comedy – Page 4 – Anomalous Cinema

Sightseers (2012)

August 6, 2021December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

ANOTHER Ben Wheatley movie?!?? Yes, this is a great one though. A couple go on holiday and wackiness ensues. By wackiness I mean murder. It’s a dark comedy that is truly funny, and one of Wheatley’s very best films. The female lead just happens to be Alice Lowe who played Madeleine Wool in Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place (she’s been in a ton of other great stuff too). You might also recognize her boyfriend Chris, played by Steve Oram, from The World’s End, Kill List, and The Mighty Boosh. I can’t recommend this film strongly enough. It gets an Anomalous Cinema 10 out of 10.

Available on Import Blu-ray from Studio Canal.

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.

Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place (2004)

July 30, 2021February 25, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | opening credits

I have never posted about a series before, but this one is just too good to not share. Dark Place might be my all-time favorite comedy series. It’s essentially an ‘80s horror parody co-starring The IT Crowd’s Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade. Watch the first few minutes. If you enjoy the opening theme song / credits montage, you’ll love this one-season series.

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.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

July 16, 2021February 25, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Yes, the original is an untouchable masterpiece. Yes, this sequel is goofy. Yes, Gunnar Hansen is conspicuously missing, and Tobe Hooper really should have pushed for him to be in the film. That should all mean that this movie is garbage, just like every TCM property made after. Fortunately that is not the case. This is an insanely fast paced, gory, funny horror film. Dennis Hopper is fantastic, and the “Namland” sets are awesome works of art. You will need to endure a lot of overacting, but damn I love this movie. Oh and that corpse puppet is made from the remains of The Hitchhiker.

The domestic Blu-ray is out of print (but you can get the Arrow UK disc here).

American Movie (1999)

July 9, 2021February 25, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Mark Borchardt is a struggling filmmaker, and a documentary crew follows him as he completes his first fully-realized short feature. When this movie was initially released, it was an independent hit, but it fell into obscurity for several years. Director Chris Smith has gone on to direct the very good Netflix documentary Fyre, and produce the massively over-hyped series Tiger King. I have seen American Movie multiple times, and it never gets old. It’s funny as hell, touching, thought-provoking, and a serious statement about someone fighting to make their art. I am also partial to it because it reminds me of the days helping my friend Isaac Williams make his first feature The Mind in 2006-7. I was a part-time boom operator, PA, and did the original score. If a shooting day went by without a quote from this documentary, followed by much laughter, I would be shocked. This documentary is must-see Anomalous Cinema.

Available on Blu-ray from Sony.

First Love (2019)

May 21, 2021December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This recent Takashi Miike has a unique look, no fake film grain but all the detail. I’d call it video crafted with care. The sets look amazing. The production designer is a genius. Every interior scene looks almost like an art installation. As you’d expect, there are some very entertaining action sequences amid the strange comedy / drama too. First Love also features one particularly freaky knob turn. In the end I was very happy to have watched this weird, but modest movie. Miike keeps being Miike, and I love it.

Available on Blu-ray from Well Go.

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

April 23, 2021December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is my favorite comedy of the late ‘80s. Written, directed, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans, it’s essentially a parody of ‘70s Blaxploitation Cinema. The good news is that it works even if you’ve never seen one of those films. Sucka has got some of the very best Black Action stars too. Isaac Hayes, aka Truck Turner, is particularly funny. Yep, this film is very offensive, so if you were born after 2000, be warned… your head might just explode while viewing.

Available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.

The Hospital (1971)

April 2, 2021December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Crazy. Awkward. Stupid at times. Lots of “overacting.” Totally inappropriate by modern standards. At least two full-blown George C. Scott yelling rants. A very ‘70s sexual assault that is somehow also consensual. Oh, and it’s a comedy! In the end, a challenging, but quite amusing example of Anomalous Cinema. I also enjoyed seeing Diana Rigg (The Avengers, Theater of Blood, etc.) and Richard Dysart (who we all know best from The Thing).

Blu-ray available from Twilight Time.

The Video Dead (1987)

December 18, 2020January 8, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I am a bit biased about this film, as my first experience was in at a revival screening just a few years ago. Seeing a previously missed, good older movie, on celluloid is one of favorite things in life. That means that I like this silly horror movie a little more than I should. I found it to be very amusing from start to finish. I laughed out loud multiple times, and not at unintentionally funny scenes. The Video Dead also has some effective makeup FX and low-budget set pieces. Give it a try, but keep your expectations low.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory (bundled with Terror Vision – which is also a lot of fun).

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.

Memories (1995)

November 27, 2020February 25, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I am super picky about anime. Something about the genre usually turns me off, with the exception of films like Barefoot Gen, Ninja Scroll, Perfect Blue and a small handful of others. I just added Memories to that short list. It’s an anthology of Katsuhiro Otomo stories directed by three anime heavyweights: Kōji Morimoto (The Animatrix), Tensai Okamura (Ninja Scroll / Ghost in a Shell), and Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). The whole film is very cohesive and filled with detailed, and psychedelic sci-fi animation. Do you happen to live where weed is legal? Bonus for you.

Available on domestic Blu-ray but it’s out of print / selling for $$$.

Mom and Dad (2017)

November 6, 2020January 9, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I’m picky about horror comedies, but this is a good one. Nicholas Cage does his thing as dad without slipping into Wicker Man level ridiculousness, and Selma Blair is the perfect choice as mom. The pace is pretty relentless, and the end ramps up the crazy even further. The filmmakers have done an admirable job at keeping the movie effective, and not as silly as it could have easily become in lesser hands.

Available on Blu-ray from Momentum.