Blu-ray review: DANZA MACABRA Vol. 3 THE SPANISH GOTHIC COLLECTION

 

DANZA MACABRA Vol. 3 THE SPANISH GOTHIC COLLECTION

NECROPHAGOUS (1971)

a.k.a. The Butcher of Binbrook

Directed by:  Miguel Madrid

CAKE OF BLOOD (1971)

a.k.a.  Pastel de Sangre

Directed by:  Francesc Bellmunt, Jaime Chavarri, Emilio Martinez Lazaro, & Jose Maria Valles

CROSS OF THE DEVIL  (1975)

Directed by:  John Gilling

THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD (1975)

a.k.a. Strange Love of the Vampires

Directed by:  Leon Klimovsky

Distributed by:  Severin Films

  If you are a fan of physical media, you are certainly familiar with Severin Films.   They distribute some of the best genre films, and their box sets are always amazing releases.   This new entry into the DANZA MACABRA sets is no different.  You can always expect the best picture quality, special features, and excellent physical packaging when Severin Films is involved. 

  DANZA MACABRA Vol. 3 features 4 more Spanish Gothic films from the 1970's.   Below is a brief synopsis of each film, courtesy of the Severin press release, followed by a few thoughts I had of each one.  

NECROPHAGOUS - The most misunderstood Spanish gothic shocker of the early ‘70s can now be reassessed like never before: A young nobleman (Bill Curran) returns to his crumbling family castle, only to learn that his wife has died giving birth to their stillborn child. But why is her coffin empty? What follows is a uniquely told shocker of grief, lust, dark secrets and the hungers of the grave. 

  

CAKE OF BLOOD - With Spanish cinema still under the oppressive Franco regime, four filmmakers banded together to create a horror anthology that examined classic themes through transgressive perceptions: Directed by José María Vallés, TAROT stars Julián Ugarte (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) in a grim tale of fanaticism set in the Middle Ages. Eusebio Poncela (THE CANNIBAL MAN) and Marisa Paredes (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER) star in VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, a unique take on Mary Shelley’s classic directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro (THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BED). TERROR AMONG CHRISTIANS, directed by Francesc Bellmunt, is a jolting vampire allegory set during Roman times. Jaime Chávarri – co-writer of VAMPYROS LESBOS and future icon of New Spanish Cinema – directs the twisted ghost story THE DANCE OR EMOTIONAL SURVIVALS starring Luis Ciges (THE CREATURE). 

CROSS OF THE DEVIL - In the early ‘70s, Spanish horror icon Jacinto Molina (aka Paul Naschy) wrote a screenplay for a Knights Templar film to compete with the popular BLIND DEAD series. Meanwhile, Hammer Films director John Gilling – whose hits for the UK studio included THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and THE REPTILE – had retired to Spain. Molina shared his script with Gilling, who took over the project without Molina. The rarely seen result is a sumptuous tale of supernatural horror in which a writer (Ramiro Oliveros of THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE) plagued by violent nightmares investigates the murder of his sister by an ancient occult order.

THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD - Though best known for his collaborations with Spanish horror star Jacinto Molina/Paul Naschy, Argentinian director León Klimovsky also crafted several of Spain’s finest vampire films of the ‘70s, especially this “magnificent” (Taliesin Meets The Vampires) 1975 gothic classic: In a 19th century village ruled by superstition, a vulnerable young woman (Emma Cohen of HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB) is seduced into an aristocratic family of the sensuous undead.

 

  I love discovering old films I have never seen before, and all four of these films fall into that catagory.  All four were entertaining, but a couple did stand out for me.   My favorite film was THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD.   With that title, I was expecting a zombie film, but instead you get a very cool vampire film.   I will say though, that these vampires rose from the graves, so it was very reminiscent of a zombie film.  I liked that aspect and hadn't really seen that in a vampire film before.  CAKE OF BLOOD was my second favorite in this set.   I am a fan of anthology films, as I like getting multiple stories in one watch.  Each short is about 20-25 mins in length which is perfect for my short attention span!   My favorite short from this anthology was "Victor Frankenstein".  It was a very different take on the Frankenstein story, with the "monster"  just looking and acting like a regular guy, although with no capacity to speak.  CROSS OF THE DEVIL was an ok film, but I did find my mind wandering at times, and even though it clocks in at just 92 mins, I felt like it really dragged in several places.   NECROPHAGOUS.....well, I don't even know what to say about this one.  I'm glad I read the plot synopsis from IMDb.com, because that is the only way I would have known what was going on with this one!  This was definitely my least favorite of the films, but the lizard man makeup was pretty funny and gave me a good laugh.  Now that I think of it, that's probably not what the filmmakers were going for here, being a horror film and all. Maybe it was scary at the time, but it definitely did not hold up with today's makeup effects.  

