We rented Andy Sidaris' films, Wilder. They were fun and full of het-drag, but oddly not as ridiculous as i had imagined they'd be. Essentially, Sidaris made the Triple B series out of the espionage/action tropes but truly only cares about the comic-bits of these films and leans into them -- looney-tunes via Malibu Bay. Goofy, no-frills, no-tension crime and outlaw skin slicks.
Happy you checked them out. The spy shit is fun but you’re right: what attracted me initially was their humor, everything laced with the absurdity found in the narrative setups of porn, interactions pointing that direction, but without the fully x-rated payoffs.
and full of het-drag
Would be interested to hear you elaborate on this…
February 18, 2020José Ramón Larraz's
Deadly Manor (1990) on blu-ray from Arrow US & Arrow UK, from a 2K restoration from the original film elements
An old, dark house... A maniac on the loose... An orgy of bloodlust! All the hallmarks of late master of Spanish macabre José Ramón Larraz (Edge of the Axe, Vampyres) are present and correct in 1990's Deadly Manor - the final horror movie from one of the genre's most unheralded filmmakers.
Whilst en route to a lake, a group of youngsters make an unscheduled stop-off at a remote, seemingly abandoned mansion where they plan to spend the night. But the property is full of foreboding signs - a blood-stained car wreck in the garden, coffins in the basement, scalps in the closet, and photographs of a beautiful but mysterious woman adorning every corner of the house. Before daybreak, the group will unwittingly uncover the strange and terrifying truth that lurks behind the walls of this dreadful place.
The last in a trio of transcontinental slice-and-dice co-productions helmed by Larraz towards the end of the 80s (all of which which he directed under the anglicized moniker of Joseph Braunstein), Deadly Manor - released on VHS in the US under the title Savage Lust - is a fitting capper to the director's prolific career in fear, now finally unearthed for the first time on Blu-rayJanuary 28, 2020José Ramón Larraz's
Edge of the Axe (1988) on blu-ray from Arrow US & Arrow UK
From cult Spanish filmmaker José Ramón Larraz (Vampyres, Symptoms) comes this long-neglected late 80s slasher classic, finally unleashed on Blu-ray for the first time ever!
The rural community of Paddock County is being rocked by the crazed exploits of an axe-wielding psychopath, who stalks the night in a black trenchcoat and mask. As the victims pile up, the authorities attempt to keep a lid on the situation, whilst computer whizz-kid Gerald and girlfriend Lillian seek to unmask the killer before the town population reaches zero. Nominally set in Northern California but shot primarily in Madrid, giving the film an off-kilter, American/European atmosphere akin to the likes of Pieces, Edge of the Axe is a late entry hack-and-slash masterpiece from one of the titans of Spanish terror.March 17, 2020Andy Sidaris'
Hard Hunted (1992) on blu-ray from Mill Creek, from a 4K restoration
After smuggling a nuclear trigger from China, underworld arms dealer Martin Kane offers it to a violent Mideastern leader. Before the sale is final, however, a special U.S. agent goes under-covers to steal it. But when she's murdered, it's up to secret agents Donna Hamilton (Speir), Nicole Justin (Vasquez) and Edy Stark (Brimhall) to save the day. Hunted by high-tech warriors, these straight-shooting heroines never back down. Between battles, they find time for some erotic R&R that gives new meaning to the word "action"! Suspenseful and sexy, Hard Hunted is hard to beat!March 17, 2020Andy Sidaris'
Fit to Kill (1993) on blu-ray from Mill Creek, from a 4K restoration
Chinese businessman Chang owns the fabulous Alexa diamond, stolen from Russia during WWII. He intends to return it to Russia during a gala dinner, but the diamond is stolen by Kane, assisted by his lethal and seductive partner Blu Steele. The Agency, in charge of security at the event, go into high gear to try and recover the diamond. Gunplay, explosions, seductions, lethal remote control helicopters, and general mayhem ensue. March 24, 2020Ovidio G. Assonitis & Robert Barrett's
Beyond the Door (1974) on blu-ray from Arrow, from a 2K restoration
Legendary filmmaker Ovidio G. Assonitis, whose Tentacles and Piranha II sought to cash in on the killer fish craze spawned by Jaws, first hit pay dirt in 1974 with Beyond the Door - a gloriously bonkers riff on The Exorcist featuring Emmy Award-winning actress Juliet Mills and distinguished British actor Richard Johnson.
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, Beyond the Door stars Mills as Jessica Barrett, a young mother who starts to develop strange behaviors whilst pregnant with her third child. Before you can say "split pea soup", Jessica is displaying signs of full-blown demonic possession - complete with projectile vomiting and fully-rotating head! Could it be that she's carrying the child of the Antichrist himself?
Described as "disgusting", "scary trash" and "maddeningly inappropriate" by film critic Robert Ebert and subject to a lawsuit by Warner Bros. (who claimed copyright infringement against a certain William Friedkin film), the devilish denizens at Arrow Video have summoned up this wickedly entertaining popcorn spiller in a brand new, extras-packed edition fit for Satan himself!March 2020FAB Press is republishing the long-OOP book 'The Ghastly One: The 42nd Street Netherworld of Director Andy Milligan', with newly added material.
Pre-orders will include a one-off printing of a 300-page book of previously unpublished Andy Milligan scripts.
There's an
interesting interview with the author, Jimmy McDonough, up at Diabolique Magazine
