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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!