Patrick (1978) and Snapshot (1979) | Two Ozploitation suspense thrillers get a 4K restoration release

Two of my favourite Ozploitation films, Patrick (1978) and Snapshot (1979), have been given a glorious 4K restoration, and Powerhouse Films have gone to town with their Indicator boxset releases, which include some marvellous bonus material alongside the UHD and Blu-ray editions. Available now.

First up is Patrick, from director Richard Franklin, starring Susan Penhaligon, Sir Robert Helpmann, Rod Mullinar, Bruce Barry, and Julia Blake and introducing Robert Thompson as the film’s titular protagonist.

Penhaligon plays British nurse, Kathy Jacquard, who takes up a nursing position at a private clinic in Melbourne after leaving her Australian husband, Ed (Mullinar). There, she is charged with looking after Patrick (Thompson), who has been in a comatose state after murdering his parents three years previously. The hospital’s owner, Dr Roget (Helpmann), is keeping Patrick alive as part of an experiment to explore the nature of life and death. But unbeknownst to them all, Patrick has psychokinetic powers and, falling for Kathy, begins a murderous campaign against anyone who comes between them…

Produced by Antony I. Ginnane and written by Everett De Roche (whose first feature screenplay was Long Weekend), Patrick was shot over seven weeks in Sydney and edited over three months before its Australian release in October 1978 (the same time as Long Weekend). While it performed poorly there, Patrick‘s subsequent international release was a huge success. It paved the way for a slew of Ginnane-produced thrillers – including Snapshot (1979) and Harlequin (1980), both directed by Simon Wincer, Thirst (1979) with Rod Hardy at the helm, and Survivor (1981), directed by David Hemmings. It also marked Franklin’s ascent as a director and producer, with Roadgames (1981) and Psycho II (1983) following in Patrick‘s wake.

For me, Patrick reigns supreme within the Ozploitation genre. Franklin crafts his Hitchcockian thriller with meticulous detail, an eye for suspense, and just the right amount of shocks and scares; Brian May’s Bernard Herrmann-esque score is suitably atmospheric, as is Donald McAlpine’s lighting and cinematography, and the special effects are bang on. De Roche also gives us a collection of believable characters, all with their quirks, especially Julia Blake’s hard-as-nails matron, who is frightened of Patrick and Helpman’s ‘mad as a box of frogs’ shrink. Franklin also makes excellent use of the filming location, the 1885 Simmonds Hall mansion in South Yarra, which doubles as the Roget Clinic.

Completists will love the Powerhouse release as it features three versions: the Australian theatrical release (the go-to one for me), the Italian-language version which opts for a score by Dario Argento’s favourite prog-rockers Goblin (the one I’ve longed to see and hear – especially now that English subtitles have been included for the first time – and I’ll be watching this repeatedly now), and the heavily-shortened re-dubbed American cut (I’ll be giving that one a miss thank you!).

The new 4K restoration from the original negative is available both as a Limited Edition 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR and as a separate Limited Edition Blu-ray, and the bonus extras (see the full list below) are most welcomed for this huge fan of the film.
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Hot on the heels of Patrick‘s success at Cannes, Tony Ginnane put together his thriller follow-up, 1978’s Snapshot. Everett De Roche wrote the script in a month, and the 21-day shot again took place on location in Melbourne, while directing duties fell to Simon Wincer, who had cut his teeth on the popular Crawford TV cop shows Matlock Police, Division 4 and Homicide.

Once again, Ginnane was able to score success overseas, especially in Norway and in the US, where indie producer Brandon Chase (of Alligator fame) had the foresight to capitalise on the success of John Carpenter’s Halloween, by releasing the film under the title, The Day After Halloween.

Making her first lead in a feature, Australian TV actor Sigrid Thornton (who was known for The Sullivans and Father, Dear Father in Australia in 1978), plays naïve hairdresser Angela, living under the thumb of her domineering mother, who is persuaded by her model friend Madeline (Chantel Contouri) to try glamour modelling.

After posing topless on a beach for a fashion photographer (Hugh Keays-Byrne, AKA Mad Max‘s Toecutter), she is soon on the road to stardom – but not without a cost. Her ex-boyfriend Daryl (Vince Gill, AKA Mad Max‘s Nightrider) keeps following her about in his Mr Whippy ice cream van, and wealthy modelling agency owner Daryl (Robert Bruning) has his eye on seducing her. But who is the real threat to her life?

I have a soft spot for Snapshot, mainly for the fact I’m a big fan of both Sigrid Thornton and Chantel Contori. At the time of the film’s release in Australia (in April 1979), the two actors were well-known to us Aussies for appearing in the period soap The Sullivans – probably the most watched show on telly at the time, and Thornton also had a stint in my favourite sitcom, Father, Dear Father In Australia. Being only 15 in 1979, I remember it was rather risqué to see her naked picture on posters for the film at the time – but it only made me want to see the film (which I did at the drive-ins) even more.

Now, while it doesn’t have Patrick‘s Hitchcockian vibe, Snapshot is a tautly directed thriller – with subtle hints of grimy exploitation. Thornton totally carries the picture, as does Brian May’s lush piano-heavy score and the scope cinematography (by Vincent Monton, who had previously lensed Long Weekend and Newsfront). Revisiting the film again via this new restoration release, I think it still holds up well, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the bonus extras included here – especially Grant Page’s commentary, which is especially poignant as the legendary stuntman died, aged 85, on 14 March, just 11 days before this Powerhouse Films/Indicator release.

