FRANCO FEBRUARY! PAULA-PAULA (2010) (DVD Review)

PAULA-PAULA (2010)

Label: Intervision Picture Corp
Region Code: Region Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 76 Minutes 
Audio: Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) 
Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Paula Davis, Carmen Montes, Lina Romay

Synopsis: Alma Pereira is a female police officer investigating the murder of an exotic dancer at a sleazy club in Malaga, Spain. Called to the Flamingo Club in a back alley of Antofagasta she confronts the prime suspect, Paula, a friend of the victim. After a brief Q+A the balance of the film shows what happened in the interval leading up to the killing, which turns out to be a crime of passion. Or is it all in the mind of Paula?

So what's Franco got for us this time? Well, first off you should realize this is not a usual narrative film with a linear narrative. It's being touted as an "An AudioVisual Experience" which it is - then again, isn't every film since the first talkie an audio-visual experience? I found the story hard to follow, but from what I've been able to glean from some close scrutiny and internet scouring we have Paula (Carmen Montes, Snakewoman) in the main role, Paula. She  is an erotic dancer who has been arrested for the murder of another dancer, also named Paula (Paula Davis). Paula only shares the same name but is not an visual twin/doppelganger ala The Double Life of Veronique (1991). Once taken-in for questioning she in interviewed by Alma Pereira (Lina Romay, Female Vampire). However, she's not forthcoming with the answers during the interview, she seems a few tacos short of a combination plate, you know? From there we see fragments of what may have transpired leading up to the point of the murder as seen through Paula's mind's eye. Maybe. This shit was confusing. What it basically boils down to is a fairly trippy and artsy striptease followed by  20 minute lesbian sex scene culminating in a baffling and anti-climactic murder with a loose-narrative prologue. Aside from the lurid appeal of a tasty striptease and some girl-on-girl action this was a bit of a slog for me, to be honest. 

Franco makes the assertion that the inspiration for Paula-Paula came from Robert Louis Stevenson's story Jekyll/Hyde. There's some tiny hint of such a things with some odd mirror and digital effects works but that's really stretching it. If I hadn't of read it in the press kit I don't think I would have made this connection. One thing I can say about this film is that the jazz score provided by the late Austrian composer Friedrich Gulda (who scored Franco's Succubus/Necronomicon) is fantastic. The films serves as merely an erotic visual backdrop to the very cool score. It should be noted that the music was not scored specifically for the film and was gifted to Franco by the children of Gulda after the composer's death - perhaps the films is a tribute to the composer's score. Now that's interesting. 

Audio/Video: Paula-Paula (2010) arrives on DVD from Intervision Picture Corp framed in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) with a Spanish Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack with optional English subtitles. The transfer seems to accurately represent the digital video cinematography and is augmented by some artsy digital effects wizardry. The Spanish dialogue seems a bit buried in the mix throughout but the amazing jazz score from Friedrich Gulda (Succubus/Necronomicon)sounds mighty fine indeed. 

Special features on the disc include an introduction and two interviews with Franco. The introduction to the film was recorded mere moments after the initial filming of Paula-Paula and Franco seems quite excited about the project. The other interviews have Franco discussing the state of filmmaking, the music and cast of Paula-Paula all of which I found more intriguing than the film. 

Special Features: 
- Introduction by Jess Franco (1 min)
- Jess Franco on Contemporary Filmmaking (18 min)
- Jess Franco on Paula-Paula (9 min)

Paula-Paula (2010) works better as an odd extended music video or video art piece than an narrative film in my opinion, not a recommend unless you're a true Jess Franco completest. During the interviews Franco suggests this may be one of 2 or 3 of his weirdest films. Agreed, but sadly not in a good way, if this happens to be your first Franco watch it would probably leave you cold, but trust me, dive deeper, there's some true Eurocult gems from Franco waiting for you to discover them. 1.5/5

DEADTIME STORIES (1986) (Blu-ray Review)

DEADTIME STORIES (1986) 

Label: Scream Factory
Release Date: February 28th 2017 
Region Code: A
Duration: 83 Minutes 
Rating: R-Rated 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 1.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Jef Delman
Cast: Matt Mitler, Cathryn de Prume, Melissa Leo, Nicole Picard, Scott Valentine, Michael Mesmer

Synopsis: Travel on a mysterious journey to a medieval world populated by blood-crazed witches, evil experiments and captive maidens. Then from the catacombs and dark caverns of medieval Europe, you’ll plunge into modern suburbia and the adventures of a female jogger stalked by a savage werewolf. Finally, sensuality will become macabre, black comedy as you follow the trail of three bank robbers who share their country house hideaway with a sweet murderess.

