contributors are not eligible for the prize. You are eligible for this prize even if you have won a contest here in the last six months. We’ll stop accepting entries Wednesday, February 20, at midnight EST. If the winner does not respond to our request for a mailing address within 48 hours we’ll email a runner-up, and so forth, until the prize is given away.

As for the prize: it’s the Criterion 2-disc DVD edition of the Canonically Weird True Stories, David Byrne‘s celebration of eccentricity and “Specialness” set in the fictional town of Virgil, Texas. Note that this DVD edition does not include the film’s soundtrack, which is an exclusive bonus feature of the Blu-ray. But it does include the second disc of bonus features (four documentaries, plus deleted scenes) and the cool tabloid-style booklet with essays by Rebecca Bengal and Joe Nick Patoski.

So go to it! Show us what you got!

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.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Braid: Two women, in desperate need of cash to pay back a drug dealer, decide to rob their insane but wealthy childhood friend: but figuring out the location of her safe will require them to humor her by playing by the delusional rules of the “game” she’s been stuck in since childhood. Review coming next week. Braid official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT (post-production):

Far From  the Apple Tree (2019): An artist discovers she has a doppelgänger: her boss’s missing daughter. The press release calls it an “eclectic mix of ghost story, fairy tale and horror” and compares it to both Valerie and Her Week of Wonders and The Wicker Man. This UK production will be released domestically in March, and the Redemption label (best known to us as deep catalog releasers of Jean Rollin and Alain Robbe-Grillet curios) has already snapped it up for a planned home video release in 2019.  Thanks to El Rob Hubbard for bringing it to our attention. Far from the Apple Tree official site.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

All the Colors of the Dark [Tutti i colori del buio] (1972): A woman plagued by recurring nightmares decides to try a Black Mass as a means of therapy (!) Severin Films exhumes this ghastly giallo for a new age. Out on DVD or Blu-ray with lots of bonus features. Buy All the Colors of the Night.

Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (2017): Read our review. Whimsical surrealism from the mind of anime weirdo Masaaki Yuasa that ranked #4 on our Weirdest of 2018 list, now on DVD/Blu-ray combo pack or VOD from Shout! Factory. Buy Night is Short, Walk on Girl.

Suspiria (2018): Read our review. Luca Guadagnino remakes the classic Suspiria as an arthouse pic; an interesting experiment. On Blu-ray or VOD. Buy Suspiria (2018).

Top Knot Detective (2017): Mockumentary (?) about a brief Japanese cult TV series starring a samurai detective. Now available streaming on Amazon (free with Prime); DVDs currently available overseas only. Thanks to Joe Badon for catching this. (Note: the video uploaded to Amazon lacks subtitles and may be in the wrong aspect ratio [see comments]. We’re disabling the Amazon purchase link until we hear that the issue has been fixed.) Stream Top Knot Detective on Vimeo from the distributor.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Bloomington, IN, 2/4 – Reality (2014). At Indiana University Cinema.
• Denver, CO, 2/4 – Belle de Jour (1967). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• New York City, NY, 2/1-2/2 (midnights) – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/1-2/2 (midnights) – Run Lola Run (1998). At Nitehawk Cinema (Williamsburg).
• New York City, NY, 2/1-2/2 (midnights) – Suspiria (1977). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/2-2/3 – Beauty and the Beast [La Belle et la Bete] (1946). At the Metrograph.
• New York  City, NY, 2/2, 2/5 – Dogtooth [Kynodontas] (2009). At Film Society of Lincoln Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/2-2/3 – The Lobster (2015). At Film Society of Lincoln Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/7 – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). At the Metrograph.
• San Diego, CA, 2/4 – Don’t Look Now (1973). At Ken Cinema.
• Vanouver, BC, Canada, 2/3 – Sorry to Bother You (2018). At the Rio Theatre.
• Vancounver, BC, Canada, 2/4 – The Lobster (2015). At the Rio Theatre.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Rubber (2010): Read the Canonically Weird review! Why should you watch this movie about a serial-killing tire? No reason. Watch Rubber free on Tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Next week, we’ll bring you previews of a couple of new limited releases, as G. Smalley tries to untangle Braids (see trailer above), and Giles Edwards bows to the experimental black metal documentary Lords of Chaos. We’ll also have a DVD giveaway contest. Prize: True Stories Criterion Collection DVD. Theme: convince us you’re 366 Weird Movies’ biggest fan. And don’t forget to vote in the Weirdcademy Awards (and the Shorts) before Feb. 24th. Weirdest Picture and Actor look sewn up, but the other categories are still competitive.

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.