AGFA/Something Weird Video Discussion Thread - Page 6 - Blu-ray Forum

NoirFan · 12-07-2017, 01:24 PM

DVD Drive-In with a very early review of Sword and the Claw

Mondo-Digital on The Violent Years

R!S!P! on The Violent Years

Site review of The Violent Years

stinky bean · 12-07-2017, 02:18 PM

Soultangler looks... interesting.

The Great Owl · 12-07-2017, 09:52 PM

Double-posting from the Film Noir thread...

Bad girls are on the loose. Four female high school students are alleviating their boredom by turning to crime. During the evening hours, they rampage around town in a carefree way by robbing gas stations, vandalizing school property, and raping men. Paula, the leader of the gang, is given free reign by her wealthy parents, and she exploits investigative information given to her by her father, who is the local newspaper editor with an inside line on the actions taken by the police. This female crime wave escalates in an intense way when they engage in a fierce shootout with the police and kill an officer.

The 1956 film noir crime thriller, The Violent Years, was written by none other than the legendary Ed Wood (Plan 9 from Outer Space), and his trademark ineptness at dialogue is all too evident, but the scrappy effort simply adds to this movie's retro charms. The four teenage girls are all played by women who are obviously in their 20s, and this aspect of the production also enhances its appeal. Jean Moorhead, who plays Paula, was a Playboy Playmate in 1955, and she also appeared in a few late 1950s sci-fi B-movies. This film, which rockets by with a 56-minute run time, opens with a spoken word narrative and a courtroom sequence before relaying the main story, noir style, in flashback. An obnoxiously heavy-handed monologue by a court judge during the final minutes will elicit laughter from most present-day viewers, but, once again, it's just part of the overall offbeat awesomeness.

As I watched this movie for the first time tonight, I was all smiles when I recognized a particular line, "You have had all that money can give you, but that wasn't enough. You became a thrill seeker...", from a song, “So What”, that appears on the 1990 album, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, from the industrial band, Ministry. I used to listen to that Ministry album all of the time when it was released during my senior year of high school, and I have revisited it fairly often since then, so the sampled quote jumped out at me. Several subsequent lines from the film are also sampled in that song, and, in fact, the line, “So what?”, appears a few times late in the film.

The Violent Years is a bad movie, even by the standards of the juvenile delinquent offshoot of the noir genre during the 1950s, but it's insanely entertaining in a time capsule sense, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The voiceover spoken word intro makes it clear that this story was directly inspired by real-life newspaper headlines, because this sort of thing was apparently occurring with increasing frequency during the 1950s and beyond. I, for one, am counting my lucky stars that I was never held at gunpoint in a “man attack” by four pretty women.

The 4K scan of The Violent Years that appears on this AGFA Blu-ray looks and sounds great, especially when compared to the available YouTube showings of the film. The commentary track by Frank Henenlotter and an Ed Wood historian is truly fun-spirited.

I'm still making my way through the rest of the extras, and I'm planning to watch the bonus film, Anatomy of a Psycho, tomorrow night.

The Great Owl · 12-07-2017, 10:17 PM

...and now for my take on Anatomy of a Psycho, which appears as a bonus film on The Violent Years Blu-ray.

When Duke Marco, a violent criminal, is sentenced to death and executed for his crimes, his younger brother, Chet, is blinded by anger and by a thirst for vengeance. His loving sister and her boyfriend both try to reassure him and counsel him to no avail, and a sensible police lieutenant also expresses concern. Chet's three best friends, however, are all too willing to accompany him on his wrathful outings as he attacks the District Attorney's son and as he seeks to exact revenge on a witness who testified in court against his brother. When he finds out that his sister's boyfriend is none other than the son of that witness, his rage reaches the boiling point, with terrible consequences.

Despite its title, the 1961 film, Anatomy of a Psycho, is not a horror movie. Instead, it takes its cues from the 1950s trend of films noir centered around juvenile delinquents. The end result may seem campy to most present-day viewers, but I enjoy watching how this feature pushes the envelope with regard to sex and violence in a way that foreshadowed more graphic cinema that would appear later that decade. A stabbing late in the movie must have been pretty intense for its time. There's also an interesting almost-but-not-quite-steamy moment between Chet and an ex-girlfriend.

This film apparently attempted to elbow its way into the horror market by way of its title, which was undoubtedly penned in the wake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece, Psycho. Chet, played by Darrell Howe, however, does not quite fit that bill in a convincing way. It's pretty amusing to watch how a scar on Chet's face seems to change slightly from scene to scene.

Anatomy of a Psycho flies by at lightning pace with its 75-minute run time, and it's never boring. I won't go so far as to say that it's a great movie, but it is a fun earlier example of the drive-in aesthetic that really took shape during that decade.

As with The Violent Years, the AGFA Blu-ray presentation of Anatomy of a Psycho hits the right notes, even with noticeable print damage here and there.

Props to this Blu-ray for giving us a solid double feature of kids-gone-bad cinema.

The Great Owl · 12-07-2017, 10:19 PM

Oh, and one more thing about The Violent Years Blu-ray...

Please be sure to check out the Gutter Noir Trailers from the Something Weird Vault supplementary extra if you have any remote inclination to see naked women in black-and-white movies.

The Great Owl · 12-08-2017, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

As I watched this movie for the first time tonight, I was all smiles when I recognized a particular line, "You have had all that money can give you, but that wasn't enough. You became a thrill seeker...", from a song, “So What”, that appears on the 1990 album, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, from the industrial band, Ministry. I used to listen to that Ministry album all of the time when it was released during my senior year of high school, and I have revisited it fairly often since then, so the sampled quote jumped out at me. Several subsequent lines from the film are also sampled in that song, and, in fact, the line, “So what?”, appears a few times late in the film.

Here is the Ministry song in question. It actually samples several lines from the judge's monologues late in this film.

Jobla · 12-09-2017, 07:39 PM

A spokesman for SWV has emailed me that Ed Wood's rare TAKE IT OUT IN TRADE (1970) is being planned for a November, 2018 release by AGFA/SWV.

bigshot · 12-09-2017, 07:59 PM

I've only seen the bits and pieces of Trade that were released a long time ago. I have no idea how that plays. But I have seen The Photographer. That is so whiskey infused you can smell the fumes while you watch it. Any movie with a drunk Ed Wood in a dog collar chasing a bottle of whiskey around the house is a good thing.

Frog Foot · 12-10-2017, 04:48 PM

[Show spoiler]

A little disappointed this wont be in a bluray size case on the shelf with the other AGFA releases. Though I doubt a film like this would benefit greatly if any at all from a bluray release. That said I'll probably still check it out.

NoirFan · 12-11-2017, 10:15 PM

I found these 2016 introductory videos (along with their other previously-posted trailers) on their YouTube channel:

cousineerie · 12-12-2017, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billyearle

On All the Sins of Sodom, did you have the thing where the image freezes for a second a few times? It happened on mine around 2:40 and 12 minutes, after that I shut if off. The VS doesn't have this problem. I assumed the disc or pressing is defective, but am unsure now, since Dr. Svet's review mentions missing frames being evident without further elaboration. Seemed he didn't have the VS disc for comparison.
Any opinions?
Edit: I heard all the discs have this issue. They should at least put a note on the package or disc, explaining if it's missing frames. Sure a lot of folks went through the hassle of exchanging this for no reason.

The VS ATSOS has more picture on all 4 sides. The FM/SW print has light but constant damage, unstable white areas with a little flicker and muddy blacks / indistinct dark scenes. And the sound is thin. I haven't had any playback problems.

NoirFan · 12-13-2017, 07:52 PM

DVD Talk on Sword and the Claw/Brawl Busters

barsalou · 12-13-2017, 08:34 PM

Just pre-ordered The Sword and the Claw, looks wild, can't wait to check it out.

Also just blind bought Effects and The Zodiac Killer which has been a favorite of mine for years now. Can't wait to see what it looks like on bluray and delve into all the special features. This interview with Tom Hanson is definitely worth checking out:

http://templeofschlock.blogspot.ca/2...om-hanson.html

LosMagandos · 12-20-2017, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoirFan

DVD Talk on Sword and the Claw/Brawl Busters

Wish the distribution companies would save more Turkish Wonders !

Although this is great (Alos known as Lionman) even this is tame compared some of the truly batshit crazy Turkish titles out there.

barsalou · 12-20-2017, 07:48 PM

I digged into the first two AGFA releases over the last few days and I have to say they were most impressive, fantastic work all around. I’m a huge true-crime buff and The Zodiac Killer has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. The whole backstory of how this film came to be has to be heard to be believed. Although I already I knew most of the details from the Temple of Shlock interview posted above, the commentary was a blast even though Hanson doesn’t have the best memory at this point. It moves along well and is hilarious at times, I was cracking up on more than one occasion. Only complaint is that the on screen interview with Hanson is cool, but way too short. It was incredible to see the film look as good as it does here. I’m no a/v expert, but its leagues ahead of the old Something Weird DVD. Anyone on the fence about getting this release should dive in, worth every penny. For people that are into quality shlock, but haven’t seen this one, I feel like it would be a tremendous blind buy… Fun side note, the commentary reveals that Bob Jones mostly played himself while portraying Grover and anyone who has seen the movie knows just how awesome Grover is haha.

It was my first time seeing Effects and I really enjoyed it, solid movie and the ‘’making of’’ documentary was a good watch. Joe Pilato is so entertaining, what a guy. I have The Sword and the Claw on pre-order and will be getting the Violent Years shortly as I am a pretty big Ed Wood fan. Still unsure about Bat *****, but might pick it on the strength of the AGFA label alone.

bruce holecheck · 12-28-2017, 12:09 AM

A new exclusive from my Cinema Arcana FB Page!

Cult favorites Mondo Macabro have developed a reputation for delivering the weirdest and wildest cinematic oddities from the farthest reaches of the globe, and in 2018 they’re launching a new sublabel dedicated to some of their craziest findings yet – this time sourced right from your own backyard! Behold AMERICAN ARCANA, a carefully-curated collection of genre goodies guaranteed to please those with tastes a bit more jaded.

The inaugural release under this new banner is a diseased double-dose of exploitation atrocities presented in collaboration with the mad geniuses at Something Weird Video: Byron Mabe’s THE BUSHWHACKER (1968) & Charles Nizet’s THE RAVAGER (1970)!

When a coonskin-capped degenerate shoots down a small plane in the dusty deserts of California, its occupants seem to think their only chance for survival is intermittent walking and rampant humping. Turns out they’re perfect prey for THE BUSHWHACKER! He’s a randy old recluse with no qualms about kidnapping his new go-go girlfriends away for a night of sadistic thrills, and soon the whole show devolves into a macabre mélange of mutilation, necrophilia and cannibalism. Caution: This motion picture contains plenty of unwhacked bushes.

‘Nam was Hell for THE RAVAGER! Lost in the jungles, G.I. Joe Salkow stumbles upon the scene of a woman being assaulted, beaten bloody, then detonated with dynamite. The shock awakens something within him; returning home, Joe submits to these base desires and begins building bombs with the express purpose of blowing up lovers. Or lesbians. Or kids. Whatever… it doesn’t really matter to Joe, as long as someone’s exploding. Holy hell.

Deemed too violent by their intended skinflick crowd, both films crashed and burned at the box office, relegated to obscurity until they were exhumed by the exploitation excavation crew at Something Weird Video. Now, Mondo Macabro are hoping they’ll find an even wider audience with this double-feature Blu-Ray. The pair have been scanned and mastered in 2K by the gang at AGFA from extremely rare 35mm prints, and supplements are slated to include a batch of specially selected trailers from the SWV vaults. Expect more details in the new year.

