The Long Hair Of Death (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1964
Directed By: Antonio Margheriti
Written By: Ernesto Gastaldi, Tonino Valerii, Antonio Margheriti
Starring: Barbara Steele, George Ardisson, Halina Zalewska
Black & White/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date:

The Film
When a woman is accused of witchcraft in the 15th century, she is sentenced to burn at the stake. Her oldest daughter knows the truth behind her execution and when her sexual advances at her accuser fail and she confronts the man with the truth she too is murdered. The younger daughter, Lisabeth is kept alive and taken care of by the family that killed her mother. About a decade later Lisabeth is forced to marry the Baron until someone baring a striking resemblance to her older sister comes to the castle while a plague takes its toll on the village and the Baron falls for the visitor who reciprocates the feelings. Unbeknownst to the Baron, the woman is Lisabeth's sister returned from the dead and looking to avenge the death of her mother.

THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH was the second gothic horror film that director Antonio Margheriti made in as many years. Following up what could be considered his masterpiece from 1963, Castle Of Blood, this film has been lost in the shuffle of time, probably due to its limited availability in the days of DVD and Blu-ray. That problem is solved with this release and fans of gothic horror can now experience the slow burn nature of the film that ends up being a slowly descending curtain of dread if you will. There are flourishes of violence and visible horror throughout but there's long stretches where the true horror lies in the impending vengeance that our main antagonist is not privy to as the audience is.

The stark black and white photography gives a certain coldness to the castle interiors, and really over the entire film. It fits very well with George Ardisson's icy and heartless portrayal of the Baron. Of course the face of the film is Barbara Steele, as she is in most films she appeared in. She once again has dual roles, and her face seems tailor made for gothic horror. She's brilliant here as she was in the aforementioned Castles Of Blood and in Mario Bava's Black Sunday (1960). Also brilliant is the score by Carlo Rustichelli, who scored Bava's Blood And Black Lace in the same year and would go on to score his Kill Baby Kill in 1967, along with well over 200 other composing credits. There's no need to look further than Rustichelli's score for THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH to see what he's capable of though. The classic orchestral score raises the striking visuals to another level with his pounding strings and brass.

The more I think about THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH the more I like it. I want to give it another viewing before too long. I wouldn't be comfortable putting it on the same level as Black Sunday or Castle Of Blood, not yet anyways. Perhaps with future viewings it will get there. As for now, it's close. And being close to those films means that this is a damn good film. Hopefully the new release of this film on Blu-ray will get a wider audience to discover it and its director.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video's transfer of THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH is presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation that largely looks brilliant. The stark black and white photography looks damn good here with deep black levels that have no compression issues and vibrant white levels without burning too hot. Detail is strong with textures and surfaces along with facial close-ups. There's no waxiness to this picture at all and aside from the occasional scene that is a bit softer or has the odd scratch, which obviously has to do with the condition of the source material and not the transfer, this Blu-ray looks as good as you could hope for. Two audio options are available, both with mono tracks. The Italian track is the more natural choice for matching up lines to mouth movements and sounds nice. Dialogue is never lost under the score but the mix is well done so that the music can still shine while complimenting the images on screen. There's no background noise or damage to speak of. Optional English subtitles are available and they're timed perfectly and read well. There's a few very minor errors in translation but nothing that will leave you scratching your head. I only skipped around on the English track seems okay, a bit thinner sounding than the Italian but free of any damage as well.

The Extras
-Video introduction by Chris Alexander (Fangoria magazine)
-Interview with Edoardo Margheriti
-Interview with Antonio Tentori
-Original Italian Trailer
-Original English Trailer
-Booklet with notes on the film by Chris Alexander

The Bottom Line
All horror fans should take note of this excellent release of a film that deserves to be re-discovered in 2015 so that it can take its rightful place among the better gothic horror films in history.

THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH 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

Werewolf Woman (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1976
Directed By: Rino Di Silvestro
Written By: Rino Di Silvestro
Starring: Annik Borel, Tino Carraro, Howard Ross
Color/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: October 28, 2014

The Film
After being raped, a woman secludes herself in her family's countryside estate where she becomes obsessed with a family myth that her relative had been a werewolf several generations earlier. It doesn't help that the supposed werewolf looks identical to the woman and her fractured mind allows this obsession to consume her and lead to numerous murderous encounters with men and anyone she encounters on the night of a full moon.

