So Sweet, So Dead - Code Red (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1972
Director: Roberto Bianchi Montero
Writer: Luigi Angelo
Cast: Farley Granger, Sylva Koscina, Silvano Tranquilli, Annabella Incontrera, Chris Avram, Femi Benussi, Krista Nell, Angela Covello, Fabrizio Moresco, Andrea Scotti, Irene Pollmer, Luciano Rossi, Ivano Staccioli, Nino Foti, Jessica Dublin, Paul Oxon, Philippe Hersent, Nieves Navarro

Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Approximate running time: 100 Minutes 41 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"A naked woman is found murdered and mutilated in a prosperous small province town in Southern Italy. But who killed her... and why? Inspector Capuana (Farley Granger; Strangers on a Train, Rope, Arnold) investigates what turns out to be a string of savage murders in which unfaithful women are targeted as they play around behind their husbands' backs. Now the killer, who wears a black fedora, gloves, and trench coat as he stalks and photographs his victims, is becoming more relentless in a depraved quest to purge the world of what he believes to be immoral souls." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Restored in 2017, with extensive exclusive color correction completed in the U.S."

So Sweet, So Dead comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

So Sweet, So Dead already had a solid-looking release from Camera Obscura, who released it on DVD in 2009. Code Red has released it twice on Blu-ray, in 2017 and 2020. The source used for Code Red’s transfer is in excellent shape, outside of a few very minor moments of print debris. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. This release continues Code Red’s trend of not including Italian-language tracks in Italian films that they have released. That said, there are no issues with distortion or background noise; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. It should be noted that there are newspaper headlines in Italian, and English subtitles have been included for the newspaper headlines.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for So Sweet, So Dead (59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Other extras are theatrical trailers for 2019: After the Fall of New York, Hands of Steel, Cry of a Prostitute, The Big Alligator, and The Death Dealer (Almost Human).

Summary:

Directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero, a prolific filmmaker whose career spanned five decades. His son, Mario Bianchi (Satan’s Baby Doll), was also a filmmaker who directed over 100 films. So Sweet, So Dead has been released under these alternate titles: Revelations of a Sex Maniac to the Head of the Criminal Investigation Division, The Slasher...is the Sex Maniac!, and an X-rated version was released under the title Penetration.

The narrative revolves around a maniac who targets unfaithful wives and leaves incriminating photos of their affairs next to their corpses.

The giallo genre is one of the more resilient genres to emerge from the Italian film industry. The genre first rose to prominence when Mario Bava directed Blood and Black Lace, the Giallo film that set the template for the films that followed. The giallo genre would reach the apex of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. With films like Dario Argento's debut film, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, spawning countless imitators By the time Roberto Bianchi Montero directed So Sweet, So Dead, the genre was in decline. Even though Roberto Bianchi Montero worked in just about every film genre, So Sweet, So Dead would mark his only foray into the giallo genre.

So Sweet, So Dead's sleazy tone is quickly established in its opening scene, in which a woman's bloody, naked corpse is on display while the police walk around her looking for clues. In fact, when the women are murdered, the camera often lingers on their semi-naked corpses. Unfortunately, the killings are not as brutal as one would expect from a film as sleazy as So Sweet, So Dead. In fact, the killings come off as clumsy as the killer haphazardly tries to finish off his victims. Of course there is a black-gloved killer and Red Herrings (some more obvious than others). The one area where So Sweet, So Dead slightly diverges from most Gialli from this era is that the main character investigating the killings is a policeman and not an amateur sleuth.

So Sweet, So Dead has many recognizable names, like Nieves Navarro (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion), Femi Benussi (The Killer Must Kill Again), Annabella Incontrera (The Case of the Bloody Iris), Sylva Koscina (Hercules), and Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight), who once again turns in yet another delirious performance in the role of Gastone, a morgue attendant. The standout performance is Farley Granger (Strangers on a Train) in the role of Inspector Capuana. He delivers a very good performance that enhances the story at hand.

Does So Sweet, So Dead bring anything new to the giallo genre that has not been done before? And yet, despite its familiarity, So Sweet, So Dead works as well as it does because of the way it exploits genre cliches.

So Sweet, So Dead gets a solid audio/video presentation from Code Red.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Giant Gila Monster/The Killer Shrews – Film Masters (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: USA, 1959 (The Giant Gila Monster, The Killer Shrews)
Director: Ray Kellogg (Both Films)
Cast: Don Sullivan, Fred Graham, Lisa Simone, Shug Fisher, Bob Thompson, Janice Stone, Ken Knox (The Giant Gila Monster), James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, Gordon McLendon, Baruch Lumet, Judge Henry Dupree, Alfredo de Soto (The Killer Shrews)

Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 74 Minutes 38 Seconds (The Giant Gila Monster), 68 Minutes 43 Seconds (The Killer Shrews)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films), 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films), Dolby Digtal Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"The classic era of drive-in schlock was near its end in 1959, but there was still time for The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews, a pair of no-budget howlers from producer Gordon McLendon. In The Giant Gila Monster, a lizard takes on a small town. If that's not enough for you, there are plenty of cool cars and some ersatz rock 'n' roll sung by the movie's star, Don Sullivan (The Monster of Piedras Blancas). The Killer Shrews stars James Best (The Dukes of Hazard) as a riverboat pilot stuck on an island where the shrews are the size of German Shepherds. The cast includes Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke) and Ingrid Goude (Miss Universe, 1957). These two features were originally released on a double-bill. Trust us - they belong together!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Giant Gila Monster), 3.75/5 (The Killer Shrews)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 4k transfer of The Giant Gila Monster from 35mm original film elements."

The Giant Gila Monster comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 17.2 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio), 17.2 GB (1.33:1 Aspect Ratio)

The source used for this transfer looks great; there are no signs of source-related damage. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong; compression is very good; and there does not appear to be any egregious grain management. Also, for this release, you can watch this film in its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 or in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Restored HD print".

The Killer Shrews comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44 GB

Feature: 19.5 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio), 19.5 GB (1.33:1 Aspect Ratio)

Though not as strong of a presentation as The Giant Gila Monster’s transfer, the result is a transfer that looks very good. Outside of a few moments, image clarity looks strong, contrast, black levels, and compression look very good, and there does appear to be some grain management, but fortunately nothing that is an eyesore. Also, for this release, you can watch this film in its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 or in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio: 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - The Giant Gila Monster, DTS-HD Mono English - The Killer Shrews)

The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews each come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. For this review, I only listened to the DTS-HD mono tracks. Both films come with removable English SDH. Considering the low budgets of these two films, it is not surprising that range-wise, they are very limited. That said, they always sound clean, clear, and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for The Killer Shrews include 17 radio spots for The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews (12 minutes 43 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Ray Kellogg - An Unsung Master (16 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English SDH), and an audio commentary with professor and film scholar, Jason A. Ney with optional English SDH.

Extras for The Giant Gila Monster include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 40 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview with actor Don Sullivan (92 minutes 53 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Larry Strothe, James Gonis, Shawn Sheridan, and Matt Weinhold from The Monster Party Podcast with optional English SDH.

Other extras include a 24-page booklet with an essay titled Pirate Radio, Presidential Assassinations, and Gila Monsters: All in a Life’s Work for Gordon McLendon written by Don Stradley and an essay titled The Unkillable Killer Shrews written by Jason A. Ney.

Summary:

The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews were both directed by Ray Kellogg, who, before these two films, had never directed a film. He is most known for his work on visual effects, working on films like The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Robe, The Egyptian, and The Seven Year Itch.

Though shot back to back and released as a double bill, when it comes to the cast for each film, there are surprisingly not that many people who appear in both of these films. Behind the scenes, there were several people who worked on both of these films, like screenwriter Jay Simms (Panic in the Year Zero!), cinematographer Wilfrid M. Cline (The Tingler), and editor Aaron Stell (Touch of Evil). Unlike most low-budget films from this era, these two films had several people behind the scenes who worked on notable Hollywood films.

The Giant Gila Monster: The narrative revolves around a giant lizard that attacks a rural Texas town. 

The Killer Shrews: The narrative revolves around killer shrews who attack scientists trapped on an isolated island during a hurricane.

Both films have a basic narrative in which monsters terrorize and kill those who cross their path. No time is devoted to backstory, with the narrative mostly being a means to showcase the monsters. Content-wise, both films have all of the ingredients that one has come to expect from 1950s creature features.

From a production standpoint, despite both films working with very limited resources, the results are two very efficient films that maximize the resources they do have. And though both films have absurd premises that make it impossible to take these two films seriously, the way the stories are approached and the cast's enthusiasm ensure that there is rarely a dull moment.

What is a bad movie? Far too often, films are marginalized because they were made on a shoestring budget or by novices who lacked knowledge of cinematic language. And though there are some solid examples of truly bad films, like the films directed by Ed Wood, the same cannot be said about The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews; they are films that exceed the sum of their parts. Ultimately, if you're a fan of 1950s creature features, then you should thoroughly enjoy The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews.

Over the years, The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews have been released in less-than-desirable public domain releases that came from inferior sources. Fortunately, this release from Film Masters corrects that problem and gives The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews their definitive home video presentations, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Postman Strikes Back – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1982
Director: Ronny Yu
Writers: Ronny Yu, Chan Kiu-ying, Koo Siu-wah, Yau-tai On-ping
Cast: Bryan Leung, Chow Yun-fat, Fan Mei-sheng, Yuen Yat-cho, Eddy Ko, Cherie Chung, Kuk Ching-suk

Release Date: August 28th, 2023 (UK), September 12th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running times: 90 Minutes 28 Seconds (Hong Kong Cut), 88 Minutes 38 Seconds (Export Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD Mono English with alternate score, DTS-HD 5.1 English (Export Cut)
Subtitles: English (Hong Kong Cut), English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.49 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"When courier Ma (Kar-Yan Leung) alongside three other mismatched allies, is sent on a mission to deliver a secret cargo to a rebel leader, he soon finds himself on a patriotic quest to save the country and himself." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Export Cut, Hong Kong Cut)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand New 2K Restoration".

The Postman Strikes Back comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 20 GB (Export Cut), 20.5 GB (Hong Kong Cut)

The transfers for the two versions included with this release are comparable; both transfers are in great shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

The Hong Kong cut comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles and a second subtitle track with removable English SDH. This audio track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds more robust than the English-language tracks.

The export cut comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English (alternate score) and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Included are removable English SDH. Both of these audio tracks are in great shape. They both sound clean, clear, and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (stills/posters), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), That Phat Samurai Guy interviews director Ronny Yu and Frank Djeng (12 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Ronny Yu (8 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview #1 with actor Leung Kar-Yan (7 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview #2 with Leung Kar-Yan (9 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles),  an archival interview with actor Chow Yun-Fat (7 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and Ronny Yu for the Hong Kong cut, a supplementary audio commentary with Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong cut, an audio commentary with Stephan Hammond for the export cut, reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster (limited to first pressing), and a double walled matt finish O-ring (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Directed by Ronny Yu, whose other notable films are Legacy of Rage, The Bride with White Hair, The Phantom Lover, and Fearless. Ronny Yu's filmography is diverse; he has directed action, romance, and horror films. Also, like many of his contemporaries, he would go to Hollywood in the late 1990s to make a few films. Notably, Bride of Chucky and Freddy vs. Jason

The narrative revolves around a courier and three other men who are given the task of delivering four cases of cargo to a rebel leader.

The Postman Strikes Back, like a lot of Chinese cinema, draws from China’s history. The narrative is set after the 1911 revolution in the early days of the Republic of China. This setting has a vibe that is similar to America’s old west. Characters travel throughout undeveloped landscapes and find themselves in situations in which it's kill or be killed.

The Postman Strikes Back has a strong cast who are very good in their roles, especially Bryan Leung (Warriors Two) in the role of Ma, a mail courier who reluctantly takes a job to transport cargo to a rebel leader. Other notable cast members are Cherie Chung (Wild Search), a woman trying to get to Shanghai so she can buy back her sister from the man who bought her, and Chow Yun-fat (The Killer), in the role of a gambler named Fu Jun. Though Chow Yun-fat’s character plays a significant role in the story at hand, this is an early role in which he is not the main attraction.

Though the premise covers familiar ground, the result is a film that often exceeds expectations. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the characters. Another strength is that the inventive action set pieces feature a duo who fight as one, masked assassins on ice skates with spears, rats with dynamite tied to their tales, and a ninja. Also, when it comes to pacing, there are no issues, and the narrative has an ample amount of surprises. Ultimately, The Postman Strikes Back is a solid film that fans of Hong Kong cinema’s more adventurous side are sure to enjoy.

The Postman Strikes Back gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Killer Condom – Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Germany/Switzerland, 1996
Director: Martin Walz
Writers: Ralf König, Martin Walz, Mario Kramp
Cast: Udo Samel, Peter Lohmeyer, Iris Berben, Leonard Lansink, Marc Richter

Release Date: August 29th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 118 Minutes 41 Seconds (Director's Cut), 107 Minutes 54 Seconds (Theatrical Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 (Director's Cut), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5. 1 German (Theatrical Cut), DTS-HD Stereo German (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $52.98

"In one of the seediest parts of Midtown, Manhattan, strange things are going down at the aptly-named Hotel Quickie. The male patrons, who use the establishment as a playground for their every sexual whim, are mysteriously getting their genitals bitten off, with bizarre claims abounding about a carnivorous condom on the loose. Assigned to the peculiar case, Sicilian-born cop Luigi Mackeroni is initially skeptical - but the matter soon becomes intensely personal when, during an encounter at the hotel with a young rent boy, he himself is attacked by one of the man-eating prophylactics, losing a testicle in the process. It quickly transpires that the Big Apple is being besieged by an entire army of ravenous rubbers, and Mackeroni must work to crack the case before the emasculation epidemic escalates!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.75/5 (Blu-ray Theatrical Version, Blu-ray Pre-Release Version)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative by the mad celluloid scientists at Vinegar Syndrome."

Killer Condom, the director's cut, comes on a 66 GB dual-layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61 GB

Feature: 60.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Killer Condom, the director's cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 32.4 GB

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

Killer Condom, the theatrical cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

Just like the director’s cut, this version of Killer Condom also looks excellent.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5. 1 German - Theatrical Cut, DTS-HD Stereo German - Theatrical Cut, DTS-HD Stereo German - Director's Cut)

The director's cut comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in German with removable English subtitles. The theatrical cut comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in German and a DTS-HD stereo mix in German. The theatrical cut comes with removable English subtitles. All audio tracks are in excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds robust. Range-wise, the DTS-HD 5.1 track does a great job expanding the original stereo source.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with director Martin Walz and special effects supervisor Jörg Buttgereit.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the director's cut include an interview with editor Simone Klier titled Rubber and Rushes (21 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with special effects supervisor Jörg Buttgereit titled Severed Parts (25 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with Martin Walz titled This Is What We Built! (19 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with Martin Walz titled A Rough Ride (35 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), and an audio commentary with Martin Walz and Jörg Buttgereit.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the theatrical cut include original video trailer (1 minute 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), original theatrical trailer (4 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), archival featurette titled Would You Use This Condom? (1 minute 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), archival interviews (8 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), an archival making of featurette (9 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), a short film titled Ich hätt's ihm früher sagen sollen… directed by Martin Walz (7 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), an interview with prop collector Roman Güttinger titled Really Special Items (14 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with actor Peter Lohmeyer titled It's Just a Movie (22 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with actor Adriana Altaras titled What Is This? (14 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), an interview with Martin Walz and actor Udo Samel titled Holy Mackeroni! (18 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH), and an archival audio commentary with Martin Walz and Jörg Buttgereit.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a spot gloss hard slipcase and slipcover combo limited to 7,000 units.

Summary:

Killer Condom was adapted from Kondom des Grauens (Horror Condom) and Bis auf die Knochen (Down to the Bones), two comics created by Ralf König.

The narrative revolves around a gay detective investigating a series of bizarre incidents involving a condom with razor-sharp teeth that is biting off John's penises.

From its opening moments, it is clear that you're in for a wild ride. The outlandish premise is superbly executed, and a briskly paced narrative overflowing with politically incorrect humor ensures that there is never a dull moment. And if things were not already weird, placing a film in New York where all but one character speaks German somehow works.

Everything about Killer Condom is hyper exaggerated; the neo-noir visuals are bursting with style; and caricature characters are always played for laughs. The humor is best described as dark. Another reason why the humor works so well are the performances, which are all great, especially Udo Samel in the role of Luigi Mackeroni, a chain-smoking detective who looks like he has walked out of a Philip Marlowe noir novel.

When discussing Killer Condom, one cannot overlook the construction of Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik), who worked on the special effects. Anyone who is familiar with Jörg Buttgereit’s films will be pleased to know that he brings that same level of creativity and intensity to the special effects in Killer Condom. Another key contributor was H.R. Giger (Alien), who worked as a creative consultant. Needless to say, the combination of their twisted imaginations greatly enhances Killer Condom.

Though Killer Condom is associated with Troma Entertainment, it was a film that they actually picked up after it was completed. And the result is a film that is too polished to be a Troma film. Ultimately, Killer Condom is a highly entertaining film that pushes the boundaries of good taste, and it is not a film for those who are easily offended.

Killer Condom gets a definitive release from Vinegar Syndrome, 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 VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer