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31 May 2021

Universal Pictures lives off the LAND (review)

Unable to cope in the aftermath of unfathomable loss, Edee quits the city for a cabin in the Rockies but is ill-equipped to live of the land.  She is rescued from near death by a hunter who teaches her how to hunt and fish, and their friendship helps her to confront her past and plan her future.  Robin Wright stars and directs.  Co-starring Demian Bichir.

REVIEW LINK: Universal Pictures (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

LAND Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, French and Spanish DTS 5.1
  • Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles
  • "Crafting LAND"
  • "Robin Wright: Feature Film Directing Debut"
  • "After the Trauma"
  • Digital Copy

Universal Pictures takes aim at THE MARKSMAN (review)

Liam Neeson plays an ex-Marine who must help an orphaned Mexican boy evade the cartel in THE MARKSMAN.

REVIEW LINK: Univsersal Pictures (US) Region A Blu-ray/Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

THE MARSKMAN Blu-ray/DVD combo specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Descriptive Video Service Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles
  • "The Making of THE MARKSMAN"
  • Start-up Trailers

Eureka Classics experiences an ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KIND (Review)

Sammo Hung takes martial arts into horror with a side of comedy in ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KIND as the victim of a black magic curse who learns to fight back with the help of a sorcerer.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

ENCOUNTER OF THE SPOOKY KIND Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • Cantonese LPCM 1.0 mono (original mix), Cantonese LPCM 1.0 mono (alternate home video mix), English LPCM 1.0 mono (classic dub), and English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono (newer dub)
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival
  • Archival interview with actor/director Sammo Hung
  • Alternate English Opening and Closing Credits
  • Stills Gallery
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
  • U.S. Home Video Trailer
  • The first 2,000 copies fome from a limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling, a reversible poster featuring the film’s original HK artwork, and a 23-page collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.

28 May 2021

Vinegar Syndrome celebrates Halfway to Black Friday with CHAMPAGNE AND BULLET (review)

When Rick and Huck are framed by corrupt cop Normad, they are kicked off the force.  Years later, their paths cross again when Rick's ex-girlfriend is running from a devil-worshipping cult and judge/drug dealer Normad is the high priest! John De Hart, Wings Hauser, and William Smith star.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

CHAMPAGNE AND BULLETS Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by writer/director/producer/star John De Hart
  • Audio Interview with writer/director/producer/star John De Hart
  • "Road to Revenge" re-edit sourced from video (75 minutes)
  • "Geteven" re-edit sourced from video (89 minutes)
  • "Geteven" Video Trailer
  • Strictly limited to 6,000 copies.
    Comes with a reversible cover and foldout poster in a hand-numbered limited edition specially-designed, bottom-loading VHS-inspired slipcase.
  • Available directly from Vinegar Syndrome.

Vinegar Syndrome duels with SIX-STRING SAMURAI (review)

In a world where the Russians decimated the United States with a nuclear bomb in 1957, Elvis Presley really was the King of Las Vegas.  When he dies forty years later, every sword-swinging, guitar-strumming opportunist hits the Yellow Brick Road to replace him including bespectacled "Buddy", an orphan boy, and Comrade Death himself.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

SIX-STRING SAMURAI UHD/Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One (UHD):
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by director Lance Mungia and cinematographer Kristian Bernier
    • Audio Commentary by director Lance Mungia
  • Disc Two (Blu-ray):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by director Lance Mungia and cinematographer Kristian Bernier
    • Audio Commentary by director Lance Mungia 
    • “Vegas Needs a New King: The Making of Six-String Samurai" making-of documentary
    • Still Gallery
    • 1996 short film "A Garden for Rio"
  • Comes with a reversible cover, limited edition embossed slipcase designed by Tom Hodge of The Dude Designs, and a 40-page book featuring essays by director Lance Mungia packaged in a VSU exclusive "ultra" high-end magnet clasp box available directly from Vinegar Syndrome.

Vinegar Syndrome explodes with SCANNER COP/SCANNER COP II for Halfway to Black Friday (review)

When a child with special powers grows into a young man and graduates the police academy, he may be the only person who can discover who is brainwashing average citizens into brutally murdering his fellow cops in SCANNER COP.  In the sequel, Sam Staziak is pitted against a serial killer who is a scanner like him and able to increase his powers by draining the life forces of other scanners.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

SCANNER COP/SCANNER COP II UHD/Blu-ray specs:

  • Scanner Cop:
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen 4K UHD and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen Blu-ray Discs
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by the We Hate Movies Podcast
    • “Outside the Law: The Scanner Cop Revolution - Part One” making-of documentary
    • Original Promotional Video
  • Scanner Cop II:
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen 4K UHD and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen Blu-ray Discs
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    •  Audio Commentary by director Steve Barnett, moderated by Vinegar Syndrome's Brad Henderson
    • “Outside the Law: The Scanner Cop Revolution - Part Two” making-of documentary
    • Theatrical Trailer
  • Limited to 6,000 copies.
  • Each film comes with a separate keepcase with a reversible cover, and both are housed in individual slipcovers within a a special limited edition slipbox designed by Ralf Krause & Earl Kess.
  • Available directly from Vinegar Syndrome.

Vinegar Syndrome goes Halfway to Black Friday with THE CARDONA COLLECTION VOL. 1 (review)

Three of prolific Mexican exploiation filmmaker Rene Cardona Jr.'s pictures are showcased in THE CARDONA COLLECTION VOL. 1.  In TREASURE OF THE AMAZON, gold miners, a former Nazi, and oil prospectors converge on the Amazon in search of treasure but run into cannibals and headhunters instead.  In THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE, a family on a yachting trip fall victim to strange deaths when their daugther rescues a creepy-looking Victorian doll from the ocean.  In CYCLONE, tourists exploring a coral reef are thrown off course by a storm and must consider cannibalism when no help reaches them.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE CARDONA COLLECTION VOL. 1 Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One - Treasure of the Amazon (1985):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Photo Gallery
  • Disc Two - The Bermuda Triangle (1977):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • "Escaping the Triangle" interview with actor René Cardona III
    • "Triangle of Fear" interview with producer Angelo Iacono
    • Collection of Foreign Titles and Credits
    • Still Gallery
  • Disc Three - Cyclone (1977):
    • English Version:
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Spanish Version: 
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
      • Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
      • Optional English Subtitles
    • "Surviving the Cylcone" interview with actor René Cardona III
    • "The Eye of the Cyclone" interview with producer Angelo Iacono
    • "Beware of Sharks" interview with actress Carroll Baker
    • Still Gallery
  • Reversible Cover
  • A 6,000 copy limited edition 3-disc set with a reversible cover designed by Earl Kess only available at Vinegar Syndrome.

Vinegar Syndrome fights an ALLEY CAT for Halfway to Black Friday (review)

Rapists and drug dealers discover that one ALLEY CAT has claws when they pick on the wrong park jogger in this eighties martial arts female vigilante pic.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

ALLEY CAT Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
  • "Walking the Alley" interview with co-director Al Valetta
  • "We Hustled" interview with actor Robert Torti
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Strictly limited to 6,000 copies.
  • Comes with a reversible cover and a foldout poster in a hand-numbered limited edition specially-designed, bottom-loading VHS-inspired slipcase.
  • Available directly from Vinegar Syndrome.

Vinegar Syndrome hunts an ALIEN FROM L.A. for Halfway to Black Friday (review)

Geeky Wanda (Sports Illustrated model Kathy Ireland!) travels from Malibu to Africa in search of her missing archaeologist father and falls down into the center of the Earth and the lost city of Atlantis where Atlantean trolls are normal and she is the alien in Albert Pyun's ALIEN FROM L.A.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

ALIEN FROM L.A. Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • "Making a Fairytale" interview with director Albert Pyun
  • "Putting the Puzzle Together" interview with actor Thom Matthews
  • Audio Interview with actress Linda Kerridge
  • Reversible Cover
  • The first 6,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome come with a special limited edition embossed slipcover designed by Earl Kess.

Cult Epics drifts in THE COOL LAKES OF DEATH (review)

A sheltered nineteenth century woman's life spirals into depression, drugs, madness, and prostitution in THE COOL LAKES OF DEATH, from the director of A WOMAN LIKE EVE and THE DEBUT.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE COOL LAKES OF DEATH Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • Dutch/French/English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Polygoon Film Journal (1982)
  • Poster and Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Bonus Trailers

Also available in the Nouchka van Brakel Trilogy collection.

Severin Films braves the DAY OF THE ANIMALS (review)

When chemicals erode the ozone layer, animals go crazy and a group of campers in the California mountains become prey.  Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Richard Jaeckel, Ruth Roman, Andrew Stevens, and Leslie Nielsen star.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

DAY OF THE ANIMALS Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by film critic Lee Gambin, author of “Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film”
  • Audio Commentary by actress Lynda Day George, actor Jon Cedar, moderated by Code Red's Walter Olsen and filmmaker Scott Spiegel
  • NIGHTMARE USA author Stephen Thrower on producer Edward L. Montoro
  • "Animal Boy" interview with actor Bobby Porter
  • "Against Nature" interview with actor Andrew Stevens
  • "Unleashed" interview with stunt coordinator Monty Cox
  • "Lynda and the Animals" interview with actress Lynda Day George
  • "Something Was Out There: Day of the Animals 30 Years Later" 2006 retropsective with actors Jon Cedar, Paul Mantee and actress/animal trainer Susan Backlinie
  • Alternate "Something is Out There" Opening Title Sequence
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spots
  • Radio Spot

21 May 2021

Vinegar Syndrome goes regional with HOME-GROWN HORRORS VOLUME 1 (review)

Vinegar Syndrome goes regional with a trio of HOME GROWN HORRORS.  In BEYOND DREAM'S DOOR, a college student's nightmares intrude on the real world and brutally murder anyone who tries to help him.  In WINTERBEAST, a ranger and his colleagues battle an ancient demon that is killing and mutilating tourists.  In FATAL EXAM, parapsychology students investigating a haunted house are killed one-by-one.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

HOME GROWN HORRORS VOLUME 1 Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One (Beyond Dream's Door):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, cinematographer Scott Spears, and actors Nick Baldasare and Rick Kesler
    • Audio Commentary by actor Nick Baldasare, moderated by Dave Parker
    • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, cinematographer Scott Spears, and actors Nick Baldasare and Rick Kesler
    • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel
    • "Where Horror Lies: The Making of Beyond Dream's Door" 2021 documentary 
    • Archival Extras:
      • "The Making of Behind Dream's Door"
      • "Getting Monstered"
      • Unused and Alternate Takes
      • Unused and Alternate FX Footage
      • Bloopers and Behind the Scenes Footage
      • 5:30 Live TV News Stories
    • Deleted Scenes:
      • "Sewer Escape Scene"
      • "The Phone Booth"
    • Jay Woelfel Short Films:
      • "Beyond Dream's Door" (1983)
        • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel
        • Making-of
        • Raw Footage
      • "At the Door of Darkness" (1983)
        • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel
      • "Come to Me Softly" (1988)
        • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel
        • Interview with actor Rick Kesler
    • Trailers:
      • Video Trailer
      • Re-release Trailer
    • Reversible Cover
  • Disc Two (Winterbeast):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by producer Mark Frizzell
    • Audio Commentary by writer/director Christopher Thies, producer Mark Frizzell, and cinematographer Craig Mathieson
    • "It Came from Lone Peak" unfinished workprint version
    • "Sweat and Persistence" interview with producer Mark Frizzell
    • "I Saw It in a Dream" interview with actor Charles Majka
    • "My First Career" interview with actor David Majka
    • "So Bad, It's Good" interview with actress Dori May Kelly
    • "He Wears Sunglasses at Night" interview with actor Mike Magri
    • "A Movie for Filmmakers" interview with filmmaker Simon Barrett
    • "Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?: The Making of Winterbeast" 2008 documentary
    • Deleted Scenes
    • "Soap Opera Footage" Deleted Scenes (with introduction by Christopher Thies and Mark Frizzell)
    • Audio Interview with composer Michael Perilstein 
    • Reversible Cover
  • Disc Three (Fatal Exam):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jack Snyder, composer Carl Leta, effects artist William Crawford, and actors Terry Comer, Mike Coleman, and Dave Mayer
    • "Fatal Examination" documentary 
    • Reversible Cover
  • Limited edition and painstakingly crafted box set (designed by Tom Hodge of The Dude Designs) is limited to 7,000 units and is only available here at Vinegar Syndrome.

Arrow Video visits WEIRD WISCONSIN with Bill Rebane (review)

From the wilds of Wisconsin comes six oddball films from regional filmmaker Bill Rebane.  In MONSTER A-GO GO, a rocket crashlands with a seven-foot tall killer menace on the loose.  In INVASION FROM INNER EARTH, five people in a snowbound mountain cabin battle an alien force that has decimated the planet's human population.  In THE ALPHA INCIDENT, five people are quarantined in a train station when an alien organism contaminates their bodies.  In THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW, a town celebrating its centennial anniversary is gifted a piano that carries a bloody curse.  In THE GAME, a group of famechasing hopefuls are invited to a lonely resort to participate in a game of fear for a million dollar prize. In TWISTER'S REVENGE, three thugs attempt to steal and ransom a high-tech monster car with an intelligence of its own.

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video/MVD Visual (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

WEIR WISCONSIN: THE BILL REBEANE COLLECTION Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One:
    • Monster A-Go Go (1965): 
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Invasion from Inner Earth (1974):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Monster A Go-Go!" interview
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Invasion from Inner Earth" interview
    • "Kim Newman on Bill Rebane" critic interview
    • Short Films:
      • "Twist Craze" (1961)
      • "Dance Craze" (1962)
      • "Kidnap Extortion" (1973)
    • Stills and Promotional Gallery
  • Disc Two:
    • The Alpha Incident (1978):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • The Demons of Ludlow (1983): 
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Alpha Incident" interview
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Demons of Ludlow" interview
    • Theatrical Trailers:
      • "The Alpha Incident"
      • "The Demons of Ludlow"
    • "Rebane’s Key Largo" visual essay by historian and critic Richard Harland Smith
    • Stills and Promotional Gallery
  • Disc Three:
    • The Game (1984):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen and 1.33:1 Fullscreen Versions
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Twister's Revenge (1987):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Game" 2021 director interview
    • "Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Twister's Revenge" 2021 director interview
    • Theatrical Trailers:
      • "The Game"
      • "Twister's Revenge"
    • "Discovering Bill Rebane" presentation by historian & critic Stephen R. Bissette
    • Stills and Promotional Gallery
  • Disc Four: 
    • "Who is Bill Rebane?" two-hour documentary by historian and critic David Cairns
    • "King of the Wild Frontier" ninety-minute conversation with historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette
    • Outtakes"
      • "Invasion from Inner Earth"
      • "The Alpha Incident"
      • "The Demons of Ludlow"
      • "The Giant Spider Invasion" Theatrical Trailer
    • Behind the Scenes Stills Galleries
  • Fully-illustrated 60-page collector’s booklet featuring extensive new writing by historian and critic Stephen Thrower, author of "Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of Exploitation Independents"
  • Reversible poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
  • Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork for each of the films by The Twins of Evil

AGFA and Bleeding Skull fall into a JUNGLE TRAP (Review)

In 1990, DON'T GO IN THE WOODS director James Bryan and his producing partner Renee Harmon shot a film about head-hunting cannibals that remained unfinished until it was finished in 2016 by Bleeding Skull and released her on Blu-ray with special features including a commentary, outtakes, and an entire unreleased sequel to LADY STREET FIGHTER.

REVIEW LINK: American Genre Film Archive (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

JUNGLE TRAP Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by director James Bryan and actress Heidi Ahn, moderated by Bleeding Skull's Zack Carlson, Annie Choi, and Joseph Ziemba
  • "It's Not My Fault! The Making of JUNGLE TRAP" retrospective
  • Outtakes
  • HORROR CON 35mm outtakes from an unfinished 1990 horror project by James Bryan
  • Bonus feature RUN COYOTE RUN (71 minutes), a sequel to LADY STREET FIGHTER with 35mm footage from the orignal film and 3/4" video footage shot in 1987
  • Reversible Cover
  • A special limited edition with an embossed slipcover limited to 2,000 units is only available at Vinegar Syndrome.

17 May 2021

Eureka Classics trains the ONE-ARMED BOXER (review)

When mercenaries attack his school, kill his teacher and his brothers, and cut off his arm, Jimmy Wang Yu must learn the art of the Crippled Fist to avenge them in ONE-ARMED BOXER.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

ONE-ARMED BOXER Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • Mandarin, Mandarin (alternate soundtrack), and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival
  • Alternate English Credits
  • Still Galleries
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • "The Chinese Professionals" U.S. TV Spot
  • The first 2,000 copies come with a limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling, reversible poster featuring new and original artwork, and a 19-page collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver and archival writing.

Eureka Classics presents TIME AND TIDE (review)

A bartender with a child to support after a one night stand and a slaughterhouse worker married to the daughter of a gangster are caught in the crossfire when a South American gang comes to Hong Kong in Tsui Hark's TIME AND TIDE.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

TIME AND TIDE Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080o24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • Cantonese/Mandarin/Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English/Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English and English HoH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by director Tsui Hark
  • Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • The first 2,000 copies come with a limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling and a 19-page collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Chinese-language film expert and author Stephen Teo.

08 May 2021

Peekarama flies the French way with FURIES SEXUELLES/PROSTITUTION CLANDESTINE (review)

Vinegar Syndrome's Peekarama line goes the French way with a double bill from adult filmmaker Alain Payet.  In FURIES SEXUELLES, a lingerie shop girl's life spirals into prostitution and exploitation.  In PROSTITUTION CLANDESTINE, four prostitutes keep their business under the covers by pretenting to be lingerie photo models for their clients.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

FURIES SEXUELLES/PROSTITUTION CLANDESTINE Blu-ray specs:

  • Furies Sexuelles (1976):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
    • French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • Scene from the Belgian Version
  • Prostitution Clandestine (1975):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
    • French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • Theatrical Trailer
  • Interview with actor Richard Allan
  • Archival Article Gallery
  • Reversible Cover
  • A special limited edition with an embossed slipcover designed by Earl Kessler Jr. is limited to 2,000 units and only available at Vinegar Syndrome.

American Genre Film Archive digs up LOVE AFTER DEATH (review)

Buried alive by his greedy bride and her lover(s), a cataleptic man crawls out of the grave to achieve revenge and solve his sexual dysfunction in the Argentian oddity LOVE AFTER DEATH.

REVIEW LINK: American Genre Film Archive (US) Region ALL Blu-ray

LOVE AFTER DEATH Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Bonus Film THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Short Subjects:
    • "Cemetery Sales"
    • "The Greening of Willie Gobblee"
  • Bonus Trailers

07 May 2021

Severin Films sheds DEEP BLOOD (review)

When a shark starts devouring beachgoers during the fishing season, four young men who made a blood oath as children take on the aquatic menace in this mishmash of footage from Joe D'Amato.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

DEEP BLOOD Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
  • English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Theatrical Trailer

 

Severin Films hits the road with PERDITA DURANGO (review)

A femme fatale and a black magic-practicing drug dealer hit the road with two sacrifical lambs, pursued by a relentless DEA agent and various gangsters on both sides of the border in PERDITA DURANGO.  Rosie Perez, Javier Bardem, and James Gandolfini star.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US) Region ALL 4K UltraHD and Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

PERDITA DURANGO UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

  • DISC ONE (4K UltraHD):
    • 2160p24 HEVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
    • English/Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Theatrical Trailers
  • DISC TWO (Blu-ray):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
    • English/Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • "On The Border" interview with director Alex De La Iglesia
    • "Writing Perdita Durango" interview with writer Barry Gifford
    • "Dancing With The Devil" appraisal by film scholar Dr. Rebekah McKendry
    • "Narcosatanicos: Perdita Durango and the Matamoros Cult" interview with Abraham Castillo Flores and ‘Cauldron of Blood’ author Jim Schutze 
    • "Canciones de Amor Maldito: The Music of Perdita Durango" interview with composer Simon Boswell 
    • "Shooting Perdita Durango" interview with director of photography Flavio Labiano
    • Theatrical Trailers
  • Slipcover

Severin Films charts THE DAY OF THE BEAST (review)

A priest who has discovered the birth date of the Antichrist teams up with a record shop slacker and a fraud TV occultist in Alex de la Iglesia's wicked DAY OF THE BEAST, restored in 4K.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE DAY OF THE BEAST 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray Combo specs:

  • 4K Ultra HD:
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
    • English DTS-HD Masetr Audio 2.0 Stereo
    • Optional English Subtitles
  • Blu-ray:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • "Heirs of the Beast" documentary (80 minutes)
    • "Antichrist Superstar" interview with director Álex de la Iglesia
    • "The Man Who Saved the World" interview with actor Armando De Razza
    • "Beauty and the Beast" interview with actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta
    • "Shooting the Beast" interview with director of photography Flavio Martínez Labiano
    • "Mirindas Asesinas" 1990 short film
  • English and Spanish Theatrical Trailers
  • Reversible Cover
  • Slipcover

 

Also available in a Blu-ray-only edition:

 

Cult Epics meets A WOMAN LIKE EVE (review)

A depressed Dutch housewife is sent to the French seaside by her husband to relax and starts to question her life when she meets and falls in love with another woman in this landmark film from female filmmaker Nouchka Van Brakel.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

A WOMAN LIKE EVE Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • Dutch/French/English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Interview with director Nouchka van Brakel by journalist Floortje Smit at Eye Filmmuseum in 2010
  • Poster & Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Trailers

 

Cult Epics falls hard for THE DEBUT (review)

High school student Carolien thinks all boys are losers until her parents' college friend Hugo returns from Zambia with his homesick wife, leading to a forbidden affair in Nouchka Van Brakel's THE DEBUT from the novel by Hester Albach.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE DEBUT Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • 1977 Polygoon Journal Newsreel
  • Poster and Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Bonus Trailers

 

Vinegar Syndrome pleges RUSH WEEK (review)

During college's RUSH WEEK, someone with a medieval battle axe intends to do more to the student body than "sever the bindings of social constraint" in this late eighties slasher.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

RUSH WEEK Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues!
  • "So 80's" interview with actress Courtney Gebhart
  • "Still Dean Hamilton" interview with actor Dean Hamilton
  • Reversible Cover
  • A special limited edition embossed slipcover edition designed by Earl Kess is limited to 4,000 units and only available at Vinegar Syndrome.

 

Vinegar Syndrome breathes in LAST GASP (review)

Robert Patrick plays a ruthless investor who massacres an ancient tribe standing in between him and a resort development, but the high priest's spirit possesses him and sends him on a spree of brutal sacrificies in the nineties horror thriller LAST GASP also starring Joanna Pacula.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

LAST GASP Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Outtakes
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible Cover
  • A special limited edition silver foil embossed slipcover edition designed by Earl Kess is limited to 4,000 units and only available at Vinegar Syndrome.

 


88 Films trains THE YOUNG MASTER (review)

Jackie Chan's directorial debut was FEARLESS HYENA but THE YOUNG MASTER was his first film for Golden Harvest, sparking off a twenty-year collaboration with all the resources at his disposal needed to perfect his blend of action and comedy.  Here he is a young martial arts student who attempts to restore his school's honor and clear his senior brother's name.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE YOUNG MASTER Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One:
    • Hong Kong Version (106 minutes):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
      • Cantonese (original dub), Cantonese (home video mix), and Cantonese (with Japanese score) LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Fortune Star mix)
      • Optional English Subtitles
      • Audio Commentary by HK film expert Brandon Bentley
    • Archival interview with Jackie Chan
    • "The Master" interview with actor Whang In Sik
    • "Rick Baker on THE YOUNG MASTER"
    • "The Art of the Cut: The Editing of THE YOUNG MASTER"
    • Extended Fight Scenes
    • Cut Scenes
    • Outtakes
    • Trailer Gallery
    • Bonus Trailers
  • Disc Two:
    • International Export Version (90 minutes):
    • Extended Export Version (99 minutes):
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
      • English LPCM 2.0 Mono
      • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Reversible Cover
  • Five Art Cards
  • 79-page booklet featuring writing by Will Blaik, James Oliver, and Tim Murray.
  • Deluxe hard slipcase.

Umbrella Entertainment sleeps with AWOKEN (review)

A young woman eager to find a cure for her brother's potentially fatal sleeping disorder enrolls him in a secret project and begins to suspect a demonic presence is stalking the patients.

REVIEW LINK: Umbrella Entertainment (AUS) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVD Drive-in)

AWOKEN DVD specs:

  • 16:9 anamorphic 2.40:1 widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 5.1

Umbrella Entertainment conjures SATOR (review)

A woodsman isolated deep in the forest is tormented by a presence that has gotten in side the heads of his family members for generations.  Is it hereditary insanity or demonic possession?

REVIEW LINK: Umbrella Entertainment (AUS) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

SATOR DVD specs: 

  • 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 5.1

Umbrella Entertainment charts THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY McKENZIE (review)

Before Bruce Beresford was DRIVING MISS DAISY, he took Dame Edna for a spin in THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY McKENZIE, a film adaptation of the bawdy comic strip in which Aussie yobbo Barry can only inherit money from his late father by traveling to England and spreading the family's intellectual and cultural tradition which includes plenty of beer drinking, brushes with willing and able sheilas, and deploying his one-eyed trouser snake to put out a blazing inferno!

REVIEW LINK: Umbrella Entertainment (AUS) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY McKENZIE Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • Optional introduction by Dame Edna
  • "The Adventures of Bazza in Chunderland" two-hour documentary
  • "Barry McKenzie: Ogre or Ocher" 1974 TV special
  • "A Conversation with Barry Humphries" interview
  • "Not Quite Hollywood" extended interviews with producer Phillip Adams and actor Barry Crocker
  • Beresford & Humphries Short Film Collection:
    • "La Bain Vorace (Dial P for Plughole)"
    • "It Droppeth as the Gentle Rain"
    • "Film for Guitar" and "King Size Woman"
  • Barry Humphries scenes from "The Naked Bunyip"
  • "Guess Who's Mum's Got a Whirlpool" Commercials
  • Beresford & Humphries Aussie Trailer Collection
  • Still and Poster Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible Cover
  • Slipcover

Mondo Macabro celebrates a BLOOD CEREMONY (review)

The legend of the "Bloody Countess" who bathed in the blood of virgins to preserve her youth gets a twist in the Spanish/Italian seventies horror film BLOOD CEREMONY starring arthouse starlet Lucia Bose and CANDY herself Ewa Aulin.  From the director of THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE.

REVIEW LINK: Mondo Macabro (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVD Drive-in)

BLOOD CEREMONY Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 widescreen transfers of the uncensored international version and the Spanish domestic version
  • English and DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson 
  • Audio Commentary by film historians Robert Monell and Rod Barnett
  • Jorge Grau Inteviews:
  • "Getting Started"
  • "On Blood Ceremony"
  • Press Book Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
  • More from Mondo Macabro