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PATRICK LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
• New 4K restoration from the original negative by Powerhouse Films
• Three presentations of the film: the Australian theatrical version (113 mins), the US theatrical cut (97 mins), and the Italian-language version (102 mins)
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with director Richard Franklin and screenwriter Everett De Roche (2002)
• On-set Interview with Richard Franklin (1978, 10 mins) conducted by film critic Ivan Hutchinson
• On-stage Interview with Richard Franklin (2001, 9 mins): previously unseen interview in which the director discusses Patrick and its unofficial Italian sequel, 1980’s Patrick Still Lives
• A Coffee Break with Antony I. Ginnane (2009, 18 mins): the film producer revisits Patrick
• ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ Interviews (2008, 62 mins): extensive outtakes from Mark Hartley’s documentary featuring Franklin, Ginnane, De Roche, and actors Susan Penhaligon and Rod Mullinar
• Shock Tactics (2024, 27 mins): an in-depth appreciation by Australian cinema specialist Stephen Morgan
• Original theatrical trailers and TV spots
• French title sequence comparison
• Image galleries: promotional and publicity material and behind-the-scenes
• New and improved English subtitles and newly translated English subtitles
• 80-page book with a new essay by Alan Miller, exclusive extracts from Richard Franklin and Antony I Ginnane’s unpublished memoirs, archival interviews with Everett De Roche and special-effects supervisor Conrad Rothmann, and full film credits

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SNAPSHOT LIMITED EDITION 4K UHD SPECIAL FEATURES
• New 4K HDR restoration from the original negative by Powerhouse Films of the theatrical cut (93 mins)
• World Premiere 4K (2160p) UHD presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Extended director’s cut, incorporating the best-surviving standard-definition materials (105 mins) ED NOTE: The ratio is different here and takes a while to get used to – but it is interesting to see what was originally trimmed out.
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary on the theatrical cut with director Simon Wincer, producer Antony I Ginnane, actor Sigrid Thornton, and cinematographer Vincent Monton, moderated by Mark Hartley (2017)
• Audio commentary on the director’s cut with Ginnane and film critic/archivist Jaimie Leonarder (2018)
• Audio commentary on the director’s cut with Ginnane and horror hostess Katarina Leigh Waters (2012)
• Producing ‘Snapshot’ (2017, 28 mins): Ginnane traces the film’s journey from page to screen
• ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ Interviews (2008, 40 mins): Outtakes from Mark Hartley’s documentary, featuring Thornton, Wincer, Ginnane, Monton, writer Everett De Roche, assistant director Tom Burstall, and actor Lynda Stoner
• Archival audio interview with Simon Wincer (1979, 17 mins)
• Special effects sequence audio commentary with stuntman Grant Page (2008, 2 mins)
• The Trans-Pacific Mode (2024, 10 mins): appreciation by Stephen Morgan
• The Day After Halloween: alternative opening title sequence
• Original theatrical trailers
• TV spots
• Image galleries
• New and improved English subtitles
• 80-page book with a new essay by Ian Barr, extract from producer Antony I Ginnane’s unpublished memoirs, archival interviews with Wincer, De Roche, and composer Brian May, and film credits

The Podcast on Nightmare Park | Venom (1981) and Encounters of the Spooky Kind (1980)

For the 10th edition of our podcast, David and I rediscover the chills of the 1981 British thriller Venom, starring Klaus Kinski, Oliver Reed and a deadly Black Mamba, and the martial arts action of Sammo Hung’s Hong Kong comedy horror, Encounters of the Spooky Kind with our special guest, writer and artist Jason Wilson (AKA Jay Gunn).

CLICK HERE TO STREAM NOW.

The Frightened Woman (AKA Femina Ridens) | Dagmar Lassander takes charge in the psychedelic 1960s Italian erotic thriller

From Shameless Films comes the 1969 Italian erotic thriller The Frightened Woman (AKA Femina Ridens) on Blu-ray, restored from a 4k scan. Available from 8 January 2024.

‘You cannot imagine the pleasure it gives me to watch a woman in the grip of fear!’
So utters Philippe Leroy’s ice-cold philanthropist, Dr Sayer, as he holds captive Dagmar Lassander’s young journalist Mary in the bowels of his futuristic villa, where he subjects her to some disturbing acts like enforced foot rubbing and making love with a life-size sex doll bearing his resemblance, and threatens her into becoming the next victim of his sicko sadistic sex fantasies by showing her pictures of other women he had posed in morbidly erotic possessions.

This misogynist nut-job has a deep fear that women will one day no longer need men – just their sperm and Mary endures being his sex slave – only to turn the tables on Sayer using her cunning and intelligence… Go, girl!!!

At first, I thought director Piero Schivazappa was going to go down a grimly perverse path like Nagisa Ōshima’s explicit 1976 erotic artfest In the Realm of the Senses – but thankfully, he doesn’t. His erotic thriller (which was also released as The Laughing Woman) is actually a battle of the sexes scenario draped in a groovy avant-garde aesthetic that’s both provocative and playful. Although directed by a man, it is a distinctly feminist parable.

