Vinegar Syndrome has taken 2016 by the balls in their quest to bring the weirdest, best, trashiest cinema of decades gone by to home video in new, gorgeous Blu-ray editions. Over the last couple of months they've done a stellar job restoring and releasing these six films for the home video connoisseur.
Today I'm going to run down this hot half-dozen releases that I'm just now catching up with after a long winter's nap of my own. Continue below for details on Paul Naschy in Count Dracula's Great Love, a twofer from director Richard Casey in Horror House on Highway 5 and Hellbent, and a trio of VHS staples, Deathrow Gameshow, Nightmare Sisters, and Hobgoblins.
Even though I pride myself on being somewhat knowledgable about cult films, I am horrendously undereducated when it comes to Paul Naschy. So, I admit without embarrassment that Count Dracula's Great Love, the 1973 Spanish vampire film, is the first Naschy film I've ever seen. That's right, I've not seen a single one of his werewolf films. The problem is that I know how well regarded he is, a legend in Spanish horror, and I can't see that level of adulation with this film as my only point of reference.
Count Dracula's Great Love deviates from Bram Stoker's original tale and places Naschy's Count in possession of a former sanitorium upon which stumbles nubile young women in desperate need of a place to stay. The sanitorium is populated by a host of Dracula's recent converts who are thirsty for blood as well as the good Count himself, who takes a particular liking to Karen (Haydee Politoff), a beautiful virgin.
The film feels like contemporary Hammer films from the same early '70s period in its utter commitment to violence and sadistic eroticism. However, it's a bit of a mess in terms of the plot and story, and the whiplash ending dosn't do much to tie up loose ends. Still, it's an effective way to pass the time and Naschy fans seem to enjoy it as far as I can tell. Sadly, Count Dracula's Great Love just wasn't for me.
The Disc:
In spite of the film's lack of resonance with me, it's impossible to fault Vinegar Syndrome's Blu-ray release for the problem. The transfer was struck from a 35mm interpositive of the film in 2K resolution and marks one of the first proper widescreen releases of the film and certainly the first Blu-ray in the world. The image quality is typically exceptional and should please any fans of the film. A few minor flecks here and there betray the film's age a bit, but overall it is a remarkable rehabilitation from the other versions of the film I've previewed for this review.
Not a label to rest on simply a beautiful transfer, Vinegar Syndrome add significant value to the release with some quality extras. Principal among these extras is a never before released commentary track with director Javier Aguirre and the late Naschy. There is also a six page booklet with an essay from Mirek Lipinsky that serves as an overview of the film and the work of its director and star. Booklets are rare from Vinegar Syndrome, but I hope there are more in the works. Also included in the disc is an interview with co-star Mirta Miller who discusses half a century in the film business.
Well, the film wasn't for me, but any fans will find this disc to be a godsend. Definitely recommended.
I had never heard of director Richard Casey before this pair of features arrived on my doorstep, and it's kind of hard to understand why after seeing Horror House on Highway 5 and especially Hellbent. The former is a pretty standard no budget home-grown slasher from 1985, but the latter is an exceptional and almost criminally forgotten take on classic literature set in and around LA's underground music scene. I'm vastly more impressed by Hellbent, but those in the mood for a bizarre unhinged nightmare of a film will definitely get a kick out of Horror House on Highway 5.
In Horror House on Highway 5 a killer in a Richard Nixon mask terrorizes suburban Los Angeles while in a seperate series of incidents, a deranged scientist kidnaps and tortures college students. What do these things have in common? Who knows! I've watched the film a couple of times and still have no idea what it's really about. Horror House on Highway 5 is a startling example of the kind of madness that can be made when nobody knows what the fuck they are doing. It's confusing, nightmarish, and occasionally worth watching. It doesn't quite reach Ogroff the Mad Mutilator levels of convolution, but it does its best.
