STAGE FRIGHT (1987) (Exposure Cinema Blu-ray Review)

STAGE FRIGHT (1987) 

Label: Exposure Cinema 

Region Code: ALL

Duration: 90 Minutes

Rating:  18 Certificate

Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Michele Soavi

Cast: David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Domenico Fiore, Robert Gligorov, Mickey Knox, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, George Eastman

A group of theater actors under the direction of opportunistic director (David Brandon) are rehearsing for a new musical set to open is just a few days. The musical is The Night Owl and involves a serial killer that is raped by his victims. During rehearsals star
Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) injures her ankle and sneaks off to the nearest medical facility for treatment - which just happens to be a sanitarium for the criminally insane. One of the inmates there is a former actor turned serial killer named Irving Wallace who has murdered over a dozen people. Unfortunately for Alicia and her co star Betty (Ulrike Schwerk) the notorious killer escapes the asylum and hitches a ride with the ladies back to the theater unbeknownst to them. The killer dispatches Betty with a pick-ax to the face and her body is discovered by Alicia.

The cops are called in and they haul away the body and reveal that the killer must be the escaped Irving Wallace who murdered a male orderly at the asylum with a syringe to the neck. The authorities station a patrol car outside of the theater and the theater troupe lock themselves in the theater as the opportunistic director attempts to rework the musical to capitalize on the gruesome murder by making the notorious Irving Wallace the villain of the play - unaware that the murderous actor is inside the theater and as bloodthirsty as ever. 

That's the set-up for what is a pretty great late-entry slasher and one of the better Italian films of the era from first-time director Michele Soavi who honed his chops as not only an actor in such films as CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and ALIEN 2 ON EARTH but as the first-assistant director working for Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and Terry Gilliam. The man has style and it shows with his first feature film which is an assured, stylish and violent piece of Eurocult cinema. 

The theater troupe provide a fun cast of bitchy characters beginning with a pompous theater director (Brandon) and a sleazy producer Ferrari (Piero Vida) and then there's the cast highlighted by Giovanni Lombardo Radice of CANNIBAL FEROX as a gay actor who trades catty barbs with theater diva Laurel (Mary Sellers) - these two are a fun pair. Much of the other cast are forgettable more or less but they all have memorable deaths so who really cares. 

So we have a ton of awesome visual flourishes but and some obvious nods to Argento including a nice lift from TENEBRE, plus did I mention that the killer Irving Wallace wears an owl-headed mask! Maybe the most outrageous masked killer since the bear mascot in GIRLS NITE OUT! It helps that our killer has access to a wide range of weapons and uses them to their fullest potential, beginning with knifing an actress to death n front of the entire cast - the outfit he's wearing is one of the signature costumes of the musical and no one realizes the deranged actors intentions until the blood starts to flow. So far we've had a syringe to the neck, the pick-ax to the face and now a knife plunged into a a poor starlet' guts and they only get more violent throughout as the killer makes use of a power drill, a hatchet and a chainsaw - some seriously grisly murders that look great on camera. 

Now the script is a bit of a let down but these Italian horrors were never reality based in my

opinion and were quite fantastical. Logic more or less takes a backseat to blood-spattered visuals and gruesome dismemberment and I am alright with that trade-off. The gore gags are delicious and completely make-up for that hilarious and completely unnecessary finale. 

Stylistically this is a gorgeous film with some great stylized lighting, scenes are bathed in electric blue light and the colors are vibrant and very nineteen-eighties, very loud and obnoxious. A particular scene of the killer on stage with his victims displayed around him stands out as something quite special, it is almost hallucinatory as he sits upon a throne admiring the aftermath of his carnage while he strokes a cat named Lucifer as bloody feathers fall from the sky. Adding to the atmosphere of the film is an effective electronic score from composer Simon Boswell who also scored the films DEMONS, DUST DEVIL and PHENOMENA just to name a few. 

