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The Last Dragon (1985): Discussion begins. Karate kid Leroy fights the Shogun of Harlem for the hand of Vanity. This exceedingly silly, oh-so-80s cult film in out 4K, so you can see “the Glow” in hi-def. Buy Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.

Toronto International Film Festival: Discussion begins. The festival is over, but many of these films will be getting distribution in the coming weeks and months. Here are six titles we think show promise:

• La Chimera – A film from Alice Rohrwatcher (Happy as Lazzaro) following a group of Etruscan tomb raiders; could be arty-weird
• Dicks – The Musical – This vulgar, absurd queer musical won the audience award in the “Midnight” section and will be in theaters next week from A24.
  
• Dream Scenario – Nicolas Cage stars as a nondescript professor who shows up in strangers’ dreams; also from A24 and on screens in November.
  
• Mademoiselle Kenopsia – Experimental movie from Denis Côté (Vic + Flo Saw a Bear) that appears to have only one character onscreen for 80 minutes—maybe.
• Mother, Couch – Grandma sits down on a couch and refuses to move in what we’re suspecting is a Buñuelian scenario.
• Riddle of Fire – We’ll let the programmers hype this one: “a neo-fairytale that evokes the sensation of tuning into a late-night broadcast of an obscure and wackadoo children’s film from another dimension.”

Toronto International Film Festival 2023 complete film list.

The Trial (1962): Discussion begins. Read the Canonically Weird entry! A new restoration of Orson Welles‘ surreal adaptation of Franz Kafka‘s novel is now available from Criterion, in either standalone Blu-ray or 4K UHD + Blu-ray. Buy The Trial.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Next week’s Pod 366 should have Joe Badon as our first returning guest (although at the time of this writing we have not confirmed a recording time yet—if it’s not next week, it will be in an episode soon after). In written reviews next week, Shane Wilson searches the reader-suggested queue and comes up with a gem in Vinyan (2008); Giles Edwards braves the avant-garde Caverna (2023); and Gregory J. Smalley explores one Jagged Mind (2023). 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:

“Andrejz Zulawaski: The Third Part of the Night/The Devil/On the Silver Globe“: Discussion begins. El Rob Hubbard’s review of The Third Part of the Night, The Devil, and On the Silver Globe. This limited edition three disc “Masters of Cinema” release is only available on Region B Blu-ray—at the present time, at least. Order Andrejz Zulawaski Masters of Cinema from Eureka.

Astrakan (2022): Discussion begins. Magical realist tale about an orphan uncovering secrets of his foster family. Playing in Los Angeles and releasing simultaneously on VOD. Astrakan official site.

Black Magic Rites [AKA The Reincarnation of Isabel] (1973): Discussion begins. A group of usually topless witches (or vampires) in a Gothic castle need virgin’s blood for a ritual. Obscure Eurosleaze in the tradition of Jess Franco, given a surprisingly reverent restored 4K Blu-ray by Indicator. Buy Black Magic Rites.

City of the Living Dead (1980): Discussion begins. Read Giles Edwards’ capsule review. Lucio Fulci‘s zombie “classic” (to some, though we are skeptics here) receives a lavish 3-disc set, a 4K restoration with a UHD, Blu-ray, and a Blu-ray’s worth of extras. Buy City of the Living Dead.

Cosmic Disco Detective Rene: The Secret Society for Slow Romance 2 (2023): Discussion begins. Listen to our interview with director Sujewa Ekanayale on Cosmic Disco Detective Rene: The Secret Society for Slow Romance 2. New York-set mystery/comedy that will be available for rental until 9/14 (future plans unknown). Rent Cosmic Disco Detective Rene: The Secret Society for Slow Romance 2 on Vimeo.

Infinity Pool (2023): Discussion begins. Read Gregory J. Smalley’s Apocrypha Candidate review. This 4K UHD of Brandon Cronenberg‘s exploration of human depravity contains about a minute of (likely inconsequential) extra footage, but also a lot of extras not on the Blu-ray release, including a Cronenberg commentary, and is in collectible steelbook format. Buy Infinity Pool (4K UHD).

Killer Condom (1996): Discussion begins. Read Shane Wilson’s review. This 3-disc edition of the queer horror comedy is a limited edition currently available at Vinegar Syndrome and a few select partners. Killer Condom at Vinegar Syndrome.

