Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 4 and 5

The fourth day of the challenge started with a pair of movies on a double feature DVD that Troma has recently released called FROM ASIA WITH LUST Volume 1. Both films are from Japanese director Ainosuke Shibata whom I am not all familiar with. Interestingly enough I couldn't find any information about either of these films online while trying to research them a bit so I can't discuss anything other than what I saw... The first movie, CAMP, is a rape/revenge movie about two sisters who wreck their car and take solace with a young man at his home nearby. All hell breaks loose when the man's friends stop by and it is apparent that the entire group are recovering sex addicts of some sort and begin to brutally torture and humiliate the girls by punching them, tying them up and even going as far as forcing them to urinate so they can drink it. One of the sisters is able to escape and runs into a strange woman who turns out to be some kind of vigilante and teaches her to use a crossbow to hunt her captors and take revenge on them.

CAMP was certainly a roughy. It has some of the meanest content I've seen in recent years but falls apart as soon as the vigilante woman comes in to play as it all feels incredibly hokey and cheap afterwards. There's nothing terrifying about a cheap plastic crossbow that looks like it cost $20 at Wal  Mart and can barely get the arrows 15 feet to a practice target. There's even less to be intimidated by when the vigilante woman can barely hold or control her own weapon, a long bow. A weak twist finishes out the movie falling apart from something decent to something ultimately forgettable.

Then there was HITCH-HIKE, a remake of the film from 1977 that starred Franco Nero, where a bank robber is picked up while hitchhiking and ends up taking the couple in the car hostage and on a long terrifying road trip in search of an escape from the law hunting him. This remake is pretty bland and misses the ability of Nero and numerous other aspects that made the original something special, not least of which was a score by Ennio Morricone. It wasn't terrible but nothing special.

EFFECTS was next, a Pittsburgh based horror film from 1980 that was never released on home video before Synapse put it out in 2005. The film stars Joe Pilato and Tom Savini and is about a low budget horror film being made that is a front for the director actually making a snuff film out of the whole thing. I really enjoyed the last 30 minutes or so but the first 2/3 of the movie bored the piss out of me. It just takes too long to get going.

I switched gears for a bit and popped in an old favorite to end day 4. THE TOXIC AVENGER is the first movie of the challenge that wasn't new to me and it remains as incredibly campy, offensive, funny, and exciting as it ever was. I love the entire series to death and always will. This was the second movie of the month in which a pet dog is murdered... I wonder if that will become an unintentional theme going forward.

Day five started with another re-watch as I got to watch my new Blu-ray of EXTERMINATORS OF THE YEAR 3000. If you can't figure it out, this is Mad Max style exploitation. Post-nuke cheese where a guy named Alien helps a kid with a bionic arm find water for his group of survivors while Crazy Bull and his band of dirt bike riding baddies battle them in fantastically fun fights, chase scenes that are packed with explosions and action. This release is so much nicer than the old Code Red disc.

And the last movie for this post was EVE OF DESTRUCTION. I had pretty high hopes for this to be trashy sci-fi action but I have to say I was a bit let down. Gregory Hines stars as a military man assigned to track down and destroy an android type robot that is on a bit of a rampage. Little does he know that it's a nuclear weapon and in 24 hours will self destruct, taking 30 city blocks with it. Hines is good and the movie really isn't bad but slow moving and aside from 3 or 4 scenes it is pretty light on the action. Lower expectations would have left me with a better impression of this one.

Today's Rundown
Camp - 4.5/10
Hitch-Hike - 4/10
Effects - 4/10
Toxic Avenger - 8.5/10
Exterminators of the Year 3000 - 7/10
Eve of Destruction - 6/10

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOL. 8

USA/1970s-80s

Directed By: Various

Written By: Various

Starring: Varioius

Color/111 Minutes/X

Region FREE 

Release Date: January 13, 2015

The Film

In the latest volume in the PEEPSHOW COLLECTION of 8mm stag loops we get all the sexiness the 70s and 80s could offer up (again!). A woman pays her cab fare with her body, bringing up the cabby to suck and fuck while in another short a woman wakes up her man, who seems to be recovering from some sort of broken arm, with some oral before he gets going and doesn't let his arm stop him from doing anything and everything to his woman. There's a photographer that uses his camera to land two women at the same time, a down and dirty job interview and more!

