“The Fated Hour” will begin its festival run this summer, with Severin Films handling the film’s North American release.

The synopsis: “Austria, 1810. Three days before her wedding, Florentine visits the grave of her younger sister Seraphine — brilliant, otherworldly, and gone too soon. As the ceremony approaches, Florentine finds herself unable to share in her bridegroom Bruno’s joy. Over dinner, she recounts to him the strange and melancholy story of Seraphine’s life and death — and of the dark legacy she left behind. Soon it becomes clear that Florentine is not merely mourning her sister…“

Alina Schaller (Breaking the Ice), Fanny Altenburger (Counterpart), Cornelius Obonya, and Daniel Holzberg (The Zone of Interest) star. 

The short is a 19th-century period piece set in Austria based on Friedrich Laun’s short story “The Relationship with the Spirit World,” famously cited as a key influence on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Shot on location in Austria, the film is produced by Hengl and Lola Basara of Vienna-based Capra Film with support from Stadt Wien Kultur (MA7) and the Lower Austrian Film Commission.

“The Fated Hour” was commissioned by Kier-La Janisse with Severin’s founders, David Gregory and Carl Daft, as Executive Producers.

“I’m very excited to have Peter Hengl’s Austrian ghost story joining our growing family of original gothic shorts,” said Janisse. “Especially with all the incredible heritage locations and rich period detail.“

Hengl added: “The oldest gothic dread is always the most modern: that fate cannot be outrun. I was fortunate to explore this timeless story alongside performers who understood completely that the past and the present are never truly separate—that some things bleed through. For the production, we used analog distortions like various lenses and mirrors not just to evoke a retro vibe, but also to represent the spirit world in the film.“

Check out the first images below, and be sure to watch Family Dinner on Screambox while we wait for “The Fated Hour”.

The post ‘Family Dinner’ Director Peter Hengl Returns With Gothic Short ‘The Fated Hour’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The release is part of the Severin Summer Sale, launching June 26.

When the body of an unidentified young woman is discovered at the scene of a mass slaughter, it is sent to the local coroner (Brian Cox) and his son (Emile Hirsch) for surgical post-mortem. But this corpse will reveal chilling secrets. The mortuary itself will pulse with malevolence. And as their autopsy cuts deeper, an unstoppable evil will rise.

Ophelia Lovibond and Michael McElhatton co-star in The Autopsy of Jane Doe, now scanned in 4K with Special Features including new interviews with André Øvredal and more.

The full Special Features package includes…

Disc 1: UHD (Film + Special Feature):
• Trailer

Disc 2: Blu-ray (Film + Special Features):
• Head Examiner – Interview With Director André Øvredal
• Next Of Kin – Interview With Actor Emile Hirsch
• Undead On Arrival – Interview With Actress Olwen Catherine Kelly
• Coroner’s Report – Interview With Co-Writer Ian Goldberg
• Postmortem Procedure – Interview With Co-Writer Richard Naing And Producers Fred Berger And Eric Garcia
• Tools Of The Trade – On-Set Interview With Actor Emile Hirsch
• Father In The Family Plot – On-Set Interview With Actor Brian Cox
• Second Degree – On-Set Interview With Actress Ophelia Lovibond
• Body Processing – On-Set Interview With Producer Ben Pugh
• Trailer

The upcoming release from Severin Films will include a Vertical Split Rigid Slipcase Illustrated by Trevor Henderson, along with reversible case artwork. Preview it all down below.

The post ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ Making Worldwide 4K UHD Debut from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Spectacular Optical, the indie publishing imprint Janisse founded in 2014, is expanding into theatrical, streaming, and home video distribution.

Launching this month, the label will release new films and restored titles curated by Janisse with a focus on landscape and design, music and counterculture, and experimental genre works.

Spectacular Optical’s first release will be A Year in a Field, Christopher Morris’ 2023 documentary chronicling a year in the life of a 4,000-year-old Cornish standing stone. It hits VOD on April 22 in celebration of Earth Day, with a Blu-ray to follow.

The company’s upcoming slate also includes Waris Hussein’s 1971 romantic dramedy Melody, Bert Deling’s 1975 underground drama Prue Shit, Andrew Horn’s 1984 melodrama Doomed Love, Paul Wright’s 2017 folk-horror-infused documentary Arcadia, and Don Levy’s 1967 experimental film Herostratus.

“After decades of writing and film programming, there are certain films that never leave me,” said Janisse. “And though I’m known most for my explorations in genre, what inspires me is a broad cross-section of multidisciplinary work. And so this label is very personal to me, not so much a commercial enterprise as a dedicated compulsion to share films that have moved me – or even changed me – with a wider audience.”

All Spectacular Optical titles will be available theatrically, on digital, and on physical media. Wide distribution of home video releases will be handled in the US by Severin Films, where Janisse also serves as an acquisitions executive.

The post ‘House of Psychotic Women’ Author Kier-La Janisse Launches Distribution Label Spectacular Optical appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Most notably, A Bay of Blood is making its 4K Ultra HD debut with a five-disc limited edition featuring three versions of the film, over four hours of special features, and a soundtrack CD, housed in a slipcase designed by Eric Lee.

Also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve, Blood Bath, and Carnage, the influential 1971 giallo is directed by Italian master of horror Mario Bava (Black Sunday, Black Sabbath) from a script he co-wrote with Giuseppe Zaccariello and Filippo Ottoni.

The English version, the original Italian version, and the Italian re-release version have all been scanned in 4K from superior vault elements.

Disc 1 – 4K UHD (A Bay of Blood: English Version):

• Audio Commentary With Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark
• U.S. Trailer

Disc 2 – 4K UHD (Ecologia del delitto: Original Italian Version / Reazione a catena: Italian Re-Release Version):

• Italian Trailer

Disc 3 – Blu-ray (A Bay of Blood: English Version):

• Audio Commentary With Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark
• All About My Father – Interview With Assistant Director Lamberto Bava
• It Was Just A Children’s Game – Interview With Actress Nicoletta Elmi
• Lens Of Blood – Interview With Assistant Camera Operator Gianlorenzo Battaglia
• That Will Teach Them To Be Bad – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Books On Jess Franco And Lucio Fulci
• U.S. Trailer

Disc 4 – Blu-ray (Ecologia del delitto: Original Italian Version / Reazione a catena: Italian Re-Release Version):

• Hallmark Of Horror: Carnage, Death Nerves & Last House Part II – Video Essay By Film Writer Stephen R. Bissette
• The Art Of Crime – Archival Featurette With Lamberto Bava (Assistant Director), Dardano Sacchetti (Screenwriter), Steve Della Casa (CSC Director), Franco Vitale (Still Photographer), Roy Bava (Mario Bava’s Grandson), Alberto Pezzotta (Bava’s Biographer), And Joe Dante (Filmmaker)
• (Sittin’ On) The Blood Of The Bay – Archival Interview With Lamberto Bava
• 13 Ways To Die – Archival Interview With Dardano Sacchetti
• Bava And The Grindhouse – Joe Dante On Mario Bava
• Severin Super-Shock 2025 Intro By Lamberto Bava
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Radio Spots
• Italian Trailer

Disc 5 – CD:

• Soundtrack composed by Stelvio Cipriani

In A Bay of Blood, the murder of a wealthy countess triggers a chain reaction of brutal killings in the surrounding bay area as several unscrupulous characters try to seize her large estate.

Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso, Laura Betti, Leopoldo Trieste, Anna Maria Rosati, Brigitte Skay, Chris Avram and Isa Miranda star.

Other new titles dropping on Black Friday include:

• The Ghost (1963) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray with Executioners, Masks, Secrets: Italian Horror of the 1960s documentary and Musica De Masi compilation CD
• The Devil’s Rain (1975) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• Vampyros Lesbos (1971) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• She Killed in Ecstasy (1971) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• Razor Blade Smile (1998) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray with Vampires Forever documentary
• The Final Programme (1973) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• North Sea Is Dead Sea (1976) on Blu-ray
• The Bronson Lee Za Karate Collection (1974-1975) on Blu-ray
• The Crippled Masters (1979) on Blu-ray
• Adam and Eve (1983) on Blu-ray
• Student Confidential (1986) on Blu-ray
• Retribution (1987) on 4K UHD + Blu-ray
• Lookin’ Italian (1994) on Blu-ray
• “The Idiot Box” (1991) on Blu-ray

Severin’s Black Friday Sale will also feature exclusive bundles; 50% off most Severin and Intervision titles with up to 75% off on select titles; a Saturday-only box set sale with up to 50% off select sets; and new merch including a replica of The Ghost music box and a reproduction of the original Carnage theater barf bag.

The post Mario Bava’s ‘A Bay of Blood’ Hits 4K UHD for Severin Films’ Biggest Black Friday Sale Ever appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The seven-disc box set collects six more of the iconic actor’s films — Beat Girl, The Hands of Orlac, The Virgin of Nuremberg, Arabian Adventure, and A Feast at Midnight — plus the documentary The Lifes and Death of Christopher Lee.

A 142-page book by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby, Christopher Lee: Eight Decades of a Dark Horse, is also included.

Disc 1 – Beat Girl (Blu-ray):

Both the original theatrical and extended UK cuts of Beat Girl (also known as Wild for Kicks) have been scanned in 4K by The British Film Institute.

In the 1960 teensploitation film, an impetuous teenage girl becomes involved with Soho’s beatnik and striptease scenes to spite her staid architect father and her French ex-stripper stepmother.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby And Barry Forshaw, Author Of Brit Noir (Extended Cut)
• Interview With Actress Gillian Hills
• London After Dark: The Sinful Soho Of The Sixties – An Exploration By David Flint, Author Of Babylon Blue: An Illustrated History Of Adult Cinema
• Trailer

Disc 2 – The Hands of Orlac (Blu-ray):

The UK cut of The Hands of Orlac has been scanned in 4K from the original camera negative by The British Film Institute and restored by Severin Films, while the extended French cut was supplied by Rene Chateau Productions.

In the 1960 horror film, a pianist who loses his hands in a plane crash receives the transplanted hands of an executed criminal but his new hands have the murderous tendencies of their previous owner.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby And Hammer Historian Kevin Lyons (French Cut)
• Hand Scare: A Portrait Of French Writer Maurice Renard – Interview With Merveilleux-Scientifique Specialist Fleur Hopkins-Loféron
• Locations of Orlac
• Trailer

Disc 3 & 4 – The Virgin of Nuremberg (4K UHD & Blu-ray):

The Virgin of Nuremberg (also known as Horror Castle) has been scanned in 4K from the uncut original camera negative.

In the 1963 horror film, women are being tortured to death with various torture devices in the dungeon of an old castle by a deformed Holocaust survivor.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital‘s Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of So Deadly, So Perverse
• Margheriti’s Horror Castle – Interview With Director Antonio Margheriti
• In The Iron Maiden – Interview With Film Historian Fabio Melelli And Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi With Audio Excerpts From Antonio Margheriti
• Trailer

Disc 5 – Arabian Adventure (Blu-ray):

Arabian Adventure has been scanned in 2k from the original camera negative.

In the 1979 fantasy adventure, a peasant boy and a prince join forces to stop an evil magician who seeks to gain power by obtaining a magic rose.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Director Kevin Connor Moderated By Severin Films’ David Gregory
• The Princess Adventure – Interview With Actress Emma Samms
• Arabian Adventurer – Interview With Actor Puneet Sira
• Arabian Zoom – Virtual Reunion Between Kevin Connor, Emma Samms And Puneet Sira
• The Many Faces of Christopher Lee – 1996 Documentary
• 2 Trailers

Disc 6 – A Feast at Midnight (Blu-ray):

Feast at Midnight has been scanned in 4K from the original camera negative.

In the 1994 comedy, a new student at a British public school forms a secret society centered around cooking and midnight feasting with other school misfits and outcasts.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Justin Hardy And Co-Writer/Producer Yoshi Nishio
• Trailer

Disc 7 – The Lifes and Death of Christopher Lee (Blu-ray):

Narrated by Peter Serafinowicz, 2023 documentary The Lifes and Death of Christopher Lee features Peter Jackson, Joe Dante, John Landis, Caroline Munro, Harriet Walter, Jonathan Rigby, Paul Maslansky, and more.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Director Jon Spira And Producer Hank Starrs
• BFI Q&A With Jon Spira, Hank Starrs And Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby
• Extended Interviews With Juan Aneiros, Gary Curtis, Joe Dante, Peter Jackson, John Landis, Paul Maslansky And Harriet Walter
• Trailer

In celebration of The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 3, the previous two volumes as well as Cushing Curiosities are 50% off in the Severin webstore through November 10.

The post ‘The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 3’ Box Set Announced by Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The 2011 British slow-burn horror film has been newly scanned in 4K from the 35mm digital intermediate negative with HDR10.

Disc 1 – 4K UHD:

• Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Ben Wheatley And Severin Films’ Mike Hewitt (new)
• Audio Commentary With Ben Wheatley And Co-Writer Amy Jump
• Audio Commentary With Actors Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring And Michael Smiley

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

• Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Ben Wheatley And Severin Films’ Mike Hewitt (new)
• Audio Commentary With Ben Wheatley And Co-Writer Amy Jump
• Audio Commentary With Actors Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring And Michael Smiley
• The Hitmen Return – Interview With Neil Maskell And Michael Smiley (new)
• The Gift Of Sound And Vision – Interview With Director Of Photography Laurie Rose And Sound Recordist Rob Entwistle (new)
• Unsettling Soundscapes – Interview With Sound Designer Martin Pavey (new)
• Cunning Stunts In The Editing Room – Interview With Editor Robin Hill (new)
• Making-Of Featurette
• Interviews With Director Ben Wheatley, Producers Claire Jones And Andrew Starke And Actors Neil Maskell And MyAnna Buring
• Assault on Sun Hill – Ben Wheatley’s John Carpenter Homage Filmed For FrightFest 2011 Featuring Neil Maskell And MyAnna Buring
• Trailer

When an on-edge family man and unemployed contract killer accepts a new assignment of 3 separate targets, the list will drag him to the edge of madness and plunge him into the depths of Hell.

Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring, and Michael Smiley star.

Wheatley co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Amy Jump (Free Fire, High-Rise).

The post Ben Wheatley’s ‘Kill List’ Comes to 4K UHD in December from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

The Innkeepers 4K UHD from Second Sight

The Innkeepers will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on August 25 via the UK’s Second Sight Films.

The 2011 supernatural horror film is written and directed by Ti West (X, The House the Devil). Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, and Kelly McGillis star.

It has been newly restored in 4K, approved by West, presented with Dolby Vision HDR. The limited edition set is housed in a rigid slipcase with artwork by Nick Charge alongside a 120-page book with new essays and six art cards.

Special features include: commentary by West, producers Larry Fessenden and Peter Phok, and sound designer Graham Reznick; commentary by West, Paxton, and Healy; new interviews with West, Healy, Fessenden, director of photography Eliot Rockett, composer Jeff Grace, and line producer Jacob Jaffke; and The Innkeepers: Behind the Scenes.

In a Violent Nature Print by Gary Pullin

Gary Pullin was commissioned by Shudder to create an In a Violent Nature poster inspired by the boldly simple Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter artwork.

16×24 screen prints, signed and numbered out of 30, are available for $65. They’ll ship in August.

New Nightmare Poster from Gutter Garbs

The terror doesn’t stop at the screen with Gutter Garbs’ New Nightmare design by Sam Coyne.

It’s available on T-shirts ($32), long sleeves ($40), hoodies ($55), and 12×18 posters ($30) through Sunday, June 29. They’ll ship the week of July 27.

Skateboarding Shirts from Fright-Rags

Go Skateboarding Day was last weekend, and Fright-Rags celebrated with tees paying tribute to old-school decks and monster movies.

Kyle Crawford’s gnarly shirts inspired by Gremlins, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and They Live are $33, while the Lost Boys baseball tee is $40.

Danza Macabra: Volume Four from Severin Films

Danza Macabra: Volume Four – The Italian Gothic Collection will be released on September 30 via Severin Films.

The box set includes Domenico Massimo Pupillo’s Terror-Creatures from the Grave (1965), Filippo Ratti’s Night of the Damned (1971), Luigi Batzella & Joe D’Amato’s The Devil’s Wedding Night (1973), and Corrado Farina’s Baba Yaga (1973).

Priced at $125, the 11-disc set features all four films on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from new 4K scans, over 12 hours of special features, a Piero Umiliani soundtrack compilation CD, and more.

For more merch madness, peruse the Killer Collectibles archives.

The post 5 of This Week’s Coolest Horror Collectibles Including ‘The Innkeepers’ on 4K UHD from Second Sight Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The documentary will premiere at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 11.

Severin Films and Monocular Films have released the trailer and poster for the film, directed by Josh Johnson (Rewind This!) and Grayson Tyler Johnson.

Milligan’s low-budget productions — on which he served as writer, director, cinematographer, editor, set decorator, and costume designer and included such cult “classics” as The Ghastly Ones, Bloodthirsty Butchers, Guru The Mad Monk, Torture Dungeon, and The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! — were predominately period melodramas fueled by themes of sadism, incest, and misogyny bathed in bottom-of-the-barrel gore effects, filmed on Staten Island (and for a brief period, London) and forever consigned to grindhouse purgatory.

Yet via revealing interviews with a gallery of Milligan’s performers, enablers, co-conspirators, and his biographer – along with copious clips from his deranged oeuvre – a portrait emerges of a gutter auteur who battled and antagonized his own demons to become one of the most transgressive outsider artists of the 20th century.

Interview subjects include Gerald Jaccuzo, Hope Stansbury, Jimmy McDonough, Stephen Thrower, Sam Sherman, John Borske, Robert Berlin, Ken Lane, Bob Likola, and Alex DiSanto, along with excerpts from a recently discovered interview with Milligan himself — the only one known to exist.

Joining The Degenerate at Tribeca 2025 are the “re-premieres” of two lost Milligan films, newly remastered in 2K by Severin: 1967’s The Degenerates and 1968’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

The post ‘The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan’ Documents Exploitation Trailblazer [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

1977’s Last Cannibal World (also known as Jungle Holocaust, The Last Survivor, and Cannibal) is directed by Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust).

It has been newly restored in 4K from the uncut original camera negative with HDR10 and English and Italian mono audio options.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Director Ruggero Deodato, Moderated By Freak-O-Rama’s Federico Caddeo
• Jungle Fever – Interview With Assistant Director Lamberto Bava
• The Queen Of The Cannibals – Interview With Actress Me Me Lai
• Man Eat Man – Interview With Actor Massimo Foschi
• Interview With Actor Ivan Rassimov
• Trailer
• TV Spot
• Booklet By Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies

In the rainforests of the Philippines, an oil prospector escapes the clutches of a violent cannibal tribe with a female hostage, then searches for his missing companion and their plane.

Massimo Foschi, Me Me Lai, and Ivan Rassimov star. Tito Carpi (Tentacles), Gianfranco Clerici (Cannibal Holocaust), and Renzo Genta penned the script.

1978’s Slave of the Cannibal God (also known as Prisoner of the Cannibal God) is directed by Sergio Martino (Torso).

It has been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative with HDR10 and English and Italian mono audio options.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies
• In The Jungle – Interview With Director Sergio Martino
• Unabated – Interview With Camera Operator Claudio Morabito
• Adventure Of A Lifetime – Interview With Production Designer Antonello Geleng
• Brothers In Arms – Interview With Antonello Geleng And Special Effects Artist Paolo Ricci
• Dangerous Liaison – Archival Interview With Actor Stacy Keach
• Trailer

A woman is aided by her brother, a professor, and an explorer as they search the jungles of New Guinea for her anthropologist husband, who vanished near a mountain that is said to be cursed.

Ursula Andress, Stacy Keach, Claudio Cassinelli, and Antonio Marsina star. Martino co-wrote the script with Cesare Frugoni.

The post ‘Last Cannibal World,’ ‘Slave of the Cannibal God’ Take a Bite Out of 4K UHD from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Not to be confused with Tobe Hooper’s 1976 horror film of the same name, this is the 1980 Italian cannibal gorefest from writer-director Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox).

It has been newly scanned in 4K from the color reversal intermediate. It’s presented in HDR with English and Italian mono audio options.

Over four hours of special features are included:

• Audio Commentary With Film Historians Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth
• Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi
• Deodato Meats Lenzi – Ruggero Deodato and Lenzi Discuss Their Cannibal Films
• Me Me Lai Bites Back – Feature Documentary On The Queen Of Cannibal Movies
• Interview With Production Designer Antonello Geleng
• Interviews With Actors Ivan Rassimov And Robert Kerman
• 2013 Q&A With Umberto Lenzi From The Festival Of Fantastic Films
• Newly Discovered Alternate Footage
• Trailer

A young woman works with a mercenary to search for her sister in the jungles of New Guinea, where they find her living with a cult in an area inhabited by cannibals.

Robert Kerman, Janet Agren, Ivan Rassimov, Paola Senatore, Me Me Lai, Fiamma Maglione, and Mel Ferrer star.

Eaten Alive notably borrows footage from early cannibal films Man from the Deep River (also directed by Lenzi), Last Cannibal World, and The Mountain of the Cannibal God.

The post Umberto Lenzi’s ‘Eaten Alive’ Takes a Bite Out of 4K UHD from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by cult Italian filmmaker Bruno Mattei, both movies have been newly restored in 4K from their original camera negatives.

Also known as Virus and Zombie Creeping Flesh, Hell of the Living Dead is a 1980 zombie film from writers Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2) and José María Cunillés. Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Selan Karay, and José Gras star.

An accident at a chemical plant unleashes a horrific virus, and an elite SWAT team is sent to New Guinea to investigate. But when they arrive on the hellish island, they discover a plague of flesh-eating zombies.

Special Features:

• Go To Hell – Interview With Director Bruno Mattei
• The Beauty And The Zombies – Interview With Actress Margie Newton
• My Big Chance – Interview With Actor Franco Garofalo
• Lt. Mike London Is Back! – Interview With Actor José Gras
• My Son Is A Zombie – Interview With Actor Pep Ballester
• Producing The Apocalypse – Interview With Producer José María Cunillés
• Papua New Guinea In Barcelona – Locations Tour With José Gras
• Peter And The Test Tube Babies’ “Zombie Creeping Flesh” – Interview With Punk Singer Peter Bywaters
• Trailer

1984’s Rats: Night of Terror is a post-apocalyptic horror film written by Fragasso and Hervé Piccini (Devil Fish). Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, Geretta Geretta, Massimo Vanni, and Gianni Franco star.

In the year 225 A.B. (After the Bomb), a group of dystopian bikers discover an abandoned research laboratory filled with food, water… and thousands of rats. But these are no ordinary vermin; these are super-intelligent mutant rodents with a ravenous appetite for human flesh.

Special Features:

• Mad Rats: The Making Of A Cult – Interviews With Co-Writer/Uncredited Co-Director Claudio Fragasso; Actors Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, Massimo Vanni, Ann-Gisel Glass And Jean-Christophe Brétignière; Composer Luigi Ceccarelli; And Still Photographer Gianni Leacche
• Of Rats And Men – Interview With Director Bruno Mattei
• Richard And The Rats – Interview With Actor Ottaviano Dell’Acqua
• Chocolate And Rats – Interview With Actress Geretta Geretta
• Last Rat Standing – Interview With Actor Gianni Franco
• Rats Dance – Interview With Composer Luigi Ceccarelli
• Bruno And Claudio, I Knew Them Well – Interview With Executive Producer Roberto Di Girolamo
• Bonded By Blood – Retrospective Making-Of With Co-Writer/Uncredited Co-Director Claudio Fragasso And Actors Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, Franco Garofalo, Margie Newton And Massimo Vanni
• “Under The Black Sky” Music Video With Geretta Geretta
• Trailer

The post Bruno Mattei’s ‘Hell of the Living Dead’ & ‘Rats: Night of Terror’ Hit 4K UHD via Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The 2012 Canadian body horror film has been newly scanned in 4K from the 35mm protection internegative, supervised by Cronenberg and cinematographer Karim Hussain, with Dolby Vision.

Get Out‘s Caleb Landry Jones stars with Sarah Gadon, Douglas Smith, Joe Pingue, Nicholas Campbell, Sheila McCarthy, Wendy Crewson, and Malcolm McDowell.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Brandon Cronenberg and Director of Photography Karim Hussain
• Anatomy of a Virus – Making-of Featurette
• Reviving a Dead Cell – Brandon Cronenberg and Karim Hussain Discuss the Restoration
• Brandon Cronenberg: A First-Time Director’s Vision
• The Design of Antiviral – Interview with Production Designer Arvinder Greywal
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Brandon Cronenberg and Karim Hussain
• First Meeting with Actors Caleb Landry Jones and Sarah Gadon
• Manufacturing Celebrity – EPK with Cast and Crew
• Broken Tulips – 2008 Short Film by Brandon Cronenberg
• Trailer

In the film, “Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones) is a top sales representative for The Lucas Clinic, which harvests exclusive infections from celebrities for injection into obsessed fans. But in a near future consumed by the possibilities of biological communion, will Syd himself pay a horrific price for the toxicity of fame?”

Brad Miska wrote in his review, “The expectations may have been unfairly high (being the son of a legend demands some sort of competence), yet [Cronenberg] surpasses them by delivering a deep, engaging, and beautifully shot art house horror film.”

