This is a very dark, but funny film based on a stage play (directed by William Friedkin no less). It’s so ugly and violent Matthew McConaughey almost threw the script in the trash. Almost. I’m glad he didn’t. Killer Joe is a unique movie that I definitely enjoyed.
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Women’s MMA badass Gina Carano plays a super soldier out for revenge. This one took me by surprise the first time I saw it. Non-stop action from Steven Soderbergh?!? Yes. It isn’t a realistic fight film, but damn it’s fun to watch.
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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.
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This is a solid English gangster riff on Goodfellas, but way more violent. Need I say more? Keep an eye out for Dr. Channard from Hellraiser 2. He even has a scene with Uncle Frank.
Not available on domestic Blu-ray.
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There are a ton of awful action movies on Netflix (where I orginally saw Avengement). This movie should have been one of them, but I loved it. It features English gangsters, almost non-stop fighting, a good story, and solid production values. You might need to turn on the subtitles, as the accents and jargon are very thick for the duration. Really that’s a minor quibble – this movie is a blast.
Not available on domestic Blu-ray.
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Here’s another very good South Korean crime film. It’s got all the elements that you’d expect: tons of action, a very complicated story, extremely bad bad guys, and slick production values. This one leans a lot on drama, but that’s fine. It kept reminding me of Léon: The Professional, which is a good thing. Like Luc Besson’s film, the drama serves a purpose, and the action is impressive.
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I can’t believe it took me over 80 posts to recommend a David Cronenberg film. After all he’s one of my favorite directors, and is STILL making good movies. Dead Ringers is an excellent, more mature thriller than say, Scanners. It does feel a bit slower than the director’s earlier films but that’s ok. It makes up for that flaw with one of my favorite minor movie character names of all time, Anders Wolleck. He’s played by an actor you might recognize. Also, keep an eye out for Jill Hennessy (City on a Hill, Law and Order, ugh… Crossing Jordan) and her real-life twin sister.
I also highly recommend you check out the recent Dead Ringers series on Amazon Prime. Very different, but great.
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This is such a well known movie I hesitated recommending it. I’m going to go ahead and tell you about Dirty Harry because I seriously love this film, and I think there’s many younger people that have never seen it.
Here’s two fun facts: this film was a major influence on all the Italian police action (Poliziotteschi) films after it, and was inspired by the Zodiac murders which were still ongoing at the time of it’s release. This killer is called The Scorpio, and is flawlessly played by Andrew Robinson (Hellraiser 1 & 2, Star Trek DS9). Robinson is so unhinged and despicable in this film it still blows my mind. Get ready for a grim, violent, blast of a movie, with beautiful cinematography and kick ass music by Lalo Schifrin. I’m green with envy for any of you that will be seeing this for the first time.
Update 8.23.24 – I am currently reading Quentin Tarantino’s book “Cinema Speculation” in which he calls Dirty Harry “a powerhouse work of art.” I fully agree.
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This is not Sergio Martino’s best or worst thriller. It has a lot in its favor though: a great cast of essential giallo actors, twisty plot, a creepy villa, lovely Italian scenery, and maybe the best title ever. It also has several glaring flaws. In the end, if you’re a fan of the subgenre and haven’t seen this one, give it a try. Your Vice… delivers the goods.
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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.
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.
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