Mentions: vergeoflight

A Prophet (2009)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A French orphan of North African descent works his way to the top of the immigrant crime world. Noel Murray from The A.V. Club wisely compared this movie to Goodfellas. Yes, that is a very tall order, but A Prophet definitely impressed me when I first saw it. I rated the film a 10/10 back then, and I am looking forward to watching it again very soon.

The domestic Blu-ray is currently out of print.

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 King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I don’t play video games anymore, but as a kid growing up in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s I sure as hell did. Many hours of my young life were burned up playing stand up video games in the mall or the 7-11 near my house. I’m not exactly proud of this, but it does bring back fuzzy memories. Anyhow, this is a fantastic documentary about folks that compete on vintage arcade games. The director has managed to make King of Kong far more entertaining than it has any right to be. It helps that our “hero” is a charming nerd, and his nemesis is a weirdo egomaniac that is straight out of an ‘80s teen movie. They battle over the title of The King of Donkey Kong, and it is a ton of fun to watch. You get some good background on the arcade game craze too. If you want even more related history, you should also check out the doc Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade.

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 / Cash App $vergeoflight / or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.

Psycho II (1983)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I’m sure everyone thought it was crazy to make a sequel twenty two years after the iconic original film. By all measures they should have been right, except this movie is a blast. It does not feature the amazing cinematography or meticulous plotting of Hitchcock, but by early ‘80s horror standards Psycho II has it all. I recall being  pleasantly surprised by this on VHS back in the early 2000s, and then had the privilege of seeing a 35 mm print a few years ago. Dan Halsted, who is the amazing programmer for Portland’s Hollywood Theater, introduced the film and had the extremely hot take that it is better than the original. I can’t quite bring myself to agree, but this is an excellent horror film. I would have paid to watch Anthony Perkins read a Denny’s menu out loud, so to see him give his all for a Psycho reboot is a no brainer in my book. Mr. Perkins went on to direct the third installment in 1986, and it’s honestly not bad. Give that one a watch later on, but keep your expectations a notch lower.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

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.

Five years! Please donate.

vergeoflightLeave a comment
Hey Anomalous Cinema Fans,

First of all, in a couple of weeks it will be the FIFTH anniversary of Anomalous Cinema! I’m happy I’ve been able to keep this going for so long, I hope that I’ve turned you on to some good viewing during those years.

Anyhow, I just paid the latest domain name and hosting bills and would appreciate it if you could donate a little something to offset those costs.

You can donate any amount (even $1.00 is a help) via Venmo @vergeoflight / Cash App $vergeoflight / or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required.

If you cannot afford to donate, please be so kind as to tell your friends about this site.

Thank you. -Jonathan

Baghdad ER (2006)

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Streaming on Max | imdb | no trailer available

This is a short but excellent documentary filmed during The Iraq War. It is extremely graphic right from the start, so if you are squeamish you will want to stay far away. The filmmakers managed to make a very honest and objective film, that avoids bullshit politics, and just tells the story of a frontline hospital and the people in it. There are moments that are legitimately poetic here too. I give Baghdad ER a 10/10.

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 / Cash App $vergeoflight / or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Julie Wardh moves back to Austria and starts getting stalked by a razor ripper. Sounds like stereotypical slasher fare, but this is one of my tippity top favorite giallo films, and one of the very best by Sergio Martino. The Strange Vice… stars the dynamic duo of Edwige Fenech and George Hilton who were also paired up in All the Colors of the Dark (1972), and The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972). This fantastic movie has many twists and turns, plus one of my most beloved sneaky tricks ever in a thriller film (you will know it when it is revealed). I am pretty picky about giallo cinema, especially as I get older, but this one I still rank a 10 out of 10.

Available on Blu-ray from Severin.

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.

Catch-22 (1970)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is the first adaptation of one of my all-time favorite books, “Catch-22” (yes, the commonly used phrase originates from the novel). It is a case where the movie is not as good as the book, however it is still damn good on it’s own (much like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). One of the original ad taglines sums up Catch-22 nicely – “The anti-war satire of epic proportions.” The cast is amazing. It seems as if anyone who was well known in 1970 is in the film. Alan Arkin is awesome as our “hero” Yossarian. I also highly recommend the 2019 Hulu mini-series starring Christopher Abbott (Possessor, etc) in the same role. Make sure to keep an ear open for a prominent Neurosis sample used on their classic “Souls at Zero” album.

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.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)

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Streaming on YouTube | imdb | trailer

A mentally disabled young man is wrongly executed by four small-town vigilantes. Those men are later picked off one at a time. Simple as that. This was a CBS network TV movie (originally shot for a theatrical release) that scared the crap out of me as a child. Thankfully it has held up very well since then, and remains an effective horror film in spite of being PG. Our “hero” is played by Larry Drake, who went on to play another mentally disabled character in the series L.A. Law, and was also in Darkman, and Dr. Giggles (but I like this film much better than any of those). If you are not into horror with minimal graphic violence, skip this one. However I maintain this is a solid scare flick in spite of being on the mild side.

Available on Blu-ray from VCI.

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.

Rebel Ridge (2024)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

Director Jeremy Saulnier does it again. Much like his film Blue Ruin, this is not an action movie, but it does have some awesome fight sequences. This is about an ex-Marine who gets harassed, First Blood style, by a corrupt small town sheriff (played very effectively by Don Johnson). If you just keep in mind this is a thriller, slower paced than most action films, but not as slow as Hold the Dark, you just might enjoy it as much as me. I salute Netflix for continuing to give Saulnier financing for his work.

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 / Cash App $vergeoflight / or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.

It Comes at Night (2017)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I was hoping to recommend a horror movie, but this is more of a psychological thriller. Pretty damned creepy at times though. I saw It Comes at Night when it first came out and gave it a good rating, but I didn’t remember a thing about it. I figured why not rewatch it after a few drinks and give you a more off the cuff recommendation? 

Ahem… 

Killer cinematography. The whole cast is solid. Nice to see Christopher Abbot again in a role before I began recognizing his awesomeness. There are bits of this that remind me of how it felt at the beginning of Covid (oh boy doesn’t that make you want to watch this now?). Some people were turned off by this not being a straight forward horror movie. Some were turned off by not knowing exactly what is going on. I was not turned off. I am not calling this a fun movie, or even a great movie, but it sure as hell is Anomalous Cinema. 

The themes reminded me of the OG Twilight Zone episodes The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (1960) and The Shelter (1961). I suggest if you’ve never seen those, watch them AFTER It Comes at Night.

Available on Blu-ray from Lion’s Gate.

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.