British label 88 Films has detailed three upcoming Blu-ray releases: Lamberto Bava's
Body Puzzle (1982), Antonio Margheriti's
The Long Hair of Death (1964), and Jeff Lieberman's
Just Before Dawn.
Just Before Dawn
Synopsis: Beloved cult filmmaker Jeff Lieberman already horrified audiences across the world with his killer-worm epic SQUIRM (1976) but he arguably outdid himself with JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981) one of the most popular slasher classics to ever tear up the inside of a grindhouse movie theatre. In this powerful bout of plasma splashing cinema, a group of teenage vacationers opt for an ill-advised hike around the beautiful national forests of Oregon. But Lieberman is quick to show that backwoods baddies do not just exist in the American South - they can also be found preying on campers in the supposedly more liberal (and safe) West Coast too!! With machete massacres galore, masked maniacs on the prowl and plenty of skinny dipping and flesh ripping to enjoy, JUST BEFORE DAWN is a horror masterpiece that is finally available in the UK, fully remastered in HD. Starring George Kennedy (THE NAKED GUN) and Chris Lemmon (WISHMASTER), 88 Films is proud to present one of the most sublime and stylish slice and dice creepers ever concocted!
Special Features and Specs:
- High-Definition Transfer from the Internegative
- Uncompressed LPCM 24 Bit Audio
- Optional English Subtitles
- AUDIO COMMENTARY by Slasher Expert Justin Kerswell, Moderated by Calum Waddell.
- EXTENDED CUT - Optional Oversea Version (102 Mins)
- JEFF BEFORE DAWN - An Interview with Director Jeff Lieberman.
- GRINDHOUSE ALL STARS - Insightful new documentary in which Lieberman, Roy Frumps (Street Trash), Matt Cimber (Black Six) and Joe Ellison (Don't Go in the House) share memories of the slime and grime of the grindhouse glory days.
- Two Theatrical Trailers
- GALLERY of On-location stills from Jeff Lieberman's personal archive.
- Collector's Booklet by Calum Waddell
- Reverse sleeve with original poster artwork
STREET DATE: JULY 24.
The Long Hair of Death
Synopsis: After the murder of her mother and sister, Elizabeth Karnstein (Halina Zalewska, Date for a Murder) is taken in by the affluent Count Humboldt and his family. She has been married to his twisted son, Kurt (George Ardisson, Clap, You're Dead), and as a plague sweeps their small village; one prophesised by Elizabeth's mother before her death, the spectre of Elizabeth's older sister, Helen (Barbara Steele, Castle of Blood) appears. During one fateful stormy night, anyone with the surname Humboldt starts to perish one-by-one.
Antonio Margheriti (Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye) strikes again, with this brooding gothic chiller that effortlessly re-captures the magic of his acclaimed classic, Castle of Blood. Re-discover this twisted, labyrinthine masterpiece today, courtesy of this stunning HD presentation from 88 Films!
Special Features and Specs:
- High-Definition presentation of the Film sourced from the Original Negative
- Uncompressed English Audio
- Uncompressed Italian Audio with English Subtitles
- Theatrical Trailer
- Italian Gothic: The Horrors of Antonio Margheriti Featurette
- Reversible Sleeve
STREET DATE: JULY 24.
Body Puzzle
Synopsis: DEMONS director Lamberto Bava continued to craft a few high profile plasma-spillers even after the golden age of Italian gore had passed. And 1992's BODY PUZZLE is a prime example of the maestro's macabre excellence - a giallo gem which is long overdue some serious reappraisal from fans of Euro-horror excess. In this mind-mangling mystery an attractive young widow (played by the prolifi c B-movie babe Joanna Pacula) becomes inadvertently caught up in a killer's sick scheme - with the mysterious murderer leaving lopped off limbs at her doorstep and taunting her from afar. Featuring a supporting cast that includes the ever-iconic Giovanni Lombardo Radice (CANNIBAL FEROX/ CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) BODY PUZZLE would be Bava's giallo swansong and there is little doubting that the legendary filmmaker went out with a big bloody bang! Arguably even more twisted than A BLADE IN THE DARK, and with a plot barmier than his classic DEMONS, 88 Films is proud to present BODY PUZZLE uncut and in HD.
Special Features and Specs:
- Uncompressed English Audio
- Uncompressed Italian Audio
- Newly created English Subtitles
- Reversible Sleeve with alternate original title 'Misteria' artwork
- Art in the Blood: Print interview with actor Tomas Arana by Phillip Escott
- Demonic Deeds: Print Interview with Lamberto Bava by Calum Waddell
STREET DATE: JUNE 12.
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The label has also revealed the official cover art for three more upcoming releases.
Joe Bullet
Synopsis: When a mysterious gangster starts sabotaging soccer team The Eagles' chance at winning the upcoming championship final, there is only one man who can save the day...Joe Bullet.
This essential blaxploitation film was banned by the South African apartheid government and is a vital part of exploitation movie history. Never before seen in any form in the UK. The release is part of the label's recently launched Vault line.
STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 11.
The Flying Guillotine
Synopsis: Director Meng Hua Ho (THE BLACK ENFORCER/ THE OILY MANIAC) crafted one of the most important and influential kung-fu films of all time with the 1975's THE FLYING GULLOTINE. Inspiring later directors all across the Asian straits (including the celebrated Taiwanese spin-off MASTER OF THE FLYING GULLOTINE), this original model is as brutal, bloody and bombastic as they come! Headlining the legendary Kuan Tai Chen (THE MASTER/ HERO OF SHANGHAI) in his defining role as an enforcer with a unique and deadly weapon - this period-set bout of beheading and plasma-spillage remains one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made. Fans of classic chopsocky action have been begging for THE FLYING GULLOTINE to return to British shelves, and thanks to the 88 Asia collection it is back in action - restored and remastered in HD!
Extras - commentaries by Bey Logan, booklets by Asia-based academic Calum Waddell and, yes, we might just offer a slipcover.
STREET DATE: AUGUST 21.
The Oily Maniac
Synopsis: A cripple takes revenge on criminals by using a magic spell that transforms him into an oily monster/superhero. A Shaw Brothers production.
Danny Lee (THE KILLER) played one of cinema's most unlikely superheroes in THE OILY MANIAC (1976) - a Shaw Brothers creature-feature classic that is only now gaining a much-deserved premiere in the UK! In this gooey gem of a monster-mash, Lee plays a Hong Kong everyman who has been crippled and is down-on-his-luck - that is, until he learns of a spell that can turn him into a transformative and transmorphing pile of ferocious but malevolent mush. Yes, he is THE OILY MANIAC - and in this Cantonese predecessor to Troma's THE TOXIC AVENGER, he is able to appear and re-appear at will, making it all the more tricky for his arch-enemies to dillute his delirious brilliance. Directed by the prolific Meng Hua Ho (THE FLYING GULLOTINE), this is one Far Eastern B-movie masterpiece that deserves to be seen and appreciated in full HD!
STREET DATE: JULY 24.