4K Ultra HD Review: UP! (1976) and Blu-Ray Giveaway info!

UP!

Directed by:  Russ Meyer

Distributed by:  Severin Films

  If you are a regular reader of the 4H blog, you have probably seen my reviews for some of Severin Film's new Russ Meyer releases.   

 They recently released VIXEN, SUPERVIXENS, and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENS.     Well, they are back at it with a couple more Russ Meyer releases with 1965's MOTORPSYCHO and the 1976 film, UP!   Once again Severin Films has done an amazing job releasing these films in both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions, which were scanned in 4K from the original negative of the films.  Both films also include new and archival Special Features curated in association with The Russ Meyer Trust. 

 Today's review will be of Russ Meyer's UP!   While it's advertised as an Erotic Comedy,  I feel that is a bit misleading.   First off, it's not really that funny in my opinion.  It is however, shocking and perverse....so naturally, I loved it!  Ha!  This is a weird one for sure, and it won't be for everyone, but if you are a fan of Russ Meyer's other films, you will not be disappointed with this one.   Especially if you liked his VIXEN trilogy, as I found this one fit right in and even had some call backs to those earlier films.   

  Here is the plot synopsis from the Severin Films website:

No fairy tale…this! In 1976, producer/director/cinematographer/editor Russ Meyer delivered his penultimate feature film – co-written by BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert – hailed as “jaw-droppingly perverse” (Entertainment Weekly), “Meyer at his most outrageous” (Images Journal) and “definitely not to be confused with the Pixar cartoon” (The Spinning Image): Welcome to a sex-blasted burg in Northern California where sodomized Führers, ravenous piranha, sapphic ecstasy, murder mystery, Shakespearean appropriation and the remarkable Raven De La Croix collide, with Kitten Natividad – in her RM Productions debut – as The Greek Chorus of it all. Janet Wood (THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS) co-stars in “one of Russ Meyer’s best films” (We Are Movie Geeks). 

  If that plot sounds like a lot going and and kind of confusing, well, it summed up this film pretty well!  I'd be lying if I said I understood exactly what was going on with this film.  It's kind of all over the place, and feels like different movies at different times.  In fact, at one point of the the film it felt like a true horror film, complete with a chainsaw massacre that gets very bloody!   I assume this was put in to capitalize on the success of Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE from just a few years before.  Whatever the reason, I'm glad Mr. Meyer included it, because it was by far my favorite part of the film!     One other note that was like a horror film, was the killing of an Adolf Hitler lookalike in his bubble bath by way of Piranha.   That was a strange sentence to type, but anything you write about this film is going to be strange!   

 While not my favorite of the Russ Meyer films I've reviewed so far, it was quite enjoyable and you probably know what to expect if you are a Russ Meyer fan.   He always has some of the most beautiful actresses, all in various states of undress, in his films.  His films all have a certain charm to them.  You can definitely tell a film directed by Mr. Meyer, as they are very unique!   

 If you are looking for a crazy, sex-filled film...this one will be right UP your alley!   See what I did, there?  Ha!   As with all these 4K releases from Severin lately, they look amazing and the picture is crystal clear with very vibrant colors.  It's very impressive considering how old these films are!

UP! is available now in both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray and contain the following Special Features:

*   Audio Commentary with film historian Elizabeth Purchell

*  No Fairy Tale...This! -  Interview with actress Raven De La Croix

*  Radio Spot

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K Ultra HD 

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Severin Films was kind enough to send me a Blu-ray copy of UP! to give away to one lucky winner!  Stay tuned to the 4H blog for details posted in the next few days!   Be sure to follow the blog by clicking the FOLLOW button under the "Followers" section on the right side of the screen.   Also, be sure to follow the 4H blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter [X], and Slasher!

Blu-ray Review: DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE (2024)

 

DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE

Written & Directed by:  Michael Kallio

Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment  / MVD Entertainment

  I had the honor of meeting Gunnar Hansen many years ago at Texas Frightmare Weekend, the annual Horror Movie Convention I attend each year in the Dallas area.   He was a very kind, soft spoken man, and I remember thinking how crazy it was that he was the actor that portrayed the character of Leatherface in the 1974 film, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.    He was so kind and polite, and made time for all his fans lined up to see him.   This is a documentary about Mr. Hansen, as told through first hand accounts of actors and crew that worked with him over the years. 

Here is a brief description of the film from IMDb.com:

Documentary about Gunnar Hansen, the actor who portrayed Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974). Friends, colleagues, filmmakers, and fellow actors share personal stories and discuss the dichotomy between the maniacal chainsaw-wielding character he played on-screen and the very intelligent, creative, soft-spoken man he actually was in real life.

 I love horror movie documentaries, and this was a great one to get the honor of reviewing.   DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE touches briefly on Mr. Hansen's background with him being born in Reykjavik, Iceland, and then moving to the U.S. at the age of 5.   He went to the University of Texas an majored in English and Mathematics.  He worked as a computer operator right out of college and took the role in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE just to make some extra money during the summer.   I'm sure he thought he'd go right back to his computer operator job, but little did he know the film would be such a hit and would lead him down the road of movie making!   I often wonder while filming if any of the cast/crew had any idea just what exactly they were creating.   THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is my favorite horror film of all time, and is widely considered one of the best horror films ever made.   It still holds up today, and is just as scary when I watch it now as it was the first time I saw it.   This is undoubtedly largely due to Mr. Hansen's amazing portrayal of Leatherface!

 As I mentioned before, this is basically a set of interviews from some actors and filmmakers that worked directly with Mr. Hansen and they just recount the times they shared with him.  You can tell from all the interviews that he made a deep impact on everyone he worked with.  He was truly loved by all!   

  Interviewees include  Barbara Crampton, Bruce Campbell, Edwin Neal, Kane Hodder, Felissa Rose, Michelle Bauer, Tiffany Shepis, Debbie Rochon, Fred Olen Ray, Betsy Baker, Allen Danziger, Kim Henkel, William Vail, and many more!   

 This was a very touching tribute to Gunner Hansen and is a must see for all his fans!

DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE is available now from Anchor Bay Entertainment and contains the following Special Features:

 *  Audio commentary with writer/director Michael Kallio and editor Josh Wagner

 

 *  Extended Interview with filmmaker and historian MIchael Felsher

 *  Extended interview with fimmaker Jeff Burr

 

 *  Convention Chat with actress Danielle Harris

 

 *  Southern Hospitality Trailer - 2022 Remastered, Recut, HD

 *  Tales of Gunner Hansen

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

Movie Review: THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES (2025)

 

THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES

Written by:  Charlie Brady & Jason Pitts

Directed by:  Jason Pitts

  Last night, I had the privilege of attending a screening of a new horror feature that was filmed locally here in Northwest Arkansas.   I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this film to be as good as it was.   Northwest Arkansas actually has quite a large local movie scene,  but we all know how low budget local films can be.   I am happy to say that this did not feel like a low budget film at all.   The movie played out like a much bigger and expensive film than it was.  Local actors and crew came together to film a very interesting and fun horror film!    Here is the basic plot from the Lucid Pictures website:

  Chloe and her step dad, Ken are dealing with the disappearance of Kathy, Chloe’s mother and Ken’s wife. After a painful year, and with the help of Chloe’s friend Ava, they investigate a clue that leads them on a collision course with a dangerous demonic cult. Will they find Kathy? Can Chloe, Ken, and Ava survive the night?

  

 One of the main things I noticed about this film was the acting.  A lot of local films can have everything going for them, but some bad acting can ruin the entire film.   This film was not at risk of that, though, as the acting in this film was top notch.  There was not a bad actor in this film, everyone did a remarkable job!  One role I have to point out was the part of Julian, played by actor Scott Doss.  Mr. Doss was at the screening I attended and I had the pleasure of meeting him.  He was a very kind, soft spoken man which was the exact opposite of his character in this film!  He played the creepy guy character to perfection!  The main character of Chloe was played by Annie Sullivan who also did a remarkable job and is definitely worth a mention.  I could just list everyone in this film, because like I stated before, the entire cast was excellent.

 

   Another thing that can make or break a horror movie is the special effects.   This film did a wonderful job with the effects, a lot of which were practical effects.  There was some CG in this film, but it blended very well most of the time.  There were a few spots where it was very clearly CG, but that is expected with any low budget film.   One practical effect that really stood out to me was a beheading.  This was done so well and was so seamless that it was very realistic!   

 This film had a nice plot twist in it as well, and as we have learned with most horror films, don't trust anyone!  That's all I'll say about that as to not give too much away!  Overall, Director Jason Pitts delivers a home run for his first full length feature film!   

  THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES is an original, highly entertaining trip through the world of secret societies and cults, and does an excellent job creating a very creepy atmosphere where all is not what is seems!  

 The film was recently picked up for distribution from Bayview Entertainment, so keep an eye out for screenings near you,  and I assume an eventual DVD or Blu-ray release!   I'll make a new post once I have more info on that! 

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 Synapse Films and like most all of Synapse'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