Watching Greaser’s Palace (1972) for the first time without having any idea that it was a Christ parable, I was completely bewildered. It’s newly available on Blu-ray from Doppelganger Releasing and Scorpion Releasing and looks absolutely lovely. The disc is highly-recommended for fans of the film. As an innocent in the world of filmmaker Robert Downey, however, I realized I needed to do some research to put Greaser’s Palace into perspective. Three of his early films — Babo 73 (1964), Chafed Elbows (1966) and No More Excuses (1968) — are available to watch on The Criterion Channel via the Filmstruck streaming service, which began in the U.S. and is expanding internationally. (I have an annual plan, which has been well-worth the cost.) Downey is rooted firmly in the New York underground film scene and so his films reflect a fiercely independent spirit; the term screen anarchy could easily be applied to his guiding principles, which appear to have been steered by absurdism. Very rough, low, low budget, and making little narrative sense, his early films are bold and fascinating. Released in 1969, Putney Swope put Downey on the map. Set at an advertising agency that is revolutionized by the titular…