New Cult Releases March 15th - April 1st

Keeping you up to date on the best in cult and genre cinema

How can this newsletter be better? The feedback is appreciated.

Vinegar Syndrome Releases

Following the tragic death of their parents, a sister and brother take a group of friends to rural Florida to stay at a rickety old house which they’ve recently inherited. Little do the youngsters realize that some decades before, a woman suspected of being a witch was burned at the stake on the property by the zealous townsfolk. With the group settled in for a few days of drinking and partying, the demonic forces that reside in the house are quick to take hold - possessing a number of the teens and prompting them to take up knives, axes and chainsaws against their friends in an orgy of death and dismemberment. As the carnage escalates, the few remaining members of the group are forced to seek out the assistance of a local aged priest, in the hopes of putting an end to the horror.

Extras:

  • Commentary track with film historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani

  • Directing a Witch Story (32 min) - an interview with director Alessandro Capone

  • Producing the Witch (34 min) - an interview with producer Giuseppe Pedersoli

  • The Light of Witches (12 min) - an interview with cinematographer Roberto Girometti

  • The It-Brit Connection: British Actors in Italian Horror (17 min) - video essay by Mike Foster

  • An Italian Witch in Florida (44 min) - archival making-of documentary featuring interviews with director Alessandro Capone, cinematographer Roberto Girometti and composer Carlo Maria Cordio

  • Raw audition footage (45 min)

When the FBI learns of an international counterfeiting operation being run through a Hong Kong newspaper, they send one of their leading agents, Cindy, undercover as a reporter in order to investigate. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, Cindy quickly becomes a headline herself after being photographed by a rival tabloid saving a child from a burning building. It doesn't take long for the criminals to realize what is happening and soon they are after Cindy and her good friend Judy. To make matters worse, Judy's father is the lead prosecutor trying to convict the head of the counterfeiting ring and the criminals will stop at nothing to remove him from the case. With the help of a few new friends, Cindy soon finds herself facing off against a wave of henchmen and hitmen all hellbent on stopping her from exposing the truth.

Extras:

  • Includes both the 88-minute Hong Kong theatrical version in Cantonese with English translated subtitles and the 90-minute English language export version

  • Brand new commentary track with martial arts film historian Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong version

  • No Mediocre Action (14 min) - an interview with actress Cynthia Rothrock

  • Playing the Villain (21 min) - an interview with actor Vincent Lyn

  • Cantonese theatrical trailer

  • English trailer

Meredith Stone, a home care nurse, has been assigned the duty of looking after a wealthy invalid named Ivar Langrock. Cooped up in Langrock's stately country mansion, Meredith quickly suspects that someone sinister is lurking in the manor's dark halls only to discover that Ivar's demented and violent son has been locked away in a hidden room. Shortly thereafter, Ivar's grandson Gabriel also moves into the house and with his arrival a mysterious killer soon begins murdering members of the Langrock family along with their live-in staff.

Extras:

  • Commentary track with The Hysteria Continues!

  • Dear John (19 min) - an interview with actor John Dukakis

  • Stuck in That House (15 min) - an interview with actor David Hayward

  • Mad House (25 min) - author Stephen Thrower on The House Where Death Lives

Niccolò Paganini was a legend in his time; a master violinist and renowned composer who brought new depth and complexity to the art of music. But in his private life Paganini was a brute and a womanizer who used his talents to seduce and manipulate beautiful women, driving himself, his young son, and devoted wife to the brink of madness.

