Severin's All the Colors of Giallo

Severin's All the Colors of Giallo

Opening Thoughts: I blame my love of Giallo films, on my local arthouse theater The Film Bar Phoenix. The Film Bar Phoenix has a unique set of programming every month that has various tracks of programming whether that Cinemania, BS Movies, American Genre Film Archive, Arthouse Society, and more. Name a theater in the world that you can see Spice World, Roma, The Candy Tangerine Man, The Stuff, Deep Red, and Metropolis all on the same screen on the same day? Yes I am spoiled where I live.

So as you can see the variety leads to a journey with many different paths. One of those paths includes Giallo films, Italian Slasher films. Last year alone I saw Deep Red, Don't Torture a Duckling, and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage on the big screen. In a few weeks, I will get to see Martino's Torso on the big screen. All of these are top tier films that make you want to find and explore more Giallo, but where do you start there are hundreds of films to consider?

It's a difficult and somewhat complicated process if you pick the wrong films you might lose your love of all things Giallo. So when Severin-films.com announced an in depth look in the form of a documentary that will take a look into the history of Giallo I got excited. Alot of promises were made with this release mostly hours upon hours of Giallo trailers with Kat Ellinger doing audio commentary, a 2nd disc focusing on Krimi films from Germany, and a 3rd disc that is a cd filled with Giallo music. Not a bad deal at $28 if it lives up to promise. It's time to put on the black gloves to see if this release can survive.

Review: Disc 1 for the most part carries the guts of what was promised that any Giallo fan would love to get their hands on. A full feature length documentary by Severin that features interviews all across the board from the filmmakers and stars of who is still with us along with interviews with historians all giving the background from the humble beginnings in book format to its premiere on the big screen to what Giallo is through the 80s. Some jaw dropping facts from the masters themselves, like did you know the same man who created the creepy doll in Deep Red also created the Alien costume and ET. The documentary really gives you a deeper appreciation for these films.

Now you get to the fun part of the disc 1, the Giallothon. The Giallothon is 82 handpicked Giallo Film Trailers to mark the beginning of the Giallo era to what many people feel is the end of the Giallo's as you know them. Now to watch the evolution Giallo from trailers is great. Yet Severin said there was supposed to be over 100 trailers. Seems to be 19 short of what was promised to us, but my guess is that is because they were counting the Krimi trailers in that amount. The playtime is just over 4 hours and in that time you get to see laughing houses, killer nuns, mutant chickens, and killers on motorcycles. Now if you just want to watch the trailers that is fine, but you do have the option of watching this with film herstorian Kat Ellinger.

Ellinger does a fantastic job of leading you from The Girl Who Knew Too Much the beginnings of Giallo to A Blade in the Dark while not the end of Giallo by any means, but definitely hanging on by a thread then. Kat painstakingly takes the time to describe each film within the trailer talking about actors, directors, plots, and anything else about the film or other projects. Just to hear her talk on Mario Bava, Massimo Dallamano, Dario Argento, and Fulci is fantastic. Kat doesn't hold much back she will be honest if a trailer is misleading. You should be able tell by the end of each trailer with her commentary if you want to add a film to your watch list or not. The good thing is you can watch the trailers individually if you want as well. You can't ask for much more.

Disc 2 I am going to be brutally honest about. I didn't purchase this release for Krimi so it's a nice to have edition, but after spending over 10 hours watching disc 1 I am in no hurry in watching this soon. Plus I already have enough addictions as is with films.

Disc 3 The Strange Sounds of the Blood Stained Films CD Soundtrack

As always a random set of scores on a disc, means you may like some and may dislike others it really depends on your music preferences. You might be a fan of Goblin, but dislike Morricone. In the pictures above I attached a list of songs and their credits you decide for yourself. My personal favorites on there are Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai. This CD is just a nice add on touch.

Closing Thoughts: If you are a fan of giallo or just looking for a reference guide to giallo style horror films this BluRay/DVD/CD set is a steal at $28, but you may find it hurting your pockets in other ways. I own 29 of the 82 films in the Giallothon and honestly I want to own probably around 20 more in this set. So you can understand why I don't want to watch the Krimi part because that can burn even more of a hole in my pocket. I wish the documentary was more in English vs. Italian, but that is just me. Either way it is a fun laugh at times. This maybe the Ultimate Guide to Giallo that comes in a home media format.

Overall 9 out of 10

An In Depth Look at Vinegar Syndrome

An In Depth Look at Vinegar Syndrome 

There are alot of specialty boutique home media labels out there doing a fantastic job. Personally, I love Arrow Films, Redemption, and Anolis Films. That said I think one specialty boutique label deserves a special look at and a moment of your time. That label is Vinegar Syndrome.

