Our weekly 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 at the official site links.
SCREENINGS – (New York City, IFC Center, Dec. 23-24):
El Topo (1970) and Mulholland Dr. (2001): Read the Certified Weird entries for El Topo and Mulholland Drive. The IFC Center continues its quest to make sure every New Yorker sees the major weird works of Jodorowsky and Lynch. Midnight screenings on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s more fun than Midnight Mass! IFC Center’s Late Night Favorites series.
SCREENINGS – (Los Angeles, Cinefamily, Dec. 25-28):
Belladonna of Sadness (1973): Read the Certified Weird entry! What says Christmas more than an explicit psychedelic Japanese rape-revenge witchcraft anime with an acid rock soundtrack? Belladonna of Sadness at Cinefamily.
SCREENINGS – (New York City, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Dec. 25):
After Hours (1985): Read the reader recommendation and the other reader recommendation. If you are on the wrong coast to catch The Belladonna of Sadness on Christmas Day, maybe you can see Martin Scorsese‘s absurd black comedy about a nightmarish night in NYC? Also playing at Lincoln Center in an eclectic week: Eyes Wide Shut (also on Christmas day), The Werckmeister Hamonies (Dec. 26), Russian Ark (Dec. 27 and 29), and the Certified Weird Altered States (Dec. 30). Film Society of Lincoln Center December calendar.
IN DEVELOPMENT (completed):
A Cure for Wellness (Feb. 2017): A young executive goes to a cult-like remote wellness center to retrieve his company’s CEO. Looks a little like Safe meets Shutter Island. From Gore Verbinski, who’s had a checkered career (Rango and The Ring are plusses, but then there’s the Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Lone Ranger dragging his average way down). Psychological thrillers backed by big Hollywood are rarely authentically weird, but we’ll probably take a flyer in February. A Cure for Wellness official site.
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.