Here's the scoop:
SNAKE DANCER - South Africa's finest cult movie finally
makes an official DVD release - SNAKE DANCER aka GLENDA - tells the true life tale of Glenda Kemp - the exotic dancer who's racy act caused huge outrage in 70's SA. The disc contains an exclusive interview with the director Dirk De Villiers and a brand new half hour featurette on South African underground and cult cinema.
Please note: This DVD has been prepared from the only available elements. In our bid to give you the wildest & rarest movies from all corners on the earth - sometimes we just have to do what we can with what we have! We hope you agree! But please dont expect an HD transfer with this one... (rest assured it actually looks pretty good and what Glenda does with her snake is all too clear!)



Pre-order this for a whopping 32% at Amazon here!

November 21st will see the long awaited release (by us anyway) of two of the wildest Hong Kong 80s horror flicks: BOXER'S OMEN and WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU. There's something deeply odd and unsettling about HK horror even when the film threatens to drown you in zero-budget cheesiness or ridiculous slapstick "comedy". There's a sleazy and animalistic thrust to these films, which pack in the gore and weirdness in a way that's almost unmatched by any cinema in the world. It should be no surprise then, that Worldweird Cinema dearly, dearly loves these films and awaits any official releases of them with barely contained excitement!
So thank God Image is releasing our favorite HK film - the delirious BOXER'S OMEN! Described by Pete Tombs in his book Mondo Macabro as being "almost psychedelic in it's excess", BOXER fairly glows with unrestrained weirdness. If Alejandro Jodorowsky had decided to make a follow-up film to HOLY MOUNTAIN in China, more than likely it would have looked like this. A true Worldweird Cinema Classic if ever there was one!



You can pre-order this highly anticipated disc here.

On the same day (perhaps by coincidence, perhaps not) Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters will release Tsui Hark's legendary cannibal comedy WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU. An early, uncompromised effort from the HK autuer behind such later hits as ZU: WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, EAT YOU promises to pile on all the violence, satire and of course weirdness that you can stand. We've not seen this one yet, so our excitement level is high for this release. To quote Mondo Macabro further, "WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU has plenty of masked, meat-cleaver-waving subnormals chasing their victims through the woods. There's lot of gruesome carnage, and many shots of severed limbs and pots of boiling body parts. Conventional morality is turned upside-down. Nobody can be trusted. The only characters who are really honest about their intentions are the cannibals."
Sounds about right to us.



And yes you can pre-order here.

AKA ISKIRI DOSI ... SEX
Directed by Elia Milonakos
Greece; 1978

OPERATION ORIENT is a little Greek sexploitation/crime number that’s pretty damned interesting. Maybe cause it’s my first exposure (of many, hopefully) to the world of Hellenic exploitation but I was fairly fascinated by its odd atmosphere. ORIENT doesn’t play by the rules of most other countries' genre films. It has no real central character and the characters it does feature are all singularly unlikable. The plot concerns stolen heroin and the greasy Mediterranean-Mob types who try to recover it. It gets fairly complicated with lots of double-crossings and back stabbings and ulterior motives and such. But it doesn’t really add up to much, although the lack of central focus for the plot gives the whole thing a weird, sultry ambience. It squares onto odd little character details and random plot machinations while the acid-rockish score holds everything together. There’s also mucho flesh-o on display, although all the naked chicks are rather gaunt looking. But a few are really, really hot. I mean really hot. A hotness suited to the backing Aegean summer. That helps the film through its dull, patches frankly, but those are really few and far between as the flick throttles towards its strangely inconclusive conclusion at a rapid and interesting pace. The movie is no classic, not a movie you’ll want to pull out again and again or enthuse to your friends about, but was highly enjoyable nonetheless. Recommended to the Greek-sexploitation curious and fans of Eurotrash in general.

Print provided by an old Private Screenings VHS tape I bought 6 or 7 months ago.
More info here.

Have you gotten yours yet?
We have. Expect our review sometime next week!
If you haven't (you loser) then order it here!

THE BLOOD DRINKERS!!
KULAY DUGO ANG GABI!!


Thanks to the great BLEEDING SKULL for posting this trailer!

We're taking the week off to catch up on some stuff so unless there's some major breaking DVD news, this is it for week. Hopefully we'll be back with some cool new stuff: more trailers and clips, a new VHS review column, some articles about various international exploitation cinema and our first interview! Stay tuned for more details.



We would like to note the passing of Mickey Hargitay, the Hungarian body-builder/actor who starred in two of our most favorite Italian 70s shockers, DELIRIUM and THE REINCARNATION OF ISABEL. Some of the most far out spaghetti thrillers you will ever see both directed by RenatoPolselli and featuring cracking performances from Mr. Hargitay. He will be sorely missed.

Here's the AP obit:
(AP) Mickey Hargitay, the actor and world champion bodybuilder who was married to 1950s sex siren Jayne Mansfield and whose daughter is Emmy-winning actress Mariska Hargitay, has died. He was 80. Hargitay died Thursday in Los Angeles, according to a family statement issued Monday through publicist Gary Mantoosh. The cause of death was not released. "Words cannot express how saddened we are by the loss of Mickey," the statement said. "At the same time, we are so grateful for who he was and is to all of us, and for the love he gave us in our lives. He will continue to be our source of inspiration and strength."

Born Miklos Hargitay in 1926, he emigrated from his native Hungary to the United States after World War II. He became interested in bodybuilding in the 1950s and was named Mr. Universe, Mr. America and Mr. Olympia in 1955.
"My dad's a bit of a superhero," Mariska Hargitay told the National Public Radio show "Fresh Air" last year. He parlayed his perfect physique into a performing career when Mae West tapped him to be one of the musclemen in her stage show. It was there that Hargitay met Mansfield, whom he married in 1957. That same year, he made his big-screen debut in "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue." He went on to star opposite his wife in three films: "The Loves of Hercules," "Promises! Promises!" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"
The couple had three children together, including Mariska, before divorcing in 1964. Mansfield died in a car crash in 1967. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Hargitay in the 1982 TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story," offered his condolences and called Hargitay "a magnificent individual." "Mickey was such an inspiration and always had such a positive attitude," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "He was a role model of mine for being a successful immigrant who came to this country and pursued his dreams."

Hargitay's career continued after his divorce with appearances in a half-dozen Italian films and horror flicks. He even guest-starred in a 2003 episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the show in which his daughter Mariska plays a leading role. When she won an Emmy for her work last month, Mariska tearfully thanked her father, "because he is the reason I'm standing here today."
Besides Mariska, survivors include his wife, Ellen, sons Mickey Jr. and Zoltan, and another daughter, Tina.

Mondo Macabro have posted their documentary on ex-pat American exploitation film producer Dick Randall on YouTube for all of us to enjoy. Originally featured on the excellent FRENCH SEX MURDERS DVD, WILD WILD WORLD has some really incredible clips from his many films made in Europe and Asia.
Here it is, more or less, I believe, in its entirety.

PART 1


PART 2


PART 3

Looks like a sex comedy. Fun!

THE WEIRD LOVEMAKERS!
KYONETSU NO KISETSU!

Back a month ago or so when we posted the new Onar trailers for their upcoming DVD releases of Turkish Pulp Films we somehow missed one. KIZIL TUG CENGIZ HAN! Described by Bill as "The first and oldest Turkish PEPLUM/HISTORICAL/SWORD/EPIC from 1952" and it looks pretty fookin' entertainin' to us and pretty violent for a movie from 1952! Anyway to make up for our mistake, here's the trailer:



Coming from Onar Films sometime in the year 2007!

You can read my review of No Shame's recent release of this classy and sensous variation on the nunsploitation theme over at Cultcuts Magazine!
Enjoy!

We can barely contain our excitement at this announcement so we'll just give it over to Panik House themselves:

Exactly one month ago I promised to announce something huge. Well the wait is over!
Panik House is entering into a production partnership with Synapse Films to release seven more films from the Toei vaults. Five proto-Pinky Violence films and two films of a new genre: Pinky Horror!

With the CasaNegra line in full swing and the Chained Heat films on the way, I needed to call in marines, so to speak, to handle the film transfers and over-all production on this latest crop of Pinky Violence titles, which have never before been released on DVD anywhere. And who better than Don May Jr. and Jerry Chandler from Synapse? I've been looking for an excuse to work with Don on a project for about a decade (going back even before my days at Blue Underground!) and these films have provided me with the perfect opportunity.

Which films you ask?

Let's start with the Pinky Horror titles first:

Edogawa Ranpo Zenshu: Kyofu Kikei Ningen; aka Horror Of The Malformed Men
This is the most notorious film in the history of Japanese cinema. It has been banned since it's release in 1969, and is the film that really cemented Teruo Ishii's reputation as a master in the art of transgressive filmmaking. All rhetoric aside, this is one of the true classics of the era.




Kaidan Hebi-onna; aka Snake Woman's Curse
This was the first of the Pinky Horror films released by Toei. It was helmed by master director Nobuo Nakagawa, who has been called the Japanese Hitchcock, and Akemi Negishi (Sex & Fury, Lady Snowblood) stars.

This brings us to the two series that served as the protypes of the Pinky Violence films and were the direct inspiration for Sex & Fury and just about every female protagonist film to follow. There's the three film Okatsu series, starring Junko Miyazuno, and the two Silver Butterfly films that launched icon of icons Meiko Kaji.
Here's a title list:

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hannya no Ohyaku; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Female Demon Ohyaku

Yoen Dokufu Den : Hitokiri Okatsu; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Quickdraw Okatsu

Yoen Dokufu Den : Okatsu Kyojo Tabi; aka Sexy Deadly Legend: Okatsu's Epic Journey


Gincho Wataridori; aka Wandering Ginza Butterfly

Gincho Nagaremono Mesuneko Bakuchi; aka Wandering Ginza She-Cat Gambler




These films are beyond legendary, and have never been released on DVD. Some English titles may change by release date, but make no mistake that these films will be presented uncut in their original form -remastered for optimal viewing and listening enjoyment.

This particular crop of films has allowed me to present two entire series (like we did with the two Inoshika Ocho films starring Reiko Ike), which was key in my decision to license them. I had chosen not to release the entire series of Girl Boss films because I felt that not all entries were as strong as Girl Boss Guerilla, but the two Butterfly films and the three Okatsu films are all really incredible movies, so it's not a case of licensing them just to release a whole series; these films rock! Additionally, these will not be issued as box sets, but instead as individual discs (possibly at the same time) affording the option of buying all at once or one at a time as your budget dictates.

In the meantime, you can whet your Pinky whistle by picking up the recently re-issued Sex & Fury, or pre-ordering the stand alone editions of Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom and Girl Boss Guerilla. I understand that there are still a few transparent editions of Teruo Ishii's Female Yakuza Tale available, so snatch those up along with the recent releases of Screwed and Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf.

Stay tuned for updates, and have a Pink day!

GIALLO A VENEZIA (1979)

Skillfully directed by Mario Landi (1980's Patrick Is Still Alive), GIALLO A VENEZIA is one motherfucker of a sleazefest. A tale of matrimonially enhanced sexual deviance and grisly gruesome murder. Sex & Death-- life in a nutshell.
I have an Italian language import, so I've nary a clue as to what anyone is saying 99% of the time, but following the storyline was easy enough. It comes down to one act of depravity after another; beginning at the end, slipping periodically out of the present and into the past, and satisfyingly wrapping up all the loose ends well enough at the film's conclusion.
The moral of this story... "NO means NO."

Here's a brief look at the menu this evening:
»1 pair of mirrored sunglasses
»Several pairs of tight white cotton pants for mens
»A detective with a bad boiled egg habit
»Rampant voyeurism
»Multiple acts of coerced perversion
»2 accounts of up-close, severe crotch stabbings with a pair of scissors
»1 man shot, kicked while he's down, and then SET ON FIRE
»1 woman suffering an intense slap attack by an intruder, being tied to her kitchen table, and having her leg slowly sawed off in lingering detail. She passes out from the pain, but when our killer finishes with her leg HE SMACKS HER UNTIL SHE WAKES UP so she can start screaming again
»Bushels of pubic hair
»Rivers of gore
»And a very impractical wall calendar

I ask you, what's not to love?

The inaugural slogan for Italy's Cinecittà film studios sums up the experience well: "Il cinema è l'arma più forte" (Cinema is the most powerful weapon).
If you don't feel the need for a couple of showers after this one, you might wanna go ahead and crawl in that crematory before you start prank-calling for more cops.

Review by Scott Wallis!

HOT

Coming from Mondo Macabro in November. Yeah, I know. Nothing from MM in October looks like. Oh well. We're lookin' forward to this one, though.

SUPERARGO!!!!

We're not sure what to make of these. CasaNegra will relase the films Chabelo y Pepito Detectives,Chabelo y Pepito Contra Los Monstruos and Pepito y la Lámpara Maravillosa on November 14th of this year. I was unfamiliar with these before this announcement and still know almost nothing about them. They appear to be Kiddie Flicks from 1970s Mexico with comedy and fatasy elements. Word was originally these were being done for the "Latin" maket and indeed the details at CasaNegra HQ do not list them as having English subtitles. However, over at DVD Drive-in the're reporting this week that English subs will in fact be a feature. So, what gives?
Sort of interesting anyway, though. Here's some stuff, straight form the horse's mouth:


STARRING LEGENDARY MEXICAN COMEDIAN, JAVIER LÓPEZ!

When cousins Chabelo (Javier López) and Pepito (Martin Ramos) are made honorary members of the local police squad, they go undercover to infiltrate a gang of youths being trained by a criminal mastermind. The boys soon discover, however, that more than just petty theft is on the line. They uncover an army of strange, hypnotic-eyed kids who oversee slaves by entrancing them with mechanical toys. And then things really get wild! Chabelo and Pepito, Detectives is a fun, anything-goes sci-fi adventure that the whole family will watch in wonder.

CasaNegra is proud to present this colorful adventure classics the whole family will love.

Special Features:

* Original Uncut Version
* Completely Re-Mastered Picture & Sound from Newly Restored Vault Elements
* Biography on legandary Mexican comedian Javier López
* Trailer for other Pepito and Chabelo releases
* Extensive Poster and Stills Gallery

FIlm Info
1973
84 Mins.
Color
Not Rated
1:33 Aspect Ratio


Technical Info
Region 1-NTSC
Spanish Dolby Digital Mono 1.0


Release Info
Item #CN0069
MSRP: $14.95


Credits
cast Javier López • Martín Ramos • Ramiro Orci • Luis Miranda • Carlos A. Bonilla
screenplay by Jorge Fernández
directed by José Estrada



STARRING LEGENDARY MEXICAN COMEDIAN, JAVIER LÓPEZ!

Pepito (Martin Ramos) and his cousin Chabelo (Javier López) are on a scouting trip when, helping two other boys fix a broken cart, they encounter a monster. Escaping deeper into the woods they continue to run into numerous monsters including Frankenstein, a Wolf Man, a Vampire and a Mummy. They escape each encounter until finally discovering a hidden passage which leads to a hidden house in the mountains, where they uncover a surprising secret!

What ensues is fun-filled thrills, chills and humorous adventure that is sure to delight the hearts of the whole family.

Special Features:

* Original Uncut Version
* Completely Re-Mastered Picture & Sound from Newly Restored Vault Elements
* Biography on legandary Mexican comedian Javier López
* Trailer for other Pepito and Chabelo releases
* Extensive Poster and Stills Gallery

FIlm Info
1973
90 Mins.
Color
Not Rated
1:33 Aspect Ratio


Technical Info
Region 1-NTSC
Spanish Dolby Digital Mono 1.0


Release Info
Item #CN0079
MSRP: $14.95


Credits
cast Javier López • Martín Ramos • Silvia Pasquel • Pedro Reguero • Emma Grisé
screenplay by Salvador Lozano Mena
directed by José Estrada



STARRING LEGENDARY MEXICAN COMEDIAN, JAVIER LÓPEZ!
After acting up in school, Pepito (Martin Ramos) is assigned to write about a salsera (salsa dish). But, in fact, this is no common salsa dish -- it contains a genie who is happy to make the boy’s every dream come true. Pepito uses magic to improve his performance in class while also scoring big on the athletic field. But once Pepito’s cruel stepfather Maximo finds out about the genie, will he ruin the fun with his greed? This delightful fantasy demonstrates with love and laughter that, young or old, we must be careful what we wish for.

CasaNegra is proud to present this colorful adventure classics the whole family will love.

Special Features:

* Original Uncut Version
* Completely Re-Mastered Picture & Sound from Newly Restored Vault Elements
* Biography on legandary Mexican comedian Javier López
* Trailer for other Pepito and Chabelo releases
* Extensive Poster and Stills Gallery

FIlm Info
1971
85 Mins.
Color
Not Rated
1:33 Aspect Ratio


Technical Info
Region 1-NTSC
Spanish Dolby Digital Mono 1.0


Release Info
Item #CN0089
MSRP: $14.95


Credits
cast Martín Ramos • Javier López • María Duval • Guillermo Orea • Raquel Olmedo
screenplay by Salvador Lozano Mena
directed by Alejandro Galindo

Here's a great online clip from the late 70/early 80s US/Filipino action non-classic FIREBACK. This is seriously one of our favorite movies, which we were lucky enough recently to pick up at our local Hollywood Video since the're liquidating their old VHS stock.
Enjoy the z-grade genius!


And here's a scan of the wonderful cover art for the VHS, click it for further info about the movie.


Clip courtesy the Youtube account of someone named Brujaria