Take a look at the first batch of reviews for NIGHTMARE CASTLE which was painstakingly restored in Hi-Def for last week's DVD release. Also, our landmark interview with the queen of Euro-horror Barbara Steele is also being given a big thumbs up.
"Severin Films' back-cover exclamation of, "Throw away all those inferior
transfers from censored TV prints: This is NIGHTMARE CASTLE like you've never seen it before!" is absolutely accurate."
"Looking light years better than it ever has before... a dream come true for
Steele fans.. In short, it's an obvious must for Euro horror fans and especially important for restoring one of the last mistreated titles in the Steele canon."
"This will certainly become the definitive presentation of this cult favorite... best of all is the documentary BARBARA STEELE-IN CONVERSATION... This extra is alone worth the price of the DVD."
Final East Coast Plague Town screenings in New York and Arlington, VA
Click images for full size versions
This Wednesday and Thursday, April 29th and 30th, PLAGUE TOWN will have its
final East Coast theatrical screenings in New York City and Arlington, VA.
On Wednesday, April 29th PLAGUE TOWN will unspool twice at The Anthology Film Archive at 32 2nd Ave (2nd & 2nd). Screenings are at 7:00pm and 9:30pm and will be followed by cast and crew Q & A with Director David Gregory, Producer Derek Curl and actors Lindsay Goranson and James Warke. Drinks afterwards at the Local 269 Bar, 269 Houston St at Suffolk.
On Thursday, April 30th Severin Films presents a shocking double feature of PLAGUE TOWN and THE SINFUL DWARF! At the Arlington Drafthouse (for tickets go here: Arlington Drafthouse), 2903 Columbia Pike, VA. PT will show at 7:30 followed by a Q&A with Director David Gregory and Co-Writer and DC area native John Cregan. Then a rare 35mm screening of a battered and worn print of the mother of all dwarfsploitation films: THE SINFUL DWARF. Expect guests and giveaways all night.
We're trying to persuade local anti-Sinful Dwarf activist John Dols to come
and warn us against the dangers of THE DWARF:
YouTube: John Dols
And a reminder to Portland and Seattle Severins: PLAGUE TOWN and INGLORIOUS
BASTARDS will be playing at the Deep Red International Film Festival in Portland (April 24th and 25th) and Seattle May 8th and 9th. Go here:
Deep Red Film Fest.
On July 28 Severin will release its first two Blu Ray discs: THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS and EAGLES OVER LONDON. Hi def transfers from the original film elements are underway and both discs will contain exclusive extras. Clic pics for further info.
22 April 2009
Join Severin at the Dep Red Film Festivals in Portland and Seattle
Severin is proud to be a sponsor of the first Deep Red International Festival of Fantastic Films this weekend, April 24th & 25th, at the Clinton Street theater in Portland, Oregon and at the Grand Illusion Theater in Seattle, WA on May 8th and 9th!
Clinton St. theater, Portland, OR
Friday April 24th
8pm: PLAGUE TOWN
Followed by Q & A With Director David Gregory
Other films showing include BAD BIOLOGY, GRIMM LOVE, BLACK DEVIL DOLL and
more.
16 April 2009
Severin At Fango LA
Severin will be attending Fangoria's Weekend Of Horrors this Friday thru
Sunday, April 17th-19th. Come visit us at the Severin vendor table.
In addition David will be doing a Q & A on Sunday at 5pm in the Secondary
Track Room, talking about Plague Town and upcoming Severin releases. Then
Plague Town will screen in the film room at 6pm on Sunday.
Click the banner below for more info.
16 April 2009
THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND and THE PERFUME OF YVONNE ...now available to order
on Amazon
And the first reviews are in:
"...the film succeeds swimmingly." "Celebrate the sensual and
oh-so-slightly-bittersweet joys of life, and get out before they're crushed
by the banal practicalities and hassles of the real world."
"A surprisingly pleasant fairy tale romance with some great comedy and
gorgeous camerawork, The Hairdresser's Husband receives a very nice release
from Severin."
We wanted to share our awesome new cover art for Castellari's Battle of Britain War epic EAGLES OVER LONDON which we will be releasing on DVD and Blu Ray in July. The art was adapted from the original US one sheet by Wes Benscoter. Wes is the man behind some of the finest key arts in the world of Cult DVD-dom.
"I've always worried that my position here at Softcore Reviews would lead me down a depraved path towards midget porn. This happened much sooner than I could've imagined, thanks to the release on DVD of The Sinful Dwarf, courtesy of our sleazy friends at Severin Films."
..."one of the most bizarre, grungy, depraved and tasteless efforts you'll ever see, and it never comes short of the sensationalized, perverted ingredients, making it an undeniable guilty pleasure."
"Everything about this movie is urinal-cake-in-the-gutter dirty."
"I've seen it, and now I can't un-see it, and I want you to go through the same world altering terror I did, so please, please go out and buy The Sinful Dwarf. Buy seven copies and send them to your relatives. Misery doesn't just love company, it craves it, and I am miserable now. Seriously, though, don't see this movie. Stay away. Unless you aren't a total baby, then see it. I dare you. Come on."
Introduction To THE SINFUL DWARF At The Alamo Drafthouse Weird Wednesday
Screening
Severin presented a rare 35mm screening of THE SINFUL DWARF at arguably the
world's coolest theater, the Alamo Drafthouse, in Austin, TX on March 4th,
2009. Check out this video by Anne Heller of Weird Wednesday host Lars
Nilsen introducing the film.
And the ickyness is spreading. Check out the disgust and elation below:
Dread Central
"The Sinful Dwarf is a movie so vile you'll feel dirty while you watch it.
It's a cesspool of near porn-like rape, torture, and degradation...That being said - I loved it and cannot recommend this flick enough!... if you're looking for a bit of Seventies style perversion, brother, you just hit jackpot! Un-fucking-real."
"just about as sleazy as you can get.... This is definitely not one I will play at Christmastime when the family comes over, but the moments of psychological terror and the hilarious use of a dummy as a stunt double for the dwarf, plus the disturbing performance from Torben make this obscure reel of celluloid something to remember (whether I want to or not)."
"Buy THE SINFUL DWARF, watch THE SINFUL DWARF, but also buy a loofah and a new soap-on-a-rope for the long sweltering shower you'll be indulging in immediately afterwards."
"It probably comes as no surprise that Severin Films are the culprits behind
the release of this monstrosity... a delightfully sleazy trip down the road of seriously unhinged cinema. It unquestionably won't make you feel like a good person, but everyone needs to wallow in the depravity of The Sinful Dwarf at least once before they die."
Plague Town will be playing at the Boston Underground Film Festival this
weekend at the Kendall Square Theatre, Saturday March 21st at 9:30pm.
Director Dave "Severin" Gregory will be in attendance along with Producer
Daryl Tucker and Composer Mark Raskin. A repeat performance will take place
at the same venue on Monday, March 23rd at 9:30pm.
Plague Town will also screen at the Philadelphia Film Festival on Monday,
March 30th. David and Producer Derek Curl will introduce the screening.
12 March 2009
Fangoria is appalled by THE SINFUL DWARF
"Reprehensible, Shameful, Sleazy Trash...I Feel Like Taking A Shower!" - Allan Dart, Fangoria
Even the hard core horror sensibilities at Fangoria were shaken by Severin's
March 31st release THE SINFUL DWARF. To us the review reads like a five star
recommendation and will certainly inspire the world's leading horror mag's
more daring readers to rush and buy this sleazy little gem.
Severin also presented THE SINFUL DWARF to an ecstatic sold out crowd at
Austin, Texas' legendary Alamo Drafthouse last week. Drafthouse head
programmer Lars Nilson gave an outstanding, hilarious 10 minute introduction
to the film before plugging its upcoming DVD release, handing out Severin
goodies and proclaiming our INGLORIOUS BASTARDS DVD as the best DVD of 08!
And the first couple of online reviews are also up:
"Severin have not only provided fans with an excellent transfer of a film
that seemed destined to remain a grey market title, Severin is continuing to
surprise a wider audience with its unpredictable catalog... the progressive
single-layer transfer is excellent with no noticeable faults."
PLAGUE TOWN, the new Dark Sky Feature Produced In Association With Severin,
will be screening at this weekend's Fangoria Weekend Of Horrors on Friday,
March 6th at 6pm. PT director David Gregory Severin will be on-stage at the
convention at 4pm.
1 March 2009
Austin Area Severins
Please join us for a FREE Double Bill Screening of the new Dark Sky Feature
Produced In Association With Severin PLAGUE TOWN Plus a rare 35mm showing of
THE SINFUL DWARF at The Original Alamo Drafthouse Downtown this Thursday,
March 4th at 9.50pm.
Severin honcho and PLAGUE TOWN Director David Gregory will be in attendance
giving away all kinds of cool Severin swag.
Please join us for an hour or so of Severin joy at the Engine Collision Festival this Monday, March 2nd at 1636 Wilcox Ave, LA, CA 90028 at 10.15pm where we'll be premiering our new documentary short DECAMEROTIC - PASOLINI & THE ITALIAN GENRE FILM amongst other goodies. We made the doc for the British Film Institute. "Ooooh, fancy!" I hear you cry. But fear not, the doc tells the story of how Pasolini's "Life Trilogy" opened the censorship floodgates in Italy and allowed some of our favorite exploitation producers to unleash a whole slew of naughty Italian comedies such as UBALDA ALL NAKED AND WARM and BLACK DECAMERON under the guise that they were literary adaptations inspired by Pasolini's cinematic model. This gross misunderstanding arguably led the disillusioned filmmaker to make SALO.
Other highlights of the presentation will include some of the craziest sex and death scenes in eurocult history, eye-popping rare trailers and a preview of the new high definition transfer of the mother of all dwarfsploitation films THE SINFUL DWARF!!!
Jess Franco received a lifetime achievement award at the Goya Awards (Spain's equivalent of the Oscars) last week. Check out this clip of the great man receiving this honor. Congratulations Jess and Lina! Can you imagine the day the Academy Awards honors such a renegade filmmaker or, moreover, shows a clip reel like that on prime time tv? Not in our lifetime.
11 Dec 2008
Barbara Steele Interviewed for Nightmare Castle DVD
Today Severin shot a great career interview with Barbara Steele for our upcoming NIGHTMARE CASTLE DVD. As far as we know this is the first time the captivating Ms. Steele has given an interview on-camera covering her incredible career from her early art student days in London right up to the present day. She covered Bava, Fellini, Freda, Caiano, Cronenberg, Dante, Dan Curtis et al. This interview coupled with that of director Mario Caiano, not to mention the new hi definition transfer from the original negative of the feature will make this DVD truly something special for fans of classic gothic horror.
28 Nov 2008
Severin acquire British "Video Nasty" Exposé!
Continuing our obsession with video nasties, Severin has acquired the rights
to James Kenelm Clarke's EXPOSÉ aka THE HOUSE ON STRAW HILL. The film stars
Euro-cult legend Udo Kier (BLOOD FOR DRACULA; SUSPIRIA; MARK OF THE DEVIL), Linda Hayden (BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW; TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA) and British 70s sex Goddess Fiona Richmond. A new High Definition transfer is in the works from the original uncut negative. Extras for the disc will include a commentary and making of featurette.
30 Sep 2008
Aintitcool lovin' Severin!
Some great notices for our October releases over at Aintitcool:
STONE
"Ok - you know that shit Biker movie earlier in the list? That one that was
made on the idea of being the be all end all of Biker flicks - This is what
it wanted to be. STONE is the fucking balls out Australian Biker-sploitation
flick that just never calls it quits. This dvd has making of docs, makeup
tests, and so much more. Look for Moriarty to write up an extended piece on
it, at least he was going to do that at some point, but you know how he is.
This film is fucking insane though and thoroughly entertaining. It basically
gave Ozploitation it's kickstart. And is featured heavily in NOT QUITE
HOLLYWOOD!"
IN THE FOLDS OF THE FLESH
This is classic screwy bizarre hot Italian "Gialli" - this has hot Italian
actresses - from the seventies - and it is a fact that the hottest women in
cinema, ever, were Italian babes from 70's exploitation filmmaking. This
isn't really disputable. This print is gorgeous - and the film isn't easily
found. This is a great release from Severin.
BLOODY MOON
Banned in the UK, makes this an automatic, must watch. This is the first
time Jess Franco's BLOODY MOON will have the opportunity to be seen in the
United States in its complete form. We've always been denied the infamous
"Stone Mill Saw" sequence - however, we've always been able to digest the
incest and the roller disco parts. I love discovering new 80s horror /
slasher flicks! This isn't great, but like everything from Franco - he does
now his nudity and hot gals - and Olivia Pascal is definitely one of em.
But Harry is not the only one heaping praise on our latest slew of releases:
STONE
"Immensely entertaining and highly recommended, Severin Films' release of
STONE is an exploitation picture that delivers on every level. Seek this one
out!"
"ravishing, ridiculous, insane. horrific sleaze that doesn't require a
post-viewing shower - In The Folds Of The Flesh provides plenteous fun, and
is absolutely Recommended"
"...this film is a fun and harrowing film of obsession and greed wrapped in a horror film package." "...one of Franco's highlight films.."
30 Sep 2008
Severin to launch in UK
Severin is proud to announce its launch into the UK marketplace with the release of Roman Polanski's WHAT? on November 4th. More than three decades after its controversial release, it remains the most butchered, debated and least-seen film of the Oscar-winning director's entire career and will be released with a sparking 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer with a slew of exclusive extras! Check out the UK site (which is being built now) for this and other upcoming releases!
The film produced by Dark Sky Films in association with Severin will be showing at the following special screenings in October:
Hollywood Film Festival
October 24th 9pm
Arclight Cinemas
Hollywood, CA
Special Pre-Halloween Screening
October 30th 7.30pm and 9.30pm
Bowtie/Criterion Cinema
New Haven, CT
Razor Reel Fantastic Film Festival
October 30th
Brugge, Belgium
Horrorthon Film Festival
October 27th
Irish Film Center
Dublin, Ireland
Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival
Date TBA
Ravenna, Italy
More screenings will be announced in the near future.
Here's a couple of quotes from advance reviews:
"EVOKES THE GENUINE FEELING OF A NIGHTMARE CAPTURED ON CELLULOID"
- Michael Gingold, Fangoria
"HAUNTING & RELENTLESS...ONE OF THE VERY FEW MEMORABLE HORROR FLICKS OF THE
YEAR."
- Roy Frumkes, Films In Review
"A BLOODY ONSLAUGHT... DAVID GREGORY'S DIRECTION KNOWS WHICH BUTTONS TO PUSH
TO EXTRACT THE MAXIMUM IN SQUEAMISH DELIRIUM"
- Glenn Erickson, DVD Savant
"VISCERAL HORROR... MORE THAN ITS AGGREGATION OF GORE (QUARTS) AND SUSPENSE
(GALLONS)."
- Arbogast On Film
"EMBODIES THE SPIRIT AND ATMOSPHERE OF THE GREAT HORROR FILMS OF THE 70S"
- Edwin Samuelson, AV Maniacs
"ENLIVENS A WELL-WORN GENRE... IT'S SKILLFUL, NASTY RURAL-MUTANT-JEOPARDY STUFF IN THE TRADITION OF THE ORIGINAL HILLS HAVE EYES."
- Dennis Harvey, SF360
23 Sep 2008
The nightmare of Franco restoration
As some of you have no doubt noticed, all of our recent releases have missed their street dates. This is due to a number of factors, not least the extra attention we gave to The Inglorious Bastards which took our attentions away from all subsequent titles for several weeks. Please see the new street dates below for our upcoming titles.
Then there's the nightmare of the two latest Franco titles: Bloody Moon and Devil Hunter. In all the hundreds of DVDs we've been involved with producing, these two have been among the most problematic. With Bloody Moon it was a case of the negative missing a few seconds of violence. We went to the trouble of checking the original negative against an old VHS release of the film and saw no differences. The problem was that the VHS we were supplied with from a Franco authority was also cut! It was only when we received the finished Hi Def master from Germany that we realized the problem. A search ensued for film elements of the missing footage but turned up nothing. The only existing film prints in Germany were also shorn of this footage and we could turn up no other prints in countries that the film was released theatrically. The footage was considered lost except for VHS versions of the film. We incorporated the footage into the master from a VHS source but it looked terrible, particularly when compared to the beautiful Hi Def transfer from the negative. Then the German licensor unearthed a broadcast master that had been struck from an uncut print. We were then able to incorporate the footage into the film.
Devil Hunter looked like it was going to be much more straightforward. We had our new Hi Def transfer compared to releases of the film from all around the world by a Eurocult scholar. He happily reported to us that our version was the most complete in the world, containing footage that was not available in any released version. He also urged us to include the French track on the disc as it was a far superior track to the English dub. We were happy to oblige. However, our master did not contain the French track, even though the check disc we had sent to the scholar for comparison purposes did. There was no explanation forthcoming from the lab in Madrid as to why this would be. We had the scholar ship his check disc to us but it got lost in the mail. So we had another Franco expert ship us a DVD-R of a French version to us. Lo and behold this French version was some sort of bastardized TV cut short by 10 minutes. It looked like we would have to go without the French track until we were informed that a copy of the DVD-R had been created before it shipped to the scholar.
Both of these films are now finally off to authoring. If there are no major problems with the check discs then they will be released on the dates below.
Apologies to our Severin loyals for these delays and we will be making every effort in the future to ensure that this kind of backlog does not happen.
Bloody Moon, Devil Hunter and In the Folds of the Flesh will now be released on 28 October.
08 August 2008
ENZO, FRED and BO LIVE!
Check out these amazing highlights from our Los Angeles INGLORIOUS BASTARDS
events!
Severin is pleased to announce the acquisition of Patrice Leconte's sultry classic The Perfume of Yvonne, starring the insanely beautiful Sandra Majani in her one and only film role. Expect a pristine new transfer and part two of our interview with the great director to accompany this release which streets 30 September, the same day as The Hairdresser's Husband.
Enzo G. Castellari
Enzo G. Castellari
John Steiner & Enzo G. Castellari
04 August 2008
Inglorious Update!
It truly has been a glorious week for Severin, with coverage in Variety, the lead DVD review in Entertainment Weekly and a great write up in Home Media Magazine.
Enzo Castellari's 70th birthday party at The Italian Cultural Institiute, which coincided with the street date of the DVD, was a rousing success with Enzo welcoming old friends and colleagues including BASTARDS stars Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson, as well as Lou Ferrigno (SINBAD), John Saxon (JONATHAN OF THE BEARS / I CAME, I SAW, I SHOT), John Steiner (SINBAD /STRIKER) and Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes (RENEGADE RIDERS / ANY GUN CAN PLAY.) Photos from this very special night can be found here:
The following evening Severin hosted a sold out Castellari double bill at The New Beverly Cinema in L.A with Enzo, Bo and Fred in attendance. A short video clip of the evening can be found here:
"Unquestionably the most over-the-top and enjoyable war film ever made. With a three disc edition, Severin have really pulled out all of the stops for what is, so far, the best DVD of the year."
"This is one of the best, and most lovingly assembled, DVD presentations a
"Eurocult" film has ever had on DVD. It's definitive, exhaustive,
fascinating and exhilirating.">
Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, Enzo G. Castellari & Fred Williamson
Lou Ferrigno & Enzo G. Castellari
01 August 2008
Severin Celebrates Castellari's 70th
Severin hosted two jam-packed events in Los Angeles this week to celebrate the 70th birthday of director Enzo G. Castellari and the release of his 1978 World War II macaroni combat epic THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS. On Tuesday July 29th a private party was held at the Italian Cultural Institute.
Castellari was delighted to welcome old friends and colleagues including BASTARDS stars Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson, as well as Lou Ferrigno (SINBAD), John Saxon (JONATHAN OF THE BEARS / I CAME, I SAW, I SHOT), John Steiner (SINBAD / STRIKER) and Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes (RENEGADE RIDERS / ANY GUN CAN PLAY).
The following night the New Beverly hosted a sold out screening of INGLORIOUS BASTARDS attended by Enzo, Bo and Fred where they answered questions and signed DVDs for the very enthusiastic crowd. Enzo said that people in Italy will not believe him when he tells them that a packed house in Hollywood of young film fans came out to see his 30+ years old film on his birthday.
29 July 2008
More glowing reviews as the DVD streets today and many celebrities confirmed for Hollywood launch party tonight.
News10now has printed an advance look at the review that will be the LEAD DVD article in Entertainment Weekly that hits stores this coming Friday:
"Inglorious is a lot of red-blooded fun. And for a certain breed of movie lover-the kind who'd rather watch "Where Eagles Dare" or "The Great Escape" than any number of highbrow art films - the release of this movie for the first time ever on DVD in the U.S. (in a three-disc special edition, no less), is cause for serious celebration."
- Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly.
"Severin simply outdoes themselves with this fantastic 3-disc presentation... this is truly the definitive edition of a film that is only just now getting the audience it deserves. Highly recommended!"
"The cult DVD event of 2008."
"One of the most essential Eurocult DVD titles on the market."
"Just like the Inglorious Bastards of the title, this set delivers. This 'Explosive Edition' offers an excellent audiovisual presentation and a host of informative extras."
"Overall, the package is a must-have for fans of classic action, with the bonus features lending a rare glimpse into the world of 70s filmmaking that has fascinated Tarantino for so long."
The joint celebration of the launch of the DVD and director Enzo G. Castellari's 70th birthday takes place tonight at The Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles. Many celebrities confirmed to attend include Eli Roth, John Saxon, John Steiner, Fred Williamson, Bo Svenson, Lou Ferrigno, Erik Estrada, Pia Zadora and Kenny Johnson. The media will be out in force to cover the event including Associated Press, who will be reporting in both TV and print media, so expect lots of exposure in the coming days.
Wednesday's screening at The New Beverly in L.A 'sounds like a great evening' for those over at Ain't It Cool.
All three Severins played a part in the creation of this new killer kids horror film, with David serving as Director, Co-Writer and Co-Editor, John as Co-Writer and Co-Editor and Carl as Consulting Producer.
PLAGUE TOWN was shot on Super 16 in Connecticut last fall and stars Josslyn DeCrosta, Erica Rhodes, James Warke, Lindsay Goranson, David Lombard and Kate Aspinwall as Rosemary (pictured on the poster). The special make up effects come courtesy of Tate Steinsiek (Knock Knock, Zombie Honeymoon) and the haunting music is scored by Mark Raskin (Spaghetti West, Ban the Sadist Videos) with contributions from the legendary Claudio Gizzi (his first soundtrack music since his triumphant scores for Blood for Dracula and Flesh for Frankenstein 35 years ago) and electropop masters Ladytron.
Dark Sky's release plans for PLAGUE TOWN will be finalized in the near future so keep checking back here and at the Dark Sky Films website.
23 July 2008
Everything's Inglorious!
Severin Towers has been caught up in a whirlwind of excitement over our 3 Disc Explosive Edition of THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS, which hits the streets July 29th. The set carries a bounty of special features including the 40 minute Quentin Meets Enzo discussion featurette. Read more about this incredible release here:
This exciting influx of IB activity has caused some of our other July titles to fall a little behind so street date on CANNIBAL TERROR, DEVIL HUNTER and BLOODY MOON has been put back to August 26.
23 July 2008
Severin's New Print of THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS to debut at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX on July 22nd.
To celebrate the DVD release of IB we have struck a brand new theatrical print the film which will be screening at several venues across the US. Keep checking back for more details.
