Kickstart My Heart -- The Lost Films of H.G. Lewis!

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Pay attention, 'cuz this one's important...

Process Blue is a Connecticut-based restoration house, probably most notable to Cinema Arcana readers for the work they've done cleaning up the Radley Metzger flicks for Distribpix. Sure, they look great, but what's that got to do with you, right? Well, it seems that in their sleuthing, they've managed to uncover negatives to three previously lost sexploitation films by Herschell Gordon Lewis! For better or worse, Linda & Abilene, The Ecstasies of Women and Black Love have all been located!

Rather than try to broker these out, Process Blue have embarked on a Side Project initiative, dedicated to preserving fringe titles and restoring their luster. Their plan is to master this trash trifecta for DVD and Blu-Ray sets. Again, what's that got to do with you, right? Well, for titles with such limited appeal, it's a tricky endeavor. That's why they're asking for help. 

The outfit's started a Kickstarter campaign and been doing pretty well with it. They've set a $10,000 goal, and as of this posting raised 81% of it. But things have slowed. There's only ten days left, and still $2,000 to go. If the goal isn't met, these go back on the shelf -- along with some other titles, major titles, that I'd love to see get treated properly. 

So scrounge up some change if you're able. The rewards program is pretty fair; I would recommend at least going the $50 route -- you get a button set, an exclusive shirt and a copy of the finished collection -- but every penny counts. And share the news on Facebook, on Twitter, on your newsgroups and messageboards, whatever. 

Blaxploitation porn and lesbian westerns, by H.G. fucking Lewis. I've already thrown in my $100. 

Click here to donate at the official Process Blue: Side Projects Kickstarter Campaign. Check them out on Facebook, too!

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

Merry Xmas from Cinema Arcana!

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Apologies for the lack of fresh content lately--I have a half-dozen articles sitting around in various states of completion, not to mention updates on my VHS Archives and Name that Movie Monday series--but the day-job has been kickin' my butt lately, and I've been finding it hard to muster up the energy by the time I make it home. Still, I appreciate everyone stopping by; I've at least been managing regular updates to the Upcoming Releases List! I hope you and yours all have an excellent holiday season. Fingers crossed for a saner 2012!

© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

Arcane Updates: TORSO, CHAINED HEAT and More!

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Everybody having a good time?  Just a quick note to comment on some recent items.

It seems like The VHS Archives project is being received well; reaction has been very positive to Project: MOGUL, so I guess I'll keep it going.  I've been updating past posts with foreign tape sleeves as readers have been submitting them (or as I've stumbled across them online), so be sure and give the old pages another look if there's a favorite of yours.  Additionally, if anyone out there has an alternate tape scan they'd like to contribute, feel free to get in contact -- the more, the merrier!  Are there any other outfits you guys would like to see tackled?  I'm going to start mixing in some IVC titles soon, along with a few other odds & ends that may not ever see full-on label pages.

In DVD news, this Summer will see the release of two titles I contributed to.  First on the docket is Panik House's long in the works Women in Prison Triple Feature, containing the sleaze classic Chained Heat (1983) in a version with plenty of never-before-seen skin and gore, its chicks-in-chains follow-up Red Heat (1985) and the cult star-palooza action epic Jungle Warriors (1984).  I got involved with the project years ago when Panik House was still an actual company, though the only thing that remains of my involvement now is an interview with Sybil Danning for Chained Heat.  I conducted the chat in Los Angeles a while back and she was an absolute delight to sit down with.  Hopefully you get a kick out of it!  (We also discussed Jungle Warriors, but that section of the chat now seems M.I.A.  Ditto with the stills collections.  And for those of you wondering why Linda Blair isn't on the disc, her price was pretty outrageous.  A shame, too, as the phone conversations I had with her about the film were hilarious!)     

Disc Numero Two-o is Blue Underground's reissue of Sergio Martino's Torso (1973), coming to DVD and Blu-Ray in August.  For this one, I scanned a bunch of my photo negatives, which includes a few shots I haven't seen printed anywhere before.  Granted, some of them came out much nicer than others (I guess I should really spring for a proper negative scanner!), but overall I think it's an interesting addition to the disc.  Thanks go out to DVD producer Greg Chick, who also wrangled up quite a bit of extra stuff for the gallery.  The release will also include a new interview with the director, conducted by [Warning: Gratuitous Segue Ahead!] Ultra Violent Magazine's Art Ettinger.  Which brings us to...

...The new issue of Ultra Violent!  I didn't write anything for it, but my history with UV goes back quite a few years, so I have no problems pimping their wares.  Issue #11 runs 112 pages, and has in-depth articles and interviews with Ray Sager, Lynn Lowry, Geretta Geretta and tons more.  You won't regret grabbing a copy!  Visit their website here.

Going back through the Arcana's files recently I realized I did an interview with Shout Factory's Cliff MacMillan about their line of Roger Corman's Cult Classics that I never posted!!  (Don't even ask.)  I hope to get it updated and post it sometime over the next month or so.  Then there's the Top Ten of 2010 I got sidetracked from and really need to finish!

While we're on the Shout Factory subject, they have so much good stuff coming out it's sick, including an awesome Pam Grier Women in Cages triple-bill compiling The Big Doll House (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972) and Women in Cages (1971), and their Halloween offering of Vampires, Mummies & Monsters which collects The Velvet Vampire (1971), Lady Frankenstein (1971), Time Walker (1982) and Grotesque (1988)!  Their upcoming Lethal Ladies Collection, featuring TNT Jackson (1974), Firecracker (1981) and Too Hot to Handle (1977), can't get here soon enough

Genre saviors Something Weird Video are finally back to wide-release activity with three extremely noteworthy items:  blu-rays of H.G. Lewis' The Blood Trilogy (which includes Blood Feast (1963), 2000 Maniacs (1964) and Color Me Blood Red (1965)) and Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case (1982), and the home video premiere of their in-house production, Godfather of Gore: The Herschell Gordon Lewis Documentary (2010).  Pre-order price for all three is extremely cheap, so grab 'em at these rates while you can.  I think it's great to see them back in the game; hopefully this leads to more and more!  (I'm greedy.)

Media Blasters have staged a coup of my heart with their announcement of two important (seriously!) blu rays:  Burial Ground (1981) and Zombie Holocaust (1980).  Years back I put together a personal roster of Top Ten Eurotrash Essentials for pal David Zuzelo's Tomb It May Concern blog;  both titles were rightfully on there.  To me, this pair perfectly sums up everything I love about bizarro films, and to have them both in hi-def is a dream come true.  To sweeten the deal, the company recently reported that they'll be including a silent reel of outtakes and trims that the licensor supplied for Burial Ground!  After all these years, the chance to see some additional snippets really has me excited!

Lastly, as always, the Upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray Releases of Note list is constantly updated, so be sure to swing by and pre-order some cool stuff!

Until next time!

© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

Odds & Arcana

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Been a while, no?

Thanks to everyone who has emailed or messaged, wondering if the ol' Arcana was dead in the water.  It's good to know at least some people are looking at this damn thing.  The truth is simple:  I've been a bit busy.  A few months back I was hard at work on a giant Charles B. Pierce retrospective, but then life got in the way before I ever wrapped it up.  I'm not even sure if it'd be relevant any more;  I would've liked to have done a tribute to David Durston as well, but run into a similar conundrum.

Since then, I've been trying to finish up a pair of featurettes for Synapse Films, prepping another pair for Troma Entertainment, and doing research for a pair of interviews for the next issue of Ultra Violent.  Free time's a little hard to come by, and it's Summer now, anyway.  Time for beer and cookouts.

Busy or not, the Upcoming Releases list is constantly updated;  I think it's the best of its type on the 'net.  I've also added a little sidebar letting you know what I've been watching, if you care.  I hope to start putting up past Top Ten DVD Round-Ups sometime soon; look for the 2008 edition sometime in the next week or two.  I also have a a few other goodies in the works, so keep an eye out.

My interview with Giovanni Lombardo Radice has finally seen the light of day on Blue Underground's essential City of the Living Dead release; it's a Blu-Ray only supplement, but that's a-okay by me.  The company did an excellent job with the disc, and I'm proud to be part of it.

Speaking of Eurotrash on Blu-Ray, Media Blasters have put a big smile on my face by announcing Zombie Holocaust for a September release with a low, low retail price.  Yup, Doc Butcher himself in hi-def.  A few years back I threw together a Top Ten List of Eurotrash Favorites for longtime pal David Zuzelo's Tomb it May Concern blog;  Dr. Butcher, M.D. was included.  They're also issuing Joe D'amato's crackpot sickie Beyond the Darkness on the format, along with Bill Hinzman's cheapjack (but fun as hell) Flesh Eater.  (Ah, to see that sneaky boob-grope in 1080p!)  According to the company, these will all be fresh high definition transfers; can Burial Ground be that far away?  (For the record, Burial Ground is pretty much the best movie ever.)

That's all for now!

© 2010 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.