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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 – We Are One Festival (YouTube, 5/29-6/7):
YouTube hosts selections from twenty-one mostly canceled film festivals. Each participant (including Annecy, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, and Venice) committed to provide five hours of content. The films all screen live and will not be available on demand. While the “big ticket” movies may not be taking advantage of this experiment, but we found a good number of things of interest to weirdophiles. All times below assume you are in New York (ET); remember to adjust accordingly.
- Air Conditioner – A “pleasantly surreal” trip through the streets of Luanda, Angola, occasioned by the search for a replacement air conditioner after the city’s units all spontaneously and simultaneously fail. 6/6 at 11:45 AM.
- Crazy World – Another crazy super-low-budget actioneer from “Wakaliwood” auteur Nabwana IGG (Bad Black), this one involves a gang of child-kidnappers who capture a pint-sized team of kung fu masters. 5/29 (today!) at 2:00 PM.
- Dinner for Adele [Adéla jeste nevecerela] (1977) – Oldrich Lipský‘s parody of pulp detective films sees Nick Carter chasing after a carnivorous plant in Prague. 6/6 at 6:25 PM.
- “Happy Machine” (2007): This is Masaaki Yuasa‘s surreal short contribution to the collaboration Genius Party. 6/3 at 7:00 AM.
- “In Conversation with Guillermo del Toro” – Del Toro career retrospective, previously recorded at the Marrakesh Film Festival. 5/31 at 7:00 AM.
- “John Waters in Conversation with Albert Serra” – Recorded at the Locarno Film Festival last year, Waters always entertains. 6/7 at 10:25 AM.
- “One Minute Memoir” – Animated omnibus of one-minute films from select animators, including one from Bill Plympton. 5/31, 3 PM.
- “TIFF Talks: Viggo Mortensen & David Cronenberg on Crash” – Previously recorded, Cronenberg discusses his weird automobile-accident fetish film. 6/6 at 5:20 PM.
Complete We Are One lineup and official YouTube channel.
NEW ON HOME VIDEO:
Dream Demon (1988): The story flits between a young woman’s demonic nightmares and her demon-plagued reality, not always specifying which is which. It seems this British cheapie had never been released digitally before; Arrow Video rectifies the oversight, on Blu-ray or VOD. Buy Dream Demon
The Horrors of Spider Island (1960): Read the Canonically Weird review! Do we really need 1960’s grimy public domain jiggler The Horrors of Spider Island on Blu-ray? Only for the bonus features, which include the complete “spicy” version, It’s Hot in Paradise (with naughty nudie-cutie skinny dipping); alternate scenes; a mini-doc; and a vintage audio interview with “star” Alexander D’Arcy. From Severin Entertainment, this release is limited to 3000 units. Buy The Horrors of Spider Island
Satanico Pandemonium (1975): A hot nun’s sexual fantasies lead her from bride of Christ to slave of Satan. A Mexican example of the nunsploitation movies released to capitalize on the notoriety of The Devils; some find it mildly surreal/weird, others report that it’s just incoherent sleaze. Buy Satanico Pandemonium
“Scorsese Shorts”: This Criterion Collection edition includes five early short films: “Italianamerican,” “American Boy,” “What’s a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?,” “It’s Not Just You, Murray!,” and “The Big Shave.” The last of these, an experimental anti-war protest film, is also in our reader-suggested review queue. Available on DVD or Blu-ray. Buy “Scorsese Shorts”
“Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto”: Ten film retrospective (eight features, two shorts) of Tsukamoto‘s weird career, spread over four Blu-rays and naturally highlighted by the canonically weird Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Includes the home video debut of his latest film, Killing. Box set from Arrow Video. Buy “Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto”
ONLINE EVENTS:
- 5/30, 9:00 PM EST – “Haus of Oni: Pan’s Labyrinth“: Sponsored by Coolidge Corner Theater in Boston, this 30-minute drag show is meant to be viewed as a prelude to Pan’s Labyrinth. The show is free (but voluntary tipping is encouraged). Labyrinth is not screening afterwards, but you’re encouraged to stream it on your own (if not for the fact that it would conflict with the start of 366’s own Weird Netflix Party at 10:15.)
- 5/30, 10:15 PM EST – “366’s Weird Movie Netflix Party”: The 10th screening in this “long-running” series; this week’s movie will be Between Worlds (with Nicolas Cage). We’ll drop the link to join here and on social media 15 minutes beforehand.
- 6/4, 8:00 PM CST (7:00 PM EST) – “Not the Oak Cliff Film Festival” – With the Oak Cliff Film Festival canceled, this live-stream of four shorts (including the original short version of Greener Grass) takes its place. A roundtable discussion with the directors, moderated by David Lowery, follows the screenings.
WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: As mentioned above, and mentioned here again in case you missed it, this week’s Weird Netflix Party will feature Between Worlds (Greg finally got to use his inherent tiebreaking power, and used it to satisfy the Nic Cage-crazed wing, who might otherwise have created a coup and started their own splinter Party). Next week’s review slate, meanwhile, consists of Giles Edwards on Netflix’s new psychedelic podcast “The Midnight Gospel”; Jake Fredel on the Criterion Collection’s recent release of Wim Wenders‘s massive five hour apocalyptic road trip, Until the End of the World; and Gregory J. Smalley on the 2000 anime series “Boogiepop Phantom.” 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.