DVD Review: Slime City Grindhouse Collection

DVD released: July 28th, 2009
Approximate running times: 81 minutes (Slime City), 75 minutes (Undying Love), 79 minutes (Naked Fear), 8 minutes (Johnny Gruesome)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen (Slime City, Undying Love & Johnny Gruesome), 1.33:1 Full Frame (Naked Fear)
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
DVD Release: Shock-O-Rama Cinema
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

Shock O Rama have another great collection this month, this time slime is the name of the game to complement their recent fantastic WIP collection! Greg Lamberson's Slime City, Undying Love and Naked Fear are included on this set with a load of extras as well to complete a great bang for your buck!

Slime City

"When Alex (Robert Sabin) and his girlfriend Lori (Mary Huner) move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that transform Alex into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped!"

When Alex moves into his new apartment in the Big Apple with his girlfriend, little does he know the evil that lurks there and that it is going to take over his very being! Despite it's low budget (reported to be around $35,000) appearance this is actually quite good fun despite the questionable SFX, and while not scary, definitely gives a nod to flicks like Re-Animator! Performances are fine but really this is a beer and pizza movie that gore hounds will no doubt enjoy!

Undying Love

"Undying Love - Scott Kelly tried to take his own life. Now he finds himself seduced by
a beautiful woman named Camilla who has promised his life will NEVER end! Now hunted by a detective, Scott must decide whether to battle his growing need for blood, or embrace his new unholy existence!"

Perhaps the most lacklustre title within this collection, it never quite knows what it wants to be with a vampire story that lacks in originality! The plot never quite gets going and there is not enough blood or guts to keep the audience involved, however the budget for this was virtually zero so Lamberson had very little to work with!

Naked Fear

"Naked Fear – When traumatized agoraphobic Camden (Robert C. Sabin) takes in a new roommate - who happens to be both claustrophobic and an orphan – he overlooks indications that Randy may not be what he seems. But then neighborhood lowlifes begin turning up dead. And Julie, Camden’s new girlfriend, is convinced there is something very, very off about Randy…"

Again, an 80 minute run time seems twice as long, with poor acting and it's also shot on video which in my opinion never lends itself to a decent viewing experience, coming across as cheap and half-assed! Again I think it would help if you were having a few beers or a joint as it would probably make more sense that way!

Transfer and Audio

All features except for Naked Fear (1:33:1 full frame) are presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with the images at times presenting signs of softness and green tinges but thankfully no other major artifacts or problems!

Again all features are presented in clear and concise Dolby Digital Stereo, with no problems at all in hearing the bad acting that is on show here! No subtitles are available!

Extras:

Funnily enough despite what I've already stated above, the extras are where this set excels and why you might want to pick up this collection. The extras are both plentiful and interesting! First of all we have a Slime City poster and nice 3 page booklet of liner notes written by Roy Frumkes. Disc 1 houses commentaries for Slime City and Undying Love starring Lamberson, Sabin, Sweeney and Huner; we also have featurettes "Slime City: Making Slime" and "Undying Love: Making Love the Grindhouse Way" Rounding off the disc is a Shock-o-Rama Trailer Collection.

Disc 2 hosts the nine minute short "Johnny Gruesome" starring Misty Mundae and there is also making of called "Johnny Gruesome: Meeting his Maker". Also included is "Slime Heads" that has interviews with Sabin and Huner who discuss working with Lamberson. Also on Disc 2 is the commentary for Naked Fear. A great selection of extras that really give and insight into the low budget cinema world and shows Lamberson's love of what he does!

Overall

If you are interested at all in the career of Greg Lamberson then this disc is a must have for the fantastic extras that are included, indeed they are generally more interesting than the movies themselves! If you don't own the original 2006 release of Slime City, then definitely pick this set up!

Comic-Con Costume Circus!

Comic-Con 2009: The Best Costumes

...and some of the not so good

...the weird (but imaginative)

and finally simply just hot!

The Roundtable: Week 12 - Your Contributions

With the popularity of Pink titles arriving more and more on DVD thanks in the past to Panik House and more recently Synapse and Pink Eiga, what are your favourite "Pink" movies or if you've yet to sample any, where would you like to start?"

KingMob (Dear Bastards)

I've dutifully purchased the first four Pink Eiga titles, though I've only found time to watch S & M Hunter and A Lonely Cow Weeps At Dawn so far. I was rather impressed with Lonely Cow, as it seemed to be a fairly legit drama, a story of unrequited love that just happens to be filled to the brim with outlandish sex sequences between the dramatic beats that move the story along.

I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more from this genre, though I may try to look into a book on the subject before I blind-buy too much more, just to be more aware of the history of specific titles, or their significance of release.

Kimberley Lindbergs (Cinebeats)

I prefer early pink (and violent pink) films over the new ones I've seen and I usually like the work of artistically inclined directors who bend the rules a bit and inject their films with radical politics or social critiques. A few of my favorite pink directors are Koji Wakamatsu (Go, Go Second Time Virgin), Yasuharu Hasabe (Assault! Jack the Ripper), Shunya Ito (Female Scorpion films), Teruo Ishii (Female Yakuza Tale) and Norifumi Suzuki (School of the Holy Beast). A couple of more current working directors I like a lot are Takashi Ishii (Freeze Me) and Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Kichiku). It would be impossible for me to list all my favorite pink movies, but these directors are responsible for many of my favorite Japanese films and I highly recommend all their work.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Funny you should ask that as just yesterday I reviewed my DeepDiscount Wishlist and noticed to my dismay that the Pinky Violence Collection appears to now be discontinued. *This* would have been the place for me to start my Pinkedumacation. The only Pink movies I am so far familiar with (and that have me gagging for more) are SEX AND FURY and FEMALE YAKUZA TALE.

Rorschach is Freddy Krueger!

I'm not a fan of remakes of already good movies but this does look interesting as the 1st image of Jackie Earl Haley as Freddy emerges...

DVD Review: Tsumugi

DVD Released: May 19th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 62 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Non-Anamorphic
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Pink Eiga
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.99 (BUY)

Tsumugi - Seifuku bisyojo sensei atashi wo daite

The Film

Tsumugi is the latest title from US outfit Pink Eiga who are slowly but surely releasing celebrated “pink” titles into the marketplace. For the uninitiated the “pink” genre must follow some pretty strict guidelines:

1. The film must have the requisite number of sex scenes (typically a minimum of five).
2. The film must be approximately one hour in length (perfect for the Pink Eiga triple-bill format).
3. It must be shot on 35 mm film (or occasionally 16mm) in a week and finished within one month.
4. The film must be completed within an extremely limited budget (around $35,000 US).

Tsumugi stars AV idol Sora Aoi, as the titular student who starts an affair with her teacher Mr. Katagiri (Takashi Naha) who in turn is having a liaison with another teacher, Yoko, despite his wife about to give birth to their first child. In addition to this Tsumugi is very keen on one of her class mates as well, so all in all many love triangles are occurring as we are introduced to each character!

Katagiri despite realising what he’s doing is wrong starts a relationship with Tsumugi as well as keeping Yoko happy as well; Tsumugi is happy with her experienced lover but likes to have fun with Kosuke, her classmate although he is very much less experienced in the bedroom area. We are also introduced to a punk rocker friend of Katagiri who also experiences a life lesson which I won’t allude to so as to not spoil the movie. Yoko however, who seems to very much love Katagiri, soon discovers the tryst between Tsumugi and him and she is not happy....

Director Hidekazu Takahara, has managed to weave a very touching, yet erotic story in little less than 62 minutes which is quite a feat, managing as well to make you care very much for the characters involved especially Tsumugi as Sora Aoi, who while being bewitchingly pretty also does an excellent job in the acting stakes and, not surprisingly given her AV background, very well in the more racy scenes.

The film I feel is trying to teach us that we all need to grow up sometime and face the consequences that life throws at us and this is all too apparent for Katagiri and his punk rock chum as we head towards the end! Tsumugi herself is in a quandary that is resolved in a surprising way in the film’s finale, as she is perhaps loved too much by Katagiri and too little by Kosuke, so what is she to do? Overall an excellent little entry into the Pink Eiga genre, and although director Takahara veered away from the main story with the punk rocker subplot, the accolades for both the film and Sora Aoi are well deserved.

Definitely one of Pink Eiga’s best releases so far, Tsumugi strikes the right balance of story, empathy and eroticism; Definitely add this to your DVD shopping list.

Transfer and Audio

The transfer is problematic but this seems to be a problem with many films within this genre, with the 1:85:1 non-anamorphic image being quite soft at times with some vertical banding apparent as well. This is due I would imagine due to it being mastered from a tape source rather than from a 35mm print which is a shame given it was only released in 2004. The 2.0 audio is fine with no real problems and the hard-matted subs are fairly precise and well translated!

Extras

The film has been released in both a Standard and Special Edition, I was given the standard edition and it includes: Hidekazu Takahara’s Director’s Notes, Tsumugi International Movie Trailers, Cast and Crew Biographies and Filmographies, Still Image Slide show, Original Japanese Movie Poster and Sneak Peeks: More PINK EIGA Trailers. Also note that the Special Edition also includes a 5.1 DD soundtrack as well as 3 featurettes, production diaries as well as a music video as well! Congratulations to Pink Eiga for such a great package as it’s always fantastic to get a bit of background into these interesting movies!

Worst Kung-Fu Movie Ever??

Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan it ain't!

The Roundtable: Week 12

"With the popularity of Pink titles arriving more and more on DVD thanks in the past to Panik House and more recently Synapse and Pink Eiga, what are your favourite "Pink" movies or if you've yet to sample any, where would you like to start?"

As usual, entries by the end of the week, by comment or email!

The Roundtable: Week 11 - Your Contributions

"Since I've been watching loads of 80's action movies recently, simply tell me a few of your favourites when Sly, Ahhnold and many others ruled the cinema?"

Matt McAllister (Total Sci-Fi Online)

I’m going to weigh in with Lone Wolf McQuade, possibly Chuck Norris’s finest hour. Norris never quite had Arnie or Sly’s presence or way with one-liners, but he had a ridiculous, grizzly charm all of his own.

