THE NINTH CONFIGURATION (1980)

Just pretend it has the right title

William Peter Blatty wrote the novel The Exorcist which was adapted into a film by William Friedkin that became one of the highest grossing of all time.  The studio rushed a sequel, The Exorcist II, which is half blatant cash-grab and half bug-fuck-craziness courtesy of director John Boorman, a specialist in that genre.  Blatty himself directed the true sequel, The Exorcist III, a flawed but fascinating movie based on his novel Legion.  But before that, following the success of The Exorcist, Blatty re-wrote one of his own early novels, Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane, with a new title, The Ninth Configuration.  Blatty wanted to adapt the novel himself into a film, but no studio was interested, Blatty put up half the money himself and got the rest from Pepsico, who agreed to finance the project with only one steadfast stipulation: the production had to be based in Hungary, where they had extra money they needed to spend.  As long as Blatty filmed in Hungary, doubling for the American Pacific Northwest, he could direct any sort of weird-ass picture he wanted.  And quite the weird-ass picture he did direct; the DVD cover is of an astronaut on the moon watching the crucifixion of Jesus and yes, that scene is in the movie.

BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT (2008)

This film was originally released about a week before The Dark Knight but if you have bat-fever now in anticipation of next summer's The Dark Knight Rises then this intriguing interquel might be just the bat-cure you're looking for.  Six mildly inter-connected tales that bridge the gap between the two Nolan Batman features are on display here, and despite featuring familiar talent in both the vocal and writing departments, this is unlike any Batman you've seen before, thanks to the distinctly Japanese animation style courtesy of six different Japanese animation houses; its Batmanime.

COWBOYS & ALIENS

This picture is more fun than the movie

The title delivers on its promise.  There are cowboys; real ones too, not just men on horses with guns, but men employed in the cattle industry.  And there are aliens.  But beyond that, it doesn't deliver much else.  The film is an awkward attempt to bridge two genres without having any fun.  For such a ludicrous premise, and one that gets infinitely more ridiculous as the film winds down, the film is awfully serious.  I can't believe that they decided to combine Men In Black with Wild Wild West and instead of saying 'Hey lets make it fun' they said 'Oh that's so badass we have to take it super seriously.'

THE LIVING WAKE (2007)

This absurdist comedy tells the tale of K. Roth Binew (co-writer Mike O'Connell), a self-proclaimed artist and self-proclaimed genius, as he plans the titular party for just prior to his imminent demise from a "yet to be named" disease.  His faithful manservant Mills Joaquin (Jesse Eisenberg) chauffeurs him by rickshaw around their surreal little town; the film's official description calls it a 'timeless story book universe'.  The film seems to deal solely in serious concerns that it does not take seriously, reflected by the fatuous, dandy, grandiloquent nature of the main characters, not to mention their wardrobes.  The faux-serious demeanor that K. Roth presents to almost every encounter might seem a little off putting at first, but it grows on you.  When he offers an neighbor an invitation to his party, and receives a haranguing for his trouble, he responds "That's the stuff Reggie!  First thing in the morning, I like to get empty threats from a shallow man, it gets my blood going."

JIGOKU (1960)

The plot concerns a young, weak-willed theology student, Shiro, his amoral doppelganger Tamura, and the web of sin they draw everyone around them into.  Strong enough for two remakes, the movie is sometimes also known as The Sinners of Hell, although the straight-up translation would be simply, Hell.  So you probably won't be surprised where all the main characters end up for the last third of the film.  You'll know whether or not you're hooked when this man appears and proclaims "I am King Enma of Hell, I am Lord of the Eight Hells of Fire, and I am Lord of The Eight Hells of Ice.  Hear me!  You who in life piled sin upon sin will be trapped in Hell forever.  Suffer!  Suffer!  The vortex of torment will whirl for all eternity!"  Don't worry, that vortex ain't a metaphor.