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Quick links/Discussed in this episode:

Anders Runstead homepage

Buy “I Cannot, Yet I Must: The True Story of the Best Bad Monster Movie of All Time, Robot Monster“

Anders Runestad interview only (YouTube)

Circus Maximus (2023?): Discussion begins. The somewhat confusing Travis Scott/Harmony Korine mystery (see the last episode of Pod 366) either deepens or resolves, depending on how you look at it. Scott has released a feature length music sequence of music videos (?) from his upcoming album “Utopia” that will play sporadically this week in L.A. AMC theaters. It is not from A24, despite the fact that the studio’s name appears on posters Scott released. Scott is listed as director, along with five impressive co-directors: Korine, Gaspar Noé, Nicolas Winding Refn, Valdimar Jóhannsson, and Kahlil Joseph. The press release describes it as “a surreal and psychedelic journey.” The Korine directed action pic is a separate Scott project. Variety has the sketchy deets.

https://youtu.be/KvLg2LAg5kQ

Decorado (pre-production, est. 2025): Discussion begins. With Unicorn Wars just out this year, Spanish animator Alberto Vázquez is back already with a pre-sold new project, a feature-length adaptation of his existential short “Decorado” about a mouse who comes to believe the surreal world he lives in must be a television program. French distributor Le Pacte picked it up because it’s “even crazier” than Unicorn Wars. Read more at Variety.

Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse in Love (2003): Discussion begins. Read Gregory J. Smalley’s review. Surprised to see this microbudget Canadian zom-com suddenly show up on Blu-ray 20 years after its creation, but more power to them. Buy Graveyard Alive.

Once Upon a Time in Uganda (2023): Discussion begins. Impressed by his homemade Wakaliwood action pictures, a New York film programmer travels to Uganda to meet director Isaac Nabwana. See “Wakaliwood Supa Action Volume 1” (below) to acquire the movies in question. Now on VOD. Buy or rent Once Upon a Time in Uganda.

Prague Nights (1969): Discussion begins. A previously unknown (to us) horror anthology from the Czech New Wave, involving golems, sexy medieval noblewomen, and musical numbers. Deaf Crocodile rescues and restores this obscurity. Buy Prague Nights.

Robot Monster 3D (1953): Discussion begins. Read the Canonically Weird review! The 3-D Film Archives restores Robot Monster, which can be watched in 3D Blu-ray (if supported), with blue/red anaglyph glasses, or in plain old boring 2D. With two hours of bonus material (twice the length of the actual movie!) Buy Robot Monster 3D.

Sympathy for the Devil (2023): Discussion begins. Read Giles Edwards’ festival review. Nicolas Cage is unleashed (again) in his latest gonzo vehicle, starring as a kidnapper taking an expectant father on a wild ride. In select theaters and simultaneously on VOD. Sympathy for the Devil official site.

“Wakaliwood Supa Action Volume 1”:  Discussion begins. Released some time before Once Upon a Time in Uganda (see above), but this is the perfect time to mention it: the set brings together Isaac Nabwana’s two most famous movies, Bad Black and Who Killed Captain Alex? With new interviews and fan tributes sent in from around the world. Buy “Wakaliwood Supa Action Volume 1”.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

No guest on Pod 366 next week, but be sure to tune in anyway as El Rob Hubbard temporarily assumes co-host duties.

In written reviews, Giles Edwards will continue to pour in Fantasia Festival 2023 updates faster than his poor editor can prep them. (Teaser: he describes an upcoming black comedy as “Eraserhead as directed by Wes Anderson.”) In non-Fantasia but Barbenheimer-adjacent news, Shane Wilson will take this opportunity to tackle Christopher Nolan‘s Following (1998) (considered a lesser Nolan work, which still isn’t too bad). Finally, Gregory J. Smalley will give you the lowdown on the anime miniseries “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” (2021, now on Netflix). Onward and weirdward!

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

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Quick links/Discussed in this episode:

“Fantasia Festival 2023”: Discussion begins – Jacob Klemmer isolated interview. Long-time readers know how we revere this particular festival (we’re in our eight year of coverage). As its name suggests, Fant-Asia began by specializing fantasy films from Asia, but has since expanded to cover all types of genre filmmaking from around the world, including the more accessible experimental and would-be-cult films. Here are just a few of the top features Giles Edwards will be looking into at this year’s Fantasia, which begins on July 20 in beautiful Montreal:

• Apocalypse Clown – Four Irish clowns roam the countryside attempting to entertain the populace after a catastrophe
• Booger – A woman begins turning into a cat after being bitten by a cat.
• Divinity – A black and white midnight movie about an immortality drug; programmers raise expectations by comparing it to Eraserhead and Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
• Hundreds of Beavers – A silent (or at least, dialogue-free) comedy about fur trappers in the Northwoods, featuring (hundreds of?) beavers played by actors in furry costumes; from the team who brought you Lake Michigan Monster
• Mutant Aliens – Bill Plympton‘s latest Plymptoon is about mutant aliens
• River – Time-traveling followup to the 2021 Japanese microbudget hit Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, taking the same concept in a new direction
• Vincent Must Die – Vincent is inexplicably attacked by random strangers.

