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Today's the 3rd of September... a day you'll always remember... because of these fine weird movie reviews:

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999) (http://366weirdmovies.com/64-being-john-malkovich-1999): "It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make a movie about a secret portal that allows anyone who crawls through it to see the world through actor John Malkovich’s eyes for fifteen minutes before being spat out on the side of the New Jersey Turnpike and not end up with a weird result."  Our 64th Certified Weird Movie!

THE PROMISE [LA PROMESA] (2004) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-the-promise-la-promesa-2004):"A devout nanny’s religious convictions are tested when a clairvoyant child implores her to murder his father... Solid performances and Santiago de Compostela locations compliment this creepy, offbeat occult tale." -PD

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-2010): "An alternate reality comedy that at times feels like something Monty Python would have come up with if they’d been raised on video games and graphic novels instead of 'The Goon Show' and Oscar Wilde, Scott Pilgrim has substantial cult movie potential."

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (2008) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-the-good-the-bad-the-weird-joheunnom-nabbeunnom-isanghannom-2008): "The final chase scene at the end is guaranteed to have everyone riveted, while the film itself leaves viewers instinctively smiling from ear-to-ear. I believe the technical critical term is 'a rip-roarin’ good time.'" -AK

BATMAN RETURNS (1992) (http://366weirdmovies.com/batman-returns-1992-a-superhero-burlesque): "...the greatest cinematic comic book movie to date and one of Tim Burton’s most uniquely accomplished films." -AE

More...

MANIAC (1934) (http://366weirdmovies.com/maniac-1934): Certified Weird! "...probably no film in history has been as simultaneously bad, weird, and entertaining as the unique Maniac."

DOGTOOTH (2009) (http://366weirdmovies.com/guest-review-dogtooth-kynodontas-2009): "Imagine a world where up is down, hot is cold, red is black, dandelions are zombies and that mysterious slit between a young girl’s legs is called a keyboard.  Welcome to the bizarre world of Giorgos Lanthimos’ deep black comedy-cum-Greek tragedy oddity, Dogtooth."-KK

THANKSKILLING (2008) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-thankskilling-2009): "[Director] Downey out-Tromas Troma here by making his entire movie for a mere $3500, about what Lloyd spends on a single Ron Jeremy cameo these days."

GETTING ANY? (1994 (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-getting-any-minna-yatteruka-1994)): "...nonsensical, amateurish, juvenile and above all else… not funny."-EG

DESPERATE LIVING (1977) (http://366weirdmovies.com/desperate-living-1977): John Waters' "inimitable descent into a surreal, kitsch abyss that few could imagine."-AE

"Maniac" (1934) is awesome in its weird, b-movie way.  All of the acting is superbly awful, but some scenes really stand out.  Mr. Buckley carting off the reanimated maiden ala "Creature from the Black Lagoon" then getting confused over whether he is molesting or strangling her is incredible.  The two women locked in the basement with syringes going at it like a pair of angry cats while the crazy man jumps up and down is funny as all get out!.  Finally, the insane man squeezing out the cat's eye is quite a wild scene (especially since the cat just ate the heart that was a core part of the reanimation plan, and after losing its eye the poor creature gets chucked through a glass window). 

The trick to the scene with the cat's eye is that the cat had a glass eye.  I know that appears in the IMDb trivia now, but I believe I read it first in a book - I'm uncertain which.

I absolutely love MANIAC.  One of my favorites.  I wanted to put the bit about the glass eye in the "background" info, but I decided not to describe the scene directly, just to hint at it, in case anyone decides to see the movie based on the review.

I always thought that the double images used when he's descending into madness were from HAXAN, but research showed they were probably from an old version of MACISTE IN HELL.  I'd love to see that film someday.

More...

THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (http://366weirdmovies.com/the-science-of-sleep) (2006): "With all it’s faults, The Science of Sleep proves that Michel Gondry is one of our premier dreamsmiths."

ALICE [NECO Z ALENKY] (1988) (http://366weirdmovies.com/recommended-as-weird-alice-neco-z-alenky-1988): "Svankmajer’s remarkably innovative visuals, haunting use of sound effects, and minimalist storytelling render a familiar tale almost unrecognizable, removing sugarcoated elements of childhood fantasy and replacing them with a macabre surrealism." -AK

BLUE BEARD [BARBE BLEUE] (2009) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-blue-beard-barbe-bleue-2009): "If you’re interested in pondering these sorts of weighty issues, you’ll find Blue Beard  a useful meditation aid; if you’re looking for any sort of action, flash, or escapist fantasy, however, you’ll want to steer well clear of this often ponderous tale."

