[rickfri]

Anchor Bay has just put out a very nice addition of "Near Dark" on DVD. This "vampire" movie came out at the same time as "Lost Boys" and couldn't compete at the box office. I think it is a much better film than "Lost Boys". Bill Paxton plays one of the meanest, most foul mouthed, darkest, over-the-top vampires ever put on film. And Jenny Wright plays one of the sexiest.
Anybody who likes vampire films, and hasn't seen this one should at least rent it. And anybody who has seen this film and hasn't been able to get it should pick up this Anchor Bay edition. Any vampire film that never once mentions the word vampire in it has got to have something going for it.

 

[KR...]

My of my personal favorite vampire films, I believe that it is truly the finest modern takes on the vampire myth ever put to film.

 

[HighwayStar]

I just saw a commercial for it. Looked intense, is that Lance Henriksen in there ? And Bill Paxton too ?

I love them crazy flicks !

KR, that's a strong statement. I might love this movie

 

[rickfri]

Yeah, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenette Goldstein, all fresh from making "Aliens".

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Near Dark has long been my favorite vampire movie. When all my friends were quoting The Lost Boys back and forth to each other, I had my little secret all to myself...

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Just watched this last night -- excellent transfer, and what a great movie. That seen in the ****-kicker bar is so awesome.

Jenny Wright has apparently dropped out of the movie business, so there's none of her on the commentary (which I haven't watched yet).

I didn't realize that Kathryn Bigelow also did Strange Days (another one of my favourite films), Blue Steel (w/Jamie Lee Curtis) (will have to find that one), Point Break (didn't see this one either), and several others.

 

[scrypt]

Near Dark was probably the best film Bigelow ever made. Funny, though, it was so long ago -- reminds me of the days of Ghost in the Shell, because Wm. Gibson was in the process of working on a screenplay for her shortly after and I used to read his letters (not e-mails) when they'd get sent to a mutual writer friend. Plus Bigelow had made an earlier film with Wm. Dafoe, who used to come to a producer friend's parties in a loft space above his on Wooster Street. Really disconcerting, to watch the video of The Last Tempation of Christ and then walk over to Wooster Street and talk to Christ for a couple of hours about the joys of parenting.

Near Dark happened at a good time, because vampire films hadn't gotten too literal minded yet and so it has lots of independent-film ambiguity.

Anchor Bay has an incredibly good line-up of Eurotrash horror. Their version of Dario Argento's Suspiria is a loving work of art. I also recommend their Cat-of-Nine-Tails, Deep Red (the70s Argento film, not the recent Hollywood pablum) and Opera, as well as Delirium and the Gialli Box Set.

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Originally posted by scrypt Anchor Bay has an incredibly good line-up of Eurotrash horror. Their version of Dario Argento's Suspiria is a loving work of art. I also recommend their Cat-of-Nine-Tails, Deep Red (the70s Argento film, not the recent Hollywood pablum) and Opera, as well as Delirium and the Gialli Box Set.

None of those films would be considered Eurotrash , True Eurotrash is like Jess Franco's films.

 

[scrypt]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... None of those films would be considered Eurotrash , True Eurotrash is like Jess Franco's films.

Boy, are *you* talking to the right person. I used to frequent DJ Franco's Vampiros Lesbos night at Bar Thirteen on 2nd Ave in NYC. What's more, I have friends who write criticism on the subject. And if you want more, go to the Mobius Video Forum for further clarification.

Jess Franco's films (as well as films like Immoral Tales, The Nude Countess, the Finishing School, Los Neuroticos (a.k.a., The Doctor is "In")) are a particular kind of Eurotrash. But Italian Gialli fall into that category as well -- I've yet to read a critic who says otherwise.

Part of the reason is because Gialli morphed into Franco-esque Eurotrash so seamlessly. Movies like the Blood-splattered Bride, Don't Torture a Duckling and Murder to the Tune of Seven Black Notes are the descendents of Mario Bava films like Black Sabbath. Bava's Danger, Diabolik is prime genre food, with its theme music chanting "Deep, Deep Down" while the nude blonde criminal couple writhes on a rotating pleasure-bed covered with money.

These are the kinds of sensationalistic genre films that are enjoyed (but not respected) in places like Italy. Yet they all have undeniable artistic touches that would only get diluted in Hollywood flicks. It's their good-bad deliciousness that gets them labeled Eurotrash, not adherence to some Jess-Franco-specific laundry list.

 

[KR...]

I have Vampiros Lesbos on DVD

There is a great Mondo Box set that is going to be released soon.

Quote:

Yet they all have undeniable artistic touches that would only get diluted in Hollywood flicks. It's their good-bad deliciousness that gets them labeled Eurotrash, not adherence to some Jess-Franco-specific laundry list.

Yes, that's what makes them so cool, that even with the sleaziest of films, you can still tell that the people behind it had a lot of talent and really knew what they were doing.

 

[scrypt]

Quote:

Originally posted by KR... I have Vampiros Lesbos on DVD

You know, I used to have a copy of the entire disc on my hard drive (4.75 gigs!) but I had to delete it for reasons of space. Glorious, isn't it? And you have to love that soundtrack.

I'm going to be looking for a correct version of that film as soon as I get my Malata n996 player at the end of the week (supposedly the best for PAL>NTSC conversion on a normal TV, though a modded JVC 600 is supposed to be great as well). Which version do you have and is it cut?

I'm thinking Kim's Video in my home town will have the right version. They do have the uncut European version of Eyes Wide Shut. No pesky animated tarts getting in the way of Kubrick's vision.

Quote:

There is a great Mondo Box set that is going to be released soon.

Right, I think I've read about that. Which company is releasing them?

(Time for me to visit the Mobius forum to find out what people think, since 1/3 of them are professional critics who complain about everything.)

Quote:

Yes, that's what makes them so cool, that even with the sleaziest of films, you can still tell that the people behind it had a lot of talent and really knew what they were doing.

Couldn't agree with you more.

Too bad I never ran into you at that bar (unless I did). You would have enjoyed yourself. Endless red wine, drink passes, DJ Franco's girlfriend dancing in a cage, Eurotrash soundtracks playing non-stop and multiple projections of sensationalistic gialli/Franco flicks on every wall. My best friend C. used to take me there. Plus there was a totally heterogeneous mix of people: You could have been any age and dressed however you wanted and felt at home. Creative types, writers, label people and stray personnel from grrl bands (this was around 1998-2000) formed the bulk of the crowd, since it happened on Tuesdays. I miss that place already.

 

[KR...]

Quote:

I'm going to be looking for a correct version of that film as soon as I get my Malata n996 player at the end of the week (supposedly the best for PAL>NTSC conversion on a normal TV, though a modded JVC 600 is supposed to be great as well). Which version do you have and is it cut?

The only uncut version is the German Version it was released in the US by Synapse Films on DVD. The only bad part is that it's in German, so you miss out on hearing her sexy spanish voice

Quote:

Right, I think I've read about that. Which company is releasing them?

Blue Underground

The Box Set has these FIVE DVDs :

THE MONDO COLLECTION
GOODBYE UNCLE TOM – Exclusive!
1971
Directors: Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco E. Prosperi
Box Set Also Contains:
- MONDO CANE
- MONDO CANE 2
- WOMAN OF THE WORLD
- AFRICA ADDIO


BTW, to everyone else : Don't blame us if you go "jeepers, I wonder how these films are" and buy these DVDs and are then scared for life as a result