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.
SCREENINGS (Cinefamily, Los Angeles, June 8-14):
Celine and Julie Go Boating [Celine et Julie Vont en Bateau ] (1974): This fabled but seldom-seen French surrealist comedy about the fantasy lives of two Parisian women is available for viewing (in a newly restored 35mm print) by lucky Los Angelinos. A restoration followed by a tour sometimes indicates that a DVD release is imminent. Keep your fingers crossed… Celine and Julie Go Boating at Cinefamily.
FILM FESTIVALS: FLYOVER FILM FESTIVAL (June 7-10, Louisville, KY):
A blip on the festival circuit—it’s not called “Flyover” because major movies stop there—but worth noting because special guest “366weirdmovies” will personally be in attendance at several screenings. Anyone who misses their connecting flight and finds him or herself stranded in Louisville, KY this weekend will want to look for him (he’ll be sporting his stylish 366 Weird Movies t-shirt) at the following events:
- Sun Don’t Shine – They’re keeping a tight lid on the plot of this road-trip dark romance described as “cryptic” and “eerily poetic,” but it did fare well at the SWSX festival. Director Amy Seimetz (who had a small role in Wristcutters: A Love Story) says the idea came from a recurring nightmare. Screening June 8.
- Tchoupitoulas – Documentary following three wide-eyed young brothers stuck in New Orleans one night has been described as dreamlike and even (occasionally) surreal. Screening Jun 10.
- The Unknown – Read our capsule review. Louisville native Tod Browning‘s perverse melodrama about an “armless” knife thrower in love with a woman who can’t abide the touch of a man gets a new live soundtrack by dark ambient rockers Seluah. Screening June 9.
Flyover Film Festival official site.
IN DEVELOPMENT:
Mr Bean Possessed by Depe [Mr. Bean Kesurupan Depe] (2012?): Is big-time comedy star Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) about to be cut into an Indonesian horror comedy starring alongside a Malaysian pop idol? The Jakarta Post seems to think so. And this blog reported that “world secretly actor” Atkinson was seen in Jakarta, and that during the “filming of the movie, Mr Bean guarded 25 bodyguards”(!) Don’t write the idea off: soon-to-be-legendary Indonesian producer K.K. Dheeraj (The Menstruating Ghost of Puncak) already convinced retired porn star Sasha Grey to phone in a performance to be inserted into a horror comedy. This is just the next step in his plan to dominate popular world cinema. We just have to see some of Dheeraj’s work for ourselves sometime!
NEW ON DVD:
Yellow Submarine (1968): Animated Beatles travel to Pepperland in a yellow submarine to defeat Blue Meanies in this druggy “children’s” film where “nothing is real.” This extras-packed release is an extremely welcome restoration of a movie that has been out of print for many years. Buy Yellow Submarine
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
Natural Born Killers (1994)/Any Given Sunday (1999)/JFK (1991): Obviously, the ultraviolent hallucinogenic satire Killers is the main draw for our readers in this Oliver Stone triple features. If you like the other two not-very-weird films, this bargain offering may be a better option than a standalone Killers Blu. Buy Natural Born Killers/Any Given Sunday/JFK [Blu-ray]
Yellow Submarine (1968): See description in DVD above. Buy Yellow Submarine [Blu-ray]
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
The Naughty Stewardesses (1975): In the mood for a naughty softcore comic farce about sexy Seventies stewardesses? Would you change your mind if I told you it was directed by Al (Dracula vs. Frankenstein) Adamson? We probably would have passed on recommending this to you except that Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict described the plot as “so surreal that Salvador Dali’s estate is suing for copyright infringement.” Watch The Naughty Stewardesses 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.
In a surprise development that shocked no one, according to the Jakarta Globe Mr. Bean protests that he didn’t actually appear in K.K. Dheeraj’s Indonesian horror comedy Mr. Bean Possessed by Depe. What then are we to make of the eyewitness accounts claiming that Mr. Bean guarded 25 bodyguards on the set? Someone is lying here…
I haven’t been here for a long time. Thanks for posting this. I knew about Celine and Julie Go Boating, but totally forgot that I wanted to see it. Someone put the full movie up on youtube. I’m going to watch it tomorrow and if I like it, I’ll have to torture myself whether to buy the 2 disc import or wait for a possible release of the new transfer.