The Dead Mother: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1993
Director: Juanma Bajo Ulloa
Writers: Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Eduardo Bajo Ulloa
Cast: Karra Elejalde, Ana Álvarez, Lio, Silvia Marsó, Elena Irureta, Ramón Barea

Release Date: October 2nd, 2023 (UK), October 10th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 111 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Ismael (Karra Elejalde, Timecrimes) breaks into the house of a fine art restorer and shoots the homeowner dead, leaving her daughter orphaned and traumatized for life. Years later Ismael is working in a bar where he sees the daughter again. Paranoid that she has recognised him and will report him, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage, demanding that her hospital pay a ransom for her release. As he spends more time with her, a strange bond develops that causes him to delay the ransom request or fulfil his threats of throwing her in front of a train. But he can’t delay forever…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Dead Mother was restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm negative. This work was carried out at Cherry Towers lab in Madrid, Spain. The color grading was carried out on Davinci resolve on a frame by frame basis. The restoration was carried out on Digital Vision Phoenix via automatic and manual processes to eliminate all negative defects. All these works were supervised by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, and keeping in mind the previous color process, made for the DVD in 2008 by the director and Javier Aguirresarobe.’

The Dead Mother comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.2 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, this track sounds excellent.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (39 images - lobby cards/stills), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), a Goya Award-winning short film by Juanma Bajo Ulloa titled Victor’s Kingdom (38 minutes 5 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an archival making of documentary titled The Story of The Dead Mother (38 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, a CD with Bingen Mendizábal’s score (exclusive to the limited edition) and a 36-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information for Victor’s Kingdom and The Dead Mother, soundtrack listing, an archival writing titled And Little Red Riding Hood Went Into Mourning written by Eduardo Bajo Ulloa, an archival writing titled Moralizing in Circles written by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, an archival writing titled So Far Away, So Close written by Nacho Vigalondo, an archival writing titled The Murderer Who Hated Words written by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, an essay titled The Cracks in Our Foundation: From Bonds to Bondage in The Dead Mother written by Xavier Aldana Reyes, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a cold-blooded career criminal and the young girl he left for dead years before, who is still very much alive, albeit disabled.

Though I often return to films that I have connected with over the years, the best thing about watching cinema is actually discovering a film, especially one that's outside of the films that I usually look for, and being blown away by said film. Case in point: The Dead Mother.

Before any characters are introduced, The Dead Mother opens with a brutal sequence where a career criminal named Ismael is caught by the owner of the home he’s trying to rob. His first reaction is to quickly shoot the owner of the home with his shotgun, despite her pleas that there is no money in the home. On his way out, he crosses paths with the owner's daughter, whom he shots point blank with his shotgun. This sequence perfectly lays out the kind of person Ismael is.

When the narrative flashes forward years later, it is clear that Ismael is as cold-hearted and bloodthirsty as he was during the opening sequence. His short-fused temper gets the best of him when his boss pushes his buttons, which leads to another violent outburst that leaves carnage in his wake. From that moment on, the only time he’s not overcome by rage is when he starts to show interest in Leire, the girl he left for dead.

It is when his past, the moment he killed a mother and her daughter (unknown to him, she is still alive), collides with the present that his demeanor starts to change. Initially driven by fear, his original intention was to silence Leire by staging an accidental death. When things go awry, he brings her to his home, and his interest grows, which puts a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend.

Though the entire cast is very good in their roles, Karra Elejalde in the role of Ismael, Lio in the role of Ismael’s girlfriend, and Ana Álvarez in the role of Leire, whose performances stand out, In particular, in the cast of Ana Álvarez’s Leire, a character who does not speak and has no emotion.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Dead Mother does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, the perfectly paced narrative has a few well-executed tense moments, and an exceptional finale provides closure to the events that preceded. Another strength are the neo-noir-infused visuals, which at times have a gothic vibe to them. Ultimately, The Dead Mother is a phenomenal thriller that quickly gets under your skin, and its finale lingers on in your mind.

The Dead Mother gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Zombie Holocaust – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Marino Girolami
Writers: Fabrizio De Angelis, Romano Scandariato
Cast: Ian McCulloch, Alexandra Delli Colli, Sherry Buchanan, Peter O'Neal, Donald O'Brien, Dakar, Walter Patriarca, Linda Fumis

Release Date: September 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 13 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Do you like Italian zombie movies? And do you like Italian cannibal movies? If you do, you're going to love Zombie Holocaust, which takes the best bits of both and mashes them up into a particularly nauseating cocktail as the great Ian McCulloch (Zombie Flesh Eaters) does battle with the living dead, the local 'anthropophagi' and an especially demented scientist as well." - 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, “Zombie Holocaust was scanned at 4K resolution on the Scanity film scanner at Eurolab Lab in Italy from the original 2-Perf overcut Negative.

It was then transferred to hard drive as 4K uncompressed dpx files and sent over to the UK where it was edited, restored and graded by Filmfinity.”

Zombie Holocaust comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.5 GB

Feature: 58.6 GB

Zombie Holocaust is a film that is never going to look immaculate. That said, this transfer looks great; it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home video. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic.

Zombie Holocaust comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.9 GB

Feature: 23.6 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4/5 (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. Though both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, When it comes to ambient sounds and the score, the Italian track sounds more robust than the English-language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critics David Flint and Adrian Smith.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a restoration reel (3 minutes 5 seconds, no sound), a Q&A with actor Ian McCulloch at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (50 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Marcello Avellone titled To Die and Rise in Rome (15 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composers Giacomo and Edda Dell’Orso titled Our Life, Our Music (42 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with editor Alberto Moriani and filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari titled Girolami Holocaust (19 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Eaten Alive!: The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film (85 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with non-removable English subtitles for Italian), and an audio commentary with David Flint and Adrian Smith.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to first pressing), A3 fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), and 40-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Zombi Holocaust: A Gory Collision of Cannibals and the Undead written by Rachael Nisbet, an essay titled Zombi Holocaust written by Martin Beine and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Marino Girolami, whose other notable films are Violent Rome, Rome: The Other Side of Violence, A Special Cop in Action, and Lover Boy.

The narrative revolves around a police officer who enlists the help of an anthropologist in a case involving missing body parts.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the zombie and cannibal genre cycles were two of the more popular in Italy at that time. Zombie Holocaust is a combination of the zombie and cannibal film genre cycles.

Zombie Holocaust is a wild ride. What starts off as a police procedural about missing body parts transforms into a jungle adventure with cannibals and zombies. Though it is logical that a detective would travel so far to solve a case, this actually does not work against Zombie Holocaust, a film that is filled with characters doing things you would not expect them to do.

The performances work great in the context of the story that unfolds, especially by Donald O'Brien (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals) in the role of Dr. Obrero, a mad scientist character who brings dead bodies back to life. Another performance of note is Alexandra Delli Colli (The New York Ripper) in the role of Lori Ridgeway, an anthropologist whose character provides an ample amount of eye candy.

Though it is clear that Zombie Holocaust is a film working within the confines of an anemic budget, director Marino Girolami does a superb job exploiting his resources for all their worth. The practical special effects are on par with other Italian horror films from this era. Also, if the score sounds familiar, that is because it uses music cues from Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals. Ultimately, Zombie Holocaust is a highly entertaining film that fans of Z-grade Italian horror cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Zombie Holocaust makes its way to 4K UHD via an exceptional release from 88 Films, 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

Four Bullets for Joe – MVD Classics (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Italy, 1964
Director: Agustín Navarro
Writers: Fernando Galiana, Mario Guerra, José Mallorquí, Julio Porter, Vittorio Vighi
Cast: Paul Piaget, Fernando Casanova, Liz Poitel, Barbara Nelli, Angela Cavo, Paco Morán, Tullio Altamura, Rafael Bardem, Tito García, José Marco, Fernando Montes, José Riesgo, Britt Ekland

Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"The mysterious death of a man who is about to leave a small town in Kansas with his girlfriend sets off a series of unfortunate events that will only end when her brother, the legendary and notorious gunslinger Frank Dalton (Paul Piaget, Hour of Death) exacts a ruthless and bloody revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Four Bullets for Joe comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 21.3 GB

No information is provided about this transfer source. That said, it is in good shape, and any source-related debris is minor. Colors generally look good, the image looks crisp, black levels are best described as adequate, and compression is very good. Also, there appears to be some digital filtering of the image (all grain has been removed), and there are moments where the contrast looks too bright.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, and dialog comes through clearly. The score often sounds noticeably louder than the rest of the soundtrack.

