FanFare

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to meet in Philadelphia [at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific] on Tuesday for their first — and perhaps only — debate before the November presidential election. [CBS] ... How to Watch Harris-Trump Presidential Debate Online Without Cable [THR] [more inside]
posted by chavenet on Sep 10, 2024 - 792 comments

I never even heard of the apparently unlamented show "Til Death," and it doesn't sound like it deserves its own FanFare writeup, but this deep dive into season 4 (its last), by the creator of Ironic Sans, will probably appeal to folks with an interest in how showbiz works and folks with an interest in meta weirdness. [more inside]
posted by adamrice on Mar 19, 2024 - 4 comments

From the first season of classic US TV sci-fi anthology show, The Outer Limits. Scientist Richard Bellero (Martin Landau) experiments with a powerful laser, and unwittingly captures an alien creature who has a remarkable device that his wife, Judith (Sally Kellerman), and their weird housekeeper (Chita Rivera) try to steal. Also stars Neil Hamilton as Richard Bellero, Sr. and an unrecognizable John Hoyt as the alien. [more inside]
posted by 2N2222 on Feb 12, 2024 - 1 comment

Warren Beatty presents his second Dick Tracy sequel? Well, yeah. Sorta. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 22, 2023 - 5 comments

Marty Malt (Judd Nelson) is an unhappy garbage man who moonlights as an atrociously unfunny standup comic. He lives in a dark, grimy, garbage-strewn urban netherworld, where a company named Blump's apparently owns everything. His best friend and fellow trash collector, Gus (Bill Paxton), who accompanies him on accordion, eggs him on. When the "comedian" grows a third arm out of his back, the friend uses this twist to get him signed up with a sleazy talent agent (Wayne Newton), and it begins to look like his career is on the move. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Aug 14, 2022 - 16 comments

While Mother, Father, and the children face hostility from their new atheist collective, Marcus sets out to fill the walls of an ancient church with Sol's worshipers.
posted by porpoise on Feb 3, 2022 - 15 comments

Lexx, 1997-2002, one of the weirdest science fiction tv shows ever produced is now available on Prime. [more inside]
posted by Beholder on Mar 6, 2021 - 23 comments

Rewatch! There are few MST movies that are as full of ridiculous crap as this one, it's kind of amazing. On Earth a space message is recovered from Venus to which scientists affix the catchy name the "cosmic document." They don't know what it says yet, but they decide to bring it along with them on a trip to its home planet to meet its makers. Along the way we meet a team of people with the huge letter 'A' on their uniforms, an international team of weirdos, a chess playing robot that can't handle losing, a vaguely oppressive sleep computer, the oppressive crib mobile of Venus, a flood of killer goop and alien architecture straight out of Dr. Seuss. In the end the cosmic document gets decoded and turns out to be plans to destroy the world, so, that's nice. Previously [more inside]
posted by JHarris on May 28, 2020 - 3 comments

Luz, a girl who loves fantasy, is forced by her mother Camilia to go to Reality Check Camp to quell her bizarre fascinations following three different incidents at school. She goes somewhere else instead. [more inside]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia on Jan 11, 2020 - 7 comments

Rewatch! From the depths of OUTER SPACE comes a deadly shed containing two walking dirty carpets each festooned with vacuum cleaner attachments. Featuring the most ridiculous monsters in MST history, and that's saying something. What. A. Movie. This is the platonic ideal of a superbad z-grade monster movie. Terrible effects, horrible acting, a nonsensical script and nearly entirely dubbed dialogue. (muah) Exquisite! Previously.
posted by JHarris on Jun 27, 2019 - 6 comments

Rewatch! We're starting to get into the weird ones. Prince of Space is a hilarious episode of our favorite cowtown puppet show, with an inexplicable hero (the invulnerable Prince of Space, who works as a Tokyo bootblack), annoying kids (PoS' child sidekicks) and easily one of the top five most ridiculous villains in MSTdom in the form of the chickenish Phantom of Krankor. HAAA... Haaa... haaa... ha. Just, for the love of decency, don't stare at the Krankorian crotches.... Previously.
posted by JHarris on Jun 13, 2019 - 9 comments

