The Oxford Murders (2008)

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Alex de la Iglesia is probably my favorite living Spanish director. I fell in love with his first film Accione Mutante (the Severin 4K/UHD release is highly recommended) and have enjoyed almost everything he’s made since. His work ranges from gory horror to innovative comedies. The director’s big break for English language audiences was The Oxford Murders. Unfortunately it didn’t advance his career much, but it’s still a very good mystery/thriller starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt. The only flaw is that it is so complicated it gets bogged down, but damn if I wasn’t engaged throughout. Check out Iglesia’s other work, including his recent series Thirty Coins on Max.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia Entertainment.

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The Novice (2021)

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I am not a sports person, so I do not like movies that revolve around the subject. You could say The Novice is about rowing. However this is a very intense experience way beyond what most athletic films have to offer. The tension reminded me of a horror movie at times. Lead actress Isabelle Fuhrman is fantastic in this. You probably won’t like her character much, but it all clicks together in the end. This is a challenging watch, sometimes infuriating. When the credits roll though, I hope you will see it is also a work of seriously thought provoking and original filmmaking. 

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Space is the Place (1974)

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This is a cult classic psychedelic movie starring one of the most eccentric musicians in  history, Sun Ra. Even if the sounds of Space Jazz do not appeal to you, there’s no way to take your eyes off this bizarre introduction to the universe of Sun Ra. You old weirdos keep an eye out for Jack Baker who played drums in Richie’s band on Happy Days and was the comic highlight of several ‘80s XXX films. Look at the bottom of his IMDb page and you’ll see he was in a ton of TV shows and weird non-porno films as well. However his finest performance was in The Devil in Miss Jones 3 and 4 where he guided the titular heroine thru HELL. Sadly Jack passed away far too young from cancer. [Bow your heads.] Ok back to the subject at hand, watch Space is the Place, maybe under the influence. Be prepared though, your consciousness just might teleport to another galaxy.

BONUS – If you enjoy this one, check out the documentary Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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From Beyond (1986)

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This is director Stewart Gordon’s second H. P. Lovecraft adaptation starring Jeffrey Combs. If you’ve read the original story then you know that it’s an extremely loose adaptation, like Re-Animator. However unlike Richard Stanley’s Color Out of Space this is still a great horror movie. Some of the practical FX look dated, but if that deters you from watching, you are going to miss a surrealistic, morbid, pervy, sometimes funny, cult classic. The recent restored versions of From Beyond showcase the awesome saturated colors, which was a real pleasure to see compared to the old VHS tape. Keep an ear out for some classic Skinny Puppy samples too. If you enjoy this, make sure to see the Gordon/Combs collaborations Re-Animator (duh – essential ’80s horror) and The Black Cat episode of the Masters of Horror series.

Available on 4K UHD from Vinegar Syndrome.

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Fire of Love (2022)

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This is a beautiful documentary on the lives and work of a married couple of volcanologists. Dull? No way. Their story and the stunning footage they captured make this essential viewing. It sounds great too, especially if you have a subwoofer.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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The Street Fighter (1974)

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Streaming on Roku Channel | imdb | trailer

NOTE: Some streaming services are showing the cut version of the film (1 hour 15 min). Make sure you’re watching the most uncut version (1 hour 29-32 min). Also the film should be in Cinemascope format (there will be black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Some services are showing it cropped. The version on currently on Roku as of 3.17.24 looks like the one you want to see.

Sonny Chiba stars as Terry, who is one bad ass karate mercenary. Organized crime hires him to do a job, but things go off the rails and many asses must be kicked before the credits roll. I first heard of this movie from watching True Romance (1993), which was scripted by Quentin Tarantino, where the lead characters go to a Street Fighter movie marathon. Back then I had never even heard of Sonny Chiba or seen one of his movies, which is a pity because I would loved his Shadow Warriors TV series as a kid. I look at The Street Fighter as my gateway drug to hundreds of cult films that were never shown on TV and hard to find on VHS. Tarantino’s success led to him getting this film, Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Detroit 9000, Switchblade Sisters, and many other titles seen by a wider audience. Bottom line, this is an excellent martial arts film with plenty of bizarre quirks and funny moments that make it a very enjoyable watch. Oh and if you do attempt a marathon, stock up on psychoactives, because the rest of the series is pretty awful.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory (as part of The Street Fighter Collection).

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For a Few Dollars More (1965)

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This is the second of Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking westerns, which often gets overshadowed by The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I understand why, but I just rewatched For a Few Dollars More recently and was blown away. What I love about this movie is that it does not drag at all. As much as I enjoy The Good…, this feels a lot more relentless in its pace. There’s still plenty of artful shots, beautiful cinematography, and emotional scenes, but my interest and attention never wavered. Fantastic acting, music, and intense action sequences make this a thoroughly entertaining experience. It’s a standalone film, not a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, so give it a watch, or rewatch if you’re like me and had never seen it in its original cinemascope format. This is top-tier sweaty, dark, and violent Anomalous Cinema.

Available on 4K UHD from KL Studio Classics.

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The Woodsman (2004)

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Kevin Bacon is not a child molester, but he plays one in this movie. It might just be his finest performance too. Bacon is Walter, who is trying to make a life for himself after 12 years in prison, and that guy from Footloose makes you feel just about every emotion in the process. Yes, it’s an uncomfortable ride, but the difficult subject matter is expertly handled by first-time director Nicole Kassell (who went on to work on several excellent TV series). Discomfort can be good, sometimes even great. I rate The Woodsman a 10/10 work of Anomalous Cinema.

Available on Blu-ray from Adler & Associates.

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Black Christmas (1974)

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This one is for you younger readers that may have never seen this excellent Holiday Season horror film. Black Christmas is considered one of the earliest slasher films, it was a massive influence on John Carpenter’s original Halloween, and the director went on to make a little movie called A Christmas Story. That is correct. Portland’s own Hollywood Theatre once even showed both on the same night, but not as a double feature unfortunately. Director Bob Clark was also the man behind the raunchy teen comedy Porky’s and the highly recommended horror film Deathdream (aka Dead of Night). Black Christmas took me multiple viewings to really appreciate because it is pretty tame in the blood department. Clark was not setting out to make a gory “hack ’em and stack ’em” slasher. However it features two excellent performances from Olivia Hussey and Keir Dullea (Dave from 2001: A Space Odyssey), plus you might recognize multiple other beloved actors in supporting roles. This is one of my top three Christmas horrors, along with Christmas Evil and Silent Night, Deadly night, so do not miss it. Don’t waste your time with the remake by the way, it’s just ok.

Available on 4K UHD / 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.