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.
SCREENINGS (Weds., Sep. 19, Nationwide):
The Birds (1963): Although it’s known today mostly as the inspiration for James Ngyuen’s Birdemic, this Alfred Hitchcock movie about a series of relentless and unmotivated attacks by our fine feathered friends is sort of strange, when you stop and think about it. Universal has restored Hitch’s avian classic has been restored and will show it in theaters for one night only. Check with Fathom Events to see if it’s playing near you.
FILM FESTIVALS (Cambridge Film Festival, Sep. 13-23, Cambridge, UK):
One of the, if not the, largest film events in the United Kingdom, the Cambridge Film Festival hosts the British debut for a wide range of films—including, naturally, some weird ones that sneak by the screeners.
- Holy Motors – A mysterious man named Monsieur Oscar drives through Paris one night, cycling through various personas. From too-infrequently seen director Leos Carax, and with an exciting cast mixing fresh faces with weird movie vets: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Michel Piccoli, Eva Mendes… Screening Sep. 23.
- The Night Elvis Died – The story of an amnesiac man and a woman putting on a troubled production of a Passion Play surreally collide; part of a series spotlighting Catalan-language films. Sep. 18.
- Postcards from the Zoo – Indonesian film about a young woman raised in a magical realist zoo and what happens when she journeys into our drab world. Sep. 15 & 17.
- Savage Witches – Two teenage girls romp about an experimental film landscape in a feature that unashamedly references the anarchic Daisies in a modern context; from Daniel Fawcett and Clara Pais, who provided 366 Weird Movies with their top 10 weird movies list. Sep. 21.
- Tony 10 – When a Tony’s parents file for divorce and his father is suddenly promoted from a crane operator to Secretary of State, the young boy puts two and two together and realizes his dad has been having an affair with the Queen. Sep. 22.
- V.O.S. – A film-within-a-film meta-romantic comedy that follows the love lives of the characters in a movie and of the actors playing the parts; it’s said to be Charlie Kaufman-esque. Sep. 15.
- Warsaw Bridge (1990) – Director Pere Portabella won’t release his films on video, so this may be your only chance to see this surrealist joke set at a literary cocktail party. Sep. 16 & 21.
Cambridge Film Festival home page.
NEW ON DVD:
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2011): Surrealist sci-fi in a midnight movie vein about a mute woman trying to escape from a mysterious enclave. One of the most anticipated weird releases of the year. Buy Beyond the Black Rainbow
Dead Soon [AKA The Fugue] (2012): A woman loses her mind after being attacked near an abandoned well in this psychothriller cheapie. The name was changed from obscure to generic for the DVD release. Buy Dead Soon
“Heroes of Horror”: This Pop Flix public domain collection features four Bela Lugosi movies alongside three from Boris Karloff. One movie is actually worth seeing (1932’s White Zombie); the others are Bowery at Midnight, The Invisible Ghost, Spooks Run Wild, Snake People, Island Monster, and The Terror. Buy “Heroes of Horror”
Karate-Robo Zaborgar (2011): Based on a Japanese TV show from the Seventies, the story features a karate robot fighting a crime syndicate. This is only the sixth feature film Noboru Iguchi has directed in the past two years, but there’s still more than three months left in 2012. Buy Karate-Robo Zaborgar
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2011): See description in DVD above. Buy Beyond the Black Rainbow [Blu-ray]
Karate-Robo Zaborgar (2011): See description in DVD above. Buy Karate-Robo Zaborgar [Blu-ray]
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988): Read our capsule review. The popular spoof finally makes it to Blu-ray. Buy Killer Klowns From Outer Space [Blu-ray]
The Ring (2002): Naomi Watts starred in this Hollywood remake of the Asian chiller Ringu, about a mysterious killer videotape. Its success set off a wave of Americanized remakes of J-horror classics; but, this was the only one that was anywhere close to being good. Buy The Ring [Blu-ray]
Texas Rangers (2001)/Dead Man (1995): Read the Certified Weird entry for Dead Man. Bargain label Echo Bridge has bought up and bundled major studio back catalog releases in themed twin packs to double their saleability of marginal titles; it’s sad to see Jim Jarmusch‘s magical, mystical Western placed on a double bill with a flop “young gun” oater. Buy Texas Rangers/Dead Man [Blu-ray]
FREE (LEGITIMATE RELEASE) MOVIES ON YOUTUBE:
Cinderella 2000 (1977): It’s the future (2000!) and Big Brother has outlawed sex in this Seventies softcore porn/sci-fi/comedy/musical, served up Al Adamson (Dracula vs. Frankenstein) style. Watch for the scene where a fairy turns two bunnies into early proponents of furry fandom. Painfully weird. Watch Cinderella 2000 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.