Unknown Soldier (2017)

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

This is a war epic about the Finnish / Soviet conflict from 1941 to 1944 that is based on a best-selling novel. Unknown Soldier ended up becoming the highest grossing movie in the history of Finland. From what I know about “cool” Finnish people (mostly from the extreme music scene), I have to imagine that they hated it. Yeah well, I loved it, as much as one can love a grim film. I had expectations based on blockbuster American war movies. Every one of those expectations was turned around. This is a flat-out excellent WW2 movie that is absolutely worth seeing. In fact I gave it a perfect score. There is a five part TV series version out there as well, if you can find it.

Available on Blu-ray from Lorber Films

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Baby Doll (1956)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

Elia Kazan was a big deal director with stone cold classic credits including On the Waterfront, A Face in the Crowd, and A Streetcar Named Desire among others. For some reason he decided to use his skills to make this very uncomfortable movie. Well, it was very uncomfortable back when it came out. Time Magazine called it the “dirtiest American-made motion picture that had ever been legally exhibited.”, By the late ‘60s it must have seemed ridiculously tame. The funny thing is that now in 2026, I think it’s back to being pretty damned uncomfortable again. The premise is that a beautiful but simple-minded teen bride is attracted to a manipulative businessman and trouble ensues. Sounds pretty quaint right? Yeah, well, I first heard about this movie from John Waters if that puts things in perspective. The important thing is that this is a very well made movie and every actor is excellent in it. Check out Baby Doll and judge for yourself. I found it to be funny, entertaining, and… kinda uncomfortable.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives

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Race with the Devil (1975)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

This is a very dated but fun PG horror movie. My recommendation should take a cue from TV Guide circa 1980 and just say the following:

Peter Fonda, Warren Oats and Loretta Swit vs. a satanic cult.

Yeah well, to anyone younger than 50 that doesn’t mean shit unfortunately. The three actors I mentioned were extremely well known in 1975, so it’s kind of amazing they agreed to be in this crazy horror movie. I think I would watch 90 minutes of Warren Oats alone, reading from the phone book. However I find Race with the Devil very entertaining even exclusive of the actors involved. I enjoyed it from first seeing it on VHS, and the feeling was reinforced when watching a 35mm screening with a packed house around 2015. It sure seemed like everyone in attendance was into this heaping helping of mid ‘70s easy cheese. There’s action, there’s scares, there’s terrible fashion choices, and there you have it.

Available on Blu-ray (as part of a Peter Fonda a double feature) from Shout! Factory

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Agneepath (1990)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is pretty much the Bollywood version of DePalma’s Scarface. The difference here is that the protagonist Vijay is a beloved criminal with a heart of gold. He wages war on many wicked ones, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch. You’ll have to be prepared for endless melodramatic acting and completely unbelievable bits, but that’s Indian cinema for you. As you may know, 99.9% of Bollywood films include a dance sequence. Well this one notches it up to 11 with an absolutely ridiculous disco scene. Fast forward here and there if you must, but I advise you to keep watching. The film has been nicely restored, with deep shadows and saturated colors, which helped to make this a more enjoyable viewing experience. Agneepath is a seriously over-the-top and fast-paced feature with plenty of action and some genuinely funny moments as well. You might want to indulge in your favorite mind altering substance to fully appreciate this madness, but you may never recover.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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The Leopard Man (1943)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

A leopard gets loose and a series of maulings begin. Was it the escaped animal, or a human monster? I know that sounds pretty tame, but in the hands of previously mentioned director Jacques Tourneur this makes for a very entertaining early horror / crime / thriller. Tourneur made three creepy films with infamous producer Val Lewton, but this one is my favorite. The Leopard Man is an engaging dark ‘40s movie that should appeal to fans of heavy entertainment.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory

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The Mad Magician (1954)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

I am a big fan of Vincent Price and somehow missed this one until a couple of weeks ago. Price plays Don Gallico, a top engineer of elaborate stage magic illusions. He’s not able to be successful as a performer himself, so naturally he… must… KILL. This is definitely not one of Price’s best films, but I was entertained from start to finish. The was originally in 3D, so there’s some awkwardness when watched without that effect. It’s also pretty damned cheesy, and a bit of a pale imitation of House of Wax (1953), but I found the movie charming anyway. Bottom line, if you like old horror, you should check out The Mad Magician.

Available on Import Blu-ray (in 3D and 2D) from Indicator.

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The Impossible (2012)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

Here is a drama based on the real-life 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed over 200,000 people. I watched this one shortly after it came out on my little iPod Touch during a flight. I remember appreciating it at the time, I rated it 8/10, but I was a little reluctant to recommend it here because of the small screen I viewed it on, and the heavy use of older CG. I just rewatched a bit of it on my current 4K TV and noted that the CG isn’t flawless, but it still looks convincing. I think The Impossible does an effective job at dealing with this disaster and does not fail to graphically show how grim it was. If you can handle the heavy subject matter, can endure some big-budget melodrama, and aren’t a CG snob, I think you will get into this.

I’d like to close this recommendation on a serious note. One of the victims of this tragedy was Swedish grindcore musician and producer Mieszko Talarczyk. His band Nasum is a personal favorite, and his production on the album “Murderworks” by Rotten Sound is arguably perfect. I know he is still missed by thousands of friends and fans. RIP Mieszko.

Available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate.

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All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

I’m breaking my rule about Criterion yet again, but this is a film I believe everyone should see. All the Beauty… is an excellent documentary on visual artist Nan Goldin and her fight against the family behind OxyContin. I once saw an interview with artist Anselm Kiefer where he was asked if art can cause meaningful change in the world. He said no. I love Kiefer’s work, but Nan proved him dead wrong.

Available on Blu-ray from Criterion.

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Street Trash (1987)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime, Kanopy, and Shudder | imdb | trailer

This is quite possibly my favorite horror comedy, and one of my most rewatched ’80s films of any genre. The story involves unhoused people that have their already fucked up lives disrupted by a batch of old cheap wine that makes anyone who dares drink it melt. When I say “melt” I mean ooze to death in some of the most extreme and graphic ways I’ve ever seen. Not only do you get some of the weirdest practical gore sequences committed to film, but this movie is genuinely funny, and has some great action as well. There’s no doubt the story was heavily influenced by The Toxic Avenger (and shares one actor), but honestly I like Street Trash more. In fact, it’s better than anything Troma ever released in my opinion. The version I checked out streaming is fine, but I highly recommend the Synapse Blu-ray. Their transfer looks excellent and there are tons of extras including an early short version of the film. There’s also a new 4k disc available from the UK. Anyway, if you like gory ‘80s horror, this is essential viewing.

Available on Blu-ray from Synapse.

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