Years before Parasite, Bong Joon Ho first got my attention with this very good thriller. Out of all of the director’s work, this is the standout aside from his Oscar winner. Lead actress Hye-ja Kim is absolutely spot-on.
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I’ll watch Robert Mitchum in anything, but this is one of his very best roles. He plays a con artist “priest,” and man is he despicable. I would love to recommend more good classic films like this here on Anomalous Cinema, but it seems pre-‘60s movies are not often available in 1080p HD. This one is, and it looks great. Note: Luckily things have improved for older streaming movies since I first posted this in 2020.
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The Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty only directed two movies, but both this, and The Exorcist III, are weird little gems. Well, I think weird doesn’t quite cover The Ninth Configuration. Totally unhinged would be closer to the mark. This is about a military insane asylum, but it takes a little patience to get to where the film goes truly mad. It’s worth the wait, as it has one of the more memorable hallucination sequences I’ve ever seen. Fans of Joe Spinell will enjoy his moments in the film as well. His character wasn’t in the book or script, so his dialog is all improvised. RIP Joe.
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I got grounded for sneaking in to see this back in 1988. Yes it’s a bit cheesy at times, but this film is extremely dark, and even more extremely violent. I personally like this better than the original Hellraiser. You get all you need to know about the story in the prologue, so just dive in. It’s not the greatest transfer, but it’s in 1080p HD. What bothers me is the fact they didn’t finish this storyline, and made a horrendously bad part three. Don’t let that stop you from seeing this as the plot is wrapped up satisfyingly enough by the end.
FYI – I originally posted this months before I got a copy of the Arrow Blu-ray. I compared it to the version streaming (this is back in 2019) and the difference is pretty stunning. The Arrow version looks better in every way. It has more detail, better color, you name it. That said, if you’re a fan on this movie, get the Arrow Blu-ray. The extras alone are worth the investment.
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Beasts of No Nation is an excellent drama about a West African boy who is made into a child soldier. The movie is brutal, but tells an important story. Here’s one interesting bit of trivia, at one point in the film the colors all shift to ultra-violet. This was a reference to visual artist Richard Mosse’s series “The Enclave.” I got to see his stunning multi-screen video installation at the Portland Museum of Art in 2014.
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You haven’t already seen the arguably the best comedy ever made? Shame. Oh and if you were born after 2000, get ready to have your sense of decorum shaken. Mel Brooks talks about that here.
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This is a flat-out excellent documentary on the Iraqi fight against ISIS in 2016-17. The camera is actually IN the battle at one point. Need I say that squeamish folks should avoid this one? Nah. You know that by now. As harsh as this films is, it’s a real eye opener, and highly recommended.
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I am a fan of several Hammer Horror films, but some of their output is far better than others. I avoided this one because the title and premise seemed just too damn cheesy. How could a movie called Twins of Evil be any good? Well, I watched it for the first time recently, and it’s not good. It’s fantastic. I loved this movie. Part of my reaction could be to the stellar restoration job that Synapse did. Also, I’m a big fan of Peter Cushing. However I’ve seen him in several Hammer stinkers, so I think there’s more to this flick. Twins of Evil is a very effective horror movie that uses a gimmick (twin Playboy Playmate sisters) to the best possible ends. I guess I need to look into any other Hammer gems I may have missed out on.
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This is the first film based on the popular Danish book series by Jussi Adler-Olsen. It’s a well-made crime thriller that borders on Law & Order level cheese, but is thankfully saved by it’s grit and stylishness. There’s a sequel, titled The Absent One, but I haven’t checked it out yet. Judging by the IMDb ratings, it’s on the same level as Keeper, so I will definitely be watching it.
Not available on domestic Blu-ray.
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This film was not well regarded by critics, but I enjoyed it. Yes, it’s not nearly as good as my previous Atom Egoyan recommendation The Sweet Hereafter. However I appreciated Remember better than a few other critically acclaimed films by the same director. It’s a good thriller, really. Check it out.
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