Tag: crime

Citizen X (1995)

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Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

This is possibly my favorite ’90s dramatization of a true crime case. Andrei Chikatilo was known as The Rostov Ripper, and was responsible for the murders of at least 52 women and children. This film is based on “The Killer Department,” which remains one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read. Citizen X is helped a ton by strong performances by Stephen Rea, Donald Sutherland, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Max Von Sydow. Don’t expect much gore, but the drama is extremely dark and should appeal to anyone with an interest in true crime. It’s stunning this was an HBO-made TV movie.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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RoboCop 2 (1990)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

The original RoboCop is one of my all time favorite films. RoboCop 3 and the TV series are total crap. RoboCop 2 however is a pretty damn entertaining movie actually. It has all the important cast that survived the first film, the OG Red Dragon from Manhunter (Tom Noonan), and was directed by… Irvin Kershner. Who? Well he was the director of a little film called The Empire Strikes Back. Yep, he was obviously somewhat co-directed by George Lucas, but still, facts are facts. He also did the flawed but entertaining final Sean Connery James Bond flick Never Say Never Again (which was weirdly released the same year as Roger Moore’s Bond in Octopussy). One major bonus here is that FX master Phil Tippett was allowed almost total creative freedom, even to the extent where he directed the visual effects heavy scenes himself. So if you’ve never seen this, or it’s been a while, you’re in for a treat.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

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The Raid 2 (2014)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

The Raid: Redemption (2011) is a very good film. If you’re a hardcore action / martial arts fan you know that already. However, for the rest of you, I say skip it and watch this superior sequel. The Raid 2 has got a convoluted plot, but you’ll too be too distracted by the non-stop ass kicking to care. This is probably the pinnacle of crazy post-Ong-Bak action films. If you enjoy this, make sure to check out creator Gareth Evans’ excellent TV series Gangs of London.

Available on Blu-ray from Sony.

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Capote (2005)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

As I’ve said in the past, I really try to avoid recommending Academy Award winners. I really love this film though, and have not heard it mentioned in years. Capote is the story behind the writing of the grandaddy of all True Crime books “In Cold Blood”, and it’s pretty much a perfect film. This is also my favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performance (RIP). This is one dark, beautifully filmed, emotional movie, that I give a 10/10. Also, if you’ve never read “In Cold Blood” before, do yourself a favor and do so immediately. It really is one of the very best works of American non-fiction.

Available on Blu-ray from MGM.

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I Saw the Devil (2010)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a very good South Korean horror / crime thriller from the director of the excellent A Bittersweet Life. Many folks love his film The Good the Bad the Weird too. The bad guy is the original Oldboy himself Choi Min-shik. Do I really need to say more? Nah.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia.

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District B13 (2004)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A cop and a former hooligan join forces to stop a disaster. District B13 remains one of the more over-the-top action films I’ve seen in the last 20 years. It’s also on the cheesy and unrealistic side, but if that doesn’t scare you off… buckle up. This movie isn’t even 90 minutes long and the pace is insanely fast. You won’t know what hit you.

Available on Blu-ray from Magnolia.

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Girl in the Picture (2022)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

A young woman is murdered, her son is kidnapped, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg in this very disturbing crime documentary. It’s based on two books by Matt Birkbeck, A Beautiful Child and Finding Sharon. I’ve heard that they are arguably superior to this film, so if you’re a true crime buff you may just want to read those instead. Girl in the Picture is a well constructed doc, and the overall look of the movie is very good. You get your usual bits of true crime reenactment, but they’re not too bothersome here. WARNING – things just keep getting more and more dark as it moves along, so if you’re on the sensitive side stay away.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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Christine (1983)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

It’s about damned time I recommended a John Carpenter film. His best work is so high profile I figured, why bother? Well Christine is a solid, lesser discussed, movie in his filmography that I enjoy, and just happened to have rewatched recently. You get that awesome JC golden-era cinematography, a very good synth score, plus a good cast, and top notch special effects that still look impressive nearly 40 years on. There’s just one catch here… I never read the original Stephen King book. I’ve read The Shining, The Stand, and the whole damn Dark Tower series, but not this one. So, if you’re a big fan of the book, maybe do some research first, or skip it. If you’ve never read the book, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this as much as I did. Oh, and some guy is doing a remake. Unless it’s more faithful to the book, a “reimagining” strikes me as a waste of time. You Hollywood people know that there’s a billion original horror movie scripts floating around right? Right?

Blu-ray is available from Sony Pictures.

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The Girl Next Door (2007)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

It would probably be best for you to NOT watch this movie. This is possibly the most extreme horror / exploitation flick of 2007. Are you still reading? Ok, well… this is a fact-based film about a young girl that was tortured and abused back in 1965. I saw this when it came out, and it made quite an impression. Back then I was a much more negative horror maniac, and it cut right through my “I’ve seen it all” bullshit. I didn’t feel titillated. I felt sympathy and dread. This was originally a novel by Jack Ketchum, who was likely the smartest author working in extreme horror. Maybe only Clive Barker’s early work was a match. If the above has not scared you off, and you’re ready to be brutalized for “entertainment”, check out The Girl Next Door. Also look into Ketchum’s books. The ones I read were a big step above most horror fiction.

Available on Blu-ray from Anchor Bay.

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The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This film is based on an unsolved series of murders in 1946. It was made with a docudrama style, but shot in a really great looking widescreen format. Unlike most fact-based horror films, The Town that Dreaded Sundown manages to maintain a genuinely unnerving vibe throughout. This feels more like a true crime thriller than stalk and slash horror, but I recall feeling truly creeped out while watching it for the first time. That is a rare thing for me. Get ready for a slow, but very disturbing ride. This was remade in 2014, but I say stick with the original. Looks like the “reimagining” was done purely for money, unlike quality films like The Thing (1982) and The Hills Have Eyes (2006).

Blu-ray available from Shout Factory.

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.