4K Ultra HD Review: TRICK OR TREAT (1986)

TRICK OR TREAT

Directed by:  Charles Martin Smith

Distributed by:  Synapse Films /  MVD Entertainment

  1986's TRICK OR TREAT is another film to add to my list of films I have always heard and known about, and even owned on DVD for years, but had just never got around to checking out for some reason.  I was excited when Synapse Film's new 4K UHD release arrived for review, as it would finally make me sit down and watch it!    I'm very thankful I got the chance to review this one, because it was a lot of fun!  

 1980's horror films have such a unique feel to them.  That is probably my favorite decade of horror films.  I'm happy to report that TRICK OR TREAT fits right in and is now among one of my favorite 80's horror classics!

 Here is a brief synopsis of the film from the Synapse Films website:

Rock 'n' roll will never die, in this 1980s cult favorite that stars Marc Price (Family Ties) as Eddie Weinbauer, a teenage outcast who idolizes Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), a heavy metal superstar. After Sammi dies a violent death, his spirit returns to help Eddie get even with his high school tormentors. In doing so, Sammi begins to gain control over Eddie's life and brings him deeper into the world of the occult. When Eddie realizes that he has become the tool of Sammi's vengeance, he attempts to stop him, and the horrifying events that follow leave no one unscathed.

Featuring special appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, Trick or Treat marked the directorial debut of veteran actor Charles Martin Smith (Never Cry Wolf, Starman) and features a legendary soundtrack by Fastway. Red Shirt Home Video and Synapse Films are proud to present this heavy metal horror classic in an all-new 4K restoration presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) with a head-banging 5.1 surround sound mix and loaded with hours of supplemental material including multiple commentary tracks and a feature-length video retrospective! No false metal!

 I always knew that Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne were in this film, but be advised they were both on screen for a matter of seconds.   Looking back at my old DVD makes me laugh as they both got top billing, purely using their names for DVD sales.   Synapse Films' choice in cover art for this  new release is much better and a much more fitting representation of the film. 

 As soon as the movie started and I saw the main character, Eddie, I immediately recognized him.   It was Skippy from Family Ties!    Marc Price did an excellent job in this film and it was fun to see him in something other than that aforementioned sitcom. The story is pretty cool, especially seeing what is basically a demon conjured by playing a heavy metal album backwards.  That is something all our parents warned us about as kids, at least if you are around my age and grew up in the 70's and 80's.   The special effects are fun and actually still hold up pretty well considering the age of the film. 

 The presentation of this film is outstanding.  The 4K restoration creates vivid colors and contrasts and is super clean.   Also of note is the soundtrack, most of which was done by English Heavy Metal Band, FASTWAY.   There is some great music in this film, and I will be putting the soundtrack on my Amazon Music playlist! 

TRICK OR TREAT is available now on 4K UHD from Severin Films and like most all of Severin's releases, they have spared no expense when it comes to Special Features!   Special Features include the following:

• Limited edition o-card available on the FIRST PRESSING ONLY!
• 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and approved by Director of Photography Robert Elswit
• Lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio of the original 2.0 theatrical mix and an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix
• Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage
• Audio interviews with writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham, moderated by film historian Michael Felsher
• Audio conversation with Paul Corupe and Allison Lang, authors of Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s
• Rock  & Shock: The Making of “Trick or Treat” - An all-new retrospective featuring director Charles Martin Smith, actors Marc Price, Glen Morgan, Elise Richards, and Larry Sprinkle, writer/producer Joel Soisson, costume designer Jill Ohanneson, assistant set costumer Francine Decoursey, construction foreman Tom Jones, Jr., special make-up effects artist Everett Burrell, music executive producer Stephen E. Smith, composer Christopher Young, and a special appearance by Gene Simmons
• In The Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields featuring interviews with the late actor’s family and friends
• Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of “Trick or Treat” with Sean Clark
  
• “After Midnight” music video
  Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots and Radio Spots
• Still Gallery featuring optional audio interview with still photographer Phillip V. Caruso
• Vintage electronic press kit
• Reversible cover artwork
• Region free for worldwide playback

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD edition

Blu-Ray Review: EATING MISS CAMPBELL (2022)

 

EATING MISS CAMPBELL

Written & Directed by:  Liam Regan

Distributed by:   Troma Films / MVD Entertainment

 Rarely do I get a film sent to me that I have never heard of.   I get a lot I have never seen before, but I have at least heard a mention of them.     Somehow EATING MISS CAMPBELL was one of those films I had never heard of.   I have never even seen a trailer of it, or come across it online in some form or another.   Usually films like that I find that there was a reason I had never heard of it.  Usually, the film is so bad, there was no need for anyone to mention it!   This was definitely not the case with EATING MISS CAMPBELL.   This was a highly entertaining and refreshingly original horror/comedy that should get more mentions than it does!

  Here is a bit about the film from the Refuse Films website:

Eating Miss Campbell follows a vegan-goth high school student who falls into a taboo relationship with her new English teacher and soon develops a problematic taste for human flesh. 

Featuring a cast of genre favorites including LAURENCE R. HARVEY (The Human Centipede 3: Final Sequence), LYNDSEY CRAINE (Book of Monsters), VITO TRIGO (My Bloody Banjo), JUSTIN A. MARTELL (Shudder’s The Last Drive-In) and LLOYD KAUFMAN (The Toxic Avenger) with an original score composed by Academy Award®-winner JOE RENZETTI (Child’s Play, Poltergeist III and Frankenhooker).

Heavily Influenced by the work of producer Lloyd Kaufman, filmmaker Liam Regan has lovingly crafted a Troma film for the 21st century, where teenage crushes and cannibalism collide in a gut-busting and gore-soaked, comedy horror film that pushes just about every boundary socially constructed.

  

 

 Overall, I am not usually a big fan of horror comedies.  I feel like they are usually not really funny, nor do they contain much horror.   This film, I am happy to say, hits the mark on both concepts.   The story is very original and features our main character Beth Conner who lives inside a horror movie.  While she keeps trying to off herself to escape the horror, she always wakes back up inside the movie.   Lyndsey Craine, the actress that plays the main character of Beth Conner, does an excellent job and is quite funny in her delivery.    

  Laurence R. Harvey has a small role in the film that he played very well, with a certain sense of creepiness that only Harvey can provide.  You might know Harvey from his ultra creepy leading role in HUMAN CENTIPEDE II.  Actor Vito Trigo also stood out to me, and seemed to be a much greater actor than you would normally find in a campy film like this.   All the acting is pretty good, although some of it is a bit over the top.    The film contains quite a bit of gore, most of which is done with practical effects which is always good! 

  This looks to be only director Liam Regan's 3rd feature length film.   I have a feeling this is one director to really keep an eye on!  

 EATING MISS CAMPBELL is available now on Blu-ray, and like most Troma releases, it is packed full with the following Special Features:

• 7 Days of Hell: Making of Documentary
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• Gore Reel
• Raw B-Roll
• Cast Interviews
• FrightFest Premiere
• 1 Hour of Raw BTS Footage
• VFX Reel
• Introduction from Lloyd Kaufman
• Troma Trailers
• Radiation March
• Easter Eggs

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

  

BLU-RAY REVIEW: SUPERVIXENS (1975)

 

SUPERVIXENS

Directed by:  Russ Meyer

Distributed by:  Severin Films / MVD Entertainment

  Recently, Severin Films reached an agreement with Meyer's estate to distribute three of his most iconic films,  VIXEN!, SUPERVIXENS, and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS in new 4K, BD, and DVD versions scanned in 4K from the original negative and restored by The Museum of Modern Art.  

  While I mainly focus on Horror films for this blog, I do like to branch out from time to time and have covered Exploitation, Sexploitation, and even Nunsploitation films in the past.   These films would definitely fall under the Sexploitation sub-genre and were an interesting batch of films to say the least.   I'll be watching them in order and then doing a review of each one, continuing with the next feature, SUPERVIXENS!

  While VIXENS was fun,  SUPERVIXENS was a vast improvement on that first film.   This is not a sequel by any means, but a continuation of Meyer's "Bosomania" film line.    This film contains a much better plot  and story line in my opinion.   Here is a bit about this film from the Severin Films website:

Following the ‘serious’ features THE SEVEN MINUTES and BLACK SNAKE, this 1975 return to form written, photographed, edited, produced and directed by Russ Meyer remains perhaps his most over-the-top and savagely entertaining epic of all: When a hot-blooded wife (Shari Eubank) and a psychotic cop (a startling performance by Charles Napier of THE BLUES BROTHERS fame) come together, it will ignite a cross-country odyssey of violence, vengeance and relentless coitus. John Lazar (BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS), Uschi Digard (BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS) and Haji (FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!) co-star in Russ’ “super-sexy live-action Road Runner cartoon” (Empire), now restored by Severin Films in conjunction with The Russ Meyer Trust and scanned in 4K from the original negative stored at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

  While again, not horror in any way, this film does have some horror elements in it.  One scene that really stuck out to me was when the psychotic cop was trying to break into the bathroom which contained the wife trying to hid out.   He gets a huge knife and keeps stabbing the door trying to break in, eventually making a hole big enough to get this face through.   I have to wonder  if Stanley Kubrick saw this film and used this scene as inspiration for his iconic "Here's Johnny" scene in his film, THE SHINING.   Eventually the cop breaks in and performs a horrifying bathtub killing, complete with radio thrown in the tub electrocution!  

  The film is fun in that it is just a series of adventures  (or misadventures I should say) involving the main character, Clint, in the film running from the cops after being falsely accused in the killing of his wife.   He hitchhikes to get out of town and avoid any trouble, but finds all sort of trouble along his journey.    Clint is picked up by a farmer who gives him a place to stay in exchange for doing work around the farm.  Clint is constantly seduced by the farmer's wife and is eventually caught by the farmer who runs him out of town.  

 

  Clint finds his way to a motel that is run by a man with a deaf daughter.   As you might imagine with this being a Russ Meyer film, he is again seduced by the daughter and caught by her father.   This leads Clint to embark out again on a journey that leads him to a gas station out in the middle of nowhere.  The gas station is run by a beautiful woman and she gives him a job there.    They eventually hook, up of course, and then the psycho cop that killed Clint's wife somehow shows up!   The cop eventually realizes where he knows Clint from and kidnaps Clint's new gas station owner girlfriend and takes her out into the desert.  He ties her up, and of course, Clint goes looking for her and finds her being held captive by the psycho cop.   A cat and mouse game ensues, which includes the cop throwing sticks of dynamite at Clint to keep him away.   Ultimately, this dynamite will be the downfall of the cop as our film concludes with a bang!

 

   SUPERVIXENS is available now on Blu-ray and 4K UHD and contains the following Special Features:

• Archival Audio Commentary With Writer/Cinematographer/Editor/Producer/Director Russ Meyer
• Russ Meyer Versus The Porn-Busters – Mike Carroll Interview With Russ Meyer
• The Return Of Harry Sledge – Interview With Actor Charles Napier
• The Incredibly Strange Film Show Season 1, Episode 5: Russ Meyer
• Trailer
• TV Spot

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray 

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD

BLU RAY REVIEW: VIXEN! (1968)

VIXEN!

Directed by:  Russ Meyer

Distributed by:  Severin Films / MVD Entertainment

 I have heard of Russ Meyer for as long as I can remember, but I have never seen one of his films until now.   I really had no clue what to expect, other than what I knew of his love for the female anatomy, especially the very well endowed ones!  

  Recently, Severin Films reached an agreement with Meyer's estate to distribute three of his most iconic films,  VIXEN!, SUPERVIXENS, and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS in new 4K, BD, and DVD versions scanned in 4K from the original negative and restored by The Museum of Modern Art.  

  While I mainly focus on Horror films for this blog, I do like to branch out from time to time and have covered Exploitation, Sexploitation, and even Nunsploitation films in the past.   These films would definitely fall under the Sexploitation sub-genre and were an interesting batch of films to say the least.   I'll be watching them in order and then doing a review of each one, starting with this first feature, VIXEN!

Here is a little bit about the film from the Severin Films website:

Amid the cultural chaos of 1968 and armed with a budget of only $70,000, producer/director/cinematographer Russ Meyer transcended sexploitation by crafting this “bosomacious melodrama” (Time Magazine) about racism, communism, bush pilots, draft dodgers and a ferociously free-spirited wife named Vixen (the incredible Erica Gavin of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and CAGED HEAT). Despite attempts at censorship that included one of the first-ever X ratings and 23 separate U.S. prosecutions for obscenity, it became one of the year’s top-grossing movies, forever transformed independent film and remains the creative template for Meyer’s unapologetic vision of American cinema.

Here is the brief  "plot synopsis" from IMDb:

The free-spirited wife of a Canadian bush pilot seduces a Mountie, a married couple and her biker brother, all while trading blows of racial prejudice with her brother's black friend.

 I put "plot synopsis" in quotes above, because there really wasn't much plot to this film.   It's really just about the pilot's wife seducing anyone she comes into contact with.   That's really about it!  They did try to throw in some subplot at the end about communism, but it felt very out of place with the rest of the film.  

  This film was very uncomfortable to watch at some points, mainly with the scenes of the interactions between Vixen and her brother's African American friend, Niles.   She does not like him and calls him a slew of names, most of  which were crude racial slurs. 

As I stated before, most scenes were just Vixen seducing anyone she comes in contact with.  At one point, Vixen seduces a man at a fish fry by dancing with an uncooked fish and performing simulated oral sex on the fish!   It's a weird one, for sure!

 This film is actually very tame by today's standards.  The sex scenes are simulated and don't show anything too extreme, mainly just breasts.  The fact that this got an "X" rating is laughable by today's standards, but when this came out in 1968, I'm sure it was a bit more shocking.   I'm sure the brother/sister incest scene was a big play in that X rating!   Oh yeah, I guess I failed to mention that earlier!    

 Overall, VIXEN was a film that seems like it doesn't have much of a point, other than just showing off the beautiful actress's bodies and generally trying to shock the audience. 

 One thing to note is the picture quality on these new releases.   I saw grainy screenshots online, and being from 1968 I was expecting not so great picture quality, but boy was I mistaken.  As soon as the film started I was blown away by this new restoration.  The picture was super sharp and the colors were very vibrant!

 VIXEN! is available now from Severin Films and if you know anything about Severin Films, you know they always put some amazing special features on their releases.  This one is no exception, and contains the following Special Features:

1981 Censor Prologue (Theatrical Re-Release)

Archival Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Producer/Cinematographer/Co-Editor/Director Russ Meyer

Audio Commentary With Actress Erica Gavin

Woman... Or Animal? - Interviews With Actors Erica Gavin And Harrison Page

David Del Valle's The Sinister Image With Guests Russ Meyer And Yvette Vickers

Entertainment... Or Obscenity? - Marc Edward Heuck On The Film's Historic Cincinnati Censorship Battles

Trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the 2-Disc 4K UHD edition

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

BLU-RAY REVIEW: V/H/S/BEYOND (2024)

V/H/S/BEYOND

Directed by:   Jordan Downey / Jay Cheel / Christian Long / Justin Long / Justin Martinez / Virat Pal / Kate Siegel

Distributed by:  Acorn Media International /AMC

  If you are a fan of the V/H/S film series, or just horror anthology films in general, you will definitely want to do yourself  a favor and check out the newest entry in the V/H/S series.   This new film is the 7th installment of the V/H/S series, and I am happy to say by the looks of this one, this film series it still going strong!

 

 Like the previous V/H/S films, this one is made up of a series of short films, all directed by different film directors.  Here is a bit about each one and my thoughts on each. 

 The first short is called STORK, and was directed by Jordan Downey.  It tells the story of a group of police sent to a house to investigate a string of baby disappearances.   This was an amazing short film to start the anthology with and delivered non stop action and horror.  I wasn't sure what to expect once the group of police made there way inside the house, but what I got was a first person view of a true haunted house.   The use of the police body cam to give us a first person view really put the viewer directly into the action on screen.   One after one the police are attacked by zombies of some sort, and when they find a meteor that crashed through the roof of the house, they realize these are not your ordinary zombies!   They are alien zombies!  Top that off with a huge alien stork like creature and I think you've found your baby snatcher!   Watch this one with the lights off and sound turned up, this one is truly horrifying and much gorier than I was expecting.   Kudos to Mr. Downey on this one!

  The second short is is called DREAM GIRL, which is about a huge Bollywood star that is not what she seems to be.   While she is beautiful on the outside, when her true inside is revealed, she is not so pretty any more.   What you think is a beautiful women is actually a machine of some sort, who goes on a killing spree and vomits acid on her victims.   As with the other entries in the V/H/S series, the first person perspective (this time through a cameraman filming behind the scenes shots of the Bollywood film being made) really puts you in the action as you try to escape rom this killer creature that is on the loose! 

  I didn't think anything would be able to top the first short film, but director Justin Martinez delivers what I believe to be the best short film of this anthology.   LIVE AND LET DIE is about a group of friends that go on a sky diving trip for one of their birthdays.  While in the plane about to make their jump, they encounter a UFO that causes their plane to crash into it, sending the friends out into the open as they are falling to the earth, including a few unlucky ones whos parachute was ripped off during the crash.   The friends land in an orange orchard and quickly realize there are other beings on the ground in the orchard hunting them down.   This film had great effects and some great gore and was truly terrifying!

 

  The final film in the anthology is FUR BABIES, directed by Christian and Justin Long.   This story is about a group of animal rights activist who go undercover because they have suspicions that a doggy day care center is not an innocent as it appears.   It turns out they are correct, and end up finding a house of horror in the basement of the doggy day care center, complete with human experiments where the lady that runs the day care is keeping humans in cages and literally turning them into dogs!

 All 4 short films are intertwined together in what is supposed to be documentary about aliens and abductions.  The documentary (titled ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION) and some found footage they show (titled STOWAWAY) act as short films themselves.  This movie was a nice mash up of horror and Science Fiction and was an extremely entertaining addition to the V/H/S series.  While with most anthologies I usually like one or two of the segments, while others were bad and felt like "filler", V/H/S/BEYOND is thankfully not like that at all.   Each segment held it's own and it's hard to decide which ones I liked the most.   I felt like they all had their unique qualities and were equally horrifying and entertaining.   

 V/H/S/BEYOND is available now on DVD and BLU-RAY and contains the following Special Features:

*  Pre-visuals on LIVE AND LET DIE

*  Libby Letlow FUR BABIES audition tape

*  Stowaway set timelapse

*  Do you want a selfie? - The Making of DREAM GIRL

*  Behind the Scenes of STORK with IGN

*  Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery of LIVE AND LET DIE, DREAM GIRL, STORK, and STOWAWAY

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the BLU-RAY

Book Review: FASCINATION: THE CELLULOID DREAMS OF JEAN ROLLIN by David Hinds

 

FASCINATION:  THE CELLULOID DREAMS OF JEAN ROLLIN

Written by:  David Hinds

Published by:  Headpress Books

  If you are a fan of sleazy cinema, especially Vampire films, you probably know the name Jean Rollin.  This European director made his first short film in 1958 at the age of 20 years old, and directed films up until his death in 2010, with his 52nd and final film, Le Masque de la Meduse (The Mask Of Medusa).  I have seen quite a few of his films, but I had no idea he directed so many!   I probably won't have a chance to watch them all, but I can at least read about Rollin and all his films in this awesome reference book from Headpress Books.   

 FASCINATION:  THE CELLULOID DREAMS OF JEAN ROLLIN by David Hinds in a remarkably in-depth look into the career of Jean Rollin.  Here is a description of the book from the Headpress website:

  May 1968. Paris is awash with violence and public unrest. In a small cinema, where a surreal film is showing, another riot is taking place. Here, the enraged audience smashes up the auditorium, tear out the seats, and chase the film’s director onto the street. This is the premiere of Jean Rollin’s feature debut, The Rape of the Vampire.

An outsider of French cinema, Rollin’s films are unique and dreamlike. They offer tales of mystery and nostalgia, obsolescence and seductive female vampires with a thirst for blood and sex. It is a cinema at once strange, evocative and deeply personal.

Funding his own projects, Rollin defiantly made the films he wanted to make and in so doing created a fantastique genre unlike any other. The Nude Vampire, The Living Dead Girl and The Grapes of Death are among those films now celebrated as the work of an auteur, one who confounds preconceived notions of ‘Eurotrash’ cinema.
This book is devoted to the director and all his work, across all genres, including a nascent French hardcore pornographic film industry. Written with full co-operation from Jean Rollin, shortly before his death in 2010, it contains exclusive interviews and archive material.

 This book is one of my new favorites to add to my film book collection.  It starts off as a biography, including events that shaped his visions for his films, before changing over to a reference book and providing essays and descriptions about each of Rollin's films.    Nothing is left uncovered in this book.  It discusses all his more well known films, along with his lesser known ones, and films he directed under a couple of different names!  It also covers his foray into hardcore pornography films in the mid to late 70's, and then finishes up with info on his short films and some unfinished projects he had in the works.   The book also contains an in-depth interview the author did with Rollin at his Paris apartment back in 2005, as well as a bibliography (I didn't even know Rollins was an author himself until reading this book), and a filmography of all his films. 

 The real meat of this book is the essay section of each of his most well known films.   These are 6-7 page essays and descriptions of each film, full of great information and behind the scenes info on anything from funding issues to trouble with some of the actors and actresses.   Hinds really leaves nothing to the imagination and gives you more info than you probably ever thought you needed on these films.   

  A couple more things I have to mention is the actual book design itself.   It's not an oversized book like a lot of film books are.  It's just a tad bigger than a trade paperback, so it travels well.   It would be great for a plane or bus ride, although you might get some funny looks due to the awesome cover art!    The book also contains hundreds of pictures throughout the book from all of Rollin's films.  All the pics of the film scenes and poster art are very interesting. 

 If you are a fan of European horror cinema, and especially of Jean Rollin, this is a must have book to add to your collection!

CLICK HERE to purchase the book from Headpress Books

4K Ultra HD Review: ALICE, SWEET ALICE (1976)

 ALICE, SWEET ALICE

Directed by:  Alfred Sole

Distributed by:  Arrow Video / MVD Entertainment

 I love an old classic horror film.  I love slasher films.  I really love old classic slasher films that I have never seen before.   That's right, I am confessing that I call myself a horror movie buff, but I have never seen the 1976 film, ALICE, SWEET ALICE.   I have heard of it forever, but for some reason just had never sat down to watch it.  Well, that changed now with Arrow Video's new 4K UHD edition that just came out this week! 

Here is the plot synopsis from the Arrow Films website:

 A young Brooke Shields meets an untimely end in this religious-themed proto slasher par excellence from director Alfred Sole.

 On the day of her first communion, young Karen (Brooke Shields) is savagely murdered by an unknown assailant in a yellow rain mac and creepy translucent mask. But the nightmare is far from over - as the knife-wielding maniac strikes again and again, Karen's bereaved parents are forced to confront the possibility that Karen's wayward sister Alice might be the one behind the mask.

 Bearing influences from the likes of Hitchcock, the then-booming Italian giallo film and more specifically, Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now, Alice, Sweet Alice is an absolutely essential - if often overlooked - entry in the canon of 1970s American horror.

 This is a unique film, as it feels like a perfect blend of slasher and giallo films.   It was originally titled COMMUNION, but released theatrically as ALICE, SWEET ALICE.  It was then re-released under the new title, HOLY TERROR to play on the fact that new star Brooke Shields was in the film.   In fact, they even changed the opening credits to give her top billing, even though she was only in the film for about the first 10 minutes!    There is a special feature on this release that shows all three openings on split screen at the same time to compare, which was very interesting. 

 ALICE, SWEET ALICE was more than just a slasher film, as in most slashers you know who is doing the killing.  This movie was a great mystery as well, as we did not know who the killer was until it was reveled.  At least, I didn't figure it until it was reveled, which came as quite a shock to me.  I had a list of 2 or three people I thought it was, but I was very wrong!    

  If you are a fan of Arrow Video, you know that they are one of the best physical media companies around.   They have always been known for great releases with tons of great special features.  This release is no different, and this new 4K UHD version looks and sounds amazing!  It's always so interesting to me that they can make a movie that is almost 50 years old look so crisp and clean, like it was just filmed recently.   If you are fan of slashers, giallos, or just really good murder mysteries, do yourself a favor and check out this new release of ALICE, SWEET ALICE!  

  ALICE, SWEET ALICE is available now from Arrow Video and MVD Entertainment and contains the following special features:

• Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD presentations of three versions via seamless branching: Communion (original), Alice, Sweet Alice (theatrical) and Holy Terror (re-release)
• Original lossless mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary with Richard Harland Smith
• Archival audio commentary with co-writer/director Alfred Sole and editor M. Edward Salier
• First Communion: Alfred Sole Remembers Alice, Sweet Alice - director Alfred Sole looks back on his 1976 classic
• Alice on My Mind - a brand new interview with composer Stephen Lawrence
• In the Name of the Father
• brand new interview with actor Niles McMaster
• Sweet Memories: Dante Tomaselli on Alice, Sweet Alice - filmmaker Dante Tomaselli, cousin of Alfred Sole, discusses his longtime connection to the film
• Lost Childhood: The Locations of Alice, Sweet Alice
• a tour of the original Alice, Sweet Alice shooting locations hosted by author Michael Gingold
• Deleted scenes
• Split-screen version comparison
• Trailer and TV Spot
• Image gallery, including the original screenplay
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
• Illustrated collectors booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD Limited Edition set

4K ULTRA HD/BD Review: EVILENKO (2003)

