Keanu (2016)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I only liked bits and pieces of the Key & Peele series (2012-2015), but I seriously love this movie. Keanu is one of the few comedies released around 2016 that made me laugh out loud multiple times. It’s also got some decent action. Plus you get to enjoy an early appearance by Tiffany Haddish and the always amusing Method Man. However if you don’t like cats, or George Michael, don’t bother.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Brothers.

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Timecrimes (2007)

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Streaming info on JustWatch | imdb | trailer

Here’s one of my favorite Spanish horror mysteries to come out in the ‘00s. A man inadvertently travels backwards in time. Then things get very weird and complicated. This is definitely more of a mystery, with a dab of sci-fi,  than a straight up horror movie. Don’t let that deter you though. Timecrimes is dark, a little sleazy, sometimes funny, and kept me guessing throughout. It’s a pity that none of Nacho Vigalondo’s work since has interested me much. Hey, the man wrote and directed this awesome brain fuck of a movie, so it’s possible he’s got another great one left in him. I certainly hope that proves to be true.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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Cross of Iron (1977)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is Sam Peckinpah’s tale of a good rebellious nazi against a bad medal-hungry nazi. Yes, our protagonist, played by James Coburn, is no Oscar Schindler or John Rabe, but he despises Hitler’s war. Clearly this is NOT Saving Private Ryan. There are plenty of flaws, yet this is still one of Peckipah’s best films. Is it day? Is it evening? Continuity is for whimps! Was that shot out of focus? Them’s fightin’ words. Cross of Iron features impressive looking locations in some scenes, particularly the industrial complex at around the 1:15 mark. I find it amazing that this long, violent, weird movie was a success in it’s day. I say it is absolutely worth watching in our modern age as well. Please watch all of the closing credits.

Available on Blu-ray from Henstooth.

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The Salt of the Earth (2014)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is an excellent documentary on photographer Sebastião Salgado. Famed director Wim Wenders co-directed the film with the man himself. Salgado’s work is in a powerful documentary style that can be touchingly beautiful. However his self-assigned protects often shine a light on victims of progress, famine, genocide, and war. Yes all this is very heavy, but I give the film a 10 out of 10, and consider it essential viewing. Art combined with journalism can reveal a deeper understanding of the human condition and bring attention to hidden truths. Don’t look away.

Available on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures.

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.

Serial Mom (1994)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I am a big John Waters fan, but have somehow never featured one of his films here. I really enjoyed his book “Crackpot,” his yearly top 10 lists are amazing, and my partner and I saw him do his live show in 2023 (on his 77th birthday no less!). Yet I didn’t recommend one of his movies as I figured that if you liked any of his work you’d have seen it already. Serial Mom is a bit of an outlier among Waters’ output though. It’s neither the gross out legend of Pink Flamingos, or the crowd pleasing schmaltz of Polyester. It also went years without being available on disc, until Shout Factory released a really nice looking restored edition in 2017. I recall looking to see if this was available to stream anywhere a while back, and was surprised to find it was not. Fortunately it looks as if the previously mentioned disc version is now streaming. The title tells you all you need to know about the movie. It’s campy, ridiculous, dark, and a hell of a lot of fun. If you’ve never seen Serial Mom, or it’s been a few years, sit your ass down and enjoy. Also do NOT wear white after Labor Day.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

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Zulu (1964)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a weird one to recommend to people nowadays, but this website ain’t called Conventional Cinema. It is based on the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift between British soldiers and the Zulu nation. Should the English Empire have been in South Africa? Should a movie about white “heroes” vs native tribal Africans be taken seriously in contemporary society? If you automatically are saying “no” to both questions then you should skip this movie. Anyone with a brain knows that imperialism is evil and that racism is stupid. I look at this like other historical war movies where the people we’re supposed to be rooting for are mostly white soldiers, and the “bad guys” are Vietnamese, Afghani, Somali, etc. The racial aspect is disgusting, but in the case of Zulu at least, these are soldiers who are not gung-ho nationalists. They are just trying to help their cohorts and themselves survive. With all that in mind, I believe this is a fantastic, and seriously epic war film. Keep your ears open for the samples that Dead Can Dance used on their song “The Fatal Impact.”

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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When Trumpets Fade (1998)

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Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

Here’s a surprisingly good WWII movie made for HBO in response to Saving Private Ryan. A low-ranking burnout is ashamed of his conduct in action but gets promoted anyway and goes on to lead a dangerous mission. You will probably recognize many actors in this movie. It’s more fun if I don’t list them. When Trumpets Fade is not action packed, but it’s a proper length, never dull, and dark as hell.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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The Quiet Family (1998)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer (sorry about the poor quality)

The first guest at a mountain inn commits suicide and wackiness ensues. This is a very good horror comedy by director Kim Jee-woon who also made the excellent A Bittersweet Life and I Saw the Devil, among other popular SK films. I just learned that The Quiet Family was also the inspiration for Miike’s The Happiness of the Katakuris that I recommended previously. This one is not a musical however. Do I really need to tell you more?

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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.

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer (fan-made – sorry)

Two guys on a fishing trip make the mistake of picking up a hitching psychopath. If you’re an old person like myself you’ll recognize the psycho as William Talman, who played DA Hamilton Berger on the old Perry Mason TV series. Even if you have no clue what any of that last sentence meant you might very well enjoy this grim film noir. I only saw it for the first time recently and was throughly entertained. This was directed by the multi-talented Ida Lupino who also helmed the classic Twilight Zone episode The Masks (1964). She was also the lead actress in the episode The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine (1959). Ida must have had to put up with a ton of bullshit during her career, but I for one am glad she did.

Available on Blu-ray from Kino Classics.

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.

American Splendor (2003)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a very good dramatization / sorta-documentary combo based on the comic series “American Splendor” by Harvey Pekar. He’s essentially a grumpy loser, but somehow his perspective on an average American life is consistently amusing. The best part of this film is the choice of Paul Giamatti to play Pekar. The guy who plays Robert Crumb nails it too. If you enjoyed Ghost World, this will be right up your alley. It’s often not laugh out loud funny, but that’s not really the point. I’d call American Splendor a throughly entertaining look at lovable weirdos. However, if you’ve had enough of straight white men, you better skip this one.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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.