Extras:

  • Brand new commentary track with film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth

  • My Life with Kinski (16 min) - an audio interview with actress Debora Caprioglio

  • The Devil's Left Hand (30 min) - an interview with music consultant / violinist Salvatore Accardo

  • The Voice of Madness (26 min) - an interview with soundman Luciano Muratori

  • Aiming at the Director (29 min) - an interview with unit manager Stefano Spadoni

  • How to Kill a Producer (30 min) - an interview with film historian Eugenio Ercolani

  • Paganini - 95-minute English language director's cut (sourced from tape)

  • Behind-the-scenes footage (sourced from tape, partially translated, 52 min)

  • Klaus Kinski press conference from Cannes 1988 (5 min) • English theatrical trailer

Former evangelist Bill Hill (Christopher Walken, King of New York), discovers Juvenal (Skeet Ulrich, Scream), a purported miracle worker who can heal people simply by touching them and bears the marks of stigmata on his body. Hill, no stranger to exploiting others, sees a potential fortune in Juvenal and primes him for show business but Hill’s plans go awry when the woman he entrusts to seduce Juvenal (Bridget Fonda, Jackie Brown) falls for him and a fundamentalist reverend (Tom Arnold, True Lies) threatens to put a stop to the whole enterprise.

Extras:

  • New video interview with writer/director Paul Schrader

  • New audio commentary with film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell

  • New video essay by Daniel Kremer

  • Essays by film critics Chris Cabin and Bilge Ebiri and filmmaker/writer Cosmo Bjorkenheim

The story follows the transformation of Tammy Lynn Beaverdorf (Sara Lee Wade) from bubbly teen to death-tripping speed freak—an in-your-face rampage of sex, drugs, and violence that climaxes with scenes that were secretly filmed inside Disneyland. Satiric, subversive, and gleefully enraged, BLONDE DEATH is an essential chapter of queer cinema history. 

Arrow Films Releases

In a world of wealth and desire, high-end male escort Julian Kay (Gere) offers his love and attention to women in need. But when a client, the wife of a sadistic finance magnate, is found dead, all eyes turn to Julian as the prime suspect. Realizing he’s being framed, Julian races to prove his innocence, determined to unravel the mystery behind the setup. As he digs deeper into the case, he embarks on a journey that forces him to confront his own identity.

Extras:

  • Brand new audio commentary with film critic Adrian Martin

  • Brand new interview with writer/director Paul Schrader

  • Six Ways to Sunday, a brand new interview with actor Héctor Elizondo on detecting his character

  • The Business of PLEASURE, a brand new interview with actor Bill Duke on Leon’s profession

  • Montages and Monologues, a brand new interview with editor Richard Halsey on putting American Gigolo together

  • The Non-Conformist, a brand new interview with camera operator King Baggot on American Gigolo

  • Man Machine, a brand new interview with music supervisor & KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox on the music of Giorgio Moroder

  • American Icon, a brand new interview with Professor Jennifer Clark on American Gigolo and the fashion landscape of the 80s

  • Original trailer

Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper.”

Extras:

  • Brand new audio commentary by writer/director Anthony Waller

  • Brand new audio commentary with production designer Matthias Kammermeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin

  • The Silent Death, brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, examining Mute Witness and its relationship with snuff films

  • The Wizard Behind the Curtain, brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander, exploring the phenomenon of the film-within-a-film

  • Original “Snuff Movie” presentation, produced to generate interest from investors and distributors, featuring interviews with Anthony Waller and members of the creative team

  • Original location scouting footage

  • Original footage with Alec Guinness, filmed a decade prior to the rest of Mute Witness

  • Teaser trailer

  • Trailer

Criterion Collection Releases

For almost a century, Woolf’s eponymous hero(ine) has inspired readers with their gender fluidity as well as their physical and spiritual metamorphoses across a three-hundred-year span. In making his film, Preciado invited a diverse group of more than twenty trans and nonbinary people to play the role of Orlando and to participate in this shared biography. Together, they perform interpretations of the novel, weaving into Woolf’s narrative their own stories of transition and identity formation. Not content to simply update a groundbreaking work, Preciado interrogates the relevance of Orlando in the ongoing struggle to secure dignity for trans people worldwide.

Severin Releases

Disc 1 Enter The Clones Of Bruce (2023)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Co-Executive Producer/Director David Gregory, Co-Producers Frank Djeng, Vivian Wong And Michael Worth And Director Of Photography Jim Kunz

  • Working At Shaw Brothers – Outtakes With Godfrey Ho, David Chiang, Yasuaki Kurata, Lee Chiu, Lo Meng, Mars And Phillip Ko

  • Bruce Lee And I – Outtakes With Sammo Hung, Phillip Ko, Yasuaki Kurata, Mars, Angela Mao, Andre Morgan, Lee Tso Nam And More

  • The Lost World Of Kung Fu Film Negatives – Outtakes With Godfrey Ho, Joseph Lai, Angela Mao, Lee Tso Nam And Film Preservationists

  • Bruce's Hong Kong – Location Tour With Frank Djeng

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

Disc 2 The Clones of Bruce Lee (1980)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Michael Worth And Frank Djeng, Co-Producers Of ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE; Bruce Lee Historian Brandon Bentley; Chris Poggiali, Co-Author Of These Fists Break Bricks; Matthew Whitaker, Co-Host Of The Clones Cast; Action Film Historian Mike Leader; Stunt Coordinator/Author John Kreng; And Rick Benn, Brother Of Actor Jon T. Benn

  • The Big Boss Remembered – Interview With Actor Jon T. Benn

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

Enter Three Dragons (1978)
Extras:
  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Trailer

Disc 3 Enter The Game Of Death (1978)
Extras:
  • Partial Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Scene Specific Commentary With Actor Chi Ling Chiu

  • Kung Fu Movie Hustle – Interview With Chi Ling Chiu

  • Talking A Good Game – Roundtable Discussion With Martial Artists/Kung Fu Film Experts Tatevik Hunanyan, John Kreng, Ron Strong And Michael Worth

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Goodbye, Bruse Lee: His Last Game of Death (1975)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Frank Djeng, Co-Producer Of ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, With Contributions From Chris Poggiali, Co-Author Of These Fists Break Bricks

  • The Last Kung Fu Picture Show – The Bay Area's Movie Theater Era

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Radio Spot

Disc 4 The Dragon Lives Again (1977)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Michael Worth And Frank Djeng, Co-Producers Of ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE

  • Deleted Scenes From French Version

  • Audio Essay By Cult Cinema Critic Lovely Jon

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

Bruce And The Iron Finger (1979)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • My First Bruceploitation – Roundtable Discussion With Martial Artists/Kung Fu Film Experts Tatevik Hunanyan, John Kreng, Ron Strong And Michael Worth

  • Deleted Scenes

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

  • U.S. Trailer

  • Hong Kong Trailer

Disc 5 Challenge Of The Tiger (1980)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth And Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Cameroon Connection (1984)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Writer/Criterion Reflections Podcast Host David Blakeslee

  • Lights... Cameroon... Action! – The Life And Films Of Alphonse Beni

  • 2022 Q&A With Alphonse Beni At Cine Club N'Kah

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

Disc 6 Super Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1974)
Extras:
  • Partial Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

  • TV Spot

The Dragon Lives (1976)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Actress Caryn White Stedman And Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Audio Interview With "He’s A Legend, He’s A Hero" Songwriter Anders Gustav Nelsson

  • The Taiwan Connection – Interview With Caryn White Stedman

  • Bruce Biopics – Roundtable Discussion With Martial Artists/Kung Fu Film Experts Tatevik Hunanyan, John Kreng, Ron Strong And Michael Worth

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Disc 7 The Dragon, The Hero (1980)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Director Godfrey Ho And Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

  • Godfrey, The Hero – Interview With Director Godfrey Ho

  • Deleted Scenes

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Rage of the Dragon (1980)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth With Contributions From Chris Poggiali, Co-Author Of These Fists Break Bricks

  • Kung Fu Theaters – Roundtable Discussion With Martial Artists/Kung Fu Film Experts Tatevik Hunanyan, John Kreng, Ron Strong And Michael Worth

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Disc 8 The Big Boss Part 2 (1976)
Extras:
  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth

The Black Dragon Vs. The Yellow Tiger (1974)
Extras:
  • Audio Commentary With Actor/Director/Bruceploitation Expert Michael Worth With Contributions From Actor Clint Robinson

  • Severin's Kung Fu Theater With Michael Worth

Reply

or to participate.