"Walkabout" (1971) A teenage girl (played by Jenny Agutter and her six year old brother(played by Luc Roeg) are left stranded in the outback after their father (played by John Meillon) goes berserk, trying to kill the children, burning their car down, and then killing himself. With only a limited amount of food and drink brought with them, the two English children have no shelter, no extra clothes, and no survival skills in the barren and hot desert. It is when they are desperate for water that they finally see another human, an aboriginal teenage boy (played by David Gulpilil) on a walkabout. Though he cannot speak English and they cannot speak his native tongue, using gestures they are able to communicate, in which he helps them get water and hunt food. As the English kids have no particular direction to do, they decide to follow the aboriginal boy on his lone trek. The story of "Walkabout" is extremely simple in nature on page with its sparse amount of dialo...

Kolobos (Daniel Liatowitsch & David Todd Ocvirk, 1999) Synopsis: A mysterious woman runs out into an alleyway and is knocked down by a car. She is taken to hospital, where it is revealed that she has suffered serious facial injuries. These are treated but some of the doctors believe the injuries to be self-inflicted. The woman is unresponsive to questions; the only clue is the word ‘Kolobos’, which is the only phrase the woman has uttered since her accident. Responding to an ad asking for ‘five free-minded individuals’ who are willing to spend a period of time in a house under 24 hour surveillance for ‘an experimental film’, five members of the public send in audition tapes: Tina (Promise LaMarco), an extrovert fast food waitress; an aspiring actress, Erica (Nichole Pelerine); Tom (Donny Terranova), a failing stand-up comic; Gary (John Fairlie), a slacker film...

"Mifune: The Last Samurai" (2015) Easily the most iconic Japanese film star of the twentieth century, Toshio Mifune left an amazing legacy on screen that may never be equaled or surpassed. His figures portrayed on screen were unforgettable. His facial expressions and body language were unlike any other. His ability to command and keep audiences glued were endearing qualities that were unconventional and mesmerizing. Though his entry into the world in front of the movie camera was basically by accident. Born in Manchuria to Japanese parents on April 1, 1920 and not setting foot into Japan until he was 21 years old fighting for the Japanese forces in the war, Mifune's life turned towards cinema after Japan's loss, when he submitted his resume to Toho Studios that was looking for new staff and stars. Considering his work behind the cameras during the war, he saw opportunity to possibly work behind the scenes on productions, but when his resume was accidentally sent to the acting pile, the rest can be said is history. With no formal training in acting beforehand and a look that was unlike many of the freshly groomed face...

Sister Street Fighter Collection (Yamaguchi Kazuhiko, 1974): In Hong Kong, martial arts champion Koryu (Shihomi Etsuko) is told by the police that her brother Mansei (Miyauchi Hiroshi), an undercover agent, disappeared whilst trying to infiltrate a Japanese drug smuggling group named Central Trading. Koryu is told that Central Trader is ‘protected by a group of brutal martial arts experts’. Mansei had a female oppo, Fang Shing. Koryu is asked to go to Japan, make contact with Fang Shing (Xie Xiu-Rong), and find out what happened to Mansei. Koryu travels to Yokohama, where upon arrival she is harassed by a group of hoodlums but quickly demonstrates her martial arts prowess by dispatching them efficiently. She is aided by her cousin Jiro (Nanjo Tatsuya), who enters part-way through the fight. Afterwards, Koryu and Jiro are reunited with Jiro’s sister Reiko (Tachibana Nami) and their father, Koryu’s uncle. Koryu makes co...

Sister Street Fighter Collection (Yamaguchi Kazuhiko, 1974): In Hong Kong, martial arts champion Koryu (Shihomi Etsuko) is told by the police that her brother Mansei (Miyauchi Hiroshi), an undercover agent, disappeared whilst trying to infiltrate a Japanese drug smuggling group named Central Trading. Koryu is told that Central Trader is ‘protected by a group of brutal martial arts experts’. Mansei had a female oppo, Fang Shing. Koryu is asked to go to Japan, make contact with Fang Shing (Xie Xiu-Rong), and find out what happened to Mansei. Koryu travels to Yokohama, where upon arrival she is harassed by a group of hoodlums but quickly demonstrates her martial arts prowess by dispatching them efficiently. She is aided by her cousin Jiro (Nanjo Tatsuya), who enters part-way through the fight. Afterwards, Koryu and Jiro are reunited with Jiro’s sister Reiko (Tachibana Nami) and their father, Koryu’s uncle. Koryu makes co...

Sister Street Fighter Collection (Yamaguchi Kazuhiko, 1974): In Hong Kong, martial arts champion Koryu (Shihomi Etsuko) is told by the police that her brother Mansei (Miyauchi Hiroshi), an undercover agent, disappeared whilst trying to infiltrate a Japanese drug smuggling group named Central Trading. Koryu is told that Central Trader is ‘protected by a group of brutal martial arts experts’. Mansei had a female oppo, Fang Shing. Koryu is asked to go to Japan, make contact with Fang Shing (Xie Xiu-Rong), and find out what happened to Mansei. Koryu travels to Yokohama, where upon arrival she is harassed by a group of hoodlums but quickly demonstrates her martial arts prowess by dispatching them efficiently. She is aided by her cousin Jiro (Nanjo Tatsuya), who enters part-way through the fight. Afterwards, Koryu and Jiro are reunited with Jiro’s sister Reiko (Tachibana Nami) and their father, Koryu’s uncle. Koryu makes co...

Sister Street Fighter Collection (Yamaguchi Kazuhiko, 1974): In Hong Kong, martial arts champion Koryu (Shihomi Etsuko) is told by the police that her brother Mansei (Miyauchi Hiroshi), an undercover agent, disappeared whilst trying to infiltrate a Japanese drug smuggling group named Central Trading. Koryu is told that Central Trader is ‘protected by a group of brutal martial arts experts’. Mansei had a female oppo, Fang Shing. Koryu is asked to go to Japan, make contact with Fang Shing (Xie Xiu-Rong), and find out what happened to Mansei. Koryu travels to Yokohama, where upon arrival she is harassed by a group of hoodlums but quickly demonstrates her martial arts prowess by dispatching them efficiently. She is aided by her cousin Jiro (Nanjo Tatsuya), who enters part-way through the fight. Afterwards, Koryu and Jiro are reunited with Jiro’s sister Reiko (Tachibana Nami) and their father, Koryu’s uncle. Koryu makes co...

Thomas (Drunken Master's Jackie Chan) and his cousin David (Project A's Yuen Biao) are living in Barcelona running a food truck in the absence of David's father Chen (Winners & Sinners' Paul Chang Chung) who suffered a nervous breakdown and is convalescing at a nearby asylum. Thomas and David are struck by Chen's change in attitude about wanting David to settle down with a girl, the ethnicity of which no longer matters so long as he is happy; that is, until they discover that he is having a romance with fellow patient Gloria (Susana Sentís). Both young men become taken with Gloria's daughter Sylvia (Scalps' ...

1941, London: British warships have are barely holding their own against German U-boats "as the dark stain of Nazi conquest spreads across Europe," when they receive intelligence that the battleship Prinz Eugen and what may be the invincible Bismarck have been spotted near Norway. On the day they receive this news, Captain Jonathan Shepard (The Longest Day's Kenneth More) has taken over as the Admiralty's chief of operations. He does not give off a warm impression to those under his command, looking down upon the informality with which they carry out their duties and holding Commander Richards (The Day of the Jackal's Maurice Denham) and Women's Royal Navy Second Officer Anne Davis (Invasion of the Body Snatchers' Dana Wynter) responsible for setting an example (not that he is not also u...

"Cry Freedom" (1987) Donald Woods (played by Kevin Kline) is a journalist and the editor in chief at South Africa's Daily Dispatch, and also a family man raising his five children with his wife Wendy (played by Penelope Wilton). While critical of the Apartheid white run government, the paper has also been critical of the Black Power movement which has come under scrutiny from black readers, as Woods and other white are not being truthful in their writing. It leads Woods to meeting with Steve Biko (played by Denzel Washington), a black activist who is currently labeled as "banned" by the government. He is not allowed to socialize with more than one person other than his family, is restricted from where to go, and is consistently under surveillance. Woods and Biko share their thoughts for South Africa's future, about the Black Power movement, and finding trust in the divide, as Woods sees the harshness that the blacks survive in compared to his well off life. But Biko is willing to take illegal chances for a better fut...

"Maurice" (1987) Taking place in the early twentieth century in England, Maurice Hall (played by James Wilby) has a sexual awakening, falling for fellow Cambridge University schoolmate Clive Durham (played by Hugh Grant). At a time when homosexuality was illegal in the country, the two keep their affair secret from their friends and their family. Though Maurice is not as concerned of what others may think, Clive is the one who is more preoccupied with what would happen to his social status or his future. But their differing views will cause a rift that changes their fates... Writer E.M. Forster was one of England's most gifted and celebrated writers both during his lifetime and following his death. "A Room with a View" (1908), "Howards End" (1910), "A Passage to India" (1924) were masterworks that were also ...

Phantom Lady (Robert Siodmak, 1944) Synopsis: After an argument with his wife, engineer Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis) visits a local drinking establishment, where he meets a mysterious woman (Fay Helm) – later named as Ann Terry – who is wearing a distinctive hat. The woman agrees to accompany the lonely Henderson to a show, on the proviso that they do not share one another’s names. At the show, Henderson’s companion’s hat draws the attention of singer Estela Monteiro (Aurora Miranda), who is wearing an identical, custom-made hat during her performance. Monteiro is visibly displeased at seeing a member of the audience wearing the same hat as herself. Henderson returns home to find a crowd of policemen, led by Inspector Burgess (Thomas Gomez), in his apartment. Henderson’s wife is dead: she has been strangled. Henderson, who had a tempestuous relationship with his spouse, is an immediate suspect; he is charged with the murder and ultimately found guilty of it, the judge sentencing him to death. Hend...

With the help of his younger brother Michael (The Dyatlov Pass Incident's Luke Albright) , Father Vincent (Malignant's Gary Cairns) has been touring a county in the Deep South hearing the sins of penitents in a mobile confessional. He tends to be harder on women, his psyche having been warped by witnessing the murder-suicide of his mother and father (Chace Beck) after he failed to stop a switchblade-wielding female burglar from stealing the family savings. He will absolve bribery, infidelity, incest, and even bestiality; but he'll murder anyone, man or woman, who confesses to stealing, cutting off their hands and feeding the rest of their remains to something in the basement of their family homestead. The brothers are low on the suspect list of the local sheriff (Stressed to Kill's ...

What is up with these mysteries by folks that live in Sweden and Norway? Is there something in the water that is producing dour protagonists like Henning Mankell’s Wallander or is it the reverse; that the dark outlook of American produced noir’s has caught on, but this time is presented in a wintery climate rather than sunny Los Angeles? Whatever the cause, we Americans surely cannot get enough of these spine tingling bizarre crimes and that leads us to today’s series, "Modus". Presented on two Blu-ray discs, this is season one of the series and it isn’t too bad. Starring Melinda Kinnaman, half-sister of the star of another series "The Killing" (2011-2014), Joel Kinnaman, she portrays a criminal profiler turned author, Johanne Vik. Vik has hung up her spurs, if you will, but a series of nasty slayings at Christmas time has pulled her back into the fight against crime; but this time it’s personal because the unknown killer has decided to target Stina (Esmeralda Struve), Vik’s autistic daughter, who was witness to the first killing. I know,...

