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The year’s shortest month gets the biggest bang as Severin Films today announced their February 27th releases featuring uncensored 4K restorations of the infamous 1960’s western ‘roughies’ from the depraved minds of exploitation legends Bob Cresse and Lee Frost, Hot Spur and Scavengers.

‘“The Kings of esoteric boutique companies” (Video WatchBlog) are also proud to release – because Severin co-founder/president David Gregory considers it one of the best films he saw as a jury member at the FrightFest and Sitges Film Festivals – the North American disc premiere of director/co-writer Andrew Legge’s time-travel mind-bender, Lola.

Previous limited edition title Spider Labyrinth also enters wide release.

Here’s everything you need to know about Severin’s February 2024 lineup…

Hot Spur

Having struck gold with shockumentaries like Ecco and Mondo Bizarro, producer Bob Cresse and writer/director Lee Frost applied their distinctive sleaze aesthetic to a revenge western they advertised as “91 minutes of Freudian fury!

1979: Primetime soap opera Knots Landing premiered on CBS.

2002: Days of our Lives' Chloe learned Craig was her father.

2004: All My Children's Bianca was reunited with baby Miranda."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1963: On The Edge of Night, Emory Warren (William Berger) came closer to realizing his murderous plan.

1971: On The Doctors, Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) filled Dr. Maggie Powers (Lydia Bruce) about her time with her mother during the holidays.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, Jack Fenelli (Michael Levin) demanded an explanation...

By Tim Greaves

It was arguably the success of A Fistful of Dollars that really set the ball rolling on the slew of shameless spaghetti western rip-offs and cash-ins that proliferated throughout the 1960s, as film-makers jostled to get a taste of the sauce and chow down on a cut of the rewards from what quickly became a very profitable arena in which to be operating.

Sartana rode into town a little later than popular gunslingers such as Sabata, Django and Ringo, but he made enough of an impression to warrant a number of official sequels – and several unofficial ones too. Just five legitimate Sartana films were lensed, with Gianni Garko (billed as John Garko) headlining in four of them and George Hilton just one. Cucumber cool antihero Sartana was notably more dapper than most of his mud-spattered box office rivals, a real snappy dresser in fact; with his black cape lined in red silk,...

There may be a holiday here in the States, but that doesn’t mean this week’s home media releases are taking any time off. In fact, we’ve got a bunch of great new titles and several cult classics coming our way on Tuesday. Scream Factory and IFC Midnight are teaming up on the recent indie horror projects Midnighters and The Cured, and Another WolfCop is coming home on both formats courtesy of Rlje Entertainment. And for those of you who have been patiently waiting, Arrow Video’s Limited Edition Blu for Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left finally arrives this week as well.

Other notable releases for July 3rd include the reissue of Call Girl of Cthulhu, Primal Rage, Devilfish aka Monster Shark, The Jurassic Games, and The Lullaby.

Another WolfCop

A year has passed since the dark eclipse transformed hard-drinking Officer Lou Garou (Leo Fafard...

1979: Primetime soap opera Knots Landing premiered on CBS.

2002: Days of our Lives' Chloe learned Craig was her father.

2004: All My Children's Bianca was reunited with baby Miranda."History is a vast early warning system."

― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1963: On The Edge of Night, Emory Warren (William Berger) came closer to realizing his murderous plan.

1971: On The Doctors, Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) filled Dr. Maggie Powers (Lydia Bruce) about her time with her mother during the holidays.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, Jack Fenelli (Michael Levin) demanded an explanation for Johnny Ryan's (Bernard Barrow) comment that the baby Mary was carrying...

Writer-director Sergio Sollima gives us one of the best 'political' Italo westerns from the pre- May '68 era... with two top stars in great form, Gian Maria Volontè and Tomas Milian. This two-disc German import has both the long and short versions of the movie in HD, with full language options for each. Face to Face (Faccia a faccia; Von Angesicht zu Angesicht) Region A+B Blu-ray Explosive Media (Alive) 1967 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 93, 112 min. / Street Date April 29, 2016 / available at Amazon.de / E 21,93 Starring Gian Maria Volontè, Tomas Milian, William Berger, Jolanda Modio, Gianni Rizzo, Carole André Ángel del Pozo, Aldo Sambrell, Antonio Casas, Lidia Alfonsi, John Karlsen, Gastone Moschin, G&eacutge;rard Tichy. Cinematography Raphael Pacheco Film Editor Eugenio Alabiso Original Music Ennio Morricone Art Direction and sets Carlo Simi Written by Sergio Donati, Sergio Sollima Produced by Arturo González, Alberto Grimaldi <Directed by Sergio Sollima

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Wow,...

A "lesser" Mario Bava is still a fountain of great filmmaking; and this annihilating melodrama sees a score of greedy folk wiped out at an island retreat, for fun and profit. Shot (and stabbed) through with Bava's visual imagination, it's a sexy, memorable murder thriller. With an authoritative Tim Lucas commentary. 5 Dolls for an August Moon Region B Blu-ray + Pal DVD Arrow Video (UK) 1970 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date February 1, 2016 / 5 bambole per la luna d'agosto / Available from Amazon UK £14.99 Starring William Berger, Ira von Fürstenberg, Edwige Fenech, Howard Ross, Helena Ronee, Teodoro Corrà, Ely Galleani, Edith Meloni, Mauro Bosco, Maurice Poli Cinematography Antonio Rinaldi Production Designer Giuseppe Aldrovandi, Giulia Mafai Film Editor Mario Bava Original Music Piero Umiliani Writing credits Mario di Nardo Produced by Luigi Alessi Directed by Mario Bava

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The experts say that Mario Bava kicked off the giallo parade with his 1964 Blood and Black Lace...

To mark the release of Five Dolls for an August Moon on 1st February, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray. Wealthy industrialist George Stark (Teodora Corrà, Django the Bastard) has gathered a group of friends – played by a who’s who of Italian genre cinema including William Berger (Faccia a faccia),

The post Win Five Dolls for an August Moon on Blu-ray appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Many would say that physical formats are dying out, people are moving from DVD to digital, leaving Blu-ray to disc afficionados and home theatre enthusiasts. Yet, unbelievably, there is an ever-growing – some might say rabid – fanbase for obscure and long-forgotten movies on the format, so much so that distribution labels new and old are digging through the archives of cinema, trying to find that next big “cult” hit. Here in the UK we have the likes of Arrow Video, undoubtedly the pioneers of cult-movie Blu-ray releases on these shores; 88 Films, who joined the cult fray with their “Slasher Classics” and “Italian Collection” sub-labels; and Odeon Entertainment, who specialise in re-releasing classic British horror fare on Blu-ray.

But, I posit that there’s only one company in England Really trawling the true “cult” movie archives and that’s 101 Films. Action movies from the likes of Albert Pyun, horror starring killer dolls and Robert Englund,...

Kino Lorber brings the 1967 spaghetti Western Face to Face to Blu-ray this month, one of director Sergio Sollima’s most notable titles, previously released on DVD as a box-set with the two other titles in Sollima’s trilogy The Big Gundown (1966) and Run, Man, Run (1968). Noted for imbuing his work with a bit of actual social and historical context, there’s a bit more substance than usual for a film relegated to the periphery of a movement dominated by a mere handful of notable names. Though it’s ultimately not at the same level as iconic works by Sergio Leone and hasn’t reached the same level of reappraisal as several other retroactively recuperated directors, it features more nuanced characterizations in its complex narrative structure than is usually evident in other titles of the era.

Boston professor Brad Fletcher (Gian Maria Volonte) is suffering from poor health, and is forced...

By Fred Blosser

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On a windy night, a black-clad stranger rides into Daugherty City, Texas. He flips a coin to a scruffy drunk who is strapped for the price of a drink. He exposes a crooked dice game in the local saloon, where most of the townsfolk seem to be congregated. Then he departs. In the meantime, down the street, a gang of acrobatic robbers breaks into the bank and heists a safe containing $100,000 in Army payroll money. The getaway crew escapes town before a wounded trooper can raise the alarm, but out on the trail they run into the stranger, Sabata, who picks them off with a tricked-out rifle and recovers the stolen money.

Thus, in under 15 minutes of running time, Gianfranco Parolini neatly sets up the events that will drive the remaining 90 minutes of his 1969 Spaghetti Western, "Ehi amico... c'è Sabata,...

Swiss label Explosive Media (www.explosive-media.com) has  just released two classic Italian spaghetti westerns on Blu-ray from brand new HD transfers: Giulio Petroni's Death Rides a Horse (1967), starring Lee Van Cleef, John Phillip Law, and Mario Brega and Gianfranco Parolini's Sabata (1969), starring Lee Van Cleef, William Berger and Ignazio Spalla. Both films have their world-wide premiere on the Blu-ray format.

These new releases have newly-produced special features, bonus DVDs and illustrated booklets. Both are available for purchase in Switzerland and Germany via Amazon and have English tracks. Explosive Media released the brilliant Blu-ray version of Lee Van Cleef's The Big Gundown last year, so fans already know the calibre of content and quality presented by this Swiss company.

Death Rides a Horse

Fifteen years after four bandits massacred his family, a young man (John Phillip Law) seeks revenge. Several of the men responsible now hold positions...

Home Invasion is a weekly post every Tuesday which shows you what is being released on Blu-Ray & DVD today! We scoured through Amazon to bring you everything you might be interested in. Our Picks of the Week are releases that we are looking forward to checking out, have reviewed and/or were are Picks of the Week on the Dtb Podcast. All descriptions are courtesy of Amazon.com unless noted otherwise. If you are thinking about purchasing any of these items, by clicking via the links provided, you are supporting Dtb. Thank you!

Price:

Click Here to buy the Blu-rayClick Here to buy the DVD

Find out where some of those Friday the 13th films got some of their kills. Not to mention, this is one of my favorites from director Mario Bava.

When a rich countess is murdered, it’s a race to see who’ll inherit her estate...

Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) (Blu-ray Review) Directed By: Mario Bava Starring: William Berger, Ira Furstenburg, Teodoro Corra Rated: Ur/Region A/1:77/1080p/Number of Discs 1 Available from Kino Classics Industrialist George Stark (Teodoro Corra) invites a small group of wealthy friends to his private island for a weekend of relaxation and light business. He wants them to meet the brilliant chemist Gerry Farrell (William Berger) who has…...

Produced by Sergio Leone’s long-term partner, Alberto Grimaldi, and complete with a score by the iconic Ennio Morricone, Face to Face (aka Faccia a Faccia) is an oft-forgotten spaghetti western from Italian director Sergio Sollima, famous for The Big Gundown (1966).

The film focuses on two protagonists; a history professor, Brad Fletcher (Gian Maria Volonté), and an outlaw, Solomon ‘Beauregard’ Bennett (Thomas Milian). Retiring due to ill health, Fletcher moves to Texas but through an act of kindness becomes entangled with an injured Bennett on the run from the law. Lying low, the health of the men improves, and each becomes fascinated by the contrasting persona of the other. Following a shoot-out, Fletcher is allowed to follow Bennett as he regroups with the 'Wild Gang,’ slowly ingratiating himself with the criminal community.

While Fletcher connects with his more sinister and bestial emotions, Bennett undergoes a crisis of conscious and re-evaluates...

Well fiends, it is another week for us to plop down our hard earned dollars for some ghoulish digital entertainment. The week we have an exploitation classic hitting Blu-Ray as well as its remake plus more! Check it out beyond the break.

All Descriptions of the following titles are provided by Amazon.com unless otherwise noted. If you plan on buying a flick from this list, please click on the links provided or click on the cover as it helps us pay the bills around here. Also, unlike most sites, we provide the Netflix widget which we think is pretty convenient to add these films to your queue. If you don’t have Netflix, feel free to click on “Free Trial” and try it out!

Alice in Murderland

Format: DVD

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From IMDb.com – It’s Alice’s birthday and her sorority girlfriends throw her a themed party. Everyone comes as their favorite,...

An insurance fiddle on a strongbox of gold is initiated by a scheming cabal of town dignitaries in Gianfranco Parolini's 1968 angel of death film ... If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death. Into the breach steps the Sartana (Gianni Garko), the most stylish character ever to set foot in the usually grubby and sweat-drenched world of the Spaghetti Western. He takes it upon himself to serve justice upon the outlaws, Mexican bandits and corrupt officialdom, in the process walking away with a coffin-load of loot, as he influences events, turns up unexpectedly, or simply takes matters into his own hands with the silver Sharp's Derringer and Winchester rifle that play integral roles in his personal arsenal.

Ample death, ample destruction and muchos double-crossing quickly follow.

Sartana, to give it the more popular and less unwieldy title, brings together such heavyweights of the Spaghetti Western genre as Gianni Garko (Blood At Sundown,...

Reduced to catching frogs for food, Confederate soldiers returning from the war are treated as second-class citizens and hunted down by a gang of bounty hunters (in a similar premise to The Great Silence), operating under the protection of local law enforcement agencies.

Guiliano Gemma (The Day of Anger, A Pistol For Ringo) plays Michael 'California' Random, one such soldier who takes the naive Willy Preston (Miguel Bose) under his wing. When his companion is shot in the back and strung up for stealing a horse, California travels to his parents' Georgia ranch to break the bad news. In typical style he falls for Helen, his dead comrade's sister, and following the senseless killing of three Confederates by bounty killer Rope Whitaker (Raimund Harmstorf) and his men, he gets caught up in the ensuing crossfire as federal agents arrive to take Whitaker down. The sister is taken hostage as the gang make their escape,...

Jeffman from Head Full Of Snow recommends five Spaghetti Westerns not directed by Sergio Leone.

A bruised and battered stalwart of the late night cinema circuit, the Spaghetti Western held a bastardised, custom-job revolver to the head of its inferior American cousin and relieved it of both its basic premise and last shred of decency; joyously blurring the line between right and wrong and leaving morality swinging from a ragged noose in the hot, desert sun.

The Spaghetti Western was an Italian phenomenon, mostly financed by Rome's famous Cinecitta Studios, although there were plenty of co-productions with other Euro countries like Spain and Germany, even stretching as far afield as Israel if you count the soul-sapping awfulness that is God's Gun. One man is responsible for popularising the Spaghetti Western, Sergio Leone. If you're a follower of LateMag's frequent forays into the weird and wonderful worlds of cult cinema you'll probably know his films already.