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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):
Daniel Isn’t Real (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ review. We also have an audio interview with director Adam Egypt Mortimer about this psychological horror about a grown man and his evil imaginary friend. Daniel Isn’t Real official site.
In Fabric (2018): Peter Strickland‘s latest is a surreal horror about a haunted dress. We’ve been waiting for this one to debut in theaters for quite a while; the fact that it was picked up by A24 only stokes our enthusiasm. In Fabric official site.
Knives and Skin (2019): Read Giles Edwards’ festival note. A Twin Peaks-ey tale about “emotional idiots” (Giles’ words) in the aftermath of a student’s disappearance. Knives and Skin official site.
The Wolf Hour (2019): An agoraphobic writer (Naomi Watts) suffers in her apartment while the Son of Sam terrorizes the city outside. Mixed reviews, but Jeannette Catsoulis did call it a “punishingly theatrical experiment that teeters on the verge of surreality.” The Wolf Hour official site.
IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-publication):
“Antkind”: Not a movie (at least, not yet) but a novel: Charlie Kaufman‘s fiction debut (yes, he’d never written a novel) will be published in May 2020 by Random House. It’s about a failed film critic (not based on anyone here, to our knowledge) who discovers a lost masterpiece that might make his career—the problem being, he’s the only living person who’s seen it and, except for a single surviving still, the print has been destroyed. Kaufman’s editor described it as a “mind-bending opus.” We’re sure it will be viewed as a masterpiece on whatever planet it was written. Visit Penguin/Random House for more info on “Antkind.”
IN DEVELOPMENT (pre-production):
Twilight Park (202?): We can’t really tell you too much about this upcoming project from stop-motion animator Eric Leiser, except that the concept art looks fascinating and surreal. The footage below is to be incorporated into the finished production; that might get you excited. Twilight Park official Facebook page.
Little Band of Sailors from Eric Leiser on Vimeo.
NEW ON HOME VIDEO:
She (1984): Goofy post-Conan post-apocalyptic b-movie starring Sandahl Bergman as leader of a band of wasteland Amazons. Features a giant in a tutu and other vintage 80s nuttiness. A “special edition” DVD or Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. Buy She.
Slaughterhouse Five (1972): Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time… Adaptations of Kurt Vonnegut novels have seldom fared well either with critics or audiences, but this may be the exception. A typically packed Blu-ray from Arrow Video. Buy Slaughterhouse-Five.
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.
- Bloomington, IN
- Boston, MA
- Coolidge Corner – Suspiria (1977) (12/7, midnight)
- Museum of Fine Arts – Barton Fink (1991) (12/8, 11)
- Houston, TX
- The River Oaks – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) (12/6-7, midnights)
- Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
- Uptown Theatre – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) (12/6-7, midnights)
- New York City, NY
- IFC Center
- Eraserhead (1977) (12/6-7, midnights)
- Night of the Hunter (1955) (12/6-7, midnights)
- Museum of Modern Art – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (12/6)
- The Roxy – Wild at Heart (1990) (12/7)
- IFC Center
- Oakland, CA
- The New Parkway
- Spirited Away (2001) (12/7-9, 11)
- Twelve Monkeys (1995) (12/8)
- The New Parkway
- Toronto, ON
- The Royal – Solaris [Solyaris] (1972) (12/7)
- Washington, DC
- Smoke & Barrel – Singapore Sling (1990), with “Ulysses 31” (short) (12/9)
WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: In the unlikely case you missed the news, we just got the 366 Weird Movies 2019 Yearbook out onto the shelves. Proofing and formatting that tome—along with fitting in late 2019 releases at the last minute—has taken up most of our time and energy this month, which has left us with little in the tank. For that reason, we’re only promising one review for you next week: a report on Matthew Barney’s Redoubt, now touring select locations. We may slip something else in, of course, but no promises. We should be returning to a normal schedule of two or three reviews per week, but in the meantime we encourage you to buy a copy of that Yearbook to stave off any weird movie review withdrawal symptoms.
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.