Severin Films is one of our favorite independent home video distributors, and over the last few months they've released several really great Blu-ray editions of films that desperately needed an upgrade. Flip through the gallery below to see snapshots of their recent Blu-rays of Mariano Baino's Dark Waters, Bruno Mattei's The Other Hell, Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury, and Canadian oddity Cathy's Curse.
I was surprised to learn that we already had a review for Mariano Baino’s excellent religious horror, Dark Waters, in the Screen Anarchy archives from way back in 2009. Back then logboy talked in depth about the film, so rather than blather on with my own opinion, here is what he had to say:
The premise is of an isolated lost-in-time church on a small island. Beyond the typically non-Christian (in attitude) nuns, the bizarre locals, the sense of time is completely lost - impressive - and the minimal lighting (for the most part) creates an eerie atmosphere that comes across on screen very well. the premise is that heir-apparent Elizabeth travels from modern-day London through uncomfortable coach journey and stormy seas to the remote Island (originally to have been shot off the coast of England so I hear) where a group of Nuns reside in a suitably ramshackle establishment with many hidden secrets and an unusual past after her beneficiary father passes away.
Partly drawn through strange memories or connection, partly through obligation and natural fascination with what her father had warned her away from in no uncertain terms, she defies the logic of the danger in the situation with her obsession. Behind the weirdness of the gentle and unsettling atmosphere of a church (or convent) is the more substantial Gothic Horror weirdness of the ultra-weird sci-fi oddity, and the journey towards the climax is effectively constructed through set-pieces, original visions of nicely-twisting plot ideas, rich candle-lit ultra-dark visuals.
[…]
Not a masterpiece, but Baino easily has the skill to make much of very little, and easily deserves the chance to see his talents put to use in something with more time, money, under less duress. A good filmmaker, if not entirely a good film. Works though, and as an oddity, a modern European Horror
While I liked the movie a fair bit more than he did, the observations are fairly on point. I enjoyed the film because of the echoes of early ‘80s Italian horror. The dependence on atmosphere for the vast majority of the film gave it an eerie feel reminiscent of Fulci’s The Beyond, or even Argento’s Inferno. However, Dark Waters does a great job of marrying that atmosphere with some pretty amazing effects work in the finale that feels like something out of From Beyond or Society. It’s a combination that really works for me.
The Disc:
Severin’s release is the first Blu-ray of Dark Waters and it looks pretty solid. For a low budget horror shot in Eastern Europe, I was surprised at the quality of this transfer. Audio is also solid, though the largely post-dubbed English soundtrack may take some getting used to. It is work noting that the soundtrack is a lossy Dolby 2.0 track.
As is always the case with Severin’s releases, they really go all out with the extras. This time around it was a little bit easier for them because they were able to port over the extras from the DVD that No Shame released in 2009 along with a few newer exclusive extras that really add context to the film.
Previously available features include an audio commentary with Baino, three short films, director intro, some deleted scenes, and Deep into the Dark Waters – an hour long feature that goes behind the scenes.
Severin’s release adds several new features. Lovecraft Made Me Do It is the main extra, a ten minute discussion with Baino in which he talks in general about his influences and affinity for science fiction and fantasy. There is also Controlling the Uncontrollable, which is a more general discussion of control from the director’s chair, and Let There Be Water in which Baino discusses a particular scene near the beginning of the film which presents one of the film’s most memorable moments.
Great film, great disc. Well worth owning.
Every rose has its thorns, and on the beautiful bush that is Severin Films, most of those thorns come in the form of films by Italian schlockmeister Bruno Mattei. I am not a fan. That being said, The Other Hell is probably near the top of the pile when it comes to Mattei’s work and Severin’s Blu-ray release is far better than the film deserves.
Nunsploitation is a subgenre of horror/trash films that appeals to me more in theory than in practice. While there are certainly gems out there, the wheat to chaff ratio is way off. The Other Hell takes place in an isolated convent in which a group of nuns appear to be hiding something sinister within their walls. When a priest from the local diocese comes in to investigate a death, things start getting really weird and the blood starts to flow.
Honestly, that’s about it. There are a few moments in which the film shines, largely having to do with some gratuitous violence or absurd dialogues, but it was mostly a chore for me. If you’re a Mattei fan with a greater tolerance for his particular brand of exploitation, you’ll certainly have more fun with it than I had.
The Disc:
The Other Hell appears to have been shot on 16mm, which explains the film’s appearance on this Blu-ray. While it’s almost certainly better than it has ever looked, it is far from reference material. The colors look fairly accurate, and level of detail is about where you’d expect. I’m satisfied.
As usual, Severin really pulls out the big guns for the bonus materials. We get an interview with co-star Franca Stoppi (13 min), who talks about her role in the film as well as other Mattei films and her relationships with other performers. There are also archival interviews with Mattei and lead actor Carlo De Mejo which prove to be interesting. Lastly there is an audio commentary with Mattei and Federico Caddeo from Freak-O-Rama that helps to contextualize the film.
If you’re a Mattei fan, this is one of his better films and there’s no better way to see The Other Hell than on Severin’s new Blu-ray
Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury is exactly what it sounds like, a follow up to Severin’s Kung Fu Trailers of Fury release from last year. This time around we get some oddities that most will not have seen, but their obscurity doesn’t prevent them from being entertaining. As one might expect with a compilation of this nature, A/V quality varies from trailer to trailer, but they are largely very solid and more than watchable. This is a great party tape for fans of the genre.
Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury features the following titles:
Thunderbolt
Yellow Faced Tiger (AKA Slaughter in San Francisco)
Kung Fu Master Named Drunk Cat
The Invincible Super Guy
The Invisible Terrorist
Shaolin Invincible Sticks
Bruce And The Iron Finger
Snuff Bottle Connection
The Story Of Chinese Gods
Along Comes The Tiger
The Owl
Two In Black Belt
The Young Avenger
White Haired Devil Lady
The Super Kung Fu Fighter
Killer from Above
Two Assassins Of The Darkness (AKA Kung Fu Killers)
Bloody Mission
Revenge Of The Shaolin Kid (AKA Master of Death)
The Thundering Mantis
Shaolin Hero Chang San Feng
The Bomb Shell
Black Guide
One Way Only
The Old Master
Big Leap Forward
Gambling For Head
Silent Romance
Itchy Fingers
Crazy Horse And Intelligent Monkey
The Legendary Strike
The Instant Kung Fu Man
The Dragon and The Tiger Kids (AKA Hell's Windstaff)
The Avenging Boxer
While the first edition of KFTF featured a mini-documentary on the Cube Cinema in which the films were originally shown, this edition only has an audio commentary, but it’s really entertaining and informative. Participants include Frank Djeng (Tai Seng, New York Asian Film Festival), Ric Meyers (Fists of Fury), Rick Stelow (Drunken Master Video), and martial arts instructor Greg Schiller. This team has a great rapport and provides a lot of context for most of the films, even the ones they haven’t seen. Definitely recommended.
Thirty years after the car accident that killed his sister, George returns to the house they shared with their parents to start anew with his wife and his daughter Cathy. Before too long, Cathy starts to exhibit odd behavior and people start getting hurt. George’s emotionally frail wife, Vivian, is recovering from a nervous breakdown and Cathy’s new quirks are just too much for her to bear. Soon it becomes clear that Cathy’s been possessed by her aunt’s spirit, and her aunt is out for blood.
Every few years an oddity from the past appears in the consciousness of the cult film community and demands a re-evaluation. Director Eddy Matalon’s 1977 film, Cathy’s Curse is the latest horror film to appear seemingly out of thin air to the delight of fans of deranged, nonsensical horror fans. Long ignored, or at best smashed between fifty other no-budget forgotten films in dollar store compilations, Cathy’s Curse is now getting a new life thanks to Severin Films’ hard work.
Cathy’s Curse is not a good film by any standard metric. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and the acting and general production values are pretty low. What is does have going for it is a sort of go-for-broke atmosphere and abundance of ridiculous set pieces that are more memorable than the plot or acting by a wide margin. I don’t know that I understand the magnitude of the adoration for Cathy’s Curse in certain circles, but it definitely has its charms. If you’re a fan of foul mouthed children, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
The Disc:
Severin Films’ new Blu-ray release of Cathy’s Curse looks incredible. The film has never looked very good on home video where, as I mentioned before, it was frequently sharing disc space with a number of other films. The film is in its proper AR and the clarity, detail, and colors are excellent. Seriously, the film probably doesn’t deserve the kind of treatment it’s been given. The audio is solid, with a DTS-HD Stereo track spreading the original mono audio across the two front channels.
Cathy’s Curse is accompanied by a ton of bonus materials for fans to dig into and for virgins to explore. There is a superfan commentary with Brian Collins (Horror Movie A Day) and screenwriter Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest) who do quite a bit of gushing over the film while acknowledging it’s many flaws. There are also interviews with director Matalon and actress Randi Allen who played Cathy and her mother Joyce Allen who did costumes for the film. The Allens’ stories are quite fun as this was a no name production and neither of them really had any idea what they were in for. Wrapping up the package is a director’s cut of the film that attempts to fill some of the logic gaps and a filmed intro to the film by Collins at Cinematic Void in Los Angeles.
I’m not 100% sold that Cathy’s Curse is a new cult classic, but it is certainly an occasionally fun to watch oddity that get the star treatment from Severin Films. Recommended.