Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

As you might know, I usually steer clear of Academy Award winners. I made an exception because I have recommended very few movies from the 1930s. There were dozens of adaptations of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s excellent novel over the years, but this is considered the best. The 1931 Jekyll managed to push things as far as censors of the time would allow, yet it was well made enough for lead actor Frederic March to win the Oscar. That marked the first time a horror movie ever won the award. As impressive as that is, you may be a little thrown off that his name is pronounced “Jee-kall” in this film, which is supposedly as the original author intended. I guess the way everyone pronounces it now first began with the Spencer Tracy version from 1941. Anyway, there’s a lot to enjoy here. The in-camera transformation effects were revolutionary at the time (the trick wasn’t revealed until decades later), and the gruesome overall feel of the film makes it a classic. In the end, if it still comes off as too tame, go ahead and give Walerian Borowczyk’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (1981) a shot. That one is flat-out bonkers.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives.

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The Captain (2017)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime (as well as Kanopy and Plex) | imdb | trailer

My friend David recommended this one to me out of the blue. Wow. I have no idea how The Captain escaped me when it came out, but I was very glad to finally experience it. Well maybe “glad” is a poor choice of words. This is the dramatized story of real life German army deserter Willi Herold who just happens to get his hands on a captain’s uniform. He manages to fool enough people to cause a ton of mayhem in the last two weeks of WW2. Not good mayhem either. Yet somehow this dark as hell film manages to be funny at times too. If you’re not scared of some bleak fact-based viewing, give this one a try.

Available on Blu-ray from Music Box Films

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The Meaning of Life (1983)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | telepathic trailer

I hesitated to recommend this one as it’s a very well known film. What inspired me to go ahead was my last viewing of The Meaning of Life. Seeing it properly restored and as an adult, I was struck by the feeling that this Monty Python feature managed to achieve the level of cinematic art. Yes, it’s still got all the same goofy and naughty stuff that made me laugh as a kid, but wow… what a spectacular and beautifully executed creative work this is. Yes, Holy Grail is arguably more funny, but this just might be the most high art comedy film ever made. As a result, if you haven’t ever seen The Meaning of Life, or it’s been a long time, I highly recommend you get on it immediately.

Available on 4K UHD + Blu-ray from Universal.

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The Empire (2024)

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Streaming on Kanopy (and available on all the main rental platforms) | imdb | trailer

If this isn’t a perfect example of  Anomalous Cinema I don’t know what is. There is NO WAY I would have watched this film if it wasn’t for John Waters Top 10. The IMDb rating is pretty awful, but I honestly really enjoyed seeing it. What is The Empire about? Well, two opposing groups of aliens come to Earth to do battle. That description would never prepare you for what you will see if you are daring enough to watch. This movie is bonkers in a similar way to ‘90s films by Pedro Almodovar and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Actors deliver absolutely ridiculous lines with straight faces for most of the movie, but I found the humor very effective. It also helps that the CG looks better than many recent Hollywood films, and actress Anamaria Vartolomei is excellent in every way. My one quibble with this movie is that it would have benefited from being 15 or so minutes shorter.

Available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

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Hannie Caulder (1971)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

Who would have thought this oddball western was one of the inspirations for Kill Bill? The plot is pretty simple… Hannie and her husband are brutally attacked by the creepy Clemens Gang, so naturally it’s revenge-o-matic time. She gets a gunslinger to train her and the plot unfolds from there. I had never even heard of this movie before I saw a 35 mm screening a while back. Raquel Welch and Robert Culp are fun to watch (as are MANY other familiar faces), and the whole thing makes for an entertaining western-style vengeance film. Imagine Thriller: A Cruel Picture without the graphic sex and violence. Those elements are there, just not in your face. I believe this one is pretty obscure, so I’m glad to see it’s been restored and made available again.

Available on Blu-ray from Olive.

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The Toxic Avenger (2023)

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Streaming on Hulu | imdb | trailer

I am very skeptical of remakes, but I gave this Toxie reboot a shot for three reasons: Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, and Macon Blair (bonus points for David Yow and what the hell, I’ll throw in Elijah Wood). I would say if you’re not a fan of those people, maybe skip this version. Minus some unimportant personal quibbles, I found this to a very entertaining tribute to the original film. It’s fast paced, funny, and gory as hell. To put things in perspective, I rated this an 8/10 on IMDb, and the 1984 Toxic Avenger a 10/10.

Available on 4K UHD / Blu-ray from Legendary Pictures.

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Cover Up (2025)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is a gripping documentary on the career of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. You may know him from such scandals as the My Lai massacre, Watergate, and torture at Abu Graib prison, among many others. His name is not as well known as some who reported on these stories, but he was the reason they didn’t remain covered up. I found this a fascinating watch. It also benefits from an excellent ambient experimental score by Maya Shenfeld. This doc is very graphic at times, so if you’re squeamish about images of real-life violence, stay away.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Zabriskie Point (1970)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

Michelangelo Antonioni is considered a very important auteur director. While I love art cinema, I have to admit I’m not a fan of his work other than Red Desert (1964) and this film. Zabriskie Point is a psychedelic art house movie with a pretty kick ass soundtrack, the highlight of which is a re-recorded version of Pink Floyd’s “Careful With That Axe, Eugene.” Antonioni rejected an original composition by Floyd’s keyboardist Richard Wright, so it went on to become the classic track “Us and Them.” Anyway, this film does have some slow parts, and some eye-roll inducing moments if you’re not a hippie fan (like me), but stick with it. The finale of the film is fantastic. You might be able to spot a very young Harrison Ford too.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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When Fall Is Coming (2025)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

A retired grandmother is having family issues but is helped by her friend’s ex-con son. Sounds pretty damned boring right? Well, if it wasn’t for John Waters’ always awesome top 10, I would have skipped it for sure. Thank you Mr. Waters! This is a fantastic movie. You get everything from the scenic beauty of Burgundy, some surprisingly heavy plot twists, and genuinely touching moments as well. When Fall Is Coming is must-see Anomalous Cinema.

Available on Blu-ray from Music Box.

If you are a fan of Anomalous Cinema, please consider supporting this site by donating any amount (even $1.00 is appreciated) via Venmo @vergeoflight or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.

Six Anomalous Years / A Cosmic Christmas (1977)

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Today marks six years since I first started Anomalous Cinema. It’s quite an achievement as I have created somewhat similar websites in the past that rarely lasted more than one year. Part of what keeps me going is that I honestly believe that I am inspiring a small audience to watch better movies. I still hear friends talking about watching garbage, which is a damn shame. Hopefully you, I’ll just go ahead and say it… smarter people, have enjoyed some of my recommendations over the years.

Anyway, earlier this week my partner Suzie and I went to see a showcase of Holiday themed 16mm films called “The Psychotronic After School Christmas Special” at Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre. It was pretty amazing. I had completely forgotten about the above linked A Cosmic Christmas, which was shown on TV during my childhood. This HD version of the film looks much sharper than what we saw, so enjoy the holiday spiced cheese if you dare. 

Let me tell you about the highlight of the screening: a 1969 short film called The Season. The Episcopal Church funded this crazy excoriation of the consumer aspects of the holidays that ended with bulldozers crushing multi-colored Christmas trees in the dump. I would have avoided that spoiler, but you cannot find this film online. It’s not on IMDb, and there’s hardly a mention of it on the internet aside from the Nyback Film Archive website (maintained by Greg Hamilton who put on this event). My point is, if you are able to see rare film screenings, do it. It is an exceptional feeling to know you’re seeing something special, and better yet, away from your usual TV and phone screen.

I want to close with a shout out to my friend Joe McDonald, who made the only recent donation to this site. He also wisely suggested making a list of all the films here. I will be adding an alphabetical / linked list very soon!

Happy Holidays. -Jonathan 

If you are a fan of Anomalous Cinema, please consider supporting this site by donating any amount (even $1.00 is appreciated) via Venmo @vergeoflight / Cash App $vergeoflight / or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.