While the company isn’t ready to announce future American Arcana titles just yet, I can verify that one’s a never-on-home-video ‘70s sickie that I’ve been itching to see for quite some time – so watch this space!

© Bruce Holecheck, 2017

Mike_C · 01-17-2018, 04:11 PM

Well this is exciting! An AGFA/Shaw Bros. collaboration? Yes, please!

The Great Owl · 01-17-2018, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_C

Well this is exciting! An AGFA/Shaw Bros. collaboration? Yes, please!

[Show spoiler]

I haven't thought about Infra-Man in years. Nice!

BrentLW · 01-17-2018, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_C

Well this is exciting! An AGFA/Shaw Bros. collaboration? Yes, please!
]

But for now it just seems to be for theatrical screenings. But if they start announcing Blu Ray releases I am there.

Mike_C · 01-17-2018, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrentLW

But for now it just seems to be for theatrical screenings. But if they start announcing Blu Ray releases I am there.

Yeah. Hoping an announcement regarding blurays will be made in the not-too-distant future...

12-07-2017, 10:17 PM	#104
The Great Owl Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia 4K collection:921 Blu-ray collection:6031 DVD collection:28 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:6	...and now for my take on Anatomy of a Psycho, which appears as a bonus film on The Violent Years Blu-ray. When Duke Marco, a violent criminal, is sentenced to death and executed for his crimes, his younger brother, Chet, is blinded by anger and by a thirst for vengeance. His loving sister and her boyfriend both try to reassure him and counsel him to no avail, and a sensible police lieutenant also expresses concern. Chet's three best friends, however, are all too willing to accompany him on his wrathful outings as he attacks the District Attorney's son and as he seeks to exact revenge on a witness who testified in court against his brother. When he finds out that his sister's boyfriend is none other than the son of that witness, his rage reaches the boiling point, with terrible consequences. Despite its title, the 1961 film, Anatomy of a Psycho, is not a horror movie. Instead, it takes its cues from the 1950s trend of films noir centered around juvenile delinquents. The end result may seem campy to most present-day viewers, but I enjoy watching how this feature pushes the envelope with regard to sex and violence in a way that foreshadowed more graphic cinema that would appear later that decade. A stabbing late in the movie must have been pretty intense for its time. There's also an interesting almost-but-not-quite-steamy moment between Chet and an ex-girlfriend. This film apparently attempted to elbow its way into the horror market by way of its title, which was undoubtedly penned in the wake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece, Psycho. Chet, played by Darrell Howe, however, does not quite fit that bill in a convincing way. It's pretty amusing to watch how a scar on Chet's face seems to change slightly from scene to scene. Anatomy of a Psycho flies by at lightning pace with its 75-minute run time, and it's never boring. I won't go so far as to say that it's a great movie, but it is a fun earlier example of the drive-in aesthetic that really took shape during that decade. As with The Violent Years, the AGFA Blu-ray presentation of Anatomy of a Psycho hits the right notes, even with noticeable print damage here and there. Props to this Blu-ray for giving us a solid double feature of kids-gone-bad cinema. Last edited by The Great Owl; 12-07-2017 at 10:39 PM.

12-07-2017, 01:24 PM	#101
NoirFan Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009 4K collection:16 Blu-ray collection:2442 Trading Score:29	DVD Drive-In with a very early review of Sword and the Claw Mondo-Digital on The Violent Years R!S!P! on The Violent Years Site review of The Violent Years

12-07-2017, 02:18 PM	#102
stinky bean Active Member Member since:Apr 2013 Blu-ray collection:1	Soultangler looks... interesting.

12-07-2017, 09:52 PM	#103
The Great Owl Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia 4K collection:921 Blu-ray collection:6031 DVD collection:28 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:6	Double-posting from the Film Noir thread... Bad girls are on the loose. Four female high school students are alleviating their boredom by turning to crime. During the evening hours, they rampage around town in a carefree way by robbing gas stations, vandalizing school property, and raping men. Paula, the leader of the gang, is given free reign by her wealthy parents, and she exploits investigative information given to her by her father, who is the local newspaper editor with an inside line on the actions taken by the police. This female crime wave escalates in an intense way when they engage in a fierce shootout with the police and kill an officer. The 1956 film noir crime thriller, The Violent Years, was written by none other than the legendary Ed Wood (Plan 9 from Outer Space), and his trademark ineptness at dialogue is all too evident, but the scrappy effort simply adds to this movie's retro charms. The four teenage girls are all played by women who are obviously in their 20s, and this aspect of the production also enhances its appeal. Jean Moorhead, who plays Paula, was a Playboy Playmate in 1955, and she also appeared in a few late 1950s sci-fi B-movies. This film, which rockets by with a 56-minute run time, opens with a spoken word narrative and a courtroom sequence before relaying the main story, noir style, in flashback. An obnoxiously heavy-handed monologue by a court judge during the final minutes will elicit laughter from most present-day viewers, but, once again, it's just part of the overall offbeat awesomeness. As I watched this movie for the first time tonight, I was all smiles when I recognized a particular line, "You have had all that money can give you, but that wasn't enough. You became a thrill seeker...", from a song, “So What”, that appears on the 1990 album, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, from the industrial band, Ministry. I used to listen to that Ministry album all of the time when it was released during my senior year of high school, and I have revisited it fairly often since then, so the sampled quote jumped out at me. Several subsequent lines from the film are also sampled in that song, and, in fact, the line, “So what?”, appears a few times late in the film. The Violent Years is a bad movie, even by the standards of the juvenile delinquent offshoot of the noir genre during the 1950s, but it's insanely entertaining in a time capsule sense, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The voiceover spoken word intro makes it clear that this story was directly inspired by real-life newspaper headlines, because this sort of thing was apparently occurring with increasing frequency during the 1950s and beyond. I, for one, am counting my lucky stars that I was never held at gunpoint in a “man attack” by four pretty women. The 4K scan of The Violent Years that appears on this AGFA Blu-ray looks and sounds great, especially when compared to the available YouTube showings of the film. The commentary track by Frank Henenlotter and an Ed Wood historian is truly fun-spirited. I'm still making my way through the rest of the extras, and I'm planning to watch the bonus film, Anatomy of a Psycho, tomorrow night.

12-07-2017, 10:19 PM	#105
The Great Owl Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia 4K collection:921 Blu-ray collection:6031 DVD collection:28 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:6	Oh, and one more thing about The Violent Years Blu-ray... Please be sure to check out the Gutter Noir Trailers from the Something Weird Vault supplementary extra if you have any remote inclination to see naked women in black-and-white movies.

12-09-2017, 07:39 PM	#107
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	A spokesman for SWV has emailed me that Ed Wood's rare TAKE IT OUT IN TRADE (1970) is being planned for a November, 2018 release by AGFA/SWV.

12-09-2017, 07:59 PM	#108
bigshot Blu-ray Knight Member since:Aug 2010 Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:82 Blu-ray reviews: 3 Trading Score:3	I've only seen the bits and pieces of Trade that were released a long time ago. I have no idea how that plays. But I have seen The Photographer. That is so whiskey infused you can smell the fumes while you watch it. Any movie with a drunk Ed Wood in a dog collar chasing a bottle of whiskey around the house is a good thing.

12-13-2017, 07:52 PM	#112
NoirFan Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009 4K collection:16 Blu-ray collection:2442 Trading Score:29	DVD Talk on Sword and the Claw/Brawl Busters

12-13-2017, 08:34 PM	#113
barsalou Blu-ray Guru Member since:Dec 2017 Location:Mausoleum Trading Score:1	Just pre-ordered The Sword and the Claw, looks wild, can't wait to check it out. Also just blind bought Effects and The Zodiac Killer which has been a favorite of mine for years now. Can't wait to see what it looks like on bluray and delve into all the special features. This interview with Tom Hanson is definitely worth checking out: http://templeofschlock.blogspot.ca/2...om-hanson.html

12-20-2017, 07:48 PM	#115
barsalou Blu-ray Guru Member since:Dec 2017 Location:Mausoleum Trading Score:1	I digged into the first two AGFA releases over the last few days and I have to say they were most impressive, fantastic work all around. I’m a huge true-crime buff and The Zodiac Killer has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. The whole backstory of how this film came to be has to be heard to be believed. Although I already I knew most of the details from the Temple of Shlock interview posted above, the commentary was a blast even though Hanson doesn’t have the best memory at this point. It moves along well and is hilarious at times, I was cracking up on more than one occasion. Only complaint is that the on screen interview with Hanson is cool, but way too short. It was incredible to see the film look as good as it does here. I’m no a/v expert, but its leagues ahead of the old Something Weird DVD. Anyone on the fence about getting this release should dive in, worth every penny. For people that are into quality shlock, but haven’t seen this one, I feel like it would be a tremendous blind buy… Fun side note, the commentary reveals that Bob Jones mostly played himself while portraying Grover and anyone who has seen the movie knows just how awesome Grover is haha. It was my first time seeing Effects and I really enjoyed it, solid movie and the ‘’making of’’ documentary was a good watch. Joe Pilato is so entertaining, what a guy. I have The Sword and the Claw on pre-order and will be getting the Violent Years shortly as I am a pretty big Ed Wood fan. Still unsure about Bat *****, but might pick it on the strength of the AGFA label alone.

12-28-2017, 12:09 AM	#116
bruce holecheck Power Member Top contributor Member since:Feb 2014 4K collection:773 Blu-ray collection:8809 DVD collection:321	A new exclusive from my Cinema Arcana FB Page! Cult favorites Mondo Macabro have developed a reputation for delivering the weirdest and wildest cinematic oddities from the farthest reaches of the globe, and in 2018 they’re launching a new sublabel dedicated to some of their craziest findings yet – this time sourced right from your own backyard! Behold AMERICAN ARCANA, a carefully-curated collection of genre goodies guaranteed to please those with tastes a bit more jaded. The inaugural release under this new banner is a diseased double-dose of exploitation atrocities presented in collaboration with the mad geniuses at Something Weird Video: Byron Mabe’s THE BUSHWHACKER (1968) & Charles Nizet’s THE RAVAGER (1970)! When a coonskin-capped degenerate shoots down a small plane in the dusty deserts of California, its occupants seem to think their only chance for survival is intermittent walking and rampant humping. Turns out they’re perfect prey for THE BUSHWHACKER! He’s a randy old recluse with no qualms about kidnapping his new go-go girlfriends away for a night of sadistic thrills, and soon the whole show devolves into a macabre mélange of mutilation, necrophilia and cannibalism. Caution: This motion picture contains plenty of unwhacked bushes. ‘Nam was Hell for THE RAVAGER! Lost in the jungles, G.I. Joe Salkow stumbles upon the scene of a woman being assaulted, beaten bloody, then detonated with dynamite. The shock awakens something within him; returning home, Joe submits to these base desires and begins building bombs with the express purpose of blowing up lovers. Or lesbians. Or kids. Whatever… it doesn’t really matter to Joe, as long as someone’s exploding. Holy hell. Deemed too violent by their intended skinflick crowd, both films crashed and burned at the box office, relegated to obscurity until they were exhumed by the exploitation excavation crew at Something Weird Video. Now, Mondo Macabro are hoping they’ll find an even wider audience with this double-feature Blu-Ray. The pair have been scanned and mastered in 2K by the gang at AGFA from extremely rare 35mm prints, and supplements are slated to include a batch of specially selected trailers from the SWV vaults. Expect more details in the new year. While the company isn’t ready to announce future American Arcana titles just yet, I can verify that one’s a never-on-home-video ‘70s sickie that I’ve been itching to see for quite some time – so watch this space! © Bruce Holecheck, 2017

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