Many films are set at Halloween and plenty of others have a bit of that Autumnal vibe. But even something like the Halloween franchise itself often lacks the seasonal colours of its setting; beyond those classic opening credits pumpkins and the spooky intro to part four. But where are all the other October based horror films? Writer and director Michael Dougherty clearly had this in mind with a film that is brimming with candles, candy, and cheeky goings on. It’s a tale that’s orange and black and red-all-over so let’s examine how it stacks up against other movies in this vein.

Despite this being a fairly cold and brutal affair in some major sequences there’s something cosy about the whole thing. Maybe it’s the atmosphere or perhaps it’s just that this is another EC Comics throwback. Like Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow the influences are worn on its sleeve which is fun. Along with the panel artwork the opening also has a masked point-of-view scene as a nod to John Carpenter. Even the brassy score by Douglas Pipes is often very Danny Elfman-like. However, the end result is more than the sum of these parts. There are still ghosts, killers, and savage beasts, but there are also some original tricks up its sleeve.

The main one is the creature Sam; a brand icon for certain audience members for obvious reasons. Is he part pumpkin and part part immortal imp? Is he out to enforce Halloween etiquette or is he just a monster? Early on in what becomes a bookend scene (thanks to some fun time jumps in the narrative) an arguing couple discover what it means to disrespect the festivities of the night. His exact purpose is a mystery but some details are revealed as the film goes along. However, I’m also jumping ahead here; the first real chapter of the story is about a serial killer who is also the local school principle Steven (Dylan Baker).

This isn’t exactly the most obvious choice for a horror-comedy but it’s one that certainly has a lot of dark laughs. This is where the ‘rules’ of All Hallows’ Eve are explored some more after the prologue, and where the disgusting moments meet with the bloody ones. There’s a lot of puking, swearing, and limb chopping, along with a tease that later chapters are happening in parallel to this one. Steven’s grisly work is interrupted by his son and his neighbour’s dog, adding a layer of humour but also hinting at things to come. Plus like all the stories here (and the classic comics it’s inspired by) there’s a good twist ending.

These same details apply to a story about group of kids collecting jack-o’-lanterns for what is supposedly an offering to the dead. Bits and pieces of other events happening in tandem are glimpsed as they end up arranging a cruel prank for the evening, before it gets spooky and concludes on an unexpected note. This is probably the weakest part of the film since it feels more sombre, the child actors are less effective, and it also has a slower pace. Still, it at least feels distinct from the other segments, adding its own supernatural flavour to the proceedings.

Elsewhere a group of young women seem to be dressing up for a costume party and looking for dates, with Laurie (Anna Paquin) wanting her first time to be special. But as you might have guessed by now this isn’t what it seems. A lot of the dialogue is very on the nose and gives away what’s going on, but again this intersects nicely with the ending of Steven’s chapter, making both feel more satisfying as a result. Meanwhile his neighbour Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) is firmly against the whole trick or treat idea, which as suggested earlier will end badly for him. He named his dog Spite so maybe that’s a clue he’s not such a pleasant guy.

While so much stuff is apparently going on in a single evening it’s never repetitive or annoying. Even the genre shifts from violent slasher material, to ghost stories and legends, and to monsters, work nicely. Mr. Kreeg’s story is placed at the end; becoming a kind of action finale and tying up several loose threads that were hanging. His fight with a literal embodiment of the season is great but also gets back to the weirdness involving Sam. What’s under the button eyes and sack face? Well, it’s pretty interesting. There are a lot of moving parts but the most interesting moments (and the best creature effects) are saved for the right moments.

Like the best movies for this time of year it has a breezy running time at just seventy-nine minutes. It also has a good variety of chapters that are all the perfect length. So while Michael Dougherty went on to make another seasonal classic with Krampus it would be nice him return to Sam for a rumoured sequel. Perhaps he should change tact and do another holiday yarn, for a different season. That being said this stands as one of the best anthologies and may be better off as it is; without a follow-up. It’s a gnarly affair but it’s also glib and funny in equal measure, mean but never too nasty, silly but never overbearing. Go carve a pumpkin and check it out.

The post TRICK ‘R TREAT (2007) appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

AKA ANGEL OF VENGEANCE

AVAILABLE ON LIMITED EDITION 4K UHD AND BLU-RAY: 27th October, from ARROW VIDEO

RUNNING TIME: 80 mins

REVIEWED BY: Dr Lenera

Thana isn’t living the best life. She has no family or friends, works for pittance at a clothing workshop, and can’t speak as a mute. She’s attractive, but that’s hardly a good thing when she’s raped not just once but twice in one day. However, after the second time she kills her attacker and, rather than telling the police, dismembers his body in the bath. Her mental health begins to deteriorate, with hallucinations and triggers occurring, and she doesn’t go to work. Then she kills another guy who she mistakenly thought was going to rape her, and decides that, actually, she likes this killing lark, and sets out to kill more men, drawing them to her first. Her landlady notices that something is up, and her dog is drawn to Thana’s fridge….

A film that could, if reduced to basics, be termed Repulsion meets Deathwish, Abel Ferrara’s entry into the Rape / Revenge subgenre, while it’s different to most in one important area – its heroine is out to kill all predatory men and never even gets to wreck vengeance on one of the two who raped her – is probably held up by many as one of the best entries in this disreputable [if a bit less of late since we’ve now a few entries made by women] area of cinema. And if it isn’t?  Then it bloody well should be. It had been a very long time indeed since I’d seen Ms .45, something that was for no particular reason – after all, I tend to like Ferrera’s work [Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, The Addiction] without quite loving it, and even have a liking for this subgenre, something which I shouldn’t have to apologise for. But, watching it again, after just a few minutes I was impressed by not just the handling of the premise and the performance of its lead which is quite possibly the best of its kind in the subgenre, but many other things, such as the way that screenwriter Nicolas St. John likes to surprise us when we mistakenly think that a scene is going the way that so many have gone before, or the touch of Thana being mute not just adding to her vulnerability but acting as commentary how women are often silenced. In fact the film almost feels like it’s the work of a female director and screenwriter. One wouldn’t automatically think of St. John and Ferrara as sensitive types because of their movies, but they do here, I think, show understanding of and insight into the subject matter, and of the point of view of their main character who’s not just a simple plot device who has to have horrible things done to her so we can then enjoy seeing horrible things done by her.

This was Ferrara’s third film, after the pornographic 9 Lives Of A Wet Pussy and Driller Killer. St. John, who scripted most of his projects, sent Ferrera the script. While Ferrara has claimed he instantly loved what he read and didn’t change a thing, star Zoë Lund [credited as Zoë Tamerlis] and cinematographer James Lemmo both said that the script was pretty thin and minimal, and that St. John would sometimes add dialogue during filming. Principal photography took place on location in New York City over four weeks in February and March 1980, often without official filming permits and with hidden cameras. Rochelle Films handled North American distribution while Warner Bros. released it internationally, where it was usually retitled Angel Of Vengeance. Rochelle initially released it uncut with an ‘X’ certificate, then in an ‘R’ rated version which went out on video: it lost just under a minute of rape footage, crude language and one killing. Even the 2000 DVD from Image Entertainment was of this version. The British cinema release was oddly uncut but the video was cut by 2 min 42 seconds. When the 1997 remastered release, on Warner’s Maverick Director’s label, came out, early copies were accidentally mastered with the uncut version. These were quickly recalled and replaced with the BBFC approved version, but some uncut copies were sold – they could be identified by the code on the spine of the tape [082897]. I recall being very lucky. The cuts were made to the rape scenes, a shot of Thana severing a dead man’s arm with a bread knife and  Nunchaku being used, though they didn’t mind the shooting that the MPAA  didn’t like. It hasn’t even been available in the UK on disc until now. Reviews were initially very poor but the film was a hit. Lund later falsely claimed that she’d directed it!

We begin by getting a nice flavour of the fashion house where the effeminate [though not actually gay] boss Albert is trying to get a hard-to-impress woman to buy some of his stuff and goes into where Thana has produced something that will sway the situation though we don’t see her being thanked for this. After work, she and three colleague including her sister Laurie are walking along and subjected to men leering and letching, with comments like, “would you like to sit on my face?”. This might seem exaggerated but this is how it often used to be; it’s just that things have changed, for the most part, since. Thana turns down an invitation to go for a drink with the others, something that she’s probably done a lot. Then she’s pulled into an alleyway, turned over and raped from behind, and it’s very quick but very and rightly unpleasant –  I can’t imagine any critic claiming that it eroticises rape, but then you never know these days. But take the fact that there’s only one shot of any of her more “private” areas, her bottom, and it’s just startling. We’ve already been cutting to a burglar in Thana’s apartment, and the suspense is building as she returns home and almost collapses on the floor before she and we see two feet. This is a much longer sequence, the rapist initially just being after money, but then assaulting her at gunpoint. the many shots of her face, still in shock from the previous attack, being heartbreaking. However, she’s able to smash a glass able over his head, then beat him to death with an iron, before dragging his body to the bath. Over the next few days, she chops the body up, loads of blood dripping onto a newspaper then an arm following suggesting enough in an effective way. She then wraps the pieces up and stores then in the fridge, every now and again dropping a part in an outdoor bin – or at one point giving minced meat to her landlady Mrs. Nascone’s dog Phil.

No time at all is wasted – in fact I could possibly have done with a few scenes before Thana begins to go off the rails – if you think she hasn’t already – though we do have a bravura and lingered upon shot of an eye and the area immediately around it reflected in water going down the plughole. The next day at work, she goes into shock after watching Albert rip a shirt off a mannequin, the faces of her co-workers expressing concern made to look sinister. Then, after having been sent home, we get a fine horror scene where a hand comes out of the shower – a real fine jump scare this – before Thana sees the first attacker standing beside her in the mirror and grab her breast, then fluids from severed organs overflowing in the drain, At night she’s tormented by the voices of her attackers and even the sound of a crying child, which initially I thought didn’t much sense until I realised that it actually might. Thana makes mistakes at work and takes time off, though not before actually joining the other three gals for a drink – though makes no attempt to communicate with the others, and they ignore her too. At a table next to them a couple are passionately, even indecently snogging, before the guy leaves and asks to join the girl’s table; he’s mocked, but when they leave except for Thana, he tries to chat her up and follows her outside where he introduces himself as fashion photographer Rich Volk. He invites her to his place, and touches her; she flees, he pursues and is shot for the effort.

You see, Thana had kept the second rapist’s gun, and now she’s a really good with it, which is handy seeing as she prowls the area at midnight looking for guys  to see.  Again, we could have done with a scene of two to show getting the hang of it, a montage would have been good. Instead, we’re given the impression that Thana’s change in personality is what’s given her such shooting skills. And, as she proceeds to go around town at night looking for guys to kill, the ’45 automatic looks like one can fire it indefinitely without reloading. Of course we’re seen this kind of thing in many other films and there’s only thing in this one that’s unforgiveably sloppy; there’s a man playing a trumpet in a night club, but the sound we hear is most definitely that of a saxophone! The climax, with Thana going crazy in slow motion clad in a nun’s outfit with boots, has an almost surreal effect. Before that, there’s a lot of time devoted to Thana’s killing sprees, but each kill is differentiated. Of course we like it when she shoots a pimp who’s just beaten up a prostitute, and is surrounded by four would-be attackers standing there, as if about to draw their guns in a Sergio Leone standoff, and quick draws on all four. But not everyone she slays deserves to die, which prevents us from thinking the film to be anti-male even if made by males, and shows Thana to be more obviously insane. After a while, she becomes less a character to root for.

There are some neat surprises with scenes, like the fate of Bob, a dog who might just get it, which provides the final moment, and when Thana meets a man in a pub who tells a long story of how he was cheated up, a story which has a little twist at the end of it, before he then does admits he did something before something very unexpected indeed concludes things. We’re not sure what to think but we like the ambiguity anyway. It’s also interesting how none of the guys she goes after realise that she’s a mute; most of them are busy either trying to chat her up or talking about themselves to notice, and seem to assume that she’d be automatically sexually interested in them. Albert, a boss in an industry that objectifies women, could easily have been a main villain, the way he not just condescends to her but starts to groom her and thinks he should be able to because he’s the boss. He’s well played by Albert Sinkys though elsewhere there are a fair few weak performances, with some characters not at all convincing as being streetwise. But Lund, who was only 17 at the time, really is superb, often seen in closeup with the camera gazing into her expressive eyes. Her character’s increasing toughness is well evoked and smooths over the script rushing it a bit, while some of her expressions are truly haunting. Ms .45,s cheapness can’t help but show at times but this, along with the frequent use of outdoor locations, keeps things feeling raw. It’s full of neat touches and provides a lot more food for thought than it maybe should do, even asking difficult questions. Perhaps more than anything else, it’s virtually a feminist work but not made by women, which might understandably mean that it can’t be classed as one as one. But its portrayal of women struggling in a male-dominated world, in particular its heroine, turned into a scream of rage by male abuse, is powerful and provocative.

 

Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative

4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
As I don’t support [or am unable to do so due to finamces] 4K UHD, I’m unable to comment on the UHD version released by Arrow, but of course I wrote a few words about the Blu-ray further down below. My comments on the special features though I kept in this section.

Original lossless mono audio

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Brand new audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas author of Rape Revenge Films: A Critical Study and Cultographies: Ms. 45
I can’t think of more appropriate a person to do a talk track on this film, one that she calls “one of the greatest exploitation films ever made”, than Heller-Nicholas – I must get her books. Now I should probably warn that she does talk a lot about feminism –  but her comments, especially, about how the term has been corrupted by “both sides of the political spectrum”, actually rang true for me. Perhaps more disappointing for some might be the lack of scene specific chat, but that’s never been what she does – and come on, she highly praises the very underrated Lipstick. We get so much – interesting facts like Lund nearly playing Pier Paolo Pasolini for Ferrara, interesting observations like there being a lot of connections with Driller Killer, the possible symbolism of Phil who just can’t be gotten read of. And I’m so pleased that she also sees this as a feminist film.

Archive interview with director Abel Ferrara [7 mins]
One of the themes of the commentary is Lund being deserving of more credit as one of the authors of the film, though Heller-Nicholas omitted some stuff about her which shows her in a less savoury light, from her reshooting the ending so it finished on her, to trying to raise money for a film with a  much older boyfriend who pretended he was Ferrera. I like it that Ferrara, in describing Lund’s heroin addiction which eventually killed her, admitted that he was also into it for a while, though I disagree with him when he says that the film’s feminism came from her.

Archive interview with composer Joe Delia [10 mins]
I like Ferrera’s frankness, and his composer is also unafraid of being this way. “I wasn’t getting the whole thing with them” he says of Ferrara and his crew; it took him a while to realise their talents and wasn’t sure about scoring Ms .45, which he sees as Ferrara’s first watchable film, at first but his brother told him to do it. He then describes his approach to the score, with two different styles on either side of Thana’s transformation, and the process being very fluid, Ferrera being “hands on”, and a person who “put this manic vibe in the air”.

Archive interview with creative consultant Jack McIntyre [10 mins]
The term “creative consultant” is a bit of a loose one, but McIntyre, who became close friends with Ferrara as a kid, describes what he did on Ms .45, from playing the saxophone to supervising the mix to training the dog they got from the pound in just five minutes. He also tells us that Ferrara, in addition to playing the first rapist, also played the Arab in the film; I didn’t notice. Apparently during the finale the squibs were overcharged and one guy was hurt, which caused much anxiety. Unusually these older featurettes, from the North American Drafthouse Films disc from 2014, have been placed before the new ones.

“The Voice of Violence, a new featurette with film critic BJ Colangelo [18 mins]
Colangelo truly has a way with words, her empassioned featurette absolutely filled with memorable sentences about a film which “doesn’t just rage against the machine but unloads an entire cliff into the chest of patriarchal power”, and featuring a main character with “a thousand stare of someone who’s seen hell and decides to set camp”. She goes through the film, mentioning things like there certainly having been reports of women raped twice in one day, and finding sadness in her end showing the “matriarchal circle of hell that enslaves women” and that “no one will know what happened to her, only how she responded to it”.

Where the Dream Went to Die, a new featurette with film critic Kat Ellinger [15 mins]
I expected Ellinger to show up, though here she mostly restricts her piece to, after the prior and long standing emphasis on the nuclear family and cities largely being represented by sets, New York becoming a “mythic space” for the revealing of the place’s dark underbelly, Midnight Cowboy and Taxi Driver perhaps being the defining films that did this. She does however finish by seeing the plot as a retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, and understands that some could see it Ms .45 as reactionary, seeing as Thana’s quest soon stops becoming “good” and offers no redemption.

Zoe XO, a 2004 short film directed by Paul Rachman [6 mins]
This poignant short sees Robert Lund, who was married to Zoe for eleven years [and is still officially married to her because technically there was no divorce], reminisce about her while photographs are superimposed over him driving a car. Robert recalls that she did heroine “in a very leisured way”, that if Zoe and her boyfriend had checked in much earlier Zoe probably could have been saved but they didn’t because they were cocaine dealers. and that a rat appeared to him when he visited where her ashes were scattered.

Zoe Rising, a 2011 short film directed by Paul Rachman [5 mins]
Here, Zoe’s mother Barbara Rachman remembers Zoe, especially when she was a child, most of this accompanied by a recording of Zoe playing piano pieces that she composed. “I feel that we didn’t do right by her, but I don’t know what “right” would have been” and “I should never have let her do a lot of those things” are perhaps the most telling comments that she made about a daughter whom she’s far outlived, who “got too old too fast”. This is really touching stuff and you might even need a tissue to hand. These two shorts were on the Drafthouse disc.

Theatrical trailer [1 min]

Image gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde

Perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by Robert Lund, previously unseen photographs of Zoë Lund, plus select archival material including writing by Kier-La Janisse and Brad Stevens

Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS

Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative

High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
I can’t compare this with earlier releases, me not recalling the video very well, but the film might very well have looked ugly on that format. In any case, this is a superb restoration, the even grain management, the vibrant colours and the level of detail – without ever departing from that proper gritty low budget filmic look which films like this should always have – combining to create a truly first class effort. Bravo, Arrow.

Original lossless mono audio

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Brand new audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Rape Revenge Films: A Critical Study and Cultographies: Ms .45

Archive interview with director Abel Ferrara

Archive interview with composer Joe Delia

Archive interview with creative consultant Jack McIntyre

The Voice of Violence, a new featurette with film critic BJ Colangelo

Where Dreams Go to Die, a new featurette with film critic Kat Ellinger

Zoe XO, a 2004 short film directed by Paul Rachman

Zoe Rising, a 2011 short film directed by Paul Rachman

Theatrical trailer

Image gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde

Perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by Robert Lund, previously unseen photographs of Zoë Lund, plus select archival material including writing by Kier-La Janisse and Brad Stevens

Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde

Obviously not everyone will like the subject matter or indeed the subgenre, but this really is a particularly interesting effort which provides much thought while never lacking that exploitation energy even if it holds back a bit on graphic nastiness. Arrow have given it a stellar release with very fine extra features that provide even more thought. Highly Recommended!

The post MS .45 [1981] appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER
by David Demchuk & Corinne Leigh Clark
Published by Titan Books

Police investigating the disappearance of journalist Emily Gibson discover a series of letters from a woman Gibson suspected to be Mrs Lovett, the infamous accomplice of Sweeney Todd, who baked men into pies. Could the woman, staying with the nuns at the local priory, really be the murderess?

It’s been quiet a while since I’ve got stuck into a book that has engrossed me quite like The Butcher’s Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett. It’s one hell of a page turner!

The story is presented in an inventive manner, through a series of letters, notes and newspaper reports. All of the letters featured in the book are those which has been received by missing journalist Emily Gibson. It’s only from these can we get an idea of who  Emily is, what she got up to in-between her correspondence and what she asked during her research into the mystery surrounding the supposed Mrs Lovett. We never see what Emily actually writes back, because why would we? Those letters would belong to the recipient, so all that are in her possession are the letters she received. It’s quite a clever and ingenious way of telling a story, especially one that teases whether or not a woman staying at St. Anne’s Priory is the infamous baker Mrs Lovett, who sold pies containing the chopped up remains of men killed by the bloodthirsty barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd.

After starting The Butcher’s Daughter, I found it impossible to put down. It’s rare to find a book that has you so hooked that you can’t wait to pick it back up and read more of it, but Demchuk and Clark have achieved just that. Their clear passion and knowledge of Victorian Britain seeps through the pages, with a touch of humour and acknowledgement of The League of Gentleman’s Hilary Briss’ own take on the Lovett tale (‘special stuff’ anyone?) for good measure. Through correspondence, we’re spun a tale of trauma, love, loss, determination and hope, with the mysterious Margaret C. Evans at the centre of it all, regaling her life’s story as a consolation prize to Miss Gibson’s failed investigation into Mrs Lovett.

Reading about Margaret’s childhood and having to make it on her own in the world made me empathise with her character as she enters the unknown and is forced to trust people who may not necessarily have her best interests at heart. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there and Margaret learns that the only person you can count on is yourself.

The Butcher’s Daughter has an incredibly dark tone to it which will make you feel uneasy and full of dread rather than outright terrified, though it does have its moments. The story made me gasp on more than one occasion with several shocks that will make you glad you’re reading a work of fiction rather than present in the world Demchuk and Clark have conjured up on page. The ending made me draw a wicked smile, even though I had an inkling it might be coming, but at the same time, left me nodding with acknowledgement at the skills of the authors who know how to grab a reader and have them eating out of the palm of their hand, totally under their spell.

The authors breathe life into the environments they so vividly paint a picture of, that it’s almost like I’m experiencing them for myself. The hustle and bustle of men on their way to work, the dirt, the smog, the clip-clop of horses hooves, the stench of despair and struggle. I’m there, smelling and breathing it all in, watching through the eyes of Miss Margaret C. Evans – the central character of the story who recounts her troubled life growing up as a butcher’s daughter and the aftermath, following her father’s untimely demise which leaves both her and her mother destitute.

If you’re looking for a slice of horror that will captivate your senses and imagination, then The Butcher’s Daughter: The Hitherto Untold Story of Mrs. Lovett is the story for you. A terrific piece of storytelling that lingers long after the final page has been turned.

{rating: 5/5]

The post THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER by David Demchuk & Corinne Leigh Clark [Book Review] appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

The horror and action genres aren’t a frequent blend which is a shame when the thrill power can be extremely high. In the realm of Shaw Brothers movies there are some notable examples of course; whether it’s the mystery killer plot from Masked Avengers, or the utterly bonkers black magic mashup in The Boxer’s Omen. In this case the titular Human Lanterns are a grisly subject matter, but the overall story is more straightforward without too much multi-coloured madness. Still, there is a certain amount of lurid and repulsive imagery included… so let’s get into it.

Master Lung (Tony Liu) and Master Tan (Chen Kuan-Tai) are two big fish in a small pond; constantly bickering over pointless things in a game of one-upmanship. Apparently they’re both too wealthy and too good at sword fighting without any proper outlet for their egos. The latest stand off comes as the result of a party where Tan invites a local prostitute to attend, knowing that Lung has had an affair with her. Lung’s wife Chin (Ni Tien) wants to keep this private and save face, but her husband is too big-headed to let it go and makes a scene in front of the guests. If this rivalry melodrama doesn’t sound too gripping that’s because it’s not.

At the event Tan reveals that he’s going to score even more hubris points at an upcoming festival, by using the finest lantern makers in town. Will this be the turning point in which Lung renounces such a frivolous waste of money and becomes the bigger man? No of course not; he heads out to the Lantern District almost straight away to hire a craftsman. Which is a problem for the story as a whole since both these guys are just childish jerks. Events later show Tan to be the more callous one but neither is sympathetic, even after the bad guy arrives and starts to commit real acts of villainy.

Things pick up when the antagonist Chun Fang (Lo Lieh) is revealed living in a creepy hut in the woods. Lung needs an expert lantern maker and Fang has spent a long time learning the art from an old master. However, he’s also Lung’s enemy after being bested in a sword fight some years earlier and losing his standing in the city. Will this be the turning point in which Lung realises that it’s a bad idea to make a deal with someone so bitter? No of course not; he’s too rich and stupid to realise anyone would want revenge. Soon a twisted plan is put into action; one involving a local legend about making exquisite lanterns from human skin.

Generally things are pretty compelling when Fang is on screen doing something revolting. The disguise he uses when he’s out looking for his victims is pretty silly but it’s an interesting bit of costume work. The skull mask is one thing but the hairy head, hands, and feet, are something else. It’s part zombie, part Chewbacca, and all Shaw Studio nonsense. They hide it in darkness for most of the attack scenes but one is set in the daytime, presumably just to show off the furry boots. It’s unfortunate that all the female characters; Tan’s sister, Lung’s wife and mistress, exist just to be treated like meat, but in horror movie terms it’s nothing surprising.

After a middling first half the film begins to move into proper kung fu movie territory. There’s not much action until SB regular Lo Meng shows up as a mysterious assassin with hook swords. He seems to be here just to kick-start the proceedings; as if he heard things were moving slowly and leaped over from another backlot to spill some blood. Finally some longer set pieces play out and there are fun moments involving Tan’s bodyguards who use rainbow coloured fans. Any truly outlandish designs are mostly utilised in Fang’s blood-soaked basement lair, but bits of creativity show up elsewhere as things go on.

The overall plot doesn’t make total sense and neither does the way each Master is a suspect for the killings. However, beyond all the severed heads and mercury filled cauldrons this works as a story about grudges poisoning people’s minds and fragile egos causing tragedy. Nobody learns this lesson in time but it leads to a poignant finale. The two respective genres never quite meld fully but it’s still an eerie premise with some memorable imagery. The dreamlike colours are fun, the action beats are solid, and the usual recycled music is here (listen out for Akira Ifukube’s Daimajin) so fans of the studio and their spooky side will be satisfied, even if it takes a while to get moving.

The post HUMAN LANTERNS (1982) appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

PIG HILL (2025)
Directed by Kevin Lewis
Screened at FrightFest 2025

A woman named Carrie is investigating the disappearance of local women for a book she’s writing. Whilst the town reels in shock and horror as the number of women going missing rises, wild rumours begin to surface about hybrid pig people, living on Pig Hill, as being responsible for their disappearances. As Carrie’s investigation deepens, she begins to question whether the stories she’s heard of Pig Hill since a child may not be so crazy after all…

Townsfolk are terrorised in a small American town but is it all what it seems in horror thriller PIG HILL?

I can’t say the idea of pig hybrids thrills me as anything involving half-human creatures for scares isn’t something I generally enjoy watching, as I much prefer my monsters to be 100% creature, but the synopsis for PIG HILL had me curious. Could it really be killer bacon-on-legs responsible for the crimes in this community or is there something else going on?

Performances from lead actress Rainey Qualley as Carrie, Shane West as love interest Andy, and Shiloh Fernandez as protective brother Chris help to craft a tight-knit movie about a small town and the horrors that lie beneath the surface.

Carrie is a charming lead – a woman who works in a bookstore by day and volunteers at the local homeless shelter in the evenings, and is someone who is keen to get to the truth behind the missing women. However, she has problems in her own life that plague her, such as her estranged husband who one day just got up and left, breaking her heart and leaving her in limbo as a result. Her brother Chris seems to have more contact with her husband than she has with them being best friends and business partners which only rubs salt into Carrie’s wounds. The book is a grateful distraction, something she can put all her energy and focus into.

