GUEST REVIEW: THE WOMAN & OFFSRING [4K UHD Limited Edition]

-------------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------------------

THE WOMAN

Directed by Lucky McKee

OFFSPRING

Directed by Andrew van den Houten

 When you think about big names in horror fiction, certain names flash into mind: Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, etc.  But you would be remiss if you did not include Jack Ketchum in that list.  Ketchum wrote some of the most horrific and terrifying novels ever published, and he was a true master of the genre (he passed away in 2018).

 

  Ketchum coordinated with a couple of directors to turn two of his books into movies:  OFFSPRING and THE WOMAN.  (Technically, THE WOMAN was published after the movie was released, but from what I understand Ketchum already had the idea when OFFSPRING was originally published).  Both movies deal with cannibalism and torture, and both have merits…but I must confess I liked THE WOMAN a lot better than OFFSPRING.

 

If you are unfamiliar with either movie, here is the plot synopsis of this set courtesy of Arrow Video:

 Almost a decade after Lucky McKee burst upon the indie horror scene and became a 'Master of Horror' in the making thanks to his directorial debut May, he teamed up with legendary cult author Jack Ketchum for his most shocking and brutal film to date: The Woman, an instant cause célèbre on its Sundance premiere.

The Woman (Pollyanna McIntosh, The Walking Dead) is the last surviving member of a deadly clan of feral cannibals that has roamed the American wilderness for decades. When successful country lawyer Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers, Room) stumbles upon her whilst hunting in the woods, he decides to capture and "civilize" her with the help of his seemingly perfect all-American family, including his wife Belle (Angela Bettis, May) and daughter Peggy (Lauren Ashley Carter, Darling). The Cleeks will soon learn, however, that hell hath no fury like The Woman scorned...

 Experience McKee and Ketchum's uncompromisingly twisted vision of the dark side of the American family in a definitive edition, including a 4K remaster, a slew of bonus features, and a bonus disc featuring a restoration of its gut-churning 2009 predecessor Offspring, also starring McIntosh.

 

 OFFSPRING is a movie based on his book of the same name.  The book is a follow-up to his controversial debut Off Season, which many critics and reviewers deemed “violent pornography”.  Even so, I am curious as to why the filmmakers decided to make a movie based on the sequel when there was no adaptation for the first one at the time.  I would love to see Off Season translated to the screen.

 

OFFSPRING is a decent film, but it’s a bit confusing to start off (probably because it’s actually a sequel).  The opening scenes use newspaper headlines to sorta build the foundation of the story, which again does help a little bit, but it is still not enough to make a solid start.  The story itself is intriguing enough to warrant attention, and it unfolds at a nice pace within its 79 minute runtime.  Still, I would have liked more clarity as to what was happening and why.

 

 The 4K transfer looks excellent compared to previous versions, and if you don’t believe me there’s a comparison video in the Special Features.  This video runs clips from the movie in both resolutions side-by-side so you can see the difference.  And wow, is there a difference!  The 4K transfer is much more colorful and takes the graininess out of the low-light scenes. 

 

 THE WOMAN is a direct sequel to OFFSPRING and pretty much picks up where its predecessor ends.  This film is much better in my opinion.  It ratchets up the intensity and makes better use of Pollyanna McIntosh’s acting skills.  McIntosh does a superb job of portraying the feral Woman once again, and it’s easy to see why she was selected for the role. 

 

 Like OFFSPRING, the 4K transfer for this film looks great as well.  I had a Blu-ray copy of this film years ago, but I don’t remember what the picture quality was like…it would be interesting to see a side-by-side of it compared with this.

 

 Ketchum set a high standard bar for horror, and both films aim to reach it.  THE WOMAN gets closer to that goal than OFFSPRING, but both films are fun to watch and definitely worth owning.  This Arrow set is a fine addition to any horror fan’s collection, and I feel it would make Jack Ketchum proud.  

THE WOMAN & OFFSRING Box Set is available now and contains the following Special Features:

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 4K restorations of The Woman and Offspring, supervised and approved by Lucky McKee and Andrew van den Houten
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork for both films by Vanessa McKee
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing by Michael Blyth, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Kevin Kovelant

DISC ONE - THE WOMAN (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

• 4K restoration supervised and approved by Lucky McKee
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director Lucky McKee, editor Zach Passero, sound designer Andrew Smetek and composer Sean Spillane
• Audio commentary with star Pollyanna McIntosh
• Audio commentary with critic Scott Weinberg
• Archive commentary with director Lucky McKee
• Dad on the Wall, a 75-minute fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes documentary filmed by the director's father Mike McKee
• Being Peggy Cleek, an interview with star Lauren Ashley Carter
• Malam Domesticam, an archive making-of featurette
• Meet the Makers, a short featurette on the making of the film
• Deleted scenes
• ¡Mi Burro!, a short film by editor Zach Passero
• "Distracted" music video by Sean Spillane
• Frightfest Total Film Panel Discussion, a 2011 onstage chat about the future of American indie horror at the popular horror film festival, featuring Lucky McKee, Andrew van den Houten, Larry Fessenden, Adam Green, Joe Lynch and Ti West
• Theatrical trailers
• Image galleries

DISC TWO - OFFSPRING (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

• 4K restoration supervised and approved by Andrew van den Houten
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director/producer Andrew van den Houten and digital colorist Matt McClain
• Archive commentary with writer Jack Ketchum, director/producer Andrew van den Houten and producer/cinematographer William M. Miller
• Interview with Pollyanna McIntosh and Andrew van den Houten
• Fly on the Wall, a behind-the-scenes documentary
• Extended interview with Jack Ketchum
• Restoration comparison
• Audition comparison
• Progeny: The Birth of Offspring, an archive behind-the-scenes featurette including interviews with cast and crew
• First Stolen's Bailout, an archive behind-the-scenes featurette
• Webisodes, short featurettes used to promote the film online
• Archive Easter Eggs
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K Ultra HD limited edition set

Blu-ray Review: THE PROFANE EXHIBIT (2013)

THE PROFANE EXHIBIT

Distributed by:  Unearthed Films/MVD

  If you are a fan of Unearthed Films, you have probably been following the release of THE PROFANE EXHIBIT for years!  This has been a highly anticipated release, but was delayed for years for reasons I am not sure of.   Well, the wait is over as Unearthed Films has finally released the DVD and  Blu-ray of THE PROFANE EXHIBIT!    

  This is an anthology style film with small short films pieced together, with each section being directed by a different director.   This project brought together 10 top directors of underground horror, giving us a very unique film made by some filmmakers with varying styles.  

Here is the very simple plot from the MVD website:

 Ten renowned horror movie directors from all over the world have recreated their most gruesome dreams and frenzied nightmares

THE PROFANE EXHIBIT contains the following segments:

MOTHER MAY I  - Directed by Anthony DiBlasi

HELL CHEF - Directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura

BASEMENT - Directed by Uwe Boll

THE BRIDGE - Directed by Ruggero Deodato 

TOPHET QUOROM - Directed by Sergio Stivaletti

GOODWIFE - Directed by Ryan Nicholson 

MORS IN TABULA - Directed by Marian Dora

SINS OF THE FATHER - Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

MANNA - Directed by Todd Schneider 

AMUSE BOUCHE - Directed by Jeremy Kasten 

 I had been looking forward to this release for years.  It was mentioned regularly in the horror community, and at some point I think we all gave up on seeing it.  Thankfully, Unearthed Films didn't give up and have finally released this for our viewing pleasure!   Like most anthologies, not all of the segments were a hit for me, but I liked most of them for sure.   This release is unique in it showcases the works of two directors that are no longer with us.  Ryan Nicholson passed away back in 2019 and Ruggero Deodato passed away in 2022, with his contribution to this anthology being his last film project.  

  Of all the segments of this anthology, my favorite was Ryan Nicholson's GOODWIFE.  It tells the tale of what seems to be a normal husband, but he has a secret in the form of a naked woman he's holding captive in his basement.   Apparently this normal looking middle class man is a serial killer, and when his wife finds all his "souvenirs" from his past kills,  her reaction is not anything like what you'd expect!   This segment was among the goriest, which is to be expected if you have followed Nicholson's career. 

  One of the other goriest segments was Todd Schneider's MANNA.   This film has no dialog and is just a series of very gory images and scenes, including some cannibalism themes.   The effects in this segment are very well done and very realistic looking.   

