The VHS Archives: Mario Bava's BLADESTORM (1966)

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BLADESTORM

Mario Bava's I coltelli del vendicatore (1966)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.

Catalog: MOG1041

Box Type: Slipcase

Year of Release: 1987

Runtime: 81:02

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Mario Bava

Year of Release: 1966

Country of Origin: Italy

Stars: Cameron Mitchell, Fausto Tozzi, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Luciano Pollentin

AKAs: Knives of the Avenger, Viking Massacre, Flurry of Knives, Dagger Man, Duel with Knives, The Wrath of the Vikings, A Fistful of Knives, Rurik the Viking

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Bladestorm ... a terrifying story of brutality, horror and violence.

A powerful, emotional and violent story of war and determination, of a man's hatred as he takes on the superior firepower of the enemy.

A story of one man's burning ambition for total vengeance ... a man who will never forgive or forget.

The bloody conflict continues until Bladestorm erupts into total conflict ... a bloody war leaving death, destruction and sadistic killing in it's wake.

Nothing can stop the bloody battle as the culmination of years of hatred and vengeance finally result in a fight until death. Bladestorm will stop at nothing.

U.S. Mogul Communications, Inc. slipcase!

Friend John Grace pointed out the Bladestorm cover art is just a flipped reworking of Frank Frazetta's popular Conan the Destroyer painting from 1971. The original piece actually made news in 2010 by selling for a whopping $1.5 million!

U.S. Mega Video sleeve!

Canadian Videoline Productions, Inc. slipcase,

courtesy of Tales from the Snikt!

Spanish DGV Video sleeve!

German Spectrum glassbox cover,

courtesy of Kinofilm Online Database!

German Cannon VMP sleeve!

Greek Video Alsen sleeve!

Finnish Magna Filmi sleeve, originally scanned by "giallohunter"!

U.S. theatrical trailer (printed in B&W),

uploaded by Criterion Dungeon!

Looking for Bladestorm on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. It was also released to DVD by Anchor Bay under the title Knives of the Avenger as part of their first Mario Bava Collection, and as an earlier standalone release from Image. 

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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

© 2013 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Nick Millard's .357 MAGNUM (1977)

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.357 MAGNUM

Nick Millard's .357 Magnum (1977)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: World Video Pictures, Inc.

Catalog: WV1057

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: ?

Runtime: 69:40

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Nick Millard 

(Jan Anders)

Year of Release: 1977

Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Stars: Marland Proctor, James Whitworth, Kathryn Hayes, Marianne Walter (Kelly Nichols)

AKAs: ?

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Jonathan Hightower's weapon of chose is the deadly .357 Magnum. He's assigned to the Far East to track the killer of CIA agents in Hong Kong and Tokyo. . . . International intrigue, doublecross and death follow. The only way out is the shootout!

 U.S World Video Pictures, Inc. sleeve!

An awesomely terrible clip, uploaded by "brujaria"!

Looking for .357 Magnum on VHS? It's available on Amazon here.

Not on DVD.

Investigate more titles with Project: WORLD!

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

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Umberto Lenzi's THUNDER SQUAD (1985)

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Thunder Squad

Umberto Lenzi's I cinque del Condor (1985)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.

Catalog: MOG1021

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: 1987

Runtime: 82:53

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Umberto Lenzi

Year of Release: 1985

Country of Origin: Italy

Stars: Antonio Sabato, Ivan Rassimov, Werner Pochath, Sal Borghese, Julya Fursich, Gustavo Adolfo Matos

AKAs: The Wild Team, The Condor Five, Five Amazon Bastards

Verbatim Box Synopsis

A South American rebel leader in exile in Miami, Florida, is given one last chance to overthrow his successor, a bloody and ferocious dictator, by a multi-national mining group out to exploit his country's mineral resources.

PROBLEM: The leader's only son is held hostage by the dictator, and will be executed at the first signal of an invasion. 

SOLUTION: Recruit a team of deadly mercenaries, all experts in guerilla warfare, to free the boy and eliminate local resistance ... thus the THUNDER SQUAD is born, a dirty dozen, trained to the limit and armed to the teeth. Parachuted into the jungle, they launch a sudden successful attack. 

