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Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…
Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.
IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):
Jiu Jitsu: Nicolas Cage shows up as a mystical jiu jitsu teacher who lectures five jiu jitsu chosen ones about how to defeat an alien jiu jitsu master. Without Cage, this would just be a joke; with him, it just might be a funny one. In theaters, somewhere, and on-demand
The Twentieth Century: Read our review. Matthew Rankin‘s fake and fetishistic Expressionist biopic of Canadian Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King is a late-appearing contender as one of the weirdest movies of 2020. In virtual cinemas today. The Twentieth Century official site.
IN DEVELOPMENT (just announced):
We Can Be Heroes (2021): Netflix announces the unexpected: a sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. The unlikely pair of superheroes from Planet Drool now have a kid of their own who, judging by the publicity still, rides a flying molten metal shark. Again directed by Robert Rodriguez, but unless he found another 7-year old screenwriter, we doubt it will be as weird as the original. Netflix’s Twitter announcement for We Can Be Heroes.
NEW ON HOME VIDEO:
Bad Men from a Melting Moon (2020): The plot description says simply “a man believes he has been hit by a train.” The trailer is no help, either, but it has a magnificent title, a few awards from obscure experimental film festivals, and a director with a pretty odd biography. On VOD, DVD or Blu-ray. Buy Bad Men from a Melting Moon
Beyond the Door (1974): Read Pete Trbovich’s review. This is the one-disc “standard edition” Blu-ray of the Exorcist rip-off, which is significantly cheaper than the now-rare Special Edition that came out a few months ago. Buy Beyond the Door
“Hammer Films: Ultimate Collection”: 20 Hammer horror films on 10 Blu-rays; significantly, no Draculas or even werewolfs are included, which makes this set of second-tier Hammers feel less than “Ultimate.” The Gorgon was the only one we reviewed on these pages. Buy “Hammer Films: Ultimate Collection”
Light Years (2019): A 30-year old man goes on an annual “cosmic vision quest” to honor his dead friend. A psychedelic comedy that appeared out of nowhere, on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD. May include Colin Thompson. Buy Light Years
Waxworks (1924): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. A newly restored version of the Expressionist classic about a poet who imagines backstories for wax figures, in a DVD/Blu-ray combo from silent specialists Flicker Alley. Buy Waxworks
We Are Little Zombies (2019): Read the Apocrypha Candidate review. This tale of four emotionless Japanese orphans who form a pop band is out on DVD (it was released earlier on-demand). Buy We Are Little Zombies
CANONICALLY WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:
Theaters across North America are shuttering-up again as a new wave of coronavirus hits. While a few venues remain open—and there’s always drive-ins, where that option exists—it’s up to you to decide if you think it’s safe to go to movie theaters at this time.
- Kansas City, MO
- Screenland (Armour) – Batman Returns (1992), 11/26
- Tustin, CA
- Vancouver, BC
- The Rio
- Donnie Darko (2001), 11/20
- Akira (1988), 11/23
- The Rio
WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: Next week, Giles Edwards finishes up his examination of Shinya Tsukamoto‘s corpus—which he was completing so quietly you didn’t even realize he was doing it—with a review of the director’s 2011 dark drama Kotoko, followed by an survey of the Tsukamoto box set, “Solid Metal Nightmares.” Meanwhile, indirectly gives you an overview of another director with a canonically weird film to his name when he considers the new documentary Love Express: The Disappearance of Walerian Borowczyk. And you may be pleased to know—though you equally well may not care, or even have any idea what we’re talking about—that work on the 2020 Yearbook is proceeding apace, and a Dec. 1 or thereabouts debut appears highly likely. Onward and weirdward!
What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.