BFI To Release John Casavettes' The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie On DualPlay This July

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, released on 15 July 2013, is the fifth and final title in the BFI's John Cassavetes Collection. Presented on Blu-ray for the first time, it is released in a Dual Format Edition (containing both DVD and Blu-ray) in both its original 1976 cut and Cassavetes’ re-edited shorter 1978 version. Also available on the same date will be a Limited 3-Disc Collector’s Edition which has a bonus DVD containing the documentary Anything for John (1993), the short film The Haircut (1982), and an interview with Tamar Hoffs, director of The Haircut.

In an absorbing performance, Ben Gazzara plays small-time Sunset Strip entrepreneur Cosmo Vitelli, owner of the Crazy Horse West night spot. An obsessive showman, Cosmo navigates a murky world of loan sharks and crooks to keep his club afloat, but, when a gambling debt spirals out of control, he is blackmailed into accepting a murderous commission.

Featuring standout turns by Seymour Cassel and Timothy Agoglia Carey as the underworld racketeers out to fleece Cosmo, John Cassavetes' portrayal of one man's hubristic descent subverts the conventions of its plot to explore the darker regions of the American dream.

Arguably the most plot-driven of all his films, Cassavetes withdrew The Killing of a Chinese Bookie shortly after the initial release and subsequently cut a new version which features different scenes.

Check out this funny clip from the documentary Anything For John, in which actor Ben Gazzara talks about the time he and Cassavetes discussed the film's title. The documentary the clip is from is included as a bonus on the BFI's 3-Disc Collector's Edition of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.

Special features
• Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
• Includes the original 1976 cut of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
• Selected scenes commentary on 1976 version by Al Ruban and Peter Bogdanovich
• Illustrated booklet with a newly commissioned essay by Tom Charity

Limited 3-Disc Collector's Edition - Dual Format - As above, plus:
• The Haircut (Tamar Simon Hoffs, 1982, bonus DVD only): John Cassavetes stars as a busy music executive sidetracked by a haircut in Hoffs' delightful directorial debut
• Anything for John (Doug Headline, 1993, 91 mins, bonus DVD only): feature length documentary tribute to John Cassavetes, featuring interviews with Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands and Al Ruban
• Tamar Hoffs interview (Doug Headline, 1993, 6 mins, bonus DVD only)

Pre-Order/Buy The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie:Dual Play (DVD + Blu-ray) / 3-Disc Limited Edition (DVD & Blu-ray)

Jack Hill's Spider Baby Will Be The Maddest Blu-Ray You'll Ever Own, Coming July

Arrow Video is pleased to confirm the UK DVD and Worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Jack Hill’s landmark debut feature film, SPIDER BABY, on Monday June 17th.

Finally available on Blu-ray for the very first time anywhere in the world, this stunning version of “the maddest story ever told” features a beautifully restored high-definition transfer, a process supervised and approved by Jack Hill himself.

Starring cult superstar Sid Haig (House Of 1000 Corpses) alongside Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man, Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein) in one of his last ever on-screen roles, SPIDER BABY tells the unfathomable story of three orphaned siblings who suffer from "Merrye Syndrome" – a condition which causes them to mentally, socially, and physically regress backwards down the evolutionary ladder!

The super-deluxe dual DVD & Blu-ray edition comes LOADED with special features and bonus material, even including Hill’s 30-minute short film “The Host”. Made in 1960 and starring Sid Haig in his first ever leading role, “The Host” sees a fugitive gangster attempt to set-free a group of Spanish settlers who are held under the powers of evil.

Other extras include audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, three new featurettes, an alternate opening sequence, extended scenes, original trailer, behind-the-scenes imagery and an in-depth collector’s booklet. A complete list of special features and full details follow the synopsis.

Keeping with what is a now a fan-favoured tradition of Arrow Video restorations, SPIDER BABY will come complete with a reversible sleeve, featuring the original 1968 artwork and a stunning new design by Graham ‘Evil Dead’ Humphries.

Synopsis

The credits dub this “the maddest story ever told”, a promise that’s well on the way to being fulfilled in the opening scene alone, when Virginia traps and kills a hapless deliveryman in her makeshift web. She’s one of three siblings who suffer from a unique genetic disorder that causes them to regress back to childhood, while retaining the physical strength and sexual maturity of adults.

Lon Chaney Jr gave one of his most memorable late performances as Bruno, their guardian and protector, who has managed to cover up their crimes until two distant relatives lay claim to their house. When they insist on moving in, Bruno has to cross his fingers and hope that the ‘children’ behave towards their new guests...

This was the first solo feature by Jack Hill (Coffy, Switchblade Sisters), whom Quentin Tarantino dubbed “the Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking”, and it remains one of his wildest and weirdest.

The director-approved special features included on the dual edition release of SPIDER BABY are as follows:

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature, available in the UK for the very first time.
- High Definition transfer of the feature approved by director Jack Hill.
- English SDH subtitles for deaf and hearing impaired.
- Audio commentary featuring Jack Hill and star Sid Haig.
- Panel discussion from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “FILM-TO-FILM” Festival, recorded September 2012, featuring Jack Hill and stars Quinn K. Redeker and Beverly Washburn.
- “The Hatching of Spider Baby” – Interviews with Jack Hill, Sid Haig, star Mary Mitchel, fan Joe Dante and more on the making of the film.
- “Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein” – The composer of ‘The Terror’ and ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ among others is remembered by Harlene Stein, Jack Hill, American Cinematheque’s Chris D. and others.
- “The Merrye House Revisited” – Jack Hill revisits the original house that was used as the main location in the film.
- Alternate opening title sequence.
- Extended scene.
- Original Trailer.
- Gallery of behind-the-scenes images.
- The Host (1960) – Jack Hill’s early short film featuring Sid Haig in his first starring role.
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham ‘Evil Dead’ Humpreys.
- Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by artist and writer Stephen R. Bissette, and an extensive article re-printed from FilmFax: The Magazine of Unusual Film and Television featuring interviews with the cast and crew, illustrated with original stills and artwork.

Buy: Spider Baby On Blu-ray

The Long Riders (1980) Blu Ray Review

The Long Riders is a film by Walter Hill, who is perhaps one of the more under appreciated directors of the “New Hollywood” generation. He started out writing screenplays for Sam Peckinpah (The Getaway) and John Huston (The Machintosh Man) and eventually starting directing films starting with Hard Times. His next film was The Driver (which shared many similarities with the modern classic Drive) and the bonafide classic The Warriors. He has also been involved with the Alien franchise from the beginning. He also wanted to make a western and finally got his chance with The Long Riders and since it’s release he has many some more and he was involved with the tv show Deadwood.

The Long Riders is in a long lineage of films about Jesse-Younger Gang. There have been many better films made about Jesse James such as The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford and I Shot Jesse James. Both of those films however deal more with the difficult relationship between Jesse and his assassinator Robert Ford and because of this it’s interesting to see a film about his and his gang’s exploits. The film features real life brothers as the 4 groups of brothers… The Keaches play the James, The Carradines play the Youngers, The Quaids play the Millers and lastly The Guests play The Ford (yes…. Christopher Guest of Spinal Tap fame). This gives the film a extra authenticity other films on the subject lack and all them give very fine performances with David Carradine and Stacy Keach being the standouts.

Walter Hill has said, “Every film I've done has been a Western" and there is certainly some truth in that and he has elaborated "The Western is ultimately a stripped down moral universe that is, whatever the dramatic problems are, beyond the normal avenues of social control and social alleviation of the problem, and I like to do that even within contemporary stories.". It’s interesting to see him tackle a “real western” and his take is very much influenced to his mentor Sam Peckinpah despites his claims he wasn’t with this film. The slow motion scenes certainly recall Peckinpah’s masterpiece The Wild Bunch. It’s a very romanticized version of the west which Peckinpah dealt with often in his western but the difference is Peckinpah was much more cynical.

Overall it’s a very fine western by one of 70s/80s more underrated autuers with beautiful cinematography and very fine acting. Second Sight has released it blu-ray and marks their second release of a Walter Hill film, the first being the superior Southern Comfort. They are planning to release his later film Streets of Fire later in the year.

★★★★☆

Ian Schultz

Rating: 15
BD Release Date: 3rd June 2013 (UK)
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Stacy Keach

Buy: The Long Riders On Blu-Ray

The One Hit Chick Squad Foxy Brown Finally Getting Her Blu Ray Release!

She's back to do a job on the mob and finally give fans what they want Blu-Ray version of her film and Arrow Video is pleased to confirm the highly anticipated Blu-ray &Steelbook release of Jack Hill’s landmark Blaxsploitation classic FOXY BROWN on Monday 24th June.

Finally available on Blu-ray for the very first time anywhere in the world, this stunning version of FOXY BROWN features a beautifully restored high-definition transfer, the super-deluxe edition comes approved by Jack Hill himself.

A true innovator of America’s exploitation genre, Arrow will also release another of his trademark films, Spider Baby, on Blu-ray in the coming weeks.

The super-deluxe package, which is available both as a standard Blu-ray and as a limited edition Blu-ray steelbook, is LOADED with special features and bonus material.(full details below trailer)

Featuring audio commentary with Jack Hill, three new and exclusive featurettes, a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and publicity images, original Foxy Brown theatrical trailer (as part of a comprehensive Jack Hill trailer reel) and an in-depth collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Blaxploitation expert Josiah Howard and an interview with Pam Grier by Calum Waddell.

Keeping with what is a now a fan-favoured tradition of Arrow Video restorations, FOXY BROWN will come complete with a reversible sleeve, featuring the original 1974 artwork and a stunning new illustration from The Red Dress.

Quentin Tarantino is a fully-fledged member of the Foxy Brown fan club. He counts Jack Hill as one of his favourite American film directors and biggest influences. Tarantino’s 1997 film "Jackie Brown" pays homage to both Jack Hill and Foxy Brown, and features Pam Grier in the lead role (“Jackie” is a reference to Jack Hill, and “Brown” is a reference to Foxy Brown).

Synopsis

When Foxy Brown’s undercover-agent boyfriend is gunned down on the orders of evil drug kingpins, she stops at nothing to exact a thrillingly brutal revenge. This is one of the all-time great Blaxploitation films, pulling out all the stops at a time long before anyone had thought of political correctness.
After linking her boyfriend's murder to a so-called "modelling agency", Foxy poses as a prostitute to infiltrate the company, saving fellow black women from a life of drugs and sexual exploitation in the process.
Pam Grier was given the role of a lifetime as the street-smart yet intensely sexy Foxy, modelling a stupendously varied range of Seventies threads while righteously kicking villainous white butt at every opportunity.

With an incredible supporting cast, a suitably funkadelic soundtrack and just the right balance of sex and violence, Foxy Brown is still, undisputedly, the meanest chick in town.

The director-approved Special Features included on the deluxe editions of FOXY BROWN are as follows:

- Restored High Definition presentation (1080p), on Blu-ray for the first time in the world!
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
- Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 2.0 Audio.
- Audio commentary with director Jack Hill.
- "From Black and White to Blaxploitation" – Actor Sid Haig speaks about his long and influential friendship with Jack Hill.
- "A Not So Minor Influence" – An Interview with Bob Minor, the first African-American member of the Stuntman’s Association, and co-star of Foxy Brown.
- "Back to Black" – Legendary actors Fred "The Hammer" Williamson (Black Caesar) and Austin Stoker (Sheba Baby, Assault on Precinct 13), alongside Rosanne Katon (Ebony, Ivory, and Jade) and film scholar Howard S. Berger speak about the enduring popularity of the Blaxploitation film.
- Photo gallery of behind-the-scenes and publicity images.
- Original Theatrical Trailer.
- Trailer Reel – Trailers for all the major works by Jack Hill including Foxy Brown, Coffy and Switchblade Sisters.
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress.
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Josiah Howard, author of Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Reference Guide, a new interview with Pam Grier by Jack Hill biographer Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

Pre-Order-Buy Foxy Brown: Blu-ray / SteelBook [Blu-ray]

David Cronenberg's Horror Masterpiece The Brood Getting The Blu-Ray Treatment This July

The Brood, one of David Cronenberg's most chilling and disturbing works finally gets its long-awaited UK Blu-ray debut thanks to Second Sight Films

This early masterpiece from the maestro of horror, stars Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar and is still as shocking today as it was on its original release. It comes to DVD and Blu-ray packed with brand new bonus features on 8 July 2013.

Frank Carveth (Art Hindle - Invasion of the Body Snatchers) is becoming increasingly concerned about his ex-wife Nola's (Eggar) secretive treatment at the sinister 'Somafree Institute of Psychoplasmics'. Headed by cult figure Dr Raglan (Reed - The Devils), his controversial and extreme methods seek to unleash his patients rage, which take on physical manifestations. As Nola's increasingly psychotic anger is vented during her sessions, brutal murders befall those at whom it's directed. When Frank's daughter is abducted he is led to Raglan's Institute and a terrifying, repellent final confrontation, renowned as one of the most notorious scenes in horror cinema.

