…when there is a movie coming to Blu-Ray that is just terrible…but you’re excited about it anyway!
At the end of next month, Severin Films will be unleashing one of the worst of the worst, the 1973 film Blackenstein, directed by William A. Levey, and written and produced by Frank R. Saletri, who was later murdered in a gangland style crime, which has never been solved. Even though I’m a huge fan of the blaxploitation films in the horror genre, like Blacula, this one is a real tough title to get through. But this release hopes to change all of that, at least by giving us the film in two different versions, as well as a bunch of extras to maybe help explain a little how this film came to be.
This release will feature the original theatrical cut, which runs only 78 minutes, and the video release, which is 87 minutes. It will also feature an interview with writer/producer Saletri’s sister. There is also an archive news broadcast on his murder, as well as Ken Osbourne and Robert Dix talking about Saletri. We also get to hear from Bill Munns, the man responsible for creating the titular monster!
As I said, even though I barely made it through this when I’ve watched it before, I really am excited to pick this one up when it comes out on May 30th.
When the news broke today of the Paul Naschy Collection coming from Shout Factory, I was notified by more than a few friends on social media about it. I’m guessing my fondness of Senor Naschy and his work has gotten around! With all the titles that have been released, or have been announced, or ones that I’ve heard rumors are still coming, I am just in awe that this man’s work is finally getting the treatment and recognition he’s been deserving for way too long. It’s one thing for a company like Shout Factory to release a Vincent Price collection, since we all know that Price is a horror icon (and rightly so). So to see them give the same kind of treatment and spotlight on Paul Naschy…well, it is just an amazing thing. Even after his death, I know there are plenty of us out there still waving the flag to bring attention to him and his work, and with all these Blu-ray releases does nothing but help that cause. 2017 really will be the Year of Naschy!
The beauty of the horror genre is that it is a never-ending sea of titles that come in and out with the tide, that there are often movies that get swept away so quickly that fans either forget about them, or never hear about them to begin with. Mariano Baino’s 1993 film Dark Waters is one of those films. Not to be confused with the Japanese one from 2002 that was later remade here in the states, but Baino’s film is a highly original tale about dark things going on in a strange convent on a remote island in Europe. It was released in an amazing DVD box set by No Shame back in 2006, but hadn’t hit Blu-ray until now, thanks to Severin Films, which has been given a HD transfer from the original 35mm negative and features over 4 hours of special features.
kitleyskrypt.com 