The VHS Archives: Angelo Pannaccio's HOLOCAUST 2 (1980)

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HOLOCAUST 2

Angelo Pannaccio's Holocaust parte seconda: i ricordi, i deliri, la vendetta (1980)

The VHS Archives Factsheet
Label: All American Video
Catalog: AAV112
Box Type: Clamshell
Year of Release: ?
Runtime: 77:17
Print: 1.78:1 / English / No subs
Extras: None

About the Film
Director: Angelo Pannaccio
Year of Release: 1980
Country of Origin: Italy
Stars: William Berger, Tina Aumont, Kai Fischer, Andres Resino, Gordon Mitchell, Marzia Damon
AKAs: Holocaust 2: The memories, delirium and the vendetta part two

Verbatim Box Synopsis

A series of vicious killings seem to have no connections; but as T.V. and the press report on the murders it is discovered that all of the victims were either former Nazi's or members of their families.

The story of a merciless vendetta ...... a group of vigilantes have banded together to track down those who had a part in the massacre of over six million Jews.  We relive the horror and the paralyzing fear of those terrible days. 

 U.S. All American sleeve! 

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

Dutch Sunrise Tapes sleeve, courtesy of Cult VHS! 

Alternate Dutch Sunrise Tapes sleeve, originally scanned by "anarkotiko21"!

Italian Cinelux sleeve

Spanish MKM sleeve!

Finnish United Film sleeve, courtesy of Daniel Liljefors!

Greek LTV sleeve, again courtesy of Daniel Liljefors!

Japanese Mimi Video sleeve, courtesy of Jayson Kennedy's Basement of Ghoulish Decadence!

Some especially ridiculous scenes, compiled and uploaded by "R6dw6C"!

Looking for Holocaust 2 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.

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.

It's Name that Movie Monday! Challenge #24!

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Welcome back to Name that Movie Monday!

It's time for Challenge #24 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?

Here ya' go -- good luck!

Solved! Update coming soon!

For a look at our last entry, click here. All of our past Challenges have now been solved, but we still have quite a few unidentified Grab Bag photos, if you really want to show your stuff. And don't forget, our Upcoming Releases List (the best on the 'net) is constantly updated, so stop by and preorder some cool stuff!

© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

The VHS Archives: Mario Siciliano's THE LAST MERCENARY (1984)

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THE LAST MERCENARY

Mario Siciliano's Rolf (1984)

The VHS Archives Factsheet
Label: Mogul Communications, Inc.
Catalog: MOG1006
Box Type: Clamshell
Year of Release: ?
Runtime: 88:50
Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs
Extras: None

About the Film

Director: Mario Siciliano
Year of Release: 1984
Country of Origin: Italy
Stars: Antonio Marsina, Ketty Nichols, Tony Raccosta
AKAs: Rolf: The Last Mercenary

Verbatim Box Synopsis

The Last Mercenary, a thrilling story of violence... of a rare man... a man trying to forget his past.

The story of a man's buring vengence, an avenger who cannot forgive.  Neither threats nor traps can stop The Last Mercenary.  Stretched to breaking point both physically and morally, a fight until death follows.  His Price is death!

A movie full of high suspense and courage born out of desperation.

 U.S. Mogul Communications sleeve!

  

 Japanese Tokuma Japan Video sleeve, courtesy of Japanese VHS Hell!

German CBS/Fox Video sleeve, taken from The Video Museum!

Looking for The Last Mercenary on VHS? It's available on Amazon here.  The film is also bootlegged on DVD as part of VideoAsia's Mercs set.

Investigate more titles with Project: MOGUL!

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



© 2011 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.

Project Mogul: Maman Firmansyah's I WANT TO GET EVEN (1987)

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I WANT TO GET EVEN

Maman Firmansyah's Barang terlarang (1987)

 

VHS Archives Factsheet

Label:  All American Video

Catalog:  AAV115

Box Type: Clamshell

Year of Release:  ?

Runtime:  89:52

Print: 1.33:1 / English / No subs

Extras: None

About the Film

Director:  Maman Firmansyah

Year of Release:  1987

Country of Origin:  Indonesia

Stars:  Eva Arnaz, Clift Sangra, Nena Rosier, Dicky Zulkarnaen

AKAs:  Lady Exterminator; Violent Killer; Violent Assassin

Verbatim Box Synopsis

Rini is kidnapped and raped by the feared Cobra gang, her husband attacks the gang's hideout seeking vengeance and annihilates them one by one but the Cobra escapes.

A story of kidnap and rape... Rini has been ravaged and now she wants revenge... there is bloodshed everywhere... Rini gets even!

U.S. All American sleeve! 

Danish Video International sleeve, courtesy of Jack J's Backyard Asia!

German Rebell Video sleeve, swiped from Fred Adelman's Critical Condition!

French sleeve, originally scanned by "Kothar."

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 #13!

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Welcome back to Name that Movie Monday!

It's time for Challenge #13 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? 

(It must be, as all past challenges have now been beaten, including #11 and The Champ, #9, which remained undefeated for a record 26 days!)

Anyway, here ya' go -- good luck!

UPDATE:

Congrats to Chris Poggiali (Temple of Schlock) for scoring win Numero Two-o, identifying this week's photo as William Fruet's Death Weekend (1976). This way-above-average Canadian rapesploiter showcases a battle of the sexes when fashion model Brenda Vaccaro (on a getaway with her swinger dentist!) outraces local rough Don Stroud and his gang of creeps. Not thrilled with getting showed up by a chick, a Straw Dogs-esque home invasion scenario ensues and the not-so-happy couple is forced to fight for their survival.

Gaining a Stateside release in 1977 by American International Pictures, they retitled the film The House by the Lake to capitalize on its Last House on the Left similarities, while North of the Border (and pretty much everywhere else) it remained Death Weekend. In 1985 Vestron Video released it under this title, and that's unfortunately been the last word so far. (At least it's a decent, open-matte print!) A frequent staple of "Why Isn't This on DVD" lists, one can only hope the future will bring us a nice, new remaster. I would think MGM still control the rights; at the very least let's get an HD cable screening!

Newspaper ad stolen from Fred Adelman's Critical Condition.

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.

It's Name that Movie Monday! Challenge #8!

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Welcome back to Name that Movie Monday!

It's time for Challenge #8 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 (which hasn't been a problem lately...) I'll begin adding some pretty useless hints.  Easy, right? 

Here ya' go -- good luck!

UPDATE:

Congrats go out to Chris Poggiali (Temple of Schlock), who nailed Harry E. Kerwin's Tomcats (1976) in ten minutes flat!  (And here I was thinking this would be a tough one...) 

The film, a financial follow-up by the Kerwin Bros. to their prior year's slaughter-in-the-sticks outing God's Bloody Acre, is a mean and sleazy little effort detailing a brother's vendetta against the quartet of rapists who abused and murdered his waitress sister.  As expected, things get violent.

Distributed theatrically by Dimension Pictures in 1977 with an ad compaign that downplayed its rougher aspects, Tomcats turned up on VHS in 1985 from Continental Video under the much more fitting title Avenged.  (Great cover art, too!)  Out of print for decades, a 35mm print was turned up by Something Weird Video in 2005 and they now offer it on tape and DVD-R.  While no mass market DVD is available, Code Red claim to have licensed the film but haven't been able to locate acceptable elements.  Hopefully they'll work something out, as the film is an unexpected treat for fans of '70s exploitation cinema and deserves a wider audience.

Here's the hilariously hyperbolic trailer! (Definitely not safe for work.)

(Since this post was originally written, Code Red did release Tomcats on DVD, double-billed with God's Bloody Acre.  You can find it at Amazon here.)

Poster image courtesy of Wrong Side of the Art.

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.

It's Name that Movie Monday! Challenge #1.

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A new feature I hope you'll enjoy:  it's Name that Movie Monday!

I'll be scanning a different promotional still every week; your job, should you choose to accept it, is simply try to identify the film it's advertising in the comment section below.  As the week progresses, I'll add a hint or two about its distribution history. 

If it proves popular, I'll see about digging out some goodies from the Archives to reward repeat winners.  I plan to keep things reasonably obscure; this place ain't called Cinema Arcana for nothin'!

Below is the first photo.  Good luck!

UPDATE:

Congrats to Will Wilson, who correctly identified William Dear & Thomas L. Dyke's Northville Cemetery Massacre (1976), a fun, offbeat made-in-Michigan biker epic whose various squib-filled shootouts play like Peckinpah-for-a-buck.  Starting life in the early '70s as Freedom R.I.P., the movie eventually saw theatrical release from The Cannon Group, Inc., who touted its "country music score" by ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith.  The still above is actually reversed from the way it screens in the film proper; I guess someone at Cannon thought it was more aesthetically pleasing this way.  On home video the title made its way to VHS through Paragon Video, and VCI put it back into circulation a few years ago with a nice DVD issue that contains several commentaries and other extras.  It's well worth picking up.

See you next Monday!

© 2010 -- Bruce Holecheck. All Rights Reserved.