Lisa Petrucci of SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO reveals da goods in two parter podcast

Part one:  Part two:

  

Here's a brand new two part episode (April 2022) of a podcast called The Walter Paisley Movie House podcast. The guest is Lisa Petrucci of everyone's fan favourite video label Something Weird Video. I've never listened to this podcast before, and I only know of its existence because someone posted about the two episodes in the SWV fan group on facebook (actually I think it was Lisa Petrucci herself). 

The interview is pretty good, and Lisa has an interesting background story. And it is certainly good to see she is keeping Something Weird Video alive after Mike Vraney - the guy who started the company - passed away. I've only ordered directly from them maybe a dozen titles over the years due to fairly obstructive ordering procedures; For a long time they didn't take PayPal. And later they did decide to take PayPal, but only thru direct personal e-mails which took days to get thru. And of course now they don't take orders for physical formats from outside North America at all!! Some titles you can order for download, but the download versions are of a less good quality (according to Petrucci herself), and you don't get a cover with your downloaded film! 

I've never before wanted to order from their download catalogue, because I want physical copies to put on my shelves. However, I caved in and ordered a download recently. It was a film you can't get anywhere else. Not even via YouTube. I wrote to Lisa Petrucci and asked for a scan of the cover from their dvd-r version of the film (I'm positive they've got digital copies already - how else would they print out covers for the physical dvd-r versions) but the reply was a no can do. I love SWV but I'm not one to kiss ass and I'll call out annoying things when I see them - and this is annoying!!! Luckily, a collector in the US who had bought the physical version was kind enough to help me out and make a copy. But still. I can't rely on helpful fans for every download I might want to order. But, hey, forget about my being grumpy here and click that play button. It's a good podcast! 

BLOOD THIRST (USA/Philippines 1971)

aka BLOOD SEEKERS / THE HORROR FROM BEYOND

Director Newt Arnold
Producer Newt Arnold
Executive Producer Michael “Dupont”/Du Pont
Writer N.I.P. Dennis
Director of Photography Hermo Santos
Post-Production Supervisor Lee Osborne
Editing Supervisor “Tony”/Anthony DiMarco

Cast
Robert Winston (Adam Rourke), Katherine Henryk, Yvonne Nielson, Vic Diaz (Captain Miguel), Vic Silayan, Eddie Infante, Bruno Punzalan, Judy Dennis, Max “Rojo”/Roio, Ching Tello, Minda Morena, Isidro Francisco, Felix Marfil


by JACK J

Young, beautiful women are being bumped off by a mysterious killer in the vicinity of a nightclub in downtown Manilla. The head of police (played by a young and less plumb Vic Diaz) runs to the phone and calls an American detective friend (played by Robert Wilson Mercy) who has specialised in mysterious killers who bump off beautiful, young women. The American friend arrives and soon after goes under cover as a writer with an interest in bumped off beaut... well, you get the point.

He also runs into the police chief's sister (unavoidable romance ensues), local goons, scantly clad nightclub dames (relatively scantly clad anyway. The film was probably made in the 60s altho not released until '71), and eventually a monster so diabolical your blood will freeze and you'll be tossing and turning because of the nightmares you'll be getting (I'm exaggerating by a million). Half of the film is set in the nightclub, the dialogue is aplenty, and the action and horror scenes kept to a minimum.

BLOOD THIRST is by no means a great film. Not even if we only compared it to other Filipino horror films. But I liked it and thought it had its charm.

The film has a laid back obscureness to it that I though was cool. Also, the film being so old, made way before the American-Filipino coproductions we're so familiar with from Roger Corman (i.e. mostly made in the 70s), makes for an interesting watch.

The fact that the actors are unfamiliar faces (except Vic Diaz who was probably in every Filipino film made in the 60s and 70s!!!) makes it almost seem like it's from another Philippines. Bizarro Philippines. And just who was Scandinavian sounding Yvonne Nielson??

I liked the crisp black & white look as well - and not least the cool jazz score thru out the film. And with a running time of just over 70 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.

THE DVD:

I watched Vinegar Syndrome's release from their "Drive-In Collection" series. The film is backed with another US-Filipino film called THE THIRSTY DEAD. Both films have also been released by Something Weird Video. VS's print is from a 35mm print presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and it looks fantastic!

There's a wee bit of noise and worn print around reel ends but that's alright and if nothing else means the film wasn't shot on fucking video. The SWV dvd is presented fullscreen and it's definitely not the way you wanna watch the film once you've seen the print from VS! Neither release carries any extras related to the film.

Andrew Leavold also reviewed the film on his blog and had this piece of interesting titbit to say:

"Robert Wilson Mercy, the smug big-chinned former stuntman and bit player who plays our Ugly American hero, has made his presence felt on the net recently, leaving some outrageous claims in unsuspecting chatrooms: that he made more lost films in the Philippines with director Newt Arnold, who he describes as one-eyed and with a malformed hand; that he was offered the role of James Bond in a serious version of Casino Royale – but he was making a B-film in Manila at the time and couldn’t get out of the contract; and that he’s stalking the producers of the next Bond film offering his services as Daniel Craig’s nemesis. I say to Robert Wilson Mercy: the world may have gotten Woody Allen as James Bond instead, but we still have your career’s crowning glory, the 1971 Blood Thirst."

I'd love to find out what other films Newt Arnold directed in the Philippines and where they are now. Are they lost? Did they get finished? Have they been screened anywhere?

You'll find a better and more incisive review here.

The credits list is borrowed from Andrew Leavold's blog.

"There’s a killer on the loose… a homicidal maniac with delusions of ancient history. Now, can I use your phone?"

I received my pile of new reg. 1 dvd releases of US-Filipino coproductions a couple of days ago and I just watched one of them, the black & white monster killer film BLOOD THIRST (1971). Vinegar Syndrome have put it out on a double (single dvd) bill paring it with THE THIRSTY DEAD (1974). Both films are also out from Something Weird Video, I've got both those dvd's as well, and I just did a two minute comparison between the two versions of BLOOD THIRST. It's easy to see which one comes out on top, the sheer fact that Vinegar Syndrome's release is the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and SWV's is fullscreen makes all the difference. The latter print doesn't look bad, by no means, but still, the new release blows it out of the water.

SWV founder MIKE WRANEY has passed away

Unfortunately, Mike Wraney, founder of Something Weird Video, one of the coolest video labels ever, has passed away due to lung cancer. Wraney was only 56. A memoriam notice has been posted on Something Weird Video's website. I hope they don't mind I repost it here. R.I.P.


From SWV's website:

"We regret to inform you that Something Weird's founder, Mike Vraney, passed away on January 2nd 2014 after a long heroic battle with lung cancer. He was 56 years old, way too young to leave this planet. There was still so much Mike wanted to do in his life, so many films to be found, and adventures to be embarked upon.
This sad news may come as a shock to most of you. Mike was a very private person and didn't want anyone, except his closest friends, family and colleagues, to know about his illness. He went through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments for over a year, but sadly the cancer spread and cruelly took him from us.
Mike had a larger-than-life personality and a genuine enthusiasm for movies. Something Weird was his heart and soul, he was obsessive in his pursuit of tracking down the weirdest, wildest movies out there. And it wasn't enough to find a few forgotten films, he was always in search of the movie motherload. (Making 370 two-hour volumes of Nudie Cuties loops is a good example of this. Who does that?! Mike Vraney!) Even as a child, Mike loved movies. During his teenage years, he worked at the Bel-Kirk Drive-In, and then later as a projectionist at the Green Parrot and Apple Theaters in Seattle. Then around 1990, Mike went in search of as many old, unusual, obscure, and lost low budget exploitation movies as he could, and preserved them for prosperity. Mike amassed thousands of these rare movies and had them transferred to video so that people could relive the good old days of going to the drive-in or grindhouse theater, in their very own home. We have him to thank for introducing fandom to the wonderful world of sexploitation sinema, rescuing it from the dark recesses of forgotten film vaults and defunct movie theatres.
Some of you may know that prior to Something Weird, Mike was involved in the early Seattle punk rock music scene. He was a partner in Modern Productions, the group who started Seattle's seminal rock venue, The Showbox, in 1979. Mike then went on to manage such well-known bands as The Dead Kennedys, TSOL, and Seattle's own The Accused. Mike always seemed to be at the forefront of whatever was happening and cool.
Mike's second greatest passion in life was collecting old comics, vintage toys, movie memorabilia, and pop cultural ephemera. He enjoyed going to the swap meet and always had a magical ability for finding great stuff. But when he wasn't working, collecting, or telling great stories, Mike spent quality time with his beloved family. Mike adored his wife and business partner, Lisa, and two (now young adult) children, Mark and Danielle. These three were the center of his universe, and his reason for getting up each and every morning.
The folks at Something Weird fully intend to keep Mike's incredible legacy intact. Mike may be gone, but his remarkable achievements will live on. One of the happiest days of Mike's life was when legendary David F. Friedman and Dan Sonney called him "the forty-first thief," which to him was the ultimate compliment and recognition for his work. We'd like to think that Mike's now hanging out with his old pals Dave and Dan, reminiscing and talking shop with Dwain Esper, Kroger Babb, Barry Mahon, Joe Sarno, Doris Wishman, Bob Cresse, Dale Berry, Michael Findlay and all the other exploiteers and smut peddlers who've gone to the great grindhouse in the sky.
We will miss Mike with all our hearts. Goodbye dear friend, husband, father, and fearless leader…
-- Lisa Petrucci, Tim Lewis, Kendall Bechtel, Mark Vraney, Danielle Vraney of Something Weird Video

Mike Vraney Memorial Tribute Page on Facebook www.facebook.com/mikevraneymemorial Feel free to write your condolences and let us know how much Mike and Something Weird have meant to you. Or share a memory, picture or story about Mike!

In lieu of flowers, we ask that memorial donations be made in Mike's name to the Lung Cancer Alliance"

A new casa for SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO

There's a new SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO website in town!! I just received a couple of email notifications about their new site and I thought I might as well post about it here as I have always had a weak spot for this multo cool'o label. Yes, they are bootleggers and yes their dvd-r's are crappy (cos the glue on the stickers ruin the discs!!) but, hell, they love old psychotronic movie and so do we here at the ol'e Lejemorder mansion (yes, that's a royal "we"!).

I haven't really checked out the new site but one thing I noticed is that they advertise they're now taking international orders. Holy mackerel, Batman! I guess that means those of us who are doomed to live out here in the Cursed Earth (i.e. opposite of living in God's own country) are finally allowed to place orders officially! Hee-haw!!

At the old site you could also order from overseas but it was tricky as you had to order thru old-skool emails and pay directly into their PayPal account. Anyhoo, it looks good. Check it out.

Garden of the Dead (USA, 1972)

I came home yesterday after my last official day at the newspaper where I (kinda) work. I'd slept exactly one hour the night before and about three hours the night before that so the world was beginning to seem mighty surreal, I put my head on the pillow for two minutes and felt everything spinning and a headache working its way to the upper cortex, "fuck it" I though, I needta CATCH one piecea celluloid before I hit sleepyland. What did I dig out of the dusty archive? Why GARDEN OF THE DEAD naturally!! It's been sitting there unwatched for a couple of years and I figured the thought of ending the day with FORMALDEHYDE ZOMBIES (as the flipside of the cover promises) would be a SPLENDID way to finish the day (where I'd seen one of the editors getting the boot for being "too individual" gee gosh in mah book that's reason FOR HIRING someone!!!), and with a running time of 58 minutes there was even a chance of my actually making it to the end before dozing off. And I did and WOAH... I mean... man, FORMALDEHYDE ZOMBIES!!!

The plot: Inmates from prison camp are gone on smoking FORMALDEHYDE (!!!) and make a run for it only to crash their truck INTO A CEMETERY!! Shoot-outs with pursuing prison guards, lots of dead prisoners, formaldehyde seeps into the ground AT THE CEMETERY and y'all put two and two together and you've got the rest of the plot. Zombies attack the prison camp and they fight it out. Dead people. Zombies. Deteriorating faces. Awesome top of the crop makeup. I wish all films were like this.

The print from Something Weird Video is directly off a fullscreen 35mm print and look just fine. A little ragged at the edges but would you really want it any other way with these kinda trash-flicks!? The director is John Hayes and he also did GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE which I watched a few years back on VHS. Must rewatch that one soon. GARDEN is definitely recommended! FORMALDEHYDE ZOMBIES!!!

The Wasp Woman - the director's cut

I ordered Roger Corman's THE WASP WOMAN last night. The version I'm getting is from Something Weird Video and this should be interesting! Now, there are a whole bucketful of different releases out there but according to the info on their site all other versions are of the TV print which has extra footage to make the film longer. This 35mm print is Corman's the original cinema version, i.e. the director's cut.

Here’s a surprisingly rare version of an otherwise commonly available title. Contradiction? Nope, because virtually all other copies of The Wasp Woman are from 16mm TV prints with footage added to pad out its relatively short running time. This, however, is the original theatrical version – from a crisp 35mm print – which is, essentially, ROGER CORMAN’s director’s cut.

Though Janice Starling founded a multi-million dollar cosmetics firm on her youthful looks, she’s now 40 years old and showing her age: “Not even Janice Starling can remain a glamour girl forever.” At least not until an odd little scientist named Professor Zinthrop shows up claiming that he can restore her youth and “stimulate the process of rejuvenation through the use of enzymes extracted from wasps.” Sterling’s staff think Dr. Z’s a quack, but after Janice sees what the doc’s formula does to guinea pigs, she tells him that “Janice Starling will be your next guinea pig!” However, in an effort to speed up the process, Janice sneaks into the doc’s lab at night and injects herself with extra doses of the wasp formula. Virtually overnight she looks like she’s 22 again. Unfortunately, she also periodically buzzes around the office sporting an insect head and fuzzy hands on her otherwise sexy body, killing and, apparently, eating her staff....

The first film Corman directed for The Filmgroup, his pre-New World distribution company, The Wasp Woman is a typically cheap but nonetheless enjoyably goofy Fifties-style B-monster movie, originally double-billed with The Beast from Haunted Cave back in ’59. Corman has produced so much direct-to-video dreck in recent years that one almost forgets what an intelligent director he was and how good even his most thread-bare quickies are. The Wasp Woman may be predictable and, plotwise, downright dumb, but it’s nevertheless sure fun to sit through. Corman was also smart enough to populate his casts with good and interesting actors, and The Wasp Woman has a bunch of them, including the underrated BARBOURA MORRIS (The Trip’s lady in the laundromat) as Janice’s secretary; The Mighty Gorga’s ANTHONY EISLEY (back when he was billed as “Fred”) as the nominal hero; FRANK GERSTLE (Monstrosity) as a private eye; a bit by BRUNO VE SOTA (Daughter of Horror) as a doomed nightwatchman; and cameos by MARK WOLFF (The Lickerish Quartet) who delivers a mattress; and Roger himself as a doctor.

But what really makes The Wasp Woman work is the great SUSAN CABOT -- veteran of such Corman mini-epics as Sorority Girl (’57), Carnival Rock, The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent, Machine Gun Kelly, and War of the Satellites (all ’58) – equally believable as both the 22 and 40-year-old Janice. As talented as she was short, Miss Cabot retired from acting soon after The Wasp Woman was released, but made tragic headlines in 1986 when she was bludgeoned to death by her son, Timothy. In a gruesome bit of irony, he blamed the killing on an experimental hormone he was taking.... -- Watson Pritchard



Product Details

SKU: 34846
Weight: 0.25 lbs
Format: DVD-R
Year: 1959
Color: B&W
Starring: Susan Cabot
Co-starring: Anthony Eisley
Other cast: Barboura Morris, William Roerick
Directed by: Roger Corman