WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE

Next week begins with Pamela De Graff, who considers ‘s The Voices in the context of other recent schizophrenic killer movies. Speaking of schizophrenic, G. Smalley will fall into ‘s bizarre well of Id (2005), before emerging to consider the relatively sane work of on his obscure, recently (2003) recreated collaboration with (!), “Destino.” Finally, Alfred Eaker and wife Aja head back to the summer blockbusters for a look at Pitch Perfect 2 (believe it or not, they disagreed—again!)

Last week was a great week for weird search terms used to locate the site. This week was, frankly, lame. But that’s how it is in the weird search term game; it’s feast or famine. The selection of searches was so poor this week that we’re forced to highlight “movies about a fat boy eating chocolate and bad things start to happen in scary movies” as one of the weirdest searches we saw. A little stranger was  “old lady with bell on her vagina movie,” which we might have considered a truly strange search if we didn’t suspect that such a movie actually exists somewhere. Out of the weak field, we’ll choose “babydoll capsule for virtigo” as the very weirdest search we saw. But Googlers, you need to pick it up next week! You have one job—typing deranged phrases into search engines—and nice weather is no excuse for slacking off!

Here’s how the ridiculously-long reader-suggested review queue stands: Id (2005) (next week!); Society (DVD re-release expected soon!); The Fox Family; Angelus; This Filthy Earth; Conspirators of Continue reading WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE →

WEIRD HORIZON FOR THE WEEK OF 5/22/2015

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 Rumperbutts (2015): A married musical couple sell out to become children’s entertainers. A kickstarter-funded indie with magical realist elements, starring the singing duo Mates of State. Opening in L.A. The Rumperbutts Facebook page.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016): Remember reimagining Alice in Wonderland as a video game, with sleepingwalking his way through another role as a nutty eccentric, letting his makeup do the acting? Well, despite, by any sane measure of quality, sucking, Alice made a ton of money, so Disney is sending our aging Victorian lass through the looking glass next year. Good news: is back as Alice. Bad news: Depp is back as the Hatter. Good news: Burton will not direct (that duty goes to James “The Muppets” Bobin). Bad news: Alice scripter Linda Woolverton will write the screenplay. Overall, we’re not hopeful. Alice Through the Looking Glass IMDB entry.

Forbidden Zone 2 (201?): continues to make (slow) progress on producing a sequel to his 1980 Certified Weird original Forbidden Zone, which has been stuck in whatever the Sixth Dimension’s version of Development Hell is for over 30 years now. The latest encouraging info says Jenna Elfman is definitely attached and that Richard has signed a three-film development deal with Belgium’s Galaxy Studios. Read more at Screen Daily.

NEW ON DVD:

Despite the Gods (2012): Documentary chronicling Jennifer (daughter of ) Lynch’s near-breakdown as she tries to make a movie (entitled Hisss) about a shape-shifting snake goddess within the Bollywood studio system. Doesn’t sound weird per se, but it is a very conventional week for home video releases. Buy Despite The Gods.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

Ninja Scroll (1993): Read our review. The popular, violent, beautifully drawn, but not so weird anime fantasy gets a (reportedly mediocre) Blu-ray transfer. Buy Ninja Scroll [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Seance [AKA Killer in the Dark] (2001): A never-released horror flick starring the crap movie dream team of Corey Feldman and Adam West. In one scene, a ghost kills a man with a CD ejected at high speed from a possessed computer. Cinematic masochists will be in Heaven (er, I mean Hell). Watch Seance free on YouTube.

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.

EAKER VS. EAKER AT THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

366WeirdMovies.com Proudly, or Not So Proudly, Presents: Eaker vs. Eaker

Aja and Alfred 366Eaker vs. Eaker is the latest “send Alfred to the summer blockbuster movies so that he can curmudgeonly complain” event, but with a twist, cinema fans and friends! For the first time (without even knowing it), you voted to send Alfred and his wife, Aja, to the flicks and have them duke it out, publicly, about each so-called-blockbuster. Everybody here knows all about Alfred’s cinematic savvy, and his cranky-old-dog approach to film critique. Now, you get 2-for-1: Aja is Alfred’s beloved clinical and counseling psychologist partner, who loves to counter just about every cinematic point Alfred makes. And you, kind reader, chose to send us first to Mad Max: Fury Road.

Aja: Ladies first, shall we? Lets.

