Warner-Pathe Pressbook: The Raven

This is from the 1963 version of The Raven with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.

Anyone remember the free Raven poster MGM gave away back in the summer of 2002? Super nice poster, I'm still kicking myself for accidentally leaving it on the wall of the house I lived in 11 years ago.

Those of you without massive monitors, click on each image to embiggen:

Monogram Pictures Pressbook: The Human Monster + The Fatal Hour

Cool Monogram Pictures pressbook for a nice double feature you could've taken part in during the spring of 1940; Bela Lugosi's The Human Monster meets Boris Karloff's The Fatal Hour.

 

Arrested Development Strikes Back Today

Since Arrested Development is one of my favorite comedies ever I wanted to mention this even though it isn't horror or exploitation related whatsoever - although there is a guy from Saturday the 14th involved, that's kind of scary. Anyone who has been with this site as long as I have (if such a person exists) might remember the early days featuring a lot of bitching from me about Arrested Development being canceled prematurely. As I'm sure a lot of you are already aware of, the show has been resurrected by Netflix and all 15 episodes are up at once starting today.

I personally think that Netflix putting up all episodes at once might not be a great idea financially. I have Netflix, so they're getting my $8 a month already, but I think tons of AD fans are going to just sign up for free, watch all the episodes within a month and cancel the trial before they get billed. So Netflix might think "well, we didn't make any money from that show at all, we won't be doing any more of those."

If you're not on Netfix already and want to check out the episodes click here to sign up for a free month.

Ninja III: The Domination Scream Factory Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review

Ninja III: The Domination

"I like your pajamas"

Director: Sam Firstenberg

Writer: James R. Silke

Stars: Lucinda Dickey, Sho Kosugi, Jordan Bennett, James Hong(!)

Year: 1984

Running Time: 92 Minutes

Studio: Scream Factory

Region: A
Buy it from: Amazon

Coming to Blu-ray June 11th from Scream Factory is Sam Firstenberg's amazingly entertaining gonzo ninja possession flick Ninja III: The Domination. The third in an alleged trilogy of ninja films put out by Cannon between 1981 and 1984 (Enter the Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja being the first two entries). I say "alleged" because while it's called a trilogy none of the three films are really related at all. Well, maybe a bit, all three films star Sho Kosugi, all three have the word "ninja" in the title, and all three were produced by Menahem Golan & Yoram Globus, but that's about it really. Oh, and incidentally all three films are completely awesome.

The plot, if you will:

Ninja III starts out with an absolute bang. The mysterious Black Ninja (David Chung) attacks and kills a scientist and his bodyguards on a golf course (what kind of scientist has bodyguards?). He then takes out a couple of golf security guys for good measure. This guy is on a roll, before you even know what's happening he's taking on, and kicking the asses of the entire police force as they chase him through the golf course. After a few minutes several cops in a helicopter fly by to help track him down. Now, you'd think guys 40 feet off the ground in a helicopter would be safe from a ninja on the ground below. Nope, this fucker scales a tree, jumps onto the overpassing helicopter and starts kicking those guy's asses - killing the pilot with a shuriken he throws with his foot! Words cannot describe the insanity of this opening scene, were looking at a good 40-50 deaths in the first 10 minutes. Ninja III is not messing around.

It isn't until the cops completely surround him before they can stop his rampage. They fire hundreds of rounds, they kill this guy 14, 15 times in the span of a minute and he still doesn't die! In an act of desperation he throws one of those ninja smoke bombs to the ground and disappears. One would assume the cops would stick around and perform a hard target search for this guy, maybe send out another helicopter even, but I guess they wanted to get a head start on repopulating the police staff because they just kinda leave. Manhunt? Nah...

Code Red Does John Travolto

Madman Bill Olsen has just posted three brand new releases over at the Code Red store. No horror, so nothing too enticing to me, but I'm sure these releases will make some of you happy. Can anyone tell me what the hell that John Travolto thing at the bottom is all about? Weird title, weirder tagline...I don't know, it all seems kinda weird.

