vergeoflight

Desolation Center (2018)

August 29, 2025December 10, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Stuart Swezey is an important figure in my life. When I was 18 I rented the found footage VHS compilation Amok Assault and it blew my fucking mind. Check it out for yourself on Internet Archive but proceed with caution. The pictures are very graphic and you may not want to watch. Anyhow, Amok started as an infamous LA book store and then began publishing books. My favorite title is “Amok Journal: Sensurround Edition” which is somewhat like Amok Assault in book form. Mr. Swezey opened my eyes to a strata of counter culture that I didn’t know existed. Little did I know that years before Amok existed he also organized three legendary music and performing arts events as Desolation Center. I was much too young and far away to witness any of these happenings in person. Thankfully this amazing human being directed a pretty much flawless documentary on the whole story. I will make it simple for you… If you are interested in counter culture in any way, this movie is mandatory viewing. Thank you Stuart.

Not available on Blu-ray BUT you can get a DVD and other merch here.

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.

Thank You For Smoking (2005)

August 22, 2025December 4, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a strange mix of dark comedy and political satire that I really enjoyed when it first came out. Aaron Eckhart is perfect in the lead role as you’ll see. You also get Robert Duvall, J.K. Simmons, William H. Macy and Sam Elliott (who used his own rifle in the film). I have to think this movie was a partial inspiration for Mad Men. Give Thank You For Smoking a shot and you’re in for some fun and cynical infotainment.

Not available on Blu-ray.

The Prowler (1981)

August 15, 2025August 14, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on YouTube (sign-in required) | imdb | trailer

This ‘80s slasher just barely squeaks by my usual criteria for this website. The flaw here is that the acting and story between kill scenes is pretty mediocre. However when the blood is flowing, The Prowler is spectacular. Tom Savini did the FX and the murder sequences are all very memorable. The killer’s outfit is really intimidating too. The other thing I like about this film is that it’s a non-franchise, all-in-one horror flick. You will most likely enjoy this one if you keep your expectations low, or just fast forward to the juicy stuff.

NOTE ON QUALITY: I have this linked to the version on YouTube because it’s totally free and uncut as far as I can tell. It looks a bit compressed, so if you’re a stickler for quality, check out JustWatch to see where else it is streaming (currently several places), or watch the disc.

Available on Blu-ray from Blue Underground.

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.

The Ghost Writer (2010)

August 8, 2025November 20, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I completely missed this Roman Polanski thriller when it came out. I caught it just recently and was very pleasantly surprised. Ewan McGregor is tasked with helping the former British PM (Pierce Brosnan) write his memoir. Funny thing… the guy with the ghost writing job before him died under mysterious circumstances. Yeah, you see where this is going. The good news is that the various crime thriller curveballs are unexpected and satisfying. Keep an eye out for a young Jon Bernthal.

Available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate.

Skree Zine – Extraterrestrial Issue

August 3, 2025August 3, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

I had another long discussion with my friend Corey from Skree Zine. This time it was about all things Extraterrestrial. I also chipped in a list of favorite “alien” and related sci-fi films. As I’ve said before, this is a real print publication that will make you feel like it’s the ‘90s zine heyday all over again.

For more info, or to order go to: http://www.thegrumpus.com/shop/skree-zine-the-extraterrestrial-issue

You can also get the Skree Noir issue (featuring yours truly, among others) for only $5 here: http://www.thegrumpus.com/shop/skree-zine-the-noir-issue

Companion (2025)

August 1, 2025November 12, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer (maybe skip this as it is loaded with spoilers)

I was pretty much blown away by this film right out of the gate. I don’t want to say too much about the plot in order not to spoil any surprises. It would be best experienced cold. The movie is essentially a sci-fi thriller, but you get a few doses of very graphic violence, and some well crafted dark humor too. Lead actress Sophie Thatcher is flat-out excellent (and I hear she is a Throbbing Gristle fan too). A few aspects of Companion reminded me of the Westworld original film and HBO series, as well as Ex Machina, BUT I still give it a 10/10. Do not miss this one.

Available on 4k UHD from Warner Home Video.

Rolling Thunder (1977)

July 25, 2025November 5, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Just in case you missed this among the slew of ‘70s and ‘80s action flicks, let me tell you about Rolling Thunder. A prisoner of war finally gets home from Vietnam and what happens? Some assholes attack his family, steal his money, and leave him disfigured. Does he decide to take this as a lesson in life and become a minister? Fuck no he doesn’t. He gets some sweet, sweet revenge. This movie is a damned good example of a “revenge-o-matic” as Quentin Tarantino calls them (in fact he named his film distribution company after it). It’s fast paced, features very good performances from William DeVane and a young Tommy Lee Jones, and has a kick ass ending. The screenplay was by none other than Paul Schrader, but unfortunately his work was lightened up a bit for the final version. Mr. Tarantino says the original script is fantastic, but I have yet to read it myself (it is on my list though). Even a tamed down Rolling Thunder is a great action film, and I rank it among the very best of the ‘70s.

Available on 4k UHD from Shout Factory.

The Pledge (2001)

July 18, 2025October 22, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I avoided this movie for years because of the cheesy TV ads, and yeah the above linked trailer is pretty bad too. Director Sean Penn is a bit of a wild card, which probably didn’t help either. However I gave it a watch just recently and was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying the film is. It does suffer from some of that big budget movie falseness, but none of it was too distracting. Thankfully there are more positives than negatives on display. In my book, this one and The Departed are tied for Jack Nicholson’s best late career performances. The other actors are pretty much all familiar faces, and they do a fine job as well. The reason this one stands out is that it is a remarkably dark movie and the ending is something I’ve never quite seen before. It is also worth noting that The Pledge is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1958 novella, and was made into several other films before this one. The first adaptation was called It Happened in Broad Daylight, and is still considered an excellent movie (I just added it to my watch list). The interesting thing is that Sean Penn’s version, written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski, is the most faithful to the novella. Yes, this definitely isn’t Chinatown, but it’s a solid crime thriller that I feel is worth your time.

Available on Blu-ray from Morgan Creek

Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025)

July 11, 2025July 11, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

Around 1982, when I was 9 or 10 years old, my older brother Chris took me with him to the local big record store, Sound Warehouse. He bought Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast picture disc (which he still has), and from that moment on they became the most important band of my childhood. Fast forward to Middle School and it seemed like Led Zeppelin was a lot more loved among the non-pop music weirdos. Since I had aspirations of getting laid sooner than later, I gave the band a try, and yeah, not too shabby. Not as good as Maiden, or Black Sabbath, but I recall liking Zeppelin II and Houses of the Holy for a while there. Then I discovered thrash metal. Led Who? I sold my Zep LPs and got really into thrash while remaining a Maiden and Sabbath fan (the latter has become arguably my favorite band to this day). FF again to the early 2000s when I was Art Director for Relapse Records. Guess which group I forbid to be played on the office stereo? Correct. Time moved on, my strong opinions softened a bit, and around 15 years ago I listened to some full Zeppelin albums again. Ok fine, I didn’t hate them any more. Here we are in 2025, and a couple of weeks ago I watched this documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I had no clue that John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page had their hands in so many awesome things before the band formed. It also looks and sounds fantastic. I’m not going to go out and BUY any of their albums or anything, but yeah… it’s a damn good movie. I would REALLY like to see a documentary of this caliber made on the early days of Black Sabbath.

Blu-ray coming soon (no official US release date yet).

My Mom Jayne (2025)

July 4, 2025July 3, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

Mariska Hargitay does a deep exploration of the life of her mother Jayne Mansfield. What could have easily been a straightforward fluffy biographical documentary is anything but. Hargitay holds nothing back. Many uncomfortable facts are revealed over the runtime. I’d say if you have even a passing interest in the tragic life of Mansfield, you need to watch. This is heavy stuff, and handled very well by the director.

Not available on Blu-ray.