My Name is Julia Ross (Joseph H Lewis, 1945) & So Dark the Night (Joseph H Lewis, 1946) My Name is Julia Ross synopsis: Out of work, Julia Ross (Nina Foch) lives in a boarding house in London. She is behind with her rent by three weeks, and to make matters worse, the man with whom she is in love, Dennis Bruce (Roland Varno) – who used to rent a room in the same lodging house – is currently in Edinburgh preparing to marry another woman. Seeing an advert for a clerical job, Julia applies for it. She is interviewed by Miss Allison/Sparkes (Anita Sharp-Bolster); the position, Julia is told, is with Mrs Williamson-Hughes (May Whitty) and her son Ralph (George Macready). Julia is offered the position, which is that of a live-in secretary. Julia goes to the Hughes’ house in London but is drugged and tra...

My Name is Julia Ross (Joseph H Lewis, 1945) & So Dark the Night (Joseph H Lewis, 1946) My Name is Julia Ross synopsis: Out of work, Julia Ross (Nina Foch) lives in a boarding house in London. She is behind with her rent by three weeks, and to make matters worse, the man with whom she is in love, Dennis Bruce (Roland Varno) – who used to rent a room in the same lodging house – is currently in Edinburgh preparing to marry another woman. Seeing an advert for a clerical job, Julia applies for it. She is interviewed by Miss Allison/Sparkes (Anita Sharp-Bolster); the position, Julia is told, is with Mrs Williamson-Hughes (May Whitty) and her son Ralph (George Macready). Julia is offered the position, which is that of a live-in secretary. Julia goes to the Hughes’ house in London but is drugged and tra...

The fascinating Hollywood Golden Age story of origin of the Bing Crosby/Dorothy Lamour/Bob Hope seven-film "Road to…" series, and how the memorable trio nearly did not happen, is elucidated with Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of the first four films in the series Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, the highly-influential Road to Morocco, and Road to Utopia (the latter not provided for review). Things kick off with Road to Singapore (1940) when sailor Ace Lannigan (Hope) and shipping magnate heir Josh Mallon V (Crosby) get into a brawl with the father (...

The fascinating Hollywood Golden Age story of origin of the Bing Crosby/Dorothy Lamour/Bob Hope seven-film "Road to…" series, and how the memorable trio nearly did not happen, is elucidated with Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of the first four films in the series Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, the highly-influential Road to Morocco, and Road to Utopia (the latter not provided for review). Things kick off with Road to Singapore (1940) when sailor Ace Lannigan (Hope) and shipping magnate heir Josh Mallon V (Crosby) get into a brawl with the father (...

The fascinating Hollywood Golden Age story of origin of the Bing Crosby/Dorothy Lamour/Bob Hope seven-film "Road to…" series, and how the memorable trio nearly did not happen, is elucidated with Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of the first four films in the series Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar, the highly-influential Road to Morocco, and Road to Utopia (the latter not provided for review). Things kick off with Road to Singapore (1940) when sailor Ace Lannigan (Hope) and shipping magnate heir Josh Mallon V (Crosby) get into a brawl with the father (...

"Stranger in the House" (1967) John Sawyer (played by James Mason) was once a powerful lawyer, but through alcoholism his personal and his professional career took a steep fall. His wife (played by Lisa Daniely) has left him, and the only other person in the mansion is his teenage daughter Angela (played by Geraldine Chaplin) who barely has even a speaking relationship her father and is more interested in partying. But one day a gunshot when is heard and a murdered body of a young man is discovered in the attic of the Sawyer residence, the former lawyer's mind begins to function once again to find the clues and reveal the killer... Based on the French novel "Les inconnus dans la maison" written by Geroges Simenon, and was once adapted into a film in France by filmmaker Henri Decoin, with a screenplay adapted by Henri Georges-Clouzot. Bulgarian born England based film...

"In Like Flynn" (2018) Taking place in 1930, Errol Flynn (played by Thomas Cocquerel) is guiding a group of American film producers deep in the jungles of New Guinea when they are brutally attacked and barely able to escape from the natives and their deadly traps. A wanderer always in the middle of dangerous happenings, Flynn sets out on an adventure with his friends Rex (played by Corey Large) and Dook (played by William Moseley) by stealing a boat to sail back to New Guinea in search of mysterious gold. But from fights, brawls, and other mishaps galore, getting there is more than just a battle. Long before he was a leading action star in Hollywood with films such as "Captain Blood" (1935) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), the Tazmania born Errol Flynn was an adventurer making a living between Papua New Guinea and Sydn...

Thank goodness for foreign films is often what I am often heard saying when discussing film today. I mean, can you imagine, in a typical Hollywood setting, a director trying to sell the concept of this film to some big shot producer? “Listen J.J., this is ground breaking stuff, audiences haven’t seen this type of thing before. Picture this if you will: one man in a room answering the emergency hot line and that’s it. The camera work is intense; we zoom in on the main character’s face and listen to his conversation. All we hear and know is what the character knows. It’s fantastic! It’ll clean up at the box office I tell you!!” Yes, I am being slightly ridiculous is describing the film in such simplistic terms but in essence that is exactly what happens in the film. The magic comes into the film because of the simplicity of its structure; the entire film’s premise is carried by the main character, Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) and by how he acts, what he says and does, by his internalized thoughts and emotions, and most importantly, by the information that is slowly revealed as the film progresses. This is the type of cinema that sneaks...

I am not a fan of the espionage genre, but I do like Michael Caine, so I thought that this was worth a spin. Seeing the name Don Siegel in the credits caused me to get my hopes up because he helmed several Clint Eastwood vehicles including "Dirty Harry" (1971), "The Beguiled" (1971) and "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979) and I recall that he also directed the original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956) which was an excellent science fiction thriller. But as Siegel himself once remarked about his films, “Most of my pictures, I'm sorry to say, are about nothing. Because I'm a whore. I work for money. It's the American way.” True to his word, "The Black Windmill" is a passable exercise in entertainment, but it is lacking the mise-en-scène that his previous films had displayed. We can just hope that the paycheck was substantial because this film is not very demanding of its audience. The film was based on Clive Egleton’s 1973 novel, "Seven Days to a Killing". Michael Caine plays Major John T...

Born fifty days after his father's early death, Yang Ke (Adonis He) is feared by his guardian Sister Yin (Susan Shaw) to have possibly inherited his father's bad karma even though she tells Ke's fragile mother that he will live a long life. It should come as no surprise to him then that the local Peking Opera goes bankrupt shortly after he finishes his extensive training and the only work he can seem to find with his narrow qualifications are nude modeling jobs. When he does an outdoor shoot and is abandoned by the photographers who take his wallet and clothing, he is rescued by Vendetta (Eric East) who gets him into a series of artistic homoerotic shoots supposedly meant for the Venice Film Festival but he later discovers circulating on the mainland as a bestselling porn DVD. Ke gets his revenge on Vendetta with the help of Wang Qiang (Justin Lim), an actual talent agent who promises to get him legitimate work. The closest they get to Venice, however, is the Venetian Mac...

Golden Globe (Most Promising Newcomer - Female): Candice Bergen (nominated) - Golden Globes, 1967 BAFTA Film Award (Best Foreign Actress): Joan Hackett (nominated) - BAFTA Awards, 1967 Golden Berlin Bear: Sidney Lumet (nominated) - Berlin International Film Festival, 1966 South Tower's Class of 1933 is ready to take the world by storm in a "time that asks the women of America to play a role in every sphere of the nation's life," particularly the eight women known as the "Ivory Tower": snobbish Lakey (Murphy Brown's Candice Bergen), meek Dottie (Dead of Night's Joan Hackett), frail Priss (The Beguiled's ...

Oscar (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color): William Flannery, Jo Mielziner, and Robert Priestley (winner), Best Film Editing: Charles Nelson and William A. Lyon (winner), Best Picture: Fred Kohlmar (nominated), Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Arthur O'Connell (nominated), Best Director: Joshua Logan (nominated), Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture: George Duning (nominated) - Academy Awards, 1956 Golden Globe (Best Director): Joshua Logan (winner) - Golden Globes, 1956 BAFTA Film Award (Best Film from Any Source): USA (nominated), Best Foreign Actor: William Holden (nomina...

It’s been a long, rough ride for fans of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” series. The 1974 original is forever cemented as one of horror’s true greats. Its sequel, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986) is a divisive film, boldly ramping up the gallows humor and veering off into camp territory. “Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III” (1990) is highly underrated – grisly chainsaw kills, spooky blue-tinged atmosphere, and heavy metal; what’s not to love? I’ll discuss the next film in the series in a moment. Following a nine-year break, the saw returned with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003), a decent remake of Hooper’s classic that got enough things right I can overlook what it clearly got wrong. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” (2006) is a nihilistic prequel to the remake and, again, I do think it’s a bit underrated because it looks stunning and the FX work is remarkably gruesome. “Texas Chainsaw 3D” (2013) is a bad 90's horror movie made in the 21st century but, like Leatherface, it’s charmingly stupid and you have to marvel at some of the inane decisions...

Starting a cinematic career in the sequel trenches can be a tough task. After helming his own made-for-TV creature feature, “Fuzzbucket” (1986), director Mick Garris was charged with delivering entries in both the “Critters” and “Psycho” franchises. Luckily, his “Critters 2: The Main Course” (1988) is the highpoint for that series, while “Psycho IV: The Beginning” (1990), despite being the weakest entry in that legendary franchise, features a stellar swan song performance by Anthony Perkins and is generally regarded as a decent movie. After this, Garris settled into the groove for which he is probably best known: directing adaptations of Stephen King’s works. His first foray into that territory was a film King wrote as a screenplay, “Sleepwalkers” (1992), concerning the last two surviving members of a cat-like shapeshifting species living in clearly-not-California, Indiana. Though the film is uneven, especially once the final act commences, enough of both Garris’ and King’s sensib...

With social media aflutter over the recent white-hot Netflix documentary about Ted Bundy, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” (2018), as well as the upcoming Zac Efron-led biopic (calm yourselves, ladies), now seems like a good time to shine a light on one lesser known, fictional counterpart to that handsome devil: Dennis Skinner (coincidentally, played by a Ted, last name Raimi). Directed by Ivan Nagy, one-time boyfriend of infamous Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, “Skinner” (1993) is a film that has flown completely under my radar for the past 26 years. Once Severin made the announcement I was a little miffed I’d never heard of a “sleazy” serial killer drama starring Ted Raimi, Traci Lords, Richard Schiff, and Ricki Lake. That’s one helluva interesting cast. Also of note: KNB handles the FX duties. “Skinner” is as sick, slick, and s...

AFI Award (Best Achievement in Editing): Max Lemon (nominated) - Australian Film Institute, 1982 Special Mention: Tony Williams (winner) - Mystfest, 1983 Clavell de Plata Daurada (Best Director): Tony Williams (winner) - Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival, 1982 After the death of her mother, Linda Stevens (Jacki Kerin) inherits the family estate of Montclare which her mother and long-missing aunt had turned into an old folks home now run by faithful Connie (Gallipoli's Gerda Nicolson) with the help of family physician Dr. Barton (Romper Stomper's Alex Scott). She reconnects with childhood friends in town, including firefighter Barney (...

Long before superhero movies were packing out multiplex cinemas, Freddy Krueger creator Wes Craven followed-up the success of Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1978) with this fondly remembered DC adaptation that brings a comic book favourite to livid and lunatic life! Following the success of THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977), SWAMP THING was also evidence of its director trying to adapt his style to less rough 'n' ready thrills and spills - and the result is an adventure thriller that highlights not just a mutant-monster with good intentions, but such sights as the timeless terror-star Adrienne Barbeau (THE FOG), future Twin Peaks star Ray Wise and David Hess (THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) in one of his best-remembered villainous turns. Released in 1982 to an appreciative cult following, SWAMP THING remains one of Craven's most mesmerising achievements - with a faithful DC-comic outlay and plenty of action-packed special effects that hold their ground even today. 88 Films is delighted to present SWAMP THING in a very special edition Blu-ray release that packs a pristine punch and highlights this creature feature classic in all of its bayou-tinged brilliance!...

