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

House Of Mortal Sin (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

England/1975
Directed By: Pete Walker
Written By: David McGillivray, Pete Walker
Starring: Anthony Sharp, Norman Eshley, Sheila Keith
Color/104 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: June 17, 2014

The Film
Anthony Sharp stars as Father Meldrum, a corrupt priest who uses the cover of the church to commit nasty and unspeakable crimes against his parishoners.When Father Meldrum records a confessional by a young girl about her abortion his secret crimes become the interest of the girl's friend, a fellow priest. As Meldrum's streak of heinous acts continues his secret world begins to unravel but will the love and care from a good priest be enough to overcome the reign of terror that is Father Meldrum?

Also known as The Confessional, HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN is one of Pete Walker's most violent and dark films. Inspired by the director's time spent in a Catholic school, Walker depicts the antagonist priest beating, setting fire and poisoning those he doesn't approve of for one reason or another. That is just the beginning of it as Father Meldrum truly is heartless taking out anyone loyal to him if it means being able to cover up. Even a woman who has blindly served him for 30 years just to be around the man she loves.

Walker's direction is straight forward, as it usually is, letting the scenes speak for themselves as opposed stylish direction. HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN is very similar to a slasher film that would overtake the horror landscape just a few years after the release of this film. With Anthony Sharp's excellent performance as Meldrum to Sheila Keith as his lovelorn assitant who is willing to do anything to be with him this film is packed with good performances. Norman Eshley is very much a humanitarian in his role as the good priest trying to conquer the devil that is terrorizing the town. HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN is a blatant commentary of Pete Walker's view on the Catholic church and religion as a whole and it happens to be held within an exceedingly well made horror and exploitation film.

The Audio & Video
Kino Redemption knocks this Blu-ray out of the park. HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN was previously released under the title The Confessional several years ago by Shriek Show and there's no comparison to the discs. While the DVD was decent, this Blu-ray is likely the film has ever looked outside of a 35mm presentation and I'd be willing to bet it's the best it will ever look on home video. Skin tones and colors have a natural and healthy look to them while detail levels are high. The source material was kept in great condition and is very clean. There's a bit of speckling here and there but it isn't distracting whatsoever. The English audio track is perfectly mixed between dialogue and score and sounds very crisp. There's a tiny bit of background noise present but nothing to get worked up over as it is barely noticeable. This disc is really top notch.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Pete Walker and author of English Gothic, Jonathan Rigby
-11 minute interview with Pete Walker
-A selection of trailers for Pete Walker films

The Bottom Line
HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN has become one of my favorite Pete Walker films and this Blu-ray is a damn fine presentation of it. I have no hesitations calling this one essential viewing.

HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN 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

13 Sins (Blu-ray Review) - Anchor Bay

USA/2014
Directed By: Daniel Stamm
Written By: David Birke, Daniel Stamm,
Starring: Mark Webber, Devon Graye, Rutina Wesley
Color/92 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: June 17, 2014

The Film
Elliot is about to marry the love of his life but what should be a happy time is one of stress and desperation due to mounting debt, a special needs brother, and a father who hates his fiancee but needs to move in with the couple. Elliot receives a phone call one night informing him that he has been chosen to be part of a game that, upon winning, would give him a life changing amount of money. The game consists of thirteen challenges, the first is to kill a fly that is pestering him in his car. Upon doing so a thousand dollars was deposited into his bank account, the next challenge, worth a little bit more money was to eat the fly. The catch is that all of the money will vanish if he fails to complete a challenge or quits the game. Elliot's desperation drives him commit serious crimes to complete the game's challenges bringing him face to face with the game's other contestant on the final challenge.

13 SINS is a remake of 13: Game Of Death, A Thai film from 2006. Having never seen the original I can't compare the two but I can say this American remake isn't bad. It has a dark comedic side to it that keeps the mood light through most of the film that allows for us to cheer on Elliot despite some despicable acts. There's a messy subplot involving a police detective hunting down Elliot for the crimes he's committed and learning of the game's ancient origins in the process. It isn't handled very well and eventually just forces it's ways into the main story in a hamfisted manner. The end of the film is the main downer for me however, the final challenge really seems like a case of the writers trying to one up each other by adding more and more twists to the point that it is infuriating. I'm not sure if the original film is like that but shame on the writers of this remake for not changing it if it is.

Directed by Daniel Stamm, who is most known for the extremely large let down that ended up being The Last Exorcism, 13 SINS isn't awful, but manages to get in its own way too often to really be great. Mark Webber is likable and convincing as Elliot and really, the rest of the cast is good too. I usually won't complain about Ron Perlman being in a film but while he was also good in his role, it was his subplot that started making things messy. Daniel Stamm doesn't do anything extraordinary here, he handles the movie capably without much flair. 

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay brings 13 SINS to Blu-ray with a very attractive 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. Details levels are strong, along with deep, inky black levels. Skin tones are fleshy and natural. The image is clean and free of any dirt or debris. The 5.1 DTSHD-MA track is loud and clear with a perfect mixing job of dialogue and soundtrack levels. There's no audio hiccups or background noise. 

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Director/Co-writer Daniel Stamm, Mark Webber, Ron Perlman, Devon Graye
-The Making Of 13 Sins
-Alternate Ending
-Deleted Scenes
-"Anatomy Of A Meltdown" featurette

The Bottom Line
Despite any drawbacks the film has it is entertaining and is worth checking out. It would be great during a rainy day movie marathon.

13 SINS is available HERE

In The Blood (Blu-ray Review) - Anchor Bay

USA/2014
Directed By: John Stockwell
Written By: James Robert Johnston, Bennett Yellin
Starring: Gina Carano, Amaury Nolasco, Cam Gigandet
Color/108 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: June 3, 2014

The Film
Ava and Derek are newlyweds on their honeymoon in the Caribbean when Derek goes missing after a nasty fall from a zipline. Having apparently never arrived at any hospital after being taken away in an ambulance Ava uses her hardened background and training from her father to go deep in the seedy criminal underbelly of the island and find her husband since the police have their hands in the criminals pockets.

IN THE BLOOD plays out like an amateurish, wooden and totally ridiculous version of Taken starring Liam Neeson. Former mixed martial arts champion Gina Carano stars as Ava and tries her best to be convincing but she is stiff as a board and her lines come off like she's reading them from a book. She is convincing in her fight scenes because she could probably kick everyone else in the movie's ass. The editing of the movie is a mess, one second Ava is kicking the shit out of a bad guy and the next she's in a jail cell... did she turn herself in? Was she arrested on sight? Who the hell knows. There are many instances of that type of jarring editing. There are also more than a few sequences that look like a cheap music video, the ambulance chase scene being the main culprit. It's like a bad segment from MTV 2.

The reunion between Ava and Derek should be a happy moment for the viewer but the revelation that the crime boss had Derek taken because he's a perfect match for bloody type so that he can take Derek's stem cells to treat his own cancer? Well, let's just say it is one of the more "holy shit, that's what they actually went with" moments I've ever seen. And then came the finale where an entire local neighborhood tries to help the couple escape by throwing coconuts and melons at a caravan of the baddies. It was one of the more unintentionally funny things I've seen in a movie in quite a while. From then on it drags for another fifteen minutes until Danny Trejo makes his second appearance in the film to collect that paycheck and get his name plastered on the DVD cover.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay gives IN THE BLOOD the Blu-ray treatment that looks outstanding for the most part. The parts that don't look as hot are obviously filmed with lesser equipment but the beef of the film is very sharp, features strong detail levels and incredibly natural skin tones. It is an excellent looking disc. The audio, mainly English with intermittent Spanish with English subtitles is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that sounds just as good as the disc looks. No complaints.

Note: Images taken from DVD

The Extras
A Behind-The-Scenes featurette is the lone extra

The Bottom Line
If the film istelf was as good as the A/V of the disc we'd have a real winner. Unfortunately it isn't.

IN THE BLOOD is available HERE

The Devil's Knot (Blu-ray Review) - Image

USA/2013
Directed By: Atom Egoyan
Written By: Paul Harris Boardman, Scott Derrickson, Mara Leveritt
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Dane DeHaan, Colin Firth
Color/114 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A/1
Release Date: June 10, 2014

The Film
The West Memphis Three was the crime that gripped America in 1993-94. The brutal murder of 3 young boys and the three teenagers that were controversially tried and convicted of the murders. It is one of the most infamous crimes and subsequent trials in  America's history. It has been documented and scrutinized endlessly with various films being made about it. THE DEVIL'S KNOT is just the latest in that string of films.

Reese Witherspoon stars as Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of boys who would be found dead. The talented, Academy Award winning actress doesn't give her best performance here but in a film that feels like a Lifetime channel production she's okay. THE DEVIL'S KNOT is a decent courtroom drama at it's best and a messy film based on the heinous crime.

The Audio & Video
Image Entertainment gives THE DEVIL'S KNOT an attractive looking Blu-ray presentation. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has strong details, natural skin tones and great detail levels. The 5.1 DTS-MA track sounds great, with no background noise, or audible hiccups. 

The Extras
-The Making Of DEVIL'S KNOT
-Getting Into Character: The Cast Of DEVIL'S KNOT
-Deleted Scenes

The Bottom Line
You're best served watching THE DEVIL'S KNOT as a courtroom drama as there are far better documentaries on The West Memphis Three. Rent it. 

DEVIL'S KNOT 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