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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 (WIDE RELEASE):

Tenet (2020): The plot was kept under wraps for months, but we no know the scenario involves a CIA agent known as “the Protagonist” fighting to save the world from a calamity. Probably not legitimately weird, but Christopher Nolan‘s twisty thriller is leaving a lot of critics and focus groups confused as hell. Tenet official site.

NETFLIX EXCLUSIVE (Sep. 4):

I’m Thinking of Ending Things: Charlie Kaufman‘s breakup movie concerns a woman who’s thinking of ending things while trapped in a farmhouse with her boyfriend and his parents during a snowstorm. Incredible buzz around this one (especially in these parts). If you’re thinking of breaking up with Netflix, stick around for just a bit longer. (And watch it with our crew September 12.) I’m Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix.

NEW ON HOME VIDEO:

“Barry J. Gillis Triple Threat Collection”: Starts off with the surreally bad Things (1989, Gillis produces, writes and acts) and adds previously unknown-to-us title The Killing Games (2012) and the new release House of Many Sorrows (Gillis acts, writes, produces and directs the latter two). DVD or Blu-ray. Buy “Barry J. Gillis Triple Threat Collection”.

Beetlejuice (1988): Read Pete Trbovich’s Apocrypha Candidate review. This release is an upgrade of Tim Burton‘s macabre hit comedy to 4K Ultra disc, with a Blu-ray copy also included. Buy Beetlejuice.

Britannia Hospital (1982): Read our review. The third part of Lindsay Anderson and Malcolm McDowell‘s “Mick Travis” trilogy is the least of the three (and has the least McDowell), but it’s still worth seeing. From Kino on DVD or Blu-ray, with a McDowell interview and a commentary track from Samm Deighan. Buy Britannia Hospital.

Murder Death Koreatown (2020): Read our review. They probably need to sell about a dozen of these discs to make back the budget of the film. The DVD or Blu-ray offers the option to watch with or without the musical soundtrack (which, while effective, did undercut the film’s found footage stance). Buy Murder Death Koreatown.

CANONICALLY WEIRD (AND OTHER) REPERTORY SCREENINGS:

Independent theaters are cautiously starting to reopen across North America at diminished capacity, and we’re seeing a trickle of new screenings. We expect this section to grow slowly throughout the fall. You’ll have to use your own judgment as to whether it’s safe to go to movie theaters at this time.

• Kitchener, ON
  • The Apollo – Vertigo (1958), 9/6, 9
• Phoenix, AZ
  • Alamo Drafthouse – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), 9/5-7
• Vancouver, BC
  • The Rio
    • Fantasia (1940), 9/5, 10
    • Pink Floyd the Wall (1982), 9/4-5

NEPOTISM CORNER:

“The Completists”: Casino Royale: The Completists (our own Shane Wilson and affable outsider Ted Price) continue their survey of the entire run of James Bond films. This week, it’s the least canonical, least sensical, most hashish-inspired 007 adventure: Casino Royale (1967). Since this is the weirdest Bond film, we get a guest appearance by Gregory J. Smalley. The episode goes live Saturday, Sep. 5 at 7 PM ET, and will be available on demand soon afterwards. “The Completists” home page.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE: Our Weird Netflix party slate is set for the next two weeks: we’ll screen the severed hand animated romance I Lost My Body tomorrow, Saturday 5, at 10:15, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things (see above) will be the feature for September 12. As always, we’ll post the link to join around 10 PM here, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

In digital print, next week El Rob Hubbard will report on Lars von Trier‘s The House that Jack Built (2018) and Gregory J. Smalley  will cover Shinya Tsukamoto‘s 1999 doppelganger horror, Gemini. We wouldn’t rule out (or promise) a surprise pop-up review to accompany those. Onward and weirdward!

What are you looking forward to? If you have any weird movie leads that we have overlooked, feel free to leave them in the COMMENTS section.