CHRISTMAS CLASSICS REDUX: GREMLINS (1984) (4K Ultra HD Review)

GREMLINS (1984) 

Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 106 Minutes 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 2160p Ultra HD (1.85:1) High Dynamic Rage (HDR) 
Director: Joe Dante 
Cast: Zach Galligan, Howie Mandel, Phoebe Cates, Dick Miller 

My youth was in part defined by what I call the Three-G's of mid-80's kiddie cinema, that would be Ghostbusters (1984), The Goonies (1985) and Gremlins (1984) - all of which I saw at either the drive-in or the cinema. The act of going to the cinema was a rare occurrence for me back then, the nearest theater was about an hour away, and I think my family only went to the movies maybe a total of five times that I can recall, and three of those were these 80' classics, so to say they had a big impact on me as a kid would be an understatement. Another defining footnote would be the not-so-minor Fourth-G, that would be the made-for-TV movie Gargoyles (1972), which is one of the first movies I remember ever watching on TV - along with Kiss Meets the Phantom of The Park - a film which gave me nightmares for weeks when I was still in the single-digits!

Director Joe Dante (The 'Burbs) was tapped by Hollywood golden-child Steven Spielberg (Jaws) to direct Gremlins because Spielberg thought Dante's Roger Corman produced Piranha (1978) was one of the best of the Jaws rip-offs. Spielberg paired Dante with screenwriter Christopher Columbus (The Goonies), and together the duo ended up making a bonafide kiddie creature/Christmas classic about a lovable fur-ball creature, a Mogwai given the name Gizmo, who when accidentally splashed with plain old tap water spawns an army of dastardly creatures called Gremlins who create havoc in a small town on Christmas Eve.  

The film has fantastic animatronic creature FX from Chris Walas (The Fly) and his team, they brought to life not just the lovable fur-ball Gizmo but the reptilian chaos-makers the Gremlins, with a uprising amount of cool-looking special effects that as a kid I found a bit horrifying, namely when Stripe is reduced to a pile of melting slime there at the end, it really pushes that PG-rating, and was in fact one of the films that spurred the PG-13 rating along with Poltergeist (1982) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) which funnily enough are all produced by Stephen Spielberg.  

The cast here is fun, with the father being played by actor/songwriter Hoyt Axton (Retribution), a character that rings more with me now that I am an oldster myself, his plight as a inventor of household gadgets is a bit sad, his whole family sort of quietly lamenting how his creations fall apart and don't work properly, as a dad I find this strangely heartbreaking. The mom played by Frances Lee McCain (Stand By Me) steals the show when she faces off against the Gremlin in her kitchen, she's a homemaker and a bad-ass, what they get away with here in a PG film includes a Gremlin exploding in the microwave! I find Zach Galligan (Waxwork) and Phoebe Cates (Fast Times At Ridgemont High), the film's teen protagonists, a bit on the bland side as 80's teenagers go, but they do have that kids next door quality and are easy enough to root for. Then we have "that guy" Dick Miller (A Bucket of Blood) as the xenophobic neighbor Mr. Futterman stealing the show, as does Polly Holliday (Flo from TV's Alice!) as the sinister real estate magnate Mrs. Deagle, doing great stuff channeling Ms. Gulch from the Wizard of Oz!  

In hindsight the film's tone is a bit uneven, you can feel it struggling to juggle the dueling ideas of screenwriter Columbus and director Dante,  but that's what I sort of love about, and it's still the entertaining thrill-ride for me now that it was at 11-years old, this is just a timeless classic and is a great introduction to warm-hearted kiddie horror for the young ones.

Audio/Video: To celebrate it's 35th anniversary Gremlins (1984) arrives on 4k Ultra HD from Warner Bros. in 2160p Ultra HD framed in the original 1.85:1 widescreen. The beloved 80's staple has always been a bit on the soft side with a stylized soft focus cinematography, so I didn't expect extreme clarity or sharpness with this 4K presentation, and I wasn't disappointed. The presentation looks perfectly natural with a consistent layer of 35mm fine film grain throughout. Things do look markedly superior to the previous Blu-rays with deeper blacks and some excellent shadow detail that reveals a few bits I've never noticed before. Gone too is the compression and artifacting the previous versions struggled with on home video. The high dynamic range does add some depth and nuance to the color palette, and fine detail is definitely increased, close-ups of the Gremlins further reveal the artistry that went into their creation by creator Chris Walas (The Fly). 

Audio on the disc comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with optional English subtitles. Strangely we do not get a new Dolby Atmos remix, but the existing DTS audio is still solid, it's a bit sad that we don't get an Atmos remix of that phenomenal Jerry Goldsmith score.

Onto the extras we get absolutely nothing new for this 35th anniversary edition, bummer, and only a few of the extras from the original Blu-ray release, but none of the 30th Anniversary Diamond Luxe Edition exclusive extras released back in 2014, double-bummer! The 4K Ultra HD disc only offering the pair of archival audio commentaries, the being a technical track with Director Joe Dante, Producer Michael Finnell and Special Effects Artist Chris Walas, and the second is a cast commentary with Director Joe Dante again, plus Zack Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Dick Miller, and Howie Mandel.

The accompanying Blu-ray disc features the film and a selection of extras, including the audio commentaries, a 6-min of vintage behind-the-scenes EPK, and 10-mins deleted scenes with optional director's commentary. The disc is buttoned-up with trailers for both Gremlins films and a photo gallery.

Not carried over are the Diamond Luxe edition extras, that being a 29-min retrospective, a pair of 7-min digital comics, and a behind-the-scenes bit with actor Hoyt Axton on-set, plus an 18-min featurette exploring the design, creation and execution of the creature FX. These were cool extras and it's  a shame that Warner's didn't port these extras over, when upgrading to 4K I want all the extras from accompanied previous releases, and this coupled with the fact that we don't get a Dolby Atmos remix is a failure to maximize on the potential of the format. 

The 2-disc 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray combo arrives in a black eco-case with a one sided sleeve of artwork featuring new artwork that fails to improve upon any of the original movie posters, I do wish they would have gone with one of the original versions for this release, even if just repeating what they'd gone with on the previous Blu-ray releases I think it would be better than what we get here. Inside the keepcase there's a Movie Anywhere/Vudu redemption code for UHD/HDR digital copy of the film. This release also includes a slipcover with the same artwork, the disc themselves have no artwork other than the logo for the film on brown and silver backgrounds. 

