Tag: crime

Gaslight (1944)

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Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

You have heard the expression a lot in recent years, but if you haven’t seen the film from which the term originates you have been missing out. Well, the term comes from the original 1938 play, however this is the most well known film adaptation. Bottom line, it is an excellent mystery film with perfect performances by its lead cast. I would watch Joseph Cotten read from the phone book. Also keep an eye out for a young, arguably hot, Angela Lansbury of Murder She Wrote fame. Gaslight runs on the long side, but it’s really a minor flaw. I only saw this for the first time recently and loved it.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive Collection.

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The Oxford Murders (2008)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Alex de la Iglesia is probably my favorite living Spanish director. I fell in love with his first film Accione Mutante (the Severin 4K/UHD release is highly recommended) and have enjoyed almost everything he’s made since. His work ranges from gory horror to innovative comedies. The director’s big break for English language audiences was The Oxford Murders. Unfortunately it didn’t advance his career much, but it’s still a very good mystery/thriller starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt. The only flaw is that it is so complicated it gets bogged down, but damn if I wasn’t engaged throughout. Check out Iglesia’s other work, including his recent series Thirty Coins on Max.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia Entertainment.

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The Street Fighter (1974)

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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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The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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Collective (2019)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This bleak documentary starts with a devastating fire at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, then goes into the corrupt Romanian healthcare system and the evil elements that support it. The footage of the fire is horrifying, but things get even worse as you see what happens to hospitalized survivors. This doc is not uplifting in any way whatsoever, but shows the importance of investigative journalism. It is also extremely well constructed. Collective is a film most would be unwilling to watch, but I rank it among the most essential issue-oriented documentary movies of the last ten years.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Bronson (2008)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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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Thoroughbreds (2017)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a very good, unpredictable, dark comedy thriller of sorts. Two former friends are awkwardly put back together and, since at least one of them is mentally ill, bad things happen. Thoroughbreds will not be for all tastes, as it revolves around two privileged white girls who are arguably insufferable. Thankfully Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy are excellent and made it all work for me. This is also one of the final appearances of actor Anton Yelchin (1989-2016) to whom the film is dedicated – RIP.

Available on Blu-ray from Universal.

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The Outlaws (2017)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer 

Here’s a solid action / crime flick based on a true story. Moments felt like blockbuster cheese, but then the South Korean crazy action kicked in. Stick with it. Good stuff. Lead actor Ma Dong-seok (The Roundup, Train to Busan, The Good the Bad and the Weird) is particularly awesome in this. Legal services provided by Tasey Taser Esq.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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The Stranger (2022)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a very good crime thriller based on the real life murder of 13 year old Daniel Morcombe in Australia. A cop goes undercover to try to lure the possible killer into confessing. The Stranger is extremely dark and every shot looks beautiful, but the highlight is Sean Harris’ performance as the murder suspect. You also get to see some creepy nightmare sequences that struck me as particularly well crafted. This film is not very bloody, also on the slow and long side, but I feel it’s well worth your time in spite of those minor issues.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A rich widow is murdered. A married man, whom the deceased was smitten with, gets the blame. Sounds rather dull, right? Far from it. This is a great ‘50s crime drama that keeps throwing twist after twist at you right up to the final minutes. The film is packed with great actors too. I had fun watching Elsa Lanchester, who played the title character in Bride of Frankenstein, in a role so vastly different. Younger audiences might be put off by the dated banter between the characters, but stick with it. There’s a reason that Witness for the Prosecution is considered a classic.

Available on Blu-ray from KL Studio 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.