Cult Epics Bringing Death Laid An Egg To Blu-ray

 GIULIO QUESTI’S “DEATH LAID AN EGG” PREMIERES ON BLU-RAY WITH DVD

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2017

Arguably the most insanely idiosyncratic giallo ever directed, DEATH LAID AN EGG (1968) is a true wayward masterpiece of kaleidoscopic Italian counterculture cinema.  Directed by largely unsung iconoclastic auteur Giulio Questi (DJANGO KILL!, ARCANA) and starring legendary leading man Jean-Louis Trintignant (THE CONFORMIST) as a married man that may or may not be a serial killer, Gina Lollobrigida (John Huston's BEAT THE DEVIL) as his delectable yet overly domineering careerist wife, and Swedish blonde bombshell Ewa Aulin (CANDY) as his murderous double-crossing mistress, the film is the virtual giallo equivalent to Godard’s WEEKEND in terms of its crass car crash fetishism, savage anti-bourgeois sentiments, and overall anarchic spirit.  Set largely in a hi-tech automated poultry factory that breeds mutant boneless chickens.

DEATH LAID AN EGG is a socio-politically sophisticated avant-garde giallo that is more pertinent today than when it was first released in terms of its quite modern depiction of the battle of the sexes and the perils of technology. The original Italian “superbly edited” giallo version is presented by Cult Epics in High-definition and with new bonus features.

DEATH LAID AN EGG Blu-ray/DVD Combo

Price:                              $34.95

Street Date:                              November 28, 2017

Production Year:                     1968

Country:                                   Italy

Video run time:                 Approx. 90 Mins

Language:                                Italian language w/optional English subtitles

Aspect Ratio:                           1.78:1

Audio:                                      DTS HD-MA 5.1 Surround/Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Label:                                       Cult Epics

Distributor:                              CAV 

Blu-ray Cat.no.                        CE-154

BD UPC:                                 881190015490

Rating:                                     Not Rated

SPECIAL FEATURES

. HD presentation

. Original Theatrical Trailer

. Lobby Cards photo gallery

. Isolated Score by Bruna Maderna

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (Blue Underground Blu-ray Review)

Italy/1996
Directed By: Dario Argento
Written By: Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini
Starring: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi
Color/119 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Blu-ray/2x DVD

The Film
There's no shortage of great films in Dario Argento's filmography. While he did not invent the giallo he is certainly one of the main reasons the genre rose to prominence in Italy during the early to mid 1970s. Half of the maestro's output fits in to the giallo genre and he has made at least one in every decade since he began directing films with the exception of our current decade, though he does have one in the works titled The Sandman. The popularity of gialli began declining in the late 70s giving way to more gore oriented horror films (not that gialli didn't have their fair share of gore) but Argento found ways keep his gialli fresh enough that they worked even when the genre wasn't in vogue. By 1996 horror and what was popular in the genre was very different from when Dario Argento directed his debut feature film The Bird With The Crystal Plumage in 1970 and the giallo was a mostly forgotten part of horror and Italian film history but Argento was able to craft a film centered around a beautiful protagonist who played the tough role of a police detective but who was also quite fragile and flawed and blended psychological horror, bloody violence and the giallo to create one of the best horror films of the 1990s.

Asia Argento stars as Anna Manni, a beautiful police detective on the case of a serial rapist and murderer named Alfredo. She follows a tip that the killer will be at an art museum at a specific time and while there Manni falls victim to the Stendhal Syndrome, a real disorder that causes adverse physical and psychological reactions when viewing pieces of art of great significance. Manni faints, smashing her lip on a ledge and her purse spills out across the floor, including her gun. She's helped to her feet and back to her apartment when she realizes her gun is missing. Soon after Manni is attacked and raped by Alfredo but escapes with her life. Eventually the two encounter each other again as Manni is abducted by Alfredo but is able to turn the tide on his attacks and badly injures him and kicking him into a river. The police believe Alfredo to be dead but Anna begins receiving phone calls from Alfredo when she meets a young French man named Marie who she falls in love with. Anna's world quickly spirals out of control and everyone closer to her including her psychologist and Marie are in grave danger.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME is a giallo based in the psychological horror and thriller world but also takes cues from the rape/revenge exploitation films such as I Spit On Your Grave and The Last House On The Left at times. Anna's moment of vengeance against Alfredo is a powerful one that will leave you cheering her as she leaves him a bloody mess. This is Anna's first moment of overcoming everything she had taken from her by him earlier in the film. Sadly that isn't to last as the terror starts again and she again has everything ripped away from her. Asia Argento's character is written in three stages. She stats out as a feminine police officer with long hair, a skirt and attractive blouse. It's immediately evident that her confidence and femininity is taken from her after the initial rape as she chops her hair off in the hospital leaving a more masculine look complete with baggy pants and oversized flannel shirts. There comes a moment when you can see that she wants to reinvent herself, she begins wearing a long blonde wig and finding a new interest in art which is how she meets Marie while shopping for art prints. It's no coincidence that art again plays a major role in her transformation as she is still deeply affected by it but now, at least on the surface, she loves it and surrounds herself with it, even creating her own paintings.

Anna Manni was a brave role to take on. Obviously the physicality and mental suffering the character is exposed to will take its toll. A rape scene is never fun to play and being involved in multiple such sequences only multiplies the intensity of the experience. It goes even deeper for Asia Argento who portrays a character that was named for her sister Anna who died in a motorcycle accident shortly before production began on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME. While this probably doesn't affect your on screen performance I can only imagine that it would be a little voice in the back of your head telling you that you have to do your best in a tribute to your sibling and that can be an emotional weight to bear. Thomas Kretschmann co-stars opposite Asia Argento as Alfredo. Kretschmann had previously appeared in La Reine Margot (1994) with Asia Argento and the pair would reunite for Dario again in 2012's Dracula 3D as the infamous Dracula and Lucy. Kretschmann has had a long and successful Hollywood career for good reason - He's a fine actor and he shows it here. He has limited screen time but is effectively menacing and brutalizing. The perfect mix for a nasty serial rapist and murderer.

Dario Argento wrote the majority of the film with only changes in small details such as Manni being a cop instead of a lawyer being made by co-writer Franco Ferrini. Argento's story and script are gripping and have just a touch of that "what the fuck?" aspect that gave so many gialli their identity. The reveal of the killer's identity is bloody and gruesome but also emotional and heartfelt. Argento's style is on display here with locations reminiscent of 1985's Phenomena and using locations across various Italian cities to give a natural cityscape and maze of streets and alleyways. The scene of Anna entering a painting and crossing through a waterfall is a beautiful image that you could read into her washing herself of her previous traumas that is juxtaposed against a film full of intense violence. There's a mix of practical effects which smear bloody reds across the screen numerous times but he also mixes in CGI effects for the first time in his career for effects such as paintings melting, scenes of a pill following the esophageal tract and a bullet penetrating flesh. These effects are badly dated and stick out like a sore thumb. I admire what Argento was going for on two out of the three (I don't see the purpose of the pill swallowing scene) and in 1996 we'd judge these effects much less harshly but bad effects are bad effects. Thankfully Argento doesn't rely too heavily on this new found "toy" and keeps things grounded with practical storytelling techniques.

A discussion on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME would not be complete without mention of the brilliant score done by the legendary Ennio Morricone who has worked with Argento five of his films, most recently 1998's Phantom Of The Opera though it had been nearly 25 years between collaboration for Argento and Morricone who prior to STENDHAL hadn't worked together since Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971). Morricone's theme on THE STENDHAL SYNDROME elicits an emotional response from the viewer, with a dark and almost sad string movement accompanying a haunting woman's vocal cries of "la la la". It is the perfect piece to pair up to Anna Manni's dark journey.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME gets lumped in to a period of time where fans have harshly critiqued Argento's output often saying he was on the decline or going as far to say that his films were not good by this point. I have to harshly disagree with both of those opinions. Not only do I feel Argento was still putting out very good films in the 90s (Trauma is vastly underrated, even more than STENDHAL) but I feel THE STENDHAL SYNDROME not only fits right in with the classic giallo films of the 70s but is among the best horror films of the 90s. It blends graphic violence with psychological horror and mystery very well while giving us a lead we can immediately get behind and care about all wrapped up in a stylish package that while flawed at times is really quite well made. It's time to for audiences to stop judging THE STENDHAL SYNDROME on what it isn't and appreciate what it is.

The Audio & Video
Blue Underground has delivered what I consider to be the definitive version of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME on home video. Their brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative shines in the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are crisp and vibrant, while detail levels are high. Skin tones are natural and not waxy. The overall picture is quite sharp and suffers from only the rare imperfection dealing with artifacting. There are several audio options available including a 7.1 DTS-HD mix, a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX mix and a 2.0 DTS-HD mix all in English or Italian with optional English subtitles. French and Spanish subtitles are also available. The sound quality is rich, letting Ennio Morricone's score envelop you while never interfering or overpowering the dialogue. The levels are mixed brilliantly and I didn't find anything in the way of background noise or damage while watching the film. It's an extremely pleasant listening experience. This is a noticeable step up from Blue Undergrounds previous 2008 Blu-ray release of the film.

NOTE: The screen grabs do NOT represent the new 2K restoration picture quality

The Extras
The previous Blu-ray release of THE STENDHAL SYNDROME had a healthy selection of special features but this new limited edition release blows it away by porting over all of the old extras and introducing some brand new material as well spread across two discs.

Disc 1 Special Features:
-Audio commentary with Troy Howarth, author of the giallo film book series So Deadly, So Perverse
-"Three Shades Of Asia" - 20 minute+ interview with Asia Argento
-"Prisoner Of Art" - Interview with co-writer Franco Ferrini
-"Sharp As A Razor" - Interview with special effects artist Franco Casagni
-Theatrical Trailer
-Poster and Still Gallery

Disc 2 Special Features:
-Interview with Director Dario Argento
-Inspiration: Interview with Psychological Consultant Graziella Magherini
-Interview with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti
-Interview with assistant director Luigi Cozzi
-Interview with Production Designer Massimo Antonello Greleng

Also included is a booklet with a brand new essay by author Michael Gingold

The Bottom Line
THE STENDHAL SYNDROME film is a powerful mix of psychological thriller, horror and giallo and is deserving of being revisited by its harsher critics and there's no better way to watch this later Argento classic than this new Blu-ray from Blue Underground.

THE STENDHAL SYNDROME is available HERE

PAUL NASCHY COLLECTION - Scream Factory Blu-ray Review

Spain/1973-1981

Directed By: Carlos Aured, Paul Naschy, Leon Klimovsky

Written by: Paul Naschy

Starring: Paul Naschy, Romy, Julia Saly

Color/446 Minutes/Not Rated

Region A

Release Date: June 20, 2017

The Films
Referred to as the Spanish Lon Chaney for his appearance in over 100 films, most of which were horror films where he frequently portrayed the monster or villain including over a dozen appearances as a werewolf, Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina Alvarez) is an icon of genre films. Naschy passed away in 2009 and unfortunately there hasn't been a great deal done in the age of high definition to honor his legacy. Thankfully that is starting to change with this new box set from Scream Factory and recent and planned future releases from several other horror home video saviors. It goes without saying that his release was the big daddy of all HD Naschy releases announced to date, packing five feature films together, including one of his best werewolf films that he is probably best known for.