Dandy - $14.99

Dandy (Cynthia Denny) is a free loving 18 year old girl who has no place to go. Unhappy with her parents and bored with her life, Dandy decides to leave for the big city to try to make it in the rough life in California. Dandy stays with her boyfriend (played by David Roya, who played the bad guy Bernard in BILLY JACK), but that arrangement takes an evil stiff turn as she catches him hiding the salami with another gal. Dandy then tries out modeling in skin magazines only to be lured into prostitution and getting assaulted by a fetish-obsessed client. Dandy meets an older guy (John Alderman, ZEBRA FORCE) and falls in love, but later runs off with a weird swinging couple. She is abused, used and desired by the fast living men she meets in a wild orgy that moves from the luxuries of their bedrooms to the nude cavorting in their Olympic-sized pools. Strange, wild life a chick can have in 1970! Co-starring Frank Cuva (PSYCHO LOVER). Take a walk on the wild side with DANDY; it’s one dandy of a movie!

1.78:1 (16x9) 82min

Class of '74 + Gabriella, Gabriella - $17.99

WARNING: Due to the error by a Major Studio Lab, the first 15min of CLASS OF 74 has some issues. also the first 1,000 reel (10min) of the camera negative is missing so we had to take it from a release print, but after the first ten minutes, it is from the original neg, from a HD master, and looks great!
CLASS OF 74

The Class of '74 is the story of four young women who belong to today . . . or perhaps even to tomorrow. When we first meet them on the campus, it is instantly apparent that they are four young women to whom nature has been generous . . . four bodies that have been amply endowed, designed to turn men's heads and cause their wives, girlfriends and/or mistresses concern. And interestingly, all four have looks to go with their bodies. Four distinctive, different faces, all of which epitomize young womanhood . . . in short, you don't know where to look first. And then we hear them talking . . . We realize they are bright, witty, intelligent women who believe in doing their own thing; free spirits whose moral codes are where everyone else secretly wishes theirs were. Except Gabriella. Gabriella (Barbara Caron, ESCAPE TO PASSION) is a bit unworldly, naive about life but willing to learn. She looks to her friends for advice and consultation. Then there is Maggie (Sandra Currie, POLICEWOMAN) who feels she is the equal of any man and has the looks, confidence and drive to do anything she wants. And Carla (Marki Bey, SUPERDUDE), black and beautiful, who is having a love affair with life. Black or white, it makes no difference as long as you live for today. As she tells Gabriella, "I'm making love happen, and it's the wildest kick I've ever had. The sooner you learn it's all wrapped up in the sex game we play, the better off you'll be." Finally, there is Heather (Pat Woodell, THE BIG BUST OUT), blonde, built and bright, whose ambitions lean towards owning a Greek island or being the next Princess of Monaco. Watch and listen to her for a few minutes and you'll know she's going to get what she wants . . . and more!

Rated R/ 1.78:1. (16x9) / 76min

GABRIELLA, GABRIELLA

Director Mack Bing delivered a strange film about a woman, Gabriella (Barbara Mills), who encounters strange hippies, rich people, and groupies in a strange, socially charged movie that runs like an experimental film. This film was later bought by Arthur Marks/General Films who added new footage and turned it into something new... CLASS OF ‘74.

Rated R / 1.78:1 (16x9) / 68min

John Travolto: The Face With 2 Left Feet - $17.99

MOVIE THAT'S SWEEPING THE CURRENT REPERTORY THEATER CRAZE

Shy hotel cook Gianni (played by John Travolta lookalike Giuseppe Spezia) is convinced by friends to take advantage of his incredible likeness to the idol of the moment, John Travolta, in this wild 1979 Italian disco-floor takeoff. Gianni also wants to find a way into the heart of Ilona (Ilona Staller, CICCIOLINA), a sexy disc jockey in the local discotheque. She is dating discotheque owner Raoul, who wants to use Gianni to trick people into thinking Gianni is the real disco legend to bring new attention to the club. Gianni has to wake-up and prove to everyone that he is a true man and his own identity, a "King Biscuit", and also win the love of Ilona. So catch the fever, put on your dancin’ shoes, and boogie down with Gianni as he ignites the disco floor! Featuring a Rockin’ Dancin’ Soundtrack!

1.78:1 16x9

COLOR 87 min

Scream For Psycho II and Psycho III on Blu-ray

From Scream's Facebook:

"Norman Bates and "mother" are coming home...to Scream Factory! 1983's PSYCHO II and 1986's PSYCHO III will be released on DVD and Blu-ray this Fall as Collector's Editions. No other details to report at this time so stay tune in the next few months for more developments on these great blood-curdling films." 

On a Psycho II related note, Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett recently Rifftraxed the 1983 sequel that finds Norman still quite insane, still talking to himself, and still murdering people. As an added bonus Dennis Franz shows up to sleaze things up considerably. If you can't get enough Bates or Rifftrax, click here to check it out.

Arrow Video Gets Foxy This June

Arrow Video is pleased to confirm the highly anticipated Blu-ray & Steelbook release of Jack Hill’s landmark Blaxsploitation classic FOXY BROWN on Monday 24th June.

Finally available on Blu-ray for the very first time anywhere in the world, this stunning version of FOXY BROWN features a beautifully restored high-definition transfer, the super-deluxe edition comes approved by Jack Hill himself.

Featuring audio commentary with Jack Hill, three new and exclusive featurettes, a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and publicity images, original Foxy Brown theatrical trailer (as part of a comprehensive Jack Hill trailer reel) and an in-depth collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Blaxploitation expert Josiah Howard and an interview with Pam Grier by Calum Waddell.

 

Keeping with what is a now a fan-favoured tradition of Arrow Video restorations, FOXY BROWN will come complete with a reversible sleeve, featuring the original 1974 artwork and a stunning new illustration from The Red Dress.

 

The director-approved Special Features included on the deluxe editions of FOXY BROWN are as follows:

- Restored High Definition presentation (1080p), on Blu-ray for the first time in the world!
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
- Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 2.0 Audio.
- Audio commentary with director Jack Hill.
- "From Black and White to Blaxploitation" – Actor Sid Haig speaks about his long and influential friendship with Jack Hill.
- "A Not So Minor Influence" – An Interview with Bob Minor, the first African-American member of the Stuntman’s Association, and co-star of Foxy Brown.
- "Back to Black" – Legendary actors Fred "The Hammer" Williamson (Black Caesar) and Austin Stoker (Sheba Baby, Assault on Precinct 13), alongside Rosanne Katon (Ebony, Ivory, and Jade) and film scholar Howard S. Berger speak about the enduring popularity of the Blaxploitation film.
- Photo gallery of behind-the-scenes and publicity images.
- Original Theatrical Trailer.
- Trailer Reel – Trailers for all the major works by Jack Hill including Foxy Brown, Coffy and Switchblade Sisters.
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress.
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide, a new interview with Pam Grier by Jack Hill biographer Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

The ABCs of Death: The Children's Book

Coolest novelty movie tie-in item of the year? I think so.

Official Press Release:
Austin – May 22, 2013 – Producers Ant Timpson and Tim League announced today the release of The ABCs of Death, a grown-up children’s book based on their highly-successful anthology film of the same name. With a limited run of only 666 copies worldwide, the book also contains a special edition Blu-Ray of the uncut feature film, which includes a whopping 30 commentaries, behind-the-scenes clips, making-of featurettes, and trailers.

Featuring original artwork from acclaimed storybook illustrator Stephan Britt and accompanied by jaw-dropping verses from author Zack Carlson, *The ABCs of Death* is a 56-page storybook guaranteed to entertain young and old alike with its hilarious, heartwarming tales of cannibalism, suicide, and life-or-death sex tournaments.

Based on each and every horrifying segment from the hit 2012 anthology film (from 26 of the world’s most acclaimed voices in genre cinema), the disturbingly adorable storybook entrenches the movie’s extreme splatter into a whole new world of 1960s, Dr. Seuss-inspired artwork.

Following a hugely successful VOD release and limited theatrical run, the feature film THE ABCs OF DEATH was recently released on DVD and Blu-Ray from Magnet Releasing.

“The idea for this unusual film sprung from a deep fondness of alphabet books from our collective childhood,” says ABCs producer and creator Ant Timpson. “A little digging revealed that the books had a dark history, and that many early versions were used as punishment primers. In a sleep deprived state that was all the ammunition required for an epiphany of sorts. How about creating a film inspired by the alphabet?”

And now, it’s time for the book based on that film… based on those books.
*The ABCs of Death* limited edition storybook (with Blu-Ray) is now available for purchase at www.abcsdeathbook.com. SRP $37.00.

The film THE ABCs OF DEATH is now available for purchase online and through all major retailers from Magnet Releasing.

Timpson Films, Drafthouse Films, and Magnet Releasing will debut ABCs OF DEATH 2 in 2014.

 Buy it today $37 and keep in mind that it comes with a Blu-ray of the film.

Maniac - The Remake: The Official Poster

Bloody Disgusting just posted an exclusive peek at the official theatrical poster for the Elijah Wood Maniac remake. Now this is what I'm talking about. The last few posters were a bit on the stale side, this new poster is creepy, weird and offputting, exactly what one would expect from a Maniac poster. Not as eyecatching as the poster for the original film, but still, quite good. Still would've loved to see this Mondo poster as the official poster.

Maniac gets a limited theatrical release and hits VOD on June, 21st.

Hitting Shelves Today - The 5/21 Edition

A ton of great new releases hitting shelves today, here's a few we highly recommend picking up:

The Burning [Collector#39;s Edition] with Exclusive Poster! Deformed caretaker Cropsy uses his clippers to trim more than  just hedges in this grisly summer camp classic. Check out my review...if you dare!

The Town That Dreaded Sundown [with The Evictors on DVD]

Charles B. Pierce's "We aren't sure whodunnit" classic about the notorious Phantom Killer. Check out my review, you won't regret it.

Captain America [Collector#39;s Edition] Stupid superhero fun, with a few veteran character actors thrown in for good measure. From the director of Radioactive Dreams.

Cold Eyes of Fear - Remastered Edition Blu-ray

 The Sinful Nuns of St. Valentine - Remastered Edition Blu-ray 

The Last Stand - Now you're probably wondering what this one is doing here. One name, and it's not Schwarzenegger (though I do still love the guy): Jee-woon Kim. His 2010 film I Saw The Devil is hands down one of the most intense and exciting movies I've ever seen. The strength of that one film has made me a lifelong fan of the man, and I'll check out anything he does from here on out, even if it stars Johnny Knoxville. Anyone else interested in this should know Amazon and Best Buy will have the Blu-ray on sale for $15 starting today.

The Aquabats! Super Show!: Season One! Good spirited mix of wholesome superheroes, nerdy ska-punk and hilarious Kaiju style monster action. Fun for the whole family, though my nieces seem to hate it so this might just be a show for the dudes of the family to enjoy. For the super Aquabats fans out there, pick up the T-Shirt/DVD bundle.

Motel Hell - Arrow UK Blu-ray Review

Motel Hell
"There's too many people in the world and not enough food. Now this takes care of both problems at the same time."

Director: Kevin Connor

Writer: James R. Silke

Stars: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, Paul Linke, Nina Axelrod

Year: 1980

Running Time: 101 Minutes

Studio: Arrow Video

Region: B Locked

Out this Monday from Arrow Video is the glorious hi-def debut of Kevin Connor's 1980 film Motel Hell. The film originally made it's DVD debut back in 2002 as part of MGM's beloved Midnite Movies line - paired with Alan Ormsby's Deranged  (also due out from Arrow in the near future). That DVD was perfectly fine for it's time, but Arrow's loaded Blu-ray is a welcome improvement in A/V quality and features a wealth of extra features.

The Film

Pretty much the entire film takes place at the Motel Hello, a motel/meat smoking plant run by Vincent Smith and his sister Ida, played by Rory Calhoun and Nancy Parsons (who I literally just now realized was Balbricker in Porky's). Vincent is well known for the unique flavor of his smoked meat, people come from all around to get a taste of his legendary jerky. Vincent's meat of choice? Human. Vincent has come up with a pretty fail-safe plan to keep his supply meeting demand - he heads out to the highway at night, causes car crashes and steals the bodies. To ensure his nefarious plan isn't discovered by the law he Norman Bates the cars in a nearby lake.

Scorpion Releasing Releases Blu-ray Lineup

Taken from Scorpion's (the DVD label, not the band) Facebook:


"So, if all goes well, we have not one, but 4 BluRay titles coming out from late July to end of August. Not too bad for a Indie label! Yes we are now going full on with BluRay releases, with anywhere from 2 to 3, maybe even 4 BluRay releases a month!

July 23rd
TOWER OF EVIL

August 6th
TOMBOY

August 13th
THE UNSEEN

August 20th
MY TUTOR

And maybe another one for August 27th! Releasing titles on BluRay is a major risk, so please support my BluRay releases whenever you can. Thanks!"

A nice mix of horror and comedy releases line up. I've already got The Unseen Code Red DVD - decent enough movie, a one-timer in my opinion though, so I don't think I'll upgrade there, but I'm in for Tower of Evil and probably My Tutor.

Equinox Showman's Manual

I came across a load of old pressbooks over on a site that rhymes with EnemaRedden, so I thought I'd throw a few of the more awesome of the lot up here for your viewing pleasure. Up first, Equinox.

 

Scream Factory does JC's Prince of Darkness

Another day, another surprise John Carpenter announcement from Scream:

***BREAKING NEWS!***

Since we started this week with a John Carpenter film announcement (Body Bags) it is fitting with end it with another...The master's 1987 cult classic PRINCE OF DARKNESS - our #1 most requested title - will be coming this fall and presented as a Collector's Edition on DVD and Blu-ray!

We have no more details to report at this time (i.e. street date, extras, etc.) but will reveal more in the next few months. Have a great weekend!

V/H/S 2 - Red Band Trailer

V/H/S 2 trailer has just popped up and it's pretty great. I've just made the jump from interested to excited about this.

Arrow Video Teases Motel Hell Blu-ray

Arrow has just posted a teaser trailer for their Motel Hell Blu-ray due out May 20th, order now directly from Arrow, or Amazon.co.uk. Those of you in the US interested in this disc should be aware it's Region B locked, so make sure you have a player that can handle the disc. I've had a chance to check the release out and it's amazing, working on a review right now actually, look for that soon.

Miguel Nunez + Jere Fields' Friday the 13th Part 5 Disco Remix

What the hell, lets make this a whole day of 13th related posts. If you're looking for a quick two minutes of comedy check out this fan-made video of a beautifully disco-fied duet by Demon and Anita from Friday the 13th: A New Beginning. Friday 5 gets a bum rap but I absolutely love it. This might cause some to question my horror fan credentials but it's my current favorite of the bunch (seriously).

Check it out below. Prepare to dance.

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

In other Jason related news, this August be on the lookout for a gigantic 7 hour(!) documentary on all things Friday the 13th. From Friday the 13th: The Film Franchise:

"With a running time of approximately seven hours, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th explores each film -- from the seminal 1980 slasher hit to the 2009 reboot, including the hit syndicated television series -- in chronological order, and promises to be the definitive retrospective on one of the most enduring horror franchises in motion picture history.

Writer/director Daniel Farrands says, "I'm very proud that my passion (and obsession) with all things Friday the 13th, which started when I was 12 years old, has finally come full circle.  What started out as a pipe dream ten years ago when I first teamed up with Peter Bracke on his incredible book, has taken on a whole new life with our companion documentary.  I hope fans will be as thrilled as we are with this epic look back on the Friday the 13th series."

With such a massive run time, Crystal Lake Memories will be released on Region Free Blu-Ray only as the DVD format is not only out of date and going extinct in the near future, but the ability to offer the entire documentary on fewer discs will make for a more enjoyable viewing experience.

Thommy Hutson shares his sentiments about his journey with the project.

“I am thrilled that the show has come together so beautifully,” says producer Thommy Hutson. “After a year of production, so many amazing, new interviews, and locating incredible materials, Crystal Lake Memories will absolutely be the embodiment of ‘definitive’ when it comes to telling the story of the Friday franchise, not to mention bringing Peter Bracke’s amazing book to life. We couldn’t be more excited to unleash this incredible history of Camp Crystal Lake, Jason, and all that has gone with them over the last 30 plus years.”

You will be able to preorder it July 8th, official release date is set for August 27th. The official site is yet to be launched but to keep up to date until then just check out their Facebook page. I never got around to seeing their Elm Street doc Never Sleep Again, but I'll definitely be grabbing this when it's released.

Friday the 13th: The Game: The Action Figure from NECA

Here's something ridiculously cool I found over at Figures.com. NECA is set to release a Comic Con Exclusive action figure based on Jason from the highly inaccurate (zombies? children killing?) and infuriatingly difficult Friday the 13th NES game.

I was a horror fan first and a Nintendo owner second so Friday the 13th was the first Nintendo game I ever owned - excluding the Super Mario/Duck Hunt that came with the system. Friday the 13th was also the first game to ever make me so angry that I threw a controller across the room, which is not a good thing to do when the controller has a wire that is plugged into a console. This is why I don't play video games, I'm not good at them so my rage always ends up outweighing any fun I might be having playing the game. Still, I'd love to pick one of these up, unfortunately I'm thousands of miles from San Diego, so I don't think I'll be getting one any time soon.

Teen Lust + Mad Bomber Out Now From Code Red

Bill has just listed a pair of brand new releases over at the Code Red store. There's a notice up on the store, Bill is recovering from a stay at the hospital and since he's pretty much the only one taking care of shipping and packing the DVDs expect a 4 or 5 day delay in shipping.

 

Teen Lust...The Girl Next Door (directed by James Hong!)

$19.99 - Buy It Now

The film that makes PORKY’S blush! Join Carol (Kirsten Baker, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2), and Terry (Perry Lang, SPRING BREAK, THE HEARSE) in a summer of careless romantic fun and adventure as TEEN LUST: THE GIRL NEXT DOOR peers into the carefree world of these adolescents, who are out to experience all of life’s pleasures during a single summer vacation. Carol’s summer vacation is starting out awful. First, she finds her boyfriend Terry fooling around with a buxom blonde, and her mother starts pressuring her to marry the wimpy-but-wealthy boy next door. Just as Carol is about to give up all hope on any summer fun, she and her best friend Neeley decide to volunteer for the local police department as undercover prostitution bait. This proves to be an hilarious and exciting summer job as Carol and Neeley lustfully lure every man in town! How did you spend your summer vacation? 

It probably wasn’t anything like TEEN LUST. Find out what happened to the girls next door while you were away at camp! Co-starring Robert Gribbin (TRIP WITH THE TEACHER), Michael Heit (BARE KNUCKLES), Stan Kamber (TV’s FIRST & TEN), and George Buck Flower (SEX IN THE COMICS). Written, produced, and directed by cult actor James Hong (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, KUNG-FU PANDA).

Police Connection (Mad Bomber)

$19.99 - Buy It Now

Chuck Connors (TV’s THE RIFLEMAN) plays William Dorn, a madman who wants to get back at all the people he blames for the overdose death of his daughter. Dorn goes on a deadly and destructive bombing spree starting at his daughter’s old high school. His next bombing target is the mental hospital where his daughter was when she died. However, during his attack on the hospital, Dorn’s actions are witnessed by two people: a creepy rapist named Fromley (Neville Brand STALAG 17) and his victim, a young mute girl. Tough police detective Geronimo Minneli (Vince Edwards, TV’s BEN CASEY) is assigned to the case. He must find rapist Fromley, not only to keep him from striking again, but also to keep him alive before the Dorn makes him his next victim. 

Written, produced, and directed by Bert I. Gordon (FOOD OF THE GODS, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS), this legendary exploitation film is finally presented with all its R-Rated violence and nudity intact for the first time on DVD. Code Red DVD spent painstaking hours and $$$ in restoration to present this movie in its rare, uncut theatrical version. The Mad Bomber is back, with a vengeance!