FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973) Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973)

Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: A
Rating: PG
Duration: 98 Minutes
Audio: English DTS HD-MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Kevin Connor
Cast: Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen, Diana Dors, David Warner, Angela Pleasence, Ian Carmichael, Margaret Leighton, Lesley-Anne Down

From Beyond the Grave (1974) was the last of the Amicus British horror anthologies, and also the last of them to finally find it's way to Blu-ray - thank you Warner Archive! - and it was worth the wait! The anthology offers four frightfully fun tales of the macabre with a wrap-around story starring horror legend Peter Cushing (Corruption) as the seemingly kingly, pipe-smoking proprietor of an dilapidated antiquities shoppe called Temptation Ltd., selling what turns out be cursed objects to the unsuspecting, but oftentimes quite deserving clientele.

The first story “The Gate Crasher,” follows Edward Charlton (David Warner, Time After Time) when he buys an antique mirror from Temptation Ltd, thinking that he's gotten quite a bargain after haggling with Cushing's devilish character. Bringing it home he hosts a party and he a roomful of friends hold a seance, unleashing a malevolent phantom living inside the mirror. The spirit (Marcel Steiner) begins to take a strange hold of Edward, demanding he make blood sacrifices to it, which will free him from the mirror, but also trap Edward inside it in his place. Edward is helpless to resist the phantom's influence, turning his apartment into a bloodbath in the process, with the ending showing a montage of the aftermath, and it's a good bit of frightful fun.

Next up is "An Act of Kindness" wherein middle-management trapped Christopher (Ian Bannen, Doomwatch) struggles at home with a nagging wife (Diana Dors, Theater of Blood) and child who don't think too much of him. To escape his troubles he begins hanging out with a military vet named Jim (Donald Pleasance, Raw Meat), a street-peddler who sells shoelaces and polish on the sidewalk. To impress his new found friend Christopher attempts to buy a Distinguished Service Order medal from the curio shop, but when he is unable to produce the proper paperwork that would allow him to buy it he resorts to stealing it. While having dinner with Jim he is introduced to his daughter Emily (Angela Pleasence, Symptoms), and is eventually seduced by her creepy charms, which leads to some spooky murderous black magic and a strange finale that's always left me scratching my head, but I still dig this one, I love seeing Donald Pleasance and his daughter, who looks very much like her father, acting alongside each other.

In 'The Elemental' stuffy Brit businessman Reggie Warren (Ian Carmichael) visits the curio shop and switches price tags on a vintage snuff box, hoping to get a god deal, but he gets more than he bargained for when he becomes the host of a supernatural parasite-entity, something called an "elemental", which seems a bit like a poltergeist to me. On the train home he is approached by eccentric psychic Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton, The Sound and the Fury) who tells him she can see the invisible
malevolent imp on his shoulder, but he blows it off as craziness. However, once at home things begin to get strange when the elemental begins abusing his poor wife (Nyree Dawn Porter, The House That Dripped Blood), who thinks her husband is the culprit. At his wits end Reggie calls upon Madame Orloff who performs a cleansing ritual, seemingly ridding him of the elemental, but it's a horror anthology, so of course something goes sideways! This one is fun stuff, and is really the only one the tales here to even be slightly humorous.

The fourth and final of the tales proper is "The Door" starring Ian Ogilvy (Witchfinder General) as writer William who haggles down the price of an ancient and intricately ornate wood-carved door from Temptation Ltd., and of course we know know that no matter how good the bargain might seem you always get some sort of supernatural novelty free with every purchase! William has the ornate door installing at his flat, not to a room but for a stationary supply closet. We come to discover that the door becomes a secret passageway to a hidden blue-tinged room where lives a 17th century vampiric sorcerer who attempts to collect the souls of William and his wife (Lesley-Anne Down, Nomads), and in a nice touch since William paid for the door and there were no shenanigans involved, the outcome is actually not-too-bad for him.

The film finishes up with a tasty bit of gruesomeness with a thief who we've seen hanging around the curio shop in all the vignettes finally makes his way inside and attempts to rob the Proprietor, ending with the would-be thief falling into an iron maiden with Cushing's cursed curio-slinger saying "Nasty" before inviting viewers to make a purchase.

Directed by first-timer Kevin Connor (Motel Hell) with attractive lensing by Alan Hume (Hammer's Kiss of the Vampire, The Return of the Jedi), the film has the proper polish and style of earlier Amicus anthologies, plus we get a wonderful wrap-around starring a pipe-smoking Peter Cushing, and a handful of macabre tales that hold up nicely, if you're a fan of horror anthologies this is a top-notch watch, highly recommended.

Audio/Video: From Beyond the Grave (1973) arrives on Blu-ray from Warner Archive with a brand new 2019 HD scan framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. There's a nice velvety grain structure throughout, clarity and depth are excellent and the colors are reproduced accurately with wonderful saturation, some eerie greens and blue hues seen throughout are particularly striking. Black levels hold-up consistently and there's a pleasing amount of fine detail throughout the presentation. a close-up of David Warner revealing all sorts of crags in his visage. The English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio is solid, dialogue is cleanly reproduced without any distortion, and the Douglas Gamley (And Now The Screaming Starts) score and special effect cues are nicely balanced, optional English subtitles are provided.  