My second choice is China O’Brien, starring the imitable Cynthia Rothrock as the karate-kicking ex-cop out to avenge her father’s death. Somebody needs to make China O’Brien III, and they need to make it now!

James Kloda (Rusty Shrapnel)

Muscles rippling like freshly-netted tadpoles and greased like deep-fried haggis, the '80s action-movie star stands as a square-jawed monument to masculinity, machismo and the mullet. Bad hairstyles rule these pictures far more than body oil and bicep brawn. Sly Stallone's saliva-wetted curls in Cobra; Arnie's limp hippy locks in Red Sonja; Brigitte Nielsen in anything. But the crowned prince in all of these ventures is Troma's War. It's like a convention for Tygers Of Pan Tang enthusiasts. In the jungle. Short on the top and long at the back, the men look like the type of vacant beefcakes who could only ever kick sand in their own faces. The women are either scantily-clad hotties or cellulite-dripping, butt-kicking Milfs like an army of combat-Chers. With shoulder-length perms. The action is as suitably badass as the coiffures, Kaufman and co. needing only a hint of hormones to blow something up. The tagline asserts that Troma's War "makes Rambo III look like Lassie Come Home". Maybe. But at least collies have decent hair.

Douglas Waltz (Divine Exploitation)

Well you have already posted the pic of Stone Cold with The Boz. Does it get any better than that? Bikers, The Boz, Lance Henriksen, William Forsythe. This movie is epic!

Others might be;
Commando, I can't not watch this if it comes on television.
Escape From Ne York was so cool that I have the movie, the novel, the soundtrack (on vinyl) and the damned boardgame.
And with that Big Trouble IN Little China is magnificent.

But none of these compare to the magnificent epic-ness that is...
EYE OF THE TIGER starring the maniacal Gary Busey and the scene chewing of William Smith. This movie has it all. Guy coming home from priosn for a crime he didn't commit. Roving gangs of bikers who do what they want when they want and have the local law in their pocket. Yaphet Kotto tearing up the screen. The bikers dragging the coffin of Busey's wife back to his house and leaving it there. That's it! I gotta go watch this again right now. And the best character name ever. Buck Matthews! Yeah this flick rocks.

Kingmob (Dear Bastards)

This is a rather timely question, as I've also been re-watching a few action flicks myself recently, leaving the subject fresh on my mind. Going chronologically, the first big action flick I can recall seeing would be Rambo: First Blood Rat II, which I was able to con my mother into allowing me to see theatrically even though I was about 11, so it has a certain amount of nostalgia to me, though I think everything else on my list was most likely seen on home video.

The home viewing would include stuff like Aliens, Robocop, Predator and the first Die Hard film. I also have very specific memories of watching Lethal Weapon 2 over at a buddy's house while skipping school one afternoon, it might've been my first exposure to Riggs and Murtaugh, as I don't recall seeing the first film until much later, for whatever reason.

Definitely a heyday for fun, over the top action, with the CGI nonsense we have today, I don't think films like these will ever be made again.

Ian Price

Can't remember the years but I did enjoy Nighthawks, Blade Runner, North Sea Hijack, Ladyhawke, Midnight Run, Death Hunt, Runaway Train and Violent Cop. Highlander is in there somewhere as well as Southern Comfort.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Ooooh, too many to mention.

Off the top of my head (and I know I'll forget a good bunch) some of my absolute favourite movies of all time are TERMINATOR, ROBOCOP and DIE HARD. Other action faves by actors:

Chuck Norris: The Octagon, Missing in Action Sylvester Stallone: Rambo II Arnold Schwarzenegger: Red Heat Jean Claude Van Damme: Hmmm, I think he really only came into the scene in the 90s apart from Kickboxer and Bloodsport which I haven't seen. (Shame on me.) From his smaller parts of the 80s I'd go for Black Eagle

Let's not forget Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja. And also Red Dawn. And Enter the Ninja with Franco Nero.

You seem to focus primarily on the US Action flicks, but there were of course also lots of HK and Euro flicks of its ilk. To name but a few:
the Bronx Warriors and Thunder movies as well as all the John Woo stuff (my fave for the time: The Killer) or Ringo Lam's City on Fire.

I already know I'll be kicking myself for forgetting dozens of other worthwhile flicks once I read the other entries, but it sure was a fab decade for action films.

DVD News: Slime City Grindhouse Collection

Street Date: July 28, 2009

I'll have a review of this fantastic 2-disc Special Edition set very soon, but in the meantime have a read on what to expect!

"A DEADLY NEW COLLECTION OF CULT AND MIDNIGHT MOVIES INCLUDING SPLATTER CLASSIC “SLIME CITY”, BY NOTED HORROR DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR, GREG LAMBERSON"

Slime City – When Alex (Robert Sabin) and his girlfriend Lori (Mary Huner) move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that transform Alex into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped!

Naked Fear – When traumatized agoraphobic Camden (Robert C. Sabin) takes in a new roommate - who happens to be both claustrophobic and an orphan – he overlooks indications that Randy may not be what he seems. But then neighborhood lowlifes begin turning up dead. And Julie, Camden’s new girlfriend, is convinced there is something very, very off about Randy…

Undying Love - Scott Kelly tried to take his own life. Now he finds himself seduced by a beautiful woman named Camilla who has promised his life will NEVER end! Now hunted by a detective, Scott must decide whether to battle his growing need for blood, or embrace his new unholy existence!

