Dangerous Men (photo courtesy Drafthouse Films)

Kirk Sanderson

February 28, 2022

Kino Cult is again expanding its library with seven “midnight classics,” presented in cooperation with Drafthouse Films. These films join a growing list of hundreds of new and rare, theatrically released cult hits, all presented in high-definition.

Kino Cult is a free, ad-supported streaming platform for horror and cult films launched in October 2021 by indie film distributors Kino Lorber and Giant Pictures, both of which landed a slot on our Top 20 Indie Power Players list for 2022.

Kino Lorber and Giant also have launched a linear FAST Channel (Free Ad-Supported TV) for Kino Cult on kinocult.com and in all associated apps. It features a curated and scheduled program of back-to-back films drawn from the channel’s library of “unapologetically weird cinema,” according to a press release.

Additionally, Kino Cult is now offering an ad-free subscription plan for $4.99 per month.

The seven new “midnight classics” are:

• Ms. 45 (1981), directed by Abel Ferrara:  This revenge thriller classic follows a mute garment-district seamstress who, after falling victim to multiple unspeakable assaults, ignites her one-woman rampage against New York City’s entire male population.
• Wake in Fright (1979), directed by Ted Kotcheff: Starring Donald Pleasence, Wake in Fright tells the nightmarish story of a schoolteacher’s descent into personal demoralization at the hands of drunken, deranged derelicts while stranded in a small town in outback Australia. 
• Miami Connection (1987), directed by Richard Park and Y K Kim: This action comedy finds motorcycle ninjas tightening their grip on Florida’s narcotics trade, viciously annihilating anyone who dares move in on their turf. 
• The Visitor (1979), directed by Giulio Paradisi: An intergalactic warrior is in battle against a demonic 8-year-old girl while the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.
• Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013), directed by Sion Sono: 10 years ago, Yakuza mid-boss Ikegami led an assault against rival don Muto. Now, on the eve of his revenge, all Muto wants to do is complete his masterpiece, a feature film with his daughter in the starring role, before his wife is released from prison and The F Bombers are standing by with the chance of a lifetime: to film a real, live yakuza battle to the death … on 35mm film.
• Raiders! (2015), directed by Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen: After Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark was released 35 years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out on what would become a seven-year-long labor of love and tribute to their favorite film — a faithful, shot-for-shot adaptation of the action adventure film.
• Dangerous Men (2005), directed by Jahangir Salehi: This comic actioner by Salehi, under the pseudonym John S. Rad, took 21 years to make and release, and is filled with all sorts of sadistic debauchery.