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):
The House That Jack Built (2018): A serial killer recounts his career using an architectural metaphor. Nothing really suggests to us that this is weird (as opposed to shocking/provocative/extreme), but the Lars von Trier fans in our audience will be interested. The House That Jack Built official site.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2019?): If you thought Nicolas Cage and Panos Cosmatos was a match made in, er, Hell, then what about this one: Cage and Sion Sono? Cage reveals that his next (well, one of his next, since he makes about 20 movies a year) role will be in Sono’s English-language feature film debut. Nic will star as a man tasked with rescuing a woman kidnapped and held in a country ruled by ghosts. At a festival in Macao, Cage told the crowd that it “might be the wildest movie I’ve ever made, and that’s saying something.” Thanks to Bloody Disgusting for the heads up.
The Show (2019?): Alan Moore, original author of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and other graphic novel adaptations, produces his first feature script. The synopsis describes a detective visiting a haunted English town where he encounters “dead Lotharios, comatose sleeping beauties, Voodoo gangsters, masked adventurers, unlikely 1930s private eyes and violent chiaroscuro women,” played with a tone of “hallucinatory austerity.” The first release image shows a fanciful character with crescent moon hairdo sitting on a crescent moon, playing a ukulele. Mitch Jenkins, who worked with Moore on the related short film anthology Show Pieces, directs. Paste has the most detailed write-up.
NEW ON HOME VIDEO:
“De Palma & De Niro: The Early Films”: Three countercultural Sixties satires from a director and star destined for greatness: the b&w farce The Wedding Party; 1968’s x-rated draft-dodging comedy Greetings; and Hi, Mom!, with De Niro now a vet involved in radical politics. Considering it’s three discs with a ton of extras, this is a reasonably-priced gift idea from Arrow Video. Buy De Palma & De Niro: The Early Films
My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Read our capsule review. Not such a weird movie, but this 30th anniversary edition may be a sign of things to come for the constantly-rereleased Hayao Miyazaki catalog: stacked Blu-ray+exclusive soundtrack release+commemorative booklet. Sorry, but Amazon warns that orders placed now will not arrive before Christmas. Buy My Neighbor Totoro
Snowflake (2017): Read Giles Edwards’ review. A remarkably scripted German fantasia with hitmen, angels, superheroes, and fascists battling it out, and an amateur dentist screenwriter directing the action. This release is DVD only; if you want a Blu-ray, wait a week (it drops on the 18th). Buy Snowflake
The Wild Boys [Les garcons sauavges] (2017): Five boys (all played by girls) are exiled to an island due to crimes they commit while under the influence of a mystical being called TREVOR. This French film has sat in the reader suggestion queue for months, awaiting an American home video release that has finally arrived. DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD. Buy The Wild Boys
CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.
- Columbus, OH, 12/14-12/15 – Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (dubbed). At Gateway Film Center.
- Los Angeles, CA, 12/14 – Spirited Away (2001) (subtitled). At the Aero Theater.
- Los Angeles, CA, 12/15 – Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) with Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) (double feature, both subtitled). At the Aero Theater.
- Los Angeles, CA, 12/20 – Batman Returns (1992) with Gremlins (1984). At the Egyptian Theater.
- New York City, NY, 12/14 – Spirited Away (2001) (subtitled). At the Metrograph.
- New York City, NY, 12/14 – A Clockwork Orange (1971). At the Quad.
- New York City, NY, 12/14-12/15 (midnights) – El Topo (1970). At IFC Center.
- New York City, NY, 12/14-12/15 (midnights) – Fight Club (1999). At IFC Center.
- New York City, NY, 12/14-12/15 (midnights) – Skidoo (1968). At IFC Center.
- New York City, NY, 12/15 – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971). At the Quad.
- New York City, NY, 12/20 – If…. (1968). At the Quad.
- Portland, OR, 12/15 – Paprika (2006). At NW Film Center.
- Portland, OR, 12/15 – Perfect Blue (1997). At NW Film Center.
- Toronto, Ont., Canada, 12/16 – Batman Returns (1992). At the Royal.
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984): Read the Certified Weird Entry! Watch Buckaroo, the famous neurosurgeon/superhero/rock star, take on Dr. Lizardo and his alien allies, in all its 80s camp glory. Listed as “leaving soon.” Watch The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension on Tubi.tv.
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.
Well, The House IS kinda weird since the film is a super obvious metaphor for the creative life of Lars, and as such it follows the logic of an artist’s life, not a murderer’s life. So this displacement puts the things into a darkly comical perspective.
For a beginner, it is definitely a weird film, but a more experienced person will probably decipher its strangeness with ease (and using some meta knowledge concerning the director’s biography).
The film is one of the better examples of the ‘an old artist contemplates his life’ pieces, too.