The post Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Antiviral’ Infects 4K Ultra HD from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Severin Summer Sale…

Opera

In my eyes — held open with needles, of course — Opera is Argento’s last true masterpiece. While the Italian maestro attained fleeting moments of greatness later in his oeuvre (The Stendhal Syndrome, Two Evil Eyes, both of his Masters of Horror episodes), Opera is the last of his efforts that can hold its own alongside his earlier, career-defining work like Suspiria, Deep Red, Tenebrae, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.

Co-written by Argento and frequent collaborator Franco Ferrini (Phenomena, Demons), the giallo stars Cristina Marsillach as Betty, a young opera singer whose big break sets off a chain of deadly events at the hands of a masked stalker. The cast includes Urbano Barberini (Demons) as the officer on the case, Ian Charleson (Chariots of Fire) as the eccentric opera director, Daria Nicolodi (Deep Red) as Betty’s agent, William McNamara (Copycat) as Betty’s boyfriend, and Argento protege Michael Soavi (Cemetery Man) as an inspector.

Lucio Fulci may be Italy’s indisputable king of ocular trauma, but Opera features a truly harrowing motif in which Betty’s eyes are held open with needles to force her to watch her friends get eviscerated by the perverse killer. A highlight of Opera — one of Argento’s most suspenseful sequences in a career full of cast-and-mouse tension — kicks off with vision-impairing eye drops and culminates with a peephole gunshot that predates similar scenes in Hard Target and Saw II.

It’s not unusual for music to be erratic or even incongruent with the visuals in an Argento film, but Opera features his most eclectic soundtrack. It combines prog rock from Goblin mastermind Claudio Simonetti (Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead), atmospheric ambience from electronic music pioneer Brian Eno and brother Roger Eno, space rock from Terry Taylor and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, heavy metal from headbangers Steel Grave, and actual opera music.

Severin delivers the definitive release of Opera with a five-disc box set. Both the 107-minute director’s cut and the 96-minute U.S. theatrical version have been newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negatives, packaged in a webstore-exclusive slipcover alongside 12 hours (!) of special features, a soundtrack CD, and a booklet written by Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies’ Claire Donner.

Special features include: commentary by actress Cristina Marsillach; commentary by film historians Alan Jones and Kim Newman; commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth; interviews with Argento, Ferrini, Marsillach, actors Urbano Barberini, Antonella Vitale, and Daria Nicolodi, composer Claudio Simonetti, and special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti; and more.

Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts

As if Opera wasn’t enough, Argento completists can also get their hands on Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts. The four-disc set consists of the filmmaker’s rare Italian television work, including Door Into Darkness, a 1973 four-part anthology series featuring episodes helmed by Argento and Luigi Cozzi (Starcrash), along with Dario Argento’s Nightmares, an ’80s variety/talk show, and Night Shift murder-mystery segments directed by Cozzi and Lamberto Bava (Demons).

Three of the four Door Into Darkness episodes have been sourced from the original 16mm negatives for the first time, Dario Argento’s Nightmares has been scanned from recently discovered film elements, and the Night Shift segments has been newly digitized from broadcast masters.

Among the eight hours of special features are commentaries on two Door Into Darkness episodes by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth; Dario Argento: My Cinema; Dario Argento: Master of Horror; and interviews with Argento, Cozzi, Bava, writer Dardano Sacchetti (The Beyond), and actress Antonella Vitale.

2020 Texas Gladiators

The worldwide success of The Road Warrior spawned a genre unto itself in Italy. 2020 Texas Gladiators is among the most unhinged of the post-apocalyptic knock-offs — just as one might expect from director Joe D’Amato (Anthropophagus, Beyond the Darkness) and frequent collaborator George Eastman.

The plot, thin yet convoluted, finds a band of warriors defending a peaceful settlement from a gang of doomsday biker neo-Nazis, yielding a high body count. The Texas setting, despite looking nothing like the Lone Star state, lends itself to the film’s Spaghetti western sensibilities. Italian exploitation regulars Al Cliver (Zombie), Sabrina Siani (Conquest), Peter Hooten (Orca), Geretta Geretta (Demons), and Donald O’Brien (Zombie Holocaust) star.

2020 Texas Gladiators has been newly scanned in 4K from the original uncut negative. The three disc set includes the film on 4K UHD and Blu-ray along with a soundtrack CD from composer Carlo Maria Cordio (Troll 2). Special features include: Shoot Me: The Real Story Of The Italian Texas Gladiators with D’Amato, Cliver, Montefiori, and assistant director Michele Soavi; an interview with Geretta; and the trailer.

The Mad Bomber

The Mad Bomber is a departure for Bert I. Gordon, the B-movie filmmaker behind the likes of Empire of the Ants, The Food of the Gods, Earth vs. the Spider, and The Amazing Colossal Man. Also known as The Police Connection and Detective Geronimo, the 1973 crime shocker is decidedly sleazier than his campy creature features for which Gordon is known.

Following in the footsteps of Dirty Harry, the film follows a frenzied detective (Vince Edwards, Return to Horror High) as he tracks down a depraved rapist (Neville Brand, The Ninth Configuration) in an effort to identify a domestic terrorist (Chuck Connors, Tourist Trap) mercilessly blowing apart Los Angeles.

The Mad Bomber has been newly scanned in 4K from the internegative for the first time. Special features include: commentary by House of Psychotic Women author Kier-La Janisse with retired bomb squad detective Mike Digby; isolated score; audio interview with Gordon; interview with actress Cynthia MacAdams; Patricia Gordon Remembers Her Father; locations featurette; TV spots, and a booklet written by Andy Turner.

Other new releases include: 1968 Brazilian underground crime thriller The Red Light Bandit; 1969 monster mashup The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals with classic horror favorite John Carradine; 1975 French adult noir Don’t Change Hands; 1977 politically-charged survival thriller A Dog Called… Vengeance starring The Exorcist‘s Jason Miller; 1977 transgressive Spanish film The Creature; and 2021 arthouse mystery Simple Like Silver starring Opera‘s Cristina Marsillach.

The sale also sees the debut of standalone versions of 1982’s The Last Horror Film, which reunites Maniac‘s Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro, and 1964 Italian gothic horror film Castle of Blood, plus limited edition bundles, new Opera and 2020 Texas Gladiators shirts, new Severin merch, 50% off most stickers, 30% off most apparel and drinkware, 25% off most enamel pins, and more.

On Saturday only, select box sets will be discounted by up to 55%, including All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror, The Complete Lenzi/Baker Giallo Collection, The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection, Cushing Curiosities, House of Psychotic Women Rarities Collection, Danza Macabre: The Italian Gothic Collection, Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection, and Wings of Disaster: The Birdemic Trilogy.

Shop Severin’s summer sale now. Need further convincing?

Check out this exclusive Opera clip…

The post Severin’s Summer Sale – Full Lineup of New Releases Includes Dario Argento’s ‘Opera’ & More appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Severin will be releasing “eleven Special Edition physical discs of the most popular Originals and licensed features from horror subscription streamer Shudder and IFC Films.”

The following titles have been announced thus far…

• Joko Anwar’s Satan’s Slaves
• Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral
• Can Evrenol’s Baskin
• Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac (2012)
• Douglas Buck’s Sisters (2006)
• André Øvredal’s The Autopsy of Jane Doe

“The work done at Severin Films is astounding,” said Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman. “They are directly responsible for some of the greatest home video releases ever and seeing a selection of our Shudder and IFC Films gems get the treatment is a delight.”

Stay tuned for more from Shudder, IFC and Severin in the coming months.

‘Maniac’ (2012)

The post Shudder and IFC Joining Forces with Severin for Blu-ray Releases of Horror Favorites appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Dario Argento protégé Michele Soavi directs from a script by Gianni Romoli, based on the 1991 novel Dellamorte Dellamore by Tiziano Sclavi — itself a precursor to Sclavi’s influential Italian horror comic Dylan Dog. Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding), on whom the Dylan Dog character was visually based, takes on the lead role as Francesco Dellamorte.

As he explains in the noir-esque opening narration, Dellamorte is the watchman for a small town cemetery wherein “some people, on the seventh night after their death, come back to life.” He and his slow-witted but genial assistant, Gnaghi (François Hadji-Lazaro), are tasked with stopping the so-called returners by splitting open their heads.

While there is somewhat of an overarching narrative involving Dellamorte’s enamorment with a mourning widow (Anna Falchi), the manner in which subplots are introduced and resolved give the film an episodic structure. The collection of ghoulish misadventures range from undead boy scouts, bikers and nuns to a murderous descent into madness.

Soavi clearly took heed of Argento’s visual acumen while serving under the master of horror on the likes of Tenebrae, Phenomena, and Opera. Working with cinematographer Mauro Marchetti, production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng (Cannibal Holocaust, City of the Living Dead), and special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti (Phenomena, Demons), Soavi marries the beautiful and the macabre in every stylish frame.

Comedy is the other predominant factor in the equation. Dellamorte possesses Army of Darkness-era Ash swagger as he disposes of not-quite-zombies, but Soavi’s European sense of humor is more dry than Sam Raimi’s signature style. Soavi is not above splatstick, but it never undercuts the carefully crafted Gothic atmosphere. The blend of horror, comedy, and romance is as masterful as Shaun of the Dead, but it’s decidedly hornier. A hint of nightmarish surreality akin to Phantasm helps to balance the tonal tightrope act.

Cemetery Man has been scanned in 4K from the Cinecittà Studios negative, approved by Soavi, with Dolby Vision. It features English Dolby Atmos, 5.1, and Stereo sound options, in addition to a Stereo Italian dub. Severin’s transcendent efforts are apparent from the FBI warning that precedes the disc menu, which is interrupted by the film’s floating balls of light. The picture is ravishing no matter the format, but the restoration is so clear that previously imperceptible strings used to puppet some of the effects are now visible.

Soavi, Everett, and Falchi sit down for new interviews totaling nearly 80 minutes. They’re not meandering, career-spanning conversations; each key player offers a deep dive into the film. Soavi details the film’s origin, capturing its unique atmosphere, and how the poetic conclusion came to be at the last minute. Everett recalls his excitement to take on the role and work in Italian cinema and expresses his pride in the film. Falchi details her three roles in the film, including the extensive makeup process.

A thorough, archival audio commentary by Soavi and Romoli is presented in Italian with English subtitles. The creatives examine how they got involved in the project, adapting the source material, how they pulled off in-camera effects, and budgetary limitations, among other topics. An archival making-of featurette, featuring some great behind-the-scenes effects footage along with cast and crew interviews, rounds out the extras.

For the mega-fan, Severin Films offers a limited edition set that includes an additional Blu-ray disc with eight more interviews (Romoli, Marchetti, Stivaletti, actors Fabiana Formica and Stefano Masciarelli, composer Riccardo Biseo, set designer Antonello Geleng, and film historian Alan Jones) and trailers, a soundtrack CD, a booklet written by horror scholar Claire Donner, and an exclusive slipcase.

Despite his horror output being limited to a mere four films (although he remains active in Italian television), Soavi is worthy of being in conversation with Italian maestros like Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Mario Bava. His auspicious earlier efforts — 1987’s StageFright, 1989’s The Church, and 1991’s The Sect — built toward Cemetery Man, a crowning achievement that continues to endure after 30 years.

Cemetery Man is available on 4K UHD + Blu-ray now.

The post ‘Cemetery Man’ 4K Ultra HD Review – 1990s Italian Horror Gem Shines in New Severin Release appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The prologue — which may have inspired Final Destination 2‘s unforgettable opening sequence — was directed by Michael Miller (Silent Rage, Class Reunion) with cinematography by Jan de Bont (Die Hard, Basic Instinct), but Miller was let go by the production after falling behind schedule. He was replaced by TV veteran William Asher (Bewitched, Beach Blanket Bingo), who shot the remainder of the film with Robbie Greenberg (Free Willy, Swamp Thing) as director of photography.

14 years after his parents were killed in an over-the-top car crash, Billy Lynch (Jimmy McNichol, Smokey Bites the Dust) witnesses his infantilizing aunt-turned-guardian, Cheryl Roberts (Susan Tyrrell, Cry-Baby), kill a repair man (William Caskey Swaim, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning) in cold blood. Thus sets into a motion an unhinged exploit of psychosexual horror that would make Oedipus blush.

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker gained notoriety for its status as a “video nasty” in the UK. It was part of the second wave of banned titles, which were not prosecuted but were refused a rating and therefore unable to be released. Unlike most films on the list, it wasn’t gory special effects that was objectionable — although it features some bloodshed courtesy of Allan A. Apone (The Return of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th Part III) — but rather the taboo content.

Screenwriters Steve Breimer, Alan Jay Glueckman, and Boon Collins fearlessly explore homosexuality, incest, and repressed sexuality in their script. Its handling of the sensitive subject matter isn’t exactly sensitive, with the flippant use of inflammatory F-slurs nearing comical levels, but the film was ahead of its time in its empathy for the queer experience in small-town America circa 1980.

McNichol brings his teen idol tenderness to the leading role, but Tyrell steals the movie with her steadfast commitment to the psycho-biddy melodrama. Bo Svenson (The Inglorious Bastards) follows her scenery-chewing lead with an integral role as a bigoted detective. A young Bill Paxton’s (Aliens) charisma oozes off the screen even as in a bully role. Julia Duffy (Newhart) passes for Billy’s high school girlfriend despite being 30 years old.

It’s a marvel of physical media that Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is coming to 4K Ultra HD a mere decade after making its DVD debut (via Code Red, who followed it up with a Blu-ray edition in 2017). Severin Films has newly scanned the film in 4K from the original camera negative, presenting the hidden gem in crystal-clear quality with HDR10.

Three audio commentaries are included: McNichol is joined by film historian Jeff McKay and Code Red’s Bill Olsen for a rather unfocused conversation from the DVD that would have been better suited as an interview. Breimer and Glueckman, moderated by Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, offer considerably more insight into the production on their track from the DVD. The final commentary is a new one with co-producer/unit production manager Eugene Mazzola, joined by Red Shirt Pictures’ Michael Felsher. Mazzola has no shortage of stories from the trenches, and Felsher is one of the best moderators in the business.

Svenson, Greenberg, and editor Ted Nicolaou (Tourist Trap, Ghoulies) sit down for new interviews. Nothing like his odious character, Svenson fondly recalls the production and delves into his approach to the craft. Greenberg looks back on the film with a far greater appreciation now than he did when working on it. Nicolaou offers an interesting perspective on the film and its lasting resonance.

Archival interviews with McNichol, Tyrrell, Breimer, Apone, and actor Steve Eastin (A Man Apart) are also included. If you only watch one special feature, make it Tyrrell’s interview. It’s impossible to tell how much of it is a lark as she channels her character’s manic energy for commentary like “I’d fuck anyone to get out of this movie… except Bo.” The trailer and a TV spot round out the extras.

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker has shades of several influential horrors that came before it — Friday the 13th, Psycho, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — but it’s a wholly unique outing with progressive themes begging for reappraisal. Exploitative though it may be, it taps into the most effective brand of camp: endearing rather than ironic.

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on May 28.

The post ‘Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker’ 4K Review – Why This 1981 Movie Is Begging for Reappraisal appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

‘“The Kings of esoteric boutique companies” (Video WatchBlog) are also proud to release – because Severin co-founder/president David Gregory considers it one of the best films he saw as a jury member at the FrightFest and Sitges Film Festivals – the North American disc premiere of director/co-writer Andrew Legge’s time-travel mind-bender, LOLA.

Previous limited edition title SPIDER LABYRINTH also enters wide release.

Here’s everything you need to know about Severin’s February 2024 lineup…

HOT SPUR

Having struck gold with shockumentaries like ECCO and MONDO BIZARRO, producer Bob Cresse and writer/director Lee Frost applied their distinctive sleaze aesthetic to a revenge western they advertised as “91 minutes of Freudian fury!” It would soon redefine the ‘roughie,’ be named one of the Top Ten Movies of 1969 by conservative publication National Review, and become one of the most notorious exploitation films in history. Joseph Mascolo (DAYS OF OUR LIVES), Virginia Gordon (THE ANIMAL) and John Alderman (TRADER HORNEE) star in this infamous Olympic International hit now scanned uncut in 4K from the recently rediscovered negative, with Special Features from the Something Weird archive that include the 1963 Frost/Cresse stripper epic HOLLYWOOD’S WORLD OF FLESH and the 1968 nudie-cutie short THE CASTING DIRECTOR starring Bob Cresse and directed by David F. Friedman.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin, Severin Films’ Andrew Furtado And Bob Cresse Friend/Former Something Weird General Manager Tim Lewis

• Recently Discovered Audio Discussion On Frost/Cresse By David F. Friedman And Something Weird Founder Mike Vraney

• HOLLYWOOD’S WORLD OF FLESH – Early Frost/Cresse Feature

• THE CASTING DIRECTOR – Rare Short Starring Bob Cresse, Directed By David F. Friedman

• Theatrical Trailer

• Teaser

THE SCAVENGERS

One year after HOT SPUR forever changed exploitation cinema, writer/producer Bob Cresse and director Lee Frost fused their sex and violence template with the cultural chaos of 1969, then defiled it all in a raw orgy of nihilistic brutality: When a renegade Confederate detachment invades a frontier town, they’ll spark a rampage of sadism, racism, violation and vengeance that still has the power to shock audiences more than half a century later. John Bliss (THE THING WITH TWO HEADS), Maria Lease (LOVE CAMP 7), Bruce Kimball (DRIVE-IN MASSACRE) and Uschi Digard (SUPERVIXENS) star in the final unforgettable Cresse/Frost collaboration, now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative recently discovered in a Paris lab and presented in both its Unrated and R-Rated Release Versions.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin, Severin Films’ Andrew Furtado And Temple Of Schlock‘s Chris Poggiali (Unrated Version Only)

• Theatrical Trailer

• Theatrical Trailer (Hot Version)

LOLA

It wowed audiences at Locarno, Edinburgh and FrightFest, and won top prizes at Trieste and Sitges. It’s been hailed as “magnetic” (Los Angeles Times), “masterful” (Indiewire) and “deeply disturbing” (Horror Cult Films). Now this “one-of-a-kind gem” (Cinemacy) can be discovered by genre fans everywhere: The year is 1941, and brilliant UK sisters Thomasina (Emma Appleton of THE KILLING KIND) and Martha (Stefanie Martini of PRIME SUSPECT 1973) have created a device that intercepts broadcasts from the future. Besides revealing the coming glories of rock & roll, the invention – which they call ‘Lola’ – also allows them to alter the course of World War II. But will their unmaking of history provoke a lifetime of shocking consequences? Rory Fleck Byrne (THIS IS GOING TO HURT) co-stars in the ingenious debut feature from director/co-writer Andrew Legge that Horror Buzz calls “a bracing sci-fi mind-bender that reminds you why you like movies.”

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Andrew Legge And Producer Alan Maher

• The Making of LOLA

• Outtake – Remember Tomorrow

• Short Films By Andrew Legge

  • THE GIRL WITH THE MECHANICAL MAIDEN (2012)

  • THE UNUSUAL INVENTIONS OF HENRY CAVENDISH (2005)

• Trailer

SPIDER LABYRINTH

For more than three decades, the remarkable debut feature – and sole horror film – by award-winning director Gianfranco Giagni has been one of the most elusive Italian horror titles in home video history…until now: When an American professor is sent to Budapest to complete a mysterious research project, he’ll become ensnared in a mind-bending web of sexual provocation, occult carnage and arachnidian havoc. Roland Wybenga, William Berger (FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON) and Stéphane Audran (FACELESS) star in this “invaluable contribution to ‘80s Italian Horror” (Screen Rant) featuring unnerving special effects by Sergio Stivaletti (CEMETERY MAN), now scanned in 4K from the original vault negative at Cinecittà with over 4 hours of new Special Features for the first time ever.

Special Features: 

• Audio Commentary With Dr. Will Dodson, Professor of Rhetoric And Media Studies, And Ryan Verrill, Host of The Disc Connected

• Caught In A Web – Interview With Director Gianfranco Giagni

• Arachne – Interview With Screenwriter Gianfranco Manfredi

• All The Colors Of A Spider – Interview With Cinematographer Nino Celeste

• Smile Of The Spider Woman – Interview With Actress Paola Rinaldi

• Death In Stop Motion – Interview With Special FX Artist Sergio Stivaletti

• Web Of The Weird – Placing SPIDER LABYRINTH In The Weird Genre With Dr. Will Dodson, Ryan Verrill And Erica Shultz, Author Of The Sweetest Taboo: An Unapologetic Guide To Child Kills In Film

• Trailer

The post February Lineup from Severin Films Includes ‘Hot Spur,’ ‘Scavengers’ and Time Travel Mind Bender ‘Lola’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For January, Severin presents the ultimate version of Jess Franco’s 1972 mash-up DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN; the rarely-seen Ozploitation slasher BLOODMOON, complete with infamous ‘Fright Break Challenge’; and Andrea Bianchi’s off-the-rails zombie carnage classic BURIAL GROUND, now in eye-popping, flesh-ripping 4K.

To further celebrate everyone’s favorite shambling Etruscans, an all-new BURIAL GROUND t-shirt and Michael Pillowcase will be available in two of this month’s bundles.

January also brings much-requested wide-release versions of previously limited-edition titles — Frank Henenlotter’s black comedy shocker BAD BIOLOGY, controversial ‘80s sleaze classic NIGHTMARE and Lucio Fulci’s giallo masterpiece THE PSYCHIC — all fully restored in 4K UHD.

DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN: Inspired by Universal’s 1940s monster mash-ups, writer/director Jess Franco instead delivered “a weird and wonderful masterpiece that transports you to a world like no other” (Scream Magazine): With minimal dialogue and maximum gothic atmosphere, Franco crafts a fever dream of erotic horror in which Count Dracula (Howard Vernon of DELICATESSEN), Dr. Frankenstein (Dennis Price of TWINS OF EVIL), his assistant Morpho and Frankenstein’s monster battle gypsies, showgirls, Dr. Seward and a wolfman. Alberto Dalbés (THE EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN), Carmen Yazalde (A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD) and Geneviève Robert (star of Franco’s DEVIL’S ISLAND LOVERS and the future Mrs. Ivan Reitman) co-star in “a fantastic experience for those who respect Franco’s demented vision” (Mondo Exploito), now scanned in 4K from Spanish, French and German release prints to create the longest and most comprehensive version known to exist. 

BLOODMOON: Though it arrived near the end of the cycle, it remains the most satisfyingly depraved – yet least-seen – old-school slasher in Ozploitation history: Someone is butchering students at St. Elizabeth’s Girls School, complete with gratuitous nudity, graphic gore, obnoxious teens, creepy cuckolds, barbed wire garroting, ‘80s Aussie glam-metal band Vice, an acid-flinging nun and heaps more. Leon Lissek (COUNTESS DRACULA), Christine Amor (SNAPSHOT) and Helen Thomson (ELVIS) star in the directorial debut of acclaimed UK cameraman/cinematographer Alec Mills (Polanski’s MACBETH, RETURN OF THE JEDI, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS) with a standout score by Brian May (THE ROAD WARRIOR, PATRICK), now scanned uncut in 4K from the negative at The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and complete with ‘The BLOODMOON Fright Break Challenge’ for the first time ever in America.

BURIAL GROUND: For his only foray into the zombie genre, psychosexual sleaze maestro Andrea Bianchi (MALABIMBA: THE MALICIOUS WHORE, STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) unleashed the barrage of flesh-ripping, gut-chomping and depraved oedipal mayhem that set insane new standards in Italian horror, now in UHD for the first time in North America: Mariangela Giordano (of SATAN’S BABY DOLL, THE SECT and PATRICK STILL LIVES fame) stars in the ‘80s splatter classic about a cursed country estate besieged by horny houseguests, undead Etruscans and the unusual relationship between a mother (Giordano) and her mega-creepy young son (disturbingly portrayed by adult actor Peter Bark) that will trigger some of the most jaw-dropping scenes in grindhouse history. Severin Films is improbably proud to present the definitive version of this gorehound/sex-fiend favorite, now featuring an all-new 4K scan and 4 hours of Special Features.

Special Features for DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN

• Webstore Exclusive Slipcover

• Prisoner Of Franco-Stein – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema Of Jesús Franco

• In The Land Of Franco Part 10

• Spanish Opening Credit Sequence

• Deleted Scene From English Language Version

• Trailer

Feature Specs for DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN

• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

• Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono, Spanish Mono, German Mono, French Mono

• Subtitles: English

• Closed Captions: English SDH

• Region: A/B/C

Special Features for BLOODMOON

• Film Buffs Forecast Audio Interview With Actor Leon Lissek Conducted In 2000 By Paul Harris And Mark Hartley

• Interview With Actress Christine Amor From NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD

• Trailer

• Fright Break Trailer

Feature Specs for BLOODMOON

• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

• Audio: English Mono

• Closed Captions: English SDH

• Region: A

Special Features for BURIAL GROUND:

Disc 1: UHD

• Slipcase

• Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani

• Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin

• Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2: Blu-ray

• Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani

• Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin

• Villa Parisi: Legacy Of Terror – Location Featurette

• Return To The Burial Ground – Interview With Actor Peter Bark At Villa Parisi

• Peter Still Lives – Festival Q&A With Peter Bark

• Just For The Money – Interview With Actor Simone Mattioli

• The Smell Of Death – Interviews With Producer Gabriele Crisanti And Actress Mariangela Giordano

• Deleted/Extended Material

• Theatrical Trailer

Feature Specs for BURIAL GROUND:

• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

• Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono

• Subtitles: English 

• Closed Captions: English SDH

• Region: A/B/C

Head over to Severin Films to place your pre-orders and learn more.

