Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO (1974)

Although inferior to When Taekwondo Strikes (now also available on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment), this movie does benefit from the inclusion of Chuck Norris in the cast as a sleazy villain in a silly hat who exists merely to get his buttocks whupped in fine fashion by the star – actor Wong Tao – in the punchy finale. The original title of the film in Hong Kong was Yellow-Faced Tiger and it was directed by Lo Wei, director of the Bruce Lee classics The Big Boss and Fist of Fury. Rumours persist to this day that Lee would have starred in the movie after the completion of Game of Death, the film he was working on at the time of his death in June 1973.

Slaughter in San Francisco is nothing to write home about, so save your ink (other writing fluids are available) and just settle down and watch a crime and revenge flick typical of the era in which it was made. It does at least have colourful locations in San Francisco and its environs and is competently made with some lively if not iconic, martial arts bouts

The movie was not released in the US or Europe at the time it was made and was not released internationally until the early 1980s, by which time Chuck Norris had become a well-known and popular star, and he was not happy when Slaughter in San Francisco appeared in cinemas as ostensibly a new Norris movie in which his voice was dubbed by a less than gifted voice-over artist who sounded nothing like him. Accompanying the film on its first Blu-ray release is an amusing feature giving an overview of Norris’s career, a commentary and trailers. Worthwhile for Norris completists.

SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO is released on Blu-ray by Eureka Entertainment on February 19th.

WHEN TAEKWONDO STRIKES (1973)

This new release from Eureka is a real gem for fans of classic martial arts films from the golden era of the early 1970s as it stars the incredible Angela Mao, who will be remembered for her role in Enter the Dragon as Bruce Lee’s sister. In 1972, Lee visited the set of When Taekwondo Strikes and witnessed for himself her dynamic fighting techniques in the art of Hapkido, which are demonstrated plentifully in this genuinely action-packed movie.

The story is set in Japanese-occupied Korea, where a resistance freedom fighter, played by Jhoon Rhee, is captured by the enemy, and his followers enlist the aid of a plucky Hapkido fighter (Mao) to help rescue him and a series of spectacular hand-to-hand battles take place to achieve this objective and also conveniently fill almost the entire running time of this 95-minute movie.

Co-star Jhoon Rhee was considered at the time to be the “father” of American Taekwondo, and his fighting skills add to the impact of this movie, which was to be his only on-screen appearance – he was hardly a matinee idol it has to be said, although two other cast members, Chinese Carter Wong and American Anne Winton {this was her only screen role, too) are no slouches when it comes to foot and fist action.

This release comes with the addition of the excellent 91-minute documentary The Best of the Martial Arts Films from 1990 and a commentary from movie historian Sam Deighan and is the first Blu-ray release of When Taekwondo Strikes in the UK. Highly recommended.

WHEN TAEKWONDO STRIKES is available on Blu-ray now from Eureka Entertainment.

NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN (1981) [Blu-ray/UHD]

This previously banned video nasty is a gnarly, unyielding and gore-stippled horror that stands out amongst the great swathe of psycho thrillers from the time. Thanks to aptly disorientating editing, twisted sound design, ingenious kill scenes, striking gore effects, and a bone-trembling lead performance from Baird Stafford, Nightmares in a Damaged Brain is an unheeded cult b-movie gem that has stood the test of time and should strike a chord enough to resonate with even the most desensitised horror fans.

The story centres on George Tatum (Stafford), a homicidal inmate at a hospital for the criminally insane, who is placed on an experimental drug programme then prematurely released after showing signs of recovery. When a repressed sex murder memory of a mid-coitus beheading resurfaces at a New York peep show, Tatum sets off on a killing spree. Cops and docs try to track him down before Tatum kills again, but the maniac sets his sights on a small town family, which he toys with and eyes for a future demise.

Writer/Director Romano Scavolini’s near-masterwork starts with a blood bath and rarely lets up, but is hindered by a flat supporting cast and midpoint plot sag. However, for the better part, it’s an engrossing gross-out thriller that’s worth seeking out, especially in its newly restored edition that’s been “scanned from the internegative and various foreign print sources to the create the most complete version ever assembled.” This Severin Blu-ray/UHD release also includes deleted scenes, trailers, and interviews with the crew, including Tom Savini, plus audio commentary by producer William Paul and SFX assistant Cleve Hall.

Severin’s NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN release is available from Feb 26th

INSIDE (2007)

Four months after a car crash in which her husband and father of her unborn child died, Sarah is understandably still struggling to come to terms with her loss and imminent motherhood. Settling in the evening before the day of the birth, she receives a visit from a mysterious woman who seems intent on entry. What follows is part home invasion, part sensory assault as Inside burrows into your brain and deposits a stream of imagery that may never leave you.

A classic entry into the French Extremity movement, Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s film is a brutal, uncompromising, and savage exploration of grief and violence. Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is nonchalant, to say the least, about her unborn child, withdrawing from those attempting to aid her. Béatrice Dalle as ‘La Femme’ is driven to the point of insanity, repellent in pursuit of her prey, but with her true motive hidden. With the prize at stake slowly dawning on the viewer, their contest is unbearably engaging, with you unable to take your eyes from the screen yet simultaneously trying to draw your gaze away. It is a film designed to provoke a response, and whether you find Inside one of the most audacious films of all time or simply a horrific indulgence, your opinion will undoubtedly be a strong one.

It’s a film not for the faint of heart or soon-to-be parents.

Accompanying the film, Second Sight has again compiled an impressive collection of extras. Interviews, documentaries, video essays, and a 70-page book are all included with the limited-edition Blu-ray, while the standard version contains all but the text.

INSIDE is out now on Limited Edition Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray.

DARK WINDS (Season One)

Navajo Nation cop Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) is in the middle of Monument Valley, and a storm is brewing. With him is a biker, sweating as he digs what, initially, appears to be a grave. This looks like frontier retribution, a criminal buried in the desert following some locally imparted justice until you realise the biker is being forced to bury stolen artefacts. Although Leaphorn’s manner suggests, this could easily have gone another way.

At the same time, in New Mexico, a small team of bandits hold up an armoured car and make off across the Navajo Nation in a helicopter, while in a grubby motel room, an old man and a teenage girl are brutally killed.

It is quite the opening to this 1970s-set drama and perhaps one the series struggles to live up to.

That everything is connected is no surprise, but Dark Winds treads a rather convoluted path towards resolution. Many pieces and plots are in play, from the death of Leaphorn’s son some time previous to his new partner Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), an ambitious FBI agent with an agenda. We’re introduced to a preaching, promiscuous car salesman fronting a money laundering scheme and the Buffalo Society, an extremist Navajo group.

There’s a lot for one season to manage, and you may sometimes wonder which thread you’re currently watching, but Dark Winds is atmospheric stuff. Every character with their differing motivations feels real. The Native American community, their challenges, beliefs, and fight for justice as engaging as it is relevant.

Maybe there really is something in the wind.

DARK WINDS Season One is out now on Blu-ray and DVD.

ALLIGATOR (4K) / ALLIGATOR II: THE MUTATION

In Alligator, a rarely-remembered creature feature from the post-Jaws era, we find a pet baby alligator being flushed down the toilet for committing the heinous crime of doing a poo behind the laundry basket. Surviving on toxic sludge, stray animals and overly-inquisitive humans, it grows to an immense size and eventually makes its way from the sewer to the surface, running amok while the police and army try to track it down as alligator fever sweeps the city.

Alligator is absolute rollercoaster of a movie, full of humour, action, explosions, snappy (no pun intended) dialogue, well-observed characters, many cast members with extremely pleasing faces, and one of the most enjoyably chaotic weddings you could ever wish to see. Its sequel, Alligator II: The Mutation, despite appearances by genre favourites Dee Wallace and Kane Hodder, fares slightly less well, being little more than a retread of the original but with slightly less heart and enthusiasm. Nevertheless, it still provides 90 minutes worth of entertaining nonsense and it’s certainly nice to see both films being brought together in one place.

This set – the UK release of Shout Factory’s 2022 US edition, with the added bonus of Alligator II thrown in – includes the original film on separate 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs, along with the TV cut which is eight minutes longer than the theatrical version and features a handful of clever and highly amusing scenes. 70 minutes of interviews with cast and crew (including production assistant Bryan Cranston) and a handful of trailers and TV spots round off the package nicely along with a poster, booklet, and some nifty wraparound artwork.

101 Films’ release of Alligator in 4K UHD is out on February 12th

DJANGO (1966, 4K)

First and foremost, Sergio Corbucci’s Django is a very good film. Violent, moodily atmospheric and influential, it is a seminal Spaghetti Western, with Corbucci’s blue-eyed anti-hero (played spectacularly by Franco Nero) perhaps only second to Eastwood’s Man with no Name as the most significant and recognisable character in the genre.

Yet, Django is more than that. Corbucci’s film is as angry as it is poignant, filled with its director’s intense hatred for fascism while refusing to allow any character what could be truly defined as a happy ending or arguably even redemption.

This new release from Cult Films is as beautiful as you would expect, the 4K restoration rendering the already strong visuals even more stunning than before while the audio is, at times, a barrage on the senses.

Included here are four interesting on-disc extras, including an introduction by Alex Cox (good), an interview with Franco Nero (interesting), and an interview with Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato (entertainingly combative). Of most interest, however, is the new documentary Django & Django, a presentation by Quentin Tarantino, which, despite focusing on the genre itself and his own Once Upon a Time in Hollywood more than Django itself, is a thoroughly engaging watch. With a substantial booklet also included, this is a well-stocked release.

That said, if you’re a big fan, you likely already own the Arrow 4K, or at least a good version of the film. And while the extras are worth the effort, the Tarantino documentary is on Amazon should you really wish to view it. What we’re saying is that Cult Films has a good job on their release, but it falls just short of being an essential purchase – one for completionists and those yet to purchase a version.

Cult Films’ release of DJANGO in 4K UHD is out now.

TERRIFIER: THE BLOODY DUO [LIMITED EDITION 4K UHD STEELBOOK]

It’s the killer clown films we all know and love, but in 4K! The Terrifier: The Bloody Duo 4K UHD release is the perfect addition to any Art the Clown fan’s growing collection. The quality of the content is just a slight cut above when it comes to enhanced viewing; it boasts better sound quality and sharper visuals, not to mention the gore taking centre stage, vividly popping and intensifying the impact.

The true gem of this release has to be the bonus features, which includes director commentary from Damien Leone, an extended interview with the Boo Crew, and the behind-the-scenes making of Terrifier 2. These extra features really do make this release special, allowing us to see for ourselves the amount of fun the cast and crew had during filming.

For the more casual film fan with little interest in collecting, this deluxe steelbook release might not be for you – your standard Blu-ray will likely be enough. But collectors, this is definitely one for you, even if you just get it for the extras! The bonus content is a huge selling point for this release, but the combination of enhanced visuals and audio does make both Terrifier films feel crisper and even more polished (as polished as you can make a bloodbath!).

Terrifier and Terrifier 2 are both perfect in their own way, but this release simply gives them that extra boost. The Bloody Duo is an essential addition to any collector’s repertoire.

TERRIFIER: THE BLOODY DUO [LIMITED EDITION 4K UHD STEELBOOK] will be released on March 4th. To read our recent interview with director Damien Leone, head HERE.

CLICK TO PRE-ORDER FROM AMAZON.CO.UK

FREAKS VS THE REICH

Set in Rome in the waning years of World War II, a travelling circus is at the centre of a German attack, leaving four performers and their ringmaster displaced. Israel (Giorgio Tirabassi), the MC and spiritual father, wants to escape to the US (even more imperative as he is Jewish), while Fulvio (Claudio Santamaria), a strongman covered from head to toe in hair, wants to join the Circus Berlin, which Franz (Franz Rogowski) runs. Unbeknownst to the group, six-fingered pianist Franz has the power to see the future, already predicting Hitler’s suicide as well as sketching mobile phones and creating his own swastika-laden Rubik’s cube (a Franz’s cube, we guess!).

When Israel doesn’t return from buying tickets for America, the assumption is that he has betrayed them. Except for the youngest of the four, Matilde (Aurora Giovinazzo), a lithe acrobat who can conduct electricity and produces powerful shocks if her skin is touched, is convinced something is wrong, so they set out to find him.

Freaks vs The Reich (originally known as Freaks Out) is a visually stunning period piece with a very modern slant. The protagonists are a motley bunch, not all likeable, but certainly interesting and sympathetic. Setting the action against the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis allows for the obvious parallel in the way so-called ‘freaks’ are treated by the general public. It also works as a celebration of outsiders – something many of us can relate to.

Gabriele Mainetti directs confidently and despite its 140-minute running time, never loses its focus and maintains the interest. The camera work from Michele D’Attanasio is fantastic, whirling around Franz while he plays piano versions of Radiohead’s Creep and Guns n’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’Mine and particularly during the opening circus scene that ends in carnage at the hands of a Nazi attack. There’s a real emotional heart at the story’s centre, and it’s a twisted, stylish celebration of the underdog.

Dazzler Media presents FREAKS VS THE REICH in selected cinemas on January 12th.
Own it on Blu-ray, DVD, and Download February 26th.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: VENGEANCE

It’s back to murderous Margate for footsoldier Pat Tate, where he immediately gets embroiled in a botched armed robbery. The proceeds were intended for a drug deal, and not long afterwards, Kenny, a mate of his, is brutally murdered by a gang in London’s Soho. Tate vows revenge for Kenny’s death and searches for a drag queen/amateur boxer called Billy the Kid, who might lead to those responsible. At the same time, Billy’s scrapyard owner and tough guy father is also searching for him, and into the mix, Tate thinks someone is messing with him, and he does not know who to trust.

Surprisingly, compared to the previous film, Rise of the Footsoldier: Marbella, there is no nudity or copious use of drugs, but as might be expected in a Footsoldier film, there’s plenty of shooting and stabbing by tough old-school geezers, along with treachery, duplicity, and others besides Tate seeking revenge.

It expertly reveals the underbelly of gangland violence in 1990s Soho, with hit songs of that period on the soundtrack, and it is tinged with a dark sense of humour. For example, when a gangster asks a barmaid if she knows where Billy the Kid is, she says she knows nothing about him, yet there is a blatantly advertising one of his performances behind her.

Craig Fairbrass plays Pat Tate and is at the very epicentre of the action, where he relentlessly seeks vengeance at any cost. For mindless action-packed violence, you need to look no further.

The extras include an audio commentary by director Nick Nevern and writer-producer Andy Loveday, a ‘making of’ Vengeance video, and deleted/extended scenes.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: VENGEANCE is out now on Blu-ray and DVD.