The surreal madness of talking decapitated heads, zombies, witches and warlocks and plenty of bloodshed makes HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB a perfect place to start this collection. It's among my favorite films in Naschy's filmography. It wears its influences on its sleeve but puts them to good use in creating a bizarre atmosphere and horror. Disc two features VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES, a dual role film for Naschy where he stars as Krisna, an Indian mystic with a crazy family history, a pension for voodoo and a quirky cast of characters surrounding him. This film is colorful, sexy, bloody and a bit weird. There's scenes that don't really fit but they're entertaining and well done so you don't really mind. Then comes the second role for Naschy which features some nice makeup effects and gets the film to get down and dirty in its finale.

Naschy was obviously a fan of the giallo films of Italy as VENGEANCE has a scene ripped straight from those films but that was just a warm up for BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL which is a full blown giallo featuring Naschy as a recently hired handyman at a home owned by a trio of sisters. It's a bit on the psychological side and a bit on the "what the fuck?" side, as many gialli tend to be. It features a fantastic foot chase through the forest when the cops believe they've discovered the identity of the masked killer who is murdering blue eyed, blonde haired women and carving out their eyes, and is one of Naschy's best performances. The killer reveal is a good one with plenty of red herrings to cloud the surprise revelation. The film's alternate title is HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN which may have been a better alternate title for HUMAN BEASTS which is a movie you won't soon forget. The plot is convoluted as it follows Naschy as a hitman for a Japanese gang who is being hunted down after stealing their sack of diamonds. Following a shoot out that leaves him wounded, Naschy wakes up in a large house under the care of a doctor and his two gorgeous daughters. Strange things happen around the house while the gang continues their search for Naschy, who is busy seducing both daughters at will. When the messy plot is all said and done we're left with my least favorite film of this collection but it is still a very entertaining one filled with sex, gore, shootouts, man eating pigs, cannibalism, and more.

It's fitting that the first Paul Naschy Blu-ray collection ends with one of his infamous werewolf films and it's nice that it is one of the best - NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF. This film directed by Naschy himself features the man as the Count Waldemar Daninsky, who has been sentenced to be put to death while wearing The Mask Of Death for being a werewolf. Also sentenced to death for witchcraft and other heresy is Elizabeth Bathory and her family. NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF takes off when a pair of grave robbers free Daninsky of his curse by removing the silver from his heart and a group of sexy coeds resurrect Elizabeth Bathory in a blood ritual and it all adds up to a sexy vampire, werewolf mashup with a great dusty castle setting and an awesome Blind Dead skeleton zombie ripoff monster. NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF rivals HRFTT as my favorite film in the set.

I hope Scream Factory is considering a second volume of the Paul Naschy collection because they've done a very nice job culling films for this set, giving audiences a nice overview of Naschy's legacy. There is no shortage of great and entertaining films for a second volume and it is my hope that horror fans latch on to Paul Naschy and put out a demand for more. I just wish he was alive to see his films get the HD treatment.

The Audio & Video

Each film has been newly scanned in 2K by Scream Factory giving us debuts of three of them in high definition and a very noticeable upgrade in picture quality over the previous BCI Blu-ray of Vengeance Of The Zombies and Night Of The Werewolf. Horror Rises From The Tomb, Human Beasts and Night Of The Werewolf are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer while Vengeance Of The Zombies and Blue Eyes Of The Broken Doll are in their original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. Each film has their ups and downs as far as picture quality goes but thankfully there is a high floor to the bottom end of that spectrum for the most part. Even at their worst four of the five films look good and at their best they look spectacular. The majority of the films spend more time towards the top end of that spectrum than the bottom leaving us with a lasting impression of the high quality transfer that feature striking colors, strong detail levels in everything from clothing, props and sets to fleshy, natural looking skin tones. Black levels are deep and there's only a bit of speckling throughout. Grain levels vary as well but are usually healthy and not overly noisy. 

The outsider here is Human Beasts which looks quite a bit worse than the rest of the films with a very soft and noisy picture quality. Finer details is hard to find and really only present in the odd shot that is in better condition. I can chalk this one up to the source materials being in rough shape and sometimes there's only so much you can do.

From an audio standpoint each film features two options, both presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono mixes- the native Castilian and English dubs. In most cases the tracks are very similar in quality, with crisp, clear presentations and a well done mix allowing dialogue to come through clearly while the soundtrack shines without becoming muddy one way or the other. The tracks are free of background noise or excessive damage. Again the outlier here is Human Beasts which I'd suggest only listening to with the native Castilian track because the English track sounds quite a bit worse with background noise and damage. Optional English subtitles are available for all five films. 

Please Note: The images DO NOT represent the picture quality of these Blu-rays.

The Extras

Special features by film:

-Horror Rises From The Tomb: Audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn from NaschyCast, Spanish credit sequence, alternate clothed sequences, theatrical trailer, still gallery

-Vengeance Of The Zombies: Spanish credit sequence, alternate clothed sequences, theatrical trailer, still gallery

-Blue Eyes Of The Broken Doll: Audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn, Spanish credit sequence, theatrical trailer, still gallery

-Human Beasts: Theatrical trailer, still gallery

-Night Of There Werewolf: Audio Commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn, deleted scenes, Spanish credit sequence, theatrical trailer, still gallery

Also included is an attractive 24 page color booklet by author Mirek Lipinski featuring an essay on each film. 

The Bottom Line

Naschy rules! And this collection of Paul Naschy films really highlights his work, giving viewers a range of his roles both in front of the camera and behind it. Naschy did quite a bit more beyond the wolf man character he is best known for portraying and this set gives new fans a glimpse into what the man had to offer while giving the people that already know about him some of his most memorable movies including one of his best werewolf movies. I highly recommend Scream Factory's new box set for all horror fans and for Naschy aficionados this is an essential collection!

THE PAUL NASCHY COLLECTION is available HERE

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 20, 21, 22

4/20 DUUUUDEEEEEEE. Smoke weed or something. Also, Hitler was born that day. Not worth celebrating the biggest piece of shit of the 20th century but it is a reason to watch Nazisploitation flicks so I watched one - ELSA FRAULEIN SS - This one wasn't as exploitative, violent or offensive as many of films in the genre but it was also a bit better made with solid performances and a decent story and there's still plenty of sex and violence. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Cirio Santiago decided to make another visit, this being the fourth film I've watched from the Filipino  director this month and it is yet another winner. DUNE WARRIORS is trashy post-apocalyptic action starring David Carradine. It's packed with cool cars, flame throwers, sword fights, wimpy leaders and the lamest name for a main villain of all time. It's campy, cheap and incredibly fun.

April 21st had no viewings. It was one of those days where I wasn't in a particularly good mood to begin with and then the passings of Chyna who was a major part of WWE during a time that I was growing up with wrestling and Prince who I need not mention how legendary he is but I will say that I think he's somehow underrated in ways, if that's even possible. Those things combined made it so that I wasn't in the mood to sit down and watch anything.

Day 22 was a strong comeback though. The first of three movies on the day was SCHRAMM. Jorg Buttgereit's fourth feature film is my favorite of his and his most polished in my opinion. It has all of the sick shit that his previous films such as Nekromantik and Der Todesking had and raises the level of his writing and the performances he gets from his cast. This is a great film that just got a Blu-ray release and I have reviewed the brand new boxset of Buttgereit's films so you should check out that video right here.

Next up was a movie I've pretty much fallen in love with immediately. While I don't think it's a perfect film it does what many contemporary Gialli fail at - feeling authentic to their original period. Many newer Gialli try to feel authentic without being able to really capture the true look and feel. FRANCESCA is a 2015 film straight from Italy and while it has it's flaws it has a solid story, interesting murder sequences and stylish direction. All of the Giallo tropes are present without it feeling disingenuous. I highly recommend Giallo fans checking out FRANCESCA.

The night ended with NUKIE - The 1987 E.T. ripoff set largely in Africa. Yeah... I have seen a couple scenes from this and the trailer but sitting down to watch this on VHS was really an experience. It's a terrible movie with some of the most obvious and glaring plot holes I've ever seen. Nukie, the main alien character and his twin brother are fairly creepy looking, nothing a child would want to encounter. To be fair I feel that way about E.T. as well. NUKIE is awful but I think everyone should see it once just to know about it.

Today's Rundown
Elsa Fraulein SS - 6/10
Dune Warriors - 7/10
Schramm - 8.5/10
Francesca - 7/10
Nukie - 3/10

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 14, 15, 16

BLUE ICE... what a movie. I'm reviewing the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray tomorrow so be on the look out for that for my full thoughts but boy what a movie.

Oh hey, it's another movie I did a full review of for its Blu-ray release. Why don't you check out SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM right HERE!

Oh no... THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU and THE GIRL FROM RIO are next and they're also getting full reviews because Blue Underground is releasing them on Blu-ray later this month. Watch out for that review later this week.

Sorry guys, a lot of stuff I'm doing in depth reviews of so I don't want to waste all the good thoughts before they get their just due.

SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM - Kino Lorber (Blu-ray Review)

Canada, Italy/1977
Directed By: Alberto De Martino
Written By: Vincenzo Mannino, Gianfranco Clerici
Starring: Stuart Whitman, John Saxon, Martin Landau
Color/98 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: April 12, 2016

The Film
After his sister is poisoned and killed at a party police officer Tony Saitta (Stuart Whitman) takes it upon himself to identify the killer. With the help of Sgt. Ned Matthews (John Saxon) they embark on a violent investigation full of shoot outs, fights, car chases, jewel thieves and betrayal and revenge. Full of plot twists and red herrings SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM walks the line of Poliziotteschi and Giallo with skill from director Alberto De Martino.

I love finding new gems in genres that I'm already a huge fan of. SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM (which was also released as BLAZING MAGNUM, playing up it's more action driven Euro-crime aspects) is a fast paced crime film that may be Alberto De Martino's best directorial work. He gives his extremely talented cast that includes supporting roles from Academy Award winner Martin Landau, and Tisa Farrow who made a bit of a name for herself in Italian genre fare a lot to work with. Each character is different and plays distinct roles and they do so brilliantly.

The action scenes are handled with grace, including the jaw dropping car chase that immediately became one of my favorite car chase scenes in all of cinema. The driving on display does the talking and De Martino is wise enough to not get too crazy with his direction or editing, just adding in small touches of style to accentuate it.

SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM stumbles in its music as the score is not memorable or impactful to the film. I didn't notice myself actively disliking the music but I was disinterested in it. The giallo aspect of the film comes and goes a bit throughout, becoming the focal point and style when it's around and reverting back to the main poliziotteschi style when it's not. It certainly works for the story but it might not be a perfectly organic fit. I don't mind it however and find SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM to be a great fit in both the poliziotteschi and giallo genres.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber delivers SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM on Blu-ray with a full 1080p high definition transfer taken from a new HD scan and retaining the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is good overall with strong levels of detail among textures and surfaces such as fabrics, facial closeups and other items such as set pieces and locations. Colors are natural while there's a nice sharpness to the picture that hasn't been overly altered digitally. It also hasn't been heavily cleaned up as there's plenty of instances of scratches and dirt and debris on the negative used. These instances don't take away from the overall high quality of the transfer and add to the grittiness of the film in their own way.

The English audio features a DTS-HD Master Audio mix that is crisp and clear. The mix between the score and dialogue is stable and effective in letting the two audio sources shine through. There's some slight background noise intermittently throughout the picture but it never reaches annoying or distracting levels.

The Extras
The lone extra is the original theatrical trailer.

The Bottom Line
A highly enjoyable example of the Euro-crime genre with an excellent cast. Highly recommended.

SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM is available HERE

April Exploitation/B-movie Challenge 2016 - Days 3 and 4

It was tough to find time these last couple of days. The 7 hour shitfest that WWE called Wrestlemania 32 took up most of day 3 and day 4 became unexpectedly busy as well. I managed to squeeze in a film each day starting with Cirio Santiago's action packed ride through the post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, WHEELS OF FIRE. This Roger Corman production is packed with car chases, shootouts, fist fights, beautiful women, leather, nudity, rape, flamethrowers, subterranean sand people, space cults and more. It's cheesy in all the right ways and I love it.

Then came a re-watch of THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH, a film I've watched a couple times in the last week to refresh my memory of it for a visit on the Astro Radio Z podcast which focused on gialli this week. If you were to look up "giallo films" in a dictionary THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH could very well be pictured. It's a textbook example of the genre complete with stylish direction, exotic setpieces, a black gloved killer, red herrings, and a twist ending. It stars Edwige Fenech who is one of the most gorgeous women to ever grace the silver screen along with leading man George Hilton and the brilliant character actor Ivan Rassimov. This is a perfect movie.

Today's Rundown
Wheels Of Fire - 8/10
The Strange Vice Of Mrs. Wardh - 10/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 1

October has arrived and that means it is time for pumpkin spice lattes, and dusting off my Uggs! I can't even! Really, it means it is time to begin the quest to watch 100 horror movies during the month of October, as is tradition. Let's just jump in to day 1...

We start out dabbling in mediocrity. CHARLIE'S FARM is a 2014 Australian slasher film co-starring notable horror names such as Bill Moseley who is great in this and Kane Hodder who gets to actually act and isn't bad either. We also get to stare at Tara Reid's sagging face as she stumbles through most of the third act like she's drunk. The movie is uber gory and violent but it drags during the first hour and is nothing special when all said and done.

Getting a bit deeper into the river of mediocrity was ALMOST HUMAN. I had no idea about the plot to this one, only that there's a strong divide in opinions about it. I grabbed it for $2 a few months back and stashed it away for the challenge... I loved the opening sequence. It was tense, well acted and legitimately scary. Then it moves into all too familiar splatter slasher territory and while the effects are very well done the movie is pretty much one note and the attempt at taking it back to the extraterrestrial element the opening scene introduced was weak.

The finest movie of the day comes from the fellas at Astron 6 - THE EDITOR. I've been hearing about how great this movie is for months and during those months plenty of people I know and trust have told me I'll love it. Still, I had doubts. I didn't know how I'd react to a tongue in cheek tribute to giallo and Italian horror films. Well, with the obvious love and knowledge of the movies they're paying tribute to, it was easy for me to sit back and enjoy. They nailed it and it was genuinely funny and well made.

Every movie of the day had been especially gory and violent, not something I necessarily intended and it wasn't something I planned on closing out the day with but it just so happened that THE PERFECT HOUSE pretty much relies solely on torture and violence to get a reaction from the audience. I have a strange dilemma with this movie because it is very much a one note torture film, but it's made fairly well at the same time, especially on such a low budget. It isn't a great movie but not awful either. I didn't care for it but I can't bash it too harshly. It's a more recent indie horror film from Wild Eye Releasing that I'm surprised doesn't have a bigger fanbase.

Today's Rundown
Charlie's Farm - 5/10
Almost Human - 5/10
The Editor - 8/10
The Perfect House - 4/10

EVIL EYE aka THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1963
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Mario Bava, Enzo Corbucci, Ennio De Concini, Eliana De Sabata, Mino Guerrini, Franco Prosperi
Starring: Leticia Roman, John Saxon, Valentina Cortese
Black and White/92 Minutes (or 85 minutes)/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
The giallo craze swept Italy in the 1970s with seemingly every genre filmmaker putting together their own murder mystery thrillers, sometimes heavily influenced by the horror genre and often very stylish and explicitly violent and sexual. Directors such as Dario Argento and Sergio Martino became household names by making some of the finest examples of these films but the genre started almost a decade before the roof was blown off and the cycle exploded.

Mario Bava made the prototype giallo in 1963 with THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH in which a young American girl touring Rome witnesses a murder on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. The traumatic experience leaves her unconcious and when she awakens nobody believes her story. She begins to investigate the crime on her own and uncovers a series of related crimes that may be leading to her being the next target on the killer's list.

The groundwork was laid for the genre and its foundation is rock solid. Bava created a well crafted thriller that is tense and suspenseful from start to finish. The photography is beautiful and the cast is quite good. THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH wouldn't turn out to be the best, or most entertaining and it certainly isn't the most gruesome or sexual but it was the first. It quite aptly summed up what a giallo is and would become when they became all the rage several years later.

The Audio & Video
Home run, Kino! This is a damn near perfect A/V presentation for a film deserving of it. The HD transfer of the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is stunning. The black and white photography is deep and stark with strong emphasis on shadows. Black levels are handled brilliantly with no blocking up or compression issues. Detail levels are exceptional from the healthy skin tones, to textures and fabrics and even grains of dirt that you can almost feel. The Italian audio track is crisp and clear with no damage noticeable. The audio has enough body to it so that it doesn't sound thin against the score. The mix of dialogue and score is very well done. The optional English subtitles are perfectly timed and translated so they read very naturally in English.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Tim Lucas
-Trailers for both versions of the film

The Bottom Line
While I suggest the viewers watch Mario Bava's original version of the film, it is a welcomed addition to have the American cut of the film in HD as well. The more Mario Bava films and their alternate versions we can get on Blu-ray the better and this release is a great chance to own both versions of one of the maestro's landmark films.

