A Virgin Among The Living Dead (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France/1973
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Christina von Blanc, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated 
Region A

The Film
Christina is a beautiful young woman travels from her boarding school in London, the only home she's ever known, to a remote family mansion in the hills of France to be with her family after receiving and invitation. Having never truly knowing any family she thinks this will be a great opportunity to get to know her bloodline. Upon her arrival she discovers a truly odd group who seems all to desensitized to death. On top of this she has disturbing nightmares and witnesses some incredibly bizarre things inside the house such as women performing a bit of bloodletting and licking, a bit of incestuous behavior, and folks from the surrounding area repeatedly telling her that the house is empty. 

It all gets worse when Christina starts seeing her deceased father with a noose around his neck and he tells her of the evil things going on in the family. Oh and did I mention there are zombies? 

A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD is an oddly mesmerizing piece of Euro trash. And I do mean that in the best way possible. Originally titled CHRISTINA, PRINCESS OF EROTICISM, VIRGIN came to be when Jess Franco's film had several minutes of added zombie footage thrown in. This footage was directed by none other than Jean Rollin. 

Rollin's footage is strange in that it feels forced into the film all the while you never question why it is there, even when it doesn't really make a damn bit of sense. It isn't bad footage, it has a nice dreadful atmosphere where Christina (who has been replaced by a girl who covers her face the entire time as to not show the bait-and-switch that has occurred) can't escape the living dead. The zombies have a nice simple design to them and the setting for that sequence is again simple but effective. It only makes up about 11 minutes in difference but Rollin's added footage turns Franco's entry into bizarre family land, heavy on atmosphere and a disturbing take on eroticism and twists whatever meanings we were to take out of Franco's film and turn it into a sleazy horror romp. I enjoy both cuts of this film and think it is best left to each viewer to decide for themselves which they prefer. 

The Video
Kino Redemption brings Jess Franco's surreal vision to life beautifully with rich colors and strong textures. The anamorphic widescreen print has the scratches and speckling common with these releases but it never reaches a level of distraction and there is no room for complaints with how great the film looks. 

The Audio
Dialogue and Bruno Nicolai's score come through nicely on a track that is stable and clear with only a few moments of pops or crackling. Nicolai is known for being one of Europe's best film composers and this is part of the reason why. 

The Extras
Audio commentary with Tim Lucas - Another insightful track from a true authority on Franco and his films. 
 
Mysterious Dreams - An 11 minute interview with Jess Franco filmed shortly before his death in which he remembers the history and making of the film.

Alternate erotic footage - As if 2 cuts of the film weren't enough, this is 5 minutes worth of softcore footage that was spliced into the film to get played as an erotic/softcore film.

The Three Faces Of Christina - A featurette on the various versions of the film.

Jess! What Are You Doing Now? - A repeat feature found across this collection of Franco discs. It is an 8 minute homage to the director.

Theatrical trailers

Photo gallery
The Bottom Line
With two cuts of the film, a top notch presentation and a stack of extras this is nothing short of a must own and a contender to be on some "best of" lists at the end of the year. 

 A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD is available HERE

Nightmares Come At Night (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France/1970
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Paul Muller, Soledad Miranda, Colette Giacobine
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT is a slow moving film made up of a couple of stories that seemingly has no point until the very end. It is the first 80 minutes of the film that will make you decide if you're a fan or not. Personally, I'm not. I find it to be a tedious affair, however I have found more of an appreciation for it after listening to the commentary track on this disc. It still remains a bit on the boring side, with the high point being a number of attractive women in the nude for the majority of the film.

Our lead character suffers from delusions of murder (all the while in the nude) and her lesbian lover and doctor friend aren't helping. That's the main plot of the film. There are some artistic touches that stood out a bit more on this viewing than my previous viewing of the film but the film still stands as Jess Franco's lowest budgeted affair and it shows. There aren't many locations, and car interiors are used as a cost saving measure. There are also some scenes that are rather dark thanks to the low budget.

The film isn't all bad and it is an important stepping stone in the evolution of Franco. I may not be a fan of the film but I have a new found appreciation for it.

The Video 
Kino Redemption have done a nice job mastering this title to HD. While they typically don't do much on the restoration side of things, this disc is full of speckling of dirt and debris, the picture still has strong detail and rich color for the most part. I find the speckling to not be a hindrance at all and I can certainly see how some people may even enjoy it as a reminder of theater experiences of days passed. Overall a nice job by the label.

The Audio
Available in both its native French or an English dub the audio part of the disc is a nice one as well. There are few things to complain about so I won't. I suggest watching the film in its native tongue as it certainly adds to the actor's performances.

The Extras
Audio commentary with Tim Lucas of Video Watchdog

20 Minute "Making-of" documentary featuring interview footage with Jess Franco

Jess What Are You Doing Now? - An 8 Minute homage to Franco featuring interviews with his friends and family

A Visual Essay on the creation of the HD Master for the disc

The Bottom Line 
An important film from an important director gets the HD treatment and the entire package is a great one. Any fan of Euro horror or cult film should experience this film and this disc is the perfect way to do so.

NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT is available HERE

Schoolgirl Report #10: Every Girl Starts Sometime (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

Germany/1976
Directed By: Walter Boos
Written By: Gunther Heller
Starring: Eva Berthold, Alexandra Bogojevic, Astrid Boner
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
A classroom discussion about moral legislation leads to five stories in SCHOOLGIRL REPORT #10: EVERY GIRL STARTS SOMETIME. You can guess what the plot of the film is from here... If you guessed girls experiencing their first time having sex you would be correct. However that is just the start of the crazy situations these girls find themselves in.

 First off is a student failing English class and her teacher offers to tutor her in English and Latin until he is accused of raping the girl, when the truth finally comes out that the girl threw herself at the teacher and decided to have sex with a fellow student when the teacher declined her advances. And then there's the attractive girl in love with her own body and searching for the perfect sexual experience until she finds herself in a 3-on-1 situation which is just too much for her. The third story involves a couple hanging out at a pool when the girl develops a plot to get her stepmother to cheat on her father with her own boyfriend. The girl goes on a bit of a rampage around her boyfriend's apartment when the plan backfires! The fourth story is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever watched... a young couple put on a charade of The Exorcist, with the girl being possessed and the boyfriend being the religious man to save her. The girl screams all sorts of sexually charged things while jumping around flashing everything and making ridiculous faces and throwing food. And finally the film is wrapped up with the story of a girl and her sugar daddy and how it unravels and becomes something better. 

SCHOOLGIRL REPORT #10 is more romps from the German series. There is nothing to heavy here, but as the series has been it is entertaining and an easy viewing experience. Bring on #11! 

 

The Video 
Impulse Pictures presents SCHOOLGIRL REPORT #10 in a 1.66:1 widescreen ratio in a solid looking transfer. There is a bit of speckling present but nothing distracting. The elements used in this transfer seem to have been in good shape aside from some dirt and dust. This falls right in line with the PQ of previous SGR releases. 

The Audio
This German production is presented in its native tongue with optional English subtitles in a 2.0 audio track that is clear and steady. There isn't much present in these films to listen to other than dialogue or sex moans so the track is more than enough to do the job.

The Extras
Bare bones. 

The Bottom Line
If this is your first exposure to the series it is as good a place to start as any. There are no continuing plots or story lines aside from young women shedding their clothes. If you're a previous fan of the series you'll continue to find the same enjoyment you've found 9 times before. Definitely recommended. 

SCHOOLGIRL REPORT #10: EVERY GIRL STARTS SOMETIME is available HERE!

The Odd Angry Shot (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

Australia/1979
Directed By: Tom Jeffrey
Written By: Tom Jeffrey
Starring: Bryan Brown, John Hargreaves, Graeme Blundell
Color/92 Minutes/Not Rated
Region ABC (Unlocked)

The Film
The war in Vietnam has been well documented in films, with the political and social aspect of the war covered to death. THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is an Australian production, dealing with a troop of soldiers and their time from departing to Vietnam to their return home. The difference here is that instead of focusing on the sociopolitical aspects of the war, or being a straight forward action film this film deals more with the characters and their day to day affairs in the foreign land. Most of the time is spent playing cards for small bets, drinking beer, trying to cure their foot fungus and their encounters with American troops who are all too similar to the boys from the land down under. 

THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is a breath of fresh air for the world of war films. The film is far from perfect, and for a war film there is only a couple of actual scenes with fighting, though these scenes do get rather bloody at times. The focus on the characters and their relationships with each other, and the outside world that is passing them by while they're in the jungles, carries the film and remains fully interesting. There is a bit of humor and some somber moments especially when the soldiers come to the realization that it doesn't matter that they're at war and that the people back home simply don't care. This is a war film, but also a human drama that is worth seeking out. 