Taking you back to the sleazy days of the 70s and 80s where you'd find people milling around porn theaters and porn stores in any downtown buying their magazines or pumping quarters into the booths to view reels such as these, this collection gives great insight into the early days of porno video distribution and how even in the early movie making days it was all about who could be the hottest
and the nastiest!

The Audio & Video

Another nice presentation from Impulse Pictures as they've saved these shorts from obscurity and preserved them on DVD. The full frame transfers preserve their original aspect ratio and for the most part look good. There's scratches and speckling of dirt and dust but colors are largely strong and the image is pretty sharp for 8mm film. There's a few moments of harsher wear but I'm very pleased with how these loops look. As always, these loops are silent aside from the projector noise.

The Extras

Liner notes from Robin Bougie of Cinema Sewer magazine are included

The Bottom Line

This DVD collection of 15 loops gives you a much cleaner and safer way of viewing the classic XXX footage without needing a pocket full of quarters (or something to sanitize with after!). You know you want it.

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 8 is available HERE

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 7 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/1970s-80s
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Various
Color/114 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: January 13, 2015

The Film
Ah yes another volume of hardcore 8mm loops featuring some of the raunchiest and most unforgiving sex scenes yet! How about the girl that gets raped and pissed on by two black men (including one with one of the longest coke fingernails I've ever seen). This happens on what looks like the Brady Bunch's backyard. Groovy! Then there's the young piano student who is spanked and fucked by her instructor for not playing her scales right. There's more than one type of ivory being pounded in that one! There's plenty more ridiculous, sexy, gross and everything in between loops involving pizza men (I still laugh about this one thanks to the liner notes), weird cults with wine douches, and more!

According to the liner notes by Robin Bougie of Cinema Sewer magazine this volume focuses on loops that featured actors and actresses who quickly left the adult film biz and never made much of a name for themselves. Hopefully their relatives never stumbled upon these because some of the dirtiest dirt in the series happens here in this volume.

The Audio & Video
Impulse Pictures has done a nice job here delivering what may be the best looking series of loops in their collection to date. There's scratches and speckling but for the most part the picture is sharp and clean without any really bad deterioration or damage. The shorts are presented in their original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio and are silent besides the background noise of the projector.

The Extras
Robin Bougie's liner notes are the lone extra

The Bottom Line
Even the most jaded fan of this stuff might be a little embarrassed or shy with this collection of 15 different loops. It's down and dirty with no shower in sight. All the juices are flowing like wild and you don't even get a towel. Enjoy!

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 7 is available HERE

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 6 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/1970s-80s
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Various
Color/124 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: January 13, 2015

The Film
Do you want to see a prisoner give herself up to her jailor just to get a tampon? How about watching the jailor earn his red wings? Yup, that is how this volume of 8mm adult loops starts off...

Then how about watching the housewife pleasure herself with a cucumber before an Asian stranger (or neighbor?) shows up at her door to finish the job. Not everything is as off the wall as period blood and vegetables though. There's the far more straight forward "Stewardess" which is the simple story of a lovely flight attendant returning home and getting it on with her man. There's a unique mix of sexual encounters and acts in this volume (including more veggies! Yum!) and a bit more envelope pushing with interracial scenes which had not yet become normal.

The raunch factor is upped yet again with these 15 loops that are sexy and obscene and will make you want to make sure your doors are locked and the blinds are shut before popping this disc in. You'll be instantly teleported back to the sticky porn shops and theaters from decades passed and that is half the fun!

The Audio & Video
The Impulse Pictures line from Synapse Films delivers this collection of 8mm stag reels with a 1.33:1 full frame transfer straight from the original prints. Quality ranges from beaten and battered, while still being perfectly enjoyable to rather clean and rather sharp for 8mm productions. There's scratches and dirt present while color washes out at certain moments. It all adds to the nature of these great shorts. There's no audio except for the sound of the projector.

The Extras
The lone extra is liner notes from the editor of Cinema Sewer magazine Robin Bougie. These notes are good enough to not need other extras.

