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):

Lords of Chaos (2018): Read Giles Edwards’ review. Biopic/docudrama, appropriately narrated from beyond the grave, covering the scandalous rise of “True” Norwegian Black Metal, featuring church burning and, eventually, murder. Lords of Chaos official Facebook page.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

All the Colors of Giallo (2018): For dedicated giallo fans: this three disc set contains the title documentary on the genre, a second doc (The Case of the Krimi, with film historian Marcus Stiglegger), a trailer collection, and a CD of soundtrack cuts. Via Severin films, it’s a multi-format set (Blu-ray, DVD, and CD). Buy All the Colors of Giallo.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018): Scientists in a satellite orbiting the Earth accidentally open a portal to another dimension when experimenting with a particle accelerator. While we liked the other two Cloverfield movies (one a monster flick and one a thriller), we skipped this sci-fi themed one on Netflix because nothing about the initial installments led us to suspect there would ever be a weird movie in the bunch; the Internet (not the most reliable source, admittedly) suggests we may be wrong in that assumption. It’s now out on DVD or Blu-ray for those without a Netflix subscription. Also available in a “Cloverfield 3-Movie Collection” DVD or Blu-ray pack Buy The Cloverfield Paradox.

The Fifth Cord (1971): Franco Nero stars as an alcoholic reporter tracking a serial killer while simultaneously becoming a suspect. Maybe not 100% weird, but it has the psychedelic visual sensibility and alienated atmosphere of the period. Another neglected giallo exhumed by Arrow Video, now on Blu-ray. Buy The Fifth Cord.

Lu Over the Wall: Little Mermaid variation in which the fish-girl joins a teen rock band. This kids’ movie that carefully describes itself as “joyously hallucinogenic but family-friendly” comes from Masaaki Yuasa—the mind behind the Canonically Weird Mind Game (2004). Blu-ray, DVD, VOD. Buy Lu Over the Wall.

The Possessed (1965): A depressed novelist goes looking for his lost love, a waitress at a remote lakeside resort who has disappeared mysteriously. A “proto-giallo” co-scripted by the curious Giulio Questi, who would go on to direct a pair of Canonically Weird films. Another Arrow Video Blu-ray release. Buy The Possessed.

Shame (1968): Read Alfred Eaker’s review. Ingmar Bergman‘s surreal tale of war coming to Fårö is largely overlooked. The Criterion Collection hopes to change that with this single-disc release including both new and archival interviews. Buy Shame.

St. Bernard Syndicate (2018): A Danish businessman partners with an investor who’s just been diagnosed with A.L.S. in a scheme to sell St. Bernards to the Chinese. Sounds subtly strange at best, but Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com did claim it is “very funny at times, but also chilling and always interested in weirdness…” Now on VOD (only, for the present time). Buy or rent The St. Bernard Syndicate.

Zachariah (1971): Read Pete Trbovich’s review. This hippie comedy-Western-musical billed itself as the “first electric Western”; Kino Lorber grabbed the rights and upgraded the featureless MGM DVD to a sparkling new Blu-ray with a commentary track and everything. Buy Zachariah.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Boston, MA, 2/8 – Performance (1968/1970). At the Brattle.
• Boston, MA, 2/9 – Don’t Look Now (1973) with Masque of the Red Death (1964) (double feature). At the Brattle.
• Los Angeles, CA, 2/8 (midnight) – Blue Velvet (1986). At the Nuart Theatre.
• Nashville, TN, 2/9 (midnight) – Akira (1988). At the Belcourt.
• Nashville, TN, 2/14 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999). At the Belcourt.
• New York City, NY, 2/8-9 (midnights) – Suspiria (1977). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 2/8-9, 11-13 – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 2/9 & 11 – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984). At the Quad.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/9-10 – Fantasia (1940). At the Castro Theatre.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/12 – Audition [Ôdishon] (1999). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• San Francisco, CA, 2/13 – Wild at Heart (1990). At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• Toronto, Ont., Canada, 2/8 – Heavenly Creatures (1994). At the Royal.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2/8 – Moonstruck (1987) with Wild at Heart (1990) (double feature, single tickets available). At the Rio Theatre.
• Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2/12 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). At the Rio Theatre.

FREE MOVIES ON TUBI.TV:

Dogville (2003): Read the Canonically Weird review!  Lars von Trier‘s dark, misanthropic fable is like de Sade’s “Justine” played out on the set of Wilder’s “Our Town.” Listed as “leaving soon” on the service. Watch Dogville free on Tubi.tv.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

Next week, look for a review from the reader-suggested queue: Simon Hyslop on 2004’s Lovecraftian J-horror, Marebito. We’ll also have Giles Edwards with late-ish coverage of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani‘s latest, last year’s Let The Corpses Tan, and a reader-supplied statistical analysis of the List. And maybe we’ll even have a mystery pop-up review (though if we promised one for certain and told you what it was, it wouldn’t be a mystery… forget we said anything, OK?)

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.