 Overall, this set was a fun watch.  A lot of these old Spanish horror films just have a certain charm to them.  Most are pretty tame by today's standards as well, so don't expect a lot of gore.  Severin has done another great job with this release, and I'll now be tracking down Volumes 1 and 2 for my collection!

  The DANZA MACABRA Vol. 3 Blu-ray set is available now from Severin Films.  Special Features include the following:

NECROPHAGOUS Special Features

*Audio Commentary With Andy Marshall-Roberts, Host Of The Nasty Pasty Podcast

*Something You've Never Seen – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival

*The First Horror Film Festival In The World – Remembrance By Maria Pilar Rafáles, Daughter Of Sitges Film Festival Founder Antonio Rafáles

*Trailers

CAKE OF BLOOD Special Features

*Audio Commentary With Rod Barnett Of NaschyCast And The Bloody Pit, And Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author Of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror

*My Generation – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes

*I Just Wanted To Have Fun – Interview With Co-Director Jaime Chávarri

*To Whoever Wants To Watch – Interview With Actor José Lifante

*An Arthouse UFO – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival

CROSS OF THE DEVIL Special Features

*Audio Commentary With Kim Newman, Author Of Anno Dracula, And Barry Forshaw, Author Of Brit Noir

*Fascinated By Bécquer – Interview With Screenwriter Juan José Porto

*The Real Templar Knights Movie – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival

*Fantasy And Imagination: The Legacy Of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer – Video Essay By Xavier Aldana Reyes, Author Of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration And Cultural Adaptation

THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD Special Features

*Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness

*A Deadly Invitation To Another Dimension – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival

*Leo's Signature – Interview With Writer Juan José Porto

*Dead Man Walking – Interview With Actor José Lifante

*Spain's Cinematic Vampires – Video Essay By Xavier Aldana Reyes, Author Of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration And Cultural Adaptation Alternate Spanish Credit Sequence

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the box set

Blu-ray Review: BACKWOODS DOUBLE FEATURE - COMMON LAW WIFE (1963) & JENNIE, WIFE/CHILD (1968)

BACKWOODS DOUBLE FEATURE

 

COMMON LAW WIFE

Directed by Eric Sayers & Larry Buchanan

JENNIE, WIFE/CHILD

Directed by:  Robert Carl Cohen & James Landis

 

    While horror is my main go to on this page, I like to be well rounded and cover some similar genres as well.  I have covered some Sci-fi, some Exploitation, some Sexsploitation, and even some Nunsploitation!  I thought I had covered all the different "sploitation" sub-genres, but I had been missing one.   This post will be my first foray into the Hicksploitation genre!  What is Hicksploitation you ask, well, it's basically just a sub-genre of films about the people and culture of the Southern United Sates, usually in a very stereotypical way.  

  This new BACKWOODS DOUBLE FEATURE brings two examples of Hicksploitation.   

First up is COMMON LAW WIFE from 1963.   Here is a brief synopsis courtesy of the film's press release:

  Shugfoot Rainey (George Edgley) trades in his longtime girlfriend, Linda (Annabelle Weenick) for a newer model... who just happens to be his niece, Baby Doll (Lacey Kelly). Unfortunately, his mistress does her research and discovers she is his common law wife… and he won't be able to get rid of her that easily! Directed by Eric Sayers, the film is actually spliced together with an unfinished film, Swamp Rose, directed by Larry Buchanan (Mars Needs Women, 1968; It’s Alive, (1969); Naked Witch, 1964). Marketed as an “educational film” in the original trailer, it warned its potential viewers of the lecherous lives its characters led. As parts of the film were shot a few years later, Baby Doll is allegedly played by a couple different actresses, contributing to a frenzied, not completely cohesive, storyline. It's backwoods at its best!

  Ok, after reading this synopsis, I now know I am not going crazy.  I could have sworn Baby Doll looked different in her earlier scenes.  That explains it I guess!    This was an interesting one.....very slow in parts, but it builds to a surprisingly bloody climax for this type of film.   This film reminded me of an old pulp novel come to life,  with a dramatic love triangle between Baby Doll, Shugfoot, and Sheriff Jody.   Although Baby Doll does have a fling with the local moonshiner, Bull, so I guess it's more of a love rectangle.   Obviously Linda doesn't like Baby Doll coming in and taking Shugfoot from her, and is persistent on staying with Shugfoot no matter what.    All this builds to the climax that I mentioned previously.   While this is the lesser of the two films on this set in my opinion, it's still worth a watch. 

The next film is JENNIE, WIFE/CHILD from 1968.   Here is a brief synopsis of the film:

In Jennie, Wife/Child, aka Albert Peckingpaw’s Revenge, Albert Peckingpaw (Jack Lester) takes Jennie (Beverly Lundsford) to be his wife... But Jennie is a whole lot younger and has her eye on the young farm hand, Mario (Jim Reader)! Old Man Peckingpaw is bound to find out what's happening on his farm sooner or later and, when he does, watch out! A catchy theme song draws you in immediately and the film features even more country-style earworms throughout. Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond, a later Oscar winner for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), elevates this film above others in the genre.

 This was my favorite of the two films in this set by far.   I didn't know what to expect from a film with this title, and I was a little concerned there would be a major cringe factor from the WIFE/CHILD portion of the title.  Rest easy, though, as Jennie is far from a "child".  She is in fact 20 years old, so we are safe from that worry!   This film has so much more action and plot to it in my opinion.    Jennie and Mario form a relationship while Mario is working for Mr. Peckingpaw.  There is a lot of sneaking around by both parties, and eventually they proclaim their love for each other and form a plot to steal Peckingpaw's money and run away together. 

  The main thing that caught my attention was the style of this film.   It was very unique in the way they used silent film era story cards throughout the film to set up certain scenes.  I thought that was a unique touch and one I hadn't seen before in a non silent film.   The music is also fun in this film.  It is very campy and the songs were original songs made for this film, as they sung about what was happening and used the characters names in the songs.   I also need to mention how good some of the shots were in this film.  Some of the shots I felt were way ahead of their time and really set this movie apart from the first feature on this set.    After reading the plot synopsis, and seeing Vilmos Zsigmond mentioned as the film's Cinematographer, it makes sense now.   He has been the Cinematographer or Director of Photography for many great films over the years.  In addition to CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND as mentioned above, he also worked on DELIVERANCE, THE DEER HUNTER,  and THE BLACK DAHLIA among many other great films. 

 One thing I like about these films, is their charm.   They are very tame by today's standards, but I can see how a few scenes from these films were probably very disturbing when they first came out.  

  This is great set and one I highly recommend.   BACKWOODS DOUBLE FEATURE is available now on DVD & Blu-ray, and contains the following Special Features:

* Ballyhoo Motion Pictures documentary, That’s Hicksploitation: The Origin of Southern Sinema

* Archival audio commentary for Common Law Wife by director of Swamp Rose, Larry Buchanan, and film historian/Mondo Digital founder, Nathaniel Thompson

* New, feature-length commentary for Common Law Wife by Millie De Chirico, film programmer, writer and host of the podcast I Saw What you Did, and Ben Cheaves, programmer at Turner Classic Movies

* Full-length commentary for Jennie Wife/Child by Millie De Chirico 

* Liner notes by Lisa Petrucci

* Original, restored trailer for Common Law Wife

* Newly created trailer by Film Masters for Jennie, Wife/Child.

CLICK HERE to watch the BACKWOODS DOUBLE FEATURE trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: STOPMOTION (2023)

STOPMOTION

Directed by:  Robert Morgan

Distributed by:  Acorn Media International /AMC

  I remember seeing the trailer for this film a while back, and thinking how bizarre it looked with it's mixture of stopmotion animation and live action. I also remember the stopmotion puppets looking so disturbing.  It really piqued my interest.   I got the chance to watch it finally, and my initial thoughts were correct.  This film is both bizarre and disturbing.   

  Here is a brief synopsis of the film from the film's official press release:

  Following the death of her overbearing mother, stop-motion animator Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi – The Fall, Game of Thrones, God's Creatures), is struggling to control her demons. She embarks on a new film project; in the hope it will channel her creativity and help her escape her problems… but it soon becomes the battleground for her sanity. As Ella’s fragile mind starts to fracture, the characters in her movie take on a life of their own and things spiral into an unimaginable nightmarish hellscape.

  Franciosi gives another outstanding turn as a talented stop-motion artist who becomes completely consumed by the grotesque world of her horrifying creations – with deadly results.

  I have always loved stopmotion films, and I admire the creativity and the strict discipline it takes to create one.  This film has some of the best and most fluid stopmotion animation I have ever seen.   Looking at Director Robert Morgan's IMDb page, it looks as though he is a long time professional solely dealing in the stopmotion form of filmmaking.  This comes as no surprise to me, as I could tell whoever did this animation was a vet of the genre.   The movements of the characters is beautiful, even though the characters themselves are the exact opposite.  

  This isn't just another scary horror film as you may think, it is actually quite complex and is more of a psychological horror.   There are many things going on and at times, it's hard to tell what is real and what is only happing in Ella's twisted mind.  In fact, some of the things you think are real near the beginning of the film, turn out to have not been real at all.   I would love to go into more detail about this, but I don't want to spoil anything.   I'll let you watch and be as surprised as I was hopefully. 

  The film starts off a little slow at first, and almost seems like a weird arthouse/horror mix at the beginning.  This changes abruptly for the last half of the film and turns into a disgusting nightmare of gore.   There are a lot of creepy visuals and images in this film.  As I alluded to earlier, the stopmotion puppets are pretty gross and disgusting to look at.    Mix that in with a few nice jump scares and some unsettling sound effects and music, and you have a good recipe for some disturbing horror!   

STOPMOTION is available now on DVD and Blu-ray and includes the following Special Features:

*Interview with star Aisling Franciosi

*Interview with director Robert Morgan

*Behind-the-scenes of Stopmotion

*Subtitles

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Movie Reveiw: KILL (2023)

KILL

Written by:  Nikhil Nagesh Bhat & Ayesha Syed

Directed by:  Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

  I know what you're thinking...this is a horror blog, why are you reviewing an action film?  Well, first off, it's my blog and I can review what I want!  Ha!  The real reason, though, is because this is one of the goriest and bloodiest action films I have ever witnessed.   I say "witnessed" instead of just watched, because this was an event, and one that made you feel you were right there in the thick of the action and riding along with them on this crazy train ride!   Before I go on any further, here is a brief synopsis from the film's press release:

  Star-crossed lovers Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) and Amrit (Lakshya) find their clandestine relationship jeopardized after Tulika’s family whisks her aboard the Rajdhani Express bound for both New Delhi and an arranged marriage. But commandos Amrit and his friend are far from willing to let fate dictate their story. They embark on a “rescue” mission that turns into a gory adventure. Just when the stakes couldn’t get any higher, the train hurtles into chaos as a gang of 40 blade-wielding bandits storms in. Amrit and his friend employ their combat skills to protect the passengers. The train’s confines transform into a claustrophobic battleground, where martial arts meet mayhem. 

  Drawing inspiration from the real-life “dacoits” who once wreaked havoc on Indian trains, KILL takes this high-concept premise that blurs the lines between duty and emotion. In a world where every twist of the track could mean life or death, KILL paints a portrait of how far a man can go in love to rewrite his destiny.

  Let me start by saying this is one of the best action movies I have ever seen.  It is brilliantly acted and shot, and like I mentioned before, it really puts you in the middle of the action.  I felt at times like I was one of the passengers on the train dodging fists and knives left and right!  

  While a lot of movies are slow with character development and don't get into the action until the last half or third of the film, KILL proves it is not like any other action film you may have seen.   You get about a 15 minute setup, and then the action starts and never lets up.  This films is beyond tense, with many scenes that made me audibly gasp, or physically react by tensing up or cringing in shock.   This film had me physically and literally on the edge of my seat by the end.  

  KILL is like JOHN WICK on an adrenaline overdose, and makes the JOHN WICK movies look like made for TV,  PG-13 films.   

  To go with the action, there was also a surprising amount of emotion in this film, including one of the most beautiful endings to an action film I think I have ever seen.   This film is breathtaking, and is a new modern classic that future films will be judged against. This is one film you will not want to miss! 

  KILL is one hell of a thrill ride, and one I will be revisiting in theaters for sure!  

 

KILL will be released in theaters here in the U.S. starting July 4th!   

CLICK HERE to watch the Green Band Trailer

CLICK HERE to watch the Red Band Trailer

Movie Review: TIGER STRIPES (2023)

TIGER STRIPES 
Written & Directed by:   Amanda Nell Eu

  After seeing the trailer for TIGER STRIPES, I was very intrigued.   It didn't really look like a horror film, but IMDb list it as Horror/Body Horror.  I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.   Here is a brief synopsis from the film's press release:

The first amongst her friends to hit puberty, Zaffan, 12, discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracised by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning that to be free she must embrace the body she feared, emerging as a proud, strong woman.

  The first thing I thought of while watching this film, was that is it reminded me of a Malaysian version of CARRIE.   The focus of the film is on Zaffan and her changing body as she is the first among her friends to go through puberty.   While Carrie went through changes and lashed out with her telekinetic powers, Zaffan lashes out in a more primal, animalistic way.   While the changes are subtle at first, they begin to slowly increase and cause visible physical changes, ranging from scars all over her body to whiskers and even a tail!   To be honest, the transformation is not the focus of the film like you might expect from a Horror film.   I feel like the focus is more on the social dynamics with her friends and family, and the changes her relationships with them go through.  That is the real transformation of TIGER STRIPES. 

 Although listed as a Horror film, it is not true horror like you might be used to reading about on the 4H blog.   This is more of a dark drama with Horror elements throughout.    There is little to no gore, except for one scene where the Doctor that is trying to heal Zaffan makes her mad, and finds out the hard way what she is capable of when she is angry.    Please note, there is a bit of animal mutilation and death in this film, which I know some people are sensitive to.   It's not done in a explotive way, though, and is obviously fake/special effects. 

  The acting in this film is superb, especially from young star Zafreen Zairizal who plays Zaffan.  The film is shot very well also, with a beautiful backdrop courtesy of the Malaysian terrain. 

  TIGER STRIPES was the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Critic's Week Grand Prize Winner and is in select theaters now, and will be streaming VOD on July 9th!

CEMETERY MAN (aka DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE) (1994)

CEMETERY MAN

Directed by: Michele Soavi
Distributed by: Severin Films

After talking with other Horror fans, I am amazed at how few know about the film CEMETERY MAN. The film is directed by Italian director Michele Soavi and is known by the alternative/original Italian name of DELLAMORTE DELLAMORTE. The film was made in 1994 and remains to this day one of my top 5 Zombie films of all time. The film stars Rupert Everett as Francesco Dellamorte, the caretaker of a cemetery. For some reason, every body buried in this cemetery rises from the grave after the 7th day of being buried. Francesco is fine with killing the "returners" as he calls them, until a woman he falls in love with is killed and is buried in the cemetery. Here is a more detailed description from the Severin Films press release:

Two-time BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Rupert Everett (ANOTHER COUNTRY, MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING) stars as cemetery watchman Francesco Dellamorte, tasked with dispatching the recently deceased when they rise from their graves. But when he falls in love with a beautiful young widow (Anna Falchi), will his resurrected lust for life become greater than his bond with death? François Hadji-Lazaro (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) co-stars in the finest erotic romantic existential black comedy zombie gorefest of our time, featuring a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the Cinecittà negative and over 3 hours of Special Features – including new interviews with Soavi and Everett.!

I have been a fan of this film for years, and was super excited to be able to check this film out again, this time on 4K UHD. This is quite the upgrade from my old DVD copy that I have had for years and have watched many times. This is not your typical zombie film. I have always described it as an "Art House" style zombie film. The zombies are really more of a side story, as the love story is the real focus here. The film is shot beautifully and has an amazing soundtrack. It truly is a beautful film, which you can't really say about most zombie movies.

Check this movie out if you haven't seen it already...it might be one of your new faves you didn't even know was out there! CEMETERY MAN is available now on Blu-Ray or 4K UHD and contains the following Special Features:

*  Audio Commentary by Director Michele Soavi and Screenwriter Gianni Romoli

*  At the Graves - Interview with Michele Soavi

*  Of Love and Death  -Interview with actor Rupert Everett

*  She - Interview with actress Anna Falchi

*  Italian Trailer (only available on the UHD release)

*  English Trailer  (only available on the UHD release)

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD