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31 December 2022

VCI learns that CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (Review)

A low-rent troupe of Florida actors sneak onto an island graveyard in order to dig up a corpse and resurrect him for kicks.  Only too late do they learn that CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS.  From the director of BLACK CHRISTMAS, PORKY'S, and A CHRISTMAS STORY.

REVIEW LINK: VCI Home Video (US) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Combo (DVDCompare)

CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS UHD/Blu-ray Combo:

  • Disc One (UHD):
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (SDR)
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by actor/co-director Alan Ormsby and actresses Anya Cronin and Jane Daly, moderated by David Gregory
    • "Dreaming of Death: Bob Clark's Horror Films" documentary (72 mins)
    • Theatrical Trailer
  • Disc Two (Blu-ray):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by actor/co-director Alan Ormsby and actresses Anya Cronin and Jane Daly, moderated by David Gregory
    • "Dreaming of Death: Bob Clark's Horror Films" documentary (72 mins)
    • Theatrical Trailer
  • Disc Three (Bonus Blu-ray):
    • 2022 Alan Ormsby Interview
    • "Memories of Bob Clark"
    • 2007 Grindhouse Q and A
    • "Confessions of a Grave Digger" interview with construction chief Ken Goch
    • "Dead Girls Don’t Say No" and "Cemetery Mary" music videos by The Deadthings
    • Tribute Video
    • Photo Gallery
    • Radio Spots
  • Reversible Cover
  • Liner Notes Booklet
  • Slipcover

28 December 2022

CineVentures Best of 2022 Blu-rays/UHD

Top Blu-ray Releases of 2022:
1. BOILING POINT (Phillip Barantini, 2021) Region B UK Second Sight (REVIEW)
2. SISTER, SISTER (Bill Condon, 1988) Region ALL USA Vinegar Syndrome (REVIEW)
3. DRAGON'S RETURN (Eduard Grecner, 1968) Region ALL Second Run (REVIEW)
4. LOVE (Karoly Makk, 1971) Region ALL Second Run (REVIEW)
5. THE PARTY AND THE GUESTS (Jan Nemec, 1966) Region ALL Second Run (REVIEW)
6. EXECUTION IN AUTUMN (Hsing Lee, 1972) Region B Eureka (REVIEW)
7. TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (Amando de Ossorio, 1971) Region ALL Synapse Films
8. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (Jess Franco, 1973) Region ALL Mondo Macabro
9. TO SLEEP SO AS TO DREAM (Kaizo Hayashi, 1986) Region A/B Arrow Video (REVIEW)
10. COACH TO VIENNA (Karel Kachyna, 1966) Region ALL Second Run (REVIEW)

Top 4K UHD Releases of 2022
:
1. QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY (Jens Jørgen Thorsen, 1970) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Blue Underground (REVIEW)
2. DOG SOLDIERS (Neil Marshall, 2002) Region ALL UHD/Region B Blu-ray Second Sight
3. SCHIZOID/X-RAY (David Paulsen, 1980/Boaz Davidson, 1981) Region ALL UHD/Region A Blu-ray Vinegar Syndrome (REVIEW)
4. MADMAN (Joe Giannone, 1981) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Vinegar Syndrome (REVIEW)
5. THE WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN (Leon Klimovsky, 1970) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Vinegar Syndrome
6. DEATH WISH II (Michael Winner, 1982) Region ALL UHD/Region A Blu-ray Vinegar Syndrome (REVIEW)
7. FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (Dario Argento, 1971) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Severin Films
8. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (Neil Jordan, 1984) Region ALL UHD/Region A Blu-ray Scream Factory/Shout! Factory
9. THE FOG (John Carpenter, 1980) Region ALL UHD/Region A Blu-ray Scream Factory/Shout! Factory
10. PHENOMENA (Dario Argento, 1984) Region ALL UHD Synapse Films

Top Boxsets of 2022
:

1. TWISTING THE KNIFE (Claude Chabrol, 1997-2003) Region A/B Blu-ray Arrow Video (REVIEW)
2. THE WAR TRILOGY (Andrzej Wajda, 1955-1958) Region ALL Blu-ray Second Run
3. LIES AND DECEIT (Claude Chabrol, 1984-1994) Region A/B Blu-ray Arrow Video (REVIEW)
4. SYLVIA KRISTEL 1970s COLLECTION (Alain Robbe-Grillet, 1975/Wim Verstappen, 1978/Paul de Lussanet, 1978/Sigi Rothemund, 1974) Region ALL Blu-ray Cult Epics (REVIEW)
5. GOTHIC FANTASTICO: FOUR ITALIAN TALES OF TERROR (Massimo Pupillo, 1965/Alberto de Martino, 1963/Mino Guerrini, 1966/Damiano Damiani, 1966) Region ALL Blu-ray Arrow Video (REVIEW)

Honorable Mentions:
While Severin Films made fans ecstatic with their UHD debuts of the first legitimate English-friendly release of Dario Argento's lesser-seen FIVE DAYS OF MILAN and the first fully uncut version of FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET that did not depend on sub-par 16mm or standard definition video inserts, what may have fallen under the radar for many are their other halfway to Black Friday and Black Friday releases including THE DEVIL'S GAME - which not only includes the first legitimate release anywhere of Mario Bava's final film "The Venus of Ille" (co-directed with his son Lamberto Bava) but also otehr Italian telefilm adaptations of other pieces of fantastic nineteenth century literature including one from DEATH LAID AN EGG's Giulio Questi - as well as the little-seen South African psychosexual slasher THE SHADOWED MIND - truly a rescue operation since no film materials were available when the film was last announced as a DVD release by another label half a decade ago - the rare giallo LIBIDO (with heretofore unavailable English dub), and Jess Franco's MACUMBA SEXUAL, MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD, and SEX IS CRAZY.

Besides the aforementioned Blu-ray debut of Franco's arthouse stunner THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR that made our top ten, Mondo Macabro also gave us in that same bundle LOVE BRIDES OF THE BLOOD MUMMY - heretofore only available as a Spanish-language copy of the domestic nudity-free version or a British 8mm reduction that was also lighter on sex than violence - and THE HORRIBLE SEXY VAMPIRE, neither of which are truly good films but are atmospheric timewasters nicely-curated with audio commentaries, footage from alternate versios in the case of MUMMY and much-needed context about the true crime "Vamprire of the Highway" case for HORRIBLE.

Arrow Video's announcement of Region A editions of three Shaw Brothers Blu-ray releases of titles already available in the UK from the likes of Eureka Video and 88 Films with a nice set of extras was initially not that thrilling, but they put their own spin on things for the better.  COME DRINK WITH ME had a new commentary track from the esteemed Tony Rayns and a host of interviews from the archvies of Frédéric Ambroisine, THE ONE ARMED BOXER ported over the UK commentary but added an exclusive interview, and THE EIGHT POLE DIAGRAM FIGHTER not only featured a healthy stack of extras but also addressed the issue of lost frames at every splice point that has dogged other masters of Shaw Brothers material including the previous Blu-ray editions.

25 December 2022

Arrow Video Weaves a GOTHIC FANTASTICO Out of Four Italian Tales of Terror (review)

You know Mario Bava, you know Barbara Steele, you know Christopher Lee, but the golden age of Gothic Italian horror cinema also brought us some lesser known though no less atmospheric fright flicks like the four in this boxed set.  In LADY MORGAN'S VENGEANCE, a young bride is terrorized and driven to the brink of madness by her husband but she gets the last word from beyond the grave.  In THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER, a young heiress returns to her ancestral castle with her friends only to discover that her brother is trying to keep her from discovering a family curse.  In THE THIRD EYE, a sheltered aristocrat loses his domineering mother and his fiancee on the same day and develops a habit of stalking and killing beautiful women with the help of his housekeeper.  In THE WITCH, a womanizing writer hired to catalogue a private library of an aging widow falls under the spell of her beautiful daughter leading to a web of manipulation, murder, and witchcraft.  Franco Nero, Richard Johnson, Paul Miller, Erika Blanc, and Rosanna Schiaffino star among other Euro horror familiar faces.

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (US) Region A/B Blu-ray (CineVentures Blog)

GOTHIC FANTASTICO: FOUR ITALIAN TALES OF TERROR Blu-ray specs: 

  • Disc One - Lady Morgan's Vengeance:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
    • "Vengeance from Beyond" video introduction by Mark Thompson Ashworth
    • "The Grudge" video essay by author and producer Kat Ellinger
    • "When We Were Vampires" video interview with actress Erika Blanc
    • "Born to Be a Villain" interview with actor Paul Muller
    • "The Pupillo Tapes" audio interview with director Massimo Pupillo
    • Original Cineromanzo, published in Suspense in April 1971
    • Theatrical Trailer
  • Disc Two - The Blancheville Monster:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English and Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English dub) and English Subtitles (for Italian dub)
    • Audio Commentary by filmmaker and film historian Paul Anthony Nelson
    • "Castle of Horror" introduction by Italian film devotee Mark Thompson Ashworth
    • "Are You Sure It Wasn't Just Your Imagination?" video essay by writer and pop culture historian Keith Allison
    • "Welcome to the Manor" video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori
    • American Opening Credits
    • Theatrical Trailer
    • Image Gallery
  • Disc Three - The Third Eye:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English and Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English dub) and English Subtitles (for Italian dub)
    • Audio Commentary by author and critic Rachael Nisbet
    • "The Cold Kiss of Death" introduction by Mark Thompson Ashworth
    • "Nostalgia Becomes Necrophilia" video essay by author and filmmaker Lindsay Hallam
    • "All Eyes on Erika" interview with actress Erika Blanc
    • Image Gallery
  • Disc Four - The Witch:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English and Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English dub) and English Subtitles (for Italian dub)
    • Audio Commentary by author and producer Kat Ellinger
    • "Witchery" introduction by Italian film devotee Mark Thompson Ashworth
    • "Loving the Devil: Ageing and Sexuality in La Strega di Amore" video essay by author and academic Miranda Corcoran
    • "The Rome Witch Project" interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori
    • Image Gallery
  • Comes in limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch, an 80-page book featuring new writing on the films by Roberto Curti, Rob Talbot, Jerome Reuter, Rod Barnett and Kimberly Lindbergs, as well as a foldout double-sided poster.

21 December 2022

Eureka Classics pays respect to YES, MADAM! (review)

Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock join forces in search of a murderer and an incriminating piece of microfilm in Hong Kong's first "girls and guns" comic thriller.

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

YES, MADAM! Blu-ray specs: 

  • Hong Kong Version:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono (theatrical and home video mixes)
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (2002 dub)
    • Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth
    • Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
  • English Export Version:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
    • English LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Select Scene Commentary by actress Cynthia Rothrock
  • "Cynthia Rothrock on YES, MADAM!"
  • A Conversation with Mang Hoi
  • Archival Interview with Michelle Yeoh
  • "Battling Babes" promo
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
  • U.K. Home Video Trailer
  • The first 2,000 copies includes a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver and a slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling

17 December 2022

Synapse Films sights the CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE (Review)

A Vietnam vet and a hippie explore the swamps of Louisiana in search of the CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE.

REVIEW LINK: Synapse Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE 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 historians Michael Gingold and Chris Poggiali
  • "Swamp Stories" interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Radio Spot
  • The first 2,500 copies ordered directly from Synapse Films include a limited edition slipcover.

Cult Epics exposes JULIA (review)

A sexually frustrated boy goes to spend the holidays with his estranged father at his uncle's villa where he hopes to finally make love to best friend Julia, but things take unpredictable turns as their young desires get entangled with those of their elders in this German sex comedy that featured Sylvia Kristel before she became internationally known as EMMANUELLE.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

JULIA Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • German DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 Mono Audio
  • English LPCM 2.0 Mono Dub
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by Sylvia Kristel biographer Jeremy Richey
  • Poster and Still Gallery
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Bonus Trailers
  • The first pressing includes a reversible cover and a booklet by Ulrich Mannes.

14 December 2022

Cult Epics is PLAYING WITH FIRE (review)

A corrupt banker and his sexy daughter become entangled in a twisted kidnapping and sexual trafficking plot as only Alain Robbe-Grillet can spin it.  Jean-Louis Trintingant, Philippe Noiret, Anicee Alvina, and Sylvia Kristel star.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

PLAYING WITH FIRE Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • French DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
  • Interview with Catherine Robbe-Grillet
  • Bonus Trailers 
  • The first pressing includes a booklet with an essay on Alain Robbe-Grillet by film scholar Marcus Stiglegger and a reversible sleeve with uncensored original poster art.

Vinegar Syndrome lets loose an EVIL LAUGH (review)

A cackling killer stalks a group of med students who are fixing up a mansion that was once the site of an orphanage where a massacre occurred in the eighties slasher comedy EVIL LAUGH.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

EVIL LAUGH Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues
  • "The Joy of Laughter" feature-length documentary
  • Still Gallery
  • Reversible Cover
  • The first 6,000 units ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome include an embossed limited edition slipcover designed by Earl Kessler Jr. (link unavailable during December partner label-only month).

12 December 2022

Eureka Classics haunts THE CAT AND THE CANARY with THE GHOST BREAKERS (review)

Bob Hope got his big screen break paired with Paulette Goddard in a pair of horror comedies.  In THE CAT AND THE CANARY, scaredy cat Hope is heiress Goddard's only protection in a haunted house with a mad killer on the loose.  In THE GHOST BREAKERS, Hope and Goddard take on ghosts and zombies in a haunted castle on a Cuban island.

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

THE CAT AND THE CANARY/THE GHOST BREAKERS Blu-ray specs:

  • The Cat and the Canary (1939):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
    • English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
    • Optional English HoH Subtitles 
    • Audio Commentary by film historians Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons 
    • Interview with author Kim Newman 
    • Theatrical Trailer 
  • The Ghost Breakers (1940): 
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
    • English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
    • Optional English HoH Subtitles 
    • Audio Commentary by film historians Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons 
    • 1949 Radio Adaptation starring Bob Hope 
    • Theatrical Trailer 
  • Reversible Cover 
  • The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition slipcase and collector's booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann.

11 December 2022

Paramount Pictures gets possessed by SMILE (review)

After a patient commits suicide in front of her, Dr. Rose Cotter starts to experience vivid hallucinations and becomes convinced that she is being stalked by a demon with a frightening SMILE.

REVIEW LINK: Paramount Pictures (US) Region ALL 4K UHD (DVDCompare)

SMILE 4K UHD specs:

  • 2160p24 HEVC 2.00:1 Widescreen
  • English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, French (Canadian) Dolby Digital 5.1, French (Parisian) Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish (Latin American) Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Optional English, English HoH, Dutch, French (Canadian), French (Parisian), German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish (Latin American), and Turkish subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by director Finn Parker"
  • Something's Wrong with Rose: Making SMILE"
  • "Flies Inside the Wall: Inside the Score" 
  • Deleted Scenes with optional audio commentary by director Parker Finn
  • "Laura Hasn't Slept" 2020 short film with introduction by director Parker Finn
  • Slipcover

03 December 2022

Eureka Classics battles THE DEAD AND THE DEADLY (review)

Sammo Hung is a bumbling funeral assistant who suspects that his best friend did not die by natural causes.  When his friend's ghost comes back, he must donate his own body to help him achieve vengeance in this classic Golden Harvest horror comedy.

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

THE DEAD AND THE DEADLY Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
  • Cantonese (theatrical mix), Cantonese (home video mix), and English (classic dub) LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth 
  • Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema 
  • Sammo Hung Interview at the 2016 Udine Film Festival 
  • Sammo Hung Q and A at the 2016 Udine Film Festival 
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
  • The first pressing comes with a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.

23 November 2022

Second Sight hits its BOILING POINT (review)

A chef whose personal life is crumbling around him hits his BOILING POINT on a hellish night of service involving staff at each other's throats, rude customers, influencers, a professional rival, a critic, and a nut allergy.  Stephen Graham stars.

REVIEW LINK: Second Sight Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

BOILING POINT Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by producers Hester Ruoff, Bart Ruspoli and writer James Cummings
  • Audio Commentary by actors Jason Flemyng and Ray Panthaki 
  • "Boiling Over" interview with producer Hester Ruoff 
  • "Pot Boiler" interview with producer Bart Ruspoli 
  • "Simmering Steady" interview with writer James Cummings 
  • "The Making of BOILING POINT" documentary 
  • Comes in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Andrew Bannister with a 70-page softcover book with new essays by Howard Gorman, Clarisse Loughrey, Christina Newland & Matthew Thrift, and six collectors' art cards.

21 November 2022

Unearthed Films puts CHRISTMAS CRUELTY under the tree (review)

A trio of bar buddies are planning anti-Christmas festivities this year, but their party is about to be crashed by a psychopath in a Santa suit in this Norwegian indie gorefest.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

CHRISTMAS CRUELTY Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
  • Norwegian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by co-director Per-Ingvar Tomren and cinematographer Raymond Volle
  • Watch-A-Long Audio Track with Flesh Wound Horror
  • "How Cruelty Changed Our Lives" retrospective interviews
  • Interview with fan Morten Haagensen
  • Press Conference
  • Bloopers
  • "Tradisjon" short film
  • Teaser Trailer
  • Photo Gallery

15 November 2022

Film Movement crowns QUEEN OF GLORY (review)

Just as she is preparing to run off to Ohio to follow her married boyfriend, Ghanian-American moleculary biology student Sarah learns that her mother has passed away and left her a Christian bookstore.  While trying to tie up loose ends, Sarah finds herself unwillingly stepping into her mother's shoes and dealing with family and friends she never really knew, as well as her long-absent father.  Nana Mensah writes, directs, and stars.

REVIEW LINK: Film Movement (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

QUEEN OF GLORY DVD specs:

  • 16:9 anamorphic 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
  • English Closed Captioning
  • Audio Commentary by writer/director/actress Nana Mensah, producers Kelley Robins and Jamund Washington, and editor/co-producer Cooper Troxell
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Short Film "Da Yie" by Anthony Nii
  • Trailers

Film Movement bids ADIEU GODARD (review)

Village elder Ananda spends all of his money buying illegal pornographic DVDs which he shows to his friends to the dismay of his wife and daughter.  When one of the DVDs turns out to be a Jean-Luc Godard film, Ananda becomes obsessed with the filmmaker and wants to bring his films to the villagers by throwing a film festival which will have drastic repurcussions for fall.

REVIEW LINK: Film Movement (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

ADIEU GODARD DVD specs:

  • 16:9 anamorphic 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • Odia/Hindu/English/French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Bonus Trailers

14 November 2022

Acorn and Shudder visit THE AMUSEMENT PARK (review)

An old man in search of diversion discovers the harsh and horrific truths about aging in America in George A. Romero's long lost short film.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE AMUSEMENT PARK Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by actor/assistant cameraman Michael Gornick, moderated by Red Shirt Pictures' Michael Felsher
  • "Re-Opening the Park" interview with Suzanne Desrocher-Romero
  • "Bill & Bonnie’s Excellent Adventure" interview with uncredited actress Bonnie Hinzman
  • "For Your Amusement" interview with artist Ryan Carr
  • 2021 Panel Interview
  • Official Brochure
  • Script
  • Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery

11 November 2022

For Acorn Media and Lucy Lawless, MY LIFE IS MURDER: SERIES 2 (review)

Lucy Lawless is a retired P.I. lured back into the game with a series of murder cases in her hometown of Auckland in the second series of MY LIFE IS MURDER.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

MY LIFE IS MURDER: SERIES 2 DVD specs:

  • Ten episodes on two dual-layer DVDs
  • 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • "In Conversation with Lucy Lawless" interview
  • Photo Gallery

10 November 2022

GKIDS conjure up the SUMMER GHOST (Review)

Three high school students meet up to find the "Summer Ghost" a girl who committed suicide who only shows up in an abandoned airfield under the light of fireworks in this moving feature debut by illustrator loundraw.

REVIEW LINK: GKIDS/Shout! Factory (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

SUMMER GHOST Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
  • Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English (for the Japanese track), English SDH (for the English dub), and Spanish subtitles (based on the Japanese track) 
  • "To You Before Dawn" feature-length documentary
  • Feature Animatic
  • Interview with director loundraw
  • Slipcover with first pressing

Eureka Classics hunts THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (review)

A shipwrecked game hunter washes up on an island and finds in his host an equally formidable hunter who hunts a different kind of game: man!

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

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
  • English LPCM 2.0 Mono (restored and unrestored options)
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • Interview with author Kim Newman
  • Interview with film historian Stephen Thrower
  • "Marion C. Cooper: Reminiscences" 1971 audio interview extracts
  • German Theatrical Trailer
  • The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition O-case slipcover and a collector's booklet.

05 November 2022

Second Sight gorges on A BANQUET (Review)

A woman who has just lost her husband is losing her hold on her family when her oldest daughter stops eating and believes the voices in her head are about to bring "darkness" to her family and the rest of the world in A BANQUET.

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

A BANQUET Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • "Improvised Exorcism" interview with actress Jessica Alexander
  • "Deformity of the Flesh" interview with director Ruth Paxton
  • "Producing A BANQUET" interview with producer Leonora Darby
  • "Dark Edges" interview with cinematographer David Liddell
  • 2022 Glasgow Film Festival Q and A
  • "Family Disorder: The Making of A BANQUET" documentary
  • Comes in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Jen Davies, a softcover book with new essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Jennie Kermode and Anya Stanley, and 6 collectors' art cards.

04 November 2022

Second Run heralds DRAGON'S RETURN (review)

Scapegoated for a drought by ignorant villagers, Dragon returns to the village years later during another drought offering a means of saving their livestock; but it is trying to make peace or deliver a reckoning?

REVIEW LINK: Second Run (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

DRAGON'S RETURN Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • Slovak LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • "On Dragon's Return" documentary
  •  "Hell is Other People: Eduard Grečner's Dragon's Return" introduction by Ratislav Steranka of the Slovak Film Institute
  • Interview with author/critic Peter Hames
  • 20-page booklet featuring an essay and an interview with director Eduard Grečner by Jonathan Owen.

31 October 2022

Synapse Films rings in the holiday with SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER (review)

Lonely young Dougie has fallen in love with the video game "Satan's Little Helper" and is determined to be the real thing when he meets a serial killer who may or may not actually be the devil himself in this slasher film from the director of JUST BEFORE DAWN.

REVIEW LINK: Synapse Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by writer/director Jeff Lieberman
  • Archival Behind the Scenes Featurette
  • "The Devil and the Details: The Making of SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER" new documentary
  • "Mister Satan's Neighborhood" locations visit
  • Promotional Trailer

30 October 2022

Unearthed Films gets caught in EVIL DEAD TRAP 2 (Review)

A lonely and plain projectionist spends her nights stalking and murdering prostitutes, but she is also being haunted by a ghostly child in EVIL DEAD TRAP 2.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

EVIL DEAD TRAP 2: HIDEKI Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • Japanese LPCM 2.0 Stereo and Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Bonus Trailers

29 October 2022

Blue Underground wiles away QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY (review)

In this semi-autobiographical account of Henry Miller's life as an American expat in Paris between the wars, aspiring writer Joey and his buddy Carl live hand-to-mouth while pursuing the demands of their libidos.

REVIEW LINK: Blue Underground (US) Region ALL 4K UHD/Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY UHD/Blu-ray specs:

  • DISC ONE (UHD):
    • 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles
    • Deleted Scene
    • Theatrical Traile
  • DISC TWO (Blu-ray):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
    • Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles
    • "Song of Clichy" interview with musician Country Joe McDonald
    • "Dirty Books, Dirty Movies: Barney Rosset on Henry Miller" interview with Henry Miller's editor and publisher Barney Rosset
    • "Midnight Blue" TV interview with Henry Miller's editor and publisher Barney Rosset 
    • Deleted Scene
    • Theatrical Trailer
    • Poster and Still Gallery
    • Book Cover Gallery
    • Court Documents Gallery
  • First Pressing Slipcover

27 October 2022

Vinegar Syndrome is caught up in BLOOD DELIRIUM (review)

A mad artist discovers that human blood is the key to artistic inspiration in the Italian gothic thriller BLOOD DELIRIUM starring John Phillip Law and Gordon Mitchell.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

BLOOD DELIRIUM Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English and English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth
  • "Gerard's Delirium" interview with actor Marco Di Stefano
  • "Killer's Muse" interview with actress Brigitte Christensen
  • "Once Upon a Time in the Italian Eighties" interview with assistant director Corrado Colombo
  • Italian Opening and Closing Credits
  • English Export Trailer
  • Reversible Cover
  • The first 5,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome include a special limited edition embossed and spot gloss slipcover designed by Robert Sammelin.

Vinegar Syndrome unwraps DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (review)

This Christmas, it's Santa who has to worry about whether he has been naughty or nice when a serial killer targets anyone in a Santa suit in the eighties slasher DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by film historian/author Amanda Reyes and special features producer Ewan Cant 
  • "Don't Direct Till Christmas" interview with additional scenes director/writer Alan Birkinshaw
  • "Slashing Miss Munro" interview with actress Caroline Munro
  • "Purdom Babylonia" interview with Lilan Purdom, daughter of director/star Edmund Purdom
  • "Birkinshaw Uncut" career-spanning archival interview with additional scenes director/writer Alan Birkinshaw 
  • "The Making of a Horror Film" archival making-of documentary 
  • "A Dangerous Place for Santa" locations visit 
  • Rough Cut Deleted & Extended Scenes 
  • Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery 
  • Theatrical Trailer 
  • Reversible Cover 
  • The first 5,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome come with a special limited edition embossed and spot gloss slipcover designed by Robert Sammelin.

26 October 2022

Synapse Films raises THE KINDRED (review)

 

A geneticist discovers that his late mother has continued her own revolutionary experiments in the privacy of their family home and has grown something that is less-than-human and very angry in the eighties creature feature THE KINDRED.

REVIEW LINK: Synapse Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE KINDRED Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles Audio Commentary by co-writers/co-directors Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow
  • "Inhuman Experiments: The Making of The Kindred" documentary
  • On-Set Footage
  • Storyboards
  • Still Gallery
  • TV Spots
  • Video Trailer
  • Theatrical Trailer

23 October 2022

Acorn Media and Shudder see THEY LIVE IN THE GREY (review)

A social worker mourning the loss of her son investigates a case of possible child abuse and begins to suspect that the real perpetrator is a restless and violent spirit in THEY LIVE IN THE GREY.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region 0 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

THEY LIVE IN THE GREY DVD specs:

  • 16:9 anamorphic 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 5.1
  • Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles
  • Photo Gallery

21 October 2022

Acorn Media and Shudder mourn THE TWIN (review)

A couple mourning the death of their son move with his surviving twin to the Finnish countryside where pagan rites are still practiced.  When their son starts claiming to be his dead twin, his mother wonders if her son is possessed by his brother's ghost or something evil.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE TWIN Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles
  • "The Making of THE TWIN" promo

18 October 2022

Universal witnesses MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU (review)

Witness the rise of super villain Gru as a child when the eleven year old takes on the Vicious 6 in a plan to harness the powers of an ancient Zodiac stone to take over the world.

REVIEW LINK: Universal Pictures (US) Region ALL UHD/Blu-ray Combo (DVDCompare)

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU UHD/Blu-ray Combo specs: 

  • DISC ONE (UHD):
    • 2160p24 HEVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
    • English Dolby Atmos, Spanish (Latin) Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French (Canadian) Dolby Digital 5.1
    • Optional English SDH, French (Canadian), and Spanish (Latin) Subtitles
  • DISC TWO (Blu-ray):
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen 
    • English Dolby Atmos, Spanish (Latin) Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French (Canadian) Dolby Digital 5.1, English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo 
    • Optional English SDH, French (Canadian), and Spanish (Latin) Subtitles
  • Mini Movies:
    • "Post Modern Minions"
    • "Minions and Monsters"
  • Extended Scene Outtakes
  • Character Profiles 
  • "Gru-vy Animation" 
  • "Fashion, Food & Funk" 
  • "Minion Martial Arts" 
  • "How to Draw (& Animate)" 
  • "Lair Flair" 
  • "Super Style Shop"

Second Sight wrestles with the CENSOR: Standard Edition (review)

A young censor driven to protect the viewing public by her own childhood trauma discovers that "you can't edit reality" in the British horror film CENSOR, feature debut of Prano Bailey-Bond.

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

CENSOR Blu-ray specs: 

  • Disc One:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.39:1 Widescreen
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
    • Optional English HoH Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by director and co-writer Prano Bailey-Bond and executive producer Kim Newman
    • Audio Commentary by director and co-writer Prano Bailey-Bond, director of photography Annika Summerson, editor Mark Towns, and sound designer Tim Harrison
    • Audio Commentary by film historians Kat Ellinger, Lindasay Hallam, and Miranda Corcoran
    • "Nasty" short film by Prano Bailey-Bond
    • "The Making of Censor" documentary
    • "My Nasty Memories" interview with filmmaker David Gregory
    • "Ban the Sadist Videos" two-part documentary by filmmaker David Gregory:
  • Disc Two:
    • "My Own Nasty" interview with co-writer and director Prano Bailey-Bond
    • "The Censor" interview with actress Niamh Algar
    • "Penning a Nasty" interview with co-writer Anthony Fletcher
    • "Nasty Images" interview with director of photography Annika Summerson
    • "I'm Cutting It" interview with editor Mark Towns
    • "Nasty Sounds" interview with composer Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch
    • "Enid's Gaze: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Censor" visual essay
    • 2021 Screening Q&A with Prano Bailey-Bond and Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, hosted by Jed Shepherd
    • Prano Bailey-Bond in conversation with BBFC compliance Officer David Hyman
    • Deleted Scenes

10 October 2022

Eureka Classics takes on ANGELA MAO in HAPKIDO and LADY WHIRLWIND (review)

Golden Harvest's first female action star Angela Mao is showcased in two of her first features.  In HAPKIDO, Mao and her siblings Sammo Hung and Carter Wong start a kung fu school in China and get into a deadly war with a Japanese karate school.  In LADY WHIRLWIND, Mao is seeking revenge for her seduced and abandoned sister from the very man who needs her help to bring down a drug smuggling empire.

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

ANGELA MAO: HAPKIDO AND LADY WHIRLWIND Blu-ray specs:

  • Disc One - Hapkido:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
    • Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Fortune Star dub)
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono ("Lady Kung Fu" dub)
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono ("Hapkido" dub)
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth
    • Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng & martial artist/actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels
    • "Lady Kung Fu Speaks" interview with actress Angela Mao
    • Archival Interviews:
      • actress Angela Mao
      • actor Carter Wong
      • actors Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao
    • 1972 Vintage Hapkido Demonstration Promo
    • Alternate Opening Credits Sequences
    • Mandarin Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
    • English Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
    • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
    • U.S. TV Spot
    • Image Gallery
  • Disc Two - Lady Whirlwind:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
    • Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
    • English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
    • Optional English Subtitles
    • Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth
    • Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng & martial artist/actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels
    • Audio Commentary by film journalist and author Samm Deighan
    • "Lady Whirlwind Speaks" interview with actress Angela Mao
    • "Kung Fu Cooking" interview with Angela Mao's son Thomas King
    • Alternate English Opening Credits
    • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
    • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
    • U.S. Radio Spot
    • Image Gallery
  • Reversible cover.
  • The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition O-card slipcase slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling, a reversible poster featuring original theatrical poster artwork, and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.

08 October 2022

Second Run remembers LOVE (review)

While her husband is serving a ten year prison sentance for his political involvment, Luca weaves a world of imagination to prevent her dying mother-in-law from discovering the truth.  Is Luca just protecting her inheritance or is there a more emotionally complex reason?

REVIEW LINK: Second Run (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

LOVE (SZERELEM) Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
  • Hungarian/German LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by director Károly Makk, moderated by professor Gábor Gelencsér
  • "Károly Makk on LOVE" archival interview
  • "LOVE Returns to Cannes" 2016 promotional piece on the film's history and restoration
  • 1971 archival newsreel footage of Hungarian film week in Sorrento
  • 1971 Theatrical Trailer
  • 2016 Restoration Trailer
  • Comes with a 20-page booklet with writing on the film by Graeme Hobbs and Agnes Sajti.

04 October 2022

Second Sight invites THE GUEST (review)

DOWNTON ABBEY's Dan Stevens is THE GUEST who visits a family in mourning claiming to be a friend of their dead son but nothing is really as it seems in this film from the writer and director of YOU'RE NEXT and BLAIR WITCH.

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

THE GUEST Blu-ray specs: 

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
  • English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
  • Optional English HoH Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett (2021)
  • Audio Commentary by director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett (2014)
  • "The Uninvited Guest" interview with actor Dan Stevens 
  • "A Perfect Stranger" interview with actor Maika Monroe
  • "By Invitation Only" interview with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett
  • "Producing The Guest" interview with producers Keith Calder and Jess Wu Calder
  • "Light and Fog" interview with director of photography Robby Baumgartner
  • "Lightning Strikes" interview with production designer Tom Hammock
  • "The Sounds of The Guest" interview with composer Steven Moore
  • Deleted/Alternate Scenes & Outtake Gag (with optional commentary by Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett)

30 September 2022

Acorn Media and Shudder worship HELLBENDER (review)

A young woman sheltered from the world by her mother discovers that growing up is hell when you're not quite human in HELLBENDER from The Adams Family (THE DEEPER YOU DIG).

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

HELLBENDER DVD specs: 

  • 16:9 anamorphic 1.90:1 widescreen
  • English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
  • Optional English SDH Subtitles
  • "The Visual FX of Hellbender by Black Magic Tricks" 
  • Bloopers
  • "Zelda's Alter Ego: Eville Adams"
  • Behind the Scenes Footage
  • "Travelling with Wonder Wheel"
  • Music Videos

Eureka Video dabbles in MANIACAL MAYHEM (review)

Boris Karloff engages in MANICAL MAYHEM in three films from the Universal vaults.  In THE INVISIBLE RAY, Karloff is a scientist who become infected with a killer radiation touch and decides to take revenge on those who wronged him.  In BLACK FRIDAY, Karloff saves his friend's life with a brain transplant only to discover that the murderous gangster donor is taking over his friend's mind.  In THE STRANGE DOOR, a young man becomes a pawn in a plot of a sadistic aristocrat (Charles Laughton).

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

MANIACAL MAYHEM Blu-ray specs:

  • DISC ONE:
    • The Invisible Ray:
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
      • English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
      • Optional English HoH Subtitles 
        • Audio Commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman 
      • Theatrical Trailer 
      • Image Galleries 
    • Black Friday:
    • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
    • English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
    • Optional English HoH Subtitles 
    • Audio Commentary by film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby 
    • Theatrical Trailer 
    • Image Galleries
  • DISC TWO:
    • The Strange Door:
      • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
      • English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
      • Optional English HoH Subtitles 
      • Audio Commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman 
      • Three Radio Adaptations of the Source Story "The Sire De Malétroits Door" 
      • Image Galleries
  • The first pressing of 2,000 copies comes with a limited edition O-card slipcase and a collector's booklet featuring new writing on all three films by film writers Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson, and Craig Ian Mann.

27 September 2022

Cult Epics crowns THE LAST ROMANTIC LOVER (review)

When a female magazine editor conducts a contest to find THE LAST ROMANTIC LOVER, the real battle of the sexes is to come after the award in this seventies slice of romantic erotica from the director of EMMANUELLE.

REVIEW LINK: Cult Epics (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE LAST ROMANTIC LOVER Blu-ray specs:

  • 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
  • French DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital 5.1, French LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Optional English Subtitles
  • Audio Commentary by author Jeremy Richey
  • Interview with director Just Jaeckin
  • Interview with actress Dayle Haddon
  • 2022 Cinémathèque Française Presentation
  • Photo Gallery
  • Bonus Trailers