VS, how I will refer to Vinegar Syndrome for the rest of this blog, was started by a couple of die hard exploitation film fans in Bridgeport, CT. They decided their goal was to search and recover the rarest and most interesting exploitation films ever made. In some instances, VS was able to obtain the only known existing print in the world.

So without a company like VS, alot of these films would never see the light of day on home media or are receiving their first home media release in almost 40 years. So essentially these were dead films waiting to escape from the grave. In a way, I think the name VS is appropriate for them considering they were named after a process known to film as Vinegar Syndrome.

Essentially it is a process in which the film begins to deteriorate because of the organic compounds in used to make the film and gives off a distinct strong odor from the acetate the same chemical that gives vinegar its smell. Once that deterioration starts you can't stop it. That print will die from vinegar syndrome.

So VS wants to get their hands on these rare and interesting film prints before they die from this disease and are possibly gone forever. VS will be able to scan the film in it and save the film digitally. However, VS's goal in restoration is not to do a super duper over the top restoration that you might see Criterion or Arrow do. The reason for that is if you caught the typical film VS releases when they first came out in the theater you most likely saw the film at a drive in or dive theater. These films were not meant to look like they were made with the best film technology. So VS does no noise/grain reduction and only tries to repair the biggest damage on the print and leaves the rest in there. Sure the films might get some color correction and minor stuff done so they don't look faded, but the idea is minimal is better. Just look at the image from the Candy Tangerine Man above. I just saw the film at the Film Bar a few days ago and the common complaint I get on BluRay releases is films look fake on that medium. I'm not sure with a VS a release that you can tell much difference from a 16mm or 35mm print to that of a VS restoration.

I think that is the beauty of a VS release. Imagine watching Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song at your local arthouse theater. VS's source material was from the original negatives scanned in at a 4K. VS did some minor color correction to make sure the film looked liked it did when released, but for the most part left all the other imperfections in. To the average person, they will think they are watching from a print right off of the projector with most of the imperfections left give the film a luscious color look, but at the same time gritty and rough like sandpaper was taken to it. In most instances I would be complaining, but for grindhouse style exploitation films I think this actually adds more character to the films for much pleasurable and sometimes hypnotic viewing that seems like only VS has mastered.

Not every film needs or deserves or needs the VS treatment, but those that do watch out. VS recently released SHOT on BluRay. I had never seen or heard of the film before. Now normally that doesn't mean much, but this film was shot in Champaign-Urbana, Il. That is my hometown of around 100,000 people or so. Films just don't get made there and the town is extremely proud of its history including that HAL 9000 was made in our town. So you think I would have heard of this film, but nope. What I got to was a rough side of my hometown in a different light. No gangsters that I know of exist there, but it was a
fantastic throwback.

So yeah maybe they have released that rare film made in your own small hometown. That release is special to you.

VS's must own flagship release is Wonder Women. Their logo and theme music is all taken from this film so I highly suggest this release. Other than that, just get films from VS that directly speak to you because honestly not every film is a must own release. You should know by description of the release if you want to buy the film or not.

Being that VS is a small company I highly recommend buying directly from them to support small business. As a benefit from buying from VS directly if you are a slip cover lover you can get a limited Edition slipcover directly from them. Then there is a cool shipping option of having a BluRay shipped directly to you in a 35mm film canister.  You never know what film may be listed on the cannister, mine came in They Call Me Bruce Lee.

Check them out and have fun.

Spotlight Look: The Wild Boys

The Wild Boys (2017)

Written and Directed by Bertrand Mandico
Composer - Pierre Desprats
Cinematography by Pascale Granel
Cast
Vimala Pans as Jean-Louis
Pauline Lorillard as Romuald
Mathilde Warnier as Sloane
Anael Snoek as Tanguy
Diane Rouxel as Hubert
Nathalie Richard as the Literature Teacher
Sam Louwyck as The Captain
Elina Lowensohn as Dr. Severin 

Opening Thoughts: I was supposed to see this film back in September of 2018, but life got in the way. What stood out to me around that time from back then was that when I saw the preview the imagery was like watching an intoxicating hallucination version of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Simply breathtaking and gorgeous. I had to see the film at some point even of I know nothing else going into the film.

Plot: Tanguy, a young boy, finds himself on an island exhausted in a state of panic. To escape the madness, Tanguy tries to commit suicide by throwing a box of explosives onto a fire with him in the blast radius. A few moments later, a group of sailors come upon Tanguy's body and begin to rape him, but there is something odd about Tanguy he appears to have one breast. Why?

Moments later from the agony, Tanguy's life begins to flash before his eyes. Tanguy, a schoolboy, is apart of a gang of 5 individual boys who have a passion for mischief and danger. The gang led by Jean-Louis, the alpha male, have the hots for their Literature teacher.

Jean-Louis plans to rape their teacher in the name of Trevor, a diety they can't control. The boys end up murdering her and stand trial. Each of the 5 boys said she seduced them and they murdered her to protect themselves. Unsure of how to proceed, a Captain of a sailboat says he jas a program that takes troubled individual boys and turns them into docile members of society.

The council agrees to let the Captain take the boys into his custody. The Captain, by himself, takes the boys onto a ship and embarks on a trip to an island. The boys under torture are forced to man the ship in different positions. Jean-Louis at this time decides it is time for the boys to rebel uet fails. It's a rebellion attempt that will keep happening theoughout the film.

When the boys arrive they are exhausted and led to a special spot on the island that has everything they need to survive. Plants that look like cocks in which they have to suck to get the liquid they need and a special fruit that appears to be Rocky Mountain Oysters with pubic hair all across them. The boys are disgusted by this, but are told to stay in this spot while the Captain leaves for a meetup elsewhere on the island. The boys are told to stay in this spot because the island has dangerous secrets that can be deadly.

As the Captain leaves, one boy tries to follow him, but appears to get trapped in a cocoon. What is happening? Will the boys survive the island? Will they be able to fight off the Captain's attempts to make them docile human beings? Who is this mysterious person the Captain is meeting up with? One thing is for sure it is not Tennille.

Review: The Wild Boys marks the directing debut of Bertrand Mandico. So I have seen no previous works to compare this film to and wonder if Mandico will be a one film wonder, but what I can do is compare this film to other films with similar concepts.

Children being stranded on an island and forced to fend for themselves is not a new concept in films by any means. The two best examples are Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale and Peter Brook's Lord of the Flies. The Wild Boys shares traits of Royale with the island and how society tries to deal with troubled souls. The film has more in common with Lord of the Flies boys forced to fend for themselves on an island, an alpha dog pecking order, turn of the 20th century setting, and filmed mostly in black and white.

Yet the film also has similarities with Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. Like Clockwork their is a psychotic violent youth gang leader who murders a lady of standing. That would be coincidental in itself, but Mandico also uses the plot element of a rehabilitation program to make an individual docile. While you may look at this as a remake of Clockwork, Mandico has done enough to make this film his own to where only a huge Kubrick fan or dedicated  Cinephile will see the similarities.

Yet Mandico's best achievement of this film is how he used beautiful cinematography, use of sets, and special effects that this film is a unique achievement that reminds of Michael Gondry's Science of Sleep just for imagery and Christopher Nolan's Inception because so much is happening in this film that I could literally think The Wild Boys is about something else with each viewing. One thing is for sure there is so much happening one viewing is not enough.

What I can't believe after viewing this film is that it was shot in 16mm. The film in my opinion is the most gorgeously shot film since The Revenant. For a first time director, Mandico has just set a high bar for himself that he may never be able to live up to again.

Should you rush out to rent, buy, or see this film in the theater? Yes and No. I think everyone should see this film, but some of the themes of the film forced feminization, rape, and LGBT may make this film a tough watch for some. If you can't handle LGBT theme movies then this film is probably not for you. If you can't handle feminism and the recent trend of social awareness again I caution. However, if those themes don't bother you should try this film. Either way I will not judge your character for whatever reason if you choose to watch or not. Too much hate in the world already.

One thing should be pointed out the 5 actresses who play the boys in the film deserve a special shout out. While there was that beginning of the film sequence with Tanguy in which you could tell he was playing played by an actress during the rape scene, curves of the body, the rest of the film while I had some sense that was what the visuals were meaning transformational of the body you couldn't tell until the transformation was about to happen. They were believable and that led to the allure of the film.

Closing thoughts: I can see why  some of my friends love the film it was like they took Lord of the Flies, Clockwork Orange, and Peter Pan and threw them in a Blender and ended up with this magnificent piece of Jackson Pollack work. The Wild Boys is truly a masterpiece of perfectly blended hallucinatory imagery, story, suspense, and comedy into one film.

It's only a matter of time before this film becomes a cult classic and a must see film on all LGBT list of great films. Priscilla Queen of the Desert was my favorite LGBT film, but not anymore The Wild Boys is. I would honestly rank The Wild Boys on my top 25 films I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.

For myself, this film is a solid 9.5 out of 10. That shot sequence in the beginning of the film with Tanguy's body being exposed and I could tell it was an actress not a boy gave a little bit away too early. That said you should look out for Anael Snoek the actress who played Tanguy she might just be the next Tilda Swinton.