WEREWOLF WOMAN is a unique take on werewolf movies. There are some bizarre sequences with lycantrhopes that feature some makeup effects that on the surface don't look very good but somehow work for the bizarre scenario they're a part of but this is film is driven more by the madness of a woman with a psycho-sexual disorder, than by silver bullets and wolf men. I knew very little about this movie going in to it so all I could hope for was to be a fan of it and I immediately found myself enjoying what I was watching. The acting and writing are solid which isn't always the case in bizarre horror productions of the 1970s. There's an understated score that adds to the film without having to make itself the star of any particular area and there's a good bit of nudity and blood flowing as well.

The film takes a bit of an awkward turn during the final act where it suddenly loses all of its personality and becomes every bit of a rape/revenge film ala I Spit On Your Grave. The shift in tone is a bit jarring and while it does eventually lead back to the film's true tone for the finale the film never quite recovers from it, not giving the viewer enough time to digest what just happened or why. It doesn't make WEREWOLF WOMAN a bad film, not by any stretch, but it does knock it down a notch.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video's 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer is very nice. The picture has a good sharpness to it with high levels of detail in surfaces, textures and close ups of actors. Skin tones are natural and not at all waxy. There's no overuse of DNR and no edge enhancement noticeable. The audio comes in a 2.0 Italian track with English subtitles. The audio is crisp and clear, free of any distracting background noise or imperfections. It features a good mix between dialogue and the score. The English subtitles are perfectly timed and seem to be translated nicely as they read quite naturally. 

The Extras
-Video interview with the director
-English theatrical trailer
-Italian theatrical trailer
-Booklet on the film by Chris Alexander of Fangoria Magazine

The Bottom Line
I highly recommend WEREWOLF WOMAN for fans off slightly offbeat but fully exploitative and raunchy horror films. 

WEREWOLF WOMAN is available HERE

Iguana (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

USA/1988
Directed By: Monte Hellman
Written By: Steven Gaydos, David M. Zehr, Monte Hellman
Starring: Everett McGill, Michael Madsen, Fabio Testi
Color/100 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: October 7, 2014

The Film
A sailor who is disfigured in the face with a condition that makes his face appear scaly and reptilian escapes the poor treatment he was receiving on his ship and makes his way to a deserted island where he declares himself king. He takes prisoner anyone that makes their way to his island and enslaves them.

IGUANA has a cast full of notable names all of them rising to at least mild stardom at some point during their careers. The cast is capable of handling this fairytale-ish story driven by metaphors in true Monte Hellman style. It takes an interesting look at a man vs nature vs man scenario as our titular character has to deal with his condition and the way he is treated because of it along with acting much like the men who tormented him on the ship when he enslaves other men on his island. IGUANA is not a perfect film by any means as the editing is a bit messy, especially early on as we jump from one story to another before finally finding proper footing but it does have a clearly defined message asking the viewer to take a good hard look in the mirror and deep into yourself. 

The Audio & Video
Raro Video has done a rather good job on the Blu-ray transfer of IGUANA. Colors are strong and clarity is very good for the most part. There are some shots, mostly gazing out into the sea at various ships, that are on the softer side but they don't look bad. Skin tones and detail levels are healthy and strong in this 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. The DTS HDMA 2.0 track sounds crisp and free of any distortions or annoyances. The levels are mixed nicely so you won't have to fiddle around with the remote because you lost dialogue in the mix.

The Extras
-Interview with Monte Hellman
-Original English trailer
-Booklet on the film by Chris Alexander of Fangoria magazine

The Bottom Line
Monte Hellman has created some truly beloved and weird movies and I think IGUANA will fall somewhere in between with viewers. There's no better way to see this film that was once lost altogether so go ahead and pick up this Blu-ray and check out something a little bit different.

IGUANA is available HERE

Stunt Squad (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1977
Directed By: Domenico Paolella
Written By: Domenico Paolella, Dardano Sacchetti
Starring: Marcel Bozzuffi, Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Riccardo Salvino
Color/96 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: September 23, 2014

The Film
Shopkeepers and businesses are being extorted and forced to pay for protection by a crime ring in Italy. Bombings, shootings and other forms of violent crime are way up and the crime bosses are taking advantage of it. The normal police force is unable to do much of anything to stop it so they secretly train a special squad of officers known as The Stunt Squad. This special unit is trained in dirtbike pursuits, shooting from moving vehicle and while performing acrobatic stunts among other special skills that will help them bring down the crime rings being run by the ruthless Valli. The pursuits on Valli prove deadly for not only the police and the crime rings but innocent bystanders as well. The public has had enough with living in fear and make their move when the police have Valli cornered.

THE STUNT SQUAD features some of the most extreme and nasty violence in any Euro crime film I've seen to date along with some exciting chases and ridiculous training sequences. The film's title may be a bit misleading as the Stunt Squad doesn't show up until about halfway through the film and there is quite a bit of social commentary about that particular time in Italy. The title is a bit lighthearted for what the movie holds but the story is a good one and the direction from Domenico Paolella gives us some great action scenes. Vittorio Mezzogiorno steals the film as Valli and the scene in his hideout/home with his birds is purely brilliant. I have read that Valli may be the most vile character in all of Euro crime films and I think he certainly would be in the discussion at the very least.

A review of THE STUNT SQUAD wouldn't be complete without mentioning the score by Stelvio Cipriani which is quite good and allows the viewer to groove through the city streets with it. Cipriani was one of the best at scoring genre films and he didn't slack off here. 

The Audio & Video
Raro Video gives STUNT SQUAD a home on Blu-ray with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Overall the transfer is pretty good. Detail level is pretty strong while colors are realistic in their presentation. Sharpness is above average though there are some moments of softness and unremarkable visuals. There's also a bit of ghosting early on in the film. There are two audio options, Italian and English, both 2.0 tracks. The Italian track features English subtitles and while I think it sounds slightly better than the English track with a bit better and fuller mix the subtitles are awkward to read as they seem to have been translated literally and not fixed to read properly in English. The English track which is how I watched the film after finding out about the subtitles is still good, a bit thinner than the Italian track but it is clear, and free of background noise. The levels compliment each other nicely.

The Extras
A 6 minute video introduction and a full color booklet by Euro Crime historian Mike Malloy are included

The Bottom Line
Crime film fans, especially those who prefer the Italian crime film variety will want to add STUNT SQUAD to their collection. A decent transfer for a film packed with violence and excitement should sell fans of the genre quite easily. 

STUNT SQUAD is available HERE

Gang War In Milan (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1973
Directed By: Umberto Lenzi
Written By: Franco Enna, Ombretta Lanza, Umberto Lenzi
Starring: Antonio Sabato, Philippe Leroy, Antonio Casagrande
Color/100 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: May 20, 2014

The Film
Antonio Sabato stars as Toto a Sicilian who operates a prostitution ring that is confronted by Le Capitaine, a Frenchman running a drug ring in Milan who is interested in uniting the crime families across Italy. When Toto rebukes at his offer Le Capitaine responds in violent fashion and quickly opens up the door to one of the most violent gang wars you could imagine.

GANG WAR IN MILAN is directed by Umberto Lenzi, the man responsible for one of the best Euro Crime films ever made, Almost Human. While GANG WAR is no Almost Human it is an excessively violent film that exploitation fans will eat up. The main selling point of the film is watching the two gangs try to one-up the other with their plots and schemes. Lenzi handles the film well, getting good performances out of Sabato and Leroy, though Sabato is no Tomas Milian. There are a few odd shots that linger on a random object for a few seconds that seem to be forced product placement of some sort which is a bit funny. From car chases and shootouts to genital torture GANG WAR IN MILAN really pushes the envelope and makes up for what it lacks in story with pure excess.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video has done a very nice job with GANG WAR IN MILAN on Blu-ray. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has vibrant colors and good level of detail. Skin tones are fleshy and natural and there seems to be very minor DNR applied. The disc features both the Italian and English language versions of the film. I chose to watch with the Italian track which sounds good. The 2.0 stereo track has is reasonably crisp and has a good mix between soundtrack and dialogue. The English subtitles are translated and timed well.

The Extras
-Intro by Mike Malloy, director of "Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled The 70s"
-Fully illustrated booklet

The Bottom Line
GANG WAR IN MILAN will be a nice addition to your Poliziotteschi collection and one that you'll want to bust out and show your friends for no other reason than how violent it is.

GANG WAR IN MILAN is available HERE

Hallucination Strip (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1975
Directed By: Lucio Marcaccini
Written By: Vincenzo Mannino, Lucio Marcaccini, Jose Sanchez
Starring: Bud Cort, Marcel Bozzuffi, Guido Alberti
Color/93 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date:

The Film
Bud Cort stars as Massimo, a politically involved student who is big in protests and demonstrations, and being a bit of a trouble maker. When he steals a very valuable tobacco box he becomes involved in a dangerous hunt between the police and the mafia. While he and his friends do drugs, bitch about the system and live their lives, Massimo is becoming increasingly closer to losing his.

To put it simply, HALLUCINATION STRIP is a let down. A film drenched in social commentary still needs to be a successful film or the message is lost. HALLUCINATION STRIP is pretty poorly written and most of the actors seem to be going through the motions. There's an interesting LSD trip scene and a handful of other interesting moments but overall the film isn't good, any social commentary gets lost in the shuffle because of it and you're better off finding better pieces of Euro crime or psychadelic cinema. 

The Audio & Video
Raro Video's 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks pretty nice. The transfer has a natural grain structure and nice color representation. Flesh tones and detail levels are good. The only downside is that dark scenes do have a bit of compression but nothing serious. No DNR or EE is noticable. The 2.0 Italian audio track sounds very good and the English subtitles are translated and timed perfectly. There is no background noise.

The Extras
-Video interview with editor Giulio Berruti
-Original Italian trailer
-Original English trailer
-Fully illustrated booklet

The Bottom Line
While it didn't strike a chord with me it is worth a rental to see if it strikes one with you.

HALLUCINATION STRIP 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

Meet Him And Die (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1976
Directed By: Franco Prosperi
Written By: Antonio Cucca, Cluadio Fragasso, Peter Berling, Alberto Marras
Starring: Ray Lovelock, Martin Balsam, Elke Sommer
Color/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: April 1, 2014

The Film
Ray Lovelock stars as an undercover cop sent to prison to infiltrate a drug ring and get a bit of personal revenge on the men who crippled his mother at the same time. Upon gaining the trust of higher ups and escaping prison with them he begins to climb the ranks of the family, sent on important jobs and drug runs. While trying to continue climbing the ranks to bring the drug ring down from the top he has to keep his identity secret which results in bullets flying and blood spilling from both sides.

Franco Prosperi (not of Mondo Cane fame, the other Franco Prosperi) delivers a really solid and prototypical poliziotteschi in MEET HIM AND DIE. Plenty of car chases, shoot outs, fights and blood. From the start of the film the adrenaline runs high with Lovelock's botched jewel heist, to the motorcycle chasing the freight truck which is probably the most exciting scene in the film Prosperi knows how to get us excited. MEET HIM AND DIE won't be held among the best Euro-crime films like Almost Human as it suffers from a few under developed characters, including Martin Balsam's character and an ending that leaves the viewer (and Lovelock) unsatisfied. MEET HIM AND DIE provides enough entertainment enter the good graces of genre fans along with being a suitable introduction to the genre for new viewers. I'm grateful that Raro Video released this disc.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video delivers the Blu-ray debut of MEET HIM AND DIE with mixed results. The 1.76:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer suffers from a waxy appearance and a layer of noise over the picture. Detail levels suffer as a result. On the other hand colors look pretty good so it isn't all bad. It's not the worst Blu-ray transfer I've seen (not by a long shot) but it isn't up to par with what Raro can do. Two audio tracks are available, both 2.0 stereo tracks. I listened to the Italian track which has optional English subtitles and it was a good track. Dialogue came through clearly and the soundtrack was crisp. Levels were mixed nicely. And English track is also available. 

The Extras
-Video interview with genre historian Mike Malloy
-13 page fully illustrated booklet

The Bottom Line
MEET HIM AND DIE is a typical example of the polizotteschi genre and one that you should add to your collection even if the Blu-ray isn't a slam dunk, it certainly is watchable and the film deserves your attention.

MEET HIM AND DIE is available HERE

I, Cannibali (The Year Of The Cannibals) (Blu-Ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1969
Directed By: Liliana Cavani
Written By: Liliana Cavani, Italo Moscati
Starring: Britt Ekland, Pierre Clementi, Tomas Milian
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film 
After viewing THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS (original Italian title I, CANNIBALI) I looked it up online. Prior to receiving the disc I had known nothing about it and part of me thought it would be a jungle horror film. Reading the back cover quickly dispelled my assumptions. When I went to look more into the film after finishing my viewing I was surprised to find how mixed the reviews on this film were. All films will have their detractors, even the most widely loved masterpiece will have a few people that vehemently deny its quality. Now, THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS isn't a masterpiece, but I did find it to be quite good, so the mixed reviews caught me a bit off guard.

The streets of the city are littered with corpses. Both male and female, young and old. These dead bodies are to be left alone by order of the Fascist government. They're a warning to anyone that may want to rise up against the repressive government. As the rain pours down on the bodies and the population walks around, stepping over and on the bodies, Antigone, a pretty redhead, sees her brother's body outside of a cafe and decides that is not where he will lay to rest. With the help of a quiet man named Tiresia who speaks an unknown language they begin to clean the streets starting with Antigone's brother and moving on to others, taking each to a cave by the beach leaving offerings of bread and fish. It doesn't take long for the powers-that-be to catch wind of this breach of conduct and throw Antigone into a sanitarium, until she escapes and finds Tiresia in the streets, along with an entire battalion of military men.

From the shockingly heartless opening scene, to the poignant and unfortunately still relevant worldwide message, THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS strikes a chord deep within. One that forces the viewer to watch, and not only see what is going on but to take note and truly witness the atrocities that lay at their feet because of an out of control leadership. From the priest blessing the corpses while walking in front of a street cleaner that is washing the filth that a rotting body will leave, to the scene in a sauna that shows a small child in total control of military men, this film is chock full of powerful imagery. The performances from our leads Britt Ekland (The Wicker Man) and Pierre Clementi (Belle Du Jour) to the supporting role for Tomas Milian (Almost Human) are strong and help carry the film. We sympathize and root for Ekland and Clementi, putting us into a  similar role of Milian's character. The cinematography has the entire cityscape under a slightly greyish blue hue which plays perfectly with the constant overcast and rainy weather of the film. Ennio Morricone's score is quite good and I have to say the main theme song is, contrary to what I read in some negative reviews of the film, far from belonging in a spaghetti western film. It fits the period and feeling of THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS quite well in my opinion.

Made during a time of great unrest in Italy, THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS remains relevant on a global scale. The themes and messages in the film ring true day after day and the message that a powerful voice can't be silenced even in death if their message is true is one that will hopefully overthrow tyrannical leaders that still run rampant.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video gives THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS an anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 full 1080p HD transfer that looks nice. The stark look to the photography of the film limits how sparkly the film looks but detail levels are strong and there is no DNR or edge enhancement. This transfer has a nice film like look to it. The Italian audio track features newly translated subtitles and sounds good. There's no background noise to speak of and the track is well mixed. Morricone's score and the dialogue compliment each other nicely. 

The Extras
Extra features include:

-Video interview with director Liliana Cavani that clocks in at over 26 minutes
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Fully illustrated 12 page booklet

The Bottom Line
THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS is well worth checking out as it is not just a film filled with memorable images and scenes but is a film with a purpose.

THE YEAR OF THE CANNIBALS is available HERE 

Nightmare City (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1980
Directed By: Umberto Lenzi
Written By: Antonio Cesare Corti, Luis Maria Delgado, Piero Regnoli
Starring: Hugo Stiglitz, Laura Trotter, Francisco Rabal
Color/91 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
When an unknown airplane that has been exposed to radiation lands at a European airport it's doors pour open with a horde of mutant, blood drinking, gun shooting, knife wielding, super powerful zombies. A reporter on the scene escapes to find his wife and they do their best to move across the city and out of harm's way until the military can formulate a plan to stop these super-human mutant zombie monsters. 

Italian horror master Umberto Lenzi directs this classic piece of schlock. While light on story NIGHTMARE CITY is very heavy on entertainment. The zombie action doesn't take any time to get going and once it does it doesn't stop until the credits roll. The movie is cheap and loose much like the best Baltimore Street hookers. If you're a gore hound you'll love this picture as there is plenty of it. This is a perfect movie to sit down with a few beers and turn off your brain to. It is simply awesome. 

