Mrparka's Video Reviews for the Week of March 31st (Episode 46)

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https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shut-up-brandon-podcast/id988229934?mt=2
 
 
Time Stamps
“Contest Information” – 0:16
“Lovers Beyond Time” Review – 1:00
“The Sadist of Notre Dame” Review – 7:28
“Sinfonia Erotica” Review – 13:17 
“Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!” Review – 17:54
 “Orozco the Embalmer” Pick A Movie (Christopher Dallaire) – 24:05
Pick a Movie Winner Drawing– 31:16
Q&A – 31:45
Update – 34:58

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Video Reviews

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"Lovers Beyond Time" DVD Review (Mondo Macabro) 

Written by MrParka
                “Lovers Beyond Time” follows the story of Sylvia who has recently broken off a relationship with the dedicated, but obsessive, Angelos. Three years pass and Sylvia is now married and working on her career at a record label. She is in the process of trying to locate a mysterious musical artist that Angelos once knew. To Sylvia’s frustration, Angelos had disappeared shortly after their break up and is still nowhere to be found.  Sylvia begins experiencing strange orgasms seemingly out of nowhere that put her marriage and career in jeopardy and maybe even her existence. 
                Like all films about time travel “Lovers Beyond Time” is strange and a tad confusing. The director, Dimitris Panayiotatos, however did try something unique with his “time jumper” story; he added an erotica element.  The erotica element here helps the slower dramatic moments move by a littler quicker and helps with the surreal quality of the film. At times the film comes across as a supernatural horror thriller when people begin to be picked off.  The victims are killed in the past, erasing their timeline. The first time this happens it comes off as rather jarring but, by the end, everything is understood. Though understood, the science is never explained which is probably the smart thing to do as it is nearly impossible to explain in the film's short runtime. The final twist is a rather obvious one and the means of which how our time traveler was able to carry out his wishes is a bit out of left field, but acceptable. Some of the set pieces in the film look beautiful, especially the final one; the colors are bright amongst the darkness.  The final scene is also one of the most thought provoking, when Slyvia comes face to face with herself from a different time and engages in a Ménage à trois, Angelos in this sense a past and contemporary lover.  The leads are both stunning and capable actors that carry out a solid performance. “Lovers Beyond Time” isn’t an easy watch, it’s a challenging and bittersweet love story about time and obsession told via in an erotic science fiction horror film.
                The special features on “Lovers Beyond Time” are equal to if not greater than the film. The heavy hitter on the disc is the documentary “Strangers in a Strange Land;” a documentary about four film genres of Greek cinema: Film Noir, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Thriller. This documentary is a real eye-opener for cinephiles that will have them filling out a notebook with titles to seek out. Also included on the disc is a short made for television by the director and an interview with him as well.  Again Mondo Macabro brings a lesser known title out on a solid release with some nice features. 

Plot Summary:
THE GREEK FANTASTIQUE
Dimitris Panayiotatos is the only Greek film maker to have specialised in film noir, fantasy and sci-fi. He has produced and directed documentaries, TV series and feature films and has created a consistent and compelling body of work over more than thirty years.

This DVD brings together his 1990 feature film Lovers Beyond Time, as well as an episode of the Twilight Zone style TV series Tales of Love and Terror. The disc also includes his 2009 feature length documentary on the history of Greek genre cinema and an interview with the director where he discusses his own career and the difficulties of working in genre cinema in Greece, a country where such productions have always been marginalised.

Disc Special Features:

LOVERS BEYOND TIME – 1990, Feature film, 80 minutes
Sylvia and Angelos have an intense relationship. Too intense for Sylvia, who breaks it off. Three years later, with Angelos dead, Sylvia lives with a doctor and works for a record company. Her new life is suddenly invaded by a succession of bizarre events: strange deaths occur around her and she experiences a series of involuntary orgasms, as though a man she can feel but not see is making love to her - in the street, at work, in her car. All of this seems connected in some way with a mysterious musician she is trying to track down, a man who constantly evades her; until one night her phone rings…
With influences ranging from early Cronenberg to Italian erotic thrillers of the 1970s, the film is a journey into the dangerous world of the irrational, where time contracts and expands and where people are at the mercy of natural laws that change suddenly, violently and without warning.
 
STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND – 2009, documentary, 90 minutes
This ground-breaking and important documentary reveals the hitherto untold story of Greek genre cinema over the last 50 years, dealing with Film Noir, Thrillers, Fantasy films and Sci-Fi. It includes a wealth of interviews with directors, writers and critics and clips from more than 50 films. Very little of the information included here has been available before outside Greece and it will be essential viewing to anyone interested in the wider world of genre cinema.
 
THE EROTIC, THE FANTASTIC – 2017, interview, 25 minutes
An interview with director Dimitris Panayiotatos where he talks about his own career, studying film in Paris in the 1970s, writing and publishing books and magazines on sci-fi and fantasy cinema and the difficulties of working  in the fantastic genres in a country where comedy is king.
 
THE LAST MEAL – 1988, TV episode, 25 minutes
An episode from a Greek “Twilight Zone” style TV series called Tales of Love and Terror.

“Lovers Beyond Time” DVD Buy Here – https://grindhousevideo.com/products/lovers-beyond-time-dvd
Mondo Macabro Big Cartel - http://mondomacabro.bigcartel.com/

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"The Sadist of Notre Dame" Blu-Ray Review (Severin Films) 

Written by MrParka 
      Severin Films brings the sleaze and cheese with Jess Franco’s “The Sadist of Norte Dame.”  In sorts, the film is an alternate version of his previous film “Exorcism” with some new and alternate footage. It’s no surprise, as Franco was probably one the quickest Euro directors around, that he would make two movies out of one and a half. The result is a vehicle for madness.
                “The Sadist of Notre Dame” follows the story of a religious serial killer who believes by killing the wicked and sinful he will free their souls. The killer himself is played by none other than the director Jess Franco. At first, our deranged madman is content stalking the streets for a victim but a set of circumstances leads him to a group of swingers who throw strange sex parties involving fake black rituals; this sets our little monster into frenzy when he sees the debauchery.
                “The Sadist of Notre Dame” is an odd film, the fact that Franco himself stars in the role sets it aside as one of Franco’s most entertaining films to watch. His performance, although at times is comical due to some of the dialogue and his stature, is a fairly realistic portrayal of a killer. Franco’s bulging eyes, slow stroll, and condemning dialogue make him vastly memorable and equally repulsive. Attempts at criticizing the church are also apparent by making someone who once was top of their class at seminary school turn into a murderer. That theme seems to be very apparent as several shots of Franco himself end with a shot a church in the background hovering over the city and the killer, a guiding faction in his psyche. Besides the killer’s story, there are also a few other storylines mixed in; a typical police procedural and of course the sex parties.  The former plays out rather dully with an old cop who has no clue and a young cop who is being held back by said cop. The sex party stuff manages to squeeze in as much sleaze and victims for Franco as possible. A fairly graphic orgy scene is the where the latter subplot peaks at. There is of course some typical Franco problems, the reshoots don’t match up. Franco looks older and is sporting a different haircut; this is pretty easily forgivable as the new scenes were shot years later. The dubbing is unintentionally funny even if the lines of dialogue are filled with hate and malice and the kill scenes are much more bloodless than they should be. The film seems to carry a bigger budget and looks much slicker than some of his other work; the location seems to help quite a bit with this. Although the film seems to lack a lot of coverage it does have much better camera work than other films by the late director, making it stack nicely in his catalog against competition. 
                Severin again knocks it out of the park with special features. Included is a great interview with Stephen Thrower who has got to be the best in the business. Another highlight on the disc is a documentary short on the legendary Parisian horror cinema; this feature is a tad sad as well as educational. Rounding out the disc is a selected commentary with Robert Monell and an interview with author Alain Petit.  “The Sadist of Notre Dame” isn’t a perfect film, but Severin Films sure gave it the treatment like it was with an excellent restoration and a slew of features, another cool flick graces the HD format.

