My new Blu-ray obsession is collecting the excellent Italian Collection by UK based company 88 Films. They are mixing all kinds of genres into an essential lineup of classics from the golden age of Italian cult cinema. The series kicked off last year with the haunting, 'video nasty', 'Night Train Murders'. A macabre tale of class and torture, that borrows from Wes Craven's 'Last House on the Left'. Just recently they brought a newly restored print of the fantastic giallo, 'Short Night of the Glass Dolls' to Blu-ray. This was taken from the same print used by Camera Obscura, but while it loses a lot of their extra features, it does come with the English dub missing off that edition.
2017 is looking great for fans of the series, as there are a number of classic mozzarella horror flicks coming early next year. The Collection starts up again in February with the release of two films by the legendary Joe D'Amato, 'Absurd', and 'Beyond the Darkness'. 'Absurd' is a gloriously, over-the-top, rip-off of 'Halloween', while 'Darkness' is a ghastly tale of mutilation and death. Both movies have been newly restored thanks to a crowd funding initiative, so the transfers should be great. Later in the month we are also getting the HD debut of 'Amuck', starring the ravishing Barbara Bouchet. It was released on DVD by Code Red a few years ago as part of a double bill, but a lot of the story elements were cut out, this new Blu-ray should be completely uncut.
March sees the release of 'Massacre in Dinosaur Valley', a sort of jungle, cannibal offering, as well as 'Aenigma', a late Fulci frightener. Finally in April the Gothic giallo, 'Perfume of the Lady in Black', starring Mimsy Farmer is released. I have been hearing good things about that flick, and can't wait to check it out. Besides the horror offering, the Collection also features 'post nuke' flicks, as well as Spaghetti Westerns, and Poliziotteschi. This is a great time to be a fan of cult Italian cinema, along with 88 in the UK, there is also Raro Video n the US, and of course Camera Obscura in Germany. Happy watching.
