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Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Sister Street Fighter Collection (1974 – 1976)

Spinning off from the massively popular Street Fighter series of films starring our homeboy Sonny Chiba comes the distaff edition; Sister Street Fighter! Featuring four fist and foot a-flyin’ flicks the series ran from 1974 -1976 and featured four films total…all of which appear on this new Blu-ray collection from Arrow Video! Kicking things off we have: Sister Street Fighter (1974): Li Mansei (Hiroshi Miyauchi), a Hong Kong drug agent (and Shorinji Kempo champion for good measure), pulls a vanishing act while investigating smuggling involving the totally legit and completely not made-up Central Trader corporation. Heading up the search for Mansei is his sister; the outrageously violence prone martial arts expert Li Koryu (Etsuko Shiomi) who’s journey takes her from seedy nightclubs, to dark back alleys, to martial arts academies and beyond. fortunately for our heroine she doesn’t have to whip everyone’s ass on her own as soon she is joined by Shorinji badasses Seiichi Hibiki (Sonny Chiba) and Emi

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Mar 2, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Kolobos (1999)

Kyra (Amy Weber), one of those troubled artist types, answers an ad in the newspaper (welcome to the future year of 1999!) to become a sort of human lab rat for a sketchy filmed anthropology experiment to take place in a fancy-ass mountain lodge. Once there she settles in with the rest of the “subjects”, and shows them her creepy A.F. artwork, which she fails to mention is inspired by a faceless man who haunts her dreams (waking and otherwise). Of course all of this leads to something dire; namely the lodge locks down come nightfall and his loaded to the balls with deadly booby traps. Will our heroes survive the dangerous dwelling, and how will Kyra’s fantasies affect their reality? Man-oh-man, Kolobos is one stylish-ass fright flick! Taking it’s cues from Argento and Bava, the flick is packed tight with lurid colors (kudos to Photography Yoram Astrakhan), surreal fever dream imagery, and fetishistic displays of extreme gore that lead

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 21, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)

Photographer Magda (Edwige Fenech) and her boy toy, the fiery tempered Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) have got one hell of a sinister situation on their hands; the fashion agency where they work has been suffering a series of those “sex crimes” that are all the rage in Milan these days (perpetrated by a man dressed all in black and topped of by a motorcycle helmet)…and as fate and the script would have it, Carlo is a suspect and Magda a potential victim. Will our dynamic duo be able to crack the case before the body count grows higher? Strip Nude for Your Killer has one thing going for it…and you better sit down, because this one is going to be a shocker…it’s loaded with exposed flesh. I know…I could scarcely believe it either. Of course that isn’t the only check in the plus column this giallo cum softcore romp has to offer; we also get some stunning cinematography courtesy of Franco

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 21, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Horror Express (1972)

China, 1906; Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton LLC Inc. (Christopher Lee) finds a fucked up frozen freak in the middle of a snow covered wasteland. Believing the thing to be some form of missing link, Saxton gets the bright idea to bring it back to Europe via a trans-Siberian express. Before you can say; “Hey man, shouldn’t that monster be stored in a deep freeze or something?” our arcane antagonist thaws out and begins going kill-krazy among the passengers…a feat made easier by it’s ability to blend in among them! The first thing you may notice about Horror Express is that it was one hell of a lavish production. Period costumes, a steam engine, multiple sets…this baby looks like a million bucks (supplemental material reveals the tricks used to deliver this level of production design on a lower-tier budget), and visually stands head and shoulders with the output of the legendary Hammer Studios. Speaking of Big H, this film features fantastic

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 12, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Double Dragon (1994)

In the amazing future year 2007, the villainous businessman/shadow monster Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick, who looks absolutely preposterous and gobbles up scenery like he’s hitting the mac n’ cheese trough at the local Golden Corral) lords over the city of New Angeles. Not for nothing, he has also come in possession of half of a mystical medallion (called the Double Dragon) that when made whole grants it’s owner some of those mystic powers the kids are so into these days. Well, humanity can breathe easy as the other half is in the possession of Satori (Julia Nickson) and her two adopted sons Billy and Jimmy Lee (Scott Wolf and Mark Dacascos)…underground karate tournament fighters and favorite targets for Bo Abobo (Nils Allen Stewart…who seems to be having the time of his life in the role…as does everyone in this thing honestly), leader of the Mohawk Gang and frequent steroid abuser. Soon Shuko kills Satori, tuns Abobo into an outrageous monster,

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 30, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Audition (1999)

Audition is a classic fright flick that catapulted the absolutely insane mother fucker that is Takashi Miike in to the hearts of gonzo cinema lovers worldwide (though he was already el hombre in his home turf of Japan thanks to some rather bloody fare such as Fudoh: The New Generation) and most of you gore hounds have certainly laid your eerie eyeballs on it at some point since it’s release 20 fuckin’ years ago (holy shit…). Anyway, if you haven’t here’s a brief sinister synopsis before I get into why this new Blu-ray edition comin’ your way from Arrow Video and their beastly bedfellows MVD Entertainment is worth your hard earned dough… Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a middle-aged widower, is catching static from his 17-year-old son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki) to get back on the dating bicycle and join the Tour De Trim (so to speak). At the urging of a pal, Aoyama begins hiding auditions for a new wife, and

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 26, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Fifth Cord (1971)

After a New Year’s Eve murder attempt goes tits-up, booze-soaked journalistic fuck-up par excellence Andrea Bild (Franco Nero) is called upon to report on the case. As fate, and the screenplay, would have it, the killer strikes again, this time sealing the deal. Before long the body count rises as does suspicion against our boy Andrea; which makes him rather keen on solving the case! Much closer to the giallo genre…in fact with it’s black gloved killer and jaw-dropping style it definitely is one, then the previous Luigi Bazzoni flick we examined in this creepy column (The Possessed for those keeping score at home…the review for which can be found right here!), The Fifth Cord is a pretty solid fright flick. Though filmed in color, the film’s limited palette offers the same chiaroscuro visuals that made the aforementioned The Possessed so gorgeous, and Nero turns in yet another world-weary and brilliant performance. Adding to the surreal aesthetics are a pre-occupation

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 13, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Possessed (1965)

Bernard (Peter Baldwin), a sad sack novelist, decides to use that classic cure-all, namely horniness, and sets off to rekindle a relationship with his ex-lover Tilda (Virna Lisi); who works as a maid at a remote hotel located next to a lake. Everything seems hunky-goddammned-dory with the hotel’s owner, Enrico (Salvo Randone) and his daughter Irma (Valentina Cortese)…but it seems Tilda has pulled a David Copperfield and vanished. Having fuck-all to do, Bernard begins investigating the disappearance and ends up spiraling farther down a rabbit hole of perversion, insanity, and murder! The Possessed, comprised of it’s heavily art house influenced style and dark and deadly themes definitely stands as a strong and stylish fore-runner of the beloved murder heavy giallo genre. Directors Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini present the material with gobs of style and chiaroscuro visuals, but there are definitely moments where the concentration on aesthetics definitely hamper the clarity of the film’s storytelling (a problem also present in a

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 13, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Willie Dynamite (1974)

Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman…who you may know as Gordon from Sesame Street) cruises the streets in a lavender automobile roughly the size of a small continent while wearing a lampshade as a hat (go ahead and convince me otherwise) as his theme song plays (Willie! Oh, Willie D.!!) before collecting a hefty sum for the snapper he sold the local Shriner convention. But as fate would have it, pimpin’ ain’t easy, and Willie must contend with a late trick…and not a top earner as well. At least he can rely on the camaraderie of his pimp peers…peers who take the advice of Bell (Roger Robinson in a performance so flamboyant it would make Elton John blush) and decide to play the game in delineated territories in order to maximize profits and stay ahead of the law…a plan that goes over like a fart in a submarine to enterprisin’ Willie D. Before long, our hero has to deal with the ever-growing

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 5, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Bloody Birthday (1981)

In 1970, three children were born during an eclipse (presented in the cheapest way imaginable, and a real treat for those of you that dig on still photos of a solar eclipse and V.O. exposition…). Flash forward ten years, and these hellions (played by Elizabeth Hoy, Billy Jayne, and Andrew Freeman respectively) are making 1980 a real shitty year for their suburban neighborhood. Engaging in everything from spying on Julie Brown (Earth Girls Are Easy variety, not ‘Downtown’…) dancing around naked, to locking other kids in abandoned refrigerators, to straight up murder (victims include, but are not limited to: their parents, teachers, and rando horny teens). Soon it’s up to Timmy (K.C. Martel) and his sister Joyce (Lori Lethin) to try and put an end to these tiny terrors armed only with astrology (?!!) and their wits…my money’s on the killer kids… The first thing that will doubtless pop into your fevered lil’ brains as you watch Bloody Birthday is

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 4, 2019

More from Arrow Video

Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Sister Street Fighter Collection (1974 – 1976)

Spinning off from the massively popular Street Fighter series of films starring our homeboy Sonny Chiba comes the distaff edition; Sister Street Fighter! Featuring four fist and foot a-flyin’ flicks the series ran from 1974 -1976 and featured four films total…all of which appear on this new Blu-ray collection from Arrow Video! Kicking things off we have: Sister Street Fighter (1974): Li Mansei (Hiroshi Miyauchi), a Hong Kong drug agent (and Shorinji Kempo champion for good measure), pulls a vanishing act while investigating smuggling involving the totally legit and completely not made-up Central Trader corporation. Heading up the search for Mansei is his sister; the outrageously violence prone martial arts expert Li Koryu (Etsuko Shiomi) who’s journey takes her from seedy nightclubs, to dark back alleys, to martial arts academies and beyond. fortunately for our heroine she doesn’t have to whip everyone’s ass on her own as soon she is joined by Shorinji badasses Seiichi Hibiki (Sonny Chiba) and Emi

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Mar 2, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Kolobos (1999)

Kyra (Amy Weber), one of those troubled artist types, answers an ad in the newspaper (welcome to the future year of 1999!) to become a sort of human lab rat for a sketchy filmed anthropology experiment to take place in a fancy-ass mountain lodge. Once there she settles in with the rest of the “subjects”, and shows them her creepy A.F. artwork, which she fails to mention is inspired by a faceless man who haunts her dreams (waking and otherwise). Of course all of this leads to something dire; namely the lodge locks down come nightfall and his loaded to the balls with deadly booby traps. Will our heroes survive the dangerous dwelling, and how will Kyra’s fantasies affect their reality? Man-oh-man, Kolobos is one stylish-ass fright flick! Taking it’s cues from Argento and Bava, the flick is packed tight with lurid colors (kudos to Photography Yoram Astrakhan), surreal fever dream imagery, and fetishistic displays of extreme gore that lead

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 21, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)

Photographer Magda (Edwige Fenech) and her boy toy, the fiery tempered Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) have got one hell of a sinister situation on their hands; the fashion agency where they work has been suffering a series of those “sex crimes” that are all the rage in Milan these days (perpetrated by a man dressed all in black and topped of by a motorcycle helmet)…and as fate and the script would have it, Carlo is a suspect and Magda a potential victim. Will our dynamic duo be able to crack the case before the body count grows higher? Strip Nude for Your Killer has one thing going for it…and you better sit down, because this one is going to be a shocker…it’s loaded with exposed flesh. I know…I could scarcely believe it either. Of course that isn’t the only check in the plus column this giallo cum softcore romp has to offer; we also get some stunning cinematography courtesy of Franco

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 21, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Horror Express (1972)

China, 1906; Prof. Sir Alexander Saxton LLC Inc. (Christopher Lee) finds a fucked up frozen freak in the middle of a snow covered wasteland. Believing the thing to be some form of missing link, Saxton gets the bright idea to bring it back to Europe via a trans-Siberian express. Before you can say; “Hey man, shouldn’t that monster be stored in a deep freeze or something?” our arcane antagonist thaws out and begins going kill-krazy among the passengers…a feat made easier by it’s ability to blend in among them! The first thing you may notice about Horror Express is that it was one hell of a lavish production. Period costumes, a steam engine, multiple sets…this baby looks like a million bucks (supplemental material reveals the tricks used to deliver this level of production design on a lower-tier budget), and visually stands head and shoulders with the output of the legendary Hammer Studios. Speaking of Big H, this film features fantastic

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Feb 12, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Double Dragon (1994)

In the amazing future year 2007, the villainous businessman/shadow monster Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick, who looks absolutely preposterous and gobbles up scenery like he’s hitting the mac n’ cheese trough at the local Golden Corral) lords over the city of New Angeles. Not for nothing, he has also come in possession of half of a mystical medallion (called the Double Dragon) that when made whole grants it’s owner some of those mystic powers the kids are so into these days. Well, humanity can breathe easy as the other half is in the possession of Satori (Julia Nickson) and her two adopted sons Billy and Jimmy Lee (Scott Wolf and Mark Dacascos)…underground karate tournament fighters and favorite targets for Bo Abobo (Nils Allen Stewart…who seems to be having the time of his life in the role…as does everyone in this thing honestly), leader of the Mohawk Gang and frequent steroid abuser. Soon Shuko kills Satori, tuns Abobo into an outrageous monster,

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 30, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Audition (1999)

Audition is a classic fright flick that catapulted the absolutely insane mother fucker that is Takashi Miike in to the hearts of gonzo cinema lovers worldwide (though he was already el hombre in his home turf of Japan thanks to some rather bloody fare such as Fudoh: The New Generation) and most of you gore hounds have certainly laid your eerie eyeballs on it at some point since it’s release 20 fuckin’ years ago (holy shit…). Anyway, if you haven’t here’s a brief sinister synopsis before I get into why this new Blu-ray edition comin’ your way from Arrow Video and their beastly bedfellows MVD Entertainment is worth your hard earned dough… Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a middle-aged widower, is catching static from his 17-year-old son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki) to get back on the dating bicycle and join the Tour De Trim (so to speak). At the urging of a pal, Aoyama begins hiding auditions for a new wife, and

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 26, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Fifth Cord (1971)

After a New Year’s Eve murder attempt goes tits-up, booze-soaked journalistic fuck-up par excellence Andrea Bild (Franco Nero) is called upon to report on the case. As fate, and the screenplay, would have it, the killer strikes again, this time sealing the deal. Before long the body count rises as does suspicion against our boy Andrea; which makes him rather keen on solving the case! Much closer to the giallo genre…in fact with it’s black gloved killer and jaw-dropping style it definitely is one, then the previous Luigi Bazzoni flick we examined in this creepy column (The Possessed for those keeping score at home…the review for which can be found right here!), The Fifth Cord is a pretty solid fright flick. Though filmed in color, the film’s limited palette offers the same chiaroscuro visuals that made the aforementioned The Possessed so gorgeous, and Nero turns in yet another world-weary and brilliant performance. Adding to the surreal aesthetics are a pre-occupation

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 13, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Possessed (1965)

Bernard (Peter Baldwin), a sad sack novelist, decides to use that classic cure-all, namely horniness, and sets off to rekindle a relationship with his ex-lover Tilda (Virna Lisi); who works as a maid at a remote hotel located next to a lake. Everything seems hunky-goddammned-dory with the hotel’s owner, Enrico (Salvo Randone) and his daughter Irma (Valentina Cortese)…but it seems Tilda has pulled a David Copperfield and vanished. Having fuck-all to do, Bernard begins investigating the disappearance and ends up spiraling farther down a rabbit hole of perversion, insanity, and murder! The Possessed, comprised of it’s heavily art house influenced style and dark and deadly themes definitely stands as a strong and stylish fore-runner of the beloved murder heavy giallo genre. Directors Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini present the material with gobs of style and chiaroscuro visuals, but there are definitely moments where the concentration on aesthetics definitely hamper the clarity of the film’s storytelling (a problem also present in a

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 13, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Willie Dynamite (1974)

Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman…who you may know as Gordon from Sesame Street) cruises the streets in a lavender automobile roughly the size of a small continent while wearing a lampshade as a hat (go ahead and convince me otherwise) as his theme song plays (Willie! Oh, Willie D.!!) before collecting a hefty sum for the snapper he sold the local Shriner convention. But as fate would have it, pimpin’ ain’t easy, and Willie must contend with a late trick…and not a top earner as well. At least he can rely on the camaraderie of his pimp peers…peers who take the advice of Bell (Roger Robinson in a performance so flamboyant it would make Elton John blush) and decide to play the game in delineated territories in order to maximize profits and stay ahead of the law…a plan that goes over like a fart in a submarine to enterprisin’ Willie D. Before long, our hero has to deal with the ever-growing

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 5, 2019
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Bloody Birthday (1981)

In 1970, three children were born during an eclipse (presented in the cheapest way imaginable, and a real treat for those of you that dig on still photos of a solar eclipse and V.O. exposition…). Flash forward ten years, and these hellions (played by Elizabeth Hoy, Billy Jayne, and Andrew Freeman respectively) are making 1980 a real shitty year for their suburban neighborhood. Engaging in everything from spying on Julie Brown (Earth Girls Are Easy variety, not ‘Downtown’…) dancing around naked, to locking other kids in abandoned refrigerators, to straight up murder (victims include, but are not limited to: their parents, teachers, and rando horny teens). Soon it’s up to Timmy (K.C. Martel) and his sister Joyce (Lori Lethin) to try and put an end to these tiny terrors armed only with astrology (?!!) and their wits…my money’s on the killer kids… The first thing that will doubtless pop into your fevered lil’ brains as you watch Bloody Birthday is

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jan 4, 2019
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