“What is this thing?” I asked, reluctantly glancing at the poll that sealed our afternoon’s fate.

“Well, dear, they have voted to send us to Mad Max first.”

“Who bestowed this power? Jesus.” I shot Alfred an incredulous smirk. I counted the tallies again. “This is rigged,” I bemoaned.

“Actually, the critics are giving it rave ratings, so who knows?”

This did nothing for my internal motivation to pay money to see this.

On the other hand, it meant spending more time with Alfred, and there was a good chance that we would end up with interlaced fingers for two hours, so okay. “You are going to have to fold the laundry as penance for this,” I plainly announced, “You know, for putting us in this position.”

With his left eyebrow raised in mock indignation, Alfred nodded once and quickly retorted, “I do love and fear my wife,” smiling, “it starts at 4:50pm, and just as consolation, critics are proclaiming it to be highly feminist.” Part of what is so difficult about saying ‘no’ to Alfred is his adorableness. He is frankly beautiful, with long eyelashes and a perfect smile. It gets me every time. Alfred can talk me in or out of just about anything with that look and that flashed, crooked grin. I rolled my eyes like a bratty teen, put on my coat and grabbed the car keys.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I said, calmly and rationally.

“You might actually like it,” he said. Ignoring his verbal petting, I walked out into the rain toward the car.

First, let us set the scene: it was a rainy Friday afternoon and we stood in a long line to get matinee tickets—but since it was an opening day, we had to pay full price. It isn’t that I’m cheap, I’m just fiscally conscious, especially when it comes to the splurge of a movie theater visit. I’m definitely the type to stop at a gas station along the way, pick up Twix and a can of Coca-Cola, and smuggle in my snacks Continue reading EAKER VS. EAKER AT THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) →

203. WILD AT HEART (1990)

“This whole world’s wild at heart and weird on top.”–Lula Fortune, Wild at Heart

DIRECTED BY:

FEATURING: , , Diane Ladd, , , J.E. Freeman

PLOT: After being released from prison for manslaughter, Sailor Ripley and love-of-his-life Lula Fortune head west to California, but are waylaid by Lula’s psychotically protective mother and various colorful agents under the employ of the effete and mysterious Mr. Reindeer. Their travels take them to New Orleans, where Johnny Farragut, a hired detective, tracks them down. As the noose tightens, the West-bound lovers make a detour to the town of Big Tuna, where, unbeknownst to Sailor, hit man Bobby Peru awaits his arrival.

Still from Wild at Heart (1990)
BACKGROUND:

  • Wild at Heart was adapted from Barry Gifford’s pulpy 1989 novel “Wild at Heart” (which gave birth to multiple sequels). While the movie ending’s differed greatly from the book’s, Gifford was pleased and praised David Lynch’s choice.
  • Winner of the 1990 Palme D’Or prize at Cannes, the year before fellow Certified Weird movie Barton Fink. Film critic Roger Ebert headed a large group of those dissatisfied with the jury’s choice, and was among many American reviewers who were much less impressed than the Cannes crowd.
  • Wild at Heart was released just before “NC-17” became a ratings option with the MPAA later in 1990. It scraped by with an “R” rating by obscuring the effects of a nasty shotgun head wound. (It was subsequently re-rated NC-17 for the home video release).
  • Actors from Lynch’s then-current hit series “Twin Peaks” who have cameo roles in Wild at Heart: Sherilyn Fenn, , , David Patrick Kelly, and (appearing in his fourth Lynch feature).

INDELIBLE IMAGE: Like so many offerings from David Lynch, Wild at Heart is riddled with great shots—but an early image of Sailor Ripley pointing defiantly at the woman who just tried to have him killed captures his character’s sheer force-of-nature that drives the film’s unrestrained progression.

THREE WEIRD THINGS: Lipstick face; cockroach underpants; the Good Witch

WHAT MAKES IT WEIRD: While in the middle of working on his hit soap-opera “Twin Peaks,” David Lynch took a break to make something that allowed him to explore his weirder side. Throughout Wild at Heart, the viewer is exposed to such a smorgasbord of road-movie madness—highway hallucinations, small town weirdos, classic-cool criminals, a mountain of lipstick, and dozens of lit matches—that by the end of the movie, Lynch has already accomplished most of what and would spend the subsequent decade retreading.

Original trailer for Wild at Heart

COMMENTS: Before he got lost on a highway and before he went to Continue reading 203. WILD AT HEART (1990) →

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