Severin Kills with Promo Items!

Back in the ’80s, in the midst of the video boom, there would be these awesome promo items the video companies would release. There was the Re-Animator (1985) paperweight, or the pack of matches promoting The Burning (1981), a Vamp (1986) credit card, and even a real box cutter for Blood Cult (1985). These of course, are highly collectible now and are a great reminder that those video companies understood the ballyhoo and doing little things to help promote the films they were releasing.

In today’s world of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K releases, Severin Films are taking promo items to the next level.

Who could ever imagine that someone would create a plush toy for the notorious Italian gore film’s main character from Anthropophagus while he is eating his own intestines? Severin did. Why? Because they are as big of fans of these films as those who are buying their releases. Severin head guy, David Gregory is one of us. So, he makes these amazing items because he knows how damn cool they are! But they haven’t stopped there.

Continue reading

Backstage and Beyond – Fabio Frizzi Autobiography Out!

If you’re a fan of Lucio Fulci, then you know the work of composer Fabio Frizzi. How can you not? His scores were essential in helping those films make the impact they did. From creating haunting breaks, to a highly memorable theme with just 7 notes, to filling our ears with music that helped us believe we were in “Beyond” our understanding!

Through Chiroptera Press, in 3 different editions, you can now order your own copy of Frizzi’s autobiography, Backstage and Beyond: An Autobiography, learning about his life in music, movies, and more recently, touring the world to bring both of those to his fans. The book has been translated by Esteban Medaglia and edited by Stephen Thrower, and, according to the website, “takes the reader on a richly detailed journey through his lifelong passion for music. Along the way, we encounter the giants who have inspired or influenced his career, including guitar virtuoso Andrés Segovia, fellow composers Armando Trovajoli and Carlo Rustichelli, and progressive rock group Goblin. We hear about Frizzi’s teenage rock’n’roll bands, his internship with the legendary Ennio Morricone, and learn the secrets of his early success with the group Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera (much admired by Quentin Tarantino). And we meet Lucio Fulci – a complex, tormented genius with whom Frizzi enjoyed a long-standing professional and personal friendship.”

There is a signed hardcover edition that is priced at $80, a signed softcover edition priced at $45, or the standard softcover priced at $36. It seems there are limited quantities of all of these editions, so if you’re interested, you may want to jump on it and get your order in! You can do just that by going to their website HERE.

Episode 6 of Discover the Horror Podcast is UP!

In this episode, we talk about the Italian Godfather of Gore, Lucio Fulci. But while everyone has seen his films like Zombie (1979) and City of the Living Dead (1980), we thought we’d discuss a few of his lesser-known films, such as Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972), The Psychic (1977), and House of Clocks (1989). So, you can either click below, go to Discover the Horror’s website, or find it on whatever platform you listen to podcasts. And once you’re done listening, let us know what you think? Thoughts? Comments? Got any suggestions for future shows? Let us know!

Weekend of Terror 5 at the Mahoning Drive-In

The Mahoning Drive-In continues to program some amazing lineups at their theater. Unfortunately for me, it is located on the far east side of Pennsylvania, which would be about a 11+ hour drive (one way) for me to attend. Otherwise, I would definitely be there for this. But for those of you that are closer, here’s the amazing lineup they have announced:

Friday, Sept. 25th:
Deep Red (1975)
The Psychic (1977)
Torso (1973)

Saturday, Sept. 26th:
House on the Edge of the Park (1980)
New York Ripper (1982)
Buio Omega (1979)

Sunday, Sept. 27th:
Beyond the Door (1974)
Beyond the Door II (1977)

If only I had hit the lotto and could just spend my days traveling from drive-in to drive-in….

For all the information about this event and the Mahoning Drive-In, just click HERE.

Movie Review: The Psychic (1977)

psychicbanner

Sette Note in Nero (aka The Psychic, 1977)
Directed by Lucio Fulci
Starring Jennifer O’Neil, Gabriele Ferzetti, Marc Porel, Gianni Garko, Ida Galli, Jenny Tamburi, Fabrizio Jovine, Riccardo Parisio

This film is a perfect example of how one’s own opinion can change over the years, and you as a film fan develops a more of a… shall we say… refined taste? As saying goes that you can’t watch a movie with the same eyes twice, and this title is a perfect example of that. The first time I watched this was when I had just started to get into Lucio Fulci, mainly watching his gore flicks, such as Zombie (1979) and The Beyond (1981), just to name a couple. So when there was very little gore to this one, other than the opening (which I have to say now is one of the worst parts of the film), I found the rest to be a little boring and never gave it a second thought. When an updated release of the film came out on DVD, it had been well over a decade, so I thought it was about time I give it a second viewing to see if anything had changed. And it did. Or should I say, I did. Continue reading