Maniac UK Trailer

Checkout the official UK trailer to the upcoming film "Maniac" starring Elijah Wood...




Maniac hits UK cinemas March 15th.

Cult movie director Michael Armstrong lured out of retirement.

After years of rumours and speculation by his fans, cult horror movie legend Michael Armstrong has finally been lured out of retirement by Paper Dragon Productions to direct his first major feature film for over forty years.

 

Following his 1970 genre classic, Mark Of The Devil, which shocked audiences and broke box office records worldwide, fans will be delighted to learn that Armstrong is to direct his much anticipated screenplay Orphanage.

 

“I agreed to be exhumed from retirement because I felt I could trust Paper Dragon Productions to offer me the creative freedom I need to realise a story I’ve wanted to bring to the screen for more than 30 years,” Armstrong said.  “I very much look forward to working with them.”

 

Described as a sociological suspense shocker, a complete veil of secrecy has now been thrown around the project as it heads into immediate development.

 

Written and directed by Michael Armstrong, Orphanage will be produced by Paul Horsfield and Jonathan Jones, with Neil Jackson and Kevin James executive producing for Paper Dragon Productions.

 

Visit the website at http://www.orphanage-themovie.com/ 

Black Sunday (The Mask of Satan) - UK BD review

The nice folk at Arrow films sent me another one of their Mario Bava Blu-Rays to review, so it was back round to friends house to use his Blu-Ray player (and liberate more of his chocolate biscuits).

 

Black Sunday, also known as the Mark of Satan, marked Mario Bava’s official directorial debut, having previously worked as a second unit director on several other features, as well as doing uncredited work on several others.

 

Set somewhere in Eastern Europe, horror scream queen Barbara Steele as a young maiden named Asa, who was burned at the stake during medieval times, after her own brother accused her of being a witch.

 

Flashing forward to the 19^th century and a couple of Gentlemen travelling through the forest, close to where the old village was, are forced to stop, when one of the wheels on their carriage is damaged. Whilst the driver attempts repairs, the two wander off and find the ruins of an old crypt near by.

 

Going inside they discover the decomposed body of Asa in a coffin, but when one of them accidentally cuts his hand and drips blood onto the corpse, she is brought back to life, and begins to wreak a bloody revenge on the descendants that put her to death.

 

Filmed in Black and White, the film does look somewhat dated these days and does get a little confusing in places, as Steele plays 2 roles in the film, that of the Witch Ava and also the role of Katia, who’s the daughter of one of her family’s descendants.

 

Released in 1960, it was considered quite shocking for it’s day, which resulted in the film being censored for its original US release and banned in the UK up until 1968.

 

This release by Arrow is of the full uncut version of the film and gives you the choice of listening to the original English dialogue, or the alternate US dub of the film, which used different voice over artists and had a different score.

 

You also get the Italian version of the film which is slightly longer, and contains the original Italian language dub with English sub-titles.

 

Extras wise, the disc is chock full of extras, including an introduction by noted horror critic Alan Jones, a feature length commentary by Bava biographer Tim Lucas, an interview with actress Barabara Steele, which for some reason is in Italian, with English subs, whoch is kind of odd considering that she’s British.

 

There’s also a deleted scene of Katia and Prince Vajda, which only appears in the Italian version, 2x theatrical trailers and a TV spot. And if all that wasn’t enough, the disc also includes a bonus film, Vampiri which was the first film Bava worked on as an unofficial director, after original director Ricardo Freda walked off set, which also happened to be the first Italian horror film in sound, and there’s a  reel of almost an hours worth of trailers for other Mario Bava films.

 

A cracking selection of extras, for such an obscure film. The film is released in a dual format combo-pack, containing the Blu-Ray and DVD versions of the film and much like Arrows “Lisa and the Devil” release, is an essential purchase for fans of Mario Bava’s earlier works.

 

 

By the DVD/BD combo pack at Amazon.co.uk

Valentines Special Review!!!!

For those who missed it on my YouTube channel, a special review for Valentines day....

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART 3!!!!!!!

Subscribe to my YouTube reviews at http://www.youtube.com/user/DarkAngel182

Maniac (2012) - Passed Uncut for UK Cinemas

Great news, it has been confirmed by the BBFC that the new film "MANIAC", starring Elijah Wood, has been passed uncut in all it's gory glory with an 18 certificate for its upcoming UK cinema relase this March.

 

We warned you not to go out tonight. Just when the downtown Los Angeles streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back on the hunt. Frank (Elijah Wood) is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna (Nora Arnezeder - Safe House) appears asking for his help with her new photo exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill.

 

From producers/writers Alexander Aja and Gregory Levasseur (THE HILLS HAVE EYES, MIRRORS, PIRANHA 3D) and director Franck Khalfoun (P2), this remake of the original 1980 shocker is a stylized and technical triumph, with a nerve-shredding Argento tribute score.– the entire movie is shot from the killer’s point-of-view. The film premiered at this Cannes Film Festival Official Midnight Screening selection.

The film is released to UK cinemas March 15.

Lisa and the Devil (House of Exorcism) - UK BD Review

Arrow films were nice enough to send  me a copy of their new release of Mario Bava’s “Lisa and the Devil” to review on Blu-Ray. Sadly, I am one of the few movie lovers that has yet to invest in a Blu-Ray player, which made watching this a little troublesome. But fortunately, a good friend of mine allowed me to pop round whilst he was out and watch it on his set-up (though considering I polished off the last of his chocolate biscuits whilst I was there, I doubt he will allow me to do so again).
 

But anyway, “Lisa and the Devil” is probably one of Mario Bava’s more infamous films, as it was previously only available in a heavily re-edited version entitled “House of Exorcism”, which had newly shot scenes that totally altered the context of the entire film. This release from Arrow contains both Bava’s original cut of the “Lisa..”, and the re-edited version, which are selectable from the main menu.

The original cut of “Lisa and the Devil” stars Elke Sommer (who “Carry On..” fans may recognise from “Carry On Behind") who gets lost whilst looking round some quaint Italian village.She bumps into Kojak, sorry Telly Savalas, complete with his trademark lollipop, who she asks for directions. But still fails to find her way back. Accepting a lift from a rich couple, who offer to drop her back at the hotel, their car unfortunately breaks down outside Telly Savalas’s mansion, who invites them inside whilst the chauffer attempts repairs.
 

But it seems there’s something sinister about the family living there, as the people in the group start getting bumped off by them.
 

This was a very surreal “arty” film, and it was a job to know at times what was going on, or why. I also found the ending rather odd (which I won’t spoil for you) but it did make me wonder what it was I had just been watching.
 

The alternate cut of the film, “House of Exorcism”, starts off the same, except Elke Sommer manages to find her way back to the town centre this time, but THEN suffers a seizure after meeting Telly Savalas and is taken to hospital, where the local priest finds that her problem is spiritual, not medical, and attempts to perform an exorcism.
 

The surreal scenes of her getting lost and winding up at Telly Savalas’s mansion in this are shown as being all in her mind whilst she’s undergoing the exorcism. Apparently the reason Bava cut this version of the film together was no one was interested in picking up the original version for distribution, so he tried to cash in on the success of “The Exorcist”.
 

This is the first time that either version of this film has been available on Blu-Ray here in the UK and Arrow have spared no expense chocking the disc full of extras. As well as getting 2x versions of the film, you get an accompanying introduction to each version by noted Horror journalist Alan jones.
 

There’s 2 different audio commentary tracks, one with Bava biographer Tim Lucas, which accompanies the “Lisa…” version of the film and one with Producer Alfredo Leone and star Elke Sommer that accompanies the “House of Exorcism” version.
 

There’s also a making-of retrospective documentary, featuring interviews with many of the cast and crew members, a rough cut trailer for “Lisa and the Devil”, along with 2 trailers and a TV spot for “House of Exorcism” and a deleted scene, which is actually a more explicit take of the love scene between Gabrielle Tinti and Silva Koscina.
 

The film is released in a dual format Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack (good news for those like me who do not yet own a BD player) and is definitely a must for Bava fans.

Buy the Lisa and the Devil DVD/BD combo pack at Amazon.co.uk

Sleep Tight - on UK DVD

[REC] director Jaume Balaguero says “Hola Hitchcock” in this scary and darkly unsettling psychological horror thriller. Unassuming Cesar is janitor at an upscale apartment block in Barcelona. However, his quiet politeness hides a much more sinister personality. His current obsession is Clara, the new cheerful tenant on the fifth floor.

 

At night when Clara is fast asleep, Cesar sneaks into her flat - and bed - to appease his twisted fantasies. If only the pesky young girl down the corridor would mind her own business, and one senior citizen wouldn’t poke her nose in. But soon Cesar’s life is going to spiral out of all control due to a police investigation that threatens to ruin his whole miserable master plan…

 

Provocative and intense, with Spanish superstar Luis Tosar delivering a sensationally disturbing performance, the growing tension, clever twists and startling chills will keep you biting your nails.

 

The film is getting a limited release to UK cinemas on March 1st, followed by a DVD release on March 4th.

 

Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk