Basement of Ghoulish Decadence

Once Upon a Time in the West's "Missing" Snippets

2012-05-28T20:09:00.002-04:00

I just uploaded some clips from the Italian version of Sergio Leone's western masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in the West (C'era una volta il West). What makes this version special is a healthy number of either totally new, extended, or alternate shots from Paramount's "International Version" DVD and Blu-ray. Unfortunately the last one, depicting broken harmonica notes playing over Frank stumbling instead of silence after the climatic showdown, was blocked by MovieClips. All eight others can be viewed with descriptions about what's different through this playlist.

Absolutely Crazy $40 Horror/Cult Mag Thrift Store Score!

2012-05-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

Someone dumped a box of awesome off at the Salvation Army!

Interesting New (Old?) Land of the Dead Trailer...

2012-05-18T20:18:00.003-04:00

Just ran across this trailer and it struck me as curious because it's not the original "ultimate masterpiece" theatrical trailer. This one feels like a video trailer despite stating "This Summer" at the end. It's the kind of trailer that Land of the Dead really should have had in the first place. The story is simply explained, something the film itself just barely does, instead of relying solely of the pretension of Romero's grand return which most moviegoers couldn't have cared less about...

Why I don't care for Ti West's work in microcosm...

2012-05-15T19:02:00.000-04:00

More Recent Japanese Grabs!

2012-05-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

Intruder (1989) / The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) / Bad Taste (1987)

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1974) / Enter the Devil (1972) / The Gate (1986)

Mosquito The Rapist (1977) / Darkness (1993) / Jungle Heat (1985)

Nightbeast (1982) / Dog Tags (1988) / To All a Goodnight (1980)

Sexy Nights of the Living Dead (1980) / Cannibal Holocaust (1980) / Violent Shit 3: Infantry of Doom (1999)

Beyond Darkness (1990) / Citizen Toxie (2000) / Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)

Two More New Japanese Rarities!

2012-04-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

Jean Brismée's Devil's Nightmare (1971) and Bruno Mattei's Women's Camp 119 (1977) on the Sony Exciting label! Both are quite scarce with Women's Camp 119 being the rarer of the two. The Exciting sublabel produced just over forty titles and as the catalog deepened production numbers dwindled for each release. Devil's Nightmare is their fifth title while Mattei's Nazisploitation opus clocks in at number forty-one. Both are in stunning condition and I must thank the always great Eddie (terror-fantastic over on eBay) and Bill Knight of Midnight Legacy for the opportunity to snag these!

Two New Babies!

2012-04-16T18:50:00.000-04:00

Big thanks Kelly Forbes of Fangoria for the opportunity!

Still Alive: First Blood Part II: The Quickening

2012-04-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

Getting even crazier with the Japanese tapes!

Say Hello to the New Baby...

2012-04-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Some Pics from This Morning's Massive (Mostly) Mexican Tape Score!

2012-04-01T19:54:00.002-04:00

Unexpectedly, I've never seen this video before, my Madera Cinevideo clamshell of Juan López Moctezuma's Alucarda (1978), seen here, now has its "mate" in the Madera clam of Moctezuma's 1973 debut film, The Mansion of Madness (Mansión de la locura).

Another wild Japanese trailer I ran across...

2012-03-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry, had to upload this!

2012-03-25T19:00:00.000-04:00

R-RATED Waxwork in the New Wal Mart Lionsgate Horror Collection 8-Pack...

2012-03-25T14:59:00.011-04:00

While it's great to have eight flicks together with four previously unreleased on disc in America (The Unholy, CHUD 2, Ghoulies 3, and 976-EVIL 2), the presentation of Waxwork is the MPAA trimmed version. Artisan's previous Waxwork/Waxwork II: Lost in Time Double Feature DVD retained the full unrated cut released on VHS with extra bits to China's gory vampire battle in the white-tiled wine cellar/torture chamber. Also the new disc is taken from a different, significantly poorer and murky video master compared to the old disc's surprisingly colorful and bright picture. Basically the new presentation matches the terrible quality of the sequel on the old double feature disc.

2003 Artisan Part 1 & 2 Double Feature (Unrated)

2012 Lionsgate Horror Collection 8-Pack (R-Rated)

My Vision of The Walking Dead's Season 3 Premiere Pre-Credit Opening...

2012-03-23T20:50:00.018-04:00

Although I haven't talked much about AMC's The Walking Dead on BoGD, I've been watching since Episode #1. Despite some kinks, especially in the last few shows, I'm not going to ascribe to the weekly bitchfest seen at true intellectual dens of television critique such as AICN. During the monotony of my work day I've been pondering what bold, ominous pre-credit scene could open Season 3's debut. Since Season 2's 18 Miles Out opened with a glimpse of a scene later in that episode, why not open with something from a few episodes into the season?

First, some backstory covered before below's opening from first episodes of Season 3. The surviving group find themselves in an increasingly desperate situation as Carol, much like her daughter, goes missing after trailing off to use the wilderness as a restroom. She wasn't completely mindless taking the hunting knife from the sleeping Daryl's belt. T-Dog and Beth were keeping watch and everyone else had their light slumber interrupted when a small group of walkers are seen aimlessly stumbling in the distance.

The dead don't yet catch wind of the potential meal that lay in front of them, but Rick decides to move quickly even after sticks and rocks thrown off into the woods only distract a couple from their trajectory. With the walkers attracted by the commotion, it was only then the group, crushed into the remaining vehicles, realize Carol was still out there. Rick makes the gut-wrenching decision to leave only at the last possible second with more-and-more walkers seeming to appear out of nowhere. Andrea is still lost (or dead) to the group, but not to Michonne, who carries her along merely because she hasn't seen another living female in weeks...

Season 3's very first scene, from several episodes in, depicts a pantless Carol cowering on her shins in a small, darkened room surrounded by walls of concrete. She awakens from the cold floor only to find her arms behind her back shackled to an unseen rope. Struggling to get her bearings, tattered jeans and boots saunter into frame and stand beside her, the knife she took from Daryl is casually produced by the figure and a familiar voice is heard,

"My grandpappy gave me one like this when I was a boy, it woulda come in real handy..."

The man drops his other hand into frame, revealing a makeshift bandage over a stump. Before Carol can muster a response, he violently strikes her with her face smacking the floor with a disgusting thud. The camera angle changes to a shot directly above Carol's face. The knife is tossed inches away and blood starts to stream from her mouth. The sound of urination is heard and begins to soak her collar. The man mutters with a cackle, "It's just me and you, bitch." Carol begins to sob uncontrollably as blood pools around the knife and the credit sequence starts...

Hellraiser (1987) - 1989 Daewoo/Saeshin Youngsang South Korean VHS

2012-03-17T02:51:00.005-04:00

Due to the strict censorship of South Korea's film ratings board, it's a foregone conclusion Clive Barker's classic screen debut fell under the scissors, so this tape is pretty much just an curious obscurity. It is a bit odd and interesting as to what was sliced and what was left in. So much remains that what was excised doesn't seem to lessen the impact. It's also funny to note how the film has always been available uncut just a relatively short distance away in Japan.

Frank's initial meeting with the box is missing the last of the three "hook-into-flesh" digs.
Afterward the short tracking shot of the jumbled mess that once was Frank and Pinhead's hand sorting through the gore to find pieces of his ripped apart face is missing. The shot of Pinhead placing the pieces together is intact.
The shot of Frank and Julia laying naked in bed right after Larry's hand catches a nail is missing (maybe from seeing male genitalia for a split second), the sex beforehand is intact as well as all the bloody shots of Larry's wounded, dripping hand.
Frank's "re-birth" is complete with the brain reforming reverse stop motion shots taken from an inferior, matted source with a noticeable switch between shots.
The close-up shot of the first hammer victim's face with smashed jaw and teeth is missing. Otherwise, it's the slightly longer version of the death cut from other versions.
The shots of Frank twirling upside down covered in blood when he shows Julia his tortures from the box are missing.
While the shot of the squirming rats nailed to the wall is included, the shot of Frank filleting a dead rat while Julia and Larry are in bed is missing.
Frank's "re-death" is fully intact with all the hook digs, big spine tearing hook, "Jesus wept", and millisecond body explosion shot.

Only Hollywood (and a plagiarizing author)...

2012-03-14T18:19:00.003-04:00

Would take such a weighty scenario as kids killing kids for televised entertainment in a hopelessly grim future (Battle Royale much?), tailor the screen adaption toward a tween girl audience, and see Toys 'R Us advertise the merchandise in their weekly flyer...sign of the Apocalypse?

Heads Up: Out-of-Print Naschy at Best Buy (YMMV)

2012-03-10T17:20:00.001-05:00

notice the new price stickers over the old style

So a week ago I'm at a distant Best Buy and run across Deimos Entertainment's long OOP double set of The Loreley's Grasp (Las garras de Lorelei) (1974) and Horror Rises from the Tomb (El espanto surge de la tumba) (1973). The set was definitely factory sealed, but the plastic wrapping was scuffed and tattered, so I figured they must have found one squirreled away behind some shelving they recently moved. Thinking it was just dumb luck, I brushed it off as a cool find until this morning, when another Best Buy had another copy, again beat up but new, in addition to the Human Beasts (El carnaval de las bestias) (1985) and Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (Los ojos azules de la muñeca rota) (1973) set. Score!

