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 on the official site links.
IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):
Billy Bates: Experimental feature about an artist who has a psychotic freakout and becomes “the Warhol of his generation.” Playing NYC’s Quad Cinemas this week, and tonight’s (12/5) 7:50 screening is free to the public, with a Q&A to follow. Billy Bates official site.
The Foxy Merkins: An asthmatic woman who aspires to be a lesbian hooker takes hints from a rich, beautiful heterosexual hustler with a gift for seducing women. From the team behind Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. The Foxy Merkins official site.
SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, Dec. 5-8):
“Truth and Soul, Inc.: The Films of Robert Downey Sr. (a prince)”: How big film geeks are the folks at Cinefamily? They want to do a fundraiser, and they think, “what will get the people out thereto really shell out dough? I know, a four-day retrospective of the no-budget underground movies of Robert Downey Sr.!” Director Paul Thomas Anderson, comedian Louis CK, and Downey’s own superstar progeny, Mr. Iron Man himself, enable the programmers’ delusions, thank goodness. On Dec. 5 Downey pere and fils discuss Chafed Elbows and Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight; December 6th pairs the Certified Weird Greaser’s Palace with an ultra-rare screening of 1970’s Pound (where dogs in a pound are played by human actors); on the 7th, Louis CK and Alan Arkin host a showing of Putney Swope; and the final night brings Downey Sr. and Arkin together for a twin bill of the music documentary Rittenhouse Square and No More Excuses, together with “surprises” (ooh!) A retrospective fit for a prince! “Truth and Soul, Inc.: The Films of Robert Downey Sr. (a prince)” at Cinefamily.
NEW ON DVD:
The Congress (2013): Read our review. Our favorite angry Amazon review reads, “If I could give this less than 1 star I would. This movie goes from physical form 15% of the movie to 30’s style HIPPIE cartoons for the most of the movie…” Buy The Congress
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
The Congress (2013): See description in DVD above. +Buy The Congress [Blu-ray]
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.