  Another of my favorite segments was Yoshihiro Nishimura's HELL CHEF.   I have seen some Japanese films before where the gore/blood is represented by red balls, or streamers or something similar.  This film had that element in it which I have always found unique and interesting. 

  The film segments I mentioned alone are worth getting this film, but there were many other segments that were very good, and only a couple that I didn't care for at all.    Overall this is a great addition to the Unearthed Films library and one you should add to your collection as well! 

THE PROFANE EXHIBIT is available now from Unearthed Films and MVD, and contains the following Special Features:

• Audio Commentary by Director Michael Todd Schneider, Producer Amanda Manuel and Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger
• World Premiere Interview
• World Premiere Q&A
• 'Ten Years Later' by Marian Dora
• Sergio Stivaletti's Tophet Quorum
• Awakened Manna
• Tiffany Blem Interviews Michael Todd Schneider
• Tiffany Blem Interviews Uwe Boll
• Tiffany Blem Interviews Amanda Manuel
• Tiffany Blem Interviews Jeremy Kasten
• Galleries
• Trailer

CLICK HERE to watch the  trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Book Review: THE ART OF HORROR

THE ART OF HORROR

Edited by:  Stephen Jones

Published by:  Applause Books

 

  

  If you are not familiar with Applause Books, here is a bit about them from their website:

Applause Theatre & Cinema Books

Now in its fourth decade, Applause Theatre & Cinema Books is America's foremost publisher of theatre, cinema, and TV books. Our books range from biographies of film and theatre luminaries to playscripts, librettos, monologue books, and explorations of film, TV, and theatre history. Applause is an imprint of Globe Pequot.

  I am a huge fan of horror art books, they are so much fun to look through and they contain the history of horror films right at your fingertips.   THE ART OF HORROR:  AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY is one of the best horror art books I have come across.  This beautiful coffee table sized book is a must have for all fans of the horror genre. 

 Here is more about this book, again from the Applause Books website:

The Art of Horror – a celebration of frightful images, compiled and presented by some of the genre's most respected names. While acknowledging the beginnings of horror-related art in legends and folk tales, the focus of the book is on how the genre has presented itself to the world since the creations of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley first became part of the public consciousness in the 19th century. It's all here: from early engravings – via dust jackets, book illustrations, pulp magazines, movie posters, comic books, and paintings – to today's artists working entirely in the digital realm. Editor Stephen Jones and his stellar team of contributors have sourced visuals from archives and private collections (including their own) worldwide, ensuring an unprecedented selection that is accessible to those discovering the genre, while also including many images that will be rare and unfamiliar to even the most committed fan. From the shockingly lurid to the hauntingly beautiful – including images of vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, demons, serial killers, alien invaders, and more – every aspect of the genre is represented in ten themed chapters. Quotes from artists/illustrators, and a selection from writers and filmmakers, are featured throughout.

  I have read a few of these type books in the past, but this is one of the best ones by far!   While a lot of art books just show art and have a caption with a little description about it, this book goes way beyond that with in depth articles about the art, the actors, the films and the characters.  This is much more than just an art book, so by calling it that I feel I am doing it a little disservice.  

  This book doesn't just cover one aspect of horror, it covers it all!   From ancient Egyptian wall drawings found in pyramids representing horrors in real life, to the modern day slasher and monster films.   I like that it also doesn't just cover one type of media.   While there is a ton of horror film art, it also has the art from old comic books and horror magazines.

  THE ART OF HORROR is available now and should be in any horror fan's library!    Here are some pics of what the book looks like on the inside.    Do yourself a favor and grab this book while you can!

CLICK HERE to purchase the book from Amazon

Blu-ray Review: A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE (1977)

 

A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE

Directed by:  Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi

Distributed by:  Severin Films / MVD

 Severin Films has always been one of my favorite distribution companies.   They put out some amazing releases of classics that are well known, but then they release some very obscure, hidden gem type titles that you may have never heard of.   Such was the case for me with the recent release of the 1977 film, A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE!   Here is the plot synopsis from the Severin Films website:

  Less than two years after the end of Spain’s oppressive Franco regime, Goya Award winning filmmaker Antonio Isasi (THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, SUMMERTIME KILLER) co-wrote and directed the action blockbuster that shocked European audiences and became one of the most culturally-charged survival thrillers of the decade: Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jason Miller (THE EXORCIST, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) “gives a fantastic performance” (This Is Quiet Cool) as a political prisoner who escapes custody, only to be relentlessly pursued by a military dictatorship dog driven to hate, hunt and kill. Donatello Award winner Lea Massari (L’AVVENTURA) and Goya Award winners Marisa Paredes (HIGH HEELS) and Juan Antonio Bardem (THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER) co-star in “one of a master director’s most significant films” (Madriz), now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.