EVIL EYE is available HERE

Slaughter Hotel (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1972
Directed By: Fernando Di Leo
Written By: Fernando Di Leo, Nino Latino
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Rosalba Neri, Monica Stroebel
Color/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: December 9, 2014

The Film
A killer is on the loose at a retreat for wealthy women to get over their problems, whatever they may be. Usually it's just a case of beautiful well-to-do women not knowing what to do with all of their money and it drives them mad in their day to day life. Draped in black from head to toe, the killer stalks the usually scantily clad and often nude women with various medieval style implements that he finds have decorated this castle turned asylum. Everything from axes and flails to an actual Iron Maiden itself are used to dispatch the women and none of them are off limits.

Klaus Kinski stars in this slightly off beat, totally insane and properly sleazy horror affair from director Fernando Di Leo who is best known for his legendary work within the Euro crime genre. SLAUGHTER HOTEL is ripe with giallo vibes and sometimes gets lumped in with the genre. I wouldn't call this a true giallo but I won't argue it being discussed among other ones either. Di Leo's direction is trippy and surreal at times, acting more like a lucid dream (or nightmare) than any sort of cohesive straight forward narrative. From wild zooms to hard camera angles and overflowing with blood and skin including plenty of closeups on masturbating vaginas, Di Leo doesn't hold back on the excess or style.

Strangely enough, Klaus Kinski, who was as psychotic in his real life as this film is, does hold back. He gives a strong performance without feeling the need to overdo it or have his presence be known every time he enters a scene. His role, that of a doctor who has taken a strong interest in one of the patients who has taken an even stronger liking to him, provides enough room to show his skill without making him the focal point. The beautiful women here including Rosalba Neri (Lady Frankenstein, French Sex Murders) and Margaret Lee (Venus In Furs) provide endless eye candy but aren't really asked to do much besides look pretty, shed their clothes and die. That's just how it is sometimes and SLAUGHTER HOTEL doesn't try to be anything it's not.

The Audio & Video
Some good and some bad in Raro Video's transfer of SLAUGHTER HOTEL. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has a pretty good sharpness overall with good color representation. Detail levels are generally high as well. Unfortunately the transfer suffers from a heavy hand with DNR, at times making the picture look overly waxy. There is also a thin layer of digital noise over the picture throughout. It only gets to annoying levels a couple of times though but if they were trying to recreate the look of natural film grain they failed big time. Overall I think the picture quality is a step up from what standard DVD would offer even with its faults.

Raro provides us two audio options, English and Italian, both with 2.0 Stereo HD tracks. The Italian option has nice clarity and is largely free of any popping, crackling or other disturbances. Unfortunately I only found this out after watching the film in English where on a couple of occasions the audio drops out totally. This happens at one particular murder scene where the entire reaction to the killing is silent. I can only figure that English audio was never recorded for this segment but Raro should have plugged in the Italian audio for the duration and cut back to English when it came back. That is the standard practice and makes much more sense then just letting the audio drop out completely. The English track does sound good otherwise, as with the Italian track it has good clarity and no background noise. It just seems like a lazy oversight on Raro's part to let that happen.

The Extras
-A pair of newly discovered deleted scenes
-"Lady Frankenstein's Memoirs" featurette (18 minutes)
-"Asylum Of Fear" featurette (15 minutes)
-Booklet by Chris Alexander of Fangoria

The Bottom Line
While this isn't a perfect release by any means there is plenty here to enjoy and is still worthy of a purchase. Recommended!

SLAUGHTER HOTEL is available HERE

Grindhouse Trailer Classics (DVD Review) - Intervision

Color/129 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: August 12, 2014

The Film
For the exploitation, horror and various other genre films of the 60s and 70s the trailer was the only thing to draw in an audience aside from having an appealing title. This would be 30 seconds to a minute and a half of footage from the film promising the most exciting, nerve shattering, blood curdling and adrenaline pumping action you've ever seen. Often times the trailer was better than the movie itself and sometimes the trailer showed every single exciting part of the full film.

Creating an exciting trailer that will captivate audiences and get them to shell out their bucks to buy a ticket to see the full film is an art form in itself and the trailers for the films that would play in seedy theaters in cities such as Chicago, San Francisco and along the Deuce in New York City featured an energy that has never been recreated. GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS features 55 trailers from films stretching the gamut of exploitation genres. A few included trailers are the horror films House Of Whipcord, and Don't Open The Window to the exploitation classics They Call Her One Eye and the Ilsa films. There's even a giallo or two included.

The Audio & Video
Intervision releases this DVD with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and original mono audio. The picture and audio quality fluctuates from trailer to trailer as you'd expect. The best trailers look and sound fantastic with little background noise and minor dirt or damage to the print. The trailers in lesser condition still maintain pretty good quality. There aren't any trailers that are excessively beaten or battered.

The Extras
-"Bump 'N Grind" - a 15 minute featurette with Emily Booth and she discusses the history of the grindhouse theater and the films they showed.
-Gallery of poster art

The Bottom Line
These trailer compilations are a lot of fun to watch in their entirety or to throw on before movies during a movie night with friends. Pick a few random trailers to watch before your main feature and you'll have even more fun. GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS has some of the best trailers from the era and you won't be disappointed with this disc.

GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS is available HERE

Death OccurredLast Night (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

 Italy/1970
Directed By: Duccio Tessari
Written By: Artur Braun, Biagio Proje, Giorgio Scerbanenco, Duccio Tessari
Starring: Frank Wolfe, Raf Vallone, Gabriele Tinti
Color/98 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Film
When a beautiful young woman who is mentally handicapped with the mental development of a three year old goes missing it is feared she has been kidnapped into the local sex trafficking rings. Her distraught father tired of the police's nonchalant attitude about his missing daughter begins his own investigation on the side, taking him and the local police into the underbelly of the city and face to face with some of the most despicable, forlorn and lost people the city has to offer. It also brings them face to face with a cold, harsh reality.

DEATH OCCURED LAST NIGHT, Duccio Tessari's giallo, isn't a fun film. It doesn't have the whirls of style that Argento's gialli have that make them entertaining to watch. After a rather out a of place opening few minutes, Tessari plays this film straight, real straight. We are forced to witness a father come to grips with the nasty reality of it all without any hope of being able to turn our attention elsewhere for a break. She has the mind of a child, and it's Saturday.

Tessari's unyielding coldness in how he presents DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT is what makes the film. Tessari forces the reality down the viewer's throat and tells us to deal with it. Not necessarily to accept it, that would make him the same scum that his villains are, but to deal with it because that's how it is. The road this film takes in discovering the truth just brings us further and further to a place we aren't comfortable going and digs a deeper and deeper pit in our stomach as our fears become reality. As I said, DEATH OCCURED LAST NIGHT isn't fun, but it is a rock solid giallo.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video is on point with their Blu-ray of DEATH OCCURRED. Their anamorphic widescreen transfer features excellent levels of detail- just look at clothing. Colors are full bodied and lively, despite a dingy, overcast city being the location for the film. The 2.0 Italian audio track is very good, it sounds well mixed, with no background noise. Subtitles are well timed and easy to read.

The Extras
-Video Interview with Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander
-Full Color Booklet by Chris Alexander
-International and American Theatrical Trailers


The Bottom Line
Giallo fans will be thrilled with this new Blu-ray from Raro. A damn fine release for a great film. 

DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT is available HERE

Five Dolls For An August Moon (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

Italy/1970
Directed By: Mario Bava
Written By: Mario di Nardo
Starring: William Berger, Ira von Furstenberg, Edwige Fenech
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
A group of friends vacation to a modernist futuristic island retreat. One of them is a scientist who has developed a revolutionary chemical process and is fending off offers of $1million each for the formula. As the greed boils and builds members of the group start dying and the surviving members have to play the game of survival to find out who is behind the killings.

Mario Bava wasn't fond of FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON, he was hired to shoot the picture and apparently didn't have time to do any rewrites on the script. If that is truly the case then I'd love to see what he could have done given some time because this is a pretty damn good picture as it is. Bava's signature artistic touches and use of lighting and set decoration is truly breathtaking. The design of the house is gorgeous and the film's cinematography is inspired. This film was edited by Mario Bava himself and he shows that he's more than adequate at that job as well. It seems the only job in the filmmaking process that Bava failed to tackle in his career was that of composer or musician. 

This film isn't overly violent, there are about half a dozen murders but most of the violence appears off screen. The true draw of the film is to see a somewhat manic version of Bava making a really solid giallo. Oh, and the chance to oggle Edwige Fenech. That is never a bad thing. 

The Audio & Video
Kino gives FIVE DOLLS the royal treatment as far as picture quality goes. From the strong level of detail and texture to the gorgeous colors and skin tones this is an absolutely stunning transfer. Aside from a couple moments where lines intersect the picture this is damn near perfect and natural looking. The audio also fares well with a present but low level of background noise but it isn't distracting. It would be nice if there were an Italian track but the 2.0 English track is just fine. I wish all classic horror films got this type of A/V treatment.

PLEASE NOTE: The screen grabs in this review do not represent the quality of the Blu-ray disc and are for reference of the film itself only. 

The Extras
Tim Lucas continues to do great work for these Kino releases and who better for a commentary track than the author of the definitive Mario Bava book: Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark. The track is engaging, informative and full of love from Lucas. Otherwise the disc features a handful of Mario Bava trailers for other Kino releases.  

 

The Bottom Line
Mario Bava is one of the finest filmmaker's the world has ever known and the quality of this disc stands right up there with the man's legacy. This is exactly how Bava should be seen on home video.

FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON is available HERE 

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Days 22 & 23

First up was a western that seemed like it would be fun at least, even if it wasn't totally original. BARREL FULL OF DOLLARS, also known as Coffin Full Of Dollars co-stars Klaus Kinski and falls in to all of the cliches of Spaghetti Westerns without any creative energy really driving it. Most of the action and performances are phoned in and it was really a mediocre effort all around.

Next up I rounded out a trilogy I've loved all month with CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 3: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE SUBHUMANOID. This one falls right in line with each of its predecessors. There is more ridiculous off beat humor, gross out moments and great Troma flare. I'd rate the series from best to worst - Part 1, part 3, part 2, but they're all very entertaining and among Troma's best productions. Consider me excited for part 4.

And these 2 days were rounded out with THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY, a giallo from director Duccio Tessari. This was a solid giallo, with much of the story coming through courtroom testimony and flashbacks from those testifying until the final act. I'm glad I've finally checked this one of the list.

Oh and while this has nothing to do with the challenge, the new Tom Cruise flick OBLIVION sucks. Don't waste your time on it.

Today's Rundown
Barrel Full Of Dollars - 5/10
Class Of Nuke 'Em High 3 - 7.5/10
The Bloodstained Butterfly - 7/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 9

So after a few "Django" movies yesterday I decided to start today with a movie starring the real Django, Franco Nero. That would be the 1981 Cannon Films cheesefest ENTER THE NINJA. Franco Nero is a man who has just completed "ninja school" and goes to visit his old war buddy when he discovers that he and his wife are being terrorized by local oil tycoons for their land that is a veritable goldmine. As the baddies ramp up their game from running off the couple's plantation workers, despite their pleas and high wages, to kidnapping Nero steps in to help out his friends, which turns to revenge in a final showdown with a ninja from his past who isn't a fan of his. This flick was pretty good. It had a lot of fun moments and the cast for such a flick was actually really decent from Nero to the co-starring Susan George. It didn't quite get to that special level of entertainment that many Cannon Films do but it was a fun little romp.

To my delight the quasi-sequel to ENTER was also on demand for free and that is REVENGE OF THE NINJA from 2 years later. Now this one does reach that special place that its predecessor did not. Having nothing to do with the previous installment in this trilogy, REVENGE is about a man who loses his entire family in Japan except his mother and his baby son at the hands of a clan of ninjas. 6 years later he is in L.A. and trying to lead a normal life when a friend of his uses him without his knowledge to help distribute heroin and puts the man's family in further danger. When he finds out what it is going on, well... it is time for the ninja to get his revenge. This flick is ridiculously awesome. With everything from heroin dolls to a grown woman attacking a small child with a metal pole, an old ninja granny to shooting stars through the eyes, blood fountains and extended rooftop fight scenes it really is endless entertainment from start to finish. Good stuff.

Since the final installment of the trilogy wasn't on demand with them I had to take another route for today's viewing and it led me to one of the more bizarre pieces of cinema I've ever seen... and that says a lot. Take Michael Jackson's Thriller, orgies, weird werewolf electric drill cocks, Richard Nixon fucking girls with his big nose, and black magic throw them in a time portal blender and you'll begin to understand exactly what DRILLER from Wild Eye Releasing is all about. This is an adult spoof of MJ's Thriller video and just fucking weird and hilarious. The Richard Nixon character is the definition of movie insanity and the rest of the film isn't far behind. And yes, there are dance numbers. Of course there are dance numbers.

The night closed with a giallo I'd never seen before, THE IGUANA WITH THE TONGUE OF FIRE from director Riccardo Freda. Made in 1971 this was an earlier entry into the explosion of the genre but unfortunately it feels more like a later entry that is just going through the motions. The story is bland, the characters are standard and the killer reveal isn't much of a surprise at all. There are a few really nasty kills and a well staged chases scene through a foggy town and drawbridge but in between these moments the investigation scenes there isn't much to latch on to. The entertaining bits and a solid score from the always reliable Stelvio Cipriani kept this one from being a total loss. It is a shame it wasn't better because it has one of the best giallo titles ever. 

Today's Rundown
Enter The Ninja - 6/10
Revenge Of the Ninja - 7.5/10
Driller - 5/10
The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire - 5.5/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 3

A double feature of Wild Eye Releasing titles were on tap for day number 3

THE BLOODY APE from 1997 was shot on Super 8 and involves a 400 pound circus gorilla going on a killing spree by violently ripping off limbs and faces... oh and dicks. He also likes to molest and full on rape women. And apparently this ape was so nice he could replace your father. If this movie teaches you anything it is that you should never piss off a gorilla handler or else he'll train his giant ape to kill you. The tag line on the cover says "100% Pure underground trash" and that is exactly right! From the ridiculous story and violence to the blatant tongue-in-cheek racism and tits everywhere, this is sleaze of the highest decree. Director Keith J. Crocker and crew obviously had a fucking blast making this movie and I had a lot of fun watching it... next time I think I'll enjoy it with some beers and make it even more fun.

And on the other side of the double feature was NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. This film gathers over 100 artists to recreate George Romero's classic horror film. Each artist used any method of animation they chose to create the scenes. From claymation and puppeteering to comic strips and stop motion. There are simple pen and inks and incredibly detailed paintings all working together to create this piece of work, which I have to say is pretty damn cool. Romero created a masterpiece back in 1968 and unfortunately it ended up in the public domain for all sorts of shitty companies to capitalize on it with their awful DVD presentations and shitty zombie movie "sequels" and "remakes" to use the NOTLD name, it is quite the breath of fresh air to see a project pay proper respect to the Romero classic while using the name.

...And back to the trash. SS GIRLS (aka Private House Of The SS) was next and my expectations were surpassed. It isn't difficult for that to happen within the nazisploitation genre as I find it to be one of the most disappointing genres in all of cinema history. Nazi themed exploitation should be a fucking hit 8 or 9 times out of 10 but instead it is usually a bore filled with lame characters, boring plots and poor filmmaking. SS GIRLS was one of Bruno Mattei's (Hell Of the Living Dead, Rats: Night Of Terror) first feature films and he delivers another entertaining romp in sleazeland. This movie is filled with naked women, a plot to uncover traitors within the 3rd Reich with those naked women, a lead character who is out of his fucking mind and lots of sex and death. As someone mentioned to me before this viewing, these characters are straight from a comic book, and it is pretty much true. The whole damn thing is nuts. And I like it.

MY DEAR KILLER is my first giallo of the challenge but certainly won't be the last. There is no time wasted as the film opens up with a decapitation to lead us into the story and the detectives have to put together the pieces of the case from there. This is a nasty little film. With themes that include unending greed, pedophilia and of course cold blooded murder, this earlier giallo shows no mercy. If you can't handle what director Tonino Valerii is throwing at you he doesn't care. Almost everyone within this film has a secret they're hiding, or is just of questionable character in one way or another and the murder sequences are all great. From decapitation with heavy machinery to a circular saw there is no shortage of brutality on display. The writing is solid and the story pulls together well even if the killer is revealed to not be anyone who you would probably expect it to be. While this isn't a 1st tier giallo, it is a really good one that is worth checking out.

Today's Rundown
The Bloody Ape - 7/10
NOTLD: Reanimated - 7/10
SS Girls - 7.5/10
My Dear Killer - 8/10