News

February is shaping up to be an exciting month for horror fans as Nyx UK unveils a packed lineup celebrating the genre’s most influential creators and iconic creatures. Women in Horror Week (10–16 February) will spotlight the extraordinary contributions of female filmmakers, while Zombie Week (3–9 February) takes viewers on a chilling journey through the legacy of the living dead. These programmes highlight Nyx UK’s commitment to delivering expertly curated horror content that captivates and terrifies in equal measure.

Women in Horror Week: A Tribute to Trailblazers

Kicking off on 10 February, Women in Horror Week showcases films directed by some of the genre’s most innovative female voices. Axelle Carolyn opens the event with Soulmate (2013), a gothic tale of grief and the supernatural. On 11 February, Marina de Van’s psychological horror Dark Touch (2013) explores trauma with supernatural undertones, creating a deeply unsettling experience.

Ida Lupino’s groundbreaking noir classic The Hitch-Hiker (1953) screens on 12 February,...

Thanks to a fluke in Night of the Living Dead’s original copyright notice, the modern concept of “zombies” has been in the public domain since the release of Romero’s masterpiece back in 1968. That’s why it’s no surprise that so many filmmakers have gone on to reappropriate and update these undead flesh-eaters for new audiences, often changing their mythology and behavior in order to better suit their respective stories.

Naturally, some takes on these shambling corpses are stranger than others, and that’s why we’ve decided to compile a list celebrating six of the weirdest zombies in horror movies. After all, when it comes to breaking the rules, no one does it better than the horror genre!

Before we begin, I think it’s worth noting that we’ll defining “zombie” as any form of cannibalistic ghoul derived from an infectious outbreak – so there’s no...

Umberto Lenzi’s Nightmare Beach is a prime slice of late-’80s Italian horror filmmaking. Though it may not be as visually stylish as Dario Argento’s Opera or Michele Soavi’s The Church, the film nevertheless delivers the goods sought after by genre aficionados: set pieces of gory violence and unabashed nudity, a raucous heavy metal-infused soundtrack, and a complete disregard for conventional narrative logic. What’s more, in typically Italian fashion, Lenzi’s film gleefully smashes together various genre tropes in engagingly unpredictable fashion.

Glum footballer Skip (Nicolas De Toth) and his horndog buddy Ronny (Rawley Valverde) arrive for spring break in South Florida just as a killer on a motorcycle starts electrocuting young revelers in a variety of amusingly improbable ways. Taking a page from the Jaws playbook, the primary concern of the local bigwigs—Mayor Loomis (Fred Buck), dipso medico Doc Willet (Michael Parks), and brutal...

Severin Films is taking over Brain Dead Studios in Los Angeles for its annual Super-Shock Pop-Up Film Festival Triple Feature on Saturday, August 24.

Viewers will be treated to a one-night-only screening of three mystery titles that will be released by Severin on 4K Uhd/Blu-ray in the coming year, along with trailer reveals, free swag, and a wide selection of Severin merch.

“Super-Shock is part fan appreciation event, part future-titles reveal, and 100% Severin Films gala celebration,” says Severin president David Gregory. “This year promises to our biggest and best yet.”

Founded in 2006, Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming, and beyond. Their catalog includes films from Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dennis Hopper, Joko Anwar, Alex de la Iglesia, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi, Paul Morrissey, Jess Franco, and many more.

Brain Dead Studios is located at 611 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles,...

Nyx UK presents nine horrific channel premieres in August, headed up by FrightFest classics The Last Horror Movie and Summer Scars. Both disturbing psychological horrors are directed by Julian Richards and star Kevin Howarth in two of his most memorable roles. Nyz UK also premieres Darklands, another British horror film directed by Julian Richards, which delves into the world of ancient pagan rituals and modern-day conspiracies and stars Craig Fairbrass.

Other 9pm primetime channel premieres include The Greywood Plot (2021) an inventive horror-comedy film directed by Josh Stifter (Fri 2nd August), the atmospheric, twisty Inner Demon (2014), written and directed by Australian Ursula Dabrowsky (Thurs 8th August), Hell House LLC (2015), an American found footage horror film written and directed by Stephen Cognetti (Thurs 16th August) and Pin (1988), a Canadian psychological chiller which offers a daring exploration of a very unconventional family, directed by Sandor Stern

Then on Thurs 22nd August and Frid...

Get ready for some classic horror screenings at the sixth edition of Grindfest! This year’s festival looks to be an unforgettable cinematic experience from 13th to 15th September at the luxurious Art-Deco Regent in Christchurch. Tickets and passes are on sale now at The Regent and Dirt in the Gate.

Grindfest is the UK’s dedicated genre film festival, showcasing classic films on 35mm prints, a format beloved by cinephiles for its authentic, nostalgic appeal. The festival curators have scoured archives worldwide to present rare film prints, some of which are rarely screened in the UK.

Following last year’s unique Friday 13th 3D screening, this year’s festival features another 1980s 3D classic, Treasure of the Four Crowns. Presented in its original over/under 3D process, this film promises a cinema adventure you won’t forget.

Grindfest also champions emerging filmmaking talent with its ever-expanding Short Film Showcase.

‘A deeply twisted shocker… You will never, ever, ever find a psychotic she-monster more blood-chilling than Susan Tyrrell’

Coming Soon

‘An excellent shocker… queasy and wildly ahead of its time… Susan Tyrrell delivers a character unlike any other in horror history’

Mondo Digital

‘Tyrrell steals the show… the sight of her… clutching a machete and chasing a poor unfortunate through a stormy night is once seen, never forgotten!… I heartedly recommend you seek out’

Hysteria Lives

One of the notorious 1980s video nasties Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker has been lauded as ‘Brilliantly insane’ (Cool Ass Cinema) and a ‘horror gem, well-crafted, ripe for analysis… should not go overlooked (Bloody Disgusting) and now, thanks to Severin Films, you can witness the film like never before. The company announces a brand-new Special Edition Dual 4K Uhd and Blu-ray is set for its UK release on 13th May 2024.

In a surprising change of direction,...

"Immaculate" isn't.

Michael Mohan's new nunsploitation thriller doesn't possess the artistry or thoughtfulness to be a stirring analysis of Roman Catholic sexism, nor does it have the temerity to be an enjoyably trashy, violent, sex-soaked drive-in flick. To be sure, it possesses elements of both arthouse and grindhouse, but Mohan hasn't mastered either, leaving "Immaculate" in a frustrating middle-ground that will please no one. Some may be temporarily distracted by cinematographer Elisha Christian's clever, classy lighting choices -- there is a late-film chase through pitch-black catacombs that provides some modest thrills -- or by the funereal, liturgical score by Will Bates, but many will surely recognize a B-movie when they see it. 

"Immaculate" clearly wants to be, in its heart, fun/violent and ultra-salacious; it features multiple characters who clumsily wield a nine-inch nail that is said to have once affixed Christ's hand to the cross. There...

‘An underrated northern artist whose impact could have been greater given the right breaks. Cliff Twemlow’s story should provide encouragement to the current crop of British indie filmmakers. An essential watch’

*****

Starburst

‘Hugely entertaining documentary about a truly unique character… Jake West paints an affectionate portrait of a genuine one-off, whose work you’ll want to dive into once credits roll’

Dexerto

‘A fascinating man… Cliff absolutely deserves a place in the pantheon of low-budget, guerrilla-style filmmakers and hopefully this documentary will introduce him to an entirely new audience’

*****

Set the Tape

Following its successful festival run and ahead of its digital release in June 2024, Severin Films announces a UK theatrical tour of the acclaimed film Mancunian Man the Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow.

Tour dates:

3 March – Nottingham Broadway + Q&a with Jake West & David Gregory

13 March – Birmingham – Mockingbird Cinema + Q&a with Jake West

23 March – Exeter – Exeter Phoenix...

Terry Levene, the schlock showman who as the head of Aquarius Releasing was behind such films as Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave and Doctor Butcher, Medical Deviate, has died. He was 90.

Levene died Jan. 13 surrounded by his family in Englewood, New Jersey, Severin Films executive Josh Johnson announced.

Operating out of an office above the Selwyn Theatre on West 42nd Street in New York, Levene creatively marketed low-budget American features including Isaac Hayes: Black Moses of Soul (1973) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).

For grindhouses and drive-ins, the onetime amateur boxer rebranded Lucio Fulci’s supernatural horror film The Beyond (1981) as Seven Doors of Death (1985) and Umberto Lenzi’s Italian shocker Cannibal Ferox (1981) as Make Them Die Slowly (1983), promoting the gory latter as “The Most Violent Film Ever! Banned in 31 Countries!”

Aquarius passed out barf bags to those paying to see Doctor Butcher, Medical Deviate (1983), which was a re-edited...

It’s a brand new year, and Deep Cuts Rising is back to spotlight less talked about horror movies. The first installment of 2024 features selections reflecting the month of January.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s offerings feature zombies, a killer New Year’s party and more.

Knife of Ice (1972)

Image: All but too late, Ida Galli (as Evelyn Stewart) spots the knife-wielding killer behind her in Knife of Ice.

Directed by Umberto Lenzi.

Giallo fans have designated both January and July as months for celebrating the genre. So it’s a great time to get acquainted with these stylish mysteries. Novices will naturally be drawn to the more popular and acclaimed filmmakers that gialli have to offer — Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci — but others like Umberto Lenzi shouldn’t be disregarded.

After helping to pioneer Italy’s budding giallo genre throughout the 1970s with influential titles like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, and Deep Red, Dario Argento took a brief sabbatical from the lurid thrillers to explore supernatural elements in Suspiria and Inferno. When the latter failed at the box office, he made a triumphant return to gialli in 1982 with Tenebrae (sometimes spelled Tenebre; originally released in the US as Unsane).

While his American contemporaries were trying to come up with inventive instruments of death to propel slasher films, Argento was designing more lavish ways to film his kill scenes. Suspiria remains his crowning achievement, but Tenebrae finds the filmmaker bringing his honed visual panache to the giallo sandbox in which he made a name for himself. The result stands not only as one of Argento’s strongest efforts but also a landmark giallo work.

If you're in the LA area this weekend, you won't want to miss out on a 12-hr horror and cult film marathon, dedicated to Grindhouse Releasing titles, including Pieces, Cannibal Holocaust, and more! Starting at noon at Lumiere Cinema, we have all the details and ticket links:

"Grindhouse Releasing will present a 12-hour horror and cult film marathon this Saturday August 12 at the Lumiere Cinema in Los Angeles.

Starting at noon, the event includes 35mm screenings of Lucio Fulci's The Beyond, Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust, J.P. Simon's chainsaw slasher classic Pieces, and the incredible Trailer Apocalypse, a feature-length compilation exclusive to theaters featuring 4 dozen rare and insane exploitation movie trailers.

Also showing are David Durston's drive-in horror classic I Drink Your Blood; Umberto Lenzi's Eurocrime smash The Tough Ones; the '70s cult classic An American Hippie In Israel, starring Asher Tzarfati and Shmuel Wolf...

While Italian genre cinema generated its fair share of classics throughout the ’70s and ’80s, filmmakers during that period were also quick to exploit successful trends. Lax copyright protections gave way to Italian rip-offs of such hits as The Exorcist, Jaws, Dawn of the Dead, Alien, The Evil Dead, and Mad Max, to name a few.

Not even Italy’s own productions were safe from imitation, as the cannibal subgenre proved. While 1972’s Man from Deep River is often cited as the originator, the international notoriety of Cannibal Holocaust ushered in the cannibal boom in 1980. Man from Deep River director Umberto Lenzi helmed another one of the subgenre’s highlights, Cannibal Ferox (originally released in the US as Make Them Die Slowly), in 1981.

Shot on location in the Amazon, the film follows three Americans to the Colombian jungles in search of an alleged cannibal village. Unfortunately for them, they find...

Tenebrae and Black Circle - Synapse Films Delivers Terrifying Sci-Fi Horror and Dark, Grisly Giallo in September: "On September 5th, acclaimed Spanish horror director Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s Black Circle comes to Blu-ray in an impressive edition that includes its original soundtrack on CD.

When sisters Celeste and Isa play a mysterious vinyl record from the 1970s, neither had any idea what they would unlock. They soon discover that the record, meant to induce calmness, created duplicates of themselves. As their doppelgängers grow in strength their only hope lies in finding the hypnotist who created the recording years ago. Featuring a mesmerizing score by Rickard Gramfors and a haunting performance by Christina Lindberg (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), Black Circle is a film you won’t soon forget.

The Blu-ray edition includes the original motion picture soundtrack on an included CD; an audio commentary with director Adrian Garcia Bogliano; the original...

Bloody Disgusting has learned that Grindhouse Releasing is hosting a 12-hour horror and cult film marathon this Saturday, August 12 at the Lumiere Cinema in Los Angeles.

Starting at noon, the event includes 35mm screenings of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust, J.P. Simon’s chainsaw slasher classic Pieces, and the incredible Trailer Apocalypse, a feature-length compilation exclusive to theaters featuring 4 dozen rare and insane exploitation movie trailers.

Also showing are David Durston’s drive-in horror classic I Drink Your Blood; Umberto Lenzi’s Eurocrime smash The Tough Ones; the ’70s cult classic An American Hippie In Israel, starring Asher Tzarfati and Shmuel Wolf; and Clu Gulager in the acclaimed short film Vic, directed by Sage Stallone.

The event is part of a three-day Grindhouse Celebration to launch Jason Rutherford’s documentary Masters Of The Grind, an epic many years in the making that tells the shocking...

Adriana Chiesa, the pioneering Italian sales agent who has been a fixture at Cannes for 40 years, has sold her film library to Italy’s Minerva Pictures.

The 85-title Acek library comprises a broad mix of prominent works by revered directors such as Lina Wertmuller’s “Swept Away” (pictured) and “Summer Night With Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and a Scent of Basil” and cult movies including Lamberto Bava’s gonzo horror “Macabro,” revenge Western “Garringo” by Rafael Romero Merchant, and Asia Argento’s directorial debut, “Scarlet Diva,” on which Chiesa and Minerva chief Gianluca Curti jointly served as executive producers.

“I am particularly happy because I know that Gianluca appreciates the value of my library and will carry on its legacy with all the love and respect that it deserves,” Chiesa told Variety. She added that she will now continue her production activity, making documentaries such as “Water and Sugar: Carlo...

We’re not even a year into our relaunch of Screambox and we’ve already unleashed a flurry of horror goodies with no end in sight.

May is here and with it comes a handful of new films that are joining the horror streaming service, including the 1980s classic Night of the Demons, the must-see ultra-gory Project Wolf Hunting, the Halloween-themed slasher sequel The Barn 2, and two Screambox Originals, The Ancestral and Creepypasta!

From renowned director Le-Van Kiet, Screambox Original The Ancestral will stream on May 2. The box office-topping Vietnamese film offers a haunting twist on sleep paralysis and trauma.

Hyper-violent must-see South Korean film Project Wolf Hunting streams exclusively on Screambox on May 15. Written and directed by Kim Hong-Sun (The Chase), the award-winning film has drawn comparisons to Jason Takes Manhatten, Con Air, The Raid, and Resident Evil.

Viral horror stories come to life in Creepypasta exclusively on Screambox...

Severin Films is bringing out the big guns and starting 2023 with a bang, exclusively telling Bloody Disgusting this afternoon about the first two releases they’re bringing to the new year.

On January 31st, Severin Films unleashes two definitive action releases: Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection includes Almost Human, Syndicate Sadists, Free Hand For A Tough Cop, The Cynic, The Rat And The Fist and Brothers Till We Die. January also brings the North American debut of the 1981 Australian action classic Attack Force Z, starring Mel Gibson, Sam Neill and John Phillip Law.

Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi / Tomas Milian Collection: Italian director Umberto Lenzi had recently completed a landmark string of kinky gialli with Hollywood outcast Carroll Baker. Cuban-born/Actor’s Studio-trained Tomas Milian had become one of Spaghetti Westerns’ most popular stars. But when these two notoriously mercurial talents came together for a series of...

You can always count on horror to test boundaries, so it’s no surprise that the genre has long explored the taboo of cannibalism. Cannibals are most often associated with exploitation horror, leading to a cannibal horror boon in the ’70s and early ’80s, thanks to Italian horror filmmakers like Umberto Lenzi, Ruggero Deodato, and Joe D’Amato. But as the Video Nasty craze came and went and time evolved the genre, so did the depiction of cannibalism.

The ’90s brought horror’s most common depiction of cannibals out of the jungle and into society, largely thanks to The Silence of the Lambs’ Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The Academy Award-winning feature adapted Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel and introduced a supporting character so fascinating that he overshadowed the film’s actual antagonist, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). Protagonist Clarice Starling gets assigned to interview the incarcerated cannibalistic serial killer in the hopes that Dr.

Talk about a Back-to-School disc promotion! CineSavant digs into Severin’s MegaBox The Incredibly Strange films of Ray Dennis Steckler — 10 discs, 20 films — just enough to sample this demented offering that some have nominated for the honor of worst film ever. It’s a glorified home movie by a guy bitten by the movie-making bug — and a friend with some cash who wanted to be a producer. Steckler’s movie found real screenings in real theaters, launching the Auteur from Lemon Grove Street on one of the oddest Hollywood careers ever.

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?

Blu-ray

Part of the Severin Films ‘The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler’ Boxed Set

1964 / Color / B&w / 1:78 widescreen/ 82 min. / Street Date September 27 2022, 2022 / Available from / 219.95

Starring: Cash Flagg, Brett O’Hara, Atlas King, Sharon Walsh, Madison Clarke, Erina Enyo, Toni Camel, Jack Brady, Bill Ward, Neil Stillman, Joan Howard,...

Collector’s box on the horizon: Severin assembles hours of video extras and text illumination for another group of films featuring favorite actor Christopher Lee. The roundup of titles bookends his career as a screen vampire, with one of Lee’s earliest vampire roles and also his last turn as Count Dracula. Looming large on the academic side of Severin’s research are experts and biographers Kat Ellinger, Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth, Kim Newman, Nathaniel Thompson and Jonathan Rigby, who also contributes a hundred-page book.

The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2

Blu-ray

Uncle Was a Vampire, The Secret of the Red Orchid, Dark Places, Dracula and Son, Murder Story

Severin Films

1959-1989 / Color / 2:39 widescreen, 1:66 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen

Street Date July 26, 2022

Available from Severin Films / 134.95

Starring alphabetically: Marie Hélène Breillat, Catherine Breillat, Joan Collins, Robert Hardy, Adrian Hoven, Klaus Kinski, Sylva Koscina, Herbert Lom, Susanne Loret, Jean Marsh, Marisa Mell,...

Suppress your bitter aching loneliness this holiday by watching some very anti-Valentine’s Day cinematic relationships on Shudder! We here at Trailers From Hell have culled through all of the least romantic flicks currently showing on that spookiest of movie streaming platforms, and found some intriguing viewing fodder if you’re less-than-receptive to the typical amorous pablum.

Valentine (2001)

This hokey slasher, starring such staples of the early aughts as Denise Richards and David Boreanaz (plus a pre-Grey’s Anatomy Katherine Heigl). A serial killer wanders the streets of San Francisco (with a Los Angeles interlude) wearing a creepy marble Cupid mask, using a variety of slick household items, including an electric drill and a hot iron. Not the healthiest form of romantic self-expression for our Cupid.

White Zombie (1932)

The Haitian-set Bela Lugosi horror classic so memorable it inspired the name of a multiplatinum hard rock band five decades later! In White Zombie,...

The upcoming English-language remake of Yeon Sang-ho's zombie banger "Train to Busan" is picking up speed. The 2016 original feature concerns a viral undead outbreak in Seoul and an intense fight for survival aboard a train of unassuming passengers. It made moviegoers scream and cry, so much so that it spawned an animated prequel and a standalone follow-up. Now, an overseas translation of the story situates the outbreak around one of the most populated cities in the United States (considering the recent massive...

The post Last Train to New York, the Remake of Last Train to Busan, Gets a Release Date appeared first on /Film.

Fractured Visions presents Free Hand for a Tough Cop on UK Blu-ray 29 November Tomas Milian Henry Silva Claudio Cassinelli News and social media mentions with #FreeHandForAToughCop @FracVis Finally making its UK debut, Fractured Visions is proud to present Free Hand For A Tough Cop, a much-loved Euro Crime classic that spawned other genre …

The post Umberto Lenzi’s Free Hand For A Tough Cop on UK Blu-ray 29 November (Fractured Visions) appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

When it comes to Italian horror cinema, Mario Bava is often considered the godfather of gore. A generation ahead of such esteemed Italian horror maestros as Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, and others, Bava is directly responsible for creating the colorful visual aesthetic and mysterious plot structure of Italian horror films across multiple subgenres.

Related: Italian Horror Masters - Dario Argento's 10 Best Movies (According To IMDb)

With Halloween on the brink, horror fans of every stripe would be wise to indulge in the genre's best and most influential directors of all time by checking out Mario Bava's most terrifying cinematic experiences of all time.

Slave of the Cannibal God

Blu ray

Code Red

1978/ 99 min.

Starring Ursula Andress, Stacy Keach

Cinematography by Giancarlo Ferrando

Directed by Sergio Martino

At the same moment the Korean War was ending and Eisenhower entered the White House, illustrator Samson Pollen found his niche; illuminating the fever dreams of suburban dads for action magazines from Man’s World to Stag. He enjoyed a long career and in 1978 he was handed an assignment right up his alley, a garish montage of anacondas, he-men and nearly-naked women. But his art for Slave of the Cannibal God turned out to be far from his best work. Blandly composed and indifferently executed, Pollen’s movie poster works best as a critique of the film itself.

Directed by Sergio Martino, this travelogue-cum-horror movie stars Ursula Andress, a paragon of beauty who built her brand on a supernatural physique and a come-hither gaze that might have inspired...

This past weekend, the world got a little less entertaining with the passing of veteran actor John Saxon, whose career spanned over an impressive seven decades. A truly singular onscreen presence, Saxon was teen idol turned character actor with a penchant for playing authority figures throughout his diverse career.

If you look at Saxon’s Hollywood résumé, John’s contributions to both the cinema and small screen entertainment are endless, with roles in timeless classics like The Plunderers, Posse from Hell, Summer Love, The Appaloosa, Death of a Gunfighter, Gunsmoke, Fantasy Island, The Big Score, Fast Company (which was directed by an up-and-coming David Cronenberg), Falcon Crest, Running Scared (1980), Beverly Hills Cop III, Dynasty, Melrose Place (playing Daphne Zuniga’s lawyer for multiple episodes), and of course, Enter the Dragon, opposite Bruce Lee.

In terms of his genre output, the variety of films that Saxon was a part of is equally impressive,...

Severin’s extravagant four-film six-disc The Complete Umberto Lenzi / Carroll Baker Giallo Collection is a luxurious trip into sexy, violent Italo thrill territory. CineSavant concentrates on the first Lenzi-Baker collaboration, a truly nasty bit of misanthropy that bridges the gap between standard ‘Lady In Peril’ fare and the full-bore giallos that would soon become the norm. It’s presented under its original title, which sounds more appropriate for a porn movie… in the U.S. the given title was Paranoia.

Orgasmo

Blu-ray

One feature in The Complete Lenzi / Baker Giallo Collection

Severin Films

1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Orgasmo 97 min., Paranoia 91 min., all four films 369 min. / available through Severin Films / Street Date July 7, 2020 / 119.98

Orgasmo credits:

Starring: Carroll Baker, Lou Castel, Colette Descombes, Tino Carraro, Lilla Brignone, Franco Pesce, Tina Lattanzi, Jacques Stany.

Cinematography: Guglielmo Mancori

Film Editor: Enzo Alabiso

Art Direction: Giorgio Bertolini

Assistant Director Bertrand Tavernier

Original Music: Piero Umilani

Written by Ugo Moretti,...

Severin’s extravagant four-film six-disc The Complete Umberto Lenzi / Carroll Baker Giallo Collection is a luxurious trip into sexy, violent Italo thrill territory. CineSavant concentrates on the first Lenzi-Baker collaboration, a truly nasty bit of misanthropy that bridges the gap between standard ‘Lady In Peril’ fare and the full-bore giallos that would soon become the norm. It’s presented under its original title, which sounds more appropriate for a porn movie… in the U.S. the given title was Paranoia.

Orgasmo

Blu-ray

One feature in The Complete Lenzi / Baker Giallo Collection

Severin Films

1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Orgasmo 97 min., Paranoia 91 min., all four films 369 min. / available through Severin Films / Street Date July 7, 2020 / 119.98

Orgasmo credits:

Starring: Carroll Baker, Lou Castel, Colette Descombes, Tino Carraro, Lilla Brignone, Franco Pesce, Tina Lattanzi, Jacques Stany.

Cinematography: Guglielmo Mancori

Film Editor: Enzo Alabiso

Art Direction: Giorgio Bertolini

Assistant Director Bertrand Tavernier

Original Music: Piero Umilani

Written by Ugo Moretti,...

I spent a large part of my life afraid of Cannibal Holocaust. It is a movie preceded by its reputation, known for being relentlessly violent and brutal to the point where the movie has been banned in multiple territories and director Ruggero Deodato was brought up on charges of obscenity and even murder for making it. Knowing the effect the film had on those who had seen it and were repelled by it made me actually afraid to watch it. The movie seemed dangerous.

Truth be told, it is dangerous. It’s one of the most dangerous horror movies ever made. This is a film that depicts graphic impalements and evisceration. It builds upon the onscreen cannibalism introduced by Umberto Lenzi in The Man From Deep River and makes it even more violent and horrifying. Most notoriously, this is a film that features the onscreen slaughter of several animals. These...

Stars: Linda Blair, David Hasselhoff, Hildegard Knef, Catherine Hickland, Annie Ross, Leslie Cumming, Robert Champagne, Rick Farnsworth, Michael Manchester, Frank Cammarata, Victoria Biggers, Ely Coughlin, Kara Lynch, Jamie Hanes, Richard Ladenburg | Written by Harry Spalding, Daniele Stroppa | Directed by Fabrizio Laurenti

If you grew up reading Darkside Magazine in the early 90s and regularly frequented your local video rental shop, as I did, you couldn’t help but know all about the UK VHS label Colourbox. Not a huge distributor, at least compared to others at the time, Colourbox were probably one of the most iconic – at least for me – VHS labels the UK had; and that’s mainly thanks to the fantastic line-up of films they released on VHS: Bad Blood, Bad Taste, Creepozoids, Dr. Alien, The Imp, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (though without the word “chainsaw” in the title thanks to stupid UK censorship at the time), the ever-awesome Intruder and Ghosthouse.

When it comes to releasing unique and collectible Blu-ray box sets (such as their Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection), Severin Films has done an amazing job preserving horror history, and this summer they'll continue to do so with The Complete Lenzi Baker Giallo Collection, featuring Umberto Lenzi's collaborations with Carroll Baker:

"On June 30th, Severin Films is bringing together the complete collaborative works of two cult film legends with The Complete Lenzi Baker Giallo Collection, which includes superlative editions of Orgasmo, So Sweet… So Perverse, A Quiet Place To Kill, and Knife Of Ice.

Italian writer/director Umberto Lenzi helmed popular peplums, created extreme poliziotteschi, and invented the Italian cannibal phenomenon. Hollywood actress Carroll Baker was the Golden Globe® winning/Academy Award® nominated star of Baby Doll, Giant and The Carpetbaggers. Together in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s, they made four landmark films that changed the erotic thriller and giallo genres forever.

The Head

DVD – Region 2 Only – No English Audio or Subtitles

Delta Music & Entert. GmbH & Co. Kg

1959 / 1.33:1 / 97 min.

Starring Michel Simon, Horst Frank, Karin Kernke

Cinematography by Georg Krause

Directed by Victor Trivas

A scientist who operates out of a starkly Modernist laboratory of glass and steel, Dr. Ood comes from a long line of German crackpots with a flair for the theatrical. Rotwang, the bug-eyed inventor of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, springs to mind along with Dr. Gogol, the lovelorn psychopath of Karl Freund’s Mad Love. And not to forget the omniscient Dr. Mabuse. Each man had style to burn and was obsessed with possessing desirable – and controllable – women.

The protagonist of Victor Trivas’s The Head, Ood was the most hands-on of the bunch, satisfying his lust by transplanting the head of a beautiful but misshapen doctor’s assistant to the body of a burlesque queen. Trivas...

Kirsten Howard Sep 25, 2019

James Wan is returning to the world of horror before helming Aquaman 2 with Malignant.

James Wan's tenth feature film as director is now in production. Malignant has been described as a giallo, and stars Maddie Hasson, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Abel, George Young, Michole Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie.

It was confirmed that Wan would work on Malignant back in August when it was still an as-yet-untitled horror project. The film should act as a nice palate cleanser before he begins the long task of bringing Aquaman 2 to the screen for Warner Bros, and a late-2020 release date for the new celluloid scream will likely be confirmed in time.

Wan has already started three successful horror franchises in Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring - could this be the first in a new series of giallo films where Wan and others can follow in the footsteps of horror masters like Dario Argento,...

By Todd Garbarini

Umberto Lenzi was one of the most prolific Italian genre directors working in Italy, but he is virtually unknown here in the States outside of the circles of the most die-hard of genre fans. In fact, his work is so obscure at times that even adherents to his most extreme horror movies don't even follow the other dramatic work for which he is also known despite his roster of titles on the IMDb. Much of International Cinema is “inspired” by American filmmaking (i.e. outright ripped off from) and following the Oscar-winning success of William Friedkin’s masterful 1971 crime drama The French Connection, with its astounding subway/car chase, Italy dove head-first into the Eurocrime, or poliziotteschi, genre headfirst making a slew of action films where the camera’s point-of-view is inspired by Owen Roizman’s work on the aforementioned real-life-inspired crime film. Filmed in late 1975 in...

Of the many genre booms in Italian cinema between the '50s and '80s, few were as successful and prolific as the Poliziotteschi craze of the late '60s and '70s. Crazed adrenaline-fueled gonzo action films based around take-no-prisoners cops and the worst of the worst criminals, these films were highly entertaining and profitable, meaning that they were plentiful. Just like any other genre, though, there were more than enough bad ones to counter the classics, but Umberto Lenzi's The Tough Ones (Roma A Mano Armata) is a definite gem and one of his most accomplished films. Italian superstar Maurizio Merli stars as Inspector Tanzi, a cop with a flare for violence who is all about getting the job done at any cost. He first sets out...

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Dustin Ferguson, multi award-winning filmmaker

Known for films like Camp Blood 4, Silent Night Bloody Night 2 and Demon Dolls, Kansas-born director Dustin Ferguson has also made a name for himself in production, working with 42Nd Street Films, Sinister Studios and more. He recently directed RoboWoman with Dawna Lee Heising and Mel Noval and he's currently developing a remake of Umberto Lenzi's Ghosthouse. Given his lifelong commitment to the horror genre, I ask if he loved films of that sort as a child.

Alan Maxson (the Blood Beast) chokes director Dustin Ferguson

"Yes, actually," he says. "The earliest movie memory I have is watching Night Of The Living Dead, Day Of The Triffids and Psychomania with my parents on the old Goodtimes VHS releases of the mid Eighties. When I started getting an allowance the first horror movie I ever bought was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on VHS at an indoor flea market.

Grindhouse Releasing has announced that they will be putting out a 4K restoration of Umberto Lenzi’s 1976 action thriller The Tough Ones. Their 3-disc special edition Blu-ray will be coming out July 9 and is already available for pre-order through Diabolik DVD. Packed to the brim with special features, you’ll be getting the unrated, unedited […] The post Umberto Lenzi’s The Tough Ones Getting 4K Restoration appeared first on Dread Central.

They may not be terribly prolific, but when Grindhouse Releasing announces a new release, it's definitely worthwhile to listen up. Grindhouse, purveyors of quality horror and exploitation cinema since the late '90s, have recently announced that they've completed a 4k restorations of Umberto Lenzi Eurocrime classic The Tough Ones, also known by the incredibly badass title, Rome Armed To The Teeth. This upcoming Blu-ray will not only include the brand new restoration, but also a host of special features including an audio commentary from Eurocrime expert Mike Malloy, interviews with many of the cast and crew, Roberto Curti liner notes, a CD of the soundtrack and much more! This 3-disc set is going to be a scorcher! The first 2,500 copies...

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Even horror fans of an older vintage like me came to find out about giallo films at a later date; sure, certain big juggernauts would make their way through, like Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, but at the advent of home video, they were mainly outliers. As DVD blossomed, many more were rescued and rediscovered by a whole new generation (and the ones before that missed them) clamoring for creative kills wrapped in (sometimes puzzling) whodunit packages. Now that a blood river’s worth of titles have been rereleased, it’s time to try and pool them together and take a vantage view of their place in the horror landscape. Enter Federico Caddeo’s All the Colors of Giallo (2019), a great overview for newbies and vets alike, overflowing with three discs of crimson wonder by Severin Films.

Yes, several books have been written on this (predominantly...

Welcome back to our ongoing From VHS to VOD column – our guide through the strange and obscure – the odd, unseen and unreleased (well unreleased on disc formats) films available on streaming and on-demand services.

Once again we’re taking a look at the obscure movies hitting Amazon Prime Video – available for streaming and/or purchase, some of which have been made available in the UK for the first time since VHS and a Lot that have been added to the service in their original uncut form! And yes, despite the recent reported cull of genre titles from Amazon Prime’s vaults there’s still a Huge amount of obscure films to watch right now without ever leaving the couch (feel free to sit around in your pants too if that’s how you roll).

Bermuda Triangle (1978)

The passengers and crew of a boat on a summer cruise in the Caribbean...

For this final week of home media releases in January, I hope everyone has prepared their wallets, because we have a lot to get excited about, especially if you’re a cult film fan.

Vinegar Syndrome is doing the dark lord’s work this Tuesday, as they are putting out four different titles, including Cutting Class, Splatter University, There’s Nothing Out There, and Uninvited. Severin is celebrating giallo filmmaking with their releases of All the Colors of Giallo and All the Colors of the Dark, Scream Factory is showing some love to Screamers, and if you missed it in theaters, you can also finally catch up with Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria on Blu-ray this week as well.

Other notable releases for January 29th include a new edition of Willow, Save Yourself, and Dead Silence (1989).

All the Colors of Giallo

'Giallo' is Italian for 'yellow', the color of the lurid...

Review by Roger Carpenter

Before Joe D’Amato became Joe D’Amato, he was Aristide Massaccesi, a respected cinematographer and camera operator. As such, he was largely responsible for the look of films ranging from low-budget spaghetti westerns to gialli such as Umberto Lenzi’s A Quite Place to Kill and, most famously, Massimo Dallamano’s What Have You Done to Solange. Massaccesi first co-directed several small films before directing the war film Heroes in Hell as well as the giallo Death Smiles on a Murderer, both in 1973.

But D’Amato, who would use his famous pseudonym for the first time in 1975, would become (in)famous for his extreme horror titles and adult films beginning in the late 70’s and continuing until his death in 1999. He is perhaps most famous for his string of over-the-top gorefests like Beyond the Darkness (Aka Buio Omega), Anthropophagus, and Absurd as well as his...

Cannibal Ferox (1981) –> On Sale Now !!! –> Featuring the original 1981 score + 4 bonus tracks –> Black vinyl + two color vinyl variants to choose from –> Comes with Insert/liner notes One Way Static Records proudly presents: Umberto Lenzi’s ‘Cannibal Ferox aka Make Them Die Slowly’ (Original 1981 Motion Picture Soundtrack by …

The post Cannibal Ferox (Original 1981 Motion Picture Soundtrack) Arrives! appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...

Suspiria

Blu ray

Synapse

1977 / 2:35 / Street Date March 13, 2018

Starring Jessica Harper, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett

Cinematography by Luciano Tovoli

Production Design by Giuseppe Bassan

Directed by Dario Argento

The story of a ballet school staffed by devil-worshipping harridans, Dario Argento’s Suspiria opened at New York City’s Criterion in the dog days of ’77. A friend was at one of those early matinees when, 26 minutes into the film, his companion leaned over and whispered, “This movie is evil.”

Jessica Harper plays Suzy Bannion, a transplanted New Yorker taking up residence at a German dance academy – just landed in the alpine splendor of Baden-Württemberg, the doll-faced ballerina makes her entrance emerging from an airport lounge lit like a broadway production of Dante’s Inferno.

A windswept taxi ride bombarded by a neon-colored thunderstorm is no less melodramatic but it can’t prepare Suzy for the stark sight waiting at journey’s...

Living abroad as a youth certainly had its advantages; the Odeon theatre in Mandeville, Jamaica showed everything from Hollywood blockbusters to Shaw Brothers’ Kung Fu epics to Italian exploitation and horror. Of course I took in as much as my ten year old mind could possibly take; I’m sure a film like Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977) played there, but alas, I missed it. Thanks to Severin Films, this Joe D’Amato sleaz-o-rama is finally available for my (still) ten year old sensibilities to behold.

And while my inner adolescent should be jumping up and down at what is accomplished here - it is essentially soft core adventuregrue porn – the sum does not quite equal the parts for my grumpy grown up persona. The sex and the slaughter don’t sit particularly well together, and I sure could have used a lot more of the latter. But what’s it all about,...

Severin Films are heroes among home video distributors. From releasing classics Ozploitation films, to sleazy Italian horror gems, to restoring some of the greatest cult films the world has to offer; they never sleep and we are all the better for it. In recent months they've chosen to celebrate the talented women of Italian exploitation, resulting in this trio of fascinating and entertaining films from legendary filmmakers Umberto Lenzi, Joe D'Amato, and Bruno Mattei. A pair of cannibal films and a rowdy Women-in-Prison classic are put under the microscope, check out the details below...

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A Ghosthouse remake is in the works! Umberto Lenzi's 1988 film is being revived by Dustin Ferguson (Sleepaway Camp IV) and will begin shooting soon in La. Also: a Q&A with Party Bus to Hell's Richard Hochman, Shriekfest 2018's call for submissions, The Rake's DVD debut, an untitled movie from 1inMM Productions, and a new Amityville installment, titled Amityville Toybox.

Ghosthouse Remake Details: Press Release: "Dustin Ferguson, Director of "Nemesis 5" and Editor of "Sleepaway Camp IV" recently launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise initial funds for production on "Ghosthouse". Ferguson's company SoCal Cinema Studios is Producing, based on a script by Mike Reeb ("Nemesis 5") and Jason Harlow ("Another Evil Night").

The film is a remake of the 1988 Italian cult classic by Director Umberto Lenzi and will begin filming this Autumn in Los Angeles. It's set to star Paul Taylor ("Pinhead" from "Hellraiser: Judgment") with Special F/X by Joe Castro...

The Cannibal sub-genre usually divides the viewer in to one of two camps: horror fans who deem it “necessary” as part of their schooling to watch the gut munchers of the decade from the early ‘70s to early ‘80s, and those who completely stay clear after hearing stories of real life animal mutilation and on screen rape, not to mention an anatomical eye for grisly (and gristly) detail in that uniquely unsubtle, very Italian way. If you choose to wade through the jungle, there are simply no better guides than the denizens at Severin Films, who offer up a superb new disc of Umberto Lenzi’s Eaten Alive! (1980). If you’re new to this fascinating facet of horror, you might as well jump in here – there is no shallow end.

Lenzi kick started the craze with 1972’s Man from Deep River, an unabashed “homage” to A Man Called Horse (1970), the...