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):

Septien (2010): This story of an ex-high school athlete returning to live with his two eccentric brothers played at Sundance in the Midnight Movie category.  Reviews were mixed, but Dennis Harvey of Variety suggested the movie “proves the paths of ‘weird’ and ‘interesting’ do not always intersect.”  Screening at the IFC Center in Manhattan this week, future screenings doubtful.  Also available “on demand” on some cable systems.  Septien official site.

The Sleeping Beauty (2010): Catherine Breillat takes her second stab at adapting a classic fairy tale with modern feminist sensibilities (after the strangely muted, very slightly weird Bluebeard).  Much of the narrative here takes place in Beauty’s dreams as she slumbers and encounters dream ogres and dwarfs, giving rise to hopes of more surrealistic imagery this time out.  This is the middle part of a planned fairy tale trilogy to conclude with Beauty and the Beast.  This French offering is not to be confused with Australian Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty (2011), starring Emily Browning (which has yet to be released on these shores).  No official site located.

NEW ON DVD:

Oblivion (1994): A frontier town in the year 3031 is inhabited by aliens in this campy sci-fi/western/comedy hybrid.  With a cast including Julie Newmar (as a feline alien saloon owner named Miss Kitty), Isaac Hayes, and George Takei. Buy Oblivion.

The Sacrifice [Offret] (1986): Andrei Tarkovsky‘s final film (completed from his deathbed) is about a man who attempts to bargain with God for divine intervention to avert World War III.  A remastered 2-disc set from Kino which includes a feature length documentary on the maverick Russian filmmaker as a bonus feature. Buy The Sacrifice.

Trailers From Hell! Volume 2 (featuring The Little Shop of Horrors) (2011):  Read our capsule review. Buy Trailers From Hell! Vol. 2 [Featuring The Little Shop of Horrors].

Wake Wood (2011): Bereaved parents visit a pagan town whose residents promise that, within their borders, you can reunite with the dead —for three days only.  This latest offering from the resurrected Hammer studios has been compared (in theme, at least) to the Certified Weird The Wicker Man. Buy Wake Wood.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

The Sacrifice [Offret] (1986): See description in DVD above. Buy The Sacrifice [Blu-ray].

Wake Wood (2011): See description in DVD above. Buy Wake Wood [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Tekkonkinkreet (2006): Trippy anime about two street urchins (named “Black” and “White”) with superpowers fighting Yakuza in the magical streets of Treasure Town.  From Michael Arias, the producer of The Animatrix, a rare American who’s broken into the Japanese animation world.  Watch Tekkonkinkreet 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.