Deadtime Stories (1986) is a low-budget horror anthology that has a certain regional feel about it, shot by college kids between '82-'85, it feels a bit cheap, but it's fun, sort of silly, a little macabre, hokey and loaded with plenty of DIY charm. It's probably not gonna be for everyone but I loved it a bunch. One thing is for sure, the movie never looked better on home video than with this new DVD/Blu-ray combo from Scream Factory, which is getting released on February 28th. 

Like any good anthology we have wrap-around story that frames the segments and bookends the movie, wherein a young boy named Brian (Brian DePersia) is being babysat by his Uncle Mike (Michael Mesmer), who just wants to couch surf with a few beers and some softcore nudie films on skinemax when the kid goes to sleep. This kid, however, has an overactive imagination and fears that there are monsters is in his room waiting to pounce once the lights go out. He begs his uncle to read him bedtime story so the grown-up conjures up a few stories off the top of his head, and they're pretty gruesome for someone trying to coerce a kid into falling asleep. 

He begins with "The Black Forrest", a tale of two witchy sisters who have a boy slave named Peter (Scott Valentine, TV's Family Ties), they task him with luring villagers to their remote cabin in the woods. There they kill and use their body parts to cast a spell in hopes of locating and resurrecting their long dead third sister witch. A local Lothario is the first victim, lured and entranced by the witches, believing the rotten toothed witches to be sexy maidens, he loses a hand before dying when they apply a burning liquid to his wrist. The second intended victim is a cute maiden living in the woods, once Peter begins to take a liking to her things begin to sour for the witches. 

The special effects and atmosphere on this one are cheap, but fun, the severed hand and resurrection scenes are low-rent slices of b-movie making, but some of witchy make-up appliances leave a bit to be desired, as do the set dressing, but it's not without its charm. This was my least favorite of the three.  

The second story is "Little Red Running Hood" which offers up a werewolf story, wherein  Rachel (Nicole Picard, Ghoulies Go to College)is a fine-looking young woman with her granny, she and her boyfriend meet in an old tool shack and mutually lose their virginity. However, back at grannie's house there was a mix-up at the pharmacy and she got her prescription mixed-up with one for a guy named Willie (Matt Mitler, The Mutilator), who just happens to be a werewolf. He seems like an alright guy, aside from those rocker leather pants, and that prescription, for sedatives, is the only thing preventing him from becoming a snarling hairy beast, and guess what, when he tracks grannie down she doesn't want to trade prescripts with him, leading to him wolfing out in front of her house when the sun goes down. 

The werewolf transformation is mostly hinted at, but what we do get is pretty decent, a bulging sternum, canine incisors popping out, but the final werewolf look is just okay, not great. The finished wolf consists of mostly facial transformation with clawed, hairy hands... and those tight leather pants. This one is fun, it lacking direction, the editing is wonky, but that final line uttered by Rachel had me howling, so good and cheesy. 

The third and final story is "Goldi Lox and the Three Baers" featuring Ma Ma Baer (Melissa Leo, TV's Wayward Pines) as the matriarch of a trio of bank robbers. At the start she is breaking her husband and son out of the loony bin, not sure why. Afterward they rob a bank and drive out to their former residence to lay low for a bit, only to find that a pretty, young telekinetic serial killer named Goldi Lox (Cathryn de Prume, Wild) has taken up living there, and she's acquired quite a stockpile of dead young, would-be suitors. She also has some form of telekinetic powers, making her a formidable addition to the crime family. 

The three stories are fun, low-rent and not all that inspiring, but I love cheesy horror anthologies, I like the goofy wrap-around here, and I like the amateur can-do attitude of the whole thing, this is a fun late-night b-movie watch. Yeah, the budget shows through throughout, it's hard to hide the seams of this cheapie, but its got a lot of heart. I love the soundtrack, which was written and performed by director Jef Delman with music by former porno composer Larry Juris (Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle). I wish this had a bonus CD of just for those four songs, they're a lot of fun. Delman didn't go onto direct much, this was his first feature, one of only three, but you can see the cast and crew had a lot of fun making it, and it shows, this is a low-rent good time.  

Audio/Video: Deadtime Stories (1986) arrives on Blu-ray from Scream Factory with a newly minted 2K transfer straight from the original 35mm camera negative, the results are very nice. I had previously only seen this on a murky DVD-rip bootleg sourced straight from VHS, to see it in widescreen in all it's crisp HD glory is a real treat. Grain is nicely managed and not too overwhelming, the colors are nicely saturated, the black levels are nice and deep, this is just a dramatic improvement, very nice. Audio on the disc comes by way of a DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 track, dialogue and score sound good, the synth heavy score comes through with some good decent depth, including that memorable opening theme song which name checks Romero, Hitchcock and De Palma, like the movie itself the tunes are sort of goofy but also fun. The lone audio knock I levee against it is some odd audio distortion for a few seconds during the "The Black Forrest" segment. Optional English subtitles are provided. 

Extras on the disc are plentiful, beginning with a solo audio commentary from director Jeffrey Delman, plus a 16-min interview with him, in which he speaks about the genesis o the film, settling on the horror genre as a commercially viable option, the producer's connection to the film Nightmare, working with and casting Valentine and Leo, who both studied with the same acting teacher, also mentioning they had to shoot around Leo's broken arm in her segment. 

Actors Cathryn de Prume, Melissa Leo and Scott Valentine Show up for a 16-min look back at the making of the movie, all are very candid and funny, and are apparently good friends to this day. They speak about how they came to end up being cast, having a blast making it, and Valentine having had a serious accident which resulted in him limping, lying about the severity of the injury to get the part.   

In the extras you will also find a VHS-sourced alternate cut of the first story The Black Forest, which plays a bit differently, having been planned as a possible stand alone feature at one point during the production. There are two brief deleted scenes with introduction from Delman, theatrical trailers and a an image gallery of various home video releases, stills, storyboards, and behind-the-scenes stuff. The 2-disc DVD/BD release comes in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a sleeve of art featuring an image from the film on the reverse side, the 2 discs feature separate artwork, which I appreciate, both are scenes from the movie and not the artwork on the sleeve.   

Special features:
- NEW HD Transfer From the Original Negative
- NEW Audio Commentary with co-writer/director Jef Delman
- NEW I Like the Grotesque – an interview with co-writer/director Jeffrey Delman (16 min) HD 
- NEW Band of Gypsies: The Making of Deadtime stories (16 min) HD - Interviews with actors Cathryn de Prume, Melissa Leo and Scott Valentine
- The Black Forest – An alternate cut of the first story (30 min)
- Deleted Scenes with Intro (3 min)
- Theatrical Trailers (3 min)
- Still Gallery (4 min) HD

Always glad to see another nearly forgotten 80s horror film arrive on Blu-ray, this one might not knock you outta your seat but if you love a low-budget DIY horror anthologies I think you will find something to like about this. Scream Factory have knocked it out the park with the new 2K transfer and the extras are awes. 3/5 

DEMON SEED (1977) COMING TO BLU-RAY FROM WARNER ARCHIVE!

DEMON SEED (1977)

NEW 2017 1080p HD REMASTER
BD50
Color - 94 Minutes
ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 2.40:1
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 MONO-English 
English SDH

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Susan Harris is alone in the house when, suddenly, doors lock, windows slam shut and the phone stops working. Susan is trapped by an intruder…but this is no ordinary thug. Instead, the intruder is a computer named Proteus, an artificial brain that has learned to reason. And to terrorize. In “one of her finest, most vulnerable performances” (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic), Julie Christie plays Susan in this taut techno-thriller based on the Dean Koontz novel. Packed with suspense, surprise and special effects, Demon Seed follows Susan’s desperate attempts to outmaneuver and outthink her captor. Then Susan learns what Proteus wants: its own child, conceived in her womb and destined for domination.

FRANCO FEBRUARY! THE HOT NIGHTS OF LINDA (1975) (Blu-ray Review)

THE HOT NIGHTS OF LINDA (1975) 

Label: Severin Films
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 80 Minutes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
Video: 1080p widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Alice Arno, Veronica Limera, Lina Romay, Paul Muller, Catherine Lafferière, Pierre Taylou

Euro-cult legend and artful smut master Jess Franco's The Hot Nights of Linda (1975) begins with a young woman named Maria-France (Alice Arno, Countess Perverse) accepting a position as a live-in secretary for a wealthy weirdo named Mr. Steiner (Paul Muller, Nightmare Castle). Steiner lives on a Greek island in a picturesque mansion overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean sea, he resides there with his paraplegic daughter Linda (Catherine Lafferière, Exorcism) and her sex-crazed cousin Olivia, played by Jess Franco muse and 70's sex-kitten Lina Romay (How to Seduce a Virgin). There's also a  mute manservant named Abdul (Pierre Taylou, Cecelia) who doesn't speak a word, just sorta grunts, but somehow he manages to get a steady stream of lady-love just the same.

When the ginger-muffed Marie-France arrives on the island her presence amps up the strange and sleazy happenings on inside the home. This side effect is particularly strong in the case of young Olivia who is seeming rather bored with her wealthy lifestyle, winding up in about every bed at the mansion, including that of the sex-stud Abdul. She even distracts herself by occasionally carpet-munching her own invalid cousin - it's a strange, rapey and incestuous scenario - but even that is nothing compared to the potassium fueled penetration she performs on the "Hard Banana" version included on the bonus disc on this 2-disc set - WOW!

As a Jess Franco production it's probably redundant at to say that the sleaze is literally dripping right off the screen> We get loads of wonderful depravity, including copious amounts of voyeurism, a smattering of sadism and incest, some lesbianism, a bit of rape, and murder (of course), The Hot Night of Linda is truly a treasure trove of 70's Franco depravity. The way Olivia (Romay) sucks-off a banana is completely overwhelming, and Alice Arno as Marie-France is nice pint-sized slice of horniness. When she rubs suntan lotion on Olivia's breasts its leads straight into the expected sun-drenched lesbian encounter you're hoping for,  and it doesn't disappoint.

Some of themes are pretty dark, even by Franco standards. When weirdo Mr. Steiner finds his nympho niece riding the manservant raw he shackles him in the basement dungeon and delivers a thrashing. It's also strongly implied there's an incestuous secret between Steiner and his naughty niece, he is haunted by visions of his departed wife while Olivia has recurring nightmares of her uncle murdering his wife's lover, it's weird stuff and we get some nicely executed dream sequences, the film has a great balance of tension, eroticism and surreal atmosphere.

Having just watched Franco's Countess Perverse (1973) and How to Seduce a Virgin (1973) it's was easy to pick-up on, not just a few familiar faces, but familiar Franco themes that each of the film share. We have the depravity of the wealthy, the amoral tendencies of the depraved, some sadism mixed in with eroticism, and gorgeous locations. Franco had a great eye for exotic set-pieces, and this a wonderfully shot film.

My list of grievances on this one  are pretty short, the dubbed-dialogue is awful, but no one ever sat down to watch a Jess Franco film for it's dialogue, that's for sure. Pierre Taylou is awful as the manservant and there's a weird slapstick side story involving a detective and photographer spying on the family hoping to uncover a murder plot, that's goofy, but we do get a fun striptease, otherwise The Hot Nights of Linda (1975) is pant-swelling Euro-cult classic from Franco. 

Audio/Video: Jess Franco's The Hot Nights of Linda (1975) arrives on Blu-ray from Severin Films with an AVC encode, the 1080p widescreen image is a bit rough but represents the most complete and attractive version of the film available to date. The well worn print bares the alternate But Who Raped Linda? title card and is rampant with white specs, debris and scratches, the most severe are a series of vertical scratches appearing at the 46:48 mark. The image also suffers from softness, faded colors and the dark scenes that are murky, it could be better but apparently these were the best elements available. There's an English-dubbed DTS-HD Mono 1.0 audio track with no subtitles option, dialogue is never difficult to understand and the Greek-influenced score sounds quite nice.

Extras include Hot Nights, a 16-minute interview with Director Jess Franco who speaks about writing the role for Lina Romay who previously only appeared in supporting roles, the score, and working with Alice Arno, Paul Muller and the various incarnations of the film.

There's also a 12-minute interview with Jess Franco and Lina Romay whom discuss of the cast, script and the definitive edition of the film, it ends with Romay talking about her dislike of seeing herself on film, which is not a problem we share, I love it. Author Stephen Thrower appears to discuss this entry and this prolific period of Franco's career, describing Franco's creative process, the strange sound editing and dubbing process, going on to to discuss the various edits, alternate titles and versions of the film.

Extras are rounded out by a theatrical trailer, a short clip of Jess Franco accepting his Fantastic Fest Lifetime Achievement Award, nearly six minutes of outtakes featuring an additional Lina Romay sex scene and Alice Arno nude.

The first 2500 editions of this set include a limited edition bonus DVD featuring the super-rare French "Hard Banana" Version (79 Minutes) of the film with hardcore sex inserts filmed by Jess Franco himself, it's definitely something of a curiosity with extended masturbation and sex sequences. we have Lina Romay sucking cock, performing a hand-job and Arno eating Romay's hairy 70's pussy, it's pretty raw. Not to be missed is Pierre Tayou pulling out and spilling his seed across Romay's stomach, it's by far his best scene in the movie. Now, the quality of this version is pure shit, a cropped sub-VHS image in French with burned-in French subtitles. Check out the screen grab below for a comparison of the Blu-ray image versus the Hard Banana version, it's a shocker.

Blu-ray Version 

Hard Banana Version

Special Features:
- Hot Nights: Exclusive Interview With Director Jess Franco (16 min)
- Jess and Lina Talk Linda: xclusive Interview With Director Jess Franco and Star Lina Romay (12 min)
- Fantastic Fest Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation To Franco (2 min)
- NIGHTMARE USA Author Stephen Thrower On Linda (12 min)
- Outtakes (6 min)
- Trailer (4 min)
- Bonus Disc - Limited to first 2500 Copies - French Hard Banana Version (DVD)

The Hot Nights of Linda (1975) is a deeply satisfying slice of 70's voyeuristic sleaze with all the depravity and eroticism you've come to expect from prime era Jess Franco, filled with the lurud beauty, 70s weirdness and plenty of Lina Romay and Alice Arno in their naked glory. This is a top-notch set from Severin, highly recommended. 3/5

PSYCHOMANIA (1972) (Blu-ray Review)

PSYCHOMANIA (1972) 

Label: Arrow Video 
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English LPCM Mono 1.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Don Sharp
Cast: George Sanders, Beryl Reed, Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Roy Holder, Robert Hardy

Synopsis: The United States gave motorcycle-mad cinemagoers Easy Rider, The Wild One and The Wild Angels. The United Kingdom gave them Psychomania, the tale of zombie bikers run amok is southern England. The Living Dead are a delinquent biker gang, fond of causing havoc on British roadways and making out in graveyards. Gang leader Tom (Nicky Henson) also has a Satanist for a mother, and when he discovers the secret of immortality, the name of his motley crew takes on a more literal meaning... Directed by Hammer veteran Don Sharp (The Kiss of the Vampire, The Devil-Ship Pirates) and co-starring Beryl Reid (Dr. Phibes Rises Again) and George Sanders (Village of the Damned), Psychomania is a wonderfully offbeat gem, outlandish and eccentric in equal measure.

Psychomania (1972) is a wild ride of culty 70's biker exploitation, a weird mash-up of the the zombie and biker movies of the day with a nice smattering of the occult thrown in, because why not, right? Tom (Nicky Henson, Witchfinder General) is the leader of a UK biker gang known as The Living Dead, they have cool names like Hatchet, Gash, Chopped Meat and Hinky and their helmets are adorned with awesome skull and bones designs which are way cool. The ginger-haired cutie Abby (Mary Larkin) Tom's lover, but she has some competition within the gang from the sexy biker chic Jane (Anne Michele, House of Whipcord) who always seems to be at Tom's side, causing some lovers-friction in the group.

Tom's mother Mrs. Latham (Beryl Reid, Dr. Phibes Rises Again) dabbles in the occult, performing spiritual seances alongside her mysterious butler Shadwell (George Sanders, Mr. Freeze of the 60's Batman TV series). It's through his mum that Tom discovers the secret of immortality, that if he commits suicide believing 100% that he will return, not only be resurrected, but he will also become invulnerable to injury, a sort of suicide pact with the devil. Of course, it's only a short time before the resurrection obsessed Tom rides straight off a bridge and into the river and his corpse washes up onshore a short distance away. 

At his funeral Tom is buried a bit strangely, no coffin for this bad ass biker, nope. He's buried upright straddling his favorite Triumph motorcycle, dressed in his leathers and helmet, which makes for a great resurrection scenario. You hear the motorcycle rev it's engine and then he bursts forth from the ground like a bat out of Hell. Reuniting with his gang Tom informs them of the diabolical resurrection info and most of the others are only too eager to make the suicide pact with Satan in order to earn their immortality. Some are successful, but a few lack the required faith and just end up dead, not the desired undead status. Soon we have a squad of undead bikers raising Holy Hell on the street, impervious to harm they seem unstoppable, but when you make a deal with the Devil surely things are never quite as they appear, right?.

Psychomania (1972) might come up a bit short in terms of nudity, blood and guts, but this Eurocult classic does have some great atmosphere which is accentuated by John Cameron's acid-tinged guitar score, which is awesome. For a low budget cheapie it also boasts some decent cinematography from cameraman Ted Moore (Goldfinger, Clash of the Titans), particularly the haunting slow-mo opening shots of the bikers in a foggy graveyard, it sets a macabre and silly sort of tone. We also have some nice direction from Don Sharp (Curse of the Fly, Witchcraft)and plenty action-packed motorcycle stunt work. It really does come together quite nicely, making for an entertaining watch, even if I wished it were amped up with more gore and sleaze. 

Sadly, veteran actor George Sanders committed suicide shortly after filming ended, leaving behind a succinct suicide note which read "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.". It's rumored that he saw a rough cut of the film in Spain shortly before killing himself, no word on if that contributed to his decision to kill himself, but it makes for a good story. 

Audio/Video: The original negative for Psychomania (1972) were considered lost forever, the 2013 DVD from Severin Films was sourced it from a surviving uncut 35mm print, and at the time, all things considered, it was a strong presentation. However, the Arrow Blu-ray is a 2K restoration from the preservation negatives, and the HD image looks astounding when compared to the old Severin release. The grain field is impressive, colors are vibrant and noticeably brighter, the details are sharper with more depth and clarity that I would have ever hoped for from this movie, this is wonderful. Noteworthy, I do believe this is the same  HD transfer as the region B BFI release. Arrow's disc includes a lossless LPCM 1.0 Mono audio track that handles the audio chores nicely, and without the occasional hiss and pops that were present on the Severin disc. A highlight is the acid-tinged guitar score from John Cameron (Jack the Ripper)and the roar of the revving motorcycle engine, it sounds great.  