Lassander gives one of the best performances of her career as the young journo, Mary, who comes into Sayer’s sights while working on an article about male sterilisation for his foundation (filmed inside the Villa Farnese in Caprarola, making extensive use of the Sala Del Mappamondo by Giacomo Barozzi Vignola).

Having been stood up by the prostitute he usually sees weekly, Sayer decides Lassander’s Mary will make a perfect substitute – and the action soon moves to his villa, which is an interior designer’s dream. Think late-60s pop art furniture design, plus artwork made from slides of microscopic viruses, a bathroom with a free-standing shower and dryer, a bondage room and, of course, a Bava-esque red-lit room where Sayer conducts his ‘sessions’.

But the ultimate arty set piece is an enormous sculpture featuring two rainbow-coloured legs spread wide to reveal a vagina bearing teeth. It opens the film and offers a visual reference to Sayer’s fears of castration and impotence. It is actually a reproduction of French-American sculptor Niki de Saint-Phalle’s ground-breaking Hon (She – A Cathedral) installation, shown in the Moderna Museet in Sweden in 1966, in which visitors could explore different rooms (including a milk bar) via the vagina.

It is probably my favourite image in the film – alongside Lassander dancing to Stelvio Cipriani’s hip tune, Sophisticated Shake (with the very fabulous Edda Dell’Orso on vocals – check out the soundtrack after the trailer below) in an outfit made out of gauze and a rather humourous scene involving a trainful of female saxophone and clarinet players as Sayer gets a blowjob in his 1962 Amphicar.

Director Piero Schivazappa has praised Shameless’ new, reconstructed release, restored from a 4K scan, saying: ‘This is the version which you should watch’.

Perfect viewing while enjoying some fried oysters, a green salad and a J&B on the rocks…

And if you want to hear more about my thoughts on this gem, then check out Episode 9 of The Podcast on Nightmare Park.

SPECIAL FEATURES
● Dagmar Lassander world-exclusive interview
● Piero Schivazappa interview
● New 4K-restored version
● English audio + separate original Italian audio
● New English subtitles and a

The Psycho Collection – Pulling back the shower curtain on Arrow’s limited edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray UK release

From Arrow Video comes the five-disc Psycho Collection, which brings together for the first time in the UK on 4K UHD and Blu-ray all four films and includes new restorations of Psycho II, III and IV, plus a wealth of bonus features (available from 25 September 2023).

Without a doubt, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 psychological horror Psycho remains one of the most influential films ever made. It took 23 years before anyone attempted to return to the Bates Motel, but Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin (who had previously helmed the cult 1978 Ozploitation shocker Patrick and the 1981 serial killer thriller Road Games) braved following in Hitchcock’s footsteps and surprisingly came up trumps with 1983’s Psycho II, a sequel that totally lived up to Hitch’s original and made Franklin a genre filmmaker to watch.

Anthony Perkins reprised his iconic role as Norman Bates, who is declared sane and released back into the world despite the hysterical complaints of Lila Loomis (Vera Miles), the sister of Norman’s most famous victim, Marion Crane. All Norman wants to do is live quietly, but he soon receives mysterious phone calls and notes, seemingly from his dead mother. Is he cured, or will he kill again?

For 1986’s Psycho III, set just a month after the events of Psycho II, Perkins is back as Norman but also makes his directorial debut. And what stylish flair it is, with much grit and darkness lurking in every frame that hinted much about the man behind the lens as it does about the tormented character Perkins had become best known for.

Tautly constructed, with a great electronic score, and shot with a sleazy bent, Perkins’ slasher sees suicidal nun Maureen (Diana Scarwid), sleazy drifter Duane (played by a manic Jeff Fahey), and nosey reporter Tracy (Roberta Maxwell) all converging on the Bates Motel. But ‘Mother’ is less than happy, especially when Norman begins to fall in love.

Although the third film in the franchise offered a satisfying ending to Norman’s story (and a great twist involving a certain Emma Spool), that wasn’t the end for the tortured soul as the 1990 TV movie Psycho IV: The Beginning did exactly that – going back to how it all went horribly wrong for poor Norman.

Written by Joseph Stefano (the screenwriter of the original 1960 film) and directed by Mick Garris, we now find Norman rehabilitated and happily married to his former psychiatrist, Connie (Donnie Mitchell), who reveals she is pregnant. When he hears a famous talk radio host, Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder), discussing matricide, Norman calls under a false name to tell his story about his abusive childhood at the hands of his mother, Norma (Olivia Hussey at her best), and also reveals his fear that his and Connie’s unborn child will inherit his and his mother’s mental illness.

Like Psycho III, Psycho IV gives Norman’s story a proper and satisfying conclusion – and that’s the beauty of this collection. Watching them in sequence for the first time, you find yourself being carried along with the iconic character and all the twists and turns on offer. Now, to start on those incredible extras… Phew!

