THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME - BLU-RAY REVIEW

Quote from a translated Italian newspaper ad, which promises “the shocking truth” and “an indictment against society.” Given the film’s brutal subject matter, it’s no surprise Renato Savino’s THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME (1976) was “prohibited to minors under 18-years of age.”

 

One of the more obscure “youths run wild” films, this is yet another urban crime story ripped directly from blood-soaked Italian headlines during the turbulent Years of Lead (1968 – 1982), a period characterized by numerous terrorist attacks and unprecedented acts of violence from across the political spectrum. One such case, which took place in 1975 between the 29^th and 30^th of September in Circeo, a beach resort town outside Rome, involved a trio of affluent youngsters from Parioli (a northern suburb of Rome) who abducted, tortured and raped two women, Donatella Colasanti and Rosaria Lopez. Although Colasanti survived her ordeal, this crime of brutal violence sent shock waves of outrage throughout the country and media. As with the present title, Sergio Grieco’s and Massimo Felisatti’s VIOLENCE FOR KICKS (1976) and Marino Girolami’s ROMA, L’ALTRA FACCIA DELLA VIOLENZA (1976) were likewise derived from the same shocking news story. 

 

Although Savino’s film is a fictional account of said factual incident, the film attempts to gain some authenticity by employing a documentary-like pre-credits sequence. Reporting on juvenile delinquency through a series of on-the-spot interviews with real-life citizens, Savino accurately reflects on the current dilemma plaguing Italy at the time. “We have reached a point of no return.” Remarks one frustrated citizen, while another surmises that tougher laws need to be implemented. 

 

Using the above headline as a prime motivator, Savino’s film chiefly focuses on a band of Neo-fascist, bourgeois punks led by Marco Garroni (Gino Milli), a true sociopath who represents the extreme far-right in its most negative incarnation. Huddling together in their spacious Nazi-themed subterranean hideout, this group of Pariolini teens (one of the film’s few authentic details to the real-life events) either talk politics (“I cannot be fascist because fascism is just pseudo-socialism.”) or plan their next anarchic crime spree in the hopes of subverting the prevailing political order. While their headquarters seem almost comically over-the-top with swastikas and giant posters of Adolf Hitler adorning each and every wall, Savino does however, emphasize the bitter contrasts between the Haves and Have-Nots, which is constantly reiterated throughout the film. Although occasionally forced by circumstance to join forces, Schizzo (Emilio Locurio) and his gang of proletarian hooligans must eke out a living as scippatori stealing whatever they can, including sandwiches or roast chickens for their next meal, whereas Marco dines on wine and gnocchi at a swish restaurant. A by-product of wealthy, but emotionally loveless parents who either trade-off genuinely demonstrative familial affection with either material possessions or protection from the law (“You’ve done a robbery… You know what it cost to get you out of that?”), Marco and his gang are very much at odds amidst the working-class Roman neighbourhoods driving around in his father’s classy Jaguar XJ, which does come in handy following an attempted robbery, where he and his gang test the limits of their power knowing full well they are beyond the law and above suspicion. 

 

Exceedingly cynical in its general tone and outlook, which seems to revel in the very sex and violence it’s purportedly condemning, THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME is a picture so exploitative and so unlikable (which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it!), it’s impossible to root for any of the characters in the film. Although Schizzo’s gang subsists as petty thieves, which even includes the spontaneous theft of a motorcycle, Savino’s does instill some depth of character and pathos when Schizzo is seen scrounging for food, but then quickly shatters that illusion when he and his gang rape a woman and beat-up her boyfriend in lover’s lane. As if answering some unspoken desire of the director himself, even one of the film’s many rape victims (Cristina Businari) begins to enjoy her ordeal, after which she vehemently extols the virtues of being forcibly taken, “It’s violence which excites us to the most extreme limits!” In essence, Savino merely gives us his take on the events leading up to that fateful act of violence or “extreme limit,” which involves the brutal re-enactment of the Circeo Massacre that is difficult to forget. Ultimately, the film offers no solutions to a complex sociological problem other than a quick afterthought flashed across the screen by film’s end, “We’ve shown you what could happen. What are you going to do to stop it?” which, if anything else, plainly reveals Savino’s right-wing sympathies.  

 

Despite large doses of sex and violence, THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME was mainly intended for domestic consumption whose very Italian perspective must have seemed like a real handicap for foreign exporters, so it should come as no surprise that even on home video, the film never made it out of Italy. Released on Italian VHS by PCX Home Video, which included a decent widescreen transfer of the film, it eventually made the jump to DVD in 2005 courtesy of Italy’s Surf Video as part of their “Serie Z” sub-label, but this nice-looking edition was once again not English-friendly. Skipping forward 20-years, boutique label Terror Vision decided to issue this “problematic” film on Blu-ray, in what is easily the film’s definitive release. “Scanned and restored in 2K from its original camera negative,” TV’s region free Blu looks immaculate, delivering a solid, detailed image that really brings out the film’s heretofore unseen colour palette, while accurately depicting the grim surroundings of the eternally divided Eternal City. The Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track is also consistently clear without any issues to report, while the optional English subtitles provided by Eugenio Ercolani and Francesco Massaccesi, no doubt replicate the Roman dialect as precisely as possible. 

 

In view of the film’s tricky nature, Terror Vision have put together several interesting extras to help put everything in context beginning with an audio commentary from Italian cinema experts Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti where they discuss everything from the film’s “broad-term” English translation of the film’s title, the “watershed moment in Italian culture” that inspired the film and Renato Savino’s short career as a production manager, writer and director working in the “underbelly of the industry.” Of course, they also talk about the Circeo Massacre (“One of the most heinous and despicable events to ever occur in Italy.”) and how Savino’s “instant movie” is a “kaleidoscope of what Italy was and will become” at the time, the film’s many troubling elements, the many different dialects used in the film, which are lost on North American English-speaking audiences, and some of the similarities to Romolo Guerrieri’s superior YOUNG, VIOLENT, DANGEROUS (1976). It’s a very good, fact-filled conversion, which not only helps reveal Italy’s political turmoil at the time of the film’s production, but a great deal about low-budget filmmaking, and Savino’s unique place in the lower-echelons of the Italian film industry. TV’s Blu-ray also includes another commentary track with Rachael Nisbet who provides a more scholarly observation into the film’s many “sociological subtexts,” Savino’s “directorial intentions,” the headlines of the era and similar confrontations between Neo-fascists and anarchist communists in the piazza San Babila in Milan, which was also extensively covered in Carlo Lizzani’s remarkable but equally-shocking SAN BABILA 8.P.M. (1976). She also goes over much of Savino’s background, details on the cast and crew, the film’s poor critical reception, which was described by some reviewers as “so crude and superficial that it borders on the laughable” and the “contentious attitudes of the time,” in what is yet another in-depth and well-researched listen for this “provocative” film.

 

Eugenio Ercolani also produces a few must-see featurettes beginning with Cutting a Violent Rome (24m), an on-camera interview with editor Roberto Colangeli who goes over much of his career including his early stints working with his father Otello Colangeli who was difficult to work with, but at the same time, he learned much of his trade from his father and veteran cutter. As for the film at hand, he thought it was a “very cheap and bad film, but does admit it also has “a very rough and natural” feel which works in its favour. He also chats about some of his working relationships with other directors such as Renato Polselli and Mario Gariazzo. In The Lawless Breed (27m25s), character actor Marco Zuanelli, best remembered for his role as Wobbles in Sergio Leone’s masterpiece ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969), talks extensively about his time working with Savino who was “very humane despite being meticulous and strict on set,” and a “fascist from head-to-toe!” Eventually, he fell out of acting (he is an architect by trade) because from a “human standpoint,” he didn’t like the environment. He also gets a chuckle at the Americans who are “wasting their time over this flick!” Gino Milli (a.k.a. Luigi Miglietta) is interviewed next in Baby Face Gino (32m24s) where he talks about his start in the film business including a number of small parts in prestigious films from the likes of Pietro Germi and Mauro Bolognini alongside several exploitation films (“I accepted those parts mostly to survive.”), which, if anything, allowed him to extend his acting capabilities. As expected, he also discusses working with Savino and said film, which he found “tough to make” due to its subject matter, and how he became “disenchanted” after losing a major role to Michele Placido in Alberto Negrin’s mini-series IL PICIOTTO (1973). The disc also comes with an informative booklet with a “collection of essays” from Pier Maria Bocchi, Sam Dunkley, Sam Cohen, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

 

While it lacks many of the genre’s traditional trappings such as pyrotechnics, Renato Savino’s THE CHILDREN OF VIOLENT ROME is definitely a watchable enough crossover with enough deviant delinquency to keep fans of more straight-ahead polizieschi consistently entertained.  

