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Related Images invites readers behind the scenes and into the sketchbooks of working filmmakers to learn more about their creative processes.Elizabeth Sankey’s Witches is now showing exclusively on Mubi.Witches.Title cards are an underappreciated art and a powerful tool for every director. They can punctuate a moment, make it more comic, shocking, or beautiful. They can hold your hand and lead you sweetly down the garden path of the story you’re about to experience, or they can undermine your expectations and throw you for a loop. Even their placement in the runtime can have a huge impact. In the black-metal revenge thriller Mandy (2018) Panos Cosmatos waits 75 minutes before abruptly kicking his title card onto the screen. Conversely Luca Guadagnino places the card for Call Me by Your Name (2017) at the end of the film to enhance Elio’s heartbreaking stare into the fire, intensifying his crushing...

Bloody Disgusting has revealed the new films that are joining its Screambox horror streaming service in May, including Life of Belle, México Bárbaro II, and Death 4 Told.

Journey south of the border with México Bárbaro II on Screambox May 10. Michelle Garza Cervera (Huesera: The Bone Woman) and Diego Cohen (Mark of the Devil) are among the anthology’s nine filmmakers exploring Mexico’s most horrific traditions and legends.

One body, two heads, and 6,000 teeth take a bite out of Screambox in 2-Headed Shark Attack on May 10. Carmen Electra (Scary Movie), Charlie O’Connell (“The Bachelor”), and Brooke Hogan (Hogan Knows Best) star in the campy creature feature.

Enjoy four wicked tales of terror in Death 4 Told also on Screambox May 10. The 2004 indie horror anthology features Margot Kidder (Black Christmas), Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead), Alicia Goranson (“Roseanne”), Rich Sommer (“Mad Men”), and Lily Pilblad (“Fringe”).

Drawing comparisons to Paranormal Activity and Skinamarink,...

A new month bring new titles for streaming service Screambox. Mexican horror anthology Mexico Barbaro II, found footage horror Life of Belle and another horror anthology, Death 4 Told, starring Margo Kidder and Tom Savini lead the pack this month.   Check out the lineup below.   Screambox May Streaming Line-Up Includes Life Of Belle, Mexico Barbaro II, Death 4 Told   Screambox has revealed the new films that are joining the horror streaming service in May, including Life of Belle, México Bárbaro II, and Death 4 Told.   Journey south of the border with México Bárbaro II on Screambox May 10. Michelle Garza Cervera (Huesera: The Bone Woman) and Diego Cohen (Mark of the Devil) are among the anthology's nine filmmakers exploring Mexico's most...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Stars: Terrence Howard, Valery M. Ortiz, Appy Pratt, Cuba Gooding Jr., Reno Reyes, Sally Kirkland, Udo Kier, Louis Mandylor | Written by Joshua A. Cohen, Terrence Howard | Directed by Asif Akbar

Skeletons in the Closet is the latest film from director Asif Akbar. After sitting through several abysmal films he’s directed, most recently Clown Motel as well as an even larger pile of duds he was a producer on, I knew enough not to have high expectations. Even that wasn’t enough preparation for what I was about to endure.

Mark and Valentina are dealing with financial problems. Those problems are about to get a lot worse, as instead of the raise he was expecting, Mark gets a pink slip. As if that wasn’t enough bad news, their daughter Jenny’s has brain cancer and the doctors are willing to let her die unless Mark and Valentina can come...

Matt Reeves' 2008 film "Cloverfield" was, prior to its release, shrouded in mystery. Advertising only hinted at some kind of horrendous, monster-based disaster, but was coy as to the exact nature of the threat. All people knew was that the Statue of Liberty was going to suffer some kind of major trauma: its head was ripped off and thrown down a Manhattan street. Those around at the time will likely recall rumors that "Cloverfield" was secretly a Godzilla film, and that the title was only a code word. 

The title was, in fact, a meaningless word that had nothing to do with the content of the film itself. It merely happens that executive producer J.J. Abrams worked out of an office on Cloverfield Blvd. in Santa Monica, CA. 

"Cloverfield" was also a notable entry in the then-growing trend of found-footage genre movies that peppered the landscape. The handheld aesthetic, and the...

On 27th February 2023, Nucleus Films will release the shocking 1970s horror film Dark Places on Blu-ray.

There’S More Than Death Waiting For You In Dark Places

Legendary British stars Christopher Lee, Joan Collins and Herbert Lom get together in a grisly tale of hidden loot in a haunted house.

Dr Ian Mandeville and his sister Sarah mean to get their hands on the £200,000 stashed in the derelict Marr’s Grove – only to find that Edward Foster, a stranger to the district, has recently inherited the place. As Edward rapidly succumbs to the influence of the mansion’s long-dead owners, madness and bloody murder ensue…

Directed by Don Sharp, this long-awaited UK Blu-ray premiere has been remastered from original vault elements and is packed with bonus features.

Also starring Jane Birkin, Robert Hardy and Jean Marsh…

Dare you enter Marr’s Grove and encounter the evil lurking within?

Special Features:...

The German acting veteran of 275 films answers your questions on creating spine-chilling characters, singing into a lamp and working with everyone from Lars Von Trier to Arnold Schwarzenegger

Have you seen 1970’s Mark of the Devil, 1973’s Flesh for Frankenstein or 1974’s Blood for Dracula recently? What are your thoughts on how they have aged? NatMikeel

No, I don’t watch my old films. I’m not one of those actors who has friends over and after dinner says: “Oh, let’s put on one of my movies.” I’ve made 275 films, a lot of which I want to forget but also some I will never forget.

As we get ready to say goodbye to March, we have one last round of horror and sci-fi Blu-ray and DVD releases headed our way before the new month arrives, and this week’s assortment of titles is pretty damn great. Tragedy Girls is receiving a new Blu-ray release courtesy of those fine fiends over at Vinegar Syndrome, and they are also keeping busy with several other titles this week, too: Flesh for Frankenstein, Beware! Children at Play, and Sister, Sister.

Severin Films is also doing the dark lord’s work with all their amazing releases on tap for this Tuesday, including their 3-Disc Limited Edition set for House on the Edge of the Park, Ballad in Blood, and The Forbidden Door. And for those of you who dig shark-themed horror, you should definitely check out The Requin.

Other releases for March 29th include Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge...

This 1936 production is the second film to have been based on Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 The Maltese Falcon and although the names have been changed, the crimes remain the same… though this time the object of interest is not a jewel-encrusted falcon but a ram’s head filled with gems. Warner Bros. assigned Bette Davis to this right after The Petrified Forest and the feisty actress was so appalled by the script she walked off the set. John Huston and company did it right (really right) five years later and the rest is movie history.

The post Satan Met A Lady appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

(Welcome to Scariest Scene Ever, a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror with your tour guides, horror experts Matt Donato and Ariel Fisher. In this edition: Matt pays homage to Satan's Slaves — one of the scariest horror movies out of Indonesia. Meanwhile, Ariel jumps several feet in the air.)

The rise of Indonesian horror cinema is predominantly thanks to three formidable filmmaking forces: Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo Stamboel, and Joko Anwar. If you're unfamiliar, I highly recommend blowing through their collective catalog of solo projects and collaborations from "Macabre" to "Impetigore."

They've adapted video games, stunned festival audiences, and...

The post The Scariest Scene in Satan's Slaves Will Have You Running for Safety appeared first on /Film.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all from Severin, they come through with an even more impressive box set I need to add to my collection! Directed by Kier-La Janisse, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror has been getting incredible buzz during its recent festival screenings, and Severin and Kier-La have teamed up for All the Haunts Be Ours, a folk horror box set featuring 20 feature films, shorts, commentaries, and much more! Dive into all the details below and learn more at: https://severin-films.com/shop/folk-horror-box/

(Los Angeles, CA) "Hail Behemoth, Spirit Of The Dark!” On December 7th, Severin Films is digging up haunted soil to unearth a truly unprecedented box set – All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror. Curated and produced by acclaimed author and Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror director Kier-La Janisse, this definitive...

As detailed in his brilliant new Harpers essay, Martin Scorsese is not only continuing to make masterpieces along with highlighting and preserving all corners of world cinema—he’s fighting tooth and nail for the art form itself as media conglomerates further infantilize the medium with four-quadrant, homogenized “content.”

While his accurate comments have caused some backlash, our friends at Bright Wall/Dark Room put it succinctly, “Scorsese is a gate *opener* btw. He wants you to see movies, make movies, love movies, live movies. It’s kinda been his whole thing for 50 years.” The latest proof of this life-long mission has arrived courtesy of a list of new film recommendations.

Spurred on by Edgar Wright’s request during quarantine for more films to devour, Scorsese sent the fellow filmmaker nearly 50 recommendations of British films, including many overlooked ones, revealed in 3-hour conversation that Wright had with Quentin Tarantino on the Empire podcast.

Perhaps the only genre ever to be named after its fans’ level of educational attainment, “college rock” was exactly what the name implied: smart, fun music perfect for hanging out and drinking beer, ideally on a Friday afternoon in fall just after your last class was over. College rock got its start at the close of the Seventies in Athens, Georgia, with the insanely original dance-punk band Pylon; soon it came to be defined by the sweet, cryptic guitar jangle of R.E.M., who went on to help define Nineties alt-rock as well.

Welcome back for another round of Severin Round-Up! The fine folks there keep digging through the cinematic tomb in search of treasures. Here’s three more they’ve unearthed:

Satan’s Slave (1980): At this juncture in life, I know next to nothing about Indonesian horror; the remake of this film that came out a short while ago certainly awakened a need to explore further. And while they are ostensibly similar, the original, as it turns out, can’t be beat for atmosphere and chills.

When the matriarch of the family dies, a father, his two children, and their housekeeper are left to fend for themselves. When mom comes back from the grave to visit, the son decides that some black magic is necessary to keep the monsters at bay.

Effective dead designs and a tightening grip of claustrophobia await those who delve into Satan’s Slave; director Sisworo Gautama Putra (Primitives...

It’s a Tuesday in the Catskills, and Patton Magee and his bandmates in the Nude Party are making preparations for a weekly tradition: “Tiki Tuesday.” The garage-rock band, their producer Oakley Munson, and a few friends and girlfriends who’ve been quarantining with the group in their upstate New York home are mixing up Mai Tais, Scorpion Bowls, and Zombies for a night of drinking and listening to Jimmy Buffett and surf band the Waikikis. “There is always something to look forward to,” says Magee, the Nude Party’s 26-year-old singer-guitarist.

Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to Satan’S Slaves from Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. Satan’S Slaves will be released on August 4, 2020 on DVD and Blu-ray.The trailer looks terrifying:

Now you can win the Win the DVD of Satan’S Slaves. We Are Movie Geeks has two copies to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite movie with the word ‘Satan’ in the title. (mine’s Blood On Satan’S Claw. It’s so easy!)

1. You Must Be A Us Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To Us Addresses. No P.O. Boxes. No Duplicate Addresses.

2. Winner Will Be Chosen From All Qualifying Entries.

Written and directed by Joko Anwar (“Halfworlds”), the horror film stars Tara Basro (A Copy of my Mind), Bront Palarae (Belukar), Dimas Aditya (Dear Love), Endy Arfian...

I’m certainly no expert on Filipino genre cinema, but I’ve seen a few; and of those, all were produced or co-produced by American companies looking for exotic locales at thrift rate prices. Until now, that is. Let’s talk about The Killing of Satan (1983), an all-Filipino production that somehow managed to escape and receive distribution around the world, perplexing everyone who saw it, with the exception of Filipino audiences who knew exactly what director Efren C. Piñon (The Interceptors) was dishing out: a simple morality tale of good versus evil, with naked slaves, little person satanists, face ripping, and succubi who turn into snakes and kittens. You know, the usual, but still effective.

Released in June, The KIlling of Satan was picked up for distribution by Paragon, who sent it out to unwitting video stores keen on anything horror with ‘Satan’ in the title; and there it languished...

Joe Exotic, Tiger King and the mullet that launched a thousand memes has become an instant megastar thanks to the Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness which arrived on the streaming service at the end of March and has become the internet’s new obsession.

It’s a very weird doc that seems to have captured people’s imaginations and left them wanting more. The great news is that there are loads of totally off the wall documentaries out there to stream. We’ve rounded up some of the craziest to be your next-watch post Tiger King.

Finders Keepers

This 2015 documentary is so bonkers and also such an obvious companion piece to Tiger King we dedicated a whole article to it. It’s about two men engaged in a long feud about the ownership of a mummified human leg. One guy inadvertently bought the leg which was hidden...

If you've read Scott Drebit's Blu-ray reviews for Wax Mask, Paganini Horror, and The Peanut Butter Solution, just to name a few, then you know that here at Daily Dead, we're big fans of the eclectic physical home media releases from the talented team at Severin Films. The company is looking to continue their tradition of obscure and intriguing releases this spring, as they've announced three new Blu-rays for May that should please fans of multifaceted international horror.

Announced on their Facebook page, Severin Films' May Blu-ray releases include Satan's Slave (1980) aka Pengabdi Setan, a limited edition of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971), and Horrors of Spider Island (1960). All three Blu-rays are scheduled to come out on May 26th.

You can check out the full release details, trailers, and cover art for the Blu-rays below, and be sure to visit Severin Films' website for more information, including details...

With the scope of possibility in visual effects and the boundlessness of imagination there are very few places we cannot explore in fiction nowadays… that is unless we explore stories that are stranger than fiction. There is a tangible thirst for the real; the overwhelming response to Netflix documentary Making a Murderer in the news and social media, as just one example, exposes the desire for and importance of representation of real events available to be streamed to a large audience. We love a case we can really sink our teeth into and, whether on screen or off, documentary even has the power to deliver justice.

Through documentary, we are offered a look into the actions, beliefs and injustices of others whose lives and experiences are vastly different to our own. We are introduced to events that we can become invested in and leave feeling as though we have a...

Alec Baldwin brought his Donald Trump impression back to “SNL” for the first time in 2020 for a cold open sketch focusing on Trump’s impeachment trial, such that it was, in the Senate this week. Except this time we got a twist, a la the “Days of Our Lives” parody from earlier this season, “The Trial You Wish Had Happened.”

In this version John Roberts is out as the presiding judge, replaced instead by “SNL” regular Kenan Thompson as Judge Mathis. Yes, the Judge Mathis from TV.

The sketch then spent the next eight minutes running rapid fire through a series of witnesses, with several of the usual suspects appearing: Kate McKinnon as Lindsay Graham, Beck Bennett as Mitch McConnell, and Cecily Strong as John Bolton.

Also Read: 'SNL': Jon Lovitz as Alan Dershowitz Joins Adam Driver's Jeffrey Epstein on Satan's Podcast

After a series of...

On the first new episode of “SNL of 2020, the cold open laid into Republicans for how the party is handling Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate, with help from special guest and “SNL” alum Jon Lovitz as Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz.

The sketch began with Beck Bennett and Cecily Strong as Gop Sens. Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins, discussing in transparently bad faith how they intend to handle the defense portion of Trump’s trial next week. Strong’s Collins pretended she was offended by Rep. Adam Schiff’s closing statements for the Democratic prosecution on Friday, while McConnell gloated that they would give Trump a “fair trial. No witnesses, no evidence. That way we can focus on the real crimes — teenagers on marijuana.”

That’s when they summoned Lovitz’s Alan Dershowitz, who had a serious problem favorably comparing his other clients, Jeffrey Epstein, Claus von Bülow and O.J. Simpson,...

For today’s “From Streams to Screams” list, we’re turning our attention to the dark side and living deliciously with this collection of 23 films that are currently streaming that celebrate witches, demons, devils, and all kinds of occult-themed offerings perfect to get you ready for All Hallows’ Eve. Also, a special shout-out to FilmStruck for giving Ken Russell’s The Devils a digital home this year, and in terms of recent horror, both Satan’s Slaves and Pyewacket are very much worth your time.

So, if you’re looking for some horror that dabbles in the dark arts this October, this collection of streaming titles should undoubtedly give you some great viewing options throughout the rest of October.

Black Sunday (Available on Shudder)

A vengeful witch returns to possess her descendant in Mario Bava’s most famous film.

The Witch (Available on Netflix)

Believing that a witch has cursed their family,...

With Christmas now only a week away, there’s a big day of genre-related home entertainment releases to look forward to in the meantime, just in case you were in need of some last-minute gift ideas (or if you were looking to spoil yourself, which is totally cool). Easily my most anticipated Blu-ray release for all of 2017, Synapse Films' stunning 4K restoration of Suspiria gets the royal treatment via an incredible three-disc limited edition Steelbook set this Tuesday, and Severin Films is also keeping busy with their HD upgrade of The Amicus Collection, which includes Asylum, And Now The Screaming Starts, and The Beast Must Die.

Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for December 19th include American Gothic, Leatherface, mother!, and the limited edition Steelbook for Donnie Darko.

American Gothic (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)

A new tale of terror from the director of The Legend of Hell House and The Incubus.

Review by Roger Carpenter

When I first picked up this film I assumed it was a horror film because of the title. Apparently many other viewers made the same assumption. However, The Ghoul isn’t really a horror film as much as it is a character study…or a drama…or a detective thriller. Actually, I’m not quite sure how to categorize the film, which for some viewers will be a problem. It wasn’t a problem for me.

The film opens with a detective investigating a double murder. The crime apparently occurred several weeks before as the house is now clean, with a fresh coat of paint to disguise the blood spatters from multiple gunshots fired during the crime. The detective, Chris, is actually being shown about by the realtor who tells him the weird story of the crime. It seems the criminal had broken into the house...

Stephen King adaptations are very hard to pull off successfully. For every Misery, there’s a Graveyard Shift; Carrie soars while Cujo stalls. The small screen has had it just as bad—the elephantine The Stand benefits from its four-night rollout, while no amount of time could save The Tommyknockers. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—at last count, there were 91 King adaptations (I’ll need to double-check those figures) across all media. For this blurry-eyed cathode ray kid, however, nothing has yet to match the two-part graveyard dance known as Salem’s Lot (1979).

Originally airing on CBS on Saturday November 17th and 24th, Salem’s Lot was a huge success for the network; there was even talk of turning it into a weekly series. Alas, that never came to be. However, we were gifted with 183 minutes of measured, chilling suspense and terror helmed by none other...

Belladonna Of Sadness

Release Date: Coming Soon from Cinelicious Pics Written By: Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Jules Michelet (novel), Eiichi Yamamoto Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Katsuyuki Itô, Aiko Nagayama

When I heard about Cinelicious Pics’ plans to restore and release the long lost 1973 anime Belladonna Of Sadness, I was well and truly excited. I’m a huge aficionado of 70s-era anime, and this baby has been a “holy grail” of sorts for folks like me for a good many years — much desired but damn near impossible to obtain. So that being said, and with those expectations set freakin’ sky high, let’s see if ol’ Belladonna was worth the wait or will it just fill me with sadness of my own!

Belladonna Of Sadness, based loosely (and by that I mean hardly at all) on the French novel La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, tells the brutal tale of Jeanne,...

Sound Shock takes a brief look and listen to the music of Michael Holm in 1969’s Mark Of The Devil. Taking its commercial cues from the late Michael Reeves’ masterful, fact-based historical 1968 exploitation film Witchfinder General, director Michael Armstrong (The Image) and producer Adrian Hoven’s even more sensational 1969 British/German horror movie Mark Of…

The post Sound Shock: Michael Holm’s Music for Mark Of The Devil appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Before David Bowie became a massive international rock icon, he logged his first movie role in Michael Armstrong's The Image, an obscure, black-and-white short horror film that has just been officially released for the first time online by the Wall Street Journal. Directed by Michael Armstrong, who could go on to helm such cult horror movies as Mark of the Devil and House of the Long Shadows, the film stars then-unknown actor Michael Byrne as an artist whose painting of a young man seemingly comes to life. Bowie was just 20 years old when the film was released and is magnetic as the elegant ghoul who torments his creator. “It got an X-certificate. I think it was the first short that got an X-certificate. For its violence, which in itself was extraordinary,” Armstong told the Wall Street Journal, which was given permission to post the film in its entirety by the David Bowie Archive.

“the first film rated V for violence”

“Positively the most horrifying film ever made”

“Guaranteed to upset your stomach”

This is how you market a film, folks. All of the above (and more) is found on the poster for Michael Armstrong’s Mark of the Devil (1970), a particularly nasty bit of Witchploitation that surprisingly manages to shine a provocative light on religious hysteria and hypocrisy.

This German production was released in North America by Hallmark Releasing (not the greeting card company, but a film distributor that released another bastion of good tidings, Last House on the Left) in April of ’72, and myriad distributors in various parts of Europe early ’70. Reviews were decidedly mixed, but the box office was huge, especially for a grimy exploitative horror film that happily wallows in its own depravity. I’m inclined to agree with audiences here – while not a lot of fun, Mark of the Devil...

Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Black Sabbath is playing on Mubi in the Us through November 13, and Bay of Blood is playing on Mubi in the Us October 15 - November 14.Starting as a cinematographer and director of documentaries and shorts, Mario Bava would ultimately explore a variety of genres, from spaghetti westerns and sword-and-sandal adventures, to a modish detective film and even a romping sex comedy. It is his work within the horror genre, however, for which he is most widely, and justly, lauded. Among the Italian filmmakers who rose to prominence on the international horror scene of the 1960s and 70s, few would attain his degree of diverse stylistic virtuosity, nor would they cover the genre in such an expansive fashion. As the years of his career happened to fall, Bava ended up documenting the horror film in the process of profound transition.

The absolute nucleus, the atomic chain of Italian horror begins with Mario Bava. Filmmakers from Scorcese to Tarantino have praised the lurid, awe-inspiring artistry (and artwork) of such classics as Black Sabbath (1963) and Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971). However, Kill, Baby, Kill(1966) may be his crowning achievement, a fever dream of shadows and fog, illusion and menace.

Released in July in his native Italy (but not until 1968 in North America), Kill was a financial success back home. Bava was very prolific, with Kill being his ninth film in six years. This is all the more shocking, because his films don’t scream ‘rush job’, but rather seem meticulously planned and executed.

Kill falls right in line with the horror of the day, gothic du jour, served steamy and sensuous. Beautiful women (usually in low clingy bodices) swooning and/or screaming, usually pursued through a dark and gloomy castle by some evil doctor,...

A few weeks back, I watched a documentary on Arrow Video’s Mark of the Devil Blu-ray called Mark of the Times. Its thesis was that the 1970s shattered the antiquated model of British horror that had been defined by Hammer Films and similar production houses. British horror shifted away from the stuff of upper class…

The post Pete Walker: Exposing Society’s Frightmares appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

New posters featuring the main three characters from the psychological horror film, Sun Choke (which recently made its world premiere at the Stanley Film Festival), are featured in our latest round-up. We also have release details and cover art for One Way Static Records' upcoming vinyl soundtrack release for Mark of the Devil and its sequel, as well as a new poster for the upcoming prison-set thriller, Vendetta, which is directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (See No Evil 2, American Mary).

Sun Choke: Written and directed by Ben Cresciman, Sun Choke stars Sarah Hagan, Sara Malakul Lane, Barbara Crampton, William Nicol, Evan Jones, Joe Nieves, and Jim Boeven.

Synopsis: "Janie’s just trying to get well. As she recovers from a violent psychotic break, she’s subjected each day to a bizarre holistic health and wellness regimen designed, and enforced, by her lifelong nanny and caretaker. She begins...

Holy cats, creeps, when the local torch-bearin’ mob threatened to lock me in my crypt and throw away the key, they weren’t kiddin’! But, like all good ghouls, ya can’t keep ol’ Xiii down; and now your patience has been rewarded, ‘cuz here come those revoltin’ reviews you know and love (or kinda tolerate)!

Mark Of The Devil

Release Date: Available Now on Blu-ray Written By: Michael Armstrong, Adrian Hoven Directed By: Michael Armstrong Starring: Herbert Lom, Udo Kier, Olivera Katarina, Reggie Nalder

Let me tell ya cats, ‘tis a great time to be a horror hound! Why, you may ask (and e’en if ya didn’t, I’m not gonna let that ruin this here segue)? Well, take this lil’ terror tidbit fer instance: the Criterion of horror, Arrow Video, is finally ready to storm these shores with a dearth of grizzly greats that will fill...

Mark of the Devil is one of those horror movies that was released back when going to the movies was an event. Where marketing slogans roped in potential ticket-purchases, and not catty online reviews and four hundred different trailers between the time a project is announced and its release dates. Most people who have a passion for genre films have at least heard the title Mark of the Devil, and that’s because of the marketing campaign behind it. Slogans like “Positively the most horrifying film ever made”, and “Rated V for Violence” would take care of putting the asses in the seats, but it’s the actual contents of the film that have us talking about it almost 50 years later. Arrow Video are introducing American consumers to their new Us distribution house with three titles, one of which, Mark of the Devil.

I have known about this film for a while,...

The vintage nastiness of the exploitative cult classic Mark of the Devil gets a pristine revamp from Arrow Video, a favored title from a golden era of new wave British horror that hasn’t had held quite the same reverence as some of the more notable titles of the era, such as Ken Russell’s The Devils, Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man or Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General. The project was inspired by Reeves’ film, who died of an accidental overdose at the age of 25. In hindsight, perhaps, as directed by Michael Armstrong (the film’s screenwriter who often wrote under the pseudonym Sergio Casstner), the title is a bit too familiar in to Reeves, and often feels like the slutty little cousin to the sleazy themes touched upon in the earlier film. Bizarre performances and an unnaturally evocative ambience help overcome the film’s desperate aim to shock with...

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, genre fans have a handful of indie horror films and a mind-bending cult classic making their home entertainment bow this week to look forward to. Anchor Bay’s highly anticipated slasher Muck is getting released on Blu-ray and DVD, Arrow Video is resurrecting Mark of the Devil on Blu-ray for fans in the Us and Breaking Glass’s latest, A Cry From Within, is also coming to DVD as well.

A Cry From Within (Breaking Glass Pictures, DVD)

After a devastating miscarriage, a family trades their city lifestyle for a quiet life in the country. Jonathan (Eric Roberts), Cecile (Deborah Twiss) and their two children Ariel and Morgan settle into a rental home in Long Island that was vacated by a woman and her elderly mother. The family soon finds themselves at the mercy of a terrifying and violent manifestation that Ariel...

(This review pertains to the UK Region 2 video releases). 

By Adrian Smith

Michael Armstrong, the writer and star of Eskimo Nell,once said, "It's hard to wank and laugh at the same time". In the 1970s filmmakers gave it a very good try however, and the British sex comedy was virtually the only kind of film being funded. The problem is that the majority of them were neither funny or sexy. They were generally grubby and embarrassing for the actors and the audience. One of the pioneers of the British sex film was director and producer Stanley Long, responsible for The Wife Swappers (1969) and Adventures of a Taxi Driver (1975) and many others. An occasional cinematographer on prestigious films like Roman Polanski's Repulsion (1965), Long often recognised and nurtured new talent, particularly if he could see a financial reward.

Michael Armstrong had written The Sex Thief for Martin Campbell (1975), a film that Stanley Long admired,...

Following up their incredibly successful crowdfunding campaign a few months ago, Arrow Video USA is poised to bring some hotly anticipated titles to North American Blu-ray over the next few months. Among the titles are not only films previously released through the UK branch like Mark of the Devil, Spider Baby, and Blind Woman's Curse, but also some incredible and long unavailable horror titles that have been in limbo for a long time.Arrow Video USA begins their assault on North America in March with the releases of Blind Woman's Curse, Day of Anger, and Mark of the Devil. April will see the releases of Massacre Gun, Blood and Black Lace, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne. May brings Island of Death,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Mvd Entertainment Group will distribute 'cult titles' from the UK's Arrow Video with deluxe restored material, pioneering packaging solutions and newly commissioned artwork:

Launch titles include Tonino Valerii's 'spaghetti western', "Day of Anger" aka "Gunlaw" (1967) starring Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma, available March 17, Michael Armstrong's "Mark of the Devil" (1970) available March 24 and "Blind Woman's Curse" (1970) available March 31.

"...with music by Riz Ortolani punctuated by gunfire, 'Day Of Anger', presented here in an exclusive high-definition restoration from the original 'Techniscope' negative stars Lee Van Cleef ('The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'), as master gunfighter 'Frank Talby' and Giuliano Gemma as street cleaner 'Scott Mary', relentlessly bullied by the people of the small town of 'Clifton'. When Talby rides into town, Scott seizes the opportunity to lift himself out of the gutter, and possibly even surpass Talby's own skills. But what is Talby doing in Clifton in the first place?...

UK residents have been enjoying Arrow Video Blu-ray releases of cult films like Maniac Cop and The Funhouse for years, and soon horror hounds living stateside can enjoy the diligent distributor’s offerings now that Arrow Video is expanding to the Us. To commemorate their growth, Arrow Video has announced upcoming North American Blu-ray releases of Mark of the Devil, Blind Woman’s Curse, and more.

Making their Blu-ray debuts in the Us, 1970’s Mark of the Devil will come out on March 17th and 1971’s Blind Woman’s Curse (aka Black Cat’s Revenge on March 24th. Arrow Video will also release the Blu-ray of Blood and Black Lace on April 14th and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne to Blu-ray on April 21st. All four releases will include a DVD copy, as well. We have the official press release with full details, as well as...

Arrow Video has risen to power as one of the best distribution labels in the world of cult and horror cinema, though unfortunately their releases are exclusive to the UK. At least they used to be. Because Arrow is finally… Continue Reading →

The post Arrow Video Reveals North American Home Video Releases; Blood and Black Lace, Mark of the Devil and More! appeared first on Dread Central.

Arrow Video, the UK’s celebrated home video label specializing in horror and cult, have announced the first major details in their anticipated North American expansion. Though some have questioned what Arrow’s place will be in a U.S. market filled with the likes of Blue Underground, Scream Factory, Synapse and more, the first titles announced by…

The post Arrow Video Announces North American Titles, including Mark of the Devil appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Arrow Video, those purveyors of cult cinema across the pond, are making their way to the U.S. Right now, the company has an eye to invade sometime in February 2015, but it has already lined up its first three titles: Mark of the Devil, the Spaghetti Western Day of Anger, and the ghost story Blind Woman's Curse (aka Black Cat's Revenge).

More titles are in the pipeline but they don't want to spill all of the beans just yet.

Now here's the thing...

The post Mark of the Devil to Become One of Arrow Video’s First U.S. Releases! appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Stars: Udo Kier, Herbert Lom, Olivera Katrina, Reggie Nalder, Herbert Fux, Johannes Buzalski, Michael Maien, Gaby Fuchs, Ingeborg Schöner, Günter Clemens, Doris von Danwitz | Written by Michael Armstrong, Adrian Hoven | Directed by Michael Armstrong

My first experience with Mark of the Devil was to receive a DVD review copy from America which included a barf bag, written on the side was a warning that this movie would make me sick…of course it didn’t. I like novelties like that though, it adds to the fun of cult movies and gives it an over the top feeling. These gimmicks may never live up to what they promise but that’s hardly the point. Mark of the Devil is a surprisingly extreme film for its time, which is probably why it took so long to make its way to the UK, then to finally be released uncut. Now Arrow Video have...

Arrow Video is thrilled to announce the UK Blu-ray and DVD release of Mark of the Devil, once proclaimed as “positively the most horrifying film ever made”. Mark of the Devil finally arrives uncut in the UK on 29th September 2014. With Mark of the Devil, writer-director Michael Armstrong created a bloody and brutal critique of state-funded brutality and religious corruption with a doomed romance at its centre. In America, Mark of the Devil was distributed with a free sick bag provided for every patron. In the UK the BBFC were obliged to sit through the entire uncut film and deemed it “vicious and disgusting.” They recommended that a certificate be refused entirely and provided a list of required cuts to make the film acceptable for an X certificate. This means that finally, after more than forty years, the full-blooded, full-frontal version of Mark of the Devil can be released with...

Let me tell ya, creeps, nothin’ gets the ol’ Xiii’s motor hummin’ quite like a fright flick that is more akin to a fever dream than one of yer more pedestrian linear narratives. And for my money (roughly equivalent to $1.32 Us cash and a third party, out of state, presumably bad check for $16.45), no one does it better than Director Dante Tomaselli! So, before we begin our regularly scheduled revoltin’ reviews (this week featuring Varsity Blood, Jersey Shore Massacre and The Possession Of Michael King) and other assorted jackanappery, let’s check in with ol’ Dante to see what bats stir in his belfry of the damned!

Famous Monsters. Since Famous Monsters is a monster mag of world renown (besides being a website full o’ great guys gals and ghouls), what putrid periodicals did you enjoy in yer frightful formative years?

Dante Tomaselli. Creepy and Eerie were sold at...

As part of his The Correct Perspective campaign for screen writers to be entitled to the same rights and appraisal accorded to stage writers, genre movie legend Michael Armstrong will make history by being the first screen writer to publish his entire set of filmed and unfilmed screen plays in their original uncut texts before front office changes and including all missing scenes and dialogue, thereby enabling readers to experience the films exactly as he intended them for an audience.

Published in the same font and precise page layout of Armstrong's unique writing style, each title will be accompanied by a detailed writing history as to its sources and creative problems, front office cuts, changes and alterations, casting choices, production history and an outline of the circumstances that led to certain screen plays ending up on a screen, others being shelved, and many never actually having even been read by anyone in the industry.

Don’t you just love Grindhouse trailers? After Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez made them popular again with the inclusion of some fake ones with their Grindhouse movie it reminded people just how silly they were, and how badly made they could be. Now with Grindhouse Trailer Classics 4 we have another collection of trailers for movies you can hardly even believe existed, some interesting and some really bad, and even some that deserved better this fourth collection brings more forgotten trailers to the screen for our enjoyment.

With around two hours’ worth of trailers on the DVD I did find that watching Grindhouse Trailer Classics 4 did start to feel a bit of a chore. You can only sit through so many trailers about white slavery, mobsters, sexploitation, Blaxploitation, gore and murder before you start to realise that there were a lot of movies that were very similar and the trailers...