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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.

FILM FESTIVALS –(Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France, May 17-28):

First, let’s address the rumor out there: David Lynch has denied that he’s premiering a secret new film at Cannes this year. With that out of the way, we should point out that after Titane‘s surprise Palme D’or win last year, our opinion of the once stodgy festival has leapt up a notch, and we’ll be paying closer attention to a slate that looks like it may bring us another weird winner or two in 2022. To wit:

• Crimes of the Future – David Cronenberg‘s latest (and maybe last) film is not quite a remake of his second feature of the same name, but he is hinting that it will be controversial and predicting it will cause more walkouts than 1996’s Crash. The trailer is already generating a buzz:
  
• Fumer Fait Tousseur – An out-of-the-blue film from the ever-busy Quentin Dupieux about anti-smoking vigilantes, playing in the midnight section.
• Irma Vep – As mentioned in last week’s Weird Horizon,  Olivier Assayas is remaking his own 1996 cult film about an actress cast in a remake of Les Vampires (1915) as a limited series; we suspect this listing refers to the pilot episode.

As always, there may be late announcements or a title of interest that sneaks under our radar… and there’s also Director’s Fortnight to consider (once it’s announced). We’ll update if/as necessary.

Cannes Film Festival homepage.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021): Read Giles Edwards’ festival capsule review. A teenage girl is absorbed into a internet phenomenon that’s a combination video game, social media experience and interactive creepypasta. Giles dubbed it “ominously quirky.” We’re All Going to the World’s Fair official site.

STREAMING DEBUTS (Netflix):

“Russian Doll, Season 2” (2022): Read Shane Wilson’s review of Season 1. “Russian Doll” wrapped up its time-loop conundrum perfectly in its original run, so there was no need for a sequel. But viewers had too much fun with Natasha Lyonne‘s sarcastic hot mess to not send her on more time-tripping adventures, logic be damned. Meaningfully, it debuts on 4/20. Watch “Russian Doll, Season 2” on Netflix.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)/Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972): Read Pete Trbovich’s The Abominable Dr. Phibes Canonical entry and the Dr. Phibes Rises Again capsule review. Not exactly rarities, but now you can have all your Phibes on one Blu-ray, with multiple commentaries including one exclusive to this KL Studio Classics release. Buy The Abominable Dr. Phibes/Dr. Phibes Rises Again.

The Round-Up (1966)/The Red and the White (1967): Two films from Miklós Jancsó, an early master of the long-take. In The Round-Up, the 19th century Austrian army uses psychological coercion to try to figure out which of their prisoners are guerilla leaders; The Red and the White depicts a chaotic, arbitrary and absurd campaign during Russia’s civil war in 1918. Although considered classics, neither film has been easy to find on its own (at least in the US); Kino Classics releases them on a single Blu-ray (along with six short films spanning 1961 to 1986). Buy The Round-Up/The Red and the White.

Walker (1987): Alex Cox‘s “hallucinatory biopic” about William Walker, an American mercenary who briefly became dictator of Nicaragua from 1856-1857. In our reader-suggested queue, and now on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. Buy Walker.

CANONICALLY WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

This section will no longer be updated regularly. Instead, we direct you to our new “Repertory Cinemas Near You” page. We will continue to mention exceptional events in this space from time to time, however.

This week, we add Stray Cat Film Center, a Kansas City non-profit microcinema, to the big list, due to their April 21st screening of a canonically weird film that befits their name: Edgar G. Ulmer‘s The Black Cat (1934). A peek at their upcoming schedule shows Daisies [Sedmikrásky] (1966) in June, so you know they’re taste is in the right place.

NEPOTISM CORNER:

“The Fall of the House of Usher”: 366 regular and aspiring audiobook narrator Giles Edwards plies his hypnotic tones on Edgar Allan Poe‘s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” with a dark ambient accompaniment by the band Ignore That Door (whom you can also follow at YouTube or Twitter). Bonus nepotism: Giles also contributes a bit of narration (from “The Dunwich Horror”) for laldaboath, a new cut by the same band. Listen to “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE:

We’re still looking for a tiebreaking vote for our latest Weird Watch Party—current nominees being Crumbs (2005) and St. Bernard (2013)—scheduled for Saturday, April 23. We’re also down one regular, so new blood would be appreciated! Join the conversation here.

In reviews next week, Gregory J. Smalley will cover the newly uncovered Romanian cartoon sci-fi epic, Delta Space Mission (1984), complete with bonus interview with co-director Calin Cazan. Then, keep an eye out for Shane Wilson‘s protracted take on Quentin Dupieux‘s absurdist policier Keep an Eye Out (2018). Finally, Giles Edwards knocks another one out of the indefatigable reader-suggested review queue with a review of anime legend Mamoru Oshii‘s live-action gamer flick, Avalon (2001). Onward and weirdward!

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.