Hold on to your hats horror fans, because this month we catch up with the folk at...
Recently SGM spoke to 'Grindhouse Releasing' head honcho Bob Murawski about his current workload and the plans for some of 'Grindhouse's exciting forthcoming and much anticipated releases.
Born in Detroit, Michigan back in 1964, Bob "Dutch" Murawski is one of the founding partners of the genre loving 'Grindhouse Releasing' along with his erstwhile actor/director partner Sage Stallone.
Together they have sought out to restore and digitally remaster such gems as Umberto Lenzi's 'Cannibal Ferox' and Lucio Fulci's splatter masterpiece 'The Beyond' and unleash them onto both the big screen and the digital format for all to enjoy.
'Grindhouse' are reknowned for sparing no expense in remastering the great genre titles they pick up for release. With 'The Beyond' for example, the colour timing was personally supervised by Sergio Salvati - the movies original director of photography. Both 'The Beyond' and 'Ferox' were also carefully mastered from original negatives which were remastered by the Technicolor Lab in Rome.
When released on DVD both these titles proved to be definitive releases of both these titles, jam packed full of extra bonus material that had many fans postively drooling with delight - extensive gallerys, exclusive audio commentarys, music videos, on screen interviews, hidden extras and loads more!
Ever the frustrating point for fans of 'Grindhouse's output though has been the ever long delay in getting their finished product out onto the shelves and into the waiting laps of horror hungry fans. This though has nothing to do with slow work rates by the team at 'Grindhouse', but everything to do with the utmost care in detail they put into their work.
You see, as well as his groundbreaking work with 'Grindhouse' Bob is also a hard working and respected movie editor in the genre scene having spent the last ten years or so working on many projects with folk like fan favourite Sam Raimi on everything from 'Darkman' to Raimi's latest opus the much anticipated 'Spiderman' movie.
"I've been busy editing Sam Raimi's new movie SPIDER-MAN so I've had to put the Grindhouse biz on the back burner for a while again. I hope everyone checks out Sam Raimi's THE GIFT which I edited last year. For those who haven't seen it, THE GIFT's basically a giallo set in the south, kind of a cross between Lucio Fulci's THE PSYCHIC, LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD."
Sometime ago we were thrilled to report that 'Grindhouse' were starting work on a couple of most welcome titles including Ruggero Deodato's infamous 'Cannibal Holocaust' and the little seen B-movie schlocker 'I Drink Your Blood'.
The most significant of the Italian Cannibal movie genre, 'Cannibal Holocaust' is the most debated and controversial of this particular scene (the debate itself obvious homage to the power that the film has over its many viewers). A very powerful (and to some repugnant) film, this overtly graphic jungle yarn tells the tale of a group of explorers searching for a missing film crew who have went missing exploring deep in the amazonian jungle. What they find is some film cans that unleash the horrifying truth of what actually took place!
Since the announcement that 'Grindhouse' were going to be giving 'Holocaust' their special treatment there has been much anticipation amongst the fan scene to what this would actually involve.
"Cannibal Holocaust will have a new hi-def digital video master from the new film elements created from the restored negative. In addition, digitally re-mastered sound with Riz Ortolani's score in full stereo for the very first time. We've also got another tension-filled dueling commentary track (a la Ferox) from Deodato and Robert Kerman, as well as extended on-camera video interviews with both, plus the usuals like extensive still gallery, multiple trailers, and another Necrophagia/Jim VanBebber music video to anger and alienate everyone who isn't already outraged by the film itself. And did I mention the lost piranha scene??? Could it be..." (yes folk, you did indeed hear that right!!)
Worth a million 'Blair Witch's and more potent by a mile, 'Cannibal Holocaust' is a true masterpiece of terror cinema and will be one of the most exciting genre DVD releases to date. Anticipating the furore that 'Holocaust' will most likely bring on it's rerelease (especially on the big screen across the US), 'Grindhouse' have online now for your delectation the official 'Cannibal Holocaust' site which will bring us updates on both the planned theatrical release and the very special DVD. Check it out by clicking here.
David E.Durston's drive-in schlocker 'I Drink Your Blood' will soon be released in its fullest print seen anywhere ever before. This exploitation gem tells the story of a bunch of satan worshipping drug feuled hippies that run riot in the small town of Valley Hills. After causing a lot of violent grief to the locals, local kid Pete uses his apprentice veterinary skills to inject a load of meat pies with the blood of a rabid dog which the satanic hippies wolf down and become blood thirsty rabid hippies from hell! Yes low budget exploitation fun in this little seen gem getting maximum exposure with 'Grindhouse's magic touch.
"The I DRINK YOUR BLOOD dvd will feature 4 never before-seen sequences that were cut from the film by Jerry Gross before it was even finished, including the original shocking ending deemed too violent and downbeat by the legendary disributor of ZOMBIE and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. In addition, a lively, highly entertaining commentary track (this one more in the tradition of the Warbeck/MacColl track from THE BEYOND) from director David Durston and star Bhaskar, plus the usuals - still gallery, trailer, a new digital transfer of the original fully uncut X-rated version, and a bunch of surprises."
So hold onto your hats horror fans, or at least tip them in admiring respect in the direction of the good folk at 'Grindhouse Releasing'. But the big question I know many of you will have is 'when exactly will we be salivating over these fine releases?' Well, we asked and "Release dates -- who knows????"