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Black Tuesday is a grim at points brutal, mid 50’s noir regarding a prison/ death row breakout. It features Edward G Robbins as a ruthless and uncaring gangster- who will do anything to stay alive. The film features some unpredictable plot twists ‘n’ turns, and a well-acted/varied cast of characters. Here as part of Eureka’s Master Of Cinema series is a Blu-Ray release of the film- featuring a new crisp, yet stark 2k scan, a commentary track, and a selection of other extras.
Doctor Vampire is an early 90’s blend of comedy, martial arts, and horror. The Hong Kong made picture blends romantic to raunchy comedy, with touches of slapstick. The horror elements are largely playful, featuring only a few moments of bloody gore- with wacky characters meeting vamps & martial arts elements in the final quarter of the film. Here from Eureka! is a new Blu-ray release of the film- featuring a new 2k scan, two new commentary tracks, and a few more extras.
The Brides of Funkenstein were a spin-off project from George Clinton’s Parliament universe. The female-fronted band dabbbled in funk, soul, and disco. They existed between 1978 and 1981- releasing two studio albums and a post-breakup live album. Funk Or Walk is the project's debut album- taking in seven shots of funking, grooving, and soulful fare, with that very distinctive Clinton flavor. Here from Ace Records is a CD reissue of the album.
Land Of Kinks is a double disc/fifty-two track compilation focusing on the work of legendary/ innovative reggae producer Lee’ Scratch’ Perry in the early 70s. The collection moves from the quirky/ tuneful/ grooving, to the creative/ wacky, to the ahead of its time material. Aside from a few repeated tracks & the odd suspect covers, this is another mighty fine ‘n’ excellent 'Scratch' compilation, which is a must for fans of this creative/ important legend, whose impact stretches way beyond the confines of the reggae genre.
On the one hand, punk and free jazz may appear to be poles apart – opposite ends of the musical spectrum on practically every level. But the overlap in attitude and aesthetic is quite significant. Both push against musical boundaries, both are on the periphery of the mainstream, and both produce music that at its core is entirely rebellious. With this spirit of interconnectedness and shared exploration, avant-garde jazz sax and clarinet player, Ken Vandermark and Terrie Ex, aka Terrie Hessels of post-punk band The Ex, found common ground, working together now for over 15 years - as guests on each other’s records, as part of improvisational quartet Lean Left and as a duo in their own right. Yet despite being onstage together countless times, This is Not a Holiday! is only the second album that the pair have released as a duo and rather appropriately it is a live recording of their 2021 performance at Poznan’s SARP Social Club.
Evilenko is a glum, often highly troubling, though largely bloodless cinematic retelling of the story of one of Russia’s most prolific serial killers- ex-schoolteacher Andrei Chikatilo. Between the late 70’s and early 90’s he took the lives of fifty-six victims- many children- with him even eating some of the victims. This early 2000 film finds Malcolm McDowell ( A Clockwork Orange, Time After Time, Rob Zombies Halloween films) playing the killer- here renamed Andrej Romanovic Evilenko, with the Leeds born actor giving one of his chillingly convincing late-career performances, and the picture featuring a lulling grim score by David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. Here from Unearthed those seekers of extreme and unsettling cinematic fare is a new release of the film- coming as either a UHD or Blu-Ray release- featuring a new 4k scan of the film, new director/ lead actor commentary, and a few archive extras.
Originally released as a four-part TV series in July 2023, 1982 Greatest Geek Year Ever! has found its way to Blu-ray as a nearly 3-hour documentary film. Directed by experienced documentary film-maker Roger Lay Jr (The Twilight Zone 60th: Remembering Rod Serling, Star Trek: The Journey to the Silver Screen and Toy Masters) the film takes a look back at one of the key years in the development of geek culture. It was the year that brought us ET, Blade Runner, The Thing, Tron, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, Poltergeist, Dark Crystal, Conan the Barbarian, Firefox, First Blood and a host of other risky titles that could make or break a director or a studio. Steven Spielberg was king to the point that he released two films within a week of each other (ET and Poltergeist), albeit one was as a director and the other as a producer.
With just two tracks, together coming in at exactly fifteen minutes, Jacek Doroszenko's R_sin _io is clearly a prolegomenon to something much bigger. What that is, or might look like, is not the subject here, though, but it is worth mentioning given the length and scope of R_sin _io.
First appearing in the early 80’s Tissues Of Lies is glum, grey, at points jarring mix of murky bass lines, disquieting dada, troubling industrial texturing, jaded electro beats and general ugly/grim 1980’s sound-scaping. Here from Klanggalerie is a double CD reissue of the album- with the original album on disc one, and a complete bonus disc taking in three bonus tracks and a highly murky/ noise thirty six minute live set.
The Clear Observatory (Eyepiece Musique) is fifty five minute trip into slowly tolling, reverberation, and eerily shimmering ambience from Italian sound art designer/ experimental musician Massimo Toniutti. The single track feels very much like a uneasy ritual- where there is no beginning or end- just the eternal present.
Although oft maligned, Alien³ is a strong entry into the franchise and has many fans and supporters, myself included. Bestia Astrum (aka Abby Helasdottir / GYDJA) is clearly a fan as her debut album, Fury 161, is an alternative soundtrack not only the film, but the film as it was originally intended. Based in the heart of a prison planet, this grim, industrial-ambient work captures the darkness and isolation at the heart of the thesis and allows its expanse to envelop the listener and further foster their terror. Cold and impersonal, Fury 161 is a gem that easily transports you away in time and space, so listen loudly and enjoy the trip.
Zangoma is a funky psychedelic blues rock band from Finland with an infusion of a Zambian offshoot of the style called 'Zamrock' which incorporated traditional rhythms in a similar way as afrobeat does. Faka Mulilo is their debut album on Svart Records, with nine songs of average three-five minute length, filled to the brim with juicy guitar licks and satisfying soulful harmonies.
Film Masters unleashes two classics of the drive-in era that were originally released as a double bill together. Originally released in 1959 by producer Gordon McLendon (Escape to Victory, and My Dog Buddy) and director Ray Kellogg (My Dog Buddy and The Green Berets). Kellogg was a lot more prolific as a visual effects artist, taking in The King and I, Love Me Tender and The Girl Can’t Help It among many others. Both The Giant Gila Monster and Killer Shrews were deemed to be amateurish classics of the B-movie generation. Both films have been restored, The Giant Gila Monster is taken from a brand new 4k scan from original 35mm archival materials, whilst The Killer Shrews is described as a restored HD print of the movie.
Into the Deep is a 2025 horror thriller directed by Christian Sesma. It is being made available on Digital Platforms on 27 January and on DVD and Blu-ray from 3 February.
Joie is a seventy-seven-minute trip into oppressively churning ‘n’ grimly roasting walled noise- with slight/ distant industrial undertones. The single track thickly wraps around you, and you get well ‘n’ truly pulled into its unrelenting/ crude flow.
Forced is a just under thirty-minute example of galloping- yet-detailed walled noise from Liverpool’s Silver Dove. The ‘wall’ has a nice feeling of cluttering looseness, but (just) maintains its structure and appealing-yet-chaotic flow.
Children Of The Wicked is a three-disc CD set bringing together the first three albums from Chicago-based Thrash metal band Wrath- who play a power ‘n’ speed metal tinged, often progressive/ technical take on the genre- which was referred to as either Tech-Trash or Tech Speed. The albums featured date from between 1986 and 1990- taking in Fit Of Anger, Nothing To Fear, and Insane Society.
Sex And Zen is a period-set Hong Kong sex comedy regarding a hapless and randy young scholar having a series of sexual encounters. The early 1990’s film manages the perfect balance between wacky-at-points bizarre comedy and beautiful shot ‘n’ sizzling hot sexual encounters. Here from the fine folks at 88 Films is a new/ fully uncut Blu-Ray release of the film- taking in a buoyant and crisp 2k scan, two versions of the film, a commentary track, and a few other things.
Story Of A Cloistered Nun sits at the more dramatic and moodier end of the nunsploitation genre. The early 70s film features moments of fleeting nudity and violence, but largely it’s a study of denied love, hypocrisy, and (emotional) cruelty- with the whole thing been topped off with a graceful/ classy string-based score. Here as part of 88 Films Italian collection is a Blu-Ray release of the film- taking in an HD scan of the picture, a commentary track, and a few other extras.
From Second Run, one of the key labels releasing world/ arthouse films, here is a two-blu ray disc set bringing together two films from Malaysian film-maker Tsai Ming-liang. His work often uses very long set shots, with little dialogue, and a use of ambient soundtracking. The two films here are 2020’s Days, which is a study of two men's lives, at either end of the social spectrum. And 2015’s Afternoon- which is a two-plus hour interview between the director and leadman/ main muse Kang-shen. The set is finished off with a few extras.
Delicate and thoroughly engaging, Will Samson's latest ambient LP, Songs of Beginning & Belonging, takes the listener's hand and softly leads them on a tale inward to their quiet spaces, memories, thoughts, and dreams.
From the early 2000s, Despiser is an action-heavy horror fantasy that very much sits in the so-bad-it category. It blends late 90’s computer graphic backdrops, cheap CGI with lots of explosion/ fire effects, plain bad-to-hamming-it- up acting, corny action hero to plain cringe-inducing dialogue, and general bad film wackiness. Here from Visual Vengeance, those resurrectors of bad, bizarre, or just plain weird low-budget genre films is a Blu-Ray release of the film- taking in two commentary tracks, and a decent selection of other extras.
From the late 70’s Cop Killers is a mean-spirited, scuzzy ‘n’ dusty, at times bloodily brutal crime thriller road movie. It focuses on two buddies trying to get a stash of cocaine to a dealer to get paid for it- along the way gunning down, belittling, and brutalising cops/ anyone else who gets in their way. Here from the MVD classic series is a Ray release- taking in a commentary track and interview.
The Satanic Screen is an in-depth, detailed, and wholly fascinating look at the devil’s appearance and influences throughout the ages of cinema. It’s a wonderfully researched and highly readable study- taking the reader from the camera Obscura projections of the 1500s to the new dark age of the 2000s.