drama – Page 6 – Anomalous Cinema

Blood & Gold (2023)

June 16, 2023June 15, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

I rarely recommend brand new Netflix titles, but this one was a blast. You’ll see other jerks reduce it to a rip off of Inglourious Basterds. I think Blood & Gold has got more going on than that. While I quite enjoyed Tarantino’s film (and the OG), this has no recognizable stars, has far less of Q.T.’s “witty banter,” and benefits from more era-correct music. The score jumps around a bit, but that’s ok. The important thing is that there were no pop music needle drops. I’m more invested in what is happening when I don’t hear David Bowie in 1940s Europe (and I love Bowie). I will admit that I watched this with many drinks under my belt, so my arty farty meter was broken, but I was throughly entertained from start to finish. Yeah there are some technical errors, but just ignore that part of your brain and watch this, IN GERMAN with subtitles, and enjoy.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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Stalker (1979)

June 9, 2023February 20, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I’ve avoided recommending this one for a while as it’s very well known among art film and SF fans. However I will wager that there’s a big group of people born after 1999 that have never experienced this Soviet cinematic masterpiece. This is based on the book “Roadside Picnic” by The Strugatsky Brothers and the plot is simple: There’s a place called The Zone, where magical things happen. It is very dangerous to travel there. Two men hire Stalker to guide them. Strange things occur. This is my favorite Andrei Tarkovsky film, likely because it coincides with, and reflects, the original industrial music era. Right when Throbbing Gristle was in full swing and SPK was getting started, this movie came out in theaters. Anyone familiar with those groups will see how this film looks like root industrial music sounded – dark and decayed. In fact, the early post-industrial group Laibach sampled sounds from Stalker on their fantastic song “Brat Moj.” In my universe this movie is one of the greatest ever made, and the story behind its production is totally insane. I’ll let you investigate that on your own AFTER you watch this film. One word of caution if you’ve never seen a Tarkovsky movie before, the pace is deliberately very slow. Your patience will pay off big time.

Available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)

May 26, 2023November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is the what someone who hates art films probably thinks all art films are like. The thing is, it works really well. Weird, funny, dark, and beautiful. If you like this one, check out Songs from the Second Floor. It’s also by Roy Andersson, but even better. Along with You, the Living, the movies mentioned here make up a trilogy. I don’t feel that watching them all in order is really essential, as they are pretty abstract.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

Weekend (1967)

May 12, 2023February 20, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

The esteemed Jean-Luc Godard’s art films are pretty hit or miss for me. However this one is excellent overall, and probably my favorite. A couple jump in their car and many strange things happen, making this (to my recollection) the first surrealistic road trip movie. Here’s the truly interesting thing about Weekend: it fetishizes traffic accidents SIX YEARS before J.G. Ballard’s book “Crash” was published. Ballard was a casual fan of Godard and saw this film when it came out. That makes it seem that a seed was planted by Weekend, however he is quoted as saying “Godard’s got it wrong.” That means if Ballard was truly influenced, it was to take the car crash idea in his own direction. Anyhow… the only thing that blemishes what would have been a perfect movie is that Godard interrupts the action with characters talking to the camera about political and social issues. Yes, this was very innovative and edgy in 1967, but those issues are so specific to late ‘60s France that they cease to function. Last time I watched the film I just fast forwarded through those bits. You might want to do the same. Otherwise this is a beautiful, dark, weird, and sometimes funny masterpiece.

Available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

We Own the Night (2007)

April 28, 2023November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Mark Wahlberg is a cop, his brother (Joaquin Phoenix) is a nightclub owner. The mighty Robert Duvall is their deputy police chief dad. The Russian mob complicates matters. Blood is shed. Cars are chased. This is not the greatest action / crime film ever made, but it is damn good entertainment. The car chase is probably the best of the mid-2000s. We Own the Night is worth a watch for that alone.

Available on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures.

Revanche (2008)

April 14, 2023February 20, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

An ex-con does a bank robbery to try and help his prostitute girlfriend. A police officer who attempts to stop him starts off a chain of events that intertwines their lives. This is a really good artsy crime drama from Austria that I don’t want to tell you too much about. It’s bloodless, but does feature a lot of nudity, and has an unpredictable plot. I really enjoyed Revanche, so give it a try if you want to see a good neo-noir film.

Available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

Crippled Avengers (1978)

April 7, 2023February 20, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer (in SHAWSCOPE!!!)

The Venom Mob is back again for a much weirder adventure. This is not a sequel to The Five Deadly Venoms, but one of many Shaw Brothers films featuring those core actors. Four men are disabled by an evil martial arts master, so naturally they are taught to use their handicaps to get revenge. This movie is almost non-stop crazy action from the start, and a fan-favorite Shaw flick. This would make an excellent double bill with Accione Mutante (the new disc is HIGHLY recommended).

Available on Blu-ray from Arrow (part of the Shawscope Vol 1 Box).

L.A. Confidential (1997)

March 31, 2023November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Back in post-WW2 America everything was just peachy. There was nothing but prosperity and apple pie family values from sea to shining sea, right? Sorry pal. As author Katherine Dunn said, “there were no good old days.” The grim side of life was just hidden from mainstream society. L.A. Confidential taps into that and cranks it all the way up. I remember this gritty crime film blowing my mind when I first saw it in the theater. It’s dark, complex, violent, and has a fantastic cast. What are you waiting for?

Available on Blu-ray from 20th Century Fox.

Citizen X (1995)

March 17, 2023June 11, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

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.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

March 10, 2023November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

I liked this image so much I couldn’t crop it.

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Rosemary and her husband move in to a fancy but weird Manhattan apartment. Once she becomes pregnant, things take an extremely dark turn. I have hesitated to recommend Rosemary’s Baby as it’s on so many critic lists. However I wouldn’t be surprised if many younger people have overlooked this film. Another part of my hesitation is the fact that director Roman Polanski is a terrible human being (and many people believe that star Mia Farrow is no saint either). I recently heard someone say that great art becomes it’s own entity once it is completed. That entity stands apart from the flawed, sometimes awful, human being that made it. Yep, this film is great art. It’s one of the most beautifully crafted horror films ever made. That horror stays on the psychological end of the spectrum, but I love every minute of it. This movie demands to be seen in spite of the flawed humans involved.

Available on Blu-ray from Paramount.