DVD Review: The Frightened Woman (1969)

Visually stunning, achingly stylish, slightly disturbing and at times even confusing. One thing is for sure though - you'll not forget The Frightened Woman (aka Femina Ridens) in a hurry.

Classed unfairly as sexploitation upon its release, this pop art gem got a rough ride from the censors - and hasn't been seen in its entirety since its 1969 release. But Shameless, working with director Pierro Zchivazappa, have managed to piece together and restore the surviving versions, producing what the director has called 'THE version of my film to watch'.

And Soon The Darkness finally gets a UK DVD release

It's been some time coming, but finally, years after it got a release everywhere else, And Soon The Darkness is finally getting a DVD release in the UK. And as it's a lost Brit classic, it's not a day too soon.

We've reviewed the US version previously and recently dug up the trailer via YouTube. It's directed by Robert Fuest, using the team behind The Avengers (soon after that series ended), coming together to produce a tense/moody thriller about two young female cyclists who are on holiday in the French countryside. But one goes missing, leaving the other alone and unsure who to trust - because any of the people around could be a murderer.

I've managed to secure an advanced copy of the UK disc, so here will be a review of it online soon, along with details of any extras. If you can't wait for it, you can pre-order on Amazon for a bargain £7.98.

Find out more about the DVD at Amazon.co.uk

Cult Clip: And Soon The Darkness trailer (1970)

And Soon The Darkness is a firm Cinedelica favourite and one of the first films reviewed on the site many months ago.

So as the trailer to this post-Avengers project has recently been added to YouTube, we feel we have to give it a mention. And we also think you should view it, then seek out this gem of a British thriller.

DVD Review: Society (1989)

It is appropriate that Brian Yuzna’s barmy, marvellous debut feature took three years after completion to be released in the US, while enjoying critical and popular success in Europe and elsewhere. Into the decade that mythologised hidebound family values, plugged its ears to social injustice and made heroes out of beancounters, the plunging of this splendidly over-the-top nightmarish satire of America’s social elite must have felt like the herald of the Apocalypse. Albeit a deeply silly, psychedelic Apocalypse. With rivers of prosthetic latex instead of blood.

To all outward appearances, Bill Whitney (Baywatch’s Billy Warlock) is living the (American) dream. Son of Beverley Hills WASP socialites, he drives a Jeep, dates a cheerleader, is a star basketball player and frontrunner for Class President. But all is not as it seems. Bill has paranoid fantasies that he is adopted, that his surrogate parents and platinum-blonde sister secretly hate him.

DVD Review: Bride of Re-Animator (1990)

After a 5-year hiatus, those mischievous abominators-of-nature Drs. Herbert West and Dan Cain are back, this time under the direction of shock godfather Brian Yuzna. Sadly, though the grungy production values, hammy acting and gleefully silly prosthetic FX will appeal to genre fans, this is a disimprovement from Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator (1985).

After a pointless prologue set in wartorn Peru, West (the always watchable Jeffrey Combs) and Cain (Bruce Abbott, sporting an unspeakable mullet and all the charisma of an office partition) are back in good old Miskatonic University Hospital, Massachusetts. Far from discouraged by the massacre precipitated in the first film by his ‘research’ into reanimating dead tissue, West has redoubled his efforts to prove that consciousness pervades all flesh by reanimating individual body parts.

Meanwhile Police Lieutenant Chapham (Claude Earl Jones), whose wife was killed in the original Miskatonic Massacre, doggedly continues his investigation into West’s macabre practices. Irritated by his attentions, West kills and subsequently reanimates him. The crazed doctor then reveals to Cain his plans to create a whole organism from disparate body parts. Initially Cain is horrified, but relents when West suggests including the preserved heart of Cain’s dead sweetheart Megan.

DVD Review: Re-cycle (2006)

While Hollywood's horror hacks obsessively remake the gore movies of the 1970s, Hong Kong cine-siblings Danny and Oxide Pang have been quietly turning the genre inside out.  Re-cycle reunites the Pangs with leading lady Angelica Lee (star of their breakthrough hit: The Eye (2002)). 

Lee plays Ting-yin, a successful novelist whose public persona masks a troubled past. Following an awkward press conference, and an uncomfortable reunion with her ex-boyfriend, Ting-yin begins work on her new horror novel, and is suddenly plagued by terrifying supernatural visions.  The Pangs tease us with glimpses of a long-haired ghost girl - suggesting this is going to be yet another Ring knock-off. 

But the film soars onto another level, as the ghost leads Ting-yin into a bizarre parallel world, beyond our reality.  She journeys across a breathtaking CG wonderland, confronting lost souls, giant killer toys, a cave haunted by aborted foetuses, and hordes of screaming, snake-necked zombies.  It's a rare horror movie that makes successful use of computer graphics, conjuring an eerie, oppressive atmosphere.  The decayed buildings Ting-yin wanders past are recreations of once-famous Hong Kong landmarks, demolished to make way for the economic miracle.  As Ting-yin befriends a pluck little ghost girl, whose familiarity holds the key to unlocking her dark secret - the Pangs draw ingenious parallels between their heroine's suppressed anxieties and Hong Kong's forgotten past. Their ambitious subtext is given weight thanks to yet another brittle, sensitive performance from the gifted Angelica Lee, and her remarkable rapport with child actress Qiqi Zeng. 

Mad, Mod & Macabre

Mad, Mod & Macabre: The Ronald Stein Collection is an impressive new 5-Disc CD collection from Los Angeles-based Percepto Records that features the fabulous film scores of American composer Ronald Stein.

Stein created memorable soundtracks for many great cult movies such as Jack Hill's Spider Baby (1968), Francis Ford Coppola's Dementia 13 (1963), Charles Rondeau's The Girl in Lovers Lane (1959) and Edward Cahn's Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957). He also scored many of Roger Corman's best film including The Terror (1963), The Haunted Palace (1963), Last Woman on Earth (1960) and Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957).

The CD package includes five full hours of film music remastered from Stein's own personal archives. It also comes with a lavish full-color booklet featuring an in-depth look at Ronald Stein's composing career, reminisces from his wife Harlene Stein, many rare behind-the-scenes photographs, some beautiful classic movie poster art and much more. The collection brings together many of Stein's most unforgettable scores, which is sure to please soundtrack enthusiasts.

This new deluxe set is limited to only 1,000 copies and currently sells for $49.95. You can purchase Mad, Mod & Macabre: The Ronald Stein Collection directly from Percepto Records and they offer domestic as well as international shipping options. For more information visit their official website: Percepto Records

- Kimberly Lindbergs

Cinema Art: Dracula AD 1972 (1972)

We haven't done any Cinema Art for a while, so while I'm on a Hammer tip, it seems like a good time to feature the cinema poster for Dracula AD 1972.

I love this film, a belated swinging sixties take on the traditional Hammer horror. The poster fits in nicely too, squeezing in a few period "dolly birds", not to mention a Triumph Stag and the name-dropping of Kings Road. Oh yes, and Dracula himself, just to keep things on track.

If you want one on excellent condition, expect to pay around £350.

Cult Clip: Trailer for The Sorcerers (1967)

We've raved about Michael Reeves' 60s horror gem The Sorcerers many times before, but as the trailer for this swinging Brit classic has appeared on YouTube, it seems only right that we should highlight it. Enjoy - then go and buy yourself a copy on DVD. You really should own it.

DVD Review: Naked You Die (1968)

Naked You Die (a.k.a. The Miniskirt Murders or Nude... si muore, 1968) is an entertaining Italian thriller recently released by Dark Sky Films on NTSC Region-1 DVD. The film's script was co-written by horror legend Mario Bava and directed by the talented Antonio Margheriti, who made lots of great gothic horror films during the sixties and seventies such as La Vergine di Norimberga (a.k.a. The Virgin of Nuremberg, 1963), Danza Macabra (a.k.a. Castle of Blood, 1964) and La Morte Negli Occhi Del Gatto (a.k.a Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye, 1973).

The story takes place at an elite boarding school for girls that's hidden away in the hills. The isolated school becomes the perfect hunting ground for a cold-blooded killer who goes on a deadly murder spree. As the corpses of the pretty young students begin to pile up, the police are brought in to investigate and the school supervisors become suspect.

Naked You Die has lots of interesting twists and turns to keep audiences guessing. Margheriti's stylish directing adds to the suspenseful mood of the film and the catchy theme song Nightmare by composer's Carlo Savina & Don Powell gives the movie a groovy edge.

Back from the Dead: 70s British Horror at the NFT

Here at Cinedelica, we've championed British horror - and 70s horror in particular - right from the off. So we're rather excited to hear that London's NFT will be showcasing the era/genre with Back from the Dead: 70s British Horror.

Pulled together by curators William Fowler and Vic Pratt under the Flipside banner, it features some of my all-time favourites - Psychomania, Deathline, Dracula AD 1972 and Vampyres, all with full supporting programme.

Each movie shows twice, with the season kicking off from 8th April. It's rare for any of these movies to show on the big screen, so make an effort to get down.

Full details of the season at the BFI website

A cult above the rest?

Being new to Cinedelica, I'd thought I'd say a quick hello and lay out my stall.

Hello.

Easy part done. Now for the tricky stuff. What is a cult? Or rather, what kind of stuff do I want to bang on about? For those of us in the know, who can cradle a copy of Curtains to our bosom, it doesn't seem quite right to champion the little films that made it big. Films like Halloween, The Blair Witch Project. A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Evil Dead. Yet these began life as little-known shockers, built with passion and independent money (Nightmare got New Line started). Now they're part of the big wide consciousness and generally considered a successful franchise (okay, except Blair Witch 2). Still, it seems a shame to let them go. So I won't. At some point in the future, I'd like to take a look at what got them off the ground. And at some of the people who are big names now, thanks to their passion and independent vision (Romero, Carpenter, Argento, Cronenberg, Craven et al).

 

The Fiend (1971)

Around 1974, I'm guessing a law was passed outlawing the making of strange and bizarre horror movies in the UK. What other reason could there be for the glut of such movies between the mid-60s and mid-70s...then nothing.

OK, studios going bust probably played a part too, but it's sad that we don't make trashy cinema the way we used to. Although after watching The Fiend (aka Beware My Brethren), you might disagree.

The Fiend was directed by Robert Hartford-Davis, who was knocking out a fine line in exploitation horror at the time. It's the tale of a religious sect known as The Brethren, which has taken control of a widow (Birdy Wemys) and her unstable son Kenny. Filled with a religious mania from their teachings, Kenny Wemys (great name and played by Tony Beckley of Get Carter and Italian Job fame) is compelled to kill in the name of God, recording the killings to play back on tapes he mixes with the religious rants of the sect's leader - The Minister (Patrick Magee).

Cult Clip: Psychomania (1971)

In my review of The Beast In The Cellar, I mentioned the film was one of a bunch of quirky horror/dramas produced in the late 60s and early 70s - then realised I've yet to feature one of the best on here - Psychomania.

It's a typically daft story of a very British biker gang and witchcraft. You'll see how British the gang is when you watch the clip below - this is them at their worst. Also worthy of a mention is the soundtrack - reissued by Trunk Records, it's a must-have.

Cult Clip: The Sorcerers (1967)

Bit of a spoiler here - this is the end of Michael Reeves' Swinging London horror The Sorcerers - so if you've not seen it, maybe you should buy it first if you don't want to know how the film pans out.

And you should own it. It's a classic piece of 60s British horror, a star of our newly-created Mod Horror genre and just a great piece of entertainment. In the clip, Ian Ogilvy (controlled by Boris Karloff's brain machine) is chased by police round the streets of London.

Cult Clip: Dracula AD 1972

King of our newly-created Mod Horror genre, Dracula AD 1972 was Hammer's attempt at getting hip with the kids, introducing rock music and resurrecting Dracula (played by Christopher Lee) in a swinging London setting, using his assistant to recruit disciples around the Kings Road coffee bars.

It's not a horror classic, but it's great viewing. Check out the trailer below...

Ultimate Hammer Collection DVD Box Set

The sets were occasionally wobbly, the plots sometimes more so - but for many, Hammer is still the benchmark for classic horror movies. And if you want the perfect introduction, you should pick up the Ultimate Hammer Collection DVD Box Set, which brings together 21 classic horror, sci-fi and fantasy films from the Hammer vaults, along with a host of extras.

The films featured are (*deep breath*) Blood From The Mummies, Demons Of The Mind, Fear In The Night, One Million Years BC, Plague Of The Zombies, Quatermass And The Pit, Rasputin, The Mad Monk, The Reptile, Dracula, Prince Of Darkness, Frankenstein Created Women, Horror Of Frankenstein, Scars Of Dracula, She, To The Devil A Daughter, The Vengeance Of She, The Witches, Slave Girls, The Nanny, The Devil Rides Out and The Viking Queen.

All come in a cool collector's box and feature commentaries, trailers, intereviews and a full-length documentary about the production house. It's available from Amazon for just under £116 - which isn't bad considering what you get. We'll be looking at some ofthe titles in the box in more detail over the coming days and weeks.

Find out more at Amazon.co.uk

An introduction to Mod horror

There's so many movie genres out there, so what's the harm in introducing another one - Mod horror.

So what exactly is Mod horror?

Well, essentially a Mod horror movie is a contemporary horror flick made and set in the sixties and early seventies, where the directors went out of their way to make their movies swing as much as the hip young things they were trying to attract to the cinemas. Add a bonus point if you manage to set it on the Kings Road or Carnaby Street, add an extra two if you got a band of the day playing live. If you get both and a groovy soundtrack, that's Mod horror nirvana.

There's an endless supply of scary cinematic gems from the era (and if you can suggest any to feature, get in touch), but we've picked out five that should give you a flavour of our newly-created genre:

1. The Sorcerers (1967)
A gem of a film from great lost directing talent Michael Reeves. Take an old horror star (Boris Karloff), parachute him into swinging London, then turn him into a hypnotist who has invented a machine to experience life through a swinging young thing (in this case, rising star Ian Ogilvy. The essential first-buy for anyone dipping a toe into the newly-created genre.