9 (2009)

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Rag dolls vs. death machines after the fall of man. I don’t normally enjoy movies made with young people in mind, but this was damn good. It’s is a very imaginative creation from start to finish. Well, there is one moment of Disney-esque happy fluff but it’s over fast. 9 also features excellent sound design. Try to watch this when connected to a good stereo with a subwoofer or the best headphones you can get your hands on. There are lots of lovingly crafted weird sounds to enjoy.

Available on Blu-ray from Universal.

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The Stranger (1946)

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I am a big fan of Film Noir and this is an excellent example. Orson Welles has something to hide and Edward G. Robinson is on to him. Sounds too simple but damn this is a great film. The Stranger is not to be missed Anomalous Cinema!

Available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

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Force Majeure (2014)

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An avalanche causes family issues. This movie is beautifully filmed, original, sometimes funny, and pretty damned thought provoking. Be warned, it is long and very deliberately paced. It also made me want to crawl out of my skin with embarrassment and sympathy for the characters. Recommended if you are patient and open minded.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia Pictures.

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The Killing of America (1981)

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This is what I consider the best true crime documentary ever made. It covers street crime through serial killers. The highlight for me is a detailed on-camera interview with Edmund Kemper. Not recommended for the faint of heart. This is the restored Severin version which looks better than ever. Their Blu-ray is an excellent investment as it contains the longer alternate Japanese version of the movie with weirder / kitschy non-crime related sections.

Available on Blu-ray via Severin.

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Annihilation (2018)

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This is a solid, big budget SF adventure film that borrows heavily from Andrei Tarkovsky and J.G. Ballard. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s just what makes it “Anomalous.”

UPDATE 2.24 – I recently read the book and it is excellent. It’s so different from the movie it is mind blowing (and better IMO). I would say the novel is recommended reading unless you expect it to be more than a little similar to the film. I like both, but you know I am a weirdo.

Available on Blu-ray from Paramount.

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I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent dark comedy with plenty of action by Macon Blair aka the star of Blue Ruin. The bad guy is David Yow, visual artist and lead singer of Jesus Lizard. Elijah Wood is also in there wearing (what I heard are his own) awesome metal shirts. Filmed in my home base of Portland, Oregon, one of the locations is The Sandy Hut bar. That place is a personal favorite and highly recommended if you happen to visit.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Heathers (1988)

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This may be the last great ’80s movie. Heathers is a one-of-a-kind, highly stylized dark comedy starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder. So dark that if you’ve been even remotely effected by any of the horrible violence around High Schools since 1999 you better skip this one. On the other hand if you’re a Stranger Things fan and haven’t seen this you’re doing yourself a major disservice. I love that the screenwriter wrote his own slang terms to parody and outdo what was coming out of the mouths of teenagers at the time. My favorite involves a chainsaw.

FYI – There was a TV series reboot of Heathers in 2018 but it didn’t work out, and sounds like it wasn’t very good anyway.

Available on Blu-ray from Image Entertainment.

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Blood and Black Lace (1964)

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While it isn’t the first of the Giallo subgenre, Blood and Black Lace is my early favorite. This was the film that influenced all of the black glove killer films to follow. The villain’s costume alone was imitated so often it’s ridiculous. Check out Bava’s use of unnatural colored lighting. You will notice similar effects in many other filmmaker’s work still to this day. To top it off, Arrow’s restoration is flat-out stunning.

Available on Blu-ray via Arrow.

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The Lobster (2015)

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I am a big fan of Yorgos Lanthimos. His best film is Dogtooth but this one is pretty great. The premise (get laid or be turned into an animal) sounds like a Saturday Night Live sketch making fun of art films but IT WORKS. Don’t miss this one.

The Lobster is 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.