THE LAST HUNTER starring David Warbeck
http://www.navarre.com/prodhome.aspx?ItemNumber=2217518

Finally a legit R1 release of WHO CAN KILL A CHILD
http://www.navarre.com/prodhome.aspx?ItemNumber=2217520

From what I remember from my single-viewing THE LAST HUNTER was a pretty energetic (and pretty bloody) war yarn, and seeing it again after so long will be a guilty pleasure. However, I've been waiting a long time to catch WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? so that's the one I'm particularly keyed up about. I still remember the newspaper ads (as ISLAND OF THE DAMNED) with the huge skeleton head overlooking the harbour, and thinking I*must*see*this! Twenty-nine years later....

Evidently Dark Sky also has Michael Reeves' THE SHE BEAST forthcoming, another film I haven't seen. As per the David Gregory interview on the DVD Maniacs website they've recorded a commentary track featuring Ian Ogilvy, Paul Maslansky, and yes, Barbara Steele. That should be fun!

As great as it is that THE LAST HUNTER has a street date, let's not get too excited with three months to go. Dark Sky has been stumbling lately--does anyone know what's up with TRAGIC CEREMONY and RICCO THE MEAN MACHINE? Or KILL BABY KILL, for that matter? I was REALLY looking forward to RICCO THE MEAN MACHINE.

All that aside, I'm hoping this leads to more of Margheriti's '80s action classics hitting R1 in quality editions, like TIGER JOE, TORNADO, HUNTERS OF THE GOLDEN COBRA, etc.

Always been curious about WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? Glad it's finally coming out as well.

I'm looking forward to SHE BEAST and WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? Hopefully it includes the English dub (though I think it was cut by AIP for US release) since Serrador said that the Spanish track doesn't work in some respects.

Hopefully they'll pick up THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED. Divisa put out a Spanish only non-anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer so that suggests that film elements are available.

As for Margheriti, let's not forget ARK OF THE SUN GOD with that tres 80s theme song.

Given the recent cancellations of titles I was looking forward to (KILL BABY KILL and TRAGIC CEREMONY), I would hope the Dark Sky will make more of an effort to keep us informed and assure us that we actually will see those releases.

So a 'scope print of THE SHE BEAST has finally been unearthed, then? This film has always looked unspeakably wretched, but even that grotty center-framed video transfer never really struck me as looking obviously cropped - two-shots with Ogilvy and Steele always seem to contain both actors within frame, so talk of Reeves' "painstaking widescreen compositions" always puzzled me. I hope to be enlightened by Dark Sky's release...should it actually emerge. (I'm still waiting for KILL BABY KILL. Harrumph.) That commentary track should be great, though...

I had not heard about SHE BEAST so that is really terrific news.
When AIP relased ISLAND OF THE DAMNED it was missing approx 10 minutes of material that was never dubbed into English. I have a nice 1 Sheet for this one and it is one of my favorite Spanish horror films. It packs quite a solid punch when first viewed. I am sad that it will be remade shortly as there is no way to improve the original and I get the feeling a few plot punches will get pulled, as this one is about as un PC as it gets.

I have two US one sheets for this one - one as Island of the Damned and the other as Trapped!

Where has this information come from? I had all but given up on this title and don't want to get my hopes up. Great news if it's really really REALLY true!

-Dean

Given Dark Sky's recent wave of cancellations and stalls (I have received no confirmation from Amazon that my order for KILL BABY KILL has shipped, although I also haven't been informed that it has been cancelled or postponed, either), I'm taking this news with a grain of salt.

We've heard in the past that SHE BEAST has resided with a European company that wants a huge asking price for the rights. Whether this might be the source for the alleged Dark Sky release, or not, I don't know. I remain hopeful, but cautious.

NAKED CEREMONY and RICO THE MEAN MACHINE were officially announced, then cancelled, by Dark Sky.

It comes from the David Gregory interview on the DVD Maniacs website, which includes a group photo of Ogilvy, Maslansky & Steele (now that's a law firm!) taken during the commentary recording session.

I'd have to double check but I think it made mention that they had also recorded a Chris Mitchum commentary for the RICO DVD.

Maybe they did. Too bad we'll probably never hear it!

Today, I received a new-sealed copy of the Dark Sky KBK in the mail from a pre-order I made about two months ago from a merchant on ebay. I was totally shocked as I never expected to actually get it. So there may be some copies that do leak out around streetdate. I had also placed a pre-order with a couple of merchants - one was canceled and the other one is still in limbo. I noticed an opened copy sold on ebay last week for $261! Ouch.

Thank you for the info, Robert. I found the interview. I won't copy/paste it here, but if anyone wants to see the interview and photo, just go to http://www.dvdmaniacs.net and click on the box on the right side of the window that says "The Shocking Truth About Severin Films."

I'm willing to cross my fingers but not hold my breath. yet!

-Dean

The Severin interview briefly mentions that there are some pesky legal issues with Dark Sky's proposed release of KILL BABY KILL. Interesting to me that Anchor Bay's release of the title, in the forthcoming MARIO BAVA VOLUME ONE box set, doesn't seem to be plagued with a similar problem.

I sorta got the impression from Gregory's phrasing that it's the Lamberto Bava supplement that's screwing things up...