The Sinister Eyes Of Dr. Orloff/Sledgehammer/Things/Paula Paula (1973/83/89/2010/InterVision Picture Corp.)
Picture:
C-/C-/D/C Sound: C/C-/D/C Extras: C/B-/B+/C Films: C/C+/D/D
InterVision
has been unearthing some interesting material that hasn't seen a proper release
for quite some time. These discs
practically ooze with a style very much reminiscent of low-fi analog tapes –
something that collectors will surely go for. Here we take a look at a smattering of their
first titles, including the company's two finest releases thus far - 1983's
shot on tape slasher, Sledgehammer,
and the slice of Super 8 weirdness, 1989's Things.
Their
inaugural releases are both courtesy of cult filmmaker Jess Franco. The
Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff is classic Euro-sleaze from the '70s. Sadly, the transfer seems to be from a fairly
weathered source and is shown in pan and scan. While not such a great movie, Franco-fanatics
will doubtless want to add this to their collection. I doubt, however, that many people will be
lining up for his most recent work, Paula
Paula. This movie amounts to about
an hour of psychedelic imagery with a girl in a bikini gyrating and
occasionally making out with her girlfriend in super slo-mo. Some of the music courtesy of Friedrich Gould
is interesting, but without the barest thread of story or character, there's
not much point in watching.
Sledgehammer is a strange relic from the early
'80s that is short on logic and believability, but is well shot in spite of the
limiting equipment and shoestring budget the filmmakers had to work with. In spite of the inherent shortcomings, it
succeeds on an unusual level and makes for an almost hypnotic viewing
experience that the filmmakers probably had no aim for, but reached
nonetheless.
Things has been circulating around on
tape for some years now, and is now being put onto DVD for the second time. The first was a 19 ½ year anniversary limited
edition (which can still be acquired directly from the filmmakers online), but
this marks the first time it's seeing a wider release. Shot entirely on Super 8 film, it will have
built-in appeal for fans of low-fi film, and is one of the quintessential works
made on the format. The plot is almost
all nonsense, but that takes a back seat to the fact that the movie is almost
perfect for popping open a few beers and watching some foul filmmaking unfold
before your disbelieving eyes.
Although
I've given the movie a low rating, and deservedly so, I still advise any
curious parties to check this one out. You'll never forget it, and for a long time to
come, you'll be sharing your story of how you came to know the horror that is Things.
Extras on
the Franco films include an interview on each with the director, but Sledgehammer has a bevy of bonus
content that has been created just for this release, including commentary
tracks and interview segments. Things, too, has a good chunk of extra
content – much of it carried over from the aforementioned 19 ½ year anniversary
disc.
These
discs are decent, even if they're pretty low on picture and audio quality. This little studio holds a lot of promise, and
I hope they continue to provide interesting and unique content that other
distributors have decided to leave untouched.
- David
Milchick