The post Severin’s January Lineup Includes ‘Burial Ground’ 4K Ultra HD Debut, an Australian Slasher Gem & More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s been called “stylish and gruesome” (Washington Post), “grotesque and touching” (AV Club) and “an experience unlike any other” (Bloody Disgusting). Now this magnum opus by director Michele Soavi – “the best Italian horror film of the ‘90s” (Fangoria) – can be experienced fully restored in UHD for the very first time.

Rupert Everett stars as cemetery watchman Francesco Dellamorte, tasked with dispatching the recently deceased when they rise from their graves. But when he falls in love with a beautiful young widow (Anna Falchi), will his resurrected lust for life become greater than his bond with death?

François Hadji-Lazaro co-stars in the finest erotic romantic existential black comedy zombie gorefest of our time, with a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the Cinecittà negative and over 6 hours of Special Features – including new interviews with Soavi and Everett– plus the remastered extended soundtrack and more.

The full Special Features package includes…

Disc 1: 4K UHD (Feature + Special Features)

• Audio Commentary By Director Michele Soavi And Screenwriter Gianni Romoli
• Trailers

Disc 2: Blu-ray (Feature + Special Features)

• Audio Commentary By Director Michele Soavi And Screenwriter Gianni Romoli
• At The Graves – Interview With Michele Soavi
• Of Love And Death – Interview With Actor Rupert Everett
• She – Interview With Actress Anna Falchi
• Archival Making-Of

Disc 3: Blu-ray (Additional Special Features)

• A Matter Of Life And Death – Interview With Gianni Romoli
• Graveyard Shift – Interview With Cinematographer Mauro Marchetti
• Head Over Heels – Interview With Actress Fabiana Formica
• The Living Dead Mayor – Interview With Actor Stefano Masciarelli
• The Music From The Underground – Interview With Composer Riccardo Biseo
• Resurrection – Interview With Special FX Artist Sergio Stivaletti
• Cemetery Gates – Interview with Set Designer Antonello Geleng
• Grave Encounters – Interview With Alan Jones, Author Of Profondo Argento
• Trailers

Disc 4: Soundtrack CD

• Exclusive Booklet By Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies
• Wrap and Slipcase Artwork by Eric Lee

In this exclusive sneak peek at the bonus features package, Rupert Everett fondly reflects on Cemetery Man decades after its release. “It really is one of the most successful endeavors of this type,” Everett says in the below clip. “It’s completely unique. I don’t know another film that is like it. It’s really one of the films that I’ve took part in that I’m really, really proud of.”

You can grab the 4-disc set or the deluxe “That’s Dellamore Bundle” from Severin Films now!

The post ‘Cemetery Man’ – Rupert Everett Reflects as Severin Brings the 1990s Horror Movie to 4K Ultra HD [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Halloween Print from Jason Edmiston

For those who can’t make it Pasadena for this weekend’s Halloween: 45 Years of Terror convention, Jason Edmiston is bringing some of the celebration to you. The artist’s Halloween 36×24 timed edition screen print is available online for $75 until Monday, October 2, at 12pm EST.

No One Will Save You Vinyl Soundtrack from Waxwork Records

Everyone from Stephen King to Guillermo del Toro has been praising Brian Duffield’s No One Will Save You since it debuted on Hulu last week. Now the film’s original soundtrack is invading vinyl from Waxwork Records.

Composed by Joseph Trapanese (The Witcher, Oblivion, The Raid: Redemption), the score is pressed on 180-gram “Invasion” (midnight blue and white swirl) colored vinyl.

The album is housed in a gatefold jacket with matte satin coating and a 12×12 insert. Priced at $28, it’s expected to ship in January.

Doctor Butcher M.D. 4K Ultra HD from Severin Films

Doctor Butcher M.D. / Zombie Holocaust will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on November 28 via Severin Films. Both the original 1980 Italian cut and the 1982 US re-edit have been scanned in 4K from original vault elements and are presented with Dolby Vision/HDR.

Marino Girolami directs from a script by Romano Scandariato (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals). Ian McCulloch, Alexandra Delli Colli, Sherry Buchanan, Peter O’Neal, and Donald O’Brien star.

The four-disc set comes with a slipcover and reversible artwork. It carries over four hours of special features, including interviews with cast, crew, and film historians, film location tours, a segment from an unfinished horror anthology film, and more.

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror Toys from Super7

Super 7 has launched pre-orders for another wave of The Simpsons ReAction Figures dedicated to Treehouse of Horror. Due out in October, the 3.75″ scale retro-style toys are $20 each.

This wave includes Toupee Homer (with corkscrew heart) from “Hell Toupee,” Witch Marge (with broomstick) from “Easy-Bake Coven,” Nightmare Willie (with rake) from “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace,” and Hugo Simpson (with drink glass and plate of fish heads) from “The Thing and I.”

April Fool’s Day Soundtrack from Varèse Sarabande

From composer Charles Bernstein (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Cujo), April Fool’s Day’s original motion picture soundtrack is available on vinyl for $33 via Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings.

This expanded 2xLP deluxe edition includes the original orchestral score for the first time along with the synthesized version of the soundtrack and five previously unreleased bonus tracks from Bernstein’s archives.

The album is pressed on “Killer Crimson” colored vinyl, limited to 500. Standard black is also available. It’s housed in a jacket with liner notes by musician Brian Satterwhite. It’s expected to ship the week of November 10.

Relic VHS from Witter Entertainment

Bonus item for shameless self promotion! Broke Horror Fan presents Relic on VHS, on sale today at 9am PST/12pm EST via Witter Entertainment.

Emily Mortimer (Scream 3), Robyn Nevin (The Matrix Reloaded), and Bella Heathcote (The Neon Demon) star in the 2020 psychological horror film.

It arrives on VHS in slipcase packaging, limited to 100. Each tape includes exclusive introductions by director/co-writer Natalie Erika James, co-writer Christian White, and cinematographer Charlie Sarroff.

For optimal VHS viewing, the film has been cropped from its original aspect ratio to 4:3 full frame. It is officially licensed from Shout Factory and has been approved by James.

For more merch madness, peruse the Killer Collectibles archives. You can also visit Broke Horror Fan.

The post 5 of This Week’s Coolest Horror Collectibles Including New ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Toys appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

CUSHING CURIOSITIES, releasing August 29, presents 6-discs of rarely seen feature films and television broadcasts restored and scanned from original vault sources, plus a curated plethora of Special Features that celebrate Cushing’s unique career like never before.

From Hammer Films to STAR WARS, he remains one of genre films’ best-loved actors. Now celebrate six of the most unexpected, rarely seen and decidedly curious performances from the legendary career of PETER CUSHING: Cushing delivers a rare villain turn in the 1960 aviation thriller CONE OF SILENCE. That same year, Cushing brought gentle dignity to The Boulting Brothers’ cold-war drama SUSPECT. In 1962’s THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED, Cushing co-stars opposite Stanley Baker as a former Nazi hiding a grave post-war secret.

Cushing returns to his iconic role of SHERLOCK HOLMES in these six surviving episodes of the 1968 BBC-TV series. The oft-maligned 1971 shocker BLOODSUCKERS can now be reassessed for the first time in its Restored Extended Version. And Cushing portrays a vampire for the first and only time in 1974’s off-the-wall erotic comedy TENDER DRACULA, premiering here in its Director’s Cut. Each disc has been mastered from original vault elements with over 16 total hours of trailers, commentaries, vintage interviews, location features and more, plus the all-new 200-page book PETER CUSHING: A PORTRAIT IN SIX SKETCHES by award-winning horror film historian Jonathan Rigby.

Here’s the full breakdown of everything included in the set…

CONE OF SILENCE: In one of his rare villain roles – and hailed by the British Film Institute as one of his “10 Essential Films” – Peter Cushing stars as an arrogant pilot who attempts to undermine the investigation into the cause of an airline disaster. Oscar® winner George Sanders (PSYCHOMANIA), Oscar® nominee Michael Craig (TURKEY SHOOT), Elizabeth Seal (VAMPIRE CIRCUS), André Morell (THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES) and Bernard Lee (‘M’ in the James Bond films) co-star in “a film that still resonates today” (Shades of Gray) directed by former Hitchcock editor and Academy Award® nominee Charles Frend (THE CRUEL SEA) – released in America as TROUBLE IN THE SKY and inspired by true events – now featuring a new 2K scan from the dupe negative by the BFI and three hours of rare interviews, newsreels and more. 

SUSPECT/THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED: Peter Cushing delivered two of his finest non-horror performances in these early ‘60s dramas: In SUSPECT, Peter Cushing leads a team of research biologists who may be plotting to sell government secrets to a foreign power. Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen (IDENTIKIT) and Spike Milligan co-star in this “damn good thriller” (Shameless Self Expression) produced and directed by The Boulting Brothers (BRIGHTON ROCK). THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED sees Cushing in one of his most sinister roles as the family friend of a jazz pianist (Stanley Baker) who uncovers a post-war conspiracy of suspicious deaths, switched identities and a shocking Nazi past. Mai Zetterling (THE WITCHES), and Nigel Green (THE SKULL) co-star in this stylish suspense thriller directed by Quentin Lawrence (THE TROLLENBERG TERROR), with both films scanned in 2K from the original negatives by Studio Canal.

SHERLOCK HOLMES (1968): Having first portrayed the legendary detective for Hammer Films in 1959, Peter Cushing enthusiastically returned to the role of Sherlock Holmes for this 1968 BBC television series co-starring Nigel Stock (THE LOST CONTINENT) as Dr. Watson. Though most of the shows were forever lost, these six surviving episodes – including the two-part The Hound of The Baskervilles adapted by award-winning playwright Hugh Leonard – showcase Cushing at his elementary best, with guest stars that include Madge Ryan (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), Ann Bell (THE WITCHES), Nick Tate (SPACE: 1999) and Gary Raymond (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS). This definitive presentation of SHERLOCK HOLMES – which also includes the classic cases A Study in Scarlet, The Blue Carbuncle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery and The Sign of Four – is now scanned from BBC tape protection masters. 

BLOODSUCKERS: Perhaps the most maligned and misunderstood horror film of Peter Cushing’s career, this notorious 1971 shocker can now be re-evaluated via the longest version ever assembled: When a brilliant young Oxford professor disappears while researching in Greece, his mentor (Cushing) launches an investigation that will trigger a nightmare of ritual sacrifice, sadomasochistic perversion, deranged academia and one of the most unique takes on vampirism in genre history. Patrick Macnee (THE AVENGERS), Alex Davion (THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES) and Edward Woodward (THE WICKER MAN) co-star in this infamous drama directed by Robert Hartford-Davis (CORRUPTION) – originally known as INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED in the UK and FREEDOM SEEKERS in the US – now scanned in 2K from the original negative with additional elements from a recently discovered 35mm vault print – including the uncut psychedelic orgy sequence – for the first time ever. 

TENDER DRACULA: Never before available on disc in North America, the first and only film in which Peter Cushing portrayed a vampire is also the most unapologetically bizarre movie of his entire career: When horror’s biggest star (Cushing) announces his retirement from the genre, two dimwit screenwriters and a pair of sexy actresses are dispatched to the actor’s castle for a lavish farce d’horreur érotique of violence, whippings, orgies, tender romance and a devilishly dignified performance by Cushing, even while spanking the bare bottom of French starlet Miou-Miou. Alida Valli (SUSPIRIA, EYES WITHOUT A FACE) and Bernard Menez (DRACULA AND SON) co-star in the sole feature film directed by award-winning producer Pierre Grunstein (TESS, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) – also released as CONFESSIONS OF A BLOOD DRINKER and THE BIG SCARE – now restored by Pathé, scanned in 2K from the original Paris vault negative and authorized by the director.

For full Special Features info – and to pre-order your copy – head over to Severin Films.

The post Cushing Curiosities: Severin Announces 6-Disc Peter Cushing Set Loaded with Movies and Teleplays appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This morning, Bloody Disgusting is exclusively debuting the film’s trailer. 

Severin teases, “Eerie, haunting and stunningly shot – To Fire You Come At Last will take you on a journey that you might not be expecting, a must-watch.”

Watch the trailer below and read on for everything you need to know…

“In rural 17th century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. A great deal of ancient folklore and superstition surrounds the route to the church, and several of the men are afraid to walk it after dark. Squire Marlow, the grieving father of the dead man, promises to double their wages if they agree to make the journey.

“The group comprises of Holt, a young carpenter from the local village, who was also the best friend of the deceased; Ransley, a drunken peasant; Pike, the Squire’s thuggish manservant; and the Squire himself. As they set out on the walk, their conversation quickly becomes argumentative, and even violent. In the course of their quarrelling, it is gradually revealed that Ransley and Holt had each wronged the dead man, and Squire Marlow threatens them with retribution upon their return to the village. 

“After the sun sets, they begin to be plagued by a series of unexplained events. An unseen hound – according to legend, an omen of ill fortune – seems to be following them, and Ransley starts to catch glimpses of what appears to be a spectral figure. Panic quickly sets in amongst the group, despite the Squire’s increasingly brutal attempts to maintain order. As the darkness closes in around them and further revelations come to light, the men eventually come to realise they may be the victims of a mysterious plot. But just who is behind the plot, and why? And will any of them survive to see the following dawn?”

Kier-La Janisse and Evrim Ersoy are producers on the film.

Sean Hogan is a writer and filmmaker based in the UK. His feature film credits include the critically-acclaimed The Devil’s Business, The Borderlands, and the documentary Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD. He has also published several books of cinema metafiction, including England’s Screaming and its sequel Twilight’s Last Screaming (both named as one of the five best genre novels of their year by The Financial Times). In addition, he co-created (with writer Kim Newman) the anthology plays The Hallowe’en Sessions and its follow-up, The Ghost Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, directing both their West End runs. He is currently developing a number of film and television projects and preparing a new novel.

The post ‘To Fire You Come at Last’ Trailer – Severin Films Presenting This Folk Horror Movie at FrightFest appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Severin Films Super Shock Pop-up Film Festival 2023 is taking place at Brain Dead Studios Theater in West Hollywood on August 19, and tickets are available now!

The event will feature THREE exclusive mystery preview screenings of upcoming Severin disc releases that haven’t yet been announced, along with sneak peek trailers and promos.

“From Severin Films — “primo purveyors of cinematic horror, trash & sleaze” (Dark Side), “the King of esoteric horror boutique companies” (Video Watchdog) and “one of the best labels in physical media” (Polygon) — comes their annual big-screen bacchanal of good movies for bad people (or vice-versa) featuring a mystery triple-feature of skull-punching, brain-melting and eyeball-slapping new titles coming exclusively to Severin Blu-ray/UHD, plus trailers & promos, free Severin swag, the ultimate Severin Merch table, and more.”

Brain Dead Studios is located at 611 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Grab your tickets and learn more.

The post The Severin Films Super Shock Pop-up Film Festival Returns to Hollywood with 3 Exclusive Mystery Screenings appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusively check out the official poster for To Fire You Come at Last below, which comes courtesy of acclaimed artist Candice Tripp. And read on for everything you need to know.

“In rural 17th century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. A great deal of ancient folklore and superstition surrounds the route to the church, and several of the men are afraid to walk it after dark. Squire Marlow, the grieving father of the dead man, promises to double their wages if they agree to make the journey.

“The group comprises of Holt, a young carpenter from the local village, who was also the best friend of the deceased; Ransley, a drunken peasant; Pike, the Squire’s thuggish manservant; and the Squire himself. As they set out on the walk, their conversation quickly becomes argumentative, and even violent. In the course of their quarrelling, it is gradually revealed that Ransley and Holt had each wronged the dead man, and Squire Marlow threatens them with retribution upon their return to the village. 

“After the sun sets, they begin to be plagued by a series of unexplained events. An unseen hound – according to legend, an omen of ill fortune – seems to be following them, and Ransley starts to catch glimpses of what appears to be a spectral figure. Panic quickly sets in amongst the group, despite the Squire’s increasingly brutal attempts to maintain order. As the darkness closes in around them and further revelations come to light, the men eventually come to realise they may be the victims of a mysterious plot. But just who is behind the plot, and why? And will any of them survive to see the following dawn?”

Kier-La Janisse and Evrim Ersoy are producers on the film.

Sean Hogan is a writer and filmmaker based in the UK. His feature film credits include the critically-acclaimed The Devil’s Business, The Borderlands, and the documentary Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD. He has also published several books of cinema metafiction, including England’s Screaming and its sequel Twilight’s Last Screaming (both named as one of the five best genre novels of their year by The Financial Times). In addition, he co-created (with writer Kim Newman) the anthology plays The Hallowe’en Sessions and its follow-up, The Ghost Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, directing both their West End runs. He is currently developing a number of film and television projects and preparing a new novel.

The post ‘To Fire You Come at Last’ Poster – Severin Films Presenting This Folk Horror Movie at FrightFest appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

One of the standout new arrivals this week is the controversial 1981 horror movie Nightmare – also known as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain – now available on 4K Ultra HD from Severin. The 1980s horror film has been scanned from the internegative and various foreign print sources to create the most complete version EVER assembled.

The film’s 4K UHD debut comes complete with a brand new roster of extras, including the first time Tom Savini has gone on camera about his controversial involvement!

Severin is also publishing a 193 page novelization of the film, written by Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold, based on the original screenplay by Romano Scavolini.

Nightmare was famously named one of the “Video Nasties” back in the 1980s, a term associated with a period of panic and censorship in the UK during the rise of popularity of the video cassette. 72 films in total were censored and banned as part of the “Video Nasties” movement, and Severin Films has gotten together top horror experts to rank those 72 titles.

Exclusively being published here on Bloody Disgusting this afternoon is Severin’s definitive ranking of the 72 “Video Nasties,” with insights from multiple experts in this particular field.

The Severin Films team explained in an email to Bloody Disgusting, “As we continue to restore and release Video Nasties as part of our mission statement, it often frustrates us to see so much of the coverage around the phenomenon being reported by those with minimal knowledge of the situation. We decided to conduct our own poll amongst true Nasty experts to bury all the other listicles and copy/paste junk in a deep, dark grave.”

David Gregory, Co-Founder of Severin Films, elaborates, “Unbeknownst to me when I was trying to watch as many of these films as I could on video before they were mercilessly snatched away from us by our government after a couple of blissful years film viewing freedom, untarnished by censor interference from our nanny state, that this list and its bizarre accompanying national scandal would play a major part in my life’s journey. I was only 12 / 13 when the cull happened and to be honest if you’d asked me then I would have stated that it was the most important thing to be concerned about right now as the clock is ticking, far exceeding any school related interest or activity.

“But such an impression it made I’m still here licensing, restoring and releasing these movies when we get the rights or new elements surface and I keep commissioning documentaries about them or subjects relating to them and this peculiar era of Britishness. So when I see that ridiculous “Video nasties ranked!” clickbait article resurfacing time and again due to natural selection in my social algorithms I get irked. The occasion of our re-release of NIGHTMARE(S IN A DAMAGED BRAIN) and Sarah Appleton’s accompanying documentary DAMAGED: THE VERY BRITISH OBSCENITY OF DAVID HAMILTON-GRANT felt like the right time to consult a selection of venerable pundits to give a more informed clickbait appraisal of the forbidden 72. Harder than you might think to find a distinguished panel of experts who are both familiar with the ins and outs of that tabloid whipped hysteria to put them in that context but who also had seen ALL 72 of the films.

“So here is the rundown of the special few of the depraved and corrupted.”

But first… THE CONTRIBUTORS.

The panel of experts includes…

Marc Morris, Nucleus Films and co-author of The Art of the Nasty and Shock Horror – Astounding Artwork From The Video Nasty Era.

Art Ettinger, Ultra Violent Magazine: “What a crazy good list of movies. I had a really hard time ranking them. I don’t actively dislike ANY of these films. I tried not to think too hard and go with my gut while ranking them.”

John Martin, Writer. John Martin has been writing about horror since the early 80s in UK fanzines including Samhain and continues to write for The Dark Side to this day. He published one of the first books examining the video nasties scandal, “Seduction of the Gullible” and its follow up “The Son Of Seduction of the Gullible.”

Harvey Fenton, FAB Press: Harvey Fenton is the owner of the book publishing company FAB Press. FAB has been publishing lavish books on genre cinema since the 90s including books on definitive books on the works of Dario Argento, Abel Ferrara, Lucio Fulci, Ruggero Deodato, Mario Bava and Andy Milligan. FAB also published Kier-La Janisse’s “House Of Psychotic Women” and the recent massive volume on London’s Scala Cinema. Harvey’s work in this field began back in the 80s with his fanzine, Flesh & Blood.

Lovely Jon is a DJ and film/music obsessive who alongside Gareth Godard (Cherrystones) founded the influential exploitation audio visual sound system Jigoku. Jon is very much a ‘child of the nasties’, growing up at the time of the cultural video boom and intertwining moral backlash (at its most pronounced whilst he was working at his local video shop in Hertfordshire and stockpiling  tapes for himself). Jon has continued to represent the UK video scene throughout the decades as commentator and collector.

Warren Hart (most of the pics here are from his collection): “Child of the 70s, teenager of the 80s, it’s now exactly 40 years since I started this nasty obsession, to watch and collect, it was the attraction to the unattainable, I needed to have what I was being told I couldn’t… Things that haven’t changed are my #1 and #72. My #1, will always be The Evil Dead. It was the spark, the catalyst to watch, collect, and generally fill my mind everything 72, from when I first saw the teaser trailer on the TV, to it’s video release that motivated me to pester my old mam to rent a VCR, which she did, and The Evil Dead was our first rental, the first of what would become the 72.”

Joe Rubin, co-owner of American boutique disc label Vinegar Syndrome. Among their multitude of restorations are a number of video nasties including THE BOOGEY MAN, FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN, DON’T GO IN THE WOODS and FROZEN SCREAM.

Photo Credit: Warren Hart

Rebekah McKendry, PHD, Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark Podcast: “I’m Dr. Rebekah McKendry, and I’m proud to say I’ve seen all 72 video nasties. I first became enamored with the video nasty list after learning about them in the late 90s on The Young Ones TV show, and especially The Damned’s tribute song Video Nasty. As a teenager hearing about these films, I could only imagine what types of movies could be so extreme that a government decreed them illegal. What could be so detrimental to the human psyche that you could be arrested for just possessing a copy? I immediately knew I had to watch ALL of them, and I starting working my way through every video nasty title I could find at my local video store.

“I went onto to work for Fangoria and Blumhouse, and eventually got a PhD focused entirely on horror films, all the while continuously adding to my nasty viewing repertoire. And several years ago, I finally completed viewing the entire list.

“So looking back, did I find the most heinous abominations of cinema ever created? Did viewing all 72 of these extreme films leaved me a trembling shell of humanity? Nope, not a bit. I mostly found boundary-pushing, transgressive filmmakers who had a lot to say about politics, society, religion, and life.”

Photo Credit: Warren Hart

David Kerekes is author with David Slater of Cannibal Error: Anti-Film Propaganda and The Video Nasties Panic of the 1980s, published by Headpress 2023. “At the top is The Devil Hunter but it could easily be Blood Rites or Axe or Don’t Go in the Woods… Alone!, films lacking the capacity to engage on a traditional art- emotional level and yet are compelling (to this viewer) for other reasons: they are cheap, demented, strange, obscure — aspects that facilitate the notion of ‘video nasties’ as something ‘other’, becoming collectively the thing that moral guardians had accused the ‘nasties’ of being all along. This is to say, in some perverse way, they are not films at all, but danger, psychotropic, unforgiving.”

David Slater is co-author of See No Evil – Banned Films and Video Controversy (2000), Killing for Culture – From Edison to Isis A New History of Death on Film (2016), and Cannibal Error – Anti film Propaganda and the Video Nasties Panic of the 1980s (2023).

Andrew Allard: “A lifelong film fan and video collector who rented most of these off the shelves before England bowed down to the censorial minority, very happy to see most of them available again in superior editions!”

Stephen Thrower is the acclaimed author of Beyond Terror: the Films of Lucio Fulci, the groundbreaking Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents and two volumes on the films of Jess Franco, Murderous Passions and Flowers of Perversion. He is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative historians of exploitation and underground cinema writing today. “My first video nasty was I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and I almost fainted during the infamous castration scene. Dizziness, nausea, buzzing in the ears… value for money! I watched it again the next morning and rewound the castration sequence over and over, a natural response when faced with something so overwhelming.

“Mary Whitehouse and James Ferman thought the pause and rewind controls were the devil’s love-buttons, but they were wrong. Films actually lose some of their power when you stop and start them: the spell weakens rather than doubles. Anyway, once I got over the shock of my first video nasty, I stopped fiddling with the remote control. I did, however, record films onto audio cassette to study later. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, DEATH TRAP, DRILLER KILLER, DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE… I loved not only their soundtracks but the musicality of their dialogue too. Even today I can pretty much ‘sing along’ to the vocal cadences of Krug Stillo, crazy old Judd, long-suffering Reno, and schmucky little firebug Donny Kohler. The British tabloid press and the government tried to spoil our fun, but look how impotent they turned out to be! Within a year of the films being banned there was a roaring trade in copies, passed between eager fans. Devotees, including myself, published magazines celebrating these films and a whole ‘social network’ was born. Forty years later, with labels like Severin bringing the video nasties back to market in stunning new transfers, it’s not so much ‘the return of the repressed’ as the triumph of the repressed. The message? Don’t mess with horror fans!”

Photo Credit: Warren Hart

And without further ado… THE FINAL TALLY: THE DEFINITIVE RANKING OF ALL 72 “VIDEO NASTIES,” CAREFULLY SELECTED BY THE ABOVE EXPERTS.

1. ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS / ZOMBIE
2. THE BEYOND
3. TENEBRAE
4. EVIL DEAD
5. LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE / LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE
6. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
7. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT
8. INFERNO
9. ANDY WARHOL’S FRANKENSTEIN / FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN
10. POSSESSION
11. BLOOD BATH / BAY OF BLOOD
12. HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY
13. DON’T GO IN THE HOUSE
14. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
15. CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE
16. DEAD AND BURIED
17. DRILLER KILLER
18. NIGHTMARE MAKER / BUTCHER BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER
19. NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN / NIGHTMARE
20. THE FUNHOUSE
21. LATE NIGHT TRAINS / NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS
22. DEATH TRAP / EATEN ALIVE
23. HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK
24. CANNIBAL MAN
25. CANNIBAL FEROX
26. FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE
27. NIGHT OF THE DEMON
28. BLOODY MOON
29. ISLAND OF DEATH
30. THE BURNING
31. CONTAMINATION
32. EVILSPEAK
33. WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA
34. ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH / HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD
35. BLOOD FEAST
36. THE BOGEY MAN / THE BOOGEY MAN
37. THE KILLER NUN
38. ABSURD
39. ANTHROPOPHAGOUS
40. EXPOSE / HOUSE ON STRAW HILL
41. VISITING HOURS
42. GESTAPO’S LAST ORGY
43. TERROR EYES
44. TOOLBOX MURDERS
45. AXE
46. MADHOUSE
47. PRISONER OF THE CANNIBAL GOD / MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD
48. THE SLAYER
49. DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT
50. NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES
51. PRANKS
52. DEEP RIVER SAVAGES / MAN FROM DEEP RIVER
53. WEREWOLF AND THE YETI
54. BEAST IN HEAT
55. UNHINGED
56. FOREST OF FEAR
57. SS EXPERIMENT CAMP
58. BLOOD RITES / THE GHASTLY ONES
59. HUMAN EXPERIMENTS
60. FACES OF DEATH
61. FROZEN SCREAM
62. DELIRIUM
63. DON’T GO IN THE WOODS
64. DEVIL HUNTER
65. DON’T GO NEAR THE PARK
66. SNUFF
67. MARDI GRAS MASSACRE
68. WOMEN BEHIND BARS
69. I MISS YOU HUGS AND KISSES
70. LOVE CAMP 7
71. CANNIBAL TERROR
72. REVENGE OF THE BOGEYMAN

Agree with this ranking? Disagree violently with this ranking? Sound off in the comments section below. And be sure to grab Nightmare on 4K UHD, available now from Severin Films!

Severin’s Summer Sale 2023 runs from June 30 – July 3.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Severin Films and Horror Experts Join Forces for the Definitive “Video Nasties” Ranking! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Severin is also publishing a 193 page novelization of the film, written by Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold, based on the original screenplay by Romano Scavolini.

It’s been called “graphic and unapologetic” (SexGoreMutants), “brutally effective” (Screen Rant) and “a forgotten classic” (Horror News). It remains the most reviled, controversial and misunderstood genre film of the ‘80s. Now “the most repulsive, degrading and horrifying movie ever made” (NY Daily News) can be experienced like never before.

When a homicidal mental patient (an enduringly disturbing performance by Baird Stafford) flees an experimental drug program, he’ll leave a 5-day trail of psychosexual carnage from the peep shows of 42nd Street to the gore-soaked shores of Florida. Written and directed by Romano Scavolini, this “devastating masterpiece” (Cinefear) – whose UK release as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain led to the imprisonment of distributor David Hamilton-Grant – will be available on 4K from Severin Films as part of their Summer Sale beginning June 30.

The film’s 4K UHD debut comes complete with a brand new roster of extras, including first time Tom Savini has gone on camera about his controversial involvement!

Here’s the full breakdown…

DISC 1 : UHD:

• Audio Commentary With Star Baird Stafford And Special Effects Assistant Cleve Hall Moderated By Lee Christian And David DeCoteau
• Audio Commentary With Producer William Paul
• Trailers

DISC 2: BLU-RAY

• Audio Commentary With Star Baird Stafford And Special Effects Assistant Cleve Hall Moderated By Lee Christian And David DeCoteau
• Audio Commentary With Producer William Paul
• Kill Thy Father And Thy Mother – Interview With Director Romano Scavolini
• Dreaming Up A Nightmare – Cast And Crew Interviews
• The Nightmare Of NIGHTMARE – Interview With Erroneously Credited Special Effects Director Tom Savini
• The Stuff That Nightmares Are Made Of – Interview With Makeup Artist Robin Stevens
• A Nightmare On Many Streets – Locations Tour With Rue Morgue Writer Michael Gingold
• Open Matte Peep Show Sequence
• Deleted Scenes
• Still Gallery
• Trailers

DISC 3: BLU-RAY

• Damaged: The Very British Obscenity David Hamilton-Grant (71 Mins)
• Rare David Hamilton-Grant Productions Short Film: THE OFFICE PARTY (55 Mins)
• Rare David Hamilton-Grant Productions Short Film: UNDER THE BED (53 Mins)
• Rare David Hamilton-Grant Productions Short Film: YOU’RE DRIVING ME CRAZY (53 Mins)
• Rare David Hamilton-Grant Productions Short Film: ESCAPE TO ENTEBBE (9 Mins)

DISC SPECS:

• Limited Edition Slipcover
• Booklet By Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English 5.1
• Audio: English Stereo
• Closed Captions
• Region Free
• Run Time: 99 Mins

Paul Le wrote here on BD last year, “Nightmares in a Damaged Brain has a well-earned reputation for being sleazy and gruesome. Romano Scavolini‘s previous work in pornography comes out often in this erotic slasher, but if there’s anything to take away from this exercise in lust and grisliness, the gore scenes are meticulously set up and executed.”

The post Severin Brings ‘Nightmares in a Damaged Brain’ to 4K with Most Complete Version of the 1981 Movie Ever Assembled appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The 4K UHD release will include 5+ hours of new special features, plus a 100-page book featuring an extended STARFIX interview with director David Winters and a Memoir from Producer Judd Hamilton. Yeah, Severin is going BIG with this one to make it the ULTIMATE release of the film on home video. The full special features package includes…

The post ‘The Last Horror Film’ Starring Joe Spinell Coming to 4K Ultra HD with 5+ Hours of Special Features appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

World Premiering as part of this year’s “Escape from Tribeca” section, a “Psychotronic Sidebar presenting genre movies from around the globe, plus giveaways, and special events,” Enter the Clones of Bruce is a feature length documentary that explores the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, otherwise known as Bruceploitation.

Tribeca previews, “Get ready to play a game of death … and another … and another. The wild documentary Enter the Clones of Bruce dives into the Bruce Lee exploitation craze.”

Directed by David Gregory, Enter the Clones of Bruce is Produced by David Gregory, Carl Daft, Frank Djeng, Vivian Wong, Michael Worth. It’s a Severin Films release.

Exclusively check out the poster reveal below, along with a handful of stills.

The post ‘Enter the Clones of Bruce’ – Exclusive Poster Reveal for Tribeca Documentary About the Bruce Lee Exploitation Craze appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The titles? ALIEN FROM THE ABYSS, directed by Antonio Margheriti, and the Restored Director’s Cut of EXTRA TERRESTRIAL VISITORS from writer/director Juan Piquer Simón!

Both 4K restorations also include the U.S. debuts of long-form documentaries on their respective filmmakers. Here’s everything you need to know about both of these releases…

ALIEN FROM THE ABYSS

For one of the final films of his legendary career, director Antonio Margheriti (CASTLE OF BLOOD, WAR OF THE PLANETS, CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE) headed to the Philippines to deliver “the perfect ‘80s Italian popcorn flick” (Mondo Digital): When environmental activists attempt to expose an evil corporation (led by Charles Napier of SUPERVIXENS and RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II fame) dumping nuclear waste into the local volcano, they’ll instead discover graphic gore, exploding miniatures and a rampaging full-scale kaiju-style creature that remains “one of the most bizarre-looking monsters ever created” (The Bloody Pit of Horror).

Luciano Pigozzi (STRIKE COMMANDO) co-stars in “a helluva entertaining monster movie” (Schmollywood Babylon) written by Tito Carpi (RAIDERS OF ATLANTIS), now scanned in 4K from the original negative with Special Features that include the North American premiere of the 2013 documentary on Margheriti directed by his son Edoardo.

Special Features for ALIEN FROM THE ABYSS:

• From The Center Of The Earth – Interview With Edoardo Margheriti

• THE OUTSIDER – THE CINEMA OF ANTONIO MARGHERITI

• Son Of The Outsider – Interview With THE OUTSIDER Director Edoardo Margheriti

• Trailer

EXTRA TERRESTRIAL VISITORS

From Juan Piquer Simón – the infamous writer/director of PIECES and SLUGS – comes The Restored Director’s Cut of the French/Spanish co-production that remains the most singularly screwy E.T.-influenced film in EuroCult history: When snorkel-nosed furry aliens arrive on Earth, they’ll encounter a foggy wilderness filled with sociopathic poachers, Simón’s twisted vision of what an ‘80s American rock band looks/sounds like, bizarre bursts of violence and pathos and the boy who befriends a blue-eyed extraterrestrial he names ‘Trumpy’.

Discover the movie beyond MST3K, “a very, very weird film” (Through The Shattered Lens) – also known in various versions as RETURN OF E.T., THE UNEARTHLING and POD PEOPLE – now featuring a 4K scan from the 35mm negative with Special Features that include a feature-length documentary on the director.

Special Features for EXTRA TERRESTRIAL VISITORS:

• THE SIMON’S JIGSAW – A JOURNEY INTO THE UNIVERSE OF JUAN PIQUER SIMÓN

• A Weekend In Hell – Interview With Actor Emilio Linder

• Composing The Cosmos – Interview With Soundtrack Composer Librado Pastor

• A Private Concert From Librado Pastor

• Alternate POD PEOPLE Opening Credits

• BONUS DISC: Soundtrack CD Single

Check out the Blu-ray artwork and Severin’s official release trailer below.

The post Severin Films – ‘Alien from the Abyss’ and ‘Extra Terrestrial Visitors’ Crash Land on Blu-ray in April! [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

On January 31st, Severin Films unleashes two definitive action releases: Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection includes ALMOST HUMAN, SYNDICATE SADISTS, FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP, THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST and BROTHERS TILL WE DIE. January also brings the North American debut of the 1981 Australian action classic ATTACK FORCE Z, starring Mel Gibson, Sam Neill and John Phillip Law.

VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI / TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION: Italian director Umberto Lenzi had recently completed a landmark string of kinky gialli with Hollywood outcast Carroll Baker. Cuban-born/Actor’s Studio-trained Tomas Milian had become one of Spaghetti Westerns’ most popular stars. But when these two notoriously mercurial talents came together for a series of shocking Poliziotteschi – reactionary crime films that reflected the political and sociocultural violence of 1970s Italy – they grabbed audiences by the throat, gunned down the conventions of the genre and changed the emotional velocity of action cinema forever. This collection presents Lenzi & Milian’s five greatest collaborations, now restored uncut and uncensored from the original negatives for the first time ever. 

The “Violent Streets” collection includes…

ALMOST HUMAN: Released in Italy under the title MILANO ODIA: LA POLIZIA NON-PUÒ SPARARE (MILAN HATES: THE POLICE CAN’T SHOOT), this first collaboration between director Umberto Lenzi and star Tomas Milian remains both “a degenerate treat” (Mondo Digital) and “definitive Eurocrime” (DVD Talk): When a small-time criminal (a fearless performance by Milian) kidnaps a wealthy industrialist’s daughter, he’ll trigger a depraved spree of class warfare, sexual violence, mass murder and the rage of a police commissioner (Henry Silva) determined to end the carnage. Anita Strindberg (YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM…) and Ray Lovelock (LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN) co-star in “one of the peaks of the genre” (Indiewire) written by Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) with a classic score by Ennio Morricone, now scanned uncut from the original negative.

Special Features for Almost Human:

• Audio Commentary With Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi

• Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi

• Violent Milan – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi

• Milian Unleashed – Interview With Actor Tomas Milian

• A History Of Violence – Interview With Ernesto Gastaldi

• Italian American Gangster – Interview With Actor Henry Silva

• Trailer

• BONUS DISC: Soundtrack CD

SYNDICATE SADISTS: In their second collaboration – released in Italy as IL GIUSTIZIERE SFIDA LA CITTÀ (THE VIGILANTE CHALLENGES THE CITY) – Tomas Milian stars as a biker named Rambo (the actor borrowed the name from David Morrell’s 1972 novel First Blood) who avenges a friend’s murder by orchestrating a war between rival crime families. Director Umberto Lenzi and screenwriter Vincenzo Mannino (HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK) pack the running time with a barrage of beatings, shootings, kidnappings and chases that raised the bar for ‘70s EuroCrime and “put modern action flicks to shame” (DVD Drive-In). Luciano Catenacci (KILL, BABY… KILL!), Femi Benussi (BLOODY PIT OF HORROR) and Joseph Cotten (CITIZEN KANE) co-star in this “non-stop exciting thriller” (European Trash Cinema) – also released as ONE JUST MAN and RAMBO’S REVENGE – now scanned uncut from the original negative.

Special Features for Syndicate Sadists:

• First Blood – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi

• Family Affair – Interview With Actress Ida Galli

• Kidnapped – Interview With Actor Alessandro Cocco

• Interview With The Fascist – Interview With Actor Bruno Di Luia

• Trailer

• BONUS DISC: Soundtrack CD

FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP: Following THE TOUGH ONES, this fourth collaboration between director Umberto Lenzi and star Tomas Milian – released as IL TRUCIDO E LO SPIRRO (THE CROOK AND THE COP) – introduced Milian’s iconic character of ‘Monnezza’ and served as the unacknowledged template for 48 HOURS: When a scheming convict (Milian) is sprung from prison by a hard-nosed cop (Claudio Cassinelli of WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS?), they’ll team up to hunt down Monnezza’s former crime partner (Henry Silva) who’s kidnapped a critically ill child. Robert Hundar (CUT-THROATS NINE), Nicoletta Machiavelli (NO WAY OUT) and a murderer’s row of EuroCrime’s most recognizable character actors co-star in this “classic politziottesco packed full of fun action” (Starburst) co-written by Lenzi and Dardano Sacchetti (THE BEYOND), now scanned in 2K from the original negative. 

Special Features for Free Hand For A Tough Cop:

• In The Asphalt Jungle – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi

• Tough Guy Corrado – A Look At The Career Of Corrado Solari

• The Father Of Monnezza – Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti

• Hand-Held Camera For A Tough Cinematographer – Interview With Cinematographer Nino Celeste

• Making Movies – Interview With Producer Ugo Tucci

• Extended Bank Robbery Scene Sourced From The Original Negative

• Trailer

THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST: For their penultimate collaboration, Umberto Lenzi and producer Luciano Martino (EATEN ALIVE!) brought together Tomas Milian as a cold-blooded crime boss known as ‘The Chinaman,’ John Saxon as a sadistic American mobster looking for his own piece of the action and Maurizio Merli as hot-headed rogue cop Leo Tanzi – first introduced in Lenzi’s THE TOUGH ONES – gunning for them both. Renzo Palmer (STREET LAW) and Gabriella Lepori (5 WOMEN FOR THE KILLER) co-star in this “fantastic piece of Italian genre cinema and a definitive statement to the craftsmanship of Lenzi” (Cinezilla) co-written by Lenzi, Dardano Sacchetti (THE NEW YORK RIPPER) and Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) featuring an oft-sampled score by Franco Micalizzi (DEATH PROOF, DJANGO UNCHAINED), now scanned uncut in 2K from the original negative. 

Special Features for The Cynic, The Rat And The Fist:

• Merli vs. Milian – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi

• A Man Of Action – Interview With Umberto Lenzi

• Me, Milian And Merli – Interview With Umberto Lenzi On His Iconic Characters

• The Writer, The Director And The Actor – Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti

• Here Comes The Fist – Interview With Actor John Saxon

• Trailer

• BONUS DISC: Soundtrack CD

BROTHERS TILL WE DIE: For their final collaboration, Umberto Lenzi directs his own razor-sharp screenplay while Tomas Milian delivers a brilliant dual performance reprising the roles of scheming lowlife Sergio ‘Er Monnezza’ Marazzi from FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP as well as his twin brother, hunchbacked sociopath Vincenzo ‘Il Gobbo’ Marazzi from THE TOUGH ONES. With Milian providing his own characters’ dialogue, it’s a potent odyssey of trans prostitutes, armed robberies, double crosses, randy Albanians, angry cops, insane asylums and some of the most startling pathos and politics in the history of the genre. Isa Danieli (SWEPT AWAY), Guido Leontini (EMERGENCY SQUAD) and Solvi Stubing (STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) co-star in the long-unseen Lenzi/Milian swansong, now scanned uncut in 2K from the original negative.

Special Features for Brothers Till We Die:

• Tomas And Tomas – Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi

• He Called Me ‘The Tamer’ – Interview With Editor Eugenio Alabiso

• Music And Bullets – Interview With Composer Franco Micalizzi

• Heart Of Rome – Interview With Composer Antonello Venditti

• Trailer

As for that early Mel Gibson movie that’s getting a solo release this month….

ATTACK FORCE Z: In one of his earliest film roles, two-time Academy Award ® winner Mel Gibson stars with Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK) and John Phillip Law (DANGER: DIABOLIK) in the true story of Z Special Force, WWII’s top-secret Pacific commando unit: When an American fighter jet crashes on an island held by the Japanese, a five-man Z Force assault team launches a daring mission of courage, carnage and desperate jungle warfare to rescue the survivors. Chris Haywood (RAZORBACK), John Waters (BREAKER MORANT) and Sylvia Chang (the MAD MISSION series) co-star in the complete version of this 1981 Australia/Taiwan co-production directed by Ozploitation veteran Tim Burstall (ALVIN PURPLE), written by Roger Marshall (AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS) and edited by David Stiven (THE ROAD WARRIOR), scanned in 2K from the original negative at The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

Special Features for Attack Force Z:

• The Z Men Debriefed – Interviews With Executive Producer John McCallum And Actors John Waters And Chris Haywood

• Photo Gallery

• Trailer

Check out Severin’s January 2023 trailer below and pre-order your copies today!

The post Violent Streets: Severin Films Kicks Off 2023 With Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Severin Films will be haunting disc players across the continent with a new 4K edition of Peter Medak’s beloved ghost story The Changeling, along with landmark Spanish television series Tales to Keep You Awake, My Grandpa Is a Vampire via the Severin Kids imprint, and the entire Plaga Zombie Trilogy through sublabel Intervision Picture Corp.

As if that isn’t enough, Severin will also be putting out a Blu-ray double feature of Al Adamson’s Dracula vs. Frankenstein and Brain of Blood as a standalone release.

Read on for everything you need to know about Severin’s September slate…

THE CHANGELING: It has been called “remarkable” (Paste Magazine), “utterly terrifying” (Mondo Digital) and “a ghost story guaranteed to freeze the blood” (Gannett). Now this “masterpiece of terror” (Reel Reviews) from director Peter Medak (THE RULING CLASS) comes to UHD like you’ve never seen, heard or experienced it before: Academy Award® winner George C. Scott gives “one of his greatest performances ever” (Bloody Good Horror) as a grieving music professor tormented by a paranormal horror that includes “the best séance in horror movie history” (Newsweek). Trish Van Devere (THE HEARSE), two-time Oscar® winner Melvyn Douglas (THE TENANT) and Jean Marsh (FRENZY) co-star in “one of the most terrifying horror films of all time” (DVD Beaver), now scanned in 4K from the internegative with 4½ hours of Special Features – including revealing new interviews with Medak – plus a soundtrack CD and more.

TALES TO KEEP YOU AWAKE: Though he made two feature films – the legendary WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? and THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED – the ultimate legacy of writer/director Narciso ‘Chicho’ Ibáñez Serrador remains his groundbreaking 1966-1968 Televisión Española series HISTORIAS PARA NO DORMIR. Serrador wrote, directed and introduced every episode, adapting stories by Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Bloch and his own material under the pseudonym Luis Peñafiel, shocking Franco-era audiences with black humor, macabre themes and sharp social commentary while inspiring generations of Spain’s greatest genre filmmakers as well as a 2021 reboot. This definitive 2-disc collection includes Serrador’s complete classic series, 1974 special, 1982 mini-series and more that celebrates the Lifetime Achievement Goya Award winner Nerdist calls “one of the great Euro-Horror directors of all time.”

PLAGA ZOMBIE TRILOGY: In 1997, 17-year-old suburban Buenos Aires filmmakers Pablo Parés and Hernan Sáez pooled $450 to co-write/produce/direct and star in a shot-on-VHS zombie epic of such flesh-ripping, gore-spewing greatness that it instantly drew global cult acclaim and redefined the possibilities of extreme DIY horror. Over the next 20 years, Parés, Sáez and their friends would create two increasingly ambitious – and equally brilliant – viscera-soaked sequels (and several short films) that made them “Argentinian George Romeros who’ve built a small empire of gore flicks” (Fangoria). The complete PLAGA ZOMBIE TRILOGY is now presented together for the first time ever, remastered and upscaled to HD by the directors with an all-new documentary and more that celebrates  “the pioneers in contemporary Argentinian horror whose passion continues to influence others in Latin America and around the world” (Dread Central).

MY GRANDPA IS A VAMPIRE: Al Lewis – beloved for his role as Grandpa in THE MUNSTERS television series – delivers “a particularly demented performance” (Scary Minds) as Vernon Cooger, frail old man by day and fanged flyer of the undead at night. But when his visiting grandson discovers Vernon’s dark secret, can they team up to take down a stake-making slimeball? Justin Gocke (GODZILLA 1985) and Noel Appleby (‘Everard Proudfoot’ in THE LORD OF THE RINGS) co-star in this “engagingly silly and anti-authority kids’ movie” (The Hollywood Reporter) – also known as MOONRISE and GRAMPIRE – directed by New Zealand horror pioneer David Blyth (DEATH WARMED UP) and written by Michael Heath (NEXT OF KIN), now scanned in 2K from the original negative under the director’s supervision and loaded with new & vintage Special Features.

DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN/BRAIN OF BLOOD: For their ultimate schlock-horror epic, director Al Adamson and producer Sam Sherman brought together hippies, bikers, carnies, mad doctors, ax murders, acid trips, Oscar® nominees J. Carrol Naish and Russ Tamblyn, FREAKS star Angelo Rossitto, ‘Freak-Out Girl’ Regina Carrol, Famous Monsters editor Forrest J Ackerman, Lon Chaney Jr. in his final film appearance, Zandor Vorkov (aka Roger Engel) as Dracula, lab gizmos from the original FRANKENSTEIN, and a climactic battle between the titular icons that remains unlike anything the screen has ever seen. As a Bonus, Grant Williams (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN), Kent Taylor (BRIDES OF BLOOD) and much of the DvF cast star in Adamson & Sherman’s 1971 mega-lurid brain-transplant masterpiece BRAIN OF BLOOD.

Find full release info and pre-order your copies over on Severin’s website now.

The post Severin Bringing Horror Classic ‘The Changeling’ to 4K Ultra HD for Halloween! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

However, one underseen feature film which deals with the same anarchic approach to four-color funnybook champions was released three years earlier in 1983. With its tale of washed-up, alcoholic ex-superhero Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin) called back into duty to fight Nazi menace Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee) years after being betrayed by his own country, The Return of Captain Invincible blazed a trail which many continue to follow to this day. Oh, and it’s also a musical! Penned by Steven E. de Souza (48 Hours, Die Hard) and Andrew Gaty, and directed by Philippe Mora (Howling II, Communion), The Return of Captain Invincible is an underloved cult gem that’s ripe for rediscovery, having just received a loving restoration and special edition Blu-ray set from Severin Films which features Mora’s director’s cut alongside a wealth of bonus features.

To celebrate the film’s recent physical media re-release, Mr. Mora was kind enough to join Bloody Disgusting for a chat about its origins, its continuing influence, and Christopher Lee’s wild early days as a Nazi hunter.

Bloody Disgusting: For the uninitiated out there, how would you describe The Return of Captain Invincible?

Philippe Mora: I would describe it as cinematic minestrone. [laughs] Everything’s in it! I did that deliberately. I remember saying to Peter Smalley, who was the last writer to come on, who was with us in Australia, I said “See if you can put a laugh in every page of the script.” So technically, that’d be a laugh a minute.

Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin) takes flight with Patty Patria (Kate Fitzpatrick)

I don’t know how that turned out. I never checked it out, but the idea was to mix it all up, you know? It’s obviously satirical. It’s really about movies. Maybe I’m a little strange, but I think it’s very funny. I think Alan Arkin is tremendous and Christopher Lee, of course, he’s super.

BD: What were this project’s origins? How did your involvement with it come about?

PM: It was given to me by my agent, Robert Littman, who’s not with us anymore, and Andrew Gaty, the producer. For want of a better word, the script was straight. The de Souza script. What I really liked about it – it was excellent, by the way – was the fact that it started with the McCarthy hearings. I’m a history buff. Sounds a bit lame, but I do know my history, and I thought that was just a great premise, to have a blacklisted superhero.