Rewatch! It's the first of three Gamera movies in a row, out of MST's five. This is by far the silliest of the lot. Two kids are abducted by space ladies that want to eat their brains, but are rescued by Gamera after a fight with knife monster Guiron. There's so much in this episode: the Bike Song, "Cornjob," dancing go-go, giant turtle gymnastics, and, of course: The Gamera Song. He is filled with turtle meat! Previously.
posted by JHarris on May 23, 2019 - 6 comments

"The World Became a Living Hell... When Past, Present and Future Collided...." It certainly did. I'm not even sure what's going on here. Some supernovas happen, and then a family sensibly living in the middle of the desert have crazy encounters with aliens, there's some kind of time-space shenanigans, and by the end you're not sure if they're all in the afterlife or on a journey to an alien city. Solar power may have had something to do with it. Kicking off the second half of (Kinga hand gesture) The Gauntlet, this may be the most challenging film of the sextet. The highlight is a surprise host segment visit from an old friend who, after over 200 episodes, is no longer "missing".... [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jan 2, 2019 - 25 comments

Someone mentioned in the "Santa Barbara in Russia" post watching "Comrade Detective". I saw it on Amazon and watched the first episode and wondered if anyone is interested in a post for the season. [more inside]
posted by fiercekitten on Aug 6, 2017 - 3 comments

Jack Nicholson (in the role that earned him a reputation as a serious actor, and an Academy Award nomination) portrays Bobby Dupea, a disaffected oil rig worker who goes on an existential journey back to his privileged roots. [more inside]
posted by CheesesOfBrazil on Jun 14, 2017 - 9 comments

High school student Mitsuko is menaced by a malevolent breeze.
posted by naju on Jun 13, 2017 - 8 comments

In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier seeks to protect the city of Loudun from the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Hysteria occurs within the city when he is accused of witchcraft by a sexually repressed nun. [more inside]
posted by naju on Mar 20, 2017 - 4 comments

This movie looks absolutely insane, blasphemous, reprehensible, and devoid of all merit. In other words, it's a perfect fit for Strange Club. It's also been super unavailable and impossible to track down in uncut form, UNTIL NOW: it appeared on the streaming service Shudder yesterday in a 109-minute unrated cut - "the most complete version of the film in existence." Lots of people are justifiably freaking out. Let's watch it. [more inside]
posted by naju on Mar 16, 2017 - 1 comment

Ozzie Graham (Wyatt Cenac) is a reporter who has worked for The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Glint Enterprises, but when he goes up to the small town of Beacon, New York to report on StarCrossed, a support group for people who believe they've been abducted by aliens and... meet in a Catholic church for some reason, he finds more than an interesting story. He decides to move to Beacon and spend more time with the “experiencers” (do NOT call them “abductees”). [Airs/ streams on TBS, the final two episodes will air Monday, Dec. 19, 2016] [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief on Dec 14, 2016 - 13 comments

Hey all! So Strange Club was going well for a bit in 2015, and then dropped off the radar entirely in 2016. I'm feeling the itch to get it started back up again, though, after attending Fantastic Fest and having my love for inexplicable, visionary cinema rekindled. So let's get back in the saddle. [more inside]
posted by naju on Oct 2, 2016 - 3 comments

Cassette 1 of 10: Stress, Shoulders Music: Mary Epworth, maryepworth.com Written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson. Performed by Janina Matthewson. Logo by Rob Wilson, robwilsonwork.com Part of the Night Vale Presents network. nightvalepresents.com [more inside]
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood on Jun 27, 2016 - 7 comments

A young constable arrives to take the night shift in Coolum Beach, an ordinary Australian town . . . until the sun goes down. [more inside]
posted by fimbulvetr on Jun 17, 2016 - 5 comments

We have nothing in the Strange Club queue at the moment, but it makes sense to do one more movie to close out the year. For the selection, I'm seeking recommendations for strange cinema that has a holiday or Christmas element to it. Or just plain winter/snow/seasonal. The theme can be very loose. But it should be bizarre and/or cult and/or artsy. Please share your suggestions!
posted by naju on Dec 3, 2015 - 6 comments

Ronaldo Fryman EXPOSES the SHOCKING TRUTH about the Crystal Gems in a SHOCKING NEW INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARY!!!
posted by Small Dollar on Jun 16, 2015 - 17 comments

The adventures of the sailor man and his friends in the seaside town of Sweethaven. [more inside]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome on Aug 23, 2014 - 21 comments