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A new cult film convention is set to make its debut in the West Midlands this June as ‘Weird Worcester’ launches its first edition at the Worcester Arena. Organised by boutique home video label Treasured Films, the two-day event will run from 14 to 15 June, promising an ambitious celebration of Italian genre cinema and international cult classics.

Positioned on the banks of the River Severn, the convention will welcome an eclectic group of guests, many of whom are icons of European horror and exploitation cinema. The event’s centrepiece is a rare UK appearance from Fred Williamson, the American actor and former football player whose prolific film career spans From Dusk Till Dawn, Vigilante, Hell Up in Harlem, and the original Inglorious Bastards.

Italian cinema is the event’s central theme for its inaugural year, and the guest list reflects a deep engagement with the genre’s roots and legacy. Among those attending is Sergio Martino,...

Italian Grindhouse fans rejoice! Blu-ray.com has reported that the Bruno Mattei creature feature Rats: Night of Terror is getting a brand new 4K Blu-ray release. The 1984 horror film stars Ottaviano Dell’Acqua, Geretta Geretta, Massimo Vanni, Gianni Franco, and Fausto Lombardi. The Blu-ray and 4K physical releases come from Severin and are scheduled to hit retailers on May 27.

The official synopsis reads,

“Having depicted the zombie apocalypse in Hell Of The Living Dead, director Bruno Mattei and screenwriters Claudio Fragasso & Rossella Drudi took on a new kind of cataclysm to create “a grotesque, funny and thrilling magnum opus” (Daily Dead) that still must be seen to be believed, now in Uhd: In the year 225 A.B. (After The Bomb), a gang of scavengers discovers a seemingly abandoned city – including sets originally built for Once Upon A Time In America – only to become prey for millions of flesh-hungry rats. Ottaviano Dell...

Severin Films will release Hell of the Living Dead and Rats: Night of Terror on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on May 27.

Directed by cult Italian filmmaker Bruno Mattei, both movies have been newly restored in 4K from their original camera negatives.

Also known as Virus and Zombie Creeping Flesh, Hell of the Living Dead is a 1980 zombie film from writers Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2) and José María Cunillés. Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Selan Karay, and José Gras star.

An accident at a chemical plant unleashes a horrific virus, and an elite Swat team is sent to New Guinea to investigate. But when they arrive on the hellish island, they discover a plague of flesh-eating zombies.

Special Features:

Go To Hell – Interview With Director Bruno Mattei The Beauty And The Zombies – Interview With Actress Margie Newton My Big Chance – Interview With Actor Franco Garofalo Lt. Mike London Is Back! – Interview...

I have been a Blue Underground fanboy for quite a while now, as I have quite an impressive collection of their Blu-ray releases. This will be the first Blue Underground title that I have reviewed for the site, and what a title to start with. Blue Underground’s Blood Soaked Double Feature, is two Bruno Mattei films on Blu-ray for the price of one, and it’s quite an interesting pairing, I must say. The set consists of Hell of the Living Dead, following by Rats: Night of Terror. I have seen Hell of the Living Dead several times, but this marks the first time that I’ve seen Rats. If you want to follow the format given to us, you would watch Hell of the Living Dead first, but the truth of the matter is, these two films compliment each other so well that you could reverse it and...

We recently told Daily Dead readers that Blue Underground has been working on a Blu-ray version of Hell of the Living Dead. Packaged together with Rats: Night of Terror in a Blu-ray 2-pack, we now have the official release date and list of bonus features:

Hell Of The Living Dead: “When The Creeping Dead Devour The Living Flesh! An accident at a chemical plant unleashes a horrific virus, and an elite Swat team is sent to New Guinea to investigate. But when they arrive on the hellish island, they discover a plague of flesh-eating zombies as well as a beautiful female reporter who practices nude anthropology. Can the commandos survive this cannibal rampage, uncover a shocking government secret, and still find time for the occasional cross-dressing before the ravenous hordes of the living dead infect the entire world?

Directed by the notorious Bruno Mattei (The Other Hell), this ’80s...

Blue Underground is putting out a double feature Blu-Ray presentation of some hilariously bad Italian horror films. Rats: Night of Terror and Bruno Mattei’s Hell of the Living Dead are gems for drinking party fodder. While some may be complaining that these films are hitting Blu-Ray when other films that are “more deserved” are still waiting in the high definition wings, I welcome this schlock into the realm. Blue Underground originally announced Hell of the Living Dead last September on their Facebook page so it isn’t too much of a surprise (except for the fact that it has taken almost a year to come out).

Read below for all the juicy details, courtesy of DVDActive.

The long-awaited Hell of the Living Dead/Rats: Night of Terror Double Feature Blu-ray will be released on August 26, 2014

The Blu-ray features brand-new High Definition transfers of both films from the original uncut and uncensored negatives,...