Alien
(1979/Fox 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray 40th
Anniversary Edition)/Blood
Hunger: The Films Of Jose Larraz
(Whirlpool
(1970)/Vampyres
(1974)/Coming Of Sin
(1978)/Limited Edition*)/Replicas
(2018/Lionsgate Blu-ray w/DVD)/Strip
Nude For Your Killer
(1975/*both MVD/Arrow Blu-rays)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A Picture: B+/B/B & B-/B Sound:
B+/B/B/B Extras: B+/B/C+/B Films: A/C+ B C+/C+/B
Next
up are a series of horror classics, many in new upgraded editions,
and a new entry...
We
start with one of the greatest films of all time, Ridley Scott's
Alien
(1979), a film that manages to be one of the greatest science fiction
AND horror films ever made, endlessly imitated with more prequels and
sequels than it ultimately needed, now becoming one of the classic
films to get a 4K Blu-ray disc release early on. It is a 40th
Anniversary Edition
release and we have covered the film twice before, once on DVD and
then on Blu-ray, a Blu-ray included here. You can start reading
about the film at this link if you are unfamiliar with it...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10486/Alien+Anthology+(1979+%E2%80%93+1997/Fox
The
4K disc has the isolated music tracks and audio commentaries of the
also-included Blu-ray and that repeats all the extras made for the
film to date. The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on
the regular Blu-ray holds up for that format and is just fine, while
we get the same DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix audio
upgrade was made, but that is no problem. It is a plus that the
sound is encoded with D-BOX subwoofer bass signals for those who have
that motion chair format at home. So the big new addition is the 4K
transfer.
Not
long after I posted the big review above, a small videophile
controversy erupted that some shots on the Blu-ray were not as good
as a few on the 1080i D-VHS D-Theater high definition videotape, dark
scenes with the colors of light from the computer on the Nostromo
ship more realistic and vivid than the Blu-ray. I agreed with the
few samples I saw, but it was not extensive, shocking or awful either
as Alien
is a very visually complex film and has aged very well as a result.
I knew any 1080 HD format was not enough to handle the film.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, HDR (10+; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High
Definition 2.35 X 1 image here puts
those differences to rest, offering plenty of demo shots and many
scenes that would never be possible to look as good as they do here
vs. 1080 HD. However, there are still moments where we get slight
crushing in the Video Black and shadows along with slight softness
here and there. As this is HDR 10+ and not Dolby Vision with 12-bit
color and more image-specific capacities, the two cuts of the film
here must be off of the older-but-solid HD masters or Fox just did
not want to go through the time, trouble or money for Dolby Vision.
Either
way, this is the best I have seen the film for the most part since I
saw the 70mm blow-up print way back in the day and demonstrates the
film's power to shock, build suspense and be as effective as any film
of its kind in cinema history. With a few rough spots, it is also
one of the best-looking films on the market in any disc format and
one every serious film fan should own. It is also the only way to
really see and enjoy the film outside of a pristine film print.
Can't
wait for the next three sequels in 4K!
Next
is a new box set, Blood
Hunger: The Films Of Jose Larraz
(Whirlpool
(1970)/Vampyres
(1974)/Coming
Of Sin
(1978), a Limited
Edition
of which only 2,500 units will be produced. Arrow exposes the
provocative work of Spanish Director Jose Larraz in this very nice
box set that highlights three of his most infamous exploitation
works, now remastered in HD.
Whirlpool
(1970) - a twisted tale of exploitation, the film follows a porno
photographer who has a fare bit of clients - and a twisted Aunt.
When he meets an innocent English girl, she soon becomes corrupted by
them. The film stars Karl Lanchbury, Vivan Neves, and Pia Anderson.
Vampyres
(1974) - Very unnatural ladies. The plot is paper thin, but
essentially two lesbian vampires kill and ravish men and women to
satisfy their unnatural thirsts. The film stars Marianne Morris,
Anulka Dziubinska, and Murray Brown.
The
Coming of Sin
(1978) - Another lesbian tale, this time centering around a gypsy
servant girl who falls for a female artist. However, the gypsy girl
has fantasies of a naked man on horseback, which soon becomes a
reality, and a bizarre love triangle ensues from there.
There's
no doubt that these films are all pure exploitation and erotic
fantasies, and I would compare them to the work of Jess Franco in
terms of lurid content mixed with horror violence. While they're not
for the general American movie going public, they are certainly
interesting works on their one and films that cinephiles should
certainly check out.
The
films have been remastered from their original film elements in 1080p
high definition with varying specs per disc: Whirlpool
is in 1.66:1 full frame with a LPCM Mono mix (black and white).
Vampyres
is in 1.85:1 widescreen with a LPCM Mono mix, and The
Coming of Sin
is in 1.85:1 widescreen with a LPCM Mono mix only. The presentations
are all top notch and look great considering the rarity of these
sources and the age of the films.
Special
Features include...
Newly
commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
Collectible
box
80-page
perfect bound book featuring new writing by Jo Botting, Tim Greaves
and Vanity Celis
WHIRLPOOL
Original
US Theatrical Cut
Brand
new audio commentary by Tim Lucas
Obsessive
Recurrence: The Early Films of Jose Larraz
- author and critic Kim Newman reflects on the recurring themes and
underlying obsessions linking together the early productions of Jose
Larraz
A
Curious Casting
- actor Larry Dann on the strange story behind his casting in
Whirlpool
Deviations
of Whirlpool
- featurette comparing the differences between the US Theatrical Cut
and a previously circulated, alternate cut of the film
Extract
from an archival interview with Jose Larraz
Image
Gallery
and
Original US Theatrical Trailer
VAMPYRES
Brand
new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger
Brand
new interviews with producer Brian Smedley-Aston, actors Marianne
Morris, Anulka Dziubinska, Brian Deacon, Sally Faulkner, makeup
artist Colin Arthur and composer James Kenelm Clarke
Reimagining
Vampyres
- a brand new interview with Larraz's friend and collaborator Victor
Matellano, director of the 2015 Vampyres
remake
Extract
from an archival interview with Jose Larraz
Jose
Larraz and Marianne Morris Q&A at 1997 Eurofest
Image
Gallery
and
Trailers
THE
COMING OF SIN
Spanish
and English language versions of the feature
Brand
new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan
Variations
of Vice: The Alternate Versions of The Coming of Sin
- exploitation expert Marc Morris on the strange and scandalous
release history of Jose Larraz's most censored film
Remembering
Larraz
- author and filmmaker Simon Birrell shares his fond and extensive
memories of his long-time friend and collaborator Jose Larraz
His
Last Request
(2005, 27 mins) - short film by Simon Birrell made under the guidance
of Jose Larraz and starring Spanish horror legend Jack Taylor
Extract
from an archival interview with Jose Larraz
Image
Gallery
and
an Original Spanish Trailer
For
more on the earlier Blu-ray of Vampyres
with options the new version foes not have, try this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10197/Vampyres+(1974/aka+Daughters+Of+Dracula+or+
What
if after you died, your brain was planted inside of a robot? What if
your loved ones could be brought back from the dead as clones? The
thriller Replicas
(2018), starring Keanu Reeves, asks just these questions and more.
Mixing sci-fi themes along with themes of resurrection seen in films
like Frankenstein or even Pet
Semetary,
Replicas
isn't exactly a completely original, and not up to par with other
recent films starring Keanu, but isn't as bad or predictable as
expected.
Replicas
also stars Alice Eve (Star
Trek: Into Darkness),
Thomas Middleditch (HBO's Silicon
Valley),
Emily Alyn Lind, and Emjay Anthony. The film is directed by Jeffrey
Nachmanoff (Traitor).
Keanu
Reeves stars as William Foster, a brilliant neuroscientist, who is on
the verge of creating a technologically advanced method of
resurrecting a dead brain and implanting it into the fresh body of a
robot. After relocating and starting a new chapter of this
controversial experiment, he finds himself in a heartbreaking car
accident that kills his family. Left with nothing but his grief,
Keanu decides to bring his family back the only way he can, by
resurrecting them through technology. Soon, he and his scientific
partner (Middleditch) end up resurrecting them as clones... but will
they be the same as when they were alive?
Lionsgate
has done a fine job with this 1080p Blu-ray transfer, which presents
the film in its original 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix, both of which are of a fine
quality for Blu-ray disc. The film does have some bad digital
effects moments (namely the robot freaking out at the beginning), but
considering that's it on the lower end budget-wise, the film has
decent production design.
Also
included is a standard definition DVD with an anamorphic widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. Compressed
compared to the Blu-ray, the film looks fine on the aging format.
Also included is a digital copy.
Special
Features include...
Audio
Commentary with Director Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Executive Producer
James Dodson
"Imprint
Complete: The Making of Replicas"
Featurette
and
Deleted Scenes
I
found Replicas
to be a fun film and worth checking out, especially thanks to this
nice Blu-ray presentation from Lionsgate.
And
finally, another upgrade to a recent horror genre Blu-ray release we
were not expecting.
Continuing
the resurgence of Italian giallo films from yesteryear being
remastered and re-released on Blu-ray, Arrow comes out with one of
the crown jewels: Strip
Nude For Your Killer
(1975), which is directed by Andrea Bianchi (Burial
Ground).
The film stars the gorgeous Edwige Fenech in the lead (with a short
haircut no less), whom you also don't want to miss in the also
recently released All
The Colors of the Dark,
which is out on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films (reviewed elsewhere
on this site). Clad with nudity and violence, Strip
Nude For Your Killer
is a colorful and experimental giallo and also one of the sleaziest
in history!
Strip
Nude For Your Killer
also stars Nino Castelnuovo, Femi Benussi, Solvi Stubing, Amanda, and
Franco Diogene.
A
fashion model is killed during an abortion and soon after, a killer
dressed in a black leather motorcycle suit starts murdering models
and photographers. Who is behind these crimes and what's the motive?
The
film has been remastered in 2K from the original camera negative, and
bests the previously released version of the film on Blu-ray from
Blue Underground several years ago. The film has a widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (original ratio was 2.39:1, so it has been
slightly adjusted here) and original LPCM lossless mono Italian (with
optional English subtitles) and English soundtracks, bring out the
lush sound mix like never before. There is an option to view the
opening of the film in a slightly more tinted blue that adds a bit
more atmosphere to the sequence. Overall, colors and lush and nice
with comfortable levels of saturation and contrast.
Special
Features include...
New
audio commentary by HORRORPEDIA.com's Adrian J. Smith and David Flint
Sex
and Death with a Smile,
a new video essay by author and critic Kat Ellinger on giallo and sex
comedy icon Edwige Fenech
A
Good Man for the Murders,
a newly edited video interview with actor Nino Castelnuovo
The
Blonde Salamander,
a new video interview with actress Erna Schurer
The
Art of Helping,
a new video interview with assistant director Daniele Sangiorgi
Jack
of All Trades,
a new video interview with actor and production manager Tino Polenghi
Two
versions of the opening scene: tinted and untinted viewing options
Original
Italian and English theatrical trailers
Image
gallery
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham
Humphreys
and
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new
writing on the film by critic Rachael Nisbet.
Also,
check out our previous review of the Blue Underground edition of
Strip
Nude For Your Killer
http://w+ww.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11527/A+Lonely+Place+To+Die+(2011/E1)/Killer%E2%
-
Nicholas Sheffo (Alien)
and James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/