CANNIBAL FEROX (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Italy/1981
Directed By: Umberto Lenzi
Written By: Umberto Lenzi
Starring: Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle, Danilo Mattei
Color/93 Minutes/Unrated
Region A
Release Date: May 26, 2015

The Film
It recently hit me that the Italian cannibal films of the 1970s and 80s were very similar to the rise of the "torture porn" craze the horror genre was hit with in the mid 2000s. While films like Last Cannibal World, Cannibal Holocaust and CANNIBAL FEROX all centered around outsiders meeting various gruesome and barbaric ends at the hands of native tribes in various jungle settings, films like Saw and Hostel gave birth to a trend of films where the narrative of the film allowed the film to be confined to a single location and have the victims of the film tortured as they fight for their survival. While the settings and periods of those genres are very different, they both made their money on pushing the envelope of sadistic violence and being exploitative while the films followed similar narrative themes and patterns without putting too much worry into creating anything meaningful.

Of course there are exceptions as with Cannibal Holocaust which is one of the most poignant films ever made and Saw which was a pretty damn good film that has unfortunately had to deal with being part of a rather dreadful subgenre of films and being the first film in a franchise that quickly became total fucking shit in every way. Then there are those films that are perfectly happy doing nothing really new except trying to ramp up the violence and sleaze to make a buck. Like the Saw sequels, I largely lump CANNIBAL FEROX into that group. But that doesn't mean I don't love it.

Umberto Lenzi created this subgenre of horror film in 1972 with The Man From Deep River and thus began a minor movement in the Italian film industry that would last a good 15 years or so. It never got to the point where cannibal films were being pumped out like spaghetti westerns or gialli were but   these movies became a way to make a little bit of money so on average a couple of films per year were shot in various exotic locations and packed with racial stereotypes, animal cruelty, nudity and plenty of gore. Some of these movies were poorly made and remain as examples as little more than cheap bandwagon filmmaking but others were made with skill and solid technique whether they had any artistic merit or not.

It's tough to say exactly when the height of popularity was for the cannibal genre as there weren't enough films made to really call it a boom period but if I was forced to put a label on it I'd say that CANNIBAL FEROX came out right at the end of the non-existant boom. I figure a year after Cannibal Holocaust is good enough reason as any to call it the end of height as there was no bigger or better film in the cycle than Cannibal Holocaust. FEROX certainly gives CH a run for its money in terms of boundary pushing though. Giovanni Lombardo Radice might not be quite as bad as the group in CH but he's no fucking angel. One genital slicing scene is enough to tell you that. The gore in FEROX is nasty with brains and balls being served up and breasts being impaled. You won't be finding these types of nipple piercings or prince alberts at your local Piercing Pagoda.

Umberto Lenzi is no slouch when it comes to directing films. The man made some fine films and FEROX is no different. No, it is not an important commentary and yes, it comes off as a big Cannibal Holocaust cash grab but it still features solid performances, good camera work and great special effects work with a script that is solid enough to keep things moving along at a nice pace. Add in a soundtrack that I find to be criminally underrated and overlooked by Budy Maglione and CANNIBAL FEROX is a film I really love. It's sleazy, it's sweaty and it certainly isn't for everybody.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing has done it again with another stunning release. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer comes from a new 2K scan of the original camera negative. The image has a very film like quality with a natural looking grain structure. Detail levels are strong in surfaces and textures while skin tones are fleshy without any sign of waxiness. There's no edge enhancement or DNR noticeable and colors are vibrant. There are options for an Italian language track with the original mono mix or an English track with a new DTS-HD stereo mix. I opted for the English track and it sounds brilliantly crisp and clean. There's not a hint of damage and the audio comes across crystal clear with a perfect balance between the dialogue and soundtrack.

The Extras
Like a baked potato, or a stoner, or any other thing would be LOADED, this release is stacked... like Jenga or pancakes. Okay, enough of that.

-Audio commentary with Umberto Lenzi and Giovanni Lombardo Radice
-Deleted Footage lost for over 30 years (can be inserted into the film for seamless viewing!)
-"Eaten Alive: The Rise And Fall Of The Italian Cannibal Film" - A feature length documentary examining the Italian cannibal film cycle featuring the men and women who made the movies and various critics (a must watch!)
-Interviews with writer/director Umberto Lenzi, stars Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Danilo Mattei, Zora Kerowa and special effects master Gino DeRossi
-Original Italian theatrical trailers
-Original US theatrical trailers
-Original Germa theatrical trailers
-Extensive stills and poster art gallery
-Liner notes booklet
-Umberto Lenzi filmography
-Soundtrack CD
-Easter eggs

The Bottom Line
If there was a Mt. Rushmore for cult film home video labels Grindhouse Releasing would have a spot on that monument. With each release they further their legendary status as one of the premiere labels that all other labels strive to be and their release of CANNIBAL FEROX is no different.

CANNIBAL FEROX is available HERE

GONE WITH THE POPE (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

USA/1976
Directed By: Duke Mitchell
Written By: Duke Mitchell
Starring: Duke Mitchell, Jim LoBianco, John Murgia
Color/82 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: 3/24/2015

The Film
Duke Mitchell stars in his own film as Paul, a criminal who has recently been paroled who gets a nice payday to put a hit on 7 men in California and Las Vegas. He splits the bounty with a friend of his to take care of the Vegas hits. Aferwards a few of Paul's friends get paroled and he drops his master plan on them- Kidnap the Pope and make every Catholic in the world pay $1 ransom!

GONE WITH THE POPE was lost and unfinished for over 30 years. Duke Mitchell left the film unfinished and passed away before ever touching it again. Thankfully Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing was able to get in touch with Duke's son and was given the opportunity to try and edit what was shot and turn it into something. Murawski's efforts yielded an entertaining, morally questionable (that's being quite forgiving) and violent film.

GONE WITH THE POPE would be Mitchell's second and final film and is a nice companion piece to the earlier Massacre Mafia Style. The acting is a bit stiff as much of the cast were friends of Duke and not professional actors. There's a great soundtrack and some really creative film making techniques. GONE WITH THE POPE features a plot that I find to be complete genius. I immediately knew that this was a movie I needed to see when I read the plot and it doesn't disappoint. Even if the film didn't take the directions I expected or even hoped it would it plays out in a manner that really works and the ending is a bit bonkers.

When all is said and done GONE WITH THE POPE is far from perfect but the fact that film exists in a completed form is a minor miracle and all fans of genre cinema should definitely check it out.

The Audio & Video
All hail Grindhouse Releasing! Not only did they rescue this film, finish it and premiere it in 2010 after decades of sitting in a garage, they've given it an absolutely stunning Blu-ray release! I don't want to sell this release short and I don't think I can overstate just how beautiful the picture on this release is. The anamorphic widescreen transfer comes from the original 35mm camera negative and is  incredibly sharp. The picture is clean and crisp and features a warm natural grain structure. Colors, especially the Las Vegas neon, pop with brilliance. Skin tones are natural and black levels are deep. There are three audio options available, mono, stereo, and a new 5.1 mix by Marti Humphrey. All of the tracks are in English and HD. The crispness and crystal clarity to the audio is top notch. There's no damage to speak of and no background noise.

Please note: Images taken from DVD version of the film

The Extras
-"The Players Of GONE WITH THE POPE" - A 60+ minute featurette with extensive interviews from stars Jim LoBianco and John Murgia, cinematographer Peter Santoro, editors Bob Leighton and Robert Floria and Matt Cimber
-Shooting GWTP featurette
-Restoring GWTP featurette
-Footage from the 2010 World Premiere in Los Angeles
-Deleted scenes
-Outtakes
-Frankie Carr and the Nov-Elites performance live in Vegas
-Theatrical trailer
-Grindhouse Releasing trailers
-Liner notes
-Extensive still galleries
-Filmography
-DVD-Rom screenplay
-DVD copy of the movie

The Bottom Line
Grindhouse Releasing kills it with this release of a long lost and unfinished film that will turn in to a classic piece of exploitation. A beautiful restoration job and lovingly packed with special features, this is a must own for any exploitation film fan!

GONE WITH THE POPE is avaIlable HERE

Massacre Mafia Style (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

USA/1978
Directed By: Duke Mitchell
Written By: Duke Mitchell
Starring: Duke Mitchell, Vic Caesar, Louis Zito
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: March 10, 2014

The Film
Duke Mitchells stars as Mimi Micelli, the son of a mafia kingpin who decides to return to America leaving his baby son to be raised by his father. Mimi head's to Hollywood and quickly finds his niche in the organized crime family there, leaving a bloody mess nearly everywhere he goes. Eventually Mimi decides he wants to take down a major pimp they call "Super Spook" which gives Mimi and the gang all they can handle until Mimi decides to leave the crime in Hollywood behind and return home to his father and see his son who is now grown.

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE, also known as Like Father, Like Son, is the directorial debut from famed nightclub performer Duke Mitchell. Mitchell made this movie as an answer to The Godfather, promising more action and violence than the classic gangster film. Mitchell certainly delivered on that promise. If the opening and closing scenes of MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE don't leave a lasting impression on you I don't know what will. They are truly two of the most memorable scenes I've ever had the fortune to watch play out onscreen.

Just about every big plot device and main idea for mob movies are crammed into the 82 minute run time. Mitchell manages to get really solid performances and action sequences out of his limited budget. There's really no lull in MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE. It pushes and pushes until it all comes to a screeching halt at the end. The fact that much of this violence is set to extremely stereotypical Italian songs that you might hear at your local Olive Garden or at an old nightclub just makes it all that much better, if even a bit surreal.

If Duke Mitchell made MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE as an answer to The Godfather he certainly made a film I'd rather watch over The Godfather. While I can't say that this film is technically superior to the Francis Ford Coppola film, I can say that there's no doubt in my mind I would choose to watch this crazy violent, uber-exploitative take on the mafia movie nine times out ten. Hell, It'd probably be more like ninety nine times out of a hundred. It really is that good. Any and all fans of exploitation film need to see MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives the high-def treatment to MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE with a largely gorgeous anamorphic widescreen (16x9) transfer. Scanned from the original director's cut, the transfer features great detail, particularly in close-ups. Colors are vivid and natural while skin tones appear healthy without any waxiness. There's sporadic moments where the image shows a bit more wear from age, being a bit more washed out. These moments only make up a small percentage of the film and don't look bad enough to complain about. There's some scratches and speckling scattered throughout but the vast majority of the film looks fantastic. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is clean and crisp. I didn't notice any damage or background noise to the track. The mix is well done as the soundtrack and the dialogue are complimentary to one another.

Please note: Screen grabs have been taken from the DVD copy of the film and don't represent the glorious quality present on the Blu-ray.

The Extras
This 2 disc, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is loaded with special features, including...

-"Like Father, Like Son" - a featurette on Duke Mitchell and his son featuring interviews from friends and collaborators of Duke.
-Further interviews with Matt Cimber and Kim LoBianco
-Nearly an hour of Duke Mitchell home movies
-Lost audio recording of a live Duke Mitchell concert from June 9, 1960
-Theatrical trailers
-Radio Spots
-Still galleries
-Filmographies
-Grindhouse Releasing previews
-DVD-Rom extras including original screenplay and treatments for the film
-"An Impressionistic Tribute To Jimmy Durante" - A bonus TV special

And if that wasn't enough, a Blu-ray exclusive feature of BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. Yes, an HD presentation of the film in which Duke Mitchell makes his feature film debut.

The Bottom Line
It's been a long time coming and it was well worth the wait! This beautiful release from Grindhouse Releasing is a potential candidate for the best home video releases of the year!

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE is available HERE

Cannibal Holocaust (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Italy/1980
Directed By: Ruggero Deodato
Written Gianfranco Clerici
Starring: Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen
Color/95 Minutes/Unrated
Region FREE
Release Date: July 1, 2014

The Film
There are few films in the world with a reputation like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. Few films have been banned for their grotesque nature and brutality they show on screen yet so heavily praised for being an expertly crafted piece of cinema with a far deeper meaning than its shock cinema label will let you believe. A first time viewing of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will definitely leave you with a memory of the film. From the extreme violence, and gory effects to the completely real killing of animals on screen. Your stomach will turn, you'll want to look away, and perhaps you will. If you're watching the film for the first time with more than violence and shock on your mind maybe you will begin to see the true depth to CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is absolutely an exploitation picture. It goes all the way and back again. Ruggero Deodato was even put on trial for murdering cast members and he had to prove their existence to escape conviction. It was that believable. It is no surprise that even to this day audiences are in shock and awe over this film and may not be entirely sure exactly what is real but beyond the savages, the gunning down of natives, the extreme ways in which people are killed, the beheading and shooting of animals, the people being impaled and general jungle horror within the film, lies a single question at the end of the film - "I wonder who the real cannibals are?".

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is brilliant in every way. Ruggero Deodato was no stranger to the cannibal film at this time having previously made Last Cannibal World (aka Jungle Holocaust) in 1977 but this time he made something bigger than an exploitation film. The late Riz Ortolani produced a beautiful and at times haunting score for the film. The cast was pushed to their limits, literally in tears at times during the production over things they had to do. It was an all around effort by everyone involved to give 100% and make this film and although Deodato has said in recent years that he wishes he hadn't made the film I think the world of film, and perhaps in a small way the world itself would be a bit worse off if that was the case. It is true that despicable things were done in the film. Did animals need to die on screen? No, but they did. And they were eaten. It doesn't make it any less horrific but the impact it has on the viewer on a visceral level can't be measured. And that impact leads to deeper thinking and the importance the film brings.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST its first uncut Blu-ray ever with a stunningly gorgeous anamorphic widescreen transfer. Detail levels are incredibly strong from faces to textures of clothing and other items. Colors are simply stunning, from the lush green jungles to the brown skin of the natives and bright blue skies. Even the 16mm handheld camera footage looks very good, without question the best it ever has. Thankfully Grindhouse Releasing knows what they're doing and didn't destroy the film by scrubbing it clean. This Blu-ray is still grainy but it's a natural and attractive film grain, and not dirt and damage. The DTS-HDMA 2.0 track is in English, the natural langauge of the film, and sounds magnificent. The mix, of dialogue, score and surrounding sounds of the jungle are all handled skillfully as to compliment each other without ever becoming intrusive even at their most extreme. Levels are stable and the crispness to this audio track is just lovely. 

The Extras
I could go on and on about the special features presented here in this 3 disc set, instead I'll simply break down each disc's content.

Blu-ray disc 1:
-Original uncut version of the film
-"Animal friendly" version of the film
-Audio commentary with director Ruggero Deodato and star Robert Kerman
-Audio commentary with stars Carl Yorke and Francesca Ciardi
-Large selection of trailers for Cannibal Holocaust

Blu-ray disc 2:
-11 interviews with key cast and crew members
-Large selection of extensive still galleries
-Selection of additional Grindhouse Releasing trailers

CD soundtrack

The Bottom Line
It is official, there is no better way to watch CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST than this release unless you have a pristine 35mm copy and place to project it. I can't come up with a single flaw against this release, from the brilliant A/V quality to loads of special features and the inclusion of the entire soundtrack. This will go down as one of, if not the best release of 2014 by any company anywhere in the world. 

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is available HERE

Corruption (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

England/1968
Directed By: Robert Hartford-Davis
Written By: Derek Ford, Donald Ford
Starring: Peter Cushing, Sue Lloyd, Noel Trevarthen
Color/91 Minutes/Rated R
Region FREE

The Film
Peter Cushing stars as John Rowan, a well respected surgeon who is dating a gorgeous fashion model named Lynn (Sue Lloyd). At one of Lynn's hip parties, John gets into a fight with Lynn's photographer resulting in a hot lamp burning Lynn's face badly. Desperate for a way to restore his love's face, life and career, John begins researching theories and techniques on plastic surgery and tissue regeneration. John discovers a method the ancient Egyptians used that requires a new pituitary gland for the patient. After getting one from a  body in the morgue and doing his procedure, Lynn's face looks good as new... for a short while. 

It becomes apparent to John that the gland must come from a living patient as it will be fresher and more able to do its job. Lynn pressures John into acquiring the gland she needs to regain her beauty. Of course this means John has to find women that can't be tracked as he has to murder them to get what he needs, and as the pressure on him from his lover mounts Cushing begins to break down. 

CORRUPTION could be viewed as a sleazier take on Eyes Without A Face and nobody would argue with you. It certainly is similar, but it is a different beast, in only for the fact that we get to see The Gentleman Of Horror himself, turn in to a crazed maniac that reminded me of a skinner, and less greasy version of Frank Zito from 1980's Maniac, played brilliantly by Joe Spinell. Of course this film was made over a decade earlier, but after its initial run it wasn't often available and was never seen by this reviewer until today. 

The film is better than you may expect from a short description as "a sleazier Eyes Without A Face". The performances are great, of course that isn't news for Cushing but Sue Lloyd is fantastic as the narcissistic lover who feels she can't live without her beauty and the supporting roles of Jan Waters as a prostitute, and Noel Trevarthen as Cushing's fellow doctor and fiancee to Lynn's sister. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch and the direction is also strong. Look no farther than the laser beam fight at the end of the film or the fish-eye photography when Cushing gets down and dirty.  

 
The Audio & Video
For their second Blu-ray release Grindhouse Releasing brings CORRUPTION to us with a new 2k restoration in a gorgeous anamorphic widescreen print that is free of any digital hiccups or missteps. There are no signs of edge enhancement, DNR, or unceseary tampering with the picture. Skin tones are natural, colors are balanced without any hot spots and detail level on textures and skin are strong. I love the way this disc look. The audio is also fantastic, with a perfectly clean track. There are no pops, hisses or distortions. While CORRUPTION is light on sound effects that will give your sound system a workout, you'll be able to enojoy the dialogue and score without any worry about poor mixing. 

Please note: Images taken from DVD copy of the film
 
The Extras
-Audio commentary with English Gothic author Jonathan Rigby  
-Alternate scenes for various international markets
-Video interviews with Billy Murray, Jan Waters, Wendy Varnals, and Peter Cushing
-Historical documents from the production including the director's original shooting script
-Liner notes
-Still gallery with poster art
-Trailers
-TV and radio spots
+MORE

The Bottom Line 
This is a great piece of horror and Cushing that has been lovingly rescued and re-introduced to the world by Grindhouse Releasing and I couldn't thank them more. Highly recommended.


CORRUPTION is available HERE

An American Hippie In Israel (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Israel/1972
Directed By: Amos Sefer
Written By: Amos Sefer
Starring: Asher Tzarfati, Shmuel Wolf, Lily Avidan
Color/93 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE

The Film
Mike is a hippie from America seeking a peaceful world of solitude, love and simplicity outside the violence and hate found within the constraints of society. Quickly upon arriving in Israel he meets a beautiful young redhead while hitchhiking and they return to her parent's house for a quickie. It is the time of love after all. They head to town where they meet other like minded hippies, young people feeling lost in the world, and they join up for a marathon of singalongs, weed smoking, wine drinking and love making. Mike lets his plan be known for the group to find a place where they can be at peace with the world and live their life free of modern day ugliness. The group is in love with Mike and his idea and the celebration continues until a pair of machine gun wielding mimes crash the party and kill everybody except for Mike, his girlfriend and another pair of hippies. This is far from Mike's first encounter with these mimes who have seemingly been following him all over the planet but this is the first time they've been deadly.

The group is down to four, but they still carry on with their mission of finding peace, perhaps now stronger than before. After adopting a pet goat from a market, and what seems like endless driving looking for their oasis they see an island a few miles off the coast that would be perfect. After a short boat ride they've reached their paradise and proceed to have a wonderful night of lovemaking. All is well until one morning their boat has vanished, likely swept away by the high tide and they realize that the water is heavily infested by sharks so swimming back to shore to their car to get to town for another boat or any supplies is virtually impossible. The quick shift from carefree youths to savage beasts is jarring. It quickly becomes a two-sided war, with the line literally drawn in the sand.

When I first heard the premise for AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL I thought I was in for a weird for the sake of being weird movie that you show your friends as a simple oddity to the world of film. Something that you'd preface a viewing with "you won't believe this shit" or something along those lines, something I've said many times before enjoying a film. No, that is not this film. Not entirely anyways. When I heard of hippies, and mimes with guns, savagery and sex I didn't think I'd get the poignant commentary that is offered up here by director Amos Sefer (in what IMDB has listed as his only credit). While this can be viewed quite easily and enjoyably on the surface for being a form of so bad its good, and out there as all hell, it offers up something a bit more than that if you're willing to look a bit deeper. The mimes could be an obvious stand-in for society as a whole bringing down much of the group of hippies but in a bloodless manner as to say to the viewer that they've brought them back into the corporate, capitalist world we live in. And the not so subtle sacrificial lamb. And there's more.

AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL is an immensely entertaining piece of 1970s film that will likely never be re-created again. This was a film of its time and place and came together with a young group making a fun film that has spirit and somehow despite all of its shortcomings, merit. I could go on much further about this film, and perhaps one day I will but as this is a review for the Blu-ray Disc I won't spoil anymore.

The Audio & Video 
Grindhouse Releasing is new to the Blu-ray game with this release but they don't show rookie mistakes. Their first Blu-ray is a fan-fucking-tastic presentation. AAHII has a gorgeous film-like look with natural grain in tact. Vibrant colors, including reds that pop just enough and deep blacks combined with strong detail level and skin tones that you want to reach out and touch make this a top notch looking release. The audio fares well also with an English track that has been kept in good condition with a clean sound and little to no distracting noises this is an all around fantastic AV job.

 Please note: Screenshots taken from DVD copy of film

The Extras 
An absolutely stacked release with features that include:

-A DVD Copy of the film 
-An additional DVD with an alternate cut of the film under the title THE HITCHHIKER
-6 Deleted scenes
-Video interview with stars Asher Tzarfati and Shmuel Wolf which clocks in at a whopping 56 minutes
-The Beverly Cinema Experience - an audio track that makes you feel like you're in the audience of the Beverly Theater during a screening of the film
-16mm Screen Tests
-Amos Sefer Biography
-Asher Tzarfati filmography
-Additional featurettes
-Still galleries
-Trailers
-Liner notes and reversible poster

The Bottom Line
Grindhouse Releasing enters the Blu-ray game with all guns blazing. Their first home video release in a few years is a grand slam that would surely make the late Sage Stallone proud. This limited edition 3 disc set of just 2000 pieces is sure to go quickly so I urge you to not only add this great package to your collection but support a superior label in the process because we all want to see more Blu-rays from their catalog.

AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL is available HERE