BONUS FEATURES:

• MEET THE CARVETHS - Art Hindle & Cindy Hinds interviewd by Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander
• THE LOOK OF RAGE - Interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin
• PRODUCING THE BROOD - Interview with producer Pierre David
• CHARACTER FOR CRONENBERG - Interview with actor Robert A. Silverman
• CRONENBERG: THE EARLY YEARS - Writer/Director David Cronenberg discusses how he broke into filmmaking

Pre-Order/Buy:The Brood On Blu Ray 

Billy Liar Blu-Ray Review (50th Anniversary Edition)

Billy Liar is Bradford’s one and only claim to fame. It was shot there and is set in an unnamed Yorkshire village. It’s so much a part of “Bradford’s culture heritage” there is a mosaic in the subway near it’s world renowned media museum.

As the title suggests it’s about a young man called Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) and liars his way though out the film especially to his many girlfriends (he is engaged to 2 of them). He is working for a morticians but he stole all these calendars and some money. He seems to be hopeless but he has his imagination to keep him company, he dreams of the mythical land “Ambrosia” which is king, general, don juan figure etc. A lass called Liz (Julie Christie) comes back from London who he has known before and she tells him to come to London with her and the last act is how he reacts to that and other events.

The film was directed by John Schlesinger who would later make such bonafide classics such as Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man and other important films like Sunday Bloody Sunday. The first surprising thing about Billy Liar is it’s a totally heterosexual film; many of his films dealt with homosexuality or had homoerotic subtext (like in Marathon Man) but I know he was still “in the closet” at this time. It’s probably his first classic film and he did get his start in Kitchen sink dramas.

Billy is a bit of a shit to be honest but he is a terribly in mature lad whose head is in the stars even he is looking at the gutter. Tom Courtenay is a bit to old for the role to be honest. People claim it’s a comedy and it’s not really, it’s a film about a boy trying to grow up but isn’t quite there yet (which is evident in the film’s last few moments) and you feel sorry for his mum especially at the end.

The film belongs to the British New Wave movement, which for the most part were kitchen sink dramas. I’ve never been a fan of them and tend to prefer the more surreal side of 60s British cinema like If…, Performance and Blow-Up. I do however quite like Billy Liar but it does have scenes of fantasy quite famously. The film is probably as good as the genre ever got and the film will make you fall madly in love with a young Julie Christie which isn’t a bad thing.

★★★★½

Ian Schultz

Release Date: 6th May 2013 (UK)
Rating: PG
Director:John Schlesinger
Cast: Tom Courtenay, Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne
Buy Billy Liar: 50th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray] [1963] / DVD

Evil Dead II Special Edition Blu-Ray Review

Studiocanal has FINALLY re-released Evil Dead 2 : Dead By Dawn on blu-ray with the release it deserves. It has previously been released barebones during their shitty period of barebones releases of 80s cult films like Escape From New York and the 2 sequels to Evil Dead. This re-released is obviously timed for remake (or shall we say re-imaging) of the original Evil Dead which comes out later this week and if early reviews are to be believed… shock… Quite good. Anyhow onto the best film in the whole series.

Ash, (Bruce Campbell) the sole survivor of the Evil Dead Takes his girlfriend Linda (Desise Bixler) to a secluded cabin in the wood where he plays back a professor’s tape recorded recitation of passages of the book of the Dead. The spell calls up an evil force from the woods than turn Linda into a monstrous Deadite, and threatens to do the same to Ash. He is forced to single-handedly battle the legions of the damned as the most lethal – and groovy – hero in horror movie history. (Taken from the pr)

The first film certainly had some comic laughs but in Evil Dead 2 brings the humour much more to the forefront. The film soon becomes an absurdist acid trip of “horror film” which literally has blood running down the walls of the cabin. Sam Raimi was as influenced by The Three Stooges as he was by let’s say The Night of the Living Dead and it shows. The film is chock a block full of slapstick humour even during it’s more “horrific” moments like the eyeball scene. Bruce Campbell is very much like the horror version of Buster Keaton and like Buster he did many of his own stunts in the film due to budgetary constraints probably.

The film’s initial release had little to no fanfare despite some positive reviews from mainstream film critics like the recently deceased Roger Ebert it fared poorly initially at the box office. It opened in only 300 theatres in the USA but due to word of the mouth it made a small profit within a month. It has since gained a enormous cult following due to it’s manic blend of slapstick and gore and rightfully so. It’s cult following is partly due to the rise of home video in the 80s and 90s and eventually dvd where it has been milked to hell with various different editions.

The new re-release (which is actually a port of the US Blu-ray that has been out for a while) has a new documentary which is actually longer than the entire film and some other supplementary features + previously released stuff like another doc and the hilarious commentary from Raimi, Campbell and co from earlier releases. If you’ve never seen Evil Dead 2 you’re in for treat and if you have Blu-ray capabilities it’s a worthy upgrade. Groovy…

Ian Schultz

★★★★★

Rating: 15
BD Release: 15th April 2013 (UK)
Director:Sam Raimi
Cast:Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Buy:Evil Dead 2 On Blu-ray

Get Crazy! Night Of The Trailers Heads To Prince Charles London For Night of 35mm Nostalgia

Night Of The Trailers 35MM Edition bring madness, mayhem and cinematic nostalgia back to the big screen at London’s home of cult films: The Prince Charles Cinema.

Presented by Alex Kidd, this 40-minute compilation of 35MM vintage trailers and rarely-seen adverts from the 70s and 80s includes GET CRAZY (1983), a chaotic music comedy, unlike anything else you’ve ever seen before.

Alex Kidd said today: “As Night Of the Trailers, I’ve been bringing London the best in obscure film trailers over the last few years, including providing trailer mayhem at Film4 FrightFest, and my own trailer events at venues throughout London. But nothing can prepare you for this event!”.



Tickets £6.50 / Members £4 - available from The Prince Charles Cinema box office and via www.princecharlescinema.com

Facebook/nightofthetrailers Twitter/nightoftrailers

Scanners Blu Ray Review

The horror classic Scanners is out on blu ray, and who couldn't resist seeing a head explode in high definition?

David Cronenberg's classic science fiction horror film has never looked better. It wasn't the film that launched his career but it certainly was his break into the mainstream, and includes his usual nasty touches of body horror. It's a film which has, for the most part, aged quite well. This is mostly due to some interesting editing choices that prevent it from feeling too much like a B-movie, and the absolutely fantastic special effects.

The scanners of the title are special people who can control other people's minds, and, much like the X-Men, there are those who use their power for good and those who definitly don't. The protagonist of the film, played by Stephen Lack, starts as a lost homeless man who is unable to control his “gift”. He is picked up by a doctor (Patrick McGoohan) who teaches him to control his powers and asks him to try and infiltrate a gang of evil scanners led by the dangerous Revok (Michael Ironside); but things do not go so smoothly.

The film could have easily belonged in a dvd bargain basement if it weren't for some classy choices by Cronenberg and the five star gore on display. What doesn't help the film are a few lacklustre performances. Stephen Lack gives a one note performance throughout and never seems remotely concerned by his predicament, making it astonishingly hard to care about, or be swept up in, his story. It doesn't help that his love interest looks equally as tired and uninterested as he does. Jennifer O’Neil as the female scanner who helps Lack is another black hole in the film.

Making up for these two though is Michael Ironside as the antagonist. He is simply wonderful as the dangerous, psychopathic scanner. From the start to finish, he is frightening, thrilling and a real treat to watch. Patrick McGoohan also helps the film by adding a little gravitas to the proceedings. A little theatrical, yes, but the splash of energy he adds to his scenes is very welcome.

The effects here are the real star, though. It is further proof of just how effective make up and practical effects are. They've aged fantastically well – and they look remarkable in high definition. Scanners is famous for showing a man's head explode. It's what the film was sold on; it is a fantastic effect and is still as revolting as it was thirty two years ago.

Aside from looking great, the film also sounds it. Cronenberg uses fleshy noises to add to the grotesqueness of the effects; and also through electronic sounds and slowing down actors' voices, he prevents sequences from feeling tacky or dated, where others might just simply have poor actors hold their heads shouting “Ahhhh! My mind!”.

Scanners is a great horror film, slightly let down by a few performances. It is Cronenberg at his best and I pray they never remake it. An exloding CGI head just won't do. But if they are to make it, I hope Cronenberg directs and Viggo Mortensen stars.

Harry Davenport

★★★★☆

Rating: 18
BD Release Date: 8th April 2013 (UK)
Director: David Cronenberg

Cast: Jennifer O'Neill , Stephen Lack,Patrick McGoohan,Michael Ironside

Buy: Scanners (Limited Edition Steelbook) On Blu-ray

Ride To Live, Live To Die George Romero's Knightriders Going Blu-Ray This April

Arrow Video are pleased to announce that George A. Romero’s landmark non-horror offering “Knightriders” will make its UK DVD & Worldwide Blu-ray debuts when released on Monday 22nd April 2013.

Specially restored by Arrow’s acclaimed team of experts, the deluxe editions of “Knightriders” include both DVD and Blu-ray copies of the film along with a host of special features and collector’s items.

Made immediately after the zombie classic “Dawn of the Dead”, George A. Romero’s “Knightriders” is both quite clearly the work of the same director (there are lots of familiar faces from his other films) as well as a marked change of tone. There’s still plenty of mind-melting action, but rather than flesh eating maniacs, its medieval jousters riding modern-day motorcycles who get to have all the fun!

Starring up-and-coming actor Ed Harris in his first ever leading role (Harris who would go on to become a major Hollywood star, nominated for Academy Awards and Golden Globes for his roles in Apollo 13 and The Truman Show), “Knightriders” depicts a troupe of travelling medieval entertainers, led by Harris, trying to live their lives according to the ideals of King Arthur – No easy feat in Reagan’s America, where the outside world and its financial realities constantly encroach on their dreams.

Instead of flesh and bone, the trusty steeds on which these Knights’ ride are made of steel and engine! They have traded the horses of King Arthur’s men for motorcycles.

With the self-adopted title of “King William”, the group’s leader Billy (played by Harris) becomes gradually more unstable, as he blurs the lines between the medieval knight his act portrays, and the realities of everyday life in the 20th century.

With a memorably eccentric cast of characters (including make-up effects genius Tom Savini in a major role, and a cameo from novelist Stephen King) and a complex, nuanced script, “Knightriders” is Romero’s warmest and most personal film to date.

George A Romero’s directing career began in the 1960s when he began shooting short films and commercials. In one of his early commercial films for American children’s television series “Mister Rogers Neighbourhood”, Mister Rogers has his tonsils removed, it is said that the gruesome nature of this scene inspired Romero to go on and make Horror movies.

Since then, Romero has been at the helm of some of the biggest and most important Horror films in history, including Night Of The Living Dead, The Crazies, Season Of The Witch, and Dawn Of The Dead, which in-turn inspired thousands of could-be directors and turned millions of fans onto the genre.

It is a testament to his longevity and continued importance that many of Romero’s classic films have been remade and restored, the latest being Arrow’s highly anticipated Blu-ray edition of “Knightriders”

A real must-have collector’s item, the deluxe edition of “Knightriders” includes the following bonus material and special features:

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations.
- Uncompressed original Mono 2.0 PCM audio.
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
- Audio commentary with George Romero, Tom Savini, John Amplas and Christine Romero.
- ‘The Genesis of a Legend’ – Star Ed Harris remembers his first leading role.
- ‘A Date with Destiny’ – Co-star Tom Savini reflects on the film.
- ‘Medieval Maiden’ – Interview with actress Patricia Tallman.
- Theatrical Trailer.
- TV Spots.
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nat Marsh.
- Collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by author and critic Brad Stevens, an archival interview with Romero, and a new interview with composer Donald Rubinstein, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

Pre-Order /Buy: Knightriders On Blu-Ray

Piranha Blu-Ray Review

Piranha is Joe Dante's official solo directorial debut, he co-directed some of Hollywood Boulevard. Dante would later go on to make such films as Gremlins, Matinee, the Burbs, Small Soldiers and more recently The Hole and he also hosts the online youtube channel Trailers from Hell which him and other directors do commentary on old film trailers. He also was the creator behind one of my favourite tv shows Eerie Indiana. Joe Dante like too many great directors before him started in the Roger Corman (also a great director in his own right… just watch The Intruder) school of filmmaking.

Piranha isn't one of Dante's finest films at any stretch of the imagination but it's a perfectly fine enjoyable rip-off of Steven Spielberg's much more superior film Jaws. Roger Corman from the start would often do films that rip-off popular films of the time or what was popular in the youth market; for instance during the start of hippie era, he made The Trip which was all about taking LSD (Dante has been trying to get film about making of The Trip off the ground for a while now). The films Corman directed himself would usually be the superior films he made.

The film literally opens with a Jaws video game and has numerous nods to the film throughout the film. Universal tried to sue the filmmakers for spoofing Jaws but Spielberg was so impressed with it's rip-off he later hired Dante to make his best film to date Gremlins and Universal obviously dropped their lawsuit. Piranha like most of Dante's films have a very nice sense of humour of everything it's doing but not in obnoxious way that certain films of this ilk do. The film is also noted for it being the screenwriting debut of John Sayles who would take his profits from the film (and other screenwriting jobs for hire) to make his own deeply personal films.

Overall the film is a amusing rip-off of Jaws while it's certainly not any of the filmmaker's involved best work at all, it's a perfectly decent 90 minutes. It also features great cameos from Corman regulars such as Paul Bartel and Dick Miller. Second Sight has done a very nice blu-ray package with lots of bonus material and also they have starting releasing some interesting cult films of late such as Southern Comfort and From Beyond (will be reviewed later on this site in the year).

Ian Schultz

★★★☆☆

Rating:15
BD Release Date: 28 January 2013 (UK)
Director:Joe Dante
Cast: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies-Urich, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn,Dick Miller
Buy:Piranha [Blu-ray] [1978]

Get Ready For Django Unchained With Home Re-Release of The Original Django

Coinciding with the theatrical release of Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”, the original and greatest Spaghetti Western of them all comes to Blu-ray, the original Django.

It was originally banned in several countries (and denied a certificate by the BBFC in the UK until 1993), but still managed to make an international star of Franco Nero and, worldwide, spawned over 50 unauthorised sequels. One of the greatest Spaghetti Westerns ever made, and without a doubt the most influential, Sergio Corbucci’s iconic masterpiece is a landmark piece of cinema revered by film critics and Western genre fans alike.

On foot and dragging a coffin behind him, a mysterious lone drifter calling himself Django (Franco Nero) arrives on the outskirts of a bleak, mud-drenched town located near the Mexico-US border. He saves the life of a prostitute, Maria (Loredana Nusciak) who is being abused, first by a group of Mexican bandits and then by a gang of racist, Ku Klux Klan-like radicals under the command of corrupt former Confederate soldier Major Jackson (Eduardo Fajardo). Accompanying Maria back to the town, Django discovers it consists of nothing more than a brothel serving the warring factions of Mexican outlaws and Jackson’s followers. Loyal to none, Django soon finds himself caught in the middle of the violent dispute and, armed with a devastating weapon, he is forced to defend himself against both sides. But when a chance encounter with a former acquaintance presents him with an opportunity to make some money and settle an old score, Django decides to team up with his adversaries, risking everything in a deadly plot that could end his life.

Director Sergio Corbucci (The Great Silence; Navajo Joe; Minnesota Clay), star Franco Nero (Die Hard 2; The Virgin And The Gypsy; Camelot), cinematographer Enzo Barboni (They Call Me Trinity) and Oscar-winning composer Luis Enríquez Bacalov (Il Postino).


Argent Films will be releasing Django on Blu-Ray in UK&Ireland 21st January 2013, Pre-OrderDjango [Blu-ray]

Special Features:

• Exclusive in-depth presentation by acclaimed filmmaker Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid And Nancy) in the style of his epoch-making Moviedrome BBC series.
• Exclusive interview with star Franco Nero.
• Theatrical trailers.
• Argent Trailer Park.
• Alternative Opening Sequence.
• Reversible Sleeve with original Poster Artwork.

Southern Comfort Blu-Ray Review

Southern Comfort (1981) is a film directed by Walter Hill, best known for The Warriors, The Driver and his long-lasting involvement in the Alien series. The film is very influenced by Deliverance (1972), which is not unsurprising since Hill has said numerous times that John Boorman’s earlier film Point Blank (1967) and especially its screenplay was a revelation for him—so obviously he had also seen Boorman’s Deliverance.

In a nutshell, the story is about patrol of the Louisiana Army National Guard who are out on training maneuvers in the swamps. They deeply upset the local Cajun population, so badly that eventually the swap-dwellers want to kill the Guardsmen, who then need to evade capture (in other words, not dissimilar to the rafters versus hillbillies plot in Deliverance). It stars Keith Carradine, Powers Booth and Fred Ward, and also features Peter Coyote. Southern Comfort is one of the last American films of that era to touch on the post-Vietnam conflict.  Co-screenwriter David Giler said he knew from the get-go that it would be seen as a metaphor for Vietnam. Giler has worked continuously with Hill, most notably on Alien.

It is a well-shot film, and also notable for its good score by Ry Cooder. Cooder has collaborated with Hill several times, and is also well-known for his score for Paris, Texas (1985). The cinematography of the Louisiana bayou is excellent, making you feel that you are actually there.

Southern Comfort is a solid man-against-nature and man-against-man thriller with obvious political undertones. When it came out it was not very successful, much like most of Walter Hill’s films with the obvious exception of his work on the Alien franchise, but over the years it has grown in stature. Many people consider it a superior film to Deliverance. Although I would not put it above Deliverance, it is well worth watching, especially for a very good early performance by Powers Boothe, who later starred in Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980: another little-seen film that deserved to be better known.) Hill remains an underrated director whose early films should be re-evaluated (The Driver, for example, was obviously a major inspiration for last year’s Drive). This is one of his very finest films, and is certainly better to watch in its new Blu-Ray format release from Second Sight Films, which includes a good-quality interview with Walter Hill.

Ian Schultz

★★★★☆

Rating:15
BD/DVD Release Date: 26th November 2012 (uk)
Directed By:Walter Hill
Cast:Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote,
Buy Southern Comfort: (Limited Edition packaging) [Bluray] / DVD

Short Circuit DVD Review

It can be a dangerous business, you know, re-visiting old films from your childhood. You go back after a couple of decades and realise the years have clouded your memory with a rosy fog which fails to protect your old favourites from even the most perfunctory scrutiny. After all this time it turns out that Mac and Me isn't the charming intergalactic romp that you remember, it's a cynical and deceitful ploy to get you to buy lots of sweets and fizzy pop, who'd have thought? And Prehysteria! is less an anarchic, Jurassic Park-style precursor to Small Soldiers, and more a crushingly dull waste of space, made all the more offensive by the heinous sight of Austin O' Brien's silly, floppy hair.

Believe me when I say I was not looking forward to sitting down and picking apart Short Circuit, an old favourite of mine which makes its Blu-ray debut next week. In the cold light of day, with the benefit of hindsight and the gift cynicism, obviously the preposterous hijinks of talkative automaton, Number Five fall to pieces like a cheaply made yo-yo, right?

Well you can thank your lucky stars that even with a newly acquired, Transformers- inspired hatred of all things even remotely robotic, I enjoyed it, it still holds together. Short Circuit is fine, it’s absolutely fine.
If you’re returning to this one after an absence of a couple of decades, you may struck by just how surprisingly thoughtful it is. Chances are, this will be the first time you noticed this mechanised interpretation of Pinocchio’s heart, it’s pro-nature, pro-environment message of peace, and it’s treatise on humanity and the importance of free-will.

You may have noticed those things, but what’s more important is that you noticed the comedy robot getting up to all sorts of mischief. Number Five, the state of the art military drone who gets struck by lightning and develops the gift of artificial intelligence, drives a car with surprising skill, he tries to cook breakfast, he hops about like a grasshopper, and he reads books really, really fast. And it’s all still pretty amusing.

Steve Guttenberg and Ally Sheedy’s slightly improbable, budding romance doesn’t add a great deal to the proceedings, and Fisher Stevens’ “amusing” Indian accents feels worryingly heavy-handed; but let’s face it, this is all window-dressing, a sideshow compared to the main attraction: Number Five, and It’s immensely hard not to be charmed by the antics of the precocious little scamp.

Twenty and thirty year olds looking to relive past glories, will find Number Five alive (no pun intended) and well, and still tickling the funny-bone. New viewers will discover an occasionally-smart comedy that extols the praises of a peaceful and harmonious planet via a goofy robot who does a tolerable John Wayne impression.

If you say the sight of a five foot high robot falling off a bridge and parachuting into the back of a moving van isn’t entertaining, then I say you are a liar.

Chris Banks (@Chris_in_2D)

★★★☆☆

Rating:PG
DVD/BD Re-Release Date:19th November 2012(UK)
Director:John Badham
Cast: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg , Fisher Stevens,
Buy:Short Circuit [DVD] / Blu-ray

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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