A 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 Future (2011): Narrated by an injured cat awaiting adoption, there are strong elements of magical realism (e.g. a talking moon) in this speculative indie dramedy. Congratulations are in order to Miranda July for getting this thing out of Sundance and into real theaters. Opening at the IFC Center in Manhattan (with the director in attendance July 29 & 30), across the nation thereafter. The Future official site.
Our Home: The Astral City [Nosso Lar] (2010): The most expensive Brazilian movie ever made is an afterlife fantasy about a celestial city where souls wait to be reincarnated. It’s from a novel by a spiritualist medium, sports a score by Philip Glass, and seems like a weird choice for 20th Century Fox to distribute. Our Home [Nosso Lar] official site.
NEW ON DVD:
American Grindhouse (2010)/Nightmares in Red, White and Blue (2009): An interesting package of two clip-packed salacious cinema documentaries: Grindhouse addresses exploitation movies, while Nightmares covers the horror beat. These compilation pictures—which cull the most outrageous segments for your viewing pleasure—are almost always more entertaining than the actual movies they profile. Buy American Grindhouse / Nightmares in Red, White & Blue: Double Feature (2-Disc Set)
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010): Hollywoodized bastardization of the somewhat surreal comic that was also the basis for Dellamorte Dellamore [Cemetery Man]; it’s about a private eye who deals with the undead. We get the feeling this is more of a wannabe blockbuster than a weird movie, but we mention it due to the tenuous Cemetery Man connection. Buy Dylan Dog
Jackboots on Whitehall (2010): An alternate history comedy adventure in which the Nazis capture London by digging a tunnel under the English channel, told with puppets. With the voices of Ewan McGregor as the hero, Alan Cumming as Hitler, and Richard “Riff Raff” O’Brien as Himmler, among others. Buy Jackboots on Whitehall
Matrimony (2007): A Chinese ghost story about a dead fiancee who resents her once-betrothed’s future marriage of convenience. By all accounts its a subdued, dramatic, and slightly weird film, but the grisly DVD cover shows a man apparently putting a wedding band on a rotting, severed hand! Buy Matrimony
Park Benches [Bancs publics (Versailles rive droite)] (2009): A French comedy set in motion by sightings of a mysterious banner reading “Man Alone”: the film’s in three distinct sections, and the last (set in a shop called “Brico Dream”) is reportedly madcap surrealism. The ad copy brags that there are almost 90 speaking roles (including one for Catherine Deneuve). Buy Park Benches
The Puppet Monster Massacre (2010): Truth in advertising in this direct-to-DVD spoof of/tribute to 1980s monster movies, with Nazis, puppet gore, and a character named “Raimi.” The humor is said to verge on Meet the Feebles territory at times. Buy The Puppet Monster Massacre
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010): See description in DVD above. Buy Dylan Dog [Blu-ray]
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
Nosferatu (1922): The earliest adaptation of Dracula (unauthorized) still chills people to the bone, thanks to the unearthly presence of the unearthly Max Schreck as Count Orlock. This is the silent movie to watch if you think you don’t like silent movies. Be sure to turn the lights out. Watch Nosferatu 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.