News

As the format continues to gain traction, here’s our regularly-updated list of upcoming 4K Ultra HD disc releases in the UK.

Sitting alongside our list of upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases (that you can find here), we’re also keeping a calendar for those who support the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc format. As we learn of new UK releases, we’ll add them to this list.

We have started adding shopping links too. We’d be obliged if you clicked on them, as it really helps us in our quest to make the Film Stories project of magazines, website and podcast profitable. We’re a 100% independent publisher, and we quite like drinking coffee. It’d be lovely to afford some more.

Without further ado, here are the titles we know about…

Out now

24th February: Star Wars: The Mandalorian season 3 (Steelbook)

24th February: Crossing Delancey (Criterion)

24th February:...

Hello, dear readers! To paraphrase a popular movie, “We’re in the Endgame now,” as Halloween is now merely only a few days away. If you’re looking for some last-minute viewing ideas to get you to the spooky season finish line, we definitely have a great array of choices heading home on Tuesday. The biggest recommendation that I can personally make in regard to perfect Halloween movie experiences is the Wnuf Halloween Special, which is getting a killer Blu-ray release tomorrow. Arrow Films is giving Dario Argento’s Deep Red a 4K upgrade this week, too, and Severin Films is showing love to both An Angel for Satan and Beyond Darkness.

Other releases for October 26th include Don’t Breathe 2, The Amazing Mr. X, Boardinghouse, Eye of the Devil, Skull: The Mask, Frankenstein’s Daughter, and Underworld: Limited Edition 5-Movie Collection.

The Amazing Mr. X: Special Edition

An atmospheric masterpiece,...

If there is one thing you can say about TetroVideo it is even though their extreme content may not be for everyone, for a boutique label they impress with their efforts to really max out the quality of their releases.    Today they are releasing the Italian rape&revenge film Last Stop on the Night Train from director Aldo Lado. This is a Blu-ray release with a restored transfer from the uncensored negative. The Limited and Numbered Editions, 200 in total, also come with a CD soundtrack by the legendar composer himself, Ennio Morricone.   Head on over to TetroVideo and order your copy now!   TetroVideo is proud to announce the release of the famous Last Stop on the Night Train (aka Night Train Murders,...

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

Among the most morally repugnant and vile aspects of the exploitation genre in the 1970s was the Rape-Revenge genre, a subset of films focusing on the prolonged, torturous rape of a female protagonist before doling out equally prolonged and vicious vengeance on the perpetrating forces that carried it out. Spearheaded by the likes of films such as the US entries “The Last House on the Left,” “I Spit on Your Grave” and the Italian efforts “Last Stop on the Night Train” and “The Last House on the Beach” among others, the genre made its way to Hong Kong where Dennis Yu produced his take with this underseen but highly effective gem.

Agreeing to a trip to the countryside, Wah (Eddie Chan) and his sister Ling (Patricia Chong) meet up with friends Louis (Paul Cheung), Ken (Ko Chun-man) and Pauline (Wong Siu-ling) and head into the mountains together. While on their journey,...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

2021 Oscar-Nominated Short Films

Check out Jared Mobarak’s reviews of all of this Oscar-nominated short films, including Animation, Live-Action, and Documentary.

Where to Stream: Virtual Cinemas

Concrete Cowboy (Ricky Staub)

There is a moment of surreal wonder near the start of Concrete Cowboy, the TIFF premiere co-starring Idris Elba, that is never equaled again, a sequence of unexpected radiance conjuring a sense of astonishment. A troubled teenager has been sent from Detroit to Philadelphia to spend the summer with his long-absent father. He arrives at night to a nearly empty, rather foreboding street. Eventually he finds his (seemingly) menacing father and is led into a ramshackle, messy home. Suddenly...

Despite the proliferation of streaming services, it’s becoming increasingly clear that any cinephile only needs subscriptions to a few to survive. Among the top of our list are The Criterion Channel and Mubi and now they’ve each unveiled their stellar April line-ups.

Over at The Criterion Channel, highlights include spotlights on Ennio Morricone, the Marx Brothers, Isabel Sandoval, and Ramin Bahrani, plus Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Frank Borzage’s Moonrise, the brand-new restoration of Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk, and one of last year’s best films, David Osit’s Mayor.

At Mubi (where we’re offering a 30-day trial), they’ll have the exclusive streaming premiere of two of the finest festival films from last year’s circuit, Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Labyrinth of Cinema, plus Philippe Garrel’s latest The Salt of Tears, along with films from Terry Gilliam, George A. Romero,...

Looking for the UK Amazon Prime new releases? Click here instead!

It’s been awhile since the world has seen a new comedy from Greg Daniels, co-creator of The Office (U.S.) and Parks and Recreation. That all changes this month with Amazon Prime’s new releases for May 2020. That’s right, leading the pack of Amazon originals on May 1 is Daniels’ Upload, a comedy about digital afterlives. That should inject a healthy dose of sci-fi “middletopia” into our lives.

Also premiering in May is the second season of Amazon Prime’s twisty drama Homecoming. This season starts Janelle Monáe and premieres on May 22. After that, the rest of Amazon’s originals this month are fairly film-centric. The Goldfinch, Seberg, and The Vast of Night are the notable original films arriving in May.

Per usual the first of the month sees the biggest injection of movie content. Though there is...

Amazon is out with its list of what’s new in May.

Highlights include the new Amazon Prime Original series “Upload,” Season 2 of “Homecoming,” “Seberg,” “The Goldfinch,” and an original comedy special from “Crazy Rich Asians” star Jimmy O. Yang called “Jimmy O. Yang: Good Deal.”

