The Eureka & Masters of Cinema Thread

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

May 26th

Terror In The Fog : The Wallace Krimi at CCC

Titles Include : The Curse of the Yellow Snake ? The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle ? The Mad Executioners ? The Monster of London City ? The Racetrack Murders

In the 1960s, a cycle of crime films ? or krimis ? became hugely popular with West German audiences. Adapted from works by the British crime writer Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan Edgar Wallace, they combined the traditional murder mystery with horror as they depicted enigmatic killers stalking their victims through foggy English landscapes ? from the streets of London to isolated rural mansions. Following the early success of the cycle after the release of Face of the Frog and The Crimson Circle, veteran producer Artur Brauner launched into his own series of Wallace krimis with his company CCC Film. Presented here are five key films drawn from CCC?s krimi cycle.

In The Curse of the Yellow Snake, a mysterious cult wishes to lay its hands on an ancient artefact that has been brought to London from Hong Kong. The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle sees a masked murderer stalk the grounds of a vast British estate ? one who brands his victims? foreheads with the letter ?M.? London is faced with dual threats in The Mad Executioners, as a gang of hooded vigilantes roams the streets while a sadistic serial killer is on the loose. Jack the Ripper lives on in The Monster of London City, as a series of brutal murders brings panic to the British capital. Finally, in The Racetrack Murders (or The Seventh Victim), people are dropping like flies in and around a stately home ? and the murders might just have something to do with the owner?s prized racehorse.

With its masked killers, labyrinthine plots and gothic atmosphere, the Wallace krimi blended crime, thriller and horror elements into a potent mix that had a significant influence on both the Italian giallo and the American slasher film. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present five of Artur Brauner?s Wallace adaptations for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK from new restorations provided by CCC Film, alongside a wealth of special features ? including a bonus film presented in standard definition, The Phantom of Soho.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited Edition Box Set [2000 copies]

Limited edition hardcase featuring new artwork by Poochamin [2000 copies]

Limited edition 60-page collector?s book featuring a new introduction to the Wallace krimi cycle by film writer Howard Hughes, a new essay on Edgar Wallace and Bryan Edgar Wallace by crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw and new notes on each film by Holger Haase, co-editor of Krimi! magazine [2000 copies]

All five films presented in 1080p HD from 2K restorations of the original film elements undertaken by CCC Film

The Phantom of Soho (Franz Josef Gottlieb, 1964) ? bonus feature (presented in SD)

Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release

Optional English dubs for The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, The Mad Executioners, The Monster of London City and The Phantom of Soho

New introductions to each film by genre film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas

New audio commentaries on The Curse of the Yellow Snake and The Phantom of Soho by Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw

New audio commentaries on The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, The Mad Executioners and The Racetrack Murders by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby

New audio commentary on The Monster of London City by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones

Bryan Edgar Wallace: An Era ? new interview with Alice Brauner, producer and managing director of CCC Film and daughter of Artur Brauner

Passing the Blade ? new video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas exploring the influence of the Wallace krimi on the Italian giallo and the American slasher film

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

19th May

Strange New Worlds : Science Fiction at DEFA (Blu-ray)

Titles include: The Silent Star ? Signals: A Space Adventure ? Eolomea ? In the Dust of the Stars

Following the division of Germany in the aftermath of World War II, DEFA was established as the state-owned film studio of East Germany or the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Active from 1946 until its dissolution in 1992, the studio made hundreds of feature films in a diverse range of genres, from hard-hitting dramas to crime thrillers, fairytale adaptations and Westerns. During the 1960s and 1970s, it also produced a series of colourful and wildly imaginative science fiction films in which courageous cosmonauts attempt to unravel the secrets of the universe: The Silent Star, Signals: A Space Adventure, Eolomea and In the Dust of the Stars.

Based on Stanisław Lem?s The Astronauts, The Silent Star begins as an extraterrestrial object is unearthed in the Gobi desert. When it is found to have originated on Venus, the crew of the spacecraft Kosmoskrator is dispatched to the yellow planet to solve its mysteries. In Signals: A Space Adventure, the Laika and its crew are sent to find a lost research vessel, the Ikaros. But as they draw nearer to the missing craft, they begin to intercept a series of strange radio transmissions. Then, Eolomea sees eight ships dispatched from the space station Margot disappear without trace ? and it?s down to science officer Maria Scholl (Cox Habbema) to find out what happened to them. Finally, In the Dust of the Stars follows the crew of the Cyrano as they land on the planet TEM 4 to investigate a distress signal ? and find themselves under the psychedelic influence of its bizarre inhabitants.

Pitched somewhere between Forbidden Planet, Star Trek, Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey, DEFA?s science fiction films are marvels of production design and practical effects work ? as well as poignant commentaries on the central issues of the atomic age, including nuclear warfare, rapid technological advancement and capitalist expansion. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present all four of DEFA?s space-faring films together for the first time on any format from astonishing restorations by the DEFA Foundation, accompanied by a wealth of new and archival extras

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited Collector's Edition Box Set [2000 copies]

Limited edition hardcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F

Reversible inner sleeve artwork featuring new designs for each film by Carly A-F Limited edition 60-page collector?s book featuring an introduction by Mariana Ivanova, Academic Director of the DEFA Film Library, and new writing by DEFA historians Sebastian Heiduschke, Sonja Fritzsche and Evan Torner

All four films presented in 1080p HD from restorations by the DEFA Foundation

Signals: A Space Adventure presented from a new 6K scan of the original 70mm camera negative

Eolomea presented from a 4K scan of the original 70mm camera negative

The Silent Star and In the Dust of the Stars presented from 2K scans of the original 35mm camera negatives

The Robot (Klaus Georgi, 1968) ? animated short produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film

Jana and the Little Star (Christl Wiemer, 1971) ? animated short produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film

Love 2002 (Joachim Hellwig, 1972) ? documentary short on the future of love in East Germany produced by the DEFA Studio for Newsreels and Documentary Films

Optional English subtitles on all features and shorts, newly revised for this release

New audio commentaries on all four features by Jim Morton, founder of the East German Cinema Blog

Blast Off ? new interview with science fiction scholar Mark Bould

Red Skies ? new interview with Soviet cinema expert Claire Knight

Red Skies ? new interview with Soviet cinema expert Claire Knight

Exploring the Cosmos ? new video essay by science fiction expert Paweł Frelik

British Filmmaker Visits DEFA (1959) ? archival newsreel documenting Anthony Asquith?s visit to the set of The Silent Star

A Rocket in the Soviet Zone (1959) ? archival newsreel covering the making of The Silent Star

Cosmonaut Dreams ? archival featurette on the making of Eolomea, featuring special-effects cameraman Kurt Marks, costume designer Barbara M?ller-Braumann and technician Jan-Peter Schmarje

Dusting Off After 30 Years ? archival interview with Peter Suring, director of photography on In the Dust of the Stars

Original theatrical trailers

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Now those i do want. Especially the Krimi set. I have The Monster of London City on dvd so that's the only upgrade thankfully.

[Mojo]

That Krimi set looks wonderful.
I had a few of these on crappy dvds, but really enjoyed them.
Definite buy for me.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Mojo

That Krimi set looks wonderful.
I had a few of these on crappy dvds, but really enjoyed them.
Definite buy for me.

From Image Entertainment, Mojo?

I have a few others which aren't in this set such as Secret of the Red Orchid and The Embalmer.

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

May 26th

Terror In The Fog : The Wallace Krimi at CCC

Titles Include : The Curse of the Yellow Snake ? The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle ? The Mad Executioners ? The Monster of London City ? The Racetrack Murders

In the 1960s, a cycle of crime films ? or krimis ? became hugely popular with West German audiences. Adapted from works by the British crime writer Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan Edgar Wallace, they combined the traditional murder mystery with horror as they depicted enigmatic killers stalking their victims through foggy English landscapes ? from the streets of London to isolated rural mansions. Following the early success of the cycle after the release of Face of the Frog and The Crimson Circle, veteran producer Artur Brauner launched into his own series of Wallace krimis with his company CCC Film. Presented here are five key films drawn from CCC?s krimi cycle.

In The Curse of the Yellow Snake, a mysterious cult wishes to lay its hands on an ancient artefact that has been brought to London from Hong Kong. The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle sees a masked murderer stalk the grounds of a vast British estate ? one who brands his victims? foreheads with the letter ?M.? London is faced with dual threats in The Mad Executioners, as a gang of hooded vigilantes roams the streets while a sadistic serial killer is on the loose. Jack the Ripper lives on in The Monster of London City, as a series of brutal murders brings panic to the British capital. Finally, in The Racetrack Murders (or The Seventh Victim), people are dropping like flies in and around a stately home ? and the murders might just have something to do with the owner?s prized racehorse.

With its masked killers, labyrinthine plots and gothic atmosphere, the Wallace krimi blended crime, thriller and horror elements into a potent mix that had a significant influence on both the Italian giallo and the American slasher film. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present five of Artur Brauner?s Wallace adaptations for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK from new restorations provided by CCC Film, alongside a wealth of special features ? including a bonus film presented in standard definition, The Phantom of Soho.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited Edition Box Set [2000 copies]

Limited edition hardcase featuring new artwork by Poochamin [2000 copies]

Limited edition 60-page collector?s book featuring a new introduction to the Wallace krimi cycle by film writer Howard Hughes, a new essay on Edgar Wallace and Bryan Edgar Wallace by crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw and new notes on each film by Holger Haase, co-editor of Krimi! magazine [2000 copies]

All five films presented in 1080p HD from 2K restorations of the original film elements undertaken by CCC Film

The Phantom of Soho (Franz Josef Gottlieb, 1964) ? bonus feature (presented in SD)

Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release

Optional English dubs for The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, The Mad Executioners, The Monster of London City and The Phantom of Soho

New introductions to each film by genre film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas

New audio commentaries on The Curse of the Yellow Snake and The Phantom of Soho by Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw

New audio commentaries on The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle, The Mad Executioners and The Racetrack Murders by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby

New audio commentary on The Monster of London City by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones

Bryan Edgar Wallace: An Era ? new interview with Alice Brauner, producer and managing director of CCC Film and daughter of Artur Brauner

Passing the Blade ? new video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas exploring the influence of the Wallace krimi on the Italian giallo and the American slasher film

Looking forward to this one! Only tempered by The Phantom of Soho being in SD - I wonder why? Hopefully the OCN is simply misplaced rather than on a scrapheap somewhere...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rob4

Looking forward to this one! Only tempered by The Phantom of Soho being in SD - I wonder why? Hopefully the OCN is simply misplaced rather than on a scrapheap somewhere...

That's just a bonus feature. It's not one of the main feature films listed on the box.

If it were it would be a bit of a downer but it's not so it's okay by me.

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

That's just a bonus feature. It's not one of the main feature films listed on the box.

If it were it would be a bit of a downer but it's not so it's okay by me.

Yes understood, but it sort of suggests it's unavailable in HD as it's a promininent title in the CCC Krimis. When this happens I get the feeling a suitable source to make a HD master wasn't available, hence its non-inclusion as a main feature.

This is a list of the CCC Krimis

Secret of the Black Trunk (Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Koffer, 1961)
The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle (Der W?rger von Schloss Blackmoor, 1963)
The Mad Executioners (Der Henker von London, 1963)
Scotland Yard vs. Dr. Mabuse (Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse, 1963)
The Phantom of Soho (Das Phantom von Soho, 1964)
The Seventh Victim (aka The Racetrack Murders) (Das siebente Opfer, 1964)
The Monster of London City (Das Ungeheuer von London City, 1964)
The Death Avenger of Soho (Der Todesr?cher von Soho, 1970)
The Dead Are Alive (Das Geheimnis des gelben Grabes, 1972)

I'm guessing the last two, because they are 70s films, are tonally different, and that's why they are not included.

I wonder if anyone will follow-up with the Rialto Krimis?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rob4

Yes understood, but it sort of suggests it's unavailable in HD as it's a promininent title in the CCC Krimis. When this happens I get the feeling a suitable source to make a HD master wasn't available, hence its non-inclusion as a main feature.

This is a list of the CCC Krimis

Secret of the Black Trunk (Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Koffer, 1961)
The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle (Der W?rger von Schloss Blackmoor, 1963)
The Mad Executioners (Der Henker von London, 1963)
Scotland Yard vs. Dr. Mabuse (Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse, 1963)
The Phantom of Soho (Das Phantom von Soho, 1964)
The Seventh Victim (aka The Racetrack Murders) (Das siebente Opfer, 1964)
The Monster of London City (Das Ungeheuer von London City, 1964)
The Death Avenger of Soho (Der Todesr?cher von Soho, 1970)
The Dead Are Alive (Das Geheimnis des gelben Grabes, 1972)

I'm guessing the last two, because they are 70s films, are tonally different, and that's why they are not included.

I wonder if anyone will follow-up with the Rialto Krimis?

I always thought The Dead Are Alive was supposedly a giallo than a Krimi.

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I always thought The Dead Are Alive was supposedly a giallo than a Krimi.

Often films would be marketed as Giallos in Italy and Krimis in Germany, especially if they were co-productions. The most famous being The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.