Jungle Holocaust (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, Deodato's first cannibal epic gets a re-release in it's uncut
format - having been out of print for years ever since it's very rare mid 80's vhs release from Video City. The new DVD from Shriek Show touts "uncut for the first time in the US!!" which is somewhat untrue since the Video City tape was also uncut. In fact, the print on the old Video City vhs release ran 91 1/2 minutes, whereas the new DVD only runs 88 minutes (but this appears to be only due to the projection speed or NTSC/PAL difference - the DVD runs slightly faster). However, the new
DVD can be called even more "uncut" since it is now in widescreen. The old VHS suffered from horrible pan-and-scan which elimated important information (including in one early scene - a quick glimpse of a cannibal's face in an airplane window - completely off-screen on the old VHS even though there's an audio shock sound accompanying it). In fact, not only is there extra substantial information to the left and right of the screen, but the DVD even adds a sliver to the top and bottom! The DVD is a great looking presentation compared to the old vhs - no question.
Shriek Show delivers the goods with this release. I've heard some differing opinions on the quality of the transfer of the film, but I must say, I am totally satisfied with the job they've done here. Although not 100% perfect, the anamorphic widescreen image is crisp, colorful and sharp - and it does not suffer from any blatant artifacting or shifting. Aside from some Very minor blotchiness in a scene near the end at the river, it looks great throughout. No complaints. Also featured on this DVD is an audio commentary by Deodato (in italian!), but if you don't speak italian you can watch the movie with the english subtitle translation of his commentary! The subtitles are mostly in the black bar underneath the lbx film so they don't really interfere with the image.
And is this commentary a hoot or what!?! Deodato keeps saying "this is a realistic movie","everything is real", "this scene is real", "isn't this scene real", "nothing is fake", "everything is real", etc. You get the idea? He also contradicts his own previous statements and claims he had nothing to do with the numerous animal torture-killing scenes and blames them all on the producer. He says the producer shot and added all of these scenes to the film afterwards to satisfy East Asian markets. But look at the alligator scene -- Deodato says the skinning part of it was shot later in Singapore with the skinners playing the cannibals - but then we cut to a long shot obviously directed by Deodato of the skinned alligator right back where the scene started. Hmmm. It's also funny to hear him say later that the producer died years ago - thus, the guy has no way to defend these statements and accusations himself. All quite amusing - gotta love Deodato!
Other extras on the DVD include short on-camera interviews with stars Massimo Fosche and Ivan Rassimov (looking old) plus a still/promo art gallery, a weird US trailer (as "Last Cannibal World") which doesn't look like a US trailer at all ... I remember the film getting a US release in my town as "The Last Survivor" - wish that trailer could have been
included. There are a few bonus trailers for upcoming Shriek Show releases such as "Beyond the Darkness" (Buried Alive), "Nights of Terror" (Burial Ground), "Zombie Holocaust" and "Eaten Alive". Plus, to top it all off, inside the keepcase are 10 miniature lobby cards!
So, if you're a cannibal junkie, this is one to devour. It's no "Cannibal Holocaust" and suffers from a somewhat simplistic script, but
there's enough grue and nudity to satisfy gorehounds and enough animal cruelty to enrage everyone else. It ain't pretty, folks, but it is one of a kind. They don't make 'em like this anymore and even though Deodato says he wants to now make "Cannibal Holocaust 2001" (too late ruggero!) - - don't hold your breath. This is a long-dead genre destined to stay that way. Bon appetit!

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Item Name: Jungle Holocaust; Studio:American International Pictures (AIP)

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Skin City - 26 of the Philippines' Hottest Babes (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Great celebrity phot shots all in a building under contstruction or reneuvation in the city of lights Manila Philippines.

