He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection (Standard Edition) - Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: USA, 1966 (Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu), USA, 1968 (The Hooked Generation), USA, 1971 (The Psychedelic Priest), USA, 1970 (The Naked Zoo), USA, 1976 (Mako: The Jaws of Death), USA, 1977 (Whiskey Mountain), USA, 2016 (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)
Directors: William Grefé (Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu, The Hooked Generation, The Psychedelic Priest, The Naked Zoo, Mako: The Jaws of Death, Whiskey Mountain), Daniel Griffith (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)
Cast: Joe Morrison, Valerie Hawkins, John Vella, Jack Nagle, Sandy Lee Kane, Deanna Lund (Sting of Death), Fred Pinero, Babette Sherrill, Bill Marcus, Mayra Gómez Kemp, Sherman Hayes, Gary Holtz, Maurice Stewart, Doug Hobart, Frank Weed (Death Curse of Tartu), Jeremy Slate, Steve Alaimo, John Davis Chandler, Willie Pastrano, William Kerwin (The Hooked Generation), John Darrell, Carolyn Hall (The Psychedelic Priest), Rita Hayworth, Steve Oliver, Fay Spain, Ford Rainey, Willie Pastrano, Fleurette Carter (The Naked Zoo), Richard Jaeckel, Jennifer Bishop, Buffy Dee, Harold Sakata, John Davis Chandler (Mako: The Jaws of Death), Christopher George, Preston Pierce, Roberta Collins, Linda Borgeson, John Davis Chandler, William Kerwin, J.G. Patterson Jr. (Whiskey Mountain)

Release Date: October 25th, 2021 (UK), October 26th, 2021 (USA)
Approximate running times: 80 Minutes 6 Seconds (Sting of Death), 87 Minutes 39 Seconds (Death Curse of Tartu), 94 Minutes 28 Seconds (The Hooked Generation), 80 Minutes 34 Seconds (The Psychedelic Priest), 92 Minutes 2 Seconds (The Naked Zoo Director’s Cut), 86 Minutes 53 seconds (The Naked Zoo Barry Mahon Version), 86 Minutes 1 Second (Mako: The Jaws of Death), 90 Minutes 2 seconds (Whiskey Mountain), 126 Minutes 50 Seconds (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu, The Naked Zoo, Mako: The Jaws of Death), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Whiskey Mountain), 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio (The Hooked Generation, The Psychedelic Priest), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English (Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu, The Hooked Generation, The Psychedelic Priest, The Naked Zoo, Mako: The Jaws of Death, Whiskey Mountain), LPCM Stereo English (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)
Subtitles: English SDH (Sting of Death, Death Curse of Tartu, The Hooked Generation, The Psychedelic Priest, The Naked Zoo, Mako: The Jaws of Death, Whiskey Mountain)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £74.99 (UK), $99.95 (USA)

"Killer sharks and human jellyfish and living mummies, oh my! Arrow Video is proud to present the first ever collection of works by William “Wild Bill” Grefé, the maverick filmmaker who braved the deep, dark depths of the Florida everglades to deliver some of the most outrageous exploitation fare ever to go-go dance its way across drive-in screens.

Bringing together seven of Grefé’s most outlandish films, plus a feature length documentary on the filmmaker's career, He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection packs in a macabre menagerie of demented jellyfish men (Sting of Death), zombified witch doctors (Death Curse of Tartu), homicidal hippies (The Hooked Generation) and seductive matrons (The Naked Zoo) – not to mention the ubiquitous go-go dancing – to create one of the most wildly entertaining box-sets of all time!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: (Sting of Death 3.5/5, Death Curse of Tartu 2.5/5, The Hooked Generation 3/5, The Psychedelic Priest 2.5/5, The Naked Zoo 3.5/5, Mako: The Jaws of Death 3/5, Whiskey Mountain 2.5/5)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, “All the films included in this collection have been restored from the best available materials. Whilst every effort has been made to offer up the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape. We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

Sting of Death was scanned from its original 35mm negative. The audio was sourced from a 35mm optical track negative.

Death Curse of Tartu was scanned from a 16mm print. The audio was also sourced from this print. The 16mm print – presumably a TV print – was found to have been trimmed for gore, so these missing shots were sourced from a lesser copy 35mm print and reinstated.

The Hooked Generation was scanned from a 16mm internegative. The audio was sourced from a 16mm optical track negative.

The Psychedelic Priest (AKA Electric Shades of Grey ) was scanned from a 16mm Ektachrome release print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

The Naked Zoo was scanned from its original 35mm negative, which had been recut to the Barry Mahon version of the film. In order to recreate William Grefé ‘s original director’s cut, the footage unique to that version was sourced from a badly faded and warped 35mm workprint. The audio was sourced from a 35mm double edged track print and a 35mm track negative.

Mako: Jaws of Death was scanned from two 16mm prints, which were composited for best quality sections of each. The audio was also sourced from these prints.

Whiskey Mountain was scanned from a 16mm scope print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

All materials used in these restorations were supplied William Grefé , Lisa Petrucci / Something Weird Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Ed Tucker, and American Genre Film Archive.”

Sting of Death and Death Curse of Tartu comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 20.8 GB (Sting of Death), 19.8 GB (Death Curse of Tartu)

The Hooked Generation and The Psychedelic Priest comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB (The Hooked Generation), 19.8 GB (The Psychedelic Priest)

The Naked Zoo and Mako: The Jaws of Death comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.5 GB

Feature: 16.2 GB (The Naked Zoo Director’s Cut), 10.4 GB (The Naked Zoo Barry Mahon Version), 15.2 GB (Mako: The Jaws of Death)

Whiskey Mountain and They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 17.6 GB (Whiskey Mountain), 21.8 GB (They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé)

Though the source used for Sting of Death is one of strongest sources used for He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection. Throughout the presentation there is source related damage that varies in degree throughout. That said, outside of a few moments, colors look very good, details and black levels look strong throughout, there are no issues with compression and the transfer retains an organic look.

The source used for Death Curse of Tartu has print related damage that varies in degree throughout, though colors fare well there are instances of color fluctuation, the image generally looks crisp, there are no issues with compression and the transfer retains an organic look.

The source used for The Hooked Generation has print related damage that varies in degree throughout, though colors fare well there are instances of color fluctuation, the image generally looks crisp, there are no issues with compression and the transfer retains an organic look.

The source used for The Psychedelic Priest has noticeable print related damage throughout the presentation, colors fluctuate and look faded and black levels are best described as adequate. That said, the image generally looks crisp, there are no issues with compression and the image retains an organic look.

The sources used for The Naked Zoo appear to come from too different sources. With the footage reinstated for William Grefé’s director’s cut looking rough, colors look faded and there is noticeable print damage. That said, footage that both versions of The Naked Zoo looks considerably better, colors and black levels look very good, the image looks crisp and there are no issues with compression. Overall both versions of The Naked Zoo retain an organic look.

The source for Mako: The Jaws of Death exhibits source related damage, color fluctuation and black levels are adequate. That said, the image generally looks crisp, there are no issues with compression and the image retains an organic look.

Whiskey Mountain’s source looks rough and has seen better days. There’s noticeable print related damage throughout the presentation, colors fluctuate and look faded and black levels are best described as adequate. That said, the image generally looks crisp, there are no issues with compression and the image retains an organic look.

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé is a documentary that uses a variety of sources which vary in quality. That said, the newly shot interviews look better than archival sources and clips from films.

Audio: (Sting of Death 3/5, Death Curse of Tartu 3/5, The Hooked Generation 3/5, The Psychedelic Priest 3/5, The Naked Zoo 3.5/5, Mako: The Jaws of Death 3/5, Whiskey Mountain 3/5)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and all films come with removable English SDH subtitles. Despite their limited range, all the films sound clear and balanced.

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English. The audio sounds clear and balanced throughout.

Extras:

Extras for Sting of Death and Death Curse of Tartu include reversible cover art, a trailer for Sting of Death (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a trailer for Death Curse of Tartu (1 minute 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an introduction to Sting of Death by William Grefé (2 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction to Death Curse of Tartu by William Grefé (3 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with monster maker Doug Hobart titled The Curious Case of Dr. Traboh: Spook Show Extraordinaire (10 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author/historian C. Courtney Joyner titled Sting of Death: Beyond the Movie – Monsters a-Go Go! (11 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and two archival audio commentaries’ Sting of Death and Death Curse of Tartu with William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter.

Extras for The Hooked Generation and The Psychedelic Priest include reversible cover art, The Hooked Generation stills gallery (40 images-stills/posters/lobby cards/home video art), an introduction to The Hooked Generation by William Grefé (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction to The Psychedelic Priest by William Grefé (2 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Hooked Generation Behind-The-Scenes footage (23 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), a featurette with author/film historian Chris Poggial titled Beyond the Movie: That's Drugsploitation! (7 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette with author/film historian Chris Poggial titled Beyond the Movie: The Ultimate Road Trip (8 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and archival audio commentary tracks with director William Grefé and Frank Henenlotter for The Hooked Generation and The Psychedelic Priest.

Extras for The Naked Zoo and Mako: The Jaws of Death include reversible cover art, stills galleries: The Naked Zoo (12 images-poster/stills/press book) and Mako: The Jaws of Death (49 images-posters/stills/advertisements/home video art), Mako: The Jaws of Death trailer and promo gallery: original theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), original promo (10 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), CBS promo (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and behind-the-scenes news segment (2 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Mako: The Jaws of Death super-8 digest version (15 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an introduction to The Naked Zoo by William Grefé (2 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction to Mako: The Jaws of Death by William Grefé (4 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with filmmaker Robert Morgan titled Sharks, Stalkers, and Sasquatch (10 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with actress Jenifer Bishop titled The Aquamaid Speaks! (9 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Beyond the Movie: That’s Sharksploitation! (7 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), audio commentary tracks with director William Grefé for The Naked Zoo and Mako: The Jaws of Death and The Naked Zoo Barry Mahon version (86 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras for Whiskey Mountain and They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé include reversible cover art, a radio spot for Whisky Mountain (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a trailer for Whiskey Mountain (1 minute 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a TV segment about Whiskey Mountain (1 minute 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette with William Grefé visiting locations from his films (5 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction to Whiskey Mountain by William Grefé (2 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé deleted scenes: Grinter on Grinter (2 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Deathbed Confessions (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Shatner on the Rocks (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and Paging Dr. Crutcher (1 minute 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by William Grefé titled Bacardi and Coke Bonanza ’81 (7 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about Crown International Pictures titled The Crown Jewels (17 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), bonus trailer gallery: The Weird World of LSD (2 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Fireball Jungle (22 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The King of the Jungle (1 minute 18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The Magic Legend of the Juggler (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Bloody Friday (2 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and Super Chick (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with director William Grefé for Whiskey Mountain.

Summary:

Sting of Death: A jellyfish monster terrorizes a marine biologist, his daughter and her friends.

The Sting of Death, on the other hand, is a good old-fashioned creature feature. From a production standpoint, Sting of Death, like William Grefé’s other films, suffers from an anemic budget that features shoddy special effects that call attention to themselves, a jellyfish monster that’s obviously a man wearing a plastic bag over his head, and wooden performances that further hinder Sting of Death.

After a strong opening sequence that serves as a prelude to the carnage about to be unleashed by the jellyfish monster, Things slow down considerably, until the jellyfish monster resurfaces. Those expecting anything more than a z-cinema with few surprises should look elsewhere, whereas those who enjoy a healthy dose of schlock cinema will enjoy Sting of Death.

Death Curse of Tartu: A group of student archaeologists' excursion into the Florida Everglades disturbs a native American witch doctor who comes back to life.

