SEX APOCALYPSE - BLU-RAY REVIEW

In 1975, following the death of Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco, and decades of accumulated repression, several Spanish filmmakers took advantage of this newfound liberation and embarked on a succession of modest, intensely sexual programmers. Incorporating large doses of sex and/or violence into their sleazed-out, pulpy scenarios, this freedom from censorship or “legal vacuum” eventually led to the introduction of the “S” classification, a new rating that warned of a possible “offence to the viewers’ sensibility.” In Alain Petit’s indispensable tome Jess Franco: ou les prospéritiés de bis (Artus Livres, 2015), author Petit discusses this prolific period in his review for Franco’s MACUMBA SEXUAL (1982) as “rich and interesting” and “a period during which Jess had free reins and wasn’t under the stranglehold of producers and censors alike – a sort of Golden Age.” With small budgets, faster-than-normal shooting schedules and quick turnarounds, several producers, directors and actors were not only earning a comfortable living for the next few years (the legalization of hardcore pornography in 1983 pretty much ended this creatively fertile period), but were honing their filmmaking skills as well. Director, screenwriter, and actor Ricard Reguant (interviewed elsewhere on this disc) likewise commented on this trend: “It was a time of great apprenticeship”, but also cheekily admits, “It was all a bit sleazy.” Well, more nadirs of human behaviour are plumbed in Carlos Aured’s SEX APOCALYPSE (1982) than in any number of Spanish cult films, and by virtue of its look and overall tone, this may be the quintessential example of a “S Clasificada” film. 

 

Upon securing a large unused villa, Clark (Ricardo Díaz) and his band of enterprising criminals (which also includes Ajita Wilson and Jess Franco’s wife and muse Lina Romay) hope to obtain a one-million-dollar ransom after abducting the daughter (Katy Ballari) of a wealthy businessman. As they wait to coordinate an exchange, this highly oversexed gang of opportunists can’t wait to shatter their hostage’s “sheltered, genteel upbringing” and turn her into the “most depraved slut in town.” But in a sudden turn of events, the young woman begins to fall for Clark (an obvious nod to the real-life Patty Hearst case, even if, the opening film-noir-styled narration compares the events to the Manson murders), which raises the already simmering tensions among this close-knit group to boiling point…

 

Peppered with various nuggets of existentialist, porno-fueled dialogue (“We’re evil, depraved daughters of life!”) and plenty of idealistic – yet frequently lopsided - social commentary (“We have nothing against you. We’re only against the respectable members of the vile, corrupt society you belong to!”), Clark seems determined to overturn society’s status quo, but his morose countenance gives the impression of someone that has given up the fight. Finding solace in the arms (and thighs) of his captive, much of the narrative concerns itself with psychological stress and a transferral of loyalties within the gang, and this central idea of two ‘enemies’ drawing closer to each other is an interesting one, but everyone is so unlikeable, you can’t even root for its supposedly sympathetic characters. Ultimately, the film exists solely for sexual titillation, so don’t expect any positive messages or niceties (the film’s mandatory moralistic coda is laughable) cause you won’t find them here. However, Aured serves everything up with such scuzzy, unapologetic gusto, that it keeps you watching. It’s utter depravity that we’re here for, and that’s what we get!

 

For anyone that has suffered through Video Search of Miami’s smeary, decades-old VHS of this outrageous sexploitationer will be absolutely gobsmacked at the clarity and picture-perfect presentation of Mondo Macabro’s Blu-ray. Disc one features the film’s preferred Spanish cut from a “brand new 2K restoration of the “S” rated version of the film from the original negative,” which looks exceptional with rich, nicely-balanced colours, and razor-sharp detail ensuring you’ll see every bead of sweat on all the writhing body parts. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Spanish mono audio track with optional English subtitles also sounds very good, even if, much of the ‘action’ comes from the film’s canned soundtrack, which is rife with raucous guitars, synthesizers, and plenty of horn sections. 

 

The plentiful extras begin with a much-welcome and informative audio commentary from author Troy Howarth and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, who provide the necessary context related to “S” films, and some of the similarities to US made roughies (an exploitation genre that also mixed sex and violence in a controversial manner), which eventually “filtered into European productions.” They also refer to this film as a “chamber piece” with a cast of “eurosex all stars of the early ’80s”, which leads into an enthusiastic discussion about Romay’s prolific career, her uninhibited nature, how she went into a “different dimension on camera”, the “insanely photogenic pairing of Wilson and Romay”, and several of Wilson’s other sexploitation films she made throughout Europe. Of course, they also discuss director Carlos Aured and the “short but brilliant run of horror films he made with Paul Naschy”, which for the record, include HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972), CURSE OF THE DEVIL (1973), BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL (1974), and THE MUMMY’S REVENGE (1975). Given the different versions that have circulated on home video, they also talk about the alternate hardcore variants of popular Eurocult films and some of the directors that ventured into this still-controversial area including Jess Franco, Joe D’Amato, Jean Rollin, and even modern-day auteurs such as Lars Von Trier and Gaspar Noé. As a nice bonus, MM’s 2-disc limited edition also includes a whopping 106m hardcore version [!], which has been compiled using various VHS sources, and while it’s great to see all the differences, the sheer padding of the extended sex scenes and close-ups of people’s nether regions become tiresome very quickly. Unlike the long-drawn-out hardcore version, Howarth’s and Thompson’s commentary is a fast-paced, enjoyable listen, which comes highly recommended!

 

The other extras on MM’s disc are no less significant and include Richard Vogue – The History of “S” Cinema (45m42s), an on-camera interview with the aforementioned Ricard Reguant who provides a very thorough history of these sex-filled extravaganzas (and their eventual decline) including his time working with trailblazing “S” directors Enrique Guevara and Ignacio F. Iquino (“Everything was a disaster with him!”) and how they managed to develop a “formula to deceive audiences.” He also has plenty of amusing anecdotes about director Andrea Bianchi (“He was a somewhat difficult person.”), director Guevara, and the tireless Italian hardcore actress Marina Frajese. In Carlos Aured Cinema as Survival (30m45s), Aured biographer Miguel Ángel Plana is interviewed via zoom wherein he talks about Aured’s early love of films, how he worked his way up in the industry, and how he landed on one of veteran director León Klimovsky’s crews. He also discusses Aured’s long-standing relationship with Paul Naschy, and the quartet of horror films they made together, the Sadean aspects of SEX APOCALYPSE and how much it borrows from Klimovsky’s earlier SECUESTRO (1976), which also starred Paul Naschy. Lastly, the limited edition set also contains a fantastic 20-page booklet with an excellent – and very detailed - essay from Spanish film critic Ismael Fernandez, which sheds even more light on the film, and the entire “S” film genre. 

 

Oozing sheer, undiluted sleaze, Carlos Aured’s SEX APOCALYPSE is certainly not for all tastes, but Mondo Macabro’s pristine Blu-ray easily ranks alongside some of the label’s most unforgettable and eye-opening releases to date! Order it from Mondo Macabro’s big cartel site.

THE GREAT ALLIGATOR - 4K UHD REVIEW

Perhaps more befitting its Argentinean title, CROCODILO – A FERA ASSASSINA (“Crocodile – The Killer Beast”), Sergio Martino’s THE GREAT ALLIGATOR (1979) has unfortunately garnered a very poor reputation over the years, and while we don’t pretend to be expert herpetologists here at Unpopped, the film’s rather misleading English-language export title, which can’t seem to differentiate between that of an alligator or crocodile, is definitely amusing to say the least. But you take what you can get, as they say, and THE GREAT ALLIGATOR has plenty to like about it, especially via Severin’s outstanding UHD/BD combo, so cut it some slack, okay? 

Shot in the jungles of Sri Lanka (the year previous Martino had directed the substantially more gruesome cannibal picture, THE MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD[a.k.a. SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, 1978] in the same locales), this cost-conscious, thinly-veiled pseudo-“Jaws” imitation stars Claudio Cassinelli as Daniel Nessel, a photographer who is hired to take publicity shots for Paradise House, a new resort located deep in an unspecified jungle, which also has to contend with a highly superstitious tribe of natives living nearby. Although referred to as a “conservationist’s dream” by Joshua (Mel Ferrer), the owner of this tropical getaway, he maintains the natives are “good peaceful folk”, and that Paradise House has “a total respect for the ecology,” but in the very next scene, Joshua’s unscrupulous modus operandi becomes glaringly evident as more of the surrounding rainforest is cut down. While Daniel’s working relationship with Joshua is often a strained one, which keeps them frequently embattled with one another, Daniel seeks support with the resort’s manager Ali (Barbara Bach), who just happens to be an anthropologist as well, which will come in handy as the natives deliver a curse on the interloping foreigners in the form of Kruna, a giant man-eating croc… 

 

Similar to many of the emerging jungle cannibal adventures of the late ’70s (Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST [1979] was shot the same year halfway around the world), THE GREAT ALLIGATOR is also replete with some superfluous if poignant social commentary about the harmony of nature and the ever-increasing encroachment of civilization on the natural world. Martino and his cadre of scriptwriters admirably illustrate just how deeply-entrenched the indigenous cultures are intertwined with the environment, tribal lore and mythology, but once “the great God of the river” manifests itself as a giant croc, which has a penchant for offing minor cast members regular as clockwork, this intriguing set-up is lessened. As expected, Daniel and Ali continue to be at loggerheads with Joshua, leaving formulaic dialogue to bear the burden of instilling tension and suspense (e.g., “What in the hell has gotten into those damn savages!”), and when the giant croc is finally revealed for too long a stretch, the impact is likewise cheapened care of some painfully obvious miniature work, which will surely become lodged in your brainpan afterwards, either for its resounding shoddiness or endearing ingenuity. 

 

In keeping with the film’s exotic motif, the film also pays reference to Adalberto Albertini’s hugely-successful BLACK EMANUELLE (1975) and its many sequels and spin-offs. Cassinelli’s character is a prominent fashion photographer, who is even accompanied by a stunning ‘exotic’ black model named Sheena (Geneve Hutton), whom he photographers in various outdoor shoots; and just like Emanuelle, Sheena also has a nocturnal riverside tryst with one of the locals. Here making his third appearance for Martino after THE MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD and ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN (a.k.a. SCREAMERS, 1979), Cassinelli again stars as a man of cast-iron integrity, who forges an alliance with Barbara Bach, his co-star in ISLAND who also comports herself once more with feminine dignity even as she is abducted by the local tribe as a potential sacrifice. Wearing some snappy attire and a humourless barracuda grin, Mel Ferrer is also well cast as the ruthless developer, who will stop at nothing to see his “pilot experiment” come to fruition, plus Ferrer dubs his own voice in the English version, which always adds an aura of believability to the role. Having previously starred in the aforementioned ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN, British thespian Richard Johnson (who starred the same year in Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE [1979]) also appears herein with a hilarious, over-the-top bit-part as a former missionary and lone survivor after an earlier run-in with this “demon.” 

