Our weekly look at what’s weird in theaters, on hot-off-the-presses DVDs and Blu-rays (and hot off the server VODs), and on more distant horizons…

Trailers of new release movies are generally available at the official site links.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Jacob’s Ladder (2019): An Afghanistan war veteran returns home to find the brother he thought he’d lost in combat is still alive, and has been the subject of army-sponsored psychotropic drug experiments. A remake (of sorts) of the Canonically Weird 1990 psychological thriller. US Distributor Vertical Entertainment’s home page.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

“Akio Jissoji: The Buddhist Trilogy”: Three rare films of the late Japanese New Wave: This Transient Life (1970) involves brother/sister incest, Mandara (1971) concerns a pro-rape cult, and Poem (1972) stars a young boy caught up in a plot to sell his ancestral home. Arrow Academy promises that these little-seen films are all stylized, experimental, erotic and spiritual. Blu-ray set only. Buy “Akio Jissoji: The Buddhist Trilogy”.

Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019): This sequel to the Nazis-on-the-moon original finds survivors of the nuclear apocalypse burrowing into the hollow earth in search of a better life. Like the Nazis, this series still has some life left in it. DVD or VOD only (for now, at least) from Lions Gate (there is an Irish Region B Blu-ray on the market). Buy Iron Sky: The Coming Race.

Last Year at Marienbad (1961): Read the Certified Weird review! After restoration, Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet art house classic about a couple who may—or may not—have met last year at Marienbad is once again out on DVD and Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. Or is it? (Spoiler: it is). Buy Last Year at Marienbad.

CERTIFIED WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). We won’t list all the screenings of this audience-participation classic separately. You can use this page to find a screening near you.

• Bloomington, IN, 8/23 – Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). At Indiana University Cinema.
• Boston, MA, 8/23 – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). At the Museum of Fine Art.
• Boston, MA, 8/24 – Fight Club (1999). At the Museum of Fine Art.
• Chicago, IL, 8/25 – Society (1989), with post-screening Q&A with Brian Yuzna. At the Music Box.
• Columbus, OH, 8/23-25 – Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). At Gateway Film Center.
• Franklin, IN, 8/23 – 24 – Seven Samurai (1954), with Spirited Away (2001) and Akira (1988) (weekend pass; tickets to each also sold separately). At the Artcraft.
• Memphis, TN, 8/29 – Eraserhead (1977). At the Crosstown.
• New York City, NY, 8/23-24 (midnights) – Kung Fu Hustle (2004). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 8/23-24 (midnights) – Suspiria (1977). At IFC Center.
• New York City, NY, 8/23-25 – Paprika (2006). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 8/23-26, 28 – Pierrot le Fou (1965). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 8/24 – Videodrome (1983). At Lincoln Center.
• New York City, NY, 8/24-25 – Kwaidan (1964). At the Roxy.
• New York City, NY, 8/26-28 – Holy Motors (2012). At the Metrograph.
• New York City, NY, 8/26 & 28 – True Stories (1986). At Lincoln Center.
• New York City, NY, 8/29 – Perfect Blue (1997). At the Metrograph.
• Oakland, CA, 8/24 – Pink Floyd the Wall (1982). At the New Parkway.
• Pittsburgh, PA, 8/23-25, 27-29 – Evil Dead II (1987). At the Row House.
• Portland, OR, 8/25 – Society (1989). At NW Film Center.
• San Francisco, CA, 8/24 – The Exterminating Angel [El àngel exterminador] (1962). At the Roxie.
• San Francisco, CA, 8/26 – Donnie Darko (2001), live riffed by three comedians. At the Alamo Drafthouse.
• San Francisco, CA, 8/28 – Vertigo (1958), with High Anxiety (1977) (double feature). At the Castro.
• Silver Spring, MD, 8/24 – Phantom of the Paradise (1974), with a pre-show cabaret and live shadowcast by “Bloody Mayhem Theatrical.” At the AFI Silver.
• Toronto, ONT, Canada, 8/29 – Don’t Look Now (1973). At the Royal.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: Next week G. Smalley will bring you a look at the new erotic thriller Blood Paradise, and also dip into the reader-suggested review queue for a review of 1982’s The Plague Dogs, Martin Rosen‘s ultra-depressing animated canine followup to his ultra-violent bunny cartoon Watership Down (1978). Also, we’ve been putting off populating our Apocrypha, and next week we’ll remedy that as Giles Edwards officially inducts Jacques Rivette‘s whimsically surreal 1974 opus Celine and Julie Go Boating onto the supplemental list. Onward and weirdward!

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.