Special Features: 
- Filmmakers’ Commentary with Director Joe Dante, Producer Michael Finnell and Special Effects Artist Chris Walas
- Cast Commentary with Director Joe Dante, Zack Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Dick Miller, and Howie Mandel
- Gremlins: Behind the Scenes Featurette (6 min) 
- Photo Gallery
- Additional Scenes (10 min) 
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min) 
- Theatrical Trailer #2 (1 min) 
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch Trailer (2 min) 

Gremlins (1984) still holds up, it's got a great Norman Rockwell via The Twilight Zone vibe and the FX looks great. The 4K Ultra HD from Warner's offers a pleasing Ultra HD upgrade, but it is unfortunate they don't give this warm-hearted kiddie horror classic a Dolby Atmos remix and a few new extras, let alone all the vintage extras. That said, Gremlins on 4K Ultra HD looks fantastic, sounds good, and is still a stone-cold 80's classic. 

THE 'BURBS (1989) (Shout Select Blu-ray Review)

THE 'BURBS (1989) 
Collector's Edition 

Label: Shout Select
Region Code: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 102 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Stereo 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Dick Miller, Robert Picardo 

Picking my favorite film by director Joe Dante is damn difficult, he's made so many classic cult-films, his off-kilter vision of weird Americana has always fascinated me, when I was a kid it was the obvious stuff like Gremlins (1984) and Explorers (1985) that were at the top of my list, as a teen I went back and discovered his earlier horror-stuff, Piranha (1978) and The Howling (1981), but it's the suburban slice of paranoia The 'Burbs (1989) at the end of the 80's that I come back to more often than any other, a ensemble-cast comedy that's weird, a bit creepy, and wonderful. It stars Tom Hanks who was coming off a string of 80's comedies that I don't think did very well, but all of which I love, from the spy-comedy The Man with One Red Shoe (1984), the home-owner's nightmare of The Money Pit (1986) to the not-great but fun Dragnet (1987), I just love Hanks' 80's comedies, sure, he's great in all the dramas and "grown-up" movie he did after but his work in the eighties is my favorite stuff.

In The 'Burbs we have a small group of neighbors living in a suburban cul-de-sac, our main guy is Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks), an average family-man on "vacation" for a week, his wife Carol (Carrie Fisher, Star Wars)  wants him to go for a weekend getaway to a mountain lake, but instead he stays at home and along with a trio of busy-body neighbors get completely wrapped-up in paranoia and suspicion when new neighbors, the Klopeks, mysteriously move into a house on the street seemingly overnight. Their arrival coincides with the disappearance of elderly neighbor Walter (Gale Gordon), leaving behind his lawn cigar dropping ankle-biter dog "Queenie" and his treasured hair piece. The nosy neighborhood's suspicions are bolstered by a weird light show emanating from the Klopek's basement, in addition to some late night digging in the backyard, they're a kooky new addition the neighborhood and Ray and his crew are certain something awful is happening in the neighborhood, and the Klopek's are behind it.  

The 'Burbs has an awesome ensemble cast, lead by Hanks who is joined by comedian Rick Ducommun (Groudnhog Day) as his super-nosy neighbor, the guy instigates a lot of the paranoia and suspicion about the new neighbors with a local tale of a soda jerk turned homicidal maniac. Then we have Bruce Dern (Silent Running) as an eccentric 'Nam veteran named Rumsfield, and his wife Bonnie (Wendy Schaal, Innerspace), plus Cory Feldman (The Lost Boys) as the neighborhood teen delinquent who eggs on his neighbors paranoia, inviting his teen friends over to enjoy the show as it unfolds, he also enjoys watching Bonnie weed the lawn in her very short-shorts. The Klopeks are quite a weird bunch themselves, played by Courtney Gains (the evil-ginger Malachai from Children of the Corn), Brother Theodore and Henry Gibson (The Blues Brothers), Gains as primitive looking salvic-hillbilly Hans is just visually fun, while Henry Gibson as Dr. Werner Klopek is charmingly creepy as the family patriarch, meanwhile Brother Theodore is a more gruff nut with a bad temper.

The film has a Twilight Zone feel about it, particularly "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" infused with Dante's skewed view of Americana and love of horror. The cast make it fun, Hanks is your every man drawn into madness by his colorful neighbors, he seems the sensible one, but when what appears to be a human femur bone is unearthed by his dog on the property line he shares with the Klopeks common sense goes out the window and an ill-advised 'welcome to the neighborhood' visit to the neighbors goes awry, leading to further distrust and strangeness, including an all out assault on the new neighbor's property. 

The small community comedy plays well for me year after year, holding up to annual viewings with a parade of jokes and sight gags, including a fun Sergio Leone parody, and a fun devil-worshipping nightmare suffered by Hanks character, allowing Dante to go full-tilt weird for a bit, before settling back into this off-kilter take of neighborly paranoia, The 'Burbs is a top notch suburban comedy as only Joe Dante could have made, the guy is so underrated in my opinion. 

Audio/Video: The 'Burbs (1989) arrives on single-disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray from Shout! Factory imprint Shout Select with a new 2017 transfer sourced from the interpositive, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. It looks great, grain is nicely managed though it does level-up during a few of the darker scenes. Colors look accurate and nicely saturated, and the shadow detail is ample This is a great looking release from Shout Select, kudos to them for  ]giving The "Burbs some love. The lone audio options is audio is an English DTS-HD MA  Stereo 2.0 with optional English subtitles. The track is strong and robust, I love this Jerry Goldsmith score, it's fun and goody and perfectly compliments this slice of paranoid, off-kilter Americana.

Onto the extras, Shout Select have licensed some very cool, previously existing extras that were also featured on Arrow Video's region B locked release a few years ago, we get the audio commentary with Writer Dana Olsen, Moderated By Author Calum Waddell, oplus the feature length making of doc 'There Goes the Neighborhood" from High Rising Productions, featuring interviews with Director Joe Dante, Actors Corey Feldman, Courtney Gaines, And Wendy Schaal, Director Of Photography Robert M. Stevens, And Production Designer James H. Spencer - a fun making of loaded with lots of making of stories, if you're a fan of the film this is a must-watch! Also carried over is Joe Dante's workprint version of the film, sourced from Dante's personal VHS copy of the longer version of the film containing extended, alternate and deleted scenes. The quality is sub par but I loved watching this and noticing the differences, if you're a fan this is another must-watch extra. One extra notably not carried over from the Arrow Video release is a theatrical versus workprint video comparison, too bad they didn't carry it over. We also get the alternate ending which has been featured on the previous U.S. DVD and Blu-ray releases for the film, plus a trailer, a behind-the-scenes gallery, a still and poster gallery, and then some new Shout Select exclusive extras! 

The new stuff comes by way of new interviews with Director Joe Dante, Editor Marshall Harvey and Director Of Photography (Additional Scenes) John Hora - all adding up to about forty-minutes worth of stuff. I could listen/watch to Joe Dante talk about movies (his or anyone's) for hours, this interview was apparently filmed at the same time as his interview on the Shout Select' Matinee (1993) Blu-ray release, it touched on a lot of the same stuff as his interviews on the making of doc but there's also some new stuff.

The single-disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork, the a-side is a new illustration from  artist Pau. Shipper, the b-side featuring the familiar one-sheet movie poster that has adorned previous releases. The first run of this release also features a slipcover (o-card) featuring the same Paul Shipper illustration. As with all of the Shout Select slipcovers it features a numbered spine on one side or the option to display it without the number on the spine.  The disc itself features a blue tinted image of Hanks from the film. 

Special Features: 
- NEW 2017 2K Scan Of The Interpositive
- NEW Interviews With Director Joe Dante (18 min) HD 
- NEW Interviews With Editor Marshall Harvey (10 min) HD 
- NEW Interviews With Director Of Photography (Additional Scenes) John Hora (11 min) HD 
- Audio Commentary With Writer Dana Olsen, Moderated By Author Calum Waddell
- There Goes The Neighborhood: The Making Of The ‘Burbs – Includes Interviews With Director Joe Dante, Actors Corey Feldman, Courtney Gaines, And Wendy Schaal, Director Of Photography Robert M. Stevens, And Production Designer James H. Spencer (67 min) HD 
- Alternate Ending (7 min) 
- Original Workprint From Joe Dante’s Archive (Includes Deleted And Extended Scenes)(106 min) 
- Behind-The-Scenes Still Gallery (6 min) HD 
- Stills And Posters Gallery (8 min) HD 
- Theatrical Trailer (2 min) HD 

The 'Burbs is a hilarious cult-classic, the crowning achievement of both Joe Dante and Tom Hanks in my opinion, the pair are magic together and that alchemy is only enhanced more so by the great ensemble cast who feed off one another to a delightful degree. The new Blu-ray from Shout! is fantastic, it looks and sounds great and the combination of new and old extras are awesome. I love that Shout! in quick succession have Blu'd both Joe Dante's Matinee (1993) and now The 'Burbs (1989) with loads of extras, both releases are highly recommended and long overdue.

THE 'BURBS on Blu-ray Steelbook from Arrow Video on September 15th

This one is right up there with Scream Factory's NIGHTBREED as one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Joe Dante's THE 'BURBS may just be one of my favorite movies

EVER! I put it right there with GHOSTBUSTERS and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

On top of a brand new 2K restoration of the film there are oodles of extras and the WORKPRINT plus a making-of doc and featurettes plus a new commentary. Damn, I'm getting goose umps just thinking about it. 

ON BLU-RAY + LIMITED EDITION STEELBOOK SEPTEMBER 15TH

HE’S A MAN OF PEACE IN A SAVAGE LAND… SUBURBIA

Arrow Video is thrilled to announce the release of The ‘Burbs, one of the most hotly anticipated Arrow Video Blu-ray titles of the year. Joe Dante’s iconic cult classic will be released on15th September as both a deluxe Blu-ray and also as a limited edition SteelBook featuring an updated version of the original iconic artwork.

One of Dante’s most accomplished and often-overlooked entries in a canon filled with tone-shifting black comedies and satirical horror hybrids. The ‘Burbs was released in 1989 and starred Tom Hanks in one of his last tour de force comedic roles before becoming a decidedly more “serious” actor.

Though The ‘Burbs may not seem to fit into Dante’s oeuvre at first glance, it indeed does bear all the fingerprints of the director’s slightly off-kilter sensibilities, equally influenced by Mad magazine and a cadre of classic Universal monsters. In fact, The ‘Burbs is one of those rare instances in Hollywood where the material is perfectly matched with a director who understands the interdependence of horror and comedy. As he did with Piranha, The Howling and Gremlins before, Dante instinctively knew that humour would help ground the horror and make it all the more realistic and credible. “I always thought all horror is comedy,” Dante said in 2011 and indeed there has always been a fine line between horror and comedy in all of Dante’s films.

That line is never more blurred than in The ‘Burbs, which - along with Dante’s 1985 sci-fi film Explorers - has gone on to gain a level of cult status since its release. Noted critic and staunch Dante champion Jonathan Rosenbaum, who appreciated the film’s dark humour, cited in his review that The ‘Burbs “can be read as a satire about suburban conformists and snoops – xenophobic busybodies who can’t tolerate the presence of any sort of eccentricity in their midst. Or the movie is a cautionary tale about the dangers of insulation and ignorance - minding one’s own business and being unaware of the horrible things that are happening right next door. Or, finally, one can take the noncommittal stance assumed by the teenage characters in the movie, who are as undisturbed about the mysterious neighbours as they are amused by the xenophobic snoops trying to uncover them; the kids are simply around to enjoy the show.”

On paper, the plot for The ‘Burbs doesn’t really do the film justice, since it’s a blended mixture of plot, performance and, ultimately, Dante’s persistent point-of-view that make it all work. On repeat viewings, however, it becomes clear that the signature touches of Dante’s directorial style are what transform The ‘Burbs from a typical situational comedy into a dark cult classic. Those tell-tale sight gags, in-jokes and “doodlings in the margins” like the cartoons of artist Sergio Aragonés that Dante so loved in the pages of Mad magazine are peppered throughout The ‘Burbs. “The beauty of Mad magazine was that you could read it over and over and in the corner of the frame would be these little gags that you hadn’t noticed when you were reading it for the continuity,” Dante said.

“The audience is reminded constantly that they are watching a movie, and similar comic stylings have found their way into my own work,” Dante once told The Telegraph.

There’s no denying The ‘Burbs is a manufactured movie as it unfolds on the screen … but it’s a place worth revisiting if only for the non-judgmental point-of-view and understanding of human nature that Dante brings to it.

The ‘Burbs is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with stereo 2.0 audio. The ‘Burbs was exclusively restored in 2K resolution by Arrow Films for this release. This restoration of
The ‘Burbs was overseen by James White on behalf of Arrow Films and has been approved by Joe Dante.

Arrow Video’s landmark release comes loaded with a bumper crop of bonus features including an all-new high definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Theatrical cut, newly-restored from the original film elements, and the original Workprint cut of the film transferred from Director Joe Dante’s personal copy, on home video for the very first time, which includes deleted and alternate scenes.

The Workprint cut of the film will be complimented by A Tale of Two ‘Burbs, an all-new video featurette comparing the differences between the Workprint and Theatrical cuts of the film, with optional audio commentary from Joe Dante.

Alongside this, this deluxe edition will also include a brand-new feature-length documentary There Goes the Neighbourhood: The Making of The ‘Burbs which features interviews with Dante, actors Corey Feldman, Courtney Gains and Wendy Schaal, director of photography Robert M. Stevens and production designer James H. Spencer.

The disc also features a newly recorded audio commentary with writer Dana Olsen, moderated by author Calum Waddell, an alternate ending, presented in HD for the very first time, alongside the original theatrical trailer and an exclusive collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kenneth J. Souza, author of Scared Silly: The Films of Joe Dante, and an article looking at the collaborations of Joe Dante and composer Jerry Goldsmith, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

Synopsis

The films of director Joe Dante have taken us to some strange places – a mysterious Chinatown antique store in Gremlins; a secluded resort populated by werewolves in The Howling; even deep inside the human body in Innerspace. But now he takes us to the strangest place of all – suburbia!

Family man Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) is looking forward to a week of putting his feet up at home in the quiet, leafy cul-de-sac of Mayfield Place. But his plans are scuppered by the arrival of new next-door neighbours, The Klopeks, whose behaviour and habits are more than just a little kooky. But things go from kooky to downright sinister when local old boy Walter disappears, leading Ray and his buddies to suspect their new neighbours of killing and eating him! Sure, the Klopeks are a strange bunch what with their digging up the backyard in the middle of the night – but they’re not devil-worshipping cannibal killers… are they?

If you’re looking for a knowing slice of tongue-in-cheek terror then look no further than The ‘Burbs. A standout horror comedy from a director who has given us more than his fair share of fun frighteners, The ‘Burbs assembles a superb cast including Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher and Corey Feldman in a tall tale of small-town terror. You’ll never look at those eccentric neighbours in the same way again! The super-deluxe package, which is available both as a standard Blu-ray and as a limited edition Blu-ray SteelBook, is full of special features and bonus material.

The special features for this edition include:

· Limited Edition SteelBook packaging

· High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Theatrical cut, newly-restored from the original film elements

· Original uncompressed 2.0 Stereo PCM Audio

· Isolated Music and Effects Soundtrack

· Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

· New audio commentary with writer Dana Olsen, moderated by author Calum Waddell

· There Goes the Neighbourhood: The Making of The ‘Burbs - A new feature-length documentary including interviews with Dante, actors Corey Feldman, Courtney Gains and Wendy Schaal, director of photography Robert M. Stevens and production designer James H. Spencer

· The original Workprint cut of the film transferred from Director Joe Dante’s personal copy, on home video for the very first time - includes deleted and alternate scenes!

· A Tale of Two ‘Burbs – Video featurette comparing the differences between the Workprint and Theatrical cuts of the film, with optional audio commentary from Dante

· Alternate ending, presented in HD for the very first time

· Original Theatrical Trailer in HD

· Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kenneth J. Souza, author of Scared Silly: The Films of Joe Dante, and an article looking at the collaborations of Joe Dante and composer Jerry Goldsmith, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

Blu-ray review: THE HOWLING (1981)

THE HOWLING (1981) 

Collector's Edition Blu-ray 

Label: Scream Factory

Region Code: A NTSC

Duration: 91 Minutes 

Rating: R

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 

Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Cast: Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine 

Director: Joe Dante 

THE HOWLING (1981) starts off with sleazy exploitation leanings as TV news anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace, E.T.) walks the seedy neon-lit streets of Los Angeles on her way to a adult video store for a fateful meet-up with Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo, INNERSPACE), a serial killer stalking the streets of LA whom has ironically adopted the cheerful yellow smiley-faced sticker as his calling card. Karen is wired for sound and working in cooperation with the LAPD to ensnare Quist who's known for shredding his victims. Of course, something goes wrong and White is left alone with the weirdo in a porno booth watching a rape film. Quist stands behind her in the darkened booth not allowing her to see his face, just as something weird begins to happen the cops arrive and blow the creep away. Physically unharmed White is traumatized by the encounter, she experiences partial amnesia, she's an emotional wreck unable to sexually satisfy her husband or appear onscreen at the TV station. 

Karen seeks treatment from therapists Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee) who suggests she and husband Bill Neill (Christopher Stone, CUJO) visit his private resort-style resort spa located along the scenic northern California coast. Arriving at the resort they meet a rather interesting assortment of folk, particularly the seductive nympho Marcia Quist (Elisabeth Brooks) who lusts quite openly for Bill. There's a bunch of Joe Dante familiars, Kevin McCarthy (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) as a TV newsroom manager, and it just wouldn't be a Dante film if we didn't see an appearance from Dick Miller (GREMLINS) as the fast-talking proprietor of an occult book shop. We also get fun cameos from Roger Corman and Forrest J. Ackerman of Famous Monsters of Filmland plus appearances from character actors David Carradine (BATMAN) as a scruffy suicidal weirdo, and Slim Pickens (1941) as the sheriff.

So, it's a fun cast but what the film is fondly remembered for are Rob Bottin's fantastic werewolf designs and practical transformation effects! Legend has it that Rick Baker began work on the film but left the production to work with John Landis on An American Werewolf in London, maybe not surprisingly the transformation effects are similar in nature, stretched latex and pulsating air bladders. Bottin's transformation seems more gruesome to my eyes, the other major difference being that  the werewolves walk upright. While some of the film's effects were state-of-the-art at the time not all were fantastic, the schlockiest moment comes by way of a strange animated werewolf sex scene, a victim of the film's budgetary constraint, but I cannot help myself, I love it. 

Of course there's some weird stuff happening at the Colony besides Dr. Waggner's primal scream-esque therapy treatment. On a hunting trip Bill is attacked by a wild animal and bitten, soon his personality begins to change. At night the woods come alive with strange animalistic howls and snarls and Quist's body disappears from the city morgue. All the oddness culminating in a frenzied confrontation with a barn full of werewolves, it's a great watch with a nice balance of subversive humor, some truly gruesome moments and fantastic special effects, very nicely done. 

The Howling has some effective location shots, the seedy porno shop and the preceding shots of Karen walking the dirty streets of LA past street urchins are gritty, it feels dirty. Later, once she arrive at The Colony the wooded areas are used quite well, the shadowy moonlit forests and creeping fog are quite spooky, it's a great setting for a werewolf movie and it feels like a traditional horror tale.

There's clearly a subtle tongue-in-cheek humor to the proceeding though it's a fairly serious take on the genre, particularly for a Joe Dante production. Keen observers will notice some fun wolf-themed nice gags throughout, Wolf brand chili anyone? While I love the film it's not quite perfect, there are some slow moments that bring it down a few pegs, it would have been nice to either have the humor elements or horror amped-up a bit, the tone of the film is pretty serious for the most part but it needed some oomph somewhere along the way, it's missing something.  It starts of interestingly enough but slow, however, once they arrive at the secluded spa stuff starts to happen pretty quickly from there on in. 

Surely no one saw this low-budget film spawning seven sequels, I have a soft spot for director Philippe Moira's oddity, HOWLING III: THE MARSUPIALS (1987), a schlocky ozploitation classic if you ask me, but it's Joe Dante's original that still elicits the most howls of pleasure, it's a true cult classic and a fantastic werewolf film. 

Blu-ray: The Shout! Factory Blu-ray presents THE HOWLING in widescreen (1.85:1) with a sweet 1080p AVC MPEG-4 encode and the difference between it and the previous MGM special edition in terms of visual quality is very pleasing. Shot on a shoe-string budget The Howling is a bit soft and hazy by design, there's a nice layer of film grain, colors are deep and robust and black levels are pretty decent. There's a nice amount of fine detail with some moderate depth and clarity to the image, The Howling as never looked better, a very attractive hi-def presentation. 

There are two DTS-HD Master Audio options, a 2.0 stereo mix and a 5.1 remix, I do enjoy a decent 5.1 remix and this one does open up the sound field a bit, creating a submersive surround experience. That said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the 2.0 which has decent stereo separation during more active sequences and Pino Donaggio's orchestral score and the snarling transformation effects sounds fantastic, the Blu ray disc includes an optional English subtitle track, too. 

Onto the special features we get the full arsenal of bonus content from the previous MGM Special Edition,  some of which get a hi-def upgrade which makes it easy to trade-in the standard-def edition to make room for Scream Factory Blu-ray, though I did save the 4 pg. booklet DVD insert with The Howling trivia and synopsis. 

The first set of features are two audio commentaries  the carry-over of the commentary With Director Joe Dante And Actors Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone and Robert Picardo is appreciated, it's an energetic and informative group conversation with plenty of great anecdotes, the second commentary with author Gary Brander is moderated by Red Shirt Pictures' Michael Felsher is is more focused on Brandner's life and career than any scene specific observation or comparisons between the film and novel, though both subjects are touched upon lightly. I've read that Bradner has a pretty poor opinion of the film, which deviates quite a bit from the source material but he gives  few nods of approval here and there. 

Another carry-over from the DVD is the fantastic five-part documentary Unleashing the Beast: The Making Of The Howling Multi-part Documentary (48:33) with some great retrospective interviews with the cast and crew, including screenwriter John Sayles. We get some great behind-the-scenes special effects shots which are always my favorite.

Another great vintage featurette is the Making Of A Monster: Inside The Howling Documentary (8:01) with more cast and crew interviews with Joe Dante, Rob Bottin and actor Patrick Macnee. the latter of whom talks about the carnage he witnesses as a veteran of WWII while Dante discusses the history of comedy in horror and Bottin speaks to the difference in old school werewolf transformations in cinema versus what the visceral in-camera effects he was putting onscreen. The last of the MGM produced special features are a selection of Outtakes (7:03), a Photo Gallery and the Original Theatrical Trailer (1:28).

Now onto some brand-new Red Shirt Pictures produced special features made exclusively for Scream Factory's Collector's Edition Blu-ray beginning with the aforementioned author commentary, which was probably the least interesting of the bunch in my opinion. 

Howlings Eternal: New Interview with Executive Producer Steven A. Lane (18:49) is an quite interesting watch as he discusses obtaining the rights to the novel as a Hollywood outsider and taking the film to the studios. he then goes into each of the sequels right up the THE HOWLING: REBORN. he espouses both praise and detraction in equal measure though he definitely has a soft spot for the series, fondly recalling working with horror legend Christopher Lee on THE HOWLING 2: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF, director Philippe Moira on HOWLING III: THE MARSUPIALS, the S.African co-produced THE HOWLING IV and his favorite of the sequels, HOWLING V.

Not produced by red Shirt but culled from the ancient laser disc edition is a vintage interview with the late stop motion animator Dave Allen (8:48) is bittersweet as the Full Moon veteran speaks about his stop-motion animation that was never used in the final film except for a very brief excerpt at the end, luckily for us we get to see it here though it's easy to see why Dante chose not to use it. As it is we do get a weird animated sequence, this stop-motion segment would have been out of place.

Interview with co-writer Terence Winkless (12:32) is equally interesting as the original screenwriter of the film goes into getting the gig through a softball connection of all things and how finally getting an onscreen credit with THE HOWLING opened the doors for him in Hollywood. he goes into working with Dante whom he recalls had a lot of creative energy and input, it was Dante who named many of the characters in the film after directors of classic werewolf cinema, as well as discussing the adapting/writing process and Roger Corman's cameo in the film.  

A staple of many of the Scream Factory titles is the Horror's Hallowed Grounds (12:15) wherein host Sean Clark from Horror Hound magazine revisits classic locations from the film including a gift shop on Hollywood Blvd. that I've actually been to, I had no idea! They also revisit Marcia's shack from the film which looks nearly identical to what we see in the film to this day, Clark's got a great sense of humor and these location visits are always a howl. 

Cut to Shreds: Interview with Editor Mark Goldblat (11:20) features the horror nut speaking about his love of cinema from an early age, shooting 8mm films in his backyard and then working for Roger Corman's New World Pictures, which he describes as being beat to shit, a place where he met Joe Dante and got the gig editing Dante's feature length Debut PIRANHA ad subsequent projects. He praises Dante for his humorous subtext and delicate balance of fear and humor, his appreciation of how the director sees the irony of every situation. He also goes into the art of editing, lighting a film and the fantastic Rob Bottin effects on the film. 

Reversible Artwork Option 

Also on the disc are a selection of Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary from Director Joe Dante (11:28), not a lot of notable excised scenes aside from a Dee Wallace hot tub scene, it's nice to have 'em on the set. If your so inclined there's also a fun Easter Egg to be found featuring Joe Dante regular Dick Miller

Non Blu-ray disc special features include a sleeve of reversible artwork with a newly commissioned illustration by artist Nathan Thomas Milliner, the reverse-side features the  iconic theatrical artwork for purists. We also get a slipcase which features the Milliner artwork. This is a great edition, Scream Factory have once again stepped up to the plate dusted off a familiar horror classic and breathed new life into it with fantastic AV presentation and interesting bonus content that serve to enhance your enjoyment of the film, great stuff. 

Special Features: 

- Audio Commentary with Author Gary Brandner
- *Audio Commentary With Director Joe Dante And Actors Dee Wallace, Christopher Stone and Robert Picardo
- Howlings Eternal: New Interview with Executive Producer Steven A. Lane (18:49) 
- Interview with co-writer Terence Winkless (12:32) 
- Cut to Shreds: Interview with Editor Mark Goldblat (11:20) 
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary from Director Joe Dante (11:28)
- Horror's Hallowed Grounds: A look at the film's location (12:15)
- Interview with Stop-Motion Animator Dave Allen (8:48) 
- *Unleashing the Beast: The Making Of The Howling Multi-part Documentary (48:33)
- *Outtakes (7:03)
- *Making Of A Monster: Inside The Howling Documentary (8:01)
- *Photo Gallery
- *Theatrical Trailer (1:28) 
- Dick Miller Interview (Easter Egg) (3:28) 
*Extras carried over from prior DVD release

Verdict: There are two camps when the mention of werewolves in cinema are discussed among horror aficionado, inevitably the conversation comes down to  John Landis' AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and Dante's THE HOWLING - which both came to cinemas in 1981. Which camp do I fall into you may wonder, honestly I love 'em both the same, depending on what day of the week it is I might prefer one over the other. I couldn't be happier that both films are now available in 1080p hi-def with some awesome special features, this is great stuff and essential to any horror lover's collection. 4.5 Outta 5  

DVD Review: PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE (2011)

PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE! (2011)

2-Disc DVD Box-Set

LABEL: Troma Entertainment
REGION CODE: All NTSC
RATING: Unrated
DURATION: 300 mins
VIDEO: 1.33:1 Fullframe
AUDIO: English Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
DIRECTOR: Lloyd Kaufman
CAST: David Cronenberg, Roger Corman, Avi Lerner, Monte Hellman, Joe Dante, Ernest Dickerson, Steven Paul, Mick Garris, The Duplass Brothers, Caroline Baron, Herschell Gordon Lewis, James Gunn, Darren Lynn Bousman

SYNOPSIS: When it comes to producing, no one speaks with more authority than Lloyd Kaufman creator of The Toxic Avenger and founder of the longest –running independent film studio, Troma Entertainment. Over the years he has discovered talents such as Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park, The Book of Mormon,) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) to name a few. Candid interviews, tips, tricks and tidbits scattered throughout the DVD give filmmakers practical tools for getting a movie shoot off the ground, keeping it afloat and seeing it through to the end – Lloyd Kaufman shows you how it’s really done. (from the DVD box)

Say what you will about Lloyd Kaufman and the quality of the films released by Troma Entertainment throughout the years, I know that there's a ton of what some might generously call stinkers among them, but they've been doing it for over 35 years. The simple fact is they've made a successful business of producing and distributing no-budget trash cinema and cult b-movie mayhem, that's no small feat. While it may not be for all tastes but I'll tell yeah that more than just a few folks out there are tried and true Tromaholics, they are legion. Troma is the longest-running indie film studio still in business today. Proverbial stinkers aside there are in fact many gems amidst the dreck; THE TOXIC AVENGER, CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH, POULTREYGIEST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE and a handful of classic genre cinema titles they've only distributed under The Tromapiece Collection banner; COMBAT SHOCK, MAD DOG MORGAN, THE LAST HORROR FILM and a more recent entry, the very cool retro-80's slasher that I just can't say enough great things about, BLOOD JUNKIE.

What we have here is a companion piece to Lloyd Kaufman's best-selling book Produce Your Own Damn Movie! which is a sequel of the "how-to" book Make Your Own Damn Movie! and Direct Your Own Damn Movie!, each of those were followed with a DVD companion, too, but this is my first viewing of the series. This time out Lloyd sets out to answer the question of what exactly is a movie producer, how to raise money for a production, capitalizing resources, casting, securing locations and pre-selling your move among others.

PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE is parsed into two separate discs. Disc one is a series of behind-the-scene vignettes filmed on a hand held DV camcorder by Lloyd himself in true cine verite style as he appears in various cameo roles and speaks to the directors, filmmakers and producers on the set of backyard horror films, indie fright flicks and multi-million dollar productions.

Not in any order and possibly missing a few folks along the way we meet n' greet director Greg Lamberson (SLIME CITY) on the set of SLIME CITY MASSACRE while he shows us how to make our own damn inexpensive green screen. Lloyd visits The Godfather of Gore - Herschell Gordon Lewis (BLOOD FEAST) -  on the set of his film THE UH-OH SHOW in which our fearless moderator Lloyd cameos as a dapper pimp. Watching Herschell and his staff contemplate another term for dildo is priceless. Then onto visit to the set of SLITHER director and Troma alum Jame's Gunn's vigilante justice feature SUPER. Next up is Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II) who's filming a remake of Troma's MOTHER'S DAY featuring cameos from both Lloyd and brother Charles, who directed the original film.

There are also behind-the-scenes set visits and cameos on Richard Griffin's NUN OF THAT, a low budget nunploitation flick from the director of Lovecraftian film BEYOND THE DUNWICH HORROR. in the film Lloyd cameo's as none other than his holiness the Pope whom delivers a Papal Pardon. Lloyd's cameos are classic Kaufman, fun, silly and terribly acted not unlike a lot of the Troma films really. Others sets visited include KILLED ON THE 4th OF JULY directed by a 16 year old named J.D. Lifshitz who was inspired by Lloyd's Direct Your Own Damn Movie!, Ted Moehring's indie Giallo BLOODBATH IN THE HOUSE OF KNIVES, a period horror film called UNDER THESE HILLS by young filmmaker Sam Bahre, Mike Huecks MIDNIGHT ORCHIDS in Berlin, Germany, behind-the-scenes on Jeff Burr's (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III) SURVIVAL (working title), on the set of BAD GIRLS BURN IN HELL with actress Devanny Pinn, a film in which Lloyd's head is blown up. The SF/X guy on the film didn't realize that Lloyd had a beard before hand so he has to improvise using some fur from a teddy bear, that's the wonderful improvisational nature and necessity of indie filmmaking right there. It's an interesting filmset located in a town that had been condemned by the state government for lead poisoning, not sure I would wanna be on that set. Lloyd is willing to risk life and lung for our entertainment, that's dedication.  There's also a nice segment of director William Instone  on the set of JON who instills upon us the value of treating your crew right and exploiting strip clubs, that's good advice for young filmmakers and young men in general.

The second is stuffed with on-camera interviews with a variety of known and lesser known directors, producers and filmmakers. Of the two formats I prefer this one, I've always preferred interviews to behind-the-scenes special features and this entire film is one gigantic bonus features. Joe Dante (PIRANHA) speaks on GREMLINS and how the studio practically begged him to make the sequel, about the opportunities he was lucky enough to have had in the industry and the dismal future of filmmaking, it's not very uplifting in my opinion. Dante is someone so informed, so enthusiastic about filmmaking that I wish the entire disc had been filled with his recollections and insight, great stuff.

The Duplass Brothers, directors of BAGHEAD and THE PUFFY CHAIR, speak about making short films and the opportunities afforded to them after being accepted into the Sundance film festival. Producer Steven Paul (DOOMSDAY) gives a from the ground-up perspective on obtaining the rights to Marvel's GHOST RIDER on through finishing the film while Avi Lerner (THE BLACK DAHLIA) similarly recollects ramping up production on Stallone's RAMBO. The DP on Spike Lee's DO THE RIGHT THING, Ernest Dickerson, speaks about the nebulous nature of the producer's role, the do's the don'ts, the benefits of being a producer versus a director and the availability of funding from outsider sources; shipping magnates, realtors and such.

Monte Hellman director of TWO LANE BLACKTOP and some notable acid westrens speaks of producing Quentin Tarentino's RESERVOIR DOGS, what makes a good producer and pointing out that by his standards Lloyd's iron-fisted producer model would be unacceptable, feeling producers should be hands off, a facilitator not a creator. He also speaks about the importance of pre-selling films to foreign markets, all of this is spoken of while he toils away in his kitchen preparing a morning ritual of coffee, pancakes and eggs, it's all very Zen. CAPOTE producer Caroline Baron, who started her career as a production manager on Troma's TOXIC AVENGER, drives home the point that Troma's legacy truly is anyone can make a film. Her own career a prime example of someone who came into the industry with no experience and worked their way up through the ranks through trial and error. There's a nice nostalgic segment as she finds the original Toxic Avenger production diary in her office, it's a pretty fascinating look back, even Lloyd seemed mesmerized by it.

Creator and producer of Showtime's MASTERS OF HORROR Mick Garris reminisces about breaking into the business as a writer and catching the notice of Spielberg circa AMAZING STORIES, and working his way up to a point where he doesn't have to chew on turds anymore (obviously he doesn't watch his own films). There's a fun bit with yet another Troma alum Trent Haaga (CITIZEN TOXIE) that opens with a staged masturbatory intro that is very Tromatic. Haaga goes onto discuss a script he penned called POOR THINGS that got picked up by some novice producers. The script gained some notice and was cast with Shirley McClaine, Channing Tatum and Lindsay Lohan in the leads until it fell victim to the producer's avarice and Lohan's drug bust, completely derailing the project. He also speaks to the value of a good location contract following a bad experience with DEAD GIRL which he wrote and expounds on what he considers the good and bad of Troma's business model.

Of course what good would PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE! be if it did not feature the American king of schlock films, Roger Corman. The Cormster looks back at producing independent cinema for so many years (and still going strong), the differences between then and now, producing CYCLOPS for the Syfy channel and what his current business model is, it's a bit dry as Corman sometimes is but still a good watch.

VERDICT: Coming to this is a non-filmmaker I still found it quite fascinating from the perspective of a special features enthusiast and film nut. If you're a young filmmaker I can't say this is THE answer to all your questions about producing a film but it does pose many useful tidbits worth pondering, and it's quite inspiring seeing these filmmakers toil under sometimes adverse conditions to put forth their vision on film for the masses. Lloyd is a great host of course, he's smart and funny, he hits on the young ladies and pokes fun at himself at every turn, fun stuff.

DVD Review: Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010)

MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! (2010)
2 Disc Set DVD

Label: Umbrella Entertainment
Region Code: Region 0 PAL
Rating: 15 Certificate
Duration: 84 mins
Video: 1.77:1 Widescreen 16x9
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, 2.0
Director: Mark Hartley
Cast: Roger Corman, Joe Dante, John Landis, Sid Haig, Judy Brown, Jack Hill
Tagline: The Filipino Revolution That Even Marcos Couldn't Crush!

Mark Hartley's previous genre cinema documentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD was a super-charged exploration of Australian exploitation cinema, a mesmerizing doc you watch with pen and paper in hand while you jot the names of films you may never have heard but the  film's combination of outrageous film clips and enthusiastic talking heads, Quentin Tarantino most notably, convinced me that these ozploitation films from down under NEEDED to seen, and the sooner the better.

This time out Hartley has aimed his lens on the renegade exploitation films of the Philippines from the 60's, 70's and 80's, these b-movies drive-in shlockers from the Wild East were a genre of film I was completely unfamiliar with. Where as with the slasher doc GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM I had seen 95% of those films, it was a greatest hits of slashers cinema but there wasn't much new under the sun for me to discover. With NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD I had at least seen MAD MAX and RAZORBACK but it really opened my eyes to quite a few films and filmmakers that had never popped up on my radar. Enter MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! - this may as well have been about cult films from the planet Mars, these films were totally new to me. I had only heard of THE BIG BIRD CAGE, that was the extent of my familiarity with any of the films and this was quite an introduction, it's definitely primed my urge to seek these films out in a big bad way.

The film starts with an introduction by director John Landis (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) who gives a great definition of exploitation and explains the three "B's"- blood, boobs and bombs. Landis is a cinema nut I could listen to for several lifetimes, he's witty, informed and totally enthusiastic about schlock cinema. The film concentrates on the three major players in the Filipino exploitation market beginning with the director Eddie Romero who brought forth the BLOOD ISLAND series of films and a successful tidal wave of demented and sleazy exploitation flicks. Then came the age of Cirio H. Santiago, a man who's mix of kung-fu action and blaxploitation resulted in T.N.T. JACKSON and SAVAGE, fun stuff, but apparently not a man known for quality filmmaking. John Davison, New World Marketing director observes "once Cirio started producing and directing, I mean, all bets were off in terms of product being half way decent", then recalling Roger Corman screaming into the phone "you really screwed me this time Cirio!" after a particularly disastrous screening, it's hilarious stuff and makes for compelling viewing. The third major Philippine filmmaker was Bobby Suarez, the PT Barnum of Filipino action films, who directed the nun-ploitation schlock-fest CLEOPATRA WONG, whom counts Tarantino among his worshippers, but again, his films were charmingly inept.

The film is as much a documentary of Roger Corman's involvement in bringing the Wild East exploitation to American drive-ins as it is anything else and there's some great interviews with the b-movie master himself, often rebuking allegations immediately following Joe Dante or John Landis chronicling his notoriously schlocky ways. Hearing Alan Arkush and Joe Dante (PIRANHA, THE HOWLING) recollect their time as trailer editors for Corman is priceless, its nearly slanderous, probably true and quite funny. There's interviews galore with b-movie queens, directors and critics. There's plenty of camera time given to director Jack Hill (THE BIG BIRD HOUSE) who seems to have a firm grasp on what kind of films were being made, Aussie Brian Trenchard-Smith (CUT AND RUN) who speaks a bit about the zany stuntmen, working with the Philippine military and explosives "experts" who may or may not have had missing fingers. The interviews with B-movie stars like  Gloria Hendry (SAVAGE SISTERS), Pam Grier (WOMEN IN CAGES), and genre legend Sid Haig (BLACK MAMA, WHITE MAMA) are chock full of insights and recollections of unsafe sets, shady goings on and just the general insanity of the era, it was like the west of exploitation cinema by all accounts. In a deleted with actress Marlene Clark (THE BEAST MUST DIE) she tells of a near disastrous scene where her character is raped by a group of dwarves (!?!) and during filming the little guys truly thought they were to actually rape her, she had to stop the scene and clarify the situation, that's the kind of sleazy behind-the-scene stuff we get here in abundance, these were mondo psychotronic films made in unsafe conditions without a safety net, really bizarre stuff.

Many of the filmmakers discuss making these films with the full cooperation with the Marcos regime, who were only too happy to supply military troupes and equipment to the productions when they weren't otherwise strafing rebel uprisings, it's such an weird but oddly appropriate setting for these sleazy grindhouse films. Of course, there's mention of Francis Ford Coppola's famously difficult shoot of APOCALYPSE NOW, the largest production ever to shoot in the Philippines, the films is a bit outside the film's sleazy b-movie scope but it felt appropriate, and any excuse for a R. Lee Ermey (FULL METAL JACKET) interview is appreciated and needs no explanation.

At times some of the interviewees attempt to argue that these sleazy, often racist exploitation films, turned out for a buck with a script held together by sweaty breasts, shower scenes and violence, entertained ideas of feminism which John Landis dismisses with no small amount of incredulity, but it's all in fun to me and if some of these b-movie queens felt empowered while they were being raped by dwarves, good for them.  

DVD: MACHETE MAIDEN UNLEASHED! is presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen with optional English language Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 audio with no subtitle. The film looks great, there's a smorgasborg of the film clips are of varying quality but it's a sharp looking, well edited film. Special features include an entertaining commentary from Hartley and crew discussing the creation of the film, getting access to the cast and crew of the films, and a ton of anecdotal tidbits that make this a necessary watch if you love the film. There's nearly an hour of deleted interviews with John Landis, Joe Dante and Alan Arkusch, Paul Koslo, Marlene Clark, Sid Haig, Darby Hinton and more. They must've been excised for time because these are great bits, including the aforementioned Marlene Clark midget-rape fiasco. There's a fun "The Oath of Green Blood" which is a bit of marketing schlock genius and some test footage of the rather unfortunate creature from UP FROM THE DEPTHS, some Fantastic Fest Q+A audio and a featurette, extensive stills, posters and behind-the-scenes galleries, a theatrical trailer and perhaps the second best feature on the set; a 65 mins 'Filipino Exploitation Trailer Reel' featuring trailers for many of the films featured in the film. The best feature on the set is an honest to goodness Filipino exploitation film directed by Cirio H. Santiago THE MUTHERS (1975) starring the kick-ass Jeannie Bell (TNT JACKSON) presented in 16x9 widescreen. It tells the story of a sea pirate going undercover in a prison camp/coffee plantation. It's a great flick with torture, kung-fu, jungle action, women-in prison elements, and of course, a shower scene and breasts galore. Note, this is the  first time THE MUTHERS has been available in 16x9 widescreen, it's fun stuff. Many thanks to Umbrella Entertainment for stuffing this set with interesting extras that compliment the feature presentation. 

DISC 1 Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director and Crew
- More Stories from the Cast (55:49) 16:9
- Filipino Exploitation Trailer Reel (65:54) Letterboxed
- The Oath of Green Blood (1:148) 4:3 Letterboxed
- "Up From The Depths" Monster Test Footage (3:14) 4:3 Letterboxed
- Fantastic Fest Red Carpet Featurette (4:33) 4:3 Letterboxed
- Fantastic Fest Q+A with Roger and Julie Corman, Hartley and Tim League
- Poster and Stills Gallery (100 images)
- Behind the Scenes Gallery (100 images)
- Theatrical Trailer (2:35) 16:9
- Easter Egg: Trailer for RAW FORCE (1:58) 4:3 Letterboxed

DISC 2 Special Features:
-Cirio Santiago's THE MUTHERS (1974) presented in 16x9 Widescreen

Verdict: I came to this film with no knowledge of Philippine exploitation but I walked away with not just a great appreciation for the Filipino schlock of yore but a serious hunger to stuff my eyes with as many of 'em as I can, I would say feed my brain but bringing your brain to these films might prove detrimental. Definitely a fun, fast-paced film that I highly recommend to anyone who loves cult cinema, grindhouse, schlock, exploitation or just plain bad cinema - a MUST WATCH for genre cinema fans. The film has also reaffirmed my love of Joe Dante and John Landis, two genius filmmakers who's love of schlock is contagious. What's next for Hartley? No clue but I for one would like to see him tackle the Italian exploitation films, that would be quite brilliant, wouldn't you agree? 4 outta 5

Umbrella Entertainment's MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! two-disc DVD can be ordered HERE.

For our Region 1 locked readers I will tell you that US distributor DARK SKY FILMS are releasing MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! in North America in late July. No special features have been announced thus far. I'm not 100% sure but I do not believe the R1 DVD will include THE MUTHERS either, to which I say GET YOURSELF A REGION FREE DVD PLAYER - there's a world of cinema out there - don't limit your collection.