Extras:

Extras for this release are trailers for Hudson River Massacre, Convoy of Women, and Jailhouse Wardress.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a man named Frank Dalton who seeks revenge for his dead sister, who was wrongfully accused and convicted of killing her lover.

Four Bullets for Joe is a Spanish western made at the beginning of the spaghetti western cycle. And yet the result is actually a film that looks more like an American-made western than a spaghetti western. That said, spaghetti westerns have a distinct style, and Four Bullets of Joe is devoid of it.

The premise retreads familiar territory, and the narrative suffers from predictability. Another weakness of the narrative is that there is too much talking and not enough action. And when the finale comes around, it lacks the spectacle that one has come to expect from a spaghetti western.

Though most spaghetti westerns were co-productions that had actors from multiple countries, most of the cast is Spanish. And when it comes to the performances, they are best described as serviceable. There is no performance that stands out. Notable cast members are Barbara Nelli (Lady Morgan’s Vengeance) in the role of the sheriff's girlfriend and Fernando Casanova (Él) in the role of the sheriff.

Though the spaghetti western genre, like most film genres, is going to have its fair share of mediocre films, it also doesn't help that filmmakers like Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, and Sergio Sollima raised the bar so ridiculously high that the gap between the good and the mediocre spaghetti westerns is vast. Case in point: Four Bullets for Joe, a spaghetti western that falls firmly into the latter category.

Four Bullets for Joe gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from MVD Classics.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Wild Eye – Scorpion Releasing (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1967
Director: Paola Cavara
Writers: Paola Cavara, Fabio Carpi, Ugo Pirro, Tonino Guerra, Alberto Moravia
Cast: Philippe Leroy, Delia Boccardo, Gabriele Tinti, Giorgio Gargiullo, Luciana Angiolillo, Lars Bloch, Gianni Bongioanni, Tullio Marini

Release Date: November 9th, 2015
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Paolo (Philippe Leroy, The Night Porter) is a documentarian on a mission to see the world and present human nature in its truest, rawest form, even if it means depriving his crew of water in the desert or infiltrating deadly, war-torn regions of Vietnam to find new violent extremes for his next production." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Brand new 2K scan".

The Wild Eye comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB

Though the bulk of the transfer is in excellent shape, there are some minor instances of print debris. That said, flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is solid, black levels and compression are very good, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 3.5/5 (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. The Italian-language track is the stronger of the two audio tracks; its sound is clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should be. Unfortunately, the English subtitles included with this release do not translate the Italian language track; they are a direct translation of the English language track. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced on the English language track. Unfortunately, there are about a dozen instances of pops, crackling, or other audio imperfections.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an interview with actor Lars Bloch (13 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Paola Cavara, who first rose to prominence directing mondo films like Mondo Cane and Women of the World. Other notable films he directed are Black Belly of the Tarantula and Plot of Fear.

The narrative revolves around Paola (this is also the director of this film’s first name), a documentary filmmaker obsessed with filming the most depraved moments captured on film.

Though The Wild Eye mirrors the elements that are synonymous with the mondo film genre, it is the first film where Paola Cavara works with a feature film narrative structure. The Wild Eye is a transitional film for Paola Cavara that feels like his goodbye to a film genre; he was one of the key individuals.

The Wild Eye quickly dives into the process of putting together a mondo film with a bleak opening sequence in the desert. When their jeep breaks down and it is discovered that they are also out of water, they have no choice but to walk and hope someone comes along to save them. In this opening sequence, it becomes clear what kind of man Paola is and that nothing matters to him more than capturing moments of depravity on film.

When it comes to the performances, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Philippe Leroy in the role of Paolo. He delivers a phenomenal performance that perfectly captures his character's lack of regard for and cruelty towards others. Another notable performance is by Gabriele Tinti (Death Occurred Last Night) in the role of Paolo's cameraman.

From a production standpoint, The Wild Eye achieves its goals. The premise is superbly executed, and the narrative does a good job building towards a brutal finale in which Paolo’s actions end in a tragedy that finally affects him emotionally. Another strength is the beautifully photographed scenic locations. While Paola is always running towards danger and carnage, the mondo moments in The Wild Eye are nowhere near the gut punch that some mondo films are known for. Ultimately, The Wild Eye is a biting critic of the mondo film genre.

The Wild Eye gets a first-rate release from Scorpion Releasing that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative interview; recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Inglorious Bastards - Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1978
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Writers: Sandro Continenza, Sergio Grieco, Romano Migliorini, Laura Toscano, Franco Marotta, Alberto Piferi
Cast: Bo Svenson, Peter Hooten, Fred Williamson, Michael Pergolani, Jackie Basehart, Michel Constantin, Debra Berger, Raimund Harmstorf, Ian Bannen, Flavio Andreini, Donald O'Brien, Massimo Vanni

Release Date: July 28th, 2009
Approximate running time: 99 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"Exploitation legends Bo (Walking Tall, Kill Bill) Svenson and Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson star as the leaders of a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Allied prison convoy with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves ‘volunteering’ for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now fully restored in High Definition Blu-ray".

The Inglorious Bastards comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 18.2 GB

Though the source used for this transfer is in great shape, fourteen years after this disc release, it shows its age. That said, flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, any compression issues are minor, and there does not appear to be any egregious digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.25/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English), 3/5 (Dolby Digital 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. Though both tracks sound clean and the dialog comes through clearly, Range-wise, both tracks are limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Italian language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), a English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Enzo’s 70th Birthday in Los Angeles (7 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Inglorious Reunion At The New Beverly (11 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a conversation with Enzo G. Castellari and Quentin Tarantino (38 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a locations featurette with Enzo G. Castellari titled Back to the War Room: Train Kept-A-Rollin (13 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Enzo G. Castellari and moderated by David Gregory.

Other extras include a theatrical trailer for Eagles Over London (4 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari, an Italian filmmaker who worked in just about every genre that was popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Notable films that he directed are Cold Eyes of Fear, High Crime, Street Law, and The Big Racket.

The narrative revolves around a group of American soldiers’ wanted for committing criminal acts who escape custody when the Germans attack the convoy, escorting them. Somehow, a handful of them survived the Germans' attack. Not wanting to go back to prison and face a possible court martial for their crimes. They decide to try to make their way to the nearest neutral country, Switzerland. Along the way, they accidentally kill some Allied soldiers’ posing as Nazis. This forces them to pose as the dead soldiers’ and complete their mission.

The Italians have long been known for their unique take on film genres that were originally successful before they put their own slant on them. Enzo G. Castellari’s The Inglorious Bastards is unlike most Italian clones’ films. Sure, there are many similarities to American war films like The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, and Were Eagles Dare. Despite these similarities, The Inglorious Bastards still manages to create something that is unlike most World War II films that have come before or since it. 

The American soldiers who have committed murder and/or deserted the military during a time of war—these are not your ordinary soldiers. They have no honor, and they only care about saving their own necks. They do start to band together as the film progresses, which shows that maybe they are not as bad as we once thought they were.

Enzo G. Castellari’s direction is rock solid; he’s a filmmaker who knows how to craft some of the most explosive action films’ ever committed to celluloid. The Inglorious Bastards has just so much going on, and things move along so quickly that you will be hard-pressed to find a dull moment. The Inglorious Bastards accomplishes so much on so little, and this is mostly due to Enzo G. Castellari’s expert direction. 

The Inglorious Bastards is loaded with shootouts and explosions. Enzo G. Castellari really shines as a director in the finale. One of the most memorable moments involves a group of female Nazi soldiers’ bathing in a waterfall. When they discover that the men they are cozening up with are American's, they grab their guns with their clothes still off and fire away.

The Inglorious Bastards features an excellent cast, especially Bo Svenson (Breaking Point) and Fred Williamson (Hell Up in Harlem), doing what he does best, playing Fred Williamson. All around, the cast is very good in their respective roles. Also, The Inglorious Bastards features a remarkable score from composer Francesco De Masi (The New York Ripper). Ultimately, The Inglorious Bastards is a kick-ass action extravaganza that pulls no punches and takes no prisoners.

The Inglorious Bastards gets a strong release from Severin Films that comes with a serviceable audio/video presentation and informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Scream and Scream Again: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1970
Director: Gordon Hessler
Writer: Christopher Wicking
Cast: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Alfred Marks, Michael Gothard, Christopher Matthews, Judy Huxtable, Anthony Newlands, Kenneth Benda, Marshall Jones, Uta Levka, Yutte Stensgaard, Julian Holloway, Judy Bloom

Release Date: September 18th, 2023
Approximate running times: 94 Minutes 31 Seconds (American Version), 94 Minutes 51 Seconds (British Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"A serial killer runs amok over London, draining his victims of their blood. A mad doctor performs experimental surgery on his victims, taking them apart limb by limb. A shady organization from Eastern Europe is involved in some way while intelligence officer Fremont investigates." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Scream and Scream Again was provided to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file. Additional restoration to remove instances of dirt and speckles was carried out at R3store Studios, London.

The British cut was provided by Kino Lorber"

Scream and Scream Again comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB

Though this transfer comes from an existing HD master, the result is easily the best this film has ever looked on Blu-ray. And nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to Fidelity in Motion's excellent encode. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels look strong throughout, and the image looks organic, free of any digital tinkering. Also, when compared to other Blu-ray releases, this transfer has had additional clean-up done to the source. This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Audio: 4.2/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Both Versions)

Each version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio files have been cleaned up and are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Both versions come with a removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (73 images - stills/lobby cards/posters/press book/advertisements), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Mick Garris Trailers from Hell (2 minutes 37 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), three deleted scenes from UK version: Sylvia And Keith Are Watched (48 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Bellaver Throws Rocks (30 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and Extended Discussion And End (1 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a reconstruction of the cut-down Super 8 Version distributed as The Living Corpses of Dr. Mabuse (16 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Christopher Matthews (6 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Julian Holloway (7 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Peter Elliott, and propman Arthur Wicks  (3 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Clifford Earl (17 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Uta Levkai titled Uta Screams Again (8 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), author Ramsey Campbell on Christopher Wicking and ‘Peter Saxon’ (11 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival documentary on the filmmaker's work for the studio featuring Hessler himself and critics Jeff Burr, David Del Valle, Steve Haberman and C. Courtney Joyner titled Gentleman Gothic: Gordon Hessler at American International Pictures (23 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, author of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television and Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic: Classic Horror Cinema 1897-2015, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, 3 character postcards of classic images from the film and a 44-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Scream and Scream Again: An Exquisite Corpse of Incongruous Surrey-Ealism written by Anne Billson, A Termite in a Crazy Circus: Christopher Wicking written by Julian Petley, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Directed by Gordon Hessler, whose other notable films are The Oblong Box, Cry of the Banshee, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. The screenplay was adapted from Pete Saxon’s novel The Disoriented Man. The original director was Michael Reeves (Witchfinder General), who was replaced before filming began. He would die while Scream and Scream Again were being made.

The narrative revolves around a serial killer who drains his victims blood like a vampire. What is the killer's connection to a mad doctor and a foreign agent from an eastern European totalitarian country?

The big draw of Scream and Scream Again is that it features three horror cinema icons: Vincent Price (The Fly), Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man), and Peter Cushing (The Curse of Frankenstein). And yet their screentime is actually very limited; Peter Cushing only appears in one scene, and Vincent Price and Christopher Lee only appear in one scene together.

The most surprising aspect of Scream and Scream Again is its elaborate narrative, which is essentially three narratives that intersect by the time the finale arrives. The first narrative revolves around the serial killer; the second narrative revolves around a mad doctor who performs experimental surgeries in his quest to make perfect bodies; and intelligence officers from two countries are at odds with each other.

When it comes to the performances of most of the cast, they all pale in comparison to Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Vincent Price’s performances. Despite their limited screen time, all three actors make the most of what are essentially cameos. Another performance of note is Marshall Jones in the role of Konratz, a foreign agent with a deadly death grip.

Scream and Scream Again is a melting pot of genres, notably horror and sci-fi. The far-fetched premise is well executed, and the narrative does a good job keeping things interesting. Though there are horror elements like a vampire killer who drains blood and severed body parts, Scream and Scream Again is not that bloody of a film. Ultimately, Scream and Scream Again is a satisfying blend of horror and sci-fi that often exceeds the sum of its parts.

Scream and Scream Again is an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer