88 Films gets "Nasty" with SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP (review)

One of the most notorious Video Nasties SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP details the cruel and kinky extracurricular activities of soldiers and scientists at the titular facility.  From the director of THE HAND THAT FEEDS THE DEAD and DJANGO THE BASTARD.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (US/UK) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/HDR10) 4K UltraHD and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen Blu-ray discs
• English and Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti
• "SSadistically Yours, Sergio G." interview with director Sergio Garrone
• "SSadist Sound" interview with soundtrack historian Pierpaolo de Sanctis
• "The Alabiso Dynasty" interview with editor Eugenio Alabiso
• "Framing Exploitation" interview with cinematographer Maurizio Centini
• Italian Opening and Closing Titles
• Theatrical Trailer
• Comes with a reversible cover.
• The first pressing includes a double-walled slipcover with artwork by Joel Robinson and a booklet by Tim Murray and Rachael Nisbet. 

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Also available on Blu-ray! 

Radiance Films becomes trapped in MALPERTUIS (review)

A sailor on shore leave becomes trapped in the damned house of his mysterious uncle who wants him to continue his mysterious life's work in this surreal thriller from the director of DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS starring Orson Welles, Mathieu Carriere, Susan Hampshire, and Michel Bouquet.

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

MALPERTUIS Blu-ray specs:

• Director's Cut (125 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Dutch LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director Harry Kümel, moderated by Françoise Levie
• Cannes Cut (104 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen (upscaled from standard definition)
• English and French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles
• "Harry Kümel on MALPERTUIS"
• "Jonathan Rigby on MALPERTUIS"
• "MALPERTUIS Archives" documentary
• "Orson Welles Uncut" documentary
• "Susan Hampshire: One Actress, Three Parts"
• 1971 television interview with director Harry Kümel and actor Michel Bouquet
• "Jean Ray: John Flanders" documentary 
• "MALPERTUIS Revisited" locations visit
• French Theatrical Trailer
• "The Warden of the Tomb" 1965 short film by Harry Kümel
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow. 
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and including an 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, David Flint, Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen.

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88 Films sees double with THE BARBARIANS (Review)

David and Peter Paul "The Barbarian Brothers" play twins separated as children who grow into slaves of the evil Kadar (Richard Lynch) who meet again in the arena to kill each other but then decide to rebel and rescue their abducted queen and their tribe in this lush eighties fantasy film comedy from Ruggero Deodato and Cannon Films.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE BARBARIANS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani
• Audio Commentary by film historians Kim Newman and Nick De Semelyn
• "Barbaric Cuts" interview with editor Eugenio Alabiso
• "Falling for Ruggero" interview with Stuntman Ottaviano Dell'Acqua
• "From Cannibals to Barbarians" interview with film historian Eugenio Ercolani
• "Light My Biceps" interview with cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia 
• "Weightlifting with Ruggero" interview with first assistant director Roberto Palmerini
• "Trash Tube" interview with director Ruggero Deodato
• "The Barbarians: Rip(off) and Tear" video essay by Mike Foster
• "Natural Born Influencers" video essay by Nanni Cobretti
• "Golan, Globus and Heroes" video essay by Heather Wixson
• "Revenge of the C(l)onans" video essay by Pier Maria Bocchi
• "Scooter" 1995 short film by Roberto Palmerini with introduction
• "La Mancia" 1996 short film by Roberto Palmerini with introduction
• TV Advert
• Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing includes a double-walled O-ring slipcover and premium art cards.

88 Films tames the HEART OF DRAGON (review)

Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung get serious in the comic drama HEART OF DRAGON in which Chan is a cop who must take care of his mentally disabled brother (Hung), especially when the boy in a man's body winds up with stolen diamonds and smugglers after him.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

HEART OF DRAGON 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One (4K UltraHD):
• Hong Kong Version:
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/HDR10)
• Cantonese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Japanese Extended Cut:
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/HDR10)
• Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with Japanese soundtrack and songs)
• Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with Hong Kong theatrical soundtrack and no music for the parking lot fight scene)
• Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with Hong Kong theatrical soundtrack but Japanese soundtrack for parking lot fight scene)
• Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with Hong Kong theatrical soundtrack and Japanese songs) 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (hybrid classic English dub With Cantonese audio for the extra Japanese scenes)
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historian David West 
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• Hong Kong Version and Japanese Extended Cut in 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen with the same audio and subtitle options as the 4K disc
• Audio Commentary on the Japanese Extended Cut by film historian David West
• "The First Mission - Making of Special
• "The First Mission" behind the scenes originally used at a pre-release event screening at Shinjuku Shochiku in August 1985
• "Radical Reinvention" interview with film historian Victor Fan
• Archival interview with actor Jackie Chan
• Archival interview with stuntman Rocky Lai
• Archival interview with actor Sammo Hung
• "Different Strokes" interview with actor Sammo Hung 2
• "Spotlight on Action" interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong
• Extended Version Fullscreen Outtakes
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• "Raging Force" English Export Trailer
• Fortune Star Trailer
• Japanese Teaser Trailer #1
• Japanese Teaser Trailer #2

• Japanese Theatrical Trailer
• Comes in a rigid slipcase with brand-new artwork by Sean Longmore, double-sided foldout poster, six replica lobby cards, and an 80-page fully illustrated book featuring articles by C.J. Lines, Matthew Edwards, and Fraser Elliott. 

Arrow Video gets swallowed up IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (review)

An insurance investigator and a book editor trace a missing horror author to the town of his major horror works that turns out to be as real as his monsters in John Carpenter's Lovecraftian IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS starring Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, and Charlton Heston.

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (US/UK) Region ALL 4K UltraHD (DVDCompare)

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS 4K UtlraHD specs:

• 2160p24 HEVC 2.39:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/HDR10)
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director John Carpenter and producer Sandy King Carpenter
• Audio Commentary by John Carpenter and cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe
• Audio Commentary by filmmakers Rebekah McKendry & Elric Kane, co-hosts of Colors of the Dark podcast
• "Making Madness" interview with producer Sandy King Carpenter
• "Do You Read Sutter Cane?" interview with actor Jürgen Prochnow
• "The Whisperer of the Dark" interview with actress Julie Carmen
• "Greg Nicotero's Things in the Basement" interview with make-up effects creator Greg Nicotero
• "Horror's Hallowed Grounds" locations visit hosted by Sean Clark
• "We Are What He Writes" tribute of John Carpenter and IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
• "Reality Is Not What It Used To Be" appreciation by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• "Home Movies From Hobb's End" behind the scenes video
• "The Making of IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS" promotional piece
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Image Gallery
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Francesco Francavilla.
• The first pressing includes a slipcover, a double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Francesco Francavilla, and a perfectbound collector's book featuring new writing on the film by Guy Adams, Josh Hurtado, Richard Kadrey, George Daniel Lea, Willow Catelyn Maclay, and Alexandra West.

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88 Films visits THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (review)

The director of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK turns to true crime with the still-unsolved Phantom of Texarkana crimes in THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN starring Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, and Dawn Wells.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN Blu-ray specs: 

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by filmmaker and author Sean Hogan and novelist and critic Kim Newman
• Audio Commentary by film journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz
• "Piercing Insights" interview with NIGHTMARE U.S.A. author Stephen Thrower
• Theatrical Trailer
• Image Gallery
• The first pressing comes with a double-walled slipcover and a foldout poster. 

88 Films chuckles and chills with 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: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

EVIL LAUGH Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues
• "The Joy of Laughter: Making EVIL LAUGH" documentary including interviews with producer/co-writer/actor Steven Baio, actors Jerold Pearson, Karyn O'Bryan and Tom Shell, director of photography/second unit director Steef Sealy, first assistant director Eric Brown, associate producers Joe Barnard and James Daurio, make-up effects artist David Cohen and assistant to the producer/casting assistant/actor Johnny Venokur
• Comes with a reversible cover.
• The first pressing includes a slipcover and booklet by Callum Wadell. 

Full Moon's beauty meets her beast in MERIDIAN (review)

TWO MOON JUNCTION's Sherilyn Fenn and PUPPET MASTER II's Charlie Spradling star in Charles Band's MERIDIAN: KISS OF THE BEAST.  A young American woman inherits her family's ancestral Italian castle along with a family curse involving a very beastly lover.  Hilary Mason (DON'T LOOK NOW) and Phil Fondacaro (TROLL) also star.  Make-up effects by Greg Cannom (BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA) and music by Pino Donaggio (BODY DOUBLE).

REVIEW LINK: Full Moon (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

MERIDIAN Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
• Videozone Making-of
• Trailer
• Other Trailers

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Acorn Media investigates THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES: SERIES 11 (review)

Detective Mike Shepherd and his team are investigating more twisty murders in the New Zealand town of Brokenwood including an eighties band groupie who takes a fatal plunge, a radio star killed in an exploding pool shed, a victim killed during a seance, the victim of a killer chandelier, a body hanging at the end of a zip line, and a corpse dressed as Santa Claus.

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

THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES SERIES 11 DVD specs:

• Six feature-length episodes on three dual-layer DVDs
• 16:9 Anamorphic 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English HoH Subtitles
• Image Gallery 

Cauldron Films hunts down MAD FOXES in 4K (review)

A jerk with a cool Stingray is pushed to his limits by murderous bikers in this cartoonishly violent vigilante film from Swiss producer Erwin C. Dietrich.

REVIEW LINK: Cauldron Films (US) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

MAD FOXES 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray Combo specs:

• Disc One - 4K UltraHD:
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/ HDR-compatible)
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles for the English dub and optional English subtitles for the Spanish dub
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nanni Cobretti and Merlyn Roberts 
• Disc Two - Blu-ray:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Mono, Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles for the English dub and optional English subtitles for the Spanish dub
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nanni Cobretti and Merlyn Roberts 
• "The Untold Story of Robert O’Neal" interview with actor José Gras
• "Erwin and the Foxes" interview with producer Erwin C. Dietrich and actors Helmi Sigg and Eric Falk
• "Mad Eric" interview with actor Eric Falk 
• "Nazi Fox Bikers Must Die" video essay by film historian Troy Howarth
• Image Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Comes in a rigid slipcase with artwork by Justin Coffee and includes a foldout poster. 

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Eureka ventures into danger with MARTIAL LAW - LO WEI'S WUXIA WORLD (review)

Before he moved to Golden Harvest and made stars of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Lo Wei worked decades at Shaw Brothers in various genres, directing the first wuxia films before Chang Cheh and King Hu and finishing off his tenure at the company with an impressive trio.  The BLACK BUTTERFLY is a Robin Hood-esque thief who steals from the rich to help the poor victims of a natural disaster but soon finds herself up against her own father when he is hired to protect his village's wealthy businessmen.  In DEATH VALLEY, a duplicitous woman kills her wealthy uncle and sets about seducing and manipulating various martial artists out to avenge their master into fighting each other.  In VENGEANCE OF A SNOWGIRL, a disabled girl goes on a mission of vengeance against the men who killed her parents with the help of a legendary jade sword.

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

MARTIAL LAW - LO WEI'S WUXIA WORLD Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One:
• Black Butterfly:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema 
• Death Valley: 
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema 
• Disc Two: 
• Vengeance of a Snowgirl:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema 
• "A Dish Best Served Cold" interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong 
• The first pressing includes a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) and a  collector’s booklet featuring new writing on all three films in this set by Hong Kong cinema expert Camille Zaurin.

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88 Films' UNCLE SAM wants you... dead! (review)

When flag burners, draft dodgers, corrupt politicians, tax cheats, lazy cops, and even pot smoking teens disrespect the Fourth of July, an undead Iraq War soldier comes back to life to make this a holiday his home town will never forget.  From director William Lustig (MANIAC) and writer Larry Cohen (GOD TOLD ME TO).

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

UNCLE SAM Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director William Lustig, screenwriter Larry Cohen, and producer George Braunstein
• Audio Commentary by director William Lustig and actor Isaac Hayes
• Fire Stunts Behind the Scenes with audio commentary by stunt coordinator Spiro Rizatos
• Gag Reel
• Poster and Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing includes an O-Ring slipcover and booklet liner notes. 

88 Films gets tickled by PLAYFUL WHITE FINGERS (review)

Country bumpkin Yuki arrives in the city and falls for charming thief Jiro.  When he is caught and imprisoned, Yuki falls in with the man's other lover Yoko and former cellmate Taku, embracing a life of pleasure and crime in the directorial debut of Toru Murakawa, director of "The Game Trilogy".

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

PLAYFUL WHITE FINGERS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.45:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by writers Amber T and Jasper Sharp
• "Desire Within" interview with director Toru Murakawa
• "Touchy Feely" introduction by critic Kei Chiba
• Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer 

Radiance Films gives the chills with DAIEI GOTHIC VOLUME 2 (review)

DAIEI GOTHIC VOLUME TWO brings us three more adaptations of popular Japanese ghost stories and legends.  In THE DEMON OF MOUNT OE, Genji knights must infiltrate the mountain stronghold of bandits lead by a demonic entity.  In THE HAUNTED CASTLE, a governor is bedeviled by a ghost cat that can assume human form.  In THE GHOST OF KASANE SWAMP, the murder of a blind masseur is visited upon the next generation of both the killer's and the victim's family.

REVIEW LINK: Radiance Films (US/UK) Region A/B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

DAIEI GOTHIC VOLUME 2 Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One - Demon of Mount Oe:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Taichi Kasuga on THE DEMON OF MOUNT OE" film historian interview
• "Bride of the Demon-Slayer" visual essay by Japanese film expert Tom Mes
• Theatrical Trailer
• Disc Two - The Haunted Castle:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Mari Asato on THE HAUNTED CASTLE filmmaker interview
• "The Strange Case of Ikuko Mori" visual essay by Japanese film expert Tom Mes
• Theatrical Trailer
• Disc Three - The Ghost of Kasane Swamp:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Select-Scene Audio Commentary by horror film scholar Lindsay Nelson
• "Norio Tsuruta on THE GHOST OF KASANE SWAMP" filmmaker interview
• "Legacy of Ghosts" visual essay by ghost story scholar Zack Davisson
• Theatrical Trailer
• Limited Edition of 4,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, including an 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing by Amber T, Jasper Sharp, and Tom Mes, plus archival writing by Daniel O’Neill and original ghost stories The Goblin of Oeyama and The Vampire Cat.

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Second Run asks WHO WANTS TO KILL JESSIE? (review)

When a scientist who has developed a drug that can influence dreams catches her husband dreaming about the beautiful comic strip heroine Jessie, she uses the drug to rid him of his dreams but it has the side effect of pulling his dreams into reality including Jessie and her villainous foes.

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

WHO WANTS TO KILL JESSIE? Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Czech LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Projection Booth podcast commentary by podcasters Mike White, Jim Laczkowski, and Jonathan Owen
• "Those Crazy Czechs" video essay by film historian Michael Brooke
• "Directive [Direktiva]" 1955 short film by Václav Vorlíček
• Comes with a 24-page booklet with new writing on the film by author and Czech cinema expert Jonathan Owen.