Suzzanna: Empress of Darkness – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Indonesia, 1991 (Pact with the Forces of Darkness), Indonesia, 1988 (White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro), Indonesia, 1986 (Kliwon Friday Night), Indonesia, 2008 (Ghost Ambulance)
Directors: Sisworo Gautama Putra (Pact with the Forces of Darkness, Malam Satu Suro, Kliwon Friday Night), H. Tjut Djalil (White Crocodile Queen), Nayato Fio Nuala (Ghost Ambulance)
Cast: Suzzanna (All Films), Elly Ermawati, Piet Pagau, Yenny Farida, Clift Sangra, Soendjoto Adibroto (Pact with the Forces of Darkness), Soendjoto Adibroto, Vera Magdalena, Ruth Pelupessy (White Crocodile Queen), Fendy Pradana, Nurnaningsih, Soendjoto Adibroto, Johny Matakena, Karsiman Gada (Malam Satu Suro), Alan Nuary, Bokir (Kliwon Friday Night), William Alvin, Dimaz Andrean, Fitri Ayu, Gianina Emanuela, Ratna Galih, Clift Sangra (Ghost Ambulance)

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 25 Seconds (Pact with the Forces of Darkness), 98 Minutes 16 Seconds (White Crocodile Queen), 83 Minutes 55 Seconds (Malam Satu Suro), 88 Minutes 20 Seconds (Kliwon Friday Night), 88 Minutes 16 Seconds (Ghost Ambulance), 87 Minutes 52 Seconds (Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, Kliwon Friday Night), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Interlaced / MPEG-4 AVC (Ghost Ambulance)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Indonesian (All Films Except Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic), DTS-HD Stereo Indonesian (Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A (All Films Except Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic), Region Free (Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic)
Retail Price: $79.95

"The Queen of Indonesian horror” (Collider) stars in two classic films from the latter part of her legendary career featuring three of her most provocative performances of all: Suzzanna has the time of her life as a woman who returns from the dead – complete with eye-popping special effects and Freddy Krueger-style razor glove – to avenge her family’s massacre in PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS from writer/director Sisworo Gautama Putra (SATAN’S SLAVE, MALAM SATU SURO). In WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN, directed by H. Tjut Djalil (MYSTICS IN BALI, LADY TERMINATOR), Suzzanna triumphs in a dual role as a malevolent reptile empress who possesses the body of her sexually uninhibited twin sister to unleash savage retribution on the men who murdered their parents.

In her most iconic role of all, “Indonesia’s greatest scream queen” (Whitlock & Pope) stars as folkloric ghoul Sundelbolong – literally ‘ghost with hole’, the vengeful spirit of a rape victim whose long black hair hides the maggot-infested opening in her back through which her baby was born – in these two classic ‘80s shockers: In MALAM SATU SORO, Suzzanna brings supernatural carnage to the big city when a violent kidnapping unlocks Sundelbolong’s maternal fury. In KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT, Suzzanna is an agoraphobic author whose haunting by Sundelbolong triggers a nightmare of dark secrets and demonic mayhem. 

She starred in 42 movies and is still hailed as ‘The Queen of Indonesian Horror’. But who was Suzanna Martha Frederika van Osch, beloved by the Asian world as Suzzanna yet virtually unknown outside it? In this “stellar” (Hi-Def Digest) Severin Films documentary from director David Gregory (ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON), discover the enigmatic horror star best known for portraying vengeful spirits from Indonesian folklore, demons whose supernatural retribution are widely believed to have influenced her controversial life and mysterious death. Through exclusive interviews with family, colleagues, filmmakers and historians, as well as “gloriously over-the-top” (Gizmodo) clips from her classic films, Gregory unearths the legacy of “Indonesia’s eternal queen of darkness” (Vice), complete with over 3 hours of revealing Special Features that include Suzzanna’s final film, GHOST AMBULANCE." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, Kliwon Friday Night), 1/5 (Ghost Ambulance)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, and Kliwon Friday Night are now scanned in 2K from their original camera negatives in English-friendly versions for the first time ever in America.

The following presentation of Ghost Ambulance is sourced from the producer's only usable file of the feature, as the original master is apparently lost.

While it suffers from baked-in interlacing and other digital abnormalities, it is the best possible version available of Suzzanna's final film."

Pact with the Forces of Darkness and White Crocodile Queen come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 20.6 GB (Pact with the Forces of Darkness), 23.7 GB (White Crocodile Queen)

Malam Satu Suro and Kliwon Friday Night come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.5 GB

Feature: 20.3 GB (Malam Satu Suro), 21.3 GB (Kliwon Friday Night)

Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic and Ghost Ambulance come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 19.5 GB (Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic), 20.7 GB (Ghost Ambulance)

Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, and Kliwon Friday Night is on par with the best-looking transfers for Indonesian films that have been released in North America on Blu-ray. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity is strong, black levels fare well, and there are no issues with compression or digital noise reduction. That said, Ghost Ambulance looks considerably worse; the image is interlaced and digitized.

Audio: 3.75/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, Kliwon Friday Night, and Ghost Ambulance each come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Indonesian with removable English subtitles. While all tracks sound clear and balanced, they are limited range-wise.

Extras:

There are no extras on the disc with Pact with the Forces of Darkness and White Crocodile Queen.

Extras on the disc with Malam Satu Suro and Kliwon Friday Night include Hantu Retribution: Female Ghosts Of The Malay Archipelago—an interview with filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham and Dr. Rosalind Galt, author of Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization (28 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic include a trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Indonesian with non-removable English subtitles), David Gregory’s introduction at the Jakarta Film Week Screening, October 2024 (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a conversation with director/co-producer David Gregory and co-producer Ekky Imanjaya (18 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for Ghost Ambulance include a trailer (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles), promo clips (24 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles), a Ghost Ambulance Silet interview with Suzzanna and Clift Sangra (14 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles), ShowBiz on Location interviews with the cast and crew (20 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles), and an archival featurette titled The Making of Ghost Ambulance (28 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Indonesian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic is an exemplary documentary about the life and career of Indonesian actress Suzzanna. Not only does it feature comments from Suzzanna via archival interviews, it provides a well-rounded overview of her from those who knew and worked with her. While most will be drawn to the discussion of the films she appeared in, the strength of the documentary is her personal life and the tragedies she experienced, notably the death of her son. Ultimately, Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic is a must-see documentary for fans of Indonesian cinema.

Sisworo Gautama Putra directed Pact with the Forces of Darkness, Malam Satu Suro, and Kliwon Friday Night. He’s most known for Primitives, Satan’s Slave, The Warrior, Sundelbolong, Srigala, Santet, and Santet 2.

H. Tjut Djalil directed White Crocodile Queen. He’s most known for Mystics of Bali and Lady Terminator.

Pact with the Forces of Darkness: A greedy businessman murders his rival and his family. The dead rival's wife returns as a vengeful ghost that avenges their deaths.

White Crocodile Queen: A curse is put on a man who steals an amulet that subdues crocodiles.

Malam Satu Suro: A vengeful ghost is given a second chance to live a normal life. Her happiness is short-lived when men change her back to a vengeful ghost and kill her child.

Kliwon Friday Night: An author questions her sanity after moving into an old house inhabited by a vengeful ghost.

There is a lot of overlap between Pact with the Forces of Darkness, White Crocodile Queen, Malam Satu Suro, and Kliwon Friday Night. Commonalties they share are characters driven by greed, curses, and vengeful ghosts. Another commonality is that all of these stories begin with opening setups that capture the audience's attention. A man and his family are murdered in Pact with the Forces of Darkness, a woman dies in childbirth in the White Crocodile Queen, a man summons a vengeful spirit and gives her life in Malam Satu Suro, and a child bursts out of its mother's back in Kliwon Friday Night.

All of these films are a mix of supernatural horror and exploitation, and some have martial arts thrown into the mix. When it comes to carnage, these moments are gory and at times jaw-dropping. While their use of practical special effects mostly works, there are times when the effects call attention to themselves like people in crocodile rubber suits. All of the narratives, except for Malam Satu Suro, move briskly, while that film feels padded and at times momentum drags. Of course, the main draw of these films is Suzzanna, who always outshines the rest of the cast.

Ghost Ambulance: A pact with a malevolent demon returns to haunt a family when a son returns to his family's ancestral home, where the deal was struck.

Although Ghost Ambulance has all of the elements that one expects from an Indonesian supernatural horror film, a curse, revenge, and a vengeful ghost, its execution leaves a lot to be desired. The narrative does a good job balancing scares and exposition as it effectively builds to a climax that perfectly puts everything into focus. Ghost Ambulance’s use of sound and jump scares, while effective at first, loses some of their bite from overuse. The main draw of Ghost Ambulance is Suzzanna, Indonesia’s most iconic horror film actress, making her final film. Unfortunately, her screentime is limited.

Suzzanna: Empress of Darkness is an excellent release from Severin Films that gives each film their best presentations to date and insightful extras, notably Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Kriminal: 2-Disc Edition – Cult Epics (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain/Turkey, 1966
Director: Umberto Lenzi
Writer: Umberto Lenzi
Cast: Glenn Saxson, Helga Liné, Andrea Bosic, Ivano Staccioli, Esmeralda Ruspoli, Maria Luisa Rispoli, Mary Arden

Release Date: September 22nd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Kriminal is the king of thieves, the mastermind behind some of the greatest heists ever committed. Always one step ahead of the law, he works alone. He is cunning, and if you get in his way, he can be deadly." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "4K Transfer (from the original negative) & Restoration + HDR."

Kriminal comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 58.2 GB

Feature: 56.7 GB

This transfer looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy; colors are vibrant; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

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

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release 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, and ambient sounds are well represented. That said, both tracks are comparable. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track. It should be noted that when watching the English-language track, some dialogue is in Italian and removable English subtitles are provided for these moments.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a promotional image gallery (26 images—posters/lobby cards), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles), original Italian opening and closing credits (2 minutes 55 seconds, LPCM mono Italian, no subtitles), an isolated score (29 tracks—50 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM mono), an interview with filmmaker Pierpaolo De Sanctis titled The Sound of Krime (24 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Glenn Saxson titled Camera Nostalgia (37 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Dutch with non-removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Armed to the Teeth: The Cinema of Umberto Lenzi (88 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth.

Other extras on the Blu-ray disc include trailers for The Key, P.O. Box Tinto Brass, Don’t Play With Fire, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Other extras include reversible cover art with the original Italian poster art and a slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Umberto Lenzi directed Kriminal. He's most known for his contributions to the Poliziotteschi and Giallo genres. His notable films are Orgasmo, So Sweet So Perverse, A Quiet Place to Kill, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, Almost Human, Spasmo, The Tough Ones, Violent Naples, and Cannibal Ferox.

A mastermind thief known as Kriminal narrowly escapes execution. He always manages to stay one step ahead of the law with each new crime he commits. Will Kriminal be able to pull off his biggest score yet or will a double cross lead to his demise?

The origins of the Kriminal character can be traced back to the 1964 fumetti (comic book) created by Roberto Raviola and Luciano Secchi under the pseudonyms Magnus and Max Bunker. Kriminal is a mastermind thief who effortlessly seduces women and when in danger, he is not above killing anyone who gets in his way. Kriminal (1966) is the first of two films. It was followed two years later by Il marchio di Kriminal (1968).

Despite not being held in as high regard as Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Mario Bava, something that can be said about Umberto Lenzi’s films from the 1960s and 1970s is that there’s a consistent quality to them. Where most of Umberto Lenzi’s contemporaries found success in a specific genre, he was a filmmaker who worked and excelled in a multitude of genres. That said, because of his ability to work quickly and cheaply, he's labeled a workman-like filmmaker, while there is a strong case to be made that he's an auteur.

The narrative opens with a dramatic scene where the protagonist, Kriminal, is about to be executed and when the nooses around his neck break as the power goes out, he manages to escape. The opening setup does a phenomenal job laying out who Kirminal is and what he’s capable of. From there, a perfectly paced cat-and-mouse game between Criminal and the police, led by Inspector Milton, unfolds.

The narrative has several well-executed twists; the most notable one revolves around twin sisters being used as diamond couriers to help confuse any prospective thief about knowing which one had the diamonds. No one can be trusted, as greed is the main thing driving each character, and they are all willing to double-cross each other to gain the upper hand. It is also cool how Kriminal is able to adapt to his surroundings and escape anywhere even when he is trapped.

Glenn Saxson (Django Shoots First) is cast in the role of Kriminal. He has the look and the physical prowess as he convincingly pulls off portraying a mastermind thief. His performances shine brightest during more action-oriented scenes. Other performances of note are Helga Liné’s (Horror Rises from the Tomb) portrayal of twin sisters and Esmeralda Ruspoli's (L'Avventura) portrayal of Lady Gold, a nefarious character who tries to outsmart Kriminal. A cast member of note is Mary Arden (Blood and Black Lace), who appears briefly, but her character plays a significant role in the finale.

Kriminal is a stylish film that immediately grabs you with its comic book opening credits. Kriminal is a beautifully photographed film with eye-popping colors and its use of a 2.35:1 frame delivers some striking imagery. Its jazz-infused score was composed by Romano Mussolini, son of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini under the pseudonym Raymond Full.

Kriminal was one of the first film adaptations of a Fumetti neri; it was made two years before Danger: Diabolik, what is widely regarded as the best Fumetti neri film. While there would be a sequel, Il marchio di Kriminal, both of these films take on a much darker tone than Danger: Diabolik. Ultimately, Kriminal is a highly entertaining film that never strays too far away from its fumetti origins.

Kriminal gets an excellent release from Cult Epics that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. 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

Killers on Wheels – Vinegar Syndrome Archive (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1976
Director: Kuei Chih-Hung
Writer: Sze-To On
Cast: Ling Yun, Terry Liu, Danny Lee, San Chiang, Wen-Wei Lin, Sung-Ling Li

Release Date: June 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $49.98

"A weekend pleasure trip to an isolated island off Hong Kong turns into hell on wheels (and sand) when a wild, unruly motorcycle gang winds up on the same ferry as Carrie and her guests Mei-Chuan and Chien-Chung. Landing on the island, where Carrie's boyfriend Sze Wei welcomes them to his father's lush waterfront villa, the bikers then commence to party, carouse, and race their Yamahas on the beach. Once a few of them hassle Carrie, and Sze Wei confronts them with a harpoon gun, inevitable tensions start to boil. With any police a day or so away, vandalism and cruel pranks soon turn into violent retribution, and suddenly, far worse. Who'll remain alive when all the dust settles?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Killers on Wheels has been newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative. Due to poor storage conditions, the negative suffered severe moisture damage. Although extensive restoration efforts were undertaken to remove as much of this damage as possible, much remains.

Also, please note that the opening sequence was never included in the English language version, so if viewing the film with its English soundtrack, this sequence will be presented in Mandarin with English subtitles."

Killers on Wheels comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.3 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

The above text provides a clear indication of what to expect; there are moments where emulsion stains become prominent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clear and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track. The opening sequence is only in Mandarin and it comes with removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (stills/posters), a locations featurette (20 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a behind-the-scenes featurette (4 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a video essay by author and film historian Samm Deighan titled Killers on Wheels and the Biker Exploitation Film (13 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with martial arts film expert Frank Djeng, reversible cover art, a double-sided folded poster, a spot gloss slipcase edition (limited to 5,000 units), and a 40-page perfect-bound book with an essay titled Born to be Wild in the Hollywood of the East: Chih-Hung Kuei’s Killers on Wheels written by John Charles, an essay titled Pictures from the Revolution written by Walter Chaw, and an essay titled Copaganda: The Evolution of Danny Lee’s Law and Order Persona written by Erica Shultz.

Summary:

Chih-Hung Kuei directed Killers on Wheels. His other notable films include The Lady Professional, The Delinquent, The House of Bamboo Dolls, The Killer Snakes, Virgins of the Seven Seas, Killer Constable, Hex, Bewitched, Corpse Mania, and The Boxer’s Omen.

Two couples' trip to an isolated island off the coast of Hong Kong turns into a weekend of terror when they are targeted by a vicious motorcycle gang.

Beyond their martial arts and horror films, the Shaw Brothers made a variety of down-and-dirty exploitation films. Some of the Shaw Brothers' notable exploitation films are Kiss of Death, The Virgins, The Bamboo House of Dolls, Virgins of the Seven Seas, Mini-Skirt Gang, and Big Bad Sis. This brings us to Killers on Wheels, a delinquent biker gang film that firmly places itself among the Shaw Brothers' best exploitation films.

While the opening setup shows how dangerous and out of control the bikers are, there is little character backstory. Fortunately, although Killers on Wheels lacks in exposition, it compensates with a series of intense moments that escalate and lead to an explosive finale. That said, the narrative moves quickly and there are no issues building momentum.

Danny Lee (City on Fire), who portrays Sze Wei, is the most notable cast member. His character and three others are terrorized by a biker gang. Danny Lee is given the most to work with out of all of the cast and he makes the most of it. When it comes to the performances, they suit the story well, especially those portraying bikers.

Although martial arts takes a back seat to the sleaze and mayhem that unfolds, there is at least one moment where Danny Lee’s character gets to showcase his martial arts fighting skills. That said, there is an abundance of impressive stunt work, most of which involves the bikes doing dangerous things. The Last House on the Left and Straw Dogs are two films that Killers on Wheels could have drawn inspiration from. Ultimately, Killers on Wheels is a solid exploitation film that quickly grabs you and keeps you interested as it builds to a crazy finale that has to be seen to be believed.

Vinegar Syndrome Archive gives Killers on Wheels a first-rate release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer