KILLER CROCODILE!!

Word has just leaked that Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters will unleash the Japanese monster mash classic FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD aka FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON (which seems to be title they're using, a pity, as it's rather boring), it's directed by Japanese low-budget fantasy autuer Ishiro Honda and will be reaching grateful eyes sometime round about 2/27/2007 or so. It looks totally wild, man! A real howler!! All the Media Blasters Toho monster movie DVDs have been real nice, so's I'd gamble on this one being a winner too.

Info gleaned from the Great and Noble DVD Drive-In!

Mondo Macabro's Special Edition of SNAKE DANCER Slinks Onto Shelves This November!

The movie that proves little girls shouldn't play with snakes is now on video for the first time anywhere!

Mondo Macabro has proudly brought you classic exploitation films from places all over the world that people never expected to see. Indonesian action films? We gave them to you. Bollywood Horror? Uh, didn't you see the September release? Pakistani vampires? That was THE LIVING CORPSE, my friend. And now we bring you a first for Mondo Macabro, something we've never done before. Can your heart stand a sexploitation film about the true-life story of a SNAKE DANCER from South Africa?

Back in the bad old days of the 1970's, South Africa suffered under one of the most repressive governments the world has known. Most forms of fun were either frowned upon or banned outright. And the notion of a woman joyously dancing naked was enough to cause a riot. Particularly if her partner was a sensual, slithering snake! SNAKE DANCER tells the true story of a woman who dared to be different and, in doing so, showed a whole country that it was possible to break the rules and still survive.

But above all, what the film shows is the incredible dancing and sensual live shows of the amazing Glenda Kemp, who stars as herself. And make no mistake; once you've seen her in action, you'll realize why her government tried to ban her - and why a whole nation cheered her on!

SNAKE DANCER features a great number of Glenda's sexy dance routines including several with her large pet python. These are still strong enough to raise an eyebrow or two, even in the liberal climate of today. But with its gaudy trappings, kitsch and camp costumes and unfamiliar accents, the film is never less than hugely enjoyable. All fans of 70's sexploition will love this one, and you may even learn a thing or two from watching it!

Mondo Macabro's DVD for SNAKE DANCER contains the following extra features:

*An interview with SNAKE DANCER writer/director Dirk de Villiers, produced by Mondo Macabro and exclusive to this release.

*An in-depth interview with well-known South African film critic Trevor Steele Taylor who tells us about the history of film making in South Africa from its beginnings up to the present day. Also produced by Mondo Macabro and exclusive to this DVD.

*Extensive production notes and background information on the film, it's cast and crew and the expanded, updated and much loved "Mondo Macabro Preview Reel"!

*SNAKE DANCER is presented in its original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio.


Look for Mondo Macabro's DVD for SNAKE DANCER in stores on November 14, 2006 at a retail price of $24.95.

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH!!

aka THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Mexico; 1962

Luis Buñuel's surreal classic has been reviewed and studied by critics and scholars far more talented than I. So I am not even going to try and attempt to match wits with those who would analyze every frame & contemplate its meaning and hidden agendas. Instead, allow me to explore its more cult qualities.

The premise itself is brilliantly simple. A Mexican aristocrat has invited a number of colleagues and associates to his mansion for a cigar & nightcap after attending an opera. As the guests arrive, the houses staff begins to flee. This leaves the home owners with but one waiter to entertain a dozen or so guests. As the night progresses the guests become weary, so naturally a slumber party breaks out. Couples scrounge for couch or floor space as the entire party beds down for the night. The group of social elite wake up to find that they are trapped in the entertaining room with no explanation or logical reason as to why they can not simple walk out the floor door. As hours grow into days the upper class socialites begin to turn on each other, fighting over why these events have transpired and who is to blame. They are running out of water and food. The local government officials can't pass the front gate to pull them out of the room or to even bring them supplies. And Jack & Sayid have captured one of "The Others" and are holding him hostage in the hatch.

One could go on at length as to Buñuel's possible intentions. That no matter what your social or economic status, when cornered & trapped the beast will take over in us all, is one reflection. That when the group is unable to "Flight" they "Fight", could be another similar take. Or simply how to lure a sheep from your living room into your dining room, catch it, skin it, and roast it over a crackling fire of wooden chairs and family heirlooms. What I took away most however were specific elements and scenes that latched on to my brain and held on with talons.

I love a simple story. One set & a few interesting characters, when written and filmed properly, can out entertain a big budget Hollywood spectacle any day. And this film is a key example of a master at work. Being familiar only with Buñuel's short film collaboration with Salvador Dalí (Un chien andalou or the let's freak people out by cutting this girls eye film) before viewing Ángel, I was amazed by his camera work and the way he approached the films dialogue. A crowed room of frantic people whose hope of rescue is fading into a jumbled mess was handled with expert care. You freely flowed from one conversation to the next picking up small piece of dialogue that strung together to form a whole.

I loved how the help & wait staff seemed unconsciously aware of the fact that they needed to leave the house at once. Yet the noblemen and their guests where clueless to their approaching fate.

At one point early on in the film you get a peak inside a woman's hand bag. Inside she has chicken bones and other ritualistic items. This at first struck me as being weird for the sake of being weird, but later it is shown that that particular woman practices Kabbalah. Earlier that same day she had a premonition and felt it necessary to carry with her to the opera a selection of items that would later become necessary to treat one of her fellow trapped upper classmen.

I was also intrigued by one particular guest who after several days trapped in the room yelled a strange howl out the open doorway. Two men behind began to discuss how the man has finally lost it, only to be corrected by a guest who was a doctor. The yell was a distress call used by the Freemasons. Any brother who hears the cry is to drop what ever they are doing and come right away to help. This "call for help" was the only line of dialogue that was not subtitled, which added a great sense of mystery to it and a feeling of distress. I asked a friend of mine who happens to be a Knight Templar (you may know them as The Blind Dead) and there is such a thing. Used only as a last resort, there are apparently historical accounts where such a call has been both heard and answered. These bits and pieces of different cultures and religions were one of the more intriguing things about the film.

Why not jump out of the windows? Can they break down the walls? Why doesn't someone just push another someone out the front door? Why is there a bear in the living room? You will find yourself asking a number of questions & while not all will be answered, sometimes the questions themselves are far more entertaining.

The Exterminating Angel (US title) is currently not available on DVD, which is a crime. This film deserves to be restored and treated with care. Criterion can you hear me? The subtitles would need work. So much was going on at once that I felt as if certain segments of dialogue were cut to accommodate others. Of all the places, I caught this film on TV. Turner Classic Movies played it unedited and uninterrupted. I applaud them for their selections of films and for showing them the TLC that film fans deserve. TCM is one of the few TV channels worth paying for. Unlike AMC (American Movie Classics) whose warped idea of what makes a film a classic is obviously driven by its advertisers. Cocoon: the Return is not a classic. El Ángel Exterminador most certainly is.

Review by The Undead Film Critic!

Renato Polselli, director of the amazing films Deliriumand Reincarnation of Isabelhas passed away. Sadly we at Worldweird know next to nothing about the man other than these two masterpieces and his interview in the BBC docu-series EUROTIKA! (which featured clips from some of his more obscure films which looked truly fabulous). But it is clear to us from this meager evidence that he was wild and unjustly neglected movie-genius. A born film-maker with a subversive mind and a visionary imagination. He will be missed, perhaps more than he ever knew, among those of us who treasure such unhinged talents and the amazing and defiantly odd works of art that they make.
Fortunately for all of us, our friend Wayne Maginn has spent the better part of a decade working on a biography of Polselli and a study of his films. He was the one who had the misfortune of passing on the sad news, which he broke on the Cinehound Forum just a couple of days ago. He posted a lovely obituary for the great autuer, which I re-post here, with his full permission.

The Maestro from Arce has passed away...

I am very saddened to have to report that yesterday, Renato Polselli passed away. I had been preparing a book on Renato since the late-1990s and had been aided in this by my close friend in Rome and also Renato himself. I had always hoped i could repay Renato's generosity over the years by one day soon taking a finished copy of the book over to him as the ultimate form of tribute. After on-and-off health issues over the past decade, that wish, something that both Renato and myself had been looking forward to for so long, was never to be. I had also hoped to get some further info to fill in gaps in his life that were unknown to many, and was planning to have the book complete sometime in 2007/2008. As things stand, the book will go ahead as planned and will simply have to leave some stones unturned. The man was an enigma in life and will remain somewhat of an enigma in his passing.

Renato was always generous with his time and also with providing materials and information for my pet-project. He knew i had invested so much money and time in the book that i would never ever come close to making enough to even approach profit in return. He knew, that i was making it purely out of admiration and respect and for that he was always gracious with whatever help he could provide and felt that i was not amongst the crop of journos and companies that had abused his trust, ripped him off or otherwise used him over the years (especially in recent years).

Renato cut his teeth filming documentaries before breaking into feature films. He had always been somewhat of a rebel. His material was often risque and landed him in hot water at every turn, with censors and distributors alike, but it was just as much his thematic content as his censor run-ins that destined his films and career to a life of obscurity. His work was often frustrating to many. To the many, he ws a 'hack'...a poor director with no vision. To the few, he was as much a misunderstood genius and thought-provoking auteur as Jess Franco. His career was full of ups and downs, but his films always bore something interesting in the way of content or technique that separated (and alienated) him/them from anything else being made in those periods. Unfortunately, a variety of bad decisions, censor problems, distribution mishaps and sometimes indifference, meant that much of his career's work vanished or was buried and has been left to gather dust in dark corners of forgotten film vaults dotted throughout time...

I am very upset of his passing, as is my friend, who was not only a close friend of Renato but who had also been proud to have Renato serve as his best man recently at his wedding.

Cult European cinema has lost one of its kost neglected and most peculiarly interesting directors, following hot on the heels of the passing of one of his most recognisable lead actors, Mickey Hargitay on the 14th. With the likes of Isarco Ravaioli and Bruno Vani passing away in recent years also, it is possible that a small portion of Italian cinema, about which very little is known in-depth, will remain so for all time...

R.I.P. Renato...you will be missed. Forgotten by some, always. But never forgotten by the few...

You can find more info about the maestro here.

According to their website, Severin Films have liscenced five Italian soft-core shockers, all of which will surely scald your eyeballs and stain your jeans.
Dig the smut-o, kiddies ...


EMANUELLE & THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE: a rousing reunion of the formidable EMANUELLE IN AMERICA team of Gemser and the mighty Joe D'Amato!


SISTER EMANUELLE: our favorite open-minded nymph has a change of heart and trades in her sexual habits for a sexy habit. You can imagine what kind of sinful shenanigans subsequently go on behind convent walls!


BLACK EMMANUELLE/WHITE EMMANUELLE: Actually a crafty retitling of BLACK VELVET but it not only boasts Gemser, you also get the delicious Annie Belle (HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK; LAURE) and giallo queen Susan Scott (DEATH WALKS IN HIGH HEELS)!


MALABIMBA: THE MALICIOUS WHORE: You may be familiar with other outrageous Andrea Bianchi works such as BURIAL GROUND and STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER but even they won't prepare you for the dirty delights of MALABIMBA, which features arguably the most salacious invalid death scene in cinema history!


SATAN'S BABY DOLL: One year later Mario Bianchi (no relation) remade MALABIMBA and threw heroin addiction and zombies into the mix!

We'll get more info as it be-cums available. You sick little pervs.

NINJA TERMINATOR!!!