RAW COURAGE 1984 On Blu

    Scorpion has announced the release Robert Rosen's 1984 desert survival take on The Most Dangerous Game for release on Blu-ray for later this year. An HBO cable staple during the 90's, this has been  looong... unavailable on home video, expect for that old VHS release that was a fixture on video rental shelves back in the day. 

   The only director credit for long-time producer Rosen (FRENCH CONNECTION II), it stars Ronny Cox (DELIVERANCE), Art Hindle (THE BROOD) and Tim Maier as a trio of long-distance runners who run afoul of a sadistic M. Emmet Walsh and his militia army who hunt them through a barren and unforgiving Mojave Desert.

   Produced and written by Cox, it sadly has fallen off the radar (not that it was ever on) and is due for a rediscovery, as it's fine action adventure piece that really brings out the hot brutal landscape as the hunted trio spend almost the entire movie running for their lives. 

Lucio Fulci's CONQUEST 1983 Coming From Code Red

    Code Red is releasing Lucio Fulci's psychedelic, gauze-shrouded and gore filled fantasy on Blu-Ray. With a release date of "soon" this will be available exclusively from Ronin Flix and  Diabolik DVD. Previously released on DVD from Blue Underground, Fulci's take on the low budget Sword & Sorcery genre that flooded movie screens post-CONAN THE BARBARIAN is highly entertaining when viewed in the right spirit and features an excellent score by Claudio Simonetti from Goblin. 

   Starring Jorge Rivero (RIO LOBO), Sabrina Siani (2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS) and Andrea Occhipinti (BLADE IN THE DARK) it features some imaginative creatures, cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa (THE DEVIL'S HONEY) and Fulci even gets to work in some zombies. 

EXTERMINATOR 2 From Shout Factory

      

     In a sort of surprising announcement Shout Factory is going to release this 1984 sequel to director James Glickenhaus' 1980 urban revenge classic on Blu-ray. Directed and produced by the original films producer Mark Buntzman, its while admittedly not as entertaining as the first, it is on the other hand not as bad as its reputation would warrant.
    It features some solid work by the always reliable Ginty (whose even more stoic here then in the first one) and he does get to break out the flamethrower and helmet attire that was featured on the 1980 poster art - but never in the actual movie
   Returning as Vietnam vet John Eastman (seemingly free & clear of the CIA plot from the previous film), Ginty fires up the flamethrower to help out a soldier buddy who has a run in with a gang led by Mario Van Pebbles. A troubled production, Cannon was unhappy with Buntzman's initial cut and re-shot a good chuck of the movie in Los Angeles with William Sachs directing the new footage. The budget ballooned to $3,000,000 as a NYC garbage truck had to be brought in to match existing footage and the studio began a protracted job of editing everything together with the initial cut garnering an "X" rating before the violence was toned down a bit for an "R".  
    As to be expected the finished product has a definite "Frankenseined" feel to it, but is helped by the presence of Ginty and the violence while trimmed still packs a wallop.
    Shout had previously released this as part of their DVD "4 Packs" and will drop this new Blu-ray on  April 25. Aside from a p[previously released commentary by Buntzman and Van Peebles, no word yet on any more on extras or restored footage. The trailer makes extensive use of footage that does not appear in the released version.

Some Joan Collins Late Night Cable Trashy Sleaze Is Coming.....

     

     After the massive success of ABC's prime time soaper DYNASTY Joan Collins pretty much disowned her entire pre-1980 career. With acting credits stretching all the way back  to 1951 there are some real gems lurking in there including the alternately grim & daffy REVENGE from 1970 along with 1975's ROSEMARY'S BABY inspired I DON'T WANT TO BE BORN in which stripper Joan is cursed into giving birth to the spawn of Satan after spurring the advances of a lecherous dwarf and Bert I. Gordon's 1977 EMPIRE OF THE ANTS as shady real estate mogul Joan tries to sell some condos that unfortunately are infested by the title creatures.
    Just before prime time TV turned into America's favorite slutty rich bitch she appeared in these two screen adaptations based upon novels by her sister Jackie where she played basically the same slutty rich bitch character only more amped as far as bare skin and sex are concerned.
   Back in the early 80's these were staples of late night cable TV and now thanks to Kino Lorber you'll be able to enjoy them any hour of the day starting on March 14. Both will feature audio commentaries by David Del Valle and Nick Redmond along with interviews with cast members (however without the participation of Joan I'm fairly certain).
   Filled with (unintentionally) hilarious dialogue and set pieces (who could ever forgot that swing in THE STUD) these both are icons of trash cinema and great guilty pleasures.