New DVD Additions
Saturday, December 16, 2023
New DVD • Blu-ray • 4K Ultra HD Activity For The Period Ending December 08, 2023
7idea Productions (MOD)
Celluloid Dreams
Radiance Films Tabs Feb. 27 As The Release Date For A Blu-ray Limited Edition Of Director Yasuharu Hasebe's Black Tight Killers
Radiance Films, with sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has selected Feb. 27 as the street date for a Blu-ray Limited Edition of director Yasuharu Hasebe’s outrageous action flick, Black Tight Killers.
It’s a wild ride from start to finish as Daisuke Hondo (Akira Kobayashi — Tokyo Mighty Guy, Father of the Kamikaze, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, etc.) has just finished an assignment in Vietnam as a photojournalist when he hooks with flight attendant Yoriko Sawanouchi (Chieko Matsubara — Tokyo Drifter, Cruel Gun Story, My Train Diary, Dolls, A Long Goodbye, etc.). A seemingly innocent liaison quickly goes off the rails when Yoriko is kidnapped by a gang of all-female ninjas whose weapon of choice (for this first round of encounters) are “flying discs” in the form of vinyl 45 rpm records!!!
After that the only thing missing in Hasebe’s action opus are the Coyote and the Roadrunner and a cameo appearance from 007. Black Tight Killers is an over-the-top gang versus gang versus gang versus female ninja killers who are all on the same mission … find the World War II stash of gold that Yoriko’s father may have hidden.
“Hondo” is all-in with his attempts to rescue the fair maiden without exactly knowing what the hell is happening! That’s the fun of it. To find out if he is successful, be sure to catch this newly minted Blu-ray edition of Hasebe’s Black Tight Killers on Feb. 27.
Bonus nuggets include commentary by film critic, author and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp (“The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film,” “Behind the Pink Curtain,” “The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Film”) and a vintage video session with filmmaker Yasuharu Hasebe.
Friday, December 15, 2023
Bayview Entertainment Has Lined Up The Blu-ray Debut Of Writer/Director Tom Ryan's Return To The Theatre Of Terror For Delivery On Dec. 26
Do you yearn for those terrific Amicus anthology gems of the 60s and 70s, you know, Torture Garden, Tales from the Crypt, The House that Dripped Blood, etc.? Then Bayview Entertainment has a little something that might just tickle those fond memories.
We are talking about writer/director Tom Ryan’s latest anthology collection titled Return to the Theatre of Terror, which will be making its Blu-ray debut on Dec. 26.
In a traditional sense, there is the wrap-around, which serves as the pathway to the various short adventures. In this case it is familiar ground for filmmaker Tom Ryan — take note of the “return” part of the title — in that he delivered The Theatre of Terror back in 2019, which featured a certain “abandoned” movie theatre where interesting tales played out on the silver screen to a “selective” audience.
It was such a success that we are back again for four more films that flicker out from a long abandoned projection booth to a new “special” audience. Call it a “captive” audience who gets a special screening of “Soothsayer,” “Splinter,” “Haunted” and “Robot.”
If you are a fan of the aforementioned Amicus films, then without giving too much away, just head on over to “this” local picture palace on Dec. 26 and take in the action. You will not be disappointed!!
Cleopatra Entertainment Tabs Feb. 27 As The DVD And Blu-ray Debut Date For Writer/Director Devanny Pinn's The Black Mass
Cleopatra Entertainment, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has locked into Feb. 27 as the debut date for both Blu-ray and DVD editions of writer/director Devanny Pinn mixed genre thriller, The Black Mass.
Slasher film, serial killer film, true crime thriller … take your pick, they all work.
OK, we will reveal the MacGuffin right up front, the “Ted” in this movie is notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, who is played by Andrew Sykes. However, the movie is not about him per se, rather this one-day-in-the-life-of tale is about the victims of his Florida State University rampage that took place on Jan. 15, 1978.
The Ted Bundy story has been done over and over again in both films (like eight or nine times) and television MOWs and mini-series/docu-series, so Pinn elected not to go down that rabbit hole, but rather focus on the victims and the events leading up to their attacks and murders.
“Ted,” or “Me” (a reference used by the monster) had escaped and was on the run, arriving in the FSU area in the winter of 1978. During this particular day we follow him through a shoplifting spree, some “prowling” for “company” and his eventual arrival at a local watering hole where he gets toasted and rebuffed by sorority girls/bar patrons to the point where he tossed out.
There’s nothing about “Me” that would alarming. A pathetic, seemingly harmless wimp, but when triggered — a child-like temper tantrum — “Me” is a monster, unrelenting.
Hat’s off to Pinn, he takes a well-known story, about an infamous individual and turns this “passion play” (we know the players and outcome in advance) into a well-structure tale about a monster and the lives, hopes and dreams of those unlucky enough to cross his path on this particular winter’s day.
Bonus features for The Black Mass on DVD and Blu-ray from Cleopatra Entertainment on Feb. 27 are currently a work in progress.
Paramount Home Entertainment Looks To Valentine's Eve (Feb. 13) For The 4K Ultra HD Debut Of Footloose
A dark, moody film about repressive life in a small town, directed by an Academy Award-winning director, that’s what Paramount Home Entertainment has in store for all of those who like their films dark and moody.
The film even stars a 25-year-old, relative newcomer, as a high school kid who has just moved to this small town. He is the somewhat rebellious son of a single mom and he quickly gravitates to breaking the local taboos with the preacher’s daughter.
And, as a special bonus for this dark and moody film — about repressive life in a small town — it will be ready for all to enjoy on the eve of Valentine’s Day, Feb. 13. Paramount sure knows how to set the mood.
It gets even better! This is a 4K Ultra HD debut for this film.
About now you are asking yourself what movie is this?
True, the star was a 25-year-old playing a high school student. The location was a small town (filmed in Utah) … that much was true. Everything else is what might have happened if not for the way movies actually get made.
Of course we are talking about Footloose. On 4K, from Paramount, Feb. 13.
The story of how the film got made goes like this. Songwriter Dean Pitchford made the big time with “Fame” and “I Sing the Body Electric” in 1980 with his songs for the film release of Alan Parker’s Fame. So that got him noticed when he fashioned a story idea about the prohibition of dancing in small town.
Soon notable director Herbert Ross was assigned to direct and no less than nine songs were written for the film, but at some point — in pre-production — Ross left the project and went to another film. The studio turned to Michael Cimino, who had a monster hit with The Deer Hunter.
He took one look at Pitchford’s story and decided that it needed a major re-write. Dark and moody it would be! He wanted a quarter of million dollars to do it (in addition to his directing fees), and the studio politely said no and fired him. Back comes Ross and the rest is history.
Footloose, starring 25-year-old Kevin Bacon, turned out to be a high-energy musical (of sorts) with catchy songs. Many of the film critics at the time panned it, but audiences loved it and Footloose became a monster hit. Isn’t it amazing how movies get made!!
As to bonus goodies for this 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack (40th Anniversary) edition, there are two commentary options — the first features actor Kevin Bacon, while the second teams Dean Pitchford with Craig Zadan.
Plus there are eight featurettes — “Let’s Dance!,” “From Bomont to the Big Apple,” “Remembering Willard,” “Kevin Bacon’s Screen Test,” “Kevin Bacon Costume Montage,” “Footloose: A Modern Musical, Part 1,” “Footloose: A Modern Musical, Part 2” and “Footloose: Songs that Tell a Story.”
Celluloid Dreams Launches On June 25 With A 4K Ultra HD Edition Of Italian Filmmaker Giuliano Carnimeo's The Case Of The Bloody Iris
Update ... to get it right, everything (restoration, extras, etc.) took longer than expected. Celluloid Dreams first title, the 4K Ultra HD release of The Case of the Bloody Iris, will now be available on June 25
With a long lead — all the way out in April of next year — comes news this past week that a new boutique film specialist will be opening up shop on Apr. 9 with a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack edition of Italian filmmaker Giuliano Carnimeo’s 1972 giallo treasure, The Case of the Bloody Iris.
The new entrant in the realm of physical media will be Celluloid Dreams.
It’s an interesting choice as Carnimeo was not the obvious choice for a giallo mystery. His film career was built around Spaghetti Westerns — I Am Sartana, Your Angel of Death, Sartana’s Here … Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin, Light the Fuse … Sartana is Coming, etc. — but he had Edwige Fenech as the lead, which means that this film (for the European market) was highly bankable.
The rest is history, The Case of the Bloody Iris (with all of its various release titles) has become a “keeper;” a “classic,” complete with plenty of red herrings, sexual tension, gruesome murders, a surprise twist and, best of all, Edwige Fenech.
Versions have been out there before, but Celluloid Dreams is launching with a new 4K Ultra HD restoration from the original camera negative … and they are including viewing options for both the original Italian language track and the English-dubbed export version.As to bonus goodies, industry veteran and film critic Guido Henkel will be supplying a newly-minted commentary track, there are outtakes and three new featurettes — “Drops of Giallo,” “Flowers of Blood” and “Marylin.”