UNPOPPED CINEMA’S TOP 25 BEST DISCS OF 2023

This was another fantastic year for physical media releases, but it was an exceptionally strong year for box sets. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Arrow Video, Imprint Films, Indicator, Mondo Macabro, Radiance Films, Severin Films and Vinegar Syndrome, several staggering collections flooded the market with the kind of unprecedented care that is truly astonishing as seen by Severin’s THE SENSUAL WORLD OF BLACK EMANUELLE, a massive 24-film, 15-disc collection that remains one of the finest curations ever conceived for the home video market. Once again, it’s the boutique labels who are working overtime to release as many heretofore ignored, unseen and/or highly-requested films onto disc, which include skilled transfers, judicious extras, and eye-popping packaging. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at some of my favourite discs of 2023!

 

THE ABOMINATION [1986] (Visual Vengeance) – Unfolding in a bizarre, surreal world unto itself with some odd biblical allusions (“The plague will be upon you very soon!”) and tons of mind-melting gore, this exemplary DIY effort from Texan indie filmmaker Bret McCormick has been languishing in the VHS graveyard for far too long. Over the years, THE ABOMINATION has become a triumph of the low-budget aesthetic among die-hard tape collectors, so Visual Vengeance has spared no expense to deliver this one-of-a-kind monster film to disc, which includes a pair of commentaries (including one with director McCormick and fellow Texan filmmaker Glen Coburn), a making-of documentary, several interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, and plenty more besides! This is an outstanding disc and ranks as one of the best releases in VV’s ever-expanding catalogue!

 

AFTER HOURS [1985] (Criterion Collection) – Martin Scorsese’s much-treasured and deeply dark comedy finally gets its very deserved UHD/BD release, which looks spectacular here, and is well-supported by several new and archival extra features, which only strengthen this vibrant bit of filmmaking. 

 

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE [1964] (Arrow Video) – Flawlessly restored in 4K, Mario Bava’s incredible giallo has never looked better than it does here on this exceptionally well-packaged UHD, which also comes stacked with a wide array of extra features. Absolutely essential! 

 

BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION [1984 – 2006] (Mondo Macabro) – MM’s long out-of-print Bollywood Horror Collection DVDs, which spanned three volumes and featured the work of pioneering horror specialists Shyam and Tulsi Ramsay, have been expertly updated for this impressive box set with “new 2K restorations from the original negatives.” Benefitting greatly from the uptick in quality, this set also includes cast and crew interviews, trailers, and a superb 80-page book with writing on the films from Bollywood expert Tim Paxton. It’s worth noting that MAHAKAAL (1993), the Ramsay’s take on Wes Craven’s A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), which was included in MM’s original third volume DVD, now resides with Massacre Video, and is therefore not included in this collection. However, MM have instead added the Ramsay’s “last horror film to date” THE GHOST (2006), which only sweetens this already superb collection that everyone into worldweird cinema should own!

 

COSA NOSTRA: FRANCO NERO IN THREE MAFIA TALES BY DAMIANO DAMIANI [1968 – 1975] (Radiance Films) – Brimming with cheek-kissing and close-ups of suspicious faces, this trio of way-above-average collaborations between Franco Nero and director Damiano Damiani have been in dire need of proper English-friendly HD presentations for years, whose reputations are likely to be enhanced with Radiance’s new Blu-ray collection. Although each film demonstrates an astute use of the commercial genre, rather than non-stop visceral action, these socio-politically aware dramas, which for the record, include THE DAY OF THE OWL (a.k.a. MAFIA, 1968), THE CASE IS CLOSED, FORGET IT (1971) and HOW TO KILL A JUDGE (1975), are all reliant on tight pacing, careful dialogue and strong performances from Franco Nero, Claudia Cardinale, Riccardo Cucciolla, Lee J. Cobb, and many others. Supplemented by a wide variety of informative extras including audio commentaries, revealing video essays, several new and archival interviews, and a 120-page perfect-bound book, Radiance have finally afforded these previously under-seen films the respect they deserve. 

 

THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF TOD SLAUGHTER: EIGHT BLOOD-AND-THUNDER ENTERTAINMENTS, 1935-1940 (Indicator) – Having first encountered the films of Tod Slaughter via Johnny Legend’s third volume in his popular Saturday Night Shockers VHS collections, (pairing MURDER IN THE RED BARN [1935] and THE FACE AT THE WINDOW [1939]), this murky-looking videocassette left a lot to be desired, but Slaughter’s scenery-chewing presence still managed to burst forth from the screen with an incredible energy that was completely unforgettable. Born Norman Carter Slaughter, this former theater actor carved a niche for himself as the preeminent star of early British horror cinema, whose films and career are well-represented in this magnificent collection, which brings together eight of his most popular films. It goes without saying that Indicator’s new “4K scans of the original nitrate negatives” are an incredible feat of restoration which look absolutely stellar, and are given the deluxe treatment herein with a shocking number of extra features (including a 120-page book!), which makes this an essential purchase for either the enthusiastic fan or anyone else curious about this memorable, one-of-a-kind thespian.