And don't forget to check out our weekly roundup of weird new cult DVD releases (http://366weirdmovies.com/weird-horizon-for-the-week-of-9172010)--it's a pretty hefty lineup this week.
SINGAPORE SLING (1990) (http://366weirdmovies.com/recommended-as-weird-singapore-sling-singapore-sling-o-anthropos-pou-agapise-ena-ptoma-1990): "...one of the rare films where practically every frame is teeming with weirdness."-EG

MAHLER (1974) (http://366weirdmovies.com/ken-russells-mahler-1974): "High art, low camp, sex and death. How better to serve up Gustav Mahler?" -AE

More?  Yes!

ARIZONA DREAM (1993) (http://366weirdmovies.com/list-candidate-arizona-dream-1993): "...the worth-the-price-of-admission scene comes at a mad dinner party that progresses from awkward flirtations and turtles on the table to a botched suicide attempt with freakishly elastic pantyhose while a dazed Gallo goes Bert Lahr, suddenly believing he’s the Cowardly Lion...  If only [the director had] found a story device to put Jerry Lewis in buck teeth and set him loose on the scene, running around and squinting his eyes and yelling 'hey laady!', he would have created the perfect modern slapstick sequence."

ARTOIS THE GOAT (2009) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-artois-the-goat-2009): "...a film that captures all the thrills, excitement and romance of cheesemaking: milking the goats, separating the curds from the whey, aging the final product."

HOUR OF THE WOLF (1968) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-hour-of-the-wolf-vargtimmen-1968): "What good castle party doesn’t have a surreal puppet show set to Mozart’s 'The Magic Flute?'" -EG

DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1973) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-dr-phibes-rises-again-1972): "If you liked the original The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Rises Again tries hard to give you more of the same—campy black comedy mixed with bizarre characters, sets and (now gorier) murders—except this time there’s no logic or sense in the script whatsoever.  All the beloved characters are back, including all the ones that died in the first movie."

THE SHOOTING (1967) (http://366weirdmovies.com/the-shooting-1967-american-styled-dissonance): "Enigmas abound: a child’s game and candy shared with a dying stranger lying under an umbrella in the middle of the desert, tension, threats, desertion, a murder, the loss of horses, the crushed hand of a gunfighter staggering aimlessly in the desert and a sharp, final confrontation that plunges the viewer into dizzying, surrealist questions." -AE

Wrapping up September:

MIRRORMASK (2005) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-mirrormask-2005): "I couldn’t help comparing it unfavorably to Jim Henson’s previous girl-coming-of-age fantasy Labyrinth (1986), which had just as much picaresque adventure but more psychological depth, darkness, and coherence.  Not to mention, David Bowie’s soundtrack blows away the Kenny G-ish smooth jazz theme here, which doesn’t make me think 'trapped in a timeless dream world' so much as 'trapped in a 1993 Starbucks.'"

MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE (2009) (http://366weirdmovies.com/capsule-my-son-my-son-what-have-ye-done-2009): "It’s twice as weird as Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Werner Herzog’s other 2009 offering, but only half as entertaining."

PEPPERMINTA (2009) (http://366weirdmovies.com/list-candidate-pepperminta-2009): "Rist employs a range of imaginative and experimental visual techniques, often reminiscent of her short art films.  Colors swirl and blend like squirts of ink in water, shifting between neon and negative displays and impossibly fusing with the real-life environments."-AK

TED HOOD, JR., AUTEUR OF “GRAVEROBBERS FROM OUTER SPACE” (http://366weirdmovies.com/ted-hood-jr-auteur-of-graverobbers-from-outer-space): "In between wheezes, she showed me the documentary evidence of her husband’s authorship of the notorious film that came to be known as Plan 9 from Outer Space... most tellingly, a signed photograph of Bela Lugosi bearing the legend, 'Dear Ted, Ed’s a cool guy but also a backstabbing f****t.  Don’t let him take credit for your work!  All my best, Drac.'"

WAY OUT WEST (1937) (http://366weirdmovies.com/way-out-west-1937): "Laurel and Hardy became Hollywood icons, and deservedly so. Way Out West is a great way to remember them and celebrate their art."-AE