The Bottom Line
Aficianados of vintage smut will feel the need to add this volume to their collection and who am I to tell them otherwise? This is good stuff!

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 6 is available HERE

Demons and Demons 2 (Blu-ray Review) - Synape Films

Italy/1985, 1986
Directed By: Lamberto Bava
Written By: Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Dardan Sacchetti, Franco Ferrini
Starring: Urbano Barberini, Bobby Rhodes, Asia Argento
Color/181 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: November 11, 2014

The Films
The DEMONS legacy starts with a theater full of people viewing a strange horror film when one of the audience members begins to transform into a demon after being cut by a cursed prop from the film. Her nasty transformation quickly turns into a violent blood thirst as she attacks the other patrons who find that the theater is totally enclosed and there is no way out. The survivors band together to fight the demons in hopes of find an escape. Then in part 2, years after the demons ran rampant on the world and people fought for survival and exterminated the monsters they're back when the cursed film plays across TV screens in a high rise apartment building coming out of the TV itself before terrorizing a birthday party and a health spa.

The DEMONS films (not counting the unofficial sequels that reached as high as part 6 if you look at some films' alternate titles) are a pair of movies that purely exemplify their time and place in horror movie history. They're perfectly cheesy, over the top 80s gore fests oozing with sloppy, gooey violence. Many Italian horror fans have mentioned that they would have loved to see a Dario Argento zombie film but these films are pretty much what you'd get. Argento co-wrote and produced both films and Lamberto Bava was his protege for many years. Argento's influence is all over these movies (and so are his daughters as Fiore appears in the first and Asia appears in the second).

DEMONS is simply a horror classic, damn near bordering on masterpiece. It is fucking terrific in every way. DEMONS 2 is a step back, as many sequels are but remains a damn good and immensely entertaining movie with its recycling of Bobby Rhodes who moves on from a pimp in the first film to a personal trainer in the sequel and is a fucking badass in both and Brit Pop soundtrack that is a noticeable detour (but one that works) from the heavy metal soundtrack that drives the first film. My love for these movies is immense and if you've never seen them then I beg you to stop wasting your time and get to it!

The Audio & Video
Give Synapse Films the home video crown. These Blu-rays are about as perfect as perfect gets when it comes to 30 year old Italian horror films. I don't see how they could look better. The 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers are gorgeous with intense sharpness, perfectly vivid color reproduction and extremely clean and beautifully restored prints. The audio options included on these Blu-rays are English only, so the Italian options included on the limited special editions aren't available but the English track is the way to go in my opinion. The tracks are crystal clear, with no distortions, audible hiccups or background noise. The mix in tracks is spot on as well. 

The Extras
These "movie only" editions only include a trailer for their respective film. The limited edition Steelbook releases are beyond packed for the DEMONS enthusiast. 

The Bottom Line
After fans clamored for a more affordable option for the more casual DEMONS fan, Synapse comes through with these standard edition releases that still blow many Blu-rays that are heavier with special features out of the water. If you don't want to spend the premium price for the premium limited edition releases then these versions provide you with the same incredible A/V quality for the films (which is the most important part!). I highly suggest you jump on these releases (and even more so the limited edition Steelbooks for all that's good here plus hours and hours of bonus features) because they're great movies with absolutely stellar releases.

DEMONS is available HERE and DEMONS 2 is available HERE

Prom Night (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

Canada/1980
Directed By: Paul Lynch
Written By: William Gray, Robert Guza Jr.
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Casey Stevens
Color/93 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: September 9, 2014

The Film
Six years after an accident involving some kids playing a prank leaves one of their friends dead from a nasty fall, a killer is on the loose at Hamilton High at prom. The students are preparing their dates, their hair and makeup and their suits and dresses for the night while a select few are getting obscene phone calls from a raspy voice. Eventually the time has come for the party but not everyone is having a good time as a maniac in a black ski mask is running around with an axe! Prom has become a fight for survival to find out who is behind the brutal murders and what their motive is.

Disco was dying by 1980 but it was the driving force behind the soundtack for PROM NIGHT. The high energy and bright lights bouncing off the disco ball during the third act of the film provides a great excitement and adrenaline rush for this slasher film. Director Paul Lynch turns a film that barely got finished into a pretty well done horror film that has plenty of the excess in violence and sex that the 80s would become known for. The viewer needs a bit of patience with PROM NIGHT as it is on the slow side. Almost all of the action takes place after the hour mark has passed which creates a 100mph thrill ride of blood and guts. There's still time to build tension throughout the kill scenes including the auto mechanic's garage scene which is one of my favorite parts of the film.

Acting is way above average for a slasher, lead by Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen as the principal. The score and soundtrack which apparently were quite rushed ended up being spot on for the movie and the reveal at the end wraps up the story nicely. PROM NIGHT is a great slasher film that gets better with each repeated viewing.

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films are masters of their craft. No other company does quite as good a job with each subsequent release as Synapse does and they prove it yet again with PROM NIGHT. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features great clarity and a natural grain structure. Skin tones are healthy and natural while black levels are deep and inky. Colors pop just enough without looking artificially enhanced and there's no noticeable DNR. There are two options for the audio, a DTS-HDMA 5.1 surround track which will give your home theater system a reason to work. It sounds awesome. There's also the original 2.0 mono mix which represents the film perfectly and is also a fine choice. There's no audible hiccups or background noise to speak of. This is a fantastic technical presentation.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with director Paul Lynch and writer William Gray
-"The Horrors Of Hamilton High" - An extensive "Making Of" featurette
-Additional Scenes for the TV presentation of PROM NIGHT
-Never before seen outtakes (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Motion still gallery (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Original radio spots (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Original theatrical trailer
-TV spots

The Bottom Line
A classic slasher film on a gorgeous disc packed with special features? Of course I recommend it highly.

PROM NIGHT is available HERE

42nd Street Forever: The Peepshow Collection Vol. 4 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/Various Years
Directed By: Various 
Starring: Eric Boyer, Linda Shaw, Sharon Kane
Color/116 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: August, 12, 2014 

The Film
This collection of 8mm short stag films may be the most wild and sexually over the top that we've seen yet. Featuring everything from down and dirty interracial scenes that were still taboo in the 1970s, to some pregnant and group action there's a little something here for whatever desire you may have at that moment. This collection has no shortage of stars that went on to make, or already had made names for themselves within the XXX industry.

As raunchy as raunchy may get while staying within legal boundaries is a good way to describe this fourth volume of the 42ND STREET FOREVER: PEEPSHOW COLLECTION. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if something in this disc was illegal somewhere at the time of filming. Ah yes, good old fashioned wholesome American fun! Sit back with a glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy the swapping of fluids and endless tits and bush. This is sex in the 1970s after all!

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films should again be commended for saving these films and presenting them in a way that will historically significant. Never again will we have to worry about if these particular shorts have been preserved well enough to ever view again since they've been released on DVD by the Impulse Pictures label. They are silent shorts so the only sound is that of the projector running in the background but the picture quality is good. As good as low budget, porn films shot on 8mm film forty years ago will look. These are scratchy and dirty while remaining completely watchable. The nature of these films is totally in line with beaten and dirty prints and truly does add to the experience.

The Extras
The 15 shorts in the film are available to play individually or with a "play all" option. Fantastic liner notes from Robin Bougie of Cinema Sewer are included.

The Bottom Line
Synapse has done awesome work with their Impulse Pictures line and preserving these vintage short stag films. There is a historical value to these films and thanks to the fine folks at Synapse they will be preserved and available for decades to come.

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOL. 4 is available HERE

Worm (DVD Review) - Synapse Films

USA/2013
Directed By: Doug Mallette
Starring: John Ferguson, Shane O' Brien, Jes Mercer
Color/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: August 12, 2014

The Film
In a world where people have lost the ability to dream they turn to a new product called "Fantasites" for sleep aid and to stimulate their subconcious into creating dreams. Fantasites are genetically engineered worm parasites that you drop into your ear before bed. Fantasites are all the rage, they're expensive and can be delivered right to your door. Charles is an awkward man with little to no social life. He begins using Fantasites to bring some excitement and perhaps even confidence to his life to get closer to get the girl of his dreams. Things start to spiral out of control for Charles and his new friends and his love when the government bans Fantasites over health concerns and people seek the addictive drug through illegal underground means. Charles tries desperately to get away from Fantasites and save the love of his life.

