Anthropophagous – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Joe D’Amato (Aristide Massaccesi)
Writers: George Eastman, Joe D’Amato
Cast: Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone, Serena Grandi, Margaret Mazzantini, Mark Bodin, Bob Larson, Rubina Rey, Simone Baker, Mark Logan, George Eastman, Zora Kerova, Joe D’Amato

Release Date: September 29th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 92 Minutes 7 Seconds (Italian Version), 92 Minutes27 Seconds (Extended Italian Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (Both Versions), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions), English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.95

"Tisa Farrow (ZOMBIE), Zora Kerova (CANNIBAL FEROX) and co-writer/producer George Eastman/Luigi Montefiori (THE GREAT ALLIGATOR, ABSURD) star in this depraved daddy of cannibal carnage from “Italy’s King of Trash Sinema” (Horrorpedia)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned in 4K from the original camera negative".

Anthropophagous comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.3 GB

Feature: 58.6 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. Where Severin Films 2018 Blu-ray was a 2K scan, this new release is sourced from a 4K scan. Image clarity and black levels are improved. While some source-related imperfections remain, they are better managed this time around. That said, there are no issues with compression and a healthy, albeit thick, layer of grain remains intact.

Anthropophagous comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.5 GB

Feature: 27 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. These two tracks are comparable quality-wise; they are both in good shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track. It should be noted that the dialog in the opening sequence is in German, and only the English subtitles for the Italian language track translate this dialog.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by Aaron AuBuchon of Discover The Horror and S.A. Bradley of Hellbent for Horror, titled They Eat Their Own: Antisocial Cannibalism in Italian Cinema of the '70s and '80s (39 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with FX Artist Pietro Tenoglio titled Cannibal Frenzy (6 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with editor Bruno Micheli titled Brother and Sister in Editing (12 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Zora Kerova titled Inside Zora's Mouth (10 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Saverio Vallone titled The Man Who Killed The Anthropophagus (13 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/actor Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman titled Don't Fear The Man-Eater (11 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles) and an archival interview with director Joe D'Amato titled Speaking of Man-Eaters (9 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Anthropophagous was directed by Joe D’Amato (Emanuelle in America), a prolific filmmaker who has just under two hundred films attributed to him as a director. Besides his extensive filmography as a director, he also worked extensively as a cinematographer, most notably on films like The Antichrist and What Have You Done to Solange?.

A psychopath who feeds off of human flesh stalks and kills a group of tourists trapped on an island.

It is a shame that Joe D’Amato did not direct more horror films. Although he made his debut as a director with the horror film Death Smiles on a Murderer, instead of exploring further within the horror genre, he made an abrupt detour towards soft-core erotica films like the Black Emanuelle film series.

He eventually returned to the horror film genre with Beyond the Darkness. He would create a new kind of horror film that owed more to the erotic films he directed than Death Smiles on a Murderer. And with his next foray into the horror genre, Anthropophagous, he would venture into the by-the-numbers horror template.

Although Anthropophagous opens with a gruesome double murder, it is thirty-three minutes before the next violent outburst. The bulk of the first act revolves around the tourists planning their trip, traveling to the island, and hanging out in an abandoned house once there. Fortunately, things pick up considerably by the last act. The bulk of the carnage occurs during the last act.

Performance-wise, the cast is best described as serviceable. The most memorable performance is by George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in the role of a flesh-eating psychopath named Nikos Karamanlis. Other notable cast members include Serena Grandi (Miranda), Zora Kerova (Cannibal Ferox), and Tisa Farrow (Zombie).

Despite his films being hampered by anemic budgets, Joe D’Amato was a gifted filmmaker who often overshadowed his limited resources. Nowhere is Joe D'Amato's ability to overcome limited resources clearer than when it comes to creating memorable set pieces. Standout moments include a scene in the cellar where a cat on a piano foreshadows someone lurking in the shadows with a knife, a flashback sequence that explains how Nikos Karamanlis became Antropophagus, and the scene where Antropophagus rips a fetus from its mother's womb. Ultimately, Anthropophagous is a must-see film if you're a fan of blood-soaked, gut-munching spaghetti nightmares.

Anthropophagous makes its way to 4K UHD via a solid release that ports over the extras from Severin Films 2018 Blu-ray release. Recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Absurd – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1981
Director: Joe D’Amato (Aristide Massaccesi)
Writer: George Eastman
Cast: George Eastman, Annie Belle, Charles Borromel, Katya Berger, Kasimir Berger, Hanja Kochansky, Ian Danby, Ted Rusoff, Edmund Purdom, Carolyn De Fonseca, Cindy Leadbetter, Lucia Ramirez, Mark Shannon, Michele Soavi, Martin Sorrentino, Goffredo Unger

Release Date: September 29th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 43 Seconds (Rosso Sangue), 94 Minutes 2 Seconds (Absurd)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (Both Versions), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions), English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.95

"Joe D’Amato’s “top-notch gruesome” (Morbidly Beautiful) follow-up to ANTHROPOPHAGOUS in UHD for the first time ever in North America: Borrowing heavily from HALLOWEEN, D’Amato unleashes a gut-spewing boogeyman (screenwriter Luigi Montefiori/George Eastman) into suburban America for an “incredibly vicious and unforgiving” (A Slash Above) saga of doomed nurses, butchered babysitters, bio-chemical clergy and some of the most insane splatter scenes in Italian exploitation history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "both its English and Italian Versions, scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

Absurd comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 65.8 GB

Feature: 62.8 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, and there are no issues with compression or digital noise reduction.

Absurd comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.7 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

There are two versions of Absurd and each comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. The differences between the tracks are minimal. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras of the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras of the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Vanio Amici titled Building with Images (12 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composer Carlo Maria Cordio titled My Absurd Film Music (10 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor/assistant director Michele Soavi A Biker (Uncredited) (17 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Joe D'Amato titled D'Amato on Video (19 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Joe D'Amato titled As Red as Blood (9 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with actor Luigi Montefiori titled The Return of The Grim Reaper (30 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Absurd was directed by Joe D’Amato (Emanuelle in America), a prolific filmmaker who has just under two hundred films attributed to him as a director. Besides his extensive filmography as a director, he also worked extensively as a cinematographer, most notably on films like The Antichrist and What Have You Done to Solange?. 

While Absurd is an indirect sequel of sorts to Anthropophagus, its only connection to Anthropophagus is that they both feature George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in similar-type roles. Alternate titles for Absurd include Anthropophagous 2, Rosso Sangue (Red Blood), and Horrible.

A priest is in pursuit of a living dead madman who possesses an unusual ability to heal himself when injured.

The narrative is simple: George Eastman is cast in the role of Nikos Karamanlis, a man with a rare blood disease that allows him to heal his wounds quickly. Nikos escapes from a laboratory in Greece where a priest had taken care of him. Somehow Nikos boards a plane and flies to America, where he then proceeds to raise hell, ripping to shreds anyone who crosses his path. The priest enlists the help of local law enforcement to track down Nikos, who is becoming more demented with each new injury from which he heals himself. In many ways, the Nikos character is like the Frankenstein monster, and the priest is his creator, who is now forced to kill the thing he helped bring to life.

Of course, the best part of Absurd is watching George Eastman go bonkers. All of the kill scenes are entertaining and on par with other kill scenes from similar Italian horror films from this era. Some of the deaths include a drill bit through the temple, a meat-cutting saw to the head, and a woman being forced into a blazing hot oven.

Besides George Eastman, the cast also features two other familiar faces in prominent roles: Edmund Purdom (Pieces) in the role of the priest and Annie Belle (House on the Edge of the Park) in the role of a nurse named Emily. Other notable cast members are a cameo from Michele Soavi (Cemetery Man) and Mark Shannon, whose appearance in Absurd is taken from another film that he also did with Joe D’Amato. Ultimately, Absurd is a crazy film that sticks to its strengths—blood and guts.

Absurd makes its way to 4K UHD via a solid release that ports over the extras from Severin Films 2018 Blu-ray release. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 - 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1991
Director: Joe D'Amato
Writer: Rossella Drudi
Cast: Kristine Rose, Ruth Collins, Frederick Lewis, Maurice Dupré, Kristin Cuadraro, Ale Dugas, Fred Woodruff, James Jackson, Laura Gemser

Release Date: November 24th, 2025 (UK), November 25th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English SDH, English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD, Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK), $44.95 (USA)

"In this steamy tale of desire and money, a young woman named Sarah (Kristine Rose) has to act as an executor for the will of her ex-lover Lionel Durrington (James Jackson). To ensure that the heir is honorable and worthy, she must work her way through all of them to decide who the fortune must go to. But as she meets and sleeps with each one, she uncovers dark family secrets." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K remaster from the original negatives."

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.4 GB

Feature: 57.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, contrast and black levels and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 features an intentional soft-focus aesthetic, resulting in varying levels of image clarity throughout the film.

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English), 4/5 (LPCM Mono Italian)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Italian. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss; dialogue always comes through clearly, and ambient sounds and the score are well represented. Included are removable English SDH for the English-language track and removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include Italian opening and closing titles (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with Italian cinema experts Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include Italian opening and closing titles (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Music Historian Pierpaolo De Sanctis titled Eros in the Plastic Age (19 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composer Piero Montanari titled Seven Notes, Eleven Nights (21 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with dubbing director Mark Thompson Ashworth titled Filmirage: From Dawn Till Dusk (40 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and an 8-page booklet with an essay titled Softcore Shenanigans Italian-Style written by Calum Waddell.

Summary:

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 was directed by Joe D'Amato, a name that is synonymous with Italian sexploitation cinema. He’s most known for his Black Emanuelle, which starred Laura Gemser. Although he mostly worked in softcore and hardcore films, he did direct a few notable horror films: Death Smiles on a Murderer, Beyond the Darkness, and Absurd.

Named by an ex-lover to be an executor of his estate, a woman is given only eleven days to choose who will inherit his fortune.

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 is a sequel to Eleven Days, Eleven Nights, a film that was clearly a cash-in on 9 ½ Weeks. Both of the Eleven Days, Eleven Nights films revolve around a protagonist named Sarah Asproon, an author who based her books on her sexual experiences and those of those she interviews. In Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2, a family of deviants surrounds her and does their best to seduce her and claim the family fortune. What unfolds is a series of salacious moments that uncover the family's darkest and most perverse secrets.

Although Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 carries over the protagonist from its predecessor, this time around a different actress portrays the role. Kristine Rose (Demonic Toys) is cast in the role of Sarah Asproon, and while she may be lacking during exposition moments, she always delivers when it comes to erotica. Most of the cast is made up of first-timers who have no other credits, except Ruth Collins (Witch Academy) and Laura Gemser, a frequent collaborator of Joe D'Amato.

Although Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 includes all the essential elements typical of softcore erotica, its minimalistic narrative challenges viewers to stay engaged throughout its 92-minute runtime. Additionally, the story features a clever plot twist that adds depth to the unfolding events. Regardless of the genre or budget constraints, one consistent aspect of Joe D'Amato's films is their beautiful cinematography. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 works better than it should because of Joe D'Amato’s craftsmanship.

88 Films gives Eleven Days, Eleven Nights 2 an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Absurd (Rosso Sangue) – Severin Films (Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1981
Director: Joe D’Amato
Writer: George Eastman
Cast: George Eastman, Annie Belle, Charles Borromel, Katya Berger, Kasimir Berger, Hanja Kochansky, Ian Danby, Ted Rusoff, Edmund Purdom, Carolyn De Fonseca, Cindy Leadbetter, Lucia Ramirez, Mark Shannon, Michele Soavi, Martin Sorrentino, Goffredo Unger

Release Date: September 25th, 2018
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 33 Seconds (Rosso Sangue), 93 Minutes 55 Seconds (Absurd)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (Rosso Sangue), DTS-HD Mono English (Absurd)
Subtitles: English (Rosso Sangue), English SDH (Absurd)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.98

"Borrowing heavily from Halloween, D’Amato unleashes gut-spewing Greek boogeyman (screenwriter George Eastman) into suburban America for a saga of doomed nurses, butchered babysitters, bio-chemical clergy and some of the most insane splatter scenes in Italian gorehound history." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "a 2k scan from the original negative."

Rosso Sangue and Absurd come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 16.9 GB (Rosso Sangue), 23.3 GB (Absurd)

There are two versions of this film included with this release, and they are both in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and both transfers retain an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

Audio options for Rosso Sangue are a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Audio options for Absurd are a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Both audio tracks are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text), an archival interview with director Aristide Massaccesi titled D’Amato on Video (19 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Michele Soavi titled A Biker (Uncredited) (17 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with co-screenwriter/actor/co-producer Luigi Montefiore aka George Eastman titled The Return of the Grim Reaper (30 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and a CD with Carlo Maria Cordio’s score. It should be noted that the CD is only available with the first 2500 copies.

Summary:

Absurd was directed by Joe D’Amato (Emanuelle in America), a prolific filmmaker who has just under two hundred films attributed to him as a director. Besides his extensive filmography as a director, he also worked extensively as a cinematographer, most notably on films like The Antichrist and What Have You Done to Solange?. 

While Absurd is an indirect sequel of sorts to Anthropophagus, its only connection to Anthropophagus is that they both feature George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in similar-type roles. Alternate titles for Absurd include Anthropophagous 2, Rosso Sangue (Red Blood), and Horrible.

A priest is in pursuit of a living dead madman who possesses an unusual ability to heal himself when injured.

The narrative is simple: George Eastman is cast in the role of Nikos Karamanlis, a man with a rare blood disease that allows him to heal his wounds quickly. Nikos escapes from a laboratory in Greece where a priest had taken care of him. Somehow Nikos boards a plane and flies to America, where he then proceeds to raise hell, ripping to shreds anyone who crosses his path. The priest enlists the help of local law enforcement to track down Nikos, who is becoming more demented with each new injury from which he heals himself. In many ways, the Nikos character is like the Frankenstein monster, and the priest is his creator, who is now forced to kill the thing he helped bring to life.

Of course, the best part of Absurd is watching George Eastman go bonkers. All of the kill scenes are entertaining and on par with other kill scenes from similar Italian horror films from this era. Some of the deaths include a drill bit through the temple, a meat-cutting saw to the head, and a woman being forced into a blazing hot oven.

Besides George Eastman, the cast also features two other familiar faces in prominent roles: Edmund Purdom (Pieces) in the role of the priest and Annie Belle (House on the Edge of the Park) in the role of a nurse named Emily. Other notable cast members are a cameo from Michele Soavi (Cemetery Man) and Mark Shannon, whose appearance in Absurd is taken from another film that he also did with Joe D’Amato. Ultimately, Absurd is a crazy film that sticks to its strengths—blood and guts.

Absurd gets an exceptional release from Severin Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer