TWINS OF EVIL (1971) Synapse Films Blu-ray Review

TWINS OF EVIL (1971) 
Blu-ray + DVD Combo 

Label: Synapse Films
Region: Region A
Duration: 87 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 
Director: John Hough
Cast: Peter Cushing, Damien Thomas, Dennis Price, David Warbeck, Madeleine Collinson, Mary Collinson
Tagline: Which is the Virgin? Which is the Vampire? 

Synopsis: Two beautiful orphaned identical twins, Maria and Frieda Gellhorn (Playboy centerfold models Mary and Madeleine Collinson), move to the village of Karnstein to live with their uncle Gustav Weil (played by Hammer horror favorite, Peter Cushing), a fanatical puritan and leader of the local witch-hunting “Brotherhood.” The village Count (Damien Thomas, Never Let Me Go), an evil man who secretly practices Satanism, uses black magic and transforms into a vampire. Unhappy with her new life, Frieda seeks escape and tragically falls under the spell of the Count. Now overcome with an insatiable hunger for human blood, Frieda has to hide her secret from her sister, and escape her uncle’s killing grasp!

The Film: Twins of Evil (1971) is Hammer's third and final entry in a series of films known as the Karnstein trilogy following The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Lust for a Vampire (1971)  and in it village elder Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing, Shock Waves) is the stern and rather unpleasant leader of a fanatical group of witch-hunters called The Brotherhood. Cushing's portrayal of the witchfinder is differentiated from Vincent Price's depiction of Mathew Hopkins in the film The Witchfinder General (1968) in that he truly and sincerely believes he's doing the Lord's work while Price's character was merely profiteering from other's misery in the most reprehensible way. The true tragedy is that while these busty innocents burn there is actually a devil among them - Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas)  looms over the village from his castle where he engages in wicked orgies and Satanic rituals but The Brotherhood dare not touch him for he is under the protection of the Emperor, the monarchies weren't really down with religious fanaticism... so let's burn some busty blondes instead, right? Right! The decadent Count Karnstein comes from a long lineage of sadistic evil-doers and and his depraved aristocratic lifestyle leaves him yearning for a taste of true-evil but he surrounds himself with wannabe cultists and so he grows bored and deeply unsatisfied, that is until one-night when he offers up a human sacrifice conjuring the long dead Coutness Mircalla (Katya Wayeth, Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange), a true beauty who fornicates with the Count and in the process gives us a nice tidbit of eroticism as she simulates a hand-job with a candlestick - it's a nice touch, way to go Hammer. Oh yeah, and she transforms him into a vampire - that's important to know.

It's right about then that Weil's newly orphaned identical twin nieces Maria (Mary Collinson) and Frida (MadelineCollinson) arrive in the village of  Karnstein and quickly discover what a strict and religious man their Uncle Weil truly is - he's definitely no fun. His puritanical persecution of the voluptuous beauties pushes them away and none more so than kinky Frieda who is quite obviously the more deviant of the duo with a keen interest in the darker side of what life has to offer.  It's not long before freaky Frieda falls under the spell of the Count after overhearing tales of wild orgies and his wicked ways. She steals away in the dark of night to his castle swearing her sister to secrecy, she's a pretty typical teen. Maria, the more virginal of the twins, takes a liking to a much nicer young man, a schoolteacher named Anton Hoffer (David Warbeck, Lucio Fulci's The Beyond) who studies superstitions and believes in witchcraft and vampirism. Weil not surprisingly doesn't approve of Anton's interest in the occult but when Freida falls victim to Karnstein's vampirism becoming a bloodsucker and killing one of The Brotherhood the two men join forces and lead The Brotherhood on a bloody assault of Karnstein's castle.

The film was shot on many of the sets used for Hammer's Vampire Circus so it definitely has that Hammer familiarity to it. The outdoor scenes shot in Oxhead Park are outstanding, particularly an early night scene wherein The Brotherhood capture and burn a suspected witch - the nighttime woods laden with fog are quite eerie and wonderfully Gothic, the film is drenched with loads of tense atmosphere.

As with the preceding films in the Karnstein trilogy it's saturated with overt and lurid sexuality though perhaps not as much vampire lesbianism as one might expect from a film featuring Playboy Playmate twins, there's just a brief titillating moment that passes far too quick. Fear not though, this is an early 70's Hammer endeavor from the production duo of Harry Fine and Michael Style so there's plenty of blood, breasts and other exploitative elements on display. It's lurid but definitely not to such great heights (or lows) as the aforementioned Vampire Circus which reviled us with elements of pedophilia and the murder of small children but it's pretty great nonetheless. 

Peter Cushing is a legend among legends and the star of countless horror classics and his performance is a coldly intense and blistering, I think it's a standout even among his oeuvre. Damian Thomas as the evil Count Karnstein turns in a decent performance but I just wasn't feeling it, not to constantly compare this film to Vampire Circus but Robert Tayman's perverse-bloodsucker Count Mitterhaus runs circles around Karnstein. Thomas is a bit goofy at times I must admit his fanged facial expression elicited more than a few a laughs, it's not fatal to the film but it detracted a few points. The Collinson Twins are are gorgeous from head to toe, voluptuous brunette beauties who were very easy on the eyes.

There's some nice carnage up on the screen to, the blood flows deep red and quite freely. Of course we get a few nice burnings at the stake, each one staged quite nicely, a machete to the head, fire applied to the eye, a shocking decapitation and an axe flung into someone's spine - pretty great stuff.

Blu-ray: Hammer's Vampire Circus was Synapse's initial Blu-ray offering and it was quite a presentation, probably my favorite Blu-ray of that year. With Twins of Evil I would say they've raised the bar even from that high watermark. The film looks quite brilliant in 1080p high definition presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 widescreen sourced from a very nice print. There are a few rough moments particularly during some noisy nighttime scenes but overall this is a stunner with a nice layer of natural film grain and with beautifully resolved fine details and texture. The colors are appropriately vibrant and black levels are consistently strong. The English language DTS-HD mono audio track sounds great, too. It's a mono track so we don't get any dynamic range or use of the surrounds but the audio is crisp and the dialogue rings through clear.

The audio and visual presentation is sweet let us look into the wealth of special features beginning with a feature length documentary The Flesh and the Fury: X-Posing Twins of Evil (1hr 24 mins) is nearly as long as the feature itself, a fantastic retrospective exploring the origins of the film's story in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla (1872) - a story that pre-dates Bram Stoker's Dracula by some 25 years. While discussing the Carmilla aspects of the film there's some dramatic re-enactment video footage accompanying the story, fun stuff. There's a ton of cinematic adaptations of the story from Joseph Dreyer's Vampyr (1932) on through to Blood and Roses (1960), Terror in the Crypt (1964) and Roy Ward Baker's The Vampire Lovers (1970) starring Ingrid Pitt. There's plenty of involvement from director John Hough too who openly discusses many facets of the film and it's origins, it's great stuff. There's also plenty of Hammer facts, trivia and critique from authors, critics and film historians Kim Newman, Joe Dante, Tim Lucas, Eric Hoffman, Ted Newsom - all quite enriching and not just about this film specifically of Hammer in general, particularly 70's Hammer and the sexploitation direction they were headed. Everything you could want to know about Twins of Evil and this particular era of Hammer is here for your enjoyment and nicely put into context. If the feature alone weren't enough this fantastic documentary is worth the price of admission alone.

The next feature is The Props that Hammer Built: The Kinsey Collection (23:28) featuring a guided tour of Hammer historian Wayne Kinsey's private collection of Hammer memorabilia which begins with a saddening story of Pinewood Studios tossing many of Hammer's props in the trash-bin, ugh. Kinsey shows us a model castle that was retrieved from the bin by a technician working on the lot at the time, the castle was used in the films Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)  and The Gorgon (1964) - truly  sweet piece of Hammer history. We also get to see bats used in Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Brides of Dracula (1960) . An eyeball prop from Frankenstein and the Monsters from Hell (1973) and a few others including a prized jacket and books from Peter Cushings own collection. Kinsey's a bit dry honestly but the props and the story behind each one is pretty awesome.

On top of these features we also get a Motion Still Gallery (14:01) with tons f production and promotional stills and artwork not to mention a bunch of sexploitation promo shots of the Collinson Twins - sweet stuff. There's a US Trailer (2:31) plus a Double Bill Trailer (2:31) with Hands of the Ripper (1971) a selection of TV Spots (1:10) and an odd musical  Deleted Scene (1:09) that's more a curiosity than unburied treasure. There's also a DTS-HD MA mono Isolated Music and Effects Track highlighting Harry Robertson's dramatic score of the film. This is a Blu-ray/DVD combo but it should be noted that not all of the special features are carried over on the DVD.

Special Features:
- THE FLESH AND THE FURY: X-POSING TWINS OF EVIL (84 mins.) 16:9
An all-new, feature-length documentary exploring Hammer's infamous 'Karnstein' trilogy from the origin of Carmilla, to the making of TWINS OF EVIL! Featuring exclusive interviews with director John Hough, star Damien Thomas, cult film director Joe Dante, Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas, and more!
- THE PROPS THAT HAMMER BUILT: THE KINSEY COLLECTION  (23:28) 16:9
- Motion Still Gallery* (14:01)
- Deleted Scene* (1:09) 16:9
- Original Theatrical Trailer* (2:31) 4:3
- Double Feature Trailer (2:31) 4:3
- TV Spots* (1:10) 4:3
- Isolated Music and Effects Track 
* (Blu-ray Exclusive)

Twins of Evil (1971) gets an easy recommend from me - this is essential stuff. It's not quite the lurid shocker that Vampire Circus (1972) was but it's fantastic just the same. Synapse Films have done right by Hammer with a gorgeous presentation and a wealth of bonus content - the feature-length documentary is just as essential as the film itself. Yet another superb presentation from Synapse - and there's more Hammer on the way from 'em too with The Complete Hammer House of Horror 5-DVD Collector's Edition. 
4 Outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: THE BIG HEAT (1953)

THE BIG HEAT (1953) 

Label: Twilight Time

Region: Region FREE

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 90 mins

Video: 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono with English SDH Subtitles 
Director: Fritz Lang 
Cast: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Jeanette Nolan, Lee Marvin 
Tagline: "Somebody's Going to Pay...Because He Forgot to Kill Me..."

Synopsis: A dark masterpiece of film noir, pantheon director Fritz Lang’s excoriating The Big Heat (1953) takes an unflinching look at the endemic corruption of small-town America, pitting a tough cop against the forces of evil represented by a syndicate boss  and his all-too-obedient flunkies within the police force. Gloria Grahame co-stars, indelibly, as a gangster’s moll with a decent heart, exploited by both good guys and bad; and Lee Marvin makes a terrifying early appearance as a thug whose sharp clothes and fancy apartment do little to conceal his animalistic nature.

The Film: I've had the pleasure of viewing two of Fritz Lang's films the dark masterpiece of German expressionism Metropolis (1927) and the disturbing M (1931) which deals with a villages struggle to capture a child-killer, it's grim stuff with an amazing Peter Lorre performance. Otherwise I am largely naive about Lang's other works. Once again niche label Twilight Time DVD have opened my eyes to a classic bit of cinema that heretofore had escaped mine eyes, this time it's Fritz Lang's noir masterpiece The Big Heat (1953). 

When corrupt Kenport cop Tom Duncan blows his brains out at his home it's Sgt. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford, Superman: The Movie) whom is called into investigate what appears to be a open and shut case of suicide. The seemingly grieving widow Bertha (Jeanette Nolan)  explains that his poor health may have lead to the tragedy but his mistress Lucy (Dorothy Green) casts doubt on that scenario - planting a seed of foul-play in the mind of the Sgt. There might be something to her suspicions too because the very next day Lucy's corpse is thrown from a car covered in cigarette burns and strangled. Lt. Wilks (Willis Bouchely) tells Bannion to drop the case which is out of his jurisdiction and to ease off  the widow too - the case is closed as far as he's concerned. This doesn't sit well with the justice-minded Sgt. and it soon becomes apparent that both Lt. Wilks and the Police Commissioner (Howard Wendell) are clearly having their strings pulled like puppets by wiseguy Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby, The Stuff). Undeterred the Sgt. shows up at Lagan's home stirring up a hornet's nest of trouble which results in Lagana ordering a hit on Bannion. The hit claims the life of Bannion's beloved wife Katie (Joclyn Brando, Dark Night of the Scarecrow). The tragic loss of his wife further pushes the obsessed Sgt. to the breaking point, after resigning from the force the enraged, armed and grieving Bannion will stop at nothing to bring those responsible for his wife's death to justice - badge or no badge.  

Lee Marvin (The Big Red One) appears as Lagana's henchman Vince Stone, a sadistic brute of a man whom alongside conspirator Larry Gordon (Adam Williams, North by Northwest) carried-out the car-bombing that claimed Katie. Bannion makes the connection when Stone's sassy-mouthed boozer girlfriend Debbie (the fantastic Gloria Graham, Blood and Lace) betrays him after he throws a scalding hot pot of coffee into her face, disfiguring the mouthy dame.  She's a fiery, sharp-tongued presence who's smart-mouth makes for an amazing performance.

Glenn Ford is a true force of vengeance as a man driven by a sense of justice but who is quite willing to skirt the law as necessary. He's definitely an anti-hero who's colored in shades of grey - the man leaves a trail of dead women as collateral damage in his wake. Lee Marvin as the menacing Vince is quite an imposing figure who dishes out grotesque violence throughout the film - a truly despicable man.  While it must be said that the violence is implied rather than depicted it is nonetheless brutal and affecting - there's torture, mutilation and disfigurement - not pleasant stuff at all - this film has a definite sting to it. 

Blu-ray: Twilight Time's Blu-ray presents the film in gorgeous 1080p black and white in it's original 4:3 aspect ratio. Sourced from a pristine print it looks fantastic with great contrast. It's a sharp image with an appropriate amount of film grain and fine detail. The film lacks the classic deeply shadowed noir aesthetic but its a great looking image nonetheless. The English DTS-HD MA mono audio renders dialogue and score accurately. Overall another great presentation from Twilight Time. 

Special features include the signature isolated music score, a re-release trailer of the film and my favorite part of any Twilight Time presentation - Julie Kirgo's liner notes which never fail to enrich the viewing experience.

Special Features: 

- Isolated Score Track 

- Re-release Theatrical Trailer (1:43) 4:3
 -  8 pg. Booklet Featuring Extensive Julie Kirgo Liner Notes and Film Art

Verdict:  Fritz Lang's The Big Heat (1953) is a brutal and stinging noir thriller that holds up quite nicely and while it may not be shocker it surely once was it's still a mighty potent cocktail of sadism and corruption. As with all of Twilight Time's Blu-rays the release is a limited edition run of 3,000 - so get it while you can exclusively from http://www.screenarchives.com. 4 outta 5 

DVD Review: SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE (2011)

SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE (2011) 

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Region Code: 1 NTSC

Rating: R
Duration: 97 Min.Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 

Director: Jack Perez

Cast: Kevin Corrigan, Barry Bostwick, Karen Black, Ariel Glade, Lucy Davis


Synopsis: At first glance, Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan, TV's Fringe) may seem like an average comic enthusiast, living with his mother (Karen Black, Trilogy of Terror) and working to make ends meet as an underpaid, underappreciated ice cream parlor attendant. But Ken has a dirty little secret: he fantasizes about killing people. After being released from a stay in the loony bin, for severe mental trauma suffered when he was beaten and tortured by a gang of high school thugs, Ken’s repressed anger suddenly reaches a boiling point. With gleeful enthusiasm Ken hunts down his tormentors, one by one, and exacts his bloody revenge.

The Film: I love me some Kevin Corrigan, from Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) on thru to TV's Grounded for Life and dark-comedies like Superbad (2007) and Pineapple Express (2007), the guy just adds value to any endeavor and I was just as pleased as punch to see him in a starring role. In Jack Perez's indie-slasher Some Guy Who Kills People (2011) Corrigan plays an awkward outsider employed at anl ice cream parlor alongside his loyal friend friend Irv whom is played by Leo Fitzpatrick whom you may recall as "Telly" from the still  super-disturbing film Kids (1995). Ken's just been released from the loony-bin and is trying to get back on his feet, unfortunately he lives with his mother Ruth (Karen Black, Burnt Offerings) who's more than just a little bit nagging. It's not too hard to see where some of  Ken's  insanity might have come from. Not helping with his mental well-being is a ridiculous ice cream costume he wears during catered events - if I was forced to wear that monstrosity I might think about killing a few folks too.


It turns out Ken is a pretty gifted comic artists. When he isn't laying in bed staring intently at the ceiling he spends his time scrawling macabre images of death into a sketchbook. Throughout the film we get flashback to Ken being bullied in high-school - it's more than bullying though - it's torture at the hands of kids back in high-school. Obviously this trauma has left an indelible mark on his fragile psyche. In fact it seems he's knocking off this former tormentors and displaying their corpses in bizarrely staged poses. The deaths aren't particularly elaborate or ingenuous but they're effective nonetheless - we get a hatchet to the head, a machete decapitation, a throat slashed and a brutal stabbing - not too gory but bloody as Hell. 

There's an unexpected introduction of Ken's estranged daughter coming into his life - a child even his own mother was unaware of until she shows up on the doorstep. Amy (Ariel Gade, Dark Water) is a precocious 11-year old who decides to spend time with her father against her mother's wishes after arguing with her and her Jesus-freak boyfriend. It's an awkward transition for the socially inept Ken but he tries his best. There are a surprising number of tender moments between the damaged father and daughter - they're good for reach other but when she observes daddy's night-time activities it strains the relationship to say the least. Also figuring into the film are a quirky sheriff (Barry Bostwick, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) who's dating Ken's nutty mom and Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead) as a not-too-annoying a love interest.


The films has a great cast too with solid performances from start to finish, it's a bit quirky from time to time but appropriate for the material which goes right back to the script which is spot-on witty and darkly comedic -  a great blend of genre film-making. The gore leaves a bit to be desired but it's  definitely an entertaining character study of a wounded psyche laced with some sharp dark humor. 

Special features on the disc include the short The Fifth (2007) which inspired the film and stars Sam Lloyd of TV's Scrubs as a an unemployed serial-killer whose nighttime activities put the damper on poker night, fun stuff. We also get a theatrical trailer, an audio commentary and a 'Making of' featurette which includes a brief video interview with executive producer John Landis (American Werewolf in London) who was originally slated to direct the film before dropping it to direct his passion-project Burke and Hare (2010) starring Andy Serkis and Simon Pegg.


Special Features: 

- Audio commentary with co-producer/director Jack Perez and writer/producer Ryan Levine

- Short Film, "The Fifth," That Inspired The Feature (12:36) 16:9
- Making Of Featurette (13:06) 16:9
- Trailer


Verdict: This was quite a fun watch, it's not necessarily what I was expecting but that's not a bad thing either- the unexpected is nice from time to time and especially when it stars the awesome Kevin Corrigan, this is a rental at the very least. 3.5 Outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: BELL BOOK AND CANDLE (1958)

BELL BOOK AND CANDLE (1958) 

Label: Twilight Time DVD 

Region Code: Region FREE

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 103 Mins

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA Mono with Optional English SDH Subtitles 

Video: 1080p High Definition / 16:9 Widescreen (1.85:1)

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak, James Stewart, Ernie Kovacks, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, Janice Rule

Director: Richard Quine


Synopsis: After teaming memorably in Alfred Hitchcock’s haunting Vertigo, James Stewart and Kim Novak are together again in the whimsical Bell Book and Candle (1958), a spellbinding romantic comedy directed by Richard Quine and based on John Van Druten’s Broadway hit. Stewart plays a New York publisher entranced by a mysteriously bewitching young woman (Novak); mesmerizing supporting performances by the likes of Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, and Janice Rule lend quirky comic charm to the proceedings. Cinematographer James Wong Howe gives us a glamorous vision of Manhattan, enhanced by George Duning’s sophisticated score.


The Film: The story begins on Christmas Eve and Gillian (Kim Novak, Vertigo) is a modern day witch living in Manhattan. She's the proprietor of a primitive art shop on the ground floor of an apartment building where she lives with her cat Pyewacket. She's a bit bored with her life and longs for true love - something witches are not capable of feeling. The object of her affection is Shepherd (James Stewart, North By Northwest) a book publisher living in the apartment above her, but they are strangers and have never met.


Gillian's nosy aunt Queenie (Elsa Lanchester, Bride of Frankenstein) lives in the apartment above the book publisher and uses a bit of witchcraft to prompt an introduction between the two by jinxing Shep's telephone. When he pays Gil a visit to use her telephone to call in a repair he overhears the witchy women speak of a nightclub called The Zodiac. Later that night Shepherd attends The Zodiac club with his fiancee Merle (Janice Rule, 3 Women) unaware that the nightclub is actually a nightspot for Manhattan's witch and warlock community. It's here we meet Gillian's brother Nicky (Jack Lemon, Grumpy Old Men) - an effervescent  bongo-playing warlock.


Over drinks we discover that Merle and Gil attended the same college and the two are a bit adversarial, the conversation over drinks is just short of being catty, it's fun stuff. Spurred perhaps by her distatse Merle the yearning witch casts a spell on Shepherd with the assistance of her cat Pyewacket the night before he's too marry Merle which sends him head over heels in love with her - not that one requires the assistance of magic to pine away for Kim Novaks, she's such a stunner, truly an otherworldly beauty and never more mesmerizing that here.


James Stewart as the romantic lead is just what you would expect, a well-meaning rubber-faced straight man in what would be his last romantic lead role. Kim Novak is captivating from start to finish as the slightly bored witch looking for love. Supporting comedic roles from Lanchester and Lemon bring with it much of the films humor as does a too brief appearance from funnyman Ernie Kovacs as the red-nosed author writing an expose on the Manhattan witchcraft scene.


The jazzed-up score from George Dunning is a keeper and James Wong Howe's cinematography looks fantastic, particularly scenes of a snow-covered Manhattan and the wonderfully lit interior scenes of The Zodiac club, great stuff.


Blu-ray: Twilight Time's Blu-ray presentation sourced from a Sony master looks quite fetching  in 1080p. The 16:9 enhanced widescreen (1.85:1) looks fantastic with vibrant colors,  a nice layer of film grain with pleasing fine detail and a crisp sharpness - the images of a snow covered Manhattan are truly mesmerizing as are the scenes at the Zodiac club - James Wong Howe's cinematography is something wonderful here.


The lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA also sounds superb, dialogue and the jazzy George Dunning (Picnic) score sound great. The dialogue is crisp and the score sounds truly vibrant, particularly when a jazzed up version of "Stormy Weather" - great stuff.


Special Features: 

- Isolated Score Track 
- "Bewitched, Bothered and Blonde" 
- "Reflections in the Middle of the Night" 
- Original Theatrical Trailer

-  Exclusive 8pg. color booklet featuring extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes and film art


Twilight Time aren't exactly known for their wealth of bonus materials but here we a bit more than the usual beginning with an isolated music score of George Dunning's great jazz-inflected score in 5.1 DTS-HD MA - it's a great score - the isolated score is a Twilight Time signature, they do love a good score.


We also get to featurettes, the first Bewitched, Bothered and Blonde features an audio interview with star Kim Novak speaking of her time on Bell Book and Candle and her relationship with co-star James Stewart whom she clearly adored and director Robert Quine whom it is rumored she was having an affair with during filming. The second featurette Reflections in the Middle of the Night features Novak talking about her next film following Bell Book and Candle,Middle of the Night (1959). Each featurette is comprised of a moderated audio interview with  accompanying footage of the film. Rounding out the features is the original theatrical trailer.


Verdict: Bell Book and Candle is a truly bewitching 50's romantic comedy featuring the fantastic duo of James Stewart and the stunning Kim Novak whom appeared the same year in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo - they are a great pair. The film is an odd marriage of romance and the occult that's a bit dark at times but with just the right amount of fantasy and whimsy - definitely not the usual cult, horror and exploitation fare you read about here at the Mausoleum but this gets a high recommend from me.  Fans of Kim Novak should take not that Twilight Time also have Blu-rays of Pal Joey (1957) and her star-making performance in Picnic (1955) but as with all of the Twilight Time Blu-ray they are limited edition releases of 3,000 only and available exclusively from  www.screenarchives.com so get 'em before they're gone. 4 outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1967)

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1967)  
2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray/DVD

Label: Blue Underground 
Region Code: ALL
Rating: Unrated 
Duration: U.S.: 115 Mins. / International: 118 Mins.
Audio: English and Italian DTS-HD Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, English for Italian Version
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Damiano Damiani (How to Kill a Judge, Amityville II)
Cast: Gian Maria Volonte, Klaus Kinski, Martine Beswick, Lou Castel

Synopsis: At the height of the Mexican revolution, a mysterious young American (Lou Castel of FIST IN HIS POCKET) joins a gang of marauders led by El Chucho (Gian Maria Volonte of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) on a series of savage raids to steal guns for a powerful rebel general. But when the Gringo brings his own cold-blooded ideals to the bandits, El Chucho discovers that the real weapons of war belong to no army. In a land ravaged by poverty and violence, can true freedom be bought with a single bullet?


The Film: In director Damiano Damiani's "zapato" spaghetti western A Bullet for the General (1966) encounter a revolutionary bandit named El Chuncho (Gia Maria Volonte, A Fistful of Dollars) during the Mexican Revolution and his group of banditos as they stop rob a military cargo train. Ingeniously they stop the train by crucifying a soldier in the middle of the train tracks, it's quite a sight.  After rather easily eliminating the government soldiers on the train El Chucho encounters a well-dressed American named Bill Tate (Lou Castel, Fists in the Pocket) whom earns the nickname "Nino" for his boyish looks. After he earns the trust of El Chuncho  Nino joins the revolutionary bandits. Chuncho and his bandits blaze a path through Mexico exchanging gunfire with the government forces and raiding military compounds collecting weaponry, including a new machine gun, to aide General Elias's revolutionary forces. El Chuncho is not truly a supporter of the revolution and seems motivated mostly by the notoriety of his conquests and the lucrative spoils of war. However, when it is revealed that Nino may be in fact a counter-revolutionary assassin El Chucho's loyalties are put to the ultimate test.

I think the film goes a bit long but I was sucked right in from the start. It's a sweaty film, it feels dirty and sun-bleached with great shoot-outs and arid desert landscapes, you really feel the enviorment. Volonte as the cigar-chompin' El Chuncho is a great villain... or is he? Definitely a film that tests your loyalties, he's someone profiting from the spoils of war -  chewing up the scenery in every shot in the best possible way. Lou Castel as Nino is a pretty cold character, baby-faced and steely-eyed, always with an air of mystery. After these two amazing performances we have an all too brief appearance by the madman himself Kalus Kinski (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) as El Chuncho's brother El Santo , a holy-bandit praying for his enemies fallen in battle, it's an odd role even for the notorious Kinski, I wanted more from this character and my main beef with the film would be just that. Special mention should also be made of the gorgeous brunette sexpot Martine Beswick (Thunderball) whom appears as Adelita, the lone woman among El Chuncho's gang, a supremely alluring beauty and the cause of some friction among Nino and Chuncho.


The film in my opinion is not as violent as Sergio Corbucci's Django (1966) or as twisted as Giulio Questi's Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1966) but there's definitely no shortage of spaghetti western carnage onscreen here right from the start, the assault on the train is fantastic. The film has a great pedigree too, it was penned by Oscar-nominee Franco Solinas (The Battle of Algiers) and features a great score from Luis Bacalov (Django) and Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and looks fantastic with lensing from Antonio Secchi (The Hills Run Red) so we're in good hands here from the ground up except for maybe the director whom went onto direct Amityville II: The Possession but credit where credit is do this is a great film. 

Blu-ray: Blue Underground's region-FREE Blu-ray release features both the U.S. 
(115 mins) and International Version (118 mins) of the film presented in 16:9 enhanced widescreen (2.35:1) in wonderful 1080p HD. The transfer is sourced from a gorgeous print and there's a fine layer of film grain. The colors are vibrant, flesh tones are accurate and the black levels are strong. The image is crisp and while some scenes seem to have received an aggressive dose of digital noise reduction but overall I have no other complaints, a very pleasant image. The Italian and English-dubbed DTS-HD Mono options both sounds very good with crisp dialogue, piercing gunshots and score.


Special Features:
- A Bullet for the Director - Interview with Director Damiano Damiani (5:01)
- U.S. Trailer (1:52) 16:9
- International Trailer (4:29) 16:9
- Poster and Still Gallery
- Bonus DVD - Gian Maria Volonte: Un Attore Contro (112 Mins.)


Verdict: In years past Blue Underground were synonymous in my mind at least with horror and exploitation cinema and not much else, so it's rather nice to expand my adventures into Spaghetti Westerns with their release of Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! and A Bullet for the General. This is a riveting watch and comes recommended not just for fans of the spaghetti westerns but of all westerns, it's right up here with A Fistful of Dynamite and The Wild Bunch. 4 Outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: DJANGO KILL... IF YOU LIVE, SHOOT! (1967)

DJANGO KILL... IF YOU LIVE, SHOOT! (1967) 

Label: Blue Underground 
Region Code: ALL
Rating: Unrated 
Duration: 117 Mins
Audio: English, Italian DTS-HD Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, English for Italian Version
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (2.40:1) 
Director: Giulio Questi (Death Laid an Egg)
Cast: Tomas Milian (Traffic, Run Man Run), Ray Lovelock (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie)
 

Synopsis: Tomas Milian (Run Man Run) stars as a half-breed bandit double-crossed and left for dead who rises from the grave to seek his revenge. But when his quest leads to a bizarre town called 'The Unhappy Place,' he is plunged into an odyssey of gruesome torture, graphic violence and relentless sexual depravity. This is the landmark movie that fans and critics still consider to be the strangest - and most controversial - 'Spaghetti Western' ever made. This is DJANGO KILL!


The Film: The Stranger (Thomas Milan) is a half-breed Mexican bandit double-crossed by  Oaks (Pierro Lulli)  following a lucrative Wells Fargo gold heist. He and the other Mexican bandits are executed and left for dead. Sometime later The Stranger is resurrected by two native American medicine men whom set him on a path of vengeance armed with newly crafted golden bullets, just one of many weird and awesome events evidenced in this bizarre and brutal spaghetti western.

His quest for vengeance  leads him to a small and unsettling town known as The Unhappy Place.  Here he must face off against not just Oaks' gang of bandits but a greed-obsessed saloon proprietor, a weird priest and a very strange gang of gay (read: homosexual) caballeros lead by a man called Sorrow (Robert Camardiel). A very young Ray Lovelock (Live Like a man, Die Like a Cop) also makes a memorable appearance as the son of the saloon owner who bares a possibly sexually repressed resentment towards his mother and her sexy lingerie, it's pretty bizarre and only gets weirder when he winds up a victim of Sorrow's gang and their particular proclivities leading to a tragedy.


The film is also mighty violent - even by spaghetti western standards - the first of The Stranger's victims Oaks lays dying on a Saloon table riddled with bullets. As his wounds are tended to it is discovered the bullets are made of gold. Well, any concern for his well-being is thrown out the window right there and then and he is literally torn apart as hands are plunged into his wounds to get at the remaining bullets as he writhes in exquisite pain. A later scalping scene is especially bloody and cringe-worthy, not to mention the death of children and someone roasted to death on a spit over a fire. 


There's no shortage of What-the-Fuck moments on display here from the gritty violence on thru to the perversion, torture and pain- it's a thing of strange beauty including a fantastic fiery finale with someone taking a blast of  molten-gold to to the face.


Milan is a total understated bad-ass as The Stranger whom admirably carries on the tradition of The Man With No Name having been resurrected from the grave. I love this film, there's a lot of re-watch value here, a high recommend.  

Blu-ray: The transfer here is par for the course with what I've see from Blue Underground of late, we get some nice film grain with very nice fine detail, it's a crisp image with no evidence of overly aggressive digital noise reduction. While the transfer created from the original Italian negative is quite good the source material does seem uneven at times going from wonderfully crisp to a soft from time to time but this is no fault to the transfer. The film is presented in it's original aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and it's a stunning watch. 


Audio options include both English and Italian DTS-HD mono with optional English SDH, Italian, French and separate English subtitles for the Italian version. To my ears the English audio bests the Italian but there are dropouts on the English dub stemming from the fact that certain scenes included here were cut from the shorter American version of the film. It should be noted that the Blu-ray is REGION-FREE too.


Special features include a twenty minute featurette ported from the 2004 DVD edition with interviews  from director Giulio Questi and stars Tomas Milan and Ray Lovelock. There's also a theatrical trailer and a poster and stills gallery, the features are not extensive by any means but the interviews are quite interesting and the trailer's pretty bad-ass.


Special Features:
- Django, Tell! - Interviews with Co-Writer/Director Guilio Questi, Stars Tomas Milian and Ray Lovelock (20:37) 16:9
- Theatrical Trailer (2:26) 16:9 1080p
- Poster and Still Gallery


Verdict: Giulio Questi's Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! is most definitely not on par with the Sergio Leone iconic spaghetti westerns but is definitely a blast of perverse and gritty western action laying somewhere between Alejandro Jodorowski's mind-bending El Topo and Sergio Corbucci's brutal  Django. A gritty and slightly surreal spaghetti western revenger that offers up more than a handful of things you won't be expecting even by today's standards it's pretty shocking stuff, a spaghetti western that will definitely appeal to the exploitation enthusiasts and another home-run for Blue Underground.  4 outta 5 

DVD Review: OFFICE KILLER (1997)

OFFICE KILLER (1997) 

Label: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment

Region: 1 NTSC

Rating: R

Duration: 83 Mins

Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (No Subtitles) 

Video: 16:9 Widescreen

Director:  Cindy Sherman

Cast: Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald, Jeanne Tripplehorn

Tagline: Working Here Can Be Murder


Synopsis: Dorine (Kane) is a quiet and diligent social outcast who has endured years of abuse as the office doormat. When the magazine she works for takes a dive, Dorine hangs on through the downsizing and drastic changes. But one night, the mild-mannered paper-pusher accidentally electrocutes an obnoxious co-worker, and in the process, completely short-circuits her sanity. From that moment on, Dorine believes that anyone can be her best friend…once they're dead.


This was a film I caught on IFC some years ago no doubt drawn in by the appearance of my one true 80's crush - Molly Ringwald - whom one could quite easily argue I spanked it too on way too many occasions in my adolescence - total crush - it's embarrassing.


In the indie slasher Office Killer (1997) we're introduced to the staff at the Constant Consumer magazine. A small time publisher suffering through a period of budget cuts and restructuring - you know - corporate downsizing. This was 1997 so these poor bastards aren't even aware of just how bad things would become for print media in the very near future. Dorine (Carol Kane, When a Stranger Calls) is a mousy proof reader on staff who gets demoted to working part-time from home at the start of the film. She's a tightly wound bundle of nerves, one of those wallflowers that's a bit too quiet. She lives at home with her invalid mother Carlotta (Alice Drummond, the librarian from Ghostbusters!) and her cats. I first suspected  there might be more to her than just being awkward during an early scene when a cats brings to her a dead mouse and she throws it down the garage disposal, that's just disgusting, normal folks just don't do that.


Also on staff at the magazine are ax-woman Norah (Jeanne Tripplehorn, TV's Big Love), the bitchy Kim (Molly Ringwald, Breakfast Club), the chain-smoking asthmatic Virginia (Barbara Sukowa, M Butterfly), tech-guy Daniel (Michael Imperioli, TV's The Sopranos) and douche-nozzle staff writer Garry (David Thornton, TV's Law and Order).


Just after getting the news she's been demoted Dorine finds herself working late in the office when the womanizing douchebag Gary calls her into the office to fix his computer but he is accidentally electrocuted when Dorine resets the tripped circuit breakers while he's messing with some wiring. At first Dorine attempts to do the right thing by calling 911 but instead chooses to take him home where she props him up on a couch in the basement. This accidental death spurs Dorine to set off on a bloody office murder spree taking out her co-workers one at a time all the while sending emails from her new laptop at home that would seem to indicate odd but somewhat logical reasons why the staff are dissappearing. Amidst these killings we're treated to flashbacks from Dorine's childhood and a strange relationship with her father (Eric Bogosian, Talk Radio) which give us insight into her quirks and murderous impulses.


As the body count climbs Dorine's basement quickly nears capacity with cadavers, the spree is not limited to co-workers either and the bodycount includes two young  girlscouts whom show up on her doorstep one day selling cookies. Dorine spends her time amidst the decomposing bodies talking to her new found friends while her cats eat at them, she tends ttheir feline woulds with packing tape and Windex. The only one to suspect Dorine is a psychotic killer is the pushy Kim (Ringwald) but her warnings fall on deaf ears and to the detriment of the non-believers. 

The film has a decent body count but it is most certainly not a blood bath in anyway, it's pretty tame in the gore department. What we do get an electrocution, poisoning, a throat slashed with a cuisinart blade, attempted stranglation, a tire iron to the skull, stabbings and several offscreen deaths of undetermined nature.


Verdict: This film is an odd, quirky late-90's indie slasher that's pretty entertaining. 1997 was not a great year for memorable horror films - we had Uncle Sam, Mimic, Event Horizon and an obscure little film Bleeders - that's really about it and I would be quite pleased to hear this film mentioned a bit more when 90's horror is talked about. Sure, it's not gonna make anyone's top 10 list but it is an entertaining office slasher that deserves a space on your shelf somewhere between Office Space and Corporate Cutthroat Massacre, fun stuff. 2.5 Outta 5