WEIRD HORIZON FOR THE WEEK OF 8/17/2012

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 (WIDE RELEASE):

The Odd Life of Timothy Green: Disney isn’t known for backing weird movies, and the trailer for this movie about barren parents who adopt a dream child who grows in a cabbage patch looked more mawkish than odd. Still, some of the critics reviews, like this one from Mike Scott of the New Orleans Times-Picayune—“you know that fine line separating ‘good’ weird from just-plain off-putting? Today, there are mouse-shaped footprints all over it”—make us wonder if the studio hasn’t accidentally unleashed a strange one on an unsuspecting public. The Odd Life of Timothy Green official site.

IN THEATERS (LIMITED RELEASE):

Chicken with Plums [Poulet aux prunes]: After his beloved violin is destroyed, a master musician loses the will to live and suffers a series of hallucinations, flashbacks and visitations from Sophia Loren and the Angel of Death. Live action from the makers of Persepolis. Opening in NYC with decent US market penetration to follow thanks to it being picked up by Sony Classics. Chicken with Plums official site.

Cosmopolis: David Cronenberg‘s latest is an adaptation of a Don DeLilo novel about a financial whiz-kid (Robert Pattison) traveling across Manhattan in a limo as financial apocalypse approaches. This one is in our reader-suggested review queue. Cosmopolis official site.

NEW ON DVD:

Father’s Day (2011): Read our capsule review. Astron-6’s absurdist grindhouse feature releases in a 4 disc (Blu-ray, 2 DVD, and soundtrack CD) numbered, limited edition set. Buy Father’s Day [Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD].

Kill List (2011): A psychologically scarred hit man agrees to the proverbial “one last mission” and finds it ironically horrifying. This mind-bending thriller has impressed critics and bewildered audiences in about equal ratios. Buy Kill List.

Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (2009): A 16-year old girl follows a fox creature who whisks her away to a magical world. An anime version of “Alice in Wonderland” incorporating Japanese folklore? Where do we sign up? Buy Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror.

Les Vampires (1915): A strange gang led by sexy “Irma Vep” in a black bodysuit terrorize Paris in this 10 part, 7 hour silent serial. It’s a milestone in cinema history and was a huge influence on the upcoming French surrealist movement. Buy Les Vampires.

NEW ON BLU-RAY:

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

Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror (2009): See description in DVD above. This is a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Buy Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror [Blu-ray/DVD Combo]

Les Vampires (1915): See description in DVD above. Buy Les Vampires [Blu-ray].

FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:

Ninja Champion (1985): Read our capsule review! Godfrey Ho’s remarkably incompetent movie redubs an unreleased chopsocky movie and combines it with all-new ninja footage shot a decade later to create an incoherent rape-revenge-diamond smuggling ninja action mess. Best line: “Not the wine! My nipples, you jerk!” Watch Ninja Champion 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.

One thought on “WEIRD HORIZON FOR THE WEEK OF 8/17/2012”

  1. Thanks for the update on new movies that are now out on DVD. The “Kill List” caught my eye this week and I just put the movie in my queue on Blockbusters online website through Dish’s Blockbuster@Home service. The “Kill List” is about a hit man takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels sending the killer into the heart of darkness. I love my Blockbuster@Home service because they always have the movie that I’m looking for and I can either stream it to my TV or PC, or I can rent it on DVD or blu-rays by mail. I work for Dish and I can tell you that this service is cheaper then Netflix and Redbox, plus you will have access to new release movies 28 days before Netflix and Redbox!

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