Super Bitch DVD Review

Massimo Dallamano's latest film to be re-released, Super Bitch, takes us down a different route to the previously reissued, The Night Child. Instead of religious horror, the cinematographer turned director takes us on a tale chock-full of espionage, blackmail and sexual depravity. It is likely to have its fans, but to a casual viewer, it's difficult to understand the point of Super Bitch.

Undercover police inspector Ivan Rassimov attempts to expose an escort agency that has been blackmailing high profile clients into smuggling drugs over the border.

 Super Bitch begins like a trashy James Bond film/Euro-Crime thriller opening with crime honcho, Mama (Patricia Hayes), in a ruined Middle-Eastern city arranging drug deals with a mysterious stranger. It's not long until this stranger is wiped out by a skulking undercover cop, Cliff (Rassimov) soon resulting in a high octane car chase. Super Bitch begins feeling focused, however, things then seem to take an unfocussed turn with the plot soon verging on softcore erotica meets crude comedy. It all simply feels a bit disjointed and unclear.
The title Super Bitch (used for the film's 1980s reissue, to cash in on Stephanie Beacham's fame as Sable Colby in Dynasty and The Colbys), does not feel hugely appropriate - it gives the impression Dallamano's film is like The Stud or The Bitch. The original Blue Movie Blackmail is probably a more fitting title.

Beacham does bring her traditional feisty sex appeal to the role and as ever is a complete pleasure to watch as Joanne, the escort sleeping with high profile clients. Ivan Rassimov brings a sense of sleazy gravitas to the role of Inspector Cliff, playing the part of the Dirty Harry-esque cop well. 

There is also a funky trumpet infused score from Riz Ortolani (that screams cult film), used to fit the ever shifting tone of Super Bitch. Cult film enthusiasts are likely to enjoy the madness and incoherency of this feature, as well as its trashy charm. Where else would you see a high profile politician dressed as a rabbit being fed carrots by a half naked Stephanie Beacham or Patricia Hayes driving a convertible filled with oddball Italians singing songs about her?

If in the mood for something madcap, and slightly different you could do a lot worse than Super Bitch. However, if you are look for a solid story and sense of focus, Super Bitch is one to miss.
As always, Arrow Video have restored the print to a stellar quality and included a selection of interesting special features, including short documentary, 'Bullets, Babes and Blood'.

Andrew McArthur 

★★1/2☆☆

Stars: Stephanie Beacham, Ivan Rassimov , Patricia Hayes
Director: Massimo Dallamano
Release: 29th October 2012
Certificate: 15 (UK)
Buy Super Bitch:DVD

Raiders of the Lost Ark IMAX Review

★★★★★

Each Indiana Jones movie brought something to the franchise. Raiders, a fantastic sense of adventure; Temple of Doom, horror; The Last Crusade a brilliant sense of humour and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull... um... CGI gophers? Indestructible fridges? Shia Labeouf swinging through trees with monkeys?... I shouldn't be negative, for here I am reviewing Raiders of the Lost Ark, one of, if not the, best adventure films of all time.

Everything works in Raiders. The script is smashing, the performances perfect, and the direction dazzling; Spielberg at his best. After making two of the greatest blockbusters of the seventies with Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he started the eighties by harnessing the novelty of the adventure serials of the 1930s, much as Star Wars had with science-fiction serials of the same period. The formula of falling from one bad situation into another works wonderfully here. The perfect example being the infamous opening with Jones going after a golden idol in South America, the moment he grabs it everything starts to go wrong.

The action throughout is quite amazing and is greatly helped by Harrison Ford's marvellous lead performance. He sells all the action through the genuine fear on his face. Never has a man looked more worried... well maybe Hans Gruber as he fell from Nakatomi Plaza. This ability of Ford's to look scared and vulnerable made all his classic action films far more relatable. But its not just Ford that makes this film, there is not a single weak performance. Karen Allen is great as the feisty love interest. Paul Freeman provides the best villain of the series and possibly the only one who doesn't play it like a character from Adams West's Batman (I'm looking at you Cate Blanchett). And both Denholm Elliott and John Rhys-Davies provide fantastic allies for Jones.

But everyone is a star here; in front of and behind the camera. John Williams composed one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis (John Landis' wife) created some iconic costumes and Douglas Slocombe's cinematography is gorgeous. This is to name just a few amazing contributions.

For this current release on IMAX Spielberg has enhanced the sound but made no other alterations. A testament to just how perfect the film is. Or maybe he and Lucas have just learnt to LEAVE THEIR FILMS ALONE!!! We love them already.