The Audio & Video
This is disappointing. I was hoping for a brilliantly restored HD transfer for NIGHTMARE CITY but what Raro Video has delivered is sub par as the video goes. Is it better than the previous Anchor Bay DVD? Yes, but just slightly. The entire film has always looked a bit murky but colors are muted more than they should be and there is excessive DNR here leaving the image looking smeary at times. Compression issues are evident in the background of the image almost constantly and while not terrible it is there and that's annoying. Black levels should be deeper and the dark scenes suffer from that. There are a few moments where detail is strong, and flesh tones do look natural and not waxy which is good. Some areas of the film certainly look worse than others and a few scenes do live up to my high hopes but overall the disc doesn't look phenomenal.

Audio on the other hand is pretty damn good. there are options for both English and Italian (with English subtitles) language tracks and they're both strong. The 2.0 tracks are well mixed with  Stelvio Cipriani's excellent score shining.

The Extras
Raro did a nice job with the special features and packaging and included:
-Interview with Umberto Lenzi that runs almost 50 minutes
-Original English trailer
-Original Italian trailer
-A gorgeous 11 page booklet 
-Slipcover with alternate artwork 

The Bottom Line
While I'm let down with the transfer I still love the movie and have to say that Raro did a nice job on the other aspects of the disc, and it is a slight improvement over the old DVD in terms of PQ. Raro is always running sales through their Facebook page, wait for one and grab this disc then to soften the blow and it won't sting as bad.

NIGHTMARE CITY is available HERE

Hanging For Django (Blu-ray Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1969
Directed By: Sergio Garrone
Written By: Sergio Garrone
Starring: Anthony Steffen, William Berger, Nicoletta Machiavelli
Color/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
Johnny Brandon (Anthony Steffen) and Everett "Preacherman" Murdock are a pair of bounty hunters that have come to town to find a group of criminals an cash in on their capture or killing. While in the town they catch wind of Mr. Fargo, a local landowner who is running an illegal ring of smuggling people across the border from Mexico for cheap labor. Fargo has a nasty habit of murdering the whole bunch and dumping them in a ravine anytime someone gets suspicious. There is a massive $40,000 reward offered to the pair to capture Fargo but Brandon and Preacherman are on completely opposite pages and each has their own agenda with Preacherman only caring about himself and his wallet. 

HANGING FOR DJANGO also known as Una lunga fila di croci  (A Long Row Of Crosses) doesn't feature any hangings and is one of literally dozens of films to use the name Django in the title despite having nothing at all to do with Sergio Corbucci's classic film. What it does have is a strong cast including Steffen and Berger in the lead roles who are classic spaghetti western actors and Sergio Garrone (the 3rd Sergio) at the helm. Garrone had success in many different genres of Italian cinema making films to match the popularity of whatever genre was hot at the time. He may be best known for his time in the western genre and this film, while a bit sloppy on the story telling features a lot of action, some fun gun play and a weapon that is a cross between a Gatling Gun, shotgun and rifle.

Ripe with the classic characteristics of the genre, HANGING FOR DJANGO is violent, a bit silly, and handled capably by the cast and crew. Far from great and by no means a classic it is pretty damn decent and certainly entertaining.  

The Audio & Video
I read a review on another site prior watching this disc that absolutely tears the presentation of this disc apart. I have to say, I have no idea what they were watching. Raro Video brings HANGING FOR DJAGO to Blu-ray with a 2.35:1 scope widescreen presentation that does happen to be a 1080i transfer. That said, it isn't bad looking. Colors are decent, and facial details in the many close-up shots you'll see in spaghetti westerns actually feature pretty strong detail. Textures show some decent detail as well. I wouldn't say the image pops or is particularly strong overall but it isn't a disaster or even bad. I'd call it a decent transfer that has room for improvement.

There are a pair of audio tracks, one English and one Italian. Since these Italian productions didn't record live sound and featured casts assembled from all over the world, both tracks are dubbed and neither could really be considered the native language. I chose the English track which sounds okay, but a bit thin. The mix between dialogue and soundtrack is fine and overall it is very listenable. English subtitles are available for the Italian language track.

The Extras
The disc features a 15 minute mini-documentary on the film and its cast and crew. The packaging also includes a full illustrated booklet that features bios of the director, stars and an essay on the film.

The Bottom Line
HANGING FOR DJANGO is an entertaining spaghetti western that won't become a classic anytime soon and this disc probably won't win any awards but it will satisfy fans of the genre with a really decent overall product that I'm proud and extremely happy to have in my collection.

HANGING FOR DJANGO is available HERE