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 at the official site links.
IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):
Misirlou (2016): The plot has something to do with a gang of surfers killing people to extract a drug from their adrenal glands. The NSFW trailer makes it look like a blend of The Doors, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pulp Fiction, Surf Nazis Must Die, and Spring Breakers. Misirlou official site.
Tikkun (2015): A devout Hasidic Jew comes back from a near-death experience as a lusty hedonist. Devin Faraci of “birth. movies. death.” called it “one of the most strikingly weird movies I have seen this year.” Tikkun official site.
SCREENINGS – (IFC Center, New York City, Jun 10 & 11 at midnight):
El Topo (1970): Read the Certified Weird entry! IFC has already screened their restored print of Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s surreal Biblical spaghetti western a couple of times this summer; this could be your only chance to see this weird classic on the big screen. El Topo at IFC Center.
SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, CA, Jun 11, 13-14):
The Devils (1971): Due to a new print in circulation, screenings of Ken Russell‘s hysterical arthouse nunsploitation classic no longer qualify as “rare.” But the question remains: where the hell is the DVD/Blu-ray? The Devils at Cinefamily.
NEW ON DVD:
Anomalisa (2015): Read Alex Kittle & G. Smalley’s dual review. Charlie Kaufman‘s melancholy existential puppet theater piece about a fling between an alienated motivational speaker and a plain-Jane fan. Buy Anomalisa
Dead 7 (2016): In a post-apocalyptic world, a cowboy, a samurai, a mime, and four others team up to fight zombies. In one of the Sharknado producers trademark gimmicks, the SyFy channel hired ex-members of the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and other boy bands to play the heroes. Buy Dead 7
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953): Read the Certified Weird entry! Dress us up in bock beer suds! It’s fantabulous to see Dr. Seuss’s surreal musical finally on Blu-ray—we do wish it was in an elaborate Criterion edition rather than this bare-bones Mill Creek release, but beggars can’t be choosers. Buy The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [Blu-ray]
Anomalisa (2015): See description in DVD above. Buy Anomalisa [Blu-ray]
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
Jacob’s Ladder (1990): Read the Certified Weird entry! Among major studios, Paramount has become the standard-bearer for free online content; now they’ve put up the Certified Weird psychological thriller about a Vietnam vet seeing demons (and worse) on the streets of New York. Watch Jacob’s Ladder 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.