Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

This new Blu-ray release from Signature Entertainment bears all the hallmarks of a future cult movie. The makers have thrown everything but the proverbial kitchen sink into this 93-minute cavalcade of sci-fi and horror, which will delight genre fans and deserves a far wider audience.

Whilst on vacation in Thailand with his family, American cop Jake (William Moseley), his wife and young daughter are visiting a shopping mall. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose as an armed madman (Michele Morrone) kills scores of innocent shoppers and Jake finds himself hurled into a supernatural realm. When demons escape and begin wreaking havoc on the streets, the city is thrown into absolute chaos. In order to save his endangered family, Jake joins forces with a mysterious novice monk, and together they embark on a journey that leads them to the very gates of Hell.

We need not, however, trouble ourselves too much with the story, which becomes somewhat convoluted as it progresses. The selling point here is a series of superbly constructed action set pieces, which are thrillingly realised. We have shoot-outs, explosions, martial arts combat and most strikingly, almost as many monsters as a Ray Harryhausen movie, including an attack by a flock of harpies straight out of Jason and the Argonauts. The directors Steffen and Alex (yes, really, no surnames here) exceed expectations, and perhaps the only complaint is an overuse of subtitles for dialogue that could just as well have been spoken in English.

The disc also includes a making-of documentary which enhances an already exciting movie that’s bound to satisfy all those who dive into its wild embrace. Great stuff.

HOME SWEET HOME: REBIRTH is available now on DVD and Blu-ray and on Prime Video.

Newly available on Blu-ray from Eureka’s Classics range is the thrilling 1968 Shaw Brothers production The Bells of Death. This sweeping and superbly choreographed tale of revenge, directed by the experienced Yueh Fang, is a prime example of the swordplay epics popular in Hong Kong in the years before the arrival of the kung fu craze of the ’70s.

The movie’s opening credits are reminiscent of the spaghetti westerns so prevalent at the time, as a group of horsemen thunder across the plain and a sub-Morricone soundtrack accompanies them. These riders are quickly identified as the villains of the piece as they attack and kill the family of the hero Wu Fei (Chang Yi). Within minutes, the plot is firmly established, and from that point on, bloody retribution is the order of the day – and boy, does it impress.

The film is a blatant remake of the superb 1966 Steve McQueen western Nevada Smith, but is none the worse for that; the villains are tracked down one by one and dispensed with by the hero, who we first meet as a humble woodcutter but who ultimately becomes the very epitome of a grim avenger with extraordinarily developed swordsmanship skills. This makes for a thoroughly entertaining adventure film which deserves to be seen by audiences previously unaware of its existence.

This Blu-ray release contains an English language dub of the film, but traditionalists can relax as there is a splendid subtitled version available too, plus the expected audio commentaries by afficionados of classic Hong Kong cinema that Eureka should be applauded for including on their discs.

If you are new to the wuxia films of the era, then you will be pleased to know that there are plenty more to come as the year progresses, and they can’t be recommended enough.

Master of the mammary Russ Meyer turns his hand to the whodunnit with this riotous excursion into bad taste cinema.

When Adolph Schwartz (Edward Schaaf), a reclusive and perverted German exile, is murdered in his bathtub (by piranha, no less), everyone in the small logging town is a suspect. Lone drifter Margo Winchester (Raven De La Croix) soon makes her presence felt when she shacks up with corrupt sheriff Homer Johnson (Monty Bane) and starts working in the diner owned by Alice (Janet Wood) and her husband Paul (Robert McLane), who just so happens to have been one of Adolph’s sex slaves. Confused? Don’t worry, the Greek Chorus (Kitten Natividad) pops up often to make things even more convoluted.

Like many of Meyer’s movies, Up! isn’t for the faint of heart (and certainly shouldn’t be confused with the Pixar movie). As well as abundance of bare skin (the overly buoyant ladies matched with oversized pendulum penises), there’s a liberal amount of uncomfortable assault sequences. It’s a testament to Meyer that everything rises above its origins in exploitation. It’s beautifully shot; as director, cameraman, and editor, Meyer certainly gets the most out of his surroundings and cast. His eye for finding character in location and actors was wonderful. He plays with the murder mystery theme, but not at the expense of titillation, which is always delivered with a wink without veering into hardcore.

Meyer’s films have always been polarising. It’s heartening to see them being accepted by the more elite movie lovers. That said, you either get them or you don’t. Fans, however, will relish this new scan of Up! and quite rightly so, as it presents the film looking as good as it gets.

UP! is out now on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

One of Russ Meyer’s gritty black and white pictures, Motorpsycho! delivers a mix of sex and violence that’s more of the latter than the former.

A trio of hoodlums, led by Vietnam veteran Brahmin (Steve Oliver), are causing havoc, threatening and assaulting women and their men. When they brutalise and murder the wife of local veterinarian Cory (Alex Rocco, who would later go on to The Godfather), he sets off to bring them to justice. Along the way, he meets Ruby (Haji), whose husband – who she didn’t particularly like – has been killed by the gang. She joins him as they face the gang once more.

Rather restrained in the case of nudity (although still full of Meyer’s trademark buxom women), Motorpsycho! goes full-on with other troublesome elements. The sexual assault sequences are tough and disturbing, but this only makes the perpetrators’ comeuppance more satisfying. Another thing Meyer is known for is his eye for a striking image. His camera captures the desert beautifully, and his editing is as dazzling as ever. While it’s been overshadowed by the masterclass that is Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, it’s just as cool and edgy as anything in the auteur’s catalogue.

Like many of the director’s films, it looks fantastic. Even more so in this new scan provided by the Museum of Modern Art. Like the other Meyer films Severin has released, there is a great commentary track (this time featuring film historian Elizabeth Purchell and filmmaker Zach Clark, who wax lyrical about the movie). The only other extra (unless you count the trailer) is a welcome addition – a highly entertaining and informative interview with lead actors Haji and Alex Rocco.

MOTORPSYCHO! is out now on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

 

This new four-disc Blu-ray set from Australia’s Via Vision brings all the Universal Dracula films that have been loved for almost a century. From the first film that shot Bela Lugosi into horror history to the monster mash-up of House of Dracula, this is a great chance to reacquaint yourself with the crème of Universal’s vampire series.

The 1931 movie is based more on the stage play of the same name than the Bram Stoker novel, but despite the slower pace, it’s still a wonderful work of art. Lacking any music save for the introductory blast of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, it’s a moody and atmospheric masterpiece. Included as a bonus in an extras-packed disc is the Spanish version made simultaneously by George Melford. It’s arguably technically superior to Tod Browning’s vision, and is certainly a unique experience, but takes nothing away from the groundbreaking original.

The first bloodsucking sequel, Dracula’s Daughter (1936), is a masterclass in brooding atmosphere. Gloria Holden plays Countess Zaleska, the titular daughter of the recently slain vampire. She’s haunted by the family curse but struggles to go cold turkey. The Sapphic-tinged scene with Nan Grey is legendary and stunningly effective.

Next, Lon Chaney Jr becomes Son of Dracula (1943) and he makes for an impressive Count, complete with moustache. He’s broodingly moody and seductive, and Chaney is superb in a non-hairy role, and Evelyn Ankers is a welcome addition. Which brings us to the big mash-up. House of Dracula (1945). Fans of the Universal Monsters usually dismiss these creature team-ups, but they’re actually a lot of fun. Here, both Count Dracula (this time played by John Carradine) and Larry Talbot, the Wolfman (Chaney) are hoping Dr Franz Edlemann (Onslow Stevens) will cure them of their horrific affliction. When he discovers the frozen body of the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange), the doctor’s intentions become more sinister. His beautiful, hunchbacked lab assistant, played by Jane Adams, adds a tragic but sympathetic element and the local demanding justice for his slain brother is mesmerisingly played by the unforgettable Skelton Knaggs. It delivers action, horror, and fire-wielding villagers. It might lack the subtle atmosphere of the earlier films, but it makes up for it with character.

ViaVision’s set doesn’t offer much in the way of bonus material on the sequel movies (aside from boasting some entertaining, newly recorded commentaries), but the 1931 disc is packed, containing some readily available commentaries, alternate scores (as well as the Spanish version), and featurettes. They’re all fascinating and entertaining, even though they’ve been around a while.

Fans of classic cinema will love the packaging (the limited edition has a great lenticular slipcase) and there’s no excuse to re-familiarise yourself with the sequels. They’re much better than you’d remember!

DRACULA FILM COLLECTION (1931 – 1945) is available from the Australian label Via Vision Entertainment.

Transmitted just once in 1966 when Doctor Who was starting to run out of steam (for the first time) and its leading man William Hartnell was, unbeknownst to him, nearing the end of his time at the controls of the TARDIS, Ian Stuart Black’s The Savages has never enjoyed much of a reputation amongst Who hoi polloi.

The episodes disappeared from the BBC Archive in the early 1970s. Surviving black-and-white publicity stills suggest a rather run-of-the-mill story about smug technocrats on some nameless alien planet subjugating savage cave-people by draining their life-essence. When they attempt to drain the Doctor’s own essence, they are compromised by his own sense of conscience. Eventually, the technocrats agree to end their oppressive regime by smashing up all their kit and enlisting the Doctor’s companion Steven (Peter Purves) to help the two civilisations work together – the end.

There’s nothing of any real interest going on, no monsters to scream/laugh at and a pretty bland setting. The Savages, on the evidence of this efficiently animated new release, is entirely deserving of its reputation as a very middling 1960s Who serial driven by a simplistic script that doesn’t even attempt to explore the themes that are clearly hiding in plain sight, not far below the story’s shallow surface.

This new three-disc Blu-ray release serves, at least, to fill a gap in the show’s roll call of ‘missing episodes’ and, in the style of the low-budget animation processes used to recreate the stories, it’s as much a reimagining of the actual story as a representation of what was actually on screen in 1966. The story is available in slightly more atmospheric black-and-white and in rather more garish colour, along with a telesnap recreation (collated from images taken from the original broadcast by the late John Cura) that suggests a more visually arresting live action production.

Alongside the usual commentaries and galleries are some extraordinary new special documentaries – both feature-length – that turn The Savages from an “I’ll pick up in a sale” purchase to a pretty essential immediate purchase.

Hosted by the reliable Toby Hadoke, ‘Remembering/Forgetting The Savages’ is a wryly amusing and sometimes quite poignant look back at the making of a serial so inconsequential that even the BBC has little written record of its making. Interviews with surviving ageing supporting cast members (and the ever-reliable Peter Purves) and various amusing observations and pieces of TV detective work serve to create an engaging and surprisingly informative look at the making of a serial that even the people who made it can barely recall. It’s terrifically, shamelessly entertaining.

Perhaps of more academic interest, especially to those fascinated by the history of the BBC and British television, is Charles Norton’s ninety-odd-minute look at the life and career of Innes Lloyd, Doctor Who’s producer at the time of The Savages.

To many fans, Lloyd is just a name on the end credits of a run of ’60s Who serials, but this exemplary piece tells the story of an urgent, driven man who loved TV as a facility for making drama and who engendered a culture at the BBC that allowed the works of the likes of Alan Bennett (interviewed in the documentary) to find their way onto television and who gave former Python Michael Palin (also interviewed) the chance to shine in a number of striking, powerful dramas – the type of dramas the BBC sadly rarely makes these days.

Lloyd passed away in 1991, but many of those who worked with him speak of him with respect and reverence. Fortunately, his widow has many memories and souvenirs of his career, suggesting that Innes Lloyd might well have been one of the greatest innovators of the Golden Age of Television. It’s an absorbing and intelligent documentary that really deserves a screening on BBC4 rather than being hidden away on an animated Doctor Who Blu-ray release.

The Savages really won’t linger long in the memory, and it’s unlikely that you’ll feel compelled to revisit it too often, but this release is elevated from the also-rans entirely on the strength of these two wonderfully entertaining documentaries.

DOCTOR WHO – THE SAVAGES is available now on DVD, Blu-ray, and Steelbook from the BBC.