horror – Page 4 – Anomalous Cinema

Christmas Evil (1980)

December 23, 2022December 23, 2022 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on YouTube | imdb | trailer

This is my favorite Christmas horror movie. Yes, the original Black Christmas and Silent Night Deadly Night are great, but this one is just so much more twisted and fun. Christmas Evil is also built on intentional humor that works, and features an absolutely unforgettable ending. You might just spill your eggnog.

Available on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

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The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962)

December 16, 2022May 5, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

This is a solid gothic horror, starring Barbara Steele, by Ricardo Freda who later made the very good films The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire and Tragic Ceremony. If you are a fan of early Mario Bava and the Roger Corman Poe films, you will almost certainly be pleased. Warning to the casual horror fan: this is pretty tame aside from the implied necrophilia that makes this doctor so horrible. The movie relies on suspense instead of blood, and the pace is very deliberate. However if you can watch it with that in mind, you might enjoy it as much as I do. One definite incentive is that Barbara Steele gets a lot of screen time.

Available on Blu-ray from Olive.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

November 11, 2022November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

J ustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

You’ve seen the original 1978 version right? If not, fix that immediately. There was a time when I said that was my favorite movie of all time. I still love it. I am very cautious about remakes, but I saw this version in the theater when it came out and immediately enjoyed it. This is a “reimagining” done right. Zack Snyder and James Gunn took the same very general plot and did something new with it. They don’t use the same characters or location, which is key in honoring the source material. This Dawn is not better than the original, but well worth seeing. Here you have some serious fast-paced, violent, and intense horror. The CG looks a wee tiny bit dated, but honestly, it doesn’t bother me much. Oh yeah, I recall that this and 28 Days Later caused all these nerds to complain about fast moving zombies. They apparently forgot about Return of the Living Dead which was made in 1985. I hardly watch zombie flicks these days, but I don’t care how fast they move as long as the movie is good.

Available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

Under the Shadow (2016)

October 28, 2022October 27, 2022 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

You may have noticed I am not a fan of PG-13 movies. Well, this is an exception. Under the Shadow is a very creepy horror film set in ‘80s Iran during that country’s war with Iraq. Your city being bombed regularly is bad enough, but throw an evil spirit into the mix and you have serious trouble. Sounds like some full-blown Anomalous Cinema right? This is a unique film that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope to see more quality dark horror movies come out of Islamic countries in the near future.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

The Descent (2005)

October 21, 2022February 21, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A group of women go on a cave expedition and run into some particularly freaky monsters. This was Neil Marshall’s follow up to the excellent Dog Soldiers (2002). Sadly it looks like his career didn’t continue on its upward trajectory, but I truly enjoyed this film. It’s all handled very well, and with a great attention to detail. This is an intense, quality horror film, that has withstood the test of time.

Available on Blu-ray from Lion’s Gate.

I Saw the Devil (2010)

October 14, 2022November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

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.

The Haunted Palace (1963)

October 7, 2022November 30, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I somehow missed this excellent Vincent Price horror flick until recently. The title is inspired by Poe, but the story is actually a loose version H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward.” In fact, this marks the first ever Lovecraft screen adaptation. If you’re a fan of any of the Roger Corman Poe flicks, you’re going to enjoy The Haunted Palace. This is creepy, classic, atmospheric horror.

MILD SPOILER ALERT: There is a brief monster reveal that is honestly laughable (think Star Trek – The Original Series), but that little blemish does not ruin an otherwise awesome movie.

Available on Blu-ray as part of The Vincent Price Collection from Scream Factory.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

August 19, 2022February 22, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Yes, I’m finally getting around to an Argento movie. This is his first film, and among his best. I wouldn’t recommend Dario newbies start with this one, as it is honestly very slow, and almost bloodless. It’s definitely a giallo, but far more thriller than horror. However this movie is as creepy as can be, beautifully filmed, has a very good cast, and the Morricone score is phenomenal. Most people see Suspiria first, and are a little disappointed by Argento’s other great films. Then they go on to be downright depressed by the rest of his output (I gave up after sitting through Giallo). Sadly he has not made a decent movie since Sleepless, but he was excellent acting in Gaspar Noe’s Vortex. Besides Suspiria, my personal favorites are Tenebrae and The Cat o‘ Nine Tails (honorable mentions for Deep Red, Inferno, and DA’s edit of Dawn of the Dead). Did you hear that? It was the sound of dozens of horror nerds yelling out “What about (fill in the blank)?!?!?!”

Available on Blu-ray from Arrow.

Lifeforce (1985)

August 5, 2022December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

An astronaut inadvertently brings back… Space Vampires. This is a personal favorite that nearly qualifies as a guilty pleasure. Lifeforce is very over-the-top, and even cheesy at times, but I think you’ll be too entertained to be bothered. This is one seriously fast-paced blast of an action, sci-fi, horror mashup. Directed by Tobe Hooper, and somehow financed by the Cannon Group with a generous budget, plus the cinematography and makeup effects still look great. They even made a 70mm version of the film, which I’ve seen, and the sound design / score were a delight for my ears. This film also features a surprisingly perfect cast, with a standout memorable moment featuring Patrick Stewart. The last reel of the film is just plain bonkers too. Get ready for a good time if you’ve never had the pleasure.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

Christine (1983)

July 22, 2022December 4, 2023 vergeoflightLeave a comment

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.