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Quick links/Discussed in this episode:
Better Man (2024): A musical biopic of British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, where the subject is portrayed by a CGI chimp. This arrived too late in 2024 for us to cover it, maybe we will give it a chance now that it’s out on VOD (although be warned, it’s currently at premium pricing). Buy or rent Better Man.
Felidae (1994): Read El Rob Hubbard’s review. A neo-noir enacted by a cast of animated cats. The description is ambiguous, but this item appears to be a 4K Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile, not a 4K UHD disc. Buy Felidae.
Galaxy of Terror (1981): Read Shane Wilson’s review. An alien preys on astronauts fears, including the common fear of being raped to death by a giant space worm and kind of liking it. Now on 4K UHD. Buy Galaxy of Terror.
King Lear (1987): Jean-Luc Godard‘s version of Shakespeare’s play is, naturally, about a post-apocalyptic descendant of the Bard attempting to reconstruct his ancestor’s film, with the help of Pretty in Pink‘s Molly Ringwald. In our reader-suggested queue and now out on DVD and Blu-ray (for the first time?) from the Criterion Collection. Buy King Lear.
“Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years”: A special screening from Feb 7 to 14 at NYC’s Japan society of six unknown-to-us 1980s films from Nobuhiko Obayashi (Hausu): School in the Crosshairs (1981); I Are You, You Am Me (Exchange Students) (1982); The Little Girl Who Conquered Time (1983); The Island Closest to Heaven (1984); and His Motorbike, Her Island (1986). Four of these (School, Girl, Heaven, Motorbike) will be released later this year on Blu-ray from Cult Epics. School in the Crosshairs, described as “A psychotronic fantasy forged into a young girl’s destiny to defend the planet” and “a cosmic overload of extraterrestrial fascists, preternatural powers and Obayashi’s uniquely adroit filmmaking abilities” sounds like the most promising of the batch from our weird perspective. “Obayashi ’80s: The Onomichi Trilogy & Kadokawa Years” at Japan Society.
Pinocchio 964 (1991): Read Kat Doherty’s review. If this once ultra-obscure underground Japanese film about a sex-slave cyborg is arriving on 4K UHD, then everything will on the format soon. Buy Pinocchio 964.
The Slaughter Brothers Dime Circus (2025?): A crowdfunding effort. Per the description, it’s a “dark horror story set in a dilapidated carnival which transforms into a surreal world of horror, fantasy, and retribution.” This was originally a theatrical performance, then a radio play; the feature film is to be directed by Richard “Fangs” Burgin. It’s about 70% funded at this writing, with just over two weeks left to go. The Slaughter Brothers Dime Circus Indiegogo campaign.
Universal Language (2024): Matthew Rankin returns, bringing us a Canadian-set comedy where the cast inexplicably speaks Persian, inspired as much in the style of Roy Andersson as Guy Maddin. We have been anxiously awaiting this particular release, although we’ll have to wait until it radiates into the flyover states after debuting in New York and California this week. Universal Language American distributor page.
WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:
No guest scheduled for next week’s Pod 366; Giles and Greg should be back to run down the week’s weird news and releases. In written reviews, Shane Wilson recommends the strange anti-Nazi musical Strangers in Paradise (1984); Giles Edwards accepts a readers’ suggestion to check out his boy Nic Cage in the supernatural horror outing Longlegs (2024); and Gregory J. Smalley braves what may be one of the microbudgetest microbudget movies of all time, the seagull alternative reality flick Ed And Rooster’s Great Adventure (2025). Onward and weirdward!