Author: vergeoflight

Visual artist / graphic designer / former experimental musician - Portland, OR.

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.

Night of the Juggler (1980)

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

NOTE: This is an update of a recommendation from January, 2024.

An ex-cop’s daughter is kidnapped by a psycho in dirty old New York City. This is loosely adapted from a novel of the same name. I was lucky enough to see a 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s print of this obscure action movie a few years ago. Up until the recent 4k restoration this was only ever officially released on VHS. James Brolin is great, and his nemesis, Cliff Gorman, is a recognizable bad guy in many ‘70s movies and TV series. When I saw this at Portland’s Hollywood Theatre, the programmer extraordinaire, Dan Halsted, wisely said that the real star of the film is New York City at its gritty peak. Times Square porno shops, dive bars, and grindhouse theaters feature prominently. Do not miss Night of the Juggler. It is a blast from start to finish.

Available on 4k UHD / Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.

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.

The Mauritanian (2021)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is a dramatized version of the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was imprisoned for years with no charge in Guantanamo Bay. Critics did not like this film for some reason. I found it to be very effective. All performances were great, particularly the lead played by Tahar Rahim (from the previously recommended A Prophet). Things get surprisingly dark and weird during the interrogation segments. Some of the torture used was shocking even compared to what made the news at the time. It’s stunning that a human being endured it all. The Mauritanian is uncomfortable viewing, but I suggest you watch it anyway. 

Available on Blu-ray from Universal.

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.

Love+War (2025)

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Streaming on Hulu | imdb | trailer

This excellent doc follows Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Lynsey Addario capturing the Ukraine war while looking back on her career. Both her photography and the video of her life look so alternately beautiful and potent the overall effect is mind blowing. This should come as no surprise as it is a National Geographic production. There is a lot of disturbing content, as Addario is a conflict photographer, but that is balanced with her family life. The mix makes Love+War a well rounded documentary that I highly recommend.

Not available on Blu-ray

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.

Out of the Past (1947)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | no original trailer available

Jeff runs a small town gas station and has led a quiet existence for three years. Then his old life as a private detective catches up to him and one of my favorite film noir stories begins to unfold. This is a real gem of ‘40s cinema. You have the always excellent Robert Mitchum in the lead role, and Jacques Tourneur in the director’s chair. Tourneur also made one of my top ‘50s horror films Curse of the Demon, as well as the recommended Nightfall, The Leopard Man and a 1964 episode of The Twilight Zone, Night Call, among many other highly regarded movies. In my book this might just be the single film noir that stands above them all. If you were going to watch one movie in this style, Out of the Past would be an excellent choice.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives.

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.

Triangle (2009)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

This is a solid psychological horror thriller that I suspect may have been missed by some of you weirdos. A group on a doomed yacht trip manage to be saved by a seemingly empty ship. Bad times follow. Our protagonist Jess keeps having experiences that foreshadow horrific events, and then gradually reveal what is really happening. Triangle really held my attention the first time I saw it. I recall being pleasantly surprised by where it all ends up, and I think there’s a good chance you will too. You will have to give some 15+ year old CG a pass, but it really is worth it.

Available on Blu-ray from Umbrella.

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.

State of Silence (2024)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

Here is a seriously heavy documentary on Mexican journalists working against drug cartels and government corruption. The brave people featured here I found to be incredibly inspiring. This whole film is informative and extremely well constructed. The director opted to use artistic live action shots instead of the usual bullshit documentary animation. I wish more movies in this category would do the same. State of Silence would have been a rock solid film if it had a standard ominous synthesizer score, but no… they got BEAK> to do the music. If you are not familiar with the band, check out their latest studio album here, and a digital version of the excellent score here. I saw them live earlier this year and they cemented the fact that they are one of my favorite current music groups. I was impressed that the score was mixed tastefully low, the director must have been tempted to have it be more prominent. I give this film a 10/10, and strongly encourage you to watch in spite of the difficult subject matter.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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.

Taking a Break

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I am burned out from the day job and art-related work, so I will be taking this weekend off.

Speaking of art-related, my latest artists’ book “Carry On” is available now. I would appreciate it if you would consider picking up a copy. Info / order here: https://wakeless.studio/products/14

If you need something spooky to watch this Halloweekend, here are all my recommendations tagged horror.

See you back here on November 7.

-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 or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.

The Alabama Solution (2025)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent documentary on how inmates from multiple prisons in Alabama united to fight against abusive conditions. It is definitely a rough watch because of footage of horrific abuse and institutional conditions alone. On top of that, seeing the way that Alabama’s government has gamed their prison system is absolutely infuriating. Need I say this is not a movie for everyone? If you are not afraid to learn about some dark truths for the sake of greater knowledge, I highly recommend this doc. I also highly recommend you stay the hell away from Alabama if possible.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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.

Dead Man’s Letters (1986)

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I really liked my graphic this week, so I opted not to crop it for a change.

Streaming on YouTube | imdb | trailer (in German with no subs – sorry)

This marks the first time I have recommended films by the same director back to back, but it felt like the right thing to do. Set in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, an assembly of intellectuals deal with their precarious lives, and the fate of human achievement. This is a much less abstract movie than Visitor to a Museum (previously recommended here). It is also considered to be Konstantin Lopushansky’s masterpiece. The style is not as challenging as Visitor, and it also has the advantage of being shorter than 90 minutes, with a relatively straight forward concept. The mostly sepia toned photography really works for this film too, and obviously reminds one of Stalker (1979), which the director worked on as a PA. The use of what seems to have been existing bombed out buildings, with very artistic added set dressing, is also very impressive. The films characters manage to say it all about the stupidity of humanity along the way too. This is a truly fantastic dark film that I give my most enthusiastic recommendation, as well as a rating of 10 out of 10.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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.