School of the Holy Beast

School of the Holy Beast (1974)

Directed by Norifumi Suzuki
Starring Yumi Takigawa as Maya Takigawa

Opening Thoughts: Scrolling through Facebook one day I saw Kat Ellinger mention she was going to have a day of nunsploitation films. I had seen a film if this genre before and liked it, but never knew where to continue. So I asked for a films she could recommend and School of the Holy Beast was at the top of the list. Never heard of the film before, but knowing if the suggestion came from Kat the film has a chance to be shockingly good. Let's face it she has a dirty dirty mind when it comes to films and I love it.

Only thing I knew going in after seeing the case was Japanese women, catholic convent, and made during the era of Pinky Violence what can go wrong even if the film is not good well at least I can have a good laugh about it.

Plot: Maya Takigawa is a mysterious individual  who was found as a baby with a rosary around her neck. Maya doesn't know who her parents are, but she believes if she joins the convent in which the rosary comes from she will be able to find out who her parents were. The issue for Maya is some secrets may be best left alone.

Maya ends up joining the Sacred Heart Convent and begins her own investigation. What Maya is about to witness is shocking. The nuns are broken up into two classes essentially fledglings and graduates. As a fledgling you are subjected to strick rules to guarantee your virginity for god himself, any lapse even thinking of desire can lead to harsh punishments including masochistic rituals in which you whip yourself if you have dirty thoughts.

What Maya is about to witness is beyond belief. Maya sees a system in which everyone has a secret whether they are a lesbian, sent by their parents for bad behavior, or just trying to escape something. No matter what you come for everyone has their own agenda and no one is to be trusted not even the vice superior and archbishop the consequences can be deadly.

Can Maya find out the secret of her parents? Will Maya survive? What hijinks happens within the convent wall?

Watch to find out for yourself.

Review: School of the Holy Beast just from the name, concept, and location of where thendilm is supposed to take place sounds so ludicrous in design and idea that you just want to take the idea behind a barn and shoot it out its misery. The film shouldn't work at all. I mean think about it what do the Japanese really know about the Roman Catholic Church and do they really have any business making a film about a Catholic convent? That in itself is the shocking question.

Yet in this instance director Norifumi Suzuku seems to accomplish  the impossible by combining the Pinky Violence genre that is an exploitation style of masochism, sexual violence, and a level of shock value and the strict code of the Catholic church that in itself has harsh punishments blends together in a rare artistic beauty that is begging to be seen at any arthouse or grindhouse theater. I actually think Andrea Canales of the Film Bar might be mad she didn't introduce this to me herself because this sounds like a film she would shown her ladies Brunch group just for the shock value and to see the ladies faces and if she did I wish I was there.

Closing Thoughts: The film is a perfect mix of suspense, horror, violence, comedy, and sex that I can't even complain or think of any room for improvement. I just wish I would have discovered this film sooner. One thing is for sure the film is in desperate need of a 4K restoration and a rediscovery. The Cult Epics' release is fine for a DVD, but we are in a new age and the film just deserves more love. I hope this films gets on my local arthouse theaters schedule just because I think this film would be alot like Tarantino film to where I would get even more enjoyment laughing at the audiences reaction. If you question or get highly offended by a film that is going to exploit religion don't watch this film, but if you think you can handle dive in.

School of the Holy Beast is a masterpiece that deserves a 10/10

Spotlight Look: Once Upon a Superhero

Once Upon a Super Hero

Writer/Director: John M. Kline
Producer: Scott M. Weil
Music: Taras Tkachenko
Cinematography: Matt Louie
Cast: Frankie - Yvette Monreal
Solar Flare - Adam Marcinowski
Captain  Boulevard - Jason R. Hughes
Doc Compton - Ron Bush

Opening Thoughts: I know almost nothing about this film except that it is winning awards for best science fiction film and best cinematography. While I am not interested in seeing another comic book movie, at least 41 films next year fall underneath sequel, reboot, or comic film and at least 13 of those are on comic properties, so you can see why I am not interested in seeing another comic film. Hollywood must think we are mindless zombies and see whatever they tell us.

I'll be honest I hit the wall with comic films around Captain America: Civil War. The wall is that point in a marathon in which a runner wants to keep running and still has the will to run, but the rest of their body gives up on them and they physically collapse unable to go any further.

So I am not sure what Kline and Weil can provide to make me excited about comic films again, but since the film is showing at the Film Bar and director will be on hand I'll try the film out.

Plot: Solar Flare, a superhero from an alternate reality, has been stranded in our reality stripped of his superpowers. Solar Flare believes that on the 188th day without his powers they will come back to him.

What is Solar Flare supposed to do for 188 days without his powers? Can he survive the tough streets of Los Angeles and the weirdos of Hollywood Boulevard? Will he even get his powers back? As an alien who can he trust?

A 188 days oh what stories can be told by an alien unfamiliar with our customs. Frankie an inspiring musician is about to hear the tale of Solar Flare directly from Solar Flare himself.

Are you ready to see the tale of Solar Flare?

Review: Well watching an indie film you know nothing about is like eating a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get. If you went into Once Upon a Superhero thinking you are going to get your normal superhero film you are gravely mistaken.

Kline has written and directed a very different type of Superhero film. One in which we witness the downward spiral of a man who can no longer do what he once could in life. Now this is not a new concept in film, we explored this briefly with Superman II. Yet how dark would Warner Brothers really let their flagship hero for kids go? Truth is they will do nothing to damage his reputation so there are boundaries set. Kline with Solar Flare is going to break those boundaries and take you in a journey of the darkest depths like we have never seen a superhero go through before.

Yet to accomplish Kline's vision cinematographer Matt Louie steps in. Louie shot this film like the 188 days were supposed to be some kind of blur, dream, or descent into the unknown to where I as viewer felt I was in a dream like status. I would compare that status as to how one should feel if they are watching Blade Runner is it real or a dream? I think that is what Kline wants us to feel is Solar Flare a hero or a crazy individual to where we the viewer are in a hallucinogenic state to make that decision. I believe with the help of Louie he accomplishes that.

Some of the ways that is accomplished is through split screen scenes in which Solar Flare may be at two places or more at once, blurry shots, and nighttime shots in LA. Other ways are through the grittiness of the film. When we first see Solar Flare he is clean shaven and in a great suit, but after awhile the beard grows and that suit I swear Marcinowski was wearing it everywhere on and off duty without cleaning the thing. I could smell the stench through the screen.

I thought I was in a hell hole to be honest.

Now let us look at our stars of the film Adam Marcinowski as Solar Flare. Outside of his exposed face we never see underneath the mask. This is brilliant because the mask hides the emotions Flare may be showing and Adam to seem like he is getting more and more withdrawn from reality in his performance as the film goes along.  You couldn't ask for much more out of him.

Jason R. Hughes plays Captain Boulevard. A loveable, goofy, fat, and drugged up superhero  who lives a carefree life and doesn't mind trouble if it is fun. Hughes comes across as Flare's Dom DeLuise. While quarky and at some times annoying he is the comic relief this film needs from getting too dark.

Then you have Yvette Monreal as Frankie. Yvette wonderfully plays Frankie a somewhat naive, but a person who generally will give the shirt she is wearing to anyone to help them out. Frankie is a musician that seems to have big time dreams just doesn't know the dangers of the world. Frankie is the key the personality that will allow  Flare to expose himself to her.

It's well cast film while their acting is not always perfect, they actors are the types Kline needs to pull this off each with their own abilities that draws off the strengths of others.

Closing Thoughts: Once Upon a Superhero is a great little film unlike any other superhero film I have seen. While the acting can leave room for desire, the film more than makes up for it with story and cinematography. Yes this film may contain the most disgusting love scene since Tommy Wiseau in the Room. If you love dark, gritty, and funny films you should try this one out. It's been less than 24 hours and I already want to watch this film again. This film is a solid 8.5 out of town for unique story, cinematography, and great attention of the detail from sets to costumes. If this is what I can expext from John M. Kline give me more.

The director and producer are touring nationwide with this film to select indie and arthouse theaters. If you want to know more catch them at one of those screenings.

The Art of Collecting Film Memorabilia

The Art of Collecting Film Memorabilia 

When it comes to film we all have our favorite films and like to connect with them in our own ways. For some people owning the film on a home media format is enough, but for others we like to show our love of our favorite films in other ways. One of the more popular ways is by collecting film related memorabilia and collectibles.

For me personally I like collecting original theatrical film posters, vinyl soundtracks, and sometimes bookson my favorite directors an actors. For others I know, like my friend Laura she has a passion for collectible pins, postcards, and etc. There is no real wrong way of collecting film memorabilia as long as you are having fun collecting and don't let others get in the way of your fun.

It's not my place or other people's places to tell you how to collect. It's my place to advise you if you come to me asking for information to assist you on purchasing the right item of you are overwhelmed and confused and display options if you come to me in that area. Anyone who discourages you, makes fun of what you like to collect, or tries to get you to collect what they like shame on them. You are your own cup of tea, be your own flavor.

Like the picture above is a commission I had Mickey Chaney Jr. Draw an original sketch of Julie Newmar for me because she is my favorite Catwoman. I later took that commission that jad my input to Julie Newmar and she signed it for me. Nothing can replace the enjoyment I had when Julie was fooled by the cover flipping through the comic to find herself  only to be told it was a blank cover that a person drew an image of her on and watch her start laughing it was an experience that can't be replaced. That to me is all what collecting is about the experience.

The experience starts from the time you decide you want to get an item related to that film/tv show in some way for yourself.  You could end up with a great experience in the end or you could end up being disappointed in the experience trying to get the item you want or the desired end product to be. You could find out that you bought more than you can chew off. That is where I would like to advise people today.

One of the things people like to do to put themselves closer to a film is get the film's cast to sign off on an item. For myself, I like original theatrical posters and vinyl records because to me they make great display items. While others would like to go with something  smaller like a pop vinyl or statue that can take up less space there is no right or wrong answer. It's whatever is going to give you the most pleasure of displaying.

So there are questions you should be asking yourself ahead of time. 

1. What item is going to give you that wow factor?

Come up with a few different ideas. Maybe it's a Captain America shield. Maybe you want that shield signed by the Avengers cast. Maybe you want an original theatrical poster of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Reason why I say a few is because you might not be able to afford or find the item because of rarity. One poster in my collection is now valued at over 6,000 dollars and that is what a Tiffany's 

2. Do I want to get the cast of a film to sign the item?

Now this is a tricky subject I will tread lightly. You should do your research to find out who is still alive from the cast. Does it make sense to start a brand new cast signed Star Wars project from scratch? Kenny Baker (R2D2) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) have passed away in the recent years and David Prowse (Darth Vader) announced his retirement from signing because of dementia. Then there is Harrison Ford great actor, but man he has never until this year allowed a send in opportunity to where he would sign previous cast stuff until this year a one opportunity that may never happen again. 1500 a signature for Ford.

I'm not saying don't start a Star Wars project, but you may end up buying a partially cast signed one with Beckett or PSA/DNA to accomplish your mission of getting a full cast sign one. The newer the film the more likely you can get a full cast or close to full cast signed item.

3. What is your budget? Set yourself a budget for the memorabilia piece that you want to get. I may love a certain poster or item, but the overall money cost from beginning to end may not be feesible from acquiring to showcasing. The British Quad of Nightmare on Elm Street is highly collectible and outside of alot of people's ranges especially if you add in framing that can cost up to another 400 to 500 in expenses. Are you happy with all one lot in basket if that was your entire collectibles budget for the year? There is nothing wrong with that, but you may get more enjoyment getting more pieces than just the one. You know yourself go with your gut.

4. How much space do you have available in your apartment to display an item?

Just remember you are limited to space you have available. I live in a one bedroom apartment and very limited space available. So this 3 Sheet Dr. Who & The Daleks poster measures in frame and all around 44" w x 84" H, the poster os a showstopper and I love it. Yet this same poster can't go into the closet on a rotating schedule like my other items so you may only be able to have a few spotlight pieces. My suggestion choose wisely. There is nothing wrong with a rotating schedule of items on display it keeps things fresh. Just as a collector myself I have more than I can handle and am not stopping.

The number 1 rule is just have fun!!!!!

Don't let one bad experience ruin your fun!!!!

Share with me your Thoughts, questions, and comments. I would love to hear what you collect and see pictures. I can answer most questions on posters markings and more for authentication.

Don't Look Now (1973)

Don't Look Now (1973)

Directed by Nicolas Roeg 
Based off a Short Story by Daphne du Maurier
"Not After Midnight"
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie, Hillary Mason, Clelia Matania
Music by Pino Donaggio

Opening Thoughts: Don't Look Now is a film I have known about for a long time. I would pass by the film in the horror section of the video rental stores and places like Borders to buy from. To be honest the theatrical poster and video cover said boring not for me. Yes poster art and video art can be the difference between me seeing a film or not. The rerelease poster is breathtaking and would have got me to pick up the film.

My thoughts on trying this film changed after a BS Movies Podcast on best male sex icons Shelly Grant selected this film. Apparently people are obsessed with one scene in this film. Why? Either way she elegantly described the film to the point I put the film on my try out list. That changed a few months back when Nicolas Roeg who arguably filmed the most beautiful film ever made with Walkabout passed away. I wanted to have a Roeg marathon, but the issue was my Roeg collection was rather small 3 films is not enough for marathon.

So I added a few films to watch that weekend and I wanted to see if Shelly was right. I meant to do this review sooner, but felt a repeat viewing was necessary like I missed something.

Besides who can go wrong with a story by Daphne du Maurier. The lady who gave us Rebecca, The Birds, and Jamaica Inn. As you can tell Hitchcock loved her.

Plot: John Baxter, Donald Sutherland, is an architect that specializes in restoring old buildings. Baxter has been selected to restore a church in Venice, Italy. While looking through slides for research on the church, John has a vision that his daughter Christine is drowning. John rushes to save her, but it is too late Christine has died.

John decides the best way to get over the grief of the death of a child is to get out of the house and bury himself in his work onsite in Venice, Italy. John's wife Laura, Julie Christie, decides to join John as a vacation from the house. Laura needs this time away as she has struggled with her Daughter's death the most. She is currently taking medications for depression.

Upon arrival in Venice, Italy the Baxter's decide to eat at restaurant in which Laura bumps into two sisters one who is a blind clairvoyant named Heather. The blind lady upon accidentally touching Laura has a vision saying her daughter says it is alright she is doing great.

Laura eventually passes out from the incident and is taken back to her hotel room, but she is somehow different now like she is ok with her Daughter's death and happy to know she is ok. John finds this behavior weird and can't understand how Laura is suddenly ok. One thing is for sure Laura wants to see the two ladies again.

John thinks it is some kind of scam and doesn't want her to see them again. John however is so busy in his work that he is on the verge of a breakdown in which being next to water is not helping him. Not to mention there is a serial killer on the loose now.

John has to make the decision to stay in Venice and risk losing his sanity altogether or return home and drop the current project he is on altogether. Will he go insane or not?

Review: Ok let's get the lion out of the bag I am not sure why everybody is so obsessed with this sex scene. I get the point this is the first time since her daughter's death she felt herself again, but I have seen better from the master Jean Rollin that leaves you in a state of awe. It's just a sex scene big deal.

What people should be obsessed about with this film is Roeg's mastery of the camera. There are just gorgeous scenes all throughout this film with colors, backgrounds, and more that just make you forget your watching a film. Whether it be the drowning sequence in the water, chase scenes through Venice at night, or simply the boat rides in Venice you are there in person feeling everything. Roeg is the master of that and whether the story is good ot not just doesn't matter when it comes to a Roeg film.

That said I think everytime I will view this film I may have a different understanding of what this film is about. Ultimately the film is about how parents deal with the death of a child with a horror aspect thrown into the film. All that said I really think the serial killer aspect of this film is a bit lacking and could of used more development.

The main cast do their best to acknowledge the fear of the serial killer, but even the great performances by Sutherland and Christie don't make me fear the killer. What they both accomplish well is making me feel their pain throughout the film.

Then we move onto Donaggio's score a very classical sound at times that seems to borrow elements of Nadia's theme.

Closing thoughts: Don't Look Now despite some flaws is probably now my favorite Roeg film. The film in many ways plays out like an Italian Giallo filmed by Dario Argento. Set in great locations, with a fantastic cast that doesn't disappoints, and colors that make your jaw drop.

I can't praise this film enough, but even with that said the lacking area for me was the serial killer and myself wanting more focus on that. I give the film 8 out of 10.

Notes: For this viewing I used the 2015 Criterion release which was a 4K restoration. That said while the feel of the film was right there were a few instances in there of the car jumping out of place that was definitely not the film itself, but an issue on Criterion's end. I also think the film could of used a slight grain reduction to compensate for 4KTVs over accentuating the grain. I give the video 4 out of 5 as a result.

Hardware: You Can't Stop Progress

Hardware (1990)

Directed by Richard Stanley
Cast: Stacey Travis, Dylan McDermott, John Lynch

Opening Thoughts: I was loosely aware of Hardware for quite awhile thinking it might be one of those cheap second rate knockoff films by a company just wanting to capitalize on the Terminator. The film may have popped up a few times on Cinemax, but I avoided Hardware at all cost. That was until recently Dr. Svet Atanasov of Blu-ray.com called this film the best BluRay release of 2018. So I was curious as to what I was missing and how could Ronin Flix who never released a film before on BluRay pull off this magnificent feat.

Plot: In a post apocalyptic world, jobs are hard to come by and the fastest way to make money is scavenge the wastelands for parts that are still useful to humanity. A mysterious nomad comes across what appears to be a normal android and decides to take what is useful left of the android and sell it to a junk dealer.

Only the junk dealer is not in when the Nomad enters the building. The Nomad ends up selling the robot to Mo, a former soldier now scrapper, and his friend Shades. Mo plans on giving this android to his girlfriend Jill to use in her artwork.

There is just one thing nobody realizes this android is apart of the prototype M13 series. The M13 is a highly advanced war machine designed to self repair and kill its enemy no matter what the cost. What is wrong with bringing a war machine into an apartment complex? Jill and the residents are about to find out first hand.

Review: OMG let's talk about the opening  sequence in the wastelands. The gorgeous sepia tone sequence is to die for. I actually backtracked that scene 2 times just to watch it over again to take in the sheer beauty of that sequence it felt like something filmed by Nicolas Roeg.

Once you get past that sequence other colors and the city were introduced to the film leaving you feel like you were in the slums Detroit seen in Robocop. A very effective setting for a film with a low budget. I couldn't ask for more.

The story was kept simple with some erotic sequences featuring Stacy Travis and then the machine versus Jill. That is where the fun of this film begins. A machine that can hack into anything and control your apartment. A machine that can once injured use anything to repair itself even if that means changing the structural design just to acomplish the mission.

The world is essentially the M13's Guinea pigs waiting to be picked off one by one and there is nothing you can do to stop it. The tension is real.

While yes this film is like the Terminator you can easily say this film combines elements of Alien and Gremlins as well. The film is a well put together low budget indie film. The biggest letdown of the film is Dylan McDermott I have a hard time buying him in this role he still reminds me of an actor best suited for light hearted comedies. Other than that the film has not aged as well as it could while I love cameos of Motorhead, Gwar, and Iggy Pop plus British styles of the 80s and low tech computer screens you can definitely pinpoint when this film was made.

Closing thoughts: Hardware will be on my list of regular films to watch probably replacing The Terminator on that list. Just because I like the setting better and I find the M13 to be more dangerous. Not to mention Hardware is more fun to watch. While the positives outweigh the flaws of the film, I can't give the film more than 7 out of 10.

I do think a shout out should be given to Ronin Flix for their stellar transfer. The detail is there, gorgeous colors, and yet the ability to make this film look like it was filmed when made by not doing an over the top restoration is fantastic. For their first effort this is amazing and I'm excited to see what they do to other properties I like.

Is it the best restoration of 2018 maybe, but I give that to Criterion's Sisters.

Spotlight Release: Animal Factory (2000)

Animal Factory (2000)

Directed by Steve Buscemi 

Based off of a book by Edward Bunker

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Danny Trejo, John Heard, Mickey Rourke, Mark Boone Junior, and Tom Arnold

Opening Thoughts: I'll let you all in on a little secret, I love prison films. There is just a sense of raw, grittiness, and beauty to films that use real prisons as their sets. As a result you feel just as much as a prisoner as both the prisoners and guards do. Then there is the characters inside the film. A prison movie allows you to cast character actors to give you a large diverse feeling of the craziness.

All that said I had never heard of Animal Factory until Arrow put the film on their release schedule. Honestly, that kind of shocks me with a cast like Willem Dafoe, Danny Trejo, John Heard, and Mickey Rourke this film should have been on most people's radar when released. So I hope this film can live up to the extraordinary talent cast in the film. Considering the film did less than 50,000 at the box office that leaves an uneast feeling in my stomach, but that doesn't mean this film isn't good.

Plot: Ron Decker (Edward Furlong) has been sentenced to serve 5 years in San Quentin for the possession of marijuana. Despite protest from Decker's lawyer, Decker recieved the maximum sentence because he grew up in a family with everything given to him and as a result knows right from wrong.

With this being Decker's first offense and have never going to prison before, Decker is scared because he is going to have to learn the rules on the fly. One wrong decision by Decker could mean the difference between life and death. So Decker better choose his friends carefully in prison.

One thing is for sure, Decker has come to the attention of Barnboss Earl Copen. Copen is a prisoner that has learned how to manipulate the system to where he controls everything on the prisoners end. Whether Decker survives depends on how much Copen is willing to help him.

Does Decker live or die? You will have to watch for yourself to find out.

Review: I can't for the life of me figure out why this film isn't talked about more. The film has everything going for it. Beautiful cinematography from the overhead shot of Holmesburg Prison to the tight up close shots inside the cells. The tension from those shots made me feel uneasy and glad I am not in prison.

Survival  from those rough conditions is what this film is about. It's not about some big major event, but about the little things a prisoner does to have little victories to make it through prison. Whether that be pulling something small over a guard or conning another convict. Try to focus on the big picture you will go insane.

Edward Bunker, the writer, knows this better than most people because he did time in prison. That is what sets this film apart from other prison films in many ways. Bunker may have delivered the most realistic story for prisoners.

He doesn't deliver a large scale film like Shawshank Redemption, but instead delivered a story with many different stories going on at the same time. To show just how chaotic prison can be because at any moment your situation changes.

With changes like that to pull them off convincingly a special cast is needed to pull this type of film off. Danny Trejo did time in prison so he is perfect in his roll. Edward Furlong plays the new prisoner who is cocky, moody, and naive at times, while his acting is a little lacking at times one thing is for sure Furlong looks like  a person who would get raped in prison. Mickey Rourke in drag as Decker's cellmate was astonishing. Willem Dafoe I really don't need to talk on his credentials because he loses himself in the roles that he plays to where je could get nominated for best actor as much as Meryl Streep does.

This all leads to a great slice of mouthwatering Chicago Deep Dish Pizza to take in. As a lover of prison films I really couldn't ask for that much more.

Closing Thoughts: It is a little premature, but I am going to list Animal Factory as one of the top five prison movies I have ever seen. It's not perfect, but it is the most realistic prison film I have ever seen. If you are looking forna great prison film to watch this is it as long as you are not wanting to see something on the grand scale. 8/10 feels just about right for this gem that you don't want to miss.