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Myra Breckinridge (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)Seldom seen since theatrical release in 1970, MYRA BRECKINRIDGE has become a byword for cinematic debacles of legendary proportions. Now at last on DVD in an unexpectedly handsome package, it will be of interest to film historians, movie buffs, and cult film fans--but it is as unlikely to win wide audiences today as it was when first released.
Gore Vidal's 1968 bestseller was a darkly satirical statement on American hypocrisy, Hollywood fantasies, and changing sexual mores. Most filmmakers felt that the novel's story, structure, and overall tone would not translate to film, and industry insiders were surprised when 20th Century Fox not only acquired the rights but also hired Vidal to adapt his novel to the screen. But studio executives soon had cold feet: Vidal's adaptations were repeatedly rejected and novice writer-director Michael Sarne was brought in to bring the film to the screen.
Studio executives hoped that Sarne would tap into the youth market they saw as a target for the film, but Sarne proved even more out of synch with the material than the executives themselves. Rewrite upon rewrite followed. The cast, sensing disaster, became increasingly combative. In her commentary, star Raquel Welch says that she seldom had any idea of what Myra's motives were from scene to scene or even within any single scene itself, and that each person involved seemed to be making an entirely different film. In the accompanying "Back Story" documentary, Rex Reed says that MYRA BRECKINRIDGE was a film made by a bunch of people who hid in their dressing rooms while waiting for their lawyers to return their calls.
The accuracy of these comments are demonstrated by the film itself, which contains a host of good ideas that work individually but never consolidate into anything that approaches a cohesive film. The basics of Vidal's story are there, but not only has the story been shorn of all broader implications, it seems to have no point in and of itself. Everything runs off in multiple directions, nothing connects, and numerous scenes undercut whatever logic previous scenes might have had. And while director Sarne repeatedly states in his commentary that he wanted to make the film as pure farce, the only laughs generated are accidental.
Chief among these accidents is Mae West. It is clear from Sarne's commentary that he idolized West; in her own commentary Welch flatly states that West had carte blanche to do what she wished, be it write her own lines or demand the inclusion of two musical numbers or not work before five in the afternoon. It is true that West is unexpectedly well preserved in appearance and that she had lost none of her way with a one-liner--but there is no getting around the fact that she is in her seventies, and her conviction that she is the still the sexiest trick in shoe leather is extremely unsettling, to say the least. But worse, really, is the fact that West is outside her era. Her efforts to translate herself into a hip and happening persona results in one of the most embarrassing self-characatures ever seen on film.
The remaining cast is largely wasted. Raquel Welch, a significantly underestimated actress, plays the title role of Myra very much like a Barbie doll on steroids; non-actor Rex Reed is unexpectedly effective in the role of Myron, but the entire role is essentially without point. Only John Huston and cameo players John Carradine, Jim Backus, William Hopper, and Andy Devine emerge relatively unscathed. Yes, it really is the debacle everyone involved in the film feared it would be: fast when it should be slow, slow when it should be fast, relentlessly unfunny from start to finish. It is true that director Sarne does have the occasional inspired idea--as in his use of film clips of everyone from Shirley Temple to Judy Garland to create counterpoint to the action--but by and large, whenever Sarne was presented with a choice of how to do something he seems to have made the wrong choice.
The how and why of that is made clear in Sarne's audio commentary. Sarne did not like the novel or, for that matter, the subject matter in general. He did not want to write the screenplay, but he needed the money; he emphatically did not want to direct the film, but he need the money. He makes it very clear that he disliked author Gore Vidal and Rex Reed (at one point he flatly states that Reed "is not a nice person"), and to this day he considers that Vidal and Reed worked in tandem to sabotage the film because he refused to play into their 'homosexual agenda'--which, when you come right down to it, seems to have been their desire that Sarne actually film Vidal's novel rather than his own weirdly imagined take-off on it.
Although he spends a fair amount of commentary time stating that the film is widely liked by the gay community, Sarne never quite seems to understand that the appeal of the film for a gay audience arises from his ridiculously inaccurate depiction of homosexual people. When taken in tandem with the film itself, Sarne emerges as more than a little homophobic--and quite frankly the single worst choice of writers and directors that could have been made for this project.
In addition to the Sarne and Welch commentaries and the making-of documentary, the DVD includes several trailers and two versions of the film: a "theatrical release" version and a "restored" version. The only difference between the two is that the final scene in the "restored" version has been printed to black and white. The edits made before the film went into general release have not been restored, but the documentary details what they were. The widescreen transfers of both are remarkably good and the sound is quite fine. But to end where I began, this is indeed a film that will most interest film historians, movie buffs, and cult movie fans. I give it three out of five stars for their sake alone, but everyone else should pass it by.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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Cannibal Ferox (A.K.A. Make Them Die Slowly) (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)The DVD itself is a very satisfying package - we get commentaries, a beautiful transfer. Whether the film itself really has any merit depends on personal taste really. For my money, this is not a patch on Deodato's excellent Cannibal Holocaust, which is just as gory and a hell of a lot more realistic, with believable actors and an intelligent script. In comparison, Ferox seems like just an exploitative rip-off. But taken in its own terms, Cannibal Ferox does deliver the goods (I'm talking gore-wise) with hard-to-watch sexual violence accompanying genuine animal deaths. The music is cheesy, and again not up to the standards of Holocaust, but it grows on you.
Overall, this Holocaust rip-off is obviously a must-buy for italian cannibal/gore fans (legions ahead of rubbish like Eaten Alive etc). People new to the genre may do best to check out Cannibal Holocaust (availible on import from europe) first, as it is cinematically far better although harder to watch. But if you're in the mood for a little mindless gore, and don't mind certain scenes looking a tad unrealistic not to mention the laughable dialogue, you could do far worse.