Shortly after completing Sting of Death, William Grefé put together Death Curse of Tartu, another creature feature with a similar vibe. And the result is yet another improvised film that has all the hallmarks of low-budget cinema.

Once again, William Grefé puts together a solid opening sequence, that’s unfortunately not indicative of what’s to follow. Most of the narrative follows characters doing mundane things, who fortunately fall prey to a killer native American witch doctor.

That said, despite the Death Curse of Tartu’s obvious limitations, All is not lost. The special effects are actually very effective, despite their crudeness, and another strength is how well the Death Curse of Tartu exploits swampy locations.

The Hooked Generation: Dope peddlers hiding from law enforcement kidnap a couple.

Like most of William Grefé’s films, The Hooked Generation was inspired by a film/genre that was popular at that time. And in the case of The Hooked Generation, it takes inspiration from the counterculture drug-themed films from the late 1960’s.

Content wise, The Hooked Generation has all the elements that fans of exploitation cinema have come to expect. It has a good foundation and the narrative does a good job of holding your attention, despite its in-your-face subject-matter. Also, the performances exceeded expectations, especially Jeremy Slate, John Davis Chandler, and Willie Pastrano, who portray the drug smugglers. Another strength of The Hooked Generation is how effectively it exploits its limited resources. Ultimately, The Hooked Generation is a grimy film that fans of exploitation cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

The Psychedelic Priest: A priest goes on a road trip after being drugged by a group of teenagers.

In the extras provided as part of this release, William Grefé explains how there was no screenplay and how the entire film was essentially improvised. Though The Psychedelic Priest has a counterculture vibe like The Hooked Generation, The result is two films that wouldn’t be more unalike.

From a production standpoint, The Psychedelic Priest far exceeds its anemic resources. And though the premise is well-executed, there are many moments where the directionless narrative drags. That said, The Psychedelic Priest’s strongest asset is John Darrell’s portal of Father John, a priest on a bad trip.

The Naked Zoo: A struggling author who moonlights as a gigolo seduces an affection-starved older woman.

The Naked Zoo epitomizes low-budget 1970’s exploitation cinema. Though most of these films are constrained by their limited resources, One way many of these films garnered attention was by casting a named, recognizable actor or actress who was in the twilight of their career. For example, Rita Hayworth (Cover Girl, The Lady from Shanghai) was cast in The Naked Zoo.

Content wise, The Naked Zoo is a melodrama that never strays too far away from elements that have become synonymous with 1970’s exploitation cinema. The narrative revolves around an author whose affairs with older women put his life in danger when one of the women’s husbands walks in on him seducing their wives.

Performance wise, the cast ranges from adequate to good. With The Naked Zoo’s strongest performance being Steve Oliver’s (Werewolves on Wheels, The Van) portrayal of Terry Shaw, the struggling author who exploits attention starved older women. Another performance of note is Rita Hayworth in the role of Mrs. Golden, the wife of a wheelchair-bound man who tries to kill Terry.

From a production standpoint, The Naked Zoo does a good job maximizing its limited resources. Though the premise is well-executed, the narrative has too many lulls and the finale is lacking a strong payoff. That said, the visuals are one area where The Naked Zoo most exceeds expectations. Ultimately, The Naked Zoo is a flawed film that most likely would have been forgotten if it were not for Rita Hayworth’s appearance.

Mako: The Jaws of Death: A man who’s learned how to talk to sharks through telepathy goes on a rampage when those he entrusted with the sharks he helped them procure betray him.

When one thinks of shark films, Jaws immediately springs to mind. And though there have been many shark films that bear no connection to Jaws, Most of these films get overlooked because of the damage done by all the Jaws clones.

This brings us to a film like Mako: The Jaws of Death, which takes shark films in a direction opposite of Jaws.

With a title like Mako: The Jaws of Death, one would expect a body count scenario where sharks attack a man. This is not the case with Mako: The Jaws of Death. With all the shark attacks in Mako: The Jaws of Death being linked to characters who posed danger to the sharks, There are no unprovoked attacks in Mako: The Jaws of Death.

Performance wise, the cast are all very good in their receptive roles, especially Richard Jaeckel (Grizzly, Day of the Animals) in the role of Sonny Stein, a man who’s forged an unusual bond with sharks. Notable cast members include Harold Sakata (Goldfinger) in the role of a shark hunter, and Jennifer Bishop (The Female Bunch, Impulse) in the role of a woman who entertains bar patrons by swimming in a tank.

From a production standpoint, Mako: The Jaws of Death is a film that often exceeds expectations. The premise is superbly realized, the narrative is well-executed and the finale provides a perfect coda. Another strength of Mako: The Jaws of Death are its underwater sequences with sharks. Ultimately, Mako: The Jaws of Death is a film that fans of man versus nature are sure to get the most mileage out of.

Whiskey Mountain: Locals don't want two couples snooping around Whiskey Mountain looking for buried Civil War confederate rifles.

But there’s no denying the influence rural survival films like Deliverance had on Whiskey Mountain. To call Whiskey Mountain a Deliverance knock-off would be doing Whiskey Mountain a great disservice. Where most rural survival films from the 1970’s tried to mimic Deliverance, Whiskey Mountain is one of the rare examples of a film that brings something new to the table. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to bad guys lurking in the woods, Whiskey Mountain's motivation for keeping outsiders away.

Whiskey Mountain is a text-book example of why one should never judge a book by its cover. The film’s title, Whiskey Mountain, evokes moonshine, and yet there’s no moonshine to be found in Whiskey Mountain. And the opening setup of Whiskey Mountain gives the impression that what’s about to unfold is an adventure film that involves treasure (Confederate rifles buried somewhere on Whiskey Mountain). When in reality, what lays ahead is a much bleaker narrative.

The most surprising aspect of Whiskey Mountain is the performances. With the most memorable performance being John Davis Chandler’s (Ride the High Country, Drag Racer) menacing portrayal of Rudy, the ringleader behind what’s really going on at Whiskey Mountain. Another performance of note is that of Robert Leslie in the role of a deranged old man who wanders around Whiskey Mountain. Notable cast members include Christopher George (City of the Living Dead, Pieces), Roberta Collins (Wonder Women, Eaten Alive) and William Kerwin (Scum of the Earth, Blood Feast).

From a production standpoint, though, Whiskey Mountain has all the hallmarks of low-budget filmmaking. The result is a film that far exceeds its anemic resources. Most notably, the Whiskey Mountains' use of Polaroid photos for its most grueling moment, a rape scene. The premise is well-executed and though the narrative is slow-moving initially, once the frantic last act arrives, Whiskey Mountain is hitting on all cylinders. Ultimately, Whiskey Mountain is a film that fans of Hixploitation and 1970’s exploitation cinema will get the most mileage out of.

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé: “Savage. Sadistic. Thrill hungry. When it came to independent filmmaking in the sunshine state, William Grefé was the wildest of the wild. Now, the untold story of Florida’s most daring moviemaker comes to the screen.” - Ballyhoo Motion Pictures

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé is an insightful documentary that provides a well-rounded overview of William Grefé’s films. They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé features comments from William Grefé, cast and crew who worked with him, filmmakers Frank Henenlotter, Herschell Gordon Lewis and film critics/historians.

At just over two hours in length, They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé leaves no stone unturned. This documentary not only provides background information about William Grefé’s most known films, but also information about films that have not been widely available since their initial releases.

Having only seen one of William Grefé’s films (Impulse) before watching They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé. It was one of the rare times that I have been able to delve into a filmmaker without being familiar with their films. Finally, They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé is a must-see for fans of exploitation cinema.

Arrow Video reissues He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection, their exemplary release that collects seven films directed by William Grefé, has an exceptional documentary about William Grefé and comes with a wealth of extra content, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer