drama – Page 3 – Anomalous Cinema

A Prophet (2009)

December 20, 2024March 27, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A French orphan of North African descent works his way to the top of the immigrant crime world. Noel Murray from The A.V. Club wisely compared this movie to Goodfellas. Yes, that is a very tall order, but A Prophet definitely impressed me when I first saw it. I rated the film a 10/10 back then, and I am looking forward to watching it again very soon.

The domestic Blu-ray is currently out of print.

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Catch-22 (1970)

November 8, 2024February 22, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is the first adaptation of one of my all-time favorite books, “Catch-22” (yes, the commonly used phrase originates from the novel). It is a case where the movie is not as good as the book, however it is still damn good on it’s own (much like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). One of the original ad taglines sums up Catch-22 nicely – “The anti-war satire of epic proportions.” The cast is amazing. It seems as if anyone who was well known in 1970 is in the film. Alan Arkin is awesome as our “hero” Yossarian. I also highly recommend the 2019 Hulu mini-series starring Christopher Abbott (Possessor, etc) in the same role. Make sure to keep an ear open for a prominent Neurosis sample used on their classic “Souls at Zero” album.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

Rebel Ridge (2024)

October 25, 2024October 22, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

Director Jeremy Saulnier does it again. Much like his film Blue Ruin, this is not an action movie, but it does have some awesome fight sequences. This is about an ex-Marine who gets harassed, First Blood style, by a corrupt small town sheriff (played very effectively by Don Johnson). If you just keep in mind this is a thriller, slower paced than most action films, but not as slow as Hold the Dark, you just might enjoy it as much as me. I salute Netflix for continuing to give Saulnier financing for his work.

Not available on Blu-ray.

It Comes at Night (2017)

October 18, 2024January 24, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I was hoping to recommend a horror movie, but this is more of a psychological thriller. Pretty damned creepy at times though. I saw It Comes at Night when it first came out and gave it a good rating, but I didn’t remember a thing about it. I figured why not rewatch it after a few drinks and give you a more off the cuff recommendation?

Ahem…

Killer cinematography. The whole cast is solid. Nice to see Christopher Abbot again in a role before I began recognizing his awesomeness. There are bits of this that remind me of how it felt at the beginning of Covid (oh boy doesn’t that make you want to watch this now?). Some people were turned off by this not being a straight forward horror movie. Some were turned off by not knowing exactly what is going on. I was not turned off. I am not calling this a fun movie, or even a great movie, but it sure as hell is Anomalous Cinema.

The themes reminded me of the OG Twilight Zone episodes The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (1960) and The Shelter (1961). I suggest if you’ve never seen those, watch them AFTER It Comes at Night.

Available on Blu-ray from Lion’s Gate.

Clearcut (1991)

October 11, 2024January 17, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Graham Greene stars as an Indigenous activist seeking to teach a lesson to the head of a logging company. I only saw this movie for the first time recently and what a pleasant surprise it was. Clearcut is an original mix of horror and thriller, and is satisfying throughout the run time. Going in knowing as little as little as possible will give you the best viewing experience. It would be best to not even watch the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

American Gangster (2007)

September 27, 2024January 1, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Frank Lucas was a NYC gangster that one journalist called a real-life Superfly. This was the last Ridley Scott film I truly enjoyed, and he did a solid job of making Lucas’ story into a fast-paced entertaining experience. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are both excellent in this, and the cast is packed with many familiar faces. This isn’t quite as good as DePalma’s Scarface, but it’s a dark and violent crime film that delivers the goods.

Available on Blu-ray from Universal.

Man Bites Dog (1992)

August 23, 2024November 21, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

When it comes to disturbing fiction films, this one is often mentioned along with Salò, A Clockwork Orange, and Irreversible. I try to avoid obvious recommendations, but it just occurred to me that Man Bites Dog has never been available on Blu-ray. It came out on VHS shortly after the theatrical run. Then Criterion did a laser disc and DVD many years ago, but that’s it. Those of you who saw this in the past really need to check it out in full HD. Then there’s those of you who have just never experienced one of the most unique independent films ever made. All you need to know is this: Benoît is a very charming but egomaniacal serial killer, and you are watching a documentary about him unfold ala This is Spinal Tap. What you get is a weird mix of funny and horrific from start to finish. It has ALL the triggers minus animal abuse, so you should avoid this if you are sensitive about pretty much anything. I made the mistake of taking a date to see this in the theater back in 1993. It did NOT go well. Yes, it’s extreme. It also looks fantastic and the lead performance by Benoît Poelvoorde is a personal favorite. If you are a fan of the most edgy kind of cinema, this is essential viewing.

Not available on Blu-ray.

The Reflecting Skin (1990)

August 16, 2024November 14, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Just-Watch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A boy lives in early 1950s rural Idaho where reality is very strange, and mysterious deaths are occurring. When I first heard the COIL song “Omlagus Garfungiloops” I was baffled by the sample “You’ve been exploding frogs again?” A friend informed me it was from the movie The Reflecting Skin. I knew I needed to see this. I finally was able to rent a copy a year or so later and was 100% not disappointed. I have watched this one multiple times over the years. I never get sick of it. This movie is darkly surreal, beautiful, horrific, funny at times, and features very good performances. That includes an early appearance of Viggo Mortensen, who I’ve been a big fan of ever since. There are moments where you see the limits of the budget, but they take little away from this unique indie masterpiece.

BONUS: You can watch director Philip Ridley’s bizarre short film The Universe of Dermott Finn (1988) here on YouTube. Check out an article about Ridley’s multi-faceted career here.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

Cross of Iron (1977)

July 19, 2024October 22, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

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.

Zulu (1964)

June 28, 2024October 3, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a weird one to recommend to people nowadays, but this website ain’t called Conventional Cinema. It is based on the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift between British soldiers and the Zulu nation. Should the English Empire have been in South Africa? Should a movie about white “heroes” vs native tribal Africans be taken seriously in contemporary society? If you automatically are saying “no” to both questions then you should skip this movie. Anyone with a brain knows that imperialism is evil and that racism is stupid. I look at this like other historical war movies where the people we’re supposed to be rooting for are mostly white soldiers, and the “bad guys” are Vietnamese, Afghani, Somali, etc. The racial aspect is disgusting, but in the case of Zulu at least, these are soldiers who are not gung-ho nationalists. They are just trying to help their cohorts and themselves survive. With all that in mind, I believe this is a fantastic, and seriously epic war film. Keep your ears open for the samples that Dead Can Dance used on their song “The Fatal Impact.”

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.