EuroCultAV Gift Guide 2019

by Scott MacDonald

    The EuroCultAV gift guide is something I've been writing for close to a decade at this point. I don't like doing best-of list, as I can never keep one static, so this is my compromise. Here is a list of releases and things I have liked this year, and also things that might interest readers of EuroCultAV. 

Doomed Moviethon by Richard Glenn Schmidt (Self-Published)

    Doomed Moviethon is the latest book by Giallo Meltdown (and occasional EuroCultAV writer) Richard Glenn Schmidt. This book consists of a number of essays detailing his numerous moviethons (movie marathons). These include Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, and Dario Argento moviethons as well as ones for the cinematic adventures of Elvis Presley and much more. This is probably my favorite book on film from 2019, and is a blast to read.

Japanese Ghost Stories (Penguin Classics)

     This anthology of 30+ Japanese Ghost Stories was a delight to myself when I got a copy this summer. I have seen many Japanese horror films, anime, and read ghostly manga, but never have I sat down with traditional Japanese ghost stories. This collection is diverse, creepy, and a great primer on Japanese horror writing.

Wheel of Time Premium Boxed Sets 1 and 2

    During the holiday season 2000, I was a teenager who worked at the calendar kiosk at Waldenbooks.  During that particular year one of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books must have come out, as a calendar was made of Wheel of Time art. The art got me interested, but at the time (and still) the books seemed like a massive under-taking. Just in time for the holidays TOR has released 2 box sets compromising the first 6 books of the series with new cover art. 

Bleeding Skull - Dan Budnik, Joseph Ziemba

    This book is a number of years old at this point, but I just found a copy and started reading it. Which is perfect considering the follow up to the book regarding obscure 90's horror hits in the early part of next year. If you know someone into extremely obscure 80's horrors this book is a must.

The Fly Collection (Shout!/Scream)

    Scream and Shout! Factory have pretty much decided to dominate the holiday season with quite a few box set releases.  This is one of the prime releases which compiles all the Fly films from the original series to the 80's remake duo and puts them in one box with new and existing extras.

The Universal Horror Collection 1, 2, 3

    This year Scream Factory have gone old-school a bit and started releasing true obscurities from the Universal studio vaults.  While the studio themselves released a massive box set of all their “Monster” films last year, throughout 2019 (including Vol. 3 out this month) Scream has unleashed 12 more obscure entries from Universal in decently restored editions.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection (1940-1955)

Shout Factory shocked collectors all over when they announced that they would be releasing Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection on Blu-ray. Many of us thought Universal would release the entire set themselves. This is one whopper of a release, which has all 27 films Abbott and Costello did for Universal, starting with One Night in the Topics and ending with Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. The majority of these films are in HD for the first time, have some special features and are in their correct aspect ratios. The movies are spread across 15 discs with each Blu-ray case holding 5 discs. The set is also housed in sturdy packaging with the artwork resembling its DVD counterpart. It’s time to unload those bulky DVD box sets and replace with this glorious Blu-ray package. -David Steigman

Space 1999 – The Complete Series

    Space 1999, the iconic British science fiction series previously had its first series released on Blu-ray in 2010, but a series 2 never surfaced. Shout! Factory saw to fix this with a comprehensive box set that includes both series of the show with a slew of extras.

The Anne Bancroft Collection

    The Graduate has seen numerous released on Blu-ray including from MGM and Criterion, so why not one more? Also included are 8 additional films from all eras of Bancroft's career including bonus features and a 20 page booklet, this release is truly monumental.

The Omen Deluxe Edition (Scream Factory)

Even though The Omen and its two sequels have been released before several times on home video, Shout Factory, under the Scream Factory umbrella has given the entire Omen series a fresh, new Blu-ray release in a deluxe set. For your dollar you get the original Omen from 1976, now sporting a brand new 4K scan, Damien: Omen II and The Final Conflict with a bevy of all-new extras to go along with the older extras. On top of that, Omen IV: The Awakening finally makes its long awaited debut om Blu-ray and The Omen, the 2006 remake are part of this set, making this the first time all five Omen films are together for a great package. The box itself is a thing of beauty and each movie comes in its own Blu-ray case.  - David Steigman

Rock and Roll High School

    The Ramones plus Roger Corman made one of the most iconic cult films of all-time with Rock and Roll High School. Shout! Previously released the film earlier in the decade as part of its Roger Corman's Cult Classics line, and have done a new 4k scan with additional extras and a steelbook.