Long before superhero movies were packing out multiplex cinemas, Freddy Krueger creator Wes Craven followed-up the success of Richard Donner's SUPERMAN (1978) with this fondly remembered DC adaptation that brings a comic book favourite to livid and lunatic life! Following the success of THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977), SWAMP THING was also evidence of its director trying to adapt his style to less rough 'n' ready thrills and spills - and the result is an adventure thriller that highlights not just a mutant-monster with good intentions, but such sights as the timeless terror-star Adrienne Barbeau (THE FOG), future Twin Peaks star Ray Wise and David Hess (THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) in one of his best-remembered villainous turns. Released in 1982 to an appreciative cult following, SWAMP THING remains one of Craven's most mesmerising achievements - with a faithful DC-comic outlay and plenty of action-packed special effects that hold their ground even today. 88 Films is delighted to present SWAMP THING in a very special edition Blu-ray release that packs a pristine punch and highlights this creature feature classic in all of its bayou-tinged brilliance!...

It was the sequel that they said could not be done right - and yet the 1999 shocker THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 proved to be a remarkably riotous and highly-rated follow-up to the classic Brian DePalma original. Directed by an old horror-hand in Katt Shea (POISON IVY), and starring Emily Bergl (television's SOUTHLAND) as a bullied schoolgirl who possesses a largely unexplored link to the telekinetic terror of Carrie White - the scares come thick and fast in this fan-favourite instalment - which also pays respectful homage to the abjection and atmospherics of its ground-breaking femme-on-fire predecessor, including a recurring role for DePalma starlet Amy Irving! Twenty years later and THE RAGE is back to remind a new generation that scary movie sequels do not need to suck - and 88 Films is proud to present this high octane example of Hollywood horror in ghoulish HD!...

We follow, 94-year-old former German SS officer Oskar Gröning, nicknamed “The Accountant of Auschwitz”, as he goes on trial in his home country, charged with complicity in the murder of 300,000 Jews at Auschwitz in 1944. The frail old man will make headlines around the world as takes the stand to face his former victims. Out of the 6,500 SS guards at Auschwitz, only 49 were prosecuted in West Germany. After the war, the country wanted to forget the past and move on. Many of the lawyers and judges writing the new legal code were themselves former Nazis. Now, 70 years later, a new generation of lawyers armed with a change in legal thinking opened-up a new wave of investigations against aging Nazi guards. Most have perished, but not Gröning, who at age 21, collected the stolen loot of prisoners as they were carted off trains at Auschwitz. The Accountant of Auschwitz is a race against time to prosecute the last living Nazi war criminal before it’s too late. Bringing war criminals to justice asks fundamental moral question. From Nuremberg to the modern alt-right, the film constructs a stark reminder that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it....

Leslie “Les” Dawson is a legendary English comedian best-known for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and snide jokes about his mother-in-law. This BBC series sees Les tackle a different subject in each episode, with his unique comic approach. It ran for 19 episodes between 1979 and 1980. Unlike his variety shows, The Dawson Watch was a weekly investigation into the nation at large, addressing subjects ranging from Education, Housing, Transport and Health to the Environment, Law, The Family, Crime and The Media. Les focused on one subject in each episode, opening with a monologue before moving onto a variety of short sketches interspersed with his sharp observations as a stand-up comedy routine. Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham are regulars, always on hand to give their take on the theme in question. Sketches featuring the two elderly women (Roy Barraclough and Les Dawson suitably attired as housewives) see them with arms folded, occasionally adjusting their bosoms with an unsubtle hoist of their forearms. And as we’ve come to know and love, they speak some words aloud but mouth those pertaining to women’s bodily functions and sex. It’s a testament to the talents of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough that their ...

Leslie “Les” Dawson is a legendary English comedian best-known for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and snide jokes about his mother-in-law. This BBC series sees Les tackle a different subject in each episode, with his unique comic approach. It ran for 19 episodes between 1979 and 1980. Unlike his variety shows, The Dawson Watch was a weekly investigation into the nation at large, addressing subjects ranging from Education, Housing, Transport and Health to the Environment, Law, The Family, Crime and The Media. Les focused on one subject in each episode, opening with a monologue before moving onto a variety of short sketches interspersed with his sharp observations as a stand-up comedy routine. Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham are regulars, always on hand to give their take on the theme in question. Sketches featuring the two elderly women (Roy Barraclough and Les Dawson suitably attired as housewives) see them with arms folded, occasionally adjusting their bosoms with an unsubtle hoist of their forearms. And as we’ve come to know and love, they speak some words aloud but mouth those pertaining to women’s bodily functions and sex. It’s a testament to the talents of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough that their ...

Leslie “Les” Dawson is a legendary English comedian best-known for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and snide jokes about his mother-in-law. This BBC series sees Les tackle a different subject in each episode, with his unique comic approach. It ran for 19 episodes between 1979 and 1980. Unlike his variety shows, The Dawson Watch was a weekly investigation into the nation at large, addressing subjects ranging from Education, Housing, Transport and Health to the Environment, Law, The Family, Crime and The Media. Les focused on one subject in each episode, opening with a monologue before moving onto a variety of short sketches interspersed with his sharp observations as a stand-up comedy routine. Cissie Braithwaite and Ada Shufflebotham are regulars, always on hand to give their take on the theme in question. Sketches featuring the two elderly women (Roy Barraclough and Les Dawson suitably attired as housewives) see them with arms folded, occasionally adjusting their bosoms with an unsubtle hoist of their forearms. And as we’ve come to know and love, they speak some words aloud but mouth those pertaining to women’s bodily functions and sex. It’s a testament to the talents of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough that their ...

Much-missed by fans of quick-jack cinema, the late Jess Franco had a career in fear that veered between arty outings such as VAMPYRO LESBOS (1971) and the cheap and cheerful projects that includes the official 'video nasty' DEVIL HUNTER (1980). Featuring a leading man turn from the Italian horror legend Al Cliver (ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS / THE BEYOND), DEVIL HUNTER is part Indiana Jones, part CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) and all outrageous insanity as Franco throws-in babes, bare-boobs and blood and native-battles in an attempt to keep audiences glued to the screen. For fans of cheese and sleaze, it does not get any better than DEVIL HUNTER - finally available for Franco enthusiasts and video nasty lovers to reappraise in HD!...

Patricia Neal (fresh from her 1963 award-winning role in Martin Ritt’s Hud) stars as a woman suffering from hysterical blindness, and a blank in her memory which may hide the cause of her affliction. When she and her sex-addict husband (Curt Jurgens – The Enemy Below, The Spy Who Loved Me) move in with her younger sister (Samantha Eggar – The Collector, The Brood), she begins to piece together the events leading to her psychological trauma. Ahead of its time in its discussion and depiction of all manner of taboo subjects (rape, child abuse, nymphomania, psycho-sexual disorder, masochism), Psyche 59 is one of British cinema’s most daring and provocative adult dramas....

First there was CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980)… Then came CANNIBAL FEROX (1981)… But somewhere in France, someone was already hatching a plot to cash-in on the Italian intestinal classics with CANNIBAL TERROR (1981). With no budget, no professional actors and no flights to Amazonia, CANNIBAL TERROR instead gives us Deodato and Lenzi on a cash-strapped level and the end result is THE ROOM of cannibal movies!! Brilliant, banal and blood-soaked late night entertainment, CANNIBAL TERROR was also one of the infamous 'video nasties' in the UK - showing that our beloved censors and moral guardians have little in the way of a sense of humour! However, this torrid tale of stranded tourists being hunted by hungry natives is a work of demented genius that words can barely do service to - and it is our great pleasure to offer audiences another chance to see CANNIBAL TERROR, this time in a delirious HD special edition!...

For years fans waited for the release of a sequel to Ruggero Deodato's trendsetting CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) yet it would take almost a decade for THE GREEN INFERNO, also known as CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2, to arrive... and it was not, perhaps, what followers of the cycle in Italian nasty native movies were expecting! Whilst Deodato's original benchmark critiqued the mondo film pseudo-documentary phenomenon, partly instigated by cinematographer and director Antonio Climati (MONDO CANE / SAVAGE MAN, SAVAGE BEAST), here the focus turns to satirising the hypocrisy and complexity of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST itself! Directed by Climati, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 sees some enterprising adventurers traipsing into the Amazon jungle in search of a missing professor and, in the interim, the youngsters encounter some indications that slavery and European colonialism is still robbing the Colombian rain forest blind! A mix of macabre images, scenic locations, castrations and sly in-jokes, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 introduces some belated bad taste humour into familiar jungle territory and requires immediate reappraisal from tribal terror completists - which is a meal best served in glorious HD by the video nasty enthusiasts at 88 Films!!...

The apparent suicide of an eminent psychologist prompts his teenage daughter (Pamela Franklin - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Legend of Hell House) and one of his patients (Stephen Boyd - Ben-Hur, Fantastic Voyage) to investigate. Convinced he was murdered, the two begin a journey into the lives and twisted psychoses of the doctor's disturbed patients. Directed by the great Charles Crichton (Dead of Night, The Lavender Hill Mob, A Fish Called Wanda), stunningly photographed by Douglas Slocombe (The Italian Job, Raiders of the Lost Ark), and starring an incredible cast which includes Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, Diane Cilento and Judi Dench in one of her earliest screen roles, The Third Secret is a dark and elegant psychological thriller which has long been overlooked, but is now ripe for rediscovery....

Martha Kearney, the BBC broadcaster and journalist, follows in the footsteps of 19th century Irish artist and geologist, George Victor Du Noyer, exploring the places Du Noyer visited and captured so wonderfully in sketch and paint. Martha Kearney returns to Ireland, her ancestral home, to follow in the footsteps of artist George Victor Du Noyer, who spent 35 years tracing his country's people and buildings, and it's beautiful, rugged landscape. She discovers how the landscapes once looked, revealing the intrinsic relationship between the people and the land. Episode One Kearney introduces Du Noyer's work, and travels to the Bog of Allen, which lies between the Liffey and Shannon, and the Old Head of Kinsale in Co Cork. Episode Two Kearney travels to Northern Ireland, focusing on the beauty of the region, from the rugged Giant's Causeway in Antrim, to Mussenden Temple in Londonderry. Episode Three Kearney drops in on the sumptuously splendid Castletown House in Co Kildare and gazes at the glorious Rock of Cashel. Episode Four Kearney explores the Blasket Islands off the coast of Co Kerry, then on to the Dingle Peninsula, finally heading north to the islands of the Fermanagh Lakelands....

Christine Bleakley goes home to Ireland to travel the length of its 1500mile west coast the Wild Atlantic Way. Christine Bleakley returns home to Ireland for a very special trip. She s planning to drive, climb, walk and swim her way along the longest continuous coastal route in the world, Ireland's 1500 mile long Wild Atlantic Way. The route stretches from County Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula to Kinsale in County Cork on the Celtic Sea coast. Starting at Malin Head, the most northerly point of the island where Christine learns the story of how Ireland first got its name she then drives, bikes, hikes, swims and kayaks her way along the coastline, all the way to Clonakilty, in the south. On her travels, Christine visits numerous historical sites, meets a host of fascinating characters, takes on some extreme sports, learns about harvesting and preparing local food delicacies, and uncovers a landscape of natural wonders right on Britain's doorstep. Christine Bleakley's Wild Ireland is another celeb travelogue. But this one's worth watching Irish Times...

Ardal O'Hanlon will always be known as Father Dougal from the sitcom classic Father Ted. In this travelogue, the comic explores the Emerald Isle and Irish life, heading off the beaten track to learn more about what makes the Irish… well, Irish. As he travels around his beloved homeland, Ardal visits small towns and some of the more idiosyncratic attractions that the Emerald Isle has to offer. To aid his voyage of discovery, Ardal uses a series of very proper Victorian guidebooks by Mr and Mrs S C Hall, written originally with the purpose of tempting the English over to Ireland in the 19th century. As he travels, he examines Irish stereotypes and issues surrounding faith and belief, investigating how the Irish became such renowned storytellers and why they are obsessed with myths and legends, including leprechauns. And he discovers how the new generation is embracing the traditions of the past. With his insider's knowledge and humorous approach, Ardal wanders from pulpit to pub, rejoicing in the unique festivities and characters he finds along the way....

Francis Ford Coppola's impressive return to the subject of the Vietnam War is a poignant and contemplative companion piece to his epic masterwork 'Apocalypse Now'. Set in 1968, the film reunites Coppola with Godfather star James Caan, who plays disillusioned army sergeant stationed at Fort Meyers Arlington Cemetery and views the war in Vietnam as un-winnable, despairing at the dead arriving daily for burial from the front lines. This powerful drama from one of American cinema's most audacious filmmakers boasts a towering performance by Caan, and a superb supporting cast, including Anjelica Huston, James Earl Jones, Mary Stuart Masterson and DB Sweeney....

The films of director Stanley Kramer (Ship of Fools, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?) reflected social and political concerns of their time and tackled controversial subjects head on. The little-seen 1970 feature R.P.M., set amidst the turmoil of late-60s anti-war student protests, is no exception. As activists seize control of a California college, a free-thinking, anti-establishment college professor (Anthony Quinn) finds himself in a precarious position when he’s invested as University President and must decide between restoring order or sanctioning a descent into anarchy...

Charles Bronson achieved superstar status in the 1970s with box-office successes such as The Mechanic, Mr. Majestyk, and Death Wish; and 1975s Breakout was one of Bronsons biggest hits. Inspired by real events, this tense adventure thriller casts Bronson as a tough mercenary pilot hired to fly into Mexico on a rescue mission only to discover the real plan is to break a wealthy convict from a notorious prison. Co-starring his real-life wife Jill Ireland, along with Randy Quaid, John Huston and the ever-exceptional Robert Duvall, Breakout is a thrilling action-ride, all set to a terrific Jerry Goldsmith score....

Dennis Hopper's legendary, long-unavailable masterpiece is available for the first time ever in the UK. Hopper followed the enormous international success of Easy Rider (1969) with this exuberant passion project - a delirious, free-wheeling epic production shot in Central America with an incredible cast (including Peter Fonda, Kris Kristofferson, Russ Tamblyn, Michelle Phillips, Tomas Milian and Sam Fuller) and an ambition to re-invent American cinema. Unseen for many years, this one-of-a-kind film can finally be experienced in a ravishing new 4K restoration....

Renowned for his imaginative and eccentric marketing ploys, William Castle became synonymous with delivering lurid horror films backed-up by his trademark publicity gimmicks (‘Illusion-O’; ‘Percepto’; the ‘Punishment Poll’; ‘Fright Breaks’, etc.). WILLIAM CASTLE AT COLUMBIA VOLUME TWO features four more weird and wonderful films from the outrageous showman’s illustrious career with Columbia Pictures, all presented on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK. Containing a wealth of new and archival extras this stunning Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set from Indicator is strictly limited to 6,000 units....

Renowned for his imaginative and eccentric marketing ploys, William Castle became synonymous with delivering lurid horror films backed-up by his trademark publicity gimmicks (‘Illusion-O’; ‘Percepto’; the ‘Punishment Poll’; ‘Fright Breaks’, etc.). WILLIAM CASTLE AT COLUMBIA VOLUME TWO features four more weird and wonderful films from the outrageous showman’s illustrious career with Columbia Pictures, all presented on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK. Containing a wealth of new and archival extras this stunning Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set from Indicator is strictly limited to 6,000 units....

Renowned for his imaginative and eccentric marketing ploys, William Castle became synonymous with delivering lurid horror films backed-up by his trademark publicity gimmicks (‘Illusion-O’; ‘Percepto’; the ‘Punishment Poll’; ‘Fright Breaks’, etc.). WILLIAM CASTLE AT COLUMBIA VOLUME TWO features four more weird and wonderful films from the outrageous showman’s illustrious career with Columbia Pictures, all presented on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK. Containing a wealth of new and archival extras this stunning Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set from Indicator is strictly limited to 6,000 units....

Renowned for his imaginative and eccentric marketing ploys, William Castle became synonymous with delivering lurid horror films backed-up by his trademark publicity gimmicks (‘Illusion-O’; ‘Percepto’; the ‘Punishment Poll’; ‘Fright Breaks’, etc.). WILLIAM CASTLE AT COLUMBIA VOLUME TWO features four more weird and wonderful films from the outrageous showman’s illustrious career with Columbia Pictures, all presented on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK. Containing a wealth of new and archival extras this stunning Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set from Indicator is strictly limited to 6,000 units....

Meet the Laemles. Dad's got a great job, mom has all the modern conveniences a happy homemaker could ask for, and ten-year-old Michael has neat new friends and two parents who kill him with kindness. They're all the all-American family....or are they? Michael can't figure out why his family serves leftovers every night. Leftovers? Well, what were they before they were leftovers? questions young Michael. Leftovers-to-be, smiles dad. Dad's bringing home the bacon....and a whole lot more! Michael's parents are getting away with murder - making home where the horror is!...

In New Orleans, a city with a dark underside of black magic and satanic worship, two priests have been brutally murdered at St. Agnes Church. Now THE UNHOLY reigns, only to be challenged by the purest of mortal souls. Father Michael (Ben Cross), believed to be spiritually blessed, is appointed to the ungodly parish. Is he really the chosen one, strong enough to fight such ravishing temptation, such raw evil? Or is he simply the third to die? Some say Father Michael hasn't got a prayer....

The time is the future, and youth gang violence is so high that the areas around some schools have become free fire zones into which not even the police will venture. When Miles Langford (Malcolm McDowell), the principal of Kennedy High School, decides to take his school back from the gangs, robotics specialist Dr. Robert Forrest (Stacy Keach) provides tactical education units. These human-like androids have been programmed to teach and are supplied with weapons to handle discipline problems. These kids will get a lesson in staying alive!...

After the huge success of Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?(1962), Hollywood legend Joan Crawford found herself taking the lead in a series of lurid and sensational horror pictures in her later years – and Berserk was one of the best and most successful. Crawford stars as a ruthless circus owner who exploits a series of gruesome murders for her own ends... until the killer targets her. Directed by Jim O’Connolly (Valley of Gwangi, Tower of Evil) and co-starring Diana Dors (Yield to the Night, Deep End), Michael Gough (Horror Hospital, Batman) and Judy Geeson (10 Rillington Place, Inseminoid), Berserk is a deranged slice of Great British Grand(Dame) Guignol – a bloody exploitation classic!...

Two warring elderly brothers and their respective heirs are determined that each will outlive the other in an attempt to hold onto the family fortune, and will stop at nothing – even murder – to achieve their goal. Bryan Forbes’ riotous black comedy, based on the 1889 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, stars some of the greatest talents of the day, including Peter Sellers, Michael Caine, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Tony Hancock, Ralph Richardson, Nanette Newman and John Mills....

A gripping modern war thriller about a Norwegian solider who returns home from Afghanistan but cannot leave the conflict behind. How far should you go in the name of peace? Lieutenant Erling Riiser from the Special Forces returns home exhausted to his family in Norway after his tour of duty in Afghanistan. The day after he returns, Erling receives a text message from a senior officer with an apparent tip-off telling him a woman's life is in danger, and he is ordered to kill an Afghan man who has her. After rescuing the woman, he soon finds out his superior did not send the message. Erling must find out who sent the orders, and why he is being used as their hitman. Unable to trust anyone, Erling finds himself in the middle of a complex political killing game. With flashbacks to the war interwoven throughout, Nobel places a dramatic conspiracy plot at the centre of the rarely-told story of Norway s involvement in Afghanistan....

THE 12TH MAN is a breath-taking war thriller about an incredible true-life story of heroism and a man's unbreakable will to live. Norway, 1943: after a failed anti-Nazi sabotage mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) finds himself on the run from the Gestapo through the snowbound Arctic reaches of Scandinavia led by Kurt Stage (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). It's a harrowing journey across unforgiving, frozen wilderness that will stretch on for months - and force Jan to take extreme action in order to survive. The legendary story of Jan Baalsrud s escape remains one of the wildest, most unfathomable survival stories of World War II....

It's Die Hard in a football stadium when an ex-soldier (Dave Bautista) has to use all his lethal fighting skills to save 35,000 fans and prevent mass destruction when deadly Russian terrorists take Upton Park under siege. Believing his traitorous brother Dimitri (Pierce Brosnan) is somewhere in the stadium, Arkady (Ray Stevenson), the former leader of a revolution in the Russian state of Sukovia, locks down the Boleyn Ground during the European semi-final between West Ham United and Dynamo FCC. In the crowd with his niece, Danni (Lara Peake), is US- veteran Mike Knox (Dave Bautista), who stumbles upon the plot and goes about taking out Arkady s heavily armed team. Can he get to Arkady before Arkady gets to Dimitri? The fate of 35,000 people inside the stadium and many more in Russia depends on it......

THE CLOSEST YOU EVER WANT TO BE TO NUCLEAR WAR Nominated for seven BAFTAs, and winning four including Best Single Drama, this BBC film depicts the effects of global nuclear war on the city of Sheffield. Written by Barry Hines (Kes) and directed by Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) it is unflinching in its presentation of the weeks leading up to war, the attack itself and the bleak years of nuclear winter that follow. From its first broadcast Threads became one of the most significant and influential commissions ever seen on the BBC. When the drama aired on CNN in 1985 it was rumoured to have changed President Reagan's nuclear policy, and to date it has only been seen on UK TV screens three times. So disturbing is the screenplay that special permission from the highest editorial levels at the BBC is required for any TV screening. This 2-disc set presents the original film remastered in 2k from the original BBC CRI 16mm prints. It is available in HD on Blu-Ray for the very first time in the UK, and includes the world premiere of the director-approved widescreen edition. First broadcast Sunday 23 September 1984 on BBC2 at 9.30pm....

After achieving international renown as one of the finest actors of his generation in films such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and Tom Jones (1963), Albert Finney turned director for this surreal comic twist on the ‘kitchen sink’ dramas in which he’d made his name. Finney plays Charlie Bubbles, a successful writer suffering a mid-life crisis, who attempts to re-connect with his northern working-class roots and estranged family. Based on a screenplay by Shelagh Delaney (A Taste of Honey), the script clearly references both her and Finney’s personal experience of their shared working class origins (both were Salford natives), and the consequences of achieving great success....

Based on Norman Lindsay's controversial autobiographical 1935 novel, Age of Consent is the story of an artist (James Mason), grown tired of producing art for wealthy Americans, who moves to the wilds of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef where he meets Cora (Helen Mirren), a teenage girl who inspires him and becomes his muse – as well as the object of his desire. The penultimate film from the great Michael Powell (Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom), Age of Consent explores the obsessive nature of an artist approaching the twilight of his career. Misjudged and mis-handled on its initial release (when the distributor removed key scenes and re-scored the film), Age of Consent is now regarded as one of Powell’s key works....

CultFilms is proud to bring you this gore-soaked terror classic in a stunning new 2K restoration, with colour regrading carried out under instruction from the maestro himself and in reference to his own, preferred, original cinema print. Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA) returns to CultFilms with this breath-taking new restoration of his visionary horror masterpiece OPERA. Splattered with stylistic bloodshed and soaring cinematography, OPERA shows Italy’s master of horror at the very height of his game. When young understudy Betty (Cristina Marsillach) takes the lead role in a new operatic production of Verdi’s Macbeth, she soon attracts the attention of a knife-wielding psycho who forces her to watch – with eyes pinned open – as he brutally despatches her friends and colleagues with sadistic delight. Can Betty free herself from this unending nightmare or does a more terrifying fate await? OPERA is a ravishing return to the giallo style Argento made his name with, awash with black-gloved killers, lavish bloodletting and the director’s expressionistic Grand Guignol excess....