 

Although released on U.S. videotape in the ’80s via Gorgon Video, this was one of the company’s more obscure, lesser-seen VHS videocassettes, which didn’t do the film any favours, reducing Giancarlo Ferrando’s lush, carefully-composed photography (easily one of the film’s strongest assets) into a heavily-cropped, incoherent mess. However, for those that could afford it or find dubbed-down copies, the Teichiku videocassette from Japan retained the film’s proper 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Outside of some early European disc releases, the film’s first North American DVD came in 2005 via the long-defunct No Shame Films, where it was renamed THE BIG ALLIGATOR RIVER, a literal translation of the film’s Italian title. This disc includes a nice anamorphic transfer (which finally allowed most viewers to appreciate Ferrando’s dynamic camerawork) and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio in English and Italian, the latter with English subtitles. Extras include In the Croc’s Nest (34m55s), a solid interview with Martino who discusses working on the film, the slowly declining film industry at the time, and working with many of his favourite actors. Production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng (credited on the film as Antonello Massimo Geleng) also shows up to give us his thoughts on the film and working alongside Martino. Other extras include the film’s English and Italian trailers (both 2m48s), a brief photo gallery (1m00s) and a 15-page liner notes booklet with writing on the film by Richard Harland Smith and Matthew Weisman. In 2011, the still-mysterious and highly dubious MYA Communications released the film as ALLIGATOR, which includes the very same transfer along with the same audio options (albeit without the benefit of English subtitles on the Italian track), minus all the extra features. 

 

In 2017, Code Red released the film on BD, and the image herein is very clean with a pleasing depth of field and plenty of detail not seen in earlier standard definition editions. Unlike No Shame’s DVD, audio is offered in English only and sounds just fine in this DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track especially when Stelvio Cipriani’s propulsive score is heard.  Extras include the aforementioned In the Croc’s Nest, and several other featurettes including 3 Friends and an Alligator (15m55s), which is a nice panel interview with special effects guru Paolo Ricci, set and costume designer Massimo Antonello Geleng and DP Giancarlo Ferrando wherein they casually reminisce working on the film, the various “problems of making it credible”, the special effects, the copycat nature of these productions, and some of the film’s newcomers including Lory del Santo (who provides some very brief, but requisite cheesecake) and Anny Papa. In Alligator Rock (16m30s), camera operator Claudio Morabito relates lots of funny anecdotes during the shoot and admits that the “crocodile could have turned out better”, but also misses making many of these “much simpler, much more thrown together” films; he also fondly remembers actor Claudio Cassinelli whom he regards as a “good, well-rounded actor.” In Shooting Underwater (7m18s), DP and underwater photography specialist Gianlorenzo Battaglia discusses the difficulties of shooting in water, his background as a scuba diver, and how he became a specialist in his field. The film’s theatrical trailer (2m51s) and trailers for some of Code Red’s other product conclude the extras. 

 

Earlier this year, Severin Films brought the film to UHD, and the image quality is even more impressive with naturalistic colours and superb detail, which adds even more vibrancy to the picture – it really looks fantastic. The only extra on the UHD disc is the film’s English-language export trailer (2m58s). The second disc (a Region A locked Blu-ray) also contains the feature-length film and all of the film’s extensive special features, which begin with Down by the River (10m42s), a terrific new interview with Sergio Martino conducted at the Severin office wherein he talks about the imitative nature of these films and how popular they were the world over. He also humbly states that it’s “not one of his best films” but he enjoyed travelling the world and working in Sri Lanka despite the “terrifyingly humid conditions.” In Minou (16m34s), the always charming Silvia Collatina (best remembered for her role in Lucio Fulci’s gothic masterpiece THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY [1981]) is given a chance to speak about her time on the film as a child actor, which she does with great fondness. It was her first trip overseas, and she admits it was a “pretty wild experience”, which at times felt like a “school trip.” She developed a good rapport with both Cassinelli and Barbara Bach, while Martino was the “father/director” whom she says was always “very calm with his actors.” In Later Alligator (16m48s), Massimo Antonello Geleng returns to discuss the film’s relatively “comfortable shoot”, which was done entirely at the hotel where the entire cast and crew were residing. He also remembers the vicious mosquitos, the challenges of building everything the story called for, the film’s interior shoots at De Paolis studios in Rome, and the “scarcity of available assets” on location in Sri Lanka. In the brief, but very welcome Alligator Land (6m12s), signore Geleng returns yet again to discuss all of his striking artwork, concept art, and promotional art related to the film. In Paradise House – Christianity and the Natural World in Sergio Martino’s The Great Alligator (18m48s), the late – and sorely missed – Lee Gambin contributes a visual essay, which points out the film’s Christian belief system and how it has its “foundation in the planet”, the role of commerce and the detriment it has on the environment and the natural order, ecohorror in general, zenophobia, and more in this wonderful and well-thought out essay.

 

Thankfully, Severin have also ported over 3 Friends and an Alligator (16m19s, which includes far more legible English subtitles), while Beware of the Gator (16m28s) and Underwater (7m18s) are the same interviews from Code Red’s earlier disc with Claudio Morabito and Gianlorenzo Battaglia, respectively. The same trailer from disc one is also included. 

 

Ignoring its obvious imitative streak and humble origins, THE GREAT ALLIGATOR is professionally constructed and makes for great entertainment, especially via Severin’s superb UHD/BD package. Order it directly from Severin Films (which includes an exclusive slipcover) or DiabolikDVD.

TONY ARZENTA - BLU-RAY REVIEW

In addition to being director Duccio Tessari’s third Italocrime offering (that is, if you consider his earlier perfect caper-gone-wrong film THE BASTARDS [1968] and his crime-infused giallo DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT [1970] Eurocrime pictures), TONY ARZENTA (1973) became a sizable hit in many markets, and, as with Stefano Vanzina’s THE EXECUTION SQUAD (1973), and Enzo G. Castellari’s HIGH CRIME (1973), was a major influence on a whole crime wave of ’70s Italian actioners. The film’s popularity was also no doubt precipitated by the presence of French superstar Alain Delon as the title character, but unlike the subsequent – and numerous - Italian vigilante cop shoot-’em-ups of the era, TONY ARZENTA possesses a distinctly different tone, and it’s sparse, tightly-controlled narrative is at times not unlike the works of celebrated director Jean-Pierre Melville.

As he did so effectively in Melville’s LE SAMOURAÏ (1967), Delon once again stars as the familiar laconic, methodical hitman, who has sickened of his lifestyle, and decides to leave the Mafia controlled syndicate run by Nick Gusto (Richard Conte). When Nick asks why he is choosing to retire, Tony laments, “One of these days I’m going to stop a bullet, and my kid will figure he’s gotta pay somebody back”, but Nick quickly retorts, “You don’t walk out of the business. Either you stay in or they carry you out!” Of course, the syndicate capi refuse to accept Arzenta’s retirement proposal, which of course, unleashes a torrent of Mafia reprisals, betrayals and plenty of ultraviolence…

 

First seen celebrating his son’s birthday with his wife (Nicoletta Machiavelli) and family friends, Arzenta leaves the party early to rub-out an intended target, but no sooner has the gunsmoke cleared, he returns to the normalcy of his family home, tucking his son into bed like any good father would. Arzenta is a man of few words, but he is both thoughtful and tender with those he loves, yet coldly systematic with persons who mean nothing more to him than a paycheck. Arzenta’s moral duality is well reflected by Tessari and his DP Silvano Ippoliti who generate some evocative imagery, including a seemingly desolate, fog-enshrouded Milan and various starkly-cut interiors (helped along by Lorenzo Baraldi’s coolly modern set designs), which are effectively juxtaposed with the sunny – and far more hospitable - climate of Arzenta’s Palermo family home, where he frequently confers with his mother (Carla Calò) father (Corrado Gaipa). Gianni Ferrio also contributes a haunting main theme (as sung by the incredible Ornella Vanoni), whose lyrics further echo Arzenta’s self-negating existence as a friendless, disposable outsider, and that of a once loving family man. 

 

Beautifully paced with some terrifically tensile moments, TONY ARZENTA is an unsparingly violent film, and Arzenta makes for a ruthlessly efficient killing machine who is equally skilled with either a gun, garotte or switchblade, and who is quieter than the silencer of his large-calibre handgun. Although reliant on more credible human drama, action erupts at perfectly-timed intervals and is suitably tough and gritty. In one particular standout scene aboard a train, Arzenta kills his intended victim in a most spectacular fashion that rivals anything seen in a giallo whodunit or Dario Argento picture. In between his numerous precision-timed hits throughout Europe, the film also includes a couple of flawlessly staged car chases with Delon performing some of his very own stunt work. 

 

Further highlighted by uniformly strong performances from an impressive roster of supporting players, former Hollywood star Richard Conte excels as the honour-bound mob boss of an impeccably organized directory of professional criminals. In an interesting dynamic, his character has developed an almost father / son-like dynamic with Delon’s calculating hitman, which adds plenty of impact as the narrative progresses. Further supporting players include Roger Hanin as Carré, an overly cruel and misogynist mob boss who would want nothing more than to be rid of Arzenta without any fuss (“Arzenta is just a piece of dogshit I want wiped off my shoe!”), and who also derives sadistic pleasure out of constantly abusing his girlfriend Sandra (“I don’t keep you around here just to play with yourself!”), played by the always fascinating Carla Gravina. In one of the film’s toughest, and most difficult to stomach scenes (which was shortened in many English-speaking prints), Gravina is viciously beaten by three goons (“Get rough with ’er!”) as they wait for Arzenta to return to his hideout. Like Carré, Anton Diffring is also equally reprehensible as the Copenhagen connection Hans Grünwald, a racist with Nazi proclivities, whose blonde hair and blue eyes cannot hide his black heart, who, even at the risk of sacrificing potential profits, refuses to do business with “those blacks” in Morocco. Other future Eurocrime repeat offenders include Marc Porel as Arzenta’s only friend Domenico Maggio, Giancarlo Sbargia as Arzenta’s other “friend,” Lino Troisi as mob boss Cutitta, Ettore Manni as a swindling capo, Silvano Tranquilli as the incorruptible Interpol officer Montalli, Erika Blanc as a bruised and battered prostitute, and Rosalba Neri in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her bit part as Cutitta’s wife. 

 

Although distributed theatrically in the U.S. as NO WAY OUT via Cinema Shares International Distribution Corporation, TONY ARZENTA never received a North American VHS release, and outside of Creazioni Home Video’s Italian language videotape (which popped up in several North American ethnic video stores in the early ’90s), this was a difficult title to see during the video era. For those that could locate it, Eion’s Japanese VHS videocassette featured an impressive widescreen transfer for the time, and it was in English to boot. In 2003, the film was released on Japanese DVD by King Records as part of their “Style of Italian Action Films” collection, and although it contained both Italian and English audio tracks, the non-anamorphic widescreen transfer left plenty of room for improvement. In 2022, Germany’s Explosive Media debuted the film on Blu-ray as a 2-disc Region B limited edition mediabook, which was a substantial upgrade over previous standard definition releases. Disc one included the ‘International Cut’ (112m57s), and showcased a new restoration, which had plenty of visible texture, a healthier colour palette, and more pronounced black levels; although it must be said, occasional scenes still seemed slightly soft, but this of course may be a product of Ippoliti’s at times distinctive photography. A German-language audio commentary with film historian Leonhard Elias Lemke was included, but without the benefit of English subtitles, it was not reviewed. Disc two included the film’s German theatrical cut (96m36s), which seemed to be on par picture-wise with the longer cut, but was not English-friendly. The brief extras on disc two included a decent photo gallery, and the film’s Italian theatrical trailer (3m34s). The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono tracks were in English, Italian and German on the longer cut, and German only on the shorter German theatrical cut of the film. The handsomely-designed mediabook also included a nicely illustrated 40-page booklet with writing from Steffen Wulf, but alas, it too was only in German.

 

Earlier this year, UK-based Radiance Films finally brought this top-tier Eurocrime film to English-speaking audiences with their Region Free BD, which touts a “new restoration, presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK” that includes the film's longer cut, and looks very comparable to Explosive Media’s earlier Blu. Once again, despite a few image inconsistencies, it all looks quite appealing with a well-balanced colour scheme and detail that is well delineated. Both English and Italian audio options (with optional English subtitles) are included in uncompressed LPCM 2.0 mono, both of which have modest depth and sound perfectly fine. While some differences are evident between the two audio tracks, most of the principal cast is speaking English, so the English audio is definitely preferable. However, a couple of brief scenes (including the extended beating of Sandra), which were not included in the original English-language export version, the film reverts to Italian with English subtitles. English SDH subtitles are also included.

 

For their release, Radiance have curated several interesting special features beginning with a scene-specific audio commentary with Fragments of Fear’s Peter Jilmstad who discusses in great – and very welcome - detail the “diverse and accomplished supporting cast”, which he believes affords the film a “much richer experience”, but he also takes the time to talk about the film’s unique production design including many of the film’s “modernist flats” and “sleek offices”, as well as a thorough production history of the film itself; it’s a great listen and Peter never fails to educate and entertain. Other extra features include an archival interview from French television with actor Alain Delon (12m08s) wherein he discusses his role as a producer because he reached “a tipping point of sorts as an actor,” his three working periods with directors Luchino Visconti, René Clément and Jean-Pierre Melville, and moving forward with “young cinema.” In Not a Gangster, Not a Cop - The Eurocrime Genre’s Other Professions (11m13s), crime film historian Mike Malloy and director of the superb documentary EUROCRIME! THE ITALIAN COP AND GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE ’70s (2012) discusses films “that broke the formula” and did not focus on either gangsters or cops, but instead gave attention to “lone wolf characters” in films he aptly describes as an “every man movie.” Beautifully produced and tightly cut, this is a fascinating featurette, which also includes a wide variety of eye-popping stills and posters, and is a must-watch for any Eurocrime aficionado. The film’s Italian theatrical trailer (3m50s) finishes off the extras. As is the norm, the initial print of 3000 copies includes the removable OBI strip and a 20-page liner notes booklet with writing on the film by Leila Wimmer, which provides an excellent summary of Alain Delon’s wide-ranging career both as an actor and producer.

 

While TONY ARZENTA does follow a fairly predictable pattern of impersonal mob etiquette and retribution, it stands as gripping experience nonetheless and remains one of Delon’s grittiest and best Eurocrime pictures, which is finally afforded a proper English-friendly home video release. Highly recommended! Pre-order direct from Radiance Films or DiabolikDVD.

BURIAL GROUND - 4K UHD/BD REVIEW

Produced in the wake of George A. Romero’s worldwide smash hit, DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and Lucio Fulci’s equally popular Italian cash-in ZOMBIE (1979) – which were promoted in Italy as ZOMBI and ZOMBI 2, respectively – Andrea Bianchi’s BURIAL GROUND (1980) was just one of many zombie pictures trying to capitalize on the sudden surge of all things zombie. Other films, such as Bruno Mattei’s NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES (a.k.a. HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD, 1980) – which even had the audacity to pilfer Goblin’s memorable DAWN score – Umberto Lenzi’s CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD (a.k.a. NIGHTMARE CITY, 1980) and Marino Girolami’s unforgettable cannibal / zombie mash-up DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D. (a.k.a. ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST, 1980) soon followed and, as enjoyable as they all are, nothing can match the sheer gusto and sleazy vibe of Bianchi’s low-budget zombie opus. 

The set-up – such that it is – is pure porno trash: a group of weekend vacationers gather together at a large villa, but unbeknownst to them, the resident Professor (Renato Barbieri) has discovered a secret about the ancient Etruscans (“It’s true! It must be! IT MUST BE!!!’), and for reasons unclear, they begin to emerge from the centuries-old graves to munch on the unsuspecting guests. 

 

Crass and undeniably silly, Bianchi’s film does not indulge in any sociopolitical messaging and simply exists for one purpose only: to show people getting slaughtered and eaten by crusty-faced zombies, and on that level, it succeeds brilliantly. Shot at the Villa Parisi, a big foreboding castle located just north of Rome in Frascati, this was a popular location for many film crews, which producer Gabriele Crisanti utilized to full effect while helming a series of now infamous low-budget sleaze shockers, including Bianchi’s MALABIMBA (1979), Mario Landi’s PATRICK STILL LIVES (1980), and Mario Bianchi’s MALABIMBA follow-up SATAN’S BABY DOLL (1982). Imposing and bleak, this once-prominent stately home looks about as decayed as the zombies are, which definitely adds to the sinister atmosphere, and Bianchi doesn’t hesitate for a second to take full advantage of it either. Delving into heaping piles of steaming viscera, these shuffling, maggot-infested zombies almost seem to be part of the villa’s crumbling façade, and prove that death is inescapable for our luckless guests. Adding to the generally weird and morbid tone is Berto Pisano’s (here credited as Burt Rexon) and Elsio Mancuso’s pilfered score (parts of which were originally used in Romain Gary’s KILL! [1971]), which perfectly encapsulates the delirious nature of this impoverished production as it alternates between breezy jazz cues and some truly bizarre, discursive, but energetic synth work; a CD release would be most welcome.

 

Populated by an interesting cast of Italian B-movie veterans, which includes softcore starlets Karin Well and Antonietta Antinori, Simone Mattioli (Franca Stoppi’s husband and co-star in Bruno Mattei’s THE OTHER HELL [1980]), Gianluigi Chrizzi, Roberto Caporali, Maria Angela Giordano as the hysteric, but resourceful Evelyn (dubbed on English prints by the always wonderful Carolyn De Fonseca), and of course the insanely creepy-looking Peter Bark as Evelyn’s son Michael. Scripted by the incredibly prolific Piero Regnoli, who is responsible for well over one-hundred writing credits (including Lenzi’s aforementioned CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD and Bianchi’s MALABIMBA), his work herein doesn’t bother to even try and attempt to develop anything of any real substance, most of the cast isn’t given much to do except battle zombies and sputter an inordinate amount of preposterous dialogue (“You look just like a little whore, but I like that in a girl!”), which most hardcore fans of the film can readily quote. However, a typically perverse subplot interspersed among the zombie mayhem involves Evelyn’s son Michael and his rather questionable ‘feelings’ towards his Mother, which culminates in one of the film’s more audacious and unforgettable moments of any Italian horror picture.

 

Long available on home video since the VHS rental days, BURIAL GROUND first appeared on video store shelves in the U.S. and Canada in 1986 thanks to Vestron Video’s easily accessible VHS videocassette, and although it was uncut (beware of heavily-cut versions in Canada!), the overly dark transfer left much to the imagination during key scenes of violence. Around the same time, a very nice (and much brighter) widescreen VHS tape emanated out of Japan via TCC Home Video, which was pretty much the gold standard at that time. Although available on European DVD during the format’s early days, BURIAL GROUND made its official debut on U.S. DVD in 2002 courtesy of Media Blasters’ sub-label Shriek Show, which presented a decent, but somewhat drab-looking 16x9 transfer, which, like the Japanese tape, also included the film’s original export title THE NIGHTS OF TERROR. Extras included interviews with Maria Angela Giordano and the not very-enthusiastic Gabriele Crisanti (11m00s), a still and poster gallery (2m57s), the film’s original English-language export trailer (3m28s), and a 4-page liner notes booklet with writing from AV Maniacs’ Charles Avinger and European Trash Cinema’s Craig Ledbetter. In 2011, Shriek Show revisited the film on Blu-ray, which was definitely a step-up in picture quality, if certainly not what everyone was hoping for, but – in an even more frustrating turn of events – this BD contained a slightly shorter version of the film, trimming the ends of reels or certain shots altogether (excisions totaling some 1m45s), and even though the gore was left intact, it’s a fairly significant amount of footage, to be sure. Retaining all the extras from the DVD, the BD also contained a number of previously unseen deleted scenes (albeit presented with no sound, 9m30s), which were definitely a nice bonus, and sweetened the package just a little. In 2013, German label Illusions Unlimited had their go at the film - complete with packaging housed in one of those slick mediabooks – but it turned out to be a port of the SS Blu, containing the same extras, minus the deleted scenes. 

 

In 2016, as part of their long-running ‘Italian Collection’, British label 88 Films issued their own Region B disc, which turned out to be the most pleasing edition to date. Remastered from the original 16mm camera negative, colours were rich and robust, and 88 Films’ new transfer possessed a healthy amount of natural grain and excellent detail throughout; plus, it finally reinstated all those missing trims from the SS disc. Extras included an audio commentary with former Giallo Pages editor John Martin and Calum Waddell, which of course, focuses on the film’s bowdlerized release in the U.K., VHS collecting during the Video Nasty era, an overview of “journeyman” director Bianchi, the surge of Italian zombie films that emerged out of Italy at that point in time, and their general lack of enthusiasm for the film itself. Other extras included What the F***? The Films of Andrea Bianchi (26m40s), wherein author Mikel Coven takes a look at Bianchi’s interesting career, the aforementioned deleted scenes, the film’s trailer, and as an added bonus, 88 Films have also provided an alternate version sourced from a 35mm ‘Grindhouse’ U.S. print, which runs a tad shorter (84m21s) due to the abbreviated BURIAL GROUND credit sequence. Reversible packaging and a nicely-illustrated booklet with liner notes from Waddell round-out the extras. Both English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks are included on the restored version with English subtitles provided for the Italian audio track.