Hellbent , on the other hand, is a remarkably witty and acerbic take on the Faust legend with Satan appearing to Lemmy, the lead singer of a shitty LA punk band. When Lemmy takes the deal things unsurprisingly get weird and the whole band starts to pay for his sins. Even though the film was shot in 1988, the music scene it is depicting is more reminiscent of the early '80s punk and post-punk scene, and in terms of recreating that magical moment, it does a pretty great job. Add to that a satanic promoter, a machine gun Santa, and plenty of atonal rock 'n roll and you've got a fun little film that offers up more than you were probably expecting. Hellbent is a new fave around here, and you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Vinegar Syndrome provides both discs with exceptional new 2K transfers with great sound. The image quality on Hellbent is markedly better, but that's due to the improvement in material between the two features for director Casey (16mm on Horror House, 35mm on Hellbent). Both films also feature audio commentaries from Casey, with the Horror House track confirming that he knows just as little about what's going on as the viewer and Hellbent showing his love for this project that never quite got its due. Beyond the commentaries, Casey helps put together some qualities interviews with a lot of the principal cast and crew for Hellbent that is shot in the retro-neon theme of the film. For Horror House we get an amazing music video directed by Casey with legendary LA punk back Vom.
These are really great presentations of some solid work from Casey. While Horror House on Highway 5 is probably only recommended to those with an adventurous spirit, I can recommend Hellbent wholeheartedly to fans of literate horror and LA punk music for its entertaining take on that grimy universe.
Deathrow Gameshow is the kind of lunatic horror comedy that really gets me going. Director Mark Pirro comes off a of no-budget 8mm wackadoo homemade horror, A Polish Vampire in Burbank, to make this honest-to-goodness 35mm gem in 1988 and knocks it out of the park. The tale of a gameshow host thrust into a mob war is absurd in the highest degree, and damned funny.
Chuck Toedan is the host of Live or Die, a Monty Hall-esque game show in which death row inmates get the chance to escape their fate through the performance of numerous insane and deadly stunts. No one really ever escapes, but the thought that they might keeps the game interesting as this satire proves. When Toedan's show accidentally puts a mob boss to the screws, the boss's thugs come after the host and he is forced to find a way out of this hot spot.
I haven't seen much of Mark Pirro's work, but it seems like this was his highest profile picture by far, and probably the most polished of the bunch. Deathrow Gameshow is an outstandingly hilarious look at life and death through an absurd lens, and perhaps foreshadowed the reality TV boom that has given rise to some of the world's biggest celebrities over the last twenty years. I really loved this movie, though it's flippant tone and oddball sensibilities might throw some for a loop. If you're a fan of the Killer Tomatoes movies and some of the better Troma films (the older ones), you're sure to get a kick out of this one.
Vinegar Syndrome's 2K transfer from the original 35mm elements of Deathrow Gameshow are, once again, perfect. The film looks a million times better than anyone could ever expect with rich color and detail, and a lovely filmic look. The audio is also effective, with a crisp and clean DTS-HD mono track that serves up the original dialogue and effects wonderfully.
Among the extras are a commentary that pairs director Mark Pirro with actress Robyn Blythe for an amusing look at this film from the two people who know it best. We also get a half hour documentary on the making of the film featuring many of the principal cast and crew who worked on this as well as many of Pirro's other weirdo pictures. Vinegar Syndrome and Pirro have also been kind enough to grace us with a new director's cut of the film as well as two of Pirro's Shorts, Buns and The Spy Who Did it Better from 1978 and '79.
Vinegar Syndrome and Mark Pirro have outdone themselves on this release of Deathrow Gameshow, and anyone with even the slightest interest in the film owes it to themselves to pick it up.
David DeCoteau is one of the most world's most prolific filmmakers that not a whole lot of people have heard of. That's probably because most of his films never make it to the big screen, and frankly, DeCoteau himself probably doesn't really give a shit. He's mostly a director for hire, making Hallmark and Lifetime films, but when left to his own devices he's one of the best direct-to-video guys out there. However, back in the '80s, DeCoteau made several films that made their way into cinemas and onto store shelves that helped a lot of young people find their inner sexual being – shall we say – and Nightmare Sisters is one of them.
Three geeky sorority pledges, played by sex-bombs Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead), Brinke Stevens (Scream Queen Hot Tub Party), and Michelle Bauer ( Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers), are looking for fun, but their sorority sisters want nothing to do with them. Meanwhile, across campus a trio of nerdy frat boys can't get the respect of their brothers or the attention of the ladies. One night they come together in a triple date and, with the help of a mystical crystal ball and evil shaman, the girls turn from nerds to sultry vixen succubi, determined to ravish the boys' souls and then some.
Nightmare Sisters is EXACTLY the kind of film one might expect from the talent both behind and in front of the camera. DeCoteau's films have always taken a fun a flirty approach to sexuality, especially when it comes to the abundance of flesh on display, and Nightmare Sisters is no exception. Back in the days before pornography was available at the click of a button, the youth of America learned a lot about sexuality from Skinemax films and the late night features on cable TV, and Nightmare Sisters fits perfectly in that oeuvre. It's a lot of fun, not politically correct by today's standards at all, but still a perfect time capsule of the late '80s and the culture that made it.
Another stunning 2K transfer from Vinegar Syndrome here, Nightmare Sisters looks better than it probably ever did. Also included on the disc is the alternate TV version which cuts out all of the nudity and language. It's really odd to watch after seeing the original feature and kind of makes one wonder what the point of a nudity free version really was? I mean, I get that its a revenue stream, but why would you watch it? Anyway, the real version of the film looks great.
DeCoteau is no stranger to DVD bonus materials, he's worked on a lot of Twilight Time and Scream Factory discs as an audio commentator and fan, and he doesn't skimp here either. The commentary with DeCoteau and Quigley is enlightening and frankly, adorable, as both recount their memories of a fun set and a few challenges. We also get an interview with producer Kenneth J Hall and a reel of outtakes and bloopers that is a fun watch.
If you know David DeCoteau, or are familiar with his masterpiece Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama, you know what you're getting into. This is a great example of his work and a great Blu-ray edition of Nightmare Sisters.
Rick Sloane's Hobgoblins is known as one of the worst movies of all time. It's so legendarily bad that the team at Mystery Science Theater 3000 took a swing at it, and their Hobgoblins episode became one of the most popular of the series' history. But here's the thing, Hobgoblins is actually a whole lot of stupid fun and perhaps my favorite of this batch of Vinegar Syndrome discs
¯\_( ツ )_/¯
When the aging nightwatchman for a run down film vault warns his incoming assistant never to open the basement of the building, you know something bad is about to happen. And happen it does when Kevin, the hapless new guy, follows a sound into the basement and unleashes the Hobgoblins, a weird bunch of aliens who unlock their victims deepest desires. While that doesn't sound too bad, they manage to turn a local nightclub into a war zone and wreak havoc on the lives of Kevin and his loser friends. Can they stop the Hobgoblins before it's too late? STAY TUNED!
Hobgoblins nasty reputation as one of the worst films of all time was cemented by their appearance on MST3K, in which the team managed to make it feel like far more of a chore than it really is. Director Sloane, however, grabbed onto the notoriety and quickly found a way to profit from the “bad press” and pitch his film to fans of bad cinema as the ultimate example in cinematic torture. While I can't fault the guy for trying to make lemonade, I do feel that the reputation is largely unwarranted.
As a fan of films from the sublime to the ridiculous, I can't help but enjoy Hobgoblins is all of its glorious ineptitude, and the plain fact is that it's not really that inept. Sure, the Hobgoblins themselves are clearly inarticulated foam rubber (or whatever, sorry FX folks) monsters, but they look great even as the jiggle around randomly. The film never commits the cardinal sin of being boring, and that's an improvement on even some of the world's finest classics. Hobgoblins is a proudly and unashamedly dumb film, but it is never for a second boring, and that's enough for me.
Vinegar Syndrome presents Hobgoblins in a brand new restored 2K scan from the original 35mm negatives and it looks better than it ever has. Who'd have thunk?
Sloane's commitment to his own legacy ensures that the bonus features on Hobgoblins are also top notch making this the definitive version of a film that no one in their right mind would've ever thought deserved a definitive version. We get an audio commentary from Sloane in which he excitedly gives us anecdotes and production stories. We also get two making of docs, a new one “Hobgoblins Revisited” featuring mostly Sloane, and a legacy featurette called “Hobgoblins: The Making of a Disasterpiece”, that gives us more context. There's also an interview with creature artist Kenneth J Hall (also producer of Nightmare Sisters), where he describes the conditions under which he works and defends his Hobgoblin creatures from those who might say they are sub-par (hint: it involves budget), but I have your back Hall, those Hobgoblins look great.
This is a great disc for a film that is a lot more fun that it gets credit for. I say add Hobgoblins to your collection and do it now!