Fantasia International Film Festival home page.

After Hours (1985): Discussion begins. Read the Canonically Weird entry! The Criterion Collection puts Martin Scorsese‘s nocturnal black comedy on Blu-ray (or 4K UHD, sold separately). Buy After Hours.

Ash (202?): Discussion begins. We’ve been keeping tabs on Flying Lotus’ extraterrestrial sci-fi feature for a while; very little is known about it (including plot or production status), but some new stills have been released and interviews granted. Entertainment Weekly tells us what they have gleaned about Ash.

Beau Is Afraid (2023): Discussion begins. Read Gregory J. Smalley’s Apocrypha Candidate review. Ari Aster‘s Joaquin Phoenix-led surreal anxiety comedy joins the Blu-ray/DVD ranks this week. Buy Beau Is Afraid.

Cube (2021): Discussion begins. A Japanese version of the Canonically Weird classic; the trailer makes it look like a beat-for-beat remake. On Blu-ray. Buy Cube.

Open (est. Nov. 2023): Discussion begins. A New Wave musical with Rocky Horror/Scott Pilgrim intentions. Scheduled to play theaters in November 2023. My Bloody Reviews reprints the press release.

Spider-Baby (202?): Discussion begins. A remake of the Canonically Weird 1967 cult film has wrapped principal photography. Beverly Washburn is back from the original, and Jack Hill is executive producer (so hopefully, they can’t screw up the legacy). Movieweb has some more details.

Spoonful of Sugar (2022): Discussion begins. This movie suggests that an LSD-addled babysitter may be the wrong choice to watch your special needs child. In theaters somewhere, but you’re more likely to find it on VOD or Shudder. It hits Blu-ray next week.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

On next week’s Pod 366, we expect to have microbudget director Sujewa Ekanayake and a co-host to be named later.

In written reviews, we’ll actually preview one of those Fantasia films as El Rob Hubbard catches Hundreds of Beavers (see above); Shane Wilson tackles another that Came from the Reader-Suggested Queue with the controversial documentary Vakvagany (2002); Gregory J. Smalley takes a Spoonful of Sugar (also see above); and, by the end of the week, there’s a strong possibility that Fantasia reports will start to trickle in from Giles Edwards. Onward and weirdward!

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

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The Saragossa Manuscript (1965): Discussion begins. Read the Canonically Weird entry! Yellow Veil becomes the first to release Jerry Garcia’s favorite film on Blu-ray for an American audience.  Buy The Saragossa Manuscript.

Shadow Work (202?): Discussion begins. This upcoming release arises out of the Annecy residency, which pairs up and coming animators with older mentors—in this case, screenwriter Patrick Somerville and director Marc Caro—to develop their projects. It will be a psychological horror about a doppelganger, rendered in uncanny motion-capture. Read about it at Variety.

The Shrouds (est. 2024): Discussion begins. In late June, Vincent Cassel posted on Instagram that the shoot of David Cronenberg‘s latest horror film had wrapped. Little is known about it except that Cassell stars as a businessman who runs a service allowing grieving families to watch the bodies of their loved ones decompose on closed circuit television, but criminals vandalize the graves. Reported in multiple places, but we first read about it at Bloody Disgusting.

The Waves of Madness (est. 2024): Discussion begins. On an earlier Pod 366, Jason Trost mentioned his plans for a single-take side-scrolling Lovecraftian horror (listen to Trost’s comments here); he quickly launched an Indiegogo campaign which quickly met its modest goal (and you can still donate and get those cool perks through today, July 7).

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

As Giles Edwards prepares to head off to the 2023 Fantasia Film festival in late July, next week’s Pod 366 will preview what he will be looking for there; festival programmer Jacob Klemmer will join us for insider insights into the slate. In written reviews, Giles will investigate one that Came from the Reader-Suggested Queue with Harlequin [AKA Deadly Forces] (1980); Shane Wilson takes a second look at the spiraling Uzumaki (2000); El Rob Hubbard reports on the Criterion Collection edition of INLAND EMPIRE; and Gregory J. Smalley will cover the new release front with a look at the French anime Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. Onward and weirdward!

366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.