Early days for Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin)

Interestingly enough, that’s what attracted Alan Arkin to the project. He told me his father had been a school teacher who had been blacklisted. So Alan was totally attracted to it, and Christopher was attracted to it because he wanted to sing, and no one had ever asked him to sing in a movie. So he was just delighted to have the opportunity to sing.

You know, he was an opera singer. He could sing Wagner. In fact, they said the worst thing that could happen to you would be to be stuck in first class with Christopher Lee from LA to London when he started singing Wagner, because that’s all you’d hear for the whole trip.

Christopher Lee as Mr. Midnight in one of the film’s many song-and-dance numbers

So look, yeah. I got involved in it. It was quirky, and we were able to make it. I mean, it’s not your conventional movie and we were able to make it because there was a tax thing happening in Australia where they really … um, this sounds a bit odd, but it’s not really, they didn’t care what you made as long as long as you made a movie. You could get a 150% tax deduction. So all kinds of crap was made, but also all kinds of really interesting movies were made.

That kind of fueled the Australian Renaissance in movies, because there was total freedom. There was no censorship in any form. I mean, imagine trying to pitch Captain Invincible to a studio. They wouldn’t understand it. In fact, some studio executives, even now when I describe it to them [as being about] an alcoholic superhero, they go cross-eyed.

BD: The film tells a deconstructionist superhero tale that predates graphic novels such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, or films like Unbreakable or Hancock. Even the superhero musical comedy aspect reminded me of 2008’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. Do you see The Return of Captain Invincible as being a bit ahead of its time in this regard? Do you see it as an influence on later stories of the same type?

PM: Yeah, look, I don’t think there’s any doubt that it influenced those movies. I’m also a painter, and sometimes we say we paint a picture which is a breeder. The painting is a breeder. It influences other people. And I think Captain Invincible was a breeder for a whole lot of other movies, because it’s not conventional. God knows Hollywood is still very, very conservative in stories, you know. Just very formulaic, and Captain Invincible is anything but formulaic. Just the idea of an alcoholic superhero would be virtually impossible to get off the ground.

Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin), the film’s alcoholic superhero

But we had total freedom because of that financial structure. But yes, did it influence other films? For sure, because it’s weird. It’s weird in a good way, to me. It’s weird because it doesn’t follow what you normally see in movies, let alone heroes. So I loved doing it. I knew that it was adventurous.

BD: Christopher Lee is wonderful in the film as Mr. Midnight, Captain Invincible’s Nazi archenemy. I’d be remiss in my duties as a horror website interviewer if I didn’t ask about your collaborations with Mr. Lee – both this film, and your first Howling sequel. What was it like working with horror royalty?

PM: Fantastic. We got on immediately, because we are both historians in our own way of World War II. I mean, he participated in it, but I’d made movies studying Nazi Germany. So Christopher really liked all that. We had a lot of conversations about it. It was just a pleasure. He was an incredibly literate, cultured guy, and we were behind the Iron Curtain together. In fact, I’m making a movie about that. It’s called Dracula: Nazi Hunter, and it’s about the stories Christopher told me about tracking down Nazis.

He was the assistant hangman at Nuremberg. The official hangman was a guy called Albert Pierrepont, who was a chum, a mate, a buddy of Christopher Lee. And [Christopher] said he got all the firsthand stories. Christopher hated Nazis with a vengeance. I mean, you know, everyone hates Nazis, but he really fought them and he tracked them down after the war. He put the noose around a few. He said with relish, “I put the noose around a few of those bastards.” He was personally was involved in the arrest of [Ernst] Kaltenbrunner, who was the Gestapo head. But look, I could go on way too long about Christopher and all of that. But I am making a film about it. Dracula: Nazi Hunter.

Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee) in The Return of Captain Invincible (1983)

BD: When can fans expect to see Dracula: Nazi Hunter? Will it be a documentary, or a narrative biopic?

PM: It’s gonna be at least six months … there’ll be recreated scenes, and there will be documentary footage that we’ve found, and photos which are quite extraordinary. So it’ll be both. Let’s call it a hybrid. You’ve seen Captain Invincible, you know I can make hybrids.

Now, it’s been really difficult to cast him. I’ve met a few actors who can imitate him, but it turns into people imitating Christopher Lee. It turns into Saturday Night Live. But yes, we will have someone playing Christopher. Look, it’s a hell of a story. Who knew Dracula tracked down Nazis, you know? What more do you need? It’s gonna be a picture made with love.

BD: Superheroes, werewolves, aliens, dinosaurs, gumshoe detectives, spaceship sci-fi. What is it that draws you back time and again to genre material as a filmmaker, and generally with a sense of fun and humor?

PM: I’m drawn to it from childhood, you know. I think childhood is terribly influential for everybody. There’s nothing special about me, but I loved movies. We lived in the city in Melbourne, right in the heart of the city. So all the movie theaters were around, I saw every movie that came out.

And then I loved comics. I still do. I collect them. My mother was a fine artist. She was a very good artist. She died fairly recently, and they had a state funeral for her. One of the few women artists who ever had a state funeral in Australia.

I’m getting a little bit off track here, but I loved comics, I loved pulp, and that translated into my early career as a pop artist. Because this is really pop art. I see films as pop art, and that’s what attracted me even now.

I like bad movies, actually. Because they’re not pretentious. Pretentious Hollywood movies are just absolutely terrible. I’d much rather see a pulp Hollywood movie. So that’s where I’m coming from, the pop art angle. I like movies that aren’t pretentious, and I find pop art is unpretentious.

BD: What’s gone into Severin’s new release of The Return of Captain Invincible? The Image looks incredible.

PM: Well, look, my involvement is really in the interviews that I participate in. I got Steve de Souza involved, because he’d never spoken about it, and he’s very important because he came up with the original idea. The artwork I was not directly involved with. There were different campaigns that unfortunately never saw the light of day, but I like what Severin’s done – they put quite a few of the campaigns into this disc set.

My involvement was as a cheerleader, and finding materials. I had the director’s cut, my personal copy of the director’s cut. That’s the 2:35 anamorphic version in stereo, and all those things are weren’t in the theatrical release, such as it was.

BD: I was wondering if you could talk a bit about the difference between the theatrical version and the director’s cut for those who might only know that initial version of the movie?

PM: Well, look, it’s a sore point to ask a director what he thinks of the version that he didn’t approve. I mean, I don’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.

Let me put it to you this way. The director Arthur Hiller told me this story. I said to him, “What do you do if they cut your film up? I mean, do you fight?”

He said, “Yeah, you fight the bastards.” You know, he’s a distinguished director, and he had this story. He said, “Look, there’s a story about a producer and a director in the desert, and they’re really thirsty. They’re dying of thirst, and they finally see a couple of palm trees up ahead, and a little oasis. They run with their remaining energy to the oasis. And the producer pulls down his pants and starts urinating in the oasis, into what little water is there.

“And the director says, ‘What are you doing, man?!’ And the producer says, ‘Oh, I’m fixing it.’”

Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin) in The Return of Captain Invincible (1983)

BD: What final words do you want to leave our readers with concerning The Return of Captain Invincible?

PM: Well, obviously I’d love them to see it, and I’d love them to focus on my version. I’d like them to appreciate that. I’d like them to appreciate that it’s really about movies. There are a lot of different movies in that movie, and I’d like them to appreciate that we were way ahead of everyone else.

BD: Thank you for your time, sir.

PM: Thank you. And don’t get thirsty in the desert with a producer.

Special Thanks to Philippe Mora for his time and insights.

Severin’s Blu-ray release of The Return of Captain Invincible

The post ‘The Return of Captain Invincible’ – Philippe Mora Revisits His Cult Superhero Movie Starring Christopher Lee [Interview] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Here’s the complete rundown for the 5-film, 7-disc Blu-ray/CD set…

“To celebrate the centennial of the legendary actor, Eurocrypt Collection 2 presents five of the most unexpected, underrated and underseen films of the iconic actor’s European career.

“Immediately following HORROR OF DRACULA, Lee reprised the role in the quirky 1959 Italian comedy UNCLE WAS A VAMPIRE. Lee speaks fluent German opposite Klaus Kinski for the crazed 1962 krimi SECRET OF THE RED ORCHID. In the 1974 UK psycho-thriller DARK PLACES, Lee toplines a cast that includes Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Jane Birkin.

“Lee’s final performance as The Count in the 1976 French comedy DRACULA AND SON can at last be seen in its superior Director’s Cut, while the ultra-rare 1988 Dutch drama MURDER STORY brings Lee into the sex shoppes of Amsterdam. Each film has been remastered from original negative materials with over 15 total hours of trailers, commentaries, alternate cuts, vintage interviews and new featurettes, plus the DRACULA AND SON soundtrack and an all-new 100-page book by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby.”

Disc 1: Uncle Was a Vampire (1959)

Shortly after HORROR OF DRACULA, Christopher Lee accepted an offer from producer Mario Cecchi Gori – whose 200+ films would include Argento’s OPERA and Oscar® nominee IL POSTINO – to make his first Italian film and reprise his star-making role: His Carpathian domicile bought by developers, Baron Roderico (Lee in full Hammer/Dracula mode) flees to the ancestral castle owned by his impoverished nephew (diminutive ’50s comedy star Renato Rascel). But when the nephew sells this castle to luxury hoteliers, Uncle Prince of Darkness must withstand obnoxious tourists, bikini beauties and his own bloodsucking bellhop relative. Sylva Koscina (HERCULES) and Susanne Loret (ATOM AGE VAMPIRE) co-star in this sexy spoof directed by Steno (famed for his films with Italian comic Totò), featuring the Uncut Theatrical Version scanned in 2K from the dupe negative and Alternate TV Version sourced from the broadcast tape master.

Disc 2: The Secret of the Red Orchid (1962)

Christopher Lee stars – speaking fluent German – in this off-the-wall 1962 krimi filmed in Hamburg and based on the Edgar Wallace novel When The Gangs Came To London. As rival Chicago mobsters – led by Klaus Kinski as ‘Pretty Boy Steve’ – unleash a spree of extortion, machine gun mayhem and murder across England, Scotland Yard summons a cunning FBI agent (Lee) to end the escalating gang war.  Adrian Hoven (MARK OF THE DEVIL, CASTLE OF THE CREEPING FLESH), and Marisa Mell (DANGER: DIABOLIK) co-star in this “entertaining riff on the classic gangster genre” (Krimi Film), now scanned in 2K from the dupe negative and presented with its English and German-language tracks for the first time ever in America.

Disc 3: Dark Places (1974)

Christopher Lee toplines a cast that includes Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Jane Birkin in the 1974 UK production – directed by Don Sharp of RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK and PSYCHOMANIA fame – that’s equal parts ‘old dark house’ supernatural shocker and Amicus-style all-star fun: When the former administrator of an asylum (Robert Hardy, aka ‘Cornelius Fudge’ of the HARRY POTTER films) inherits the crumbling estate of an elderly inmate, he’ll unlock a nightmare of lust, larceny, insanity and several murders grisly enough to warrant an ‘X’ certification from the BBFC. Jean Marsh (THE CHANGELING, RETURN TO OZ) co-stars in this “overlooked entry amid the ‘70s Anglo-horror cycle” (Moria Reviews), now scanned uncut in 4K from an internegative recently discovered in a London lab vault.

Disc 4 & 5: Dracula and Son – Director’s Cut (1976) and U.S. Version (1979)

For his tenth and final screen appearance as Dracula, Christopher Lee starred – speaking fluent French – in this slyly ingenious 1976 horror comedy based on a novel by Claude Klotz (THE HAIRDRESSER’S HUSBAND) and directed by Academy Award® nominee Édouard Molinaro (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES). But when the U.S. distributor re-cut and dubbed the film into a broad parody, it was deservedly met with universal disdain. Molinaro’s Director’s Cut can now be experienced for the first time ever in America, lovingly restored in 4K from the original negative with both French & English audio tracks. Bernard Menez (DAY FOR NIGHT), Marie-Hélène Breillat (LAST TANGO IN PARIS) and future writer/director Catherine Breillat (ANATOMY OF HELL) co-star in this “charming satire” (The Christopher Lee Filmography) featuring a sumptuous score by Vladimir Cosma (DIVA) and loaded with vintage & new Special Features.

Disc 6: Dracula and Son Soundtrack

Disc 7: Murder Story (1989)

In the lone feature film written & directed by ‘80s music video hitmakers Eddie Arno & Markus Innocenti, Christopher Lee delivers a sly performance as a famous mystery novelist whose mentoring of an aspiring young writer (Alexis Denisof of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER/ANGEL) will lead them both into an Amsterdam-based web of pornography, arson and a global conspiracy of cold-blooded murder. Bruce Boa (THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, FULL METAL JACKET) co-stars in this 1989 Dutch/British thriller produced by Tom Reeve (DOG SOLDIERS), now scanned in 4K from the original negative. As a bonus, Rod Taylor, Valerie Perrine and Lee star in the ultra-rare 1989 Swedish/Canadian giallo MASK OF MURDER, sourced from the best existing master.

For full special features information and to pre-order your copy, head over to Severin’s online shop. This one will cost you $95, and it’s expected to begin shipping May 31, 2022.

The post Second Christopher Lee Blu-ray Collection from Severin Includes Five Underseen Gems appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The press release explains, “Throughout the ‘70s, Italian filmmakers aimed a canon of blasphemy at the church to launch what remains the most controversial genre of all: Nunsploitation. This November 30th (just three days before the US release of Paul Verhoeven’s sinful Sapphic epic BENEDETTA) Severin Films proudly presents a superfluity of depravity with four of the finest examples of this unholy cinematic indulgence: CRISTIANA DEVIL NUN, STORY OF A CLOISTERED NUN, IMAGES IN A CONVENT and THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA, each mastered from original source elements with all-new Special Features produced exclusively for this collection.”

CRISTIANA DEVIL NUN (1972): Thinking she is about to die in a plane crash, a hot-blooded nymphomaniac (the elusive Toti Achilli in her only film role) impulsively devotes her life to the Lord. But when Cristiana enters a convent, her still-insatiable hungers will lead to acts of blasphemy that include lesbianism, prostitution, and an unholy desire for Jesus himself. Vassili Karis (AN ANGEL FOR SATAN) and Magda Konopka (WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH) co-star in this “funny, touching and bizarre film, as truthful as it is exploitive” (Remember It For Later) – also known as OUR LADY OF LUST – written and directed by Sergio Bergonzelli (IN THE FOLDS OF THE FLESH) and featuring the longer Italian version as well as the ‘hot’ American cut released as LOVES OF A NYMPHO.

STORY OF A CLOISTERED NUN (1973): In 1973, director/co-writer Domenico Paolella – having launched the genre a year earlier with THE NUNS OF SAINT ARCHANGEL – established a new Nunsploitation standard via superior production values, an impressive international cast and a lurid narrative “adapted from authentic 17th Century chronicles”: Forced into a strict convent by her parents, an aristocratic maiden (Eleonora Giorgi of INFERNO fame) will discover a catechism of depravity that includes savage floggings, lesbian roleplay, illicit sex and murder. Suzy Kendall (BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, TORSO), Catherine Spaak (THE CAT O’ NINE TAILS), Martine Brochard (EYEBALL) and Umberto Orsini (THE DAMNED) co-star in “a Nunsploitation classic that feels like a historical document” (Digitally Obsessed) – also known as THE UNHOLY CONVENT and LOVE STORY OF A NUN – now scanned in 2K from the original negative.

IMAGES IN A CONVENT (1979): The same year he made BEYOND THE DARKNESS, RomaSmut writer/director/legend Joe D’Amato unleashed this “strange and sleazy Nunsploitation, one to pull out for those who think they’ve seen it all” (Mondo Digital): When an orphaned young countess is sent to a remote nunnery for her own protection, she will instead discover a cloister of perversion rife with sapphic lust, sisterly S&M, Satanic hysteria and more. Paola Sentaore (EATEN ALIVE!), Marina Hedman (SATAN’S BABY DOLL), Maria Rosaria Riuzzi (EMANUELLE & FRANCOISE), Giovanna Mainardi (SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP), Paola Maiolini (EMANUELLE AROUND THE WORLD) and Donald O’Brien (DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D.) lead an all-star ItaloFilth cast in this “trashy, impudent and disgusting” (Italian Film Review) rosary-dropper, now scanned in 2K from the original negative of the uncut version.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA (1980): For their first fateful collaboration, director Bruno Mattei and writer Claudio Fragasso took the oft-filmed story of 17th century heiress turned sinful sister Marianna De Leyva and transformed its themes of religious and political hypocrisy into a celebration of desecration that remains one of the most bizarre, extreme and blatantly blasphemous films in the genre. Zora Kerova (ANTHROPOPHAGUS, CANNIBAL FEROX), Franco Garofalo (HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD), Annie Carol Edel (EMANUELLE AND FRANCOISE), Paola Montenero (A BAY OF BLOOD) and Franca Stoppi (BEYOND THE DARKNESS) star in this “elusive, entertaining and nasty Nunsploitation that is definitely a Bruno Mattei film” (DVD Talk) – filmed back-to-back in the same convent with Mattei/Fragasso’s THE OTHER HELL – now scanned uncut in HD from the original negative.

Limited, exclusive bundles from the Severin webstore include Fotocomic reproductions for CRISTIANA DEVIL NUN and THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA, newly translated into English!

Feature Specs for Cristiana Devil Nun

• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

• Audio: English Mono

• Closed Captions: English SDH

• Region: All

Special Features for Cristiana Devil Nun

• Extended Italian Cut Of The Film With Optional Partial English Audio

• Sisters Of Vice And Virtue: The Marquis de Sade And Nunsploitation — Video Essay By Lindsay Hallam

Feature Specs for Story of a Cloistered Nun

• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

• Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono

• Subtitles: English

• Closed Captions: English SDH

• Region: A

Special Features for Story of a Cloistered Nun

• Down The Well — Interview With Actress Martine Brochard

• A Nun’s Story — Interview With Actress Eleonora Giorgi

• Within A Cloister — Interview With Camera Operator Daniele Nannuzzi

• Trailer

Feature Specs for Images in a Convent

• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

• Audio: Italian Mono

• Subtitles: English

• Region: A

Special Features for Images in a Convent

• Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness

• 25 Minutes Of Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary By Kat Ellinger

Feature Specs for The True Story of the Nun of Monza

• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

• Audio: Italian Mono

• Subtitles: English

• Region: A

Special Features for The True Story of the Nun of Monza

• The Cross And The Sin — Interview With Screenwriter Claudio Fragasso

• Sister Zora — Interview With Actress Zora Kerova

Watch the release trailer below and pre-order through Severin Films today.

The post Severin Films Announces “Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection” With Four Blu-ray Premieres appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In addition to being included with Severin’s folk horror box set All the Haunts Be Ours, which will be released in December, Keir-La Janisse‘s award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (read Meagan’s review) will be coming to VOD in time for Halloween.

The 3-hour Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched comes to VOD on October 26.

Watch the trailer below, first shared by Gizmodo.

“Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films – Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard’s Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973) – through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre’s revival over the last decade.

“Touching on over 200 films and featuring over 50 interviewees, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched investigates the many ways that we alternately celebrate, conceal and manipulate our own histories in an attempt to find spiritual resonance in our surroundings.”

As Meagan writes in her review for Bloody Disgusting, “The documentary touches on over 200 films, many of them obscure or deep cuts, to pursue how history has influenced this subgenre, what exactly defines folk horror, and how we engage with our respective cultural histories to find meaning and spirituality in our surroundings.”

She adds, “For the cinephile or diehard horror fan, Woodlands is an extensive crash course that will teach you far more than you ever expected there was to know about folk horror.”

The post Folk Horror Documentary ‘Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched’ Coming to VOD in October [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Previewed yesterday, Severin Films will be releasing All The Haunts Be Ours, an upcoming Limited Edition “Compendium of Folk Horror” that’s headed our way this Winter.

The 15-disc set will feature 12 Blu-rays, 3 CDs, and 20 feature films(!), in addition to “hours and hours of shorts, commentaries, featurettes, and more.” A book will also be included.

Of note, the award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (read Meagan’s review), directed by Keir-La Janisse, is one of the films included in the set.

Bloody Disgusting can now exclusively report on the box set’s complete details, and it’s loaded with worldwide Blu-ray premieres and *hours* of brand new bonus features.

This box is limited to 4000 units. Pre-order yours today!

Here’s everything you need to know…

“On December 7th, Severin Films is digging up haunted soil to unearth a truly unprecedented box set – All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror. Curated and produced by acclaimed author and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR director Kier-La Janisse, this definitive collection – anchored by Janisse’s award-winning documentary – includes 20 feature films, 3 CDs, a 126-page book, 15+ hours of short films, featurettes and more.

“In addition to the box set, Severin will also offer standalone editions of both EYES OF FIRE and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED.

“The most comprehensive collection of its kind begins with the definitive genre documentary of our time, Kier-La Janisse’s award-winning WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED. From there, experience 19 of the best-known, least-known, rarely-seen and thought-lost classics of folk horror from around the world, all restored from the best available vault elements with Special Features that include short films, audio commentaries and exclusive featurettes.

“The ultimate genre exploration continues with the original WOODLANDS soundtrack by Jim Williams and a reading of the classic short story ‘The White People’ by actress Linda Hayden, as well as a 126-page illustrated book curated by Janisse and designed by Luke Insect featuring all-new writings by renowned film scholars, authors and historians.”

DISC 1:

WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED
Kier-La Janisse, USA, 2021

192 mins | 1.85 | Color
English and Portuguese with English subtitles
Stereo
HD Digital Master

WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED explores the folk horror phenomenon and its culturally specific manifestations in international horror, from its first wave in the 1970s to today.

Extras:

• Video Introduction By Writer/Director/Producer Kier-La Janisse
• Animating Folk Horror — A Conversation with Ashley Thorpe
  Animator Ashley Thorpe discusses his processes and inspirations for the animated sequences he created for the film.
• Outtake: What is Folk Horror?
  Expanded definitions of folk horror cut from the film’s introductory sequence.
• Outtake: Harvest Hymns — The Sounds and Signals of Folk Horror
  Historians and Composers—including Marc Wilkinson, John Cameron, Jim Williams, Pentagram Home Video and more—weigh in on the sounds of folk horror from trad to electronica.
• Outtake: Terra Assombrada — Expressions of Folk Horror in Brazil
  Filmmaker Dennison Ramalho and Scholars Carlos Primati and Laura Loguercio Cánepa discuss the impact of Brazilian folk literature and songs on folk horror.
• Folk Poetry
  WITCHFINDER GENERAL star Ian Ogilvy and BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW’s Linda Hayden recite classic folk poems set to Super 8 footage.
• Trailer

DISC 2:

EYES OF FIRE
Avery Crounse, USA, 1983

86 mins | 1.85:1 | Color
English Stereo
4K restoration from the original negative

The seminal American folk horror film, unavailable on home video for decades, now debuts in a new 4K restoration. A rogue 18th century preacher and his followers make their way downriver to establish a new settlement beyond the western frontier and encounter a forest enchanted by strange spirits that will bring an apocalyptic madness upon them.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Colin Dickey, Author of “Ghostland: An American History In Haunted Places”
• The Secret Is In The Trees — “Nightmare USA” Author Stephen Thrower Interviews Avery Crounse
• Crying Blue Sky
  Alternate Longer Cut restored in 2K from Director’s personal 35mm answer print

Plus Bonus Short Films:

• The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow (Sam Weiss, USA 1972)
  Genre icon John Carradine narrates this atmospheric animated adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic story, newly scanned from 16mm for this release by educational film archive AV Geeks. Courtesy of Pyramid Films.
• Transformations (Barbara Hirschfeld, USA 1972)
  A fascinating feminist experimental film shot on location in Vermont about a group of witches performing white magic. Courtesy of the Vermont Archive Movie Project (VAMP). vamp.vtiff.org
• Backwoods (Ryan Mackfall, UK 2018)
  A scholar drifts from his path and finds himself in a house he takes for deserted. Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Picture In The House.” Courtesy of Myskatonic Films.

DISC 3:

LEPTIRICA
Djordje Kadijevic, Serbia, 1973

65 mins | 1.33:1 | Color
Serbian mono with optional English subtitles
HD master from Public Service Media Radio Television of Serbia

Based loosely on by Milovan Glišić’s classic 1880 Serbian vampire story After Ninety Years – which preceded Bram Stoker’s Dracula by nearly two decades – Djordje Kadijevic’s adaptation is a subversive, darkly erotic take on Glišić’s pastoral tale of a group of rural villagers beset upon by the infamous vampire Sava Savanovic, who has taken up residence in their local flour mill.