Popstar – Never Stop Never Stopping

    Shout!Factory has issued this 2016 mockumentary in a steelbook Blu-ray edition.  This edition looks great (but it is a recent film), and has solid extras.

Perfect Blue/Millennium Actress

    After years of almost zero of Satoshi Kon's work making it to U.S. Blu-ray Shout! Factory have seen to get the rights and finally get them out on the format for western audiences. These 2 are the only ones from 2019, but they are gorgeously restored and have solid extras RECOMMENDED.

The Street Fighter Collection/Sister Street Fighter Collection (Shout/Arrow)

    I have wanted the Street Fighter films on Blu-ray since Blu-ray began, and this year I got them ALL. In February Arrow Video released the entire Sister Street Fighter spin-off series on Blu-ray, with the original Sonny Chiba starring series coming out via Shout! Select the next month. There are decent extras here and solid restorations provided by Toho for all the films.

Ringu Collection (Arrow Video)

    Japanese Horror has had a very limited amount of releases in the western world, which is odd considering how popular Japanese and Asian Horror was during the DVD boom. Fortunately, Arrow Video has done some work in correcting this with their Blu-ray release of the first 3 Ring films plus the original sequel Rasen making this well-restored 4 film set a must own for aficionados of Asian Horror.

American Werewolf in London (Arrow Video)

I am not sure how many Blu-ray releases this film has had, but I do know the one I owned prior to this was DNR's quite badly in spots, so needless to say I was happy to get a copy of American Werewolf in London with a transfer approved by John Landis from the always reliable Arrow Video. This release is gorgeous, and loaded up with extra features.

Flowers in the Attic (Arrow Video)

    Arrow's release of the V.C. Andrew's adaptation bring the creepy tale to Blu-ray life. The extra features here are solid, but the movie itself is still effective all these years later, and looks great.

Robocop (Arrow Video)

    MGM will not allow labels to do additional restoration work on their films, but this release of Robocop uses the excellent 2013 restoration, and adds to it a limited edition hard box with loads of extra features and a booklet of liner notes.

Hitchhike to Hell (Arrow Video)

Irvin Berwick was a master of exploitation cinema, and made loads of amazing trash including this sleazy serial killer number from the 1970's that was previously unseen by myself, but from the first frame (literally), I was on-board and ready to go. This is one of the more obscure Arrow releases from 2019, and all too easy to recommend.

Crimson Peak (Arrow Video)

    This gothic romance from Guillermo Del Toro became an instant favorite when it came out.  It got a decent studio Blu-ray during the release window, but Arrow has trumped that one a barrage of extras and new audio options sure to please fans of Del Toro.

Doctor Who – The Blu-ray Collection Colin Baker Season 2/Jon Pertwee Season 4.

    I'm sure most people reading this are aware of my deep love of Doctor Who (especially the classic run). These were shot primarily on SD video formats with exteriors being done on film, and yet I can only highly recommend these Blu-ray releases because the transfers themselves are even better than what came before, with less compression, and color issues. Also, the extras slate on both of these are in depth and incredible, and that is saying something as these were already filled to the brim with extras.

    The Jon Pertwee Season is oddly the Third Doctor’s fourth season, but it is a classic season with such amazing stories as Carnival of Monsters, the Three Doctors, The Green Death, and the Dalek War double feature (Frontier in Space, Planet of the Daleks).

    The Colin Baker season is the so called “Trial of a Time Lord” season that was made around the time the show was originally on the chopping block, and managed to get meta with the plot with the Doctor on Trial... for his very life. The trial takes place across 4 serials or 14 episodes, and features the last written Doctor Who episodes by the iconic Robert Holmes.

Inspector Morse (Complete Series, BBC)

    Inspector Morse is a well-regarded (especially by Richard Glenn Schmidt) detective series made by the BBC. The show between 1987 and 2000, and is a sort of precursor to Sherlock in  the sense that each episode played like a 2 hour long film. This holiday season BBC Home Video has seen fit to release every single episode on Blu-ray with extra features.

Apocalypse Now Final Cut/The Cotton Club Encore (Lionsgate)

2 classic Francis Ford Coppola films are released to Blu-ray and UHD by Lionsgate in spectacularly restored editions with new cuts of each film that deepen the experience, and are sure to please long time fans of the director.

Curse of Oak Island (Lionsgate/History)

I am not a huge reality TV fan, but the Curse of Oak Island is an interesting little series that shows the real-life exploits of a pair of treasure-hunting brothers on the titular Oak Island.  Lionsgate has released a DVD set of the first 6 series just in time for the holidays.

Hetalia - 10th Anniversary Edition (Funimation)
 

    Hetalia is a really interesting anime series that makes the countries that partook in World War I and II into human characters, and depicts the wars from their perspectives (hard to explain, easy to watch). The series is 10 years old this year and is seeing a new in-depth DVD(?) release from Funimation split over 2 volumes including the movies.

Harukana Receive (Complete Series, Funimation)

Harukana Receive is a solid anime series that at first like it is all about beach volleyball and fan service, but that would only scratch the surface of this sports anime that has a great story of friendship and teamwork running through it.

Fruits Basket Season 1, Part 1 (Funimation)

    Fruits Basket is a too cute anime series about a down on her luck girl who finds herself adopted by a family that has a secret, they can turn into zodiac creatures when hugged by the opposite sex. The new Blu-ray box set is a limited edition containing art cards and a figurine with stands for other figurines to come.

Bungo Stray Dogs – Season 1 and 2

    Bungo Stray Dogs is an exciting new anime series from Studio Bones the cats behind My Hero Academia. The new Blu-ray from Funimation contains the first 2 seasons with a minor handful of extras.

Star Blazers 2202 Parts 1 and 2

    Star Blazers 2202 is a sequel to my favorite anime series of the decade (and one of my favorite remakes ever) Star Blazers 2199.  This series takes place a few years later, and depicts a new conflict that has arisen in the universe here. The Blu-ray sounds and looks amazing, and I cannot help but totally recommend this.

First Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Char's Counterattack (Right Stuf)

OK, I will acknowledge these are not 2019 releases, but I have been getting into Gundam quite a bit this year after seeing Iron Blooded Orphans, and I would like to take a moment to shine a light on these 3 releases from Right Stuf which are the first 2 Gundam Series, and the landmark Char's Counterattack film.   Right Stuf with their Gundam releases in conjunction with Sunrise are seriously doing some Criterion level restorations here. The animation is really brought to new life with these new HD restorations, and really deserve to be checked out based on the excellent quality of these shows, coupled with the quality of the restorations.

Boogiepop Phantom (Right Stuf)

    Boogiepop Phantom is one of my all-time favorite anime series. It has an esoteric, otherworldly vibe that plays out like the anime version of a film noir/horror film made by David Lynch. I have wanted a Blu-ray of Boogiepop Phantom since Blu-ray began, and was lucky enough that Right Stuf got their hands on this title and did their usual excellent restoration work on the series.

Bloom Into You (Sentai Filmworks)

    Bloom Into You is an excellent romance anime series that follows a young girl who long expected romance, but never got it. She now finds that she has feelings for another girl, and is coming into her own as a lesbian. The Blu-ray from Sentai looks excellent and helps transfer the look of the series to HD disc.

Seitokai Yakuindomo

   Seitokai Yakuindoma is a wonderful little comedy anime series about an almost all-girls school where the extreme lack of men create some over the top situations. The Blu-ray from Sentai looks and sounds fantastic and this is a nice, easy, anime to recoomend.

Ultraman Orb, Ultraman Geed, Ultraseven

Mill Creek are doing the western world a service by getting the Ultra series out on Blu-ray in nicely restored editions. The latest releases in the series include the more modern Orb and Geed series (movies included) and the classic 70's Ultraseven series.

Death Warmed Up (Severin)

The true birth of Kiwi Horror. Everyone knows the name Peter Jackson, hardly anyone has heard of Peter Blyth and that's truly a shame. Don't get me wrong, Bad Taste and Dead Alive are total classics and that's a well earned stature but Death Warmed Up spread it's gore soaked wings a full 3 years before Bad Taste and 8 years before Dead Alive. Really, what's not to love here? Hypnotized to murder his own parents and then imprisoned in a mental hospital as a kid only to return as an adult to take revenge on the doctor that held him? Starring future genre fan favorite Michael Hurst who went on to star in the Sam Raimi produced Hercules TV series as Iolaus. Splattered and splashed, this movie owes as much to The Evil Dead as it does to the ozploitation that came before it, you'll be enthralled for every blood gushing minute. - Steven Cernoch

Nightkiller/Robowar (Severin)

Welcome to the Mattei/Fragasso Mash Up! Courtesy of Severin films comes two from your favorite knock off artist. Robowar steals the best ideas from Predator and RoboCop and then squanders them completely in all the best ways. A team of Bad Ass Mother Fuckers (seriously, it's in the movie) are stalked through the jungle by a scientist's new cyborg experiment. Ceaselessly entertaining, you need this. Right after it's over you should immediately put on Night Killer. Re-titled Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 because what better way to make a quick cash in than stealing your way into another franchise? This sleazy slasher oozes itself along in a black leather trenchcoat and rubber Freddy Krueger mask as it rapes and murders as many women as it can. Keeping only some of the psychological aspects Fragasso originally intended, Mattei was brought in to increase the violence and the man dialed it up to 11. You will not be disappointed by either of these and Night Killer will definitely stick with you for a long time to come. -Steven Cernoch

King of Queens -  Complete (Mill Creek)

Mill Creek has just issued a complete series version of the CBS comedy series to DVD for fans just in time the holidays.

Gotham – Complete Series Blu-ray

   The famed Batman prequel series has just finished its run after 5 years, and in time for the holidays WB has issued all 5 seasons in one comprehensive Blu-ray edition.

The Big Bang Theory (Complete Series)

    The long-running nerd themed sitcom finally ended its run after 12 years in 2019.  The series now is getting a HUGE complete series edition on Blu-ray so fans can live this comedy again and again.

Criterion – Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975

Perhaps the biggest, most monstrous set that has ever made it to home video comes courtesy of Criterion. The Godzilla Showa Era ‘box set’ from Criterion is simply amazing and unprecedented. They were able to license ALL 15 Godzilla Showa era films for a massive eight disc Blu-ray release, including the debut release of the Japanese version of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

This is especially recommended to those who prefer seeing these films the way they were meant to be seen and heard, and in HD. All the discs are housed inside packaging that is appropriate for the most iconic monster in history, an immense 10 ¾” x 14 ½” behemoth of a set that in addition to the discs, also features a hardcover book with an essay and notes by Godzilla film historians Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, and new original artwork by Arthur Adams, Sophie Campbell, Becky Cloonan among several other illustrators. This may be the most complete set for Godzilla, at least stateside for the foreseeable future  -David Steigman

Detour (Criterion)

    This insanely amazing poverty row film noir has spent decades in grey market release hell, before Criterion came along this year, restored this noir classic, and put it to Blu-ray.

Klute (Criterion)

    Alan J. Pakula  is probably best known for his Watergate skewing feature film All the President's Men, but his penchant for amazing conspiracy thrillers was not reserved for that one film, and what we have here is another excellent conspiracy film from the director in Klute. This film was overdue for a Blu-ray and finally got a deserving one in July via Criterion.

Diamonds in the Night (Criterion)

    For years I've wanted Criterion to put the Eclipse – Pearls of the Czech New Wave titles on Blu-ray. This is not that, but it does feature the first film by Jan Nemec who has a pair of films in that collection. This film is a World War II story told through a surrealist and magical lens by the director and would make a solid companion to Ivan's Childhood.

Betty Blue (Criterion)

   Betty Blue got a Blu-ray release a number of years back, and that release was dreadful. Fortunately, Criterion was able to release this film on Blu-ray bringing this 1980's erotic French classic to life in HD like never before.

Magnificent Obsession (Criterion)

    I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad Douglas Sirk film, and this Rock Hudson starring film by Sirk is truly a melodramatic delight. The Blu-ray release is well-restored, and contains a second feature film as well.

There’s Nothing Out There (Vinegar Syndrome)

5 years before Wes Craven would upend 90s horror with his Scream franchise, a little known creature feature beat him to the punch. There's Nothing Out There is filled to the brim with horror trope parody, comedically bad rubber suit monsters, a secluded lakeside cabin and of course scantily clad women. The writing and directorial debut for Rolfe Kanefsky, I wish I could say it propelled him to bigger and better things, but honestly it didn't. That shouldn't stop anyone from picking this up though, it's totally worth the watch. Especially with your funniest friends.  -Steven Cernoch

In the Cold of the Night (Vinegar Syndrome)

The 90s erotic thriller. All the rage for so long and seemingly long forgotten these days. Well ignore that because Nico Mastorakis, king of the trash heap cash in, brings you In the Cold of the Night. Full on late night Shannon Tweed skinemax feel, cheesy sleazy saxophone score and all the unadulterated sex appeal of your favorite bad softcore. Plot? Yea, kinda, it's there if you really need that sort of thing, but why bother when you've got Brian Thompson near constantly working out? Or an out of nowhere reference to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds complete with Tippi Hdren cameo? This is less edge of your seat and more under the silk sheets but that's why you want it. Don't lie. You know you do. -Steven Cernoch

The Corruption of Chris Miller (Vinegar Syndrome)

The first line of this has to be about the fact that this was directed by Javier Bardem's father, Juan Antonio Bardem. There's no way to get around that and boy, did he really do a job here. This is one moody, atmospheric giallo. Just dripping with those oh so dirty feelings we all have in the back of our minds. One of those 'I need a shower' after films but you're secretly happy that you've watched it. Such a serene setting, you almost forget how backwoods it is, and what could possibly be wrong with these women? They seem fine. Or do they? And their houseguest? What's his game? The blood trickles until it gushes and yours curdles right through to the final moments when you find out just how corrupt Chris Miller could possibly be. -Steven Cernoch

The Ida Lupino Collection (Kino Lorber)

   Kino Lorber celebrates the legendary actress and director in four of her films, which are all gems. The Hitch-Hiker, the only film in this set that was released on Blu-ray once before, sports a brand new 2K scan and has a brand new audio commentary for this release. Never Fear debuts with a brand new 2K restoration while The Bigamist and Not Wanted sport 4K scans. The films do look superb in HD and contain a few extras as well. The films are housed in lavish packaging. A book is also part of the box set. Ida Lupino final gets the respect she deserves with this ensemble of her films! -David Steigman

Hercules in the Haunted World (Kino Lorber)

    Kino Lorber needs to be commended for their work getting the films of Mario Bava to a U.S. Audience, and this film might be their finest yet. The film is a horror-skewing peplum feature film, and this Blu-ray restores and releases 3 cuts of the film with additional extras.

Phantasm – Completes Series (Sphere Limited Edition)

    Well Go has released the complete Phantasm series before, but this time it is coming after the Scream Factory license on 2 has expired, and in a replica of the series iconic silver spheres. This is a perfect gift for the “Phan” in your life.

Woman Chasing the Butterfly of Death (Mondo Macabro)

    Mondo Macabro always has seemed like a label with a specific agenda, and that agenda is to release the best slices of obscure cinema from around the world. As such this release of the South Korean avant-garde horror Woman Chasing the Butterfly of Death is in keeping with that mission.  This film is truly bizarre, with some intense and insane sequences and visuals. The film is wonderfully restored for Blu-ray with solid extras.

Emmanuelle in America (Mondo Macabro)
 

    I absolutely love Joe D'Amato's Emmanuelle Films, and this one might be the most notorious (and that's saying something considering there is a cannibal film in this series). This one sees Laura Gemser's Emmanuelle investigating a snuff film ring with all the gore and odd sex that entails. Wonderfully restored with a solid extras slate.

Nemesis Series (MVD)

    Albert Pyun's Nemesis is a cult cyberpunk classic from the early 90's. He would follow the film up with 3 additional entries in the series.  MVD Rewind who has been doing some stellar work releasing 80's and 90's obscurities to Blu-ray brought all 4 Nemesis films to Blu-ray this year with extras.

The Hemisphere Box of Horrors (Severin)

Severin Films delighted us in 2019 with The Hemisphere Box of Horrors Blu-ray set containing The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism, The Black Cat, The Blood Drinkers, Blood of the Vampires and Brain of Blood. The audio and video for these Hemisphere schlock gems are about as good as it gets. This set is essential for fans of Filipino horror, midnight and cult trash cinema. The presentations on Blu-ray are more than fitting for these films and there are supplements to boot! The Blu-rays are housed in a colorful, decorative box. -David Steigman

The House of the Seven Gables

Another GREAT release from Kino Lorber is the 1940 film, The House of the Seven Gables Blu-ray. It’s a classic film starring screen legends Vincent Price and George Sanders who bring their A game to the film. The audio and video quality for this release is outstanding and also has a couple of great extras, making this an awesome package. -David Steigman

The Thin Man

After many requests for several years, 2019 finally brought forth a Blu-ray release of The Thin Man courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection. The film is sensational, essential for any classic movie lovers. The audio and video quality of the Blu-ray is simply a revelation and easily surpasses the DVD. Hopefully the other Thin Man movies will be released on Blu-ray in the future. -David Steigman

The Letter (1940)

The Letter is one of Bette Davis’s finest performances and is considered a key film. Warner Archive has answered the call and given this classic film a much needed Blu-ray release. The image looks fantastic, as per the majority of Warner Archive Blu-rays, which is matched with superb audio and a few extras to make this a recommended release! -David Steigman

Jezebel

Another great classic from the Warner Archive Collection, the 1938 melodrama Jezebel was finally released on Blu-ray in 2019. Bette Davis stars in another of her wonderfully mischievous roles. Warner Archive did a stupendous job here, with superb audio and video quality and there’s a great wealth of extras that were ported over from the DVD. This release was more than welcome; let’s hope more Bette Davis classics continue to be released on Blu-ray! -David Steigman

Now Voyager

Now Voyager recently became part of The Criterion Collection family. Bette Davis hands in another excellent performance as an old maid turned attractive strong willed woman after her mother drives her crazy. The cast and story are both excellent. Criterion’s Blu-ray release is a dandy, with Now Voyager looking and sounding the best it ever has. Along with some supplements, the movie may have gotten the most definitive release on Blu-ray -David Steigman

Scarface (1932)

The original Howard Hawks’ Scarface recently received a stand-alone Blu-ray release. For those who have never seen the 1932 Scarface, this movie is every bit as good as the more well-known remake with Al Pacino. Universal studios did an excellent job with this release, giving us two cuts of the film, an alternate censored version along with the original theatrical cut. The audio and video presentation for both cuts is marvelous. If you don’t own or don’t want to own the Scarface: The World Is Yours Limited Edition, then this stand-alone offering is the way to go -David Steigman

A Bucket of Blood (1959)

Olive Films did one of their ‘signature editions’ for one of the great cult classics. Their A Bucket of Blood Blu-ray release is simply phenomenal. A lot of time and effort was given to make this presentation the holy grail of presentations and it succeeded. The audio and video quality are exceptionally good, but it’s all the supplemental materials that make this release especially spectacular. There is and will be no better release for A Bucket of Blood than what Olive Films has put out! Walter Paisley would be proud! -David Steigman

RKO Classic Romances Collection

The RKO Classic Romances Collection from Kino Lorber has a nice ensemble of pre-code films from 1930-1931.  The five films in this collection are Sin Takes a Holiday, Millie, Kept Husbands, The Lady Refuses, and The Woman Between. These films focus on subject matter that was considered taboo and/or sensitive ahead of the times type of pictures. That alone makes them highly recommended, but on top of that, they are all on Blu-ray with serviceable audio and video quality. These may not have any extras, but at least a label took the time to release these excellent films on Blu-ray.  -David Steigman

2019 Blu-Ray Spectacular Good Times - Richard Glenn Schmidt

First of all, big thanks to our benefactor and Euro-cult saint, Scott, for asking me to contribute to the gift guide this year. At the end of the year, I love to look back and think, “Holy carp, how many amazing releases came out this year?!” Because 2019 was freakin’ spectacular, overwhelming even, for film collectors. Vinegar Syndrome keeps dominating with the obscurities (like Unmasked Part 25) and then they bring a gem like The Corruption of Chris Miller out of the bootleg dungeon. Garage House did something similar with their stellar release of Antonio Margheriti’s Web of the Spider, a film that’s been stuck in public domain budget releases since forever.

Severin did me right this year by dropping both Death Warmed Up and Next of Kin, two magical Australian/New Zealand co-productions that desperately needed Blus. They also dropped a literal ton of Italian horror on an unsuspecting world with Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory, Wax Mask, D’Amato’s Emanuelle and Francoise, Paganini Horror, All the Colors of the Dark, Night Killer, Byleth: The Demon of Incest, etc. Seriously though, this is the golden age for cult trash collectors.

Before I skedaddle and go watch some movies, I have to say hats off to the reigning champion of liberating everyone’s hard-earned money with amazing releases, Arrow Video. Giallo fans, the amazing upgrades that you needed on your shelves are here with The Fifth Cord, Strip Nude for Your Killer, The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, and more. Sometimes I think I dreamed that there’s a Blu-ray of The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire but it is no dream. It’s a reality. Arrow also released amazing upgrades of Horror Express and Takashi Miike’s Audition this year as well. And that’s just a tip of the iceberg of their outstanding additions to their incredible catalog. In the immortal words of Telly Savalas: “Wowee wow wow, bruh. That’s a lot of great discs! Lollipops!”