Audio only link (Soundcloud download)

Quick links/Discussed in this episode:

“The Adam Rifkin Film Festival”: The early short films of Dark Backward director Rifkin, which look like an experimental lot made mostly when he was a teenager. This limited edition from Dekanalog is available exclusively at Vinegar Syndrome—no standard edition will be released.

Blind Willow Sleeping Woman (2022): Discussion begins. A salesman, a giant toad, a cat, and a schizophrenic accountant seek to save Tokyo from an earthquake. Although set in Japan, adapted from works by Haruki Murakami, and done in an anime style, this French production is now on DVD (not Blu-ray) and VOD. Buy Blind Willow Sleeping Woman.

Daughters of Darkness (1971): Discussion begins. Read Giles Edwards’ review. The special edition Blu-ray came out last year; here it is on 4K UHD disc. Buy Daughters of Darkness.

Dracula, the Dirty Old Man (1969): Discussion begins. Reputedly awful, but bizarre, skin flick about Dracula hiring a wolfman to bring him naked ladies. American Genre Film Archive rescues another (rightfully) unheralded classic! Buy Dracula, the Dirty Old Man.

“Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Collector’s Set“: Discussion begins. A set of video-store B-movies from Empire International Pictures, including The Dungeonmaster (1984), Stuart Gordon‘s Dolls (1986), Cellar Dweller (1987), Arena (1989), and Robot Jox (1989, again from Gordon). Buy “Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Collector’s Set.“

Irreversible (2022): Discussion begins. Gaspar Noe‘s shocking breakthrough film was a rape-revenge thriller told in reverse order; this set from Altered Innocence includes the “straight cut” (told in chronological order) for the first time on disc. Buy Irreversible.

Motel Hell (1980): Discussion begins. A B-movie black comedy and 80s/90s cable favorite about a cannibal hotelier. Obviously, this belongs on 4K UHD! Buy Motel Hell.

A New Old Play (2021): Discussion begins. Read Giles Edwards’ Apocrypha Candidate review. The three-hour absurdist Chinese epic is now on Blu-ray (no special features advertised). Buy A New Old Play.

“Pasolini 101”: Discussion begins. The Criterion Collection puts out a 60s-era Pier Paolo Pasolini box set featuring Accatone (1961), Mamma Roma (1962), Love Meetings (1964), The Gospel According to Matthew (1964),  The Hawks and the Sparrows (1966), Oedipus Rex (1967), the Canonically Weird Teorema (1968), Porcile (1969), and Medea (1969) (no Salo, thankfully, but there always could be a 70s-themed set to follow). There are also a couple of short films among the numerous extras. Buy “Pasolini 101.”

Please Baby Please (2022): Discussion begins. Read Gregory J. Smalley’s review. Amanda Kramer‘s hallucinatory exploration of repressed queerness in the 50s was previously on DVD and VOD and is now on Blu-ray; special features include a commentary track, Kramer shorts, and deleted scenes. Buy Please Baby Please.

The Saragossa Manuscript (1965): Read the Canonically Weird entry! Yellow Veil becomes the first to release Jerry Garcia’s favorite film on Blu-ray for an American audience. We’ll discuss it more on the next Pod 366. Buy The Saragossa Manuscript.

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1987): Discussion begins. Read Giles Edwards’ Apocrypha Candidate review. Alex Proyas‘ absurd post-apocalyptic debut comes to Blu-ray for the first time in Region A. Buy Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds.

The White Buffalo (1977): Discussion begins. Wild Bill Hickok (Charles Bronson) dreams of a white buffalo and concludes it is his destiny to kill it; Crazy Horse (Will Sampson) hunts the same beast, believing its sacred hide will enable his dead child to find peace in the afterlife. A strange Western that flopped badly on release. Not a Blu-ray debut, but it is remastered with a new audio commentary by Paul Talbot (who wrote the book on Bronson). Buy The White Buffalo.

FREE WEIRD MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Microbudget filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake (who will be a guest on Pod 366 in a couple of weeks) has put up a number of his movies on YouTube for a limited time, as part of his promotion for his newest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene: The Secret Society for Slow Romance 2. Going by the titles, they are weird.

Secret Society for Slow Romance (2022)

Werewolf Ninja Philosopher (2018)

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

In next week’s Pod 366 Greg and Giles (and someone else?) will enter our virtual Criterion closet to give you our Criterion Collection must-wants. In written reviews, we will start with a surprise: coverage of the legendary “Cremaster” Cycle of movies, by a lucky guest writer who actually saw them on their recent NYC revival. El Rob Hubbard will also bring you another TV series review of “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” Shane Wilson will take on another one that Came from the Reader-Suggested Queue with Static (1985) (an early film disowned by director Mark Romanek), and Gregory J. Smalley listens to some Tales from the Gimli Hospital (the recent redux version, out on Blu-ray). Onward and weirdward!