Dead and Buried (1981)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent ’80s horror film that I have watched many times over the years. I’m not going to mention the plot, as it slowly reveals itself (in fact, maybe skip watching the trailer). In spite of the very intense opening scene, it does have a bit of a slow pace overall, but don’t let that deter you. Dead and Buried is a film made with care. It features moody cinematography, awesome performances, well crafted music, and a few of my favorite gore FX scenes. The man behind most of those was the legendary Stan Winston. The only blemish on this film is that they shot one murder set-piece when Winston wasn’t available, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. That’s ok, it is one wart on an otherwise creepy good time. I’m very jealous of you people seeing this for the first time.

Available on 4K / Blu-ray from Blue Underground.

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The Warriors (1979)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer 

You’ve seen this one right? I mean, if you like action films at all you MUST have. I suppose it’s possible this falls into that weird generation gap, so just in case… The Warriors are a New York City street gang. They get framed for murder. Every other gang is out to kill them. They have to cross a lot of enemy territory to get home. It’s a lot of fun to watch. Yep, this movie has aged a bit. However, it’s always been made of cheese, so that’s really ok. As you’d expect, some bits are pretty damned offensive by the standards of today. However, The Warriors remains a KICK ASS movie. This was directed by Walter Hill who made several solid action flicks. My favorites are: Southern Comfort, Extreme Prejudice, and Last Man Standing. If you like The Warriors, you might enjoy the book too. It’s WAY different than the film adaptation, but well worth reading.

P.S. The trailer linked above is a personal favorite. You may recognize the music. That is because it’s a bit of Tangerine Dream’s awesome score for Sorcerer (another must-see movie).

Blu-ray available from Paramount.

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Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2010)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

As I have probably mentioned in the past, I am very picky about horror comedies. Street Trash, Hobo with a Shotgun, and Bad Taste are among the few I genuinely like. Tucker and Dale… is another rare example of laugh out loud humor and gore working well in a movie. I rewatched this recently, and its held up quite well. “This vacation sucks,” but this film is a lot of fun.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia.

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The Forgotten Battle (2020)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

The first Dutch Netflix feature is a very good, fact-based, WW2 drama. It is beautifully shot, and a lot of care was taken on the sound design. This has been compared to Dunkirk, but I honestly enjoyed The Forgotten Battle more. Here we are not spared from the ugly details of war. The drama felt more real to me as well.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Frailty (2001)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a solid horror thriller directed by the late great Bill Paxton (who also co-stars). Daddy Meiks (Paxton) kills demons by what he believes to be divine guidance, and seeks to teach his kids to do the same. Matthew McConaughey is one of the kids, and he does a damn good job in this role. Frailty is not a cheesy video game style action movie. It’s a carefully structured almost-mystery, with some extreme violence peppered throughout. Don’t spoil the experience by reading about it ahead of time. There’s some great twists that you’ll get the most out of by viewing cold. Yeah, the film does show it’s age a bit. You may wince at some early-2000s cheesy moments, but it’s absolutely worth letting that stuff slide.

Available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate.

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Riders of Justice (2020)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer 

This is a surprisingly good, big-budget, action comedy from Denmark. I actually laughed out loud a few times, AND things got pretty gory on occasion. The violence is more extreme than I would have expected from a Scandinavian blockbuster. I love Mads Mikkelsen, but he’s not always in good films. Luckily this turned out to be a perfect choice for him, and a very entertaining movie too.

Blu-ray available on Magnolia.

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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

Here we have an excellent biopic on the artist Louis Wain. You may be familiar with his fanciful to psychotic feline creations. Do you love cats? Are you ready to cry? Well then this movie is for you. It may seem cutsie at first glance, but things get weird and dark later on. I really enjoyed it in spite of my heartstrings being ripped out of my body.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Mars at Sunrise (2014)

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JustWatch Streaming Info (also available for free on YouTube) | imdb | trailer

This is a challenging, darkly surrealistic, feature based on the experiences of Palestinian artist Hani Zurob. Critics did not really care for it, but I thought it was quite good. Mars at Sunrise is not unlike a full-length video art piece. It’s jarring and confusing, but beautiful. I will admit that I have an unusually high tolerance for more free-form, artistic expression that doesn’t concern itself with narrative. This film is only 75 minutes long, so just check it out if I haven’t scared you off already.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Salvador (1986)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a fact-based film dealing with the Salvadoran Civil War, which was still happening at the time of production. It’s aged a bit, sometimes feeling like an episode of Miami Vice, but this is still an excellent movie. It even got a couple of Academy Award nominations. I normally avoid recommending Oscar-related films, but I figured this piece of history is not well known among younger people. Oliver Stone leans heavily in favor of the leftist FMLN rebels, but you can read the facts, and make up your own mind if you feel the need. James Woods is good here. Luckily this is the Woods we love from Videodrome, not the mess of a human being he became later.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer 

An art dealer (who just happens to be a ninja) gets mixed up in a crime ring. Naturally things go bad and he is forced to kick every ass. Revenge… arguably launched the ninja craze in America. This was a favorite film back when I was way too young to watch it. The childish appeal is bizarre. By adult standards this is as stupid as can be. However if you like violent, fast-paced martial arts films, this one delivers the goods big time. The last act is a ninja action extravaganza. It’s pretty spectacular. Stupid, but spectacular. I am slightly embarrassed to say that I maintain that Revenge of the Ninja is a five star film.

Blu-ray available on Kino Lorber.

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.