I feel very grown up. I just ordered a Christmas tablecloth. That’s the sort of thing my mum owns! Plus, it’s 10 December and I’ve written all of my Christmas cards and wrapped all of my presents with ribbons and bows and everything! The only thing not done is the decorations and that’s only because I’ve been waiting for some builders to come and do some repairs on my windows. Come tomorrow there will be lights, tinsel and baubles all over the show! Yep, by tomorrow I’ll be living in a grotto.
Actually, I’ve been telling porkies because not all my presents are wrapped. There’s one special present (for me) that I haven’t done yet simply because it hasn’t been released. But that will be rectified next week. I am, of course, wittering on about the Battle Royale limited edition DVD and Blu-ray from Arrow Video which is out 13 December 2010. There’s not much more I can tell you about this. You know about the sexy packaging, the fab, exclusive comic book and all the specs so the best thing I can do is point you in the direction of the blog where you’ll find a playlist of director Kinji Fukasaku’s amazing work. If you haven’t heard about the awesomeness of this edition of Battle Royale, then I can also point you in the direction of the official mini-forum, so what are you waiting for?
Sarah@Cult Labs.
“A FAULTLESS MASTERPIECE” IS COMING SOON
Described as “a faultless masterpiece” and awarded five stars by Alan Jones of Frightfest, Amer is coming soon from Anchor Bay Films.
This dazzling debut feature from the co-writing and co-directing team of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani is the winner of several international awards and glowing reviews. Recalling the captivating cinematic style, recurring themes and bold visual motifs seen in the works of directors such as Dario Argento, Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci, Cattet and Forzani’s highly original and visionary tribute to the Italian masters is a virtually dialogue-free, Freudian tale of sexual awakening, obsession and murder. Scored (in “Tarantino style”) utilizing recycled Italian movie soundtrack music composed by Ennio Morricone, Bruno Nicolai, Adriano Celentano and Stelvio Cipriani and destined for cult status, Amer is “a succulently visual feast of horror, sex, chills and thrills” (Bizarre) and a must-see for fans of arthouse, horror and independent cinema.
Amer will open at London’s ICA cinema on 7 January 2011 and will come to DVD and Blu-ray on 31 January 2011. You can check out the trailer or discuss the film on the official mini-forum.
TAKE A CHRISTMAS BREAK TO THE BAY OF BLOOD
If you can’t wait for Amer in 2011, then fear not! Cult Labs have got more Blu-ray and DVD goodness coming to you in December 2010! Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood will be released by Arrow Video just in time for Christmas on 20 December. For those of you not familiar with Bava’s masterpiece, here’s the plot! When a rich countess is murdered, a bitter conflict ensues to determine who’ll inherit her estate, and you can bet that the body count is going to rise rapidly in the process as the plot twists spin wildly out of control. The fight to gain control of the countess’ fortune quickly turns into a full-on murder spree as numerous victims are in turn mangled, hung, speared, stabbed, strangled, hacked with a machete and decapitated. So if this influential piece of cinematic brilliance is your cup of tea (or, indeed, your glass of mulled wine) make it an early Christmas present for yourself! You can check out the official thread to discuss this title!
I SPIT ON YOUR NEW YEAR
Of course I don’t really! That would be rude. But Sarah Butler, as Jennifer Hills, would spit on your grave and that’s exactly what she’ll be doing when the remake of I Spit on Your Grave opens at cinemas on 21 January 2010 courtesy of Anchor Bay Films. This quality and superior remake has had the critics talking and you can check out some quotes and the trailer over at the official blog. To chat about the film, head on over to the official mini-forum!
A SERBIAN ARTICLE – A SERBIAN FILM OUT NOW IN UK CINEMAS!
Another newsletter, another piece on A Serbian Film. With all the controversy surrounding this film, some people are questioning what motivates the protagonist to even take part in the central “art porn” film. Well wonder no more as we bring you the scene in which that pivotal contract is signed. You can check it out here. You can also read a thoughtful and insightful piece, “At the sharp edge of pornography” over on Facebook. Love it or hate it, what A Serbian Film does best is provoke discussion, so if you want to talk about the film go to the official mini-forum or check out the hubsite to read reviews apleanty! A Serbian Film is out in UK cinemas today and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray from Revolver Entertainment on 3 January 2011.
If you can’t make it to cinemas to see A Serbian Film, but can’t wait for DVD or Blu-ray, then no worries. You will also be able to rent it from indiemoviesonline.com from today as well! Indiemoviesonline.com is an international, legal video-on-demand site with over 700 films available for free. A Serbian Film will be among the first films available to rent on a pay-to-view basis in the UK, making the film available to the widest possible audience prior to its home video release.
WATCH THIS SPACE…
Just a note to say keep your eyes on the Shameless Official Fan Forum towards the end of next week for some changes and news…
THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE LABORATORY
It’s that time again. I treat myself to a warm drink (this week, it’s hot chocolate!) while I give you the low-down on what’s hot on the forums this week. So excuse me while I go put the kettle on. You can peruse these threads while you wait for me to get back…
So Arrow Video’s super-spangly release of Dario Argento’s Deep Red isn’t out until 3 January 2011 now unfortunately. That news made me shed a little tear but it’s down to things outside Arrow’s control and it’s Christmas so I can’t stay sad for long. To help with the anticipation of seeing in the new year with David Hemmings in his tight white kecks, why not head on over to the Deep Red mini-forum to chat about just what makes the film such a masterpiece?
What’s your favourite giallo and why? With Arrow pumping out gialli faster than you can say “black gloves”, and with Shameless hopping back on the giallo-wagon this seems like a pretty good poll thread for Cult Labbers to get chatting in. So for all things giallo get yourself over here and let us know if you prefer classical giallo, poliziotto giallo, or giallo-fantastico!
What’s the worst DVD you have ever seen?
I couldn’t resist a thread with a title like this! I’ve watched some pretty pap DVDs in my time and it’s hard to narrow it down to just one but several forum members have managed it! Nosferatu@Cult Labs says that his is Dragon Lee’s Way of Kung Fu while Mahoney32 goes for Massacre at Central High. Since both clearly sound like Oscar-worthy, quality films I really can’t see what the problem is… 
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It’s always puzzled me that every UK/Euro/Australian VCR, DVD player and Bluray player of the past 20 years has been able to play PAL and NTSC material but American decks can’t play PAL. They all come from the same factories!” – Sec points out something that has had me baffled for years!
KYLE’S COMP CORNER
This week, Kyle has a real treat for you – a copy of Arrow’s limited edition Battle Royale! So to be in with a chance of winning this great prize, head on over to the Comp Corner now! Good luck…
MODS & ROCKERS
Not much to mention this week, just a couple of points from the mods!
- There is now a no-tolerance policy on mentioning DVD-Rs or anything else that promotes piracy. So if you don’t want to be infracted (and it is as painful as it sounds!) don’t mention them!
- When posting something, try to make sure you’re posting it in the most appropriate thread for that item. This will save you from posting the same thing repeatedly in different threads which can be annoying for people having to read the same thing over and over again.
The forum rules can be found here. If any of the mods (forum, technical, competitions, etc.) want me to include anything in this section next week then just let me know!
WELCOME NEWBIES!
This week I’d like to say a big hello to TheGslop, Colonel Cabbage and L’enfant Errant! Make yourselves at home… If you’re new to the forum, why not head on over to the new members thread to introduce yourself?
AND FINALLY…
Before I go, here’s a little reminder that if you haven’t already signed up to receive this newsletter in your inbox each week, you can do so using this link. All this means is that every Thursday you get a little bit of me in your inbox. Not literally though. That’d be a bit gross.
Remember, if you have any comments, feedback or anything you’d like to see featured in the newsletter, PM me at Sarah@Cult Labs or drop me a line on the newsletter thread! Or, if you’re reading this as an email, just hit “reply”!
Until next week,
Sarah@Cult Labs.