Perpetrator (2023): Discussion begins. A surrealistic feminist high school horror from Jennifer Reeder about a girl who harnesses her inner monster to chase down another monster. Features a performance by Alicia Silverstone as the creepy aunt. Perpetrator official site.

The Pied Piper (1986): Discussion begins. Jirí Barta‘s dark stop-motion retelling of the Pied Piper myth.  Fans of Jan Svankmajer should appreciate this one, which has been hard to find for some time but is rescued from obscurity by Deaf Crocodile. Buy The Pied Piper.

“Sex, Money and Power: The Films of Beth B”: Discussion begins. Beth B is a no-wave NYC filmmaker whose work is maybe more transgressive and experimental than properly “weird.” Twelve films (only two of which run over an hour) are spread over two discs.  Buy “Sex, Money and Power: The Films of Beth B.”

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Canonically weird director Damon Packard will be next week’s special guest on Pod 366, in advance of a rare screening of his underground classic Reflections of Evil at the Los Feliz theater in Los Angeles on September 16. In written reviews, Shane Wilson drinks in the intoxicating Taoism Drunkard (1984), Giles Edwards looks at Enys Men (2022), and Gregory J. Smalley  checks out the allure of João Pedro Rodrigues‘ latest , Will-o’-the-Wisp (2022). 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:

Asteroid City (2023): Discussion begins. Read Gregory J. Smalley’s Apocrypha Candidate review. Wes Anderson‘s Cold War-set meta-comedy turned out to be much weirder than expected; it’s now on DVD and Blu-ray. Buy Asteroid City.

Caverna (2023): Discussion begins. Patients act out mythological scenarios as part of an experimental therapy in this Italian drama that bills itself as “dreamlike.” Just an hour long, it was released straight to video-on-demand. Caverna official site.

Fantastic Fest (Sep. 21-28, Austin, TX):

Discussion begins. The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX may be America’s coolest movie theater. Their brand grew so big that they have franchised Drafthouses across the country, and have partnered with American Genre Films Archives on a number of exploitation film re-releases. One of the Alamo’s hippest projects is Fantastic Fest, now back in full force in its eighteenth year. As per usual, there is a fantastic slate of weird movies and some neato revivals here. Coming at the tail end of the film festival season, we’ve already either noted or reviewed a number of these, most notably the dystopian weirdofest Divinity, the Spanish black comedy The Fantastic Golem Affairs, the Korean black comedy Killing Romance, the Stuart-Gordian Suitable Flesh, and the Adams family’s period horror Where the Devil Roams. Big-ticket revivals include the insane  Blood Diner (1987), the mysterious Messiah of Evil (1973), and the nihilistic Nowhere. Here are some newer releases we’ll be keeping an eye out for:

• “30 Coins,” Season 2 – The Fest will premiere the first two episodes of the upcoming season of Alex de la Iglesia‘s Satanic TV show (Season 1 review here).
• Caligula: The Ultimate Cut – Original cut reviewed here. This “ultimate cut” of the disgusto vanity project from Bob Guccione uses mostly B-roll footage, runs for 2.5 hours, and might be better than the original (though that’s not saying much).
  
• Conann – Conann the Barbarian as you’ve never seen her before! From the “incoherent” Bertrand Mandico.
  
• The Jar – A surrealist horror.
• The People’s Joker – The festival defies corporate bullies for a second screening of this underground hit about a trans Joker.
  
• The Toxic Avenger (2023) – A remake of Troma’s offensive original starring the actor who was born to play the role: Peter Dinklage!
  

Fantastic Fest homepage.

Last and First Men (2020): Discussion begins. Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson composes a score, illustrates it with black and white photographs of Czech brutalist architecture, and hires Tilda Swinton to read a dystopian novel over the images. This experimental movie, Jóhannsson’s only feature as director, was one of his last completed works before his death from an accidental drug overdose in 2018. On Blu-ray only.  Buy Last and First Men.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Pat Tremblay, who has just published a fascinating new book of fake (but weird!) movies, will be our guest on next week’s Pod 366. In reviews next week, Shane Wilson will revisit Modus Operandi (2009), Giles Edwards takes the Corner Office (2023), and Gregory J. Smalley plans on shooting off something about Tommy Guns (2022). Onward and weirdward!