thriller – Page 3 – Anomalous Cinema

Manhunter (1986)

January 31, 2025May 8, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Years before The Silence of the Lambs came out, Michael Mann directed this stylish adaptation of Thomas Harris’ book “Red Dragon.” Here is one of those movies that I think many people have missed or overlooked in recent years. I have been a fan since first seeing it as a teenager. I loved Mann’s Miami Vice and Crime Story series at the time. I almost recommended this years ago, but the streaming services always cropped the beautiful cinemascope aspect ratio to 16:9. You need to see this in the extra wide 2.35:1 or it loses a lot of it’s charm. The headline here is, this is a kick ass crime thriller that is dripping with ‘80s style, and loaded with awesome actors. It is easily Tom Noonan’s best role. Yes, Manhunter is a little different than the book. If you want a closer adaptation, watch Red Dragon (2002). I didn’t care for it as much, but it’s worth seeing. The thing that sets this version apart is the awesome soundtrack and score. I own it on vinyl, and still listen to an extended music blog version regularly. The Shriekback song “This Big Hush” is the standout. It’s a damn shame they didn’t record an entire album like that. There are definitely some cheesy bits in this film, it was 1986 after all, so don’t expect perfection. Just experience it with your psychoactive substance of choice, and try to enjoy the trip.

Only a crappy Blu-ray is available domestically as part of a “Hannibal Lecter” set.

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The Imitation Game (2014)

January 10, 2025April 9, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I really try to avoid Oscar winners here, but this one is pretty damned Anomalous, so I’m giving it a pass. This is the dramatized version of Alan Turing’s battle to crack the Nazi Enigma code, as well as events that occurred after WW2. The man was a genius on an epic level, and his complicated story is well handled in this film. As usual with historical movies, there are several factual errors, but none that are unforgivable. I am just happy Turing’s tale has been told in a way that reached a large audience. I avoided watching The Imitation Game for years because it is a PG-13 drama. That was a mistake, as I definitely appreciated seeing it recently, and I hope that you will give it a try.

Available on Blu-ray from Starz / Anchor Bay.

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971)

November 15, 2024February 22, 2025 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Julie Wardh moves back to Austria and starts getting stalked by a razor ripper. Sounds like stereotypical slasher fare, but this is one of my tippity top favorite giallo films, and one of the very best by Sergio Martino. The Strange Vice… stars the dynamic duo of Edwige Fenech and George Hilton who were also paired up in All the Colors of the Dark (1972), and The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972). This fantastic movie has many twists and turns, plus one of my most beloved sneaky tricks ever in a thriller film (you will know it when it is revealed). I am pretty picky about giallo cinema, especially as I get older, but this one I still rank a 10 out of 10.

Available on Blu-ray from Severin.

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.

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.

Serial Mom (1994)

July 5, 2024October 10, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I am a big John Waters fan, but have somehow never featured one of his films here. I really enjoyed his book “Crackpot,” his yearly top 10 lists are amazing, and my partner and I saw him do his live show in 2023 (on his 77th birthday no less!). Yet I didn’t recommend one of his movies as I figured that if you liked any of his work you’d have seen it already. Serial Mom is a bit of an outlier among Waters’ output though. It’s neither the gross out legend of Pink Flamingos, or the crowd pleasing schmaltz of Polyester. It also went years without being available on disc, until Shout Factory released a really nice looking restored edition in 2017. I recall looking to see if this was available to stream anywhere a while back, and was surprised to find it was not. Fortunately it looks as if the previously mentioned disc version is now streaming. The title tells you all you need to know about the movie. It’s campy, ridiculous, dark, and a hell of a lot of fun. If you’ve never seen Serial Mom, or it’s been a few years, sit your ass down and enjoy. Also do NOT wear white after Labor Day.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

Cisco Pike (1971)

May 17, 2024August 15, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Kris Kristofferson plays a musician and former drug dealer who gets forced by a bad cop (Gene Hackman) to try and sell a bunch o’ stuff in one weekend. My first experience with this was when I saw a 35mm print a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it. Cisco Pike is packed with gritty and goofy early ‘70s counter culture stuff, and so many choice actors from that era too. If you grew up anywhere near that time you’ll be pointing at the screen every few minutes. Don’t go expecting non-stop action and you’ll probably like, dig this flick.

Available on Blu-ray from Powerhouse Films.

A Revolution on Canvas (2023)

April 26, 2024April 23, 2024 vergeoflightLeave a comment

Streaming on Max | imdb | trailer

Sorry I got my wires crossed and have done two Max posts in a row. I will do my best to avoid that in the future.

The Iranian visual artist Nickzad Nodjoumi exhibited 100+ artworks at the beginning of Ayatollah Kohmeni’s reign in 1981. He had to flee the country due to controversy the exhibition stirred up, and his work has been held by the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art ever since. This documentary was made by his daughter and deals with Nickzad’s life, career, family, as well as his attempt to reclaim his work. I was unfamiliar with the artist before seeing the film and I am now a fan. His art is often dark, brave, and scathingly critical, but always beautiful. The story of his family is engrossing as well. I tip my hat to Max for releasing this film. I learned things, and so will you.

Not available on Blu-ray.