WORM is a movie I hadn't heard of until I saw that it was being released by Synapse. I went into this viewing of the film pretty much completely blind with no idea of what to expect other than my own ideas of what I thought the movie would be about. I don't think WORM would have been less impactful had I read a plot synopsis first but I'm glad I didn't. WORM touches on several social issues including addiciton, the widespread sale of untested drugs and genetically altered goods and even depression and the longing for companionship. The commentary is obvious but it never gets preachy which is the downfall of many films that include heavy doses of social commentary. WORM also works as straight entertainment as it strikes chords with several emotions. It is exciting and gross and at times funny and sad.

I'm on a streak of good luck with recent independently produced films lately and WORM is just the latest that I've enjoyed quite a bit. This is a film well worth your time.

The Audio & Video
There are few companies that can rival Synapse Films in terms of disc quality and they show it here, giving this indie sci-fi/horror film a nice presentation. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is crisp and clean. The colors are lively while detail is good. The 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo mix is simplistic in design but works perfectly. There's no background noise or hissing, crackling or popping. It is a quality mix with dialogue and soundtrack levels complimenting each other.

The Extras
-"Worm" - The original short film
-Deleted scenes
-Audio commentary track with the director, producers and visual effects supervisor
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
Synapse picked up this indie film upon seeing it and are delivering it to the masses and it deserves to be seen. Highly recommended!

WORM is available HERE

Curtains (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

Canda/1983
Directed By: Richard Ciupka
Written By: Robert Guza Jr.
Starring: John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson
Color/90 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: July 29, 2014

The Film
Director Johnathan Stryker (John Vernon) wants to make a film called "Audra" and he and his leading lady Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar) concoct a plan to have her put in a mental asylum for a short stay as a patient to prepare for the role. Stryker seemingly moves on from Sherwood who has to break out of the asylum on her own. Stryker hosts a group of actresses, including Sherwood at his home to audition for the part in "Audra". Shortly after the actresses start missing and getting killed by a psycho wearing a disturbing mask.

CURTAINS had a very troubled production. From director Richard Ciupka hoping to get fired off the project (his debut as a director) to extensive re-shoots happening almost two years after principal photography was completed that ended up replacing about a third of Ciupka's film. The producer wanted a cheap and easy slasher film and Ciupka had ideas about a psychological thriller/horror film. The final product is a weird mishmash of both ideas that somehow comes together and works for an entertaining film even if some of it just simply doesn't make sense.

While CURTAINS is messy because of the production troubles there are a couple of really great scenes including the ice skating scene and the final sequence taking up about the last 15 minutes of the film. They're filmed beautifully and make CURTAINS worth checking out on their merit alone. CURTAINS has long been an oddity that you've only been able to see on poor quality VHS and bootlegs on the convention circuit, not anymore. This release is what the actresses involved feared! We're going to see it and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

The Audio & Video
There's good reason when Synapse Films delays a release even for only a few weeks. They're making sure the film looks and sounds as good as it can. There's a reason they could be crowned kings of the cult home video market. They just plain get it. And their new Special Edition Blu-ray of CURTAINS proves it again. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer got a new 2K scan from the original vault materials and it shines. Colors are vibrant and pop just a bit. Skin tones show look fleshy and natural. The picture quality is very sharp and has a light layer of grain that keeps the feel of the film photography. There a newly mixed 5.1 DTS-HDMA track and the original 2.0 Mono mix for HD and overall sound quality is excellent. Its a crisp track with no background noise and an excellent mix. I love the ice skating scene where score gets bumped to the forefront but we can still hear the skate scraping against the ice as the girl moves along. This is just a fantastic job.

The Extras
The Blu-ray features quite a few quality special features including:
-"The Ultimate Nightmare: The Making of CURTAINS" - An all new 2014 retrospective that runs over 35 minutes and documents the film's conception to theatrical release and subsequent status as a cult favorite
-"Ciupka - A Filmmaker In Transition" (Blu-ray Exclusive) - A vintage behind-the-scenes documentary on Richard Ciupka that was filmed during the production of CURTAINS
-Audio commentary track with stars Lesleh Donaldson and Lynne Griffin
-Alternate audio track with vintage audio interviews with producer Peter R. Simpson and star Samantha Eggar
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
The back cover of this release has a quote that calls CURTAINS a "Must see for slasher completists". I'll go a step farther and say that if you're even the slightest fan of slasher films you'll want to see CURTAINS it is weird, a bit disturbing and totally endearing. If Synapse Films had rushed the release and given us a bare bones release with just a passable transfer it would still be a revelation for this film and I'm sure fans would be satisfied with it but the fact that they went the extra mile and gave CURTAINS a very nice selection of special features and a brilliant A/V presentation is just awesome. The wait for CURTAINS is over and it was worth it.

CURTAINS is available HERE

42nd Street Forever: The Peep Show Collection Vol 3 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/1960s-80s
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Annie Sprinkle, Susan Nero, Bobby Astyr, Jamie Gillis
Color/116 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Another selection of old 8mm stag reels here making for one hell of an evening of viewing. These films are raunchy, sleazy and almost just plain wrong. They'll have you feeling as sticky as the floors in the old 42nd Street theaters. If you lived through the days these types of short XXX films were being produced and sold through sketchy magazine ads this DVD will be a great trip down memory lane and if you're like me and missed out on the glory days of exploitation cinema then this is a great glimpse into the past and a continuing history lesson. Most of the shorts on THE PEEP SHOW COLLECTION VOL. 3 are your standard, hairy in-out, in-out affairs but then comes The Barbarian Girls to end the collection and what a fucking way to end it. Let me just say that there's no preparing for it. It will catch you off guard and smack you in the face. Be sure to stick around for it but don't say I didn't warn you.

The Audio & Video
The Impulse Pictures DVD looks as rough and gritty as the city streets where you'd be able to see films like this back in the 70s. While you may not have wanted to risk your life going to see them back then, you can now enjoy them from the comfort of your own home and in pure scratchy 70s quality. No, these prints aren't in great conditon- they're covered in scratches and imperfections, they're dirty at times and image quality is soft.I wouldn't have it any other way. This is how you need to enjoy fare such as this. 

The Extras
Liner notes from Robin Bougie, the publisher of Cinema Sewer magazine are included.

The Bottom Line
If you clicked on this review you have an interest in smut and stag films and you'll want to grab this release to not only live the dream that adults were able to live through their 8mm projector on their living room walls but to support the future releases of content such as this.

42nd STREET FOREVER: THE PEEP SHOW COLLECTION VOL. 3 is available HERE

Office Love: Behind Closed Doors (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

Japan/1985
Directed By: Yasuro Uegaki
Written By: Toshimichi Saeki
Starring: Akasaka Rei, Jogenji Kurumi, Kusami Junpei
Color/71 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: June 3, 2014

The Film
Reiko works as a call girl for a large travel company. She brings men back to a special apartment to entertain them and help customer relations, if you will. Her simple world involving her job and her child as a single parent is about to have a fork thrown in it as a former lover runs into her in a restaurant and old feelings come to surface. The possible love story is surrounded by several sex scenes, ending with a smirk from Reiko.

OFFICE LOVE is thin on story, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most skillfully produced films released in this line of DVDs to date. Director Yasuro Uegaki works his cast and crew in a way that makes this film look like a million bucks. The way the camera follows Reiko and the scenes surrounding her really show Uegaki's ability to create a story where otherwise we'd be lost. From the opening love scene, to Reiko's reunion to the tangled mass of body parts in the closing threesome OFFICE LOVE is one of the heavier dramas in the Nikkatsu Collection.

The Audio & Video
Another attractive looking release from Impulse Pictures! The anamorphic widescreen print is clean, free of any debris. The Japanese 2.0 track features newly translated English subtitles. The track itself sounds great, stable and full bodied without distracting background noise. The subs are translated nicely and timed perfectly.

The Extras
-Original theatrical trailer
-Liner notes from Jasper Sharp

The Bottom Line
These Pinku films from Nikkatsu continue to get their just due with quality releases from Impulse/Synapse. You're not going to leave this one out of your collection are you? No, I didn't think so. 

OFFICE LOVE: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is available HERE

Female Gym Coach: Jump And Straddle (Impulse Pictures)

Japan/1981
Directed By: Koyu Ohara
Written By: Kazuhiko Ban
Starring: Junko Asahina, Funasaku Sasairi, Mizuho Makagawa
Color/67 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: June 3, 2014

The Film
Competition time has rolled around yet again for the Kara Cosmetics Company gymnastics team and in order to improve their results, and in turn raise profits a new coach has been brought in to train the girls. The new coach, Aoki, has former coaching experience with one of the girls, and uses his not-so-subtle techniques on the girls who aren't always on board with his techniques. Aoki's personal issues come to light and the girls try to help him help them in time for their competition.

FEMALE GYM COACH: JUMP AND STRADDLE is a trailblazing 67 minutes of humor and sleaze. Numerous leotards get cut and shred as the trusting relationship of teacher and student is repeatedly broken and brought into taboo territory. That isn't the only sexual taboo in the film, as Aoki's coaching of one the girls was back in her high school days, so there is some underage kink going on as well.

Director Koyu Ohara does give more power to the females in FEMALE GYM COACH than you may expect, many of them of more than willing and are the aggressors in the sexual encounters. This caught me off guard but was a welcome surprise as it plays off the usual unsuspecting girl angle nicely.

The Audio & Video
Impulse Pictures delivers another attractive looking disc to the Nikkatsu line here. The DVD features an anamorphic widescreen transfer (2.35:1) with overall good picture quality. The picture features nice clarity, healthy looking colors and skin tones and just a small bit of speckling. The Japanese 2.0 track features optional English subtitles which are newly translated and couldn't be better. The audio itself is crisp and perfectly mixed. There is a bit of background noise but nothing distracting. 

The Extras
The original theatrical trailer accompany liner notes from who else but Jasper Sharp, the walking encyclopedia of Pinku cinema.

The Bottom Line
The 21st release in the Nikkatsu Erotic Films Collection from Impulse Pictures is another from director Koyu Ohara who could be crowned king of the DVD series from Impulse and another you'll need in your collection. It's fun, it's sexy and it's just a little bit filthy.

FEMALE GYM COACH: JUMP AND STRADDLE is available HERE

Honey Buns (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/1973
Directed By: James Chiara
Written By: James Chiara
Starring: Matt Hewitt, Ushi Digard, Rene Bond
Color/74 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Film
 Harry works at a feminine hygeine company called "Internally Yours", he is surrounded by beautiful women daily and couldn't be more uncomfortable. Harry is clumsy, shy, awkward and just a bit creepy, bringing his stacks of dirty magazines to his desk on his lunch break. Obviously he has no luck with the women, that is until the day he meets a man called The Magician who gives him a magic pill. This pill gives him chance after chance with beautiful women ready to seduce Harry. There's a catch though... If Harry gets too aroused too soon they disappear. Harry has to learn to control his urges to keep his fantasies a reality.

Matt Hewitt plays a damn good sexually awkward, shy guy, the ladies here are all beautiful and the movie itself is just weird enough to stand apart from the loads and loads of other X-rated fare that it had to contend with. From orgies to a dominatrix and yes, we do get to see why this film got its name, HONEY BUNS is a well made and inspired piece of 70s hardcore.

The Audio & Video
Impulse Pictures secures a safe existence for another vintage piece of American smut with a pretty good overall transfer on HONEY BUNS. The print is in decent shape, there are some scratches and damage but nothing excessive or annoying. If anything the scratchiness only adds to the experience. The audio track is stable and mixed well. Levels are steady and don't flucuate. A bit of background noise is present but as with the PQ it isn't distracting.

The Extras
Bare bones. 

The Bottom Line
A bit funny, a bit awkward and weird, and packed with beautiful women, HONEY BUNS is a treasure of the 1970s hardcore scene.

HONEY BUNS is available HERE

The Chambermaids (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictuers

USA/1974
Directed By: Unknown
Written By: Unknown
Starring: Eric Edwards, Valerie Marron, Mary Stuart
Color/72 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Film
A pair of hotel maids find their go-nowhere jobs boring and it has left them broke so they decide for a little fun, and some quick cash, to start offering themselves up to hotel guests. These attractive young women find themselves in the middle of a couple newlyweds, who don't know that the other is cheating on them on their wedding day just one room over! And then there is the pair of businessmen who get in on the action... but so does one of their wives! And of course all of these paths cross and it is just a ridiculously kinky afternoon with THE CHAMBERMAIDS.

