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):

Ape (2012): An angry, pyromaniac stand-up comic has a nervous breakdown in this low-budget indie. One of the few critics who saw it said “[i]ts deep weirdness and punk-rock do-it-yourself modus operandi are not for everybody.” Playing for one week in New York (which qualifies it for awards consideration); it’s also available via video on demand. Ape official site.

Buttwhistle (2014): A young man rescues a girl from a suicide attempt, then wishes he hadn’t when she gets too attached to him (and gives him the nickname “buttwhistle”). A talking bar of soap supplies some surrealism. Not sure where it’s playing.

IN DEVELOPMENT:

“Stripping Shakespeare” (“Spring 2014”): What took so long for someone to come up with the idea of mixing Shakespeare and strippers? As one of the preview clips available on the website suggests, the Bard might well have come up with the dialogue from “The Taming of the Shrew” while receiving a lap dance. We’re not actually sure whether this is a movie, a series of video installations, or an advertisement for a gentleman’s club aimed at horny English teachers, but it’s odd enough that we wanted to bring it to your attention. Stripping Shakespeare official site.

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

“Amžius – When all the lights will wane And all the eyes gaze blinded” (2014): Black suns dance in the sky and a necromancer holds a fistful of flame in this visually advanced 30-minute video from a Lithuanian black metal band. At times the music is way too “br00tal” for yours truly, but it’s interesting as a moving canvas.

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.