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Here it is! The original uncensored, unrated director's cut of one of the most notorious and violent films of all time. Banned in 31 countries, "Cannibal Ferox" assaults your senses as a group of Americans lost in the jungles of Amazonia experience brutal retribution at the hands of savage cannibals. This is the legendary Grindhouse Releasing deluxe edition of Umberto Lenzi's infamous classic of graphic horror. Warning - due to its shocking and violent nature, no one under 17 should view this film. Audio Commentary by director Umberto Lenzi and star John Morghen - Trailer - Production Stills - Filmography - On-camera interview with director Umberto Lenzi; Other surprises1.85:1 - Color - Italian - Stereo - English Dub: Stereo

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Ilsa - She Wolf of the SS (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the first and best of the four "Ilsa" films featuring the sensational Dyanne Thorne, who plays the sadistic head doctor in a Nazi death-camp that specializes in cruel experiments on nude women. Sounds too tasteless to be bearable? Well, actually no. If you can retain your sense of humour, you can find this film thoroughly enjoyable. It's mainly down to the hilarious camp acting of Thorn in the title role, whether she is strutting around the camp, spitting insults in a thick hammy accent at all the inmates, or seducing male prisoners in her boudoir using her famous chest to maximum effect. Still, the various scenes of torture are surprisingly convincing, and very realistic, especially those carried out by Ilsa in her secret torture chamber on a prize female subject, so this is definitely not a film for the squeamish. Theres even room for suspense during the climax when Ilsa's cruel reign is finally overturned. Overall, an enjoyable romp for people who have seen everything the mainstream has to offer. But due to such scenes as fingernail pulling, torture by electrified dildo and castration, prepare your friends before you show it to any of them!

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Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Due for re-release in December, this motion picture is one of the finest science fiction films of the 20th century. Part of this is because it projects a future that could be - the earth as a place with a ruined environment populated by people that couldn't or wouldn't make the jump to one of the more habitable off-world colonies. The other part is because the film questions what it means to be human, and explores the possibly unsatisfactory answers you might get if you could, like the replicants, hunt down your maker and ask him Why am I here? Why must my life end? I'll pretty much let Warner's press release do the talking from this point forward. Basically you have your choice of three different sets - 2-disc, 4-disc, and 5-disc. The discs are described as follows:
Disc 1 - Ridley Scott's All-New "Final Cut" Version of the film - Restored and remastered with added & extended scenes, added lines, new and cleaner special effects and all new 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Also included is commentary by Ridley Scott and a host of others that worked behind the camera.
Disc 2 - Documentary - Dangerous Days: Making of Blade Runner - A feature-length documentary revealing all the elements that shaped this cinema landmark. Cast, crew, critics and colleagues give a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the film from its literary roots and inception through casting, production, visuals and special effects to its legacy.
Disc 3 - 1982 Theatrical Version - The original that contains Deckard's narration and has Deckard and Rachel's (Sean Young) "happy ending" escape scene.
1982 International Version - Also used on U.S. home video, laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992. This version is not rated, and contains some extended action scenes in contrast to the Theatrical Version.
1992 Director's Cut - Omits Deckard's voiceover narration and removes the "happy ending" finale. It adds the famous "unicorn" sequence, a vision that Deckard has which suggests that he, too, may be a replicant.
Disc 4 - BONUS Disc "Enhancement Archive" - Eight featurettes, image galleries, radio interview with the author, and screen tests for the part of Rachel.
Disc 5 - Workprint Version - This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Rutger Hauer and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more.
Also included is commentary by Paul M. Sammon, author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner and a featurette - "All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut".
2 Disc Edition : Discs 1-2
4 Disc Edition : Discs 1-4
5 Disc Edition : Discs 1-5
The downside of this 2-disc version is that you are only getting the Final Cut version of the film and the documentary disc. You won't get the bonus disc of featurettes, the disc of past releases, and the workprint version of the film. The upside is that the 5-disc version of the film has some expensive packaging and promotional material included that seems to really raise the price of the entire package.

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In celebration of Blade Runner's 25th anniversary, director Ridley Scott has gone back into post production to create the long-awaited definitive new version. Blade Runner: The Final Cut, spectacularly restored and remastered from original elements and scanned at 4K resolution, will contain never-before-seen added/extended scenes, added lines, new and improved special effects, director and filmmaker commentary, an all-new 5.1 Dolby® Digital audio track and more. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah are among some 80 stars, filmmakers and others who participate in the extensive bonus features. Among the bonus material highlights is Dangerous Days, a brand new, three-and-a-half-hour documentary by award-winning DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, with an extensive look into every aspect of the film: its literary genesis, its challenging production and its controversial legacy. The definitive documentary to accompany the definitive film version.
The Ultimate Collector's Edition will be presented in a unique 5-disc digi-package with handle which is a stylish version of Rick Deckard's own briefcase.In addition, each briefcase will be individually numbered and in limited supply. Included is a lenticular motion film clip from the original feature, miniature origami unicorn figurine, miniature replica spinner car, and collector's photographs, as well as a signed personal letter from Sir Ridley Scott.
Disc One RIDLEY SCOTT'S ALL-NEW "FINAL CUT" VERSION OF THE FILM Restored and remastered with added & extended scenes, added lines, new and cleaner special effects and all new 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Also includes:
Commentary by Ridley Scott
Commentary by executive producer/co-screenwriter Hampton Fancher and co-screenwriter David Peoples; producer Michael Deely and production executive Katherine Haber
Commentary by visual futurist Syd Mead; production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special photographic effects supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer

Disc Two DOCUMENTARY DANGEROUS DAYS: MAKING BLADE RUNNERA feature-length authoritative documentary revealing all the elements that shaped this hugely influential cinema landmark. Cast, crew, critics and colleagues give a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the film -- from its literary roots and inception through casting, production, visuals and special effects to its controversial legacy and place in Hollywood history.
Disc Three 1982 THEATRICAL VERSION This is the version that introduced U.S. movie-going audiences to a revolutionary film with a new and excitingly provocative vision of the near-future.It contains Deckard/Harrison Ford's character narration and has Deckard and Rachel's (Sean Young) "happy ending" escape scene.
1982 INTERNATIONAL VERSION Also used on U.S. home video, laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992. This version is not rated, and contains some extended action scenes in contrast to the Theatrical Version.
1992 DIRECTOR'S CUT The Director's Cut omits Deckard's voiceover narration and removes the "happy ending" finale.It adds the famously-controversial "unicorn" sequence, a vision that Deckard has which suggests that he, too, may be a replicant.
Disc Four BONUS DISC - "Enhancement Archive": 90 minutes of deleted footage and rare or never-before-seen items in featurettes and galleries that cover the film's amazing history, production teams, special effects, impact on society, promotional trailers, TV spots, and much more.

Featurette "The Electric Dreamer: Remembering Philip K. Dick"
Featurette "Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel vs. The Film"
Philip K. Dick: The Blade Runner Interviews (audio)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Cover Gallery (images)
The Art of Blade Runner (image galleries)
Featurette "Signs of the Times: Graphic Design"
Featurette "Fashion Forward: Wardrobe & Styling"
Screen Tests: Rachel & Pris
Featurette "The Light That Burns: Remembering Jordan Cronenweth"
Unit photography gallery
Deleted and alternate scenes
1982 promotional featurettes
Trailers and TV spots
Featurette "Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art"
Marketing and merchandise gallery (images)
Featurette "Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard"
Featurette "--Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers"

Disc Five WORKPRINT VERSION This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Batty (Rutger Hauer) and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more. Also includes:
Commentary by Paul M. Sammon, author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner
Featurette "All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut"

Stills from Blade Runner (click for larger image)

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The Stabilizer Review

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(More customer reviews)A friend and I like to watch bad films, and he found out about this little gem. It has three times the action and none of the logic of other action films. The hero looks a lot like Brian May from Queen. My favorite part of the film is when the Stabilizer's arch-nemesis, Greg Rainmaker, is in his (The Stabilizer's) fiance's apartment, and on the wall she has a picture of the Stabilizer. Okay, so there's nothing unusual about having a picture of your boyfriend or fiance on your wall, but in this picture he is wearing sunglasses, a mesh shirt, and HOLDING A GUN. Later in the film, Rainmaker is in his lair, and he fires a gun at THE SAME PICTURE, HANGING IN HIS LAIR! He didn't take it from the fiance's apartment either -- somehow, he too had a picture of The Stabilizer, looking tough and brandishing a gun! Perhaps this year when I send out Christmas cards, I'll enclose a picture of myself, possibly without pants, holding a semi-automatic rifle.
A brief warning: if (for some ungodly reason) you are watching this in the company of children, the film starts out with an introduction by the distributor, Troma (which goes on WAY too long by the way) which features a topless woman.
If you like bad films, I recommend this.

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SS Girls (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a good time with SS GIRLS. It's not bogged down with grim, sordid torture scenes, instead offering a heaping platter of cheesy chuckles served up by a harem of naked Euro-sluts. Some of the badly dubbed dialog is absolutely hysterical. Of particular note is the astonishingly overwrought "performance" - if you can call it that - of Gabriele Carrara as the demented SS officer Schellenberg. Other than running about 10 minutes too long (director Bruno Mattei, who also co-scripted, tacks on a pointless soliloquy by a minor character near the end), SS GIRLS hits all the right Eurotrash notes. There's oodles of female nudity (with some lesbianism and S&M in the mix), a number of scenes in very bad taste (that thankfully don't get TOO revolting), and loads of unintentional humor. Mattei even tosses in a bit of action in the form of a Russian tank attack.

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Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this back in the late 80s when it was only being advertised in Fangoria and it was a cherished VHS tape that lasted me several years and many plays. It shocked quite a few party goers, grossed out the hot chicks and generally entertained the hell out of many people until it was finally eaten in a friend's old VCR. It is essential viewing for horror trailer fans and contains the best single lineup of trailers I've ever seen on video (and I've seen quite a few of them). The ONLY weak parts of the program are the idiotic video interludes by a balding ventriloquist and his corny zombie puppet 'Happy'! They really are annoying and throw lame speed bumps into an otherwise premium collection of trailers. Definitely check this DVD out but beware of several of those very unfunny interruptions.

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Anita - The Shocking Account of a Young Nymphomaniac (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)Filmed in Sweden circa 1973, this story presents the dire circumstances that consume Anita, a 17 year old girl who has developed an obsession for anywhere/anytime sex with perfect strangers.
The film is subtitled "the true story of a 17 year old nymphomaniac" and while I have always associated the word nymphomania with a willful pleasure of all things sexual by the afflicted, here, in this case, with this film, we learn that all is not a bed of roses for someone fallen under this condition.
Anita is very unhappy as she is unable to control her impulses to virtually just grab any man on the street asking him to "come with me" and leading him to a secluded coat room or back closet for instant sex.
We are taken inside the home of Anita's family where we witness what is revealed to be the source of her conflict, namely, her uncaring mother and father and her taunting sister.
Enter Eric played by Stellan Skarsgard who tries to understand, analyse and help Anita overcome her problem.
Without giving away the whole ball of wax I would like to mention the interesting views of Sweden throughout the film and the period dress by all the characters and even the scratchy print of the film during its opening and closing moments that endeared it to me .
For those looking for a generous helping of nudity from the film's star Christina Lindberg they will not be disappointed.
And kudo's to IMPULSE pictures who released this dvd with stylish cover artwork resembling an old-style pulp fiction paperback cover

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A young girl named Anita (Christina Lindberg) suffers from psychological problems and sexual promiscuity due to her troubled childhood and uncaring parents. She meets Erik (Stellan Skarsgard) , a student at a local university, who tries to help her through her troubles by analyzing her past relationships. After revealing her most intimate and violent encounters to Erik, he determines that, in order for her to overcome her nymphomania, she first must experience a true orgasm! ANITA is a classic of controversial Swedish exploitation starring cult film starlet Christina Lindberg (THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE) and a very young Stellan Skarsgard (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END) in one of his first ever film roles! SPECIAL FEATURES: - Original Uncut Swedish Version - 16:9 Anamorphic [1.66:1] Transfer - Newly Translated Removable English Subtitles.

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Emmanuelle 2 - The Joys of A Woman Review

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(More customer reviews)This rating is not for the movie which is good and every bit what the other reviewers have noted. My beef is with the DVD which is 85 minutes and even shorter than the VHS version which is 92 minutes. Can someone tell me why? If anything, the director's cut should have been produced on DVD. What a disappointment!

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Silip: Daughters of Eve (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)The movie opens with one of the major characters, Simon Kalabaw (played by Mark Joseph), clobbering a buffalo over the head with a poleax in the presence of distressed, crying children. The butcher pounds away until the animal collapses, slits its throat, eviscerates it, and decapitates it.
After this extremely disturbing scene, the movie unfolds to portray the lives of several people in a small Philippine village, played by a cast of talented actors. Tonya, played by Maria Isabel Lopez, is a chaste woman and a fill-in for the town's ill Catholic priest; she is the substitute "teacher" who inculcates in her pupils abstinence and purity, and who warns the girls of the dangers of yielding to their sexual desires for men, whom she calls devils. Selda (Sarsi Emmanuelle) is her antithesis, a woman who relishes and indulges in carnal pleasures. Simon, the icon of masculinity, is revered by Selda; by his girlfriend (Myra Manibog), who can't tame his waywardness; and by Tonya herself, who struggles to repress her desire for him because of her religious beliefs. Even Pia (Pia Zabale), a girl of about twelve, is obsessed with Simon.
Silip is filled to the brim with nudity and simulated (though convincingly realistic and highly erotic) sex; both Maria Isabel's and Sarsi's graceful feminine forms are a delight to behold. The violence in the movie is fierce and visceral, requiring a strong stomach on the part of the viewer.
But the movie does more than aim for cheap, exploitative thrills. It effectively underscores how the church pointlessly exerts too much effort on condemning sex instead of addressing far more important realities such as the selfishness, cruelty, and barbarousness inherent in humanity. Few are exempt from committing atrocities in this film.
The cinematography is excellent, the camera adeptly conveying the arid, barren quality of the sandy settings as well as a quiet, voyeuristic feel in many of the scenes. The widescreen picture is surprisingly good. Colors are realistic though somewhat soft, and detail is impressive for an aged film that has clearly degraded with time--as dust, specks, and scratches will confirm. However, these flaws are not significantly distracting. What is a little more intrusive are a pair of fixed cloudy spots in a few scenes and a dark-blue cast in a couple of scenes that appear to take place in the daytime. Fortunately these instances are brief. The two-channel sound is clear and unexceptional. Audio options include Tagalog with English subtitles and English dubbed. The latter is not at all worth considering.
There is a second disc with extras that include the following:
An essay titled "Silip and Filipino Bold Cinema"
An interview with the film director, Elwood Perez
An interview with the still lovely Maria Isabel Lopez
An interview with the art director, Alberto Santos
Cast and crew biographies
Mondo Macabro movie trailers
In short, this is a unique, well-shot film with intensely erotic moments and truly disturbing violence. It makes a clear statement about the dark side of the human soul and stays with the viewer well after it is over.

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In the tradition of Japanese "Pink" cinema comes this shocking, violent and sex-filled movie that caused an outrage when it was screened at the Chicago Film Festival.Starring the former Miss Philippines, the stunning Maria Isabel Lopez (in her most revealing role ever), SILIP - DAUGHTERS OF EVE is an eye-opening example of raw and savage filmmaking from one of the Philippines' most innovative directors, Elwood Perez. Set in the beautiful and remote countryside of Ilongo, the story tells of three young women and their struggle to come to terms with their own sexuality against a background of religious oppression and male brutality.Mondo Macabro is pleased to present a 2-disc edition of one of the most extraordinary movies ever released on DVD.SILIP - DAUGHTERS OF EVE has been a well-kept secret amongst collectors of arcane and extreme films, talked about in awed tones but rarely seen... until now!Presented completely uncut and uncensored, SILIP - DAUGHTERS OF EVE is the ultimate cult movie and guaranteed not to disappoint.

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Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition and Torture (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Directed by seasoned veteran of Japanese exploitation cinema Teruo ISHII, FEMALE YAKUZA TALE - INQUISITION AND TORTURE is the unrelated sequel to SEX AND FURY (also available on amazon), again starring beautiful and very sexy Reiko IKE as tough as nails female gambler Ocho. Set in Kobe ca. 1920, the story with various fractions of yakuza, revenge and double - crossing is a bit too overconvoluted for its own good. To cut a long story short, let`s just say you can expects LOTS of nudity, sex, violence and sleaze. Some examples of what you can expect here: there are some nasty yakuza who force women to smuggle drugs in their private parts (!) As incentive the poor drug addicted gals get their fix injected in their naked breasts (!) In one particularly sleazy scene our heroine is engaged in a card game with mean yakuza mobster Big Tiger, who foolishly accuses her of cheating and insists that Ocho strips naked (!) to prove she did not hide cards. On the condition that he cuts off some of his fingers in time honoured yakuza-tradition, should he be proven wrong, she drops her clothes (in the process clandestinely disposing of an incriminating card). Now it's time of the unfortunate yakuza to cut off his fingers, but his girl comes to his rescue and asks Ocho for a favour "from woman to woman": Making an obscene gesture with her hand, she begs Ocho to spare Big Tiger's middle finger. It's up to the viewer's dirty imagination, why she asks his finger be spared...
The showdown, involving sword- and gunplay, explosions, blood geysirs and about two dozen naked girls (!) is particularly over the top. As if this was not enough there is some downright silly slapstick and funny dialogue ("trashy boss" being my favorite) thrown in for good measure.
When all is said and done, FEMALE YAKUZA TALE - INQUISITION AND TORTURE is surely a pleasureable and entertaining way to spend an evening. The film is well-shot with stunning cinematography. Reiko IKE is great. However, I found the film still a bit disappointing. The story is convoluted and over blown. Personally, I found SEX AND FURY a far better film. Sure, there is more sex and violence in INQUISITION (though there is not a shortage of it in SEX AND FURY either), but SEX AND FURY has a better story and is overall a far more rewarding viewing experience.
Technically the DVD is great. The film is presented in its original widescreen aspect ratio, colours are nice and the print is pristine. There are also several interesting extra features. First of all the excellent trailer. Then there are picture galleries of promotional art and stills from the film. There are also excellently written production notes and bio- and filmographies of director Terou ISHII and star Reiko IKE.


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Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition And Torture is an anarchistic apex in the career of Japanese cult director, Teruo Ishii, whose fifty year resume includes Horror of Malformed Men and Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf. Notoriously lacking restraint, sexy 'pinky violence' star, Reiko Ike, returns in this gonzo sequel to Sex & Fury following the further exploits of Ocho, a thief and gambler running afoul of evil yakuza in Meiji Era Tokyo. Aided by a lone wolf adventurer (Ryohei Uchida), Ocho investigates a ruthless gang of cutthroats who are using indentured prostitutes as drug mules to smuggle heroin from China. Director Ishii throws everything but the kitchen sink into this mind-altering sexploitation action saga, all culminating in a bloody mobster massacre replete with sultry swordswomen. Full of intoxicating mayhem and uproarious kabuki-striptease antics, Female Yakuza Tale - Inquisition & Torture is freak-out filmmaking at its finest! Panik House is proud to present Female Yakuza Tale uncut, uncensored and totally restored from the original vault elements. Available for the first time anywhere on DVD! FEMALE YAKUZA TALE DVD Features- Audio Commentary with Chris D., American Cinematheque film programmer and author of the book Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film.- Director & Star Bios for Teruo Ishii and Reiko Ike, written by Chris D.- Original Theatrical Trailer.- Poster and Still Galleries- Production Notes- Special Insert Sticker - Optional English Subtitles - Brand New 16x9 transfer with completely re-mastered video and audio - Special Packaging – stunning transparent amaray and the first 10,000 units debut in a clear O-Sleeve

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Hated (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hated: G. G. Allin and the Murder Junkies (Todd Phillips, 1993)
What on god's green earth has happened to Todd Phillips in the ten years since he released Hated, the definitive G. G. Allin documentary? How, exactly, can one go from covering a dangerous, violent punk icon to doing a documentary about Phish and making really, really bad Tom Green/Wilson Brothers movies (Road Trip, Old School, Starsky and Hutch)? I don't know, but if you find yourself crawling under the table every time someone even mentions the name Todd Phillips, taking a look at Hated may convince you that there really are the underpinnings of a good documentary filmmaker beneath the present idiocy. Or maybe not. Much of that may depend on your view of his subject, a man on whom no one who's ever encountered his work can be without an opinion.
For the ten or twenty people who still haven't heard of him, G. G. Allin was, as Murder Junkies drummer Dino says, "God, Jesus, and Satan all rolled into one," perhaps the last American rock and roll singer who grasped what the spirit of rock was about, and aimed to bring that spirit back to music. To that effect, Allin would today be called a "performance artist" rather than a rock band frontman, probably. Allin and co.'s now-legendary gigs, three aborted tours' worth (as brother Merle Allin says, "you never plan on finishing a tour-- two reasons: the hospital or the law."), usually started out looking like punk shows, but ended (long before they should have) in fights, riots, raids by the police, overdoses, what have you. Allin's notoriety increased a thousandfold when the talk show circuit picked him up in the early nineties (some of the footage from his appearance on Geraldo is shown here), and as Phillips, who had been making Hated off and on since 1988, got ready to put the finishing touches on the film, Allin had gone from underground icon to public animal number one. The band kicked off the Terror in America tour in 1993, with much of the interview footage with the band members coming just before or just after the start of the tour. Allin was dead within days of the completion of the film, of which Phillips then halted postproduction to add another ten minutes of footage to the end.
Phillips is obviously influenced by the Errol Morris school of documentary filmmaking: just sit back with the camera and let those you're interviewing make complete fools of themselves. But there's more to Phillips than that; he fades into the background at times, but there's never the sense that the subjects of the documentary forget the filmmaker is there. (Phillips has confirmed, in interviews, that this never happened.) Not surprising when you consider that Allin's modus operandi, more often than not, was to attack the audience; the filmmaker is part of the audience, therefore...
The documentary itself is interesting enough, and refuses to paint Allin as either saint or sinner (surprising for a filmmaker who'd been in contact with Allin for five years), letting the viewer make his own judgments on that score. And viewers should, without doubt, though the pervasive language and nudity (both Allin himself and drummer Dino often performed naked or nearly so), strong sexual content, and what I can only describe as adult situations (despite the infantile nature of same) is likely to put the vast majority of viewers off ever renting this. But the real value in the DVD release, and the most ironic portion of it, is fifty minutes of extra footage recorded on the last day of Allin's life. The footage shows the soundcheck and aborted (halfway through the second song) legendary set at New York club The Gas Station, often considered the most violent set the band ever played (it has been reported numerous times that over a hundred attendees rioted after the show was shut down), and about thirty minutes of Allin's antics with Dino and a core group of fans afterwards while they went on a quest for heroin. What emerges in this footage is a picture of G. G. Allin that, while not diametrically opposed to the stage presence and the person that emerges from interviews, is certainly a different, and fascinating, side of Allin's character. In the documentary, Allin is characterized by almost everyone as a complete misanthrope, a person who would just as soon kill you as look at you. The footage of Allin wandering (naked, at the beginning of the trek) around the streets of New York City with eight to ten others and twenty or thirty following at a distance shows a smiling, affable guy who's usually got his arms draped around one or two people, haranguing police but never turning nasty about it, acknowledging fans with smiles and victory signs (yes, there are two fingers raised there), and generally being anything but dangerous-looking, as long as you look past the fact that he's covered in filth and (his own) blood. The end effect is to raise a whole lot of questions about a person for whom society assumed it already had all the answers. The documentary itself is capable; releasing the final footage with it is brilliant. ****

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Christiane F. (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)this movie is a must to see HOWEVER if possible PLEASE try to obtain the UK version so that you can watch this in german with English subtitles.IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE and the US version is also cut a little here and there. I have watched both version of this movie and the english overdubs are horrible. I fell for Natja Brunckhorst in a big way in this movie. THIS IS A MUST to see-check it out


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Item Name: Christiane F.; Studio:Image Entertainment

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Luther the Geek Review

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(More customer reviews)Sorry for the ridiculous title but this crazy film deserves nothing less. "Luther the Geek" is a basic slasher movie containing a few things that truly set it apart from most. First, the actor who portrays Luther does an excellent job at portraying a seriously deranged psychotic. I don't know of too many actors who could pull off the fact that their only dialouge consists of squawking like a chicken, yet not make it seem funny. Second, a generally twisted feel overall that culminates in a very unsettling ending. The film also has a clausterphobic feel to it as most of the action takes place in or around an isolated farmhouse, somewhat in a "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" mold. The gore effects are generally good with the vomiting blood scene being the most shocking. "Luther the Geek" is simply a disturbing movie that is one of my guilty pleasures, check it out. One note, since Troma acquired this, they have tacked on a rather obscene prolouge with Lloyd Kaufman introducing the film. Normally his stuff is kind of funny, this one is just tasteless.

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A young country boy is plunged into the depths of homicidal madness after witnessing the strange exploits of a carnival "geek", a caged drunk so desperate for whiskey that he bites the heads off of live chickens in front of a freak show audience.30 years later, Luther is all grown up and out on parole after spending his childhood behind bars for a series of grisly murders.Armed with a pair of razor-sharp metal dentures and only able to communicate through chicken clucks, Luther starts his bloody rampage anew as he terrorizes the citizens of a small town and takes a young mother and her family hostage in their isolated farmhouse.Featuring one of the most intense endings ever put on film, Luther the Geek is good gory fun in the splatter flick tradition of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Toxic Avenger!DVD Features Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger!- Interview with Luther the Geek director Carl J. Albright -Deleted scenes from "The Shower", "The Bedroom" and "The Bullet Hits"- Troma's "Freak of the Week" from Troma's Edge TV, featuring "Tim the Torture King"! -Tromatic music video "Freak of the Week" featuring Ron Jeremy and DJ Polo and directed by Lloyd Kaufman! -Freaky theatrical Trailers for Luther the Geek, Bloodsucking Freaks, Tales From the Crapper, and Citizen Toxie! -Freaky poster art and production stills! -"Make Your Own Damn Movie" Film school in a box! -Radiation March -Learn about the only truly independent film festival with the Tromadance PSA! -Special tribute to Rue Morgue Magazine

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Death Hunter: Werewolves vs. Vampires (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)The cover art was the best thing about this movie. Had I bought this for around $5 I would not have been as disappointed as I was. I guess I was expecting more for the price I paid.

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