BLU-RAY:

Stage Fright arrives on Blu-ray from Exposure Cinema uncut for the first time in the UK
with a brand new restoration, color-timing corrected and produced from original vault elements and I must say that the restoration here is top notch and matches the Blue Underground Blu-ray in all respects. The print is damn near flawless to my eyes and the colors are vibrant with a very pleasing level of clarity. Black levels and shadow detail are strong and there's a fair amount of fine detail in the close-up shots. Currently my Blue Underground disc is out on loan but I must say without the benefit of a side by side comparison this would seem to be equal in all measures. 

The only audio option is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo Mix with optional English subtitles. The presentation is crisp and clean with a nice balance and no distortion. Dialogue is always clear and Simon Boswell's atmospheric score sounds quite nice. 

Minus the 5.1 surround Mix on the Blue Underground disc this is pretty much an even match with that disc - which is also region-free. Let's have a peek at the extras - for many this will be the hand that tips the scale. we begin with a new retrospective documentary with director Michele Soavi and actors Barbara Cupisti and Mary sellers plus screenwriter George Eastman (29 Minutes HD). In Italian with English subtitles. 

Giovanni’s Method - Interview with star Giovanni Lombardo Radice (21 Minutes HD) is on par with the interview on the BU disc with the actor who starred in CANNIBAL FEROX and HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK speaking about meeting Soavi early in his career and stealing a few roles they both auditioned for. In Italian with English subtitles. 

Alan Jones: The Critic’s Take – the critic and FrightFest co-founder discusses the film in detail (29 Minutes HD) features the critic speaking at length about his love of the film and his own experiences with Dario Argento, Soavia and Joe D'Amato. 

There's also a cool Cut Version Comparison (2 Minutes HD) featurette with a split screen comparison of the cut Avatar Video release and the new uncut version, plus the original theatrical trailer and a gallery with behind-the-scenes images and international artwork including the very cool alternate title of THE BLOODY BIRD! 

There are two extras that are not specific to the actual film, first we have the hour-long Joe D’Amato: Totally Uncut (55 Minutes HD) an hour-long interview with the director/producer in Italian with English subtitles that spans his entire career. And a very cool doc Revenge of the Video Cassette - documentary about VHS horror collectors (25 Minutes HD) featuring Dale Lloyd of VivaVHS site - while not specifically commenting on this film I did sneak a peek at a STAGE FRIGHT VHS on his shelves. It's a pretty hip extras with some fun VHS inspired music videos, fashions and fans of the format speaking about their love of all things VHS. There's also a nearly six minute trailer for ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST on the disc in HD!

SPECIAL FEATURES:- Original trailer (2 Minutes HD) 

- Still, poster and behind-the-scenes gallery featuring rare photos and international artwork (8 Minutes, HD)
- Cut Version Comparison (2 Minutes HD)
- A Bloodstained Featherstorm – Interviews with cast and makers, including director Michele Soavi and leading lady Barbara Cupisti (29 Minutes HD)
- Giovanni’s Method - Interview with star Giovanni Lombardo Radice (21 Minutes HD)
- Alan Jones: The Critic’s Take – the critic and FrightFest co-founder discusses the film in detail (29 Minutes HD)
- Joe D’Amato: Totally Uncut – Archival, hour-long interview with the film’s producer on his career in Italian horror cinema (55 Minutes HD)
- Revenge of the Video Cassette - documentary about VHS horror collectors (25 Minutes HD)
- Video Chillers – collector’s illustrated ’80s-style booklet featuring new articles on late gialli and overlooked slashers, trivia and biographies
- Limited Collector’s Edition (3,000 copies)
- Original artwork used on front cover

VERDICT:
STAGE FRIGHT is a damn fine slasher film with plenty of Dario Argento esque flourishes, I love that nod to TENEBRE! A fantastic looking film with vibrant neon colors and great lighting with an inspired masked-killer and some brutal violence -  there's just a lot to love about this film. This is the first release I've seen from EXPOSURE CINEMA and I am quite impressed. Keep in mind that this edition is limited to 3000 copies so act fast - truth be told I think I prefer the extras on this disc over the Blue Underground release. A top notch release with some great bonus content, a very high recommended.

STAGEFRIGHT (1987) (Blue Underground Blu-ray Review)

STAGEFRIGHT (1987) 

Label: Blue Underground

Region Code: ALL

Duration: 90 Minutes

Rating: Unrated 

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD; 2.0 DTS-HD with Optional English SDH, French, Spanish Subtitles
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Michele Soavi

Cast: David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Ulrike Schwerk, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Mary Sellers

A group of theater actors under the direction of opportunistic director (David Brandon) are rehearsing for a new musical set to open is just a few days. The musical is The Night Owl and involves a serial killer that is raped by his victims. During rehearsals star
Alicia (Barbara Cupisti) injures her ankle and sneaks off to the nearest medical facility for treatment - which just happens to be a sanitarium for the criminally insane. One of the inmates there is a former actor turned serial killer named Irving Wallace who has murdered over a dozen people. Unfortunately for Alicia and her co star Betty (Ulrike Schwerk) the notoriouskiller escapes the asylum and hitches a ride with the ladies back to the theater unbeknownst to them. The killer dispatches Betty with a pick-ax to the face and her body is discovered by Alicia.

The cops are called in and they haul away the body and reveal that the killer must be the escaped Irving Wallace who murdered a male orderly at the asylum with a syringe to the neck. The authorities station a patrol car outside of the theater and the theater troupe lock themselves in the theater as the opportunistic director attempts to rework the musical to capitalize on the gruesome murder by making the notorious Irving Wallace the villain of the play - unaware that the murderous actor is inside the theater and as bloodthirsty as ever. 

That's the set-up for what is a pretty great late-entry slasher and one of the better Italian films of the era from first-time director Michele Soavi who honed his chops as not only an actor in such films as CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD and ALIEN 2 ON EARTH but as the first-assistant director working for Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and Terry Gilliam. The man has style and it shows with his first feature film which is an assured,  stylish and violent piece of Eurocult cinema. 

The theater troupe provide a fun cast of bitchy characters beginning with a pompous theater director (Brandon) and a sleazy producer Ferrari (Piero Vida) and then there's the cast highlighted by Giovanni Lombardo Radice of CANNIBAL FEROX as a gay actor who trades catty barbs with theater diva Laurel (Mary Sellers) - these two are a fun pair. Much of the other cast are forgettable more or less but they all have memorable deaths so who really cares. 

So we have a ton of awesome visual flourished but did I mention the kicker - the killer Irving Wallace wears an owl-headed mask! This is the most outrageous masked killer since the bear mascot in GIRLS NITE OUT! It helps that our killer has access to a wide range of weapons and uses them to their fullest potential, beginning with knifing an actress to death n front of the entire cast - the outfit he's wearing is one of the signature costumes of the musical and no one realizes the deranged actors intentions until the blood starts to flow. So far we've had a syringe to the neck, the pick-ax to the face and now a knife plunged into a a poor starlet' guts and they only get more violent throughout as the killer makes use of a power drill, a hatchet and a chainsaw - some seriously grisly stuff. 

Now the script is a bit of a let down but these Italian horrors were never reality based in my opinion and were quite fantastical. Logic more or less takes a backseat to blood-spattered visuals and gruesome dismemberment and I am alright with that trade-off - the gore gags delicious and completely make-up for that hilarious final ending. 

Stylistically this is a gorgeous film with some great stylized lighting, scenes are bathed in electric blue light and the colors are vibrant and very nineteen-eighties, very loud and obnoxious. A particular scene of the killer on stage with his victims displayed around him stands out as something quite special, almost hallucinatory as he sits upon a throne admiring the carnage while he strokes a cat named Lucifer and bird feathers float in the air around him, very surreal stuff. Adding to the atmosphere of the film is an effective electronic score from composer Simon Boswell who also scored the films DEMONS, DUST DEVIL and PHENOMENA just to name a few. 

BLU-RAY:
Stage Fright arrives on Blu-ray from Blue Underground in stunning fashion and framed in the original widescreen aspect ratio with a fine looking grain structure. The restoration is top notch - the print is damn near flawless to my eyes. Colors are vibrant and the level of clarity is quite pleasing. Black levels and shadow detail are strong and there's a fair amount of fine detail in the close-ups, this is quite a step-up from the already quite nice standard-def DVD.

Audio option include DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo or 5.1 Surround Mix with optional English, French or Spanish  Subtitles. Not overly dynamic but clean and balanced with no distortion, the score sounds great and the surround mix adds to the atmosphere with some nice use of the surrounds. 

Already a home run wit sweet PQ and audio Blue Underground have stocked this disc with some great new extras beginning with a 19-minute interview with the director who discusses his early career and producer Joe D'Amato offering him his first feature film which was written by George Eastman ((ANTHROPOPHANGUS) going onto describe with some depth what it was to be a first-time director and the film's poor reception at the cinema.

the 12-minute interview with star David Brandon  begins by revealing he first met Soavi on the set of CALIGULA 2: THE UNTOLD STORY where his character cut out Soavi's tongue. As a theater writer/.director he was intrigued by the role of the theater director in the film and was impressed by the director's passion. He speaks of insisting that the director himself handle the very real chainsaw during his death scene and finishes up with a anecdote about Joe D'Amato. 

Star Giovanni Lombardo Radice (THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK) begins by revealing he stole two roles from Soavi before being cast in the director's first film. Apparently he helped doctor the script a bit and was quite good friends the Soavi at the time, admitting he had some difficulty working with a few of the non-professional on the set. 

Composer Simon Boswell speaks about his band LIVE WIRE and a fateful meeting with Dario Argento around the time of PHENOMENA that launched his film scoring career leading to gigs on that film and Lamberto Bava's DEMONS films. He speaks about the director's peculiar way of editing his scores at times and his own style and experimenting with synths and sound. He ends with a weird tale of making two albums with two separate Popes and his new band the UNDEAD who he brought together to perform his scores live. 

Extras are finished up with an 11-minute interview with make-up effects artist Pietro Tenoglio, the original theatrical trailer and an image gallery with 75 pics of stills, poster are of the various titles (AQUARIUS, DELIRIUM, STAGEFRIGHT)  and some cool VHS/DVD artwork from around the globe. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

- Theatre Of Delirium - Interview with Director Michele Soavi (19 minutes)
- Head Of The Company - Interview with Star David Brandon (12 minutes)
- Blood On The Stage Floor - Interview with Star Giovanni Lombardo Radice
- The Sound Of Aquarius - Interview with Composer Simon Boswell (18 minutes)
- The Owl Murders - Interview with Make-Up Effects Artist Pietro Tenoglio (11 minutes)
- Theatrical Trailer ( 2 minutes)
- Poster and Still Gallery (74 images) 

VERDICT:
A fun slasher film with more than a few stylistic nods to Dario Argento - and that's something to celebrate in my opinion. The enclosed space and the bird-brained killer are inspired choices and while the script falls short the damn thing is peppered with a number of creatively gruesome kills - there's just a lot to enjoy here. Blue Underground are white hot streak of superlative transfers and value-added extras, fans of Italian horror should want this on on their shelf ASAP. 

ALIEN 2 ON EARTH (1980) coming to DVD from Midnight Legacy

ALIEN 2 ON EARTH Coming to DVD and Blu-ray 

on March 22 via Midnight Legacy

ALIEN 2 ON EARTH (1980)

Release Date: March 22nd 20111

LABEL: Midnight Legacy

REGION CODE: All Region

DIRECTOR: Ciro Ippolito

CAST: Belinda Mayne, Mark Bodin, Roberto Barrese, Benny Aldrich, Michele Soave

Classic Italian Horror / Sci-Fi Film Never-Before-Released in the United States

For their inaugural release, Midnight Legacy is presenting the first-ever widescreen release of Alien 2 On Earth. The uncut, English language, 1.85 widescreen release of the 1980 Italian Horror / Sci-Fi film directed by Ciro Ippolito (Sam Cromwell), is coming to DVD and Blu-ray on March 22.

This film has never been released in the United States... Only a handful of countries saw a cropped and edited VHS release nearly thirty years ago. This definitive version, transferred from the original 35mm negative, runs longer than any other version seen throughout the world. It is the presentation that finally represents the intended vision of Alien 2 On Earth.

"We are immensely pleased to have partnered with MVD as it presents a strong opportunity for strategic market penetration for our releases with a distributor who shares our vision for preserving and delivering films of the highest technical quality," said Dolph Chiarino, Co-Founder of Midnight Legacy. "MVD possesses a rather unique model within key business sectors bringing Midnight Legacy titles to the broadest possible audience."

For the past 10 years, Chiarino and Bill Knight (founders of Midnight Legacy) has been the go-to people for independent genre labels to release European horror and sci-fi titles on DVD. Whether it is to provide elements, ensure a title was uncut, or to advise what titles would be choice candidates, their knowledge proved to be quite lucrative for companies such as Anchor Bay, Blue Underground, Synapse, Media Blasters, and quite a few others.

"When we started this venture, we knew we had to be fully committed to going the distance when preserving many rare films without the typical cost cutting procedures employed throughout the industry," said Chiarino. "A rather distinctive hands-on approach encompassing personally supervising the transfer work in Rome, the disc work here, and simply building relationships with some of the most respected film and post-house individuals that share our vision. These are all key facets that deliver a measurable benefit to the viewer. As far as we are aware, we are the only genre company creating Digital Intermediates (DIs) for all of our titles. The results are more of a major restoration rather than simply a "new" transfer, and it certainly is visible to our viewer base."

Midnight Legacy's most fundamental principal was to establish a trust between the consumer and the brand... One that ensures all titles are fully uncut, properly framed, and presented in a definitive version of the absolute highest quality. With over 23 years experience dealing in these types of films, Midnight Legacy is proud to bring many rarely seen titles to the their collection. They pride themselves on respecting the original intentions of the filmmakers, and preserving the legacy these films have created.

"MVD is proud to represent Midnight Legacy," said Ed Seaman, COO of MVD Entertainment Group. "Between the classic content they are uncovering and their commitment to excellence, they separate themselves from the pack. MVD has a lot of experience representing classic horror, and Alien 2 On Earth is a great start with Midnight Legacy, particularly considering the great job they have done with the restoration, transfers and packaging."

"Alien 2 On Earth" SYNOPSIS:

A group of cave explorers are confronted in an underground cavern by a mysterious living rock. Little do they know that it bears home to deadly, flesh-eating creatures, intent on wiping out the entire human population. Can they survive and ultimately prevent earth's total annihilation? The film stars Belinda Mayne, Mark Bodin, Roberto Barrese, Benny Aldrich, Michele Soavi and Judy Perrin.

Blu-ray FEATURES:

- Brand new 1.85:1 high definition transfer from the original 35mm negative featuring significant additional footage not seen anywhere in the world.

- Ultra high bitrate AVC encode @36 MBS, on a BD-50, faithfully representing our 2k scan and preserving the integrity and look of film.

- English DTS MA 2.0, fully restored from the original audio masters, and respectful of the original sound design.

- Special features include the only surviving trailer from the mega rare Dutch VHS , and effects outtakes transferred directly from the negative B-roll in full HD.

- Limited Collector's Edition designed as a true collector's item.

Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvwVFDNDXcg

Blu-ray Info: www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MLBD001

DVD Info: www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MLDVD001