The only extra on the disc is a theatrical trailer for the film. The single-disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the original movie poster illustration, with the disc featuring an excerpt of the same artwork.

Special Features:

- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) 

As a fan of horror anthologies I am tickled blue-in-the-face that all of the Amicus produced anthology films are now available on Blu-ray. If you don't own them already I am here to tell you that you definitely need them in your life, so grab yourself Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) from Olive Films, Torture Garden (1967) on a triple-feature Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment (or on stand alone Blu-ray from Indicator in the UK), The House That Dripped Blood (1970) from Scream Factory, Asylum (1972) from Severin Films, and Tales from the Crypt (1972) and The Vault of Horror (1973) on a double-feature Blu-ray from Scream Factory. All these films are fantastic and spooky fun, and now we have the final Amicus anthology From Beyond the Grave (1973) wonderfully restored and looking better than ever from Warner Archive!

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1976) (Umbrella Blu-ray Review)

THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1976)

Label: Umbrella Entertainment

Region Code: Region FREE

Rating: PG

Duration: 90 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Kevin Connor 

Cast: Doug McClure, John McEnery, Keith Barron, Susan Penhaligon, Anthony Ainley and Declan Mulholland.

This Amicus/AIP co-production of the 1924 Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel of the same title is set during WWI, opening with a German U-Boat commanded by Captain von Schoenvorts (John McEnery, Schizo) torpedoing a British passenger ship, the only survivors are American Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure, Humanoids from the Deep) and his British lady friend  Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon, Patrick), British officer Bradley (Keith Barron, Nothing But the Night) and a handful of British soldiers, who are all gathered together on a small life boat. Floating through a fog bank Tyler sees the U-Boat that sunk them surfacing and rallies the soldiers to make a move, fighting the crewman who emerge from the German sub and taking control of it, hoping to sail it to a British port. However, devious German officer Dietz (Anthony Ainley, The Blood on Satan's Claw) is none to thrilled about losing control of the ship and immediately sets about sabotaging the radio and compass, making it difficult to navigate, and when the sub comes under fire from a British warship the crew have no choice but to dive and retreat, becoming hopelessly lost and running low fuel, eventually finding their way to a mysterious land mass that they theorize to be the lost continent of Caprona. The place is surrounded by huge icebergs and ice sheets, the sub submerges once again and travels under the ice sheet, emerging in a lagoon that reveals a place of natural wonder, a lush jungle populated by anachronistic dinosaurs and a race of primitive people.  

Discovering that there's crude oil on the island the Germans and British crews call a truce, working together to build a primitive oil refinery from which they can produce fuel for the sub, and escape the newfound  lost world. The trip to the island takes about half the film so there's a lot of turmoil within the sub as control is volleyed about, but once they get to Caprona things pick-up considerably, as we are treated to a plethora of Roger Dicken (Scars of Dracula, Alien) created dino-puppets, not made through Harryhausen-style stop-motion but through the use of highly detailed puppets, which look cool if a bit plastic and stiff at times, occasionally you can spot a wire or two supporting one of the winged-creatures as they attack and carry off some poor soul, but overall I dig it.  I prefer the old-style Harryhausen stop-motion creations but the Plesiosaurus and Styracosaurus are undeniably cool, in fact when the Plesiosaurus is boiling to death in a super-heated lake I felt pretty bad for it as a kid. We also get some fun miniature work, a lot of the sub scenes are done with miniature, including a fiery volcanic finale with loads of smoke, fire and red lighting - it all looked great. It might be a tiny bit dated but I have a lot of nostalgia for vintage special effects, I prefer it to the uncanny valley of modern digital FX, I know they're cheesy, but I just love 'em. 

Audio/Video: The Land That Time Forgot (1976) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment in 1080p HD, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. Not sure of the source of the HD master here but it look good, the source shows some minor wear, white speckling mostly and some tiny scratches, but overall very nice. There's some modest depth happening here once we emerge from the dark confines of the U-boat and onto the island, the dinos and island vistas offer up some nice texture with decent contrast. Audio comes by was of an English language DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0 track, perfectly fine without any hiss or distortion of note, the score from Douglas Gamley (The Beast Must Die) benefits the most from the lossless audio option.

Unfortunately this release is absolutely barebones, there are no extras, not even a trailer or a start-up menu. The single-disc Blu-ray release comes housed in the usual over-sized 16mm spine keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork featuring the original key-art with the reverse side features a variant of the same key artwork minus the rating label. 

Oh wait a minute! After rewatching this post-review I was toggling through the audio and found that there's a hidden/unadvertised commentary with director Kevin Connor moderated by Brian Trenchard-Smith, carried over from the Kino Lorber release, it's a great track and a welcome extra! 

I am an unabashed fan of these semi-cheesy vintage action/adventure/creature features, I like the kitschy patina they've acquired with age, they capture a special magic that once you get a whiff of as a kid it just stays with you, the same way that the aroma of cinnamon triggers memories of grandma baking apple pies in the kitchen, yup, just like that ...and maybe your grandma didn't make the best apple pies, but the memory is still warm and fuzzy.

MOTEL HELL (1980) (Scream Factory Blu-ray Review)

MOTEL HELL (1980)

Label: Scream Factory

Region Code: A

Rating: R

Duration: 101 Minutes

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo

Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Cast: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parson, Nina Axelrod, Wolfman Jack

Director: Kevin Connor

MOTEL HELL may just be one of the strangest slasher entries of the nineteen eighties. We have a cannibal farmer named Vincent (Rory Calhoun, The Red House) and his portly sister Ida (Nancy Parsons, Porky's) who run the welcoming Motel Hello just off a country road in the middle of nowhere. The duo sell a tasty variety of smoked meats to tourist under the name of Farmer Vincent's Fritters. They're motto is "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters!", some of these critters just happen to be of the human variety.

That fun premise alone would be just odd enough but the producers of Motel Hell take it to even weirder places. Farmer Vincent is portrayed with straight-faced comedic perfection by Rory Calhoun who sets up elaborate traps on the roadways to ensnare fresh meat. My favorite scenario involves luring would-be swingers to the hotel under false pretense and a series of cows decoys - this is just fun stuff. But wait, it gets weirder! Vincent doesn't put his meat to the grinder right away - no sir! He plants them in a secret garden buried up to their necks with a burlap sack covering their heads. He then cuts their vocal chords and are fed cream corn through a series of funnels until they are ripe for slaughter. Now they're entranced by a psychedelic translucent pinwheel and plucked like a carrot from the ground. Vincent's strange gardening activities are shared by his demented sister Ida played by Nancy Parsons who is simply exquisite with her dry delivery and strange mannerisms. It's a damn shame we didn't to see more of her in these types of roles because she is a blast. 

Apparently not all tourists are destined for the smokehouse when Farmer Vincent develops a crush on a pretty young gal named Terry (Nina Axelrod, Remote Control). Scooping her up off the road following and accident he caused he brings her back to the motel after planting her boyfriend in his special garden. When she wakes Vincent explains that her boyfriend Bo (Everett Creach, Howard the Duck) was killed in the motorcycle accident, with nowhere else to go Terry decides to stay on at the motel. Vincent and Ida set about teaching Terry how to properly smoke a sausage... if you know what I mean. Over time Terry quite improbably agrees to marry the much older Vincent to the dismay of his distrusting sister. When Vincent's dimwitted brother Bruce (Paul Linke, TV's CHiPS) develops his own amorous feelings for Terry things turn sour - even more so when he discovers that big brother is turning tourists into breakfast sausages. 

When it is revealed to Bruce that his demented brother is stuffing his sausage with more than just pork products we are treated to a classic chainsaw vs. chainsaw battle that pre-dates Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) with farmer Vincent wearing a pig's head! Motel Hell is a strange and wonderful slasher with lots of quirk and black humor -  the wit is wry and the happenings are bizarre. The film has left an indelible mark on horror cinema - it's influence can  be seen in the indie film Porkchop (2010) with a pig-faced killer to Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror featuring a chef doubting his choices just before expiring. 

Motel Hell is a true cult-classic that just gets better with each subsequent viewing. This is one of my favorite movies and it comes highly recommended. It might be interesting to note that Tobe Hooper was originally tapped to direct this film but jumped ship to direct the carnival-slasher The Funhouse (1981). Watching it one cannot help but notice the similarities with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) which shares not just a weird sense of humor but the dueling chainsaw battle.     

Blu-ray: Having picked-up the Arrow Video Blu-ray last year I was still pretty damn excited to see this bizarre entry get a US release from none other than Scream Factory who are just on fire with a string of quality titles. Just in the past few months we've seen the first-ever DVD/BD releases of The Final Terror (1983) and Without Warning (1980) and jam-packed editions of genre favorites. From what I can see comparing the UK disc with this it's the same HD transfer and is a significant improvement over the previous MGM DVD with very nice colors reproduction, clarity and moments of fine detail. Some of the darker scenes can be a bit grainy but I've never been one to complain about a little grain - just glad it's not rampant with digital noise or marred by excessive DNR. Staying true to the original exhibition we have a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo Audio is nice if unremarkable. The dialogue, Lance Rubin's score and effects come through crisp and clean with no distortion. 

Onto the extras lets begin with a few High Rising Productions produced extras carried over from the Arrow Blu-ray. Co-star Paul Linke gets a video interview with Another Head on the Chopping Block (14:50) as does former Playboy Playmate, Rosanne Katon with From Glamour to Gore (11:26). Porky's alum Nancy Parsons gets her own retrospective in Ida, Be Thy Name (18:07) with interviews from Scream Queens Elissa Dowling and Chantelle Albers, genre commentator Staci Layne Wilson and critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg.

We don't get the director commentary from the Arrow version but instead get a brand new audio commentary from the director moderated by Dave Parker - the director of The Hills Run Red. The new making of doc It Takes All Kinds: The Making of MOTEL HELL (24:33) is exclusive to this release with new interviews from director Kevin Connor and producer Robert and Steven Charles Jaffe plus actor Marc Silver - a fantastic new feature and the one that pushes this one past the Arrow release as the must-own edition of Motel Hell. The other new video feature is Shooting Old School with cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth (15:45).

The Collector's Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory comes with a limited Edition slipcover featuring new artwork from Nathan Thomas Millner featuring the chainsaw wielding pig-faced killer bathed in that ominous neon-red.Millner who also did the artwork for one of my favorite pieces commissioned by Scream, that being the The Burning Blu-ray. There's also the standard sleeve of reversible art featuring the original theatrical poster art. 

Extras:
- NEW Audio Commentary with director Kevin Connor, moderated by filmmaker Dave Parker
- NEW It Takes All Kinds: The Making of MOTEL HELL featuring interviews with director Kevin Connor, producers/writers Robert Jaffe and Steven Charles Jaffe and actor Marc Silver (24:33)
- NEW Shooting Old School with cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth (15:45)
- Another Head on the Chopping Block: An interview with actor Paul Linke (14:51)
- From Glamour to Gore: An interview with actress Rosanne Katon
- Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at MOTEL HELL’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith (18:09)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:40)
- Behind the Scenes Gallery (19 Images) 
-  Poster and Production Gallery (73 Images) 
- Scream Factory Trailer (7:05) 

Verdict: A strange and quirky slasher entry with an awkward balance of skewed humor and straight faced horror which makes for an odd but awesome viewing experience that just gets better with every viewing.  I love me some Motel Hell and can safely say that this is the definitive edition of the film - a must own slice of offbeat slasher cinema.

Blu-ray Review: MOTEL HELL (1980)

MOTEL HELL (1980) 

Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD

Label: Arrow Video

Region Code: 2/B

Rating: 18 Certificate 

Duration: 101 Minutes 

Audio: English LPCM Audio with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Kevin Connor

Cast: Rory Calhoun, Paul Linke, Nancy Parsons

Synopsis: “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters!” cackle the brother-and-sister team behind the finest smoked meats in the county. They also run the friendly Motel Hello (the ‘o’ in the neon sign sometimes goes on the blink), and no matter how many times you've seen Psycho or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you can be sure that everything will be perfectly above board here as Vincent’s brother Bruce is the local sheriff.

Motel Hell stands alone as one of the strangest slasher entries of all time, a cannibal farmer named Vincent (Rory Calhoun) and his portly sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) run the welcoming Motel Hello just off a country road in Bumblefuck, USA, the neon sign "O" flickers on and off, too cute. The duo sell a branded variety of smoked sausage and dried meat to the tourist under the name of Farmer Vincent's Fritters. Anyone who's seen the film certainly knows that "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters!", indeed. What kind of critters you may be wondering, well the two-legged human variety, of course.  

That premise alone would be just odd enough to catch your interest, right? Sure, but the producers of Motel Hell take it to even weirder places. Farmer Vincent, played to straight-faced comedic perfection by Western-actor Rory Calhoun, sets up elaborate traps on the roadways to ensnare fresh meat, the best involving luring would-be swingers to the hotel under false pretense and a series of  wooden stand-up cows to block the road, it's great stuff. But wait, it gets weirder! Vincent doesn't put his meat to death right away, nope, he plants them in a secret garden buried up to their necks with burlap sacks over their heads, he then cuts their vocal chords, there they are fed cream corn through a series of funnels until they are deemed ready for slaughter, at which point they are entranced by a psychedelic translucent pinwheel and their necks are broken with nooses tied to the back of tractor! He does this with the help of his ever-hungry and demented sister Ida played by Porky's Nancy Parsons, she's exquisite in the part, it's a shame we didn't to see more of her in these types of nutty roles, she's a blast. 

Apparently not all tourists are destined for the smokehouse, Farmer Vincent has a soft spot for a pretty young gal named Terry (Nina Axelrod), bringing her back to the motel after planting her boyfriends in the garden. When she wakes up Vincent explains that her boyfriend Bo (Everett Creach) was killed following a motorcycle accident (which he caused), with nowhere else to go Terry decides to stay on at the motel. Vincent and Ida set about teaching Terry how to properly smoke a sausage... if you know what I mean. Over time Terry quite improbably agrees to marry the much older Vincent, much to the dismay of his distrusting sister and Vincent's dimwitted brother Bruce (Paul Linke, TV's CHiPS) who has his own amorous feelings for Terry. Nice guy Bruce turns out to be the Sheriff and has no idea his brother is turning tourists into breakfast sausages. 

Soon enough it is revealed to Bruce that his demented brother Vincent is stuffing his

sausage with more than just pork and we get a truly excellent chainsaw vs. chainsaw battle that pre-dates Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) with farmer Vincent wearing the iconic pig's head! Motel Hell is a strange and wonderful slasher with lots of quirk and black humor, Calhoun totally makes the films as the folksy cannibal farmer, the wit is wry and the on goings are bizarre. The film has definitely left it's mark on slasher cinema, from indie horrors  like 2010's Porkchop with it's pig-headed killer to Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror which I think gives this film a nod, Vincent's last words are to lament that he used preservatives in his sausage, the whole scenario brought to mind J.T's secret BBQ sauce recipe from PT. Motel Hell is a classic horror-comedy and it only gets better with subsequent viewings, this is an annual watch for me! Tobe Hooper was originally slated to direct this film, he skipped it to direct The Funhouse (1981) which I certainly love, it's interesting to note that aside from the dueling chainsaws Hooper's  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) shares a similar sense of humor and tonal quality   

Blu-ray: Arrow Video present Motel Hell in it's original widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio and it greatly benefits from the new 1080p transfer! I just watched the 2002  Deranged/Motel DVD from MGM and the upgrade is quite significant with improved colors, contrast and way more detail in the image, also added depth and clarity. The English LPCM Audio is nice if unremarkable, dialogue, score and effects come through crisp and clean with no distortion, it has a bit more depth and oomph to it. Keep in mind that the disc is region 'B' locked, and does include an English SDH subtitle option. 

Motel Hell is long overdue for a special edition having languished for years with only a bare bones DVD edition bereft of features. Arrow Video have done the film a proper service with a director's commentary track and four brand-new interviews courtesy of High Rising Productionss! 

The Audio commentary with director Kevin Connor is moderated by Calum Waddell and it's a good listen as Connor talks about his TV career and not wanting to make a gory slasher with Motel Hell, focusing more on the dark comedy of the material. He goes into production notes, scene specific musings and recollections of working with Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons and Paul Linke. 

Reversible Artwork 

Co-star Paul Linke gets a video interview with Another Head on the Chopping Block (14:50) as does former Playboy Playmate, Rosanne Katon with From Glamour to Gore (11:26). Porky's alum Nancy Parsons gets her own retrospective in Ida, Be Thy Name (18:07) with interviews from Scream Queens Elissa Dowling and Chantelle Albers, genre commentator Staci Layne Wilson and critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg. The last featurette is Back to the Backwoods (10:09) an appreciation of the bizarre slasher with the director of The Hills Run Red Dave Parker who talks a bit about the film's prescient social commentary and influence on slasher cinema  Also included is the Trailer (2:36) 

Special Features:
- Audio commentary with director Kevin Connor moderated by Calum Waddell
- Another Head on the Chopping Block: Interview with star Paul Linke (14:50)
- From Glamour to Gore: Interview with co-star, and former Playboy Playmate, Rosanne Katon (11:26)
- Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at Motel Hell’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith – and the secrets of creating a convincing slasher siren, with Scream Queens Elissa Dowling and Chantelle Albers, genre commentator Staci Layne Wilson and critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg (18:07)
- Back to the Backwoods: Director Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red) speaks about the importance of Motel Hell (10:09)
- Original Trailer (2:36)
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jeff Zornow
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kim Newman, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

Verdict: A strange and quirky early slasher entry, the dark humor was ahead of it's time by a few years, an essential must-own for slasher fan. Arrow Video's edition looks fantastic and is loaded with great features, sure to be the definitive edition for quite some time, slasher fans should rejoice. 4 Outta 5 

 

ARROW VIDEO Q2 Titles Announced!

Arrow Video have announced a slew of 2013 titles and it's some pretty exciting stuff. First up in February are a double-dose of Mario Bava with BLACK SUNDAY (1960) and LISA AND THE DEVIL (1974) - the former of which presents ‘The Mask of Satan’ – the European version with score by Roberto Nicolosi and ‘Black Sunday’ – the re-edited and re-dubbed AIP version with Les Baxter score, on home video for the first time, very cool! In April we get Bava's BARON BLOOD (1972) with three versions of the film including for the first time on home video, the AIP version with alternate score by Les Baxter. Also on the docket are a trio of sexy titles from Tinto Brass - fans of exotic and erotic tastes should rejoice following Arrow's recent 1080p version of three Radley Metzger titles. Blaxploitation classic FOXY BROWN (1974)  is getting her 1080p justoce with cool featurettes and a Jack Hill commentary. We get more Jack Hill cult classics with his film SPIDER BABY (1968) starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Sid Haig - a real weird one, too. Last and probably my own most anticipated titles are George A. Romero's cult classic about jousting motorcyclists KNIGHTRIDERS (1981) comes to Blu-ray as does the fantastically odd MOTEL HELL (1980) with a host of special features and brand new commentary. The final entry is Brian De Palma's classic John Travolta / Nancy Allen thriller BLOW OUT (1981) which features the same transfer as the Criterion edition and a few new interviews, you may recall Arrow previously released Brian De Palma's fantastic OBSESSION (1976) on Blu-ray, looking forward to their Blow-Out disc.  All the artwork, details and special features can be found below along with Amazon pre-orders....

BLACK SUNDAY (1960)  Blu-ray + DVD Combo  Release Date: February 4th 2013 Cast: Barbara Steele, John Richardson and Andrea Checchi Director: Mario Bava Rating: 15 Region: B/2 Overview: Limited Edition Slipbox Edition - only 1000 copies! Available exclusively from the Arrow store. STARE INTO THESE EYES... discover deep within them the unspeakable terrifying secret of BLACK SUNDAY... it will paralyze you with fright! Legendary Scream Queen Barbara Steele (Shivers, Caged Heat) stars in this classic slice of gothic terror from the father of fantastic Italian cinema Mario Bava (Lisa & the Devil). A beautiful witch is sentenced to death for her evil deeds by her own brother, condemned to die by having a metal mask hammered onto her face before being burnt at the stake. As she passes, she puts a terrible curse on all her future descendants as the spikes of the death mask pierce her flesh... But when two unwitting travelers discover her final resting place and worse, drip blood on her resting corpse, they unleash her once again in all her stunningly beautiful, terrifying glory.... Banned in the UK on its release, Black Sunday is a groundbreaking film that opened the door for Spaghetti horror in all its gory glory. Special Features: - Limited Edition Slipbox Edition with 4 panel reversible sleeve featuring 4 artworks including 3 original posters and a newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of two versions of the film; ‘The Mask of Satan’ – the European version with score by Roberto Nicolosi and ‘Black Sunday’ – the re-edited and re-dubbed AIP version with Les Baxter score, on home video for the first time - Three audio versions: Optional Italian, European English and AIP English re-dub and re-score - English SDH subtitles for both English versions and a new English subtitle translation of the Italian audio - Audio Commentary with Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas - Introduction to the film by author and critic Alan Jones - Interview with star and horror icon Barbara Steele - Deleted Scene from the Italian version with notes by Tim Lucas - International Trailer - US Trailer - Italian Trailer - TV Spot - I Vampiri (1956) – Italy’s first sound horror film directed by Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava - US I Vampiri Trailer ‘The Devil’s Commandment’ - Trailer reel – trailers of all the major works by Mario Bava - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Matt Bailey and Alan Jones, illustrated with original archive stills and posters LISA AND THE DEVIL / THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM (1974)  DVD + Blu-ray Combo  Release Date: February 4th 2013 Cast: Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina Director: Mario Bava Rating: 18 Region: B/3 Overview: EVERY CORNER OF THE SOUL IS LOST TO THE ICY CLUTCH OF THE SUPERNATURAL! From the father of Italian Horror Mario Bava (Black Sunday, The Whip and the Body) comes a tale of nightmarish surrealism and supernatural suspense. Lisa (Elke Sommer) - an American tourist travelling in Spain - loses her tour party and seeks refuge in the tumbledown mansion of a blind countess after being guided there by the distinctly satanic butler of the house, Leandro (Telly Savalas – Horror Express, Kojak). The Son of the Countess notices Lisa’s striking resemblance to his dead lover and pursues her as a night of murder, strange eroticism and dark hallucinations begins. Re-cut in the US to cash in on the popularity of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and released as The House of Exorcism (included in this special edition) the original Lisa & the Devil is Bava at his abstract and delirious best, delivering a 70s horror classic and a masterclass in cinema as feverish nightmare. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of both versions of the film: ‘Lisa and the Devil’ and ‘The House of Exorcism’ producer’s cut - Optional English and Italian audio on ‘Lisa and the Devil’ - English SDH subtitles on both features and a new English subtitle translation of the Italian Audio of ‘Lisa and the Devil’ - Audio Commentary on ‘Lisa and the Devil’ by Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas - Audio Commentary on ‘The House of Exorcism’ by producer Alfredo Leone and star Elke Sommer - Introductions to both films by author and critic Alan Jones - The Exorcism of Lisa – Assistant Director Lamberto Bava, screenwriter Roberto Natale, Roy Bava and Alberto Pezzotta discuss the making of both versions of the film - Deleted Scene - Original trailers - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic and author Stephen Thrower illustrated with original stills and archive posters FOXY BROWN (1974) Blu-ray  When Foxy Brown’s undercover-agent boyfriend is gunned down on the orders of evil drug kingpins, she stops at nothing to exact a thrillingly brutal revenge. This is one of the all-time great blaxploitation films, pulling out all the stops at a time long before anyone thought of inventing political correctness. Pam Grier was given the role of a lifetime as the street-smart yet intensely sexy Foxy, modelling a stupendously varied range of Seventies threads while righteously kicking villainous white butt at every opportunity. She’s also given sterling support from Antonio ‘Huggy Bear’ Fargas as her no-good younger brother and a memorably funky soundtrack. It’s clear that Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan: he cast Grier in the title role of his direct homage Jackie Brown, while the one-woman revenge scenario that fuelled the Kill Bill films didn’t just come from the Far East. Special Features: - Restored High Definition Blu-ray presentation (1080p) - Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Audio commentary with director Jack Hill - From Black and White to Blaxploitation – Actor Sid Haig speaks about his long and influential friendship with Jack Hill - A Not So Minor Influence – An Interview with Bob Minor, the first African-American member of the Stuntman’s Association, and co-star of Foxy Brown - Back to Black – Legendary actors Fred “The Hammer” Williamson (Black Caesar) and Austin Stoker (Sheba Baby, Assault on Precinct 13), alongside Rosanne Katon (Ebony, Ivory, and Jade) and film scholar Howard S. Berger speak about the enduring popularity of the Blaxploitation film - Photo gallery of behind-the-scenes and publicity images - Original Theatrical Trailer - Trailer Reel – Trailers for all the major works by Jack Hill including Foxy Brown, Coffy and Switchblade Sisters - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide, a new interview with Pam Grier by Jack Hill biographer Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters Region B BLOW OUT (1981) Blu-ray  Release Date: May 27th 2013 One of Brian De Palma’s most acclaimed films, this brilliant fusion of the obsessive sleuthing of Blow-up and The Conversation with themes drawn from real-life political scandals (the JFK assassination, Chappaquiddick, Watergate) starts with sound technician Jack Terry (John Travolta) accidentally recording what might be explosive evidence of a deadly conspiracy. Brilliantly shot by the then recent Oscar-winner Vilmos Zsigmond, this terrifically stylish thriller co-stars Nancy Allen as the eyewitness who becomes the unwitting target of John Lithgow’s serial killer as he ruthlessly attempts to bury all the evidence. It’s also a film about the filmmaking process: Terry is originally hired to work on the low-budget slasher film Coed Frenzy, and later turns his technical skills to much more serious use as he tries to reconstruct a political assassination on film in a way that will stand up in court. Special Features: - Limited Edition SteelBook packaging - New, restored digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Brian De Palma - Original Dolby 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio - Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Black and White in Colour: An Interview with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond - Rag Doll Memories: Nancy Allen on Blow Out - Return to Philadelphia: An interview with Producer George Litto - A gallery of on-set photos by photographer Louis Goldman - Original Theatrical Trailer - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Atkinson, a conversation between Quentin Tarantino and Brian De Palma and more to be confirmed! Region B ALL LADIES DO IT (1992)  DVD+ Blu-ray Combo Release Date: May 20th 2013 Diana (Claudia Koll) and Paolo (Paolo Lanza) are happily married despite her much greater sexual appetite: he’s content to simply listen to the stories of her various adventures. But when she has an affair that’s much too close to home, he throws her out, and she moves into a Venetian flat to embark upon an erotic voyage of discovery, while at the same time trying to win him back. Loosely inspired by the Mozart opera Così fan tutte (the title is a direct translation), the film tackles a crucial question: why shouldn’t women enjoy the same sexual freedom that they’ve long had to tolerate in their men? Especially when they have such shapely and inviting rears? Once again, Tinto Brass proves his unmatched skill at balancing eroticism and humour in this lively and beautifully photographed comedy, both wittier and more sexually explicit than the average softcore romp. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray and Standard Definition DVD Presentation of the film in widescreen for the first time! - Optional English and Italian audio - Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian audio - Featurette on the film with director Tinto Brass - Original Trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly illustrated artwork by The Red Dress - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic David Flint, illustrated with rare production stills Region B/2 MOTEL HELL (1980)  DVD + Blu-ray Combo Release Date: May 13th 2013 “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent fritters!” cackle the brother-and-sister team behind the finest smoked meats in the county. They also run the friendly Motel Hello (the ‘o’ in the neon sign sometimes goes on the blink), and no matter how many times you’ve seen Psycho or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, you can be sure that everything will be perfectly above board here as Vincent’s brother Bruce is the local sheriff. Western veteran Rory Calhoun gives a lipsmackingly demented performance as Farmer Vincent, whose twinkling bonhomie conceals a deeply depraved secret. Directed by Kevin Connor (maker of much-loved British genre classics The Land That Time Forgot and Warlords of Atlantis) and with legendary DJ Wolfman Jack as a fire-and-brimstone TV preacher, this is a gleefully twisted horror-comedy that climaxes with a showstopping chainsaw duel. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the film - Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Audio commentary with director Kevin Connor moderated by Calum Waddell - Another Head on the Chopping Block: Interview with star Paul Linke - From Glamour to Gore: Interview with co-star, and former Playboy Playmate, Rosanne Katon - Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at Motel Hell’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith – and the secrets of creating a convincing slasher siren, with Scream Queens Elissa Dowling and Chantelle Albers, genre commentator Staci Layne Wilson and critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg - Back to the Backwoods: Director Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red) speaks about the importance of Motel Hell - Original Trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jeff Zornow - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kim Newman, illustrated with original archive stills and posters Region B/2 BARON BLOOD (1972)  Blu-ray + DVD Release Date: April 29th 2013 One of horror giant Mario Bava’s biggest hits, Baron Blood returns to the all-stops-out Gothic atmosphere and the central theme of a witch’s curse that fuelled his breakthrough film Black Sunday twelve years earlier. This time, the curse was placed on Baron Otto von Kleist, Austria’s legendarily murderous ‘Baron Blood’, whose corpse is inadvertently revived when an ancient incantation is read out as a joke by a descendant and his girlfriend. Naturally, the Baron decides to carry on where he originally left off, with the help of an entire vault of elaborate torture devices. Joseph Cotten (Citizen Kane, The Third Man) has a whale of a time as the deceptively charming Baron, and is given sterling support from Elke Sommer (Lisa and the Devil), who is chased through fog-shrouded alleyways in one of Bava’s most memorably atmospheric set-pieces. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of three versions of the film: Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga with Italian opening and closing titles and Baron Blood with English opening and closing titles and the European English export version audio, and for the first time on home video, the AIP version with alternate score by Les Baxter - Three audio versions: Optional Italian, European English and AIP English re-dub and re-score - English SDH subtitles and a new English subtitle translation of the Italian audio - Audio Commentary with Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas - Introduction to Baron Blood by author and critic Alan Jones - Trailers for Baron Blood - Baron Blood Radio Spots - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Oliver James, illustrated with original archive stills and posters Region B/2 THE KEY (1983)  Tinto Brass’s first major film since the notorious Caligula stars Frank Finlay as a man who is terrified of losing his voluptuous wife Teresa (Stefania Sandrelli) because he is unable to satisfy her sexually. He arranges for her to have an affair, by taking erotic photographs of her and asking her would-be lover to develop them. Meanwhile, he keeps abreast of her burgeoning relationship by reading her diary, in the full knowledge that she in turn is reading his... One of Brass’s most critically acclaimed films, The Key is also one of his most elegant, with wintry Venetian locations, a beautiful Ennio Morricone score and a strong sense of period - it’s set in 1940, just before Mussolini’s Italy entered World War II. However, it also unmistakably shows the path that Brass would eventually follow, with startlingly graphic sex scenes for a supposedly ‘respectable’ film cast with serious actors. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray and Standard Definition DVD Presentation of the film in widescreen for the first time! - Optional English and Italian audio - Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian audio - Original Trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly illustrated artwork by The Red Dress - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Tinto Brass scholar Alexander Tuschinski, illustrated with rare production stills Region B/2 KNIGHTRIDERS  (1981)  Blu-ray + DVD Release Date: April 29th 2013 Made after the zombie classic Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero’s Knightriders is both clearly the work of the same director (there are lots of familiar faces from his other films) and a marked change of tone. There’s still plenty of action, but it takes the form of jousting by people wearing full medieval armour... while riding motorbikes. Ed Harris, soon to become a major star, is the leader of a troupe of travelling entertainers trying to live their lives according to the ideals of King Arthur - no easy feat in Reagan’s America, where the outside world and its financial realities constantly encroach on their dreams. With a memorably eccentric cast of characters (including make-up effects genius Tom Savini in a major role, and a cameo from novelist Stephen King) and a complex, nuanced script, Knightriders is Romero’s warmest and most personal film to date. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation - Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Audio commentary with George Romero, Tom Savini, John Amplas and Christine Romero - The Genesis of a Legend – Star Ed Harris remembers his first leading role - A Date with Destiny – Co-star Tom Savini reflects on Knightriders - Medieval Maiden – An interview with actress Patricia Tallman - Theatrical Trailer - TV Spots - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nat Marsh - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author and critic Brad Stevens, an archival interview with Romero and a new interview with composer Donald Rubinstein, illustrated with original archive stills and posters Region B/2 SPIDER BABY (1968)  Release Date: June 24th 2013 The credits dub this “the maddest story ever told”, a promise that’s well on the way to being fulfilled in the opening scene alone, when Virginia traps and kills a hapless deliveryman in her makeshift web. She’s one of three siblings who suffer from a unique genetic disorder that causes them to regress back to childhood, while retaining the physical strength and sexual maturity of adults. Lon Chaney Jr gave one of his most memorable late performances as Bruno, their guardian and protector, who has managed to cover up their crimes until two distant relatives lay claim to their house. When they insist on moving in, Bruno has to cross his fingers and hope that the ‘children’ behave towards their new guests... This was the first solo feature by Jack Hill, whom Quentin Tarantino dubbed “the Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking”, and it remains one of his wildest and weirdest. Special Features: - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature, available in the UK for the first time - High Definition transfer of the feature approved by director Jack Hill - Isolated Music and Effects track - English SDH subtitles for deaf and hearing impaired - Audio commentary featuring Jack Hill and star Sid Haig - The Hatching of Spider Baby – Interviews with Jack Hill, Sid Haig, star Mary Mitchel, fan Joe Dante and more on the making of the film - Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein – The composer of ‘The Terror’ and ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ among others is remembered by Harlene Stein, Jack Hill, American Cinematheque’s Chris D. and others - The Merrye House Revisited – Jack Hill revisits the original house that was used as the main location in the film - Alternate opening title sequence - Extended scene - Gallery of behind-the-scenes images - The Host (1960) – Jack Hill’s early short film featuring Sid Haig in his first starring role [30 mins] - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humpreys - Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by artist and writer Stephen R. Bissette, and more to be confirmed! Region B/2 BONUS! Check out the two very cool Steelbook variants!