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):
Crave: A disillusioned crime scene photographer retreats into a world of vigilante revenge fantasies. The ad copy speaks of an “inner world of dark fantasies” and “dangerous visions,” but the early reviews speak of “empty movie-shout-out posturing” and “a misleading, long-winded chore.” Ouch. Crave official site.
NEW ON DVD:
“Magical Play: Complete Collection” (2001): A girl with a fish-cloak competes with a girl in a cat-bikini and others to become a Magical Girl. This series, originally webcast, is a parody of a “magical girl” anime subgenre you probably didn’t know existed. We mention it because the back boxcover promises that “it’s going to get REALLY weird…,” and the trailer suggests that it might. Buy “Magical Play”: Complete Collection
“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976): This ahead-of-its-time Seventies soap opera spoof put beleaguered Fernwood, Ohio housewife Mary Hartman (Louise Lasser) through encounters with religious cults, UFOs and waxy yellow buildup before being canceled after thirty-one episodes. Martin Mull’s talk-show parody spinoff series “Fernwood 2-Nite” lasted slightly longer, but is equally unknown to today’s youth. Buy “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”: The Complete Series
“Tales of Terror”: Mill Creek is outdoing itself with its latest set: they’re up from 50 movies per box to an amazing 200 el cheapo movies in one set. The usual public domain goodies (and baddies) are to be found here, including the Certified Weird entries The Beast of Yucca Flats, Carnival of Souls, Horrors of Spider Island, Maniac (1934), and Nosferatu. Prints are, of course, the worst available, but you’re paying for quantity, not quality, with these sets. Buy “Tales of Terror”
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.