DVD Review: PSYCHOMANIA (1972)

PSYCHOMANIA (1972) 

Label: Severin Films
Region Code: 0 NTSC
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Don Sharp
Cast: George Sanders, Beryl Reed, Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Roy Holder, Robert Hardy

Synopsis: The cult classic known as ‘the greatest British zombie biker movie ever made’ returns with the ultimate full-throttle restoration: Nicky Henson (Witchfinder General), Beryl Reid (The Beast In The Cellar) and Oscar® winner George Sanders (All About Eve, Village Of The Damned) star in this beloved ‘70s mind-blower about a motorcycle gang who burst from their graves to crush a world of psychedelic hippie pleasures under the wheels of black leather occult mayhem. You’ve got to believe it’s come back: Psychomania – from veteran horror director Don Sharp (Kiss Of The Vampire), the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriters of Horror Express, and featuring some of the wildest cycle stunts of the decade – has now been restored from the only uncut 35mm print in existence and packed with new Bonus Features produced exclusively for this edition.

Psychomania's a wild ride of culty 70's exploitation, a weird mash-up of the the zombie and biker movies of the day with a nice smattering of the occult thrown in, because why not, right? Tom (Nicky Henson, Witchfinder General) is the leader of a UK biker gang known as The living Dead, they have cool names like Hatchet, Gash, Chopped Meat and Hinky plus they're adorned in awesome skull and bones helmets and pretty much ride around and terrorize the populace of the surrounding area, the ginger-haired cutie Abby (Mary Larkin) is his lover, but she has some competition within the gang, the sexy biker chic Jane (Anne Michele, House of Whipchord) who always seems to be at Tom's side.

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

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

Psychomania (1972) might come up a bit short in terms of nudity and blood and guts but this Eurocult classic does have some great atmosphere which is accentuated by John Cameron's acid-tinged guitar score. For a low budget cheapo it boasts some decent cinematography from Ted Moore (Goldfinger, Clash of the Titans), particularly the haunting opening shots of the bikers in a foggy graveyard, it's very effective at setting a macabre tone. We also have some decent direction from Don Sharp (Curse of the Fly, Witchcraft)and some action-packed motorcycle stunt work,  it really does makes for an entertaining watch with the hi-speed chase scenarios and pursuits, even if I wished it were ramped up with gore and sleaze. . 

Fans of 70's Eurocult and schlock cinema take note, this one's a winner. Sadly, veteran actor George Sanders committed suicide shortly after filming ended, leaving behind a succinct suicide note which read "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.". It's rumored he saw a rough cut of the film in Spain shortly before killing himself, no word on if that contributed to his decision to kill himself. 

DVD: Severin Films present Psychomania (1972) on DVD in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), since the original negative is considered forever lost they sourced it from a surviving uncut 35mm print. All things considered it's a strong presentation with solid colors and a nice layer of film grain. The print is a bit worn with minor print damage but they are rather insignificant and shouldn't detract from your enjoyment. The English Dolby Digital Mono audio sounds fine with only minor snap, crackle and hiss. The dialogue comes through clean, audio effects and the acid-tinged guitar score from John Cameron sound fine. 

This UK cult classic gets some sweet Severin produced extras beginning with the making-of doc 
Return Of The Living Dead (20:25) with interviews with from actors  Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor. All participants seem a bit surprised that anyone remembers this obscure zombie biker film, each offering a glimpse into making the film with kind recollections of director Don Sharp and veteran actor George sanders who committed suicide shortly after filming ended. There's also an interview with the composer of the score John Cameron with the Sound Of Psychomania (9:06) featurette, a nice interview with Cameron on composing the enjoyable acid-rock score. An interview with folk singer Harvey Andrews who speaks about performing the tune "Riding Free" in the film only to be replaced by an actor who lip-synced the song, noting that he finger-picked his guitar the actor is strumming, I never even noticed. There's also an appreciative Introduction by Fangoria Editor in Chief Chris Alexander (5:30) and the Original Theatrical Trailer (2:49).  

Special Features:
- Return Of The Living Dead: Interviews with stars Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor (25:02)
- Sound Of Psychomania: Interview with Soundtrack composer John Cameron (9:06)
- Riding Free: Interview with Riding Free singer Harvey Andrews (6:25)
- Introduction by Fangoria Editor in Chief Chris Alexander (5:30) 
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:49) 

Verdict: Psychomania (1972) is a fun 70's slice of Eurocult, a definite product of it's time and while I think the absence of nudity and gore might turn off a few of the not-so adventurous types, I would have loved more gore and sleaze but what we get is fun. I found it to be quite a howl with a terrific acid-rock score, a squad of undead bikers with neat skull and bones helmets terrorizing a small town, what's not to love? If you haven't seen Psychomania (1972) I think you're missing out! 3 Outta 5 

 

DVD Review: ARTHUR C. CLARKE COLLECTION - 8 DISC EDITION

ARTHUR C. CLARK COLLECTION

The Complete Original + Groundbreaking Series - 8 Disc Edition

MYSTERIOUS WORLDS (1980) - 13 Episodes (325 Minutes) 

MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE (1985) - 26 Episodes (650) Minutes

WORLD OF STRANGE POWERS (1995) - 13 Episodes (340 Minutes) 

Label: Visual Entertainment Inc. / ITV Studios

Duration: 1315 Minutes
Region Code: 1 NTSC 

Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 

Video: Fullscreen (4:3) 

Years before Agents Mulder and Scully of the X-Files TV series rekindled my interest in Cryptozoic oddity and the unexplained sci-fi author Arthur C. Clark (2001: A Space Odyssey) opened my young mind to the myriad of unexplained phenomena in 1980 with the 13-part British mini-TV series Mysterious Universe (1980) documenting some of the most perplexing and sensational weirdness known to man. The show was my early introduction to the Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, and flying saucers. Each episode was introduced and ended by Arthur C. Clark and stuffed with first hand accounts and fascinating filmed footage, it was pretty thrilling stuff when I was 10 and watching it again over thirty years later it's still pretty damn entertaining. Watching each episode I found myself cruising Wikipedia to further investigate each strange topic, scouring the Internet for some new tantalizing tidbit of evidence or video footage to appease my craving for more weirdness. 

Revisiting all 52 episodes I was surprised at just how much ground is covered, we get the face on Mars, fairies, zombies, secrets of the Egyptian pyramids,  spirits from the beyond, crop circles, ancient civilizations, the Bermuda triangle and dozens more unexplained phenomena, there's a little bit of everything here for lovers of science fiction, the occult, the supernatural, aliens and pretty much every bizarre phenomena you can imagine.  

Arthur C. Clarke was the perfect commentator for the subject at hand, clearly a man of science with a true passion for the unexplained. He was not given to blind belief without some science-based proof, offering his own observations and beliefs on each sensational topic at the end of each episode. Clarke's a skeptic but a skeptic who seemingly wants to believe there's something more out there in the universe what we can rationally explain, offering the most probable scientific explanation for each oddity. As he says, "I don't pretend to have all the answers, but the questions are certainly worth thinking about.", very true. 

What this set contains are all 52 half-hour episodes of the three separate series - Mysterious World (1980), World of Strange Powers (1985), and Mysterious Universe (1995) spread out over 8 discs.  Strangely, up to the release of this set these episodes have never before been available on DVD. The source material can be a bit sketchy and grainy from time to time but this is a pretty crisp video presentation considering the age and varying source elements of the video footage. We get an English language Dolby Digital stereo audio track with no subtitle options and the set includes no special features whatsoever,  we have only a basic start-up menu offering either the option to play all or choose individual episodes. 

Despite the fact that the presentation is a bit dated without benefit of fancy editing and the fact it can be a bit dry from time to time I still have to give this 8-disc set a high recommend, particularly for fans of conspiracies, the unexplained, TV's In Search of... , Kolchak: The Nightstalker and The X-Files. These tales of the paranormal are thirty plus years old but the mystery and intrigue are timeless, watching it with my own three children I was pleased to see them take an interest in the unexplained wonders of the cosmos much the same way I did thirty plus years ago when I was about the same age, even without the benefit of nostalgia, this is great set. 4 Outta 5 

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Blu-ray Review: MR. SARDONICUS /THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN

MR. SARDONICUS / THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN 

Blu-ray Double Feature 

Label: Mill Creek Entertainment
Region Code: A
Duration: 69/92 Minutes 
Rating: Unrated / PG
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 with Optional SDH French and English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) (2.35:1) 
Director: William Castle, Bernard McEveety
Cast: Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe, Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones, Oscar Homolka, Ahna Capri

Synopsis: This creepy horror classic is based on a novella by screenwriter Ray Russell (X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes), and is brought to life by William Castle (13 Ghosts), master of terror! Desperate to retrieve a winning lottery ticket, a greedy baron unearths his father s corpse. An enormous jackpot is his reward, but not without a price his face is frozen permanently into a hideous grin. He enlists his fiendish one-eyed servant to help him lift this horrible curse, but their schemes fail. Finally, he turns to a noted neurosurgeon and his wife s former lover to cure him.

There's never a bad time to watch a William Castle production and tonight was definitely the time to watch Mr. Sardonicus (1961), it was hitting almost all of the right notes for me.  There's a great foggy London-set intro from William Castle himself, ever the showman he comes off as the schlocky Hitchcock, which is very appropriate. We're introduced to a London doctor named Sir Robert Cargrave (Ronald Lewis, Scream of Fear) whom receives a letter from an old flame, Maude (Audrey Dalton, The Monster That Challenged the World) imploring him to visit her, apparently it's a matter of life and death. Once he arrives it's quickly revealed she was coerced into summoning him by her husband Baron Sardonicus, a real bastard played to perfection by Puppet Master 3's Guy Rolfe. The Baron wishes for Cargrave to cure him of a horrible affliction  the Baron  after unearthing his own father's corpse from the grave to obtain a winning lottery ticket he was stricken with a permanently grotesque smile across his face, this aspect reminded me of The Man Who Smiles (1939), if the doctor should refuse or fail to succeed in devising a treatment Maude's life hangs in the balance.

It was a blast to see Guy Rolfe as a younger man, loved him from the few Puppet Master entries from Full Moon. Early on in the film the Baron's face is hidden, shrouded in mystery beneath as mask, which was pretty great. Once the hideous affliction is revealed it's a whole new level of weird, he's a creepy villain and he comes with a one-eyed man servant named Krull (Oskar Homolka, The Seven Year Itch) who threatens to steal most of the scenes he appears in, it's great stuff. As great as Homolka is it's Guy Rolfe who definitely steals the show with his maniacal charisma, not to diminish a strong performance from Ronald Lewis as our hero and Audrey Dalton who turns in a smaller performance but as a sympathetic heroin she's quite fine.  

A fun watch, it drags from time to time, your mileage may vary depending on your temperance for black and white, it's a William Castle production so you just know that there's a gimmick, this time out it's a choose-your-own-ending feature, sorta. Unfortunately we don't get zapped in our asses with an electric shock but this is still an entertaining watch in the tradition of a twisty Twilight Zone episode. 

Synopsis: Children are mysteriously disappearing, their parents are being violently murdered and strangely enough, no one has been able to leave! When their car stalls, Ben and his family are stranded and are forced to join the sheriff, a priest and the prominent Doc Duncan in trying to unravel this frightening web of events. Suddenly, KT disappears, triggering a frantic search that results in the startling discovery of a deadly coven, led by Doc Duncan himself! Ben and the others must make a desperate attempt to stop these witches from performing a satanic ritual that transports their malevolent spirits into the innocent children thus creating yet another generation of satanic worshipers!

While not a William Castle production Bernard McEveety's The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) certainly owes a debt to the William Castle produced and Roman Polanski directed Rosemary's Baby (1968), a sweet slice of Satanic paranoia from producer L.Q. Jones who acted in many films including Martin Scorsese's Casino (1995) as well as producing and directing a few of his own, most notable the post-apocalyptic A Boy and His Dog (1975) featuring a very young Don Johnson (Django) and his telepathic dog, which I highly recommend!

The film begins with a great scene which sorta blurs the lines of reality and fiction as a bratty kid playing with a toy tank crushes and entire family in a station wagon, it's pretty bloody, too. Next scene were onto a family outing in the desert with, there's the father Ben Holden (TV's Charles Bateman) and his annoying daughter K.T. (Geri Reisch, I Dismember Mama), also along for the ride is Ben's girlfriend Nicky (Ahna Capri, Enter the Dragon). They're on the road when they come across the bloody and twisted wreckage from the start of the film, they do what pretty much anyone would and drive into the nearest village to alert the authorities. However, when they arrive the entire town is in a state of pure panic and paranoia, even the town Sheriff (L.Q. Jones) treats the family pretty hostile, a man attacks Ben with an ax screaming "You took them from me!" and the trio jump back in the car just barely escape the mob with their skulls intact. Driving down the road a ways Ben swerves to avoid striking the apparition of a young girl and the car is kaput, stranded on the side of the road as the noon day sun beats down they have few choices other than to head back to the strange village. 

Once there things are a bit less hostile but just as weird and only get weirder, the Sheriff and his Deputy (Alvy Moore, A Boy and His Dog) along with the priest (Charles Robinson, The Cable Guy) and the town doc Mr. Duncan (Strother Martin, The Wild Bunch) set about sleuthing the heinous murders of adult-population and the mysterious disappearance of the town's children. The townsfolk are stressed, sleep deprived, paranoid and at their wits end. It turns out a Satanic Cult is committing the ritualistic murders and turning the town's tots into Satanic occultists in an attempt to gain unholy immortality, and guess what, it's the grandfatherly doc that's the cult leader! 

This is such a great watch, Martin is amazing as the feisty cult leader, maniacal and just chewing up the scenery while leading a group of satanic seniors bent on immortality in services the the Dark Lord. It's drenched in great 70's atmosphere and there's a ton of blood and dismemberment for a PG film, one victim is clawed to death like skinned rabbit tossed into a chicken pen, it's pretty grotesque for PG rating! This schlocky Satanic nightmare is peppered with murderous children, creepy killer dolls, and spooky woods oozing with fog, this was quite the ocult production with some great set pieces.

The finale is superb and unhinged in all the right ways as the cult gather in an underground tomb to perform their unholy ritual with diabolically over-the top incantations "Greetings Dear One, 'Tis We!", only Burgess Meredith could have outdone Martin's elderly satanic MC, this is a fantastic watch and the only thing that irked me was Geri Reisch, who was quite an annoying child actor!

Blu-ray: Over the years Mill Creek has acquired a decent reputation for some very nice public domain budget collections if not for exactly known for stunning transfers but lately we've seen some rather nice 1080p presentations from 'em and I am impressed with what we get here. Both films licensed from the Sony/Columbia Pictures catalog receive pleasing AVC encodes in their original aspect ratios. Mr. Sardonicus' black and white cinematography is crisp and finely detailed with a nice grayscale and decent contrast levels, the print is not pristine and we do get the occasional white speckle but overall this is a fantastic presentation. The Brotherhood of Satan is presented in wonderful color, it's not exactly stunning but there's some nice film grain intact and along with it a pleasing amount of fine detail, it's a very attractive presentation. 

The double feature disc sports English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 with Optional SDH French and English Subtitles for both films and while it's free of annoying hiss, crackle and pops it's flat and pretty narrow in it's range, it's  acceptable and Von Dexter's eerie score for Mr. Sardonicus comes through quite nicely. The disc is bare-bones affair and there are no special features included but a very nice transfer and acceptable audio are much appreciated. 

Verdict: After the fantastic Happy Birthday to Me/When a Stranger Calls double feature Blu-ray this is my favorite Mill Creek title to date, a great 1080p transfer for two fantastic tales of terror! The Brotherhood of Satan is the highlight here, a colorfully creepy slice of satanic cinema that would make a great double-feature with Race with the Devil (1975). This budget-minded release gets a high recommend, so dig in! 4 Outta 5 

DVD Review: THE NIGHT CHILD (1975)

THE NIGHT CHILD (1975)

Label: Arrow Video

Region Code: 0 PAL

Rating: TBA

Duration: 88 mins

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen (1.85:1)

Audio: Italian and Englih Dolby Digital 2.0

Cast: Richard Johnson, Joanna Cassidy, Ida Galli
Director: Massimo Dallamano
Tagline: YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN AN EXORCIST TO SAVE THE NIGHT CHILD

Synopsis: When a documentarian delves into the dark world of satanic art for a new film, he unearths a disturbing painting that leads him into a world of post-Exorcist Italo-Horror where cursed medallions, possessed children and the overwhelming power of the dark lord converge to create a visually stunning and wildly eccentric exploitation classic from Massimo Dallamano (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SOLANGE?)

The Film: THE NIGHT CHILD (1975) comes to us from Italian director Massimo Dallamano, who also directed WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? (1972) and THE SECRET OF DORIAN GRAY (1970) two fantastically atmospheric slices of Eurosleaze. Dallamano, also a talented cinematographer, worked on both Sergio Leone's A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) and FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) and as such his films, the few I have seen anyway, are quite visually stunning and this occult chiller is no exception. This time out he works with cinematographer Franco Delli Collie who lensed STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975) and DJANGO KILL...IF YOU LIVE SHOOT! (1967). 

A lot of Italian 70's and 80's occult cinema gets thrown in with the more obvious pasta-possession films like BEYOND THE DOOR (1974) following the worldwide success of William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST (1973) but this one stands apart with tons of eerie atmosphere, nightmarish imagery and fantastic settings. 

Michael Williams (Richard Johnson, ZOMBIE) is a documentary filmmaker researching satanic artwork for his next film when he comes across a painting depicting a mob in pursuit of a young girl underneath the image of a fiery angel falling from the sky and Satan. The image of the fiery Angel stirs painful memories of his own wife's fiery death, a tragedy witnessed by his young daughter Emily (Nicoletta Elmi, A BAY OF BLOOD) who is haunted by the unforgettable images. A local art dealer/psychic tells Michael of the cursed artwork's mysterious origins, it is said to have appeared the night a young girl's corpse disappeared from the village some 200 years earlier, he's warned to stay away from the cursed object for it will bring death to his family but he nonetheless continues his obsessive research which reveals a medallion that bares an uncanny resemblance to his daughter's own necklace.

Father and daughter are joined by nanny Jill (Evelyn Stewart, LA DOLCE VITA) and his production manager Joanna (Joanna cassiday, BLADERUNNER) who bares an uncanny resemblance to the dead girl's mother, it turns out both women have romantic leanings for the documentarian, the romantic angle sorta dragged a bit for me at times but didn't bring it crashing down, honestly it just wasn't sleazy enough for me, ridiculous I know but we do get some shots of Joanna Cassidy's wonderful breasts but no sleazy euro-fucking *sigh* 

Nicoletta Elmi's "Emily" is a creepy ginger-haired young woman, freckle faced and haunted by nightmares of her mother's incendiary death, she's also plagued by visions of persecution at the hands of an angry mob which mirror the depictions in the painting her father is so fascinated by, soon she starts acting very strange, the young girl takes up cigarette smoking and begins speaking to herself in the mirror, and before you know it the nanny is pushed from a cliff with a crochet mallet falling into the river below where she is swept downstream to her death, it's a well shot scenario as is the entire film, it's just a gorgeous production from the top down with many nice visual elements. Quite simply a gorgeous and lyrical tale of child possession and occult-tinged tragedy, a great watch that's maybe a bit slow at times and features some dated effects but for those with the taste and temerity for a slow-burn occult thriller THE NIGHT CHILD will be sure to please. 

DVD: The film is presented in it's original widescreen aspect ratio (1.85:1), the 16:9 transfer is sourced from a very nice print with very few flaws aside from some minor dirt. Colors are deeply saturated and pop nicely, blacks are quite good and there's a nice layer of film grain present. The English Dolby Digital track sounds pretty decent though it does throw out some hiss and pop from time to time, the Italian language track is a bit cleaner but both are adequate, just not outstanding. The DVD from Arrow Video is region-FREE and PAL formatted.  

Special features include EXORCISM ITALIAN-STYLE Documentary (12:43) with critic Paolo Zelati, filmmaker Luigi Cozzi (CONTAMINATION) and screenwriter Antonio Tentori (DRACULA 3D) reflecting on the brief boom in pasta-possession movies of the 70's and 80's following the unparalleled success of Friedkin's THE EXORCIST a few years after ROSEMARY'S BABY broke the horror genre through the b-movie barrier. They offer fond remembrances of Dallamano's work and of his skill not only as a director but as an accomplished cinematographer, too. They also speak about child star Nicoletta Elmo (DEEP RED, DEMONS) the "little Dark Lady" of Italian cinema. There's also the Italian Trailer ((2:28) and the US Trailer (1:55). The review screener did not include the reversible sleeve artwork or booklet.

Special Features:
- Newly translated optional English subtitles
- EXORCISM ITALIAN-STYLE Documentary (12:43) 16:9
- Original Italian Trailer (2:28) 16:9
- US trailer (1:55) 16:9
- Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by author/critic Calum Waddell
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned Graham Humphreys artwork 

Verdict: A creepy Euro-horror child possession film that sticks with you for a bit after the titles scroll, good stuff and a recommend especially for fans of Italian horror with an atmospheric Mario Bava tinged occult flavor. Would love to see this attractively shot b-movie chiller get a Blu-ray release at some point. (3.5 Outta 5)  

 

DVD Review: THE DEVIL'S KISS (1975)

THE DEVIL'S KISS (1975)

Label: ArrowDrome
Region Code: 0 PAL
Rating: 18 Certificate
Duration: 89 mins
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, French Dolby Digital Mono
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Jordi Gigo
Cast: Silvia Solar, Oliveir Mathot, Jose Nieto
Tagline: One kiss dragged the dead from their graves...

Arrow Video have unearthed director Jordi Gigo's (EXORCISMO) trashy French-Spanish production THE DEVIL'S KISS from the dusty vaults of Eurocine and spit-shined it for a right proper release through the ArrowDrome imprint, in all it's campy 70's glory to the delight of bad cinema lovers everywhere.

Claire Grandier (Silvia Solar, EYEBALL) is a former Countess turned occult spiritualist whom arrives at the Castle of the Duke de Haussemont's (Jose Nieto, FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR) to attend an awesomely terrible fashion show, you just gotta see it for yourself, it's a frightfully  groovy sight. When she discovers the Duke's desperation to contact his deceased son through occult channels she charms her way into castle following a spooky seance. What the grieving Duke doesn't seem to realize is that Claire is actually out to destroy him in revenge of her late husband's death, he having committed suicide which she blames the Haussemont family for. Once inside the castle walls Claire, along with her co-conspirator Dr. Gruber (Olivier Mathot, REVENGE IN THE HOUSE OF USHER), hatch a diabolical scheme to unearth a fresh corpse, inject it with regenerative micro cells (what?) and call upon the dark powers of Astaroth to possess the corpse which will carry out her vengeance with the assistance of Dr.Gruber's telepathy (Oh! That explains it). Unearthing a recently deceased villager the two macabre nuts carry out their fiendish plan. However, Dr. Gruber is afflicted with a worsening heart condition and as his telepathic powers wane it becomes increasingly difficult to harness the evil inside the blue-skinned ghoul.

The film has an odd cast of deviant characters including a pervy voyeur butler, a lusty maid, a rape-y dwarf and the Duke's douchey playboy nephew, no one is particularly likable here so don't expect to care who dies. There's a lot going on in this rickety Gothic schlockfest, it's crammed with wildly awful 70s fashion, ham-fisted erotic inserts, grave robbery, spooky seances, devil worship, necromancy, zombies and a kitschy retro Euro-sleaze aesthetic candy coated with a thick organ score that at times sounded as if someone had fallen onto the keyboard.


Reversible Artwork

While here's some cool set design going on and cinematography ain't half bad the stiff acting and poorly dubbed dialogue do the film few favors. That said, it tended to be just awful enough to be a good bit of fun. The Gothic atmosphere and kitschy elements just never quite seem to come together in a way that works but as a slice of trashy Euro-sleaze it's a fun watch.

DVD: ArrowDrome's DVD edition of THE DEVIL'S KISS is presented in 16:9 widescreen (1.66:1) with choice of English and French language Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles. The film look surprisingly good even with some minor nicks, scratches and dirt, it's a pretty great print all around and was an unexpected treat. The mono audio while lacking depth and fidelity sounds pretty decent even with some snap, crackle and pop. For the purpose of this review I would occasionally toggle back and forth from English to French during the feature for comparison and I would say that the English dialogue sounds more crisp but the French effects and score sounded a more robust on the whole. Small amounts of print damage and hiss are the least of this film's worries,

The  screener "check disc" from Arrow Video did not include any packaging artwork or the collector's booklet but did include the Eurocine trailer reel which was a pretty great feature. Of the five trailers one that jumped out at me was ZOMBIE LAKE which I've heard so much about but have never watched, it looked wonderfully terrible and I sincerely hope that Arrow Video plan release it through their ArrowDrome imprint, it seems to be very much in the spirit of the grindhouse b-movies we've seen from them thus far and I think it would make a wonderful edition to the ArrowDrome catalog.

Special Features:
- Eurocine Horror Trailer Reel: FEMALE VAMPIRE (1:14), ORLOFF AND THE INVISIBLE MAN (1:42), OASIS OF THE LIVING DEAD (2:5), ZOMBIE LAKE (2:46) and THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS (3:41)
- New Booklet by Author Stephen Thrower

Verdict: There's a smorgasbord of cheese-tastic Italian Euro-cult titles floating around on DVD these days but these Spanish co-productions like THE DEVIL'S KISS and THE MAN WITH THE SEVERED HEAD (with Paul Naschy) have been given short shrift, I'm very pleased to see that the Spanish schlock is getting it's due in the UK and elsewhere. If you're a connoisseur of cinema fromage, kitsch and bad b-movies gather your friends and give this a watch, definitely a film that benefits from a roomful of bad movie fans and a couple of sixers. If you're not a fan of bad 70's cinema move on, otherwise get your schlock on. 2.5/5  

DVD Review: SEX, DEMONS AND DEATH (1975)

SEX, DEMONS AND DEATH (1975)

aka DIABOLICAMENTE...LETIZIA

Label: One 7 Movies
Release Date: October 25th 2011
Region 0 NTSC
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 93 mins
Video: 16x9 Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: Italian Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Director: Salvatore Bugnatelli
Cast: Franca Gonella, Mirella Daruda, Gianni Dei Vito, Giorgio Bugnatelli
Tagline: Satan's Mistress on a Sex Prowl!

One 7 Movies have done it again, they've unearthed an obscure Italian Eurocult film that has never before had it's day on DVD, that is until now. This one coming from the equally obscure director Salvatore Bugnatelli whom has only five directing credits to his name. His debut is the 1975 psychotronic-sex-occult film SEX, DEMONS AND DEATH aka DIABOLICAMENTE... LETIZIA which tells the at times confounding tale of the wealthy couple of Marcello (Gabrilele Tinio, CUT AND RUN) and Micaela (Magda Knopka, SATANIK) whom are having trouble conceiving a child, it's an emotionally difficult hardship particularly for Micaela who seems to be at sanity's end over the ordeal, spouse Marcello seems more indifferent about the whole thing but to soften the blow over her inability to conceive they decide to pull their niece Letizia (Franca Gonella, A VIRGIN IN THE FAMILY) out boarding school, a place she's been since her parent's death some time prior, and raise her as their own. I don't recall it being said what happened to her folks but given what turns out to be her predisposition for the supernatural chicanery I think we can safely assume they weren't the most natural of deaths on record.

Letizia is pretty cute and though she is supposedly in her teens the actress playing her is probably in her late-20's at this point in her career, regardless of age she is a total sex-pot fully capable of encouraging libidinous urges in both men and women. She has intensely spooky eyes that are quite startling and there's no shortage of close-ups of her oculars throughout the film either. Once she arrives at auntie's home she wastes little time before shedding her clothes and before you know it the house servant Giovanni (Gianni Dei, PATRICK VIVE ANCORA) enters her room and catches an eyeful for a few brief moments before she reveals herself to be a demon or perhaps just a bearded primate of some sort, it's not too dissimilar to the Lady in the Radiator from David Lynch's ERASERHEAD, weird stuff. The shenanigans continue with some sort of telekinetic activity in the form of levitating pillows, which isn't so much weird as it is really stupid, that's something else this film has no shortage off, blatant stupidity.

From this point the film plays out in a string of lurid, somewhat nonsensical scenarios that involve Letizia in various states of undress seducing and corrupting the occupants of the home one by one. These seductions include her uncle who gives inrather easy I must say. There's some sweet 70's lesbian action with house maid Giselle (Karen Fiedler, THE LOVES AND TIMES OF SCARAMOUCHE) and even some incest with dear auntie Micaela! The encounter further unhinges Micaela and stresses the couple's already strained relationship, pretty soon everyone in the housat each other's throats. The shocker finale tends to play down the supernatural elements that came before it but it has a fun trashy giallo twist to it.

At it's core SEX, DEMONS AND DEATH is an Italian knock-off of the hugely successful THE EXORCIST which the Italians were churning out at a steady clip at the time with some trashy erotica and giallo elements thrown into the mix and while the end result is certainly not great it's just trashy and ineptly entertaining enough to make this one a fun watch. There's a fun synth score from Guiliano Sorgini (LET SLEEPING CORSPES LIE, THE BEST IN HEAT) and the cinematography is decent if not on the level of Luciano Tovoli or Vittorio Storaro, the acting is acceptable for the most part with a very decent performance from Franca Gonella as the seductive demon-tart.

DVD: SEX, DEMONS AND DEATH is presented in 16x9 enhanced widescreen (1.85:1) with Italian language Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono audio and optional English subtitles. This marks the films first time on DVD, the transfer
reportedly culled from the last surviving 35mm elements of the film, and it shows. Plenty of print damage, scratches, dirt, cigarette burns and jump cuts. The audio much like the video leaves plenty to be desired but given the obscurity of the film and the fact that this marks it's DVD debut I'm gonna give it a pass. The lone extra consists of a letterboxed trailer (2:30) for the film.  

Verdict: SEX, DEMON AND DEATH is a sleazy good time, it's not for everyone but as Italian knock-offs of THE EXORCIST go it ain't too shabby. Trashy,

psychotronic Eurocult sin-ema for those paddling far past the more travelled waters of Dario Argento, Luicio Fulci or even Sergio Martino, out past the waterways of Ruggero Deodato and Umberto Lenzi and into the truly obscure dark waters of Italian exploitation. Not a high recommend unless you're a serious collector of obscure Italian cinema or if you can pick it up on the cheap, it's a bit pricey. Thumbs up to One 7 Movies for resurrecting this one from the grave.

[R2] DVD REVIEW: OUTCAST (2010)

OUTCAST (2010)

Release Date: January 17th 2011 

LABEL: Momentum Pictures

RATING: Cert. 18
DURATION: 98 Min.
REGION CODE: 2
DIRECTOR: Colm McCarthy
CAST: James Nesbitt, Karen Gillan, James Cosmo, Kate Dickie, Christine Tremarco, Niall Bruton, Hanna Stanbridge


PLOT: On the run from a deadly pursuer and using an ancient form of magic to hide themselves, Irish travellers Mary (Dickie) and her teenage son, Fergal (Bruton), wind up living in a dingy flat on a run down council estate in the suburbs of Edinburgh. Shortly after arriving, Fergal makes friends with a pretty, feisty neighbour, a Scottish-Romany girl called Petronella (Stanbridge), but it is a relationship which the fiercely protective Mary is determined to prevent from developing – and for very good reason.

FILM: Director Colm McCarthy's feature film debut OUTCAST (2010) follows an intense Irish mother Mary (Dickie) and her teenage son, Fergal (Bruton) as they settle into a low income housing complex in Edinburgh, Scotland. The film doesn't paint Edinburgh glamorously, it's a down trodden sort of place full of gloom and shadow. Mary and her son are not your average ordinary mother and son, she's a powerful mystic, a conjurer of dark Celtic magic and her idea of interior decorating is to mark the walls of their home with mystical runes to ward off those that would harm her son. A particularly effective scene involves her casting a ruinous spell upon a pestering social worker that leaves the woman an amnesiac. In many ways her son Fergal is a typical young man, he's unruly and full of budding sexuality but there's something dark lurking within him. The divide between Fergal and his mother widesn as he takes a liking to the sassy girl next door, Petronella (Stanbridge) leading to some downright uncomfortable confrontations between mother and son. The threat mom fears is a bruiser of a man called Cathal (Nesbit) who's been tasked to track and kill them by a rival mystical clan. Cathal's body had been adorned with tattoos that grant him strength and powers that aid him while he prowls the streets for Fergal. One such incantation involves gutting a pigeon and spilling it's guts onto the pavement in an effort to divine Fergal's whereabouts. I appreciate the way the filmmakers handled the occult elements in the film with a stark realism, no fantastical fairy dust here folks and it makes for a more potent watch. Cathal seems to be a force of good in the narrative but he's a dark individual, and it's not he I found myself rooting for. In the midst of this people are being attacked and eaten by a hulking beast in Fergal's neighborhood. It's unclear if it has a connection to Fergal or Cathal, but you know it's coming into play at some point.

Outcast is a slightly confusing bit of film and slightly impenetrable in places, the tone is a bit uneven but despite a few tolerable shortcomings it's a seriously creepy and haunting fable of battling mystical clans. The film culminates with the inevitable showdown between Cathal, Mary and Fergal. Honestly, it's a bit anticlimactic in my opinion. However, the reveal of the hulking beast as it emerges from the shadows after only being glimpsed throughout the film is fantastic stuff.


DVD: The film is presented in 16x9 enhanced 1.85:1 widescreen with 5.1 surround sound. It's a good looking image with a bit of a dull muted color palette, but it works as the film is set in a slummy area. The 5.1 surround that while not explosive is immersive and kicks in when appropriate.  Optional English subtitles are included and were appreciated as the Irish accent were impenetrable at times but not distractingly so. Special features are nearly non-existent with only a theatrical trailer.
SPECIAL FEATURE:
- Trailer (1:23)

VERDICT: OUTCAST is an engaging supernatural thriller with elements of mysticism and folklore set in modern times, the gloomy urban sprawl was an eerie setting and the film  managed to maintain it's mystery, something too few films aspire to do in an era when everything must be explained to death. A solid cast, an interesting script, and well done minimal special effects enhance this indie entry. Not a stunner but a definite recommend particularly if you enjoyed HEARTLESS (2009) or NIGHT WATCH (2004).
*** (3 out of 5 stars)