Thursday, August 31, 2006

Our first advert!

Here's the first in what we hope will be a series of ads that we will be posting up in various places.
This one was done by our dear friend The Undead Film Critic and we like it an awful lot.

Click our logo below!

Monday, August 28, 2006

Friday, August 25, 2006

No Shame Update! THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE!

No Shame have updated the upcoming section of their website (unlike a lot of other DVD companies of late)to include this interesting looking and rather obscure Damiano (A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, HOW TO KILL A JUDGE, AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION) Damiani film from 1970 called THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE. I'll let No Shame do the talkin':

What's your idea of justice... have you ever thought about it?

Spurning the advances of a Mafia don's cruel nephew, a beautiful peasant girl is punished for upholding her family's honor by being abducted and robbed of her virginity. Rebuked by her own parents and incurring the wrath of her village, the girl reports her rape to the local police, shattering centuries-old traditions in her unyielding quest for justice.

Damiano Damiani's THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE marked the film debut of gorgeous Italian actress Ornella Muti (THE NUNS OF ST. ARCHANGEL, FLASH GORDON) and also features a strong performance by Alessio Orano (LISA AND THE DEVIL, THE KILLER MUST KILL AGAIN). Filmed on location in Sicily, this adult drama anticipates both THE GODFATHER and PRIZZI'S HONOR, and is based on a true police case that changed the course of Italian law during the 1960s. Shot by giallo specialist Franco Di Giacomo (FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET, WHO SAW HER DIE?), this gritty and hard-hitting film also benefits from one of the great, unheralded Euro-Cult scores of Ennio Morricone.

EXTRAS

- Introduction by director Damiano Damiani
- Featurette ﹣interviews with director Damiano Damiani, assistant director Mino Giarda, editor Antonio Siciliano, star Alessio Orano and director of photography Franco Di Giacomo

Collectable Booklet – including liner notes and talent bios



On October 31, 2006 CE.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Rambu: The Indonesian Rambo!!!

This clip has been floating around various cult movie forums and I think it's pretty freakin' AWESOME. It's from an Indonesian rip-off of Rambo called THE INTRUDER and features a main character called Rambu. OK, so it's not the most creative rip-off ever, but damn it sure looks like a lot of fun.
Enjoy!

Monday, August 21, 2006

Friday, August 18, 2006

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS re-emerges from Blue Underground with a BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE in tow!!

Fangoria broke the details today of Blue Underground's upcoming re-release of Harry Kumel's amazing arty 70s lesbo-vampire flick DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS which is coming out on October 31 of this very year. Most important among the "extras" on the two disc set is Vincent Aranda's own terrific sexy lesbian bloodsucker opus THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE! What the freak!?! That's really awesome, especially seeing as how neither film is in Worldweird's Collection despite our loving both. The full details (as much as is known) are below, along with the really, really coooool cover.
We love it!



Disc 1: DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS
Audio commentary by Kumel
Audio commentary by Karlen and journalist David Del Valle
Locations of Darkness interviews with K�mel and co-writer/co-producer Pierre Drouot
Playing the Victim interview with Ouimet
Daughter of Darkness interview with Rau
Theatrical trailer
Radio spots
Poster/still gallery

Disc 2: Vicente Aranda's Euroshocker THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE (in 16x9-enhanced 1.85:1 widescreen), along with its U.S. combo theatrical trailer; retail price is $29.95.

Again, that's on October 31. Halloween. Perfect.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Worldweird gives in: DUST DEVIL coming in September!

Although interested in the film and it's upcoming multi-disc box set from Subversive, we had previously chosen not to cover the impending DVD release of Richard Stanley's DUST DEVIL. We thought it was a British film. But recently it came to our attention that not only was it filmed in Africa but Stanley is in fact a South African citizen! African cinema is something we are commited to learning more about and covering. So there ya go. Couple this with the facts that the set is an amazing collection of fascinating-looking material and (though I haven't seen it) that the feature itself looks fairly incredible, we can say that Worldweird Cinema is now officially excited about this set. You should be too!
Dig these crazy details, Daddy-O!



Disc One:
DUST DEVIL: THE FINAL CUT: 107 min Hi-Def transfer, 16×9 widescreen (1.85:1). Transfer approved by Richard Stanley.

5.1 mix
2.0 Dolby Stereo mix
Commentary with Richard Stanley and Norman Hill
Richard Stanley Production diaries on the Making of Dust Devil
Featurette: A Demon Reborn: The Final Dust Devil
Bonus disc CD: DUST DEVIL original soundtrack by Simon Boswell

Disc Two:
A reconstruction of the Work Print release, time approx. 114 minutes, non anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1)
2.0 stereo mix
New DUST DEVIL comic book by Phil Avelli, STORY APPROVED BY RICHARD STANLEY

Disc Three:
VOICE OF THE MOON: documentary on Afghanistan
commentary with Richard Stanley and Norman Hill
THE WHITE DARKNESS: documentary on Haitian Voodoo
commentary with Richard Stanley
Richard Stanley Production diaries on the Making of The White Darkness

Disc Four:
THE SECRET GLORY: documentary on the search for the Holy Grail and the neo-Nazi movement.
commentary with Richard Stanley and Norman Hill
Richard Stanley Production diaries on the Making of The Secret Glory

The DVD set is going to be limited to one pressing only, 10,000 pieces and then it is gone. Period, no more.

The entire package is a ridiculously low retail price of $29.95.



Those documentaries are what's really pushing this into totally MUST-SEE territory for us. All are subjects we're to some degree fascinated by.

Check out an early review over at DVD Maniacs!

Out on September 26, which is shaping up to be big week for fans of far-out cinema. Also seeing release that week will be Mondo Macabro's BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOL. 1, NoShame's elaborate DARK WATERS set and the single DVD issues of Blue Underground's BLIND DEAD films! Guess it's time for that second job!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Official Worldweird Cinema DVD Calendar! *UPDATED!*

Of course all dates are tentative and subject to change at the drop of a hat, so don't blame me if you go to [instert your local retailer here] on the date I list and they ain't got it.


OCTOBER (?)
ASKA SUSAYANLAR SEKS VE CINAYET aka THIRSTY FOR LOVE, SEX AND MURDER/OLULER KONUSMAZ KI aka THE DEAD DON'T TALK (Onar Films;PAL R0)

OCTOBER 17
RED ANGEL (Fantoma) Order
WATER MARGIN (Image) Order

OCTOBER 23
LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH (Sazuma; R2)

OCTOBER 31
42 ST. FOREVER VOL. 2: THE DEUCE (Synapse) Pre-order
DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS 2-disc set (Blue Underground) Pre-order
MACUMBA SEXUAL (Severin) Pre-order
MANSIONS OF THE LIVING DEAD (Severin) Pre-order
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE (No Shame) Pre-order
THE VAMPIRE/THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN (CasaNegra) Pre-order

NOVEMBER (?)
TURKISH SUPERMAN/DEMIR YUMRUK DEVLER GELIYOR (Onar Films; PAL R0)

NOVEMBER 7
GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (Classic Media) Pre-order
MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (Classic Media) Pre-order

NOVEMBER 14
ALL NAKED AND WARM (No Shame) Pre-order
CHABELO Y PEPITO CONTRA LOS MONSTROUS (CasaNegra) Pre-order
CHABELO Y PEPITO DETECTIVES (CasaNegra) Pre-order
GIOVANNONA LONG THIGH (No Shame) Pre-order
PEPITO Y LA LAMPARA MARAVILLOSA (CasaNegra) Pre-order
SNAKE DANCER (Mondo Macabro) Pre-order

NOVEMBER 21
BOXER'S OMEN (Image) Pre-order
WE ARE GOING TO EAT YOU! (Tokyo Shock) Pre-order

DECEMBER (?)
TURKISH TARZAN DOUBLE FEATURE (Onar Films; PAL R0)

DECEMBER 12
CAVE OF THE SILKEN WEB (Image) Pre-order

JANUARY 9, 2007
GIANT MAJIN COLLECTION (Retromedia/Image)

JANUARY 30, 2007
IMMORAL WOMEN (Severin)
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS (Severin)
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (Dark Sky) Pre-order

APRIL 3, 2007
THE DEMONS [J. Franco] (Image)

MAY 22, 2007
THE MAGIC BLADE (Image)

JUNE 5, 2007
INTIMATE CONFESIONS OF A CHINESE COURTESAN (Image)




FUTURE UNDATED
ANGST (Barrel)
AURAT RAJ a.k.a. Woman’s Rule (Mondo Macabro)
BLACK EMANUELLE, WHITE EMANUELLE (Severin)
BLIND WOMAN'S CURSE (Discotek)
BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL aka HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
CASUS KIRAN/DEMIR PENCE KORSAN ADAM (Onar Films; PAL R0)
CAT IN THE BRAIN (Grindhouse)
CRY OF THE BEWITCHED (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
DAUGHTERS OF DRACULA (Image)
DER TODESKING (Barrel)
DRACULA'S SAGA (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
EL TOPO (ABKCO Films)
EMANUELLE AND THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE (Severin)
EXORCISM [1975] (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
EXPOSED aka THE DEPRAVED / EXPONERAD (Synapse)
FANDO AND LIS (ABKCO Films)
FRANKENSTIEN CONQUERS THE WORLD (Tokyo Shock)
GINCHO WANDERER series (Panik House/Synapse)
HOLY MOUNTAIN (ABKCO Film)
HORROR OF MALFORMED MEN (Panik House/Synapse)
HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
HUMAN BEASTS (Deimos/BCI Eclipse)
HUMAN LANTERNS (Image)
JUNGLE WARRIORS (Panik House)
KIDNAPPED/RABID DOGS (Anchor Bay)
THE KILLER SNAKES (Image)
THE LIVING HEAD (CasaNegra)
LUCKER THE NECROPHAGOUS (Synapse)
MADAME O (Synapse)
MALABIMBA (Severin)
MALPERTUIS (Barrel)
THE MAN AND THE MONSTER (CasaNegra)
MASKELI SEYTAN/ORUMCEK THE SPIDER (Onar Films; PAL R0)
THE NUDE VAMPIRE (Image)
ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER (Anchor Bay)
PIECES (Grindhouse)
SATAN'S BABY DOLL (Severin)
SISTER EMANUELLE (Severin)
SNAKE SISTERS (Mondo Macabro)
SNAKE WOMAN'S CURSE (Panik House/Synapse)
WHO WOULD KILL A CHILD? (Dark Sky Films/MPI)
WORLD OF THE VAMPIRES (CasaNegra)
YOEN DOKUFUDEN series (Panik House/Synapse)

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Worldweird/YouTube Trailer of the Week!

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE!!
SEI DONNE PER L'ASSASSINO!!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Movie Review: AL-QATILAH!




AL-QATILAH
(THE MURDERESS)
aka THIRSTY FOR RED BLOOD
Directed by Inas Al Degheidy
Cast: Fifi Abdu, Hassan Hosny
Egypt; 1992

How many Egyptian giallo/rape-revenge/social dramas do you know of? Well, now you now of at least one. One might hope for something really, really weird and alien from such a concoction but you'd only be partially correct. While it does have some (very) surprising sleaze as well as some odd hypnotic passages for the most part RED BLOOD kind of just plods along, dealing with it's own conservative Arab society concerns, uniterested in whatever the outside world might think.
The movie begins promisingly and disturbingly enough, with one of the most sickening child rape scenes ever committed to celluloid. In fact it may be one of the only child rape scenes. While it's not exactly explicit there is a very palpable sense of violation here as a dirty old man takes a young girl who wanders away from a picnic to his filthy shed and has his filthy way with her. The girl is understandbly upset as the solemn opening credits begin to roll. Whoa. Heavy. That "I'm gonna need to take a shower after this one" feeling starts to take over just as the credits break for a glitzy, garish Arabic language commercial for kitchen products! What the ... ? The credits return. Somber chamber music intones gravely. Then it breaks again as another commercial with 80s fashion casualties singing horrible Mediterranean pop rips its way across my unbelieving screen. This continues for a good ten minutes until the film starts proper. I don't know if my copy was taken from Egyptian TV or if they're video release have commercials too, but it has a totally disconcerting and unitentionally hilarious effect, totally negating whatever serious tone was achieved in the opening moments of the film. It never really recovers, but adds to the mysterious foreign aura of this unique viewing experience.
The movie then veers into quasi-giallo territory as the police investigate a series of murders involving wealthy older men. The culprit is of course, the girl from the start of the movie grown up now and alternating from mousy flower shop girl by day to vengeful harlot by night, seducing and destroying all she comes across. The highlight of this part of the film involves a sexy (non-explicit of course) striptease to wretched and hilarious 80s cock-rock culimnating in the film's most gory murder scene. Certain scenes do have a sort of wobbly poetry to them, perhaps accidentally, as well as a few hints of true cinematic talent. However after the cunning detective in charge of the investigation captures our avenging angel the film becomes a sort of socially conscious court-room drama as the detective tries to convince the courts and the public to be merciful on this obviously mentally disturbed girl. But it's all too late, as she faces down a firing squad in the film's final weepy moments. What a waste. But we do get one more astonishingly sadistic scene towards the end as a flashback reveals a severe whipping session our poor heroine was forced to suffer through at the hands of her father (?). It's pretty sleazy and weird in the context of everything else going on. But ultimately this is no sleaze classick, but only a somewhat interesting and intimate cinematic look at a culture we don't really have much of a grasp on here in the west, and for that reason is worth seeking out. That, and the crazy commercials that interrupt murder and rape scenes. Wacky!

Print provided by Electric Larvae.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Are new films becoming interesting?

Probably not. But at least there are a few promising things. As reported here last week, fab DVD label Mondo Macabro are co-producing a new horror film in Pakistan called ZIBAHKHANA directed by noted Pakistani film critic and historian Omar Khan. News broke this week that shooting has in fact wrapped and the website has been updated with some stills from the production. Looks pretty wild. Khan told the fellows at Twitch that "Never in the history of South Asian cinema has anything quite so splattery ever been attempted." Sounds totally boss. Click the rather, well, splattery image below for further such info.



Something else being reported at Twitch is the filmic return of the mighty Coffin Joe himself, Jose Mojica Marins! According to them as well as Dread Central, Marins is set to FINALLY film the looooooonnnnngggg intended sequel to the all-time classick THIS NIGHT I'LL POSSESS YOUR CORPSE (one of our favorite films here at Worldweird) which is set to be called THE EMBODIMENT OF EVIL and goes a little something like this:

After 38 years of imprisonment, Coffin Joe is haunting the streets of Sao Paulo, still obsessed with the concept of rearing the perfect son by mating with a superior woman. Blocking his path to procreation will be a police colonel, the entire population of a local Favela (Brazilian slum), and a vengeful priest whose father was killed by Joe many years ago. Oh, and all of Joe'’s past victims are returning from Hell to get their revenge on the man as well!

That's according to Johnny Butane at Dread Central. Apparently the film will boast the biggest budget of Marins career and be his goriest as well. Very, very interesting.
We'll keep you updated with info as it becomes available.

Severin's Jess Franco fetish revealed!

According to DVD Maniacs' Ian Jane, sexy DVD boutique Severin will unveil the first two in a promised series of special edition discs focusing on the 80s output of the much maligned Euro-cult autuer on October 31.
Here are the far-out covers!





Pretty f*ckin' rad. I always prefer when original ad art is used, but in this case I think Severin has done a commendable job. Let's hope it bodes well for the quality of the discs themselves.
According to Mr. Jane, the movies will be new 2.35:1 transfers from original negatives and feature brand spankin' new interviews with Franco as well as Mrs. Franco, the one and only Lina Romay!
Sexy!!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Mondo Macabro produces new horror film! In Pakistan!!

Pete Tombs mentioned in an interview last year that MM were going to be co-producing a horror movie in Pakistan, and here is the early evidence that just such an endeavor is in fact underway.
Check out the awesome teaser poster! (click it for further info):



The film is being directed by Omar Khan, who may remember as the articulate critic on the MM doc. about South Asian Cinema and as one half of the commentary team on the terrific DVD of the classic ZINDA LASH (THE LIVING CORPSE). He writes reviews of Bollywood films and of fantastic Western cinema for the website The Hot Spot, which you can visit right here! Be sure to seek out and read his utterly fascinating History of Lollywood Loose Cannons, Dangerous Curves and Levitating Holy Scriptures, it's highly informative and fun to boot. Scroll down under "Flash News" to find it.

As for the new movie, no listing for it at IMDB, and basically all the info I can find is that is being made pretty much right now, which might account for why Mondo Macabro's been so quiet the last couple of months. But from the poster and the folk involved this promises at least to be fairly interesting.

We will keep you updated with any info we dig up!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Mondo Macabro's press release for THE BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOL. 1!!

MM has just laid out the details for one of our most anticipated DVDs of the year!
The Skinny:

From MOULIN ROUGE to BRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Bollywood movies are starting to make their way into the hearts of mainstream moviegoers. One of the world's most beloved and successful film industries, Bollywood cinema is often defined by their glamorous locations, unique style and, of course, extravagant musical numbers that make these films so popular all over the world. But did you know that they also made horror films in India? Well Mondo Macabro does, and now they are finally able to bring THE BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOLUME 1 to the U.S. to showcase these truly one-of-a-kind films on DVD for the very first time in America or anyplace else for that matter!

THE BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOLUME 1 is a two-disc package containing the films BANDH DARWAZA (1990) and PURANA MANDIR (1984). Both are directed by Tulsi and Shyam Ramsay, members of Bollywood's famed Ramsay family, India's most famous makers of horror movies, which also consists of five other brothers and their father, producer F.U. Ramsay. In Bollywood they are seen as rivals to Hammer Films in both the quantity and quality of their productions.

BANDH DARWAZA is the Indian version of Dracula. A childless woman visits the lair of an evil magician in order that she may conceive. When she gives birth to a baby girl, the magician demands that she hand her over. She refuses and has the magician killed. But years later he is revived as a fully-fledged member of the undead and comes looking for the now teenage girl, intending to make her his slave!

PURANA MANDIR tells of the ancient curse visited on an Indian king 200 years ago causing all female members of his family turn into hideous monsters and die in childbirth. The daughter of one of his descendents decides to put an end to this curse and travels to the ancient temple where it all began 200 years before. What awaits her and her friends there is terror beyond their wildest nightmares. A classic of Indian horror that shocked a nation!

Mondo Macabro's BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOLUME 1 is six hours of scary fun on two DVD. Hot, hot, hot Indian horror from the land of gods and monsters. And yes, there are musical numbers in each film. See it for yourself!

THE BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOL. 1 Contains the Following Special Features:

A Mondo Macabro original documentary on south Asian action, horror and mythological films, covering India and Pakistan with lots of clips, interviews and background info on this hugely important but little known (at least in the west) area of cinema.

Freddie, Jason and Saamri. A more detailed look at the two main features in this double disc set. Shows how, with Purana Mandir, Bollywood horror movies created their first series character to rival Freddie Kruger, Jason Vorhees etc etc. Another Mondo Macabro original documentary seen only on this DVD!

Extensive background text on the rise and fall of the Bollywood horror movie and the history of the Ramsay Brothers horror factory.

The much loved and now extended Mondo Macabro preview reel.

Both BANDH DARWAZA and PURANA MANDIR are presented in their original full frame aspect ratios (1.33:1), in Hindi with optional English subtitles.

Look for Mondo Macabro's BOLLYWOOD HORROR COLLECTION VOLUME 1 DVD in stores on September 26, 2006 at a retail price of $24.95.


Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The Onar Films Trailer Collection!!!

Bill from Onar has just given us the OK to post up a whole slew of trailers for upcoming Turkish pop films he's got in the works. We literally cannot wait for these DVDs! We need them now!

Viddy well, my brothers:

CASUS KIRAN!


MASKELI SEYTAN!


DEMIR PENCE KORSAN ADAM!


ORUMCEK THE SPIDER!


TARZAN ISTANBUL'DA!


TARZAN KORKUSUZ ADAM!


ASKA SUSAYANLAR SEKS VE CINAYET(THIRSTY FOR LOVE SEX AND MURDER)!



OLULER KONUSMAZ KI(THE DEAD DON'T TALK)!


DEMIR YUMRUK DEVLER GELIYOR(DEMIR YUMRUK THE GIANTS ARE COMING)!


And also you get the trailers for the already released (and totally freaking awesome) KILINK collection!

KILINK ISTANBUL'DA!


KILINK VS SUPERMAN(KILINK UCAN ADAMA KARSI)!


KILINK STRIP AND KILL(KILINK SOY VE OLDUR)!



We love it!! And want more, more, more!