Although facing tough
competition from VOD (Video-On-Demand) and numerous online streaming sites such
as Netflix, physical media (i.e. DVD and Blu-ray) has, in terms of sales at most
brick-and-mortar stores at least, slowed considerably over the years, but this
has resulted in most online retailers, and many of the Blu-ray companies
themselves, offering more and more interesting titles, many times in Limited
and/or Special Editions, some of which sell-out within mere days after being
released. Of course, it would be great if the major studios would release more
of their own back catalogues, although from a purely business standpoint, it really
doesn’t make much sense. But thanks to resourceful companies like AGFA, Arrow
Video, Blue Underground, Camera Obscura, Code Red, The Criterion Collection, Dorado
Films, Garagehouse Pictures, Indicator, Kino Lorber, Mondo Macabro, Scorpion
Releasing, Scream Factory, Severin Films, Subkultur, Synapse Films, and Vinegar
Syndrome, these small-but-dedicated labels have happily – and very successfully
– filled the void by licensing all sorts of previously unseen or barely-released
films. Some prime examples include Arrow Video’s stunning restoration of J.S.
Cardone’s THE SLAYER (1982) or,
thanks to Olive Films, long-forgotten oddities such as Terence Young’s THE KLANSMAN (1974) are finally turning
up, which has, until now, remained buried in the Paramount vaults. It’s inevitable that the marketplace will
change once again at some point in the future, but for now, the wealth of material
that continues to get released truly boggles the mind. The titles listed below are
but a mere fraction of the highlights, all of which, of course, come highly
recommended.
HIS GIRL FRIDAY [1940] (Criterion Collection) – A true American
classic celebrated for its rip-roaring dialogue and for Howard Hawks’ stroke of
genius by casting a woman (the unequaled Rosalind Russell) as a female reporter
at odds with Cary Grant’s Walter Burns. Criterion’s very impressive 2-disc
Blu-ray contains an amazing array of extras, including Lewis Milestone’s THE FRONT PAGE (1931), which was also
adapted from Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s play of the same name. As good
as Milestone’s film is, you’ll quickly realize what a maverick Hawks was for his
inspired bit of casting. The newspaper-styled liner notes booklet is also a
very clever touch.
THE NEW CENTURIONS [1972] (Indicator) – Sometimes referred to as (quote) “the force’s poet
laureate”, former cop Joseph Wambaugh adapted this to the screen from his own
novel, which details the life of a cop as seen through the eyes of rookie Roy
(Stacy Keach) and a grizzled, seen-it-all veteran named Andy Klivinsky (George
C. Scott). On the surface, it’s typical of most cop flicks, but what really
sets this film apart is Wambaugh’s authentic dialogue and details of life on
the force, which is beautifully grounded by Keach and Scott’s remarkable
performances. Debuting on Blu-ray, Indicator’s Dual Format DVD combo is a
great-looking transfer, which perfectly shows-off Ralph Woolsey’s scope
photography and Boris Leven’s realistic production design. The accompanying
thick (23-page) booklet is also a very welcome bonus.
SAINT JACK [1979]
(Scorpion Releasing) – Following AT LONG
LAST LOVE (1975) and NICKELODEON
(1976), a pair of big-budget flops, Peter Bogdanovich decided to try something
very different when he helmed this magnificent character study, which stars Ben
Gazzara as Jack Flowers, a pimp in ’70s Singapore who aspires to opening his
own brothel. While this was difficult to see for years in anything resembling a
decent version, Scorpion went back to the original negatives and created an all-new
HD Master, which looks spot-on. And to top it all off, numerous extras are also
included, comprising two audio commentaries from Bogdanovich and film historian
Ben Slater. Essential!
CATHY’S CURSE [1976] (Severin Films) – Long-relegated to
overflowing VHS bargain bins and ubiquitous, cheaply-produced DVD collections, Eddy
Matalon’s CATHY’S CURSE was given a
whole new lease on life with Severin’s superb, eye-opening new transfer. Infinitely
more enjoyable than ever before in this new incarnation, the film still remains
a loopy mess, but Severin have also included plenty of interesting extras,
including interviews with French director Matalon, as well as the film’s child
star Randi Allen and her mother Joyce Allen. As an extra-special bonus, Severin
have also included both the superior 91m director’s cut and the more familiar
82m U.S. cut. A terrific restoration indeed. Read review.
INQUISITION [1976]
(Mondo Macabro / Red Case Edition) – Thanks to a number of Blu-ray companies, 2017
was, without a doubt, the year of Paul Naschy. The first, and one of the best Naschy
releases of the year was this film, his directorial debut, set in 16th
century France. Naschy stars as Bernard De Fossey, an inquisitor sent to a
small town to try and stamp-out heresy, however, his own personal demons and
uncontrollable secret lusts soon begin to surface from within him... This
superb release features a pristine new HD transfer taken from the film’s
original negative and also incorporates a number of revelatory bonuses to help viewers
better appreciate this wonderful if brutal film. Read review.
BLOODY FRIDAY [1972]
(Subkultur Entertainment) – A true labour of love from the folks at Subkultur,
Rolf Olsen’s nasty/sleazy crime flick was taken from then-current headlines, and
is further boosted by Raimond Harmstorf’s no-hold-barred and completely non-PC
performance. Released in a number of previous video editions both in the U.S.
and Germany, the U.S. 2-disc Limited Collector’s Edition (as distributed by
Mondo Macabro) contains no less than three (!) different cuts of the film, plus
a substantial number of extras, including Sadi Kantürk’s exhaustive documentary
A Cold Day, which runs almost two
hours in length and interviews just about every still-living person associated
with the film! A pair of audio commentaries, very detailed restoration
documentaries, location tours and a number of trailers are also included, just
for good measure, making this a truly outstanding release in every way! Read review.
CRY OF A PROSTITUTE [1974] (Code Red) – Long-unavailable in anything approximating a
decent, English-friendly version, Andrea Bianchi’s uncompromisingly
mean-spirited crime-meller finally arrived on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red in a
very pleasing new transfer of the uncut version. In a scenario that
incorporates many a spaghetti western motif (including inevitable riffs on
Leone/Eastwood’s A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS
[1964]), Henry Silva plays Tony Anniante, a lone hitman who plays-off a pair of
feuding mob families against each other, while the whole film is liberally
suffused with plenty of scuzzily unforgettable action highlights. Directed with
assured control and style by Bianchi, this can easily be regarded as his best
film. Read review.
EXPLOSIVE EUROCRIME DOUBLE FEATURE (Dorado Films) – Following their first foray into the
Blu-ray market with a Jess Franco Double Feature, Dorado Films decided to next tackle
the world of Eurocrime with this stupendous set, featuring both Marino
Girolami’s SPECIAL COP IN ACTION (1976) and Mario Caiano’s
WEAPONS OF DEATH (1977), top-tier poliziotteschi both, which were long-overdue
for a proper release. Dorado’s very Limited Edition also contains a bonus DVD
of Alberto De Martino’s THE COUNSELLOR
(1973), a very cool mini-replica of the WOD
Italian pressbook, plus a couple of booklets featuring writings by genre go-to
guy Roberto Curti, author of the must-have reference volume Italian
Crime Filmography 1968-1980 (McFarland, 2013). Highly recommended! Read review.
DEATH LINE [1972]
(Blue Underground) – Having been previously released by MGM as a no-frills DVD,
Blue Underground recently went back to the original uncensored camera negative
and made a new 2K scan of this outstanding film, and the results are
extraordinary: it has never looked better!
Blue Underground’s Dual Format Blu-ray / DVD combo also includes a wealth of
new extras, including a lively audio commentary with director Gary Sherman,
producer Paul Maslansky and assistant director Lewis More O’Ferrell. Other
extras include numerous – very entertaining – featurettes, British and U.S.
trailers (under A.I.P.’s re-titling RAW
MEAT) and an excellent booklet with writing from Michael Gingold. A
terrific disc all around!
BEYOND THE DARKNESS [1979] (Severin Films) – In 2011, Shriek Show released a heavily-compromised
Blu-ray of this popular Joe D’Amato film, which was, quite frankly, a complete
waste of the format’s capabilities. Luckily, Severin Films subsequently acquired
the film, which is now in far better hands, and it shows. Easily one of
D’Amato’s best films, Severin’s Blu-ray looks just about perfect, and it puts any other release of BTD to shame. Naturally, the good folks at Severin have also loaded
their edition with a whole bucketful of special features, including Joe D’Amato: The Horror Experience, an
almost 70m doc about the film’s director, as well as throwing in the original
Cinevox soundtrack CD (featuring one of Goblin’s best scores) as an added bonus.
A definitive, must-have Blu-ray to be sure. Read review.
THE SLAYER [1982]
(Arrow Video) – Formerly a VHS staple, this atmospheric horror film pretty much
got bypassed during the DVD craze, save for a couple of dodgy releases, which
looked like nothing more than sub-par VHS rips themselves. Working with the
original camera negative, Arrow Video commissioned a new 4K scan, and the
results are spectacular, to say the least. It’s stunning work, which is further
bolstered by some wonderful special features, including numerous audio
commentaries, a thorough documentary on the film from Red Shirt Pictures’
Michael Felsher, location footage, and tons more. This is one of the finest
restorations of the year and one of Arrow’s most surprising releases. Read review.
TWO FEMALE SPIES IN FLOWERED PANTIES [1980] (Severin Films) – Never before made officially available
on U.S. or Canadian shores in any form, this hilariously odd and at times
vicious ‘spy’ adventure is Jess Franco at his most unpredictable. Definitely not one for the casual Franco viewer,
Severin Films have nonetheless packed their Blu-ray with oodles of goodies to
try and sway potential newbies into entering Franco’s web of sleaze and
espionage. Beginning with a typically rambunctious interview with Franco
himself, this is followed by a rare interview with Franco’s long-time composer
and collaborator Daniel White; a lengthy chat with Franco expert Stephen
Thrower, as well as the film’s awkwardly-narrated – if unforgettable – Anglo
export theatrical trailer. Severin goes on to further sweeten the deal with the
inclusion of a bonus DVD (included with the first 3000 units only) of Franco’s
alternate Spanish cut of the film, OPALO DE FUEGO (a.k.a. Merchants of Sex).
FANGO BOLLENTE
[1975] (Camera Obscura) – Released as part of CO’s long-running “Italian Genre
Cinema Collection”, Vittorio Salerno’s once difficult-to-see and
socially-significant Italocrime film has really been given the red-carpet
treatment. Joe Dallesandro stars as Ovidio, who, along with two pals, terrorizes
the city while a grizzled old detective (played by the director’s big brother Enrico
Maria Salerno, a true icon of Italocrime cinema) is determined to bring them
down. Also known as THE SAVAGE THREE, this still highly-prescient
film looks fantastic on CO’s Blu-ray
and, as usual, they have has also provided a very informative commentary, as
well as a couple of lengthy on-camera interviews with director Salerno and
actor Dallesandro. Read review.
DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING [1972] (Arrow Video) – Making its North American
Blu-ray debut, Lucio Fulci’s unique – and in many people’s opinions, best – film
has never looked better than it does here, despite the many trials and
tribulations involved in its restoration process. A giallo film of the highest order that very nearly transcends the
genre by mixing-in plentiful social/religious commentary into its controversial
storyline. As usual, Arrow Video include
a number of terrific extras, including a feature-length audio commentary from
Fulci expert Troy Howarth.
RAWHEAD REX [1986]
(Kino Lorber Studio Classics) – Adapted from a short story taken from Clive
Barker’s Books of Blood Volume 3 (1985), George Pavlou’s film was met
with much scorn (especially from Barker himself) upon its initial release in
’86, and despite lots of enthusiastic press (including an incredible cover for Fangoria
#61), the film died a quick death at the time. While flawed, RAWHEAD REX finally received a second
chance courtesy of the busy folks at Kino Lorber in an impeccable new transfer
and fully-stocked Blu-ray, which definitely sheds plenty of new light on this
solid, no-nonsense creature feature.
THE THING [1982]
(Arrow Video UK) – Following Scream Factory’s superb 2-disc Blu-ray from last
year, Arrow Video decided to release their own Limited Edition of John
Carpenter’s classic film, but while Scream Factory’s disc has plenty of
interesting and different extras, Arrow Video’s new 4K restoration from the
original camera negative (Scream’s 2K scan was taken from the Interpositive) is
a total stunner, and the real star of the show here. Plus, Arrow have also produced
some interesting new extras, including Who
Goes There? In Search of The Thing from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures and 1982: One Amazing Summer (again from
Ballyhoo), which covers some of the incredible genre films released that
summer. An excellent, fully-illustrated booklet is also included, as are eight
Collector’s Postcards, all of which come beautifully-packaged in yet another of
Arrow’s impressive hardboxes. Between last year’s impressive release from
Scream Factory and Arrow’s Limited Edition, fans of Carpenter’s enduringly
popular film have much to be thankful for.
BLOODBEAT [1983]
(Vinegar Syndrome) – Long-forgotten, this one-of-a-kind supernatural slasher flick
from French director Fabrice Zaphiratos – who shot the film out in the wilds of
rural Wisconsin, of all places – has, believe it or not, shown up on Blu-ray in
a Limited Edition release no less! Zigzagging wildly between telekinesis and
samurai killers (etc.), and boasting a wonderfully cheap synth score and much regional
non-acting, BLOODBEAT somehow manages
to coalesce into an unforgettable viewing experience. Restored from the
original camera negative in 4K, VS have also decked-out their LE with a number
of extras, which are every bit as interesting as the feature itself.
PAUL NASCHY COLLECTION II (Scream Factory) – 2017 also saw the release of the
first Paul Naschy Collection from
Scream Factory, which also housed five
Naschy films in glorious HD and, although it’s a marvelous set, all the titles
were previously released on DVD via BCI/Eclipse back in 2007/2008. With Volume
Two however, Scream have issued a number of previously-unreleased or otherwise
poorly-released titles (well, at least here in the U.S.) onto the Blu-ray
format for the first time. These include Javier Aguirre’s gruesome HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE (1972), Leon Klimovsky’s Italian-lensed Spanish giallo A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE (1973) and his take on Gilles De Rais, THE DEVIL’S POSSESSED (1974); Juan
Bosch’s EXORCIST rip-off, EXORCISM (1974), which did receive a quite excellent DVD from
BCI back in 2008; and finally, M.I. Bonns’ long sought-after THE WEREWOLF AND THE YETI (1975), which
might perhaps be better-known to some as NIGHT
OF THE HOWLING BEAST (its 1977 stateside theatrical release title from Sam
Sherman’s Independent-International Pictures). This new set features a couple
of highly-informative commentaries courtesy of Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn from
NaschyCast, and author Troy Howarth (who has a career-spanning book on Naschy
in the works via Wildside/Kronos [“WK”] Books as we speak). A wonderfully-written
booklet from Naschy expert Mirek Lipinski is also included.
TRAILER TRAUMA PART 4: TELEVISION TRAUMA (Garagehouse Pictures) – Following their incredible
2-disc TRAILER TRAUMA PART 3: ’80s HORROR-THON release, Garagehouse Pictures have decided to celebrate the
long-forgotten TV spots of yesteryear. Combining a whopping 269 tele-spots,
this ambitious compilation moves along briskly and is, quite possibly, the
fastest three hours you’ll spend in front of your TV. A perfect – and once
again, indispensable – follow-up to TT3.
Read review.
SUSPIRIA [1977] (Synapse Films) – Thanks to the
meticulous restoration from the perfectionists at Synapse Films, this eagerly-anticipated
Blu-ray of Dario Argento’s masterpiece can very easily be regarded as the definitive release. Argento’s
already stunning film looks absolutely gorgeous here. Supplemented by an incredible
array of extras, including the soundtrack CD and housed in a beautiful
Steelbook, Synapse’s new 40th Anniversary 4K restoration is a real
knockout! If you’re going to buy one Blu-ray this year, this should be it!
Needless to say, it would be
remiss of me not to mention the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA)’s exciting
new line of Something Weird Video titles on Blu-ray, Film Movement Classics’
impressive Joe Sarno Retrospect Series and Vinegar Syndrome’s Sexploitation
Signature Series, all of which triumphantly celebrate early sexploitation and/or
horror efforts.
AMERICAN GENRE FILM ARCHIVE (AGFA) – They burst onto the scene earlier this year with Tom
Hanson’s THE ZODIAC KILLER (1971), a
nutty, zero-budget take on the Zodiac murders that has a far more interesting
back story than anything occurring in its running time, and which is also nicely-detailed
on AGFA’s Blu-ray. In addition, they’ve also included Dave A. Adams’ bizarre,
almost incomprehensible, ANOTHER SON OF
SAM (1977), which, like the main feature, has also been scanned in 2K! Then,
later in ’17, they issued William Morgan’s Ed Wood-scripted girl-gang classic THE VIOLENT YEARS (1956), which included another great Frank Henenlotter audio
commentary with Wood biographer Rudolph Grey, as well as Boris Petroff’s public
domain mainstay ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO
(1961), mastered in 2K, no less (!), but then AGFA and SWV really blew people’s minds when they unleashed BAT PUSSY (197?) onto an unsuspecting public, an almost
inconceivable bit of sleazy hokum, which is also regarded to be one of the
first ‘porn parodies’ and amounts to one of the more (ahem) unforgettable ‘films’ you may see this year! And yeah,
there’s even an audio commentary from Lisa Petrucci and Tim Lewis from SWV; a
cool gallery of ‘crime-smut’ trailers, as well as yet another mysteriously-made
quickie, ROBOT LOVE SLAVES (1971). Mutha***kin’ incredible!
FILM MOVEMENT CLASSICS – In what promises to be an ongoing collection of
releases dedicated to the works of one-of-a-kind director Joe Sarno, Film
Movement has, thus far, released two volumes in this their ambitious series.
Volume One features a new 2K transfer of Sarno’s gothic horror tale VAMPIRE ECSTASY (a.k.a. THE DEVIL’S PLAYTHING, 1973), which was
paired-up with Anthony Farrar’s Sarno-scripted SIN YOU SINNERS (1963). VAMPIRE
ECSTASY producer Chris Nebe provides an informative audio commentary, while
other extras include interviews, trailers and a nicely-produced booklet of liner
notes with writing from Tim Lucas, who offers some insightful thoughts on the
films. Volume Two includes ALL THE SINS
OF SODOM (1968) and VIBRATIONS
(1968), two of Sarno’s best-realized films, which, as with Volume One, are also
supplemented by some wonderful extras, including an archival interview with
Sarno, an audio commentary with Sarno’s wife Peggy Steffens-Sarno and Tim Lucas.
VINEGAR SYNDROME
– Kick-starting their Sexploitation Signature Series with one of Joe Sarno’s
more alluring and distinctive films, 1966’s RED ROSES OF PASSION, VS’ 2K transfer from the original negative is
absolutely stunning, and although extras are sparse (a video interview with
Sarno historian Michael Bowen is included, however), the impeccable, near-perfect
transfer more than makes for up for it. Volume 2 included Bernard Hirschenson’s
THE PICK-UP (1973), a Crown
International-distributed title, which has been restored to its original cut.
Entitled PAZUZU, the film is most
certainly ripe for rediscovery, but the real kicker in this set is the inclusion
of Jerald Intrator’s ORGY AT LIL’S PLACE (1963), a William Mishkin-produced
sexploitation film co-produced and photographed by Hirschenson. With Volume 3,
Vinegar Syndrome delved into the world of Andy Milligan with SEEDS (1968), which can now be regarded
as one of his best films, especially in this new-and-heretofore-unseen
director’s cut, which comes as a true revelation. Presented as a double
feature, the disc also includes Milligan’s debut film, VAPORS (1965), which, like SEEDS,
has also been scanned in 4K(!). Featuring a shit-ton of extras, the set also
includes the more familiar sexploitation version SEEDS OF SIN. These are three amazing releases in what promises to
be one hell of a series!
HIGHLY-HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
ABSURD (88 Films), AMUCK! (Camera Obscura), ANTHROPOPHAGOUS (88 Films / Remastered
2nd Edition), THE APARTMENT
(Arrow Academy / Limited Edition), THE
BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (Arrow Video / Limited Edition), BLACKENSTEIN (Severin Films), THE BLOOD-SPATTERED BRIDE (Mondo
Macabro), BRAIN DAMAGE (Arrow
Video), THE CLIMBER (Arrow Video), DAY OF THE JACKAL (Arrow Video UK), DEMON WIND (Vinegar Syndrome), THE DEVIL’S HONEY (Severin Films), DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN
(Al!ve), DRIVE-IN MASSACRE (Severin
Films), FRANKENSTEIN ’80 (’84
Entertainment), GEORGE A. ROMERO:
BETWEEN NIGHT AND DAWN (Arrow Video); HACK-O-LANTERN
(Massacre Video / Limited Edition), HAMMER
VOLUME ONE: FEAR WARNING!
(Indicator), HOUSE: THE COLLECTION
(Arrow Video UK / Limited Edition), JESS
FRANCO TRIPLE BILL (Mondo Macabro), THE
KLANSMAN (Olive Films), MICKEY ROSE
(Indicator), MILDRED PIERCE
(Criterion Collection), ONE DARK NIGHT
(Code Red), THE PHANTASM COLLECTION
(Well Go), THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (Criterion
Collection), RE-ANIMATOR (Arrow
Video / Limited Edition), RUMBLE FISH
(Criterion Collection), THE SINBAD TRILOGY (Indicator), THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (Blue Underground
/ Limited Edition), SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF
A MINOR (Arrow Video), SWEET BABY CHARLIE
(a.k.a. THE SADIST, Code Red), TERROR IN
A TEXAS TOWN (Arrow Academy), THEY
SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY? (Kino Lorber Studio Classics), THE UNHOLY (Vestron Video Collector’s Series), WEB OF THE SPIDER (Garagehouse Pictures), THE WANDERERS (Kino Lorber Studio Classics), WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN (Twilight Time), A WOMAN’S TORMENT (Vinegar Syndrome) and THE YAKUZA (Warner Archive Collection).
