Hard Rock Zombies / Slaughterhouse Rock (1985-1987) - Vinegar Syndrome

[DR Herbert West]

with the explosion of heavy metal and new wave music in the mid 1980s, it was inevitable that horror filmmakers would seize the opportunity to combine these popular musical stylings with blood and mayhem. While numerous such tie-ins were produced, none were as freaked out and gore soaked as this foot stomping duo, presented fully uncensored and newly restored on blu-ray from vinegar syndrome!

A heavy metal band has been invited to appear in a conservative small town. What they don’t know is that their hosts are in fact a family of horrific and murderous mutants, whose patriarch is none other than hitler! After being swiftly murdered, cassie, the only non-violent member of this depraved clan, wills the band back to life. Soon the stuffy townspeople are faced with an unwelcome reckoning as the zombified musicians thrash and maim their way through the community, in the name of grisly revenge…and love!

Without a doubt one of the most original zombie films in the history of the genre, krishna shah’s hard rock zombies is a dazzling blend of horror film and musical, filtered through experimental and arthouse cinema sensibilities. Jam packed with outrageous song and dance sequences juxtaposed with over-the-top violence and ludicrous plot twists, hard rock zombies comes to blu-ray for the first time ever, in its completely uncut composite version, sourced from the only known 35mm film elements with video inserts.

Alex, a college student, is being plagued by strange dreams in which a grotesque man commits heinous acts of torture and murder. With the help of his friends, alex discovers that he has an unexplained telepathic link to a notorious killer who once lived on alcatraz island and whose bloodlust extends beyond the grave. When his supernatural experiences begin taking on real life manifestations, alex and his friends sneak into the abandoned prison to put an end to their reign of terror, only to unwittingly walk into a bloodbath…

dispensing with any sense of narrative logic, dimitri logothetis’ slaughterhouse rock gleefully combines tracks from new wave musical sensations, devo, with plentiful gut-busting gore, and touches of humor, all set in the spooky, fog filled environs of the infamous alcatraz prison. This thrill filled neon-nightmare hits blu-ray from a brand new 4k restoration of its original 35mm camera negative, with its oft censored gore fully restored.

Directed by: Krishna shah, dimitri logothetis
starring: Toni basil, nicholas celozzi, tammy hyler, e.j. Curse
1985-1987 / 182 (combined) / 1.85:1 / english stereo

additional info:
• 2-disc blu-ray set
• reversible cover artwork
• english sdh subtitles for both films

hard rock zombies - info/extras:
• newly scanned & restored in 2k from 35mm archival elements
• “never say die” - a making-of documentary featuring interviews with the following actors: Ej curse, sam mann, geno andrews, mick mcmains, ted wells, richard vidan and david o’hara
• “popcorn farts and low budget cheese” - a featurette with special effects artists chris biggs and everett burrell
• “from bit player to band leader” - an interview with actress susette boggs
• “the bible of holy moses: Watching hard rock zombies through a fanatic’s eye" - an interview with author lucy hall

slaughterhouse rock info/extras:
• newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original negative
• “low-key horror” - an interview with cinematographer nicholas josef von sternberg
• “the girl that lives” - an interview with actress tammy hyler
• “wearing the right clothes” - an interview with actor nicholas celozzi
• “lunch break with claws” - an interview with actor al fleming
• original trailer