The Castle of Fu Manchu

The Legendary Asian Crime Lord Is Back...And International Evil Has A Chilling New Home!
Christopher Lee returns as the diabolical super-villian who along with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin of THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU and THE JOY LUCK CLUB) creates a fiendish new chemical weapon that will turn the seas into a giant block of ice. But when his Archenemy Nayland Smith (Richard Greene of TALES FROM THE CRYPT) tracks the madman's trail of kidnapping, murder and massive global destruction, he himself becomes trapped in Fu's impenetrable lair of cruelty. Can any of the world's top secret agents (including a wild performance by Director Jess Franco) now stop the cold-blooded terror that lives in THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU?

Maria Perschy (99 WOMEN) and Rosalba Neri (JUSTINE) co-star in this notorious sequel to THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU directed by Jess Franco (THE BLOODY JUDGE, VAMPYROS LESBOS) that marked Christopher Lee's final performance as the infamous Chinese madman. This definitive edition of THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU has been newly restored from it's original print and packed with exclusive new Extras for a disc full of Fu Manchu mayhem!

EXTRAS

The Fall of Fu Manchu - Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, Stars Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin
Theatrical Trailer
Poster & Still Gallery
The Facts of Dr. Fu Manchu
Talent Bios
Liner Notes by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas

Technical

Color
Dolby Digital Mono
English
1.66:1 / 16x9
1969
94 Mins
Not Rated
Region Code: 0


Christopher Lee Stars as the legendary bad guy Fu Manchu. Its seems that Fu Manchu has kidnapped a scientist and forced him to divulge his special formula for turning water into ice! OMG! This is worse than it seems at first glance, because we are talking about LARGE amounts of water, like ocean sized amounts of water. And the formula does not involve littel trays that fit inside the household freezer. Rather something more ominous called "crystals". oh yes, and in this case these powerful crystals are made from a distillation of the opium poppy. Thus it is off to Turkey for loads of fun with the diabolical mastermind so devious, that the world named a mustache after him. Of course their are Turkish drug lords to deal with, and pesky investigators from Scotland Yard, oh yes and it seems that we will also need to invent the heart transplant along the way. But no mater! These are mere trifles to a brilliant madman like Fu Manchu! The movie is a great romp through the youth of evil madmen bent on world domination films. Complete with demands made to all the worlds governments (via intercom) that they must meet his demands or have humanity plunged into a sea of frozen waste for all time. It at no point even seems important that Fu Manchunot once specifies what these demands are, as it is obvious that he is after all of it, the whole enchilada, and only an idiot would ask him what he was after, what he hoped to gain by all this. I mean he has a gorgeous assassin for a daughter and a loyal to the death army of red silk scarf wearing henchmen to do his bidding, so what do you think he wants? sheesh. Well, Fu Manchu throws down the gauntlet in this one, and its pay up or die time as far as he is concerned. Though there is a certain Englishman named Smith who would like to have a word with Mr Manchu before the fun ends. Check it out, a campy flick for a hot day, perfect with a friend and a glass of iced tea!

Shock Waves

Beneath The Living... Beyond The Dead... From The Depths Of Hell's Ocean!
In the dark days of World War II, the Nazi High Command ordered its scientists to create a top secret race of indestructible zombie storm troopers un-living, unfeeling, unstoppable monstrosities that killed with their bare hands. They were known as The Death Corps. No member of this horrific SS unit was ever captured by the allied forces and, somewhere off the coast of Florida, they have survived

Peter Cushing (THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN), Brooke Adams (THE DEAD ZONE) and John Carradine (THE HOWLING) star in this suspenseful and genuinely creepy shocker co-written and directed by Ken Wiederhorn (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD II) - one of the great horror "sleepers" of the 1970s. Although the film's original negative mysteriously disappeared over 20 years ago, SHOCK WAVES has now been transferred from the directors own vault print and digitally restored for this premiere DVD release!



Blue Underground has a real doozy of a zombie flick for you with this one! Nazi Zombie's in off the Florida coast. It makes sense. The back story on this cult horror flick is actually almost something you could believe. The Nazi's, after all, did get up to some bizzare things. Now, in this delightful little movie gem, we have an old diving boat out touring the glorious islands, complete with the buxom babe, the car salesman, his (soon to be filing for divorce) wife and a guy that can only be described as Larry from Three's Company sans the "ladies man" attitude. The 70's were king of many things and the handle bar mustache was certainly one of them. A glorious specimen of which, is sported by the hunky beach bum boat navigator. The boat comes into some sort of very odd solar activity which freaks everyone on board way out. The old salt captain is shaken, and orders "Let's get the hell out of here." Mustache grabs the wheel and throttles her up. They cruise through the deep dark Atlantic/Gulf night and nearly collide with a mysterious freighter. and get run aground on a deserted desert isle, with the skipper, the mooooovie starm the professor and Mary Anne oh wait sorry. couldnt help it. No no skipper. in fact the skipper has vanished. And the prof and Mary-Anne have nothing to do with this story. Anyways, the crew and passengers find the skippers corpse near the shore, "Larry" climbs a tree and spots a building in the distance. The weathered survivors hike over there, hoping to find a phone or some sort of aid. Instead they find a Nazi Hermit who has been living on the island alone scine the end of WW2. This cheerfull fellow informs them that there are Nazi SS super soldiers coming from the freighter and that they had best get off the island ASAP. Of course, there is a small boat up the dark path, and down the river a bit. Hurry now! you should RUN!

Great zombie (esq) story. I enjoyed this movie. It was vastly entertaining, with everything from cool 70's outfits to nifty 70's Florida Zombie make up. Quite a story, and has a cool "no one escapes" ending.

Snuff

Blue Underground brings you

The Film That Could Only Be Made In South America... Where Life Is Cheap!



And thats the truth! Sorta....


This movie is a loose South American fictionalization of the world famous LaBianca/Tate murders and the cult of Charles Manson. The story revolves around a young actress, in country to shoot a "sexploitation" film. However, (and isn't there always a 'however' in there somewhere?) she is targeted to be the mother of the "sacrifice" that the villain needs to further his depraved plot of, yup, world domination via sex and violence. This is all unbeknownst to the actress of course. She thinks she's just having a marvelous affair with a wealthy German arms dealer's son, in between shooting scenes for her "big" break. The baddies are a team of turbo vixens who adore their master (who goes by the name Satan, with the emphasis on the second syllable there so sa-TAWN) and go around town in bikini's (natch!) doing his bidding, such as slaughtering the local liquor store owner, oh and incidentally, the director of the young bouncy actress's movie. Seems he was cramping the plan in some way. This is all prior to the big B&E finale of the arms dealers house to complete the Manson analog and finish the story(!) The story is stilted a bit, and in a very very clever way that I was scoffing at, until the twist ending. And I mean like from out of nowhere type twist ending, that had my popcorn hand paused enroute to my open mouth as I absorbed exactly how deeply I'd been spoofed by the guys who made this movie. At which point the set of stilted, wierd, and sometimes outright flubbed shots, intentional bad acting, etc - the whole enchilada made perfect sense! Check this one out. and see if you can figure it out before they slam it in your face. I couldnt. They had me going the whole damn movie. Good for them!

This is all not to mention the great 60's (ish) costumes and the nods to classic rock songs most of my 30 something readers will instantly twig too. The movie has allusions to its forbears in the "psychedelia" genre, and of course the Manson Family.

Killer Nun

From the Secret Files of the Vatican! Uncut! Uncensored! Unholy!
Legendary Swedish sex bomb Anita Ekberg (LA DOLCE VITA) stars as Sister Gertrude, a cruel nun who discovers depraved pleasure in a frenzy of drug addiction, sexual degradation and sadistic murder. Joe Dallesandro (ANDY WARHOLS FRANKENSTEIN), Lou Castel (A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), Alida Valli (SUSPIRIA) and the luscious Paola Morra (BEHIND CONVENT WALLS) co-star in this notorious Nunsploitation sickie based on actual events that took place in a Central European country not many years ago!

Branded as obscene around the world and banned outright in Britain, KILLER NUN has been completely remastered from original vault elements and is now presented with all of its blasphemous sex and violence fully restored for the first time ever in America!


Blue Underground once again brings back a movie from the world of the banned. In this drug addled, sex driven who dunnit, we find ourselves as confused as a nun with a wicked morphine addiction. Who is killing the patients of the hospital? Is it the nun recovering from brain surgery? Is it the man Peter who cannot walk? Could it be a depraved doctor who, surrounded by chaste nuns simply loses it? No. Yes. Maybe. I enjoyed this movie. Plot develops quickly, and I was hooked early, convincedIi had the answer. Little did I know. hah!
Those nuns can be quite crafty, I suppose. A great movie from a time that will never return! At base it is an intelligent mystery movie that revolves around drug use and forbidden sex. There is one scene where a patient whose mouth has been taped shut, is repeatedly pierced with the needle tip of a syringe. I flinched. I admit it. Something about needles and eyeballs makes me squirmy. This is one hospital I wouldnt want to end up in!

The 10th Victim

THE ORIGINAL SEXY '60s CULT CLASSIC IS BACK!
It is the 21st Century, and society's lust for violence is satisfied by "The Big Hunt," an international game of legalized murder. But when the sport's two top assassins (Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress) are pitted against each other, they find that love is the most dangerous game of all. As the world watches, the hunt is on. Who will become THE 10TH VICTIM?

THE 10TH VICTIM is the international cult classic whose wild action and sexy style has influenced a generation of movies, from THE RUNNING MAN to the AUSTIN POWERS series. Remastered from original archival negative materials, this outrageous satire is presented here in its original Italian language with optional English subtitles.


This Movie ROCKS. Set in a fictional world where there is a "great hunt" - that the characters are participants in. This hunt assigns the players as either victims or hunters, with the hunters holding all the info on their victim, and the victim left in the dark except for a notification that the game is on, and to be on the look out.

The 10th kill, is a landmark for the players, with prizes and world wide acclaim.

Great story, well wrought, very stylized in that 60's way, that seems to have been lost in the films of today. Of the films from the Blue Underground library that I have had the pleasure to review, this one is right up there at the top of my favorites list. Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress delivered this plot with brilliance and just enough camp to let us know that essentially this was a romantic comedy, peppered with substantial bouts of action and very smart dialogue. A fast paced, tightly woven narrative, augmented by interesting and artistic camera work. An excellent movie with stunning visuals, and a lush laid back style. You will enjoy this one.

Succubus

THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE OF '69
At a chic nightclub for jaded jetsetters, a simulated snuff performance is the main attraction, and Lorna, its leading lady, is the obsession of men and women alike. Little do they realize that Lorna's Mephistophelean manager has transformed her into "the essence of evil... a devil on earth!" Soon the sensuous starlet's stage persona possesses her entirely, thrusting Lorna into a hallucinatory world of sadomasochistic excess and drawing everyone she touches into her debaucherous delirium. Can anyone stop Lorna before her perverse stage show becomes a murderous reality?

Starring the beautiful Janine Reynaud (TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS, KISS ME, MONSTER), Jack Taylor (THE GHOST GALLEON, THE NINTH GATE) and Howard Vernon (THE AWFUL DR. ORLOFF, DELICATESSEN), Jess Franco's (99 WOMEN, VAMPYROS LESBOS) Faustian fever dream provides the blue-print for the erotic horror that has become the infamous director's enduring legacy. Newly remastered from original vault materials, SUCCUBUS features exclusive Extras, including revealing interviews with Jess Franco and Jack Taylor!

DVD EXTRAS-

From Necronomicon To Succubus - Interview with Director Jess Franco
Back In Berlin - Interview with Star Jack Taylor
Theatrical Trailer


Succubus is loaded with really cool costumes, and sets. The mid and late 60's were so lushly attired, as portrayed in Franco's films, that I feel like we men of today get the short end of the stick, fashion wise. The scene that jumps out as my favorite involves a scampering Tranny, and a Little Person at a late night Acid soiree. The Acid is served over a silver platter held under each benefactors chin and placed in the mouth by the servers fingers. The party realllly got cool once everyone strated tripping. The way they showed each persons hallucinations impressed me and made me laugh, all at the same time. Succubus is the story of a deal gone awry, as most deals made with the devil are wont to do.

The roommate say's - "It was non linear, and sometimes difficult to follow, but very visually enticing."

So enjoy Blue Underground's release of Succubus, the next time you are in the mood for a spooky 60's, yet never "out moded" classic by the legend Jess Franco.

Fight For Your Life

The Incendiary Grindhouse Classic Of Racism, Rape And Revenge... Now Uncut And Uncensored!
Some have only heard of it as the notorious gut-cruncher in the tradition of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Others know it as one of the few movies to ever drive even the most jaded 42nd Street audiences into uncontrollable frenzy. This is the story of three escaped convicts (led by William Sanderson of BLADE RUNNER as the sickest psycho redneck in cinema history) who take a middle-class Black family hostage for a relentless nightmare of racist humiliation, sexual violence and extreme vengeance. No sleazehound whos seen it can ever forget FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!

Censored across America and banned outright in Britain, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE was released in various chopped-down versions as I HATE YOUR GUTS, STAYING ALIVE, GETTING EVEN and even THE HOSTAGE'S BLOODY REVENGE. Blue Underground presents this rarely seen shocker now fully restored from its original camera negative for an all-new look at one of the most disturbing and depraved exploitation films ever made!

Extras

Audio Commentary with Writer Straw Weisman and Director of Photography Lloyd Freidus
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spots
Poster & Still Gallery



OK, here's is a random story that comes to mind when i watched this movie.
I collect books, and in answering an ad, I ended up way out in the Valley (thats north of LA for those of you who arent familiar). And was invited by my host to poke around through several boxes of books to see if I wanted anything. I did so and found a gem or two among the large mass of books and odds and ends piled up in the yard of this gorgeous house. I ended up with a box of dismembered barbie dolls (yay!) and and old rifle barrel from a Winchester, and a sterling silver and glass carafe with a little base that holds a candle to keep your coffee hot. Oh, yeah i got some books too. Anyways, my host and I indulged ourselves in the "Hi how are you" chit chat thing, and came to realize that we had certain friends in common. My host was none other than Straw Weisman! I was actually taken aback, as I knew i had one of his movies on the review list at the office. Straw was most hospitable, and shared some of his thoughts on the movie with me, once I told him that i would be reviewing Fight For Your Life. Basically, he said that he loved working on this movie, and was proud to have it in his list of things done in this world. We didn't talk long, but I was left with the impression, that the world sure hadnt seen the last of this guy, or his movies, as his IMDB should plainly illustrate. Now how random cool is that?

and now- the review....

The opening sequences are really cool. They show how being in the wrong place at the wrong time can land you in some huge drama. That unsuspecting pimp just was trying to get his sack back from his less than honest employee! then Blammo! Next thing he knows, his car has been jacked, and his clothes stolen, he witnesses prisoners escape, and kill their gaurd, and is un ceremoniously left to fend for himself, as the car jackers throw him from the car in nothing but his undies. Poor guy! Now our main characters have a car, and one of em is wearing the pimps clothes, and the main bad ass himself is packing the gun he took from the guard, whom he shot with his own weapon. The prisoners tear ass across NY tring to make the border of Canada where William Sanderson (Blade Runner) who palys the character of escaped convict "Jessie Lee Kane" promises his cohorts, transportation to Paris to check out the honeys, and evade the rest of their jail terms in the States. Its a typical jail break and run for a while. Until, they take a hostage. The Hostage leads them to her home, and things go bad VERY quickly, as Jessie and the boys make themselves a little too at home, while waiting for night to fall so they can continue on thier run for the border. The tables get turned! I dont want to give too much away, so I will stop there, and suffice to say that "do unto others, lest they turn around and kill you"
is sort of in the bible somewhere. i think. hah!

Cool Movie! Several VERY brutal scenes, with one gut clenching "No fucking way!" moment in particular, that actually had me holding my breath. And in a grindhouse genre flick like this, thats very high praise!