Tag: mystery

Night of the Devils (1972)

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In Eddie Murphy’s Raw he talks about a starving man eating a cracker. Well I was starving for good Italian horror, and this film was my cracker. You see, pretty much every non-recent horror movie I’ve recommended here I’ve seen multiple times. I think I may have seen a bad VHS dub of Night of the Devils back in the early ’00s, and wasn’t really blown away. Let me tell you, Raro Video’s presentation of this one blew me away, glued me together, and blew me away again. This movie looks fantastic. If you’ve ever seen Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath you’ll recognize the story. It comes from the Tolstoy’s “The Family of the Vourdalak”. Devils is a different, very good, and longer version of what Bava created. One disclaimer… the gore FX are cheap. I found that pretty charming, but I’m a weirdo. Anyhow, if you haven’t already seen this one, get ready for a creepy good time.

Available on Blu-ray from Raro Video.

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Blow Out (1981)

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This is one of the less talked about Brian De Palma movies, but it’s among my favorites of all his work. To me this feels as if Dario Argento got a big budget, and made a giallo for an American audience. Blow Out has even got a very Goblin-esque score by Pino Donaggio and product placement by J&B Scotch. The opening scene is unforgettable. You’ll wonder what the hell kind of movie you’re in for. A key part of the opening is wisely referred to multiple times throughout the movie. This might also be my favorite film ever shot in Philadelphia. I lived there for 14 years, and it was a trip down memory lane to watch this again. Oh and for all your cult movie nerds, check out the amazing posters on the walls of the place John Travolta works. His performance is flat-out excellent in this one too.

Blu-ray available from Criterion Collection.

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Q (1982)

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Prolific cult movie screenwriter and director Larry Cohen passed away last year. When he was involved in a good project you could bet it would be weird, fast paced, and entertaining. This is one of my personal favorites among his output, and it is 100% Anomalous. Here is one of the few movies I saw as a kid that I remember every step of it’s release. First there was the above iconic teaser posters and print ads. Then the “Q is here” poster and TV ads. I distinctly remember watching the film being reviewed on At the Movies with Siskel and Ebert a little while after. I was nine years old so I didn’t see it in the theater, although my older brother did get me into an original screening of Conan the Barbarian around that time (thank you Chris). I ended up seeing Q on cable in 1984 and was not disappointed. Yeah, the low budget shows at times, but that is forgivable. This movie is a blast, and it has a really great cast to boot. Enjoy.

Blu-ray available from Shout Factory.

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The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

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Roger Corman made several, very loose Poe adaptations starring Vincent Price. They are almost all good to excellent. I personally don’t care for The Raven or Tales of Terror, but check out all the others. This one is special because it was written by Richard Matheson (the novel I Am Legend is essential reading) and co-stars Barbara Steele. It’s very melodramatic, but has held up well for me after multiple viewings. To quote Don Nicholas Medina… “You are about to enter Hell, Bartolome, HELL!… The netherworld. The infernal region, The Abode of the Damned… The place of torment. Pandemonium. Abbadon. Tophet. Gehenna. Naraka. THE PIT!… And the pendulum.”

Available on import Blu-ray from Arrow.

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First Reformed (2017)

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I love this one, and have no idea why I didn’t recommend it yet. While I’m a big fan of director Paul Schrader, he hasn’t really impressed me with a film since Auto Focus (2002). However he redeemed himself big time with First Reformed. The story is about a small town minister who struggles with inner conflict. Sounds like a snoozer, right? Nope. The movie starts out slow and becomes wonderfully bizarre. All that is helped by a fantastic score by Lustmord (also his best work in years). See this movie as soon as possible.

Blu-ray available from Lion’s Gate.

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Deep Red (1975)

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Here’s another highly regarded Dario Argento giallo film. It’s a strange one in the sense of its highs and lows. The highs are some very artistic sequences and murder scenes, reinforced by the very first soundtrack appearance by the mighty Goblin. The lows are that the film is extremely convoluted, and sometimes excruciatingly slow. Don’t be discouraged. It is absolutely worth the effort to get to the crazy ending.

Available on Blu-ray from Arrow.

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What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)

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Here we have a beautifully filmed, very sleazy, but excellent giallo. This was part one of Massimo Dallamano’s “Schoolgirls in Peril” trilogy so, yeah… not for sensitive viewers. The film features one of my favorite cult actors Fabio Testi, as well as the debut performance of Camille Keaton (pictured above), and music by Ennio Morricone. Solange is essential if you’re interested in the giallo subgenre. You might need to take a shower after watching, but it’s worth it.

FYI – My favorite Morricone music is from this era. If you’d like to hear more, check out the album Crime and Dissonance. It’s flat-out amazing.

Available on Blu-ray from Arrow.

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The Invisible Guest (2016)

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This is a very complex but enjoyable Spanish murder mystery with many twists and turns. There is little blood, and no guts, however The Invisible Guest is definitely worth your time.

Not available on domestic Blu-ray.

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The Gift (2000)

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Sam Raimi is very hit or miss for me after Evil Dead 2. This one I really enjoyed. Yes, even more than A Simple Plan or Drag Me To Hell. What we have here is a well-made horror mystery with some downright disturbing moments. I think what I like best about The Gift is that is that it is unique among Raimi’s work. It’s also pretty original among horror and suspense films period. While not perfect, it’s a damn good movie for sure.

Not available on Blu-ray.

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.