The Video
The only flaw I can find with Synapse Films' presentation of THE ODD ANGRY SHOT on Blu-ray is that there are a series of scratches that pop up sporadically in the middle of the frame. This is no doubt something from the original film elements and couldn't be fixed. They are far from distracting and now I can talk about how great the picture looks... The HD 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks fantastic. There is a small amount of natural grain that compliments the rich detail on skin and textures and the lush jungle landscape where the majority of the movie takes place is gorgeous. Colors are bright and vibrant without ever becoming overbearing or hot.


The Audio
The 2.0 Mono English HD track is also rather good. There isn't a whole lot to push the envelope and give the speakers a workout but dialogue is clear and the soundtrack mix is appropriate. No complaints here.

The Extras
Audio Commentary w/ Director/Producer Tom Jeffrey, Producer Sue Milliken and Actor Graeme Blundell
"Stunts Down Under" - A featurette with Buddy Joe Hooker 
Original Theatrical Trailer
Reversible cover artwork 

The Bottom Line
I can't say I'm a giant fan of war films, I have nothing against them I just haven't fallen in love with the genre but THE ODD ANGRY SHOT was a real surprise for me, one that I found to be quite an enjoyable watch. Pile that on top of an excellent package and presentation from Synapse Films and you have yourself a Grade-A Blu-ray.


THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is available HERE

Hands Of The Ripper (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

England/1971
Directed By: Peter Sasdy
Written By: L.W. Davidson, Edward Spencer Shew
Starring: Eric Porter, Angharad Rees, Jane Merrow
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A/1

The Film
Anna is a young girl who witnesses her father, who happens to be the nasty British murderer Jack The Ripper, murder her mother. Anna is left orphaned and taken in by a woman who fraudulently claims to be a spiritual medium, using Anna as the voice of the disembodied spirits to fool her customers. After trying to whore out Anna for extra money, the woman is murdered and Anna is taken in by Dr. Pritchard, a doctor of psychology who is heavy into the new theories of Sigmund Freud. Pritchard is dead set on finding out what emotional issues the girl may have. 

As the days go by, Pritchard puts Anna into more and more social situations hoping to help her, but it simply leads to more bloodshed as anytime she sees a flash of light and receives a kiss, like she did on the night her mother was murdered, she goes into a trance like state that ends with someone dying. It is up to Pritchard to stop Anna before she attacks his own son and soon to be daughter-in-law.

HANDS OF THE RIPPER is a later entry in to the HAMMER catalog of films and manages to defy the trend of slipping quality that had befallen the studio by the 1970s. This film can be viewed as an early slasher archetype than any sort of Gothic horror that made the studio famous decades earlier. It doesn't take long for one to read this plot and immediately come up with a slasher film that sounds very similar. And this film is not only violent, it is bloody too. From hat pins, to broken mirrors and a nasty bit involving a sword (and perhaps a nastier bit with the extraction of said sword) this film has a mean spirit behind it. Jack The Ripper possessing his daughter's mind and causing her to kill... there isn't too much meaner than that.

Director Peter Sasdy may be the most notable name to Hammer fans out of the entire cast and crew, as he worked on several episodes of Hammer House Of Horror and also Countess Dracula (coming soon from Synapse) and Taste The Blood Of Dracula. The cast has a shortage of Hammer regulars but that isn't to say they don't do their jobs with precision and veteran ability. The film's beautiful score by Christopher Gunning plays as a nice contrast to the violence that plays out on screen. HANDS OF THE RIPPER will be sure to please any fan of Hammer and even slasher fans. 

 
The Video
Synapse Films gives HANDS OF THE RIPPER an anamorphic widescreen 1.66:1 transfer that looks very good for the most part. Skin tone is very natural looking, detail in textures is strong, giving a nice depth to the film. There are a few scattered instances of a soft image in which detail and overall picture quality takes a hit but these moments are infrequent. This transfer doesn't scream HD but it looks very nice and keeps the visual style and setting of the film in mind. This is exactly how a film such as this should look. 

Note: Screenshots taken from DVD copy of the film and do not represent the Blu-ray quality. 

The Audio
 A DTS-HD 2.0 Mono track handles the soundtrack, dialogue and sound effects rather well. The mix is strong and steady, and I'm thankful we aren't forced into a newly created surround track that doesn't do the film any justice. The audio side holds up as well as the video side. English subtitles are available.

The Extras
The Devil's Bloody Plaything: Possessed By Hands Of The Ripper - A near 30 minute featurette chronicling the history and production of the film. One interesting point is that there are no known records of who played Jack the Ripper in the opening scene of the film, despite the character having dialogue.

Slaughter Of Innocence: The Evolution Of Hammer Gore -  A motion still gallery chronicling some of the nastier moments from the studio.

U.S. Television Introduction

Original Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Isolated Music & Effects Track  

The Bottom Line
We finally have the next Hammer Blu-ray from Synapse! It has to be closing in on 2 years since the trio of titles was announced and while we're still waiting on Countess Dracula (by year's end!) HANDS OF THE RIPPER was worth the wait for Synapse to get the job done right form the presentation of the film itself to the supplements this is another stellar package from the company.

HANDS OF THE RIPPER is available HERE

Horny Working Girl: From 5 To 9 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

Japan/1982
Directed By: Katsuhiko Fujii
Written By: Shigeko Sato
Starring: Junko Asahina, Nami Misaki, Yuki Yoshizawa
Color/66 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
Junko Asahina, who previously starred in I LIKE IT FROM BEHIND!, stars as Chieko Kuwano, a new assistant manager at a corporate office who is willing to do just about anything to get ahead. She knows what she has and how to use it. Her new boss is very into her, and many of the other women in the office even though he's married. Eventually the women decide to band together and punish the boss... by having a four way with him!

Ah yes, more naked fun from Nikkatsu! Heavy on skin and light on plot HORNY WORKING GIRL: FROM 5 TO 9 is a fun and quick romp around the office that barely leaves you alone long enough to catch your breath. Luckily you only have to keep up for 66 minutes!

The Video 
Impulse Pictures presents the film with an anamorphic widescreen transfer in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that looks very nice. Skin is the most important thing about this film and flesh tones look tender and natural. The image is clean with hardly any dirt, hair or dust to speak of. 

The Audio
HORNY GIRL is presented with its original Japanese soundtrack in a 2.0 Mono track that is perfectly acceptable for this disc. Dialogue and soundtrack are mixed so that neither of them has to compete and the track is mostly clean of any sort of disturbances. Optional English subs are available for those of us that don't speak Japanese. 

The Extras
Jasper Sharp's liner notes accompany the film's original theatrical trailer. As per usual. 

 
The Bottom Line
Spine number 15 in the Nikkatsu Erotic Films Collection From Impulse is another skin flick packed full of "win". The standard package offering may not catch collectors of the series off guard but it has certainly ingrained itself as a reliable companion. You know what you're getting with the series so just keep buying them. 

HORNY WORKING GIRL: FROM 5 TO 9 is available HERE

The Conjuring (2013)

A film promoted as "From the makers of Saw and Insidious" not only doesn't sell me on the film but it makes me never want to see it. This was the case for THE CONJURING, the new James Wan directed horror film that thanks to positive word of mouth (actually it was more of a free ticket that got me in the theater) I sat my ass down in a chair this afternoon to see what all the hullabaloo was about.

Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are a married team of paranormal investigators with ties to the Catholic church. They have helped some of the nastiest and most infamous cases of hauntings and demonic possession along with debunking the vast majority of supposed hauntings. They are called to the Perron family farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island when the mother of the family visits the team at one of their seminars after many strange and unsettling occurrences at their new home involving their five daughters. It is immediately apparent to Lorraine, the clairvoyant of the duo, that there is something not kosher in the house and the ghostly happenings get more frequent, more violent and more disturbing.

The plot doesn't sound like anything new to the genre or that it would even be good. From the title screen and opening credits it was apparent to me that I wasn't in for Insidious 2 or Paranormal Activity 15 which is largely what the marketing campaign made this out to look like. No, this was destined to hearken back to the haunted house and possession films of the 70s. In fact it is set in 1971 and has an oppressively loud sound mix and score, an unsettling atmosphere and characters that aren't fucking retarded. It didn't take long for me to think back to similarities with Peter Medak's The Changeling. THE CONJURING is largely successful throughout. The back story is mean as is our demon who knows not of remorse or mercy. There are a few instances of falling victim to cliched jump scares, which aren't used as often as you'd expect thankfully, bland grey scale makeup on some ghosts and a climax that starts off strong but ends all too quickly. Luckily those faults are balanced by a great ensemble performance, strong soundtrack and solid directing.

THE CONJURING is the best haunted house/demonic possession film of recent years. While it is far from perfect it kicks the ever loving shit out of Insidious, Paranormal Activity and whatever else you want to throw at it. If you are thinking what I was thinking, that the film looked liked dreadful, rehashed garbage, write it off to a totally uninspired marketing campaign that is satisfied in selling more of the same and give it a chance. If you're a fan of the genre, the good films of the genre that is, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

A very solid 7.5/10