The VHS Archives: Jim O'Connolly's TOWER OF EVIL (1972)

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TOWER OF EVIL

Jim O'Connolly's Tower of Evil (1972)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Gorgon Video

Catalog: MP3070

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: ?

Runtime: 89:14

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Jim O'Connolly

Year of Release: 1972

Country of Origin: U.K.

Stars: Bryant Haliday, Jill Haworth, Gary Hamilton, Anna Palk, Robin Askwith, Dennis Price

AKAs: Horror on Snape Island, Beyond the Fog, The Devil's Tower

Verbatim Box Synopsis

One of the most brutal and mysterious stories ever to be released in home video Tower of Evil is a haunting tale set in and around a deserted lighthouse on fog shrouded Snape Island.

The terror begins when a nude, crazed woman slaughters a sailor who visits the island. When she is taken back to civilization and an ancient relic is discovered, an expedition is mounted to solve the mystery of the island which leads to a series of psychosexual murders.

A truly horrifying movie, which is not for everyone. 

U.S. Gorgon Video / MPI Home Video sleeve!

U.S. VCI Command Performance slipcase!

U.K. Iver Films Services sleeve, courtesy of the IFS Tribute Site!

Dutch Video Screen sleeve, courtesy of Cult VHS!

Danish Video International sleeve, courtesy of Hans-Jorn Reimer 

and his Danish Ex-Rental VHS Appreciation Group!

French Hollywood Video sleeve, courtesy of L'antre de l'horreur!

German Video Medien Pool glassbox sleeve!

German VPS Video sleeve!

German Vestrada Filmworks sleeve!

Italian Cine Club sleeve!

Norwegian CP Entertainment sleeve, courtesy of Norsk VHS!

Greek Alligator Video Enterprises sleeve!

Theatrical trailer, uploaded by "TREVOR1369"!

And the much more exploitative French trailer, 

uploaded by "braniki1"!

Looking for Tower of Evil on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. There's an early DVD release from Elite Entertainment, but real fans will want Scorpion Releasing's excellent DVD or (preferably) Blu Ray which supplies a gorgeous MGM-remastered print!

Investigate more titles with Project: MPI!

For a look at other labels, check out The VHS Archives!

© 2013 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Antony Balch's HORROR HOSPITAL (1973)

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HORROR HOSPITAL

Antony Balch's Horror Hospital (1973)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Gorgon Video

Catalog: MP3069

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: ?

Runtime: 90:19

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Antony Balch

Year of Release: 1973

Country of Origin: U.K.

Stars: Michael Gough, Robin Askwith, Vanesa Shaw, Dennis Price, Skip Martin

AKAs: Computer Killers, Doctor Bloodbath, Dr. Frankenstein's Horror Clinic, Forbidden Diary of a College Girl, The Claws of Frankenstein, Human Butcher

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Welcome to Brittlehouse Manor, a "health resort" where young people are cured of all their hang-ups in one stroke. One stroke, that is, of Doc Storm's scalpel.

You see Doc Storm, a crippled demented genius in a wheel chair, has a laboratory where he performs hideous and graphic brain surgery on his young patients -- making them cooperative, brainless, zombies.

With the help of Frederick the dwarf, the "Bike Boys", and Doc Storm's infamous decapitating limousine the new patients are guaranteed all the "rest" they will ever need.

U.S. Gorgon Video / MPI Home Video sleeve!

U.S VCI Command Performance slipcase,
courtesy of reader Scott Gacek! 

U.S. VCI Home Video reissue slipcase, also courtesy 
Scott Gacek! You rock!

U.S. Bingo Video Inc. slipcase, courtesy of Jayson Kennedy's Basement of Ghoulish Decadence! Cover artist "Danilo" was responsible for a lot of Mogul Communications' better sleeves!

 U.K. Satanica sleeve!

Australian Vibrant Video sleeve, courtesy of Rolfens DVD!

 French Delta Video Diffusion sleeve, courtesy of L'antre de l'horreur!

 Dutch VC 2 Video sleeve, originally scanned by "shootgringoshoot"!

Swedish Red Baron sleeve, also courtesy of Rolfens DVD!

TV spot, uploaded by Craig Anderson!

British trailer, double-billed with 

Ted V. Mikels' The Corpse Grinders (1971). Uploaded by "anubis44"!

Looking for Horror Hospital on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. There's also a nice special edition DVD available from MPI's Dark Sky label, with commentary from producer Richard Gordon, stills, and more. (If you're a Horror Hospital completist, there's also an earlier non-anamorphic print from Elite.)

Investigate more titles with Project: MPI!

For a look at other labels, check out The VHS Archives!

© 2013 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

Midnight Grab Bag! Mystery Photos #121-125!

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Welcome back to the ol' Arcana for another round of Grab Bag Goodies!

As outlined in previous installments, I purchased a few hundred promotional stills that have had their title captions trimmed off. Some I recognize, most I don't. It's up to my faithful readership to help me decipher what they're promoting. Hell, solve enough of 'em and maybe I'll send you some of the duplicates I received!

For those not familiar with promo stills, they occasionally carry a helpful hint or two. Some are branded with a cataloging code of letters and numbers which usually signify an abbreviation of the title (sometimes a retitling) and, if you're especially lucky, maybe the year of release (not to be confused with year of production). And that's pretty much all we have to go on...

The twenty-fifth batch is below; let's see what you've got!

#121: HM-702

#122: No Markings!

#123: MOS-7

#124: MA-POS-2

#125: MUL-20

Like what you see? Be sure and check out our previous Grab Bag Photos, a lot of which are still unidentified. And don't forget, our Upcoming Releases List (the best on the 'net) is constantly updated, so stop by and pre-order some cool stuff!

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Masayoshi Nemoto's BUDO: THE ART OF KILLING (1978)

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BUDO: THE ART OF KILLING

Masayoshi Nemoto's Budo (1978)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Prism Entertainment Corp.

Catalog: 1752

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: 1985

Runtime: 89:38

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Masayoshi Nemoto

Year of Release: 1978

Country of Origin: Japan

Stars: The Grand Masters of the Martial Arts

AKAs: The Art of Killing, Budo: Self-Defense Skills

Verbatim Box Synopsis

The techniques of budo -- kendo, karate, aikido, judo -- are explored in an astonishing look at the oriental "art of killing." Everything you see in Budo is real: the amazing action is performed by the master practitioners of these spiritual and physical skills.

In ancient Japan, the sword of the samurai knight ruled the land. The average citizen was not allowed to be armed, so the art of hand-to-hand fighting -- BUDO -- was invented to combat the sword.

This fascinating one-of-a-kind history penetrates the martial arts' deep roots in Eastern philosophy, the religious thought that animates the master's fearless self-confidence, and the eternal spirit of fighting protection. The myths and legends surrounding the warring arts are finally dispelled in a definitive picture of the truth about life and death in battle.

U.S. Prism Entertainment sleeve!

Dutch Video Media sleeve, originally scanned by "petcor80"!

Great montage, uploaded by "JJOhanzee"! The real trailer is tacked on the beginning of Prism's Legend of the Eight Samurai tape; someone should post it -- it's not even on the DVD!

Looking for Budo on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. A better choice is the great-looking DVD release from Synapse Films. 

Investigate more titles with Project: Prism!

For a look at other labels, check out The VHS Archives!

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Rene Cardona's NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES (1969)

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NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES

Rene Cardona's La horripilante bestia humana (1969)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Gorgon Video

Catalog: MP3059

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: ?

Runtime: 83:40

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Rene Cardona

Year of Release: 1969

Country of Origin: Mexico (with U.S.A. inserts)

Stars: Jose Elias Moreno, Carlos Lopez Moctezuma, Armando Silvestre, Norma Lazareno, Augustin Martinez Solares

AKAs: The Horrifying Human Beast, Gomar: The Human Gorilla, Horror and Sex, Sex Monsters, Nightmares of the Night, Korang: The Terrifying Human Animal

Verbatim Box Synopsis

An eminent physician told of his ill son's inevitable death is forced to attempt the impossible.

Distraught and willing to try anything our desperate doctor transplants the heart of an ape into his own son.

The result is a maniacal monster with an insatiable lust for blood.

The appalling carnage that follows aptly reiterates the age-old cliche -- never fool with mother nature.

U.S. Gorgon Video / MPI sleeve!

The original Gorgon Video artwork, recently unearthed by MPI!

U.S. Meteor Video slipcase, scanned by John Bernhard!

U.K. IFS Video sleeve, courtesy of It's Only a Movie!
One of the original Video Nasties!

IFS Video promotional flier, courtesy of the
Iver Film Services Tribute Site!

U.K. Vipco sleeve, originally scanned by "Kiba"!

Dutch Benelux Video sleeve, originally scanned by Lars Jacobsson!

Greek Panorama sleeve, also scanned by Lars Jacobsson!

An insert from my U.S. Jerand Films pressbook, advertising spare body parts for theatergoers. Did this ever actually happen? I haven't seen it referenced anywhere else. I'd love to see a picture of this particular ballyhoo -- I mean, who wouldn't want a spare body part?!

Hilariously gory U.S. theatrical trailer,
uploaded by the "Criterion Dungeon"!

Looking for Night of the Bloody Apes on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. If you prefer DVD, there's an excellent double-bill from Something Weird Video, paired with Emilio Vieyra's Feast of Flesh (The Deadly Organ) (1967). Another curio is BCI Eclipse's DVD, which actually includes the original (much more boring) Mexican version alongside Jerald Intrator's gored-up reworking.

Investigate more titles with Project: MPI!

For a look at other labels, check out The VHS Archives!

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.