The Big Racket

All The Bone-Breaking, Double-Barreled Action Fully Restored For The First Time Ever In America!
Fabio Testi (REVOLVER, CONTRABAND) stars as Inspector Nico Palmieri, a tough police detective tearing apart Rome to bust a ruthless protection racket. But when these violent thugs expand their empire into drugs, rape and murder, Nico throws away the rulebook to unleash his own brand of justice. In a city ruled by fear, there's a fine line between cop and criminal, and one lawman is about to blast it to pieces!

Academy Award nominee Vincent Gardenia (DEATH WISH) co-stars in this explosive crime thriller - featuring some of the most amazing stunts in '70s cinema - directed by Enzo G. Castellari (STREET LAW, THE HEROIN BUSTERS), now transferred from original vault materials and packed with explosive new extras.


Shoot em up movie lovers will love this one. Good Cop cant seem to get anything done in the face of the modern organized street thugs who got themselves a smart leader and began to network with other gangs. so. He goes across that line that every cop wants to obliterate in order to get things done. cool movie, very intense and full of the pain these people went through which led them to this heinous place in life.

I say check it out. its like a mod bad suit Roman anti-hero squad.


The roomie says- "With a sound track that sounds like its by the band "Goblin", a tightly woven plot, with a highly plausible premise, The Big Racket is notable, entertaining and fast paced. with some fantasticly brutal scenes that wold make any father reach for his shotgun."

The Final Countdown

"...THIS IS THE U.S.S. NIMITZ... WHERE THE HELL ARE WE?..."

The time is now. The place is aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz, America's mightiest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, a freak electrical storm engulfs the ship and triggers the impossible: The Nimitz is hurtled back in time to December 6, 1941, mere hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As the enemy fleet speeds towards Hawaii, the warship's Captain (Kirk Douglas), a Defense Department expert (Martin Sheen), a maverick Air Wing Commander (James Farentino) and a desperate Senator in the Roosevelt administration (Charles Durning) must choose between the unthinkable. Do they allow the Japanese to complete their murderous invasion or launch a massive counter-strike that will forever change the course of history?

Katharine Ross and Ron O'Neal co-star in this spellbinding sci-fi action hit filmed on location aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz with the full participation of the U.S. Navy and the ship's crew. Blue Underground is proud to present THE FINAL COUNTDOWN with an all-new THX-Certified High-Definition Transfer from the original camera negative with remixed 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX Soundtracks for the ultimate in explosive home theater excitement.


Well, Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen are faced with a world shattering dilema in this one! I mean, the Allies won World War 2, and who can say what their intervention at Pearl Harbor might have meant for the history of the war? I say it's a bad idea to get involved. We won dammit! Dont mess with that! Go talk to Einstein since he's alive and ask HIM what to do! Moral and Physics questions aside, what a movie!
An aerial battle between Mitsubishi Zeros and F-14 Tomcats! It's a "what if" lovers dream sequence. This movie is a fun watch for WW2 buffs and sci fi fans alike. Great deliveries by the cast and the US NAVY.

The roomie says, the movie treated animals humanely, and that, uh, no no. The Movie is very educational, because, who knew that the fate and US victory in WW2 was reliant upon the rescue and safe return of a collie named Charlie. (At this point he kinda goes off the deep end and i have chosen to zone him out, I may have to rethink his involvement in future reviews...)

The Loveless

From Kathryn Bigelow The Director Of NEAR DARK And Monty Montgomery The Producer Of WILD AT HEART
Willem Dafoe made his unforgettable movie debut as the leader of a 50s biker gang lost in a world of black leather, bad girls and sudden violence in the independent hit that marked the emergence of one of modern cinemas most important woman directors. Rockabilly icon Robert Gordon co-stars in this evocative drama co-written and co-directed by Kathryn Bigelow (NEAR DARK and POINT BREAK) and Monty Montgomery (producer of WILD AT HEART and TWIN PEAKS) with a too-cool soundtrack featuring original music by Robert Gordon and John Lurie.

Hailed as the thinking mans biker movie, THE LOVELESS now features a stunning new transfer from original negative materials and an exclusive audio commentary with Bigelow, Montgomery and Willem Dafoe.


This is a cool movie! Willem Dafoe's first one! I totally loved it. Some really great lines in here. I enjoyed this one. A group of motorcycle boys stops off in a tiny "town" to repair one of their "scooters". The reactions of the townsfolk to the wild ways embodied by the bikers is pretty diverse, ranging from disgust and the conviction that they must be "communists", to quiet curiosity and out right enthusiasm. The bikers find a garage to fix the bike in, and the leader meets a young girl who drives up in the T-Bird to get some gas. They drive off to pick up some booze and eventually end up back at a hotel for an afternoon romp in the sack. Along the way, the girl asks Vance (Dafoe) what he was in prison for, to which she is answered "Stealing cars.......they got me on the Mann Act." She gives him a deer in the headlights look and says "Whats that?" It was totally perfect. The film doesnt really seem to revolve around anything accept the juxtaposition of the bikers and the townies interactions. The girl surprises me at the end, and I didnt want it to end that way, saying to the screen "No! oh man!" all the while knowing that it was the absolute perfect way to do so. Great movie, great soundtrack, funny, thoughtful, brutal, and very well done! Willem Dafoe is a font of really great lines in this movie, and everyone has the "smoldering glare" down to a t. Check this one out next time you are feeling like the open road is the only place to be. (That is if you really just wanna watch a movie about the open road) I loved it. I think its my favorite of all the ones reviewed to this point.

Django

SERGIO CORBUCCI'S (1926-1990) IMMORTAL CLASSIC - NOW RESTORED FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE!

Franco Nero stars as the lone stranger who roams the West dragging a coffin filled with chaos towards a destiny ruled by vengeance. Co-writer/director Sergio Corbucci (THE GREAT SILENCE, COMPANEROS) packs his landmark classic with indelible images, unforgettable performances and some of the most shocking brutality of an 'Spaghetti Western' ever made. This is the still-controversial epic that defined a genre, launched a phenomenon and inspired over 50 unofficial sequels. This is the one and only DJANGO!

This definitive edition of DJANGO has been re-mastered from the original camera negative, recently discovered in a Rome vault untouched for over three decades. Also included for the first time is the optional Italian audio track featuring Franco Nero's own voice. Following two years of extensive restoration, Blue Underground is now proud to present the most stunning and complete version of DJANGO you will ever see.


A true spaghetti western. Or perhaps its a paella western, as it was shot in Spain in 1966. My roommate and I watched this tonight over beers and had some fun with it. Me first. ok This dude rolls into town dragging a coffin. GREAT start to any movie, right? On the way he witnesses a woman being horsewhipped. The banditos are quickly slain by a group of yet other banditos all sporting red masks, or scarves of some type. (yes, possibly the earliest depiction of "the bloods" in film) Our coffin dragging protagonist advises them in a soft "this is my best Clint Eastwood impression" voice that their plan to burn the woman on a cross is not an acceptable way to treat a lady. There is some idle banter about the coffin, would he like to have their help in getting into it, etc. Django, for it is he, declines this thoughtful gesture with a rapid flurry of six gun gymnastics in which every single bad guy falls dead to the ground. Truly an amazing marksman. He then takes the battered border whore (yeah) to the brothel in town (we learn later that she is an escapee from the brothel) and orders himself some food. He is in town on a mission. A PERSONAL mission, savvy? A score to settle. He basically posts up in the only place in town where anyone (not to mention everyone) will likely be by in the next hour or day. The story gradually unfolds and actually does have some cool twists ala
"Lando meets Han Solo after so long" and we are finally made privy to Djangos plan.
and its a doozy.


My roomie says, "I think it was a touch outlandish but acceptable. I thought it dragged a little bit, and wasn't too terribly focused. The uh tension could have been tighter, I thought. And, uh, it wasn't invigorating, ya know? It wasn't remarkable, would you say it wasn't remarkable?"

I reply, "Well, given the date, of 66, and that this was a very early example of the genre at all, I'd have to give them some points for developing on that, and anytime you are at the headwaters of something like this, there really isn't a standard to look at, you pretty much have to make it up yourself."

He says, "I'm going to be right back, I have to swing my car around." (street cleaning day, you know how it is.)

Well, while he's off doing that , I shall continue. Yeah, it dragged at times, but it had a few cool humdingers too. The whores were hilarious, and pretty much what you'd expect ghost town whores to look like. The bad guys were of two archetypes, the "purely bad" and the "I'm bad, but once you saved my life" schools. The whores were the only ones who were happy to see everybody, as they did not discriminate.

In conclusion, I'd say this is a cool movie for western movie fans, who enjoy the genre for its on sake, and are into more than just Clint Eastwood films. There is a series (I believe) of Django movies, and I will honestly look forward to reviewing some of the later offerings in this line, when i go to reload on DVDs.

and hey, Django is a cool name. Django. say it. It's fun. and so is the movie!



Now my roomie is stoked on the revieing og all these movies, and I will try to include his thoughts on the movies as well.

The Girl From Rio

A Carnivale Of Sex And Violence From Jess Franco The Director Of VAMPYROS LESBOS And EUGENIE
In the tradition of BARBARELLA and DANGER: DIABOLIK comes this swinging '60s action orgy as bisexual super-villain Sumitra (the luscious Shirley Eaton of GOLDFINGER and THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU) launches a diabolical plan to enslave the male species with her army of lusty warrior women. But when Sumitra kidnaps a fugitive American playboy, she crosses a sadistic crime boss (Academy Award winner George Sanders of ALL ABOUT EVE and VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED) and ignites a battle of the sexes that will bring Brazil to its knees in more ways than one. Get ready to experience Director Jess Franco at his most erotic, exotic and bizarre. This is THE GIRL FROM RIO!

Richard Wyler (THE BOUNTY KILLER) and Maria Rohm (EUGENIE, JUSTINE) co-star in this kinky cult favorite (also known as RIO 70, FUTURE WOMEN and THE SEVEN SECRETS OF SUMURU), packed with go-go boots, miniskirts and outrageous Jess Franco style. THE GIRL FROM RIO is now presented totally uncut and uncensored with all its eye-popping nudity, torture and lesbianism fully restored from original vault elements.


OK people, what we have here is a diabolical mastermind in the form of Sumitra, a woman bent on world domination. Sumitra has gathered together an army of sultry vixens and trained them in the use of guns and glamour in order to lure the rich
to her secluded island, where seh imprisons them and makes them cough up their cash or pay the ultimate price.

Our hero is a fella who has been hired to find the whereabouts of a wealthy heiress who has vanished without a trace. The trail leads him (and his smashing ensemble of plaid sport coats) to the island of Sumitra. Somehow, like all uber villains, Sumitra captures him, and gives him the obigatory tour of the facility including the warrior womens training grounds, the cells where shekeeps her captives and the vault where she has stored all the loot her Amazon women have stolen for the casue over the years. Somehow, our hero gets a message off to the people who hired him, (who seem to be mobsters) and an armada of helicopters carrying black suited fedora wearing gun toting guys who quickly engage in a pitched fire fight with the army of hand picked sexy women warriors. Then more stuff happens. oh yes. more stuff.
All in all I liked the movie, great scenes of Rio, the costumes made me question all fashion. Sort of a B level spy espionage story that is fun and entertaining in that "60's verging on 70's - I'm a sexy woman with guns, who wants to take over the world!" kind of way.

Cannonball

The Car Crash Cult Classic From The Director Of EATING RAOUL And DEATH RACE 2000
Buckle your seatbelt for The Trans-America Grand Prix, the infamous cross-country road race from Los Angeles to New York City. David Carradine of KILL BILL stars as Coy Cannonball Buckman, an ex-con and fallen stock car champ who puts pedal to the metal for one last shot at glory. But competition on the open road is a killer and Cannonball is the target!

Veronica Hamel (HILL STREET BLUES), Bill McKinney (DELIVERANCE), Gerrit Graham (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE), Mary Woronov (ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL), Robert Carradine (REVENGE OF THE NERDS) and Dick Miller (GREMLINS) co-star in this high-speed demolition derby directed by Paul Bartel, co-written by Don Simpson (controversial producer of BAD BOYS and THE ROCK) and featuring wild cameo appearances by Bartel, Simpson, Sylvester Stallone, Martin Scorsese, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Judy Canova and more.

OLD SCHOOL! Ha! what a fun movie. The late David Carradine really delivers in this mash up car race / vendetta movie! The old cars are seriously kick-ass, and the music is damn near old style porno funk. This genre topping flick has an absolutely incredible cast, and the characters of the different people racing across country are colorful and fun. There is a mega wreck on a freeway that had me rolling as cars seemed to crash into the front and middle of it as well as the back, where youd expect pile ups to build. ALSO of note is that in the day and age when this movie was shot, leading men who get the girls walk around shirtless in unzipped faded pink hoodies with bright red bandanas tied around their necks. Try that one today i dare you! If you like great vintage cars like souped up Trans-Ams and Chargers, and pimped Mustangs then you will like this movie just based on the cars! RIP Mr. Carradine, thank you for all the movies, and great stories you have shared with us through the years of your on screen carreer.

Maniac

It seems only fitting to do Maniac after that interview of William Lustig.

And so....

Frank Zito (a career performance by co-writer/co-executive producer Joe Spinell of ROCKY and THE GODFATHER fame) is a deeply disturbed man, haunted by the traumas of unspeakable childhood abuse. And when these horrific memories begin to scream inside his mind, Frank prowls the seedy streets of New York City to stalk and slaughter innocent young women. Now Frank has begun a relationship with a beautiful photographer (Caroline Munro of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME), yet his vile compulsions remain. These are the atrocities of a human monster. This is the story of a MANIAC.

Experience MANIAC like you've never seen or heard it before. Directed by William Lustig (MANIAC COP, VIGILANTE) and featuring landmark gore effects by Tom Savini (DAWN OF THE DEAD, FRIDAY THE 13th), this notorious classic was censored all over the world for its graphic violence and remains banned in England and Germany to this day. But MANIAC is more than just one of the most relentlessly depraved films of our time; it is quite possibly one of the most disturbing horror movies ever made.


Quite simply a must for anyone who considers themselves a fan of horror movies.
With one of the most famous movie kill scenes of all time! Ive been priveleged to hear some stories regarding the shooting process of this movie and I can only say that I wish I had been there! My favorite element of this film is the fetishy lair of the killer Frank. From his candle lit alter to the trophy mannequins capped off with the bloody scalps of his victims, it really sets the tone for Frank's madness. And it just plain looks cool! This movie predates all of the serial killer flicks by so much it isnt even funny. Yes, its still banned in parts of the world, which is pretty much a sign of how cool this movie really is even 28 YEARS after its initial release. If you havent seen this movie, you are missing out on a classic benchmark of the entire genre of splatter, gore, horror movies.

Horror Year Book interviews William Lustig (CEO Blue Underground)

A Blue Underground fan pointed me to these interviews on youtube, and viola!
Here you have the boss, the main man, cult film director William Lustig being interviewed by Molly Celaschi for horroryearbook.com. So get the facts from the source Bill himself!

Amazon Jail

Deep in the Amazon jungle, a group of nubile naifs are trapped in a primitive prison by whip-cracking white slavers who aren't above sampling the merchandise themselves. But these hothouse flowers aren't about to be plucked, and the girls go native - only to fall into the hands of a perverted priest whose followers just love a woman in war paint! Caught between brutal bounty hunters and the holy man's horny henchmen, it's a battle of wits, weapons, and feminine wiles as the desperate damsels trade it all to escape this poison paradise alive!

Director Oswaldo De Oliveira (BARE BEHIND BARS) brings us this exotic twist on the woman-in-prison genre, with salacious sleazeballs Sergio Hingst (AWAKENING OF THE BEAST) and Joao Paulo Ramalho (PERVERSION, HELLISH FLESH) pursuing some of Brazil's sexiest starlets through scene after scene of primal passion and sadistic violence, culminating in an all-out orgy deep in the deadly Green Inferno.


WOW! fun movie! Girls are lured to the cage with promises of employment as Travel Agents. They are then sold in batches to buyers from the States. One girl manages to seduce the young nephew of the main slaver, and secures his promise to help the girls escape. However, escape is only the first step in truly being safe. There is of course, the jungle and the wacky goldminers, and random junglists to deal with!

I liked it. The "orgy" scenes have cool music, with a lone conga player providing the music for the girls to dance to. The captive girls are in a lot of body paint and dont seem to hate the whole idea of being sold, at points, as they are promised rich patrons and lots of money and jewels. And we all know that women respond favorably to being kidnapped and then sold for sex. Or at least some of the captives in the movie seem to think its a good idea, and a better job offer than Travel Agent.
This leads so a schism in the ranks of girls, pro escape vs content with their lot, and they have sexy shower fights to establish which idea will prevail in the cage.

Its fun, tongue in cheek, full of ridiculousness, and bouncing boobies covered in festive "Amazonian" paint jobs. Thus, i recomend it for viewing! I laughed. However, there is no way you could make a movie like this nowadays. Youd get crucified.
So heres to a cool, fun movie that shows how absurd we can all be.

Conquest

Totally Uncut And Uncensored!
At the height of the Sword & Sorcery craze, Maestro Of Gore Lucio Fulci (ZOMBIE) attacked the genre like no filmmaker had ever done before. Jorge Rivero (RIO LOBO), Andrea Occhipinti (NEW YORK RIPPER) and the luscious Sabrina Sellers (WHITE CANNIBAL QUEEN) star in this surreal epic of brain-bashing barbarians and breast-baring maidens, filled with eye-popping cinematography, jaw-dropping violence and a pounding score by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin.

For more than 20 years, Fulci fans have only experienced this bizarre shocker via shoddy VHS tapes. CONQUEST has now been fully restored from pristine vault elements and is proudly presented in totally uncensored gore-spurting splendor!

Ok, I love movies like this. Full of swords and magic and what not. This one was fun to watch, especially the leg bone nunchuk scenes. HA! good stuff. The bad guys in this are some sort of wookie looking dog people led by a nekkid lady who wears a full head mask/helmet & has visions of a faceless hero shooting her with a bow and arrow that is made out of pure energy. Needless to say she freaks out and sends her minions out to capture, kill, maim and otherwise annoy our heroes. There is alot of brain smashing in this one and a bit of spiritual cannibalism thrown in for good measure. Its a fun movie, and i enjoyed it.

Venus in Furs

"It all began last year near Istambul, on the shore of the Black Sea, or at least I think it did"

is the line that starts Jess Franco's Venus in Furs.

The movie never really grabbed me. what can i say? Something about the pace.
However thats not to imply that it wasnt worth a watch. The music alone
is worth its weight in gold, and is essential to the plot as well. You see,
Jim (the main character whose opening line is above) is a Jazz trumpet player.
He plays small clubs all over the world. (nice gig, Jim!) After witnessing a rather
surprising murder in club, he becomes obsessed with the reappearance of the victim
who seems to have something of a thing for him. But wait! she's dead! thinks poor Jim. I saw her body wash up on a beach in Istambul! then how is she walking into this posh private party I'm gigging at in Rio during Carnival? And thus begins Jims
engulfment in the mystery that is Wanda (the Venus in Furs herself)
the scenes of carnival are awesome, and the music scene the of the club shots and private parties were really cool to watch. The music was done by Manfred Mann, and evey now and again they unleash the title track, sung by Jim's very talented vocalist / lover. But really. what the hells going on? is she dead or not? Jim doesnt really seem to care. The girl is too hot for him to worry about these little details. Or maybe the problem is realllllly with Jim himself?
All in all, I can see this movie being enjoyed best as a sort of background to a party. Allowing people to fade in and out of it as they wish. The scenes are visually very appealing and some of the early special effects would add that "60's acid flashback" vibe to any room. Yeah. I have to say this one is more ambient than engrossing as a story. But a very cool and jazzy atmosphere full of 60's fashions, and exotic cities, a dash of skin and the confusion of a man.

Justine de Sade

Director Claude Pierson's adaptation of the Marquis de Sade's
catalog of hedonistic horrors stars Marco Perrin (ARMY OF SHADOWS),
the lovely Alice Arno (FEMALE VAMPIRE) and her real-life sister
Chantal Broquet (GOLDEN TEMPLE AMAZONS).
This scandalous spectacle has been widely censored, banned,
and virtually unseen in the United States - until now,
as JUSTINE DE SADE arrives fully restored and uncut on DVD
for the first time ever!




THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE! I have never seen anything like it!
Its horrible! yet i couldnt help but laugh at this poor girls
trials. It seems our heroine (or victim in this case) just cant
get her feet under her for more than 3 seconds before the next
band of dastardly hedonists gets her in their clutches.
"Vigorously, du Bois, Vigorously!" is my new favorite line from
a film. When that gem was unleashed, I almost choked from laughing.
AND the language is some of the most eloquent and flowery justification
of self indulgence Ive ever come across. They make what they do to her
sound like kindness, like its for her own good, like if she would only
see the truth they could save her. See, through each kidnapping, job working
for a perverted rich household, etc etc, Therese begs that her honor be
respected, as she is a very moral girl. Some of them actually do, sorta.
The rest just take what they will, over her protests. OK this movie is BOUND
to offend a large number of people who encounter it for the first time.
However, if you are into cult films, you couldnt do better than this one!
I laughed and laughed. Admittedly upfront, frank, and very sexual people
of great (if momentary) power vs the moral fiber of a "poor orphan girl
already well aquainted with adversity." Set in France (with all censored scenes
restored with subtitles) the costumes are hilarious and the actors carry this
movie off perfectly. This movie clearly deserves its status as a cult favorite.
not for kids tho! or prudes. This is a sexy comedy full of naked bodies, and adult situations. anyways! I loved it. Had a blast watching it, and cant recommend it enough for the next time you are in the mood for a farcical romp through
the Marquis de Sade's unique humor. oh man! that poor girl!

La Scorta

Winner Of Five Italian Oscars
Including Best Director - Ricky Tognazzi


Sicily, 1992: When a high-profile judge and his bodyguard
are brutally murdered, four reluctant young cops are
assigned as 'La Scorta' - Italian for 'the escorts' - to
protect the replacement prosecutor from Mafia assassins.
But in a country where high level corruption and sudden
violence are a way of life, the squad quickly find themselves
outnumbered, outgunned and desperately out of time. Even if
they can survive the daily threat of car bombs and ambushes,
will personal conflicts and backroom betrayals blow apart the
nation's most unlikely team of heroes?

Claudio Amendola (in his breakout performance) and Enrico Lo Verso star in this white-knuckle thriller from writer/director Ricky Tognazzi featuring a pounding score by Ennio Morricone and based on a true story of uncommon courage.


WOW

This one was a gritty sort of
"damned if you do, damned if you dont" type of movie.
Even the good guys were bad guys. But thats politics no?

The scenery of this movie was great. Lots of driving through twisty, turny, narrow roads. Some really cool aerial views of the route the bodyguards negotiated through the city. Movies like this make me wonder what the point of the justice systems really is. Because according to this movie, it has very little to do with the law.

AND the main guy kept remindingme of Tony Danza, which was kinda cool.

Daughters of Darkness

Recently I completed my latest assignment for Blue Underground (it only took a year!) and now have a bit of free time so I've picked up a stack, and selected Harry Kumel's Daughters of Darkness to be the first BU release to post on this blog. So away we go!


The film is very mod, with opulent sets(mostly hotel interior)and paced perfectly to match the innate sense of mystery that makes the story flow as lush as it is.

A Young newly wed couple, stay over in a posh hotel. Where they meet none other than Countess Elizabeth Bathory and her secretary, the lovely Ilona. The Countess seems to have some sort of agenda for being in town, and poor Ilona lets us know that she is horridly unhappy with her lot in life. The pair engage in a seduction of the young newlyweds, thus unleashing a bloodbath of passionate errors and saphic vampirism, which of course, is the entire reason to watch the movie! The character of the countess is played by Delphine Seyrig, who has mastered the use of the noble need to never raise ones voice, and to maintain a smile, even while burying the bodies. Now I dont want to give too much away in these little reviews, so let me just say that i enjoyed this film and was shocked into caring what the hell was going on with the characters. While its not exactly the type of movie that people seem to be getting from Hollywood these days, it is certainly very enjoyable, and sort of made me want to attend a nice dinner party.