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):
Sun Don’t Shine (2012): Read our capsule review. Indie sweetheart Kate Lyn Sheil is very good (and very sweaty) in this slow-paced, sun-drenched Florida neo-noir. Expect scattered showings across the US this month. Sun Don’t Shine official site.
Trance (2013): A hypnotherapist takes us inside the subconscious of an amnesiac criminal trying to find the location of a stolen painting. Mercurial Danny (Trainspotting) Boyle’s first film since 2012’s 127 Hours is his first real dip into the mindbending genre. Trance official site.
Upstream Color (2013): Try as we might, we can’t find a solid synopsis of this film, other than mentions that it’s abstract, experimental, and might actually be a pig’s dream about a human couple. Shane Carruth‘s long-delayed followup to Primer (2004) looks much, much weirder and more confusing. Upstream Color official site.
NEW ON DVD:
“Hammer: 3 Horror Classics”: We’ve already covered Terence Fisher‘s Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) for this site. The weirdest entry in this collection (if not the best) is undoubtedly the Shaw Brothers/Hammer kung fu/vampire crossover gimmick flick The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974). Buy “Hammer: 3 Horror Classics”
John Dies at the End (2012): Read our review. A hallucinogenic drug and demons from a parallel universe feature in this Don Coscarelli joint that shamelessly positions itself as the must-see cult hit of the year. Buy John Dies At The End
Tormented (2011): A young boy and his mute sister are haunted by nightmares of a giant plush bunny. From Takashi Shimizu, the director of the Ju-on (The Grudge) series. Buy Tormented
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
John Dies at the End (2012): See description in DVD above. Buy John Dies At The End [Blu-ray]
Tormented (2011): See description in DVD above. Buy Tormented [Blu-ray]
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
1 (2009): All the rare books in a bookstore are mysteriously replaced by an anonymous book titled “1” that describes in numbers what is happening to everyone in the world during one minute’s time; the “Reality Defense Council” steps in to investigate. It’s 1 weird movie, and it’s in our reader-suggested review queue so you might want to check it out so you can comment intelligently on it when we review it down the line. (Unrated, but would receive an “R” for some brief sex scenes). Watch 1 free on YouTube.
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.