23 July 2008
Original Negative of Barbara Steele Classic Nightmare Castle (aka Amanti d'oltretomba / The Faceless Monster / Night of the Doomed) Unearthed in Rome
Gothic horror fans will be delighted to know that Severin Films will be giving the first official DVD release to the 1965 Barbara Steele chiller Nightmare Castle/The Faceless Monster (original title: Amanti d'oltretomba, or Lovers Beyond The Tomb). The original negative has recently been discovered in a Rome storage vault and apparently in good condition. We will be doing a new HD transfer in its original aspect ratio, so all those super cheap bootleg DVDs taken from 10th generation TV prints can now be discarded forever. The film was directed by Mario Caiano, a veteran of all the great Italian exploitation genres including Spaghetti Westerns (My Name Is Shanghai Joe/Bullets Don't Argue), Peplum (Ulysees Against Hercules/Goliath and the Rebel Slave) and Poliziatesci (Napoli Spara/Milano Violenta). Caiano is still very much with us, and we recently shot a great interview with the 75 year old master at his home just outside of Rome. Nightmare Castle also showcases the very first horror score by the legendary Ennio Morricone, and the beautiful black & white cinematography comes courtesy of Enzo Barboni, who would later strike gold as the director of the 'Trinity' westerns starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. We're very excited to be releasing this uncut, uncensored and unsung hit of Italian horror history, which after years of bootleg abominations will now find its rightful place alongside the other Barbara Steele classics like Bava's Black Sunday and Margheriti's Castle of Blood. This is Nightmare Castle as it truly has never been seen before.
23 July 2008
STONE Returns!
The legal issues that postponed our release of STONE have now been cleared up and we will be releasing the 2 Disc Special Edition of the Aussie biker classic in October.
01 July 2008
More great Severin acquisitions
We are happy to confirm that our future release plans now include the following Euro gems from four great filmmakers:
THE ART OF LOVE: The third and final part in Walerian Borowczy's Immoral trilogy, once again this uses the portmanteau format to explore the late, great director's unique erotic obsessions.
DOOR INTO SILENCE: Lucio Fulci's bleak and rarely seen swan song eerily explores premonitions of death. Starring THE DEER HUNTER's John Savage.
THE ALCOVE: The mighty Joey D. returns with another twisted tropical tale starring the two true sirens of Italian erotica: Laura Gemser and Annie Belle.
HANNA D - THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK: Directed by Rino Di Silvestro of WEREWOLF WOMAN and DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE SS fame, this hard hitting and downright sleazy Amsterdam-set tale of drugs and prostitution is considered by the director to be his masterpiece. A colorful interview with the Di Silvestro was recently shot in Rome.
Keep checking back for news on release dates and extras.
27 June 2008
Could it be true? Award-winning French modern classic THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND on Severin?
Severin has acquired Academy Award Nominee Patrice Leconte's (Girl on the Bridge, Ridicule) art house classic The Hairdresser's Husband.
But there's one small caveat from Carl Severin: "Severin will still be producing the kinds of titles our fans have come to love. This release represents only a broadening of the Severin pallete, as we look forward to adding Monsieur Leconte to our galaxy of star European directors which includes Lucio Fulci, Enzo Castellari, Jess Franco and the late, great Joe D'Amato."
"To be honest, I was pleasantly shocked to find that the rights were still available. I just thank Jehovah that we got to it first," exclaims John Severin. "Because we're giving The Hairdresser's Husband the production it so richly deserves including, of course, a new transfer in its original 2.35:1 ratio from the original negative. We've already shot new interviews with Leconte and the still mind-blowingly luminescent Anna Galiena."
For David Severin, "it's a veritable dream of mine to be putting out The Hairdresser's Husband. It's always been a true favorite, from the renowned director of the sublime Monsieur Hire. It's an honor to present it in the United States for the first time on DVD and to have had the opportunity to interview the great man about his pre-Oscar-nod career at his office in Paris."
Expect more details about our September release of The Hairdresser's Husband soon.
05 June 2008
STONE cancelled
We regret to inform Aussie biker flick fans that due to unforeseen legal reasons we have had to withdraw our release of STONE. The licensor in Australia has run into legal issues which date back to the film's 1974 production and has asked us not to release the film until they can clear them up. We hope that this problem can be sorted out in the future.
22 May 2008
Inglorious Bastards street date put back until 7/29 - but with good reason!
Just a couple of weeks back we flew director Enzo Castellari over to Los Angeles for an in-depth career interview conducted by none other than long-time admirer Quentin Tarantino! To accommodate this truly great addition to the disc we have put the street date back until 7/29. Expect more details to follow soon.
30 April 2008
How Far Is Too Far?
9 April 2008
Franco's Nasties To Premier On DVD
Bloody Moon and The Devil Hunter will be released on DVD this July with new transfers and Franco interviews. Bloody Moon is his saga of slaughtered schoolgirls complete with gratuitous nudity, graphic violence, and gory set pieces, starring VANESSA herself Olivia Pascal. Devil Hunter is his entry into the cannibal sub-genre starring SADOMANIA's Ursula Fellner and ZOMBIE's Al Cliver. Both of these early 80s features were notoriously banned in the UK as "video nasties" and will be presented for the first time in the US restored and uncut in all their buzz saw decapitation and genitalia munching glory. Uncle Jess sat down this January for another session of frank, fascinating
and ferociously opinionated interviews to accompany these releases.
Sister of Ursula review in from Ain't It Cool News!
"Ok - I really love the hell out of this one. Severin Films sent this to me - and the box art and pull quote - made me cut it open and put on faster than you could say my real name. With actors from SUSPIRIA, ZOMBIE and THE PSYCHIC - I knew I'd get a certain "stunned" performance from them all. Besides - Barbara Magnolfi is hot! As is Stefania D'Amario! And the killer kills with a gigantic killer cock thing. MUST BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED! They made such awesome weird fucking movies once!"
The first reviews of our 3/25 release THE SISTER OF URSULA are live and the
advance word is positive:
"a delightfully trashy take on the giallo genre... Severin Films with their
first release of 2008 The Sister of Ursula continue to put out rare gems and
give them their most definitive releases to date."
"An utterly batty shocker that should have earned a hefty cult following by
now along with its fellow trashy brethren like Strip Nude for Your Killer
and Red Rings of Fear... has now been rescued from bootleg oblivion and
presented all shiny and digitally-scrubbed to startle a whole new
audience... recommended."
"Outrageous, erotic, bloody, you have to admit it's an original. This
unique 1978 giallo is as compelling and sleazy as they come... For
collectors of the unusual, odd, obscure and transgressive in the Italian
giallo tradition this will be a must-have."
Our previously announced Joe D'Amato sex and flesh-eating fiesta PAPAYA -
LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS will hit the streets on June 24th, but that's
not all... The outrageous original 'video nasty' CANNIBAL TERROR will also
be released, with a beautiful new transfer from the original negative,
untouched since the film was shot back in 1981. This Eurocine production was
directed by Alain Deruelle under the pseudonym Allan W. Steeve (erroneously
long thought to be another of Jess Franco's many nom de plums). This is the
one that unapologetically features cannibals with Elvis sideburns and
comb-overs munching down on guts and gore! Sexgoremutants.co.uk describes
CANNIBAL TERROR as "a catalogue of perversions such as voyeurism, rape,
cannibalim and a Euro soundtrack that's an absolute blast!" This film has to
be seen to be believed. As the controversial video tagline tastefully
demanded: Don't view on a full stomach!
12 February 2008
Severin Gets Inglorious!
Severin have returned from our marathon film licensing and special features producing road trip in Europe and have come back with an embarrassment of Euro-Cult riches! The first of many announcements this year is the acquisition of THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS. We're not of course talking about the forthcoming QT remake but about Enzo Castellari's 1978 original starring Fred Williamson and Bo Svenson. We're talking about the most bad-ass war movie in Euro-cult history! In May we'll be releasing a massive 3 Disc Explosive Edition, complete with new transfer, commentary (see pic above of Castellari, Dave Severin and Italian featurette producer Federico Caddeo), documentaries and the never-before released soundtrack by Francesco De Masi!
Keep checking back for other announcements soon.
Before MAD MAX and THE ROAD WARRIOR there was STONE!
We're heading down under for our other May release, the Aussie biker classic STONE. Sandy Harbutt's pioneering antipodean exploitation smash has been newly transferred from the negative in Melbourne under the director's supervision. And Oz exploitation docco wiz Mark Hartley has put together a cool slate of extras old and new!
15 Jan 2008
The Father of Ursula!
Here's a brief clip from our half hour interview featurette with THE SISTER OF URSULA writer/director Enzo Milioni. You really have to see the craftsmanship behind this unique murder weapon in detail to fully appreciate it.
An extensive interview with the writer/Director of the notorious THE SISTER OF URSULA was shot in Rome earlier this month. In addition to regaling us with torrid tales of the the sordid production, Enzo Milioni surprised us by brandishing the infamous murder weapon/sex toy from the film, which he'd held on to all these years. Look forward to all the seedy details on our March 25th release of THE SISTER OF URSULA, certainly one of the most shockingly sleazy gialli in cinema history! And you've never seen it look like this, fully restored from the original negative. For more info folow this link.
Also in the can is an interview with legendary actor Venantino Venantini for our April release of THE BEAST IN SPACE. Shot at the opening of his art exhibit in a Rome gallery attended by all kinds of luminaries from the world of eurocult like Barbara Bouchet, Franco Nero and Giuliano Gemma (pictured right with Bouchet). By the way, for those of you who've never seen THE BEAST IN SPACE... well, it has to be seen to be believed! It was the last of Alfonso Brescia's five space operas and the only one that features Sirpa Lane (THE BEAST, PAPAYA, NAZI LOVE CAMP 27) getting cozy with a hugely-endowed man-beast. We've transferred from the original negative and it looks amazing.
2008 is going to be a banner year for Severin. We're planning a dream rosterfor the eurocult fan, including the outrageous, the titillating, the gory, the gialli, and for the lucky few of that particular persuasion, more Franco. A marathon featurette shooting binge will take place in Europe in January/ February and then we'll start announcing our treasure trove of forthcoming gems right here so keep checking back.
All the best for 08 from Carl, Dave and John Severin.
Barbara Bouchet and Giuliano Gemma
Franco Nero
Enzo Milioni
06 December 2007
THE PSYCHIC - delayed again
The disc has been re-authored and the audio fixed. Street date has
unfortunately been put back again until 12/18. The first review of the
re-authored disc is in:
THE PSYCHIC - audio error on preview copies, street date postponed to
December 4
Due to an authoring error resulting in very low levels on the feature audio
we will be destroying all copies of the first press of THE PSYCHIC. The
levels that were authored to preview copies of the DVD were unacceptable and
therefore have to be corrected prior to release. This has meant postponing
the street date until 12/4. Thank you for your patience.
25 October 2007
Fulci Silenced!
Unfortunately we have had to pull our two proposed extras featuring never
before published interviews with director Lucio Fulci that were due to
appear on THE EROTICIST and THE PSYCHIC. We gave the go-ahead for the two
pieces after being approached by an Italian producer who had access to the
interview materials, only for Lucio's daughter Antonella Fulci to step in
saying she would rather that they were not published. Out of respect for
Antonella and her father Lucio we have decided to abide by her wishes and
remove them from the discs.
In addition to new 16x9 transfers of both titles, each disc contains brand
new, exclusive interviews with many of the cast and crew. Both discs have
been delayed slightly and will now street on 13th November.
Second Helping of Black Emanuelle coming next month
Also on 13th November the second volume of BLACK EMANUELLE'S BOX will hit
the stores containing three more sumptuous tales featuring our adventurous
heroine. The four disc set will contain the uncut version of BLACK
EMMANUELLE/WHITE EMMANUELLE starring Laura Gemser and Annie Belle; Bitto
Albertini's official sequel BLACK EMANUELLE 2 starring Sharon Leslie and the
long unseen final D'Amato/Gemser/Emanuelle collaboration EMANUELLE AND THE
WHITE SLAVE TRADE. All three films will feature new 16x9 transfers as well
as exclusive extras and the set is rounded off by the second CD of newly
remastered Nico Fidenco music.
We have also recently acquired two Sirpa Lane titles for release next year,
truly bizarre inter-galactic re-imagining of the THE BEAST, THE BEAST IN
SPACE AND and Joe D'Amato's PAPAYA LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS. Both will
be newly re-mastered from original vault elements and available on DVD for
the first time in the world.
And the good notices keep coming for our two September releases MALABIMBA
THE MALICIOUS WHORE and SATAN'S BABY DOLL. Check them out here:
Severin Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes!
At last! Lucio Fulci's masterpiece The Psychic (aka Sette note in nero / Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes) will hit DVD this fall. Along with a 16x9 transfer of the uncut version of this long out-of-print film, the DVD will include a never-before-published interview with Fulci as well as interviews with cast and crew. This seminal release will street on October 30th along with the official DVD premiere of the uncut version of Fulci's acclaimed sex comedy The Eroticist (which will also contain a Fulci interview and cast/crew featurette).
11 June 2007
First LAURE reviews are in!
The pre-release reviews of LAURE have been been hitting the web and they're hot! In addition to the "voyeuristic pleasures" of the feature and the "very fastidious transfer", a lot is being made of the fact that Producer Ovidio Assonitis reveals the shocking true identity of "Emmanuelle Arsan" in the disc's extras.
Severin has just signed five astounding Italian erotic classics - three of which feature Laura Gemser as black Emanuelle and two satanic sinfests.
EMANUELLE & THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE: a rousing reunion of the formidable EMANUELLE IN AMERICA team of Gemser and the mighty Joe D'Amato!
SISTER EMANUELLE: our favorite open-minded nymph has a change of heart and trades in her sexual habits for a sexy habit. You can imagine what kind of sinful shenanigans subsequently go on behind convent walls!
BLACK EMMANUELLE/WHITE EMMANUELLE: Actually a crafty retitling of BLACK VELVET but it not only boasts Gemser, you also get the delicious Annie Belle (HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK; LAURE) and giallo queen Susan Scott (DEATH WALKS IN HIGH HEELS)!
And last but certainly not least the first official DVD releases of the ultimate possessed nun sleaze-fest and its follow up.
MALABIMBA: THE MALICIOUS WHORE: You may be familiar with other outrageous Andrea Bianchi works such as BURIAL GROUND and STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER but even they won't prepare you for the dirty delights of MALABIMBA, which features arguably the most salacious invalid death scene in cinema history!
SATAN'S BABY DOLL: One year later Mario Bianchi (no relation) remade MALABIMBA and threw heroin addiction and zombies into the mix!
Expect new transfers from the original negatives of all of the above. Keep checking back for more exciting announcements from the Severins.
