The VHS Archives: Alan Birkinshaw's INVADERS OF THE LOST GOLD (1981)

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INVADERS OF THE LOST GOLD

Alan Birkinshaw's Horror Safari (1981)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: All American Video

Catalog: AAV101

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: ?

Runtime: 87:26 (86:18 + music)

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Alan Birkinshaw

Year of Release: 1981

Country of Origin: Hong Kong / U.K. / France

Stars: Stuart Whitman, Edmund Purdom, Woody Strode, Harold Sakata, Laura Gemser, Glynis Barber

AKAs: Raiders of the Lost Gold, Greed, Horror Safari, Cannibal Safari, Safari of No Return, No Return

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Deep in the jungle of the Philippines an expedition makes camp for the night. Ten greedy people start out, but only two are to return.

The lust for gold, power and wealth drives men to madness and murder. A group of Japanese soldiers in the occupied Philippines, escorting a huge consignment of gold are attacked by natives and headhunters.

The three commanding officers hide the gold deep in a cavern, kill the porters and hide as their men are massacred.

They vow to return for the gold when the war is over...

A terrifying story of Lust and Love... Life and Death..

Ten greedy people on a safari of no return.

U.S. All American Video sleeve! (Sun-faded all to Hell...)

What it's supposed to look like! Thanks, Earl Summerfield!

U.S. All American Video reissue sleeve!

Belgian Variety Video sleeve, courtesy of Cult VHS!

Danish Filmco(?) sleeve, courtesy of Hans-Jorn Reimer and his

Danish Ex-Rental VHS Appreciation Group!

Danish Filmco sleeve, again courtesy of

Hans-Jorn Reimer and his DEVAG!

Swedish Video Klubben Manedens Film sleeve,

courtesy of Rolfens DVD!

German Pront-Video sleeve!

German Action Video sleeve!

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

Spanish Rompeolas Film and Video sleeve, courtesy of Mondo VHS!

15-second video promo, uploaded by "johnhuston1"!

The opening massacre, uploaded by "vincentneo88"!

Looking for Invaders of Lost Gold on VHS? It's not readily available, but there was a brief DVD issue from Crash Cinema's short-lived non-kung fu line, Mondo Crash.

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: Aristide Massaccesi's TRAP THEM AND KILL THEM (1977)

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TRAP THEM AND KILL THEM

Aristide Massaccesi's Emanuelle e gli ultimi cannibali (1977)

The VHS Archives Factsheet

Label: Twilight Video

Catalog: #23000

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release: 1985

Runtime: 93:02

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Aristide Massaccesi (Joe D'Amato)

Year of Release: 1977

Country of Origin: Italy

Stars: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Donal O'Brien, Monica Zanchi, Nieves Navarro (Susan Scott), Annamaria Clementi, Dirce Funari

AKAs: Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, Rape in the Tropics, Bloody Track, Naked Among Cannibals

Verbatim Box Synopsis

The Amazon jungle -- so impenetrable that if its natural dangers don't get you ... there's a good chance the aboriginal cannibals will!

This is what four adventurers faced after ignoring all warnings and perilous signals. Their fate -- documented and detailed in this graphic account -- is an experience of such horror and scope that it is advisable to view it with caution. Remind yourself that it is only a movie -- and not the real thing!

Because some scenes are so explicit, children under 13 should not be permitted to see "TRAP THEM and KILL THEM."

 

U.S. Twilight Video sleeve!

Japanese Pack-In-Video sleeve, courtesy of Japanese VHS Hell!

Danish Video Action sleeve, courtesy of Rare Cult Cinema!

Dutch Video for Pleasure sleeve, originally scanned by "HorrorC.K."!

French Prosperine Editions sleeve, originally scanned by "Fred932000"!

Alternate French Prosperine Editions reissue sleeve, also scanned by "Fred932000"!

German Video Medien Pool sleeve!

German EuroVideo embedded clamshell!

Original Italian trailer, uploaded by "johntrent70"! Chock-full of nudity and gore, so it's not even remotely safe for work, but one watch and you'll be humming the score all day.

Looking for Trap Them and Kill Them on VHS? It's available on Amazon here. Media Blasters have also released a nice DVD as Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, but it's out-of-print now and starting to get a little pricey.

Investigate more titles with Project: TWE!

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

© 2012 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Bruno Fontana's THE DIRTY SEVEN (1982)

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THE DIRTY SEVEN

Bruno Fontana's La belva dalle calda pelle (1982)

The VHS Archives Factsheet
Label: All American Video
Catalog: AAV102
Box Type: Clamshell
Year of Release: ?
Runtime: 92:23
Print: 1.66:1 / English / No subs
Extras: None

About the Film
Director: Bruno Fontana
Year of Release: 1982

Country of Origin: Italy

Stars: Laura Gemser, Angelo Infanti, Gabriele Tinti, Giovanni Brusadori

AKAs: The Beast with Hot Skin, Emanuelle Queen of the Desert

Verbatim Box Synopsis

A party of commandos go on a dangerous mission to kill...

