CRYPT-KICKERS: NOISE FROM THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 5

NOISE FROM THE UNDERGROUND VOL. 5

SUPLECS - HYMSS UNDER A BLOOD MOON SKY (2026) CD - JIMMIE RODGERS - A CAREER ANTHOLOGY: RCA & BLUEBIRD RELEASES 1927-1933 5-CD Set- THE BLASTERS - THE BLASTERS (1981) CD - THE BLASTERS - HARD LINE (1985) CD 

SUPLECS - HYMNS UNDER A BLOOD MOON SKY  CD (2026) 

Label: Ripple Music

Duration: 46:27

NOLA stoner-metal legends  Suplecs have returned with a new studio album after fifteen years, and they have not mellowed with age, Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky offers a dozen tracks of sludge, doom and bluesy riff monsters that will chew you up and spit you out. Album opener "Got Nothing" is slabby riffage with plenty of crunch, bombastic drums and some earworm soloing, and then into more of the same with "Pentacle Star". The third track "No Apologies" settles into more of a vibe with acidic guitar work and a pleasant headbanging chug. "Forest of Fire" has some psychedelia/prog element thrown in that were tasty. "Old Spanish Trail" offers a desert rock interlude, then into the heavy riff-o-rama of "Damn These Pills", this one has a heavy fuzzed-out throb to it. Listening to this in my car on my way into work and then again on the commute home just revealed one banger after another, and it saves the best for last, the album closer "La Ti Da" ended up being my favorite, playing it on repeat three times in a row just to experience it again and again, and again, the track featuring a brassy low-end apocalypse horn section courtesy of The Horn of Egg Yolk Jubilee, which adds an additional and unexpected heavy element to a song that is already heavy as fuck. This single-disc CD released by taste-makers Ripple Music arrives in a four-panel digipack with a clear plastic tray, no booklet in this one. 

Track Listing

1. Got Nothing

2. Pentacle Star

3. I See You

4. Forest Of Fire

5. Black Water Rising

6. Old Spanish Trail

7. Damn These Pills

8. Mountain

9. $6 Man

10. Heartless Bodies

11. No Apologies

12. La Ti Da

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JIMMIE RODGERS - A CAREER ANTHOLOGY: RCA & BLUEBIRD RELEASES 1927-1933 5-CD set 

Label: Acrobat Music 

Duration: 360 Minutes 

Jimmie Rodgers was a  pioneer of country music, dubbed "The Father Of Country Music" as well as "The Singing Brakeman", as he worked on the railroads before leaving the railroad after being diagnosed with tuberculosis at the age of 27 in 1924, then going onto become a professional musician. This 110-song 5-disc CD set from the UK-based Acrobat Music label spans his entire career, spanning the records he made for the RCA Victor and Bluebird labels from 1927-1933, among them his best-known songs like "In The Jailhouse Now", "Brakeman's Blues", "Waiting For A Train", "Blue Yodel No. 1", and of course "Mule Skinner Blues", as well as his team-up with the legendary Carter Family in 1931, and songs from his final sessions that were released posthumously. I first discovered Jimmie Rodgers for myself while I was first heavily getting into hank Williams Sr., who was hugely influenced by Rodgers music, he himself having covered "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)" was covered by a number of Rodgers songs, including "Mule Skinner Blues",

"In the Jailhouse Now" and "My Old Pal". If your a fan of William Sr. i imagine that Rodgers oeuvre will go down like a fine dandelion wine. His music is an intoxicating blend of plaintive blues and country strumming, Appalachian hillbilly folk, and country western, combined with Rodgers distinctive yodeling style, that goes down smooth, there's an inherent honesty to it, and the storytelling, which only got better towards the end of his life, is simply wonderful. The 110-song set is not complete and does not pretend to be, there are alternate takes and other songs that have proven to include, but its damn near definitive, and you can puck this up pn amazon for $32 right now, which is a steal of deal, this set is fantastic. The 5-disc CD set arrives in a five-disc clear jewel case, inside there's a 24-page booklet with in-depth liner notes by American roots music historian Paul watts, detailing the release chronology as well as information about Rodgers life and death, his influence, and of course the recording sessions of the songs featured on this set. 

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Sleep Baby Sleep

2. Soldiers Sweetheart

3. Away Out On The Mountain

4. Blue Yodel - T For Texas

5. In The Jailhouse Now

6. Ben Dewberry's Final Run

7. Brakeman's Blues

8. My Lovin' Gal Lucille (Blue Yodel No. 2)

9. Mother Was A Lady

10. Treasures Untold

11. Blue Yodel No. 3 (Evening Sun)

12. Never No Mo' Blues

13. Dear Old Sunny South By The Sea

14. My Little Old Home Down In New Orleans

15. Memphis Yodel

16. Lullaby Yodel

17. Waiting For A Train

18. Blue Yodel No. 4 - California Blues

19. I'm Lonely And Blue

20. The Sailor's Plea

21. My Little Lady

22. You And My Old Guitar

Disc 2:

23. My Carolina Sunshine Girl

24. Desert Blues

25. My Old Pal

26. Daddy And Home

27. Blue Yodel No. 5

28. I'm Sorry We Met

29. Frankie And Johnnie

30. Everybody Does It In Hawaii

31. Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues

32. My Rough And Rowdy Ways

33. Blue Yodel No. 6

34. Yodeling Cowboy

35. A Drunkard's Child

36. Whisper Your Mother's Name

37. Jimmie's Texas Blues

38. Train Whistle Blues

39. Hobo Bill's Last Ride

40. That's Why I'm Blue

41. Anniversary Blue Yodel (No. 7)

43. Any Old Time

43. He's In The Jailhouse Now No. 2

44. High Powered Mama

Disc 3:

45 Pistol Packin' Papa

46. Those Gambler's Blues

47. Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)

48. Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues

49. Mystery Of Number Five

50. Nobody Knows But Me

51. T.B. Blues

52. Mississippi River Blues

53. Jimmie The Kid

54. My Blue Eyed Jane

55. I'm Lonesome Too

56. Travellin' Blues

57. Moonlight And Skies

58. Jimmie Rodgers Visits The Carter Family

59. Standing On A Corner - Blue Yodel No. 9

60. Looking For A New Mama

61. What's It

62. Why Should I Be Lonely

63. Let Me Be Your Sidetrack

64. Gambling Polka Dot Blues

65. When The Cactus Is In Bloom

66. Roll Along Kentucky Moon

Disc 4:

67. For The Sake Of Days Gone By

68. My Time Ain't Long

69. Ninety Nine Year Blues

70. Home Call

71. She Was Happy Till She Met You

72. Mississippi Moon

73. Blue Yodel No.10 (Ground Hog Rootin' In My Back Yard)

74. Down The Old Road To Home

75. The Hobo's Meditation

76. Rock All Our Babies To Sleep

77. Mother, The Queen Of My Heart

78. Miss The Mississippi & You

79. In The Hills Of Tennessee

80. Whippin' That Old T.B.

81. No Hard Times - Blue Yodel

82. Gambling Bar Room Blues

83. Long Tall Mama Blues

84. Peach Pickin' Time Down In Georgia

85. Prairie Lullaby

86. Sweet Mama, Hurry Home

87. Blue Yodel No. 11 (Eight)

88. Southern Cannon Ball

Disc 5:

89. Land Of My Boyhood Dreams

90. Mississippi Delta Blues

91. Old Pal Of My Heart

92. Yodeling Ranger

93. I'm Free (From The Chain Gang Now)

94. Old Love Letters

95. Somewhere Down Below The Dixon Line

96. Barefoot Blues - Blue Yodel No.12

97. Cowhand's Last Ride

98. Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel

99. Fifteen Years Ago Today

100. I've Ranged, I've Roamed And I've Traveled

101. Why Did You Give Me Your Love

102. My Good Gal's Gone Blues

103. Why There's A Tear In My Eye

104. Carter Family & Jimmie Rodgers In Texas

105. I've Only Loved Three Women

106. That Wonderful City

107. The One Rose

108. Yodeling My Way Back Home

109. Take Me Back Again

110. Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes

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THE BLASTERS - THE BLASTERS (1981) CD

Label: Liberation Hall 

Duration: 30:51 

The Blasters second self-titles album was released in 1982, a dozen tracks of roots rockin' "American Music", a vibrant and upbeat array of blues, rockabilly, country, jazz, swing, and early rock & roll, the album alternating between originals and covers, like a saxed-up cover of Rudy Toombs "I'm Shakin'", and honky-tonk original like "Border Radio". Phil Alvin vocals are exuberant and distinct, along side his brother Dave Alvin finger lickin' lead guitar, with rhythm section of John Bazz and

Bill Bateman, piano from Gene Taylor and the tenor/baritone sax combo of Lee Allen and Steve Berlin. It would be a challenge indeed to slap this disc on and not start shakin' your booty! The single-disc reissues from Liberation Hall arrive in a four-panel digisleeve, with a 8-page booklet featuring writing by Chris Morris.

Track Listing: 

1. Marie Marie
2. No Other Girl
3. I'm Shakin'
4. Border Radio
5. American Music
6. So Long Baby Goodbye
7. Hollywood Bed
8. Never No Mo' Blues
9. This Is It
10. Highway 61
11. I Love You So
12. Stop the Clock

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THE BLASTERS - HARD LINE (1985)  CD 

Label: Liberation Hall

Duration: 36:03 

The Blasters fourth album, 1985's Hard Line, went for a slightly more contemporary sound, but it still rocks the roots with standouts like "Trouble Bound" and "Help You Dream", Dave Alvin's guitar tone is thick and wonderous, while his bother's Phil's vocals and lyrics are sharper than ever, including the ominous "Dark Night," which was featured years later as the opening song for the Tarantino/Rodriguez flick From Dusk Till Dawn soundtrack. The album is solid, but probably my least favorite of the original four album, but there's no denying the more poppier sensibilities are intriguing, we get two songs co-penned by John Doe of X ("Little Honey", "Just Another Sunday"), and John Mellencamp wrote the song "Colored Lights", and the Jordanaires who do back-up vocals on "Trouble Bound" and the traditional song "Samson and Delilah". There's not a clunker in the bunch but the energy level is a bit subdued to previous albums, but it's flavorful, we get some Cajun zydeco influence with :Little Honey", and the tune "Common Man: has a real countryfied Credence Clearwater Revival vibe about it, closing the album with the rockabilly raver "Rock and Roll Will stand".  The single-disc reissues from Liberation Hall arrive in a four-panel digisleeve, with a 8-page booklet featuring writing by Chris Morris that details the recording of the album, trouble behind-the-scenes and the series of events that lead to Dave Alvin departing the band.  

Track Listing: 

1. Trouble Bound
2. Just Another Sunday
3. Hey Girl
4. Dark Night
5. Little Honey
6. Samson and Delilah
7. Colored Lights
8. Help You Dream
9. Common Man
10. Rock and Roll Will Stand

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THE ISLAND CLOSEST TO HEAVEN (1984) Cult Epics Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

THE ISLAND CLOSEST TO HEAVEN (1984) 

Label: Cult Epics

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 102 Minutes 28 Seconds 

Audio: Japanese DTS-HA MA 2.0 Dual-Mono, LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi

Cast: Tomoyo Harada, Yukihiro Takahashi, Ryoichi Takayanagi, Toru Minegishi, Miyoko Akaza

The Island Closest To Heaven (1984), directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi (School in the Crosshairs) is a beautiful coming-of-age story starring Tomoyo Harada (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) as an introverted teen, based on Katsura Morimura's 1966 best-selling travelogue, Obayashi's paradise-laden coming-of-age tale is an island. The film opens with a scene of her and her father (Yukihiro Takahashi) at the ocean's edge talking whimsically of the someday visiting the "island closest to heaven". Years later her father passes away at a young age and the bookish teen decides to honor her late father by taking a trip to the lovely white sands of New Caledonia, a solo journey with her mother's blessing, travelling to the tropical archipelago's indigo-tinted waters in search of this mythic island. 

Mari journey takes her off the beaten path to gorgeous exotic locations, she leaves her tour group in favor of heading out on her own to find the exact spot her father described, along the way befriending islander boy Taro (Ryoichi Takayanagi) and a quirky older tour guide named Yuichi (Tôru Minegishi, Godzilla vs. Biollante) who enables her to visit multiple island in her quest. The story of a naive highschool girl travelling to a foreign place sounds like it might be fraught with peril and potential menace, but Nobuhiko Obayashi fantastic coming-of-age tale is anything but, it's an affecting and romanticized portrait of a young girl's journey to self-discovery, it's quite a warm and fuzzy odyssey full of teen melancholy and tender melodrama, all set on a series gorgeous tropical islands.

Audio/Video: The Island Closest to Heaven gets a region-free Blu-ray from Cult Epics, presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The film has an attractive, perhaps intentionally softy look to it with blacks that often appear greyish, this might have been a stylistic choice. Skin tones look accurate, the turquois tropical waters look terrific, and a couple of the striking sunsets look absolutely breathtaking. Audio options include both Japanese LPCM 2.0 dual-mono and DTS-HD 2.0 dual-mono with newly improved optional English subtitles, both tracks are clean and have solid fidelity, the dialogue, including some English and French passages, sound excellent, as does the lush and evocative score by Asakawa Tomoyuki.

Extras include an Audio Commentary by film critic Derek Smith that does excellent work commenting on the career of Obayashi, including his early work in television commercials, noting the cast and crew, locations and stylistic choices. We also get a 26-min  Kadokawa and Obayashi - Visual essay by Alex Pratt, which explores the career of  producer Haruki Kadokawa who worked with Obayashi, who went onto to become a director in his own right. The hour-long Tomoya Harada 28 Days in Caledonia: The Making of The Island Closest to Heaven is a making-of featuring plenty of footage and images of young star Tomoya Harada on the island, behind-the-scenes of the making of the film, footage of her t locations on the island, at the airport, and the premiers of the film The last of the disc extras is an 8-min collection of Nobuhiko Obayashi Trailers including The Island Closest to Heaven, His Motorbike, Her Island, School In the Crosshairs, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, all of which have been released by Cult Epics. 

The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Wrap featuring the original Japanese poster art, inside, at lest with the first-pressing is a cool reproduction of the 24-page Japanese press booklet , plus we get a 

Slipcover with unique artwork by Sam Smith, which is also limited to the first-pressing. 

Special Features: 

- Audio Commentary by film critic Derek Smith

- Kadokawa and Obayashi - Visual essay by Alex Pratt (26:04) 

- Tomoya Harada 28 Days in Caledonia: The Making of The Island Closest to Heaven (59:56) 

-  Nobuhiko Obayashi Trailers: The Island Closest to Heaven (1:41), His Motorbike, Her Island (1:32), School In the Crosshairs (1:53) and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2:43)

- New Slipcase art design by Sam Smith

- Reversible sleeve with original - Japanese poster art

- First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet (pamphlet)

Cult Epics continuing journey through the filmography of director Nobuhiko Obayashi has been quite exciting for me, I'd previously only known him as the director of the surreal haunter House (1977). This dive into his other lesser-known (at least here in the U.S.) works, which have not had quality North American releases till now, has been quite an eye-opener, offering a blend of quirky romantics and coming-of-age tales that sometimes have fantastical elements, all with the director's unique visual style, None quite cater to my personal tastes the way that House does, it's still my go-to from the director, but it's certainly given me a deeper appreciation for his work. 

Screenshots from the Cult Epics Blu-ray: 

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BLUE SUNSHINE (1977) Synapse Films Single-Disc 4K Ultra HD Review

BLUE SUNSHINE (1977) 

Standard 4K Ultra HD

Label: Synapse Films

Region Code: Region-Free

Rating: R 

Duration: 94 Minutes 49 Seconds 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono and 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: Dolby Visions (HDR10) 2160p Ultra High Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)

Director: Jeff Lieberman

Cast: Zalman King, Deborah Winters, Mark Goddard, Robert Walden, Charles Siebert

Directed by Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, Just Before Dawn, Remote Control, Satan's Little Helper), the acid-damaged thriller Blue Sunshine (1977) is a hybrid mix of 70s conspiracy thriller and acid-soaked psychological terror, about a dangerous dose of acid called "Blue Sunshine" that a small group of hippies ingested back in the late 60's while attending Stanford University as students, that has comes back to haunt them a full decade later when they experience not just sudden hair-loss and baldness, but a deranged homicidal psychosis. 

The film starts off with a small party at a cabin in the woods, the jokester of the party Franny (comedian Billy Crystal's brother Richard Crystal, Fun With Dick and Jane) starts crooning a tune and making out with his pal's girlfriend. His pal goes to pull him off his girlfriend and ends up accidentally pulling-off Franny's toupee, shocking everyone in the room with his unexpected chrome dome! His eyes light-up like a madman and he flees the scene, but he returns a short time later in a homicidal rage, killing three women by stuffing them into the raging fireplace! Our protaganist here is Jerry 'Zippy' Zipkin (Zalman King, Galaxy of Terror) ends up chasing after the killer into the woods, catching up to him in the middle of the road where he is hit by a truck and killed, but Jerry ends up being accused of not just his death, but the murder of the three young women back at the party. It doesn't help that he flees the scene without defending his name either, but he's convinced that with no witnesses to back him up he's gonna be railroaded by the criminal justice system, probably not incorrectly either. 

Now he finds himself on the run sort of like a Hitchcockian wrong-man and looking to get to the truth about why his pal Franny went on a homicidal killing spree. Having been shot by a wrong-headed good Samaritan Jerry while fleeing the scene of the crime Jerry seeks medical attention from an old friend, surgeon David Blume (Robert Walden, Audrey Rose) who treats him, noticing while examine him that he is losing hair and suffering from headaches. He is further aided by girlfriend Alicia (Deborah Winters, TV movie Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo) who hooks him up with a set of wheels while he is (sort of) laying low trying to avoid the cops. 

As Jerry further citizen-sleuths the matter he reads about a local cop who killed his entire family as well as a neighbor and their dog, the newspaper reports that the man suddenly lost his hair, which clues Jerry into the fact the two cases might somehow be connected. As he sets about investigating the murderous cop story he gets the lowdown on the gruesome homicide from a nosey neighbor, played by actress Alice Ghostley, who will be familiar to anyone who grew up watching re-runs of Bewitched like I did. He breaks into the crime scene and discovers a couple of clues, including the words "Blue Sunshine", and a connection to a local politician named Edward Flemming (Mark Goddard, TV's Lost in Space) who is running for congress. Jerry tracks Flemming down at a campaigns stop but the politician feigns not knowing anything about what "Blue Sunshine" is, and downplays his connection to the murderous cop. The politician realizing that Jerry's inquest could prove problematic for his campaign assigns his hulking security guy Wayne (Ray Young, TV's Bigfoot and Wildboy) to keep and eye on Jerry and Alicia. Jerry ends up figuring out the hair-loss and homicidal urges are related to a group of friends who attended Stanford in the late 60's and all took a batch of LSD known as "Blue Sunshine", which was given to them by a former drug-dealer, Flemming.

With the politician unwilling to shed any light on the matter Jerry tracks down the politicians his ex-wife Wendy (Ann Cooper, Just Like Old Times), and just in time, too, as he enters her apartment she's already bald and wild-eyed, about two murder two kids with a butcher's knife! He struggles with her and she ends up going over the balcony and falling to her death, and now Jerry stands accused of another murder after a neighbor finds him holding a bloody knife.

Jerry theorizes that the murders are all stemming from that peculiar bad dose of acid, and sets about trying to find someone affected by the drug so that they can be tested for chromosomal damage, and he gets that chance when bodyguard Wayne turns out to be one of the acid-buddies from college and he goes on a rampage that starts off at the discotheque and ends at the shopping mall, with Jerry shooting him with a tranquilizer gun. 

The film is well-directed by Jeff Lieberman, it has that atmosphere and vibe of a 70's political thriller, but with a semi-surreal drug-culture vibe, complete with a menacing bad-trip score by Charles Gross (The Group). I like how the film actually starts off during the title sequences introducing the character who took the acid, we see them experiencing what appear to be severe headaches, sort of setting up what's to follow. Later in the film each becoming triggered by emotional events like domestic turmoil, public humiliation and annoying kids before going off the deep end. My favorite scene after the opening attack sequence is that of poor Wendy losing her hair and mind, fretting over the hair loss after one of her bratty kids pulls a clump of her hair out, later suffering headaches before turning wild-eyed and going after the kids with a butcher's knife, battling Jerry before he chucks her right off the balcony, it's very well done. 

Zalman King makes for a handsome protaganist, his performance careens from a bit too subdued to over-the-top, the tone of the performance is all over the place, but I was down with it, and it fit this weird flick very well. The bald-headed killers are also pretty cool, the movie kind of glossed over how each of them went bald and ended up with wigs, but eventually each is revealed to be nearly bald, with just a few ugly patches of hair left on their chrome domes, though the finale does end up in a shopping mall, where indeed their is a wig store, which I thought was a nice touch. The 4K resolution certainly didn't do the films bald-cap and make-up work any favors, but it doesn't ruin it either. 

It's not a perfect film by any means, the premise is aces, but the way it sort of resolves happens rather quickly, and does not actually answer many questions, I had a lot of lingering questions when this one wrapped up, which might have actually worked in the film's favor, because I am not so sure a word for word explanation of what the heck was happening here would have been very satisfying either. There are also a couple of obvious plot holes and arcs that go nowhere as well, which I would chalk up to low-budget shortcoming and not being enough shooting days to cram it all in. As a sort of abstract LSD-terror drugsploitation flick it works pretty aces though, and every time I watch it I walk away from it pretty satisfied by how fucking weird and creepy it is. 

Audio/Video: The single-disc 4K UHD of Blue Sunshine (1977) features the same stunning 4K restoration as the 3-disc limited edition, presented with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) color-grade, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. Per the usual the Synapse Films restoration is gorgeous, grain is intact and looks lush and wonderful, fine detail and textures of facial close-ups and those 70s fashions look terrific, and the colors pop quite nicely with the Dolby Vision (HDR10). Primaries looks terrific, whites are crisp, and the black levels are deep and inky with much improved shadow detail. Skin tones are noticeably warmer and more supple looking than on past editions I have seen. The framing is also a bit tighter than the previous Blu-ray from Filmcentrix which offered 1.78:1 framing as where this release restores the original theatrical 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Contrast and clarity are also appreciably improved with the 4K resolution and WGC color-grade. This is just a terrific upgrade from the ground up, easily the best the film has ever looked on home video. To see an extensive screenshots comparison of the Synapse 2025 Blu-ray versus the Filmcentrix 2016 Blu-ray check out our review of the 3-disc limited edition set HERE. 

Audio option include uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono and 5.1 surround with Optional English Subtitles. The tracks are clean, free of hiss or distortion, dialogue sounds terrific, with the lysergic score from Charles Gross being a highlight, it's an eerie, tension-filled score with 

strained strings and moments of brassier full-bodied moments. I still prefer the original mono presentation myself, but the surround option does offer a fun if somewhat artificial sounding surround presentation. 

Synapse's new release is well-stocked with extras, starting off with Two Audio Commentaries featuring director Jeff Lieberman, the first an archival track with Lieberman moderated by Howard S. Berger, the second is commentary recorded by Lieberman with Elijah Drenner moderating ported over from the previous Filmcentrix Blu-ray from 2016. We also get a 90-second New introduction to the film by director Jeff Lieberman (1:30); a 41-min Archival 2003 interview with director Jeff Lieberman; an archival 31-min “Lieberman on Lieberman” Video Interview; the 14-min Channel Z “Fantasy Film Festival” interview with Mick Garris and Jeff Lieberman; and a new 36-min Fantasia Film Festival 4K Premiere Q&A with moderator Michael Gingold and director Jeff Lieberman. 

Another nice inclusion are the Anti-drug “scare films”: LSD-25 (1967) (26:41) and LSD: Insight or Insanity? (1968) (18:03), courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive, plus Jeff Lieberman’s First Film The Ringer, which gets two versions: the original uncut version (from a projection print source) (19:41) and the final release version (remastered in 4K by Synapse Films from the original camera negative) (18:33), the former of which gets with Optional Audio Commentary on the uncut version by Jeff Lieberman and moderator Howard S. Berger. Disc extras are buttoned-up with  5-min of Theatrical Trailers and a 6-min Still Gallery. 

 

The single-disc 4K Ultra HD release from Synapse Film arrives  in a black keepcase with a 2-sided Reversible Wrap, inside is a 2025 Synapse Films product catalog. 

Special Features: 

- 4K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

- Lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio original theatrical mono and a 5.1 surround sound mix supervised by director Jeff Lieberman

- Two audio commentaries featuring director Jeff Lieberman

- New introduction to the film by director Jeff Lieberman (1:30) 

- Archival 2003 interview with director Jeff Lieberman (40:44) 

- “Lieberman on Lieberman” Video Interview (30:44) 

- Channel Z “Fantasy Film Festival” interview with Mick Garris and Jeff Lieberman (14:04)  

- Fantasia Film Festival 4K Premiere Q&A with moderator Michael Gingold and director Jeff Lieberman (36:29)   

- Anti-drug “scare films”: LSD-25 (1967) (26:41) and LSD: Insight or Insanity? (1968) (18:03), courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive 

- Jeff Lieberman’s first film The Ringer, included here in two versions: the original uncut version (from a projection print source) (19:41) and the final release version (remastered in 4K by Synapse Films from the original camera negative) (18:33) with optional audio commentary on the uncut version by Jeff Lieberman and moderator Howard S. Berger

- Theatrical Trailers (5:02) 

- Still Gallery (5:37) 

- Reversible Wrap 

Blue Sunshine (1977) is one weird film all the way around, an acid-damaged thriller about a bad batch of acid with the delayed effect of turning those who turned-on into deranged homicidal psychos a decade later. It's heavy with atmosphere and a couple of moments of visceral violence that still pack a shock, especially that opening scenario with Franny stuffing a woman into raging fireplace, I found that very unnerving. It's a bit of slow-burn at times, as a lot of 70s flicks were, but as a deranged, paranoid thriller the premise is pretty awesome, director Jeff Lieberman really came up with a winningly weird and singular film with this one, there is nothing else quite like it, the only flick that even comes close to it in my mind is Larry Cohen's God Told Me To (1976). If you missed out on on the 3-disc Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray/CD set all I have to say is get it, it's a killer set and still available from Synapse direct HERE! If that is not an option (I'm sorry) but I can comfortably say this standard release version is still freak'-a awesome, you still get all the disc extras minus the Blu-ray version (which is also available separately) and the CD soundtrack, it's the same phenomenal transfer, so yeah, grab it, it's awesome!

STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940) Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 64 Minutes 14 Seconds 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Boris Ingster 

Cast: Peter Lorre, John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet

 

In the RKO seminal horror-noir thriller Stranger on the Third Floor (1940), directed by Boris Ingster (The Karate Killers),  New York City newspaper reporter Mike Ward (John McGuire, Dead of Night) finds himself in the spotlight when he becomes a key witness in a murder trial in which cab driver Joe Briggs (Elisha Cook Jr., The House on Haunted Hill) is accused of murder, he protests his innocence, but Ward's testimony of what he saw bolsters the circumstantial evidence against him and he is convicted of the murder, screaming his innocence while he is carted off to jail. Ward's pretty fiancé Jane (Margaret Tallichet, A Star is Born) is in the courtroom during the trial and finds the ordeal rather unpleasant, moved by the cabbie's passionate protestations of innocence she begins to question the "what if..." of it all, what if Ward didn't see what he thought he saw? Ward, having been given a raise by his newspaper for his part in the trial doesn't really question it initially, he only told what he saw as he recalled it, and that's not his problem, he's just happy to have the raise which will make it feasible for him to marry the girl of his dreams. 

After getting caught in a downpour later Ward invites Jane into his apartment to dry off, its innocent enough but the couple find themselves on the receiving end of scorn from Ward's landlady Mrs. Kane (Ethel Griffies, Werewold of London) and nosy neighbor Albert Meng (Charles Halton, 3 Godfathers), both of whom feel that the unmarried couple behind closed door's together is a  rather shameful thing - oh the social mores were so much different 86 years ago! Ward is embarrassed and angered by the accusations and in the heat of the moment threatens to kill Mr. Meng. Later that night Ward has a nightmare that Meng has been killed and he is on trial for the murder, a real banger of a nightmare too with warped surreal imagery and shadowy expressionistic style, the nightmare is fueled by creeping doubt and guilt of his own involvement in the trial that condemned a man. Waking from his nightmare he is shaken and has a bit of a nervous breakdown. The next day when Ward doesn't hear Meng's signature loud-snoring through the walls he fears something may have happened to him, and when he checks on him he discovers that he has been murdered, his throat slashed, just like the victim Joe Briggs was convicted of murdering, casting further doubt on the man's guilt. He reports it to the police and asks to speak to the judge who convicted Biggs to contest his guilt, even mentioning a weird looking bug-eyed man (Peter Lorre, A Comedy of Terrors) he'd seen stalking the stoop outside of the apartment the night before the murder. The problem is that no one else seems to have  seen this peculiar looking guy, and the case could be made that maybe Ward has flipped his wig and he is the murderer himself, after all, it was he who was present at both of the murder scenes!  Ward's paranoia of being wrongly convicted proves all too founded, and he is arrested for the crime, leaving loyal Jane to try to prove his innocence, which put her in too-close proximity to the demented killer!  

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) is a terrific thriller, and at just 64-minute long it's tightly paced and fast moving noir-tinged horror, this one has pentyl of style, having been lensed by Nicholas Musuraca, who practically invented the Val Lewton-style of films like Cat People, Bedlam, The Seventh Victim, and the influential noir Out of the Past, with some terrific NYC street scenes, and a terrific cast. Lorre is only on screen for a few minutes, but as ever, he is memorable and off-putting. Likewise Elisha Cook Jr. is also only onscreen briefly but he also turns in a terrific performance. 

Audio/Video: Stranger on the Third Floor (1990) arrives on Blu-ray from Warner Archive in 1080p HD framed in 1.37:1 fullscreen, sourced from a 'New 2026 1080p HD Master from 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative', and it looks terrific, inky blacks with excellent shadow detail, crisp whites, and perfectly dialed-in contrast. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The track is clean an well balanced, dialogue and the Roy Web (Cat People) sound terrific, the track has been cleaned-up nicely and no hiss or distortion is resent. 

Extras include a pair of Tex Avery Animated Shorts from 1940, both the 9-min "Ceiling Hero" and the 8-min "Wacky Wildlife", plus three episodes of the 1947 radio drama Mystery on the Air starring Peter Lorre, a mystery and suspense series sponsored by Camel cigarettes, and the inclusion of these three roughly half-hour radio dramas is a terrific inclusion for fans of old time radio and Lorre. The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided wrap featuring the original illustrated movie poster artwork.

Special Features: 

- Three episodes of Peter Lorre starring in the classic radio series Mystery on the Air: Beyond Good and Evi' (28:58), Crime and Punishment (25:40), and Mask of Medusa (29:01) 

- Two Classic Cartoons: Ceiling Hero (8:49) and Wacky Wildlife (7:40) 

Warner Archive's Blu-ray of Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) is a total knock-out, a flawless transfer for a phenomenal horror-noir. The included extras are terrific as well, we get two Tex Avery animated gems and almost an hour and half of vintage radio dramas starring Peter Lorre, - this fantastic flick gets an enthusiastic recommend from me, no caveats whatsoever, everyone who loves cinema should own this. 

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THE BLACK SIX (1973) Film Masters Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

THE BLACK SIX(1973)

Archive Collection Limited Edition Blu-ray 

Label: Film Masters 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: R

Duration: 84 Minutes 50 Seconds 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Matt Cimber 

Cast: Gene Washington, Carl Eller, Lem Barney, Mercury Morris, Robert Howard, John Isenbarger, Willie Lanier, 

Hannah Dean, Lydia Dean, Rosalind Miles, Marilyn McArthur

SIX TIMES TOUGHER THAN 'SHAFT'!

SIX TIMES ROUGHER THAN 'SUPERFLY'!

SEE THE 6 BIGGEST, BADDEST AND BEST WASTE 150 MOTORCYCLE DUDES! 

The Black Six (1973) is a blaxploitation entry directed by Matt Cimber (The Witch Who Came from the Sea) with young biracial couple Eddie (Robert Howard) and Jenny (Cindy Daly, the three-fingered typist from Beetlejuice!) making out on a football field talking about their future plans when Jenny's brother Moose King (John Isenbarger, of the San Francisco 49ers), who disapproves of his sister dating a black guy, and his gang of white bikers shows up and chain-whip him to death. We then meet a black ex 'Nam vet biker gang called The Black Six lead by Bubba Daniels (Gene Washington) who are travelling across the country. Washington was a  wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers, and interestingly the other black bikers are also played by pro-footballers, among them "Mean Joe" Greene from the  Pittsburgh Steelers, Eugene "Mercury" Morris from the Miami Dolphins, "Lem" Barney of the Detroit Lions, Willie Lanier of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Carl Eller from the Minnesota Vikings. They stop off to do some work for a nice old white lady, and then grab some beers at Flora's Truck & Beer Stop, but they end up getting harassed by the racist locals who don't realize they're fucking with the wrong dudes, and the six men end up literally tearing the joint down by hand! Later they stop off in a small town to gas up Bubba gets word that his kid brother Eddie has been murdered, with him splitting off from the group to embark on his own solo adventure to mourn his brother and avenge his brother's death. At home he reconnects with his estranged mother Mama (Hannah Dean, TV's Out of the Blue) and his college bound activist  sister Sissy (Lydia Dean), as well as an old flame turned prostitute Ceal (Rosalind Miles, Friday Foster), but to get to her he has to talk-up a barfly (Fred D. Scott, Weird Science) and then rough-up her pool-hall pimp Copperhead (Ron Le Brane, TV movie A Case of Rape). Eventually he finds Cindy bartending and the white supremacist biker gang come on strong, actually teaming-up with another white biker gang lead by Thor (Ben Davisdon, of the Oakland Raiders) to eradicate The Black Six, who by the finale have rolled into town to assist Bubba. 

It's not great, but it is a fun blaxploitaion flick, also being a bit of a vetsploitation and bikersploitation flick at the same time, has a pretty simplistic story, which director Cimber said is a biker version of the Tennyson poem "The Charge f the Light Brigade", the footballers and supporting cast are certainly not a-list acting talent by any means but they are spirited, fun and likable enough to get it done, and get it done they do! The amped up finale features a biker battle royal with the Bubba and the black bikers taking on a horde of white bikers launching flares and Molotov cocktails, with one of them sticking a flare into his bike's gas tank like some sort of white trash suicide bomber on wheels.   The flick has some satisfying fights, a bit of nudity, and some terrific biker action with the the NFL-ers and a actual Hell's Angel's biker performing their own stunt work. It's not particularly violent, but it is a fun watch, right up till the end when we see the screen text "Honky... Look Out... Hassle a Brother... And The Black Six Will Return!!", and sadly they never did, but they should have. 

Audio/Video: The Black Six (1973) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Film Masters, sourced from a new 4K scan of 35mm elements, the true source is not listed anywhere but judging by appearances I would say from a 35mm theatrical print. The source is in very nice shape, age-related wear and tear is present but minimized die tot he restoration, some white specks, a couple of digs, and faint vertical lines, but very watchable. rain is resolved somewhat coarsely, which I would expect from a print, and it has some nice rough hewn texture and detail to it. Colors and skin tones look natural throughout, black levels are solid, but the shadow detail is weak during the finale which takes place in a pitch black field lit by just motorcycle headlamps. Audio comes by way of uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono, like he video it's slid but has some minor age related wear, but it does the job just fine. 

The sole disc extra is an Audio Commentary Track with Robert Kelly and Daniel Budnick, and it's a good listen, plenty of background on Cimber and the cast, talking about the locations, the framing of the film, having fun with it and not taking things too seriously, juts a solid, well-researched conversational commentary track that I found plenty worth a listen. The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided wrap featuring the original movie poster artwork, plus the first-pressing gets a limited edition slipcover with the same artwork. Inside there's a 12-Page Full Color Inserted Booklet, essay by Don Stradly that gets into the production, casting, how the film was received by critics and sportswriters, and some of the casts remembrances of making the film from their memoirs. 

Special Features:

- Audio Commentary with Robert Kelly and Daniel Budnick

- 12-Page Full Color Inserted Booklet, essay by Don Stradly

- Limited Edition O-card

Screenshots from the Film Masters Blu-ray: 

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