A look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs, and on more distant horizons…
Trailers of new release movies are generally available on the official site links.
IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):
You Won’t Miss Me (2008): Experimental—meaning utilizing various film stocks and non-linear storytelling—mumblecore about a confused, arty, promiscuous twenty-something gal in NYC. After Rotten Tomatoes incorrectly listed it as being released several weeks ago, we now have the actual play dates to give you: it debuts this week at Cinema Village in NYC, with a date next week at Facets in Chicago. You Won’t Miss Me official site.
NEW ON DVD:
Cronos (1993): Guillermo del Toro‘s independent Spanish-language debut is a horror about a mysterious antique scarab that is said to grant its owner eternal life. Not necessarily weird, but interesting and different, and another nice genre/cult movie choice for Criterion Collection treatment. Buy Cronos (Criterion Collection)
Fox 75th Anniversary Collection: We’re not really expecting anyone to buy this 75 DVD gimmick celebrating Fox Studio’s anniversary. But we do find it interesting to look at how many weirdish films made the set: one Certified Weird movie (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and three interestingly offbeat films (The Phantom of the Paradise, Raising Arizona, and Moulin Rouge). Frankly, that’s a lot more strangeness than we ever expected to see in a prestige collection like this. Buy Fox 75th Anniversary Collection
Inception (2010): Read our capsule review. Christopher Nolan‘s dream thriller was screamingly weird by Hollywood blockbuster standards, but readers here shouldn’t expect anything truly bizarre: it’s a well-made, mainstream movie with mild psychological thriller elements. Buy Inception
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
Cronos (1993): See entry in DVD above. Buy Cronos (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
Inception (2010): See entry in DVD above. Buy Inception (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
Videodrome (1983): David Cronenberg‘s sadomasochistic, surreal take on TV culture gets a digital upgrade from Criterion. A big, bizarre Blu-ray bonanza. Buy Videodrome (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
CABLE TELEVISION: TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES:
Performance (1970): Read the Certified Weird entry. Here’s your chance to check out the crazy psychedelic gangster identity crisis flick co-directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg via the great TCM Underground series. Starring Mick Jagger and Mick Jagger, and James Fox and James Fox. 2 AM EST, Dec 11 (Saturday night-Sunday morning).
Santa Claus (1959)/The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953): What a fantastic, demented children’s double feature, thoughtfully slotted in the overnight hours where it can’t damage youngster’s tender minds! First up is K. G0rdon Murray’s Mexican Santa Claus (“Santa Claus enlists Merlin to help him save Christmas from the devil”). If you can stand it, follow that one up with Dr. Seuss’ surrealist nightmare for kids, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (“A young boy dreams that his piano teacher is a super-villain out to rule the world”). The double feature starts at 2 AM EST, Dec 10 (Friday night-Saturday morning).
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.