... two are killer, their captain is wounded and the rescue craft which was supposed to pick them up, shoots at them instead...

... betrayed, forsaken and hungry, filled with fear and despair, the survivors become brutes...

... A strange girl joins them.  Sheila (LAURA GEMSER) is a fascinating and sensuous woman who agrees to lead them to safety; but instead she makes them betray each other.......

A picture full of HIGH SUPSPENSE and HUMAN DRAMA starring LAURA GEMSER, ANGELO INFANTI, GABRIELE TINTI written and directed by BRUNO FONTANA

U.S. All American sleeve!

Danish sleeve, originally scanned by "Diabolik"!  

Argentinean Lucian Films sleeve, courtesy of Raro VHS!

French Cine Budget sleeve, taken from Nanarland! 

French Delta Video sleeve, originally scanned by "fred932000"!

German VTD sleeve, taken from The Video Museum! 

Alternate German VTD sleeve, taken from The Video Museum!

.

It looks like the All American artwork can be traced back to GO Video's UK cover for Apocalypse, the Untold Story! (Scan taken from The GO! Video Tribute Site!)

Looking for The Dirty Seven on VHS? It's available on Amazon here, though it's not the All American release.  There's also a Simitar DVD available.

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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



© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Jose Maria Forque's FURY (1978)

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FURY

Jose Maria Forque's La mujer de la tierra caliente (1978)

The VHS Archives Factsheet
Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.
Catalog: MOG1026
Box Type: Clamshell
Year of Release: 1987
Runtime: 76:43
Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs
Extras: None

About the Film
Director: Jose Maria Forque

Year of Release: 1978

Country of Origin: Spain / Italy
Stars: Laura Gemser, Stuart Whitman, Pilar Velazquez, Gabriele Tinti, Paola Senatore
AKAs: Woman from the Torrid Land, Emotional Exchange

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Two wild mysterious strangers cross paths in the primitive danger of the tropical jungle.

A young woman whose life has been nothing more than that of a prostitute.  A man with so much to hide that nothing can unlock his past.

But as they begin their journey together, their deadly secrets are exposed as they grow closer and closer.

And soon trey are locked in a consuming, passionate affair.

As the stunning reality dawns, the action moves towards its final twist.

Their lives will never be the same again.

U.S. Mogul Communications, Inc. sleeve!

U.S. Mogul Communications sales solicitation, courtesy of
Spaghetti Cinema's William Connolly!

Original Variety announcement, also courtesy Bill Connolly!

Looking for Fury on VHS? It's available on Amazon here, if you can afford it.

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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

© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

It's Name that Movie Monday! Challenge #10!

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Welcome back to Name that Movie Monday!

It's time for Challenge #10 here at the ol' Arcana!  Can you identify this week's mystery photo, scanned direct from The Holecheck Archives?  If you think you recognize it, post a comment below.  As the week goes on, if no one guesses correctly I'll begin adding some pretty useless hints.  Easy, right?  (Apparently not, as Challenge #9 is still up for grabs!)

Here ya' go -- good luck!

UPDATE:

Congrats go out to Rod Barnett for identifying this week's photo as belonging to Brunello Rondi's Black Emmanuelle / White Emmanuelle (1976), a rather odd sexploiter that tries to shoehorn itself into Joe D'amato's Black Emanuelle series, and nearly succeeds! 

Fashion model Laura takes a trip to Africa and is pressured to pose with dog carcasses and camel dung, and before you know it she's banging mystics and drinking goat blood.  All in a day's work, right?  Starring a Eurotrash dream-team of Laura Gemser, Annie Belle, Al Cliver, Gabrielle Tinti and Susan Scott, this one adopts a more artsy and surreal atmosphere than Joe's efforts, but remains worth a watch.

Dimension Pictures slapped it up on U.S. screens in 1977 under the name Smooth Velvet, Raw Silk, and gave it a rerelease in 1979 under the title Naked Paradise.   The '80s were less kind, as the film was badly cropped for its VHS releases from Continental Video (as Emanuelle in Egypt) and Cult Video (as Smooth Velvet, Raw Silk).

Severin Films came to the rescue in 2007 and finally issued it to DVD in its proper screen ratio, and as an added bonus they restored the film to its full European length!  Included as part of their second Black Emanuelle collection or available as a standalone release, the disc sports a good looking transfer and an interview featurette with Cliver, mixed with audio memories from Gemser and Belle. 

I couldn't find the domestic trailer online (which I know I have on one of my Something Weird tapes), but you can check out the import one here.  As expected, it's not safe for work.

For a look at last week's entry, click here. And don't forget, our Upcoming Releases List (the best on the 'net) is constantly updated, so stop by and preorder some cool stuff!

© 2010 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.