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS (UHD/BLU-RAY)
-4K (2160p) Ultra HD/Blu-ray presentations of all four films
-New 4K restorations of Psycho II, Psycho III and Psycho IV from the original camera negatives
-Reversible Sleeves and double-sided posters with artwork by Matt Griffin
-9 postcard-sized reproduction art cards
-120-page collector’s book

DISC 1- PSYCHO (UHD/BLU-RAY)
– Audio commentary with Stephen Rebello, author of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
– The Making of Psycho documentary
– In the Master’s Shadow, Hitchcock’s Legacy featurette
– Hitchcock / Truffaut audio interview with scenes from the movie
– Newsreel footage: The release of Psycho featurette
– The Shower Scene: With & Without Music featurette
– The Shower Sequence, Storyboards by Saul Bass image gallery
– Sound featurette
– Archives image galleries
– Trailers

DISC 2 – PSYCHO II (UHD/BLU-RAY)
– New audio commentary by Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
– Audio commentary by screenwriter Tom Holland
– Behind the Curtain, The Masters of Horror on Psycho panel discussion with screenwriter Tom Holland and Psycho IV director Mick Garris
– Giving Bloch His Due, interview with Chet Williams, author of “Psycho: Sanitarium” on the legacy of Norman Bates’ creator, author Robert Bloch
– Anthony Perkins TV/Audio interviews
– Richard Franklin audio interview, on set featurette & scene commentary
– Personality profiles: Anthony Perkins & Richard Franklin
– A Sequel to a Classic featurette
– The House on the Hill featurette
– Personality Profile: Anthony Perkins & Richard Franklin featurettes
– Still Crazy After All These Years featurette
– Behind the scenes featurette
– Vera Miles & Janet Leigh interviews
-Jerry Goldsmith demo
-Trailers & TV spots
– Image Gallery
– Audio Press Kit/promotional record (plays during almost the entire film)
– Record gallery

DISC 3 – PSYCHO III (UHD/BLU-RAY)
– New commentary by Michael Brooke and Johnny Mains
– Audio commentary by screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue
– Carnival of the Heart, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas
– Scream of Love, a new interview with composer Carter Burwell
– Watch the Guitar, an interview with actor Jeff Fahey
– Patsy’s Last Night, an interview with actor Katt Shea
– Mother’s Maker, an interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Westmore
– Body Double, an interview with actress Brinke Stevens
– Original Electronic Press Kit
– Alternate Opening
– Theatrical Trailer
– TV spot
– Image Gallery

DISC 4 – PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING (UHD/BLU-RAY)
-4K (2160p) Ultra HD presentation of the film in director’s preferred 1.78:1 aspect ratio
– Audio commentary with director Mick Garris, actor Henry Thomas, and actress Olivia Hussey
– Death by Strings, a new visual essay by author and critic Guy Adams on music across the franchise
– The Making Of Mother, an archive interview with make-up effects artist Tony Gardner
– Behind-The-Scenes footage
– A Look at the Scoring of Psycho IV, an archive featurette
– Theatrical Trailer

DISC 5 – BONUS: PSYCHO IV TV Aspect Ratio (UHD/LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)
-4K (2160p) Ultra HD presentation of the film in 1.33:1 TV aspect ratio

Targets (1968) | Peter Bogdanovich’s sniper thriller starring veteran horror star Boris Karloff gets a first-time UK Blu-ray release

Peter Bogdanovich’s directorial debut, Targets, is a startling piece of social commentary that gave Boris Karloff the proper cinematic swansong he so richly deserved. Now, the 1968 sniper thriller gets a sparkling first time in the UK Blu-ray release (on 25 September 2023) from the BFI, alongside an insightful array of extras.

Produced by Roger Corman and shot with his famous guerilla filmmaking approach, this chillingly prescient vision of American-made gun carnage sees Karloff (playing very much himself) cast as veteran horror star Byron Orlok, who is planning to announce his retirement at a special screening of one of his classic films, The Terror, at a Los Angeles drive-in theatre.

Tim O’Kelly is the clean-cut, unassuming insurance agent and former Vietnam veteran, Bobby Thompson, who, without any obvious motive, buys a cache of guns and embarks on a shooting spree after killing his family. As Bobby begins to open fire at the drive-in, his and Bryon’s worlds collide…

Despite its tiny budget, Targets shouldn’t have worked out – but thanks to Bogdanovich’s ingenuity, it does! The story goes that Corman offered Bogdanovich the opportunity to direct his own film, but he had to use Karloff and include 20 minutes from The Terror [the 1963 Gothic horror that Corman made reusing the sets of The Raven and, in which, Karloff was paid for two days work]. What a challenge!

‘God! What an ugly town this has become!’
But, along with his first wife, Polly Platt, and director Samuel Fuller (who refused a credit), Bogdanovich (who was a film critic, scholar and programmer at the time, and had done some second unit work on Corman’s 1966 biker flick The Wild Angels) crafted a screenplay loosely inspired by 25-year-old Marine vet Charles Whitman, who killed 15 people and injured 31 others during a shooting spree at the University of Texas in 1966.

And he fused it with his own love of cinema, linking it with both old and new (ugly) Hollywood, and classic (fantasy) horror and the very real horrors of everyday life. Hey presto, a script, called Before I Die was written. But sounding too much like an old Karloff film, it was later retitled as Targets.