 

EVILENKO

Written & Directed by:  David Grieco

Distributed by:  Unearthed Films / MVD Entertainment

 Serial killer movies are one of my favorite sub-genres of horror.   I love true crime stories, so was pretty intrigued when this one showed up for review.   EVILENKO is based on the book "The Communist That Ate Children" by David Grieco, who also wrote and directed this film.   That book, and this film, were based on the true story of serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.  Here is a bit about him from Wikipedia: 

  Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo was a Ukrainian-born Soviet serial killer nicknamed "the Butcher of Rostov", "the Rostov Ripper", and "the Red Ripper" who sexually assaulted, murdered, and mutilated at least fifty-two women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Russian SSFR, the Ukranian SSR, and the Uzbek SSR.

  Chikatilo confessed to fifty-six murders; he was tried for fifty-three murders in April 1992. He was convicted and sentenced to death for fifty-two of these murders in October 1992, although the Supreme Court of Russia ruled in 1993 that insufficient evidence existed to prove his guilt in nine of those killings. Chikatilo was executed by gunshot in February 1994

 I had never heard of this serial killer before, and it got me thinking about how many serial killers there have probably been all over the world that we just don't know about here in the states.   We typically just know about all the U.S. serial killers, so it was interesting to hear about one that was completely new to me. 

 Here is a brief synopsis of the film from the Unearthed Films website:

Based on the shocking true story of the former Soviet Union's most notorious serial killer, this riveting, haunting film explores the mind of a true monster; a man who mutilated and devoured more than 50 children. For years, Andrei Evilenko (Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange, Gangster No. 1, TV's "Entourage") eluded the obsessive Detective Lesiev (Marton Csokas, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, xXx, Aeon Flux) and the psychiatric profiler Aron Richter (Ronald Pickup, The Chronicles of Narnia). Spurred on by his rabid fury at the gradual crumbling of his precious Soviet Union, Evilenko is a man who will live, die and kill as a communist. The haunting melodies of composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive) and writer-director David Grieco's stark imagination have created a portrait of a serial killer that will resound in the psyches of us all.

  Let me start by saying that EVILENKO will not be for everyone.   It will be triggering for some, especially those that have been in anyway affected by sexual abuse.  As you would expect from a film about a killer that preyed on small children, the film contains some unnerving subject matter. I will say, though, that most all of the killing are done off screen, with the viewer just seeing the aftermath of Evilenko's butcherings.   While Unearthed Films is known for it's more gorier releases,  this one does seem out of place for an Unearthed Films release, but I assume it is just the extreme subject matter that got this one picked up by them. 

 The film is shot well and wonderfully acted, especially by genre legend Malcolm McDowell who plays the title character/killer.   He does a wonderful job in this role, as he does in every role I have ever seen him in.   My one fault with this film is the pacing, as it does feel very slow and drawn out in parts.  The film has a running time of 111 minutes, which could have been trimmed down in my opinion. 

 The new 4K transfer is stunning, and is sure to be a huge leap from any previous release you might have seen. 

EVILENKO will be released on February 25th, but is available now for preorder.  The 4K/BD combo contains the following special features:

• 4K ULTRA HD + BLU-RAY | LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION CONTENTS
• *  NEW 4K restoration of the original camera negative by Unearthed Films
• *  Blu-ray of the feature film and all new extras
• DISC ONE – FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
• *  NEW 4K restoration of the original camera negative by Unearthed Films presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR
• *  NEW 2024 Commentary with writer/director David Grieco and actor Malcolm McDowell
• *  DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• *  Optional English SDH Subtitles
• DISC TWO – FEATURE & EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
• *  NEW 4K restoration of the original camera negative by Unearthed Films presented in 1080p HD in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio
• *  NEW 2024 Commentary with writer/director David Grieco and actor Malcolm McDowell
• *  DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• *  Optional English SDH Subtitles
• *  An 81 minute cast and crew interview collection including writer/director David Grieco, actor Malcolm McDowell and composer Angelo Badalamenti
• *  'Evilenko Dossier: Andrei Chikatilo' A 27 minute look at the real-life basis for the character of Evilenko
• *  David Grieco and Malcolm McDowell on 'Evilenko' A 69 Minute interview from 2021
• *  Photo Gallery
• *  Original Trailer

 

CLICK HERE to pre-order the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to pre-order the 4K HD/BD combo