Pretty Peaches 2 & 3 (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1987, 1989
Directed By: Alex de Renzy
Written By: Alex de Renzy
Starring: Siobhan Hunter, Keisha
Color/175 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: May 13, 2014

The Films
PRETTY PEACHES was a very successful porn comedy from 1978. Almost a decade later director Alex de Renzy went back to make an unrelated sequel to the film. PRETTY PEACHES 2 is the story of young Peaches, a 20 year old who wants to learn about sex, badly. Peaches' mother seduces her boyfriend, her father tells her to stop being a tease and she heads to San Francisco (where else) to learn about sex from her uncle (Ron Jeremy) and his circus-like house of characters.

To say the family dynamic in PRETTY PEACHES 2 is fucked up is selling it short. There are some strange situations on display here, however it is kept playful and upbeat so even the taboo subjects on display here are never looked at as weird. Well, yeah, it's still weird but the film manages to make it work.

PRETTY PEACHES 3: THE QUEST has Peaches living in a trailer park, sexually unfulfilled. Her doctor, a lesbian who has gone the distance with Peaches during an exam, suggests a trip to San Francisco (where else) to satisfy her desires. On the way she falls in with a weird and flashy televangelist who thinks more about sex than he does God or faith. This man's bizarre world becomes Peaches existence in what has to be one of the weirdest films released by Vinegar Syndrome yet.

Both of the sequels to PRETTY PEACHES are funny, sexy and more than a little bit odd. The girls that play the titular characters are both very likable and Alex de Renzy, who has directed almost 200 adult films, proves why he is royalty in the adult film industry.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has done a good job overall on this release. PRETTY PEACHES 2 has a vibrant and lively transfer. Skin tones are natural and colors are strong. The print is clean and has obviously been kept in good condition. The audio track is full bodied and free of any annoying background noise. PRETTY PEACHES 3 has a good looking transfer but there is damage in the source material and the image suffers from jitters fairly frequently throughout the film. The audio track is a bit muddy sounding so you may have turn up the volume a bit as it is difficult to understand dialogue at times.

The Extras
There is an original theatrical trailer for part 2. 

The Bottom Line
This is among my favorite releases from Vinegar Syndrome to date. The films are weird, fun and genuine and I think if you're reading this review you'll sincerely enjoy yourself with these films.

PRETTY PEACHES 2 & 3 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

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

Way Of The Wicked (DVD Review) - Image Entertainment

USA/2014
Directed By: Kevin Carraway
Written By: Matthew Robert Kelly
Starring: Vinnie Jones, Emily Tennant, Christian Slater
Color/92 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 20, 2014

The Film
Five years after being blamed for the death of another child during a fight despite not laying a finger on the victim, Robbie returns to his old neighborhood to attend high school where he shares classes with his old friend Heather. Robbie and Heather quickly become friends again with Robbie filling the protector role where it may not be needed. His intentions with Heather are noble but his way of showing it may not be. Heather's father is a police official who teams up with a priest in an on-going investigation of a possible demonic force responsible for a series of murders surrounding Heather and Robbie.

WAY OF THE WICKED is as much a teen drama as it is a supernatural or crime thriller. Vinnie Jones and Emily Tennant are quite believable in their father-daughter lead roles, and Jake Croker sure has his angsty teen look down. Christian Slater is a bit hammy in his role as the priest but that is to be expected with present day Christian Slater. The movie isn't terrible it just suffers from the feeling that it is a rather restrained film, that could have been made for network TV or MTV. It also plays out as a boy's version of Carrie, without the good stuff that goes along with Carrie. So I guess that means it is a cheaper boy's version of the Carrie remake? Sure, we'll go with that. WAY OF THE WICKED isn't awful, but it's also far from anything special and you won't be missing anything noteworthy if you don't bother.

Oh and one last thing, a personal beef - Why the hell is Christian Slater plastered on the cover art? He's not in the movie that much and certainly Vinnie Jones has to be a better selling point than Christian Slater these days.

The Audio & Video
Image Entertainment's transfer of WAY OF THE WICKED on DVD largely looks very nice. The HD photography would really only look better if it was a Blu-ray presentation. As it stands, image quality is sharp, with the only real weak point being poor handling of black levels and dark sequences which have compression issues. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is a very good. Dialogue and music are mixed quite well and there are no background noise issues. 

The Extras
None to speak of

The Bottom Line
The film itself is totally predictable and only mildly interesting, which places it into rental territory. 

WAY OF THE WICKED is available HERE

Norifumi Suzuki: In Rememberance Of A Legend

Among the excitement and fan fare for the release of Godzilla, a film many genre film fans have been anxiously awaiting the news of Norifumi Suzuki's passing has unfortunately been swept over. Dying on May 15, 2014 at the age of 80, Suzuki has left behind a legacy of wonderfully artistic, stylish and sometimes brilliant films ranging from Pinky Violence to Nunsploitation. Suzuiki is largely responsible for ever growing love of the Pinky Violence brand of film. I can't say I'm any sort of authority on the genre, or Suzuki himself, I can only sit here and give thanks to a man that has deeply influenced my movie viewing and tastes along with opening a world of film to me.

The first time I set my eyes on School Of The Holy Beast years ago and saw how a Nunsploitation film could be handled with such class was eye opening to a growing exploitation film fan. Not every exploitation film was cheap and B-Movie material. This probably wasn't the first time I saw to this day I live with images from School Of The Holy Beast in my mind on a daily basis. They're beautiful and surreal.

And if I had seen no other film than Sex & Fury from 1973 I would still feel the need to write something about Suzuki's passing as this film brought together two legendary women of exploitation and two of my personal favorites, Reiko Ike and Christina Lindberg, for a simply amazing film. Admittedly, I have been slow in digging deeper into Suzuki's filmography, as there are still dozens of titles I have yet to see but it is something I plan to remedy soon in hopes that maybe one day I will be able to fancy myself a bit of an authority on Suzuki.

Thank you for your contributions and inspiration Mr. Suzuki, you most certainly are a legend.

                                                     1933-2014

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

Poseidon Rex (DVD Review)

USA/2014
Directed By: Mark L. Lester
Written By: Rafael Jordan
Starring: Brian Krause, Anne McDaniels, Steven Helmkamp
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 13, 2014

The Film
Having just recently reviewed the film itself, I'd simply be repeating myself here. So check out the film review HERE.

The Audio & Video
The DVD release of POSEIDON REX looks good. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is crisp and clear as a newly shot digital production should be. The tropical locations look gorgeous and skin tones look natural and healthy. The CGI rendering also looks good. The English audio track is loud and clear, with no background noise or disturbances. The soundtrack is nicely mixed as to blend nicely with dialogue and not fight for attention from the audience.

The Extras
A short 9 minute Making of" featurette is included along with a trailer.

The Bottom Line
POSEIDON REX is a fun film. It is meant to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and turn your brain off for a short while. This DVD is available for under $10 and cheesy movie fans should be all over it.

POSEIDON REX is available HERE