With the support of loads of friends and associates (who all appear in small parts throughout the film) and first-hand advice from the likes of Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock, as well as Fuller’s inspired idea for Karloff’s climactic confrontation with O’Kelly’s sniper (which perfectly fuses the real action with that playing on the drive-in screen), Bogdanovich (who plays Hollywood producer Sammy Michaels in the film – named so in honor of Fuller) pulled off what has become a potent first statement from one of the defining voices of the American New Wave. And it is still – sadly- very relevant today.

Among the extras is the hugely insightful 2003 commentary from Bogdanovich, who details all the behind-the-scenes ‘making of’ trivia that fans will lap up (such as his memories of Karloff’s single-take performance in the film of W. Somerset Maugham’s Appointment in Samarra).

There’s also a fabulous interview with Karloff’s daughter, Sara, and an interview with Karloff biographer Stephen Jacobs, who pays tribute to the iconic actor’s film roles in the last decade of his life.

Both Stephen and Sara agree that while Boris’ last feature, the AIP/Tigon horror Curse of the Crimson Altar, was released in the UK (two months) before Boris’ death on 2 February 1969, and four Mexican films, and one Spanish horror were posthumously put out, Targets should be regarded as Karloff’s true cinematic swansong. It’s also Sara’s favourite of all of her father’s films.

SPECIAL FEATURES
• New restoration supervised by director Peter Bogdanovich
• Audio commentary by Peter Bogdanovich (2003)
• New audio commentary by author and film critic Peter Tonguette
• Targets: An Introduction by Peter Bogdanovich (2003, 14 mins)
• Hitting Targets: Sara Karloff on Her Father, Boris (2022, 40 mins): Boris Karloff’s daughter looks back on the life, career and legend of her famous father
• On Target: Boris Karloff in the 1960s (2023, 17 mins): Stephen Jacobs, author of Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, considers the actor’s 1960s films
• Gentleman of Horror (2023, 8 mins): a video essay on Karloff by the BFI’s Vic Pratt
• The Guardian Interview: Peter Bogdanovich (1972, 42 mins): the director of Targets recounts tales of films and filmmaking at the National Film Theatre
• The Guardian Interview: Roger Corman (1970, 64 mins): the filmmaking legend who gave Bogdanovich the opportunity to make Targets discusses his work
• Trailers From Hell: Joe Dante on Targets (2013, 3 mins): The filmmaker provides his personal take on Targets
• Image gallery
• Newly commissioned sleeve art by Matt Needle
• Collector’s booklet with an introduction by Sara Karloff, essays by Jason Wood, Stephen Jacobs and Ellen Cheshire, credits and notes on the special features

Raging Grace | Paris Zarcilla’s Gothic-drenched chiller is a winner all-round!

Desperate to raise the cash for a dodgy visa, London-based Filipina nanny Joy (Maxine Eigenmann) accepts a position as housekeeper and carer to the wealthy, terminally ill elderly Mr Garratt (David Hayman). But she doesn’t tell her new employer, the man’s snobbish criminal barrister niece Katherine (Leanne Best), that she has a daughter, Grace (Jaeden Boadilla), and instead hides her in a wardrobe inside the family’s vast sprawling mansion.

But not all as it seems! Joy and Grace quickly suspect the man is being purposely over-medicated by Katherine. So when she heads off for a few days, Joy uses her own knowledge of medicine and herbal remedies to bring the man back to health. Indebted to her for saving his life, Mr Garratt offers Joy a full-time position and will even sort out her visa problems for her. But when Katherine returns – the stage is set for Mr Garrett to show his true colours…

Written and directed by Paris Zarcilla (making his feature debut here), Raging Grace is a taunt, perfectly formed chiller with a storyline that pokes a finger at the patriarchy from beneath its suspenseful surface. It also boasts a suitably shadowy, Gothic-infused production design; and a disturbingly atmospheric score from Jon Clarke. 

The performances are excellent all-round, especially David Hayman. When his gentle old soul turns into the sinister patrician that he really is, you will certainly get shivers down your spine. However, the film’s scene stealer is Leanne Best. You want to really hate her duplicitous Katherine, but her fall and redemption are what makes this film tick for me. As do the nods to Roger Corman’s 1960s Poe films (as seen in a blue-tinted hallucination sequence and Mr. Garratt’s dressing gown, just the sort Vincent Price wears) and also 1934’s The Black Cat (but I won’t reveal why as that would be a spoiler).

Zarcilla scored two SXSW awards for Raging Grace and is now planning the second in a trilogy – which is probably why he chose this title which for me was a bit misleading as little Grace doesn’t go full-on rage here – she’s actually rather sweet, even when she’s doing Mr Garratt’s dirty work.

Raging Grace has its English premiere at FrightFest on 27 August 2023.

Bob Clark: Horror Collection | A trio of terror on limited edition Blu-ray from 101 Films

From 101 Films comes the limited edition UK Blu-ray release of the Bob Clark: Horror Collection, which brings together three of the American film-maker’s 1970s ground-breaking genre films: Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972), Deathdream (AKA Dead of Night) (1974) and his slasher masterpiece Black Christmas (1974). Amongst the wealth of special features is the must-see documentary, Dreaming of Death, newly commissioned artwork, and a collector’s booklet. Available from 3 April 2023.

