I've been hoping for a complete release of Carlos Giménez' comic book (graphic novel if you will) Barrio (aka "Vores kvarter") for years and years.
Barrio is Carlos Giménez' own story about growing up in Francisco Franco's Spain in the 40s and 50s. This is a comic book but trust me, it isn't "the funnies".
The problem is that the original version is in Spanish and there's no complete English, German or Danish/Scandinavian edition. I think there's a French translated edition but, alas, I don't read French either.
The original edition contains four books. We got one of them in Danish in the 80s and since then; nothing. Now ZOOM publishing (Denmark) is putting out a complete edition in two days. It's simply wonderful, fantastic, wunderbar!!! (and of course I have to decide whether I'll get it now and eat pasta for two weeks or wait till October!).
Hopefully enough people are gonna get this so we can get complete editions of Giménez' Paracuellos ("Børnehjemme") and Los profesionales ("De professionelle") as well. Neither of those are published in complete, translated form either.
I just discovered an old 80s horror flick zine called They Won't Stay Dead on ZineWiki. It says the publisher, Brian Johnson, sadly passed away 20 years ago. I did a google search and found two copies for sale online. One from a webshop; they're selling a copy of the print zine. But the other copy is some guy on etsy who's selling a pdf of the zine at £5!!!
Selling second hand copies of an original fanzine, fine. But selling a pdf of your own scan of a zine you didn't even publish!? That's despicable! This should be uploaded to Archive,org for free, not sold at five quid!
Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate interviewed by Hugh Hefner on his tv show in 1969
A couple of minutes from this interview have been on YouTube for years, but I just noticed that Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, has uploaded the full interview to her YouTube channel!
She has also uploaded a couple of other segments from the same edition of the show in which we see Sharon and her then husband, Roman Polanski. Debra Tate's channel is full of videos about or related to Sharon. It's not mentioned but I'm guessing she must about bought a copy of the full show.
The listed date is 2/7/69, but I assume since she's American she's writing it the "wrong" way, hence it's actually 7/2/69 to the rest of us (i.e. 7th ofFebruary, 1969).
SWV's old video release (courtesy of Fred Adelman's fantastic - but now deleted - website Critical Condition)
I posted about how I'd bought the then new bluray release of SATAN'S CHILDREN (Joe Wiezycki, USA, 1975) back in 2020 (check my old post here). The bluray was a co-release from AGFA and Something Weird Video. SWV had already released the film on video and a couple of times on dvd (as a double bill with ASYLUM OF SATAN - for a review of the dvd go here), and knowing SWV they probably also sold it on dvd-r [EDIT: I checked and yes they did!] And now they've just re-released it AGAIN!Cash cow much!? Why not just keep the old bluray in print!? The old release is a double bill with Ray Laurent's documentary film SATANIS: THE DEVIL'S MASS (1970). The new re-release has a few new bonus features, however, it omits SATANIS!
I assume they have used the "old" (from three years ago) scan of SATAN'S CHILDREN as nothing has been mentioned otherwise. The new bonus features are a Q&A and a commentary track - the latter by somebody called Elizabeth Purchell. You also get the old SWV documentary THE WEIRD WORLD OF WEIRD (1970) off an S-VHS master (the info about the new re-release is lifted from SWV's website).
SATAN'S CHILDREN trailer (from AGFA's YouTube channel, 1080p):
WEIRD WORLD is already on YouTube in full, and since it's off a VHS tape anyway I don't reckon it'll be in any better quality than the 480p version on YouTube. So in other words what you get of (real) new bonuses instead of SATANIS are a Q&A and a commentary track. If I didn't have the "old" bluray and were to choose one I'd still go for the older release.
SATANIS: THE DEVIL'S MASS trailer (AGFA's YouTube channel, 1080p):
Unfortunately, something called Rico Management had the above trailer for SATANIS deleted from YouTube. That was pretty stupid of them, not least since the uploader was AGFA who actually had the rights for the film. I suppose AGFA just couldn't be arsed to dismiss Rico's claim.
Luckily, I found another copy of the same trailer on Dailymotion (720p) (so a big FUCK YOU to Rico Management):
I love Something Weird Video, and not least do I love the history and background of the label. But I'm not always in favour of their decisions; Like their choice to stop selling physical media to countries outside of North America! Or the fact that they refuse to include a cover scan if you buy a downloaded version of one of their films.
And now we get a new re-release of an already new release with a couple of new extra bonus features thrown in to make the fans buy it again!
I'm aware that a couple of fans on facebook have suggested that the reason for the omission of SATANIS is likely due to copyright issues. But fans speculating about something clearly isn't equal to stating a fact. I still have to see any official word on this from either AGFA or SWV. If it were just a matter of their not being able to include the film, how come they don't just come out and say so? Could it be that it's not just a case of copyrights, but that they're going to re-release SATANIS on a stand alone disc as well?
Oh well, time will tell I'm sure. And even if it does come out again (which means the "true" fans will buy it again - I'm confident it'll feature a new interview or a PDF of the Satanic Bible or some such, LOL) I don't need it. Already got it!
Alright, down below you find the full THE WEIRD WORLD OF WEIRD doc from YouTube, a couple of cover pix, and Fred Adelman's review from Crit Con. Even though his site is gone you can find it all on Wayback Machine (I think it's all there anyway).
THE WEIRD WORLD OF WEIRD (full documentary, 480p):
BLU-RAY COVERS:
My old and badly lit photo from 2020 of my then new copy of the original Blu-ray release of SATAN'S CHILDREN / SATANIS (don't get confused by the fact that it's lying on top of an LP cover!)
The new Blu-ray cover
SATAN'S CHILDREN reviewed by the late Fred Adelman on Critical Condition (original review here):
SATAN’S CHILDREN (1974) - This obscure lensed-in-Florida rarity is a true exploitation maven’s dream. Poor Bobby Douglas (Stephen White) runs away from home after putting up with his abusive father (Eldon Mecham) and cockteasing stepsister Janis (Joyce Molloy) one too many times. He is then promptly raped by four men in the back of a car and dumped unconscious naked in the woods. He is found by a cult of Satan worshippers and brought back to their compound. Sherry (Kathleen Archer), the temporary leader of the group (their leader, Simon, is away on business), falls in love with Bobby who is laid up in bed nursing a sore ass. Dissention erupts in the group over Bobby ("He’s queer. Satan doesn’t want victims") and Sherry hangs three of the disciples for wanting Bobby ousted from the compound. The dashing, debonnaire Simon (Robert C. Ray II in an excellent performance) returns and, finding out what Sherry has done, buries her up to her neck and pours maple syrup over her head. While waiting for the ants to come, Simon gives Bobby two choices: He can stay in bed and watch the ants devour Sherry or he can get out of bed and quit being a victim. Bobby opts for the latter. He escapes from the compound and returns home (after electrocuting two compound guards and drowning two more guards in quicksand). He hits his father over the head with a bottle, ties up his stepsister (rape is implied) and throws her in the backseat of his car. He then drives to the house of the four men who raped him and kills them with a shotgun. He cuts off the head of the lead rapist, puts it in a plastic bag (he may have done the same thing to his father since there are two heads in the bag) and delivers it, along with his stepsister, to Simon. The final scene shows Bobby and Sherry making passionate love intercut with scenes of his stepsister being crucified (with metal spikes!) on a wooden cross. A true happy ending! This mind-blowing flick must be seen to be disbelieved. The screenwriters (Gary Garrett and Ron Levitt) are definitely pro-Satan and anti-homosexual. All gay characters are portrayed as sexual deviates and meet nasty ends. When a female disciple swears before Simon and Satan that she is not a lesbian (she is), a river of blood flows from her mouth and she chokes to death! This demented film, directed and produced by Joe Wiezycki (has he done anything else?) is so steeped in homosexual undertones (Bobby is either naked or in his underwear for most of the film) that one gets the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to exorcise some demons of their own. Toss in some good music (the opening and closing theme is a killer) and decent acting (only the father is wooden) making SATAN’S CHILDREN a thoroughly watchable and unforgiving flick, one of the best that came out of Florida during the 70’s. I now declare this to be one of CritCon’s top 20 films of all time! Something Weird Video has dug up a near pristine print of this unknown classic. Do yourself a favor and send $22.00pp off to them and buy this whacked-out tale of Satan-loving homo-hating hippies. You’ll be glad that you did. Rated R for Really Weird. Update: Robert C. Ray II (a.k.a. Simon) emailed CritCon with his take on this film: "The fun thing about that film for me has to be that a significant part of the dialog was badly recorded while filming (the Nagra crystal sync recorder wasn't too good), so we had to re-record the entire thing at my apartment just off-campus from the University of South Florida in Tampa. The sound man and I went into the bathroom for the better acoustics, and stood in the bathtub and did another series of takes. My young wife was in the kitchen, hidden behind the door, laughing hysterically at us. All in all, it came out quite well, considering all of us worked for spec. We all had fun making it, which is ultimately what it's all about anyway..." Mr. Ray II can be seen in the ape adventure/comedy BORN TO BE WILD (1995 - a.k.a. KATIE) playing a corrupt Customs Officer whom Peter Boyle pays off.
Years ago I remember reading about how Rick Sullivan (of The Gore Gazette zine/newsletter) was on a talk show once, but I've never actually watched it. Not until now that is. 45 minutes of 80s crazy American talk show debate about censorship (or as we say in this house: censorshit). This is good fun.
Also on the show: Fangoria editor Anthony Timpone, Michael Berryman, and Dave Juskow who made a film called SPLATTER GIRLS.
I think the general assumption is that there is no underground any longer as everything is online. But I still discover stuff that fly under the radar. Like this fanzine: Biblio-Curiosa published by a guy in Australia called Chris Mikul. I stumbled over an interview with him, but although he's interviewed online, and although I've found a few reviews of his zine, he has no webpage, no web shop, and no videos on youtube (that I know of anyway). His zine sounds great, though. And as I'm typing this I've just written to him and ordered a couple of issues (despite not having a website or a shop he does have an email address!).
The interview was done by David Kerekes of Headpress fame. You'll find it right here. Headpress has published a couple of books based on Chris Mikul's other zine, Bizarrism (which I haven't seen either). And I think they might have something else he's written - I haven't looked too closely into it yet.
PS: I just got a reply from him. I asked him about his fb account (which I found). He says he logs in about once a year!
- or: The day "PAY HER OR I'LL BEAT YOUR CAR, PUNK" blog became offensive!
As if we didn't have enough problems with facebook and YouTube censorshit nonsense, now Blogspot (aka Blogger.com) is trying to up the game. Yes, Blogspot!!! The olde blog platform that hardly anybody uses anymore. The one that you're reading this post on! Most blogs on said platform are probably dead and floating around in Cyberspace like old Mir stations.
I just got two emails from the "good people" at Blogspot. They've deleted two of my posts (check one of their identical emails posted down below). So I'm thinking, "Hmm, what could be so objectional to them that they would censor me for the first time in my career on their platform? Mind you I've been here for about 15 years or so. Was it the true snuff porn that I posted last week? Or the colourised pictures of dead infants?? Was it my "Fun with Car Accidents" series???" (I'm joking of course).
Nope! It was two VHS covers from Indonesian B movies that I posted on a blog ... in 2009!!! 13 years ago!!!
And get this: I posted them on a blog that I have never even launched!!!!!
Many years ago I got this "great idea" (if I may say so myself) for a blog all dedicated to the Kiwi actor Peter O'Brian and his wild Indonesian RAMBO ripoff film called THE INTRUDER (aka RAMBU). In 2009 I posted a dozen video sleeves and then (mentally) put a post-it sticker on it saying "finish this whenever you get the time". Of course now 13 years later I still haven't done anything about it.
Needless to say, I wonder about the "your post was flagged" comment from Blogspot. My un-launched blog was "public" but I had ticked "no" in the box where they ask if you want search engines to be able to find you (btw, I've just changed the blog to not being public). I'm guessing it's a blogger auto "flagging" of the two posts.
But still very odd. And very annoying that - in contradiction to facebook - they don't even show you what they felt was so objectionable. The two posts are GONE. Even their headlines are gone. But as I said all I had posted were vhs covers. And old Indonesian B movie covers don't have burning kids or hardcore porn on them. All very odd - and very, very annoying.
PS:The title of the blog: At the beginning of THE INTRUDER two low life and good for nothing creeps accidentally ram their car into an old woman. They get out of the car and start yelling at her. A Rambo dude just happens to drive past. He gets out of his car and tells them to cover her ruined groceries. Of course they won't. "Pay her or I'll beat your car, Punk", he says and you know you're in for a wild ride. THE INTRUDER has never been released officially on dvd or bluray, but there are video tapes, vcd's, bootlegs and downloads out there. The best video release picture wise is the (very, very, very rare) Belgian release: fully letterboxed - but also dubbed in French.
aka Angkor: Cambodia Express (original title according to IMDb)
Poster (Denmark)
Ad-mat (Denmark)
TRAILERS:
English dubbed fullscreen trailer, clear bright
picture. Missing a bit of footage at the end.
Letterboxed version of the same English
dubbed trailer. Complete, but very dark.
I don't have this film but there are two pretty good and informative reviews on IMDb
PS: Thanks to the two channels that originally uploaded these two trailers. And boo-hoo to them both for changing the trailers to "private" after I made my post. Good thing I made sure to download them right away!
Yesterday, I posted this poster for MAN FROM DEEP RIVER (or Mondo Cannibale as it was called in Denmark for some odd reason) on facebook. Directed by Umberto Lenzi in Italy, 1972. If you look carefully you'll notice one tiny boob. That boob got me banned from facebook! Well, a 24 hour ban that is. Very annoying. But of course, it is a very nice boob.
