Powerhouse Films

[Susan Foreman]

'The Mob' (1951) - Standard edition Blu Ray pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £9:99

Release date: October 24

"Broderick Crawford (The Undercover Man) goes up against the Mob in this exposé of underworld involvement in America’s docklands.

After failing to apprehend a cop-killer, Detective Johnny Damico must rescue his reputation by going undercover on the waterfront. Disguising himself as a thug, he infiltrates the mobsters that are controlling the docks in order to uncover the identity of the mysterious boss.

Acting as a precursor to On the Waterfront, The Mob is a shocking thriller helmed by Robert Parrish (Cry Danger) and written by William Bowers (Larceny), and with acting support from Richard Kiley (The Sniper) and Ernest Borgnine (Bad Day at Black Rock)."

Special Features

• High Definition presentation
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with filmmaker and writer Gina Telaroli (2021)
• The Guardian Interview with Ernest Borgnine (2001, 79 mins): archival audio recording of the much-loved character actor in conversation with Clyde Jeavons at the National Film Theatre, London
• Ernest Borgnine in Conversation (2009, 49 mins): archival video recording of the actor discussing his eventful career with Adrian Wootton at the BFI Southbank, London
• Hot Stuff (1956, 16 mins): a trio of law enforcers, played by the Three Stooges, go undercover and assume blue-collar jobs in order to thwart criminal activities
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: publicity and promotional material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Extras subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'711 Ocean Drive' (1950) - Standard edition Blu Ray pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £9:99

Release date: October 24

"Edmund O’Brien (The Web) gets involved in the mob’s bookmaking racket in 711 Ocean Drive, also starring Joanne Dru (Red River), and Otto Kruger (Escape in the Fog).

Telephone operator Mal Granger uses his technical knowledge to run an illegal bookmaking operation, but when Granger falls for a mobster’s wife, and with both the police and the syndicate on his tail, it’s only a matter of time before his luck runs out.

With a ‘ripped from the headlines’ approach which required the crew to have police protection on location, 711 Ocean Drive is a riveting film noir, one made with such realism by director Joseph M Newman (Abandoned) that it was shown to a Senate investigation into organised crime."

Special Features

• High Definition presentation
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with author and film critic Glenn Kenny (2021)
• Diary of a Sergeant (1945, 24 mins): Joseph M Newman’s documentary portrait of Harold Russell, a soldier who lost his hands during World War II and would later win an Oscar for his performance in The Best Years of Our Lives
• Three Sappy People (1939, 18 mins): the Three Stooges play a trio of telephone repairmen who make an unexpected career switch
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: publicity and promotional material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Extras subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'Framed' (1947) - Standard edition Blu Ray pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £9:99

Release date: October 24

"Glenn Ford (The Big Heat, Experiment in Terror) and Barry Sullivan (Forty Guns) star in this atmospheric film noir tale of deceit and treachery in a mining town.

Down-on-his-luck trucker Mike Lampert falls for small-town femme fatale Paula (Janis Carter), and soon finds himself in the middle of a criminal plot that involves fit-ups, double-crosses... and murder.

Written by Ben Maddow (Murder by Contract) and photographed by the great Burnett Guffey (Decision at Sundown, The Brothers Rico), Framed is a stylish and effective noir."

Special Features

• High Definition presentation
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with author and critic Imogen Sara Smith (2021)
• The Steps of Age (1951, 25 mins): dramatised documentary written and directed by Ben Maddow, screenwriter of Framed, demonstrating the challenges of growing old as seen through of the eyes of a retired widow
• Up in Daisy’s Penthouse (1958, 17 mins): the Three Stooges get mixed up with a murder plot, mistaken identity, a gold-digging blonde, and a great deal of money
• Image gallery: publicity and promotional material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Extras subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'Secret Ceremony' (1968) - Standard edition Blu Ray pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £9:99

Release date: October 24

"Joseph Losey’s lurid and often misunderstood drama stars the great Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly, Last Summer) as an ageing London prostitute who befriends a young woman (Mia Farrow, See No Evil) that reminds her of her long-dead daughter. As the bizarre relationship between the two evolves, the appearance of Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear), as Farrow’s abusive stepfather, ignites deep emotions and dark passions.

With its exquisite production design, stylish cinematography and elegant score, Joseph Losey’s lost masterpiece finally makes its long-overdue premiere on Blu-ray."

Special Features

• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (2019)
• Archival Interview with Joseph Losey (1969, 15 mins): extract from the French television programme Cinéma critique, featuring the celebrated director promoting the release of Secret Ceremony and an appreciation by critic Michel Mourlet
• The Beholder’s Share (2019, 25 mins): interview with Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey
• TV version: additional scenes (1971, 18 mins): unique epilogue and prologue produced for US television screenings, with Robert Douglas and Michael Strong
• Original theatrical trailer
• Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2015, 3 mins): short critical appreciation
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Extras subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'The Snake Pit' (1948) - Standard edition Blu Ray pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £9:99

Release date: October 24

"Shocking and highly controversial at the time of release, The Snake Pit broke new ground in Hollywood cinema for its depiction of mental illness and its treatment. Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind, The Heiress), delivers an astounding performance as a young bride who suffers a breakdown and finds herself committed to an asylum.

Director Anatole Litvak (Sorry, Wrong Number, Anastasia) had to fight to persuade producer Darryl Zanuck to back the film, but the result remains one of the most potent and powerful films to tackle the subject and was an influence on later works such as Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor (1963), Robert Rossen’s Lilith (1964) and Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)"

Special Features

• 4K restoration
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with author and film historian Aubrey Solomon
• The Battles of Olivia de Havilland (2019, 10 mins): critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson discusses the revered actor’s illustrious career
• Under Analysis (2019, 31 mins): an in-depth appreciation by author and film historian Neil Sinyard
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Extras subject to change

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Ordered!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by The Reaper Man@Cult Labs

Ordered!

Do you know of any of the films? Have you seen any before? Can you recommend them?

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

The only one I've seen is Invitation To Hell and that was back in the day of magnetic tape and from what I remember was a bit like Satan's Slave or Midnight.

Anyway it's low budget Brit horror,so it's a no-brainer for me!

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

CREATURES THAT THE WORLD FORGOT arrived on Friday,and what a package it is!
I was somewhat shocked to see it was an 18 though!

Cheers PH for the nice extra postcards!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by The Reaper Man@Cult Labs

CREATURES THAT THE WORLD FORGOT arrived on Friday,and what a package it is!
I was somewhat shocked to see it was an 18 though!

Cheers PH for the nice extra postcards!

Are the postcards related to the film or general movie poster ones of things like The Swimmer?