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If you're making the leap from trusty old videocassettes to DVDs for your horror film viewing, you'll find quality can vary in that format, too. Let us guide you through...
DVD News and Reviews by MARK CLARK We promise not to make this a monthly event, but--even after having waxed ecstatic about newcomer Dark Sky Films last month--we feel compelled to sing the praises of another up-and-coming DVD label, CasaNegra (a division of Panik House Entertainment). So far, CasaNegra’s releases haven’t enjoyed the wide distribution Dark Sky’s titles have received, so you may have to search a bit harder to find their discs--but, as you’ll read below, it’s well worth the effort. This month, we also check up on another of our favorite DVD makers, Bill Lustig’s esteemed Blue Underground. Without further ado, then…
These two titles mark the debut of CasaNegra, a new DVD label that will specialize in South-of-the-border shockers, bringing classic Mexican horror titles to DVD for the first time in high-quality editions. This is an enterprise well worth undertaking, since there’s a built-in fan base for these films, a base which should only expand once American viewers get a look at these films in their full glory, with pristine picture and sound quality, and without the horrible dubbing and choppy editing many of these films suffered when they were released to American TV by K. Gordon Murray. By releasing Curse Of The Crying Woman first, CasaNegra has elected to begin at the top. Crying Woman is the crème de la crème of Mexican screen terror, a moody gothic chiller packed with evocative, expressionist visuals, credible performances and even a fully coherent and well-structured plot (a rarity among Mexican horror films). Long a favorite among fans of Mexican horror films, Crying Woman is a picture that should appeal to the uninitiated as well.
Even longtime fans are advised to kick their old, dupey-looking public domain copies to the curb and pick up CasaNegra’s beautiful new restored version. I doubt this film has ever looked better: Unblemished, crisp focus and rich gray scale reveal undreamed of visual subtleties. The original Spanish soundtrack (with subtitles) eliminates the clunker dialogue necessitated by dubbing, although for nostalgia value, the Murray dub dialogue track is also available on the disc. In short, if you haven’t seen CasaNegra’s Curse Of The Crying Woman, you haven’t seen Curse of the Crying Woman. Aside from the two dialogue tracks, the disc also features a full-length audio commentary by "Mexican cinema expert" Michael Liuzza, an essay about director Rafael Baledon by film historian David Wilt, a booklet written by Entertainment Weekly’s Peter Landau, tracing the many "Crying Woman" movies released over the years, a poster and still gallery, cast bios and more. If you have any interest in classic horror (and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be reading HORROR-WOOD!), this is a must-own disc. The Witch’s Mirror can’t equal Curse Of The Crying Woman in terms of cinematic artistry, but it should satisfy Mexi-horror junkies, or anyone else with a taste for the outré. One of the most outrageous of all the classic Mexi chillers (and that’s saying something), The Witch’s Mirror begins as a Crying Woman-like gothic, about a witch out to revenge the death of her niece, then takes a hard left turn into Eyes Without a Face territory, all mad science and gory surgical episodes, incorporating elements from Hands of Orlac along the way. All these pieces don’t fit together particularly smoothly--at times The Witch’s Mirror seems more disjointed than one of the Amicus anthologies--but it runs a terse 70 minutes and moves like lighting, so viewers who are able to hang on for dear life through its wild, roller-coaster-like twists and turns, will find their indulgence well rewarded. It’s tough to top this picture in terms of weirdness-per-minute.
As with Crying Woman, CasaNegra offers The Witch’s Mirror in a far more impressive version than any previously seen in the U.S. The sound and picture quality are comparable to Crying Woman, which is to say near perfect, and the film is offered in its uncut version for the first time. (Some of the surgical scenes were edited for American TV.) Again, the K. Gordon Murray dubbed soundtrack is offered as well as the original Spanish (with optional English subtitles). Bonus materials include: An audio commentary by IVTV founder Frank Coleman, an essay on the films of Witch’s Mirror director Chano Ureta, a poster and stills gallery and cast bios. Together, these two most impressive releases signal the beginning of what could turn out to be one of the most significant reclamation projects in the history of horror on home video. At the very least, it’s an endeavor on a par with Tokyo Shock’s meticulous efforts to create the definitive R1 editions of the treasured Toho kaiju classics. We can hardly wait for CasaNegra’s next releases, which will include: The Brainiac and The Black Pit Of Dr. M (both coming Aug. 29) and a double-feature disc of The Vampire (1957)/The Vampire’s Coffin. Count on them for Oct. 31.
Our old pals at Blue Underground have expanded their catalog into non-HORROR-WOOD territory this year. But they haven’t abandoned their Euro horror roots, and these two giallo thrillers, released a few months ago, prove that while labels like NoShame, Mondo Macabro and Shriek Show are now fighting for the same fan base, BU remains the gold standard for releases of this type. Impeccably transferred (in anamorphic widescreen) from gorgeous source material, with radiant colors, razor-sharp focus and Dolby-enhanced, pin-drop-clear sound, and both movies look and sound terrific. The extras are a bit skimpy (mostly shortish on-camera interviews and trailers) but as always well done and informative.
As for the movies, both should hold the interest of giallo fans, but for opposing reasons. Black Belly Of The Tarantula, billed as "The Best Giallo Ever Made!" on its cover, proves far from that, but remains a solid example of the form. It’s a splendidly sordid yarn (about a killer who immobilizes victims with an acupuncture needle and then mutilates them alive), with plenty of blood and boobs, a frantic pace and a satisfying resolution. As an added bonus, the cast includes three former Bond girls! However, lead Giancarlo Giannini has virtually no screen presence and Paolo Cavara’s direction is merely workmanlike, providing little visual interest. On the other hand, The Fifth Cord is a far more straight-laced detective yarn, slower paced, more psychological in its approach, lacking the gloriously trashy murders that spice up Tarantula. However, star Franco Nero has charisma to spare. Characters are far better developed, and placed in situations which director Luigi Bazzoni milks for maximum suspense. Bazzoni and future Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, etc.) supply the kind of stylish visuals Tarantula sorely lacks. A typically evocative score from Ennio Morricone ices the cake.
Serious giallophiles need both of these releases. Casual fans should find both at least worth a rent. Columbia Karloffs Coming Soon: Sony has confirmed that it will release the four remaining Boris Karloff films shot for Columbia Pictures, including the much-anticipated The Black Room (one of Boris’ best vehicles), as well as The Man They Could Not Hang, Before I Hang and The Boogie Man Will Get You. The set, called the Icons of Horror Collection: Boris Karloff, will street on Oct. 17 and will retail for a surprisingly affordable $24.94. This has been a great year for Karloff fans. In addition to the four Columbia pictures, the following other Karloff films were either released or are coming soon to DVD: The Lost Patrol, Tower Of London, The Climax, The Black Castle, The Strange Door, Charlie Chan At The Opera, Frankenstein 1970, and The Mask Of Fu Manchu! More Halloween Treats from Universal: In addition to the previously-announced Boris Karloff and Inner Sanctum Mysteries DVD collections, Universal announced plans for the long-anticipated DVD debut of Frankenstein: The True Story, one of the finest made-for-TV horrors of the 1970s. Coming on Sept. 16, priced at $19.98, this edition will featured the full, 3-hour version, starring James Mason, Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin and Jane Seymour. On the same day, Universal will issue new, 2-disc 75th Anniversary Editions of Frankenstein and Dracula. It remains unclear whether either film will feature a newly mastered transfer (this seems unlikely, since both were redone recently for their Legacy Collection releases). But both sets will be loaded with documentaries and bonus features. The Frankenstein bonus materials include: Karloff: The Gentle Monster, "Monster Tracks," two audio commentaries (one with Rudy Behlmer, the other with historian Sir Christopher Frayling), the TCM documentary Universal Horror, The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made A Monster, Frankenstein Archives, the short film Boo! and a theatrical trailer. Dracula will include: Two audio commentaries (one with David J. Skal, the other with Steve Haberman, screenwriter of Dracula: Dead And Loving It), alternate score by Philip Glass, Lugosi: The Dark Prince, The Road to Dracula, Monster Tracks, Dracula (1931) Spanish Version, introduction to the Spanish Version by Lupita Tovar Kohner, TCM documentary Universal Horror, Poster Montage and theatrical trailer. Look! Up in the Dark Sky: Dark Sky Films continues to crank out new releases calculated to quicken the pulse of classic horror fans. On Oct. 31, Dark Sky will release a remastered, anamorphic version of The Devil’s Rain, notorious for both its odd cast list (William Shatner, John Travolta, etc.) and for the participation of real-life Satanists in its production. Bonuses include an audio commentary with director Robert Fuest, a newsreel on Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey, trailers and more. Then, on Nov. 21, Dark Sky unveils a double-feature disc pairing two British chillers written by Hammer stalwart Jimmy Sangster, Blood Of The Vampire and The Hellfire Club. Both will be offered in anamorphic, widescreen transfers and will include trailers. Both The Devil’s Rain and Blood Of The Vampire/The Hellfire Club will retail for a fan-friendly $14.95. Fox in da House: Fox will issue the rarely revived 1963 chiller House Of The Damned on Sept. 5. Two vacationing couples get more than they bargain for when they visit a secluded castle, courtesy of a troupe of bizarre circus performers (including Richard "Jaws" Keil) who once inhabited the castle. The film will be offered on a two-sided disc, presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio on one side and full frame on the other, and will retail for $14.98. Coming Attractions: Next month we’ll review two brand-spanking new releases from Dark Sky, the new 2-disc Ultimate Edition of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as Tobe Hooper’s follow-up, Eaten Alive. We’ll also check out BCI’s new three-disc Ultraman set, along with a few other surprises. (Mark Clark’s book, Smirk, Sneer And Scream: Great Acting in Horror Cinema, is now available from McFarland & Co., or from the author’s Website. Mark also contributed to Actors Series: Peter Cushing, which is currently available from Midnight Marquee Press and Science Fiction America, now available from McFarland. His work also appears in Scarlet Street, Monsters From The Vault, Midnight Marquee, and other magazines.) Comments or questions about Mark's DVD reviews? You can contact him here. Also, check out Mark's previous DVD reviews here. Article copyright © Mark Clark. |
