The Church (1989) (Special Edition 4K Ultra HD) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #TheChurch – #SeverinFilms – @SeverinFilms –

IN THIS UNHOLY SANCTUARY, YOU HAVEN’T GOT A PRAYER.

For his second feature film – and first full collaboration with co-writer/producer/mentor Dario Argento – writer/director Michele Soavi unleashes a “mind-blowing” (Bloody Disgusting), “breathtaking” (Slant) “masterwork” (DVD Drive-In), now in UHD for the first time ever: In a Gothic cathedral built on the mass grave of a Teutonic purge, an ancient discovery by the new librarian will release an unholy maelstrom of madness, violence and demonic vengeance. Tomas Arana (The Sect), Feodor Chaliapin (Inferno), Hugh Quarshie (Nightbreed), Barbara Cupisti (Cemetery Man) and Asia Argento co-star in this Italian horror milestone co-written by Franco Ferrini (Phenomena), with a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the original negative and over 3 hours of Special Features – including new interviews with Soavi and Argento.

STARRING: Tomas Arana, Feodor Chaliapin, Hugh Quarshie, Barbara Cupisti, Asia Argento

Specters / Maya (Blu-ray Set) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #Specters #Maya – #VinegarSyndrome – @VinegarSyndrome –

As the close of the 1980s drew nearer, Italy continued to turn out some of the weirdest and wildest entries the horror genre had to offer – and this set of atmospheric offerings, SPECTERS (1987) and MAYA (1989), from director Marcello Avallone, are no exception! Mixing sex, mythology and bloody supernatural slayings in a dizzying blend sure to please fans of 80s terror everywhere, these sacrificial slashers are finally unleashed in their Blu-ray world premieres, newly restored in 2K from their original 35mm camera negatives by the high priests of horror at Vinegar Syndrome, alongside a treasure trove of new bonus material.

Specters: Whilst excavating the catacombs at an archaeological site in Rome, a team of researchers make an astonishing discovery when nearby drilling work in the subway system causes a wall to collapse, revealing a passageway leading to a series of hitherto unexplored tunnels. Delving deeper into the subterranean labyrinth, the team uncover a cavernous tomb filled with ominous inscriptions, as well as strange, unidentifiable skeletons and a crude, sacrificial weapon. Little do the archaeologists realize that the uncovering of this burial chamber, long-since sealed off from the world, has unleashed an ancient evil intent on wreaking bloody havoc.

Maya: Lisa, a young woman from New York, arrives in a small Mexican seaside town to identify the body of her father, a researcher into Mayan culture who has been brutally murdered in a sacrificial-style killing. Determined to uncover the truth behind her father’s death, Lisa decides to stay in town, where she learns about the local folklore and superstitions with the help of Peter, a young American and friend of her father. As more people are found dead, all slaughtered in a similarly gruesome fashion, and the town’s celebrations of the dead loom, could the legend of a vengeful and bloodthirsty Mayan king returning from the dead prove to be true?

STARRING: Donald Pleasence, John R. Pepper, Trine Michelsen, Peter Phelps

The Last Slumber Party (1988) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #TheLastSlumberParty – #AGFA – @filmarchive –

A surreal slasher from the wilds of New Orleans, The Last Slumber Party feels like a YA novel by R.L. Stine that was filtered through a haze of DIY madness. The story follows the foul-mouthed, sex-crazed Chris (played with gusto by Jan Jensen), Tracy, and Linda as they prepare for the ultimate slumber party on their last day of high school. But little do the ladies know that the party is about to be crashed by a maniacal killer with a giant scalpel! Rejecting all forms of logic in favor of a dreamlike mood, lifted scenes from Halloween, and songs by metalheads Firstryke, this is regional horror filmmaking at a magical peak. AGFA is thrilled to rescue The Last Slumber Party from the VHS wasteland with a new restoration from the 16mm camera negative, plus enough extras to fill your next three slumber parties. In the words of Chris: “Let’s munch out!”

STARRING: Jan Jensen, Nancy Meyer, Joann Whitley, Danny David

The Sect (1991) (Special Edition 4K Ultra HD) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #TheSect – #SeverinFilms – @SeverinFilms –

DARKNESS HAS FOUND A NEW BRIDE. HEAVEN HELP US.

The third feature by director Michele Soavi – his second collaboration with producer/co-writer Dario Argento – has been called “deranged” (We Are Cult), “disturbing” (Blu-ray.com) and “long overdue for reevaluation” (Bloody Disgusting). Now it can be experienced like never before: As a global satanic cabal grows in ferocity, an unwitting young schoolteacher (Kelly Curtis – sister of Jamie Lee – in her sole genre role) is chosen to deliver the ultimate evil. Herbert Lom (Count Dracula), Mariangela Giordano (Burial Ground) and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (The House ON The Edge Of The Park) co-star in “a nightmarish fever dream from a visionary filmmaker” (Good Efficient Butchery), scanned in 4K from the original negative with over 3 hours of Special Features – including new interviews with Soavi and Argento – for the first time ever.

STARRING: Kelly Curtis, Herbert Lom, Giovanni Lombardo

Time of Moulting (2020) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #TimeofMoulting – #Dekanalog – @dekanalog_ –

Dark, oppressive, and ominous. A heavily atmospheric and harrowing portrait of the ways in which repressed family dynamics can influence and infect the lives of younger generations–not tangible, not namable, but inexorable.

In a small town in 1970s West Germany, Stephanie (played by a charming Zelda Espenschied as a young child, and a surly Miriam Schiweck “ten years later”) is raised by two parents who have no business having children. The mother (Freya Kreutzkam, never far from despair-induced collapse) suffers from an unspecified medical condition—one both mental and physical. The father makes it clear that he has no patience for his daughter. Young Stephanie takes solace in exploring the mysteries hidden away in the increasingly untidy house, particularly the trunk full of her grandfather’s butcher’s equipment; older Stephanie takes far more sinister comfort in the tools found therein.

Throughout the film, director Sabrina Mertens and cinematographer Jan Fabi use a static camera. There are no closeups, and characters are often not centered within the frame. Sometimes, they are obscured by a piece of furniture. It isn’t always clear what’s happening. The lighting is flat and naturalistic; there is so much darkness that it’s difficult to get a sense of place. The house feels like a labyrinth of “stuff” – there are piles of clothing, crockery, furniture and newspapers everywhere, even in the bathroom. As the film progresses, the piles grow larger, and there is less room for the family. The oppressive formalism lingers in the many shadows with a quietly sadistic grin.

57 vignettes adding up to a cryptic whole.

STARRING: Zelda Espenschied, Miriam Schiweck, Freya Kreutzkam, Bernd Wolf

Violett (2023) Available April 30

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #Violett – #AlliedVaughn –

A sick mother fears unspeakable evil will soon snatch her 11 year old daughter. When bizarre characters from the neighborhood emerge, she discovers more than one shocking truth.

STARRING: Georgia Eyers, Angela Punch Mcgregor, Valentina Blagojevic, Sam Dudley, Kingsley Judd

Shelter (2015) Available May 7

April 28, 2024 4 Evil Eyes

#horror – #horrormovies – #Shelter – #Filmhub –

5 survivors wait out nuclear winter in a bomb shelter. Weeks turn into months, & one room proves too small. Social norms break down where privacy is extinct, and things devolve into a fight for survival.

STARRING: Joyce Hshieh, Michael Patrick Lane, Sarah Street