THE COLLINGSWOOD STORY (2002) (Cauldron Films Blu-ray Review)

THE COLLINGSWOOD STORY (2002) 

Label: Cauldron Films

Region Code: A

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 82 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)

Director: Mike Costanza 

Cast: Stephanie Dees, Johnny Burton, Diane Behrens, Grant Edmonds

Coming a few years after The Blair Witch Project during the initial millenial found-footage cycle director Mike Costanza's micro-budget gem The Collingswood Story (2002) was still quite prescient in predicting the screen-life horror wave to come nearly two decades later, prefiguring contemporary screen-life chillers The Host and Unfriended! In it a college-aged young woman named Rebecca (Stephanie Dees, Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers) is attending Rutgers in Collingswood, New Jersey, far away from her hometown boyfriend John (Johnny Burton) whose still in Virginia. To keep in touch Johnny gifts her a web cam set-up so that they can keep in touch long distance. Now keep in mind that in 2002 when this was made we didn't have video conferencing tools like we do these days, it was cutting edge stuff, and the idea was ahead of its time. 

On the night of her birthday Rebecca and Johnny celebrate together but apart via the web cam video chatting each other, and all the footage we see is bieng captured via webcam video and on computer screens. As the night progresses the awkward video chat evolves into something quite a bit spookier, starting when Johnny surprises her with video chat sessio with spiritual-medium named Vera Madeline (Diane Behrens, Moneyball), spooky lady in sunglasses in a dark candlelit room. During their sessin Vera tells Rebecca that she senses that she is sensitive to psychic phenomenon, which sort of weirds Rebecca out, and she gets more spooked when the medium calls her by her real name, despite having givien her a phony name. Rebecca cuts the call short but before shee hangs up the medium says she needs to talk to her more about something very important concerning the historic house that Rebecca is living in. 

Shaken by the experience she resumes video chatting with her boyfriend, both begin to research her house and discover that not only was it the site of a horrific series of occult based murders by a cult that was founded by a guy named Alan Tashi in the 19th century, but that the cult is said to be still active in the area, and she might very well be in danger. 

Its a well-executed micro-budget flick with an interesting and prescient premise, the video conferencing mixed with occult elements and a creepy shaker toy that figures into it give this found-footage entry a good kick, and the performances are solid. Reading the synopsis beforehand, this was a first-time watch, I honestly expected this to be not that great as I'm not a huge found-footage fan, but I was pretty rapt from start to finish. Also helping is the lean 82-minute run timewith some solid editing and that keeps the screen-life aesthetic from ever being boring. 

Audio/Video: The Collingswood Story (2002) makes it's worldwide (region-free) Blu-ray debut courtesy of Cauldron Films framed in 1.33:1 widescreen in 1080p HD, advertised as bing "remastered for Blu-ray by director Michael Costanza". It looks solid considering the original source limitations of the micro-budget feature. Its not gonna wow you with razor sharp detail and clarity but the colors look good and it the webcam vibe feels more or less authentic, though its shot quite a bit better than actual early '00 webcam looked in reality. 

Audio comes by way of uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. Considering the source limitation and the inherent aesthetic design it sounds great, like the video its not demo-worthy but acceptable given the found-footage nature of it. 

Onto the extras, things kick off with a new commentary from the director who gets into creating a scary film using the then quite modern video chat technology, and diving into the nitty gritty of making the film, which was ahead of its time. We also get a 14-min making-of featurette with Mike Costanza and Stephanie Dees that offers plenty of cool behind-the-scenes and audition footage.

Additionally Dees gets a 5-min solo interview from the 2005 Fearless Tales Film Festival with Calum Waddell. She talks not just about this movie but also about her appearance in Halloween IV. Actors John Burton & Grant Edmonds get a 10-min interview wherein they discuss the rehearsal process, how things were shot and what it was like shooting their scenes separate from each other. 

The disc is buttoned-up with a 2-min trailer for the film and an image gallery of Polaroid continuity photos. The single disc release arrives in a clear Elite keepcase with a sleeve or reversible artwork featuring the original artwork and a cool new artwork by Sister Hyde Designs. 

Special Features: 

- Stephanie Dees Interview (5 min) 

- John Burton & Grant Edmonds Interview (10 min) 

- Continuity/Set Polaroids image gallery (2 min) 

- Behind The Story featurette (14 min) 

- Audio Commentary with Mike Costanza

- Trailer (2 min) 

- Reversible Sleeve of Artwork with artwork by Sister Hyde Design 

Another solid release of an under-the-radar found footage gem from Cauldron Films. I'm loving the breadth and depth of their output so far, they're definitely a distributor to keep an eye on if you're a deep-cut cult film fan. 

1974: LA POSESION DE ALTAIR (2016) (Cauldron Films Blu-ray Review).

1974: LA POSESION DE ALTAIR (2016) 

Label: Cauldron Films

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 82 Minutes 

Audio: Spanish DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1 and English DTS-HA MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 

Director: Victor Dryer 

Cast: Diana Bovio, Rolando Breme, Guillermo Callahan, Blanca Alarcón and Rubén González

Set in Mexico in 1974 the supernatural found-footage flick 1974: La posesión de Altair (2016) opens with black and white news footage of reporters and authorities descending upon a rural home reporting on and investigating the disappearance of a young couple who lived there. What we then see is washed-out color super 8mm home movies shot by newlyweds, school teacher Altair (Diana Bovio) and filmmaker Manuel (Rolando Breme), who have recently purchased a quaint home in the countryside to start their new life together. Through Manuel's near constant filming of their lives on his super 8mm  movie camera we see early on that they are a loving couple with good chemistry, they just seem like a real cool couple. However, their tight knit bond begins to deteriorate when Altair starts to experience dreams of heavenly angels, and claims she can speak with God, to which end she begins to build a pair of doors in their bedroom and down in the  basement with bricks that she has meticulously painted black.

Her increasingly erratic behavior and growing disconnectedness from her husband is well documented on the footage shot by her husband, perhaps a bit too well documented, which works to the movies favor, if not the authenticity of the found-footage delivery. The footage documents other strange happenings around the home as well - not just Altair weirdly sleepwalking clutching a long-nosed wooden figurine into the forest at night, but also a flock of birds spontaneously dying in mass around the home, and then their new pet dog disappears and then reappears a few days later with an unexplained growth spurt, and Altair continues to space-out into the void of the black brick doorways she has constructed and carves weird phrases into the kitchen table with a large knife.

Not knowing what else to do Manuel recruits his good friend Callahan (Guillermo Callahan) and his sister-in-law, Tere (Blanca Alarcón), to help him deal with and document the strange happenings in his homw, with the somewhat reticent sister-in-law revealing a previously a tragic history about a sibling who disappeared years earlier, and Altair's strange behavior at the time.

Director Victor Dryere's flick comes pretty late in the found-footage cycle but it's well-crafted with a solid premise, an interesting setting and era, and a strong cast who are likable and really sell the situation that is unfolding. It just goes to show that no matter how overstuffed and overdone a certain genre might be there are always gems out there waiting to be discovered, and this is certainly a found-footage gem worth looking into if you're a fan of found-footage flicks, and it's a surprisingly well-crafted film from a a first-time director. 

Audio/Video: 1974: La posesión de Altair (2016) makes it's worldwide Blu-ray debut from the fledgling Cauldron Films in 1080p HD framed in a screen-filling 1.78:1 widescreen, and its region-free.  Shot on Super 8mm the film is very grainy and doesn't have much depth or eye-popping fine detail, which suits the 8mm found-footage aesthetic the filmmaker is going for quite perfectly. The 70's vibes are well done with garish colored vintage decor, hairstyles and clothing. Most of the daytime shots are steeped in a fuzzy golden hue with healthy looking primaries while the darker scenes are appropriately gritty looking, lending an 'anything could happen' tension to the proceeding. Audio comes by way of Spanish DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles. The surround is well done and makes creepy use of the surround stage.

This release is pretty light in extras compared to other Cauldron releases, on the Blu-ray we only get a 1-minute trailer for the film and a brief 3-minute featurette with the sound designer Uriel Villalobos about the use of sound if the film. There's also a CD contains the 21-track original score by composer Enrico Chapela and sound designer Uriel Villalobos who did the underscore. The 2-disc Blu-ray + CD set arrives in a clear Elite keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork, and inside there's a postcard sized insert with the CD track list on one side and an advert for Cauldron Films present and future release on the reverse. 

Special Features: 

- Sound Design Featurette (3 min) 

- Trailer (1 min) 

- CD Soundtrack (21 Tracks, 39 min) 

- Reversible Sleeve of Artwork 

Cauldron Films initial offerings have been well-curated forays into the depths of genre film and they've got great taste; weather its an obscure Italian black-gloved whodunit, a supernatural 80's actioner or Mexican found footage their exceptional taste and solid presentations have been quite impressive. As for this film in particular, I love the retro-70s  super 8mm aesthetic and the unpredictability of where it goes, it's quite a fascinating found-footage entry. 

Screenshots from the Blu-ray: 

New March 2022 Imprint Films titles announced!

New March 2022 Imprint Films titles announced!

Super-excited for the CONQUEST OF SPACE and supernatural thriller AUDREY ROSE releases - both with lots of new extras. What are you most excited for from this slate of titles? 

The Osterman Weekend

The Hunter

China Gate

Conquest of Space

Marooned

Audrey Rose

Johnny Got His Gun

THE CRIMES OF THE BLACK CAT (1972) (Cauldron Films Blu-ray Review)

THE CRIMES OF THE BLACK CAT (1972) 

 

Label: Cauldron Films

Region Code: Region-Free

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 99 Minutes 

Audio: English PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono, Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1) 

Director: Sergio Pastore

Cast: Anthony Steffen, Sylva Koscina, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Jeanette Len, Renato De Carmine, Umberto Raho, Romano Malaspina

Early on in Sergio Pastore’s Argento influenced murder mystery The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972) a fashion model named Paolo discovers a gift basket left behind in her dressing room. When she opens it she elicits a frightful shriek which draws the attention of the fashion-house staff and other models, who find her dead on the floor of an apparent heart attack. Her ex boyfriend, a blind composer by the name of Peter Oliver (Anthony Steffen, The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave)who she dumped the night before her death suspects that there's something more sinister afoot, and teams up with Paolo's model gal-pal Margot (Shirley Corrigan) and his loyal butler Harry (Romano Malaspina) to investigate her death.

With a fashion-house setting that channels Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace (1964) and a blind protagonist turned sleuth lifted straight from Dario Argento's The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971) from the previous year. Its a giallo traversing well-trodden tropes but it's spirited and fun with oodles of sleaze, well-executed murders, and a batshit murder method that involves a drugged-up woman in a white cape, a vicious black cat, a yellow shawl found at each murder scene, and various elixirs and poisons. That might sound like a lot to put out there but none of which is really a spoilerly as the pieces are laid out pretty early on in the film, the fun is in piecing it a together. 

A key component of Peter's investigation is a conversation that the blind protagonist overhears inside a noisy bar wherein a woman is seemingly coerced or blackmailer into doing something nefarious against her will - something potentially having to do with the initial murder, and the ensuing string of murders that come after. The blind-man sleuthing a murder definitely brought to mind Argento's blind reporter in Cat O' Nine Tails, as we as his musician turned amateur sleuth from Argento's later Deep Red (1975) - like I said, it borrow heavily, the fun is in the pulpy execution.  

Highlights are the score from Manuel De Sica (Dellamorte Dellamore) and the kills are pretty well done, including a graphic Psycho-esque shower scene and a throat slash with straight-razor, plus someone falling into a vat of quick lime, and a decent dive through a pane of window glass. It's a giallo that kept me thoroughly entertained from the start, it might lack originality and the stylish lensing of a Bava or Argento but I thought it was quite spirited and deliciously pulpy. 

 

Audio/Video: The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972) arrives on Blu-ray uncut with a 4K restoration by Cauldron Films, presented in 2.35:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. The source shows limitation by way of some occasional softness and  fairly minor damage but film grain is appreciable and overall I thought it was a solid HD release. 

Audio comes by way of lost Italian 2.0 or the previously rare English-dub presented here in uncompressed English PCM 2.0 mono with optional English subtitles. The Italian track is anemic and not great, but the English-dub it quite good with a ton of familiar voice actors providing the dubs, the dialogue and the score from Manuel De Sica sounds very good, no complaints.

Onto the extras we get some nice goodies beginning with a pair of commentaries - the first with Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, and a second with the Fragments of Fear – A Giallo Podcast with Peter Jilmstad and Rachael Nisbet. There are also two featurettes, the newly produced 18-minute Remembering Sergio Pastore – Interview with Sara Pastore, the director's opera-singing daughter, and the 17-minute Sergio Pastore – Un Ammirevole Indipendente.

The disc is buttoned-up with a 4-minute Trailer and Image Gallery. The single-disc standard release version arrives in a clear keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork, inside there's a postcard sized insert advertising current and future releases from Cauldron. 

Special Features: 

Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson

- Audio Commentary track with Fragments of Fear – A Giallo Podcast with Peter Jilmstad and Rachael Nisbet

- Remembering Sergio Pastore – Interview with Sara Pastore (18 min)

- Sergio Pastore – Un Ammirevole Indipendente (17 min) 

- Trailer (3 min)

- Image Gallery (2 min) 

The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972) is  entertaining giallo made in the shadow of Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and wearing its influence on its sleeve, but its also pulpy fun with some seedy vibes and visceral bits of violence that are definitely going to appeal to the giallo loving folk out there, plus it has a pretty great score. I appreciate Cauldron Films for saving this black-gloved thriller from the dustbin and offering up a solid platter of pulpy whodunit fun. 

Screenshots from the Cauldron Films Blu-ray: