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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 (WIDE RELEASE):

Cats (2019): The holiday blockbuster the Internet has been dreading, a big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,” T.S. Eliot’s volume of light verse. “It’s weird, and queer, and deliberately fetishistic, and you’ve never seen anything like it before… even if what you’re seeing should never touch human eyes,” says The Spool’s Clint Worthington. Cats official site.

IN DEVELOPMENT: PRE-PRODUCTION:

The Hawkline Monster (202?): For decades, Hal Ashby, and later Tim Burton, sought to adapt Richard Brautigan’s “The Hawkline Monster,” a “Gothic Western” novel about gunslingers sent on a mission to kill a monster that lives in Miss Hawkline’s basement. Regency Pictures has now acquired the rights and is giving it another go. The big news is that Yorgos Lanthimos is in negotiations to direct. Even though The Favorite was a huge step backwards (in terms of weirdness) for the Greek director, this one could be promising. More information at Variety.

IN DEVELOPMENT: POST-PRODUCTION:

Sister Tempest (2020): Joe Badon strikes again with another crowdfunded surrealist epic. This one is a psychological thriller-type tale taking place in a dreamspace equally inspired by Jodorowsky and Zardoz. We can 100% guarantee this will be weird; it’s now looking for $6,000 in post-production funds. Sister Tempest at Indiegogo.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

“Boogiepop Phantom”: Mind-bending 12-episode anime about a mysterious angel of death. The series was written by Satoshi Kon collaborator Sadayuki Murai and recommended to us by 366 reader Chie. On Blu-ray from a distributor called “Right Stuf.” Buy “Boogiepop Phantom”.

The Lighthouse (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ apocrypha candidate review! VOD purchases of Robert Eggers‘ claustrophobic two-handed horror start today, with physical media dropping the first week of January. Buy The Lighthouse.

Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018): Read our review. Gan Bi‘s Tarkovskian drama about a man’s dreamlike search for a lost woman has been available on DVD and VOD (and Kanopy); here it is on Blu-ray (with a second 3D Blu-ray disk so you can see it as originally filmed—if you have the equipment). Will not ship by Christmas. Buy Long Day’s Journey into Night.

NEW ON NETFLIX:

“Twice Upon a Time” [“Il était une seconde fois”] (2019): A man finds a mysterious box that allows him to travel back in time to a date before his girlfriend broke up with him. Uncertain weirdness, but “TV Guide” suggests this is a “Charlie Kaufman-esque conceit,” so this four-episode French miniseries many be worth taking a flier on. “Twice Upon a Time” on Netflix.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We’ll only list irregularly scheduled one-time screenings of this audience-participation classic below. You can use this page to find a regular weekly screening near you.

• New York City, NY
  • IFC Center
    • Spirited Away (2001)  (12/20-21, 23-25)
    • Eraserhead (1977) – (12/20 & 12/21) (midnights)
• Oakland, CA
  • The New Parkway – Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) (12/20, 22-23, 25-26)
• Pittsburgh, PA
  • Row House Cinema – Night of the Hunter (1955) (12/26)
• San Francisco, CA
  • The Castro – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) with Batman Returns (1992) (double feature) (12/21)
  • The Roxie
    • Spirited Away (2001) (12/20-21)
    • Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983) (12/25)
• Washington, DC
  • Smoke & Barrel – “Danger 5: Series 2” + Fantastic Planet [La Planète Sauvage] (1973) (double feature) (12/23)

FREE MOVIES ON TUBI.TV:

Blue Velvet (1986): Read the Canonically Weird entry! David Lynch‘s most accessible weird movie is a tale of severed ears, sex slavery, and spontaneous bordello karaoke. Now listed as “leaving soon” on Tubi. Watch Blue Velvet free on tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: We’ll have a slight slate for the upcoming holiday week: all we promise is a review of the odd Colombian teen-soldier drama Monos, although we may throw something else your way as a surprise gift. We’ll be taking some time off as we prep for a year-end festivities the following week. So keep Christmas weird and enjoy your day(s) off. 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.