The THUNDER SQUAD are betrayed by the multinational executives, who have switched sides to protect their interests. Hunted by government troops, the THUNDER SQUAD must battle for survival in the jungle ... Call it guts, courage, bravery ... whatever you call it, they've got it.

U.S. Mogul Commincations sleeve!

(The cover is actually a pretty cool foil-embossed sleeve which unfortunately doesn't scan very well. I'm unsure if a non-foil printing exists.)

Danish A-B-Collection Videofilm sleeve, courtesy of Hans-Jorn Reimer and his Danish Ex-Rental VHS Appreciation Group! 

German Starlight Video sleeve! 

Dutch Video for Pleasure sleeve!

French Prime Time Video sleeve!

Argentinean Lucian Films Video sleeve, courtesy of Raro VHS!

Argentinian Lucian Films VHS advertisement, also courtesy Cristian from Raro VHS!

Norwegian VCM sleeve, courtesy of Dag-Johnny Elnes!

Greek Rex Films Home Video sleeve, courtesy of Jack Jensen's When the Vietnam War Raged... in the Philippines. 

Japanese Columbia Video sleeve, also courtesy of Jack Jensen!

If you feel like spending 90 minutes in front of your computer, The Giallo Grindhouse have uploaded the entire film to Youtube!

Looking for Thunder Squad? It's not readily available on VHS, but if you just want to see it there's a crummy DVD from VideoAsia as part of their Expendables 2: Zero Heroes set.

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Michele Massimo Tarantini's CRIMEBUSTERS (1976)

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CRIMEBUSTERS

Michele Massimo Tarantini's Poliziotti violenti (1976)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.

Catalog: MOG1025

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: 1987

Runtime: 87:06

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Michele Massimo Tarantini

Year of Release: 1976

Country of Origin: Italy

Stars: Antonio Sabato, Henry Silva, Ettore Manni, Silvia Dionisio

AKAs: Crime Busters, MKS 118

Verbatim Box Synopsis

CRIMEBUSTERS ... a movie packed with non-stop action, political intrigue and horrific violence.

Set in a terrorist torn Latin country, the head of a paratroop training team wages a one man battle to unravel the illegal activities of a multi-national armaments company. 

Is the company supplying terrorist squads?  As the investigation evolves blackmail, political manipulation and murder emerge as the film builds towards its stunning climax.  A story of kidnapping, espionage and government deceit. 

 U.S. Mogul Communications sleeve!

Norwegian Video Huset sleeve, courtesy of Dag-Johnny Elnes! 

Danish Dansk Video Film sleeve, courtesy of Hans-Jorn Reimer and his Danish Ex-Rental VHS Appreciation Group!

 Swedish VideoTapeCenter (VTC) sleeve, courtesy of Rolfens DVD!

 Spanish Video Distribuciones Valfer sleeve, courtesy of Exhumed Movies' Jose Antonio Diego Bogajo!

German Arcade Video sleeve! 

 UK VTC sleeve, originally scanned by "Inspector Tanzi"!

Greek MV sleeve, originally scanned by "monezza"!

Italian trailer, uploaded by "neverlando74"!

Looking for Crimebusters on VHS?  It's not readily available, but you can get the Italian-language import DVD here. (Warning: no English subtitles!) 

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Nick Millard's GUNBLAST (1986)

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GUNBLAST

Nick Millard's Gunblast (1986)

The VHS Archives Factsheet
Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.

Catalog: MOG1014

Box Type: Clamshell
Year of Release: ?
Runtime: 65:59
Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs
Extras: None

About the Film
Director: Nick Millard
Year of Release: 1986
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Stars: Marland Proctor, Christina Cardan, Uschi Digard
AKAs: ?

Verbatim Box Synopsis

He's loose again... and no one is safe!

Grant is an ex-convict just released from an eight year stretch in San Quentin.  He gets involved in the twilight world of an international narcotics syndicate importing heroin into the United States.

The stakes are high and the risks are great in this hard-hitting powerhouse action thriller.

 U.S. Mogul sleeve!

 Danish V sleeve, originally scanned by "gorzelak"!

Looking for Gunblast on VHS?  It's available on Amazon here.

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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

© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.