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972)
Clark’s third directorial effort is an oddball comedic zombie horror in which a smarmy theatrical director (Alan Ormsby, who also wrote the screenplay and did most of the make-up effects) takes his troupe to an island to ‘act out’ a satanic ritual using the corpse of Orville Dunworth (Seth Sklarey). But they soon find themselves fighting for survival when the dead rise from their graves…

Despite its low budget and questionable acting, Clark’s Night of the Living Dead homage is an effective and atmospheric chiller, which benefits from a script littered with eminently quotable dialogue, colourful costumes, and cartoon-like scares (especially when the dead start to walk). The cast’s commentary about their experiences making the film (many while still in college) is a hoot – and I wish someone would do a remake from their perspective. Indeed, Clark had plans to do one before his tragic death in 2007 (in which he and his son were killed in a head-on car crash with a drunk driver).

Special Features:
• Commentary with Alan Ormsby, Jane Daly and Anya Cronin
• Alan Ormsby Interview
• Memories of Bob Clark
• Confessions of a Grave Digger: Interview with Ken Goch
• Grindhouse Q&A
• Cemetery Mary – Music Video
• Dead Girls Don’t Say No – Music Video
• Trailer
• Photo Gallery

Deathdream/Dead of Night (1974)
When young American soldier Andy (Richard Backus) is shot and killed in Vietnam, his grief-stricken parents and sister refuse to accept the news. But when Andy suddenly returns, something is terribly wrong. The family suspect PTSD as Andy’s behaviour becomes erratic and then violent, but when he starts to visibly decay, it soon becomes apparent he’s one of the walking dead with an insatiable blood lust.

Posited as a critique of the Vietnam War, this is one of the most inventive and thought-provoking variations of WW Jacobs’ classic horror short story, The Monkey’s Paw, and marks Clark’s maturity as a filmmaker. Disturbing and tragic, it’s much more than just a horror film. It’s a haunting character study about the nature of man and war, thanks to Alan Ormsby’s insightful screenplay and Backus’ controlled yet menacing performance as the young man turned into it a monster because of his exposure to war. As Andy’s parents, who deal with their son’s transformation in very different ways, kudos go to John Marley and Lynn Carlin (who previously co-starred together in John Cassavetes’ Faces in 1968). The film also benefits from some gruesomely realistic make-up effects from Alan Ormsby (and, under his tutelage, Tom Savini).

Special Features:
• Dreaming of Death: This new feature-length documentary on the work of director Bob Clark is a must-see. In fact, it’s worth getting the box-set set just for this. Giving us the lowdown on the director’s three horror films are filmmaker/Delirium editor Chris Alexander, Black Christmas actress Lynne Griffin (who reveals all about the infamous plastic bag rocking chair scene), actor Art Hindle, composer Paul Zaza and author Simon Fitzjohn (Bob Clark: I’m Going to Kill You).
• Brand New Audio Commentary with Travis Crawford and Bill Ackerman
• Trailer

Black Christmas (1974)
As Christmas break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive obscene phone calls that put them on edge. Initially, Barb encourages the caller but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing, and a local girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. The police (led by John Saxon) finally act when a teenage girl is found dead in the park – setting up a wiretap to the sorority house, but no one realises just how near the killer really is!

Originally titled Silent Night, Evil Night in the US (because Black Christmas sounded like a blaxploitation title) and retitled Stranger in the House on US TV screenings (where it caused a bit of controversy), this 1974 stalk and slasher marked Clark’s first Canadian feature and the last of his genre films (although some do consider his 1979 Sherlock Holmes film, Murder by Decree as a horror) before finding fame and fortune with Porkys.

While it received mixed reviews on its release, it is now quite rightly regarded as a masterpiece of the horror genre and a key inspiration for John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween and, indeed, the whole slasher genre that followed in its wake. It has the perfect blend of chills, superb acting, strong, effective characterisations, and an evocative soundtrack – as well as one of the most chilling final shots in a horror movie moments ever – that makes it annual viewing in my household. And as for Nick Mancuso’s scary, demented phone voice? It chills me every time.

Special Features:
• Commentary with director Bob Clark (who provides the final word on his horror masterpiece)
• Commentary with actors John Saxon and Keir Dullea
• Commentary with actor Nick Mancuso
• Film and Furs: Remembering Black Christmas with Art Hindle
• Victims and Virgins: Remembering Black Christmas with Lynne Griffin
• Black Christmas Legacy
• 40th-anniversary reunion panel: Fan Expo Canada 2014
• TV and Radio Spots
• 12 Days of Black Christmas featurette
• Black Christmas Revisited featurette
• Midnight Screening Q&A with Bob Clark, John Saxon, and Carl Zittrer

Four Film Noir Classics | A second helping of hard-boiled genre gems on Blu-ray from Arrow

Take a walk through the shadowy streets of American film noir in four atmospheric classics courtesy of Arrow.

In The Suspect (1944), a genial shopkeeper, Philip Marshall (Charles Laughton), is constantly nagged by his shrewish wife, Cora (Rosalind Ivan), while secretly yearning for a pretty young stenographer Mary Gray (Ella Raines). When Cora falls to her death, the police are suspicious, and Marshall’s neighbour  (Henry Daniell) sees a chance for blackmail. This superb Edwardian-set thriller is a fascinating character study, especially Laughton’s performance in which he reigns in his usual scenery-chewing to give a subtle, compelling turn as the film’s unlikely ‘villain’. You can also see that director Robert Siodmak was beginning to hone his noir credentials here, which he’d perfect with 1946’s The Killers.

The Sleeping City (1950) sees an undercover policeman (Richard Conte) investigating a murder and narcotics racketeering at New York’s Bellevue Hospital with the help of a nurse (Coleen Gray) whom he finds falling in love with. Directed by George Sherman, this tense, semi-documentary thriller remains one of the few films of the era to be shot entirely on location, including many scenes in and around Bellevue.

In Thunder on the Hill (1951), convicted murderer Valerie Carns (Ann Blyth) is being transported for execution when a flood strands her and her guards at a convent hospital, where Sister Mary Bonaventure (Claudette Colbert) becomes convinced of Valerie’s innocence and sets out to find the real killer. Three years shy of becoming the King of Hollywood melodramas, Douglas Sirk made a number of noir thrillers, and this is one of the best. Although it’s a bit studio-bound and the killer’s identity pretty obvious from the outset, it does boast nice turns from Colbert as the sleuthing nun, the wonderful Gladys Cooper as the Mother Superior, and making his Hollywood debut, Australian actor Michael Pate, who’s servant character is key in solving the whodunnit.

In Six Bridges to Cross (1955), streetwise delinquent Jerry Florea (played by Sal Mineo) is shot and wounded by rookie policeman Eddie Gallagher (George Nader) while fleeing the scene of a robbery. Despite this, the two develop a friendship as Eddie and his wife (Julie Adams) take Jerry under their wing, trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. As an adult, Jerry (now played by Tony Curtis) marries and seems to settle down until an armoured security company across the street from him is robbed of $2.5m dollars. Directed by Joseph Pevney with cinematography by Oscar-winner William H Daniels, this crime noir, inspired by the 1950 Great Brink’s Robbery in Boston, Massachusetts, marks Sal Mineo’s screen debut and gives Tony Curtis a meaty character to play (although his accent reminded me of the cartoon character Top Cat at times).

This showcase of lesser-known noir classics features sterling performances from a host of screen greats, as well as taut direction, stunning cinematography, and superb screenwriting from the likes of Oscar Saul (A Streetcar Named Desire), Jo Eisinger (Gilda, Night and the City), Andrew Holt (In a Lonely Place) and Sydney Boehm (The Big Heat).

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all four films
• Original lossless mono audio on all films
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on all films
• Audio commentaries by scholars and critics Farran Smith-Nehme (The Suspect), Imogen Sara Smith (The Sleeping City), Josh Nelson (Thunder on the Hill) and Samm Deighan (Six Bridges to Cross)
• It Had to be Done, author and scholar Alan K. Rode on the career of director Robert Siodmak
• The Real Deal, author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas looks at realism and reality in The Sleeping City
• José Arroyo on Thunder on the Hill, a new appreciation by the esteemed film scholar and critic
• Style and Place, film critic Jon Towlson examines the work of cinematographer William H. Daniels
• Vintage radio play versions of The Suspect and Thunder on the Hill starring Charles Laughton, Ella Raines, Claudette Colbert and Barbara Rush
• Theatrical Trailers
• Poster and stills galleries
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Scott Saslow
• Double-sided fold-out posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Scott Saslow
• Hardback collector’s book featuring new writing on the films by film critics Kat Ellinger, Philip Kemp and Jon Towlson

The Owl Service (1969) | Alan Garner’s landmark Welsh valley-set children’s drama on Blu-ray

Broadcast in the UK during the winter of 1969/1970, this adaptation of Alan Garner’s 1967 novel of the same name, about an ancient story being brought back to life in a ‘modern/1960s’ Welsh valley, weaves a heady brew of the supernatural, sexual jealousy and class divide. Now, the eight-part Granada Television/ITV series is available on Blu-ray from Network in the UK.

Alison (Gillian Hills), her mum Margaret (who is never seen), her new husband Clive (Edwin Richfield) and his son Roger (Francis Wallis) are taking their first holiday together in a country house in the Welsh countryside, which Alison has inherited from her late dad. The house staff includes the rather peculiar groundskeeper Huw (Raymond Llewellyn), frightful housekeeper Nancy (Dorothy Edwards) and her son, Gwyn (Michael Holden).

When Alison discovers a service of old dinner plates with a pattern that turns into owls when traced on paper, she sets in motion a centuries-old legend that’s connected to Blodeuwedd, the woman made of flowers, who appears in the Welsh epic poem The Mabinogion. 

Regarded as something of a landmark, The Owl Service is not your typical children’s TV drama (especially given the way it addresses adolescent sexuality within a pagan context and uses experimental editing to infuse the story with supernatural elements). The cast is all excellent in their respective roles, though Edwards and Llewellyn chew the scenery at every chance, and their bizarre characterisations so belong to the weird universes of The League of Gentlemen, Twin Peaks and their ilk – as does the final episode, which is OTT bonkers surreal.

And if you are a film location fan like myself, you might like to know that The Stone of Gronw replica, created for the series, still lies in situ on the bank of the River Dovey today. I will so be paying a visit one day soon.

SPECIAL FEATURES
• Archive interviews with Alan Garner from 1968 and 1980
• Commentaries on selected episodes by writer/broadcaster Tim Worthington
• Image gallery
• Limited edition booklet written by Stephen McKay, Chris Lynch and Kim Newman

ORDER FROM NETWORK: https://new.networkonair.com/the-owl-service/

The Owl Service is out now on Blu-ray in the UK from Network

An original ‘owl service’ ceramic plate that inspired Alan Garner’s novel.
According to Griselda Garner, (Alan’s wife), the service originally belonged to her aunt, who bought it at a farm sale in Somerset but then ‘packed [it] away and put [it] in a barn because she said that the owls watching her eat gave her indigestion’. Image: Bodleian Libraries

Karloff in Maniacal Mayhem | Three creepy classics from the Universal vaults head to Blu-ray

From Eureka Entertainment comes Maniacal Mayhem – the two-disc Blu-ray boxset featuring three tales of terror from the Universal archives starring Boris Karloff: The Invisible Ray (1936), Black Friday (1940) and The Strange Door (1951). Available from 17 October 2022.

Each film is presented in 1080p from 2K scans of the original film elements with optional English SDH. Also included is a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on all three films by film writers Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson, and Craig Ian Mann.

While The Invisible Ray and Black Friday were previously included in the first volume of Scream! Factory’s Universal Horror Collection in the US, this is the first Blu-ray outing for The Strange Door. 

THE INVISIBLE RAY (dir. Lambert Hillyer, 1936)
This vintage sci-fi sees Karloff playing the first of his many sympathetic scientist-turned-society menace roles and is a direct follow-up to his first pairing with Bela Lugosi, 1935’s The Raven. He plays astronomer Dr Janos Rukh (Karloff), who is contaminated by a super-powerful element he dubs Radium X. Lugosi is Dr Benet, a fellow scientist who devises a temporary antidote. But when Benet presents the discovery as his own, Rukh becomes consumed by revenge and goes on a killing spree.

Featuring effective luminescent special effects from John P Fulton, some great sets (borrowed from Flash Gordon and Frankenstein), excellent performances from Karloff and Lugosi, and a thrilling climax in which Violet Kemble Cooper (playing Karloff’s mother) saves the day, The Invisible Ray is a sci-fi classic that still stands up today. Footage later turned up in the 1939 Lugosi serial, The Phantom Creeps. 

Special Features:
• Audio commentary with author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman
• Stills galleries – production stills, artwork and ephemera

BLACK FRIDAY (dir. Arthur Lubin, 1940)
Karloff and Lugosi are at it again in this bizarre gangster/horror film penned by Curt Siodmak. Karloff plays amoral surgeon Dr Sovac, who transplants part of a mobster’s brain into the body of his dying college professor friend George (Stanley Ridges), creating a Jekyll-and-Hyde figure who starts murdering his former criminal associates.

This was the last of the Karloff-Lugosi Universal pairings. Unfortunately, they have no scenes together. Originally, Karloff was to play the professor and Lugosi the doctor. Still, Karloff didn’t want to do another dual role (he’d already down that in 1935’s The Black Room), so Lugosi got short shrift by the director and handed a minor role instead – which is a shame because this is quite a thrilling little gem, which plays more like a crime film than outright horror. Ridges, however, does an excellent job playing the two roles. Writer Siodmak later revisited the brain transplant idea in his 1942 sci-fi novel Donovan’s Brain and its subsequent 1953 film adaptation.

Special Features:
• Audio commentary with Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby
• Stills galleries – production stills, artwork and ephemera

THE STRANGE DOOR (dir. Joseph Pevney, 1951)
Charles Laughton takes centre stage as the wicked 18th-century French nobleman Sire Alain de Maletroit, who has imprisoned his brother Edmond (Paul Cavanagh) in a dungeon for 20 years. Now he wants to ruin the life of his niece Blanche (Sally Forrest) by forcing her to marry the roguish Denis de Beaulieu (Richard Stapley). But his plan is upset when Denis attempts to rescue the girl, aided by Karloff’s abused servant, Voltan.

Coming out a year before The Black Castle, this costume shocker based loosely on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson boasts an incredibly OTT performance from Laughton, who outshines everyone else in the cast – including Karloff, who stays in the shadows for most of the film.

In his biography, Charles Laughton – A Difficult Actor, Simon Callow wrote of his performance, ‘he messes sloppily around, pulling faces, slobbering, leering, chuckling, wheezing, a nightmarish display of an acting machine out of control’. He’s so spot on – and that’s what makes this so much fun to watch. 

You also get some wonderfully evocative Gothic sets and dressing, including a creepy cemetery and castle backdrop that’s pure classic horror Universal-style. Indeed this was the last of the studio’s period chillers before it headed into science fiction territory. Also appearing are Batman‘s Alan Napier and a fave of mine, Australian actor Michael Pate.

Special Features:
• Audio commentary with author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman
• Three radio adaptations of The Sire de Maletroit’s Door (Escape – 4 August 1947, Theatre Royal – 1 November 1953, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre – 6 February 1975)
• Stills galleries – production stills, artwork and ephemera