When a dashing stranger named Andy visits the bookstore, she bonds with him over their shared love of conspiracies and the supernatural. Having lost his son and subsequently his marriage breaking down, Andy seems to find a kindred spirit in Carrie who is going through a rough patch herself. Andy begins to help Carrie research her book as she decides that perhaps it’s worth investigating the reports that a half-human, half-pig community may be behind the latest missing people, even though most townsfolk think it’s just an old wives’ tale told to scare kids.

PIG HILL presents the legend of the Pig People as something that may or may not be true, leaving the viewer wondering if there really is a hybrid species out there that is butchering young adults. After a shocking opener indicating that something dangerous is definitely lurking upon Pig Hill, the film teases the idea throughout as Carrie is seemingly followed and haunted by visions of humans with pig features. As these ramp up, it’s hard to tell what is real and what is imaginary, as a blurred, almost-dreamlike sequence seems to envelop the screen during troubled moments, such as when a young woman traumatically gives birth at the homeless shelter. The way some of the scene are edited also gives an unnatural feel, as we hear Carrie speak as the action on screen moves to different scenes – editing that is reserved for things like movie trailers than your traditional horror scenes. I found this a bit off-putting at times as it took me out of the story, but this could well be wholly intentional to make the viewer feel as unsure as Carrie does in those moments.

The horror of PIG HILL definitely comes through with its depiction and tales of the Pig People. It’s quite savage and threatening to watch on screen. Even though it doesn’t show too much, it feels torturous and grotesque to witness. The stench of violence is palpable, which makes it uncomfortable and unpleasant to endure. As someone who watches a lot of horror movies, I very rarely feel like this so it’s either the film or I’m getting more repulsed by violence on screen as the years go by. It doesn’t quite venture into torture porn, but there’s elements in here which are quite traumatic to witness.

As the pieces are fitted together as Carrie and Andy edge closer to the truth, the movie resolves the question over whether the Pig People are real ofr just a story to frighten folk. It neatly does this in the final scenes to help close the chapter on Carrie’s investigation and is a satisfying sign-off following the build-up.

Whilst it has a bit of a TV-movie feel about it, PIG HILL punches harder than many other independent movies in this genre with the performances from its cast a cut-above. I had a few issues with the editing choices at times as some scenes jumped from one to another without much flow inbetween, making the sudden switch between scenes feel uneven to the rest of the movie, but on the whole it worked to convey the tale.

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SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1992)
Directed by Barbet Schroeder

After discovering the man she is about to marry has been sleeping with his ex-wife, software designer Allie Jones kicks him out of her spacious New York apartment and attempts to move on with her life. Lonely in the Big Apple, she advertises ‘Single White Female seeking roommate – non-smoking professional preferred’ which lands her with a number of enquiries but ultimately Hedy Carlson is chosen to move in.

At first, the two get on well enough, but as Hedy starts to take a few liberties with the living arrangement, such as buying a puppy, Allie starts to wonder whether finding a roommate was a good idea at all. With ex-fiance Sam worming his way back into Allie’s affections, we begin to see a different side to Hedy, one fuelled by jealousy and obsession that will do anything to keep Allie single and reliant on her.

As if ladies haven’t got enough to worry about, they can add a room mate to that list thanks to 90’s thriller SINGLE WHITE FEMALE.

My earliest memory of the movie was its trailer teased on a VHS I used to watch in the 90’s but it took me another 30 years to watch it when the film recently hit Netflix’s streaming library.

Bridget Fonda stars as Allie who finds herself all alone in New York City once she kicks her sleaze of a boyfriend Sam (Steven Weber) to the kerb. Besides her friend Graeme, an actor who lives in the same building, she has nobody else to call upon and doesn’t like the idea of rattling alone in her apartment day-in, day-out. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Hedy fills that void by becoming her room mate but perhaps Allie’s search was a bit too soon after her break-up as it’s not long before Sam’s sniffing around trying to patch things up. Clearly still in love with him, sooner or later Allie’s going to decide that two’s company and three’s a crowd, with Hedy being the third wheel and we all know that won’t end well!

Both women have their strengths and weaknesses. Allie is very confident, dresses well and is clearly very smart, but after a breakup with a former business partner, she’s flying solo and is desperate for work,. This results in her taking a hit in wages to supply software for a fashion designer with the hopes that, by doing a good job, her new boss will tell his friends in the industry who’ll want to hire her services. She’s bold and brave, but also a little insecure, finding her feet in a strange city that almost feels like it’s going to eat her alive. She came to the city for Sam, but now that relationship has soured, she’s less sure of herself.

Hedy, on the other hand, appears to be a quiet mouse of a girl. She talks about being bullied for her name Hedra as a kid and the loss of her twin sister at birth. She begins to look up to Allie, admiring her fashion and style, but it isn’t long before the viewer sees another side to her. A darker one. One that shows she’s more than she’s letting on; a devious side that will do the unspeakable to reach her end goal. Even Allie begins to pick up on this as Hedy’s behaviour becomes increasingly worrying as she begins to copy her style, right down to the haircut…

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE feels very similar in vein to Fatal Attraction starring Glenn Close who seeks out to destroy the marriage of Michael Douglas’ character after seducing him when his wife is out of town. Both Close’s character and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Hedy can’t bear the object of their affection from having a life outside of them and will do anything to manipulate the scenario, even resorting to fatal animal abuse.

I’ve seen some takes on the internet as Hedy having some lesbian lust for Allie and Allie being homophobic. I think we must’ve been watching a different film as I didn’t see this at all and found it a surprise anyone perceived that from the movie. The root behind it all appears to be the death of Hedra’s twin sister. We all know identical twins can be inseparable and the pain of losing a sibling, especially a twin, must be so difficult – like losing a piece of yourself. My interpretation is that as an adult, and not having processed the grief properly, Hedy finds a surrogate sibling in the form of Allie and refuses to be separated again. This is evident from the way she tries to copy her, from her clothing and appearance right down to the fact she’s missing out on the sex life that Allie is enjoying. She’s jealous of her in a way where she wants Allie all to herself. Hedy’s fiercely protective of Allie, even standing up for her when Allie’s boss attempts to assault her, but she also doesn’t want Allie to have happiness outside of their friendship. Anyone or anything that takes Allie’s attention away from her is a threat that must be eradicated.

Whilst not as striking or erotic as the aforementioned Fatal Attraction, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE still is an enjoyable entry with a wonderfully unhinged turn from Jennifer Jason Leigh. She doesn’t overplay it until the final act, but there’s enough there early on to know that her character of Hedy is an unstable mess that will only prove deadly as time moves on.

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Discover this Pearl of a movie in horror maestro Ti West’s devastatingly brilliant prequel, that breaks open the origin story of one of modern horrors most iconic figures, played by the queen of horror herself Mia Goth (Frankenstein, Infinity Pool, Suspiria). The film is the latest to receive a Second Sight Films Limited Edition makeover.

The award-winning second movie in the X trilogy heralds the return of Goth in a career defining performance as the young Pearl, a woman so desperate for stardom it drives her to the point of insanity and murderous mayhem. Praised by audiences and critics alike, the film immediately found its rightful place as a horror classic on its 2022 release with The Guardian saying: ‘Goth is now the Judy Garland of horror’ and the legendary Martin Scorsese calling it ‘mesmerising… powered by a pure, undiluted love for cinema’.

Now, witness the technicolour majesty like never before, as the new Pearl 4K UHD Limited Edition Box Set is set to arrive on 17th November 2025, alongside a Standard Edition.

The Limited Edition Box Set is presented in a stunning rigid slipcase with new artwork by Thinh Dinh that perfectly encapsulates the spectacular visuals of Pearl and a brilliant 120-page book featuring all new essays. Both editions come complete with a slew of special features including new interviews with the director, cast, cinematographer, production designer and much more.

Texas, 1918, we meet Pearl Douglas, the daughter of German immigrants, who lives on the family farm, while her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell – The Power of the Dog) is away, fighting in the First World War.

The young dreamer spends her days under the watchful eye of her overbearing mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright – Nothing Trivial, Creamierie), caring for her sick father (Matthew Sunderland – Out of the Blue, 6 Days), while longing to escape her hellish existence and find fame on the stage.

After meeting a handsome projectionist (David Corenswet – Superman, Twisters) at her local cinema, Pearl is encouraged to pursue her dreams and when the opportunity to audition for a touring dance company arrives, she is finally given the chance of a lifetime.

However, as the romantic fantasy of glamorous stardom fades, obsession and violence consume Pearl, and her ambition knows no bounds, as she desperately attempts to prove that she’s a star.

With influences from The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Norman Rockwell, Pearl is a vivid, psychological nightmare with stunning visuals and a romantic score, set amongst alligator infested lakes and decaying dreams.

Fans will be screaming out for Pearl on Limited Edition as this glorious and gory dive into ambition, isolation and murder gets the star treatment.

Special Features

• Presented in HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
• New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Bold Choices: a new interview with director Ti West
• The Mother: a new interview with actor Tandi Wright
• Absorb the Aesthetic: a new interview with director of photography Eliot Rockett
• Going Technicolor: a new interview with production designer Tom Hammock
• Hollywood Goes West: a video essay by Joe Wallace
• Coming Out of Her Shell
• Time After Time

Limited Edition Contents

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Thinh Dinh
• 120-page book with new essays by Jenn Adams, Joel Harley, Mo Moshaty, Tori Potenza, Vannah Taylor and Nadine Whitney
• Six collectors’ art cards

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Trinity Content Partners announce it has teamed up with the longstanding UK genre film festival Grimmfest to launch GrimmVision – a standout new film publishing brand, that serves as a route to market for independent genre filmmakers in both English speaking and international markets.

The new deal provides direct access for filmmakers to all distribution methods, through the various home entertainment windows of physical, TVOD, EST, TV, SVOD and AVOD, along with PR and marketing support.

The first two films on the imprint are – Tim Travers and The Time Traveler’s Paradox and M: Beyond the Wasteland – set for release on 10th November 2025, with more to be announced.

Grimmfest director Simeon Halligan said ‘The Grimmfest team is so excited to be partnering with Trinity Content Partners to create GrimmVision, the new distribution arm of Grimmfest. Trinity’s highly experienced team bring years of sales and distribution experience and we can’t think of better people to partner with. GrimmVision is very much the next step in the evolution of Grimmfest, allowing us to offer genre movie fans the Grimmfest experience through the release of new cutting-edge movies, not only in the UK but around the world’.

Trinity Content Partners CEO Adam Lacey added ‘Grimmfest is a highly respected and recognised brand in the horror and genre movie sector by filmmakers and film fans alike. Simeon and his team will open up a world of new content for us to jointly explore and commercially develop with the content creators. So often, independent films don’t achieve the reach and financial return they deserve. This new label will deliver content straight into channel distribution without the cost, delay and often complications of more traditional models. We believe that this is a game changer for filmmakers, greater consumer reach, wider distribution and more revenue’.

Tim Travers and The Time Traveler’s Paradox

Self-obsessed, mad scientist Tim Travers creates a time machine and kills his younger self to see what would happen. The universe was bad enough with only one of him and now, he must attempt to solve the time traveller’s paradox in pitch-black, high-concept time-bending sci-fi comedy.

Starring: Samuel Dunning, Joel McHale, Keith David and Danny Trejo

M: Beyond the Wasteland

Vardan Tozija’s harrowing and heartbreaking post-apocalyptic fable tells the story of a young boy’s quest to discover what remains of humanity, amid a world of marauding, plague-carrying undead creatures.

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Part of the Three / Three… Extremes Arrow Video Set

Available on Blu-ray 20th October 2025

As discussed in the review for part one of this set 2002’s Three was sometimes sold as a sequel to Three… Extremes. However, viewing this one afterwards is an essential part of the experience as the levels of extremity reach new heights. It’s the main course in more ways than one, and this time three chapters are more than enough. After all, you only have to mention a name like Park Chan-wook or even just the chapter title ‘Dumplings’ to get a reaction from some world cinema fans. Several years ago when ‘extreme cinema’ home video labels were growing these were a big part of that experience. Stomach churning and eye-watering moments await in this second instalment…

To really get things going director Fruit Chan delivers some Category III nastiness. But he also manages to include plenty of food for thought in other ways with a yarn about ageing and vanity in ‘Dumplings’. Former TV star Mrs. Li (Miriam Yeung) arrives at the apartment of so-called ‘Aunt’ Mei (Bai Ling), after being promised a secret recipe will make her youthful and vital again. Mei says that Mrs. Li will get exactly what she paid for… but what is in the magic formula? What makes one batch more potent than another? Interestingly this isn’t treated as a spoiler; suggesting that Mei’s customers are simply sad and desperate. But the longer the story goes on the more repulsive things get.

Slowly as the layers of depravity escalate Mr. Li (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) discovers that his wife is getting younger (and kinkier) than before. Her friends find that she’s more radiant than usual. He’s having an affair and they’re vapid socialites, but she wants her old life back anyway. Unfortunately the contents of this new diet are about to have some side-effects. It’s gruesome while managing to comment on the lives of the wealthy and those in poorer areas. The music is also pretty sinister and like the previous three shorts it all the photography looks great. It’s not subtle by any means but it makes The Substance look pretty restrained in hindsight.

Elsewhere Park Chan-wook provides a blood-soaked hostage situation in chapter two; ‘Cut’. Like the other stories included here it’s interesting to find that they’re all far more unpredictable than in Three, but this is the flashiest one of all. Panic Room style CGI is used to map out the film set most of the drama takes place on, highlighting the vanity of its protagonist. The Director (Lee Byung-hun) goes home after shooting some kind of vampire story, and enters a house that is almost identical to the soundstage. But before there’s time for any introspection (or thoughts on the implications of him being a cold bloodsucker) he’s kidnapped by a deranged movie extra; The Stranger (Im Won-hee).

Now trapped under the lights with his wife glued to a piano The Director is tested by the madman, who wants to spill a lot of blood to prove something about the world. As things go on his motives become more hazy and the hostages become more unlikeable. Shifting sympathies and changing stakes keep it interesting even if the narrative itself is also a bit muddled by the end. Should good people suffer while bad people become wealthy so that they can all get what they deserve in the afterlife? None of the characters are heroic but it’s still full of striking images and memorably eccentric moments, even if the story as a whole is less cohesive.

However, all the shenanigans come to an end in the last story ‘Box’ directed by Takashi Miike. Here things feel like a real nightmare rather than just a brutal endurance test. It seems to be a ghost story initially but it soon becomes something much stranger. It’s also an exercise in less-is-more; the violence this time around is subdued and the soundscape is often eerie and silent. This deft touch allows real personal sadness to be explored in a story about people as being used as dolls. The coldness of winter contrasts with the fires of hell in the most dramatic looking, and feeling, chapter of this second trilogy.

Kyoko (Kyoko Hasegawa) works on a manuscript in a bare apartment, which her publisher (Atsuro Watabe) discovers might be cursed. But the story is haunting in other ways as she remembers a tragedy from fifteen years ago involving her twin sister Shoko. Sibling jealousy and parental abuse become blurred as flashes of this past life appear. Soon the significance of a circus act, a strange dart, and a dream about being trapped in a plastic bag, become clear. It’s very spooky but it’s unsettling on several different levels as the flashbacks converge. Perhaps the final reveal isn’t as effective but it’s all part of a strong closing segment.

For those unsure whether to get the new dual movie collection this twisted descent through many layers of horror is the main highlight. It really lives up to the title of Three… Extremes and manages to cram in a host of different emotional beats and as well as many shocking moments. As Aunt Mei suggests you will get what you paid for. In total there are six great looking short films with multiple ghosts, curses, kidnappings, and killings, even if there is no direct theme tying them together in a typical anthology sense. But this trio from 2004 is certainly the one which will leave you feeling the impact most.

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Radiance Films have unveiled a stunning double feature from visionary Belgian auteur Harry Kümel, whose bold cinematic flair transformed European genre filmmaking in the 1970s. Now, two of his most striking and subversive works Daughters of Darkness and Malpertuis have received brand new 4K restorations, that premiered at London’s seminal FrightFest in August, with the director in attendance.

A true auteur of European cinema, Harry Kümel is celebrated for his blend of gothic horror, sensuality and high-art aesthetics and now, his seminal films get the deluxe treatment with their highly anticipated Limited Edition releases, each brimming with atmospheric horror, mythic surrealism and a slew of fantastic special features. Malpertuis is available now whilst Daughters of Darkness is set to arrive on 27th October 2025 and can be purchased directly from Radiance Films.

Kümel’s films stand apart for their bold visual storytelling, haunting ambiguity and exploration of queer identity, mythology and power.

In both Daughters of Darkness and Malpertuis, Kümel’s signature style is on full display, fusing painterly composition with subversive narrative depth to craft cinematic experiences that are as unsettling as they are unforgettable.
Daughters of Darkness (1971), gets a Limited Edition 4K UHD/Blu-ray Box Set and a Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set release. Kümel delivers an unforgettable gothic nightmare, set in an eerily deserted seaside hotel.

Newlyweds Stefan (John Karlen – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) and Valerie’s (Danielle Ouimet – The Possession of Virginia) honeymoon is disrupted by the arrival of Countess Elizabeth Bathory – played with ethereal menace by Delphine Seyrig (The Day of the Jackal) – and her mysterious companion. As night falls and secrets surface, the couple are drawn into a hypnotic vortex of seduction and vampiric terror. Acclaimed for its stunning visuals and unapologetic eroticism, Daughters of Darkness is a landmark in queer horror cinema and remains one of the most seductive vampire films ever made.

The director’s follow up, Malpertuis (1971) – that’s received a Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set release – plunges audiences into the surreal with a haunting tale of ancient gods, crumbling mansions and cursed bloodlines.

Adapted from the novel by Jean Ray and featuring legendary filmmaker Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) in a towering late-career performance, the film centres on a young man trapped in a labyrinthine house where family secrets blur into mythic horror. Jean-Jacques Griffon (Mathieu Carriere – India Song), a disillusioned young man, returns to his ancestral home after his father’s death, only to find the sprawling mansion has become a cryptic maze filled with strange inhabitants. His dying father has trapped several relatives and mysterious figures inside Malpertuis, an ancient, decaying mansion rumoured to be a prison for old gods disguised as humans. As Jean-Jacques navigates a world where myth bleeds into reality, he unravels disturbing secrets about his family’s cursed legacy and the supernatural forces at play.

Radiance Films brings together these two cult masterpieces in definitive editions that celebrate the allure of Harry Kümel’s work.

Whether rediscovering these titles or encountering them for the first time, this collection offers an essential window into one of the most visually arresting and intellectually daring voices in European cinema.

Experience the beguiling terror of Daughters of Darkness and the mythic mystery of Malpertuis like never before – two visionary works, one essential release.

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 4K restoration from the original negative by Blue Underground, approved by director Harry Kümel
• Audio commentary authors Virginie Sélavy and Lindsay Hallam (2025)
• New interview with director Harry Kümel and critic Anne Billson (2025)
• Archival interview with Delphine Seyrig in which the actor discusses her career (1989)
• On set footage with Harry Kümel and stuntman Thierry Hallaert (1970)
• Behind-the-scenes footage of Delphine Seyrig shooting a scene from the film and an interview with Harry Kümel (1971)
• Interview with critic and author Kim Newman (2025)
• Immoral Tales: Daughters of Darkness, Class, Cruelty, and the Cinematic Legacy of Bathory – a visual essay by Kat Ellinger,
author of the monograph on the film (2025)
• Anna the Maid – Harry Kümel’s short film based on a Jean Cocteau poem about a murderous maid (1958, 5 mins)
• Aether – Harry Kümel’s short film about the surreal visions of a man following an accident (1960, 7 mins, co-directed by
Herman Wuyts)
• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Suzanne Boleyn, Martyn Conterio, Joseph Dwyer,
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Mairéad Roche
• Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving
packaging free of certificates and markings

MALPERTUIS SPECIAL FEATURES:

• New 4K restoration of the film overseen by director Harry Kümel
• Audio commentary by Harry Kümel and assistant director Françoise Levie (2005)
• New interview with Harry Kümel (2025)
• New interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby (2025)
• Malpertuis Archive – an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring Kümel, actor Mathieu Carrière and
director of photography Gerry Fisher among others (2005)
• Orson Welles Uncut – a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor (2005)
• Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts – an archival interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions
from cast and crew (2005)
• Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kümel from Belgian television (1971)
• Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 – 1964 – an archival interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis (2005)
• Malpertuis Revisited – Harry Kümel revisits locations from the film (2005, 4 mins)
• Malpertuis: The Cannes cut – the rejected version of the film which premiered in Cannes (100 mins, SD)
• The Warden of the Tomb – Kümel’s early film based on Franz Kafka’s play (1965, 37 mins)
• Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, David Flint,
Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving
packaging free of certificates and markings

The post Radiance Films Release Limited Editions of Harry Kümel’s DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS and MALPERTUIS appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

Streaming this October exclusively on the STUDIOCANAL Presents streaming service – the essential destination for box office hits, critically acclaimed award-winners, lovingly restored classics and must-watch TV series – are a triple bill of Evil Dead, a pair of Hammer Horror classics and a documentary on The Others for Halloween.

So pop yourself onto the sofa with a big beverage and bowl of popcorn, and see what STUDIOCANAL has in store for you this spooky season!

Evil Dead (2013) – Fede Alvarez’s brutal and gruesome remake of Sam Raimi’s 80s horror classic sees Jane Levy (Don’t Breathe) beset by ghoulish creatures in the woods during a trip to a remote cabin and the discovery of a sinister, cursed book.

Evil Dead II (1987) – Horror genre legend Bruce Campbell (Bubba Ho-Tep) returns as Ash in director Sam Raimi’s outrageously entertaining, bigger budget sequel to the 1981 film, fending off demons with a chainsaw and a shotgun. Groovy!

Evil Dead Rise (2023) – Two sisters face off against evil spirits in this gory, jaw-dropping addition to the Evil Dead universe, written and directed by Lee Cronin (The Hole In The Ground), and starring Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings).

Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) – Ralph Bates (The Horror of Frankenstein) and Martine Beswick (Thunderball) are the title characters in Hammer’s offbeat sex swap reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous tale.

The Plague of the Zombies (1966) – Strange things are afoot in a Cornish tin mine in this spine-tingling and influential Hammer offering directed by John Gilling (The Mummy’s Shroud), starring André Morell (Cash on Demand).

A Look Back at the Others (2023) – A fascinating documentary about the 2001 BAFTA-nominated period horror film, including interviews with director Alejandro Amenábar, producer Fernando Bovaira and stars Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston.

STUDIOCANAL Presents is available on Apple TV and Prime Video.

The platform offers subscribers access to a wealth of exceptional film and television from the renowned and incomparable world-spanning library of Studiocanal, including stunning 4K restorations, timeless classics, and award-winning favourites. With film and TV exclusives added each month, and supported with a monthly podcast hosted by film experts, this is the streaming platform that delivers quality content for true film fans.

The post Hammer Horror Classics and THE OTHERS Documentary Streaming This October Exclusively on STUDIOCANAL Presents appeared first on Horror Cult Films.

Part of the Three / Three… Extremes Arrow Video Set

Available on Blu-ray 20th October 2025

While there are a lot of horror anthologies out there none are as exciting as those in this collection; each with a selection of international directors from different regions. First is 2002’s Three (sometimes marketed as a sequel to Three Extremes) which includes stories from South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong. While the perfect format for a film like this should be at least five stories, to allow for more variety and some bookend segments, the tales of terror on offer here are no less intriguing. Curses, hauntings, and of course sudden deaths, are depicted differently in each. Does the trio of film-makers deliver a series of chilling yarns or are there pacing issues stemming from each being part of a feature which is over two hours long?

Chapter one, ‘Memories’, starts on familiar ground as we find a man (Jeong Bo-seok) haunted by a strange black-haired figure in his apartment. There are spooky goings on as it becomes clear why he’s sleeping on the sofa. But any sense of mystery is drained by a scene in which he tells a therapist about his wife leaving him, and how he thinks this has caused him to have memory loss. As they discuss ‘mental disassociation’ you don’t have to be a genre junkie to know what sort of recent events he’s avoiding. Meanwhile an amnesiac woman (Kim Hye-su) gets in trouble wandering the streets and trying to hail a taxi; which again is has a predictable outcome.

It’s all pretty atmospheric at least, even if it suffers from some of the most annoying jump scare noises ever put on film. The drama takes place in a strange unfinished city block where one of the buildings seems to be cursed, lending it a unique mood. Unfortunately there are a lot of narrative dead-ends and silly dream scenes. The most glaring moment is a creepy tale told by a security guard in the same building; it doesn’t go anywhere and he has only one scene. As a result there’s a slow and disjointed feeling that permeates the chapter which can be frustrating. In the end the final reveal is less of a twist and more of an inevitable footnote.

At least it’s visually striking, and the same can be said in chapter two, ‘The Wheel’, which has a kind of documentary look to it. However, this is the weakest story of the three by some margin. In a riverside village a group of residents prepare for a prestige puppet show and a dance performance. The expensive figures belonging to puppet master Tao (Vinn Vasinanon) are looked at with envious eyes, while the dance troupe are considered a lower class. Which seems like an interesting bit of conflict… but boils down to another curse storyline. It all looks great; which can be said of each distinct short included here. But the supernatural rules are too vague and the narrative is underdeveloped.

The idea of greed and karma causing the downfall of people living in a close-knit society is a compelling one. But how the puppets work, why they have ‘living souls’, and who can use them without coming to harm isn’t clear. Clichés like love triangles and people changing because of ambition are fine but the situation isn’t defined well enough. Some people want to get rid of the puppets and die, some people want to keep them and also die. Some people die through regular non-supernatural means. One of the puppets is used like a voodoo doll and a torn piece of fabric results in a real injury for master Tao’s rival. Overall this is the weak link even if it’s the shortest one.

Luckily the final chapter, ‘Going Home’, is the best in this first triptych. It has a cold and gritty vibe and includes a lot of grimy visuals; this time in a dilapidated apartment complex. Why single father and night shift cop Chan (Eric Tsang) has moved to such a place with his young son Cheung isn’t clear, but times are tough. There are clear themes of decay and loss in a story about loneliness and death. The first part of the story involves Chan’s son and a mysterious girl in a red dress; yet another cursed building plot which isn’t so interesting. But when the boy goes missing Chan stumbles across another situation involving his neighbour’s paralysed wife.

The actual ghost story is strangely undeveloped but the chapter is saved by weird goings on next door with Mr. Yu (Leon Lai). There’s a lot of actual drama and sadness but also some effective dark comedy. The smells of bubbling herbal medicine and weird leaking trash bags are almost tangible as Chan finds himself trapped with someone who may or may not be insane. The rest of the story involving Cheung and a photo studio that seems to be supernatural in nature is sidelined, which is a shame. Still, overall it feeds into the idea of lost time, family tragedy, and memories in ways that are far more engaging than the first two segments.

Each of the chapters at least feels very unique and it’s easy to appreciate what different regions can bring to the table. Not everything is successful but the cinematography is all vibrant and the atmosphere in each case has a different kind of sinister texture. The way this was produced as three totally different short films could be both a positive and negative for some viewers. If ‘Going Home’ wasn’t the finale perhaps this could all be less enjoyable. But of course this is often the case in portmanteau horror; a good structure goes a long way. How does this all compare and contrast with the next instalment in this double feature? Stay tuned to find out…

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