2-DVDs, Three Films, One Mini-Movie, a Collectible Poster and a Shocking Number of Bonus Features!

DVD 1

• Slime City Feature Film
• Slime City Commentary
• Undying Love Feature Film
• Undying Love Commentary
• Making Slime (Making of Slime City)
• Making Love the Grindhouse Way (Making of Undying Love) – New!
• Slime Collection “Grindhouse” Promo Teaser – New!
• Grindhouse Trailer Vault

DVD 2

• Naked Fear Feature Film
• Naked Fear Commentary
• Gruesome Mini-movie
• Meeting His Maker (Making of Johnny Gruesome) – New!
• Slime Heads (Interview with Robert C. Sabin and Mary Hunar) – New!

Torchwood: Children of Earth

I'm not sure if any of you watched Torchwood last week on BBC 1 and BBC HD, but just WOW! I can't believe how good this was, perhaps one of the best written pieces of Sci-Fi on British TV for years. Season 1 and 2 of Torchwood were merely ok, formulaic, with the usual monster of the week for Captain Jack and his crew to battle with! Season 3 and Children of Earth though has shown how it should be done and with good viewing figures, hopefully there will be more to come! Grab the DVD or Blu-Ray when it comes out if you've not seen it, you won't regret it!

The Roundtable: Week 11

"Since I've been watching loads of 80's action movies recently, simply tell me a few of your favourites when Sly, Ahhnold and many others ruled the cinema?"

Reply by email or comment as usual, and I'll make Friday the last day for entries!

DVD Review: Reflections of Light (Riflessi di Luce)

DVD Released: May 19th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 88 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Italian
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Sinful Mermaid
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

Reflections of Light

The Film

In Reflections of Light Gabriele Tinti plays a self pitying musical composer confined to a wheelchair surrounded by his son, second wife and lesbian secretary who are all up to naughty shenanigans. That’s it. Nothing much of a plot and it all is just a premise to show as much soft sex as possible. The script writers did not even make much of the fact that Tinti’s condition is meant to be primarily psychological. At the start of the film I could have sworn that at one stage he’d be kicked out of the wheelchair to walk again, but surprisingly enough none of that ever happens.

Then again you don’t watch an Italian sex drama of the 1980s for anything resembling a decent story line. I must have watched dozens of those in my time and can seriously not remember anything from these movies and doubt that I’ll remember much of Reflections of Light in, ooh, say two hours time either.

What these kinds of movies did do, however, was to install an eternal love for Italian soft bodies in me. And this film is no different: The ladies are drop dead gorgeous and have enough incidences of accidentally revealing their boobies, splashing themselves in naughty water fights or engaging in Sapphic delights that I for one found time was passing quickly enough watching the movie.

For a change Gabriele Tinti plays the lead and his real-life wife Laura Gemser only second fiddle. Tinti and Gemser were in scores of films together until Tinti’s untimely death in the early 90s when Gemser subsequently gave up filming altogether.

In Reflections of Light Gemser appears as Tinti’s character’s first wife in a couple of flashbacks and also features in one of the worst deaths by capable swimmer in shallow water scenes ever.

This is quite obviously a bargain basement production with only a handful of actors and most scenes shot in the grounds of just one Italian villa (my hunch: the producer’s). Nevertheless this is shot quite stylishly and you’ll easily forget the low production values.

Mario Bianchi who churned out scores of these types of movies under a dozen different pseudonyms directs and the only name actor of sorts (apart from Tinti and Gemser) is Jessica Moore as the son’s love interest who for a short period was somewhat of a trash movie star following Joe D’Amato’s 11 Days 11 Nights/Top Model films.

If you’ve seen only one of this style of movies before you know what to expect: Love scenes with the same damn piano score played ad infinitum. Long lingering looks over quiet dinner tables. And big permed hair 1980s style that deserves a credit of its own.

Extras

This is yet another one of Sinful Mermaid’s bare bone releases. Apart from the film (Italian with English subs) all you can expect is a picture gallery of screen shots, not even a trace of a trailer in sight. One of these days, however, I would like to find out more about the guy who writes their DVD back cover blurbs as they are genuinely hilarious. Not only does he reveal the entire plot from start to finish, the info about the actors is completely useless and consists entirely of the number of films these guys made: “Gabriele Gori who appeared in 17 films”, “Jessica Moore who appeared in 9 films” etc etc.

Overall

Watch it if you’ve got nothing better to do and like this Italian sub-genre. Don’t bother if you need anything resembling a plot to keep you remotely interested.

Review by Holger Haase

The Roundtable: Week 10 - Your Contributions

"With Night of the Creeps finally getting a release on DVD, excitement has been diluted with the very poor DVD cover art being utilised, tell me ( and send an image or a link if possible) the worst DVD cover art you've ever seen for a cult/horror title?"

Nigel



The Near Dark DVD just released in R1 is quite horrible or clever (probably both). Either way, it is a clear attempt to cash in on the Twilight crowd.

James Kloda



Body Piercing! Kinky Sex! Dismemberment! Thus runs the strap-line for Troma's Truly Tromatic Tromeo And Juliet. And what perverse imagery accompanies such slutty promise? Nipples staked with metal Toxie faces? Squealing sex with a pig-woman? Severed limbs spraying ketchup on gormless bystanders? Sadly, none of these things. Rather Lloyd Kaufman and co. give us the titular couple looking bored. And solemn. And that's it. It looks like a still from some sulllen teenage version of Love Story, the two sharing a final embrace before she goes off for a spot of chemotherapy. For a movie that features a child-bending friar, a song about gizzards and Lemmy speaking iambic pentameter, surely a better image could be found. As it stands, however, the cover does fit into a long tradition of classical Shakespeare film adaptations á la Ken Branagh. Dull as shitwater.

Kingmob (Dear Bastards)

I really don't care for the cover art for Dekker's other film Monster Squad either, but that seems like too easy of an answer, so I tried to come up with something that involved a bit more searching.

Off the top of my head, Craven's Last House On The Left got a re-release recently with the typically ho-hum Photoshop cut and paste job.

But for truly uninspired covers, the worst offender has to be the grandaddy of them all, the constant stream of public domain Night Of the Living Dead re-issues that populate the bargain bins of every DVD shop you go into. More examples here, here and here.


Kim Lindbergs (Cinebeats)



Mario Bava's 1969 film I rosso segno della follia (aka Hatchet for a Honeymoon) has been butchered since it was first released in America. First of all, the title actually translates to something like The Red Sign of Death but American distributors decided to give it a more salacious title to appeal to drive-in/grindhouse audience. Of course DVD companies have continued to call the movie by the same stupid title and churn out a lot of bad DVD cover art in the process. From the 3 or 4 releases of the film I've seen, the Westlake Entertainment version has got to be the worst of the bunch. The design looks like it was slapped together by some bored teenager in his mother's basement for a film that has very lttle in common with Bava's actual movie. Naturally I've sent along an image because it has be seen to be believed.

Vicar of VHS (Mmmmmovies)



By far the worst DVD cover art on a cult/horror DVD title I've ever seen is actually a series of titles--Redemption films' original release of many of Jean Rollin's finest films. Rollin is a director whose work is near and dear to my heart, and to see the terrible "original" art they used on great flicks like The Nude Vampire , Fascination, and Living Dead Girl is just a crime. Photographs of pancake makeup-wearing Goth girls holding skulls, scythes, or sticking their chests out while looking vapidly surprised--or even worse, bad Photoshop effects on top of said photos--ugh. Especially when in many cases the original poster art was a GAZILLION times better--I'm thinking especially the gorgeous art deco poster for The Nude Vampire, which I'd be proud to have as a tattoo. Redemption (now Salvation) has done great thing getting these movies out to the masses, but that series of cover art was not their best moment.

I should note that their latest re-releases of Rollin's stuff has used stills from the movies on the covers instead, and thus look much, MUCH better on the ol' shelf.

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)



It's not particularly bad, at least by the standards of some old pre-certs like Don't Open the Window (HERE), but this Cat o' Nine Tails cover is still rather cheesy.

Kit Nygaard-Gavin



It has to be
SPASMO...SPASMO...SPASMO
as distributed by Media Blasters
I remember seeing this and thinking WTF - what made it worse was that was/is excellent artwork out there and Media Blasters chose to scrap it in favour of this cheep shite cover.
I remember thinking "Oh fuck... and I have to give a copy of this to Lenzi"... I was embarassed. The recreation/flip side of Werewolf Woman - was in a similar vein (at least it was a flip cover).

The re-releases on Vipco of their horror flicks were pretty uninspired and rubbish too - just black covers with the title in bold letters - uninspired.

I must confess I didn't like the artwork either for:-

Night Train Murders by Blue Underground

Crucible of Terror by Image Entertainment

The Region 2 Planet of the Apes cover - ummm (spoiler anyone!?!)

DVD News: Inglorious Bastards on Blu-Ray

While the world awaits the August release of Quentin Tarantino’s INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, movie fans can experience the original film that inspired the most anticipated new action drama of the year.Severin Films today announced the 7/28 release of Enzo Castellari’s INGLORIOUS BASTARDS on Blu-ray, fully restored and loaded with Bonus Features that include ‘A Conversation With Quentin Tarantino & Enzo Castellari’s, a rousing career-spanning discussion that ranged from the explosive challenges of the original BASTARDS production to Tarantino’s plans for his own version.

Castellari’s 1978 international hit remains perhaps the biggest war movie in EuroCult history. Action movie icons Bo (WALKING TALL, KILL BILL) Svenson and Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson star as the leaders of a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Allied prison convoy with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves ‘volunteering’ for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France. Academy Award® nominee Ian Bannen (FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, BRAVEHEART) co-stars in this explosive action DVD that The New York Times hails as “anything-goes action…making movies hasn’t been this much fun for a long time!” Exclusive Bonus Features on the new Blu-ray disc also include ‘Inglorious Reunion At The New Beverly’, ‘Enzo’s 70th Birthday Party In L.A.’, the 76 minute making-of documentary ‘Train Kept A-Rollin’’, an audio commentary and much more.

"If I had known that the original INGLORIOUS BASTARDS would become a cult classic, I would have read the script more than once and would not have had as much fun while making the movie," says star Bo Svenson, who also filmed a surprise cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s BASTERDS. Enzo Castellari, the Rome-based writer/director hailed as “The ‘70s Italian Drive-In God” by L.A. Weekly, also makes a crowd-pleasing appearance in Tarantino’s new film. “To have my movie become such an inspiration to Quentin is a wonderful acknowledgement of my career. I became a director because I loved American movies. With INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, that love has now come full circle.”

Released on July 28th, 2009!

DVD News: Tsumugi - Pink Eiga

PINK EIGA, Inc. is thrilled to announce their newest release, director Hidekazu Takahara’s “TSUMUGI,” starring international sexual bombshell Sora Aoi.

Sora Aoi is Tsumugi, a typical Japanese teenager—who just happens to be in love with her teacher, Katagiri. Tsumugi seduces Katagiri and he falls for her. But at the same time, Tsumugi is attracted to her classmate, Kosuke, and soon she’s trapped in a love triangle. Now Tsumugi faces a dilemma: Who will she stay with? Filled with steamy sex as well as hardcore punk music by the legendary Japanese musician Shigeru Nakano, “TSUMUGI” captures the confusion of growing up with the thrill of first love.

Released on July 1st and available to buy now from Pink Eiga

DVD Review: The Hostess also likes to Blow the Horn

DVD Released: May 19th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 90mins
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Sinful Mermaid
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

The Hostess Also Likes to Blow the Horn

The Film

Everybody has at least one pet theory.

Mine is that humour doesn’t travel well and is instead very much linked to a certain place and time. The comedy we enjoy is usually very much current and based on our own cultural background and experience.

After all when was the last time you choked laughing at one of the Shakespearian comedies or chuckled at a Punch cartoon? And, hey, those Minstrel shows sure aren’t going to have a come back anytime soon.

Likewise, we may all enjoy a good Asian action extravaganza, but who can really stomach the comical interludes in a Hong Kong movie? And what would you rather choose to watch: A giallo or one of those Italian military comedies of the same period? And few people know that some of the most popular German movies at the moment are all local comedies. Surely no laughing matter.

So here we have a nearly 40-year old German/Italian sex comedy. How has The Hostess Also Likes to Blow the Horn stood the test of time?

The plot is short and sweet: With their last money budding actors Susanne (Justine in this print, played by Terri Todai) and Ferdinand (Harald Leipnitz) buy an Inn without knowing that the local Baron has raised taxes on just about everything such as drinking, smoking and – hoo haa – fornicating so that he can make enough money to finally be able to marry an otherwise unwilling but pauperised noble lady (Rosalba Neri) and become a Count.

In order to circumvent this strict tax regime the new Inn keepers revert to camouflage and party behind the doors of an apparent new convent school. Meanwhile the true heir to the Count’s title (Glenn Saxson) also attempts to regain his family’s rightful position.

Is it funny? Not really. At least my lips didn’t show any signs of an upward movement during the entire run.

Any other upward movements?

Well, there is ample nekkidness on display, so that usually cuts the deal with me anytime. It is, however, utterly bizarre to see scenes of attempted rape to be displayed in a comedic manner like at the start of this film when we see Napoleonic troupes ravaging the country. Most of the local maidens seem to end up giving in to those violations all too easily and if they don’t, well, then it is all still good for a larf. Say what you want about political correctness, but the 70s sure had a strange way of dealing with rape as a subject of entertainment.

Truth be told the film is not as annoying as some other similar comedies of the time and it is a great opportunity to see the likes of Rosalba Neri, Spaghetti Western hero Glenn Saxson or Andrea Rau, one of the Daughters of Darkness, in an otherwise rare outing.

Anyone familiar with German cinema at the time will also recognise a lot of familiar faces. In actual fact what always intrigues me is how regularly very well respected actors such as Harald Leipnitz (who also appeared in some of the Edgar Wallace krimis), German comedy star Willy Millowitsch or Rudolf Prack volunteered to appear in soft sex comedies. It’s kind of the equivalent of having wholesome household names like Dick Van Dyke show up in a Robin Askwith Confession flick.

The Hostess Also Likes to Blow the Horn is part of a loose series of “Wirtin” (landlady, hostess) films all directed by German sex comedy specialist Franz Antel and starring Hungarian stunner Teri Tordai as the eponymous land lady in charge of various inns and houses of ill repute.

Transfer, Audio and Extras

This DVD is not just a vanilla, but actually a PLAIN vanilla release. Apart from a small picture gallery we are not even offered the chance to listen to the original German language track. Instead we only have the Italian dub with English subtitles. Though this was a German/Italian co-production in terms of production value the emphasis was very much on the German part. With Franz Antel, a German director, on board as well as a number of very prominent German actors in the line-up the original shooting language would have been in German. In actual fact at least one of the actors, Willy Millowitsch, was famous for his prominent Kölsch (Cologne) accent and having his and other voices replaced by a neutral Italian dub is like having to listen to an indifferent German dub of an actor known for his Cockney.

Overall

Overall The Hostess Also Likes to Blow the Horn is far from being a great or even a good film. It can be found at the lower end of the just about acceptable spectrum and really is only good on those famous rainy days when you have nothing else to watch.

Review by Holger Haase

The Roundtable: Week 10

"With Night of the Creeps finally getting a release on DVD, excitement has been diluted with the very poor DVD cover art being utilised, tell me ( and send an image or a link if possible) the worst DVD cover art you've ever seen for a cult/horror title?"

Entries as usual by comment or email by Thursday!

DVD Competition!

With Arrow Films new "Master of Giallo" series now on sale, DVD Trash has one copy of Lamberto Bava's "Macabre" to give away! So all you have to do is email me saying "I want a free DVD because...." Well you finish the rest and I'll choose the best one! Closing date is next Wednesday 15th July!

The Roundtable: Week 9 - Your Contributions

"Since I've just spent the weekend in the company of Ruggero Deodato and Lamberto Bava (more on this later!), then the question is easy this week: What is your favourite films of both these fine directors?"

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)

My favourite Deodato has to be Cannibal Holocaust. It's an obvious choice, admittedly, but one that I think is warranted. It's a brutally intelligent film, and the one that he's forever going to be known for. If it, Last Cannibal World and House on the Edge of the Park were ruled out of the equation, I would go for Waves of Lust, or class war on a boat.

My favourite Bava film is The Midnight Killer / You'll Die at Midnight, with A Blade in the Dark a close second.

Matthew Bradford (Double O Section)

I just saw both of those guys at LA's Fangoria Con a few months ago! Both were extremely friendly and gracious, if not especially fluent in English. My favorite Deodato is easy: THE BARBARIANS! I love that movie. It's one of the most fun of the whole post-Conan 80s barbarian wave. And it really rises above its gimmick casting with some truly inspired sequences (like how the brothers are trained to hate each other for gladiatorial combat) and a surprisingly slick look.

I mean no offence to Lamberto Bava when I say that my favorite movie of his is one attributed to his father: Shock. It's no secret that Mario let Lamberto co-direct, and I think the son really shows his own style--in a good way. The movie has more in common stylistically with A Blade In the Dark (which would be my second choice) than, say, Bay of Blood. I think it's a fitting collaboration that essentially launched one career and bid farewell to another.

Kit Nygaard-Gavin

For Lamberto Bava, it's quite a difficult one, because the quality of his work as director has really varied.

If it was a film where Lamberto has worked in a director's capacity but not alone, I would go for Mario Bava's last feature, which he codirected with Lamberto, being LA VENERE D'ILLE (which for some reason people translate as THE VENUS OF THE ISLAND). I really enjoy this movie, because I enjoyed reading the short story by Merimée on which it is based when I was a teenager. That and the film has lots of ambiance, is extremely well shot, and features an excellent performance by Daria Nicolodi.

If it is Lamberto on his own, I do tend to enjoy his horror movies/gialli he made in the early 1980's. I am not really a fan of DEVIL FISH (though the cast is good and there are some interesting side plots), and I really don't like BLAST FIGHTER. MACABRE is an excellent nasty little movie, which an interesting story line and a really good performance by Bernice Stegers in the lead role. But, though the performance's aren't quite as strong, I would have to go for A BLADE IN THE DARK. I really enjoy this thriller, it has all these wonderful little nods by Lamberto to set pieces in his fathers works, such as KILL BABY KILL, FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON (replacing marbles with tennis balls), BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, etc. It's also a giallo (a genre I love), and is really good fun to watch. There is some wonderfully bad dialogue ("You're a female...you're a female", and something about being "a vacant nerd"), a not too bad score, and yeah, A BLADE IN THE DARK is my choice for Lamberto as sole director.

Having met and being in contact with most of the cast members adds some interest/novelty to the movie too I hasten to add.

As for Deodato, that's another difficult one. Would you be shocked if I said LAST FEELINGS? Thought as much, so I won't - though I admit I have sat through that turgid melodrama. I do have a soft spot for JUNGLE HOLOCAUST, not because I particularly like the film, but because it was the first DVD that I ever worked on when I started out in the world of "extras" for DVDs. I have memories of watching that film and conducting that commentary that will stick in the memory for a long time yet... but that's not so much to do with the film.

It would be un-PC to to say CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, though I do admire that film as it delivers lots of shocks and is, in fact, extremely efficient and very well made and delivers completely on all fronts - and then some. Well, PC generally doesn't have anything to do with making choices so I am going to go for THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK (again, I know quite a few cast members and, of course, I have met and know Deodato quite well too).

HOUSE again is a shocking movie but it has a good cast, is well acted and has an austere, claustrophobic atmosphere which, although it opens with a shocking opening, continually plays with the viewers expectations. House on the Edge of the Park it is.

KingMob (Dear Bastards)

I'll have to go with The House On The Edge Of The Park from Deodato, as it's the only film I've seen of his. Sorry, but I've yet to steal myself for the animal torture of Cannibal Holocaust, and I have a copy of Cut And Run that I just haven't gotten around to. David Hess stretches his acting chops playing a creep and you get all the unpleasantness that comes with that sort of thing.

Bava's Demons comes to mind first, just because it's the first film I saw by him, though it's in stiff competition with A Blade In The Dark, which I really liked in spite of a cameo from that little blond weasel from The House By The Cemetery. Demons is just a lot of fun because it defies any kind of real logic and just runs with the concept of a bunch of people dying or being possessed in a theater.

Kim (Cinebeats)

It's nearly impossible to name just one film by each director so I'll cheat and name two.

My favorite Deodato films are the classic Cannibal Holocaust (it also has one of my favorite Riz Ortolani scores) and Phantom of Death with an incredible cast that includes Michael York, Edwige Fenech and the late great Donald Pleasence.

As for Lamberto Bava, it's really tough to just name two films from his impressive filmography, but I'm going to go with his excellent Macabro and the original Demons movie. Both are truly terrific! Lamberto Bava often gets overshadowed by his more famous father, but I love his films.

DVD Review: My Body Burns

My Body Burns

DVD Released: April 7th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Le Chat Qui Fum
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.95

The Film

My Body Burns is based on the case of Bruay-en-Artois, in which the body of Brigitte Dewèvre was found in a small town located in northern France known as Bruay-la-Buissière. Rumor placed the blame on the local notary of murdering the young girl and would provide strong enough gossip that he was eventually brought to trail for the killing. Litigation was overseen by Judge Henri Pascal, who dismissed the charges, much to the chagrin of the French public.

Furious over the mishandling of the case, Pallardy began filming MY BODY BURNS (Dossier érotique d'un notaire), shortly after finishing his first feature, UNSATISFIED (L' Insatisfaite). The film would find Pallardy in hot water as it was removed from theaters after one week from numerous complaints. Similarities with the lead character's occupation to that of the accused, and Claude Sendron’s apparent stunning likeness to Judge Pascal, lead both men to bring charges against Pallardy. After talking with the distributor, it was decided that it was the use of the word “notary” that would eventually be their down fall, if the case was ever brought to court. As such, the film was stripped of the word entirely, mere days before being screened by those assigned to follow up on the complaints.

This action would explain numerous sudden cuts and jumps in the film as well as one massive error, found just before the film's 44 minute mark. In the scene, Georges Guéret and Jacques Insermini, both regular Pallardy players, are informing the notary of the dirty gossip that is being spread about him around town. There is a line of dialogue that is repeated, that is hard to miss given that what is being discussed is the notion that Claude is a "queer after young boys."

I thought that the film was slow and felt liked it was forced. The sex seemed forced. The rare comedic moments seemed forced. The drama was.. you guessed it. Forced. I know what Pallardy was trying to do, but when you force it, it usually won’t work. It doesn’t feel natural. It does win my vote for the least erotic film with the words Classics Of French Erotica on the cover.

Transfer And Audio

The film looks okay for the age of the original. I thought it came across as a little fuzzy and washed out. Not really bad, just a little noticeable. The subtitles were easy to read.

Extras

The Erotic Journal of Jean-Marie Pallardy (60 minutes)
French Erotica Trailers
A hundred photos from the director’s private collection

Overall

I don’t know. After my introduction recently to Danish Erotica I expected something more from its French equivalent. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This was more like the fare that Seduction Cinema releases under their Retro division.

Review by Douglas Waltz

DVD Review: In the Sign of the Lion

In The Sign Of The Lion

DVD Released: May 19th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 81 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo Danish
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Smirk
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $21.95

The Film

Two elderly sisters continue to have their novels rejected by their publisher. They keep sending them out and they keep getting them back with rejection letters. There just isn’t enough sex and romance in them. They decide to translate their true life adventures with the romantic Count Johan and his evil brother Count Hubert. The only one who knows they are the authors of the book is their postman that they have confided in.

The novel is a best seller and the publisher demands to meet the author. The two sisters are ashamed to admit they wrote the book so they say that the author is their nephew who is out of town. It’s when the nephew comes back to town that the sex and hi jinks kick into high gear.

Just like In The Sign Of The Taurus, this is a well done comedy that just happens to have some scenes of hardcore sex in them. I actually watched this one first and thought, ‘Oh erotica. So, it will be that soft-core stuff like Misty Mundae does. Yeah, and then all of a sudden it was much more! Kind of threw me for a loop. This doesn’t detract from what is a very funny comedy of errors. Kind of makes me wish that Hollywood would take a page from the Danish film making book and do this from time to time. It would be scandalous, but I bet it would make a mint.

Transfer And Audio

This film is crystal clear, just like In The Sign Of The Taurus, and even though I couldn’t understand a word out of their mouths, the sound transfer sounded immaculate as well. The subtitles seemed comprehensive and were always clear to read.

Extras

Not much. Some stills and a trailer.

Overall

This, along with "In The Sign Of The Taurus", was a wonderful introduction to Danish erotica. A lighthearted comedy with a lot of silliness coupled with some of the more erotic, hardcore sequences I had seen in some time. It was a little weird to get used to seeing sex scenes that never follow through to their natural conclusion, but after a while I got the hang of it.

Review by Douglas Waltz