Basic Instinct 2: Full Trailer Available

The full official trailer is now online.

You can download it directly from here.

Thanks to Daves Trailer Page for the info.

Blue Underground: Castellari Cover Art!

Cover art for the upcoming Enzo Castellari DVD's released on April 25th:

Street Law:






















The Big Racket:






















The Heroin Busters:






















Link to a previous post discussing the DVD's in detail.

No Shame come up trumps again! Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Boxset

Check out this cracking Limited Edition Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Boxset that will contain "THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE" (1971), "THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES" (1972) plus a Red Queen action figure.

Get this pre-ordered as soon as possible Trashites, No Shame have delivered once again!

"2-DVD Limited Edition Collector's Edition ONLY 7000 available, all individually numbered Including the Red Queen action figure

Crumbling castles... ancient curses... spooky family portraits... skeletons in the closet... asylums... knives... bloodshed… and rats, rats rats! Welcome to the twisted mind of Emilio P. Miraglia, writer-director of two of the most mindbending psycho-sexual thrillers of the Italian giallo cycle.

THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971): Anthony Steffen (DJANGO THE BASTARD) stars as an English aristocrat who grieves over the death of his perfidious wife Evelyn by bringing home a string of red-headed prostitutes and striptease artists (including KILL, BABY... KILL's Erika Blanc), none of whom are ever seen again. When he remarries, this time to a gorgeous blond (Marina Malfatti), strange apparitions, midnight slayings, and an empty tomb suggest that Evelyn has come back to voice her displeasure. Is madness or murder the soul of the plot… and who will live to know the truth?

THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES (1972): Guilt over the accidental death of their sister Evelyn binds siblings Francesca (Marina Malfatti) and Kitty (DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING’s Barbara Bouchet). When the girls inherit their family castle, a string of savage murders decimates their circle of friends, associates and lovers… murders committed by a dark-haired woman in a blood-red cloak. Is it the work of their ancestor, the “Red Queen” whom legend says claims seven lives every hundred years… or could it be their dead sister Evelyn, back from her watery grave to exact a terrible revenge?

Pity those who saw these two hallucinogenic giallo gems via scratched drive-in prints or panned-and-scanned bootleg video cassettes. NoShame Films proudly presents these genre masterpieces in their original widescreen aspect ratios, in full bloody color, both backed by classic EuroCult scores by Bruno Nicolai (CASE OF THE SCORPION’S TAIL)."

EXTRAS:

THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE
• Introduction by star Erica Blanc (aka Erika Blanc)
• The Whip and the Body – Interview with star Erica Blanc (aka Erika Blanc)
• Still Rising from the Grave – Interview with production designer Lorenzo Baraldi

THE RED QUEEN KILLS 7 TIMES
• Introduction by production designer Lorenzo Baraldi
• Dead à porter – Interview with production designer Lorenzo Baraldi
• Round Up the Usual Suspects – Interview with actor Marino Masé
• If I Met Emilio Miraglia Today… – Feauturing Erica Blanc (aka Erika Blanc), Lorenzo Baraldi, Marino Masé
• My Favorite... Films - Interview with star Barbara Bouchet
• Alternative Opening
• Poster and Still Gallery

Source: NoShame

Trailer: Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction

This looks like exploitative movie trash central; Can't wait to see it then!

Check out the UNCUT trailer (NSFW) at WWTDD.com before it's probably taken down: WWTDD

Italian B-Movies: Tarantino's Inspiration

Really interesting article from the Independent about Tarantino's influences and love for Italian B-Movies and in particular Fernando di Leo.

Italian B-movies: Tarantino's inspiration
Cheap, lurid, ultra-violent, garish and exploitative, the Italian B-movies that inspired 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Kill Bill' are now soaring out of critical obscurity.

By Geoffrey Macnab

Blame Quentin Tarantino. In the 1980s, when the future director of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill was still a humble assistant in a Santa Monica video store, he stumbled on some films by the Italian B director, Fernando Di Leo.

By then, Di Leo was one of the forgotten figures of Italian cinema. His thrillers of the early 1970s had slipped into obscurity and his career had ground to an untimely halt. It was sheer chance that Tarantino discovered his work, but it inspired him to try to become a filmmaker himself.
"One of the first films I watched was pivotal to my choice of profession. It was I Padroni della Città (Mister Scarface). I had never even heard the name Fernando Di Leo before. I just remember that after watching that film I was totally hooked," Tarantino recently recalled. "I became obsessed and started systematically watching other films directed by Di Leo. I owe so much to Fernando in terms of passion and filmmaking".

Di Leo's films are B movies par excellence: garish, intricately plotted, ultra-violent stories about pimps and petty gangsters, told with plenty of attitude. There is an intensity and formal ingenuity here that you rarely find in more prestigious (and expensive) pictures.
Take the beginning of Di Leo's Milan Calibre 9 (1972), in which we see a bag containing $300,000 belonging to local Mr Big "the Americano" whisked across Milan. Somehow, as couriers dart in and out of subways and across busy streets, the bag is switched and the money stolen.

This bravura sequence is shot almost entirely without dialogue. Nor do we need any lengthy speeches to explain what is happening as the Americano's vengeful henchmen track down the couriers, truss them together and blow them up with a few sticks of dynamite.
Di Leo's La Mala Ordina (Manhunt), also made in 1972, offers some early models for the wisecracking, laconic hitmen played by John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction. US actors Woody Strode and Henry Silva are the New York killers dispatched to Italy to dispose small-time pimp Luca Canali (Mario Adorf.) Like Travolta and Jackson, they're assassins with style and deadpan humour.

The Di Leo movies form the centrepiece of "The Secret History of Italian Cinema," a season of films being shown throughout January and early February at Tate Modern. The retrospective comes to London from the Venice Film Festival, where it provoked huge controversy last autumn. "I was accused by a lot of Italian critics of having lost any sense of the institutions by opening the gates of the festival to trash cinema," says Venice Festival director Marco Muller.
Until recently, Muller points out, the work of filmmakers such as Di Leo was regarded with disdain in Italy. Their films were far more readily available in the UK and US than in Italy.
"Italian audiences think these are bad movies, cheap movies," acknowledges Germano Celant, artistic director of the Prada Foundation (which backed the restoration of films at the Tate.)

It didn't help that Di Leo had slipped out of public consciousness by his death in 2003. But the disappearance shouldn't have taken anyone by surprise. Every film culture has its hidden gems that only outsiders seem to value. In Britain, Hammer horror movies by Terence Fisher and John Gilling are dismissed by local critics as exploitation fodder, but championed as masterpieces by Martin Scorsese. As Scorsese has pointed out, one of the paradoxes about B-movies is that they "are freer and more conducive to experimenting and innovating" than A-pictures.

Muller argues that Di Leo's gangster films offer a far more accurate picture of Italy than documentaries or big-budget feature films of the period. "If you really want to understand the Italy of the 1970s, with political extremism on both left and right as a response to the corruption and the Mafia infiltration in all the centres of political and financial power, look to Di Leo."
Di Leo's films may have been conceived as exploitation pics, but they deal with social and political issues. "I wanted to demonstrate the reality of the degrading of the working class on the outskirts of a major city, where organised criminality was starting to spread its first tentacles, and where the youth had not yet entered this vicious circle," the director commented on his debut feature Naked Violence (1969).

This is lurid and distasteful fare. It opens in horrendous fashion with the sexual assault and murder of a night-school teacher, but Di Leo's shock tactics are deceptive. It becomes apparent that the director's real purpose is to explore the world of the misfit kids accused of the murder.
In their battle to rehabilitate Di Leo and his colleagues, Muller and Celant had one key ally: Tarantino. The director came to Venice to introduce the movies.
"I needed Quentin. I knew he would be very loud as a spokesman for Italian B movies," Muller recalls. At the festival, Tarantino's crusading zeal and sheer force of personality helped win round older critics to the idea that the low-budget films made in their backyard in the Seventies were worth reviving. Meanwhile, younger audiences turned up in their droves, curious to see films that had had such a direct influence on Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.
For the organisers of the Tate retrospective, which reclaims the films as Pop Art, this is simply a case of art historians and critics belatedly waking up to work that has been overlooked for too long.

As Germano Celant points out, Tate Modern is also currently hosting an exhibition of the work of the French painter (and former customs officer), Henri Rousseau.
"Look at Rousseau. He was a B artist at the beginning, copying from postcards and newspaper reproductions. Nobody liked him at the beginning, but now you read him in a completely different way."

Fondazione Prada presents 'Italian Kings of the B's: Secret History of Italian Cinema 1949-81', Tate Modern, London SE1 (020-7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/modern) to 10 February

Source: The Independent

I urge you all to check out Milano Calibro 9, a fantastic film and a great introduction into the world of Fernando di Leo.

Review - Calvaire (2004)

This is a very slick Belgian shocker from Fabrice du Welz that borrows from American classics such the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance but add some Euro sleaze into the mix and you have one disturbing movie. Out now on Region 2 PAL DVD from France with English subs, for European DVD Trashites there in no reason not to pick this up. If your in the US and not already equipped with a multi-region player, nows the time!

Read my review over at 10kBullets.

More info on the film at Calvaire.co.uk

Available from Amazon France and Xploited Cinema

Frightfest comes to Glasgow!

Horror in Glasgow

Just when you thought it was save to venture out again after all of your Christmas and New Year excesses, FrightFest is coming to get you. Well, coming to get you if you live in Scotland that is. Not content with "doing Brighton", see the reports else where on this web site, the festival now has it's sights now firmly set on Glasgow. At the behest of the Glasgow International Film Festival, the UK's biggest fantasy and horror genre event has joined forces with it's Celtic cousin, Dead by Dawn to present a day of tartan terror. On the 18th February 2006, The Glasgow Film Theatre is the place to be as we are heading up north to the homeland of one of the FrightFest organisers Ian Rattary. We have pulled out all the stops to find a terrific line up of five films including four must see premieres to take with us. So wrap up warm, as it is cold in Glasgow in February, and join us for a day of all the usual FrightFest surprises, give-aways and fun and games.

Tickets are on sale now priced at a very reasonable £20 for a day pass and an equally good value £6 per individual film. Tickets can be purchased or reserved in advance, from the box office in person or over the phone on 0141 332 8128 between 12 and 9 p.m. daily. Postal bookings should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope and cheque made payable to GFT. The cinemas address is 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB. Reservations should be collected no later than 20 mins prior to the performance time. Tickets purchased in advance cannot be exchanged nor money refunded, except in the event of cancellation.

Source: Frightfest

Tenebrae star Tony Franciosa 1928-2006

A great actor and with Tenebrae being the first Argento flick I ever saw, he was a particular favourite of mine. RIP, Tony.

Anthony Franciosa - 1928-2006

"Fifteen years before Robert De Niro and Al Pacino became the major Italian-American film stars in the 1970s, there was the vibrant actor Anthony Franciosa, who has died aged 77 (five days after the death of his second wife, Shelley Winters, obituary January 16). Franciosa came to Hollywood in 1957 in the wake of the new wave of actors such as Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, schooled in "the method" at the Actors Studio in New York. It stressed a more instinctive approach to acting, the performers arriving at their interpretation of a role through seeking equivalent emotions in their own experiences.

Franciosa claimed that his expressive performances derived from his deprived background. Born Anthony Papaleo in the Little Italy section of New York City, he was the only child of a construction worker and a seamstress. His parents divorced when he was a year old and he later said he felt abandoned by his father.

Without completing high school, Franciosa took on a number of jobs, including shipyard worker, until the day he accompanied a friend to an audition at the YWCA (to meet girls) and was handed a role. Taking his mother's maiden name, he won a scholarship to the Dramatic Workshop, founded by the leftwing German exile Edwin Piscator.

The tall, handsome, cleft-chinned actor, with a flashing smile, soon found work in New York repertory theatre before making his Broadway debut, aged 25, in the Actors Studio production of Calder Willingham's controversial End as a Man (1953-54). Set in a military academy, with a homosexual subtext, it featured fellow Italian-Americans Ben Gazzara and Harry Guardino, both of whom appeared alongside Franciosa in A Hatful of Rain on Broadway in 1955. As the drunken brother of a junkie who attempts to hide his addiction from the rest of the family, Franciosa won the New York Critics' Award for best actor in a supporting role. The addict's pregnant wife was played by Winters. Franciosa and Winters were married in 1957 after he divorced his first wife, writer Beatrice Bakalyar, and she had divorced her second husband, Vittorio Gassman.

In the same year, Franciosa went to Hollywood to reprise his role in Fred Zimmermann's film version of A Hatful of Rain, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. Franciosa also appeared as a tough man-of-the-world who falls for virgin Jean Simmons in Robert Wise's This Could Be the Night; as a slimy agent of a singer in A Face in the Crowd, Elia Kazan's searing satire on media manipulation; and as a cowhand on a ranch in George Cukor's Wild is the Wind, falling for Anna Magnani (on and off set), the wife of his boss, Anthony Quinn.

In the meantime, Franciosa was getting a reputation as being as explosive off screen as on. In the year of his first Hollywood triumphs, he served 10 days in the county jail for kicking a photographer. There were also stories about arguments with directors and other actors, which might have contributed to his getting fewer film roles from the 1960s.

"I went out to Hollywood in the mid-1950s," he remarked in a 1996 interview, "and I would say I went there a little too early. It was an incredible amount of attention, and I wasn't quite mature enough psychologically and emotionally for it." Nevertheless, Franciosa, despite often confusing histrionics with intensity, made an impact in The Long Hot Summer (1958) as southern patriarch Orson Welles's weak son, and as an egotistic stage actor in Career (1959), one of his best performances.

In 1958, Franciosa played Goya in a piece of Hispanic hokum called The Naked Maja opposite Ava Gardner as the Duchess of Alba. Franciosa, who seemed in the habit of having flings with his leading ladies, made no exception with Gardner, whom Winters threatened to kill by hiring a "hit-man". The marriage ended in 1960 despite or because of Winters' assertion that "if there had been an Olympic sex team, Tony would have been the champion". This reputation resurfaced in a song by Tom Waits, Goin' Out West: "Well I'm goin' out west/Where the wind blows tall/'Cause Tony Franciosa/Used to date my ma."

In 1961, now married to Judy Balaban Kanter, an author and real estate agent, Franciosa went to Italy to make Go Naked in the World and Senilit, co-starring Gina Lollobrigida and Claudia Cardinale respectively. Back in the US, he was effective as heavies in the western Rio Conchos (1964) and in the gangster movie Across 110th Street (1972), and spent three years as an investigative reporter in the TV series The Name of the Game (1968-71) and as a secret agent in Matt Helm (1975-76). However, he was fired from the former by NBC executives who cited "the wear and tear" he had caused on the set. As a result, he got more regular work in Italy where he made a few so-called "giallo" (yellow for fear) thrillers, including Tenebrae (1982) by gore-master Dario Argento. His last role was as a mafia boss in City Hall (1996).

Franciosa is survived by his wife of 35 years, former German model Rita Thiel, and three children. "

Source: The Guardian

3 Enzo Castellari Classics in April

3 Enzo Castellari classics arriving in April from Blue Underground:

The Big Racket (1976)

All The Bone-Breaking, Double-Barreled Action Fully Restored For The First Time Ever In America! Fabio Testi (REVOLVER, CONTRABAND) stars as Inspector Nico Palmieri, a tough police detective tearing apart Rome to bust a ruthless protection racket. But when these violent thugs expand their empire into drugs, rape and murder, Nico throws away the rulebook to unleash his own brand of justice. In a city ruled by fear, there's a fine line between cop and criminal.and one lawman is about to blast it to pieces! Academy Awardc nominee Vincent Gardenia (DEATH WISH) co-stars in this explosive crime thriller - featuring some of the most amazing stunts in '70s cinema - directed by Enzo Castellari (STREET LAW, THE HEROIN BUSTERS), now transferred from original vault materials and packed with explosive new extras.

Featuring: Fabio Testi - Vincent Gardenia
Special Features: Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari. " Theatrical Trailer.
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Genre: Action/Adventure; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Studio: Blue Underground
Street Date: April 25, 2006

The Heroin Busters (1977)

Sex, Violence And A Kickass Score By Goblin All Fully Restored For The First Time Ever In America! Fabio Testi (THE BIG RACKET, CONTRABAND) stars as a cold-blooded cop gone deep undercover to take down an international drug syndicate. But when a hair-trigger Interpol agent (David Hemmings of BLOW-UP, DEEP RED and GLADIATOR fame) joins the investigation, the case takes a deadly detour into sexual depravity and sudden violence. Can two tough detectives trapped in a criminal underworld now stay alive long enough to ignite a citywide massacre? Sherry Buchanan (ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST) co-stars in this action-packed thriller - with an unforgettable motorcycle and airplane chase climax - co-written and directed by Enzo Castellari (HIGH CRIME, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), featuring a pounding score by legendary prog-rockers Goblin (SUSPIRIA, DAWN OF THE DEAD) and now transferred from the original camera negative.

Featuring: Fabio Testi - David Hemmings
Special Features: Castellari Knows Action Better Than Anybody!" Inzomniac Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari. Theatrical Trailer.
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Genre: Action/Adventure; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English
Studio: Blue Underground
Street Date: April 25, 2006

Street Law (1974)

Robbery. Assault. Murder. One Man Has Had Enough! The legendary Franco Nero (of DJANGO and DIE HARD 2 fame) stars as Carlo Antonelli, an average citizen until the day he is brutally beaten during a violent robbery. But when the police drop the case and the suspects remain free, Carlo is pushed beyond his breaking point. Now one man will launch an all-out war against the criminal scum who plague our cities, where justice has its own rules, vengeance needs no badge and the only force that matters is STREET LAW. Barbara Bach (BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME) co-stars in this vicious DEATH WISH-inspired crime thriller (also known in Europe as VIGILANTE II) directed by Italian action maestro Enzo Castellari (THE HEROIN BUSTERS, KEOMA) now presented uncut and uncensored - including all of its infamous violence - for the first time ever in America.

Featuring: Franco Nero - Barbara Bach
Special Features: All Movie Guide Audio Commentary with Director Enzo G. Castellari. Laying Down the Law - Interviews with Director Enzo G. Castellari and Star Franco Nero. Theatrical Trailer. TV Spot.
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Genre: Action/Adventure; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English
Studio: Blue Underground
Street Date: April 25, 2006

Official DVD Artwork to follow.

Source: Sendmemovies.com

Darkside DVD Review Plagiarism!

I'm sure many of you are aware of the plagiarism carried out by the Darkside magazine and DVD World magazine, indeed I've had a subscription for many years to the Darkside but it ran out at Xmas and will not be getting renewed.

You can read about all the stolen reviews here at a site called the DarkSide of Plagiarism!

Just before this all came out, I was reading DVD World thinking I was going mad as I felt I had read some the reviews before, yet I had just bought the latest issue. I thought no more about it until the Latarnia forums broke the story. Its a fascinating, but cowardly state of affairs, stealing reviews and giving the writers zero credit. But what's even more cowardly is the editor denying all knowledge of it!

Step right up! DVD Clearout on Ebay!

Some shameless promotion here, I'm having a big DVD clearout on Ebay so take a look and see if anything is calling your name!

Check it out here.

Thanks for looking.

DVD covers for forthcoming BU Gialli revealed

Here is the boxart for the 4 Blue Undergrounds gialli to be released on March 28th. All must-buys in my opinion.

Link to earlier post with info about all 4 title is here.

Cinema News: The Night Evelyn Came Out the Grave

One for Scottish film fans only, but gothic giallo "The Night Evelyn Came Out The Grace" or "La Notte che Evelyn Usci' dalla Tomba" will be shown on Valentines Day, 14th Febuary at the Glasgow Film Theatre. It's a pretty good giallo that will be made all the better by seeing it on the big screen. Definitely try and catch this if you can.

Goto the GFT site for more info.

Thanks to Whiggles for spotting this.

Review: Shoot the Piano Player

New review of Criterions "Shoot the Piano Player" directed by Francois Truffaut. Another classic given the usual high quality make-over by Criterion.

If you have never experienced any of the French New Wave directors, then this is as good a place as any to start.

Review is here at the 10KBullets site with reviews from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse.

Review: 42nd Street Forever

New review today of "42nd Street Forever" from Synapse. 47 exploitation trailers for your delectation, they don't make 'em like this anymore.

Enjoy!

Any comments about this or any other review are most welcome.

Special Feature: Italian Cop Movies!

So Double Game (aka Torino Violenta) is on it's way from NoShame on the 28th March but Italian cop movies (often know as "Poliziotteschi") are often overlooked with Giallo's and Horror all'Italiana getting all the attention.

However its well worth investigating this genre as you will recognise many of the actors from other Italian cult movies and best of all they are generally highly entertaining, violent and totally non-PC. The scores in these movies are of a real high standard as well with contributions from Ennio Morricone, Goblin (famous for scoring Suspiria and Profondo Rosso) and Francesco de Masi.

Its hard to know where to start if you are new to the genre, but Fernando di Leo is as good a place as any. In my opinion he has made some of the very best, with Milano Calibro 9 one of my favourites. Other well known directors of that era also made valuable contributions to the genre, inlcuding Umberto Lenzi with "Milano Odia" and "Milano Rovente", and Sergio Martino with "The Violent Professionals"

Another set of titles I urge to track down and enjoy are the Nico Giraldi movies, starring the excellent Tomas Milian. Often directed by Bruno Corbucci, they are part crime/part comedy which is a nice break from the more serious Di Leo titles. The only drawback is that very few have been released on Region 1, with more having seen the light of day in Italy without subtitles. The one I recommend to start with is Squadra Antiscippo (Cop in Blue Jean) as it comes with English subtitles. If you are proficient in Italian then head to Thrauma DVD and go nuts!

Poliziotteschi Resources:

Italian Crime Films @Xploited

Raro Video of Italy have released many of Di Leo's classics onto DVD and they all generally come with English subtitles, so go check them out.

Scorebaby have loads of reviews of the groovy soundtrack you won't be able to get out your head, and then you can buy them at Moviegrooves.

PollanetSquad is an excellent resource with loads of info on the genre. In Italian only.

New Poliziesco from NoShame USA

Double Game (R1, NoShame)

The wife of a wealthy doctor is fatally stabbed in a city park while a gang of young thugs targets cinemas and supermarkets for smash and grab heists and a 17-year-old girl is raped and strangled with wire, the work of a likely sex maniac. With a gang war about to erupt between the local dons and an invading French outfit, police inspectors Moretti (George Hilton) and Danieli (Emanuel Cannarsa) have their hands full trying to stop Turin from becoming the crime capital of the world. Unknown to Danieli, his partner moonlights as a vigilante killer calling himself "The Avenger" and working outside the law as judge, jury and executioner for all of Turin's underworld.

Released in the United States as DOUBLE GAME, this ultra-rare Italo-cop film was made as Torino Violenta with George Hilton (THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH) in a typically take-charge performance as the two-faced Moretti. Directed, written and photographed by Carlo Ausino, DOUBLE GAME is a fully-loaded crime thriller in the vein of DEATH WISH and MAGNUM FORCE, shot on the streets of Turin, depicted as a city brimming with enough criminality to ruin Dirty Harry's day. Also starring Giuseppi Alotta (CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN) and featuring a vintage EuroCult score by Stelvio Cipriani (DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS).

NoShame presents this obscure title from the end of the poliziotteschi cycle for the first time on DVD in the US, uncut and in anamorphic widescreen in a 2 DVD collector's edition along with its rarest-of-the-rare 1980 sequel... for which all original elements no longer exist!

Extras

Disc One

• Introduction by Director Carlo Ausino
• Double Game, One Player – Interview with Director Carlo Ausino
• Carlo Ausino’s Short Films: - Christmas Tale (Racconto di Natale) (16 mins aprox) with introduction by Dir. Ausino - The Trailer (Il Trailer) (18 mins aprox) with introduction by Dir. Ausino - A Modern Fairy Tale (Una Favola Moderna) (18 mins aprox) with introduction by Dir. Ausino
• Original Italian Theatrical Trailer • Poster and Still Gallery – from Dir.. Ausino’s private collection

Disc Two

• TONY, L’ALTRA FACCIA DELLA TORINO VIOLENTA – Ausino’S 1980 sequel to DOUBLE GAME (95 Mins.) Finally available, Ausino’s long lost and never before available sequel to DOUBLE GAME restored from the director’s personal 35mm print. With introduction by Dir. Ausino
• The Burning of the Marus Department Stores in Torino – 1974 news reel filmed by Carlo Ausino for Rai TV (restored from the original 16mm print)
• Sahara Killing Theatrical Trailer – the never-seen-before trailer for a film that was never completed.
• KILLER’S LIST (Sulla lista del Killer) Trailer - original Italian theatrical trailer – Ausino’s just completed action/thriller, with introduction by Dir. Ausino

Source: NoShame

Masters of Horror on Bravo

First of all, I'd like to wish all DVD Trash visitors a very happy and prosperous New Year, I hope 2006 is good to you all.



Masters of Horror is currently showing on US cable network "Showtime" whereby each week for 13 weeks, a renowned horror director will bring you a 1-hour episode each in their own inimitable style.

There will be contributions by Dario Argento (Suspiria, Deep Red), John Landis (American Werewolf in London), Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and George Romero (Dawn of the Dead) amongst others.

The good news? This starts in the UK on Friday 13th on Bravo (SKY 124 and NTL 104)

There has been some good buzz about this series, so check it out if you get the chance.

Up next from NoShame: Luciano Ercoli Death Box Set

Arriving on 28/02/2006 is NoShames presentation of Luciano Ercoli's "Death Walks on High Heels" and "Death Walks at Midnight"

Now "Death Walks at Midnight has already been released by Mondo Macabro UK, but it had some aspect ratio issues (cropped from 2:35:1 to 1:85:1) and was slightly cut.

This new set looks like it will be the ultimate edition and the one to get.

Disc Info:

Get primed for two wild, stylish giallo shockers of the 1970s from director Luciano Ercoli (FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION), starring Susan Scott (DEATH CARRIES A CANE), Simon Andreu (THE BLOOD-SPATTERED BRIDE) and Frank Wolff (GOD FORGIVES…I DON’T).

In DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS, Parisian nightclub singer, Nicole Rochard (Susan Scott) is stalked by a demented masked man who may be the killer of her diamond thief father. With the help of a friend, Dr. Robert Matthews (Frank Wolff) she hopes to elude her pursuer by traveling to the English countryside. But Nicole’s merciless pursuer does not give up so easily, and soon more murders occur.

Susan Scott returns in DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT as Valentina, a hot-tempered fashion model. When she’s duped into trying an experimental psychedelic by her fast-talking boyfriend (Simon Andreu) during a photo-shoot, she inadvertently witnesses a gory murder by a man with a spiked glove in the empty, next door building. It won’t be the last!

Hallucinogenic drugs, smart-aleck heroines, jewel thieves, macho tabloid reporters, strippers, intrepid police inspectors, plus crazy chases, brutal fist fights, spiked-metal gloves and myriad use of the zoom lens – not to mention delirious nightclub scenes, escalating body counts and countless red herrings! - NoShame is proud to present for the first time on DVD uncut two deranged examples of the sexy, Italian thriller genre - the giallo.

Special 3-disc edition, including The Sound of Love and Death - The Very Best of Stelvio Cipriani. A collection of classic giallo and poliziotteschi film scores.

DISC 1 (DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS)

• Original Italian Theatrical Trailer

• Original English Theatrical Trailer

• Poster and Still Gallery

DISC 2 (DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT)

• Death Walks at Midnight TV Version

• Poster and Still Gallery

DISC 3 - The Sound of Love and Death (CD) Exclusive CD soundtrack featuring tracks from the very best of Stelvio Cipriani’s soundtrack, including Death Walks on High Heels

• Collectible Booklet

New Gialli from Blue Underground in 2006

Blue Underground will be releasing 4 more Gialli in 2006:

1. The Fifth Cord (1971)

Director: Luigi Bazzon
Genre: Horror; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English
Street Date: March 28, 2006

2. The Forbidden Photos of the Lady Above Suspicion (1970)

Director: Luciano Ercoli
Composer: Ennio Morricone
Genre: Horror; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English
Street Date: March 28, 2006

3. The Pyjama Case Girl (1977)

Director: Flavio Mogherini
Composer: Riz Ortolani
Genre: Horror; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English
Street Date: March 28, 2006

4. Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)

Director: Paolo Cavara
Genre: Horror; Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen, 16x9 Anamorphic
Region Code: 0
Rating: NOT RATED
Languages: English, Italian; Subtitled In: English
Street Date: March 28, 2006

No artwork yet but will put some up when they become available.

Cult Movie Ringtones from NoShame

One of the best DVD producers of 2005, NoShame have put together some excellent MP3 ringtones which are available for download from their site.

Go HERE for the ringtones.


Thanks to Johnny Redman over at DVD Maniacs for this cool discovery.

Best DVD's of the Year 2005

Well its coming to the end of the year and there have been some tremendous genre DVD's released in 2005.

My favourites have been (in no real order):

1. The Pinky Violence Collection (R1, Panik House)

2. Val Lewton Collection (R1, Warner Bros)

3. Hammer Horror Collection (R1, Universal)

4. Phantasm Sphere (R2, Anchor Bay UK)

5. Bela Lugosi Collection (R1, Universal)

6. Sex and Fury (R1, Panik House)

7. Danger: Diabolik (R1, Paramount)

8. Roma a Mano Armata (R2, NoShame, Italy)

9. Cannibal Holocaust (R1, Grindhouse)

10. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (R1, NoShame)

Any of your thoughts are most welcome and let me know what your favourite DVD's of 2005 were.

Reviews: Kriminal and Il Marchio di Kriminal

First of all, hope you all had a Merry Xmas and feel suitably stuffed with turkey and Xmas pudding!

Now, as promised, here are the reviews for the Italian Pulp Video releases of Kriminal and Il Marchio di Kriminal.

Kriminal Review here.

Il Marchio di Kriminal here.

Any comments most welcome here or at the Cinema Nocturna Forums.

King Kong

I ended up going to see King Kong with a group of friends the other night, and I was not really looking forward to it. I like Peter Jackson's earlier films, like Braindead and The Frighteners but LOTR really did very little for me. However I have to admit that King Kong was pretty good and the CGI on the whole was very well done. The story held together well and grabbed your attention from the very start and the 3 hours disappeared. Its amazing the difference a good script can make to a movie that is heavily dependent on CGI. The other nice thing about the film was the old Hollywood vibe it had, it did not feel like a modern movie made to look old and it had a real 1930's serial feel to it also.

Overall I would recommend going to see it if you can over the holidays, you will not be disappointed.

3 Reviews upcoming!

Just to add that there will be 3 reviews upcoming on DVD Trash/Cinema Nocturna. As previously mentioned, the 2 fumetti based adaptions of "Kriminal" and "Il Marchio di Kriminal". Also I'll be looking over the Grindhouse trailer collection "42nd Street Forever" Look out for them soon.

Back from NYC

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, just got back from a 5-day trip from New York City. A good time was had by all. Good eating, site seeing and (DVD) shopping was the order of the day.

There is only one place in my opinion to go DVD shopping and that is Mondo Kims at 6 St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. It is a cult-movie collectors paradise. Films are organised by country or director (Fulci, Martino, Argento etc) plus Criterion or MGM Midnite Movies. They also have loads of film books, magazines such as The Dark Side and Uncut. While I was there I picked up "The Pinky Violence Collection" (Kims was the only store that seemed to be carrying this collection, as I saw it nowhere else), "The Val Newton Collection" and Criterion's latest Truffaut offering "Shoot the Piano Player"

Also managed to catch "Syriana" at the movies, George Clooney's slow burning oil scandal-political drama. A bit removed from my normal viewing habits but I'm quite interested in the subject matter and although it's slow paced, I really enjoyed it and will catch it again when its out in the UK as there was a lot to take in the first time around.

Review - Terror Beneath the Sea (1966)

One of Dark Sky Films latest offerings "Terror Beneath the Sea" starring the awesome Sonny Chiba.

"A Japanese monster movie starring the great Sonny Chiba! This I had to see and all things considered it certainly does not disappoint..."

My full review here.

Sonny Chiba, Kriminal and Cinema Nocturna

Just a small update this cold Scottish Sunday evening to say that some new reviews are on the way. I'll be taking a look at one of Sonny Chiba's early offerings "Terror Beneath the Sea" from DarkSky Films.

Also being a big fan of Diabolik fumetti and Bava's movie, I recently picked up some Satanik and Kriminal fumetti at the aforementioned "Memorabilia" which I really enjoyed. This has led me to order Umberto Lenzi's movie of "Kriminal" from Thrauma and the sequel "Il Marchio di Kriminal" from Xploited. Reviews of both will up soon.

I have also been kindly given the opportunity to contribute some reviews and articles to Cinema Nocturna by the moderator there, Steve Genier. Thanks for the opportunity Steve.

They have some great articles and reviews that are well worth checking out and then discussing on the Nocturnal Forum.

Memorabilia 2005 - Glasgow

I attended Memorabilia at the SECC in Glasgow over the weekend. Loads of DVD stalls selling your favourite horror and exploitation favourites. Picked up a few bargains myself, a couple of Fernando di Leo classics and even a few giallos that an expert (!) like myself had not heard of.

Midnight Media were also there selling DVD's and some of their own publications. They had the latest issues of Uncut magazine plus new publications by Nigel Burrell and Paul Brown, namely "Giallo Scrapbook" and "Hispanic Horrors". I picked both of these up and I cannot recommend them enough. Indeed "Hispanic Horrors" contained a few titles that seem well worth tracking down.

One DVD stall in particular seemed to have two crazy Dutch guys drinking Tennents Super (a really strong Scottish lager that Glasgow's homeless tend to favour, but is held in high esteem in Europe) and trying to push Cannibal Holocaust onto every punter. They were boasting how cheap their DVD's were and I asked why this was. Turns out they were the owners of EC Entertainment who have produced some good discs in the past and whose edition of Cannibal Holocaust, while not the best looking or boasting lots of extras, is truly uncut!

However, main highlight for me was meeting Al "Sex Gore" Simpson from the SexGoreMutants site. SGM was one of my first points of reference along with DVD Maniacs when I was first getting into horror and exploitation movies. Their reviews determined what I would spend my student loan on next. So I urge you all to check it out especially as they are about to bring out a new publication entitled "Living Dead: Glasgow". One to look forward to I'm sure.

Cult Movie Babe of the Month - Brigitte Lahaie

A personal favourite of mine! Brigitte Lahaie, perhaps the prettiest adult cinema star of all time. Totally natural, nothing fake and definitely no tattoos. They don't make them like this anymore.



For more info:

Brigitte's Movies at Sazuma

Internet Movie Database

French Biography of Brigitte Lahaie

Brigitte Lahaie Phototgallery - Rapidshare

Brigitte's DVD's at Xploited Cinema

Review - Sex and Fury (1973)

Sex and Fury (1973)

The Film:

What a blast this movie, just what a blast! Stop reading now and go buy this. Still here? Right, let’s get down to why this is one of the best genre releases of the year. Reiko Ike (from the “Sukeban” or Girl Boss series) plays Ocho, a gambler and pickpocket from Meiji Era Tokyo. After helping a local anarchist escape she encounters three bad guys who may be responsible for the death of her father years earlier, and on top of this she has the Yakuza after her as well after a card game goes badly wrong.

Adding to this extraordinary mix is Christina Lindberg (Thriller, A Cruel Picture) playing a European spy (also called Christina) with a real dodgy accent. Later in the movie Ocho has to play her at cards in order to stop a young virgin from being pulled into a life of prostitution.

We’ve got a nice complicated plot now, but does it matter? Hell no! There is just so much to enjoy including Ocho’s naked bloody swordfight which is worth the price of the DVD alone. Director Norifumi Suzuki has put together a fantastic piece of exploitation cinema, but a very classy one at that. The locations, costumes and cinematography are of a very high standard and you forget it’s an exploitation movie until the screen is full of naked flesh and ultra violence. When watching "Sex and Fury" at certain points you’ll be thinking “Ah, that’s where Tarantino’s influence for that scene in Kill Bill came from.”

Downsides? Not many, but its fair to say that if were not for the exploitation element that the film might get too complicated for its own good and our attention could wander. Also there is a comedy character that does not seem to fit in with the overall feel of the film. However we’re never far away from the next swordfight or flash of flesh and Ike and Lindberg are both a total joy to look at. So as the Clear O-Sleeve says “It’s the best film you’ve never seen.” I totally agree, highly recommended.

Video:

The anamorphic 2:35:1 image is a joy to behold with its strong and vivid colours. The original negative that this print was taken from must be in nigh on excellent shape as there is no visible print damage, and it looks like it was made yesterday.

Audio:

Just one audio option here and it’s the original Japanese Mono (clear and concise English subtitles are included). Once again it seems to be in great shape as the dialogue comes across very clearly and there is no sign of any hiss. In fact I’ll go so far and say its one of the best mono tracks I’ve heard.

Extras:

Included here are Poster and Stills galleries, a Bio for Norifumi Suzuki and Reiko Ike, a Bio and gallery for Christina Lindberg, the original theatrical trailer and some production notes. The audio commentary is provided by Chris D, author of the book “Outlaw Master of Japanese Film”. Panik House have encased all this in one of the best DVD cases ever. A transparent amaray houses the DVD with a “Clear O Sleeve” outer slipcase that goes over the main case. Also included is a sticker of Reiko Ike. Overall, a great film and cool DVD package that you simply must pick up. With the sequel “Female Yakuza Tale” out already (review coming soon) and the “Pinky Violence Collection” forthcoming, Panik House have set the bar very high and I for one cannot wait to see what they have for us in the future.

More info at Panik House Entertainment

Copyright © 2005 Nick Frame. All Rights Reserved

DVD Trash Upcoming Reviews

I will finally get round to putting some reviews online this week as this is my main aim with the site. So get ready for Panik House's "Sex and Fury" followed by Sergio Martino's "Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I have the Key" from NoShame.

Have been checking the stats sent to me from SiteMeter and DVD Trash is getting more and more traffic on a daily basis, so any comments or suggestions from you guys out there would be most welcome.

Cannibal Holocaust (R1) - October 25th

Well, its drawing closer, the official Grindhouse (owned by cult film fans, Bob Muraswski and Sage Stallone, yes Sly's son) Region 1 release of Cannibal Holocaust. The Italian Cannibal Classic from Ruggero Deodato will be released on October 25th. There have been versions released before in Spain, Holland and Italy, but not in the US. So US exploitation fans will be rubbing their hands in anticipation. In fact the new R1 version has many features that were on the AYP Italian release, including the new hour long Italian documentary, which will now be subtitled. Being of Italian stock I have this AYP DVD already and the documentary is excellent and full of interviews with the cast who all have much to say about this extraordinary film.

The Grindhouse DVD will include:

Limited Edition of 11,111

2 Disc SE
Hi-Definition Digital Restoration
Uncensored Director's Cut
Anamorphic Widescreen
Digital Stereo Re-Mix or Original Mono Soundtrack
Audio Commentary by Ruggero Deodato and Robert Kerman
Making of - 1 Hour Italian Documentary featuring rare behind the scenes footage
On Camera Interviews
Shooting Script
Liner Notes by Chas Balun
Trailers, Still Galleries and much more.

You can preorder from:

Amazon

Diabolik DVD

Xploited

For UK/Europe: Thrauma

Cult Movie Babe of the Month - Asia Argento

Will try and keep this a regular feature...

So for October, we'll start with Dario Argento's finest creation, no not Profondo Rosso, but his daughter, Asia, currently starring in George Romero's "Land of the Dead"

Pinky Violence, a Giallo classic and Gothic Horror

3 DVD's arrived this week from DVD Pacific:

• Sex and Fury (R1 - Panik House). Directed by Norifumi Suzuki and starring Reiko Ike and Christina Lindberg (Thriller, A Cruel Picture). Not watched this yet, but its been described as the best film you've never seen.
• Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (R1- NoShame) Giallo classic, Directed by Sergio Martino and starring Edwige Fenech (drool) and Anita Strindberg.
• A Whisper in the Dark (R1 - NoShame) Directed by Marcello Aliprandi and starring Joseph Cotton and the great John Philip Law (Diabolik)

42nd Street Forever: Volume 1 (US R1) - Nov 15th

I picked up a DVD a while back called “42nd Street Forever – Horror on 42nd Street” from Ban-1 Production. It was DVD full of exploitation and horror trailers from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Usually the trailers were better than the films themselves, but that is true today as well. Trailers included on the DVD were:

FREAKS
THE CRIPPLED MASTERS
THE MUTATIONS
AROUSED
SKIDOO
THE WILD SCENE
THE WILD EYE
THE ANIMALS
HOOKER'S REVENGE/PHOTOGRAPHER'S MODEL
VIGILANTE FORCE
DIXIE DYNAMITE
FIGHTING MAD
WELCOME HOME, BROTHER CHARLES
SHANTYTOWN HONEYMOON
THE HOUSE OF MISSING GIRLS
SINS OF THE DAUGHTER
SCHOOL GIRL BRIDE
JOSIE'S CASTLE
CHATTERBOX T
HE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE/I DISMEMBER MAMA
CARNIVOROUS
THE FOOD OF THE GODS
TALES OF THE BIZARRE
THE DEVIL'S RAIN
BLACK CHRISTMAS
THE CREATURE WITH THE BLUE HAND
MARK OF THE WITCH
MARK OF THE DEVIL PART 2
VIRGIN WITCH
WOMEN AND BLOODY TERROR
THE REVENGE OF THE BLOOD BEAST
WONDER WOMEN SAVAGE SISTERS
SALO, OR THE 100 DAYS OF SODOM

Unfortunately this DVD went OOP quite a while back as it was limited to only 1500 copies. BUT there is good news as Synapse Films have teamed up with Ban-1 to produce “42nd Street Forever: Vol 1”. If you are a fan of exploitation and horror movies (why else would you be here) then I urge you to pick up this DVD when it’s released on November 15th.
There are 2 early reviews for the DVD at DVD Maniacs and Mondo Digital so check them out.

Blue Underground in October

Blue Underground are following up their Blind Dead Collection with 3 more great titles this month.

First up is Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.

Color • 2.35:1 • 16x9 • 1970 • 96 Mins • Not Rated • $29.95 • Region Code: 0 • Disc 1: DVD9 • Disc 2: DVD5 • UPC 827058200899 • BU2008DVD • English: 6.1 DTS-ES; 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX; Dolby Surround 2.0; Original Mono • Italian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX; Dolby Surround 2.0; Original Mono

Director: Dario Argento
Stars: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno and Eva Renzi

Disc 1:
Audio Commentary with Journalists Alan Jones and Kim Newman
International Trailer
Italian Trailer
TV Spots

Disc 2:
Out Of The Shadows - Interview with Co-Writer/Director Dario Argento
Painting With Darkness - Interview with Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
The Music Of Murder - Interview with Composer Ennio Morricone
Eva's Talking - Interview with Actress Eva Renzi
Languages:
English
Italian
Optional Subtitles: English

Also we have Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye from Antonio Margheriti.

Color • Dolby Digital Mono • 2.35:1 • 16x9 • 1973 • 95 Mins • Not Rated • $19.95 • Region Code: 0 • DVD9 • UPC 827058106696 • BU1066DVD

Director: Anthony M. Dawson (Antonio Margheriti)
Stars: Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller and Anton Diffring

Extras:
Murder He Wrote - Interview with Co-Writer Giovanni Simonelli

Finally there is Strip Nude for your Killer from Andrea Bianchi which is one I have been really looking forward to. Its been available for a while from X Rated Kult DVD in Germany, but I've held off for the BU version. It's an excellent Giallo and it stars the lovely Edwige Fenech as the damsel in constant distress.

Color • Dolby Digital Mono • 2.35:1 • 16x9 • 1975 • 98 Mins • Not Rated • $19.95 • Region Code: 0 • DVD9 • UPC 827058106795 • BU1067DVD

Director: Andrea Bianchi
Stars: Edwige Fenech, Nino Castelnuovo, Femi Benussi and Solvi Stubing

Extras:
Strip Nude For Your Giallo – Interviews with Actress Solvi Stubing and Co-Writer Massimo Felisatti
Theatrical Trailer

NoShame DVD Titles on the way...

Italian DVD company NoShame have some great recently released titles that I urge you to pick up.

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key is one of Sergio Martino's best gialli starring the lovely Edwige Fenech, Anita Strindberg and Ivan Rassimov.

A Whisper in the Dark is a long lost Italo-Gothic classic directed by Marcello Aliprandi, starring Joseph Cotton and John Philip Law (Danger Diabolik, Sinbad). Looking forward to seeing this as it's a film I've heard much about yet never seen.

These are both on the way from DVDPacific and I'll put my thoughts about both on the site very soon.

NoShame have released some amazing DVD's over the last few months and DVDTrash will be looking back over them and seeing what is worth picking up (I'll give you a hint, just about all of them.)