The Global Film Initiative presents STREET DAYS (review)

Middle-aged heroin addict Checkie is entrapped by the police to set up Ika, the teenage son of one of his former classmates (now a politician) in a drug bust.  Although he is reluctant to betray his old friend, the police promise to help him and his wife with their crippling financial worries; but Checkie becomes even more conflicted when Ika himself goes to extreme ends to help Checkie and his family in this black comedy from Georgia.


REVIEW LINK: The Global Film Initiative (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)


STREET DAYS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen
• Georgian Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
• Burnt-in English subtitles
• About The Global Film Initiative
• PDF Discussion Guide

More Global Film Initiative reviews at Update the Tags: The Global Film Initiative.

The Global Film Initiative presents THE TENANTS (review)

When three hoods move in to his neighborhood, Valter has to worry about his own manhood as well as his family's safety in THE TENANTS (OS INQUILINOS).

REVIEW LINK: The Global Film Initiative (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE TENANTS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
• Burnt-in English subtitles
• About The Global Film Initiative
• PDF Discussion Guide

More Global Film Initiative reviews at Update the Tags: The Global Film Initiative.

Mondo Macabro hunts down COUNTESS PERVERSE (review)

Mondo Macabro brings to DVD one of Jess Franco's rarest and most requested titles COUNTESS PERVERSE (Le Comtesse Perverse) starring Alice Arno, Howard Vernon, Robert Woods, Kali Hansa, and Lina Romay.  A pair of decadent aristocrats lure beautiful young women to their island to hunt and kill for sport (culminating in tender and juicy cannibal feasts).  One of Franco's French productions for Robert de Nesle, the film has been long out of official circulation and only available in bastardized French and Italian hardcore variants.  Mondo Macabro presents the film in its original director's cut in a ravishing new transfer with new English subtitles and an interview with actor Robert Woods.

REVIEW LINK: Mondo Macabro (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVD Drive-In)

COUNTESS PERVERSE DVD specs:

• 4:3 non-anamorphic 1.33:1 original aspect ratio
• French Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Interview with actor Robert Woods
• Introduction by author Stephen Thrower
• About the Film liner notes essay
• Cast and Crew Profiles
• Mondo Macabro Promo Reel

More Mondo Macabro reviews at Update the Tags: Mondo Macabro.

MTI releases CHAINED: CODE 207 (review)

After army ranger Mack and his unit bust a human trafficking ring, villainous Savage kidnaps Mack's wife.  The police are no help (and may be in on the deal) so Mack tracks down the ring's hideout and sets about taking them down one by one.

REVIEW LINK: MTI Home Video (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

CHAINED: CODE 207 DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
• Trailer
• Trailers for other MTI releases

More MTI reviews at Update the Tags: MTI Home Video.

Mondo Macabro debuts Jess Franco's COUNTESS PERVERSE (review)

Mondo Macabro brings to DVD one of Jess Franco's rarest and most requested titles COUNTESS PERVERSE (Le Comtesse Perverse) starring Alice Arno, Howard Vernon, Robert Woods, Kali Hansa, and Lina Romay.  A pair of decadent aristocrats lure beautiful young women to their island to hunt and kill for sport (culminating in tender and juicy cannibal feasts).  One of Franco's French productions for Robert de Nesle, the film has been long out of official circulation and only available in bastardized French and Italian hardcore variants.  Mondo Macabro presents the film in its original director's cut in a ravishing new transfer with new English subtitles and an interview with actor Robert Woods.

REVIEW LINK: Mondo Macabro (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

COUNTESS PERVERSE DVD specs:

• 4:3 non-anamorphic 1.33:1 original aspect ratio
• French Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Interview with actor Robert Woods
• Introduction by author Stephen Thrower
• About the Film liner notes essay
• Cast and Crew Profiles
• Mondo Macabro Promo Reel

More Mondo Macabro reviews at Update the Tags: Mondo Macabro.

Update the Tags: The Global Film Initiative

Here are links to my review coverage (thus far) of releases by The Global Film Initiative:

ADRIFT (Choi Voi) at DVDBeaver
MY TEHRAN FOR SALE at DVDBeaver
ORDINARY PEOPLE (Obicni ljudi) at DVDBeaver
THE SHAFT (Dixia de Tiankong) at DVDBeaver
STREET DAYS (Quchis dgeebi) at DVDBeaver
THE TENANTS (Os Inquilinos) at DVDBeaver

Raro Video hatches a PLOT OF FEAR (review/comparison)

Michele Placido and Tom Skerritt are on the case when two members of the elite (and perverted) "Wildlife Lovers" club are brutally murdered. Seemingly related to the death of a hooker at one of their orgies years before, the murders continue and only model Jeanne (Corinne Clery, THE STORY OF O) seems to have crucial information that could lead to the killer.  John Steiner (TENEBRAE) and Eli Wallach also star.

REVIEW LINK: Raro Video USA (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

PLOT OF FEAR DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen
• English and Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Optional English subtitles
• Liner Notes by Chris Alexander
• Interview with screenwriter Ernesto Oldoni
• Interview with the director's son Pietro Cavara
• Interview with actor Michele Placido

More Raro Video reviews at Update the Tags: Raro Video.