Bigfoot Blood Trap - Wild Eye Releasing DVD Review (Youtube)

THE TAKE / BLACK GUNN - Mill Creek Double Feature Blu-ray Review (youtube)

Check out Mill Creek Entertainment and this release is available HERE

THE GRAND DUEL - Arrow Video Blu-ray Review

Italy/1972
Directed By: Giancarlo Santi
Written By: Ernesto Gastaldi
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Alberto Dentice, Jess Hahn
Color/94 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
After previously working as Assistant Director to the incomparable Sergio Leone on the best films the genre has to offer Giancarlo Santi would get a chance to make his own western with a screenplay by the great Ernesto Gastaldi featuring Lee Van Cleef in a starring role as a sheriff named Clayton who is tailing an outlaw named Philip Wermeer (Alberto Dentice) who is on the run from a gang of bounty hunters after the $3,000 bounty on his head for the murder of the leader of Saxon City, a crime he may or may not have committed.

Giancarlo Santi wisely chose Lee Van Cleef to anchor his cast as he not only worked with him previously on the film's where he was the AD but Van Cleef is one of the absolute giants of the spaghetti western genre. He's a familiar face that could offer talent and marketability. As expected, Lee Van Cleef is rock solid in his stoic and calculated performance, providing a paternal role to Alberto (credited as Peter O'Brien) Dentice"s frantic performance that is reminiscent of a troubled teen on the run. The relationship and dynamic between these two characters is the foundation THE GRAND DUEL is based upon and a big part of the reason why the film works so well.

There's no shortage of action with exciting shootouts and gunplay and some cat and mouse games to boot all of which are accented by Luis Enriquez Bacalov's score. Bacalov may not have the name recognition of Ennio Morricone but he's no slouch, having won an Academy Award for his original score on Il Postino in 1996 and putting his musical flourishes on spaghetti western giants such as Django and A Bullet For The General. Bacalov's main theme for THE GRAND DUEL would later be used by Quentin Tarantino in 2003's Kill Bill. Santi adds his own flourishes with a series of flashback scenes shot in black and white that have a dreamlike quality to them. The rest of the film has a good look to it as Santi obviously picked up some tips and tricks from his years spent with Leone and while he may not be up to par with Leone he proved that he could make a really good western on his own.

THE GRAND DUEL has themes and ideas that can be traced back to many previous westerns, but by 1972 what spaghetti western couldn't? I'm not going to knock it for borrowing ideas and themes when it uses them productively and wisely to make a finished product that is engaging, exciting and just plain good. THE GRAND DUEL isn't a definitive entry into the genre but it almost acts as a melting pot of ingredients taken from those hallmark titles and talents involved to create something entirely worth seeking out.

The Audio & Video
Arrow Video has given THE GRAND DUEL a new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative which has given way to a fantastic presentation that easily trumps the film's previous Blu-ray release which featured a passable HD transfer. This new 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer boasts a properly hot and sweaty looking picture quality with strong colors and deep black levels. Detail is strong from the wood building construction to the dusty exteriors there's no missing finer details. There are a handful of flashback scenes filmed in black and white and they fare very well with a stark look and those deep black levels getting to show off properly. A few scenes are in a bit rougher shape and lead to a softer look and a shift in color tone. Thankfully these moments are minimal and don't take away from the otherwise beautiful presentation too much. This release offers uncompressed mono LPCM tracks in both English and Italian with newly translated subtitles. I went with the English track on my viewing through the film and I was very happy with how this disc sounded. The mix is stellar with a proper balance between the score and dialogue. The sound is crisp, extremely pleasing to the ear and free of any distortions or imperfections.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary by Stephen Prince
-"An Unconventional Western" - Interview with director Giancarlo Santi
-"The Last Of The Great Westerns" - Interview with writer Ernesto Gastaldi
-"Cowboy By Chance" - Interview with actor Alberto Dentice
-"Out Of The Box" - Interview with producer Ettore Rosbach
-"The Day Of The Big Showdown" - Interview with assistant director Harald Buggenig
-"Saxon City Showdown" - Featurette appreciating the film by Austin Fisher
-"Two Different Duels" - Comparison between the original version and an extended German cut
-"Marc Mazza: Who Was The Rider On The Rain" - A video essay about the actor by Mike Malloy
-Original Italian Trailer
-Original International Trailer
-Image Gallery
-Booklet

The Bottom Line
THE GRAND DUEL is a wildly exciting entry in to the spaghetti western genre and is appropriately represented with this outstanding release from Arrow Video. This release is packed, stacked and jacked and you should saddle up and add this to your collection ASAP.

THE GRAND DUEL is available HERE

MA Party Pack Contest Giveaway

Everybody’s welcome at Ma’s. But good luck getting home safe. 

Oscar® winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town (Diana Silvers, Glass), to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own. 

She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don’t curse. Never go upstairs. And call her “Ma.” 

But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth. 

Ma also stars Juliette Lewis (August: Osage County) as Maggie’s mom, Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast) as a local dad, Missi Pyle (Gone Girl) as his girlfriend, and McKaley Miller (TV’s Hart of Dixie), Corey Fogelmanis (TV’s Girl Meets World), Gianni Paolo (TV’s Power) and Dante Brown (Lethal Weapon TV series) as Maggie’s friends. 

From Tate Taylor, the acclaimed director of The Help and Get On Up, and blockbuster producer Jason Blum (Get Out, Halloween, The Purge series) comes a thriller anchored by a daring and unexpected performance from Spencer, one of the most powerful actors of her generation. 

Ma is written by Scotty Landes (Comedy Central’s Workaholics), is produced by Blum for his Blumhouse Productions, by Taylor, and by John Norris (executive producer, Get On Up), and is executive produced by Spencer, Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno, and Robin Fisichella. 

Find MA on Twitter @MAmovie

To Enter: Follow Celluloid Terror on Instagram (@celluloidterror) and find the MA party pack picture (same as the first image of this post) and comment with what drink you'd share with Ma or what party game you'd play with her. 

DARKROOM (Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review)

USA/1989
Directed By: Terence O'Hara
Written By: Robert W. Fisher, Brian Herskowitz, Rick Pamplin
Starring: Aarin Teich, Jill Pierce, Jeff Arbaugh
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: April 30, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
It's no secret that by 1989 the slasher genre was dying and the well of ideas was dried up. It seemed that anything coming out at this point was a tired and uninspired retread of movies from years prior so whenever I watch one of these end-of-the-line slashers I always hope there's something that will set it apart. When I saw that DARKROOM was produced by Nico Mastorakis I became a bit more intrigued. I haven't always loved Mastorakis' work but I tend to at least find it interesting. Then the opening credits hit and I saw the creativity and care they put in to the credits that maybe I was stumbling on to something different.

Nope. What a fake out those opening credits were. As soon as the stylish credits designed to look like photos being developed in a darkroom (see what they did there?) end we're introduced to Janet who is returning home to her family's farmhouse from college but the reunion is interrupted by a mystery killer who takes pictures of his victims before killing them. Family secrets are revealed as the bodies pile up and the reveal of the killer's identity takes some twists and turns before all is said and done.

DARKROOM's biggest asset is that it is a sharp looking film that looks like a class above most slasher films of this period and has some decent special effect and kill moments. Unfortunately the story is all too familiar territory. The attempts at red herrings to throw the audience off the trail of the killer are uninspired and comes off as convoluted. Performances are passable and the movie is entertaining enough to fill up its 85 runtime but there's simply nothing to set it apart from dozens of other body count films from the same year and I bet that in a couple of weeks everything about this movie will be a blur of slasher tropes that I won't be able to separate from the other movies it failed to set itself apart from. This is lazy rainy afternoon entertainment and nothing more unfortunately.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has brilliantly restored DARKROOM with a new 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negative and this disc really looks exceptional. Colors are bright and vivid and skin tones are healthy with a natural fleshy look. Finer detail including surface textures and fabrics shine while black levels are deep and free of any issues with blocking or compression. A 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix gives the audio a strong and well balanced mix across all channels. The sound is crisp and clear and free of any distortions or background noise.

The Extras
-"Developing Fear" - Interview with actor Aaron Teich
-"Exposing The Truth" - Interview with actor Jeff Arbaugh
-Original Trailer
-Still Gallery

The Bottom Line
DARKROOM is a mixed bag that is a product of the end of the slasher genre that had mostly dried up by the time it was made. Slasher maniacs take note but don't expect a long lost classic of the genre.

DARKROOM is available HERE

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET (Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review)

USA/1973
Directed By: Andy Milligan
Written By: Andy Milligan
Starring: Laura Cannon, Harry Reems, Neil Flanagan
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film 
Andy Milligan is a polarizing director in cult film history. Some viewers really eat up his stuff but I've found the majority find most of his films to be exhausting exercises in futility. I've seen enough to know that I pretty actively stay away from anything with his name on it but sometimes a movie comes around and totally surprises you. FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is one of those movies.

Andy Milligan wrote, directed and photographed this film that follows a smart young prostitute named Dusty who turns tricks to make ends meet but longs for more out of her life and ends up meeting a young lawyer named Bob who she falls in love with and may be her escape from a gritty life in downtown New York City if she can manage to rewrite her own existence.

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is a sexploitation film that borders on being a masterpiece of life and destiny. Laura Cannon is flawless as Dusty, playing a character much wiser and more experienced than her 20 years on Earth would suggest. She's been through a marriage and now struggles to find a constant place to stay and spends time with her best friend, a local drag queen. The film excels because it feels effortless in all aspects. Scenes never feel set up, the performances never feel stilted and Andy Milligan's direction and cinematography feel more like a documentary than a narrative film.

A common complaint of Andy Milligan's films is that they drag on and on and he spends entirely too much time in exposition to the point that you may as well be getting hit over the head with a hammer as he screams at you about the movie. It's downright exhausting and tedious. FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET couldn't be further from that as these characters just suck you in and the 87 minutes absolutely flies by. Milligan could have wrote a more convoluted script but he keeps it simple but effective and personal and that's why this film works. Of course the plentiful sex and skin are nice and will be the thing that draw most of the audience in, it will be the characters and the simplistic perfection of the storytelling that they'll remember.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome have given FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET a brand new 4K scan and restoration from the 16mm camera reversal for this Blu-ray release with a pair of viewing options; the original 1.33:1 full frame presentation and the 1.85:1 theatrical framing. I chose to go with the director's intended look and went with the full frame presentation and couldn't ask for anything better with how this one turned out. This is an obviously low budget piece of exploitation from the early 70s that didn't have ideal filming conditions as it was largely shot on the streets of New York City so at times the film is dark or lighting isn't the best. These scenes still look quite nice on this disc with a natural and healthy grain appearance, deep black levels, and natural skin tones. The audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono and sounds crisp, and balanced with no hissing, buzzing, or other background noise issues.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with film historians Samm Deighan, Heather Drain, and Kat Ellinger
-Locations "Then and Now" Comparison

The Bottom Line
FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is without a doubt my favorite Andy Milligan film and is something I can see myself revisiting frequently and it has been preserved for generations to come with this essential Vinegar Syndrome release.

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is available HERE

KISS OF THE TARANTULA (VCI Entertainment Blu-ray Review)

USA/1976
Directed By: Chris Unger
Written By: Warren Hamilton Jr., Daniel Cady
Starring: Suzanna Ling, Ernesto Macias, Herman Wallner
Color/85 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Susan is a lonely girl living with her parents in their mortuary and typically only spending time with the spiders she keeps as pets in the basement. When she learns of her mother's wicked plan to murder her father she unleashes one of her deadliest pets, a tarantula on her mother with deadly results. Now in her teens and bonded to the spiders stronger than ever Susan and her pets make a deadly duo for anyone that thinks they can walk all over her.

KISS OF THE TARANTULA is a play on Willard but exchanging a young man for a girl and his pet rat for some red-kneed Tarantulas. The film does a good job showing the affection Susan has for the arachnids early on and tries its best to make them as terrifying to watch as they slowly plod along the chests, shoulders and faces of their victims without any sort of graphic violence. The film earns every bit of its PG rating, never showing blood or nudity, quite a rarity for a drive-in horror picture of the mid 1970s. It never tries to imitate those moments and cheat us out of the payoff however so I do give it credit for that. It seems most of Susan's victims die simply of fright. That doesn't account for the incestuous uncle subplot that makes the whole thing weird and wacky for any 70s triple bill.

I've been a fan of KISS OF THE TARANTULA for years as I've found the connection between Susan and the spiders to be a suitable vehicle for the film and enjoy watching her tormentors who tease her, break in to her family's home to steal caskets as a prank and even end up killing the only person her own age who treats her with respect, squirm, squeal and cry as the spiders plod along towards them, on them and over them until it is all just too much. Of course I do wish the film took a more traditional exploitative approach and offered up something a bit more violent and nastier, it would have definitely helped the film's reputation and given it a bigger fan base but there's worse ways to spend a rainy afternoon than alone with Susan and her eight-legged friends in the basement. She really should meet Willard one day... a match made in pest heaven.

The Audio & Video
VCI Entertainment gives KISS OF THE TARANTULA a Blu-ray for the first time after previously releasing the film on DVD. The back of the Blu-ray boasts that it has been restored and remastered in a 2K scan fro the original 35mm negative and I believe that as the picture does have a decent sharpness to it that gives way to moderately improved detail level. There is a yellowish tint over the picture that I don't remember from watching previously released version of the film. It isn't too bothersome but worth noting. The 1.85:1 aspect ratio does preserve the film's original aspect ratio. The audio is presented in a LPCM 2.0 English track and sounds good. I didn't notice any background noise, hissing, popping or other imperfections. The mix is simplistic but adequate to the film.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
I recommend it for fans of drive-in era horror looking for something lighter and silly but still schlocky

KISS OF THE TARANTULA is available HERE