Plot Summary:
In 1979, legendary writer/director Jess Franco (VAMPYROS LESBOS) re-purposed elements of his satanic sex shocker EXORCISM with all-new footage to create a depraved new epic that – even by Uncle Jess standards – achieves new levels of EuroSleaze insanity: Franco himself stars a defrocked priest turned hooker-slashing psychopath, prowling the streets of Paris in a fever of violence, voyeurism, rampant nudity and S&M depravity. Olivier Mathot (TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES), Pierre Taylou (HOT NIGHTS OF LINDA), Antonio DeCabo (VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD) and Jess’ beloved muse Lina Romay (MACUMBA SEXUAL, MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD) co-star in what Franco considered to be his most personal film of all, now scanned in 4k from elements discovered in the crawlspace of a Montparnasse nunnery. 

Disc Special Features:

- The Gory Days of Le Brady - Documentary short on the legendary Parisian horror cinema.
- Stephen Thrower on Sadist of Notre Dame - Interview with the author of “Murderous Passions - The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco.”
- Selected Scenes Commentary with “I'm In a Jess Franco State of Mind” Webmaster Robert Monell.
- Treblemakers - Interview with Alain Petit, author of “Jess Franco Ou Les Prosperites Des Bis.”

Severin Films Website – https://severin-films.com/
“The Sadist of Notre Dame” and “Sinfonia Erotica” Blu-Ray Bundle – https://severin-films.com/shop/jess-franco-bundle/

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"Sinfonia Erotica" Blu-Ray Review (Severin Films) 

Written by MrParka
​                Severin Films brings another hard to find Jess Franco film to the public. “Sinfonía Erótica” is presented on Blu-ray with all the smutty details in HD.
                Martine de Bressac, the wife of a respected man, Marqués Armando de Bressacis, is released back into the care of him after a stint in an asylum. Martine seems to be suffering from schizophrenia and apparent sexual problems. What should be a cause for celebration quickly leads to violent orgies, rape, sleaze, madness, and a plot for murder.
                Perhaps one of Franco’s most edgy films, “Sinfonía Erótica” is rife with some of the sleaziest scenes he has ever shot and some of the most strange. Within the first 10 minutes a nun is molested by the Marqués and his gay lover in graphic detail as the duo forcefully rub her privates. If this isn’t harsh enough, the poor nun is soon subjected to a similar fate by Martine who, without the proper treatment, can’t control her sex drive. Featuring gay, lesbian, and straight sex scenes, it comes as quite a surprise to see such graphic homosexual scenes in a film, especially for the time. The Marqués’s manipulations and plans of murder/inheritance, along with the classic mansion location, give this sleaze fest a gothic twist. To make the film even more odd is the fact that Franco isn’t afraid to get crazy with the camera work. Scenes sometimes go blurry intentionally and, at other times, unmotivated continuous long takes happen. One of the long shots is during a dinner scene where everyone eats fruit suggestively. The camera moves around them, circling, as the scene plays out and the conversation continues. The more unconventional long take happens during some important and intense dialogue, the camera seems to change its focus on the two conservationists and drift and take a peek out of the window and finally return as the conversation ends. Some possible negatives of the film include some soft lighting and out of focus shots that some audience may find a little distracting, even if they are done intentionally for style. Again on the downside, after the film shows its plot twist some scenes begin to feel drawn out no matter how many exposed breasts are being featured on the screen. The ending comes up a bit predictable but is satisfying enough as not to upset. “Sinfonía erótica” isn’t perfect but it doesn’t skip out on what the audience wants; sleaze and controversy. It has plenty of both.
                “Sinfonía erótica” has been given a new 4k scan and includes a couple new extras. Of course no release is complete without Stephen Thrower. Stephen talks happily about the prolific film maker and this film in particular. As always, it’s a treat to hear him talk about any film.  The only other feature included is a part of Franco’s final interview where he talks about his late wife. The interview is depressing but a nice look at a part of Jess Franco.  Severin films gives another Franco flick the gold treatment.


​Plot Summary:
At the close of the ‘70s, eminent auteur Jess Franco (SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY) revisited the works of Marquis de Sade to create what EuroSleaze historians have called one of the most sexually daring and boldly creative films of his entire career: When an unstable noblewoman (a fearless performance by Lina Romay) returns to her lavish estate, she will find herself – along with her libertine husband, his male lover, and a young nun with a craving for violation – trapped in a web of unholy hungers and decadent perversions. Susan Hemingway of TWO FEMALE SPIES WITH FLOWERED PANTIES co-stars in this sonata of artsy depravity – featuring a score by Franco & Franz Liszt – now transferred in 4k from an uncut 35mm print donated by The Instituto de la Sexualidad Humana in Madrid.

Disc Special Features:

- Jess Franco on First Wife Nicole Guettard - Interview with Director Jess Franco.
- Stephen Thrower on Sinfonia Erotica - Interview with the author of "Murderous Passions - The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco."

Severin Films Website – https://severin-films.com/
“The Sadist of Notre Dame” and “Sinfonia Erotica” Blu-Ray Bundle – https://severin-films.com/shop/jess-franco-bundle/

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"Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!" DVD Review (MVD) 

Who Lives? Who Dies?

On Halloween an all girl rock-n-roll band called "Kill Pussy Kill" ventures out to play their biggest show to date. However, before hitting the road they manage to unwittingly upset a man. Unfortunately, this man turns out to be an evil genius dead set on revenge. The evil genius manages to lure the girls into his Hell House, and when they wake up from being gassed, they find themselves trapped inside an unescapable room filled with a vicious variety of devices that can kill them as well as a variety of weapons that can be used on each other. The rules are simple: advance through all three rooms and you are allowed to go free. The catch is, in order to make it to the next room, someone must die! With a ticking clock, and the mastermind watching, the question becomes... are you willing to kill to stay alive?

“Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!” DVD – https://mvdshop.com/products/halloween-pussy-trap-kill-kill-dvd

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Pick a Movie "Orozco the Embalmer" DVD Review (Massacre Video) 

Plot Summary:
In 1996, Tsurisaki Kiyotaka, one of Japan’s most infamous death photographers, ventured into the center of Hell itself- the Rue Morgue neighborhood of Bogota, Colombia. With death and murder rampant, the corpses eventually find their way to embalmer Froilan Orozco, who has been tending the dead for over 50 years. It only makes sense the two would become acquaintances. Over the next few years Kiyotaka filmed Orozco at work, embalming everyone from murder victims to the elderly. Orozco the Embalmer (Orozco el Embalsamador) is the result, a gut wrenching look at corpses and the man who prepares them.

Disc Extras:

-Original Spanish Audio
-Removable English Subtitles
-Words with the Director
-Extensive stills gallery with over 140 photos
-Reversible “gore” cover
-Fold out poster
-Trailers

Massacre Video Site – http://massacrevideo.com/site/
“Orozco The Embalmer” DVD – http://massacrevideo.com/site/?product=orozco-the-embalmer-standard-dvd

This weeks Pick a movie was picked by Christopher Dallaire 
Next Week is by Jon Wilhelm with 10/31 
and the new winner is Adam Weber 

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Q&A 

​Please leave a question below to have it answered on the next show!

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Update

Blu-Ray

1. Dead or Alive Trilogy
2. Driller Killer (worth a look)
3. Cat O’ Nine Tails
4. Zero Boys, the (worth a look)
5. Happiness of the Katakuris, the
6. Return of the Killer Tomatoes, the (not a fan)
7. Love Camp 7
8. Stepfather, the (been awhile)
9. Octaman and the Cremators
10. The Church (recommended)
11. Offerings
12. Lisa
13. The Shootist (been awhile)


14. Walking the Edge
15. Bitch, the 

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Podcast Version 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shut-up-brandon-podcast/id988229934?mt=2


https://shutupbrandon.podbean.com/e/mrparka%E2%80%99s-weekly-reviews-episode-46-audio-version/
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Film Notes

​Lovers Beyond Time – 1990 – Dimitris Panayiotatos
Strangers in a Strange Land – 2009 – Dimitris Panayiotatos
The Sadist of Notre Dame – 1979 – Jesus Franco
Sinfonia Erotica – 1980 – Jesus Franco 
Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! – 2017 – Jared Cohn
Orozco the Embalmer – 2001 – Kiyotaka Tsurisaki