Here is everything available to Amazon Prime members for no additional charge in May:

May 1

Movies

10 Fingers of Steel (1973)

A Cadaver Christmas (2011)

Assassination Tango (2003)

Best of Shaolin Kung Fu (1977)

Who Saw Her Die? (1980)

Crooked Hearts (1991)

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop And Gangster Films That Ruled The ’70s (2014)

Fearless Young Boxer (1979)

Five Fingers of Steel (1982)

Friday The 13th Part III (1982)

Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1982)

Gloria (2014)

Green Dragon Inn (1977)

House Of D (2005)

Torso (1973)

I Hate Tom Petty (2013)

Indie Film Artists: The Dmv Truth (2016)

Inferno (1980)

Night Train Murders (1975)

Seven Deaths In The Cat’s Eye (1973)

The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)

Lakeboat (2000)

Daughters of Darkness...

Though much of the entertainment industry is currently paralyzed by Coronavirus and the lockdowns imposed to curb its spread, streaming services are now making out like bandits. Netflix and Amazon Prime both have reported record viewing figures, though that isn’t particularly surprising given that they have an almost literally captive audience.

Anyhow, with all eyes on the small screen, anything new and exciting is eagerly hoovered up. And after learning about all of the new and exciting shows and movies hitting Netflix in May, now it’s Amazon Prime’s turn.

Here’s the full release schedule:

May 2020

New Movies:

10 Fingers of Steel (1973)

A Cadaver Christmas (2011)

Assassination Tango (2003)

Best of Shaolin Kung Fu (1977)

Who Saw Her Die? (1980)

Crooked Hearts (1991)

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Eurocrime! The Italian Cop And Gangster Films That Ruled The ’70s (2014)

Fearless Young Boxer (1979)

Five Fingers of Steel (1982)

Friday The 13th Part III (1982)

Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter...

Video Nasty is a term coined in the United Kingdom in 1982, describing films that were criticized by the press and religious groups for their violent content. The concern being that with titles available on home video, the films were accessible by anyone, with no age restrictions. The lack of a censorship system for home video titles led to The Video Recordings Act 1984. The Video Recordings Act required stricter censorship standards for titles released to home video than what was required for a film’s theatrical release.

With the introduction of home video in the UK, the governing standard of decency was the obscene publications act of 1959. Under that act, any title found to be indecent by the Director of Public Prosecutions could find the film’s producers, distributors and retailers subject to prosecution. The act also allowed for local police to seize content from video retailers if they felt that...

Synopsis:

A pair of psychotic hoodlums and an equally demented nymphomaniac woman terrorize two young girls on a train trip from Germany to Italy.

Review:

Upon release “Night Train Murders” was advertised as the “Second House on the Left” referring to the Wes Craven exploitation film (“Last House on the Left”). It took on a few names such as “Xmas Massacre” and “Last Stop on the Night Train” before being known simply as “Night… More...

With the arrival of Aldo Lado's Night Train Murders (L'ultimo treno della notte) on Blu-ray January 31, we wanted to take a look at one of the key influences of the Italian exploitation flick: Wes Craven's Last House on the Left. It's no secret that the Italians were notorious for "borrowing" concepts — and often plot and imagery quite literally — from American movies. In Last House's case, if a movie had a revenge plot, rape, and kidnapping, it was deemed worthy enough to wear Craven's crown. Night Train Murders doesn't stray from the formula, even being billed as Last House: Part II, New House on the Left, and Second House on the Left. Lado's film distinctly uses plot...

Released in America under titles like New House On The Left and Second House On The Left, the 1975 Italian exploitation film Night Train Murders crudely follows the template for Wes Craven’s notorious 1972 rape-revenge thriller The Last House On The Left. Act one: Two attractive young women venture off on their own. Act two: Sadistic thugs subject them to violence, degradation, and sexual assault, then leave them for dead. Act three: The perpetrators wind up in the house of one of the victims’ parents, who slowly realize what happened to their daughter. As facsimiles go, it’s mostly ...

After recuperating from two big releases this October, Blue Underground are hitting the ground running in January of 2012 with original Video Nasty, Night Train Murders.You Can Tell Yourself It's Only A Movie... But It Won't Help!It was released as Second House On The Left, New House On The Left, and Torture Train. The ads screamed, "Most movies last less than two hours! This is one of everlasting torment!" It remains one of the most graphically fiendish films in exploitation history, the story of two teenage girls traveling through Europe, forced into a nightmare of sexual assault and sadistic violence.Irene Miracle (Inferno, Midnight Express), Flavio Bucci (Suspiria), Macha Meril (Deep Red), and Marina Berti (What Have They Done To Your Daughters?) star in this depraved...

The Last House on the Left

Directed by Wes Craven

Screenplay by Wes Craven

1972, USA

Much like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I Spit On Your Grave, Last House on the Left is a prime example of the discrepancy of censorship in independent horror films. The film developed such a bad reputation that it was banned in several countries due to scenes of sadism and violence, and in 1982 was put on the “video nasties” list by the Department of Public Prosecutions. But thanks to critics such as Mark Kermode and Roger Ebert, who praised the film as an important piece of work, it eventually picked up a rabid cult following, and is still ranked by mane as one of Craven’s best films.

Loosely based on Ingmar Bergman’s The Virgin Spring, the exploitation flick follows two teenage girls (on route to score some weed before a rock concert), who...