Extras:

• Radical Fairy Tales — Interview With Director Djordje Kadijevic

Plus bonus short films newly remastered in HD from archival film elements at Public Service Media Radio Television of Serbia:

• Štićenik (Djordje Kadijevic,1973)
  A terrified young man is being pursued by a mysterious man in black. He hides out in nearby mental hospital, but can he escape his fate?
• Diary Of An Inmate
  An interview with Štićenik actor Milan Mihailovic
• Devičanska Svirka (Djordje Kadijevic,1973)
  A man travelling through the countryside is drawn to a strange castle, which is reputed by the locals to be haunted. There he meets a beguiling young woman who ensnares him in her world of secrets.
• Prisoner Of Song
  An interview with Devičanska Svirka actor Goran Sultanovic

DISC 4:

WITCHHAMMER
Otakar Vávra, Czechoslovakia, 1970

107 mins | 2:35:1 | Color
Czech mono with optional English subtitles
HD restored master supplied by the Czech Film Center

Otakar Vávra’s film about 17th century witch hunter Jindřich František Boblig and the horrors he visited on the small village of Velké Losiny has been called an Eastern European counterpart to Michael Reeves’ WITCHFINDER GENERAL and Michael Armstrong’s MARK OF THE DEVIL.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Czech Film Historian And Curator Irena Kovarova
• The Womb Of Woman Is The Gateway To Hell
  A filmed appreciation by essayist and critic Kat Ellinger and film historian Michael Brooke. Courtesy of Second Run Films.
• The Projection Booth Podcast
  The renowned film podcast’s episode on WITCHHAMMER, with host Mike White and guest critics Samm Deighan and Rahne Alexander.

VIY
Konstantin Ershov, Georgiy Kropachyov, Soviet Union, 1967

76 mins / 1.33:1 / Color
Russian mono with optional English subtitles / English mono
HD restored master supplied by Mosfilm

Based on the classic novella by Nikolai Gogol, VIY remains the height of Soviet fantasy cinema. In 19th century Russia, a seminary student is forced to spend three nights with the corpse of a beautiful young witch. But when she rises from the dead to test his faith, it will summon a nightmare of fear, desire and the ultimate demonic mayhem.

Extras:

• From The Woods To The Cosmos — John Leman Riley On The History Of Soviet Fantasy And Sci-Fi Film
• Trailer
• Plus Bonus Silent Short Films: Satan Exultant (1917), The Queen of Spades (1916) and The Portrait (1915)

DISC 5:

LAKE OF THE DEAD
Kåre Bergstrøm, Norway, 1958

77 mins | 2.40:1 | B/W
Norwegian mono with optional English subtitles
Restored in 2K from the original negative

Considered a classic of Norwegian cinema, a group of colleagues venture to a remote cabin to look for a missing friend and are spooked by an old legend: that the cabin had belonged to a man who killed his sister and her lover and then drowned himself in the lake. Since then, it is said that anyone who stays in the cabin will be driven to the same fate.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Film Historians Jonathan Rigby And Kevin Lyons

TILBURY
Viðar Víkingsson, Iceland, 1987

57 mins | 1.33:1 | Color
Icelandic mono with optional English subtitles
Restored in 2K from the original negative at the Film Museum of Iceland

This made-for-TV film shares the Icelandic lore of the Tilbury, a creature who could be summoned by women in times of financial hardship and starvation. But the gifts of the Tilbury come with their own brand of destruction. Set in 1940, during the British occupation, a country boy discovers his childhood sweetheart is having an affair with a British soldier, but suspects it could be one of the evil creatures.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Director Viðar Víkingsson And Screenwriter Þórarinn Eldjárn, Moderated By Film Scholar Gudrun D. Whitehead
• With Enough Tilbury Butter, Anything Is Good — Interview With Karl Ágúst Úlfsson
• A Boy From The Country — Interview With Kristján Franklin Magnúss
• White Spot In The Back Of The Head (Viðar Víkingsson, 1979)
  This early student film from the director of TILBURY transposes the ghostly Icelandic legend of The Deacon of Dark River to 1970s France.
• “The Moon Fades, Death Rides”
  Viðar Víkingsson discusses the folkloric origins of White Spot In The Back Of The Head

DISC 6:

THE DREAMING
Mario Andreacchio, Australia, 1988

90 mins | 1.85:1 | Color
English mono
Restored in 2K from best surviving 35mm positive print

When a group of Indigenous activists attempt to repatriate ancestral artifacts found in a cave on Australia’s Kangaroo Island, one of them is shot evading police and taken to a local hospital. When the patient dies in her care, the doctor attending to her experiences strange visions relating to violent events from the past.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Director Mario Andreacchio, Moderated By Film Historian Jarret Gahan
• Trailer

KADAICHA
James Bogle, Australia 1988

88 mins | 1.85:1 | Color
English mono
Mastered from only surviving broadcast quality video master

Though conceived as a commercial horror film, this tale of teens being condemned to death in their dreams by an Aboriginal magician as recompense for a housing development having been built on a sacred burial ground also serves as an admission of national guilt.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Director James Bogle, Moderated By Veteran Film Journalist Michael Helms (Fatal Visions)
• The Final Girl Of KADAICHA
  An audio interview with actress Zoe Carides, conducted by film historian Jarret Gahan.
• Composing KADAICHA
  An audio interview with composer Peter Westheimer, conducted by film historian Jarret Gahan.
• Behind The Scenes Of KADAICHA
  Recently-unearthed footage of director James Bogle and the cast and crew in a typical day on set.
• Trailer

DISC 7:

CELIA
Ann Turner, Australia, 1989

103 mins | 1.85:1 | Color
English mono
Restored in 2K from 35mm original negative

In 1950s Australia, after 9-year-old Celia hears the disturbing fairy tale of “The Hobyahs” in school, it colors her interpretation of real life conflicts such as her parents’ struggling relationship, the threat of communism and the country’s plague of rabbits. Ann Turner’s award-winning film paints a disquieting picture of innocence trying to make sense of the harsh and complex world around her through escape into dark fantasy.

Extras:

• CELIA And Me
  A new interview with director Ann Turner
• From Crawfords To CELIA
  An interview with veteran editor Ken Sallows
• The Rabbit In Australia
  This short documentary produced by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO in 1979 traces the introduction of the European rabbit to Australia and subsequent attempts to control its population, which includes the rabbit cull of the 1950s that serves as the backdrop for Ann Turner’s CELIA.

ALISON’S BIRTHDAY
Ian Coughlan, Australia, 1981

97 mins | 1.85:1 | Color
English mono
Restored in 2K from 16mm CRI

Getting its first official release since the VHS era, this Australian paranormal cult is unearthed! During a Ouija board session with her teenaged friends, 16-year-old Alison gets a message from beyond the grave not to go home for her 19th birthday. Fast forward three years later to the week of her 19th: she gets a call from her mother that they’re having a party to celebrate and they want her there… alone.

Extras:

• Extended Interviews From NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD With Producer David Hannay And Cast Members Joanne Samuel And Belinda Giblin
• The Devil Down Under — Satanic Panic In Australia From Rosaleen Norton To ALISON’S BIRTHDAY
  A new video essay narrated by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, based on her chapter of the same name from the book “Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s.”

DISC 8:

WILCZYCA
Marek Piestrak, Poland, 1983

103 mins | 1.33:1 | Color
Polish mono with optional English subtitles
Restored in HD from original negative by WFDIF in Warsaw

A domestic hit in Poland on first release, Marek Piestrak’s stunning wintry werewolf film is a sexually-charged folktale that pits a 19th century Polish patriot against the ghost of his unfaithful wife, who haunts him from beyond the grave as a she-wolf.

Extras:

• Unleashing The She-Wolf — An Interview With Director Marek Piestrak

LOKIS: A MANUSCRIPT OF PROFESSOR WITTEMBACH
Janusz Majewski, Poland, 1970

100 mins | 1:66:1 | Color
Polish mono with optional English subtitles
Restored in HD from original negative by WFDIF in Warsaw

A pastor and ethnographer visits a remote corner of 19th century Lithuania where folk customs associated with the area’s pagan past still have a hold on the population. There he finds himself the guest of a strange old family consisting of a sadistic Count and his mad mother, who—legend has it—was raped by a bear on her wedding night; the Count himself reputed to be the product of this bestial assault.

Extras:

• Wild Country Of The Were-Bear — An Interview With Director Janusz Majewski

DISC 9:

CLEARCUT
Ryszard Bugajski, Canada, 1991

98 mins | 2.35:1 | Color
English 5.1 / 2.0
Restored in 4K from 35mm answer print

A white lawyer arrives to a remote area in Northern Ontario to defend Indigenous activists who are blocking a logging company’s clearcut of old growth on their land. A pacifist by nature, and perceiving himself as sympathetic to Indigenous concerns, he finds his values shaken when he is paired with an angry, rogue Indigenous activist named Arthur (Graham Greene) who insists on kidnapping the head of the logging company to take him deep into the forest—where he hopes to teach him the price of his destruction.

Extras:

• Archival Video Introduction By Director Ryszard Bugajski
  Courtesy of Maria Mamona
• Audio Commentary With Scholar And Anthropologist Shaawano Chad Uran (White Earth Anishinaabe)

Plus Bonus Short films:

• The Ballad Of Crowfoot (Willie Dunn, 1968)
  Often referred to as Canada’s first music video, Mi’kmaq/Scottish folk singer and activist Willie Dunn’s The Ballad Of Crowfoot is a powerful look at colonial betrayals, told through a striking montage of archival images and a ballad composed by Dunn himself about the legendary 19th-century Siksika (Blackfoot) chief who negotiated Treaty 7 on behalf of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
• Audio Commentary For The Ballad of Crowfoot With Kevin Howes And Lawrence Dunn, Co-Producers Of Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology
• You Are On Indian Land (Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell, 1969)
  A landmark film that documents a 1969 protest by the Kanien’kéhaka (Mohawk) of Akwesasne, a territory that straddles the Canada–U.S. border. You Are On Indian Land screened extensively across the continent, helping to mobilize a new wave of Indigenous activism. It notably was shown at the 1970 occupation of Alcatraz.
• Consume (Mike Peterson, 2017)
  Inspired by true events, residential school survivor Jacob Wematim (Julian Black Antelope) struggles to hang onto his land and Indigenous identity as his personal demons resurface and manifest in the form of the Wendigo spirit.

DISC 10:

IL DEMONIO
Brunello Rondi, Italy, 1963

98 mins | 1.85:1 | B/W
Italian mono with optional English subtitles
Restored from the original negative at RAI TV in Rome

A stunning story of obsessive love, set in a rural Southern Italian village where Christianity has integrated many of the old superstitious beliefs. Daliah Lavi (THE WHIP AND THE BODY) plays Purif, who is distraught when her lover is betrothed to another. Her erratic behavior is interpreted as demonic possession—leading the villagers to turn against her with physical and sexual violence.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary By Film Historian Kat Ellinger
• “The Kid From A Kibbutz” — Daliah Lavi And The Road To IL DEMONIO
  A newly-commissioned video essay written and narrated by film historian Tim Lucas and edited by filmmaker and programmer Chris O’Neill
• Once Upon A Time In Basilicata
  Brunello Rondi biographer Alberto Pezzotta looks at IL DEMONIO and the themes that dominated the director’s eclectic career

DARK WATERS
Mariano Baino, Russia/UK/Ukraine/Italy, 1993

89 minutes | 1.85:1 | Color
Italian stereo with optional English subtitles
Mastered in HD from the original negative

In Mariano Baino’s groundbreaking debut, a young Englishwoman drawn to an island in the Black Sea in an attempt to discover her mysterious connection to a remote convent—a crumbling edifice that has been constructed over a labyrinth of Lovecraftian horrors.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Mariano Baino
• Deep Into The DARK WATERS
  The cast and crew recall the making of DARK WATERS in this archival documentary featurette.

DISC 11:

A FIELD IN ENGLAND
Ben Wheatley, UK, 2012

90 mins | 2.35:1 | B/W
English 5.1 / 2.0
HD Digital Master

During the Civil War in 17th-Century England, a small group of deserters flee from a raging battle and are captured by an alchemist who forces them to help him find a hidden treasure. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group succumbs to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With Director Ben Wheatley, Producer Andy Starke And Sound Editor Martin Pavey
• Letterboxd Magic Hour Episode One: Kier-La Janisse X Ben Wheatley
  Ben Wheatley talks folk horror with WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED director Kier-La Janisse in this special online interview conducted for the release of Wheatley’s IN THE EARTH.
• Please Hear Me — The Music of A FIELD IN ENGLAND
  Composer Jim Williams and Ben Wheatley discuss the sounds and musical influences of A FIELD IN ENGLAND.
• Ben Wheatley In Conversation With Pete Tombs
  A fascinating discussion between Wheatley and film historian/author (“Immoral Tales,” “Mondo Macabro”) Pete Tombs that gets deep into the DNA of A FIELD IN ENGLAND.
• Camera Tests
• Trailer

ANCHORESS
Chris Newby, UK, 1993

108 mins | 1.66:1 | B/W
Mastered in HD by the British Film Institute

Based on the true story of Christine Carpenter, a 14th-century peasant who becomes transfixed by a statue of the Virgin Mary, and petitions to be walled into a cell attached to the church as a religious hermit. Alone in her cell she receives dark and sensual visions, while in the outside world, her defiant mother (played by musician Toyah Wilcox) is accused of witchcraft.

Extras:

• Lockdown 1329
  A new video essay by ANCHORESS director Chris Newby that explores parallels between COVID lockdown in the UK and Christine Carpenter’s experience as an anchoress, featuring outtakes from the film.
• A Short Trip To Shere
  ANCHORESS director Chris Newby documents the location of the real Christine Carpenter’s anchoress cell at St. James’ Church in Shere, England.

DISC 12:

PENDA’S FEN
Alan Clarke, UK, 1974

90 mins | 1:33:1 | Color
English mono
Mastered in HD by the British Film Institute

Alan Clarke (SCUM) directs David Rudkin’s epic tale of myth and identity whereby a sanctimonious vicar’s son has a spiritual and sexual awakening after being visited by a series of angels, gargoyles, and the ghosts of Edward Elgar and a long-dead pagan king. PENDA’S FEN is the most magical of all British folk horror films, what scholar Sukhdev Sandhu called “a lasting vision of heresy and pastoral horror.”

Extras:

• Audio Commentary By James Machin And Matthew Harle, Editors Of The Book “Of Mud & Flame: The Penda’s Fen Sourcebook”
• The Landscape Of Feelings — The Road To PENDA’S FEN
  A documentary on the making of Rudkin and Clarke’s groundbreaking drama, featuring interviews with writer David Rudkin and producer David Rose, as well as contributions from Clarke collaborators such as writer David Yallop, actor Sean Chapman and playwright David Leland. Courtesy of the British Film Institute.

Plus bonus short film:

• The Pledge (Digby Rumsey, 1981)
  Based on the short story by early 20th century fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, The Pledge concerns a group of highwaymen who make a pact to save the soul of their hanged partner. A dark, luscious film co-edited by an uncredited Peter Greenaway and featuring music by Michael Nyman. Courtesy of the British Film Institute.

ROBIN REDBREAST
James MacTaggart, UK, 1970

76 mins| 1:33:1 | B/W
English mono
Mastered from BBC protection tape master, the only surviving element

Veteran British chiller writer John Bowen penned this legendarily terrifying BBC teleplay, now considered a precursor to THE WICKER MAN. Nora Palmer moves to a quiet village in England after a break-up. The locals are warm enough at first, but their sinister intentions are gradually revealed. Is Nora paranoid or is she the center of a wicked pagan plot of indescribable horror?

Extras:

• Audio Commentary With William Fowler And Vic Pratt, Curators And Authors Of “The Bodies Beneath: The Flipside of British Film & Television”
• Interview With John Bowen
  The celebrated writer discusses his career and the origins of ROBIN REDBREAST. Courtesy of the British Film Institute.

Plus bonus short film:

• The Sermon (Dean Puckett, 2018)
  In an isolated church community in the English countryside, a powerful hate preacher prepares to deliver a sermon to his flock, but his daughter has a secret that could destroy them all.

BONUS CDs:

WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
Composed by Jim Williams

THE WHITE PEOPLE
By Arthur Machen
Read by Linda Hayden
Music by Timothy Fife and Missionary Work

Arthur Machen’s hugely influential short story, first published in 1904, in which a discussion between two men on the nature of evil leads to the revelation of a mysterious Green Book—the diary of a young girl, in which she describes her initiation into a secret world of folklore and magic. Here the story is brought vividly to life with an incredible reading by Linda Hayden (BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW) and a remarkable original score.

ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS — 126+ Page Book

Curated by Kier-La Janisse, this beautifully-illustrated book designed by Luke Insect features new writing by Andy Paciorek, Stephen Volk, Mitch Horowitz, Dawn Keetley, Sarah Chavez, Stephen R. Bissette and Dejan Ognjanović alongside a selection of illuminating archival pieces and a breakdown of all the films in the set.

The post [Exclusive] Severin’s Folk Horror Box Set Fully Detailed With 20 Films Including Long Out-of-Print ‘Eyes of Fire’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The 15-disc set will feature 12 Blu-rays, 3 CDs, and 20 feature films(!), in addition to “hours and hours of shorts, commentaries, featurettes, and more.” A book will also be included.

Of particular note, the award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (read Meagan’s review), directed by Keir-La Janisse, is one of the films included in the set!

Expect more details and pre-order info soon. Stay tuned.

The post “All the Haunts Be Ours”: 15-Disc Folk Horror Compendium on the Way from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Trapped on an out-of-print and incredibly limited release DVD, Skinned Deep’s uncut version is now back in circulation – restored and remastered – from Severin Films. We got to sit down and speak with Gabe about his career, the film and the new release. 

Bloody Disgusting: Before we get into Skinned Deep, I just want to do a little background on you, because just taking a look at your career here, and even when you watch the movie, I think you can tell that you’re an effects guy. So what drew you to that? Like, when did you start realizing that was the thing that you wanted to do? 

Gabe Bartalos: Well, it’s maybe a full circle because when I was younger, I had a fascination with films, especially fantasy films or horror films, and then was making my own Super eight films. And they all had the special effects aspects to them, whether miniature effects or makeup effects. And I started to zero in on that and began to focus on that. So I was lucky enough to make that a career. And as I continued doing makeup effects a lot of times, you know, you do the face of a character, let’s say the design and the sculpture, that you maybe extended to the upper body if it’s a creature suit or gloves. And then sometimes that character would go further and I would imagine what it’s wearing, which would complement the makeup, then create a whole character. And then I would kind of picture a backdrop that it should be seen with and that would be relevant to it. And then a narrative that would get it to that backdrop. Right? And then it started going back to storytelling and the idea of communicating cinematically. And then the bug started biting again to like, you know, if you like, making a couple of short films, seeing with the film stocks are like these days. And then enough ideas started coming together for a full feature film narrative storyline.

Bloody Disgusting: That’s awesome. I mean, so obviously, you have an interest in character design; I just have to ask, were you a comic book kid growing up? Was there a series that made you fall in love with character creation, or did you kind of just stumble across it? 

Gabe Bartalos: I think probably if I were to pin down the first influences, it probably started with, like Godzilla, the big people in creature suits, which is fascinating. I think I understood even at an early age that it was make believe because maybe the built in charm of its artificialness was front and center. And I think maybe everyone was allowed to see past that. Either way, as a very young lad, I think I picked up on that, but still just loved the sheer bravado of the guy in a lizard suit stomping on stages. The Exorcist was also very, very pivotal because now we’re zeroing in on human features and changing the anatomy, but still having the declaration of a humanoid human underneath. That probably in a wonderful way scrambled my young brain and intrigued me. And then I think maybe between ‘79 and ‘81, the perfect timing of being a teenager and the sheer explosion of splatter effects and makeup effects led by Dick Smith and Rick Baker that just began to take center stage. The great effects in really great films like a really, you know, perfect storm of this new art form. And not necessarily a new art form, but an art form hitting its stride for the coming of age for a contemporary audience, which would be whoever was probably between thirteen and seventeen. In the early 80s, like a perfect window to get hit by this stuff. Like a big heated steel fist that just punches you in the face with happiness.

‘Skinned Deep’

Bloody Disgusting: It’s so awesome to know you are such a big fan and obviously hungry for that content. Then you look at your lineup of work here and it’s truly impressive. What was it like to go from being that fan to then working on projects in major staple franchises like Friday, Texas, Gremlins; working with directors like Sam Raimi, Stuart Gordon, Tobe Hooper? Did that just blow your mind? Like, what was that transition? 

Gabe Bartalos: It kind of did. And it’s cool you say that, right? Sometimes you see it, people in the industry could be difficult. And sometimes the job grinds you down and makes you lose perspective. But for some reason, and I count myself lucky, I really haven’t. I think at a very early age, I was lucky enough to start getting in on film sets and just getting to execute my craft, which I was already so enamored with, and was really like “whoa, this is cool.” And for some reason I already knew it was a privilege. I think just because it felt so good, it probably felt to me like you just can’t have it that way. You can’t be so into something and then be allowed to practice it professionally. I don’t know, something in there set up that equation that maybe allows me, even to this day, to be excited. But I never lost that perspective. You’re absolutely right. It was right in with Frank [Henenlotter]. And later, Stuart Gordon. Tobe Hooper. It was like within four months jumping to these talents who had already been the trailblazers and have been celebrated in the magazines we were reading about. So it was like, whoa, it wasn’t like ten years later. It was like right away. And all of them were cool. All of them were doing films that people look back on fondly now. And most importantly, had already left their mark with a film that healthily scarred me. And now I was getting to participate in their second or third film. And it was abstract at times just to be sitting there talking with them, prepping something. And it might almost be like an out of body experience, like, well, this is weird. But then to see that there is room for people to grow and get into the craft.

And I guess what is funny is that makeup effects as an industry, as an industry that supports a lot of great talent, that is new. It used to be a handful of people for years dominating it and feeling their way through the dark and creating this backdrop. And I’ll start with like Dick Smith, who was blazing a trail on his own, but then opened the door to where there’s an industry and studios and people on payroll, made it so that it could support that. That is so funny that people as young as myself at 16 and 17 were being brought on a set. Major motion pictures supporting people like Tom Savini and Rick Baker. You know what I mean? It’s like, I don’t know if you’re going to get that in the medical community or even in advanced aeronautics or something just because they need people. We get them. They’re young. I don’t know. I think it’s all pretty special and completely this product of the time, but lucky enough to be positioned and right at the age of getting into the workforce while this industry, just like a galaxy, suddenly took shape and appeared. It wouldn’t have happened four years before. And if you’re getting in, let’s say, five years later or any time after that, it’s not that same supernova burst of a big bang of a universe, you know. 

Bloody Disgusting: Now I have to bring this up for personal reasons. Munchie. No one ever seems to remember it, but I watched that movie so much as a kid. It was like a staple in my house, my cousin and I were obsessed with it. So when I saw that you were the creature creator for that movie and then found out I was going to get to interview you, I was like, “how strange the world works.” I had to text my cousin and tell him.

Gabe Bartalos: Yeah. Well it’s funny, I think you’re absolutely right, the one slipped through the cracks. I think the reason that it doesn’t get easily corralled into the world of creature effects is because it was played for a kid audience. I was doing a fair amount of films for Roger Corman at the time and most of them were horror related. Stepmonster was kind of kid friendly, but also had a horror theme. Unborn was played more mean-spirited for horror film watchers. But then they had Munchie in there. And in talking with Roger Corman, it was fascinating because it’s like it’s going to be Dom DeLuise uses the voice. And I was like, really? And I was like, yeah, I think we’d be happy to do it. And I totally liked that the marching orders were a little different. “Hey, we’re playing this very much for a kids market.” And at the time I was working a lot with Dave Kindlon, a very talented animatronics artist and mechanic. So it made sense to me that after I had designed and sculpted and painted Munchie, it kind of became his, because the head is really this marvel of animatronics. It’s just jammed with mechanics. And even though Roger Corman is known for modest budgets, Dave is known as this excellent engineer, so he just took the financial resources we had and expanded it to, you know, jamming this little Munchie with animatronics. So it was at a time where two jobs were in the studio at once, Leprechaun’s the first one, and Munchie. So it became that Dave would take Munchie on set because if there was a problem, it wasn’t like a little makeup that needed to be maintained. It wasn’t just the skin and any hiccups, it was going to be mechanical. So Dave would have been the source anyway. I was down there a few times, but it was kind of Dave running it. And then at the same time, my presence was probably best used there on the set of Leprechaun, where my skills as a prosthetic artist were being used every day, literally gluing the prosthetics on Warwick Davis. But fascinating, right? Muchie. [laughs] 

Bloody Disgusting: I am a massive Leprechaun fan and seeing that you have worked on pretty much the entire series of the original Warwick Davis run, it’s just so cool to see. I imagine working on those is how you built that friendship up with him and now he’s in both of your movies.

Gabe Bartalos: And that’s where it came from. We became fast friends. And it’s interesting when you’re doing a makeup effect and it’s a character that’s sustaining a feature film, they’re in it for the long haul. They’re going through a lot of glue-on time. And that’s where some makeup effects artists, you get to wear a lot of hats from, sculptor, painter, the prosthetic artist to what’s your character like? Are you going to be able to click with this talent and make sure it’s a pleasant experience for them? So when they go out on set, they can make the work look as good as they can. Luckily Warwick’s just a really good dude and we hit it off very well. And we actually looked forward to the sequels because we are lucky enough to have a friendship. But it was a wonderful way to spend extended periods of time while we’re each doing our thing. But hanging out, you know, having a good time. And yeah, it’s really cool. He really shared with me that when you say yes to a project you can’t control, you could still just focus on your own department and do the best you can. And I think as the Leprechaun series went on, we never spoke about it, but I could see that as seriously as I took the makeup, he took the performance just as seriously. So as the sequels went on, some went in different directions of camp or using humor. However they used it, looking back, I think we kept a sense of purity to it. Like we’re going to take what we’re doing seriously without winking at it. And maybe somehow that informed the DNA of those films, even if they started getting wild or a little, you know, out of bounds. Something in that whole stew was still grounding it a little bit. Yeah, it’s really interesting. 

‘Skinned Deep’

Bloody Disgusting: So at that point you’re twenty years into your career and you get to a point where you make your own movie; you make Skinned Deep. How did that happen?

Gabe Bartalos: Well, I think it was probably 1995. I just started, in my mind, picturing some characters that were growing past the cosmetics outfits wardrobe. And basically my mind was expanding into scenarios, high energy scenarios, cinematic frames, you know. So I shot a short film called In the Pool of Darkness in ‘95 on 16 millimeter, to basically see what is the state of the art with film these days? How expensive is it?  How are the cameras? What does it look like when it’s printed and tipping? So I make an eight minute film, just kind of a montage of stream of consciousness, I should say, scream echoes. Kind of surrealistic high energy images. And it was really, really exciting, you know, picking a little piece of the cake and realizing I’ll take this whole thing home with me, thank you. And just really reignited the feeling of “man, I think I’d like to find a way to expand and make a full feature.” And, you know, that led to then collecting my thoughts and zeroing in on things like, “OK, it looks like a bunch of whacko characters are starting to take shape.” But there’s some things that are familiar in this narrative I’m writing and there’s some stuff that’s pretty far out there. And, you know, I was hesitant a few times because of the restrictions of finance. And I began to realize that if  I could get past that hurdle, if I could still shoot, I’d shoot it in film in sixteen millimeters. That was a very good lesson for me. It made it all more important than to create images and scenarios that are standouts, that are different, because it’s a modest film and we all have a lot of them that are close to our heart that look a little rough. But there is something about purity and the emotion behind the filmmakers and the scenarios they created that rise above it. And if you’re coming from that place, even if a film is a real struggle, it will.

It’s interesting because film as an industry is one of the few things where money does equate quality but doesn’t mean quality for the narrative, you know, or good storytelling. But it’ll make a film look better, you know, and sound better. You could then throw money at nice lenses and nice gear and the sound design and a good composer. You still have to be careful about getting the basics right, of storytelling and imagery. But so there would be the hesitance and I think it’s probably what holds back a lot of people who want to be filmmakers from pulling the trigger. I think it’s worth taking the plunge, even though you’re going to know you’re going to go and create something that might be seen as modest. But if you could get some original ideas in there, it sure feels good if it’s really something you want to do, because from there you’re just going to grow. You learn so much and it’s like the best feeling on Earth. It’s so much fun to have this format of ninety three, ninety five minutes. Room to explore your imagination and, you know, my brain just keeps turning out weird, surreal imagery. So feature films are a really good place for me to wet a towel, ring a bell and get all these out into a film. And, you know, when you do it independently, yes, there are restrictions that you’re doing it with. Whatever money you have available. And you may be limited to the availability of people. But if you just flip to that, those same things that could be a problem are actually enormous blessings. The minute you take somebody’s money, you are answering to them. So if you’re independent and you have something to say, you really have a chance of making something unique. And if you have a unique voice, whether it’s writing or photography or film, you might get noticed. And, you know, time is so valuable in shooting stuff. And when you are doing a truly independent film, it’s a very valuable commodity. And you could really take a deep dive into some weirdo stuff. And that’s really what I started enjoying doing. Like we’d shoot the sequences, pretty much like a normal movie. But then as I indulged into the prosthetic effects and making them weirder, like Brain’s head cracking open and the blocks coming out, you know, things that took a lot of time. Elevated sets, multiple heads to crack open. You know, it becomes hilarious that you’re spending a lot of time on this strange stuff, but that’s the high of it. That’s what makes it special and actually worth doing. Because it’s, for me at least, so much fun. And it’s really where the expression comes out. You really get to speak through so much. And it’s amazing if you love having a weird imagination, as I do. It’s a really cool rush. 

Bloody Disgusting: So I have this column with Bloody Disgusting where I look over movies from the 2000s. That’s always been one of my favorite decades. And I’m going over this list and I see Skinned Deep and I’ve never even heard of this movie. And let me tell you, tracking it down to watch was no easy feat. And I end up watching it and I’m just like, “this is insane because it’s just so bonkers.” The effects are so fun and splatter filled, like, you know, splatstick and gory. And I was like “How are we not talking about this movie more?” Because this movie has shades of Texas, shades of The Hills Have Eyes, but then it just really runs, you know, like in this super gonzo direction. With Surgeon General and Plates and Brain. I really was marveling at watching it, I’m almost thinking this shouldn’t work. But because these effects are so good and because it’s just earnest and made with passion. This movie is so enjoyable. And I’m just really excited that more people are going to be able to finally see this thing. 

Gabe Bartalos: Yeah, you know, earnest is a good word because you, a great way to be is to not be too self-aware. I mean, it’s got to kill everything and stop everyone in their tracks and, you know, earnestness or naïve meanness. It’s a wonderful way to stumble forward. And, you know, I think you probably found the film originally in the best way, that it’s the kind of thing you would connect to if you were appointed to it. But because of a potentially limited release, those who celebrated it have found it like that. And secondly, take real ownership of it. And that’s almost the most satisfying part. We shot from ‘98 to 2000 and you know, very raw, independent, true, and I felt like an imposter for like a year. Then I got a distribution deal with AMSO Entertainment, but I don’t think their reach was that far. And in a sense, it was almost fun. I mean, it’s not the most financially aggressive attitude to have, but it was like, you know, let it just do its thing. Those who will find it and like this stuff will probably be happy about it. It’s the kind of film that I make no mistake about, it’s not for everyone. I know that, you know. Shove it down a normal ticket buying audience’s throat and they will be like, “What is this?” But those that are on the prowl for the outlandish and they find it, they’ll be psyched about it.

And it is exciting to now have Severin put out Saint Bernard. And we’re really happy with the way they rolled it out. And they were very quick to then say, look, you know, it’s like, a landmark for our kind of vocabulary and pedigree. And I love their films. So I said, well, you know, I think we’re all happy with Saint Bernard’s roll out. And I let them know we had an unrated version that we mastered way back when David Gregory ran the company and they said, well, that’s great. And the fact that it’s never been on Blu-ray and now they’ve risen to the level of being able to afford going back to the original negative, it was really great to see the picture rescanned. There’s an amazing amount of information in there. You know, it’s amazing what eighteen years can do. And the colors are richer and meaner and more psychedelic. And it’s really nice to see that film format, even 16 millimeters, has all that in there. And then the same with the audio. All the audio has been able to be pushed forward. And I think this new Blu-ray is a really nice way to either rediscover the film or see it for the first time, because all of its modesty is there for everyone to enjoy. It’s really exciting. 

Bloody Disgusting: I do have to ask, because I’m curious, how much of this was a shoestring budget? How much of the weirdness of this movie is pulled from having to get innovative and creative with things in particular? Like, I think of the cactus field fight.

Gabe Bartalos: Yeah. You know, a couple prongs to that answer. One is that, and this can be a hindrance, if you’re writing something as a screenwriter and you know you’re going to shoot it, you keep certain restrictions. Like I’m not going to write a narrative that needs a finish like 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s out of my reach and I’ll be sanding sets my whole life instead of, you know, filming. But if I write something that plays to my strengths about interesting locations or things that I could build, that makes more sense. So you want to have some kind of survival instincts and write what you could shoot if you really know you’re going to shoot it. Now, obviously, there are plenty of people out there that are writing scripts and sell them as script writers and they cut their imagination loose and a project buys them and they find the money for it. And that’s great. In this case, I’m writing what I know I’m going to shoot. Sometimes there are locations like that place called the Cactus Corral. It’s in the North San Fernando Valley that I visit. There’s a place you could go and pick out cactuses and have metal sculptures. And my jaw dropped. I was like, this is a crazy place. This is fantastic. This looks like sets we are already building on, you know, so instantly I’m like, I know what I’m going to do. We’re going to shoot this, because now we’re going to get into something really wonderfully organic where we’re at a real location that has the time stamp of reality. Like the dust, the metal, the sheer volume of stuff you couldn’t build. But as you walk through doorways, then we begin to control the steps, the sense that they could build wonderful transitions. So I think finding locations has always been fun for me because you stumble upon stuff, and if you’re guiding the project and directing the film, you instantly know how I could use a corner of that or that crossbeam or this whole location if we could get access to it. So I think to answer your question, there’s a little back and forth. If I see something that’s exciting and I have access to it, I will try and leverage the narrative into it. You know, we’ll do some exteriors, that’s fantastic and have Shakes chase Plates through the cactuses. Like, I’ve never seen that before. And that’s funny. But at the same time, subliminally a threat. You know, if you fall, you’ll get spiked on the cactus. I’m laughing my ass off. This is absurd. But there are some stakes at play and then more weapons are used. Like what? 

Bloody Disgusting: Have you ever thought about returning to the world of Skinned Deep? 

Gabe Bartalos: You know, yes. There have been windows here and there. It’s so ripe with opportunity, even with the characters gone, you know, it’s easy to bring them back. Yeah, the characters are hilarious. They’re all products of absurdism and kind of archetypes taken to the full extension. And really, at least in my mind, there’s no shortage of that. I could go down the list and create 30 others to compliment those or resurrect them. And they all just lead to the funniest scenarios. So it would be easy to dream up another world for those characters to inhabit and would probably be a lot of fun. And they may be back.

Bloody Disgusting: Even just Surgeon General stands out so much to me. His design and… this monster but with a very human element to him. He’s captivating.

Gabe Bartalos: Well thanks. I appreciate that. And that’s I think there’s always that balance where each of those characters have this maybe little see-saw that I want to play with, that there has to be some touchstone of familiarity, whether they’re humanoid or if they’re not, doing something about masks or makeup that connect you with them. But then I want to make sure to take that to outer space, get really weird with it and absurd. But it’s that kind of back and forth and this may seem strange to say, but when I go really far out there, I want to make sure there’s some tethers in place to keep pulling it back. And I think that’s the way you keep people invested or at least myself invested. I see it as a little bit of a balancing act. If your eyes are shut and you’re walking out on a balance beam, I want to keep touching a rail in the dark to make sure there was something connecting me to a world that was familiar. And all those characters have that in their own weird way. You have Brain with wanting to have some humanity and wanting to be seen as normal. Plates, just by the lack of cosmetics on him, he’s a familiar; an insane little person. And Surgeon General who has the heaviest masquerade is still a bipedal humanoid. You know what I mean? So there’s always this little back and forth of trying to go far out there, but make sure there’s something for people to hang on to, whether it’s a sense of humor or when the violence gets a little elevated. That’s really fun. I think that becomes the craft of directing. And I see it very much like sculpture when you’re editing the film and considering sale. And how do you push the boundaries and keep the narrative flowing to tell your story? But like a sculpture, push wrinkles, push expression, pull it back to make sure that it serves what its been built for. That’s really the funnest part of it. And it’s funny how people throw around the term director. I think someone who really invested in putting projects together that they’re lucky to direct, I’ll speak for myself, I consider myself more a filmmaker. I love all aspects of it. Writing is fun, organizing it is fun, shooting. It is a blast. Editing is so important to me and you realize the power of frames when you’re putting it together. And that’s really borderline magical when you’re considering frames in, frames out. Did this punchline work, did the humor work and was the horror impactful. How far to go with the sound and the music. It’s such a cool process. 

‘Skinned Deep’

Bloody Disgusting: Well, Gabe, again, I want to thank you for decades upon decades of amazing work and then especially for bringing something as wild as Skinned Deep into the world for horror fans to check out. I mean, it’s obvious you’re still working. You got to work on Army of the Dead recently. Is there anything coming up that you’re excited about or want to promote? 

Gabe Bartalos: Yes, excited that things keep rolling. Army of the Dead was a lot of fun to do. It’s like just the sheer geography, the size of the real estate of my canvas, this giant horse to do all this weird shit on their super funds. And as there are projects, you know, as a makeup effects artist, it’s hard to control. You never know where a film is going to land. Right. It’s always the luck of the draw unless you’re doing your own film. 

Bloody Disgusting: Do you have any more ideas swirling around in your head that you need to ring out soon? 

Gabe Bartalos: There seems to be a cycle where suddenly it seems like I need to get the ideas out. I don’t know what that time is. It’s probably similar between Skinned Deep and Saint Bernard, where characters start appearing and ideas start appearing. And the trick is that they don’t go away. And it’s probably some kind of obsessive trait. And then, you know, I have a sculpture set up at home, as well as outside of my studio. And that almost becomes the signal when even after hours they sneak off. And it kind of starts forcing itself out and coming up with ideas or funny narratives or something that can crack me up. Even a sentence or a structural thing. And that’s usually what it is. And at a certain point, if there’s enough stuff to start selling it together. Like I said before, making a film is so much fun because there’s so much room to be creative, especially how I like to do it, where I like to sit there and literally drill credit cards and tie them together and solder blocks together. And obviously all the makeup, I love taking a deep dive in that. So that’s all gotta happen.

Bloody Disgusting: Well, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed because it was about 10 years between Skinned Deep and Saint Bernard, so we’re almost back on that cycle. 

Gabe Bartalos: You’re probably right. 

The post Filmmaker and Makeup Effects Artist Gabe Bartalos Returns to the Wild World of ‘Skinned Deep’ [Interview] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In addition, John Russo‘s Midnight will be released on the same day, September 28.

Severin explains, “A decade after co-writing Night of the Living Dead, writer/director John Russo gathered members of George Romero’s Pittsburgh crews to film a new shocker fueled by equal parts grisly grindhouse jolts and ‘80s satanic panic.”

“Fleeing her pervy alcoholic stepfather (Lawrence Tierney of Reservoir Dogs infamy), a hitchhiking teen (Melanie Verlin) is abducted by a family of crazed homicidal rednecks for an ordeal of graphic butchery, shag carpet and devil worship. John Amplas (Martin) co-stars in this “greasy, grimy guilty pleasure” (DVD Talk) featuring gore effects by Tom Savini and executive produced by Sam Sherman (Dracula vs. Frankenstein) – released in some US markets as Backwoods Massacre and seized in the UK as a Section 3 ‘Video Nasty’ – now scanned in 4K from the negative of the long-rumored uncut version with all-new Special Features.”

Special Features for Midnight include:

• Interview with Writer / Director John Russo
• Interview with Producer Samuel M. Sherman
• Interview with Actor John Amplas
• Interview with SFX Artist Tom Savini
• Trailer
• More TBC

Check out some more stills from Midnight below, along with Severin’s release art.

The post 1982’s Video Nasty ‘Midnight’ Featuring Tom Savini Gore Effects Getting Uncut Blu-ray from Severin appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by Paul Morrissey, the film stars Udo Kier in the title role.

“The film involves Count Dracula (Udo Kier) arriving in Italy to feast upon the blood of virgins, only to find difficulty with this due to the lack of virgins present in Italy.”

Severin teases, “Our edition features a UHD with a new master of the film, scanned uncut in 4K from the original negative for the first time ever.”

Blood for Dracula will debut during Severin’s Mid Year Sale later this month, along with eight other brand new titles. Severin notes that the 4K Ultra HD release “debuts Saturday, June 26 at 11:59:59 PM EST and will ONLY be available for the remainder of the sale.”

Head over to Severin’s website for everything you need to know.

The post Paul Morrissey’s 1974 Film ‘Blood for Dracula’ Sinks Teeth into 4K Ultra HD Release from Severin Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Severin details their July lineup today, “On July 20th, Severin Films is providing comfort from the sweltering summer heat with high-definition disc debuts of Gabe Bartalos’ SKINNED DEEP, Denis Héroux’s BORN FOR HELL, and Paul Donovan & Maura O’Connell’s SIEGE.”

Here’s the full rundown…

‘Skinned Deep’

SKINNED DEEP: His mind-blowing work as an FX artist has included everything from Frank Henenlotter’s BRAIN DAMAGE and FRANKENHOOKER to Matthew Barney’s CREMASTER CYCLE. And for his 2004 debut as writer/producer/director, Gabe Bartalos created this “demented gift from the B-Movie Gods” (Bloody Good Horror) about a rural clan of psychotic freaks, the killing spree “that takes us places and shows us things we’ve never seen before” (Dread Central) and the final girl that may be their depraved undoing. Warwick Davis (LEPRECHAUN) and Jason Dugre (SAINT BERNARD) star – with an appearance by fandom legend Forrest J. Ackerman – in this “brutal, bloody forgotten masterpiece” (Morbidly Beautiful) featuring music by Captain Sensible of The Damned, now scanned uncut in 2K from the original negative for the first time ever.

Special Features for Skinned Deep:

• DEEP CUTS – A look back on SKINNED DEEP with Writer/Producer/Director Gabe Bartalos, Actors Jay Dugre and Karoline Brandt and Weapons Machinist Jake Lee
• Audio Commentary With Cast & Crew
• Archival ‘Making Of’ Featurette
• Trailer

“SKINNED DEEP is also available in a limited edition of 2000 from the Severin webstore, which includes a Bonus CD of the first ever release of the Original Soundtrack by David Davidson, with additional tracks by Jonathan Bepler & The Damned’s Captain Sensible.”

‘Born for Hell’

BORN FOR HELL: In 1976, Montreal filmmaker Denis Héroux – future director of THE UNCANNY and Oscar®-nominated producer of ATLANTIC CITY – adapted the true story of Chicago mass murderer Richard Speck to war-torn Belfast, where a disturbed Vietnam vet drifter (Mathieu Carrière of MALPERTUIS and BILITIS fame) brutalizes a dorm full of student nurses. Re-edited by its video distributor and released as NAKED MASSACRE, Héroux’s harrowing director’s cut has remained unseen in America until now. Debra Berger (THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Leonora Fani (GIALLO IN VENICE), Christine Boisson (EMMANUELLE), Ely Galleani (BABA YAGA) and Carole Laure (SWEET MOVIE) co-star in this “uncompromising and unfathomably grim work of art” (Video Basement), scanned in 2K from an uncut 35mm print discovered in The National Archives of Canada.

Special Features for Born For Hell:

• The Other Side of the Mirror – Interview with Actor Mathieu Carriere
• Nightmare In Chicago – Remembering the Richard Speck Crime Spree with Local Filmmakers John McNaughton and Gary Sherman
• A New Kind Of Crime – The Richard Speck Story with Once Upon A Crime Podcaster Esther Ludlow
• Bombing Here, Shooting There – Video Essay by Filmmaker Chris O’Neill
• Artist Joe Coleman On Speck
• NAKED MASSACRE – U.S. Video Release Cut

‘Siege’

SIEGE: From co-directors Paul Donovan and Maura O’Connell (DEFCON-4) comes one of the most disturbing – and rarely-seen – Canadian shockers of the ‘80s, inspired by the actual 42-day Halifax police strike: When a local group of right-wing vigilantes massacres the patrons of a gay bar, the sole survivor seeks refuge in a nearby apartment building whose residents must now defend themselves in a night of hate, terror and bloodshed. Doug Lennox (BREAKING POINT), Tom Nardini (CAT BALLOU), Jack Blum (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME) and Keith Knight (MY BLOODY VALENTINE) star in this “dark and intense thriller, still uncomfortably relevant 35 years after it was made” (Blog Of Horror) – released in the U.S. as SELF DEFENSE – scanned in 2K from the original negative recently discovered in a Nova Scotia archive.

Special Features for Siege:

• Two cuts of the movie – Theatrical: 84 mins / Extended: 93 mins
• Trailer

Check out Severin’s July 2021 trailer below, along with Blu-ray art for each upcoming release.

The post Severin’s Blu-ray Releases for July Include the Unrated Director’s Cut of 2004 Horror Movie ‘Skinned Deep’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

On May 25th, the company announced today, Severin Films is releasing a box set of buried gems from one of cinema’s most seminal figures – Sir Christopher Lee.

Severin explains the upcoming release, “He remains one of the most beloved horror/fantasy icons in US/UK pop culture history, but Christopher Lee delivered several of the most compelling, acclaimed and bizarre performances of his entire career in 1960s Europe. THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE brings together five of these Lee classics – the 1964 gothic shocker CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE; the 1964 cult hit CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD co-starring an unknown Donald Sutherland; 1962’s celebrated SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE; 1967’s lurid favorite THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM and the rarely-seen 1963 oddity CHALLENGE THE DEVIL – with the 24 surviving episodes of the 1971 Film Polski anthology series THEATRE MACABRE hosted by Lee, all remastered from original negative materials with over 10 hours of trailers, rare promos, audio commentaries & vintage interviews, plus the CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD soundtrack and an all-new 88-page book by Lee biographer Jonathan Rigby – “Christopher Lee – The Continental Connection”.

“Limited, exclusive bundles from the Severin webstore include Terence Fisher – Master of Gothic Cinema, The Authorized Biography By Tony Dalton Signed First Edition Hardcover (forthcoming release by FAB Press in the UK. Also available is brand new merchandise, including an original art print and Christopher Lee enamel pin.”

CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD (1964): In the final film of his early ‘60s European period, Christopher Lee stars as a 19th century Count who invites a theatrical troupe for a weekend of horrors that boasts an enthusiastically creepy performance by Lee, startling locations in Lazio, Italy’s Orsini-Odescalchi Castle and ‘Park of the Monsters’, second-unit direction by Michael Reeves (WITCHFINDER GENERAL) and the screen debut of Donald Sutherland as both a doofus gendarme and a hunchbacked hag. Philippe Leroy (THE NIGHT PORTER) and Jacques Stany (VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN’S PRISON) co-star in this 1964 French-Italian co-production from American producer Paul Maslansky – who would go on to produce DEATH LINE and the POLICE ACADEMY movies – and fellow expat writer/director Warren Kiefer – after whom Sutherland would name his son – now scanned in 4K from the Italian negative for the first time ever.

CHALLENGE THE DEVIL aka KATARSIS (1963): In the most obscure film of his early ‘60s Italian period – if not his entire career – Christopher Lee stars in this brilliantly bizarre combination of neo-realist crime thriller, tawdry Christian melodrama, fizzy cabaret musical and trippy gothic horror, culminating in a gang of bongo-crazed delinquents menaced by a white-haired Lee as a sinister Victorian who may be Satan himself. George Ardisson (HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD) and Adriana Ambesi (FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD) star in this staggering 1963 oddity that marked the sole screen credit of writer/director Guiseppe Vegezzi, who committed suicide shortly after its commercial failure. Also known as KATARSIS and little-seen for over 50 years, it is now scanned in 2K from the Italian negative for the first time ever.

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE (1962): Shortly after their hit collaboration on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, Christopher Lee and director Terence Fisher (HORROR OF DRACULA) returned to Holmesiana for Lee’s sole feature film portrayal of the world’s greatest detective. Shot in Berlin with Hammer regular Thorley Walters as Dr. Watson, Lee considered it to be “one of the best things I’ve ever done because I tried to play Holmes really as he was written – as a very intolerant, argumentative, difficult man.” Senta Berger (WHEN WOMEN HAD TAILS) and Ivan Desney (THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN) co-star in this 1962 West German-French-Italian co-production produced by Artur Brauner (VAMPYROS LESBOS) from a screenplay by Curt Siodmak (THE WOLF MAN) and based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Valley Of Fear, now scanned in 2K from the German negative.

THEATRE MACABRE (1971-1972): Christopher Lee hosted this anthology television series originally produced by Film Polski (KNIFE IN THE WATER, THE TIN DRUM) in the tradition of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS and BORIS KARLOFF’S THRILLER. Lee delivers the intro and outro for each half-hour at his imposing and often cheeky best, while the tales themselves – adapted from stories by Poe, Dostoevsky, Ambrose Bierce, Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde – are written and/or directed by filmmakers that include Andrzej Zulawski (POSSESSION) and Academy Award® winner Andrzej Wajda (MAN OF IRON). Dubbed into English and featuring ‘additional dialogue’ by Jesse Lasky Jr. (THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, 7 WOMEN FROM HELL) with new theme music by Ron Goodwin (VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, FRENZY), it has remained largely unseen since its brief airing on American TV in 1971. These 24 surviving episodes have now been scanned in 2K from the original negatives.

THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM (1967): Christopher Lee stars as Count Regula, an insane nobleman found guilty of murdering a dozen virgins and drawn-and-quartered for his crimes. But when a lawyer – former Tarzan Lex Barker – is summoned to the Count’s castle 35 years later, he will unlock a “wildly entertaining” (Buried.com) odyssey of torture, dismemberment and creepy Bavarian locations that is equal parts Mario Bava and Hieronymus Bosch. Karin Dor (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) and Dieter Eppler (SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES) co-star in this 1967 “underrated gem” (The Telltale Mind) – also known as CASTLE OF THE WALKING DEAD, BLOOD OF THE VIRGINS and THE BLOOD DEMON – directed by krimi veteran Harald Reinl and loosely based on Poe’s The Pit & The Pendulum, now scanned in 4K from the original German negative with all-new Special Features.

CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE (1964): In a lavish gothic shocker inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s immortal novella Carmilla, Christopher Lee delivers a rare ‘hero’ turn as nobleman Count Karnstein whose foreboding castle teems with ancestral curses, unnatural desires, philosophical hunchbacks and grisly acts of vengeance. Adriana Ambesi (FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD) co-stars in this 1964 Spanish-Italian co-production – also known as TERROR IN THE CRYPT and CRYPT OF HORROR – directed by Camillo Mastrocinque (AN ANGEL FOR SATAN) as Thomas Miller & Robert Spafford from a screenplay by giallo master Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) as Julian Berry and Sergio Leone protégé Tonino Valerii (MY NAME IS NOBODY) as Robert Bohr, now featuring a 2k scan from a fine-grain 35mm master print.