  While not a horror film in the regular sense of the word, I feel this film is definitely a close cousin to the horror genre.  While is is definitely more of an Action/Thriller, there are some horror elements to it for sure, including a bit of gore.  You could classify this as a creature feature for sure, in the likes of JAWS, or any other film where animals attack and kill humans.  The dog in this film is trained to kill, and does not give up until he gets his man!   

  At the very beginning, when the star of the film, Aristides, is shown, I knew I had seen that actor somewhere.  After looking on IMDb, I kicked myself for not realizing this was the actor that played Father Karras in 1973's THE EXORCIST.   I don't recall ever seeing him in anything other than THE EXORCIST before, so that was fun to see him in completely different role.   He does some things in this film that Father Karras would definitely not be proud of!

 The action in this film is great, with the intensity of the dog chasing right behind Aristides throughout the film.  There were some very cool camera shots, making it look like we were seeing what was happening through the dog's eyes.  The intensity never lets up, until the film comes to the end with a bang!   Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean!  

 The film is unique in that it starts like a typical 1970's grindhouse type film, but then transitions to more of a political drama/action film in the 2nd half.   That being said, I did feel in 2nd half of the film dragged on a bit in some sections, and the 115 minute run time could have been trimmed down a bit in my opinion.   That is my only complaint with this film, though, as overall I found it very enjoyable and am happy to have discovered this one!  

 One thing I must note, is that this film does depict some violence against the dog, but that dog did his fair share of damage as well!   I know violence against animals bothers some people, so just wanted to throw that out there before you watch it.  Rest assured, through, that no animals were harmed in the filming of this movie.   There is even a disclaimer from the director before the movie starts letting you know this.  

 If you like creature feature type horror films, and action/ survivalist films, you'll want to check this one out for sure!

A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE is available now from Severin Films and contains the following Special Features:

• A Film Ahead Of Its Time – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
• Memories Of A Guerilla Woman – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes
• Daughter Of Titans – Interview With María Isasi, Daughter Of Director Antonio Isasi And Actress Marisa Paredes
• Trailer

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

4K ULTRA HD Review: THE CONVENT (2000)

 

THE CONVENT 

Directed by:  Mike Mendez

Distributed by:  Synapse Films / MVD

  I am not sure how this film avoided my radar, but not only have I never seen THE CONVENT, I have never even heard of it!   I find this very odd, as it was so much fun!   How did I miss this one all these years!!   Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Synapse Films website:

In 1960, a young woman named Christine enters St. Francis Boarding School for Girls and lays waste to the resident nuns. Four decades later, a group of college students head to the long-abandoned building late one night to tag it with their fraternity letters, little knowing that rumors of the place being haunted are terrifyingly true. Stir in a couple of disapproving cops and a band of unlikely Satanists, and the table is set for a feast of demonic infestation and bloodshed that only the grown-up Christine (Adrienne Barbeau, THE FOG, SWAMP THING) can possibly stop.

  

 This film had me hooked from the very beginning.  In fact, this might be one of the coolest movie openings of all time.  The movie shows us young  Christine going into a convent and wreaking havoc, shooting up the place, and burning the priest and nuns.  This is done in slow motion, to the tune of "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore.  This is such an effective opening, and the music is perfect for this opening scene.   

  We don't really know why Christine is doing this, but later in the film we get the full story of why she did it from the adult Christine, played by horror legend Adrienne Barbeau.   Speaking of horror royalty, we also get to see the great Bill Moseley in this film, although I was not a fan of his part.  He plays a cop alongside an interesting casting choice in rapper Coolio.  They play a very comedic pair, which was very reminiscent of the horribly out of place cops in THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.  The comic relief was not needed in that film, and it wasn't needed here either. 

  

  This film reminded me of movies like, DEMONS, and NIGHT OF THE DEMONS.  If you liked those films, you will love this one.   Although made in 2000, it had more of a feel of a 80's or 90's film, and that is a compliment for sure!    The film was full of some great practical effects, and the makeup effects on the main demon were amazing, utilizing some sort of glowing make up to make it look like her veins were glowing a cool blue color.  Very well done!  

 While I never saw an older version to compare it to, I have to say that his 4K UHD version looks amazing.   Very vibrant colors and super sharp picture!  If you have an older DVD of this film, you'll definitely want to do yourself a favor and make an upgrade to the 4K Ultra HD disc!

  THE CONVENT is available now from Synapse Films and MVD Entertainment and contains the following special features:

• *Limited Edition Combo (4K UHD + Blu-ray) Release of only 4000 units total
• *Limited Edition Slipcover only on this combo release
• *4K remaster of the uncut version supervised and approved by director, Mike Mendez
• *Mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• *5.1 stereo surround mix from the original 16-track audio masters
• *Cast and crew audio commentary, featuring director Mike Mendez
• *“Lords of Hell” audio commentary featuring Saul and Dickie-Boy
• *Video tour of both THE CONVENT and KILLERS film locations
• *Vintage “Making of” featurette
• *Vintage original studio Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
• *“It’s Always Something with a Virgin” Liner notes booklet from Corey Danna
• *Deleted scene
• *Gore outtakes
• *Still gallery
• *Promotional trailers
• *Reversible cover art

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD

Blu-ray Review: DOLL GRAVEYARD (2005)

 

DOLL GRAVEYARD

Directed by:  Charles Band

Distributed by:  Full Moon Features

 Full Moon Films has always been one of my favorite horror film companies.  They were a staple of my childhood, especially their Puppet Master films.   They have many "puppet" films in their film library, such as DOLLMAN VS. DEMONIC TOYS, BLOOD DOLLS, OOGA BOOGA, and the aforementioned PUPPET MASTER films.   I have always really enjoyed the creepy doll movies, so I was super excited to get a chance to see DOLL GRAVEYARD.    This is one of the few Full Moon "puppet" films I haven't ever seen before.  

 Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Full Moon Horror Website:

 In 1905 a lonely 12-year-old girl named Sophia escapes the miseries of her home life by playing with her creepy handmade dolls. When her abusive father forces her to bury her beloved playthings in the backyard, she "slips" and breaks her neck. To cover up his negligence, Sophie's father decides to entomb his child's body right along with her "friends". 

 100 years later, young Guy Fillbrook and his family move into the very same house and when playing out back he inadvertently unearths the buried dolls.  Except now, Sophia's vengeful spirit has possessed the dolls and they come screaming to life, protecting Guy from any and all who dares to torment him. The more they kill, the more powerful they become and the corpses begin to pile up. 

 Can Sophia's otherworldly rampage be stopped? Or will the entire Fillbrook family end up in the doll graveyard?

 As I stated before, I love the "puppet" films that Full Moon puts out.  They have a such a cool character to them, and I have always been a fan of stop motion animation.   DOLL GRAVEYARD was like revisiting my childhood, it has all the charm and character of the puppet films I watched as a kid.   The dolls in this film looked really cool, all having their own unique look and methods of killing.  I really liked the baby doll that opened it's whole face to take a bite out of it's victims!   I recognized a few of these dolls from other Full Moon features, especially Torch from the Puppet Master series and what I assume is the first appearance of Ooga Booga.  The Samurai doll looked familiar to me as well, but I am not sure where I might have seen that one before, if at all.   I'm sure there is a Full Moon super fan out there that can let me know what movie it was from or if it was an original concept for this film. 

 

 The story is very simple and everything takes place in one setting, so it is not a movie you have to think about too much at all.  You can just sit back and enjoy the doll carnage!  One thing of note was the gore in this film, I felt it was a bit more than the other doll films and I always appreciate the use of practical effects over CG.  The scene of the dolls raising from their grave was also super fun and very well done!   

 Overall, I really enjoyed DOLL GRAVEYARD.  This is one that will definitely be going in my collection and I will definitely re-visit in the future. 

DOLL GRAVEYARD  is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Full Moon, and contains the following special features:

* Making of Featurette

* Blooper Reel

* Full Moon Trailers

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray