It is June, we are halfway through the year. Admittedly we have hit the boring stretch of it all, and the holidays are month’s away. What’s a nerd to do? Well, fortunately we have awesome movies to keep us companies, and this month we have the Severin’s Sweatin’ to the Mid Year Sale loading fans up with some killer titles (and I mean KILLER to keep up going through these sweltering months). Of course, being Severin we are loaded with my main man, and theirs Jess Franco, but we also get some excellent Spanish and French Exploitation. Some horror from South Africa, and a recent campy delight from director Peaches Christ (I love typing that name), plus a brilliant giallo title. Follow along, and we will get to the reviewing of these shocking delights.
Blood Hunt
Director- Javier Elorrita
Cast- Patxi Andion, Beatriz Elorrita
Country of Origin: Spain
Writer: Scott MacDonald
I’ve read the Most Dangerous Game, I’ve watched the 1932 Ernest Schoedsack version. I’ve seen Jess Franco Most Dangerous Game with Alice Arno running naked. I’ve Most Dangerous Gamed ALOT. I have not seen this 1986 film Blood Hunt before it was dropped at my door, but it definitely in the school of not quite full adaptation of the story, but yeah it’s in there. Basically, mixing elements of Dangerous Game with Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs.
The movie involves a school teacher who comes to a small spanish village and finds himself involved in a conspiracy to brutally kill the drug dealers and addicts that live and come through the town brutally. Amidst this he falls in love with his neighbor, but love doesn’t come easy, because a man in the village Gonzalo feels that she is marked for him, and reacts in violence.
Blood Hunt is oddly a slow burn for it’s early run time, as we become accustomed to the town and what is going on there, but then as we reach the latter portion of the film it truly let’s go and we are treated to a shocking amount of epic violence. The film is truly a brutal affair, and needs to be seen. The film is presented in a 1:66:1 1080p transfer from Severin, with Spanish mono and comes out looking quite solid and sounding great. Extras include an interview with the director that gives insight into the film’s background.
All About Evil
Director- Joshua Grannell (Peaches Christ)
Cast- Natasha Lyonne, Jack Donner
Country of Origin: U.S.
Writer: Scott MacDonald
I am just doing to say it, but All About Evil was a DELIGHT. Ths film directed by Joshua Grannell, and starring Natasha Lyonne is a minor camp horror modern classic, that blends the worlds of John Waters and H.G. Lewis in a modern shell, and creates something that is truly wonderful.
The film stars Lyonne as Deborah Tennis who inherits her late Father’s movie theater, which is known for showing only horror films. Unfortunately, her Mother also inherited part of the theater, and wants to sell it for a quick buck. The pair get into an argument and daughter kills mother while the security cameras project the episode into the theater. The audience watches on, and assumes it is a horror short, and LOVES IT. This inspires Deborah to create more horror, with real victims, week after week she creates more short films with real death, and her popularity increases all the while a murder investigation is happening.
This film is campy, funny with a decent bit of splatter, and like I said earlier an absolute delight. Severin presents this one in a 1:78:1 1080p transfer with a 5.1 English sound job. Everything here looks and sounds fantastic extras include a commentary, making of, roundtable, world premiere footage, an additional short and SO MUCH MORE.
Macumba Sexual/Mansion of the Living Dead
Director- Jess Franco
Cast- Lina Romay (Candy Coster), Ajita Wilson, Antonio Mayans
Country of Origin: Spain
Writer: Scott MacDonald
Alright, we have now reached the Jess Franco portion of the proceedings (my favorite part frankly). Macumba Sexual and Mansion of the Living Dead were 2 of the films that actually put Severin Films on my radar around 2009-ish, and probably some of the earliest Jess Franco films I reviewed when ECAV first started. I know it’s a common theme when discussing Franco, but the director’s love of jazz frequently is brought into play, and a lot of jazz (also a lot of film composition) is built around the concept of repetitive themes. Franco was a director that seemed to get hooked on certain themes and continue working with them throughout his career (I will mention this again in passing when I get to Faceless). Though not a direct remake, Macumba Sexual is a film whose themes directly harken back to earlier Franco film like Nightmares Come at Night, Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff, and Voodoo Passion, and would later show up again in Snakewoman.
The film stars Lina Romay as Alice Brooks who is vacationing with her boyfriend in the Canary Islands, planning some sex, and beach time, but instead finds herself in the thrall of Princess Obongo, an erotically charged black woman who Alice seems to be dreaming about when she sleeps and thinking about non stop when she’s awake. Princess Obongo wanders the beach with 2 human “pets” on leashes, and Alice begins to wander looking for her in reality.
Macumba Sexual is a delirious film where dream and reality merge to create something truly bizarre feeling. The first time I saw this one around 2009, I didn’t like it. This time I guess I knew what to expect from it, and it really hit me hard. This is a delirious and dreamy film from Franco’s Golden period, and a fantastic experience.
Also, in this Golden Period 2-Fer, is Mansion of the Living Dead. This film is frequently touted as Jess Franco’s tribute to Amando De Ossorio’s Blind Dead films, and well, it sort of is, but not really. In fact if you’re going into this to see Jess Franco doing a Blind Dead film, just stop right now, forget that’s a thing, and try to watch this on its own merits. Because Franco tends to take an idea, or an image, and make it his own, and that’s what we have here. In this film we have Lina Romay (again in her 80’s Candy Coster persona) going to a beachside hotel with 4 friends, who immediately start in on the lesbian shenanigans as soon as they are in their respective rooms. Unfortunately, their weekend getaway will be interrupted by zombie monks.
The film has a cool atmosphere at times, and some wonderful cinematography, and even does manage to illicit some chills. However, I wouldn’t watch it as a 5th Blind Dead film, but as Franco again riffing on a concept he admired. Both films are presented 2:35:1 with 1080p transfers and include Spanish mono tracks, everything looks and sounds quite nice without obvious issues. Extras include interviews with Stephen Thrower on both discs, and interview with Jess Franco on both as well with Lina Romay joining him on the Mansion… disc.
Faceless/The Female Executioner
Director- Jess Franco/Michael Caputo
Cast- Brigitte Lahaie, Helmut Berger (Faceless), Michael Modo (The Female Executioner)
Country of Origin: France/Spain
Writer: Scott MacDonald
OK, so I’m pairing these 2 films together, because of the Brigitte (Fascination) Lahaie connection. The first is the third Jess Franco film of the sale, the HD/UHD physical media debut of Jess Franco’s Faceless, and the US debut overall in the physical media realm of Michael Caputo’s erotic cop film The Female Executioner. As I touched upon in the earlier Franco block, Franco is a director that LOVED to riff on themes, and Faceless might be the culmination of Franco’s obsession with Georges Franju’s Eyes without a Face which the director began experimenting conceptually with when he made films like The Diabolical Dr. Z and the Awful Dr. Orloff in the 60’s and possibly perfected with this one (though those 2 films ARE FANTASTIC).
Faceless opens with a Dr. Frank Flamand being attached by a former patient with acid. However, the acid meant for him ends up getting his sister Ingrid in the face and destroying her looks. Later on Frank has his assistant, Nathalie (Brigitte Lahaie) kidnap a model named Barbara (Caroline Munro) with the idea that they can find out who to transplant Barbara’s face onto Ingrid’s using a technique that Flamand learned from the awful Dr. Orloff. Unfortunately, for Flamand, Barbara’s Father has noticed his daughter is missing and sent a detective to look for her.
This film feels like Franco with all the 80’s excesses he could afford. They gave the man a budget and he used it. The cast is top-notch, the gore is the best he could get, the film itself looks fantastic though some Franco-isms do come out to play from time to time, it appears he took some time with this one, and it all really comes together here. Severin presents Faceless in a 1:66:1 transfer in 2160p and this is just stunning, very filmlike and gorgeous, excellent detail and color. This being the first 4k Franco, I am excited for what’s next. Extras include a commentary with Franco and Lina Romay, trailers, interviews with Brigitte Lahaie, Kim Newman, Caroline Munro Stephen Thrower, and many more. There is also a select screen commentary with Chris Mitchum, and a comedic short with Bridget Lahaie.
The Female Executioner is an erotically charged police procedural starring Brigitte Lahie as Martine. Martine is a cop that is working to take down a porno ring when a young girl, Caroline is captured and now she has to work to save the girl as well. Female Executioner is Michael Caputo’s attempt to make a mainstream film from the realm of porn, and honestly this one falls a bit flat. The opening few minutes and the ending work really well. Brigitte Lahaie herself has an excellent screen presence that really helps make the film. It’s not perfect, but it can be entertaining at times. Severin presents the film in its uncut version in a 1080p transfer with both French and English mono tracks, everything here sounds great and looks excellent. Exttras include an interview with Michael Caputo and Brigitte Lahaie, a location visit with director and star, a short film, and trailer.
Libido
Director- Ernesto Gastaldi/Vittorio Salerno
Cast- Dominique Boschero, Mara Meryl
Country of Origin: Italy
Writer: Scott MacDonald
We are in the post-Bava/Pre-Argento gialli world with Libido the 1965 film directed by Ernesto Gastaldi (alledgedly on a bet). That means the familar giallo tropes that would come to be, did not exist yet, and so we have a film that feels like a psycho sexual murder mystery, a Bergman chamber drama with French New Wave elements, and sponsorship by CUTTY SARK over J&B?!?! But I digress.
Libido opens with a young man named Christian, watching as his Father murder his Mistress in a mirror lined room in their cliffside mansion. The Father than throws himself to his death from the cliff, leaving Christian traumatized. 20 years later Christian returns to the house with his wife, and another couple in tow. Unfortunatley, the trauma of his past has not left him behind, and that mirror lined room is a huge source of damage to him. He also clings to the belief that his Father is still alive.
Libido is a claustrophobic and suspenseful little film, that really makes the most of what it’s got. The limited cast, and the use of its location really add to its effectiveness and atmospherics, and create something of a minor early gialli classic that would make a nice double feature with the Girl Who Knew Too Much.
Severin presents the film a solid 1080p HD transfer with excellent detail and contrast. There is English/Italian mono and it comes through crisp and clear. Included is an interview with Gastaldi, and an excellent commentary with Kat Ellinger.
The Shadowed Mind
Director- Cedric Sundstrom
Cast- David Hannay, Adrienne Pearce
Country of Origin: South Africa
Writer: Scott MacDonald
One of the most shocking cinematic landmines dropped during the Severin sale was The Shadowed Mind. This made me aware of how shockingly great Cedric Sundstrom’s work is, and how I should have checked this one out much sooner (I had apparently seen his American Ninja sequels).
The Shadowed Mind takes place entirely in an asylum for the sexually insane (great premise to start with). A woman named Stephanie is dropped off due to her predilection for wanting to expose herself. After it kicks in it becomes a very psycho sexual slasher affair, with an Argento-esque flair, but with a screenplay that owes itself more to the arthouse than the grindhouse.
Severin presents The Shadowed Mind in a very nice 1:85:1 1080p transfer. Everything here looks quite solid with no apparent issues. Audio is in English mono, and comes through clear. Extras include a director commentary, and interview. There is also shorts including Suffer Little Children, and a series of promos.