Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection -- Arrow Video, May 2021

[bruce holecheck]

UK/US/CA TITLE: Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection (Limited Edition Blu-ray)

Discover the first ever collection of works by Bill Rebane, the epitome of an independent regional filmmaker who built his own studio in the wilds of Wisconsin. Bringing together six films and loaded with new interviews and extras, Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection is an essential collection of features from one of America’s most tenacious outsider auteurs!


FROM THE WILDS OF WISCONSIN HE CAME…

Alien Invasions! Haunted Pianos! Sentient Monster Trucks! Arrow Video is proud to present the first ever collection of works by Bill Rebane, the epitome of an independent regional filmmaker who built his own studio in the wilds of Wisconsin. He acted for Hitchcock, he searched for the arms of the Venus De Milo, he turned a VW Beetle into a giant spider and he’s still at work today!

Bringing together six films, all new to Blu-ray and in brand new restorations, Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection packs in a mutant astronaut bothering blissful sunbathers (Monster A Go-Go), a contagion apocalypse as seen from the vantage point of a remote mountain cabin (Invasion from Inner Earth), deadly alien spores from the rocks of Mars (The Alpha Incident), rural gothic and outright horror (The Demons of Ludlow), an eccentric ‘body count’ movie (The Game) and a comedy smash-‘em up that pits three hillbilly stooges against a talking Monster Truck with artificial intelligence (Twister’s Revenge).

Loaded with new interviews and extras, this is an essential collection of features from one of America’s most tenacious outsider auteurs!

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Six Bill Rebane films, all newly restored from the best surviving film elements: Monster A Go-Go (1965), Invasion from Inner Earth (1974), The Alpha Incident (1978), The Demons Of Ludlow (1983), The Game (1984), Twister’s Revenge (1988)
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations on 4 Blu-ray discs
• Original uncompressed mono audio for all films
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Straight Shooter, a multi-part interview with director Bill Rebane about the making and release of each film in the set
• Who is Bill Rebane? A definitive brand new feature length documentary by historian and critic David Cairns, featuring contributions from filmmakers, fans, historians, critics, and the cast and crew who worked with Bill Rebane [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
• Fully illustrated 60-page collector’s booklet featuring extensive new writing by historian and critic Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of Exploitation Independents [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
• Reversible poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
• Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork for each of the films by The Twins of Evil

DISC ONE – MONSTER A GO-GO + INVASION FROM INNER EARTH
• Straight Shooter Part 1 and Part 2, two newly filmed interviews about the making of Monster A Go-Go and Invasion from Inner Earth with director Bill Rebane
• Brand new interview with historian and critic Kim Newman about the films of Bill Rebane
• Twist Craze, and Dance Craze, two early short films by Bill Rebane
• Kidnap Extortion (1973), a newly restored industrial short directed by Bill Rebane
• Stills and Promotional Gallery

DISC TWO – THE ALPHA INCIDENT + THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW
• Straight Shooter Part 3 and Part 4, two newly filmed interviews about the making of The Alpha Incident and The Demons of Ludlow with director Bill Rebane
• Rebane’s Key Largo, a brand new visual essay by historian and critic Richard Harland Smith
• The Alpha Incident original trailer
• The Demons of Ludlow original trailer
• Stills and Promotional Gallery

DISC THREE – THE GAME + TWISTER’S REVENGE
• Two presentations of The Game (aka The Cold) in 1.85 and 1.33 aspect ratio
• Straight Shooter Part 5 and Part 6, two newly filmed interviews about the making of The Game and Twister’s Revenge with director Bill Rebane
• Discovering Bill Rebane, brand new presentation by historian & critic Stephen R. Bissette about his personal connections with the films of Bill Rebane and their importance to regional film making in America
• The Game original trailer
• Twister’s Revenge original trailer
• Stills and Promotional Gallery

DISC FOUR – WHO IS BILL REBANE? (2021) + BONUS
• Who is Bill Rebane? Exclusive new feature length documentary by historian and critic David Cairns on the life and work of the Wisconsin auteur, featuring historians, critics, filmmakers, plus cast and crew members who worked with Bill Rebane
• King of the Wild Frontier a new almost two-hour impassioned conversation with historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette about the films of Bill Rebane
• Invasion from Inner Earth outtakes from the shoot
• The Alpha Incident outtakes from the shoot
• The Demons of Ludlow outtakes from the shoot
• The Giant Spider Invasion original trailer
• Gallery of Behind the Scenes stills
• Stills and Promotional Galleries for the rest of Rebane’s filmography

Extras subject to change

[sb5]

It has the trailer for The Giant Spider Invasion, but not the movie itself? Guess it’s with someone else.

[starsteam]

Originally Posted by sb5

It has the trailer for The Giant Spider Invasion, but not the movie itself? Guess it’s with someone else.

Giant Spider Invasion has already been released to Blu-ray twice by VCI and Code Red.

[bergman864]

Same artist as the WIlliam Grefe set (and I'm sure others). This is another filmmaker I'm just now hearing about. Good to know the REB has been accounted for.

[defile959]

I've never seen any of these movies, but I'm a sucker for these filmmaker-focused sets - so count me in!

[jmilo61]

Originally Posted by bergman864

Same artist as the WIlliam Grefe set (and I'm sure others). This is another filmmaker I'm just now hearing about. Good to know the REB has been accounted for.

Blood Harvest, released by Vinegar Syndrome, is also a Redbane directed film.

[gobad2003]

Originally Posted by sb5

It has the trailer for The Giant Spider Invasion, but not the movie itself? Guess it’s with someone else.

It actually has a really nice transfer for Dark Force already

[pixote]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO why the same crappy art style as William Grefe

FML

[Damonstein]

twisters revenge on blu ray. it's 9am and im already exhausted for the day.

[defile959]

Originally Posted by pixote

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO why the same crappy art style as William Grefe

FML

I suspect they're using the same artists for the films that are in line with the American Horror Project / Nightmare USA titles.

[pixote]

Originally Posted by defile959

I suspect they're using the same artists for the films that are in line with the American Horror Project / Nightmare USA titles.

I liked the American Horror Project artwork but the William Grefe might be the ugliest thing on my shelf. Now it will have a companion lol

[Bradsdadg]

I really like the art style and am excited to get this one! I don't know much at all about it, but that didn't stop me from getting the Grefe Collection either

[cakefactory]

Haha, I've only ever heard of Monster-a-go-go (which I have very bad memories of from MST3K), but as a big fan of the American Horror Project sets and a Wisconsin resident I guess I'm obligated. I wonder where these were filmed. Probably in backwoods areas I won't recognize. The Pit (1981) was fun since I have actually been to Beaver Dam (and drive through it on the way to Madison fairly often) so I recognized locations. Hope this has some of that, too.

[Sleazeaddict]

like the artwork too, will fit well with Grefe, both AHP, Milligan, Adamson sets..

[HipsterTrash]

I'm guessing the reason that both Capture of Bigfoot and Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake are with Roma and stuck with them. Cause those two films should be on this set as well.

[Member-222782]

Gonna do more research on these films before purchasing. Don't want to make the same mistake I made with the William Grefe set. For some reason I confused Grefe with William Girdler. I don't think I've seen any of these Rebane flicks; none sound familiar.

[jshaide]

Oh yeah, I'm def in for a blind buy on this. I really love going through sets like these.

[Toddarino]

Blood Harvest is terrible, but for some reason I’m thinking of picking this up.

[jjk]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

I'm guessing the reason that both Capture of Bigfoot and Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake are with Roma and stuck with them. Cause those two films should be on this set as well.

When there was talk of this set floating around, I expected Giant Spider Invasion and Blood Harvest to be missing due to their prior releases but I am disappointed that Bigfoot and Shadow Lake (I saw Shadow Lake way back when under the title Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell) are not included. Being somewhat of a completist, I don't like when these box sets have gaps. If I am going to commit a week or two or three watching one director plus all the extras, I want to finish up as an expert.
Though I suppose there's enough crap here that I have not seen prior starting with Monster a Go-Go. I looked it up on IMDB and it has 117 User reviews of which 110 are either 2 stars or less. Wow ...
Yep, pre-ordered.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Gonna do more research on these films before purchasing. Don't want to make the same mistake I made with the William Grefe set. For some reason I confused Grefe with William Girdler. I don't think I've seen any of these Rebane flicks; none sound familiar.

What mistake did you make with Grefe? Thinking they'd be "good" lost horror movies?

From what I've seen of this guy (Monster a-go go, Blood Harvest and Giant Spider Invasion) I can't possibly imagine that Grefe is worse. But, I haven't seen any of those movies cause everything I read suggested they were not only terrible but boring. Giant Spider Invasion most certainly is not boring, at least!