Due to the overwhelming amount of cult movies that come out on DVD on a regular basis, we are now doing "capsule" reviews of various releases in addition to the regular reviews. These less lengthy looks at DVDs will be posted here regularly, so keep checking back for new reviews!

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SEX ON 42ND STREET After Hours Retro, Directors: Shaun Costello & Leonard Kirtman. Carrying on their Storefront Feature Series, After Hours Retro releases yet another 2-disc set collecting together forgotten 16mm cheapies. The problem with these releases is that so few of the films are actually interesting or even historically valuable. Of the many Storefront Feature sets available, the best two are DIARY OF A NYMPH (containing the titular film, Anthony Spinelli’s first adult feature, and DIARY OF A SCHIZO, a wonderful Rene Bond vehicle co-starring Keith Erickson and Nina Fause) and GRINDHOUSE HOSTAGE (containing PLAY ONLY WITH ME, one of few films made by the unique Dianne Galke, star of HARDGORE who is unfortunately not identified anywhere on the package, and arty European import THE BLUE BALLOON). On this most recent 2-discer, a troika of New York-lensed quickies are presented for a presumably easy-to-please audience. The “best”, if that’s possible, is PEN PALS, a Shaun Costello weekend wonder focusing on a group of friends connected through their letters who finally meet in the Big Apple for a sex-filled weekend. The cast includes popular New York pornsters Levi Richards (THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN), Mary Stuart (THE PASSIONS OF CAROL), Davey Jones (THE COLLEGIATES), Ashley Moore (NEON NIGHTS), and Marc Anthony (DOMINATRIX WITHOUT MERCY, and not mentioned in the historical liner notes). The liner notes and packaging try to compare Costello to Paul Morrissey and proclaim him the “most significant” New York filmmaker, which is outrageous and quite short-sighted. While some of Costello’s 60-minute grinders are interesting because of their frequent use of double penetrations, sleazy aesthetic, and one-shot female cast members, he only began making great classics when he started working with bigger budgets. To call his cheaply-made, barely-written Mob-funded quickies anything more than that is stretching. Costello appears in PEN PALS as a man who gives one of the pen pals directions, and in a ridiculous breaking-the-fourth-wall moment, a leather-bound biker who bursts in on the fun to cap off the film nonsensically. There’s great footage of New York circa 1974, but little else worth mentioning. CERTIFIED MAIL is a tacky flick from the Leon Gucci/Leonard Kirtman studios. Kirtman was one of the most loathed pornographers in New York, and he never made a good film. This plotless trash follows a mail lady as she traipses around the city, sleeping with a variety of people she delivers mail to. ‘Nuff said. The cast includes Linda L’Amour (credited in the liners as Lynn Stevens, her pseudonym in Joe Sarno’s TOUCH OF GENIE), Marc Stevens (BIG THING), the middle-aged sex deviant Ultramax (THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS) before she made a comeback in the 80s in better films as Linda Vale, and actress/casting agent Sandy Foxx, in an unflattering wig, as the mail lady. A rapist in a back alley is played by a guy with tattoos all over his body, who became popular for a while in loops and weekend wonders, as well as a memorable appearance in S.O.S. SCREW ON SCREEN. The final film, LOVE-IN MAID, is the worst, with a loose plotline following wacky Bobby Astyr and his roommate hiring beautiful unsung starlet Cindy West to be their maid and boffing wigged Mary Stuart as a census taker. For some reason the “plot” takes a detour to follow West picking up ice cream vendor Turk Turpin (uncredited in the historical liner notes) for some fun, and an orgy caps off the boredom. An actual film camera shows up to photograph the various sex acts going on. Snooze. Worth seeing as one of Turk Turpin’s rare hardcore performances (he’s best known as the dastardly head orderly in Armand Weston’s DEFIANCE), but otherwise completely disposable. The gynecological photography will make you nauseous. All three films are presented at the 16x9 aspect ratio of 1.78:1, which is unfortunately inaccurate considering these films were shot on 16mm in the Academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Unfortunately, the films have music (usually stolen rock tunes of the period) replaced by contemporary tunes, which results in dialogue being eliminated as well. If the majors (VCX, Video-X-Pix, Caballero) can release better-known features on DVD with stolen music, then that shouldn’t be an obstacle here, but I guess it’s understandable to skirt any possible legal issues. Thankfully you can pick up unaltered versions of all three films (albeit with the SWV watermark) from Something Weird Video on DVD-R. One final note: all three films are barely 60 minutes, and could easily fit on one disc instead of two. It might be a better idea for After Hours Retro to start issuing single-disc collections for a lesser price point. Their intent with this series is good, attempting to preserve forgotten films of the early days of hardcore, but between the widescreen presentation, the infrequent AHC logo, the replaced music and new copyright/title cards, and the low quality of the majority of the films, it sadly feels more like scraping the bottom of the barrel than historical preservation. Skip this one and pick up DIARY OF A NYMPH and GRINDHOUSE HOSTAGE; all three films on both sets are well worth having! (Casey Scott)

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RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO (1977) Media Blasters/Exploitation Digital, Director: Fabio De Agostini. Media Blaster’s Exploitation Digital label continues its line of Italian-lensed Nazi trash with RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO, which is more akin to the decadent pseudo artiness of SALON KITTY than the all-out sleaze of say, SS HELL CAMP. During Hitler’s final WWII days, the Gestapo discovers that a number of influential members of German Intelligence are secretly against the Fuhrer. A German officer is captured and brought before a firing squad, but this is all a charade and he is really asked to spearhead an assignment to congregate the so-called traders. All the information is gathered on these individuals and it becomes known what their various sexual fixations are. Attractive women who have the right credentials are employed (or rather, forced to participate), and the disloyal men are gathered together one night in a castle for a sort of chaotic mass orgy. What follows is the usual sex and violence, though more restrained than usual for this sort of thing, but the sets and production values are well above average. Still, you get to see a fetishistic scene of a man sucking milk from a woman’s lactating nipple or half-naked gal being forced into a trunk and then tossed out a window, and plenty of fornication! All this while blonde actors like SS cinema staple Giorgio Cerioni (who I still insist is a dead ringer for Ron Ely!) try to look as Arian as possible. Cerioni cuts a fart on a passed out comrade after raving about how Hitler made a mess of things. Director Fabio De Agostini also did the screenplay for NIGHTMARE CASTLE. Exploitation Digital’s transfer is one of their best yet, presenting the film uncut and in its original 2.35:1 ratio with anamorphic enhancement. The transfer looks excellent, and the English mono track is solid as well. Extras include a still gallery, a newly created trailer (showcasing the more sensational moments), and trailers for other Exploitation Digital titles. (George R. Reis)

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DEVIL’S ISLAND LOVERS (1974) Image Entertainment, Director: Jess Franco. Cult director Jess Franco has films of all time, including 99 WOMEN, BARBED WIRE DOLLS, ILSA: THE WICKED WARDEN and SADOMANIA. A similar-themed title that not too many people have seen is DEVIL’S ISLAND LOVERS, yet it’s not typical sexploitation, but rather a serious melodrama with a tragic romance plot, and not typical of what Franco was doing during the period. The plot has two young lovers, Beatriz Coblan (Geneviève Robert) and Raymond Franval (Andrés Resino, the hero of Leon Klimovsky’s WEREWOLF SHADOW), being framed for murder by Colonel Mendoza (Jean Guedes) who is jealous of their relationship. Both are sent to two different prisons on “Devil’s Island” and are subjected to various aggravation, all of it pretty tame compared to Franco’s other WIP flicks. A very sickly-looking Dennis Price (in what might be his last film – he died the year before it was released) plays Lindsay, a lawyer who believes them innocent and is trying to do everything in his power to prove it. Howard Vernon has a small role as Colonel Ford, the no-nonsense ruler of the men’s prison. Josyane Gibert (the cabaret singer in DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN) is a concerned prison snitch that risk her life and murders to help the doomed lovers. Franco regulars Anne Libert and Britt Nichols are prisoners, Luis Barboo is a guard, and composer Daniel White plays a judge. No nudity and low on violence, this is basically a straight drama with a decent story and tight pacing (at least for Franco). Never available on home video in the U.S., Image presents the film in a nice 2.35:1 widescreen transfer with anamorphic enhancement. Never dubbed into English, a mono Spanish track is included with optional English subtitles. (George R. Reis)

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BAD INCLINATION (2003) Director: Pierfrancesco Campanella, Shriek Show/Media Blasters. Ugh. For those who thought FATAL FRAMES was the bottom of the barrel of contemporary gialli, look no further than BAD INCLINATION, a terrible mix of lesbians, gory murders and police detective work. A mysterious apartment building in Italy is plagued by a series of slasher murders using a metal setsquare as a weapon. The suspects include a devious blackmailing artist (Florinda Bolkan), a lesbian has-been pop singer (Eva Robbins), her bisexual backstabbing agent/lover, and the gossiping superintendent. Oh boy does this stink. The film has its moments, I'll give it that. The lush strings-driven score recalls Pino Donaggio and Fabio Frizzi and tries to keep things interesting even when they aren't. Florinda Bolkan (A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN) hasn't had a major role in Eurosploitation for years, so her bitchy red herring performance is quite good and she has aged pretty well. Franco Nero (DJANGO) is welcome in any film, even if it's only for less than 30 seconds as it is here as a rambling homeless man (!). And infamous transsexual Eva Robbins (TENEBRE) looks great in her brief nude scenes and digs her teeth into the villainous lesbian suspect role. But the negative outweighs the positive. The storyline is all over the place and very hard to follow, the gory murders don't happen often enough and aren't nearly as moist as gialli from 30 years earlier and any lesbian sex scenes which may attract sleaze mavens don't last very long and resemble a Lifetime TV movie. There is some boobjob nudity to appease those looking for it. The real shot in the foot is the atrocious English dubtrack, which is unfortunately the only language option on the disc! It is apparent that the film was shot in Italian, and with Media Blasters' dual-language options on the past couple of discs, it's disheartening that the film's original mix wasn't included, especially since this is a recent film! Perhaps a licensing disagreement barred the inclusion of the Italian track...? At least in the 70s the dubbing sounded professional, here it sounds like there are only three women dubbing every female character in the flick (all are familiar voices from way back in the 70s and 80s, too)!! Some funny dubbed dialogue appears (for example, when Florinda finds a girl robbing her van: "Hey! Wait a minute! You're stealing! Stop it!!"). Best unintentionally hilarious moment: Florinda Bolkan tells off her former student with some vicious dialogue from inside her van, then drives forward a few feet to stop and put on her turn signal before entering traffic!! It's funnier visually than reading about it, trust me, it's one of the best "bad grand exits" ever! If you can get BAD INCLINATION cheap, it's a seriously flawed attempt at revitalizing the giallo that has some moments which Eurocult fans should enjoy. However, it's not as Brilliantly awful as FATAL FRAMES, which I would recommend over this tripe. The Letterboxed transfer looks OK, with some bad colors due to this being shot on video instead of film. Extras include interviews with the director and two of the actresses (Elisabetta Rocchetti, who played Bolkan's blackmail victim, and Elisabetta Cavallotti, who played the bisexual agent), a making-of featurette with more interviews (including Bolkan and Robbins), and a trailer, all of which are in Italian with English subtitles. Why not the feature film then?! (Casey Scott)

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TINTORERA: TIGER SHARK (1978) Director: Rene Cardona, Jr., Desert Island Media. The release of JAWS in 1975 saw a slew of cash-in films featuring more killer sharks, killer whales, killer alligators and crocodiles and killer piranha (!). Of these, the Mexican/British co-production of TINTORERA is probably the worst. Rene Cardona seems better-suited to direct his standard "ripped from the headlines" flicks like SURVIVE, CYCLONE and GUYANA: CRIME OF THE CENTURY. Hugo Stiglitz suffers a mild nervous and physical breakdown, so is whisked away to an island resort where he lives on a yacht off-shore to get his strength back. Also frequenting the resort is male whore Andres Garcia, who spends his days scoping out lucrative female conquests and his nights following up on their bedside offers. Both men share a number of women, who begin to disappear thanks to a vicious man-eating tiger shark. Folks, this isn't a shark movie, it's a resort sex drama with maybe 20-25 minutes of shark footage inserted. The problem with that is that TINTORERA runs a whopping 126 minutes (!). So if sitting through what seems like hours of beachside seductions and relationship woes with a shark thrown in for fun sounds like a good time, dive into this atrocity. There is a good helping of nudity, though, and Cardona also seems to be an equal opportunity exploiteer, with both male and female nudity popping up. Fiona Lewis (DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN), Priscilla Barnes ("Three's Company") and Susan George (STRAW DOGS, FRIGHT, VENOM) are the three name stars in the lives of Stiglitz and Garcia and all three pop their tops and even reveal backside. The sight of Stiglitz in very clingy speedos and micro-shorts is pretty horrifying, but on the flip side, viewers do get to see muscular stud Garcia flash some skin, too. The disc suffers from a language/subtitles problem: the film is presented in English with deleted dialogue scenes in Spanish. English subtitles are provided for the Spanish scenes, and Spanish subs for the English, but the problem is that both subtitle options are on the same track. Meaning that if you want subs for the Spanish, you have to sit through subs for the English, too. And to make matters worse, many dialogue scenes jumps back and forth from Spanish with subs to English with subs, making the film that much more of a chore to sit through. The movie looks good, with solid colors and brief moments of grain and debris, but who cares? It's a stinker to avoid at all costs! (Casey Scott)

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CHILD BRIDE (1938) Director: Harry Revier, Alpha. This surprisingly good little roadshow picture is a surefire winner which Something Weird should release in a good-looking special edition soon! In the Ozark Mountains, young Jennie and her boyfriend Freddie go skinnydipping and get booklearnin' in a little schoolhouse. But when Jennie's father is killed by his shady business partner, who tries to blame her mother for the crime, she is forced to marry the slimy degenerate! Will her pretty schoolteacher, who is crusading for a child marriage law, be able to save her? The plot is barely there, but the camerawork is really good for the low, low budget and it's never boring. The 62-minute running time just flies by! Over 60 years later, CHILD BRIDE's nude swimming sequence starring adolescent Shirley Mills will still raise eyebrows. The subplot of the sophisticated teacher being abducted by hooded goons planning to tar and feather her features cinematography very similiar to that of Revier's earlier LASH OF THE PENITENTES (1936). When will that one hit DVD?! Most of the acting is pretty amateurish, but Shirley Mills does a good job as the jailbait child bride and would leap off of this film into a mildly successful career in supporting parts in Hollywood productions. She actually looks like a 30s version of Rene Bond in some shots! Also appearing in a pretty large role is Angela Rossitto as a worker at Jennie's father's still, who saves the teacher from her cruel fate. Alpha's disc looks very good for the budget price, with the dark night scenes still pretty clear and easy to see. Also streeting the same day as this are several more roadshow rarities, including GAMBLING WITH SOULS and DAMAGED LIVES, all of which should be picked up pronto by fans of exploitation cinema. Also included are previews for the contemporary MAGDALEN (which looks pretty good), JUST ADD PEPPER (doesn't look bad, either), THE IRONBOUND VAMPIRE (ugh!) and other recent films which probably won't provide any interest. (Casey Scott)

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HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL! (1958) Director: Jack Arnold, Lion's Gate. Producer Albert Zugsmith hit paydirt with this all-star juvenile delinquent box office smash, in 2.35:1 widescreen no less! Russ Tamblyn is Tony Baker, the new kid in a lavish California high school (which also doubled for the reform school in Zugsmith's GIRLS TOWN) who is in actuality an undercover cop looking to discover who is behind the secret drug dealings that frequent the hallways. Mamie Van Doren, in her image-making role, is "Auntie," Tamblyn's sultry girlfriend who must pose as his aunt during the sting. Gangster Jackie Coogan (directly after MESA OF LOST WOMEN and before "The Addams Family") is the mastermind behind the high school drug ring, John Drew Barrymore (Drew's proud papa) is the lead j.d., Ray Anthony (Mamie's real-life husband) is Coogan's right-hand man, Jerry Lee Lewis croons the title tune and several other unknown rockers, Lyle Talbot is Tamblyn's superior, and future "Little House" star Michael Landon is in there somewhere, too. Norman "Boom Boom" Grabowski shows up as part of the drug dealer's gang, too! Unfortunately, with all this cool star power, HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL! never gets off the ground and takes itself far too seriously as a drug expose drama to be much exploitation fun. Zugsmith's later film, GIRLS TOWN, packs even more amazing cast members and is non-stop excitement. Lion's Gate's transfer, which opens with the MGM logo (!), is unfortunately the same soft transfer which appeared on VHS and LD, meaning no extra restoration. Thankfully, despite the fullscreen advertisements on the cover art, it is preserved in its original scope aspect ratio. No extras are included. (Casey Scott)

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SUGAR COOKIES (1973) Director: Theodore Gershuny, Troma. Early 70s sex thrillers are always more interesting than the cookie-cutter straight-to-video "unrated" ones we see today, and the underground psychosexual masterpiece SUGAR COOKIES is no exception. The fact that it stars Mary Woronov and Lynn Lowry (both criminally underrated actresses) makes it an extra treat for "cult" film audiences. Lynn Lowry is Alta, a well-known adult film actress who is murdered in a sexual game by her director Max. Mary Woronov is her agent, Camilla, who promises Max he will find him a replacement. Enter Julie (played again by the doe-eyed Lowry), a naive young theater actress who is taken in by Camilla and subsequently becomes a lesbian through a series of well-done seduction scenes set to the rumored lesbian theme "Sally Go Round the Roses" by The Jaynetts (excellent song, by the way). I can't discuss the specifics of the plot any further without spoilers, but it all goes awry in the final 20 minutes and becomes a particularly memorable underground film. With Belgian beauty Monique van Vooren (FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN) as Max's bitter ex-wife, porno queen Jennifer Welles as Max's secretary who enjoys being slapped around, and Warhol Factory regular Ondine as Roderick, the adult film talent scout. One of the best underground films of the Warhol/Morrissey 'genre,' COOKIES cannot safely be categorized with the 'nudie cuties' or the early DEEP THROAT pornographic films. It falls somewhere in-between, but substitutes intelligence and style for bubbly nudity or graphic penetration. The film is ultimately memorable for the intense performances of Woronov and Lowry. Woronov has continued to work in always interesting roles (sometimes in some really dismal films), while Lowry has only recently resurfaced to enjoy her well-deserved cult status. The chemistry generated between the two isn't forced or shallow, and as the film follows their relationship, it steps beyond the boundaries of exploitation and throws the audience for a curveball by the startling conclusion. After a lengthy stay on VHS, Troma has finally unleashed this superb 70s artifact on DVD in a "Special Edition." In addition to a very good-looking fullframe transfer, President Lloyd Kaufman has included camcorder interviews with stars Lynn Lowry and Mary Woronov, both of whom seem pretty uncomfortable sitting on a couch surrounded by Lloyd, Sgt. Kabukiman, and various Tromettes. Lowry discusses how she overcame the overwhelming nudity and her memories of working on this low-budget NYC flick. Woronov seems especially edgy while Kaufman accuses her of being a lesbian, cracks jokes about her Warhol days, but she does manage to tell some great tales of how her then-husband Theodore Gershundy (the director) conceived the film and how refreshing it is to know the film has a following so many years after it was considered "lost." You also get to enjoy the misleading theatrical trailer, created years after the film was made (the early 80s, actually). (Casey Scott)

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BORN INNOCENT (1974) Director: Donald Wrye, VCI. The immediate follow-up to Linda Blair's breakthrough performance in THE EXORCIST (for which she won a Golden Globe) was this highly controversial TV movie, one of a handful of telefilms that would in later years become cult classics for their campy look at problem teenagers. Adorable Ms. Blair plays a troubled youth who runs away from her abusive household only to wind up caught and thrown into a girls' detention center. After being forced to strip and shower in front of a guard, she is tossed into the lions' den, surrounded by drug addicts, teen prostitutes, and psychotic lesbians! The young teen cast includes personal favorite Janit Baldwin (the possessed daughter in RUBY, a groupie in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, and Claudia Jennings' mute sister in GATOR BAIT, Ms. Baldwin was a simply superb addition to any film) and Nora Heflin (THE STUDENT TEACHERS). The shock value of this "expose" has gone down considerably in the 30 years since it was aired, but the camp value has sky-rocketed! Full of dynamite dialogue ("What do you care about?; Getting high!!"), sadistic juvenile delinquency, and plenty of soap suds to keep any teenage girl entranced, BORN INNOCENT is an easily recommended 70s exploitation film, ABC-style! VCI's disc looks better than any previous video incarnations, with bold colors and a slight sheet of grain to show the film's age. Though the infamous broomstick rape scene was cut for broadcast, it has always been seen uncensored on home video and the DVD is no exception. Extras are limited to previews for other VCI releases; it's a shame that Linda Blair couldn't be included at least in a video interview, because she has never been apprehensive about discussing this film. For the dirt cheap price, this is a great bargain for campy TV movie fans and women-in-prison aficionados alike. (Casey Scott)

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WEREWOLF OF WASHINGTON (1973) Director: Milton Moses Ginsberg, Alpha Video. A low budget political/horror satire that benefits from a good cast. Reporter Jack Whittier (Dean Stockwell) had an affair with the president's daughter, so he's accepting an assignment in Budapest. It's there that he runs into some gypsies, is bitten by a wolf, and left with a pentagram symbol on his chest. He returns to Washington as the President's (Biff McGuire) press aide, but turns into a grey-haired werewolf (the make-up is not half bad) when the moon is full. One of the best scenes has the werewolf trying to get at a cute hippy chick in a knocked-down telephone booth. Stockwell's performance is both comical and physical, and he's fun to watch. Some laughs are to be had with this Watergate era ("let me make one thing perfectly clear") horror comedy whose ending likely inspired the one in Joe Dante's THE HOWLING. Clifton James (Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the first two Roger Moore Bond films) is great as the racist attorney general who tries to cover up all the murders, and the late great Michael Dunn (as "Dr. Kiss") has an enjoyable but meaningless bit as a scientist sympathetic to the werewolf. Also look for the late Thayer David ("Dark Shadows") as a foreign official. This film was shot mostly in Glen Cove in Long Island, NY (substituting for Washington DC and the White House), and I've actually been on some of the locations seen onscreen. Alpha's full frame release of this 1973 title uses an inky old video transfer, but watchable and worth the few bucks if you enjoy these sort of flicks. The original posters and ads showed the werewolf wearing an Uncle Sam hat! (George R. Reis)

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THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER (1963) Director: Alberto De Martino, Alpha Video. Here's an Italian-made horror film released directly to television in the U.S. by AIP-TV and known as both THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER and HORROR (both titles appear on the opening credits of this DVD release). Loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe, the plot concerns a young woman who returns to her ancestral home just before her 21st birthday. She believes that her father is dead, and her brother is convinced that a curse lingers over the family. This all leads to a disfigured hooded stranger roaming around a castle, several nightmare sequences, and a female victim being buried alive. The film drags at times and leans more towards mystery than horror, but it's an atmospheric late-night type chiller that fans of 60s Italian goth will not want to do without. The eerie music is by Carlo Franci, who also scored a lot of gladiator movies. Director Alberto De Martino also did THE ANTICHRIST (aka THE TEMPTER) (1974) and it was co-written by exploitation legend Bruno Corbucci. Starring genre regulars Gérard Tichy and Helga Liné (who is featured prominently on the DVD's cover art). Alpha's release of the English-dubbed version is cropped from its original widescreen photography, but still looks decent and fairly sharp in its presentation of this foreign black and white title. With the low retail price and great cover art, it's easily recommended. (George R. Reis)

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NIGHT FRIGHT (1967), Director: James A. Sullivan, Alpha Video. The story dictates that test animals aboard a spaceship are exposed to radiation and become mutated. One of them becomes a tall, furry ape-like creature with a bald head that escapes from a base and runs amok in the woods. John Agar (looking much older, but not really long after his 1950s matinee glory) is a tough sheriff who knows how to capture the thing, but also has to contend with some annoying rock n' roll teens with bouffant hairdos. Aside from being annoyingly slow and cheap, you've seen worse. The monster is not that bad (well, it's mostly too dark to get a good look at him) and Agar at least has a sufficient role. To give you an idea of what to expect, this 50s-style creature-feature flick was shot in Texas by actors and crew associated with Larry Buchanan, namely on ZONTAR THE THING FROM VENUS! The film also stars Bill Thurman (IT'S ALIVE) as a deputy murdered off screen. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I believe this was released straight to television. Alpha's decent-looking budget DVD (some grain, some muted colors, and some very dark scenes) is the full 75-minute version, despite the attractive packaging claiming it's only 66 minutes.

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VIRGIN REPORT (1972) Director: Jess Franco, Image Entertainment. Attempting to cash in on the SCHOOLGIRL REPORT film craze in Germany during the early 1970s, Eurocult auteur extraordinaire Jess Franco lensed this incredibly cheap fake Mondo-esque report film discussing virginity and its importance or lack thereof throughout the world. Franco regulars Howard Vernon (AWFUL DR. ORLOF himself), Christina von Blanc (the VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD), Britt Nichols (the DAUGHTER OF DRACULA), and Ingrid Steinbach and Eva Garden, two familiar faces from the "report film" subgenre, re-enact historical events, international customs, and the modern dating habits surrounding the unattainable virgin. Clocking in at a very drawn-out 67 minutes (I am still unsure if this is the uncut version, the German version is reportedly 82 minutes), VIRGIN REPORT will only be of interest to completists of Franco and Ms. Nichols and her larger than life eyelashes. The only really interesting segment of the film is a direct lift from a SCHOOLGIRL film, with a lovely young teenage girl actively seeking to lose her virginity, first from her boyfriend who can't get it up and then from her lecherous next-door neighbor! With obvious stock footage of African tribal dances, a giant phallus used to break the hymen of a Greek girl, gory Inquisition torture sequences, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, smoking herbs engorging a girl's private parts, a Native American maiden breaking her hymen with a tree branch, man-on-the-street interviews, and a cheesy defloration "ceremony" in Cambodia (yeah right!). Don't be fooled, however, as all of these exciting elements don't keep the film consistently exciting. The disc presents the film in fullframe (which looks accurate, but knowing Franco the aspect ratio should probably be at least 1.66:1) and in German with English subtitles. Extra features include the original theatrical trailer, which contains all the really good parts and none of the draggy moments, and a brief stills gallery. (Casey Scott)

*

KNIFE OF ICE (1972) Director: Umberto Lenzi, Trash Mountain Video (Japan Region 2). Of Umberto Lenzi's accomplished early gialli, KNIFE OF ICE is probably his least-seen. It was the last collaboration between Lenzi and star Carroll Baker, who had already starred in three prior films for him (ORGASMO, PARANOIA, SO SWEET...SO PERVERSE), and is arguably their least effective effort. Thirteen-year-old Martha witnesses her parents' grisly death in a train wreck and loses her ability to speak. Years later, she lives in the countryside with her dying uncle. Her close cousin Jenny (the alluring Evelyn Stewart) comes to visit and is soon brutally murdered in the garage by an unknown assailant. It seems to be the work of a sex maniac, but what is Martha's connection to the murderer? With a nasty real-life bullfight during the opening credits, Eduardo Fajardo as a mysterious red herring chauffeur, a bloody kitty, a suspicious vagrant with silver eyes, tie-ins to Satan worship, a lengthy suspenseful sequence in a dark house during a loud thunderstorm, and a marvelous soundtrack by Marcello Giombini. Why Ms. Baker won't speak of her Italian films today is a mystery. She gives good performances in all of them (save perhaps BABA YAGA, where she seems almost somnambulistic) and it's hardly as if she was slumming by making films abroad. She has no dialogue in this film, but is still able to do a good job with facial expressions and hand gestures. Still, her distinctive voice is sorely missed. Umberto Lenzi's widescreen photography is preserved in its entirety in this 2.35:1 letterboxed transfer. It looks absolutely sensational, with a few instances of dirt around the frame and a single appearance of a white line. The mono audio (English only) sounds good, but dialogue is sometimes a little tough to decipher, sounding under-mixed. The Japanese subtitles are thankfully removable. Extras include the original theatrical trailer and liner notes in Japanese only. Is the disc worth the $40 retail price most people are asking? No, I don't think so. I've also noticed that many Eurocult discs appearing on the Japanese market tend to be released on Region 1 editions not far down the road; only at an affordable retail price of $15-25 could I recommend the purchase, and even then to giallo and Umberto Lenzi completists only. KNIFE OF ICE isn't an awful film, far from it, it's just not a giallo worth revisiting. Lenzi's earlier films are far more deserving of restoration on DVD. (Casey Scott)

*

FRAULEIN LEATHER (1974) Director: Nick Phillips, Guilty Pleasures/Media Blasters. Director Nick Phillips is well-known for his fetish-driven adult films, usually involving leather, shoes, lesbianism, and sex toys. Lost for years, they are finally starting to resurface on home video thanks to the efforts of RetroSeduction Cinema, who have preserved a number of Phillips' most noteworthy films. Media Blasters' Guilty Pleasures cult film line has licensed two Phillips films, FRAULEIN LEATHER and BRIGITTA. The first to be released, FRAULEIN LEATHER, is a real surprise! It's a hardcore film, which is even more shocking considering the disc can be found through many major retail outlets! The storyline is slight: an unhappy housewife (who might be played by lovely blonde Barbara Mills, making this her only hardcore footage!) who, while her philandering husband is away on business, has a lengthy lesbian fantasy fever dream. In the fantasy, she encounters toothy skinflick regular Lynn Harris (PLEASURES OF A WOMAN, CONVICTS WOMEN) while running on the beach and apprehensively pursues lesbian sex. Lynn invites over two more lesbian galpals, decked in leather, and much masturbation, cunnilingus, and dildoplay ensues, all 100% hardcore! Phillips directs all the action within one shady apartment, behind closed blinds, making the film even more scuzzy than it already is. For some reason, the film is presented in widescreen, which I am positive is not the correct aspect ratio. Films of this nature were usually shot on cheap film stock, usually 16mm, in the Academy ratio (1.33:1), which Phillips did with ROXANNA and PLEAURES OF A WOMAN, issued on DVD in fullframe from RetroSeduction Cinema. The audio is strictly jazzy library music and breathy female narration, both of which collide lethally in some instances. Sometimes you can't hear the vocal because of over-recording during the dubbing process or because the music is amped too high, but what you can hear is priceless smutty sex talk. Extras are restricted to trailers for other Guilty Pleasures discs, including two Ray Dennis Steckler flicks, THE LEMON GROVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS and RAT PFINK A BOO BOO, and REVENGE (which looks like standards 80s shot-on-video trash). (Casey Scott)

*

ICH, EIN GROUPIE (1970) Director: Erwin C. Dietrich, Pal Region 0. Erwin C. Dietrich, who has been very kind to his fans by releasing his vast library of cult classics on digitally remastered DVD's, has seen fit to start an Ingrid Steeger Collection, commemorating the buxom blonde starlet of a number of his most popular sexploitation films. This, her first film, has a rocky history, originally starting with director Jack Hill (whose on-set experiences were so bad he named the villainous warden Dietrich in THE BIG DOLL HOUSE to get even with the producer!) and producer Roger Corman with their hands in the pie, but Dietrich soon nixed their contract and went it alone, lensing the project himself. Steeger plays a naive young English girl who becomes enthralled with a pretty drab psychedelic rock group playing in a park for wild dancing hippies. She is soon swept up into their drug culture, smoking pot and dropping acid with her fellow sex-hungry groupies, following bands like Birth Control and Murphy Blend (!!), riding naked on hogs with the Hell's Angels, tuning in, dropping out, and all manner of crazy shenanigans, including taking part in a satanic ritual!! It's not as enjoyable as the SCHOOLGIRL REPORT series, and gets really boring during most of the 80 minute running time, but does one thing few other films of the time did: capture the psychedelic social climate of Germany in the 60s, where most films have centered on the U.S. and the U.K. For this reason alone, the film is a historical oddity Eurocult fanatics should track down. Not to mention Ms. Steeger is one foxy lady! The film is presented letterboxed at 1.85:1, anamorphically enhanced, and colors are a bit faded and bleed from time to time, but overall this is a fine restoration. The box states the film is in 2.35:1, which is incorrect; there is a good amount of information missing on the sides (including parts of the credits) that can't be accounted for with TV overscan, so perhaps the image spreads out nicely on a 16x9 monitor. The film is completely uncut, with all the eye-popping nudity and rampant drug use intact, and offers four language options: Deutsch, English, French, and Italian. The English dub is very poorly done, muffled and done on the cheap by maybe four or five people, with the German track (obviously) being the preferable choice. Unfortunately, there are no English subtitles included for the feature, which seems strange when you can see subtitled scenes from the film in the accompanying featurette. Erwin Dietrich talks about the making of the film, his experiences working with the lovely Steeger, and how she (like many exploitation actresses) disowned her low-budget beginnings when she became a big TV star in Germany. She now refuses to speak of her exploitation films! Strangely, the subtitles quit working about 3 minutes before the featurette ends, so only German-speakers will understand Dietrich's final words on the film and Steeger. No trailer, alas, and a slideshow offers only a few tantalizing production photos. Future installments in the Ingrid Steeger Collection will include THE SWINGING STEWARDESSES (1971), THE SEX ADVENTURES OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1971), BLUTJUNGE VERFUHRERINNEN 1 (1972), THE YOUNG SEDUCERS (1972), BLUTJUNGE VERFUHRERINNEN 3 (1972), and WHITE SLAVERS (1972). (Casey Scott)

*

MANOS THE HANDS OF FATE (1966) Director: Hal Warren, Alpha Home Video. An unhappily married couple and their oblivious young daughter take a detour through the desert en route to their vacation spot and find themselves lost. They are forced to spend the night at a dilapidated house occupied by the very weird Torgo, who is part of a Satanic cult residing in the backyard! Probably the most infamous obscure bad movie of all time, this Texas regional chiller was all but forgotten until Comedy Central's "Mystery Science Theater 3000" grabbed hold of it and lampooned the cheesy Satanic cult story to create one of its best-loved episodes. Unfortunately, most viewers who blast the film have never seen it in a complete version, which is why this Alpha disc is a godsend! It appears to be culled from Sinister Cinema's print, which lops off about 30-40 seconds of the opening drive, but includes all the footage sliced from the film for it to fit into the MST3K timeslot. Performances, camerawork, lighting, and editing are awful at best, but what most viewers might finally be able to appreciate about this film is its eerie otherworldly quality. I'm not saying it's an undiscovered masterpiece, but it does succeed in disorienting the viewer, the feel of a regional low-budget film is reminiscent of the later TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and the shock ending is very surprising! And I'm probably the only person in the world who would love a MANOS THE HANDS OF FATE soundtrack album; this jazzy score is hip! The Alpha disc, other than missing the 30-40 seconds near the beginning, is quite a welcome surprise release! Until someone steps up to the plate and tries to track down the original elements (Something Weird Video, we're looking at you!), MANOS will never look great. Bleeding colors and a brown tint to the whole film actually does help the dreadful atmosphere, and the muffled dubbed soundtrack (recorded by only four people!) sounds as bold as it ever will. Even though it's just a budget DVD, this is one of my favorite discs of 2003! Long live Manos! (Casey Scott)

*

THE GHOST (1963) Director: Riccardo Freda, Alpha Home Video. The luscious Barbara Steele (Bava's BLACK SUNDAY and countless other Italo horrors of the 60s) is the philandering Margaret Hitchcock, the wife of deteriorating Dr. Hichcock (relation to the titular HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK is questionable). She has an affair with Dr. Livingstone, Hichcock's physician who aids her in killing the old man. But Hichcock won't rest easy, as his ghost returns to haunt his wife and drive her insane! With a simply beautiful score by Francesco de Masi (a long way from NEW YORK RIPPER) and Bava favorite Harriet White Medin as the maid. Italian Gothic horror is a genre that has yet to be given a definitive DVD release (save perhaps Synapse's CASTLE OF BLOOD), and Alpha's budget release of THE GHOST is no exception. The film still has the first two reels mixed up and, like many of their discs, seems to be taken from Sinister Cinema's print. The disc looks at least better than the Brentwood disc available in various DVD sets, with full colors and bombastic sound. It's mildly letterboxed in some spots, with a black bar appearing at the top and bottom of the screen at various moments during the running time, but does not stay permanent and can't decide between 1.66:1 and a smaller ratio. Until someone does this classic justice by going back to the original elements, this is a worthy purchase. But personally, I would gladly upgrade for a remastered letterboxed uncut version, with the reels in proper place, too! Any takers? (Casey Scott)

*

THE NASTY RABBIT (1964) Director: James Landis, Alpha Home Video. In what is perhaps Arch Hall, Jr.'s worst film (and that's a mighty hard thing to accomplish), he plays a teen rock star who is also an undercover agent sent to keep an eye on a Russian spy moonlighting at an isolated dude ranch with an infected rabbit he is preparing to set loose on the United States. This provides Arch with plenty of musical number opportunities, but unfortunately he seems to be really hating the moviemaking experience this time around. He's not as goofily charming as he was in EEGAH!, nor as flat-out excellent as in THE SADIST, so this is worth owning for completists only (which I am not). The comedy is weak and the plot so thin I could care less what happened during the much-too-long 95-minute running time. Surprise, surprise, the movie is letterboxed!! Doesn't make it a GOOD movie, but it's kinda surprising given Alpha's fullscreen track record. The color palette of the film is as good as one of Something Weird's DVD-R's, displaying some possible restoration but still with plenty of dirt, scratches, and grainy sequences. The highlight of the movie is Liz Renay as the provocative Cecilia Solomon, but even she can't make the movie worth purchasing. Skip it, even for $5. (Casey Scott)

*

ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT (1936) Director: Christy Cabanne, Alpha Home Video. Grouchy Jasper Whyte (Charles Grapewin from THE WIZARD OF OZ) assembles his living heirs and acquaintances for the reading of his will during one loud stormy night at his sprawling mansion. Arriving just in time is his long-lost granddaughter...and soon after, another woman claiming to be his granddaughter barges in! Before it can be determined who is the real relative, one of them is murdered and so begins a series of murders, with plenty of red herrings, prime suspects, and a storm that simply will not end! One of the very best of the Poverty Row "Forgotten Horrors," this Alpha budget disc is unfortunately a sorry affair. The print used (which I assume is from Sinister Cinema) is very, very dark, which may be due to the shooting conditions, but I'm unsure. The sound is scratchy, but adequate for such a low-budget affair, but it would be nice to see what's going on most of the time. It's still a very enjoyable murder mystery, with great comic relief, atmosphere aplenty, and enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing. Highly recommended film, but a wary purchase recommendation. (Casey Scott)

*

WARNING FROM SPACE (1956) Director: Koji Shima, Alpha Home Video. In Japan's first color sci-fi film, a race of starfish aliens from another planet land on Earth to warn mankind of the dangers of nuclear testing, and how it will effect their planet in the long run. If that sounds familiar to you, keep in mind the same story was told in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL in 1951...but these aliens are a tad cooler-looking than Gort! This AIP-TV print has ugly title cards, but the film itself looks passable. Colors are fuzzy and faded, and it should be in widescreen, which is evidenced by obvious panning-and-scanning during some pivotal sequences, but I don't think Daiei will be leasing this film out to anyone soon (I'd love to be proven wrong). The starfish aliens are very effective, even when they're obviously men in suits, and a look at 1950s Japan is always fascinating. Recommended purchase...but imagine how nice this would look remastered!! (Casey Scott)

*

SANTO IN THE DIABOLICAL AXE (1964) Director: José Díaz Morales. Rise Above Entertainment. Another early black and white Santo (el Enmascarado de Plata) outing, this Mexican-made cheapie also explores the origins of our hero. Opening up in 1603, some monks place the body of an ancestor of El Santo (wearing the same modern 60s costume and mask) to rest, and a at the same time, a black-hooded man swears vengeance. Centuries later, Santo is menaced by the black-hooded menace with an axe, and is attacked in the ring (even his opponent helps him against this brute) and while he is sleeping. Santo sleeps with his mask and cape on, which I guess is the Mexican equivalent of our Ed Norton ("The Honeymooners") sleeping with his hat on. See Santo visit centuries past by sticking a beanie on his head that's attached to a time machine. See Santo take off his mask to kiss his blonde girlfriend (no, we only see the back of his dark-haired head). The film also stars the beautiful Lorena Velázquez, and proves that most Mexican baddies turn into bats, even if they are not vampires. The director also did SANTO IN THE WITCHES ATTACK, which is very similar in its surreal narrative. The disc features a decent black and white full frame transfer with some occasional print damage, and is in Spanish with optional English subtitles. Includes other Santo trailers, a still gallery, the now familiar "best of" Santo clip, and liner notes by David Wilt. (George R. Reis)

*

REVENGE OF THE NINJA (1983) Director: Sam Firstenberg. MGM. When Rhino released the Sho Kosugi "classic" 9 DEATHS OF THE NINJA on DVD a couple of years ago, I was left wondering "Where is REVENGE OF THE NINJA, and who has the DVD rights?" Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. A year or so ago, MGM released a line of action titles to DVD: one of which, was AMERICAN NINJA. I knew that if they owned and were releasing the film, that it would only be a matter of time before they unleashed Sho Kosugi's greatest accomplishment, as well as the essential 1980's ninja movie, REVENGE OF THE NINJA. I was right. The story of Cho and his son moving to America to open an oriental doll business, all the while being used by a mafia-killing ninja drug-dealer smuggling heroin through the dolls will finally be passed on to the DVD generation. All I can say is, God bless you, MGM! Many companies would've sat on a low-key 80's title like this, possibly never releasing it, but MGM chose to release it, much to the rejoicing of all us who grew up admiring Sho Kosugi. To a minor degree, Sho Kosugi was to children of the 80's what Bruce Lee was to children of the 70's. Can ninjas really scale buildings and disappear into clouds of smoke? I don't know, but REVENGE OF THE NINJA makes you believe anything is possible when dealing with the deadly assassins known as ninjas. I love the film, but am not afraid to list its flaws (most of all, it's quite cheesy). But, if you like seeing ninjas fighting, being stealthy, and using a lot of really unique/cool weaponry, look no further than this film. Sho Kosugi's fight choreography is second-to-none, and the weapons in this film (to use a term favored by a popular ninja website) are "totally sweet." On the disc, MGM has given us fans two great treats and one disappointment. First of all, we get to see the original theatrical trailer. Secondly, MGM has gone out of their way to provide fans with the original uncut version of the film, despite the R rating on the box. If your only exposure to REVENGE OF THE NINJA has been through late-night cable and VHS, then you truly have not seen REVENGE OF THE NINJA. Most of the blood was added to the ending although it appeared to me that bloody bits and pieces were added here and there throughout the film as well. Now, for the disappointment: The disc is full screen only. I've only seen it in full screen over the years, and in some ways, I think I prefer that. Don't get me wrong, I would've loved a widescreen print, however, I somewhat prefer seeing it as I did when I was a kid. When I didn't know what things such as "anamorphic" and "widescreen" meant…back when I thought ninjas could scale buildings and disappear into thin air by using smoke bombs. While I definitely would've welcomed more extras (a Sho Kosugi commentary maybe?) and a widescreen print, there is absolutely nothing wrong with MGM's current disc of REVENGE OF THE NINJA. The sound is much crisper than it has been in the past and the video, for the most part, looks beautiful. I highly recommend it to any and all ninja, martial arts, and Sho Kosugi fans out there. A very fun flick and a nice disc. Now, MGM, bring us ENTER THE NINJA and NINJA III: THE DOMINATION! (Wes Ray)

*

X-312 FLIGHT TO HELL (1971) Director: Jess Franco. Image Entertainment. One of hard-working Jess Franco's more obscure 70s outings, X-312 FLIGHT TO HELL was originally to star Soledad Miranda before her untimely death, and it feels like the work of a melancholy director trying to make sense of the shattered pieces of his life. This was also Franco's last film before he recruited new additions to the regular cast of Franco freaks (Anne Libert, Britt Nichols, and Alice Arno included) and began directing off-the-wall sex-n-violence pictures for Comptoir. Looking at what came directly before and after this film, it can't help but be a disappointment. A gaggle of stock characters (the young couple, a rich drunk American woman, a mysterious dark-haired woman whom Soledad Miranda was to play, a reporter, a shifty steward) populate a plane leaving the political tension of Chile, which crashes into the Brazilian jungle; one of the passengers is a corrupt politician who is smuggling diamonds out of the country he left in turmoil. Tension mounts as various characters swipe at the diamonds; the group runs into a band of headhunting Indios, a pack of revolutionaries seeking the diamonds led by Howard Vernon in mucho tan makeup, and a surprise ending spares a happy finish for no one. Uh...FLIGHT TO HELL is an OK outing. It's not as sublime as Franco's Soledad Miranda films (one wonders if she could have elevated this flick as she did DEVIL CAME FROM AKASAVA) nor as maniacal as his Comptoir films (THE DEMONS, EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN, DAUGHTER OF DRACULA, DRACULA PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN, SINNER, PERVERSE COUNTESS), and it doesn't rest snugly between them, either. There's some good action, the script is not badly written, and the jungle location is well-done. But the few Franco regulars (Ewa Stroemberg, Howard Vernon, Paul Muller) aren't on-screen long enough to make even their biggest fans interested, and those aching for the standard Franco sex will be bored silly by an unenthusiastic lesbian scene (sometimes cut from other video versions) and the violence quotient is also very low. Still, Francophiles and completists should own this on their DVD shelf. The transfer is only slightly letterboxed at 1.66:1 (it looked a smaller ratio to me, much like Anchor Bay's MARK OF THE DEVIL) and features video noise and grain in most of the darker scenes. It's an acceptable transfer for a less-than-great film. Even though an English language version exists, this disc is in German with English subtitles. No other extras are included. Boo! (Casey Scott)

*

HANDS OF BLOOD (1974) Director: Perry Tong. Image Entertainment. Shot in Texas for $17,000 (and trust me, it looks it), HANDS OF BLOOD was originally released to Southern drive-ins as STEPSISTERS, and retitled THE TEXAS HILL KILLINGS when Sam Sherman acquired it in the 80s. Cheating charter pilot Thorpe Russell (Hal Fletcher) hypocritically chastises his wife Norma (soap star Bond Gideon) for the men that she sneaks into the house while he's away. Diana (Sharyn Talbert), Norma's stepsister comes to visit, and at first resenting Thorpe, she then has an affair with him. The first guy she dates when she gets to town gets axed in the head! Basically a double-crossing murder scenario with a twist ending and a lot of honky tonk music (the story is even summed up in song at the end). Running only 71 minutes (could there be a longer version?), this ultra cheap, crudely edited picture was shot on 16mm reversal and later blown up to 35mm, so don't expect a exquisite DVD transfer here. This will most likely appeal to those who admire the work of S.F. Brownrigg, but his films look big-budget Hollywood gloss in comparison. The disc does include a new video interview with producer/director/writer Perry Tong who calls the film a "D picture" and talks about the cast, locations, and other interesting tidbits. Released as part of Image's "Cult Cinema Collection," this DVD also features trailers for other Image releases, as well as the "House of Terror" Live Horror Show Promo. There's a booklet with strong liner notes by Jim Arena that includes quotes from Perry Tong and Sam Sherman.(George R. Reis)

*

SANTO IN THE WITCHES ATTACK (1964). Director: José Díaz Morales. Rise Above Entertainment. This is a very odd, early black and white Santo flick that opens with an unusually long pre-credit sequence. A young girl has a strange dream featuring stuffed animals, lizards, sexy witches and their brawny henchmen, and a masked superman who is able to ward off evil by raising his arms in the sign of the cross. The masked man turns out to be Santo (who has a high-rise apartment/office!), and she asks for his help when her boyfriend is abducted by a coven. The head witch is played by raven-haired Lorena Velázquez (DOCTOR OF DOOM, SAMSON VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMEN), and she has never looked more beautiful. Santo reluctantly turns down the advances of a demon-in-disguise bikini babe, is almost bitten by a huge spider, and gets beaten up a lot. The sole wrestling match was borrowed from an earlier Santo film. This dreamlike, atmospheric Santo effort is very different from the conventional Rene Cardona entries, and if you think it reminds you of HORROR HOTEL (aka CITY OF THE DEAD), watch out for a clip borrowed from that very film! SANTO IN THE WITCHES ATTACK is actually played out in three acts (with title cards), and the reason for this is explained in David Wilt's liner notes, as well as some interesting facts on producer Luis Enrique Vergara. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. The black and white full frame transfer here is serviceable, and the disc includes trailers, a still gallery and a "best of" Santo clip. (George R. Reis)

*

SANTO IN THE VENGEANCE OF THE CRYING WOMAN (1974). Director: Miguel M. Delgado. Rise Above Entertainment. Another of numerous 70s Santo (the Mexican masked superstar wrestler/actor) adventures, this one concerns the "crying woman," sort of a legend south of the border. Santo helps a professor and his pretty nieces find a medallion from a mummified woman in a cave that will help them find a treasure (Santo does this only because the money will go to help children!). The horrifying "crying woman" comes back to terrorize after 300 years, and in human form, poses as a friendly neighbor, luring small children with toys. The make-up is pretty good (for a Santo film), and Santo has a sidekick in the form of a real-life Cuban boxer José "Mantequilla" Nápoles (his name is actually in the original title), who looks silly without trying to be. Santo's son plays an admirer who watches his bouts on TV, and his sister is played by a little girl who is given a ridiculous grown woman's voice! Santo and his boxing pal never meet the "crying woman," but they fight some brutes lead by a gangster played by director René Cardona Sr.! Both Santo and Nápoles model some very loud 70s threads. Rise Above Entertainment keeps belting these out, and this title has a decent full frame color transfer with English subtitles, trailers, a "best of" Santo clip, a still gallery, and fine liner notes by David Wilt. (George R. Reis)

*

SOUND OF HORROR (1964) Director: José Antonio Nieves Conde. Alpha Video. In Greece, some WWII vets are in search of a treasure hidden in a cave for years. Using explosions in their operation, they un-hatch a prehistoric egg and unleash a dinosaur. The creature happens to be invisible but makes some extremely piercing shrieks. From what you can presume here, the film is short on effects, but does have a drawing premise and some memorable scares. You never see the monster (well, at the end you sort of see it and it kind of looks like the outline of "Barney"), but there's some pretty graphic killings and other unusual scenes. A Spanish production, the film is notable for the first screen appearance of Ingrid Pitt, years before her Hammer glamour tenure, and an early turn by the late Soldedad Miranda prior to her association with director Jess Franco. Both actresses do sexy dances and are naturally admired by the male characters. SOUND OF HORROR was released in the U.S. by Europix (on a double-bill with Mario Bava's KILL, BABY... KILL!), was a late-night TV favorite in the 70s, and then pretty much vanished. Alpha's disc of this black and white effort is a bit soft and dark, but is very much watchable and it includes an original trailer. Don't expect a stunning transfer, but easily recommendable, especially because of the low retail cost and the cult status of the two leading ladies. (George R. Reis)

*

RING OF TERROR (1962) Director: Clark L. Paylow. Alpha Video. One of the worst horror films of the 60s, RING OF TERROR has a one-dimensional plot twist, and while you're sitting there forever waiting for something to happen, nothing ever does. The story has a group of hairline-receding med students and their sorted fraternity hazing while pledging new members. George E. Mather (who was in his early 40s when this was shot!) is a student who shows his lack of fear by killing a snake while parked with his babe, or bringing in a cadaver for an autopsy demonstration. In the end, his fear catches up with him (look at the DVD cover). There's a silly mortician narrator who accidentally steps on his cat's tail while introducing this nonsense, and he sounds a bit like Criswell from the Ed Wood films. There's a fat student (he kind of resembles Lumpy from "Leave It To Beaver") and his big-boned gal who are both obsessed with food, namely ice cream and hot dogs. It only runs 66 minutes, but feels longer. Director Paylow was an assistant director on some of the AIP "beach" movies and went on to produce SAVANNAH SMILES several years before his death. Alpha's full frame DVD of this black & white no-budget schlock looks pretty good, culled from a nice print source, and a trailer is included. (George R. Reis)

*

THE GLORY STOMPERS (1967) Director: Anthony M. Lanza. King Records, Region 2, NTSC, Japan. This is one of the earliest films where Dennis Hopper started playing drugged out, longhaired space cadets who said "man" in just about every sentence. He's actually the leader of the biker gang, The Black Souls, while nice guy Jody McCrea (just finishing a string of AIP beach films) is the leader of the rival Stompers. He is beaten and left for dead by the Souls who then abduct his blonde old lady (Chris Noel). Actually, McCrea was merely knocked out and now he's out to find his woman and get revenge. Meanwhile, Hopper and his mates plan to sell Noel to a wealthy Mexican across the border! They keep her tied up, use her as a plaything, and do some balling, boozing, and babbling about a better life. McCrea wastes no time tracking The Souls down, enlisting the help of an over the hill rider, played by Jock Mahoney (THE LAND UNKNOWN). Originally released by AIP, THE GLORY STOMPERS is shoddy and amateurish looking (the production was filmed entirely outdoors), but it has the advantage of fast paced, rousing action with an added dose of blood. Hopper's persona is a sort of a preparation for his EASY RIDER character (in terms of appearance and speech). The cast also includes Casey Kasem ("keep your feet on ground and keep watching the stars") as a freaky, bearded clown called Mouth (perhaps this was the original inspiration for Scooby Doo's pal, Shaggy?); Bing Crosby's son Lindsay; and Robert Tessier (onetime "Mr. Clean" and an actor who usually plays the bald guy in biker films) as a strangely-haired, one-eyed vagabond named Magoo! Lanza later directed THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT also for AlP. The good news is that this Japanese import is beautifully remastered in the original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio (for the first time on home video) with anamorphic enhancement. The mono audio (with removable Japanese subtitles) has a few muffled parts, but is also given a noticeable boost. King Records' transfer includes new Orion and MGM logos, so this title is screaming for a "Midnite Movies" release in the U.S. Extras include a still gallery (from the U.S. pressbook), a bio on Hopper (all in Japanese), and the original trailer. A nice insert booklet is included, but hence, all in Japanese. (George R. Reis)

*

HELL'S ANGELS '69 (1969) Director: Lee Madden. King Records, Region 2, NTSC, Japan. This AIP release blends the usual biker film exploits with a plot that involves a Vegas casino heist. Jeremy Slate (HELL'S BELLES) and Tom Stern (ANGELS FROM HELL) play two wealthy, danger-loving half brothers who pose as bikers who call themselves "Salem Witches." They mingle with a bunch of California Hell's Angels who hesitantly allow them to temporarily tag along. These Angels (Sonny Barger and a few real Angels have significant acting parts) are tougher and scarier than usual. The two outsiders check into Caesar's Palace and coerce the Angels into causing a minor riot outside the hotel doors. It's all part of a scheme they've devised to nab $600,000 from the casino while disguised as clean cut businessmen. They are able to flee with the loot, but an Angels' female member (Connie Van Dyke) has discovered Slate and Stern's felonious feat, and they are now forced to take her along with them. Tension brews as the Angels catch wind of the scheme through the police. This fresh approach to the genre benefits from a good screenplay by Slate and Stern (who actually look like they could be brothers) and the picturesque Nevada backdrop. This Japanese import presents the film in a decent full screen (open matte of what should be 1.85:1) transfer with a superior mono audio track (the Japanese subtitles are removable). It also includes an original trailer, a bio on Sonny Barger (in Japanese), scenes from other biker films available on DVD through King Records in Japan, and an insert booklet in Japanese. Anyone interested in ordering THE GLORY STOMPERS or HELL'S ANGELS '69 can check out CD Japan's Web site. (George R. Reis)

*

THE THREE STOOGES: THE THREE STOOGES IN HISTORY (1935-1948). Columbia TriStar. Over the past couple of years, Columbia TriStar has thankfully been releasing Three Stooges short films (as a well as full-length features) on DVD. This latest installment features the slapstick masters in various historical scenarios: RESTLESS KNIGHTS is an early Curly classic from 1935. In Medieval times, the stooges discovery that they are of royal blood, are appointed as a queen's royal guards, are sentenced to death and escape, and attempt to rescue her after she is abducted. Also with Curly, 1942's MATRI-PHONY has the boys as store-owning potters in ancient Rome who get mixed up in a nearly blind emperor's (Vernon Dent) penchant for redheads, prompting Curly to go drag. The other three shorts all feature Shemp and are all from 1948: SQUAREHEADS OF THE ROUND TABLE has the Stooges as royal troubadours in Elizabethan times who team with Cedric the Blacksmith (famed stuntman Jock Mahoney) to win back the beautiful Princess Elaine (Christine McIntyre) who is being forced to wed the hateful Black Prince (Philip Van Zandt). FIDDLERS THREE has Moeth, Larryeth and Shempeth as royal fiddlers who get trapped unexpectedly in an evil magician's trick box, getting poked with huge swords in one of their best routines. My personal favorite in this collection, I'M A MONKEY'S UNCLE has Moe, Larry and Shemp as cavemen who are faced with everyday routine choirs, and later fight three other brutes to win over their sweethearts Aggie, Maggie and Baggie. This short--with its stone age props, sight gags and dialog--makes you think that the Stooges influenced Mel Brooks and The Flintstones, and scenes from it later were incorporated in their 1955 short, STONE AGE ROMEOS. Quality is excellent on all the full frame shorts represented here, and there's a Spanish language option ("Los Tres Chiflados") with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. My only complaint is that there are only five shorts rather than the usual six or seven that Columbia has issued on previous Stooges DVDs. Otherwise, this is a nicely-paired up collection, and there's more Shemp's than Curly's. As much as I love Curly, Shemp is the man! Keep the Three Stooges DVDs coming Columbia! (George R. Reis)

*

THE STEEL FISTED DRAGON (1982) Director: Iksan Lahardi. Company: VCI. Yet another Hong Kong chop-socky import, this features an actor who calls himself "Steve Lee" ("The Greatest Kung-Fu Fighter Since BRUCE LEE" screams the poster). It immediately opens with Lee's mother being murdered while her house burns to the ground, and our Kung-Fu expert spends the rest of the running time perusing her killer, leading to a climatic showdown with an actor called Johnny Hong Kong (I'm not making this up!). Not much else plotwise in these 78 minutes, but there are lots of elongated fight sequences, cartoon violence (Lee literally pokes someone's eyeballs out!), a rape scene, a dim-witted sidekick, and theme music that resembles the first few chords of The Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer." This was distributed in the U.S. by Cobra Media, the company that Herman Cohen formed after he stopped producing his own films. Although it's given a 1982 date (the year it played here), the shaggy hairdos dictate that this was lensed sometime in the happy face decade. The negative source materials displays some muted colors, but VCI's 2.35:1 widescreen 16x9 transfer is very clean and acceptable, and the Australian-accented dubbing (where everyone shouts "bastard" to each other) makes for a serviceable audio track. Extras include two trailers for the film (depicting some semi-nude female wrestling not in the feature), letterboxed Hong Kong trailers for three Bruce Lee films, as well as one for Brandon Lee's first theatrical effort, LEGACY OF RAGE. (George R. Reis)

 

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