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):
The Tribe (2014): A graphically violent and sexually explicit Ukrainian film, with no dialogue, about students at a school for the deaf who run a prostitution ring. The director and lead actress (who is deaf) will be appearing at selected venues throughout the summer; check the Drafthouse website for details. The Tribe official site.
The Wanted 18 (2014): Documentary about a real incident in which the Israeli government declared 18 Palestinian cows “a threat to national security.” What makes it weird is that the doc is partly animated, and told from the perspective of the cows. The Wanted 18 official site.
SCREENINGS – (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, CA, Friday, 6/19/2015):
Journey Through the Past (1974): Very rare screening of this ultra-rare Neil Young docu-tasia mixing music video surrealism with vintage footage of the young Young. Tonight’s showing is the highlight of “Shakey Fest,” a weekend of Young concert films. Shakey Fest at Cinefamily.
SCREENINGS – (Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers, NY, Sunday, 6/21/2015):
Blue Velvet (1986): Read the Certified Weird review! Not only is this one of David Lynch‘s scariest, cultiest, and most accessible classics, it’s being introduced by legendary drive-in film critic Joe Bob Briggs! (I don’t remember Blue Velvet playing in drive-ins in 1986, but it’s still an inspired pairing). Blue Velvet at Alamo Drafthouse.
SCREENINGS – (Max Linder Panorama, Paris, France, Thursday, 25/6/2015):
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954): The rarest screening of all is this week’s projection of Kenneth Anger‘s pre-psychedelic freakout, shown for the first time since the 1958 World Fair in the “tryptich” (three-screen) format. Wowsa! Here’s the official site (in French) and an English language article on the event.
NEW ON DVD:
200 Motels (1971): Read our review. Frank Zappa‘s psycho-delic film essay on rock n’ roll life on the road finally gets an official release, even if it is just a full-frame, extras-free DVD-R from MGM. Buy 200 Motels
The Happiness Of The Katakuris (2001): See description in Blu-ray below. A special edition Blu-ray/DVD combo from the reliable Arrow Video. Buy The Happiness of the Katakuris [Blu-ray + DVD]
Spirited Away (2001): See description in Blu-ray below. Most, if not all, of the extra features will be found on the Blu-ray disc of this Blu/DVD combo. Buy Spirited Away [Blu-ray + DVD]
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
“André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films”: Read our review of My Dinner with Andre and the Wallace Shawn interview. Criterion’s set includes the famous Dinner along with two Gregory play adaptations, Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder. Buy “André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films” [Blu-ray]
Blindness (2008)/Proof (2005): A pair of critically well-received but low profile movies released as a double feature. Blindness, the half of the bill of interest to us, is a fable about a town where (almost) everyone is suddenly struck blind; Proof is a drama about a math student who fears she may have inherited her brilliant father’s madness. Buy Blindness (2008)/Proof (2005) [Blu-ray]
The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001): A family decides to run a resort hotel in the mountains and encounters murder in this horror/musical (!) from the inimitable Takashi Miike. The tagline describes it as The Sound of Music meets Dawn of the Dead. Buy The Happiness of the Katakuris [Blu-ray + DVD]
My Dinner with André (1981): Read our review. If you just want the most popular title in that Shawn/Gregory set, here’s Criterion’s new Blu-ray upgrade. Buy My Dinner with André [Blu-ray]
Spirited Away (2001): A girl finds her parents turned into pigs when her family investigates an abandoned amusement park haunted by spirits. This is one of the last of Disney’s Hayao Miyazaki catalog to get the Blu upgrade. Buy Spirited Away [Blu-ray + DVD]
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.