News

The Internecine Project

Blu-ray

Kino Lorber Classics

1974 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date January 3, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: James Coburn, Lee Grant, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Michael Jayston, Christiane Krüger, Keenan Wynn, Julian Glover.

Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth

Film Editor: John Shirley

Original Music: Roy Budd

Written by: Barry Levinson, Jonathan Lynn from a book by Mort W. Elkind

Produced by: Barry Levinson

Directed by Ken Hughes

Don’t let the ugly Italian poster art on the disc box throw you — The Internecine Project is a clever plot-driven murder tale in an espionage vein that gathers a string of B+ stars from the early 1970s for ninety minutes of suspense. It’s not the kind of suspense that makes you wonder what’s going to happen next, but the kind that points to a finish that we know will employ a big surprise, a killer-diller last-minute twist. Or three.

The...

“You begin to resent an actor if you always have to give him bad notices.” Upon his death in 1993, Vincent Price left an unfillable chasm in the horror community. He was our King Ghoul, the Gentleman of Terror who never missed a lipsmack or an arched eyebrow. His leering, singsong tones were music to horror lovers’ ears, every syllable a delicious symphony of delight. To the fans, that is – Price, while alive, was dismissed by the press as a preening ham not to be taken seriously. How fitting then, that he should find his greatest role as a vengeful actor lashing out at his critics in the most macabre of ways? Theatre of Blood (1973) reflected on Price’s place in the pantheon, and showed the naysayers once and for all his innate gifts.

Released by United Artists in April, Theatre of Blood, or Theater of Blood (to paraphrase a Joe Walsh album title,...

Hammer have had something of a renaissance on Blu-ray recently, with StudioCanal releasing a number of classic titles in new hi-def editions. And now, released as part of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection, comes two of Hammer’s “sexier” films of the 70s: the infamous Twins of Evil, starring Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson; and Countess Dracula, which features a career-defining performance from Ingrid Pitt in the titular role.

Despite being made during Hammer early-70s fallow period, where the studio was running out of stories, out of budget and were being left behind by more “extreme” horror films and exploitation movies emanating from the Us (after all this was just after the release of Night of the Living Dead which ultimately changed the face of the genre forever), both Twins of Evil and Countess Dracula are beloved by fans of the studio, and with good reason.

Twins of Evil

Stars: Peter Cushing,...

Spider Baby | Hitchcock | To The Wonder | Perfect Friday | The Kid Stays In The Picture

Spider Baby

This darkly humorous, deeply demented 1964 curiosity is a genuine cult phenomenon, one with a reputation that grows by the year. By the time it came out in 1968, hardly anyone cared. However, it's subsequently found an audience, so today we can enjoy it on a rather well-assembled Blu-ray.

It's usually classed as a horror film or a B-movie but this slice of American gothic doesn't fit neatly into either category. It concerns the Merrye family, a clan so inbred they have a rare malady named after them. Merrye syndrome affects one branch of this rotten family tree, causing regression ("A progressive deterioration of the mental faculty … a rotting of the brain, so to speak") to set in as they reach adolescence. Kept sequestered in a dilapidated house, three afflicted youngsters are protected by custodian Bruno...

Versatile Irish stage actor who became a familiar face across British drama

Before he became a familiar face on television and cinema screens, the outstanding Irish actor Tp McKenna, who has died after a long illness aged 81, bridged the gap between the old and the new Abbey theatres in Dublin. He appeared with the company for eight years during the interim period at the Queen's theatre; the old Abbey burned down in 1951, the new one opened by the Liffey in 1966.

During that time he made his reputation as a leading actor of great charm, vocal resource – with a fine singing voice – and versatility. He was equally adept at comedy and tragedy, a great exponent of the best Irish playwriting from Jm Synge and Séan O'Casey to Hugh Leonard and Brian Friel. The elder son in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night was a favourite, much acclaimed role.

It was Stephen D,...

British actress, and Criterion alum, Pamela Green passed away on May 7th, at the age of 81, due to complications from a long running battle with Leukemia.

Green is best known for her roles in films like Krull and Perfect Friday, but her most famous role may be her turn in Michael Powell’s brilliant thriller, Peeping Tom.

She began her career as a model to pay her way through art school, and began acting in the early 1960’s. The actress also broke ground for women and sexuality on screen, as she became the first nude woman in a British film release, with the aforementioned Peeping Tom. Powell actually fell so in love with her sets and costumes that she had created for her photo shoots, that he later decided to add many of the actresses designs into his film, and much of what is shown in Green’s scenes, are...