The disc features all the extras from the Severin DVD except for the five minute introduction from former Fangoria editor Chris Alexander. This includes the making of doc Return Of The Living Dead (20 min) with interviews from actors Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor. All participants seem a bit surprised that anyone remembers this obscure zombie biker film, each offering a glimpse into making the film with kind recollections of director Don Sharp and veteran actor George sanders who committed suicide shortly after filming ended. There's also an interview with the composer of the score John Cameron, plus a six-minute interview with folk singer Harvey Andrews who speaks about performing the tune "Riding Free" in the film only to be replaced by an actor who lip-synced the song, noting that he finger-picked his guitar while the actor is clearly strumming. 

Arrow have also licensed a few of the extras from BFI Flipside who released a DVD/BD combo of their own in the UK last year, from that we get a 2-minute video of the restoration from the original 35mm black and white separation masters, there's also a 14-minute interview from 2016 with star Nicky Henson, the star talks about working on the British stage but picking up some extras cash on the side in b-movies, which he preferred to working on TV, not expecting that these low rent b-movies would end up on TV and home video years later. He also speaks about his stuntman ending up in the hospital three separate times, his aversion  watching stunts being performed, the great stunt work done for the film, and remembering George Saunders, relaying the legend that after Saunders saw an early print of the film he went back to his hotel and killed himself. Also carried over from the BFI release is an interview with Derek Harris, the current owner of Lewis Leathers, who supplied the film’s costumes showing off some vintage biker-clothing used in the movie. The last of the extras is a theatrical trailer for the movie N HD. 

We were only send a "check disc" for review sans any packaging, but retail copies of this one also include a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil, plus a collector’s booklet containing writing by Vic Pratt, William Fowler and Andrew Roberts.

Special Features:
- 2K restoration from preservation negatives
- High Definition (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original 1.0 mono audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand-new interview with star Nicky Henson (14 min) HD 
- Return of the Living Dead (25 min) HD - An archive featurette containing interviews actors Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor
- Sound of Psychomania (9 min) - An archive interview with composer John Cameron
- Riding Free (6 min) HD - An archive interview with ‘Riding Free’ singer Harvey Andrews
- Hell for Leather (8 min) HD - brand-new featurette on the company who supplied the film’s costumes
- Remastering Psychomania, a look at the film’s restoration from the original 35mm black and white separation masters (2 min) HD 
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) HD 
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet containing writing by Vic Pratt, William Fowler and Andrew Roberts

Psychomania (1972) is a fun 70's slice of Eurocult, a definite product of it's time and while I think the absence of nudity and gore might turn off a few of the not-so adventurous types, it is weird slice of 70s fun well-worth a watch. 3/5

THE YAKUZA (1975) (Blu-ray Review)

THE YAKUZA (1975)

Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: A
Duration: 112 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 with Optional English subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.4:1)
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Takakura Ken, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman, Ric, Richard Jordan, Kishi Keiko, James Shigeta 

Synopsis: Former private eye Harry Kilmer knows a lot about Japan — and the gangsters who keep an iron grip on its gambling, prostitution and protection rackets. He knows there’s a right way to approach the brutal underworld. And he knows there’s one thing powerful mobsters respect: greater power. Robert Mitchum is Kilmer in this haunting East-meets-West-head-on thriller powered by a team of heavy Hollywood hitters: writers Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) and Robert Towne (Chinatown) and director Sydney Pollack (The Interpreter). Costarring Japan’s Takakura Ken and veteran character actor Brian Keith, The Yakuza is a modern film noir in which honor and loyalty become issues of life and death. Violence erupts with the speed of a Tokyo-bound bullet train. And the last thing to die is tradition.

In Sydney Pollack's 70's yakuza flick we have an retired P.I. named Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum, The Night of The Hunter) being called on by an old army buddy,  crooked businessman George Tanner (Brian Keith), whose daughter has been kidnapped by yakuza gangster, Tono (Eiji Okada), after a shady arms deal tasked to Tanner went South, and the gangster is none too pleased by Tanner's cavalier attitude about the loss. 

Tanner calls on Kilmer's hoping his history and connections in Japan will  bring his daughter back to him. Both Kilmer and Tanner had been stationed in Tokyo during the post-war occupation, where Kilmer fell in love with a black market runner named Eiko (Keiko Kishi, Kwaidan). They become lovers but Eiko refused to marry Kilmer for unknown reasons. It was during this time in the past that Eiko's brother Ken (Ken Takakura, Black Rain)returned to Tokyo, having been stranded on an island during the war as an Imperial Soldier. Ken is outraged that his sister has fallen in love with an American G.I. - the enemy - and breaks off all relations with her, but he is conflicted, also swearing a life-long, unpayable debt to Kilmer, who saved his sister's life and that of her young daughter during the occupation. Ken joined the Yakuza shortly after and disappeared into the Tokyo underworld, becoming something of a legendary swordsman. 

Kilmer boards a flight to Tokyo with a bodyguard named Dusty (Richard Jordan, Logan's Run), arriving in Tokyo they stay with another old army buddy named Oliver (Herb Edelman), a Japanese scholar and collector of some wicked Japanese weaponry. Kilmer visits Eiko after a twenty-year absence looking for her brother, the reunion is bittersweet, the emotion between the two is thick enough to cut with a knife, he is also reunited with her now grown daughter, Hanako (Christina Kokubo ). 

Through Eiko Kilmer tracks Ken to a kendo school in Kyoto, we learn that he has not been a part of the Yakuza for many years, he is a peaceful man but he is also honor-bound to help Kilmer free the daughter of Tanner when called upon. The rescue mission results in the death of Yakuza soldiers, and a price is put on the heads of Kilmer and Ken, we also learn of a double-cross, and the two honor-bound men must fight their way to the top of the Yakuza food chain, arriving at Tono's residence, facing off against two dozen highly skilled yakuza soldiers, Ken with his katana blade and Kilmer with his shotgun!   

Having never watched this I must say that I was surprised by the sophistication of the story, which was written by screenwriters Paul Schrader (Hardcore) and Robert Town (Chinatown). There's a lot of attention to the detail of Yakuza culture, and to the honor, tradition and ceremony of Japanese society, this is no simple exploitation flick. That's not to say we don't get a bucket load of violence, we do, it's well-paced and tightly executed. The violence comes in short spurts, the stakes are high and lives that matter are lost. It's bloody but not Kill Bill/Tarantino high pressured Asians bloody, but we have dismemberment and decapitations, multiple instances of yubitsume, wherein a subordinate will ritually sever their pinky finger as a showing of remorse/respect, there's even a touching pinky severing that crosses cultures. 

I've always found Robert Mitchum sort of, not bland, but not deep either, however, I think his quite/cool works remarkably well in this movie, as an American with a deep understanding of Japanese culture he expresses as much in quiet ways, it really comes through. His Japanese counterpart Ken Takakura is fantastic, while Mitchum get the more traditionally dramatic role with his love for Eiko, Takakura is a smoldering figure in his own right, burning from within with honor and vengeance, his fight scenes are fantastic with well-staged swordplay and some nice bloody blades.

One of the more gut-punch elements of this tough as nails film is a secret revealed late in the game that casts a different sort of shadow on the main cast of characters, it's a whopper, and the build-up and reveal are expertly staged. Also saddening is the death of two young lovers, cut down before it can really begin, there's a lot of depth to this one, so dig in and check this out, this might have gotten by you without notice, but it's time to take note, The Yakuza (1975)is bad ass.   

Audio/Video: The Yakuza (1975) arrives on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive with a brand new 2017 HD remaster, looking mighty spiffy. 
The sources is in grand condition, grain is nicely managed and the colors are vibrant. Black levels on the Blu-ray are pleasing as are the fine details and textures throughout. Audio on the disc s handled by a capable DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track with optional English subtitles. The Dave Grusin score, dialogue and effects sounds just fine. Extras on the set include a vintage 20-min making of featurette, trailer and an audio commentary with Director Sydney Pollack.  

Special Features: 
- Commentary by Director Sydney Pollack
- Featurette - Promises to Keep (20 min) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) HD

This was a first time watch for me, I found it enthralling, the honor-bound story and mix of East meets West action is fantastic and
the drama and swordplay are top-notch! 3.5/5 

Arrow Video US - March 2017 Releases Detailed

TAKASHI MIIKE'S DEAD OF ALIVE TRILOGY 

on DVD and Blu-ray (March 14)

HOUSE: TWO STORIES LIMITED EDITION [HOUSE 1 and 2] 

on Blu-ray (March 21)

via MVD Entertainment Group

     
MVD Entertainment Group furthers the distribution of Arrow Video in the US with two amazing releases tailor made for cult and horror fans.

First out is Takashi Miike's classic Dead or Alive Trilogy starring Riki Takeuchi and Show Aikawa as their various characters deal drugs in Tokyo, put their yakuza assassin skills to good use and even meet cyborg soldiers in future Yokohama. Each film deftly shows off Miike at the height of his skills, and weaves a captivating tapestry of crime, action and character study.

Next up is a franchise any horror fan around in the late 80s and early 90s will recognise: House: Two Stories Limited Edition [House 1 & 2] which has a gorgeous 2K restoration of the first two films. With each film telling a different tale, and getting increasingly bonkers as the series goes on, the House films are equal parts funny, scary and entertaining. As much a joy for fans of weird cinema as they are for horror lovers.

Earlier in March, Arrow splits up the Death Walks Twice box set and offers Death Walks On High Heels and Death Walks At Midnight both on DVD and Blu-ray. These two films by Luciano Ercoli are beautifully restored Italian horror classics, with plenty of bonus features.

TAKASHI MIIKE'S DEAD OF ALIVE TRILOGY 

on DVD and Blu-ray (March 14)

Beginning with an explosive, six-minute montage of sex, drugs and violence, and ending with a phallus-headed battle robot taking flight, Takashi Miike's unforgettable Dead or Alive Trilogy features many of the director's most outrageous moments set alongside some of his most dramatically moving scenes. Made between 1999 and 2002, the Dead or Alive films cemented Miike's reputation overseas as one of the most provocative enfants terrible of Japanese cinema, yet also one of its most talented and innovative filmmakers. 

In Dead or Alive, tough gangster Ryuichi (Riki Takeuchi) and his ethnically Chinese gang make a play to take over the drug trade in Tokyo's Shinjuku district by massacring the competition. But he meets his match in detective Jojima (Show Aikawa), who will do everything to stop them. 

Dead or Alive 2: Birds casts Aikawa and Takeuchi together again, but as new characters, a pair of rival yakuza assassins who turn out to be childhood friends; after a botched hit, they flee together to the island where they grew up, and decide to devote their deadly skills to a more humanitarian cause. 

And in Dead or Alive: Final, Takeuchi and Aikawa are catapulted into a future Yokohama ruled by multilingual gangs and cyborg soldiers, where they once again butt heads in the action-packed and cyberpunk-tinged finale to the trilogy. 

Each of them unique in theme and tone, the Dead or Alive films showcase Miike at the peak of his strengths, creating three very distinct movies connected only by their two popular main actors, each film a separate yet superb example of crime drama, character study, and action film making.

Bonus Materials
- High Definition digital transfers of all three films
- Original stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for all three films
- New interview with actor Riki Takeuchi
- New interview with actor Sho Aikawa
- New interview with producer and screenwriter Toshiki Kimura
- New audio commentary for Dead or Alive by Miike biographer Tom Mes
- Archive interviews with cast and crew
- Archive making-of featurettes for DOA2: Birds and DOA: Final
- Original theatrical trailers for all three films
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Orlando Arocena

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the films by Kat Ellinger

Label: Arrow Video »
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run Time: 291 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1999
Director: Takashi Miike
Actors: Riki Takeuchi, Sho Aikawa
Territory: US
Language: Japanese
SRP: $49.95

HOUSE: TWO STORIES LIMITED EDITION [HOUSE 1 and 2]

 on Blu-ray (March 21)

Limited to 5000 units!

Step inside, we've been expecting you! At long-last, Arrow Video is proud to present the first two instalments of hit horror franchise House on Blu-ray for the first time! In the original House, William Katt (Carrie) stars as Roger Cobb, a horror novelist struggling to pen his next bestseller. When he inherits his aunt's creaky old mansion, Roger decides that he's found the ideal place in which to get some writing done. Unfortunately, the house's monstrous supernatural residents have other ideas... 

Meanwhile, House II: The Second Story sees young Jesse (Arye Gross) moving into an old family mansion where his parents were mysteriously murdered years before. Plans for turning the place into a party pad are soon thwarted by the appearance of Jesse's mummified great-great-grandfather, his mystical crystal skull and the zombie cowboy who'll stop at nothing to lay his hands on it! 

From the team that brought you Friday the 13th, House and House II are era-defining horror classics - now newly restored and loaded with brand new extras!

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- Brand new 2K restorations of House and House II: The Second Story
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- "The House Companion" limited edition 60-page book featuring new writing on the entire - - House franchise by researcher Simon Barber, alongside a wealth of archive material

HOUSE
- Audio commentary with director Steve Miner, producer Sean S. Cunningham, actor William - Katt and screenwriter Ethan Wiley
- Ding Dong, You're Dead! The Making of House - brand new documentary featuring interviews with Steve Miner, Sean S. Cunningham, Ethan Wiley, story creator Fred Dekker, stars William Katt, Kay Lenz, and George Wendt, composer Harry Manfredini, special make-up and creature effects artists Barney Burman, Brian Wade, James Belohovek, Shannon Shea, Kirk Thatcher, and Bill Sturgeon, special paintings artists Richard Hescox and William Stout, and stunt coordinator Kane Hodder
- Stills Gallery
- Theatrical Trailers

HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY
- Audio commentary with writer-director Ethan Wiley and producer Sean S. Cunningham
- It's Getting Weirder! The Making of House II: The Second Story - Brand new documentary featuring interviews with Ethan Wiley, Sean S. Cunningham, stars Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Lar Park Lincoln, and Devin DeVasquez, composer Harry Manfredini, special make-up and creature effects artists Chris Walas, Mike Smithson, visual effects supervisor Hoyt Yeatman, and stunt coordinator Kane Hodder
- Stills Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer

Label: Arrow Video
Run Time: 93 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1986
Director: Steve Miner, Ethan Wiley
Actors: William Katt, George Wendt, Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark
Territory: US