A simple plot, a cheap and fast production, and lots and lots of X-Rated action makes up the 72 minutes of THE CHAMBERMAIDS. There are no surprises here, it goes for the knockout punch almost immediately and doesn't let up. Darken your room and imagine you're in a seedy theater with sticky floors and a potential mugger or flasher to either side of you and you'll complete the experience.  

The Audio & Video
Impulse Pictures has saved the existence of THE CHAMBERMAIDS with this DVD. The full screen presentation was taken from a battered theatrical print that apparently is barely surviving. This disc ensures the existence of the film for future generations to take a look at. The print is heavily scratched and dirty. The audio has quite a bit of background noise such as popping and crackling. And with all of these imperfections present it just somehow feels right for this movie. It feels seedy and wrong and I like it.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
Close the door and draw the blinds, because THE CHAMBERMAIDS is here. After this you'll probably want to get a trench coat and start running around the city flashing people outside of your local adult theater. Oh, you don't have an adult theater? Well, turn your living room into one and enjoy this movie.

THE CHAMBERMAIDS is available HERE

Countess Dracula (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

England/1971
Directed By: Peter Sasdy
Written By: Jeremy Paul
Starring: Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles
Color/93 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: May 6, 2014

The Film
Ingrid Pitt stars as Countess Elisabeth Nadasdy, an aging woman who discovers that bathing in the blood of young women can rejuvenate her youthful beauty. When the Countess falls for a handsome man named Imre Toth she goes to great lengths to impersonate her own daughter to win the affection of the man. Women among the village start disappearing which causes a bit of a paranoid panic but does anyone dare question the powerful Countess with their own life at stake? And will the Countess be able to keep up her bloodlust to satisfy her desires for unnatural beauty?

Director Peter Sasdy successfully combines the classic Gothic horror style of Hammer with a bit of body-horror as well. From the dark, shadowy halls of the Countess’ castle filled with secret passages to the unnatural and mentally sick need to look young. Ingrid Pitt is great in the lead role, a bit menacing and totally maniacal, she has almost the entire castle’s population on her side, and makes sure they dispose of those who aren’t.

COUNTESS DRACULA is an unsung piece of greatness from Hammer’s later catalog. As production quality started to slip Peter Sasdy used his extensive experience to pull greatness out of the picture, something he’d do for Hammer a few more times in feature film form and a decade later with their TV series, Hammer House Of Horror. COUNTESS DRACULA is a well made, slightly sleazy, and totally entertaining horror film.

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films brings the long awaited Blu-ray release of COUNTESS DRACULA to viewers with a gorgeous looking transfer preserving the original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. The HD transfer has a natural grain structure and a true filmic quality. This Blu-ray truly looks as if you were watching a 35mm print, and that is probably the highest compliment I can give for a Blu-ray. The print is clean and in great condition. Colors are vivid without being too hot and skin tones natural and healthy. Black levels are deep and inky with on signs of compression issues. The DTS-HD 2.0 track sounds wonderful as well. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear with a perfectly mixed soundtrack to keep from overpowering each other. There are no instances of background noise. This is exactly how I would want COUNTESS DRACULA to look and sound on Blu-ray.

Note: Images taken from DVD copy.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with: Ingrid Pitt, Peter Sasdy, screenwriter Jeremy Paul and author Jonathan Sothcott
-”Immortal Countess: The Cinematic Life Of Ingrid Pitt” - A 9 minute overview of Pitt’s break into films and her career, focusing mainly on her Hammer output.
-Archival audio inteview with Ingrid Pitt
-Theatrical Trailer
-Stills Gallery
-Reversible Artwork

The Bottom Line
The long wait from announcement to release is finally over and Synapse Films has made it more than worth the wait. The damn near perfect A/V presentation coupled with gorgeous artwork and some solid extras (my only complaint being that I wish the Pitt featurette was longer and went more in depth) make this one of my favorite releases of 2014 so far.

COUNTESS DRACULA is available HERE