366 Weird Movies may earn commissions from purchases made through product links.
Quick links/Discussed in this episode:
Psycho Ape Part II: The Wrath of Kong
We ran out of time before asking for hometown restaurant recommendations, but Greg DeLiso responded by email: “Detroit, National Coney Island.”
Abruptio (2023): Read Giles Edwards’ Apocrypha Candidate review. Mangled puppet parts can be found strewn from Gardena, CA to Royal Oak, MI this week, with more venues turning up in the near future. Abruptio official site.
“American Horror Project Vol 2“: The three regional oddities featured in this volume are the New England curse feature Dark August (1976), the evil kid chiller The Child (1977), and the most obviously “weird” one, the losing-her-grip-on reality psychothriller Dream No Evil (1970). Curated by obscure horror specialist Stephen Thrower, with more deep analysis than you would expect for this shclocky drive-in fare. Buy “American Horror Project Vol 2.“
The Creature (1977): The plot, basically, is a woman falling for a German Shepherd. It’s one of those European anti-bourgeois screeds, exploitation style. Buy The Creature.
“Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy”: Read Gregory J. Smalley’s reviews of The Doom Generation and Nowhere. The set also includes Totally F***ed Up. We weren’t big fans of Araki‘s nihilistic teen satires, but of they’re good enough for the Criterion Collection, maybe they deserve a second chance. Buy “Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy.”
Happiness (1998): Read Gregory J. Smalley’s review. The Criterion Collection does a 4K UHD upgrade of their edition of the blackest of black comedies. And they said you couldn’t buy Happiness. Buy Happiness.
Megalopolis (2024): It’s here, and it’s as divisive as we could have hoped. Francis Ford Coppola‘s America-as-ancient-Rome magnum opus is in theaters now; we should have a review and further commentary coming next week. Megalopolis official site.
Omen (2023): An immigrant visits his family in the Congo with his Belgian fiancee, only to be accused of being a sorcerer. Reviews suggest that the film’s conclusion may be stranger than the simple horror movie setup seen in the trailer indicates. The Blu-ray includes three bonus short films. Buy Omen.
Scarlet Diva (2000): Read Gregory J. Smalley’s review. Film Movement upgrades Asia Argento‘s gonzo semi-autobiographical trash film to Blu-ray; featureswise, it appears to be the same as the old DVD. Buy Scarlet Diva.
“Two Taoist Tales”: Read Shane Wilson’s Apocrypha Candidate review of Taoism Drunkard. Besides the maniacal Drunkard and its banana/watermelon monster, this twofer also contains the lesser-known sequel Young Taoism Fighter (1986), in which the kung fu fighters have apparently graduated from alcohol to then-popular crack. Buy “Two Taoist Tales.”
A Wounded Fawn (2022): Read Gregory J. Smalley’s review. The surrealistic horror about a schizophrenic serial killer debuts on physical media this week. The Blu-ray includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews and a bonus short film. Buy A Wounded Fawn.
WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:
We may have a guest on Pod 366 next week—still in negotiations over scheduling. At any rate, we also expect to have a surprise bonus standalone interview midweek, and possibly a second surprise. Meanwhile, in written reviews, Shane Wilson takes on another one that Came from the Reader-Suggested Queue with Shinbone Alley (1970), an animated musical about the co-dependent relationship between a cat and a cockroach, while Gregory J. Smalley will give you his first impressions on Megalopolis. Onward and weirdward!
…and that moment when the presenter is challenged to a staring contest with the camera lens and proceeds to gaze at the viewer for several minutes—all while clips of this, that, and particularly the other spool out on the in-frame—it’s clear that these jokers (by which I mean Binek and Deliso) are really just doing whatever they want. The scattershot approach to this compelling nonsense keeps you on your toes, because who knows what will happen next? Will it be flashback? Complaints from Psycho Ape actors about not being in the sequel? More courtroom shenanigans? Or maybe it will just be a long segment featuring Bill “Doctor ZOOmis” Weeden getting his right ear pierced after avoiding this for decades?
I’m going to have to ask you to hold that thought as we have just received a live-breaking report from our man in the field, Giles Edwards.
…so I’m not sure what more to say. From the nonsensical trial of Psycho Ape, to the odd nod to prey-predator polyamory, to the direct re-creations of classic film scenes (Titanic, The Dark Knight, and The Temple of Doom, among others), to the regular blasts of product placement, this is goofy, meandering, and defiantly pointless—with a degree of self-awareness not usually becoming for a feature film. But it’s always lively, and wraps up well before interest might wane. The talent gathered for this (presumably from a deep well of friends and acquaintances), though mixed in proficiency, is invariably cheerful, with a deep, deep, deep awareness that while they probably shouldn’t bother with this thing of a movie, they Can, and so, boldly, they Do.