Alongside an Editor’s Blog, Part 3 of Video Tales offers up reviews of Jake West’s superlative documentary Video Nasties: Draconian Days (Severin / Nucleus Films) + Grindhouse Trailer Classics.
Jake West’s follow-up to Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) is another superb chapter in the history of Britain’s Video Nasties era, in which the lack of any ratings system by a government agency was in large part responsible for a glut of unrated films in rental shops…
Part 2 of Video Tales includes a review of Jake West’s excellent 2010 doc Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship and Videotape (Severin / Nucleus) + scans of another 1980s video store catalogue!
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Britain’s infamous Video Records Act (VRA) in which 72 horror films (dubbed ‘video nasties’ by sleazebag media outlets such as the Daily Mail) were banned by the BBFC due to ‘depraved content,’ Severin Films have picked up the North American video rights to Jake West’s superb documentary…
Synapse Films released a swanky new Blu-ray / DVD combo edition of Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter’s slasher classic The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) which, like Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead (1981), was branded by Britain’s paranoid censor board as a Video Nasty…
Review of Frank Henenlotter’s vivid and very epic genre chronicle That’s Sexploitation! (2013) on Blu from Severin Films + an Editor’s Blog on creating a Plan B in the event bricks & mortar shops like Toronto’s iconic Suspect Video begin to close in rapid succession.
Arrow Video’s first venture in publishing is this limited hardcover book that gathers many of the essays, intros, and preambles designed to not only accompany selected Blu-ray & DVD releases in England and America, but contextualize the films and series…
Film: Excellent/ DVD Transfer: Good/ DVD Extras: Standard Label: Severin Films / Region: 1 (NTSC) / Released: October 8, 2013 Genre: Documentary / Video Nasty / Film History Synopsis: Still provocative chronicle of the emotional fervour that led to the banning of videos in 1980s Britain during the “Video Nasty” era. Special Features: Bonus Featurette – […]
From a rare 1980s photograph of his old corner video shop, author and podcaster Noel Mellor imposed a unique challenge on his viewing habits: find the actual VHS tapes in that photo of long-gone Video World, re-experience exploitation classics on a VCR and old tube TV…
Michael Winner’s espionage thriller is really a thinly veiled variation of his prior film, the hitman classic The Mechanic (1970), in which an aged & experienced ace ultimately becomes the target of his younger partner, a cocksure snot eager to raise his own profile and become the top in his profession…
The Death of a Bully: Blockbuster Canada
Review of Taylor Morden’s THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER (2020) from Passion River on Blu + seeing the behemoth wither, self-flagellate, and die from the Canadian side.
Rebel Without Much of a Plot: Laserblast (1978)
Review of LASERBLAST (1978), Charles Band’s eccentric sci-fi production, starring Kim Milford, Cheryl Smith, and a powerful alien pineapple!
Alain Jessua’s Shock Treatment (1973)
Review of Severin’s lovely Blu-ray of Alain Jessua’s SHOCK TREATMENT / TRAITEMENT DE CHOC (1973), starring Alain Delon and Annie Girardot.
Podcast: Jason Pichonsky on Restoring Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + PHOBIA (1980)
Alongside a podcast with CanCon film historian Jason Pichonsky are revised reviews of Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + John Huston’s PHOBIA (1980), both from KINO Lorber / Unobstructed View.
Podcast: ANNE WITH AN E composers Amin Bhatia & Ari Posner
Podcast interview with ANNE WITH AN E’s composing team Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner.
Podcast: Austin Wintory’s REMNANTS + ERICA (2019)
In a new podcast, composer Austin Wintory discusses scoring the interactive PS4 video game ERICA + the eclectic music on the compilation album REMNANTS.
BR: Last Blockbuster, The (2020)
There’s a tall tale in how a video rental chain that peaked in 2004 with over 9,000 locations and 84,000 staffers globally now exists as one store in Bend, Oregon, run by a family and loyal staffers…
The production of Laserblast in 1978 seems to be the net result of good timing which enabled a slight idea to quickly blossom into a full-fledged movie, but with a tight budget and a semi-coherent script…
BR: Shock Treatment / Traitement de choc (1973)
It’s a little challenging to define Alain Jessua’s odd little thriller, which is neither a full horror film nor blatant satire of chi-chi health clinics…
DVD: Day Time Ended, The (1979)
Although a fair share of the images within the original movie poster do appear within The Day Time Ended, this clumsily designed sci-fi is…
BR: Death Laid an Egg / La morte ha fatto l’uovo / Plucked (1968)
Giulio Questi’s Death Laid an Egg will probably rank as the strangest giallo ever produced, if not a leading example of Cinema Bizarre…
Written during his busiest period (1968-1970), Quincy Jones’ score for John and Mary was quite sparse, leaving obligatory space for the film’s myriad dialogue exchanges and source music, but the score is memorable for being atypical of the material Jones was writing at the time: action comedies (The Italian Job, The Hell with Heroes), comedies (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,Cactus Flower), and the funky style of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!
For some soundtrack fans, it was a bit of surprise to learn the composer of pioneering synth scores had begun his career with large orchestral scores for John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982)…
LP: Bourne Identity, The (2002)
The first film in the enduring franchise gave John Powell the perfect opportunity to write what remains both his definitive action sound, and the definitive action score of that decade, blending large orchestral sounds with layers upon layers of electronics…
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