The funny thing is, along with a third pairing of Night of the Sorcerers (La noche de los brujos) (1974) and Exorcism (Exorcismo) (1975), these double features were once Best Buy exclusives--several years ago--apparently only to return now after Deimos and distributor Brentwood Home Video have long since folded(!?!). These sets are so old they come in those now extinct thick double tray Amaray DVD cases instead of today's norm of studios having a fetish seeing how many discs can be crammed into a single DVD or Blu-ray case. It seemed like awhile ago I was shoveling up their individual titles from a guy at a local swap meet who buys bulk liquidated stock of discontinued DVDs and sells them for pennies. I didn't get these sets though the first go-around so I'm not going to miss this chance. Of course, your mileage may vary, but something is afoot. This might be the most latent case of DVD exclusivity ever...

First Epic Swap Meet Find of the New Year!

2012-03-03T19:45:00.000-05:00

Autographed by Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Sarah York, Betsy Baker, and Hal Delrich!

Troll 2 (1990) - 1993 South Korean Saekyong Video Production VHS

2012-02-26T17:40:00.001-05:00

Oh my goooodddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd...

Strike Commando (1987) - 1987 U.K. Avatar Film Corporation VHS

2012-02-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

Still Alive...

2012-02-19T02:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I've such a lazy ass lately with BoGD. Nothing is really going on and I'm continuing to collect and sell tapes over on Facebook. Just taking an impromptu break while trying to reorganize the collection to figure out what I can part with after years of collecting. Like I've noted before, friend me on FB and access my tape sale folder. I'm flexible on pricing, ship promptly with provided tracking, and cut deals on multiple orders. Still have a bunch to add as well! As far as collecting goes, I'm still going nuts for Japanese tapes!

XTRO II: The Second Encounter (1993) - Tokuma Communications Co. Japan VHS

2012-02-12T19:31:00.005-05:00

This is a great example of a severely lacking Aliens rip-off, even by Aliens rip-off standards, made to appear vastly more exciting by cover art. The director of 1983's Xtro, Harry Bromley Davenport, returns with this sequel apparently only in order to maintain the franchise rights and delivers near-comatose killer-alien-in-locked-down-research-facility sci-fi action garbage starring a barely audible Jan-Michael Vincent. My expectations were appropriately in check being at about the level of the somewhat similar Shocking Dark (see here) master crafted by Bruno Mattei the previous year.

With all prospects of being taken seriously jettisoned like the Queen Alien, there's a sore lack of stupid fun in Xtro II. Virtually zero emotion or suspense register as people speak while things happen around them. I mean, the least the cast could do is wink at the camera in the face of chokingly bad lines and cardboard sets. Yet no, the plot progresses in fits-and-starts while disinterested editing chops shots and scenes within inches of their lives. The effect is jarring and gives the impression much material was cut away for pacing (and the benefit of the viewer). The action is sloppy to the point characters can be seen firing machine guns full bore without the expected accompanying sound. Dialogue is also sometimes hard to heard if an actor even slightly tilts his head downward. Finally, it's better that we don't mention how the Xtro is burnt to a corn flake and 'xploded with a falling elevator of C4 only to be ultimately blasted into paper-mache by some measly bullets and a grenade. Well, at least this cover is pretty damn cool...

Midnight (1982) - TDK Super Video Japan VHS

2012-02-07T18:13:00.002-05:00

Even though I totally ripped apart eternal self-promoter John Russo's languid Midnight (thoughts here), written and directed by John Russo and based on a novel by John Russo, I couldn't resist the amazing condition of this rare Japanese slipbox. Complete with the usually discarded information pamphlet and survey card. Big thanks to terror fantastic over on eBay for the opportunity to snag this awesome tape!

Jigoku (Hell) (The Sinners of Hell) (1960) - Nikkatsu Video Japan VHS

2012-02-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

Cheap $6 grab from eBay last week. In case one didn't already know, Nobuo Nakagawa's Jigoku marked the first on-screen portrayal of gore effects, predating Herschell Gordon Lewis' Blood Feast in 1963. I know exactly zero Japanese, but I have a hunch this release commemorated the film's 35th anniversary judging by some the text on the cassette and its labels being in gold foil.

Initial Impressions of Sony's BDP-S185 "Smart" Blu-ray player

2012-01-30T20:09:00.013-05:00

At just $80, Sony's BDP-S185 is an obvious attempt to pillage the wallet of any still Blu-ray reluctant Average Joes with the combo of a trusted brand and multitude of features at an extremely competitive price. What pulled me in was the tiny form factor. The width and length of the unit equals just a half a fingernail over two standard DVD cases set side-by-side. It fits perfectly on top of my standard ATX PC tower with room to spare...

But why would I set it on my PC? Long story short, my parent's already-repaired-once Samsung LCD kicked the bucket, again, so they threw up their hands and shuffled sets around. They ended up getting a larger set for a second room and were gracious enough to give me their 32" Sony LCD (KDL-32L5000) which I'm now looking at as a monitor. With HDMI inputs, I wanted to get a BD player just for this display to watch/spot check Blus and DVDs right at my desk with the push of a button. I could have just bought a BD-ROM drive, but you should already know I'm weird like that. After determining the easiest way to grab one was to join the People of Wal Mart, I found literally stacks of them on an endcap for $78.

The player is simple to set up. Just plug-in, connect with an HDMI cable (not supplied, visit Monoprice), and turn on. The boot-up is less than fifteen seconds and you'll be greeted with a simple version of Sony's XMB interface seen on the PS3. There's selectable icons for Set-up, Photo, Music, Video, and Network. Looking over the video and audio feature set, the S185 supports almost everything the Blu-ray format can currently muster. 1080p/24 playback, Deep Color modes (10/12/16-bit), BD-Live 2.0, and internal decoding and/or bitstreaming of lossless audio types via HDMI. Firmware updates are also a breeze. The only drawbacks are a lack of Blu-ray 3D support, no time display on the player's front, no Wi-fi capability, and the required use of at least a 1GB USB stick for BD-Live features. I personally couldn't care less about the lack of these aspects. The biggest issue might be no front read-out but that's helped by a on-screen display that can be called up with info like the current/total track time, audio track, resolution, chapter number, and video bitrate (again, like the PS3's display).

Disc load times are speedy, more-or-less matching the PS3. The responsiveness to commands like chapter skipping or audio track changes is instantaneous. Worldly DVD collectors will bemoan the fact that the unit won't play even region free PAL format titles, but I already have several other players that can do that so I'm not holding that against it. One tiny yet extremely important feature is the disc tray design. I can't tell you how annoying it is when you buy a player and the tray isn't user-friendly. Many brands have forgotten this, like LG's BD550 (review here), which drove me up the wall with its ultra-thin tray that took the fingers of an aged Chinese sweatshop assembly worker to simply remove the disc by the edges. This Sony's tray is more like a traditional CD-ROM, that opens all the way out, just deep enough for you to easily see that the disc is properly "seated" to avoid jamming the (quiet) drive. The sides of the disc are also clear of the tray for assured removal even by big hands. It might sound stupid, but this factor alone is a huge plus because I certainly don't want to fuck up my media with scratches and fingerprints from being forced to employ awkward handling to simply use them.

Outside of the solid Blu-ray and DVD performance, the S185 also offers a bunch of online services like Sony's own movie/music rental service, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Hulu, Pandora Radio, Slacker Radio, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Crackle. I don't have the pay services, so I can't say how their implementation fares here, but the free ones run pretty smoothly. YouTube is fleshed out with most of the options you'd find online, including access to your own account, and the ability to watch videos full screen. Pandora is kinda shitty with Slacker being better thought out. The only problem was Slacker locking up the player if I became too overzealous with hitting the remote. Just like the PS3, hold the power button down on the player to force a shutdown. Crackle works well and offers free streaming movies and television, like NOLD '90 above. There's a useful image noise reduction feature that can be used with the online video services. You can also hook up a keyboard via USB for faster searches. Sony appears intent to add more services in the future, like the "coming soon" CinemaNow. You can even get tips or something from Dr. Oz and Lance Armstrong through their services...yeah...

I'm an idiot when it comes to all these newfangled media file types available, but there were no problems with viewing images and playing .avis and mp3s on USB drives. The remote is a little too small for all its buttons but compliments other recent Sony remotes. As for odd little features, the audio can be delayed up to 120msecs on DVDs and BDs during playback if the sync with the video seems off. Also in the Audio Set-up there's an option to automatically convert mono or stereo tracks into processed DTS Neo6 Surround. A feature I've never seen a disc player have that's always reserved for A/V receivers or processors. Overall, so far, this plucky player seems like a very good deal at the price point and it shows how far Blu-ray decks have come. It's almost like a PS3 without the gaming feature for a fraction of the cost.