THIS WEEK @ CULT LABS: 30 SEPTEMBER 2011

IT’S THE LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER!

"Never turn your back...on The Ripper!"

So make it a good ‘un! Today, the 30th of September, is a rather interesting day in the annals of human history. It marks the day when, in 1888, Jack the Ripper  murdered his third and forth victims. 67 years later to the day, James Dean was killed in a road accident. The first images of a live giant squid were first recorded on this day and the infamously controversial Danish cartoon of Muhammed was printed as well as, more recently the Sumatra earthquakes which took the lives of more than 1,115 people! But more importantly, it also is the day that saw the release of  another weekly newsletter! Let’s celebrate! Horray, horrah, woot woot and woop woop, etc, etc. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen put your hands together for another info-packed newsletter extravaganza.

Or something like that.

ALL THE BEST THINGS OUT NOW!

“So Kyle, what great films are out this week?”

It's loose!

Well my inquistive reader, there is one film out this week, but I doubt you’ll be interested. It’s just some old cannibal movie from Italy or somewhere. No biggie. It’s called Cannibal Holocaust I think, or something along those lines. Oh wait, you mean THE Cannibal Holocaust?! The single most shocking film in the history of cinema? The film that caused more controversy than can be believed? The film that is quite easily the single greatest cannibal film of all time? The film that…you get the picture. Yes, the one and the only Cannibal Holocaust has hit the UK in it’s most complete form since those pre-cert days, and with a whole new edit to boot.  Yippee! So get yourself a copy, DVD or Blu-Ray, and join in the conversation over at the official forum. And whilst you’re at it, why not check out the Cult Labs blog for a whole load of Cannibal themed posts! Om nom nom!

Also out this week are two Arrowdrome releases! Horray! Another Argento flick, the classic Deep Red AND Lucio Fulci’s zombie-classic The House By The Cemetery. Both fully uncut and packed with a bundle of very cool bonus features. If you’ve been visiting your local HMV to get the previous Arrowdrome in-store exclusives, your collection must be coming along pretty well by now – be sure to show it off over on the forum! To find out more about these releases click here (Deep Red) or here (The House By The Cemetery)! Enjoy!

The Polish Artwork - love it or hate it?

This week also saw the muchly anticipated Arrow Video Blu-Ray release of Dario Argento’s second film The Cat O’Nine Tails. A brilliant giallo this, which lives up to some of Argento’s best. The film is presented in stunning high-def with a heap load of extras too. Visit the Blu-Ray Specs thread to see all the info on this release. Earlier this week, I  put together a  little blog entry to celebrate that rather strange third artwork panel. Click here to see that blog – it’s full of Polish Poster artwork. Oooh pretty pictures! And don’t forget to share your Argent-o-meter (don’t ask me how you pronounce that!) and let us know which of Argento’s films you like the most and the least…in order! It’s a tough choice.

But that’s not all! Oh no, there’s even more great releases out now!

“He’s the greatest! He’s fantastic! Wherever there is danger he’ll be there. He’s the ace! He’s amazing! He’s the strongest, he’s the greatest…”

No, mortal readers, it is not the theme tune to the life of yours truly, although it’s not far from it.  In fact it is, as if you didn’t know, the intro song to that childhood favourite Danger Mouse! Relive those memories again with the release of the 30th Anniversary Edition Box Set containing every. Single. Episode. Ever. Ever. Ever! Or get it for your kids, but secretly watch it with them. This  DVD box set  from FreemantleMedia Enterprises has been out since the 26 September so what are you waiting for? Pick up yours now. Go on! Hop to it! Hop…because of the frog…in Danger Mouse…because…ah never mind, just get it! Visit the official thread right about here to get the lowdown or geek out at the fanhub for some Danger Mouse madness!

Remember this bad boy?

COMING SOON TO A SHOP NEAR YOU…

Seeing us into October – the month of Halloween! – we have ourselves a whole casket full of horror films heading your way thanks to those fine people at Arrowdrome. Just take a look at some of these upcoming releases:

  • They’re coming to get you, horror fans.

    Battle Royale – A classic slice of Asian entertainment. There can only be one survivor. Who will it be? Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself. This is set for release on 3rd October.

  • Bay Of Blood – Or perhaps you’re after a chunk of giallo goodness? Well, look no further than this masterclass in the genre that only Italians can ace. This is also set to be released on the 3rd October.
  • Trilogy Of The Dead – Zombies! Zombies! And even more zombies!! Arrowdrome have released George A. Romero’s flawless trilogy, Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead in a beautiful (as beautiful as the living dead can be) box set, complete with new booklets, artwork and special features! Of course, you could buy the latter two seperately if you so wish, or get them all together in one gore-geous bundle! I know what I’d do. This will be in shops on the 3rd October too.
  • The Devil’s Kiss – Now here’s one film that’s a little more obscure then the other releases. I haven’t actually seen this one myself yet, but from what I’ve heard it sounds crazy! Oh and there’s zombies in this one too. But you’ll have to wait a little longer for this gem, it’s not out until the 17th of October.

Also out early next month is the cult comedy film from many of the Monty Python team. Yep, it’s that epic adventure with terrible singing, Erik The Viking. Due for release on the 10th October, this package includes not only the original cut but also the Director’s [Son's] cut and, of course, a whole bunch of extras, a booklet and that ever important reversible artwork. Check out this almighty link to answer all your questions, before you go BESERK! And if you’re a fan of the Pythons then this thread is home sweet home.

Iluvvhs!

And now for something completly different. Shameless have released a bunch of new information on their latest boxset, Shameless Slasher Nasties. Featuring within it is that momentous gialli classic Torso, nunsploitation Killer Nun and the Last House On The Left inspired (and better!) Night Train Murders Honestly, these are three of the better Shameless releases, in my opinion and are great for a night of Italian sleaze! But perhaps the one thing that made me so excited I tinkled a bit, was the artwork of this release. Just look at it – what a beauty. I’m a huge fan of the VHS and this is just…WAH! Words can’t describe it’s awesomeness. And what’s more it’s in the same propotions as a Big Box VHS as well. For more details on this release head here. It’s due to hit shop shelves on the 24th October – just before Halloweeny.Or if you fancy checking out our VHS dedicated threads then this is the perfect place to go, or check out this new thread by Chattery, asking ‘Why Do We Love The VHS?‘.

Zombies. Don’t you just love ‘em. They’ve come a long way since those sugar cane slave days. Aww, it makes me so proud to see those little flesh-eating blighters all growed up. Now the genre has gone full circle on us, heading back to the voodoo-obsessed African domain they once spawned from. Similar to Wes Craven’s The Serpent And The Rainbow…only better, comes the simply epic The Dead. These zombies are slow. Real slow. But they’re also hungry. Hungry for some good ol’ human flesh. Who isn’t these days? Oo-er. This film is such a beautifully shot film, but dont let that fool you into thinking this film is some nicey-nicey, lovey-dovey, arty-farty, hoity-toity zombie flick. Oh no, far from it. There’s brains, there’s guts, there’s gore and there’s flesh-noming left, right and centre. Set for release on the 10th October this is perfect for all you sonambolist fans! Simply incredible. Visit the official forum or the fanhub for all the info.

Out the very same day (the 10th October) sees the release of one of the greatest Hammer films EVER made – and that’s saying something! We’re talking true classics here, people. Yes, it’s that brilliant British film The Quatermass and the Pit! See, I told you it was a classic. The best Hammer title? Well that’s a tough call, but it’s definetly right up in the top three, in my books. Check out the mini-forum right here or visit Sam@Cult Labs‘ brilliant  blog entry for a bundle of info!

Bloody hell! That’s a lot of stuff right there. I need a break! Time for some hot dogs. Here’s Cliff, to entertain you in the meantime.  *Out For Lunch*

Hey! Don’t be hating on Cliff! He’s an icon, and this song is freakin’ awesome! “She’s gonna get you from behind…” Whatever floats your boat, Cliff, what ever floats your boat.

Oh, I’m back by the way. Time to crack on with…

WIN! WIN! WIN! BECAUSE WE’RE GENEROUS LIKE THAT.

This week the Cult Labs’ forum has been competition mad! We’ve got them coming out of our ears! So here’s a lowdown on each of the three competitions running at the moment…

  1. Meow.

    Weekly Competition – The Cat O’Nine Tails Blu-Ray. For this week’s weekly competition I’m giving away three copies of Arrow Video’s latest Dario Argento release – mentioned above. Click the link to join in the week long game of 20 questions to be in with a chance of winning! This competition closes on the 2nd October.

Every one loves a Weekly chance to win prizes – they’re brilliant fun. But then there’s the daddy of all competitions. The kings of the Comp Corner. That’s right (insert drum roll here) this week Cult Labs are running two massive

SUPER COMPS!!!

  1. Super Comp – The Twilight Zone Vol. 4 Box Set – A chance to win this fantastic collection of Twilight Zone episodes! Worth between £35-50 this really is one hell of a prize, which is why we’re only giving away 2! We may be generous, but we’re not stupid. This comp also ends on the 2nd October.
  2. Another Super Comp – Nerdoh T-Shirts! -Now this competition is particularly exciting! We’ve teamed up with the brilliant t-shirt online store, Nerdoh to giveaway any of their t-shirts to three very lucky winners! And whats more, each and every person who enters will automatically get themselves a 10% off discount code. How’s that for a Super Comp?! This comp finishes a little later on the 9th October.

Just a few examples of Nerdoh' tees

Whilst I’m at it, a huge congratulations to Nekromantik, PaulD and jiraffejustin for each managing to win last week’s Cannibal Holocaust competition. Nicely done lads!

THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE LABORATORY…

As always the Cult Labs forum has been bubbling with activity. It is the greatest place in the history of the galaxy, after all. So here are just a few of the new threads that have caught my eye this week:

  • Ricky Chad asks a very interesting question in this thread. “Do people still care about artwork and boxes?” What do you think? In this modern age of flimsy little blu-ray packaging and downloads this is a good question. Personally, yes. Yes they do. But perhaps that’s just me. Anyways, let us know what you think! To quote the immortal words of Reaper@Cult Labs, “**** the downloads!”. **** the downloads, indeed.

  • Here’s a bit of fun! Slippery Jack is hosting a fantastic Quiz in this thread (QUIZ TIME!) and it’s not as easy as it first seems. Check it out and prove your the king (or Queeny) of Cult Cinema. Go on, you know you want to.
  • Shameless Erotica – here’s a thread dedicated to the idea of Shameless releasing a whole batch of erotic sleazy films – you dirty bugger, Pete! If you want Shameless to release even more tits, ass, boobies, bum bums, wobbly-bits, firm watermelons, lady lumps then visit here and convince them to become a  real jug-fest.  Pwoar! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!
  • Do you believe?

    I think I’ve stuck this in a newsletter before, but screw it, I love this type of stuff. UFOs: Are You A Believer? Well, are you? mr 420 seems convinced as am I. I mean you only need to look at Lady Gaga to realise it! Click the link to share your UFO experiences and thoughts.

  • The Argent-o-meter thread I started to post your favourite and least favourite Dario Argento films has just spawned itself a mutant sibling. Pete‘s created a Fulci-O-Meter! Personally I’ve always loved Fulci’s work a lot more than Argento…yeah yeah yeah, shot me. It’s a tough choice, but where will you put his filmography on a scale of ‘Superb’ to ‘Steaming pile of crap’?
  • From a steaming brick to a bunch of plastic bricks. ! Almar@Cult Labs has found and posted a brilliant Tenebrae spoof…made entirely with Lego. Yes, Lego! The guy who made this is a genius! Move over, Einstein – it’s not been your week lately  has it(what with the neutrino stuff). Click here to watch it!

CULT LABS FILM NIGHT

Night Train Murders AKA Late Night Trains

As the month draws to a close, its time to get excited about another Cult Labs Film Night! Boo-yeah! This October’s Film Night we’ll be watching either Night Train Murders, Vamp, The Strange Vice Of Mrs Wardh, The Return Of The Living Dead or Torso. I went with NTM simply because it’s awesome, and we had a the fun filled film Evil Dead II last month, so it’s a little different. Head here to cast your vote. See you there on Monday!

    So that’s all for this week.

    Oh and before I go….

    There are so many ways you can get involved with all the cult film fun at Cult Labs:

    o Join in the debate on the forums.

    o Sign up to the newsletter (if you haven’t already!).

    o Read the blog.

    o Join us on Facebook.

    o Follow us on Twitter.

    o Check us out on MySpace.

    Toodle pip,

    Kyle (Iluvdvds).

    P.S. Here’s a totally irrelevant picture. See you next week!

    A donkey in a sombrero. No reason.

 

PRE-ORDER @AMAZON

QUATERMASS & THE PIT ON BLURAY: 10.10.11

1958 was a watershed year for venerable UK movie producers Hammer Films. That was the year when they revolutionized horror cinema, updating the classic monsters of the 30s Universal era – specifically Dracula and Frankenstein – for a new generation whose interests had been piqued by revivals of the older horror films as well as magazines and comic books based on these first superstar monsters.

By bringing horror to the audience in vivid colour and by not holding back on the violence and sexuality, Hammer set a gothic blueprint for scary movies that would make the studio a lot of money and help push the genre forward, but Hammer were never just a horror studio. Let’s not talk about the On The Buses movies here shall we, but if you want to see another, quieter revolution in British film, look back upon the years leading up to that fateful year of 1958 – when the studio tied it’s horror colours to the mast and became forever associated with camp vamps and ripped bodices – and explore the mannered and rather wonderful Sci-Fi movies that the studio produced, among which Quatermass & The Pit is a stand out.

PRE-ORDER QUATERMASS & THE PIT CLICK HERE

The Four Sided Triangle (1953)

Effectively a dry run for the mad science plots of future Gothic Frankenstein offerings, this terribly proper English countryside set, research gone wrong drama is a rather gentle thrill ride for modern audiences.

Spaceways

With special effects lifted from early Sci-fi classic Rocketship X-M, Spaceways is a low budget manned space flight drama designed as a programme filler. A curio from the vaults.

The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)

And so Hammer’s Sci Fi output leaves behind the quaint for a far more psychologically terrifying arena of genuine fear and unease. Adapting the hit BBC drama series for a big screen, X-rated version, the first cinematic appearance of Professor Quatermass was a runaway success, leading to a sequel – Quatermass II – and the classic late 60s movie, Quatermass & The Pit (Read the full press release for the upcoming Bluray edition of HERE)

X The Unknown (1956)

Or maybe… an unofficial Quatermass? Writer Nigel Kneale refused permission for the professor to appear in X The Unknown, a Scotland set Alien invasion yarn which ticks similar boxes to the classic series of Sci-Fi movies. Soldiers start by detecting high levels of radiation in the Highlands, leading to horrific off camera terror as something nasty stalks the locals.

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Peter Cushing heads up a team of explorers in the Himalayas in search of the mythic Yeti. Echoes of the moral dilemmas at the heart of the King Kong story are present as Cushing, in his role as a man committed to science, must battle those in his team with more commercial interests… and a load of angry Yetis as well.

QUATERMASS & THE PIT: Digitally restored and on blu-ray for the first time. Out on Double play: 10.10.11. FIND OUT MORE NOW. CLICK HERE

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