The Blood Spattered Bride (1972, Vicente Aranda)

Just released from Mondo Macabro is the 1972 Spanish Vampire film, The Blood Spattered Bride.  This is a film I have heard the memorable title numerous times over the years (and even had on DVD at one time), but for some reason never got around to watching.  Which is a shame, because this film featured so many of elements that I find key in a great horror film that I'm sorry I hadn't seen it sooner.

The Blood Spattered Bride is based on the nineteenth century Vampire story "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu.  The film centers on a newly married couple, young Susan (Maribel Martin) and her older husband (whose name is never revealed) played by the great Simon Andreu (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Under Suspicion).  Unsatisfied with the hotel they booked for their honeymoon, the couple end up at the husband's childhood home.  Susan begins having visions of a woman who tries to get her to kill her husband.  The husband finds a mysterious woman almost dead on the beach who he brings back to the house, which to Susan's surprise is the same woman invading her dreams.

Mondo Macabro handles this film with a lot of care and the result is stunning.  The film itself, sort of a gothic, giallo-esque vampire film, was very graphic, sexy and a lot of fun.  The cast plays their parts well and other than a senseless animal killing, is very gripping and keeps you guessing until the end.  One thing I kept noticing about the film was how every time you thought you knew what was about to happen, it took a turn in a different direction.  The quality of this blu ray is top notch, with a beautiful transfer and tons of new extras.

Special Features:

Region free worldwide Blu-ray premiere

Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative

English and Spanish language tracks with optional English subtitles

Audio commentary by Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan from the Daughters of Darkness podcast

Two-part interview with actor Simon Andreu

Interview with cinematographer Fernando Arribas

Interview with Jonathan Rigby, author of the book Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema

Three never-before-seen alternate scenes, and an alternate ending

Multiple trailers and radio spots

Buy The Blood Spattered Bride on Blu Ray from Mondo Macabro HERE

Cat O' Nine Tails (1971, Dario Argento)

Cat O' Nine Tails is a film that I love going back to because for some reason, I never remember many of the details.  I watched the film for the first time in early 2009 when I discovered the wild world of Giallo films.  Since then, I've seen countless gialli and would still call Argento the master.  His "Animal" trilogy (which includes this film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Four Flies on Grey Velvet) are some of the prime examples of the genre and pretty much laid the ground work for many films to come.  It was great to see Arrow release this film in a new limited edition set so I could re-watch it again.

A blind puzzle maker (Karl Malden) and his young niece recognize a man at the scene of a top secret research lab break in shortly before he "falls" in front of a train. They go to a newspaper reporter, Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus), to see if they are sure the death was accidental. As it turns out, the death was no accident and soon everyone who tries to help solve the crime ends up dead. Can they solve the crime before they end up victims?

Bravo again for Arrow Video for continually releasing newly remastered versions of some of the greatest cult films of yesteryear.  I can't get enough 70s Italian crime and horror films, and Arrow has been on fire with their selections.  Cat O' Nine Tails is no exception, with a beautiful new 4k restoration and a ton of new bonus features.  If you want to see a prime example of the giallo genre, you can't do much better than this.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

•        Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative

•        High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations

•        Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)

•        Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack

•        Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack

•        New audio commentary by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman

•        New interviews with co-writer/director Dario Argento, co-writer Dardano Sacchetti, actress Cinzia De Carolis and production manager Angelo Iacono

•        Script pages for the lost original ending, translated into English for the first time

•        Original Italian and international theatrical trailers

•        Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Candice Tripp

•        Double-sided fold-out poster

•        4 lobby card reproductions

•        Limited edition booklet illustrated by Matt Griffin, featuring an essay on the film by Dario Argento, and new writing by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes”

Pre Order from MVD HERE (release date is February 20, 2018)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978, John DeBello)

After a long break in review writing, I'm back with a film that I hold dear to me.  I still remember it clearly.  It was after a half day of school in 7th grade and I invited two of my friends over for lunch and to watch a video.  My mother drove us through the Wendy's drive thru in Natick, Massachusetts - only about a mile away from the Stop and Shop famously described in Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers' Roadrunner.  We then came back to my house to watch my friend's copy of a film he said was one of the funniest films ever made - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.  These two particular friends were always telling me about the classic films they would watch - Black Belt Jones, Avenging Disco Godfather, The Kentucky Fried Movie, etc.  Films I can tell they chose purely because of their preposterous names.  Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was no exception.  Admittedly though, at the time I wasn't prepared for these films.  I got some laughs but it wasn't until many years later that I would fully appreciate the fine art of B movies.

Here is where I generally write a short synopsis of the film in question.  Umm.  Ok.  Here goes.  So there are these tomatoes, some large and some small, which somehow become sentient and attack and kill people.  A special team is put together by the president, led by Mason Dixon (one of the few laughs the film got from me the first time I watched it) to kill the tomatoes.  Oh, I have to also mention that there is a song in the film called Puberty Love by Ronny Desmond, which is important to the film's climax.  Being a fan of the burgeoning early 90's grunge movement, my 13 year old self was stoked when he read that the voice of Ronny Desmond was actually Matt Cameron, drummer for Soundgarden (and later Pearl Jam).

Obviously the plot of this film is wafer thin, but it's the way it is pulled off that makes it the cult classic that it has become.  The use of then popular inside jokes, movie parodies and other low budget zaniness turns Attack of the Killer Tomatoes into one of the finest cinematic spoofs I've ever seen.  I mean, the film may not compare to some of Mel Brooks' spoofs, but it kept me (at least my 37 year old self) laughing though the entire 87 minutes.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes comes to Blu Ray in an awesome 2 disc special edition from what may become my new favorite line of films - MVD's Rewind Collection.  I've been a fan of MVD's output for a long time, but this new line (which includes probably my favorite Punk film of all time - D.O.A.: Right of Passage) looks like something I will definitely be salivating over.  Awesome VHS like packaging and a huge slew of extras make this Blu Ray a must have for any Cult film fan.

Special Features:

• Newly remastered 4K digital transfer of the film
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of film (1.85:1)
• Original 2.0 Mono Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
• Audio commentary from writer/director John DeBello, writer/co-star Steve Peace, and 'creator' Costa Dillon
• 3 Deleted Scenes
• 'Legacy of a Legend' (SD,14:13) is a collection of interviews, featuring John DeBello, Costa Dillon, film critic Kevin Thomas, John Astin, Steve Peace, Jack Riley, and D.J. Sullivan and more!
• 'Crash and Burn' (3:40, SD) is a discussion about the famous helicopter crash that could have killed everyone because the pilot was late on his cue
• 'Famous Foul' (2:21, SD) is about the San Diego Chicken and his role in the climatic tomato stomping ending
• “Killer Tomatomania' (4:33, SD) is a smattering of interviews with random people on the streets of Hollywood about the movie
• 'Where Are They Now?' (2:51, SD) fills viewers in on what the cast and crew have been up to over the past couple of decades,
• 'We Told You So!' (3:07, SD) takes a hard-hitting look at the conspiracy of silence surrounding the real-life horror of killer tomatoes
• “Slated for Success” (1:57, SD) featuring Killer Tomato Slate Girl
• “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” (the original 8mm short film) (with optional audio commentary) (17:35, SD)
• 'Gone with the Babusuland' (the original 8mm short that inspired Attack of the Killer Tomatoes) (with optional audio commentary) (32:28, SD)
• Original theatrical trailer (SD)
• Production design photo gallery
• Radio spots

Purchase this film from MVD HERE

Swinging Cheerleaders (1974, Jack Hill)

Jack Hill is one of those directors I heard of through Quentin Tarantino. The first time I heard the name was in an article in either FHM or Maxim that listed the best Grindhouse movies (right after Tarantino/Rodriguez's Grindhouse came out). The list included either (or maybe both) The Big Bird Cage and The Big Doll House. It may have included more of his movies too. After that, I watched a special feature on the Reservoir Dogs dvd, which was a biography on Jack Hill. I had remembered reading about some of his films and now I was very interested. The first of his films that I watched was Coffy with Pam Grier, one of the hottest female action stars I had ever seen. Shortly after I watched The Big Bird Cage and Switchblade Sisters, which I also enjoyed very much. The Switchblade Sisters dvd had a trailer for The Swinging Cheerleaders and it definitely piqued my interest.

The Swinging Cheerleaders is about a college football team which has the potential of being undefeated. One of the prize players, Ross (Ric Carrott) is dating a cheerleader (Rainbeaux Smith) who won't go all the way. Buck (Ron Hajek), the star quarterback, is dating Mary Ann (Colleen Camp), the lead cheerleader. A young radical named Kate (Jo Johnston) tries out and makes the cheerleading squad in order to write a paper exposing how cheerleading exploits women. She soon finds out that the Coach, one of the Professors and Mary Ann's father, who is also the Dean of the School, is rigging the games to make a fortune gambling.

The thing that I love about Jack Hill's films is that there is so much going on, so much character and story development that you forget you are watching a sleazy low budget exploitation film. They have lots of nudity, drugs and profanity but they also have great stories and interesting characters. The Swinging Cheerleaders is no exception. Most of the acting was appropriately over the top (this is a good thing) and the story moved along at a nice pace. Throw in some beautiful cheerleaders and some action and you've got the winning Swinging Cheerleaders.  I would have to say that this probably gets my vote as my favorite Jack Hill film.

Arrow's new release is chock full of goodies.  Here is a full list of extras for this director-approved special edition:

·         Brand new 2K restoration from original film materials

·         High Definition (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD Presentations

·         Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

·         Audio commentary by writer-director Jack Hill, recorded exclusively for this release

·         Brand new interview with Jack Hill

·         Archive interview with cinematographer Alfred Taylor

·         Archive interview with Hill and Johnny Legend

·         Q&A with Hill, and actors Colleen Camp and Rosanne Katon recorded at the New Beverly Cinema in 2012

·         TV spots

·         Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

Pre-Order Swinging Cheerleaders from MVD HERE

Death Walks Twice (Arrow Video, 2016)

Arrow Video is really making us Giallo fans happy!  These somewhat forgotten Italian films from the 70's featuring a mysterious killer (usually disguised in some manner), lots of nekkid women and enough blood to fill a swimming pool really deserve another chance.  And luckily we have Arrow to come to the rescue.  I had seen both of the films in this collection - Death Walks on High Heels and Death Walks at Midnight - several years ago and they both stuck out as shining examples of the genre.  The director Luciano Ercoli is a favorite of mine, directing the brilliant giallo Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion and the Polizioteschi Killer Cop (aka La polizia ha le mani legati).

Death Walks on High Heels (1971) stars Italian screen great Frank Wolff (Once Upon a Time in the West, The Great Silence) as a doctor who is obsessed with a stripper named Nicole (Susan Scott aka Nieves Navarro - Ercoli's wife).  After being attacked by a masked man, Nicole accepts the doctor's proposal to run away to England.  Her boyfriend (Simon Andreu) isn't pleased and tries to find her, while the masked man does too.

Death Walks at Midnight (1972) also stars Susan Scott as Valentina, a model who witnesses a murder while under a hallucinogenic drug given to her in a clinical study.  Though initially laughed at, it soon turns out that a murder recently happened the same way as what she had seen and she finds herself being chased by the same man who she saw in her hallucination.  She must save herself while trying to figure out who is trying to kill her and why.

These two classics are a must have for any giallo fan.  They have all of the familiar aspects of the genre and excel at every one.  Nieves Navarro is one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen and the supporting cast is great too.  Of the two, Death Walks on High Heels is the more "classic" example of the genre, while Death Walks at Midnight stretches the familiar trappings and is more original.  I can't say which I prefer more as they both had so many good qualities.  Arrow's release here is nothing short of amazing, featuring everything you could expect and more.  In this limited edition set, we get different versions of the films, commentaries, interviews, a booklet and a beautiful new artwork (and the original artwork as well).  Full list of extras below:


LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

·         Limited Edition boxed-set (3000 copies) containing Death Walks on High Heels and Death Walks at Midnight

·         Brand new 2K restorations of the films from the original camera negatives

·         High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations

·         Original Italian and English soundtracks in mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-rays)

·         Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks

·         Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks

·         Limited Edition 60-page booklet containing new writing from authors Danny Shipka (Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France), Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films) and writer Leonard Jacobs, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS

·         Audio commentary by film critic Tim Lucas

·         Introduction to the film by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi

·         Newly-edited archive interview with director Luciano Ercoli and actress Nieves Navarro

·         Master of Giallo – brand new interview in which Gastaldi discusses Death Walks on High Heels and offers up his thoughts as to what constitutes a good giallo

·         An interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani

·         Original Italian trailer

·         Original English trailer

·         Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

DEATH WALKS AT MIDNIGHT

·         Audio commentary by film critic Tim Lucas

·         Introduction to the film by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi

·         Extended TV version of the feature [105 mins]

·         Crime Does Pay – brand new interview in which Gastaldi discusses Death Walks at Midnight and a career script-writing crime films

·         Desperately Seeking Susan – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the distinctive giallo collaborations between director Luciano Ercoli and star Nieves Navarro

·         Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

Purchase this film directly from MVD HERE

Dillinger (1973, John Milius)

I LOOOVE gangster films.  From classics like Scarface to The Untouchables to old Black and White Noir films like The Public Enemy, Kiss of Death and White Heat, I can't get enough Gangster films.   Though the story of Dillinger has been told before (and since), John Milius' Dillinger (recently released from Arrow Video) is one of the best, bloodiest and most realistic.

Dillinger avoids any real back story about the legendary character before we see him and his gang start blowing people away.  Warren Oates stars as the man himself, who goes on a bank robbing rampage in the 1930's with his gang of criminals including, Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton) and Harry Pierpoint (Geoffrey Lewis).  They eventually meet up with Pretty Boy Floyd (Steve Kanaly) and Baby Face Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss) while being pursued by FBI Agent or "G-man" (short for Government man) Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson) who will stop at nothing to end Dillinger's reign of terror.  During his travels, Dillinger also shacks up with Billie Frechette (Michelle Phillips).

Dillinger gets my vote for being one of the most realistic crime films I've ever seen.  The fights, falls, and the bullet wounds look so brutal and realistic and given Milius' almost news footage-like film making, it just adds to the verisimilitude.  The cast is a dream come true for 70s cult film fans.  Oates, Stanton, Lewis, Dreyfuss and The Mamas and the Papas' Michelle Phillips (who in my opinion is one of the most beautiful creatures I've ever set eyes on).  Stuffed with some nice extras, Arrow's release is a must see for 70s cult and action film fans.

Full list of extras:

-Brand new 2K restoration of the film from original film elements
-High Definition (1080p) Blu Ray and Standard Definition DVD presentations of the film
-Original mono soundtrack (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-Ray)
-Optional English Subtitles for the dead and hard of hearing
-Audio commentary by Stephen Prince, author of Savage Cinema and Screening Violence
-Newly-filmed interview with producer Lawrence Gordon
-Newly-filmed interview with director of photography Jules Brenner
-Newly-filmed interview with composer Barry De Vorzon
-Stills Gallery
-Theatrical Trailer
-Reversible Sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
-Collector's booklet containing new writing by Kim Newman on fictional portrayals of John Dillinger, plus an on-set report containing interviews with writer-director John Milius and others, illustrated with original production stills

Purchase this film directly from MVD HERE

Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion (Arrow Video, 2016)

Coming April 4th from Arrow Video is the book Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion, which serves as a nice literary piece to compliment the wonderful Cult films they've been releasing over the past year in the US and past several years in the UK.  The wonderful thing about Arrow's discs are that they include booklets - something most companies (the ones who actually still release physical media) have stopped long ago.  Arrow also manages to get the most knowledgeable writers on the subject to write these booklets, so this book (which includes reproductions of some of their booklets along with brand new essays) is perfect for cult film fans.

Starting with an introduction by filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Kill List, A Field in England), Cult Cinema brings us on a journey through the world of fringe cinema,.  Broken into five sections, the book leaves few stones unturned when it comes to all things Cult.  The first section focuses on Cult Films, including everything from Roger Corman's gothic classic The House of Usher, Dario Argento's giallo masterpiece Deep Red to Joe Dante's horror comedy The 'burbs.  We also get some Fulci, De Palma and Battle Royale.  Next sections focus on the directors and actors, including everyone from Cronenberg, Craven, Kaufman (Lloyd that is), to Romero and Karloff, Price, Meiko Kaji and Pam Grier.  Lastly, we have Cult sub-genres (Giallo, Spaghetti Westerns, Food Horror, Canuxploitation, etc.) and Distribution (Super 8, Video Nasties to the Asian DVD Explosion).

If you don't see your favorite director/actor/sub genre listed above, don't fret.  It's probably included somewhere because this massive book has a little bit of everything.  Reading about the different sub genres (Pornochanchada!) was really interesting and brought to light many facts I was unaware of.  Even the works about directors I have read so much about all had interesting tidbits of information I had never read before.  My favorite parts of the book were probably the Video Nasties (which still fascinates and horrifies me and I'm not even in the UK!) and the Christmas Horror sections.  This book sold out very quickly over in the UK and probably won't be around much longer in the US, so I suggest you pick up a copy very soon.  You won't regret it.

Purchase this book directly from MVD HERE