Under The Skin (Blu-ray Release) - Lionsgate

UK, USA, Switzerland/2013
Directed By: Jonathan Glazer
Written By: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay
Color/108 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: July 15, 2014

The Film
In an empty room, an alien being assumes the female human identity taking on the host's physical traits. This alien being combs the streets of Scotland looking for lonely men to prey on. When a man gives into her advances he is thrown into a nightmarish existence or darkness where he is stripped and drowned. The beautiful woman continues her ways until coming upon a man with a badly deformed face who is a genuine and sweet person. He is the only person to leave that nightmare plane alive only to suffer a disgustingly mean spirited fate. It is at this point where the being begins to feel emotions and see herself as human, unsuccessfully trying to adapt to human food. She flees into the woods searching for clarity where she is attacked and nearly raped, exposing her alien body to her attacker who pursues her further into the woods with violent intentions.

UNDER THE SKIN has some great ideas going for it along with some stylish direction from director Jonathan Glazer and gorgeous cinematography. It is visually stunning at times with its bleakness and stark contrasts. Unfortunately the ideas the film introduces end up being mostly hollow aside from the most basic idea to look deeper than the surface in yourself and others.

I wanted UNDER THE SKIN to be something special. I think Scarlett Johansson gives a solid performance but it all for naught since UNDER THE SKIN fails to be anything other than an underdeveloped idea.

The Audio & Video
Lionsgate gives UNDER THE SKIN a gorgeous Blu-ray release. The transfer is pristine with bright whites that never burn too hot and ultra deep black levels with no blocking or compression issues. The little bits of flashy color pop and skin tones are nice and healthy. It's a very nice 16x9 picture. The English 5.1 DTS-HDMA audio track sounds excellent. The full bodied track is very crisp and clear with a nice mix between dialogue and score. 

The Extras
A "Making Of" featurette is the lone featuer

The Bottom Line
If you're a Scarlett Johansson fan UNDER THE SKIN is worth a rental. Unfortunately it fails to be anything more than that.

UNDER THE SKIN is available HERE

The Purge: Anarchy GIVEAWAY

Alright readers it is time for a giveaway!

 THE PURGE: ANARCHY hits theaters on July 18 and you have the chance to win some cool promo items from the movie!

The New Founders of America invite you to celebrate your annual right to Purge. The Purge: Anarchy follows an unlikely group of five citizens who, over the course of the night, are hunted across the city in a kill-or-be-killed series of survival scenarios during the annual Purge.
Check out these 5 Things To Know Before You Watch The Purge: Anarchy 

I know you're dying to find out the actual prize items are so the winner will receive

The Purge: Anarchy Prize Pack includes:
- The Purge: Anarchy Promo T-shirt (size L)
- The Purge: Anarchy Promo Flashlight

And now for the boring (but important) stuff

THE RULES & HOW TO ENTER

-The sponsors of the giveaway have made this open to US residents only (sorry international friends!)
-Contest Open until Sunday, 7/ 20, winner will be notified by email

To Enter
1.Send an email to CelluloidTerror@yahoo.com with "PURGE CONTEST" as the subject and include your favorite fact from the 5 gifs AND you shipping address
2. Get an additional entry by tweeting to me on Twitter @celluloidterror and tell me how you would spend Purge night if it were real and use the #PurgeAnarchy

I will put all entrants into a randomizer and the name that comes out on top will win!

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

Cannibal Holocaust (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Italy/1980
Directed By: Ruggero Deodato
Written Gianfranco Clerici
Starring: Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen
Color/95 Minutes/Unrated
Region FREE
Release Date: July 1, 2014

The Film
There are few films in the world with a reputation like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. Few films have been banned for their grotesque nature and brutality they show on screen yet so heavily praised for being an expertly crafted piece of cinema with a far deeper meaning than its shock cinema label will let you believe. A first time viewing of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will definitely leave you with a memory of the film. From the extreme violence, and gory effects to the completely real killing of animals on screen. Your stomach will turn, you'll want to look away, and perhaps you will. If you're watching the film for the first time with more than violence and shock on your mind maybe you will begin to see the true depth to CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is absolutely an exploitation picture. It goes all the way and back again. Ruggero Deodato was even put on trial for murdering cast members and he had to prove their existence to escape conviction. It was that believable. It is no surprise that even to this day audiences are in shock and awe over this film and may not be entirely sure exactly what is real but beyond the savages, the gunning down of natives, the extreme ways in which people are killed, the beheading and shooting of animals, the people being impaled and general jungle horror within the film, lies a single question at the end of the film - "I wonder who the real cannibals are?".

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is brilliant in every way. Ruggero Deodato was no stranger to the cannibal film at this time having previously made Last Cannibal World (aka Jungle Holocaust) in 1977 but this time he made something bigger than an exploitation film. The late Riz Ortolani produced a beautiful and at times haunting score for the film. The cast was pushed to their limits, literally in tears at times during the production over things they had to do. It was an all around effort by everyone involved to give 100% and make this film and although Deodato has said in recent years that he wishes he hadn't made the film I think the world of film, and perhaps in a small way the world itself would be a bit worse off if that was the case. It is true that despicable things were done in the film. Did animals need to die on screen? No, but they did. And they were eaten. It doesn't make it any less horrific but the impact it has on the viewer on a visceral level can't be measured. And that impact leads to deeper thinking and the importance the film brings.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST its first uncut Blu-ray ever with a stunningly gorgeous anamorphic widescreen transfer. Detail levels are incredibly strong from faces to textures of clothing and other items. Colors are simply stunning, from the lush green jungles to the brown skin of the natives and bright blue skies. Even the 16mm handheld camera footage looks very good, without question the best it ever has. Thankfully Grindhouse Releasing knows what they're doing and didn't destroy the film by scrubbing it clean. This Blu-ray is still grainy but it's a natural and attractive film grain, and not dirt and damage. The DTS-HDMA 2.0 track is in English, the natural langauge of the film, and sounds magnificent. The mix, of dialogue, score and surrounding sounds of the jungle are all handled skillfully as to compliment each other without ever becoming intrusive even at their most extreme. Levels are stable and the crispness to this audio track is just lovely. 

The Extras
I could go on and on about the special features presented here in this 3 disc set, instead I'll simply break down each disc's content.

Blu-ray disc 1:
-Original uncut version of the film
-"Animal friendly" version of the film
-Audio commentary with director Ruggero Deodato and star Robert Kerman
-Audio commentary with stars Carl Yorke and Francesca Ciardi
-Large selection of trailers for Cannibal Holocaust

Blu-ray disc 2:
-11 interviews with key cast and crew members
-Large selection of extensive still galleries
-Selection of additional Grindhouse Releasing trailers

CD soundtrack

The Bottom Line
It is official, there is no better way to watch CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST than this release unless you have a pristine 35mm copy and place to project it. I can't come up with a single flaw against this release, from the brilliant A/V quality to loads of special features and the inclusion of the entire soundtrack. This will go down as one of, if not the best release of 2014 by any company anywhere in the world. 

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is available HERE

Bloody Moon (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

Spain/1981
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Rayo Casablanca
Starring: Olivia Pascal, Christopher Moosbrugger, Nadja Gerganoff
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Five years ago Miguel, a man with a disfigured face, went on a rampage at a pool party. Raping a woman and killing her in brutal fashion. Having been institutionalized and deemed reformed, Manuel has been released to the care of his sister Manuela who, along with their wheelchair bound mother, run a boarding school for young women. Shortly after opening day the bodies start piling up and Miguel is at the center of the suspicion.

BLOODY MOON isn't much in the way of art. No, Jess Franco had nothing of the sort on his mind with this slasher film that even tries its hand at adding in some qualities of the giallo film. This is purely a horror film with slicing and dicing on the brain. There are a couple of elaborate gore set pieces, the biggest and best also being the most memorable part of the film involves a giant stone mill saw. There's also plenty of sleaze here with an entire incestuous subplot. BLOODY MOON is a simple film that is trashy, gory and fun and stands up to repeated viewings.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films has done a great job restoring BLOODY MOON for Blu-ray. The video quality is quite good with natural colors and an overall strong picture quality. There's little in the way of dirt or debris. The English mono HD audio track sounds good as well. There's no background noise and the mix is spot on. Levels are steady and don't jump.

The Extras
-Franco Moon - an interview with director Jess Franco
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
Franco's take on the slasher film is entertaining and trashy. Exactly what you'd expect from the Spanish-French director making a body count film. Gory and trashy. This disc is definitely worth a look.

BLOODY MOON is available HERE

All Night Long / Tapestry Of Love (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1975, 1976
Directed By: Alan Colberg
Written By: Alan Colberg, Chris Warfield, Bob Chinn
Starring: John Holmes, Sharon Thorpe, Ric Lutze
Color/160 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Films
ALL NIGHT LONG is the first film in this double feature and the title tells you a little bit about what you can expect. John Holmes and Ric Lutze have been chosen as the two finalists for the coveted "Mascot Of The Golden Rod" the top honor for male porn stars. The only way to win the award is to finish sleeping with your predetermined path of women first, and it's going to take you all night long. The awards ceremony watches on as each woman across town has their love dens rigged with cameras and the ceremony nearly turns into a giant orgy itself! John and Ric encounter everything from a scary dominatrix to the apparent love of their life all while trying to keep up their stamina in what will end up being a photo finish.

ALL NIGHT LONG features plenty of light hearted humor, especially from the cynical man at the awards ceremony who seems unimpressed with everything and a cat fight on stage over an award. The men and their sex race also features plenty of laughs and even a "what the fuck moment" or two, such as a slow motion money shot complete with "splashing" sound effects. That was a first for me.

Then in TAPESTRY OF PASSION there is a sex killer on the loose and it is up to private detective Johnny Wadd to solve the case for the victims' gorgeous sisters and lovers. His only fee to be paid? Well sex of course. Wadd follows the clues until he comes face to face with the killer herself, The Black Widow, who runs her sex house out of the back of a newspaper. How her name or advertisements don't raise any red flags is beyond me but The Black Widow charges a mere $50 (with a money back, satisfaction guarantee!) to dominate her victims and poison them whilst fucking. TAPESTRY OF PASSION works on the back of the Johnny Wadd character. His smooth talking (among other assets) allows him to sleep with even the most suspicious of his clients along with being a viable foe for the nasty Black Widow and her henchman.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome's double features a pair of 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers keeping each film in its original aspect ratio. The prints look good for the most part. ALL NIGHT LONG is a bit dark and grainy at time but the majority of the film has just light speckling. TAPESTRY looks better, being sharper and cleaner overall. Both films look nice though, even at their roughest. The mono audio tracks are well mixed, with no distracting background noise. 

The Extras
A trailer for each film is included

The Bottom Line
If you're not a Vinegar Syndrome fan this double feature DVD isn't a bad way to jump on board. It features the sex and general exploitation feel that the company is becoming so popular for. If you're already on board with the company then you probably know you'll want to add this disc to your collection by this point. 

ALL NIGHT LONG / TAPESTRY OF LOVE Peekarama Double Feature is available HERE

Jodorowsky's Dune

USA/2013
Directed By: Frank Pavich
Starring: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger
Color/90 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: July 1, 2014

The Film
After becoming king of the midnight movie with films such as El Topo and the absolute masterpiece The Holy Mountain, Alejandro Jodorowsky set his sights to make a film that would change the world. He wanted to adapt Frank Herbert's novel Dune. Having never read the book Jodorowsky came up with his own interpretation of the story, gathered his "spiritual warriors" that would help create it with him including artists Moebius and H.R. Giger and special effects man Dan O'Bannon and they painstakingly created the film as it would be shot, angle for angle, shot for shot in hand drawn sequences. They would use this book of Dune to shop the film around to various Hollywood studios. The problem? This was the most ambitious project ever undertaken. Studios didn't get Jodorowsky, they didn't want to give him the fifteen million dollars to make the film and Jodorowsky refused to change anything about the film. Even saying if he wants it to be twelve hours then it will be twelve hours.

That was 1975, nearly forty years later and the film Dune was not directed by Jodorowsky, or made by his team of warriors. The equally talented David Lynch was hired for the project but nothing good came of it as the studios had their way and the film sucked. JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is a gripping documentary about this film that was never made but much like the film that was never made this documentary is much more. This is 90 minutes to sit down with some of the most talented artists around, especially Jodorowsky. Listening to Alejandro Jodorowsky talk is an experience in itself. He will enlighten you, motivate you and totally captivate you. From the passion that still burns within him for a project that didn't work out four decades ago, to the satisfaction he has taken in how his version of Dune has single handedly influenced Hollywood like no other film has, produced or not.

JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is entertaining, you will laugh and smile and you will wonder why nobody was willing to roll the dice on this picture that could have made them a fortune. Or totally bankrupted them. I see Hollywood rolling the dice on films of much less significance all the time yet nobody would let Jodorowsky's creation come to fruition. And that is what Jodorowsky did, create. He did not simply make a movie, he created it. And his Dune created a lot even if it was never made.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray of JODOROWSKY'S DUNE from Sony is gorgeous. The film was made in in 2012 and 2013 and looks excellent from the sit down interviews to the animated sequences using the drawings from Jodorowsky's Dune book. The image is very sharp and crisp with gorgeous colors. The English audio track (sometimes subtitled for various other languages being spoken) is a DTS-HD 5.1 track and sounds equally beautiful. There's no background noise or any audible annoyances and it is a perfect mix with perfectly timed subtitles. 

The Extras
45 minutes worth of deleted scenes are included

The Bottom Line
JODOROWSKY'S DUNE may not only be the best documentary about a film never made, it may be the most important documentary on any single film ever. There's so much to love and enjoy in this film that I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is a must watch.

JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is available HERE