Special Features for The Castle of the Living Dead:

• *Audio Commentary with Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson & Film Writer Troy Howarth
• *Audio Commentary with Film Writer Kat Ellinger
• *From the Castle to the Academy – Interview with Master Producer Paul Maslansky
• *The Castle of The Mystery Man – Roberto Curti, Author of Mavericks of Italian Cinema, on  Writer / Director Warren Kiefer
• * CD Soundtrack

Special Features for Challenge the Devil aka Katarsis:

• *Dance with the Devil – Interview with Roberto Curti, Author of Mavericks of Italian Cinema
• *The Importance of Being Giorgio – Interview with Giorgio Ardisson Over Two Decades
• *Trailer

Special Feature for Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace:

• *Audio Commentary with Film Writers Kim Newman & Barry Forshaw

Special Feature for Theatre Macabre:

• *Promo with Christopher Lee

Special Features for The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism:

• *Audio Commentary by Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson and Film Writer Troy Howarth
• *Audio Interview with Actress Karin Dor (German with English subs)
• *Location Featurette
• *Theatrical Trailer (German)
• *Teaser Trailer
• *Die Schlangengrube – Die Burg des Grauens – German Super 8 Digest Short
• *Die Schlangengrube des Grafen Dracula – German Super 8 Digest Short
• *Poster Gallery
• *Behind the Scenes Still Gallery
• *Restoration Slideshow

Special Feature for Crypt of the Vampire:

• *Trailer

Contents of Bonus Disc – Relics from the Crypt:

• *HORROR!!! – 1964 Swiss Documentary Short by Pierre Koralnik Featuring Interviews with Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Roger Corman and Roy Ashton
• *Behind The Mask – Christopher Lee Remembers Boris Karloff. New edit of unfinished 1991 documentary by Ian Rough
• *Cinescope 1976 Belgian TV interview with Sélim Sasson
• *Colin Grimshaw Interviews Christopher Lee in 1975
• *1985 Audio Interview with Christopher Lee, accompanied by stills from The Del Valle archive & video introduction with David Del Valle
• *Monsters & Vampires – Interview with Pioneering Horror Movie Historian Alan Frank
• *The Crypt Keepers – Making of Crypt of the Vampire Featurette with Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, Assistant Director Tonino Valerii and Film Historian Fabio Melelli
• * “O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never” & “She’ll Fall For Me” Christopher Lee & Gary Curtis Music Videos with optional Gary Curtis Audio Commentary
• *The Invincible Sir Christopher – Filmmaker Philippe Mora Recalls Lee
• *Outtakes from TO THE DEVIL… A DAUGHTER / THEATRE OF DEATH 2001 DVD interview session covering the most frightening films ever, BLACK MASSES, POLICE ACADEMY 7 & More
• *University College Dublin 2011 Q&A with Sir Christopher Lee

Check out the trailer for the release below, along with a look at everything you’re getting!

The post Severin Films Has Unearthed Buried Gems Starring Christopher Lee for a Massive Blu-ray Box Set appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This coming April, Severin is also bringing a trio of “nature run amok” horror movies to Blu-ray, including Grizzly (1976), Day of the Animals (1977), and Deep Blood (1990).

Here’s everything you need to know…

Grizzly: “Less than a year after the release of Steven Spielberg’s shark blockbuster, director William Girdler (DAY OF THE ANIMALS) and infamous distributor Film Ventures International (GREAT WHITE) brazenly unleashed their own ‘JAWS with claws’ sensation that would become one of the most successful independent horror films in history. Christopher George (PIECES), Andrew Prine (BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD) and Richard Jaeckel (THE DARK) star in this “bloody, sexy and immortal trash classic” (Mondo Digital) about an 18-foot-tall ursus arctos horribilis on a carnivorous rampage through a state park full of campers, and the ranger, chopper pilot and naturalist who must stop it. GRIZZLY now roars with a 2k scan from the internegative plus Special Features produced exclusively for this edition.”

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson and Film Writer Troy Howarth
• The Grizzly Details – Interview with Producer David Sheldon and Actress Joan McCall
• Towering Fury – Interview with Actor Tom Arcuragi
• “NIGHTMARE USA” Author Stephen Thrower On William Girdler
• Movie Making in the Wilderness – Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Making Of
• Jaws with Claws – Archival Making Of GRIZZLY Featurette
• Radio Spots
• Trailers
• Reversible Wrap

Day of the Animals: “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the wilderness, director William Girdler and producer Ed Montoro sought to top their surprise blockbuster GRIZZLY with a bigger budget, larger cast, and even more nature-gone-berserk carnage: When a hole in the Earth’s ozone layer triggers bloodthirsty madness throughout the animal kingdom, all mankind – particularly a group of tourists on an overnight hike – will become their prey. Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Michael Ansara, Andrew Stevens and Leslie Nielsen – in his now-legendary pre-AIRPLANE! performance that “is worth the price of admission alone” (DVD Talk) – star in “one of the most outrageous offerings the drive-in has ever known” (Pop Matters), now featuring a 2k scan from the internegative and howling with Special Features produced exclusively for this edition.”

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Film Critic Lee Gambin, Author of “Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film”
• Animal Boy – Interview with Actor Bobby Porter
• Against Nature – Interview with Actor Andrew Stevens
• Unleashed – Interview with Stunt Coordinator Monty Cox
• Something Was Out There: Day of the Animals 30 Years Later – Interviews with Actors John Cedar, Paul Mantee and Actress/Animal Trainer Susan Backlinie
• Still Gallery
• TV Spot
• Trailers
• Reversible Wrap

Deep Blood: “In a career that forever raised the bar for everything from hookers, cannibals and necrophiles to Ator, Emanuelle and Caligula, this long-unseen chum bucket from producer/director/EuroSleaze master Joe D’Amato may be his most bizarrely entertaining anomaly ever. Shot on location in Florida surf and Rome swimming pools, D’Amato combines ‘80s teen movie cliches and Native American mysticism with stupefying dialogue, over-the-top performances and shark footage that Bruno Mattei would later swipe for CRUEL JAWS to create what Oh, The Horror! calls “a weird, demented experience that begs to be discovered and embraced.” A cast of local unknowns – along with, inexplicably, the ‘60s comedy team of Charlie Brill & Mitzi McCall – star in this last word in Italian Sharksploitation, now scanned in 2K from the original negative for the first time ever.”

Special Features:

• Trailer

Limited slipcovers and a few different special combo packages are available, so head over to Severin’s website to place your pre-orders and learn more about each release.

The post Severin’s April Releases Include ‘Santa Sangre’ on 4K Ultra HD Plus Leslie Nielsen vs. Killer Animals and More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Severin details, “What was intended to be an unofficial sequel to Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu instead became one of the most notoriously fascinating productions in EuroCult history: Klaus Kinski – “now fully in the grip of the ‘batsh*t crazy’ phase of his career” (Rock! Shock! Pop!) – gives his penultimate performance as the legendary vampire resurrected in modern-day Venice with an insatiable hunger for warm blood and rough sex.

“Donald Pleasence and Academy Award® winner Christopher Plummer co-star in this sumptuously insane shocker that features music by Oscar® winner Vangelis (Chariots of Fire), employed five different directors – including Mario Caiano (Nightmare Castle), Luigi Cozzi (Paganini Horror), writer/producer Augusto Caminito and reportedly Kinski himself – and still delivers “one eye-popping scene after another” (Cinema Retro), now scanned in 2k from the original negative.”

Special Features include:

• Creation is Violent: Anecdotes From Kinski’s Final Years – Feature length documentary
• Additional Cast & Crew Interviews
• Trailer

Nosferatu in Venice sinks its teeth into Blu-ray on March 30, 2021.

The post Severin Films Bringing the Klaus Kinski-Starring Unofficial Sequel ‘Nosferatu in Venice’ to Blu-ray appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s no secret that we love a good horror anthology here at Bloody Disgusting, almost as much as we love Severin Films. Given the company’s history and the impressive list of talking heads they managed to line up, this is looking likely to be a must-watch doc for horror fans everywhere.

“We had a lot of fun with our COVID Project, and it gave friends and colleagues a chance to ponder and articulate the enduring appeal of the format,” says co-producer Janisse. “The anthology horror film is an extension of much older traditions of storytelling that are especially valued in the horror community, and though the films are by nature a mixed bag, there’s a reason we keep returning to them again and again.”

“I’ve loved horror anthologies since seeing The Monster Club when I was 9,” says director/co-producer Gregory. “And most horror filmmakers and fans love them too, often getting into heated discussions about their favorites. Kier-La and I decided to ask our horror industry colleagues and friends to determine the experts’ Top 5 films and segments that would make the ultimate horror omnibus movie. The results surprised us all.”

Tales of the Uncanny dives into such horror anthology classics such as Dead of Night, Black Sabbath, Spirits of the Dead, Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, Creepshow, and Bloody Disgusting’s very own V/H/S. Tales of the Uncanny is set to make its premiere at Abertoir – The International Horror Festival of Wales October 28th – November 1.

The film will also be available this November – in tandem with The Theatre Bizarre Special Edition – as a Severin Films’ Limited-Edition Blu-ray featuring special anthology horror archival rarities.

The post Mick Garris, Joe Dante and Other Icons Discuss Anthology Horror in New Documentary ‘Tales of the Uncanny’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Simone Scafidi directed Fulci for Fake, which has a pretty interesting setup.

Meagan explains in her review, “The framing device for this documentary features actor Nicola Nocella recently cast as Fulci in a biopic about his life. To nail his portrayal, the actor dives deep into research, seeking out those that were either closest to Fulci or studied him. From there, Fulci for Fake mostly devolves into your standard documentary featuring rotating talking heads to reveal insight to the director’s life and the inner pain that likely fueled his horror.”

Interview subjects include Fabio Frizzi, Michele Romagnoli, Sandro Bitetto, Enrico Vanzina, Sergio Salvati, Michele Soavi, Paolo Malco, Berenice Sparano and Davide Pulici.

We’ve learned today that Severin Films will be bringing Fulci for Fake to North American Blu-ray soon. Pre-orders, they say, will be available starting June 26th, 2020. Stay tuned.

The post Severin Films Bringing Lucio Fulci Documentary ‘Fulci for Fake’ to Blu-ray in North America appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Alexie (Bob Byrd) is a scientist that works for a secret government agency. This agency studies zodiac signs and does so to find the second coming of Christ. This seems like a pretty weird thing for a government agency to do given that whole separation of church and state thing, but then the government doesn’t typically make a lot of sense. 

Furthering the weirdness is the fact that this agency seems to have unlimited funds. Alexie travels on private jet all over the world and does so on a whim. That’s not cheap. And the government goes to great lengths to keep this agency very secret. So much so that Alexie’s wife, Kate (Monica Tidwell) doesn’t even know about it. I assume managing a cover-up is pricey.

Anyway, Alexie is way into finding Christ 2.0. And his wife may be Virgin Mary 2.0? At the very least she’s very much involved with something Christ-like. The specifics weren’t entirely clear to me, but Alexie and Kate haven’t had sex yet. This is discussed plenty. And that’s enough for Alexie to assume she must be a virgin.

Somehow tied into all of this is a cult in India that may or may not be Satanic. I assume Satanic because the leader appears to be searching for the second coming of Christ as well and I’m pretty sure he wants that second coming dead. At least I think.

I realize I’m saying “I think” a lot, but that’s because I don’t entirely know or understand what was going on with this one. What I do know is that this movie is definitely in some way, at least to some degree, about a suicide cult, Christ 2.0, Virgin Mary 2.0, Satan, and the government. Oh, and at some point, there is a race car and someone just uses it as if it’s their everyday driver. It’s incredibly bizarre but oddly mesmerizing. 

This was the first film from Glickenhaus and it’s quite a bit different than the more popular works the director would go on to make. Glickenhaus is primarily known for his action work, with titles like The Exterminator, The Protector, and Shakedown. It does share the grittiness, however. Also, this being his debut explains the use of the race car – Glickenhaus is a noted collector of racing vehicles. The race car still makes absolutely no sense in the context of the story, but anything you can do to up the production value on a low budget indie, especially a debut film, is a win. Hard to top a freaking race car.

The most fascinating aspect of The Astrologer, aside from the race car, is the way it blurs the line between religion and science. These are two things typically viewed like water and oil; you can’t mix the two. My sixth-grade teacher very clearly told our class one day that you can’t believe in aliens and God. This film takes the opposite approach and interlinks the two, tying them both into an elaborate government cover-up. There is definitely someone out there that believes this to be true.

Special Features:

• Sign of the Times – James Glickenhaus on The Astrologer
• Monica Tidwell Remembers The Astrologer – Interview With Actress Monica Tidwell
• Tales From the Set – Interviews with Filmmakers Brendan Faulkner and Frank M. Farel
• Zodiacal Locations – The Filming Sites of The Astrologer
• Suicide Cult Reversible Cover

The special features included are primarily interviews. Glickenhaus does his interview with a race car behind him, no less. He discusses what it was like to make the film, the fact that it was his debut, and touches on some government stuff. Tidwell gets into her memories of making the film and how she became involved. The one non-interview bonus feature, Zodiacal Locations, is my favorite of the bunch. I’m a sucker for anything that takes a look at set locations and in that regard this delivers. As an added bonus, Michael Gingold serves as our tour guide.

The Astrologer lacks the excitement and thrill of the director’s action work but nonetheless is an intriguing little title worthy of seeking out. It’s another strong entry in Severin’s ever-growing library of high-strange weirdness.

The Astrologer is now on Blu-ray from Severin Films.

The post ‘The Astrologer’ Blends Religion and Science in a Strange, Trippy Tale [Blu-ray Review] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Sisworo Gautama Putra‘s haunting slice of Indonesian exploitation, Satan’s Slave will also receive the Severin treatment. This film about a wealthy family tormented by the undead borrows heavily from Phantasm and recently received a remake/sequel.

Rounding out the May 26th releases is Horrors of Spider Island. This wild German film from director Fritz Böttger is about a remote island that is, well, covered in spiders. This film, also known in the US as It’s Hot in Paradise, Hot in Paradise, Girls of Spider Island, and Spider’s Web will be making its high definition debut stateside.

In typical Severin fashion, all titles will be available individually or in various bundles that include unique bonus items, one of which is a Spider Island figure. Bundles are sold exclusively at Severin-Films.com.

Special Features for The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh:

• Of Vice and Virtue – Interview with Director Sergio Martino
• Cold As Ice – Interview with Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi 
• Vienna Vice – Interview with Actor George Hilton and Italian Genre Historian Antonio Bruschini
• Archive Interview with Actress Edwige Fenech
• Introduction By Actor George Hilton
• Audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger, Author Of ‘All The Colors Of Sergio Martino’
• Trailer
• CD Soundtrack (Limited to 3000 units, Blu-Ray edition only)

Special Features for Satan’s Slave:

• Satan’s Box Office – Interview with Producer Gope T. Samtani
• Indonesian Atmosphere – Interview with Screenwriter Imam Tantowi
• Satan’s Slave Obsession – Audio Interview with Remake Director Joko Anwar

Special Features for Horrors of Spider Island:

• Alternate US Release Version – IT’S HOT IN PARADISE
• The History of Spider Island – With Prof. Dr. Marcus Stiglegger
• Audio Interview with Actor Alexander D’Arcy by Horror Historian David Del Valle
• Alternate Clothed Scenes
• Trailer
• Limited Edition Slip Case (Limited to 3000 units, Blu-Ray edition only)

The post Severin’s May Blu-ray Lineup Offers Wonders from Around the World appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The new documentary, Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson takes a look at the long career of the B-movie maven and his unfortunate and gruesome death. Featuring archive footage of Adamson, and a mix of new and old interviews with his friends and colleagues, the films gives the audience an in-depth look into the director’s life.

Adamson’s introduction to the world of cinema came via his father, Denver Dixon. Dixon developed a successful career making ultra-low-budget westerns and Adamson fell in love. In 1961, Adamson assisted his father on Halfway to Hell. The film was a disaster, but Adamson got his first taste of directing and from there he would never look back. 

Adamson’s first effort was a straight-forward thriller originally titled Echo of Terror. With the help of young distributor Sam Sherman, the film would undergo a wide range of changes. Multiple titles, cuts, and re-shoots later, and Adamson was a full-time working director. And he and Sherman developed the perfect low-budget partnership.

Adamson’s approach was simple. He found people willing to work for next to nothing (and most of the time it was nothing) and he made cheap movies. Most of the time he and Sherman started with a catchy title and eye-popping poster and then worked back to the movie. Maybe the movies weren’t always good. Maybe they were never good, but they were always better than they had any right being. And that’s all part of the Adamson charm.

The doc does a wonderful job talking to some of the people closest to Adamson. This includes Sherman, Russ Tamblyn, Bud Cardos, Robert Dix, Gary Kent, Stevee Ashlock, Marilyn Joi, and a whole lot more. There is even some archive footage, include Adamson’s final interview. They all share various stories and personal anecdotes and they all come to the same conclusion – Adamson was cheap, he was sometimes difficult to work with, but everyone adored him.

My favorite of the interviews comes from Oscar-winner Vilmos Zsigmond. That’s right, this documentary about a cult filmmakers features an Oscar-winning cinematographer. Zsigmond shot a few films for Adamson, charging him $100 a day. On the first weekend, Adamson left for a few hours and asked Zsigmond to direct a few scenes. As it turns out, Adamson went to deliver some newspaper so he could make the hundred bucks. He paid Zsigmond in dollar bills and loose chains. Zsigmond said he respected this and it made him want to work with Adamson more. Laughing, he would later say that Adamson screwed him over plenty of times.

The movie works its way through Adamson’s career, highlighting a number of his most famous titles along the way. Movies like Blood of Dracula’s Castle, Satin’s Sadists, and Dracula vs. Frankenstein get a lot of air time. There’s also a lengthy discussion on what is perhaps his most interesting movie – Carnival Magic. One of the last films Adamson directed, Carnival Magic was intended to be a family movie. And I guess it sort of is, but it features a talking chimp and some very adult themes. It’s a bonkers movie that everyone must watch.

While Blood & Flesh is a celebration of Adamson’s work, it gets emotional and heavy in the last 45 minutes or so. Unfortunately, Adamson’s life mirrored the grisly horror films he directed. After the untimely death of his wife, Regina Carrol, Adamson stepped away from filmmaking and moved into real estate. In the mid-’90s he hired contractor Fred Fulford to help him renovate the house he was living in at the time. Given this is a documentary, it’s no spoiler to say Fulford ended up murdering Adamson. 

The film dives into all the horrific details and features interviews with the detectives that investigated the murder. This includes video footage of the moments leading up to the discovery of Adamson’s body. The most heartbreaking moment is an interview with Adamson’s former housekeeper. She walks the audience through everything that transpired with Adamson and Fulford, breaking down when she remembers the moment she knew Adamson was dead. 

Blood & Flesh is the best documentary about a filmmaker I have ever seen. Adamson’s story is unique, and despite the devastating conclusion, it’s inspiring. Adamson did things his way. He wasn’t deterred by a lack of funding or bad reviews. He wanted to make movies and so he did.

Blood & Flesh hits VOD today. Those looking to own the Blu-ray can get it directly from Severin Films; it releases on April 21st and can be purchased on its own or as part of Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection. This box set limited to 2000 copies and features 31 remastered Adamson films on 14 discs. Also included is a 126-page book.

Full details below.

Disc 1: Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson/The Female Bunch

Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson Special Features:

• Outtakes – The Cowboy Life Of Denver Dixon, Russ Tamblyn’s Melted TV, Manson & Screaming Angels, and The Prophetic Screenplay Makes Gary Kent Testify
• Beyond This Earth Promo Reel
• Trailer

The Female Bunch Special Features:

• The Bunch Speaks Out
• Trailers

Disc 2: Psycho A Go-Go/Fiend with the Electronic Brain/Blood of Ghastly Horror

Psycho A Go-Go Special Features:

• Trailer

Fiend with the Electronic Brain Special Features:

• Alternate Title Sequence: Man with the Synthetic Brain
• Trailer

Blood of Ghastly Horror Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer Samuel M. Sherman
• Trailer

Disc 3: Halfway to Hell/Five Bloody Graves

Five Bloody Graves Special Features:

• Outside of Tucson: Interview with Actor/Screenwriter Robert Dix
• Partial Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Alternate Title Sequence: Five Bloody Days to Tombstone
• Radio Spots
• Trailer

Disc 4: Blood of Dracula’s Castle (Both Theatrical and TV cuts)/Horror of the Blood Monsters

Blood of Dracula’s Castle Special Features:

• Partial Audio Commentary with Expert Brian Albright
• Audio Interview Excerpt with Alex D’Arcy
• Trailer

Horror of the Blood Monsters Special Features:

• Partial Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Alternate Title Sequence: Space Mission of the Lost Planet
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spot

Disc 5: Smashing the Crime Syndicate (a.k.a The Fakers)/Hell’s Bloody Devils

Smashing The Crime Syndicate Special Features:

• Alternate Title Sequence: The Fakers (Original Title)

Hell’s Bloody Devils Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Sam Sherman Interviews Actor John Gabriel
• Trailer
• TV Spots

Disc 6: Dracula vs. Frankenstein/Brain of Blood

Dracula vs. Frankenstein Special Features:

• Zandor and Friends: Interview with Cast & Crew
• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Feed Your Head! Lose Your Head!: An Appreciation by Cult Film Historian Howard S. Berger
• Monster Protest Home Movie Footage
• Sam Sherman Interviews Forry Ackerman
• Outtakes
• Trailer
• TV Spot
• Audio Spots Including Triple Feature of Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, and Horror of the Blood Monsters

Brain of Blood Special Features:

• Partial Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Memories of Blood: Interviews with Director Al Adamson, Producer Samuel M. Sherman, Actor Zandor Vorkov and More
• Trailer
• Radio Spots

Disc 7: Satan’s Sadists/Angel’s Wild Women

Satan’s Sadists Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• TV Spots
• Outtakes
• Radio Spots
• Trailers

Angel’s Wild Women Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• TV Spot
• Radio Spots
• Trailer

Disc 8: The Naughty Stewardesses/Blazing Stewardesses

The Naughty Stewardesses Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Fly Girls: The Stewardess as Lifestyle Icon in The Golden Age of Exploitation
• TV Spot
• Radio Spots
• Trailer

Blazing Stewardesses Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Alternate Title Sequence: The Great Truck Robbery
• Trailer
• TV Spot
• Combo TV Spot
• Bedroom Stewardesses (Adamson-Directed Scenes Only)
• Radio Spots

Disc 9: Girls For Rent/Jessi’s Girls/Nurses For Sale

Girls For Rent Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Alternate Title Sequence: I Spit On Your Corpse
• Trailer
• Radio Spot

Jessi’s Girls Special Features:

• Trailer

Nurses For Sale Special Features:

• TV Spot

Disc 10: Black Heat/The Dynamite Brothers

Black Heat Special Features:

• Partial Archival Audio Commentary by Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Alternate Title Sequence: Girls Hotel
• Alternate Title Sequence: The Murder Gang
• Trailers

The Dynamite Brothers Special Features:

• TV Spots

Disc 11: Mean Mother/Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Mean Mother Special Features:

• Partial Archival Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• The Joy of Marilyn Joi: Interview with Actress Marilyn Joi
• Trailer

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Special Features:

• TV Spots
• Radio Spots

Disc 12: Black Samurai/Death Dimension

Black Samurai Special Features:

• Trailer

Disc 13: Sunset Cove/Cinderella 2000/Nurse Sherri

Sunset Cove Special Features:

• Sunset Toolbox: Interview with Producer Tony DiDio
• TV Spot
• Trailers

Cinderella 2000 Special Features:

• Partial Audio Commentary with Producer/Distributor Samuel M. Sherman
• Trailer
• Radio Spots

Nurse Sherri Special Features:

• Dr. Dracula: Selected Scenes Directed by Al Adamson
• TV Spot
• Radio Spot
• Trailer

Disc 14: Carnival Magic/LOST

Carnival Magic Special Features:

• A Boom To Science – A Critical Appreciation by Zack Carlson & Lars Nilsen
• Audio Commentary with Producer Elvin Feltner
• Outtakes
• TV Spot
• Trailer

LOST Special Features:

• The Happy Hobo – Rushes for Promo From Unproduced Adamson Kids Film
• Trailer

PLEASE NOTE: THIS BOX SET IS REGION A EXCEPT FOR DISCS 1, 12, AND 14 WHICH ARE REGION FREE.

The post [Review] ‘Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson’ Shines Light on an Overlooked Legend appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Think Criterion Closet, but sleazy…just the way we like it.

Director Richard Stanley, fresh off the heels of the release of Color Out of Space, steps inside the Cellar on the inaugural episode. There could not be a more perfect guest than Stanley. Not only is he super charming with his South African accent, but he loves genre films and has an interesting story to go with each film he selects. Like the time his copy of Baskin burst into flames.

Stanley also makes for a fitting first entrant given his long history with the company. Severin President David Gregory directed Lost Soul – The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s The Island of Dr. Moreu and served as a co-producer on Color Out of Space. Severin also distributed Stanley’s wild documentary The Otherworld and the now out-of-print limited edition Blu-ray of Hardware.

Be sure to subscribe to the Severin YouTube channel to see more episodes of The Severin Cellar on a semi-regular basis. As for me, I’ll be eagerly checking my mailbox awaiting my invite.

The post [Video] Step Inside ‘The Severin Cellar’ with Richard Stanley appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.