Here we have a damn good film by John Hillcoat about depression-era bootleggers. If you know this director’s work, you know what to expect. Lawless is gritty, violent, well-made, with very good performances all around. Yes, even Shia LaBouf is solid. No kidding.
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I finally found an excellent Italian crime film in 1080p HD! This is a little slower paced for an Umberto Lenzi poliziotteschi, but very well made. It’s also a bit more serious than say, The Tough Ones. This was a total pleasure to watch as Raro Video’s restoration is fantastic. It features super saturated colors and deep shadows. Highly recommended.
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This is a very dark, but funny film based on a stage play (directed by William Friedkin no less). It’s so ugly and violent Matthew McConaughey almost threw the script in the trash. Almost. I’m glad he didn’t. Killer Joe is a unique movie that I definitely enjoyed.
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This is a solid English gangster riff on Goodfellas, but way more violent. Need I say more? Keep an eye out for Dr. Channard from Hellraiser 2. He even has a scene with Uncle Frank.
Not available on domestic Blu-ray.
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Prolific cult movie screenwriter and director Larry Cohen passed away last year. When he was involved in a good project you could bet it would be weird, fast paced, and entertaining. This is one of my personal favorites among his output, and it is 100% Anomalous. Here is one of the few movies I saw as a kid that I remember every step of it’s release. First there was the above iconic teaser posters and print ads. Then the “Q is here” poster and TV ads. I distinctly remember watching the film being reviewed on At the Movies with Siskel and Ebert a little while after. I was nine years old so I didn’t see it in the theater, although my older brother did get me into an original screening of Conan the Barbarian around that time (thank you Chris). I ended up seeing Q on cable in 1984 and was not disappointed. Yeah, the low budget shows at times, but that is forgivable. This movie is a blast, and it has a really great cast to boot. Enjoy.
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There are a ton of awful action movies on Netflix (where I orginally saw Avengement). This movie should have been one of them, but I loved it. It features English gangsters, almost non-stop fighting, a good story, and solid production values. You might need to turn on the subtitles, as the accents and jargon are very thick for the duration. Really that’s a minor quibble – this movie is a blast.
Not available on domestic Blu-ray.
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This is such a well known movie I hesitated recommending it. I’m going to go ahead and tell you about Dirty Harry because I seriously love this film, and I think there’s many younger people that have never seen it.
Here’s two fun facts: this film was a major influence on all the Italian police action (Poliziotteschi) films after it, and was inspired by the Zodiac murders which were still ongoing at the time of it’s release. This killer is called The Scorpio, and is flawlessly played by Andrew Robinson (Hellraiser 1 & 2, Star Trek DS9). Robinson is so unhinged and despicable in this film it still blows my mind. Get ready for a grim, violent, blast of a movie, with beautiful cinematography and kick ass music by Lalo Schifrin. I’m green with envy for any of you that will be seeing this for the first time.
Update 8.23.24 – I am currently reading Quentin Tarantino’s book “Cinema Speculation” in which he calls Dirty Harry “a powerhouse work of art.” I fully agree.
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This is a good, super-convoluted, South Korean crime thriller. It’s a bit slow at times, but it’s also sporadically crazy-violent. I found it entertaining, so there’s a good chance you will too.
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This one seems to have really disappointed people hoping for another Mad Max movie. I thought it was a much more realistic depiction of what life would be after the fall or law and order. The Rover is not an action movie. It’s very deliberately paced. There are little bursts of gun play here and there, but it struck me as more of a subtle art film than anything else. All the actors were excellent, but between this and The Lighthouse I have gained a ton of respect for Robert Pattinson’s range. Not everyone will like this movie. I loved it.
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This is a fictionalization of a 1989 Montreal mass shooting in which 14 women were murdered. It’s obviously brutal at times, but the filmmakers balanced out the movie well with victim and witness storylines. With its elegant black and white cinematography, and tasteful approach, I would say this is one of the most well made films about a tragic event I’ve ever seen. The director, Denis Villeneuve, went on to make some slightly bigger budget films.
A Blu-ray was released in 2010 but appears to be out of print.
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.
Anomalous Cinema 