Harry Davenport

Rating:PG
Re-Release Date: 21st September 2012 (UK)
Directed by:Steven Spielberg
Cast:Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Alfred Molina, Ronald Lacey, Paul Freeman

Rumble Fish Blu-Ray Review

★★★★★

Rumble Fish was one of many films Francis Ford Coppola did post-One from the Heart to try to recoup the costs of that film. It was made right after Coppola’s previous adaptation of S.E. Hilton novel The Outsiders. It is easily his most artistically satisfying and best since his magnum opus Apocalypse Now. It is also a one of Coppola’s personal 5 favourites of his own work.

It tells the story of Rusty James (played by a very young Matt Dillon, who has starred in 3 of 4 S.E. Hilton adaptations) who is a young but not book-smart but very street-smart teenager who is a member of a rag-tag gang of youths. The film starts with him taking up an offer for a fight with a rival gang leader Biff Wilcox. Matt Dillon’s older brother the legendary Motorcycle Boy (played by a pre-plastic surgery Mickey Rourke) had made a truce between the gangs to stop the rumbles before he left for California. Rusty decides to go ahead with the fight despite this. The Motorcycle Boy mysterious comes back the end of the fight and wins it for his young brother. The Motorcycle Boy like his alcoholic father (Dennis Hopper) is intellectual and has no time for gang fights despite he can knock anyone out easily. The rest of the film plays out like a Greek tragedy and is also about time running out for Motorcycle Boy.

The film’s influences are from Greek Mythology with references to the story of Cassandra but also it’s a film that is very referential to film. The film is very of referential stylistic decisions inspired by German expressionism, surrealism and film noir. The film is almost dreamlike in tone, it’s set in Tulsa, Oklahoma like all of Hilton’s stories but unlike his previous The Outsiders, which is much more like a old fashioned style almost Douglas Sirk esq. in it’s use of colour and obviously constructed sets, not that different from One From the Heart.

It’s shot in high contrast black & white cinematography, which is not that different from the better works of Orson Welles, some shots are reminiscent of his version of The Trial. The film also has very crooked angles, smoke and fog which reminiscent of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It also has very extreme close-ups at time that are really innovative. The film also has early usage of time-lapse photography inspired by Koyaanisqatsi which Coppola’s Zoetrope distributed. The film also is completely in black and white except 2 scenes near the end which obviously a reference to the Motorcycle Boy’s colour blindness.

The film has a wonderful cast with a wonderful performance by Mickey Rourke at the height of his power in the 80s. Matt Dillon is great as Rusty James and also great supporting roles from Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne (who Coppola discovered in Apocalypse Now), Coppola’s nephew Nicolas Cage, Chris Penn and the always wonderful Tom Waits. Mickey Rourke approached his performance as "an actor who no longer finds his work interesting" which perfectly sums it up. Coppola also gave him books by French absurdist/existentialist writer Albert Camus and based his look partly on a famous photo of him.

The film includes a wonderful score by Stewart Copeland of The Police. It uses streets sounds, strange rhythms, sounds of clocks so in short a very interesting and innovative like the film it’s in. It also features a wonderful commissioned song for the film by Stan Ridgway of Wall of Voodoo, which is probably my favourite song written specifically for a film.

Rumble Fish is hands down Coppola’s most underrated and misunderstood film, which has a lot more depth than it was given credit during it’s first run. It has been luckily re-evaluated over the subsequent years. I consider it his 2nd best film behind Apocalypse Now and yes that includes Godfather 1 and 2. It’s a strange stylistic film that is unlike any other film with some great performances. It has been recently added to Masters of Cinema range by Eureka Entertainment and rightly so.

Ian Schultz

Rating:18
UK BD (Re) Release: 27th August 2012
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Nicolas Cage

The Octagon Blu-Ray Review

★★★☆☆

Chuck Norris can do anything: he's been a Texas Ranger, a Delta Force Major, an Expendable, a New York Cop - but now it is time to see him as a ninja warrior in the remastered edition of 1980 martial arts thriller, The Octagon.

Norris plays Scott James (often pronounced so fast it sounds like Scotch Eggs), a man plagued by nightmares of a mysterious and intense combat training routine that he and his best friend received as youths. Scott is dragged back into this former life when a terrorist organisation (known as The Octagon) lead by deadly ninjas, starts making strikes towards him and those he cares for.

The Octagon is filled with kitsch appeal - for example, for the most part of the film we are given an insight into Scott James' thoughts, which consists of a whispering Chuck Norris voice-over, whilst the star stares intently on into the distance. This hilarious/creepy/wonderful technique also helps fill in the patchy plot holes that tend to appear, whilst also furthering Chuck's persona as a ninja master. Very clever. Chuck's moustache, which we all remember and love from A Force Of One is back, alongside some cringe-worthy dialogue, which adds to the camp charm of The Octagon.

Despite this, The Octagon is a thoroughly watchable film, never becoming tiresome or dull. There may be some questionable elements in Leigh Chapman's script (see above), but it's a strong, original concept which hits a perfect balance between espionage-infused thrills and bare-bones martial arts. Eric Karson's feature does not particularly depend on special effects, but rather on the martial arts skill and precision of leading man, Norris. Like A Force Of One, Chuck's young brother, Aaron choreographs these brutal fight sequences with a sense of precision and realism. Norris once again proves to be a highly capable leading actor, excelling in the combat-heavy sequences as well more emotionally based material. Whether he is kicking hissing ninjas in the face or mourning the loss of his best friend, Chuck is a pro. Although, I'm not sure whether even Chuck could convincingly handle the voicing over of his "inner-thoughts".

Chapman's script features some entertaining, well-produced action set-pieces from Chuck taking down an entire ninja camp whilst it is in flames to the epic sword fights in The Octagon's conclusion. A particular favourite scene of mine involved a poisoned Chuck kicking a ninja into a wall of fire. In addition to these action packed spectaculars, The Octagon features well-cast supporting turns from Lee Van Cleef, Art Hindle and Karen Carlson.

Whilst it may appear slightly dated and it does feature some questionable plot devices, The Octagon is a thoroughly entertaining watch. It has been remastered to visual perfection - which exemplifies the well-crafted action sequences and impressive martial arts. Chuck proves that he is the master of the cult action film in this original and likeable combat-thriller.

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Chuck Norris, Lee Van Cleef ,Karen Carlson
Director: Eric Karson
Release: 6th August (UK)
Certificate: 15 (UK)

Pentathlon Blu-Ray Review

★★★1/2☆
Forget Chariots Of Fire, hell, forget the actual Olympics - the only sporting feature you need to watch this Summer is the recently remastered 1994 action flick, Pentathlon.
After winning the Olympic Gold in Seoul, German pentathlete, Eric Brogar (Dolph Lundgren) goes on the run from his tyrannical neo-Nazi coach, Heinrech Mueller (David Soul). Several years later, Brogar, now working in a grotty Los Angeles cafe decides to get his life back on track and start training again. However, the arrival of Mueller and a group of American neo-Nazi sympathisers resurrects old conflicts.

Pentathalon stands out because it is not your typical nineties action film, the sporting angle taken by Bruce Malmuth's (Hard To Kill) script proves a fresh and original concept. The focus is less on ass-kicking (although there is still plenty) and more so on the broken athlete Eric Brogar trying to reclaim his former glory. This allows for a glimpse at the little seen, sensitive side of Dolph Lundgren, who proves to be utterly convincing. Let's face it - Dolph is a man who could do anything and Olympic pentathlete is just another of his many talents.
There is something completely watchable about Pentathalon - possibly that it keeps its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. The concept of a former Olympic superstar flipping burgers in a meagre local diner says it all. The relationship between Brogar and the owner of the diner (Roger E. Mosley) allows for some comic fun as well with Mosely and Lundgren having  a believable and amusing camaraderie.
However, the main fun of Pentathlon is David Soul's scene stealing performance as sinister sports coach meets Neo-Nazi terrorist, Heinrech Mueller. Seeing the man who patrolled the streets as Hutch or crooned Silver Lady to adoring audiences, as a scheming Nazi makes for an unforgettable watch. Soul spits his words out with angry hatred and commands the screen in this deliciously evil performance - reminiscent of Gregory Peck's turn in The Boys From Brazil.

Pentathlon was never going to revolutionise the action genre, but it is nonetheless memorable nineties action that proves a thoroughly entertaining way to spend an hour and a half. Lundgren's pitch-perfect performance alongside David Soul's over-the-top villain and an original concept makes Pentathlon well worth a watch.

Andrew McArthur

Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Renee Colman ,David Soul
Director: Bruce Malmuth
Release: 30th July 2012
Rating: 15 (UK)
Buy:Pentathlon On Blu-ray

Filmbar70's Rare (and remastered!) screening of QUEENS OF EVIL

Thursday 26^th July, Roxy Bar & Screen

Filmbar70 present…

Queens of Evil (Cervi ’70)

£5 (£2.50 Roxy members) 

(advance tickets here)

Filmbar70 proudly presents a masterpiece of early ‘70s Italian genre cinema, the stylish, sexy and enchanting ‘Queens of Evil’. Worshipped by cult cinema aficionados but rarely seen, ‘Queens of Evil’ previously has suffered from poorly presented releases. Filmbar has set the matter straight to present the very best print available – remastered by our own fair hands.

Starring Ray Lovelock, the sexiest leading Italian man of the ‘70s, and a trio of very lovely ladies indeed, furnished with some dazzling set-design, unafraid to tackle the issues of the time and unabashedly romantic, ‘Queens of Evil’ is the quintessential Filmbar experience. And, of course, Mr Eldiabolik and his World of Psychotronic Soundtracks will be on hand to spin the very best of Italian psychedelia… 

David is a man in search of freedom. Roaming the countryside upon his trusty motorbike, in flight from the hypocrisies of this venal age, he has found peace in solitude, a peace to be torn asunder when a bizarre roadside encounter ends with lethal consequences. Taking refuge in the barn of a remote lakeside cottage, he is discovered by the owners the following dawn. But this is no rude awakening, for the denizens of this secluded haven just happen to be three unfeasibly glamorous women. Entranced, mystified and enchanted, David foregoes his quest to enjoy the raptures and rural idyll of these solitary women, falling first for their uncomplicated, care-free way of life, then falling headlong into their arms. But this garden of Eden may prove to be other than it pertains to be, for these women seek nocturnal communion with a shadowy figure and gather for strange, fire lit ceremonials, leading David to question the secret behind these bewitching temptresses. The answer will test David’s integrity, ideals and even his very existence…

Doors open 7:30pm

Programme begins 8pm
www.roxybarandsceen.com   

 

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TOTAL RECALL (1990) Blu-Ray Review

★★★★☆

On July 16 comes the release of Total Recall, Ultimate Rekall Edition on triple play; a digitally restored version of director Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi classic. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, the year is 2084 and the third world war has come and gone. The planet Mars has been colonized, and it plagues the dreams of Quaid, who constantly ponders visiting it. Alternatively to this he is given the choice of memory implants to trick him into thinking he has been there, but as Quaid begins this process, his world takes on a new twisted and unexpected turn.

Also starring Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox; Total Recall can still be considered a great work of science fiction cinema since its original release in 1990. Although visually it does seem slightly dated in comparison to other dystopian films such as Blade Runner, its underlying themes of world politics, posthumanism and biotechnology remain as relevant as ever in today’s postmodern age.

Schwarzenegger is impressive as our action hero, combining humorous one-liners with great combat sequences. Total Recall manages to combine comedy, action and real issues of science which will please fans who already cherish the film and fascinate newcomers alike.

This new edition also features much new material, such as making of and special effects featurettes and a commentary from Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger

Sophie Stephenson

Rating:18
UK Release Date: 10th July 2012 (Cinema, Limited Release) 16th July, 2012 (Blu-Ray Special Edition)
Directed by:Paul Verhoeven
Cast:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside
Buy:Total Recall (Triple Play Steelbook Edition) [Blu-ray]

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Total Recall (Re-issue) - Official Theatrical Trailer Published via LongTail.tv

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The Original American Ninja Chuck Norris THE OCTAGON Been Re-Released This August!

Early today we told you about the toughest s.o.b in the world Chuck Norris and the release of his classic film A Force Of One been released on Blu-Ray . He is an idol to many dads, brothers, many male members of families worldwide and thanks to Anchor Bay once more August is a great time to be a fan of the original Expendable, the original American Ninja which sees the second classic Norris film coming to Blu-Ray for the first time, THE OCTAGON.

Scott James is a man haunted by memories, eerie flashbacks that plague both his waking and sleeping hours. The first is a childhood memory relating to the intense and rigorous combat training he and his best friend endured under the guidance of a mysterious martial arts master. The second is a far more painful recollection of loss, and one that has turned Scott away from his former life. But when a wealthy heiress convinces him to enter the fray once more, Scott finds himself drawn into an international terrorist organisation consisting of deadly ninjas, at the head of which is a close acquaintance from his past. Now it is up to Scott to confront his worst fears and battle a former adversary in the ultimate ninja showdown.

As far as we are concerned, the only way to improve a Chuck Norris movie is to introduce ninjas into the mix and show us the goods in Hi-Def. This Blu-ray release does both. Throw in a bizarre voice-over expressing Chuck’s inner thoughts and we’re talking all-time-fave Chuck madness. A major cult favorite amongst fans of 1980s martial arts flicks, this was one of the first US films to exploit the ancient art of the ninja and spawned countless imitators, but none ever came close to its all round awesomeness. It’s also notable as being the vehicle for Richard Norton’s acting debut. And if you thought Chuck couldn’t be a ninja, then beware. He’s right behind you. Go ahead; take a look. It’ll be the last thing you’ll ever see.

The Octagon also stars  Lee Van Cleef (Escape From New York; The Good, The Bad And The Ugly), cult genre movie icon Art Hindle (Black Christmas; Porky’s; Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), karate expert and bodyguard to the stars Richard Norton (Force: Five; China O’Brien) in his acting debut, prolific character actor Tracey Walter (I Spit On Your Grave; The Silence Of The Lambs; Batman) in one of his classic “uncredited” roles and Karen Carlson (Dallas). Anchor Bay will release The Octagon on August 6th Pre Order Your Blu-ray copy here

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The Octagon (1980) - Official Trailer | Digitally Remastered | HD 1080p | Chuck Norris Published via LongTail.tv

World Wrestling Ultraman! Grapple with Giant Monsters In New ULTRAMAN Promo!