 

Later that same year, Severin Films released their own separate BD (the first 3000 copies included a slipcover with Wes Benscoter cover art) and DVD releases. As good as the 88 Films BD was, Severin’s disc looked even better, which appeared slightly darker, but with more pronounced, authentic colours and nicely textured grain, which looked especially good during all the film’s gory close-ups of rotted flesh. The excellent disc also came loaded with several fascinating new extra features beginning with Villa Parisi – Legacy of Terror (15m47s), in which film critic Fabio Melelli takes the viewer on a detailed tour of the famous location used in a number of classic (and some not-so classic) Italian films. In Peter Still Lives (7m35s), actor Peter Bark is part of a short, but delightful Q&A at a film festival, while actor Simone Mattioli doesn’t to seem to recall a whole lot about the film in Just for the Money (8m57s), but he does remember having quite a bit of fun on set. In The Smell of Death (9m20s), the aforementioned interviews with Giordano and Crisanti have been properly re-edited together for a much smoother and tighter viewing experience, and even though it’s not listed on the packaging, the deleted scenes have also been included, while the film’s now familiar English export theatrical trailer finishes things off.

 

In 2023, 88 Films debuted this scrappy Italian trash classic as a 2-disc UHD / BD combo, which was scanned in 4K (!) from the “best surviving element (35mm blow-up interpositive)” and looks even better than their previous HD remaster with a more pronounced colour scheme and sharper detail. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks also sound crisp and clear, and once again English subtitles are included for the Italian audio track. The aforementioned John Martin and Calum Waddell audio commentary is carried over, but 88 Films also commissioned a new audio commentary from Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, and authors Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani, which is far more in depth and appreciative of the film even as they venture into many different – and pleasing – tangents about Italian horror in general and their love for this singular Italian horror film. Some of the many details they discuss include Bianchi’s wide-ranging career and some their favourites films including his violent mafia actioner CRY OF A PROSTITUTE (1974) and the wonderfully sleazy STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975), but all agree that BURIAL GROUND is his “biggest accomplishment”, but they also admit that some of this should be rightly attributed to producer Crisanti who Ercolani regards as “the unsung hero of this film” and a “pivotal figure” of late ’70s Italian sleaze. Of course, they also discuss the film’s location at length, which was regarded as the “villa of Z-movies”, Peter Bark’s brief career and his juicy role herein, and how he became an “object of mystery” who was eventually found working in a fetish nightclub “being brought around in a collar and leash!” Further discussions include the “campy vibe” of the English dub track and the many familiar voice talents involved, the inherently sleazy atmosphere of the entire production, the film’s quirky score and the film’s talented composer Berto Pisano, numerous other Italian zombie films of the time and this film’s unique place within the genre, it’s “nihilistic” nature, it’s bizarre incestuous subplot and how producers were taking advantage of the “loosening of censorship”, the overall “nightmarish quality” and “showstopper” finale, and just how much fun Bianchi was having with the material. Overall, this is another intelligent and highly enjoyable audio commentary from this always knowledgeable trio, who have quite a bit of fun here, adding plenty of value to this already entertaining film. 

 

On the Blu-ray, other extras include Return to the Burial Ground (13m51s) from Eugenio Ercolani wherein Peter Bark (a.k.a. Pietro Barzocchini) divulges all sorts of cool anecdotes about the film's shoot, with Ercolani giving the viewer even more shots of this ornate villa as it stands today, which is real treat for fans of the film or Italian horror in general. In The Borders of the Extreme (22m44s), Ercolani discusses the film at length putting it into perspective within the ever-changing world of Italian cinema of the ’70s and ’80s, while Pierpaolo De Sanctis discusses Berto Pisano’s diversive and rather curious career in Zombies in Melodies (27n58s). 88 Films have also included the previously mentioned What the F***? The Films of Andrea Bianchi, the deleted scenes, the film’s trailer and the alternate ‘Grindhouse’ U.S. print. Slickly-packaged, the limited edition set also includes a slipcover with art by Devon Whitehead, a two-sided fold-out poster, and a liner notes booklet with writing on the film by Martin Beine and Daniel Burnett. 

 

Earlier this year, Severin Films released their own UHD, which utilizes the same 4K restoration and looks superb; North American fans should find plenty to appreciate. Naturally, both English and Italian audio options are once again included with the latter featuring English subtitles. As with the 88 Films disc, both audio commentaries are also included, and the film’s trailer finish off the extras on the UHD, whereas the BD includes all of the extras featured on Severin’s previous disc as well as Ercolani’s Return to the Burial Ground featurette. This 2-disc set also includes a beautiful slipcover featuring original art from the film, and they even offer The Death Smells Bundle, which also includes a newly-commissioned T-shirt from Pallbearer Press and one helluva pillowcase! 

 

As usual, Severin’s UHD upgrade of this no frills, primo gut-cruncher is another must have, but no matter which edition you may choose, it’s great to see Bianchi’s picture endure after all these years, emerging as one of the great all-time Italian trash classics. 

GO GORILLA, GO! - BLU-RAY REVIEW

Based on a story by powerhouse writing duo Massimo De Rita and Dino Maiuri, responsible for some of Italy’s most engrossing and upscale Italocrime films such as Carlo Lizzani’s BANDITS IN MILAN (a.k.a. THE VIOLENT FOUR, 1968), Sergio Sollima’s VIOLENT CITY (a.k.a. THE FAMILY, 1970), and Enzo G. Castellari’s THE BIG RACKET (1976), to name just a few, Tonino Valerii’s GO GORILLA, GO! (1975) is yet another exceptional effort, which not only provides star Fabio Testi with one of his best ever roles, but it’s also one of Valerii’s grittiest and emotionally intense pictures. Never officially released in North America, German label FilmArt have given this largely underseen film its due with a much-needed – and English-friendly – HD release, which should be at the top of any Eurocrime enthusiast’s must-have list.

 

In Rome, wealthy and high-strung industrialist Gaetano Sampioni (Renzo Palmer) becomes the target of a growing criminal trend wherein (pressbook quote) “a new method of making people pay” is devised. The film’s pressbook goes on to explain that “without actually kidnapping it is made clear that if the money is not paid up you will be severely punished”, but Sampioni refuses to give in to these demands. Enter Marco Sartori (Fabio Testi), an ex-stuntman who is forced to give up his career due to a job-related accident, so he’s hired by his professional bodyguard friend Ciro Musante (Al Lettieri) as un gorilla – Italian street slang meaning bodyguard – to give round-the-clock protection to Sampioni. Given his client’s increasingly stubborn and belligerent disposition, the frequency and intensity of the threats begin to increase, so at the behest of Marco, Sampioni sends his daughter Vera (Claudia Marsani) out of the country. In retaliation, Marco is brutally beaten by members of the pseudo-kidnapping ring, so Sampioni finally gives in and elects to pay, but Marco quickly retorts, “If you pay them once, you’ll never get rid of them!” As a precaution, Sampioni is then falsely ‘kidnapped’ and taken out of harm’s way by Marco and his kid brother Piero (Saverio Marconi), so they alone can end these threats and violent reprisals, which results in double-crosses, divided loyalties, and a botched swoop-down on the kidnappers by commissario Vannuzzi (Adriano Amidei Migliano) and his Flying Squad… 

 

As with many polizieschi of the time, GO GORILLA, GO! is essentially a contemporized spaghetti western, which should come as no surprise coming from a director of several prestigious oaters. The turbulent streets of Italy at that point in time (“Criminals reflect the society they live in.”), which were awash in a sea of criminality, political upheavals, and corruption, mirrored the lawlessness of the western frontier where disputes were almost always settled with violence. Much like Giuliano Gemma’s character in Valerii’s exemplary political western THE PRICE OF POWER (1969), Testi’s character is a lone unsinkable island of integrity, and his increasingly desperate efforts to protect his client severely tests his courage and convictions to their very core. Testi, a former stuntman himself who also starred in Castellari’s aforementioned THE BIG RACKET and Lucio Fulci’s uncompromising CONTRABAND (1980), gives another highly credible performance as the frustrated bodyguard who finds his newfound profession utterly humiliating (“It’s a question of dignity.”) falling several notches lower than a toilet-cleaner on the totem pole of social respect, who is regularly belittled even by the very people he protects. When Sampioni’s controlling nature begins to take its toll, Marco vehemently replies: “You get protection! That’s all! My thoughts are my own!” Despite the general disrespect afforded to him, Testi’s character can just as readily waive the rulebook, and when the chips are down, he has no qualms about beating down his opponents or even shooting them down in cold blood. 

 

Briskly paced, Valerii and his stunt team orchestrate several nail-biting moments including a messy car chase wherein Marco is forced off the street and beaten senseless by a carload of goons, and in one of the film’s most nerve-wracking scenes, a yo-yo ride inside a floorless elevator, which severely tests Marco’s mettle. Further punctuated by several bursts of unglamourized violence, which includes genre fave Luciano Catenacci getting pulverized by Marco, and thrown through a giant plate-glass window, whereafter another character has his legs repeatedly crushed by on onslaught of motorcycle-riding thugs. Later, during the film’s incredible high-speed shootout between a hijacked commuter train and a Giulia cop car, an old man is creamed at a railway crossing while one hijacker has his brains messily blown-out through the back of his head. Testi, performing all his own stunts, really earns his paycheck during the finale as he transfers from car to train to face off with the bandits in a western-like showdown, all of which is all tied together by the ever-reliable triumvirate of Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi and Vince Tempera, whose superb score is rife with ‘70s funk rock stylings, which effectively echo Marco’s steadily mounting tension, and later desperation. 

 

Outside of foreign VHS videocassettes from either Italy, Germany or Greece (where it was released by J.P. Video Productions under its alternate English-language export title THE HIRED GUN), GO GORILLA, GO! was a difficult film to see for most English-speaking viewers. During the DVD era, the film was released on Italian disc by Mustang Entertainment, but of course it too wasn’t English-friendly. Featuring a “brand new 4K restoration”, this Region Free disc marks the film’s HD debut, and it certainly looks far superior than anything that has come before it, which highlights superior clarity and definition, and sports a natural amount of normal film grain; a big improvement overall. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono tracks feature German, Italian and English audio, and while it’s always nice to have to have the English dub track (which features familiar voice talent such as Michael Forest, Ed Mannix, Robert Sommer, and Ted Rusoff), the audio is noticeably hissy (most likely taken from a VHS source), but all of the film’s action highlights, violent punch-ups and gunfire, still sound effective enough. In a nice gesture, optional German and English subtitles are also included. The brief extras include an unrestored version of the film, complete with surface scratches, dirt, and several other imperfections, which seems rather pointless, but it’s here just the same for those that enjoy seeing it this way. Other extras include the film’s Italian opening credits (1m31s), The Italian closing credits (58s) and a cut comparison (1m34s) of the shortened Italian version.

 

Limited to 1000 copies and housed in FilmArt’s customary DVD-sized red keepcase (which also includes a 14-page booklet with nice colour reproductions of the film’s Italian locandina, due fogli, various fotobusta and pressbook), this is a very welcome release of a solid film, which is enlivened by some dynamite sequences of intense physical action and a rock-solid performance by Fabio Testi. GO GORILLA, GO! should not be missed! Order it at DiabolikDVD.