Keanu (2016)

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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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Cross of Iron (1977)

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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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When Trumpets Fade (1998)

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 Train (1964)

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Normally I do Amazon Prime this round, but I messed it up (I apparently have that Starz / MGM+ add-on to Prime). Thankfully the movie is available on Tubi and other plaforms.

A train carrying Nazi looted art must be stopped by French resistance fighters. The story is not based on true events, but you will not care. This is a surprisingly heavy action flick for the mid ‘60s. Damn near everything you see was done using real trains and military gear. Get ready for many suspenseful moments, as well as some dark turns. The Train is high quality entertainment that I am astonished escaped me until now.

Available on 4K UHD from KL Studio Classics.

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The Street Fighter (1974)

Streaming on Roku Channel | imdb | trailer

NOTE: Some streaming services are showing the cut version of the film (1 hour 15 min). Make sure you’re watching the most uncut version (1 hour 29-32 min). Also the film should be in Cinemascope format (there will be black bars on the top and bottom of the screen). Some services are showing it cropped. The version on currently on Roku as of 3.17.24 looks like the one you want to see.

Sonny Chiba stars as Terry, who is one bad ass karate mercenary. Organized crime hires him to do a job, but things go off the rails and many asses must be kicked before the credits roll. I first heard of this movie from watching True Romance (1993), which was scripted by Quentin Tarantino, where the lead characters go to a Street Fighter movie marathon. Back then I had never even heard of Sonny Chiba or seen one of his movies, which is a pity because I would loved his Shadow Warriors TV series as a kid. I look at The Street Fighter as my gateway drug to hundreds of cult films that were never shown on TV and hard to find on VHS. Tarantino’s success led to him getting this film, Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Detroit 9000, Switchblade Sisters, and many other titles seen by a wider audience. Bottom line, this is an excellent martial arts film with plenty of bizarre quirks and funny moments that make it a very enjoyable watch. Oh and if you do attempt a marathon, stock up on psychoactives, because the rest of the series is pretty awful.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory (as part of The Street Fighter Collection).

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For a Few Dollars More (1965)

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This is the second of Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking westerns, which often gets overshadowed by The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I understand why, but I just rewatched For a Few Dollars More recently and was blown away. What I love about this movie is that it does not drag at all. As much as I enjoy The Good…, this feels a lot more relentless in its pace. There’s still plenty of artful shots, beautiful cinematography, and emotional scenes, but my interest and attention never wavered. Fantastic acting, music, and intense action sequences make this a thoroughly entertaining experience. It’s a standalone film, not a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, so give it a watch, or rewatch if you’re like me and had never seen it in its original cinemascope format. This is top-tier sweaty, dark, and violent Anomalous Cinema.

Available on 4K UHD from KL Studio Classics.

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Dog Soldiers (2002)

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There really should be more good action horror movies. Dog Soldiers is an example of what can be done. Scottish soldiers on night exercises + werewolves = awesome. Do I really need to tell you anything else? I really enjoyed this movie and was happy to see the director go on to make The Descent. Unfortunately that was pretty much all old Neil Marshall had to offer, other than appearing as a talking head in many horror-related documentaries (well, Centurion was not bad). Maybe it’s not too late for Mr. Marshall? He has two upcoming movies at this moment, so let’s hope for the best.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

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Upgrade (2018)

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A man is crippled by an accident that also kills his wife. He is given a chip implant to restore his mobility. The chip also turns him into an involuntary fighting machine that helps him to get revenge. Upgrade is one hell of a fast paced, violent, gory, sci-fi action flick. It’s often funny too. This movie isn’t perfect, but it is an absolutely entertaining blast to experience.

Available on 4K UHD / Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

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The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

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Here is a dramatization of the history of the German Red Army Faction terrorist group from the ‘60s and ‘70s. The filmmakers make their rise look rather glamorous and sexy, but don’t let that put you off, you’ll see that aspect degenerate in their fall. This is a good, fast paced movie, but it is on the long side, so the the end drags a bit. For some reason the burned in subtitles on the streaming version are huge too, which might be a distraction. Really it’s worth watching in spite of those issues. My only real criticism is how good looking the actors are. The real RAF members were a pack of uggos.

Available on Blu-ray from MPI.

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Bronson (2008)

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This film is based on the real life criminal Michael Peterson, who became his alter ego Charles Bronson in prison. Nicolas Winding Refn is very hit or miss for me, but this one was a pleasant surprise. The film is weird, dark, violent, and thankfully not as deliberately paced as much of Refn’s other work. I also didn’t really notice Tom Hardy until I saw Bronson. He’d been in several movies before, but he absolutely blew me away in this role. This is 100% pure uncut Anomalous Cinema.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia.

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