The Killing of America (1981)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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.

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The Nightingale (2018)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a pitch black revenge film. I’ve seen a lot of on screen nastiness in my time, but The Nightingale made even me cringe. The only flaw of the movie is that it is too damn long. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’ve got patience, and a strong stomach.

The Nightingale is available Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

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The Handmaiden (2016)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I tend to check out anything Chan-Wook Park directs since he hooked me with Oldboy. This is not as good as “The Vengeance Trilogy” but it’s definitely worthy of your time if you like Park’s work. I’d call it a thriller with that weird South Korean special sauce. I avoided watching this for ages as it’s a long one and not much in the action department. Big Mistake. I should have watched much sooner. The Handmaiden is a beautiful film. Damn near perfect.

Available on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures.

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Blue Ruin (2013)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a fantastic, dark, and violent revenge film with top notch cinematography and acting. If that sentence doesn’t send you fumbling for your remote then there’s no helping you.

Available on Blu-ray via Starz / Anchor Bay

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Logan’s Run (1976)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This entertaining but cheesy gem got buried after a certain other SF film was released in 1977. I loved it on TV as a kid and still do. Yes, the sets and costumes are ridiculous, and the effects are not spectacular, but who cares? If you’re willing to look past the flaws, this is a film with adult themes and some pretty heavy concepts. Also the soundtrack features excellent analog synth work that I’d much rather hear than John Williams. I re-watched it recently and the restoration job looks pretty damn great. So turn off that part of your brain that wants everything look like the Marvel Universe and enjoy this weird as hell journey to find… SANC-TU-ARY.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Brothers.

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.