 

THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD [1982] (Vinegar Syndrome) – Previously released on DVD in a compromised re-edited edition by Troma as CURSE OF THE CANNIBAL CONFEDERATES, this regional zombie shocker from director Tony Malanowski is definitely not for everyone with its somnambulistic pacing, amateur acting, and uneven photography, but it also has a low-budget charm that is undeniable. Newly “scanned & restored in 2K from the original 16mm camera reversal”, this film will always have a rough-hewn appearance, but VS have done wonders with this new restoration, which is further bolstered by several extra features. Spread over 2-discs, disc one includes the feature film (in its original version) along with NIGHT OF HORROR (1981), Malanowski’s earlier and far more anemic original version, both of which include revealing commentaries from the director and star Steve Sandkuhler. In addition, disc two includes extensive making-of documentaries, and several on-camera interviews, including one with Stephen Thrower, whose monumental book Nightmare USA (Fabpress, 2007) devoted an entire chapter to the film and director. Regardless of the film’s generally poor reputation, this is a meticulously assembled package that comes highly recommended!

 

DANZA MACABRA – THE ITALIAN GOTHIC COLLECTION VOLUME 1 & 2 [1964 – 1972] (Severin Films) – Following up on Arrow Video’s magnificent GOTHIC FANTASTICO: FOUR ITALIAN TALES OF TERROR from last year, Severin have since released two exquisite box sets of beautifully restored and likeminded Italian gothics (and a couple of wholly unique examples!), which should continue to enhance this genre’s burgeoning reputation within North America. Some of the highlights include a gorgeous UHD of Antonio Margheriti’s gothic staple CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964) starring Barbara Steele, and stunning HD debuts of Renato Polselli’s incredible THE MONSTER OF THE OPERA (1964), José Luis Merino’s SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER (1970), Mel Welles’ LADY FRANKENSTEIN (1971), ‘Finney Cliff’/Garibaldi Serra Caracciolo’s THE SEVENTH GRAVE (1965) and Paolo Lombardo’s THE DEVIL’S LOVER (1972), the latter two making their official worldwide disc debuts. But the real icing on the cake is the inclusion of Giorgio Albertazzi’s never-before-seen 4-part mini-series JEKYLL (1969) and Corrado Farina’s “startling reinvention of the Dracula mythos” THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR FACE (1971), which has long been difficult to see outside of murky grey market bootlegs. Supplements include informative audio commentaries with film historians and authors Kat Ellinger, Rachael Nisbet, Rod Barnett, Robert Monell, and Annie Rose Malamet as well as scores of on-camera interviews, video essays and trailers. As an added bonus, Severin have also included a bonus soundtrack CD of the never-before-released score for Elvio Monti’s THE DEVIL’S LOVER! Bursting with beautiful imagery and tons of appropriately malevolent atmosphere, Severin continues to do valiant work rescuing these wonderful films from the throes of obscurity. 

 

DIRECTED BY SIDNEY J. FURIE [1970 – 1978] (Imprint Films) – While it could be argued that Furie’s THE IPCRESS FILE (1965), his shadowy – and visually very savvy – counter-espionage thriller starring Michael Caine (itself released by Imprint Films in 2021 as part of THE HARRY PALMER COLLECTION), or his Billie Holiday biopic LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972) are probably his most recognized films, but Canadian born Sidney J. Furie, a director whose career has spanned decades working in the U.K., U.S. and Canada, has been otherwise almost entirely neglected. Well, along with Daniel Kremer, the author of Sidney J. Furie Life and Films (University Press of Kentucky, 2015), and the ever-busy folks at Imprint Films, they have corrected this oversight with this fascinating and very thorough collection. Gathering together most of Furie’s ’70s output, which includes THE LAWYER (1970), LITTLE FAUSS & BIG HALSY (1971), HIT! (1973), SHEILA LEVINE IS DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK (1975) and THE BOYS IN COMPANY C (1978), each of these films feature uniformly strong performances, and a stylistically diverse approach to the material, which further reinforces Furie’s versatility as a director. Boasting new 2K and 4K scans, each film looks terrific (SHEILA LEVINE looks especially nice in this worldwide disc debut) and come fully-stacked with tons of special features including multiple audio commentaries (all of which are moderated by Kremer), and far too many extras to mention individually, but rest assured, you will come away with a far greater appreciation of the man’s work. Any self-respecting filmgoer should snap this up without hesitation!

 

EAST END HUSTLE [1976] (Canadian International Pictures) – After a young hooker named Cindy (Andrée Pelletier) quits her day job and leaves her pimp (Miguel Fernandes), she even convinces Marianne (Anne-Marie Provencher), the young upstart, to do the same. This causes a small rebellion among the working girls, which forces Miguel to call in some of his mob friends who resort to equal opportunity brutality without hesitation. Despite the rudimentary premise, much of the narrative takes great pains to humanize its cast of working girls very effectively, with much of the principal players rising above the lowly – but entertaining – material. Add to all this an authentically sleazy Montreal backdrop and plenty of nudity, and you’ve got a rather exceptional blend of sub-genres that is part softcore sex pic, a kitchen-sink social drama and sleazy actioner. Criminally underseen, CIP Releasing’s flawless UHD/BD combo brings out all the gritty realism of ’70s era Montreal, which is further enhanced with several extra features with director Frank Vitale, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman (the film’s U.S. distributor), composer Len Blum, a very informative audio commentary with Canuxploitation.com’s Paul Corupe and film historian Jason Pichonsky, and a liner notes booklet with writing on the film from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. 

 

FRANKENSTEIN ’80 [1972] (Cauldron Films) – Although clumsily-executed across the boards and strung-together with only the flimsiest of plotlines – albeit still highly entertaining nevertheless – Mario Mancini’s sole directorial debut remained conspicuously absent in anything even close to resembling a passably watchable version in North America. But thanks to Cauldron Films, this shamelessly trashy Italo-horror gets a real first-class presentation, which will serve as a real revelation to anyone familiar only with Gorgon’s VHS tape (“He had a bone to pick…”) or Cheezy Flicks’ VHS-sourced DVD. Film historian Heather Drain provides a very entertaining fact-filled audio commentary, which compliments this schlocky film perfectly, while the prolific – and always welcome - Eugenio Ercolani provides a couple of terrific interviews with star Dalila Di Lazzaro and film historian Domenico Monetti. Outside of this fantastic release, Cauldron continued to impress, which also saw them release beautifully-packaged editions of Lucio Fulci’s CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (a.k.a. THE GATES OF HELL, 1980 – their first UHD!) Ruggero Deodato’s OFF BALANCE (a.k.a. PHANTOM OF DEATH, 1987), ‘Ted Archer’/Nello Rossati’s TOPLINE (1988), ‘Larry Ludman’/Fabrizio De Angelis’ THE LAST MATCH (1990), and ‘Anthony Ascot’/Giuliano Carnimeo’s RAT MAN (1987), so if you don’t have ’em, do yourself a favour and pick those up as well! Read review.

 

FROM HOLLYWOOD TO HEAVEN: THE LOST AND SAVED FILMS OF THE ORMOND FAMILY [1959 – 1974] (Indicator) – Released in conjunction with Jimmy McDonough’s extraordinary 360-page book The Exotic Ones: That Fabulous Film-Making Family from Music City, USA – The Ormonds (Fabpress, 2023), this equally remarkable Blu-ray collection represents the cinematic evidence of this wholly unique family, which includes Ron Ormond, his wife June and their son Tim. Bringing together 13 of their feature films including early barebones exploitation efforts such as UNTAMED MISTRESS (1951), WHITE LIGHTNIN’ ROAD (1967) and THE EXOTIC ONES(1968), their near death experience following a plane crash resulted in a very abrupt career change for the Ormonds.  This life affirming event eventually brought about a series of unabashedly harsh bible-thumping religious films, some of which starred Estus W. Pirkle, a sermonizin’ hellfire ’n’ brimstone, commie-bashing evangelist who rails about the dangers and sin and evil. Painstakingly compiled, Jimmy McDonough’s obsessive – and much-welcomed - tenacity is all over this box set, which includes the usual in-depth extra features, making this rarefied collection an absolute must-have for the simple fascination of discovering trash film luminaries such as this. If not, God bless you, Mr. Pirkle would be proud of you for not heeding your baser impulses… I, for one, couldn’t resist. 

 

HOUSEBOAT HORROR [1989] (Umbrella Entertainment) – Long-time established Australian label Umbrella have released several mouth-watering special editions this past year, but none have been as revelatory as this collector’s edition Blu-ray of Ollie Martin’s HOUSEBOAT HORROR, which has the unique distinction of being Australia’s first SOV (shot-on-video) horror film. While this is nothing more than your standard FRIDAY THE 13^th (1980) clone, which includes a clunky script, some sloppy kills, and plenty of ’80s retro appeal, the Aussie setting alone (which includes locations at Lake Eildon in Victoria and some Melbourne suburbs) warrants a look-see by devotees of both Ozploitation and slasher genres. While not for all tastes, Umbrella’s impressive collector’s edition definitely outshines the film itself, which features a new “upscaled and color corrected” 1080p master alongside a seemingly endless array of extra features beginning with an enticing audio commentary with Tony Martin (moderated by Jarret Gahan), a 30^th Anniversary Monster Fest Q & A with much of the cast and crew, a ton of interviews, Ollie Martin’s stuntman doc THE MAD DAREDEVILS DOWN UNDER (1990), and plenty more besides! Housed in a rigid slipcase, the collector’s edition also includes art-cards, a reversible poster, and a fantastic 48-page perfect-bound book with writing from Emma Westwood, John Harrison, and Andrew Leavold, which provides loads of additional context on this Ozploitation oddity.  

 

THE LAST HORROR FILM [1982] (Severin Films) – Following several attempts from both Troma and 88 Films to release a definitive DVD and/or Blu-ray of this fascinating, one-off slasher film, which reunited Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro, the two stars of William Lustig’s MANIAC (1980), has finally been put to rest with this definitive UHD/BD combo. The new 4K scan taken from the “original negative with additional scenes sourced from a 35mm print discovered at the Cinémathèque Française” is a real eye-opener and brings to light a number of previously obscured details. As for extras, Severin have included several featurettes (including a fascinating locations visit with Michael Gingold and Severin’s David Gregory), and two new audio commentaries beginning with Spinell’s best friend Luke Walters (who was present during much of the shoot in Cannes), who divulges plenty of info about the troubled production, while Munro and FrightFest programmer Alan Jones discuss her time working with Spinell and the challenges brought about on said film in this highly-entertaining listen. The limited-edition website exclusive also included a 100-page (!) book with a look at “how not to make a horror movie” with co-producer/co-writer/co-star Judd Hamilton and an interview with director David Winters, which was housed in a collectible “Maniac II: Love to Kill” slipcase. 

 

MARTIN [1977] (Second Sight Films) – One of the more eagerly anticipated releases of the last few years, George A. Romero’s brilliant multi-layered suburban horror film finally got its long-belated disc debut with this stunning UHD/BD combo.  As usual, Second Sight have pulled out all the stops, which includes a bundle of extra features, and Donald Rubenstein’s haunting score on a bonus CD. It’s really quite incredible just how good this new 4K restoration looks, which of course, comes highly recommended!

 

NIGHTMARE [1981] (Severin Films) – Garnering a vast cult following over the years, Romano Scavolini’s scuzzy slice’n’ dicer offers up many of the genre’s traditional trappings (the film borrows part of its outline from John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN [1978]), but it’s also one of the most memorable, gore-drenched efforts to emerge out of the early ’80s slasher craze. NIGHTMARE (or NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN as per its U.K. Video Nasty title) has always had a complicated video history, so it’s great to finally have this film looking so good on this definitive 3-disc UHD/BD combo, which is crammed with audio commentaries, new and archival interviews (including one with Tom Savini, who finally sets the record straight about his involvement with the film), an extensive still gallery, trailers, and Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant (2023), a superb feature length documentary, which focuses on the British video distributor who was jailed for releasing the uncut version of said film during the U.K. Video Nasties fervor of the early ’80s. This is a stunning, must-have release of this grim and unsettling film. 

 

THE PACK [1977] (Scream Factory) – Thoughtfully plotted and well-scripted, Robert Clouse’s tense and compelling animal attack film leaps to Blu-ray at long last, which looks very good in this new “2K restoration from the best surviving element.” Unlike Warner’s old made-on-demand DVD, Scream Factory’s Blu includes a great assortment of extras beginning with a wonderful, well-researched audio commentary from Lee Gambin, an authority on the subject and author of Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film (Midnight Marquee, 2012), who adds a plethora of information about the film. Other extras include an interview with star Hope Alexander-Willis, and audio interviews with actor Sherry DeBoer, production manager Thomas LoFaro and composer Lee Holdridge, who provide tons of background info and insight on this solidly entertaining film. 

 

THE SENSUAL WORLD OF BLACK EMANUELLE [1974-2021] (Severin Films) – A stunning labour of love, this comprehensive collection of the Black Emanuelle films (mostly starring the strikingly photogenic Laura Gemser) showcases a total of 24 films highlighting different key areas of Gemser’s lengthy career, which also focuses on her numerous collaborators that also include director ‘Joe D’Amato’/Aristide Massaccesi, her husband and fellow actor Gabriele Tinti, and many more friends and colleagues. With over 40 hours (!) of extra features, this gorgeously-designed collection also includes The Black Emanuelle Bible, an extraordinary 356-page book, which not only includes thorough examinations of every Black Emnanuelle film and/or variation thereof, but several insightful essays as well. It goes without saying that Severin Films have truly outdone themselves with this incredible box set, a jaw-droppingly exhaustive, first-class presentation that defies every possible expectation! This is, without question, the finest release of the year! Read the review: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. 

 

THE SINISTER DR. ORLOFF [1984] (Mondo Macabro) – One of several Dr. Orloff films director Jess Franco made throughout his career, this version of the oft-told story was perhaps the most difficult to locate outside of dreary bootlegs. In what is essentially a remake of THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF (1961 – notice the different spelling), this updated re-telling replaces the dark and gloomy gothic atmosphere of the original with the sunny Alicante coastline of Spain, and instead of gruesome skin grafts, Dr. Alfred Orloff (this time played with appropriate gusto by frequent Franco collaborator Antonio Mayans), attempts to transfer the soul of his dead mother (Rocio Freixas) into the bodies of recently kidnapped young women to help satisfy his… um, incestuous urges. Like most of Franco’s films from this time period, he does what he can with the very limited budget, coaxing excellent performances from his trusted troupe of actors (including a nice extended cameo from Howard Vernon, the original Dr. Orlof) who have no problem handling the taboo material and the usual overdoses of nudity and sex. MM’s disc is a real sight for sore eyes, which looks immaculate in this new 4K transfer from the original camera negative, and is ably complimented by some terrific extra features including an audio commentary from Troy Howarth and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson, and separate interviews with Mayans and Franco authority Stephen Thrower, all of whom provide plenty of knowledge about said film and the continually expanding universe of Franco’s fascinating career.

 

SRIGALA [1981] (Terror Vision) – Directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra, this Indonesian knock-off of Sean S. Cunningham’s FRIDAY THE 13^TH (1980), which also includes several other interesting plot points and oddball characteristics, arrives on Blu-ray in a stunning 2K transfer taken from the original camera negative. Retaining the film’s original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, Terror Vision’s fantastic new restoration is backed by a number of on-camera interviews with many of the film’s participants, and a beautifully designed, eye-popping slipcover. Highly recommended!

 

TOD BROWNING’S SIDESHOW SHOCKERS [1925 – 1932] (Criterion Collection) – Although best known for directing Bela Lugosi in DRACULA (1931), director Tod Browning’s undisputed masterpiece is the extraordinary FREAKS (1932), which has finally arrived on Blu-ray in this handsome set, which also includes THE UNKNOWN(1927) and THE MYSTIC (1925), two of Browning’s silent-era films that also feature a predominant sideshow milieu. Criterion’s new 2K overhaul looks terrific with nicely nuanced depth and detail missing from the previous Warner DVD, but equally important, are the inclusion of numerous extra features (both new and archival), which do a great job of introducing and reinforcing the importance of Browning’s body of work. 

 

T.R. BASKIN [1971] (Fun City Editions) – Long unavailable on home video and virtually forgotten, Candice Bergen stars as the title character who ventures to Chicago “to seek fame and fortune”, but is met with disappointments in her work, her new ‘friends’ and the men she meets (here represented by Peter Boyle and James Caan). Bergen is absolutely remarkable in the tricky role whose snarky façade is perhaps her response to the daily grind of modern big city life in general or perhaps just the loneliness of it all. Written by future director Peter Hyams and directed by Herbert Ross, it’s great to finally have this back in circulation, which not only looks terrific in this new transfer, but is accompanied with several terrific extras (including an interview with Hyams) to help give this misunderstood film a new lease on life. 

 

VINEGAR SYNDROME’S LOST PICTURE SHOW [1966 – 1987] (Vinegar Syndrome) – In honour of their ten-year anniversary, VS have unleashed this years-in-the-making, ten-film collection of thought-to-be-lost American genre films, which will probably confound and/or frustrate some of the more casual VS fans, but for the more adventurous, cinematically broad-minded viewers, this is a treasure-trove of weird delights. Outside of the films themselves, which includes everything from early slashers such as Oliver Drake’s THE LAS VEGAS STRANGLER (1968) to Donn Greer’s indescribable kiddie film THE RARE BLUE APES OF CANNIBAL ISLE (1975), VS have packed their set with a dense array of special features (including Elijah Drenner’s wonderful film restoration doc AGAINST THE GRAIN [2023]) and a couple of perfect-bound books detailing all of the films, which should keep most B-film enthusiasts occupied for the better part of a month! 

 

THE WHIP AND THE BODY [1963] (88 Films) – Previously released in several compromised editions, this Region B Blu from the U.K. finally gets things right with a superb transfer sourced from “archive materials”, which corrects various day-for-night shots and eliminates the blue tint found in Kino Lorber’s Region A disc. Affording this remarkable Mario Bava film the respect it deserves, 88 Films have also stacked their disc with two excellent audio commentaries (one with author Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, and the other with author Kim Newman and Sean Hogan), as well as interviews with scribe Ernesto Gastaldi, Mario’s son Lamberto Bava, and several trailers for the film. The entire package is housed in a colourful rigid slipcase, which also includes a 40-page book with writing from Marta Oliehoek-Samitowska, Francesco Massaccesi and Rachael Nisbet. Even if you own the Kino Blu or German EMS DVD (both of which include Tim Lucas’ superb audio commentary), 88 Films’ new Blu is definitely worth the double or triple dip!

 

ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS [1974] (Neon Eagle Video) – One of the most outrageous ‘pinky violence’ films (a successful sub-genre, which was born out of the Japanese sex or ‘pink film’ that mixed sex and violence) to come out of Japan, Yukio Noda’s highly-stylized, incredibly violent film stars Miki Sugimoto in a career-defining, no-holds barred performance, which totals all-out, balls-out, action/exploitation. Featuring a vibrant 4K restoration, the disc also includes an audio commentary from film historian Samm Deighan and an interview with Tokyoscope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion (Viz Communications, 2001) author Patrick Macias, while the limited edition also includes a nice illustrated booklet with writing on the film from Chris D., and a limited slipcover with artwork from Justin Coffee. And if you haven’t already done so, go ahead and pick-up Neon Eagle Video’s extras-laden, debut release of Yu-Lung Hsu’s KILL BUTTERFLY KILL, which is another must-have Blu from this new and exciting boutique label. 

 

 

HIGHLY HONOURABLE MENTIONS, which are also very worthy of your time!

 

3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR (Kino Lorber Studio Classics UHD), 5 WOMEN FOR THE KILLER (Vinegar Syndrome),  ATTACK OF THE BEAST CREATURES (AGFA), BLACK MAGIC RITES (Indicator UHD), A BLADE IN THE DARK (Vinegar Syndrome UHD), BLOOD MONEY & SAVAGE GUNS: 4 CLASSIC WESTERNS VOLUMES 2 & 3 (Arrow Video), BLOODSUCKING FREAKS (Vinegar Syndrome UHD), CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (UHD – Cauldron Films), COPPERHEAD (Terror Vision), COUNT DRACULA (Severin Films UHD), CROCODILE (Synapse Films), CUJO (Kino Lorber Studio Classics UHD), CURSE OF THE DOG GOD (Mondo Macabro), DELIRIUM (Vinegar Syndrome), DR. BUTCHER M.D. (Severin Films UHD), ENTER THE VIDEO STORE: EMPIRE OF SCREAMS (Arrow Video), EXTRA TERRESTRIAL VISITORS (Severin Films), ESCAPE FROM HELLHOLE (Terror Vision), FATAL GAMES (Vinegar Syndrome), FLESH AND FANTASY (Vinegar Syndrome Labs), THE FLESH TRILOGY (Vinegar Syndrome/Distribpix), GORGO (Vinegar Syndrome UHD), THE HARD PART BEGINS (Canadian International Pictures), THE HAUNTING OF JULIA (Imprint Films 2-disc set or Scream Factory UHD), THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (Radiance Films / Region B), THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED (Arrow Video), IMPULSE (Grindhouse Releasing), INFERNAL RAPIST (Vinegar Syndrome), THE IRON PREFECT (Radiance Films), KILL BUTTERFLY KILL (Neon Eagle Video), THE LAST MATCH (Cauldron Films), MAGIC, MYTH & MUTILATION: THE MICRO-BUDGET CINEMA OF MICHAEL J. MURPHY, 1967 – 2015 (Indicator), MAGNUM COP (Raro Video), MARQUIS DE SADE'S PHILOSOPHY IN THE BOUDOIR / EUGENIE (Blue Underground UHD), MEAN STREETS (Criterion Collection UHD), MESSIAH OF EVIL (Radiance Films), MOTHER’S DAY (Vinegar Syndrome UHD), OFF BALANCE (Cauldron Films), THE PSYCHIC (Severin Films UHD), RAT MAN (Cauldron Films), ROBOT MONSTER (Bayview Entertainment), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (Second Sight UHD), TOPLINE (Cauldron Films), UNMAN, WITTERING AND ZIGO (Arrow Video), and VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI / TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION (Severin Films).