Good to see this is still on the way, not that I ever believed their little hints (in their podcast) that it might not be depending on sales of the first one. I suspect the investment in licensing these films – especially considering how many of them have been treated like public domain for so long – pales in comparison to some of their higher profile acquisitions, which surely gives them some leeway in producing more and better supplements. I’m curious if the inclusion of Van Clief in Volume 2 means they’ll get some other non-Chinese actors from these films, or a selection of films that features them more prominently. That is, assuming any of them are still alive. They did such a good job rounding up the Bruces for Volume 1 that it must make it at least a little easier to attract people out of the woodwork for the next set.

Per the other forum, some titles that are known (?) to be part of this collection:

Im curious to see what the unifying theme is on those titles you listed (dark fantasies? alternate realities? magic/sorcery?). Also, it’s Interesting that you were just noting the competition among various boutiques to grab up Indonesian films from a presumably limited supply. I’m betting that that kind of environment overall isn’t helped when major players like Severin have proven so adept at these super-sized box sets (CLONES, ALL THE HAUNTS, EMANUELLE etc). I’ll give them credit, though: these tend to be great samplers and the per-disc price, even without a sale, is borderline justifiable considering the extras. And personally, the films I’ve watched in the HAUNTS set so far, while all solid, haven’t inspired any deep dives into the cult cinemas of their respective countries, so I’m glad that I paid around $110 for that set rather than having them doled out in standalone editions over several years and ultimately spending more on them, even on sale.

I got an email from Severin just this morning about their Super Shock Pop-Up Film Festival Aug 24 in Los Angeles, where they’ll be screening three secret upcoming titles (presumably some from this set among them?) and trailers for others in the pipeline.



Now, if only one of these companies would build a couple of fancy box sets with 15 or 20 Hong Kong Category III films instead of doling them out to us in such paltry numbers.

Trailer for SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC documentary went up a few hours ago. Looks interesting, and I’d imagine there will be releases of some of the films excepted in it as time goes on. If it’s in the Severin mystery box, presumably a Suzzanna movie will be in there with it. One of the participants is Joko Anwar, who ranks her above Karloff, Lugosi and Price, which is ridiculous, but I’m sure to the lower-income locals who made her a star she was pretty big stuff:

I’m still curious about the connective tissue between this doc and the other films Adam noted as being in the same box. This seems better suited to a collection of Indonesian horror which, like the Clones set, would be a far preferable way to experience a bunch of these films in a shorter time span, with various stars.

Incidentally, the Suzzanna movie QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC is also on YouTube, widescreen with subs, and presumably taken from Mondo’s DVD and posted over a year ago, likely without permission. That disc is OOP, so this might suffice for those who’ve never seen it.

“All folk horror is unified by a central theme:
That contemporary society is a crust
over something dark, inexplicable, other.
Folk horror, like the old ways,
will find you before you find it.”
Austin Chronicle

13 DISCS
24 INTERNATIONAL FOLK HORROR CLASSICS
55+ COMBINED HOURS OF SPECIAL FEATURES
252 PAGE HARDCOVER BOOK
…AND MORE

Unquiet spirits have gathered once again: ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS – VOLUME TWO brings together 24 films representing 18 countries for more of the best-loved, rarely seen, thought-lost and brand-new classics of folk horror, most making their International and/or North American disc debuts including the Worldwide Premieres of the Severin Films productions TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST directed by Sean Hogan and the documentary SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC directed by David Gregory; 55+ combined hours of new and archival Special Features including trailers, interviews, audio commentaries, short films, video essays, historical analyses and bonus feature-length films; a 252-page hardcover of newly commissioned folk horror fiction by luminaries that include Ramsey Campbell, Cassandra Khaw and Eden Royce with illustrations by Drazen Kozjan; and much more, all curated and produced by WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED creator Kier-La Janisse.

Boxed set design by Luke Insect.

Disc 1: TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST / PSYCHOMANIA Blu-ray

Special Features For TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST

• Audio Commentary With Director Sean Hogan And Co-Producers Paul Goodwin And Nicholas Harwood
• On The Lych Way – Corpse Road Chronicler Dr. Stuart Dunn Discusses The Pathways Of The Dead
• Trailer

Short Films

• WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA
• Audio Commentary For WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA With Director Sean Hogan And Co-Producers Paul Goodwin And Nicholas Harwood
• EPK For WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA
• OUR SELVES UNKNOWN

Feature Specs For TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST

• Runtime: 45 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.9:1
• Audio: English Stereo
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For PSYCHOMANIA

• Introduction By Film Historian Chris Alexander
• Audio Commentary With Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, Founding Editor Of Hellebore Magazine
• Stone Warnings – Dr. Diane A. Rodgers On Stone Circles And Standing Stones In Film And Television
• Return Of The Living Dead – Interviews With Actors Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder And Rocky Taylor
• The Sound Of PSYCHOMANIA – Interview With Soundtrack Composer John Cameron
• Riding Free – Interview With "Riding Free" Singer Harvey Andrews
• Theatrical Trailer

Feature Specs For PSYCHOMANIA

• Runtime: 91 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 2: THE ENCHANTED / WHO FEARS THE DEVIL Blu-ray

Special Features For THE ENCHANTED

• Audio Commentary With Director Carter Lord And Camera Assistant Richard Grange, Moderated By Filmmaker/Author Kier-La Janisse
• Audio Commentary With Chesya Burke, Author Of Let's Play White, And Sheree Renée Thomas, Author Of Nine Bar Blues
• A Magical Place – Interview With Composer Phil Sawyer
• Hole In The Wall – Character Notes By Screenwriter Charné Porter
• Trailer

Short Film

• SWIMMER

Feature Specs For THE ENCHANTED

• Runtime: 90 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For WHO FEARS THE DEVIL

• THE LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN Alternate Opening Introduced By Actor Severn Darden
• Audio Commentary With Television Historian Amanda Reyes
• Crumble Will The Feet Of Clay – Interview With Producer Barney Rosenzweig
• Silver Strings – Interview With Actor/Musician Hedges Capers
• Manly Of The Mountains – Author David Drake Remembers Manly Wade Wellman
• Occult Appalachia – Occult Historian Mitch Horowitz On The Arcane Texts Of Wellman's John The Balladeer Stories
• Theatrical Trailer

Feature Specs For WHO FEARS THE DEVIL

• Runtime: 98 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 3: THE WHITE REINDEER / EDGE OF THE KNIFE Blu-ray

Special Features For THE WHITE REINDEER

• The Projection Booth Episode On THE WHITE REINDEER Hosted By Mike White And Featuring Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness, And Talk Without Rhythm's El Goro

Short Films

• A WITCH DRUM
• THE NIGHTSIDE OF THE SKY
• WITH THE REINDEER

Feature Specs For THE WHITE REINDEER

• Runtime: 68 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Finnish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For EDGE OF THE KNIFE

• Audio Commentary With Directors Gwaai Edenshaw And Helen Haig-Brown
• RETAKE – Making The World's First Haida-Language Feature Film

Short Films

• HAIDA CARVER
• NALUJUK NIGHT

Feature Specs For EDGE OF THE KNIFE

• Runtime: 101 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Haida 5.1, Haida Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 4: BORN OF FIRE Blu-ray

Special Features For BORN OF FIRE

• Igniting The Fire – Interview With Director Jamil Dehlavi
• The Silent One Speaks – Archival Interview With Actor Nabil Shaban
• Between The Sacred And The Profane – Archival Lecture On The Cinematic World Of Jamil Dehlavi By Dr. Ali Nobil Ahmad
• The Djinn Revisited – Director Dalia Al Kury Examines The Role Of The Djinn In Contemporary Arab Culture
• BORN OF FIRE And The Roots Of Pakistani Horror – Interview With Scholar Syeda Momina Masood
• Trailer

Short Films

• TOWERS OF SILENCE
• QÂF

Feature Specs For BORN OF FIRE

• Runtime: 84 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 5: IO ISLAND / SCALES Blu-ray

Special Features For IO ISLAND

• Audio Commentary With Archivist And Korean Film Historian Ariel Schudson
• Shaman's Eyes – Dr. Hyunseon Lee On Shamanism In Korean Visual Culture

Short Film

• THE PRESENT

Feature Specs For IO ISLAND

• Runtime: 112 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Korean Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For SCALES

• Telling Our Stories – A Conversation With Director Shahad Ameen And Producer Rula Nasser, Moderated By Filmmaker/Author Kier-La Janisse
• Trailer

Short Film

• KINDIL

Feature Specs For SCALES

• Runtime: 76 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: Arabic 5.1 Surround
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 6: BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT / NANG NAK Blu-ray

Special Features For BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT

• Audio Commentary With Jasper Sharp, Author Of Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History Of Japanese Sex Cinema
• Scratched – A History Of The Japanese Ghost Cat
• The Vampire Cat – The Classic Folk Tale Read By Tomoko Komura With Original Music By Timothy Fife
• Trailer

Short Film

• MAN-EATER MOUNTAIN

Feature Specs For BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT

• Runtime: 87 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Japanese Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A

Special Features For NANG NAK

• Audio Commentary With Mattie Do, Director Of THE LONG WALK, And Asian Gothic Scholar Katarzyna Ancuta
• Love And Impermanence: NANG NAK And The Rebirth Of Thai Cinema – Interview With Director Nonzee Nimibutr
• Trailer

Feature Specs For NANG NAK

• Runtime: 101 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Thai 5.1, Thai Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A

Disc 7: SUNDELBOLONG / SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC Blu-ray

Special Features For SUNDELBOLONG

• Hantu Retribution – Female Ghosts Of The Malay Archipelago

Short Film

• WHITE SONG

Feature Specs For SUNDELBOLONG

• Runtime: 106 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Indonesian Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC

• A Conversation With Director/Co-Producer David Gregory And Co-Producer Ekky Imanjaya
• Trailer

Feature Specs For SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Indonesian Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 8: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST / THE NINTH HEART Blu-ray

Special Features For BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Michael Brooke
• Archival Interviews With Director Juraj Herz And Actors Vlastimil Harapes And Zdena Studenková

Short Film

• FRANTIŠEK HRUBÍN

Feature Specs For BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

• Runtime: 91 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Audio: Czech Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For THE NINTH HEART

• Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness
• The Uncanny Valley Of The Dolls – The History And Liminality Of Dolls, Puppets And Mannequins
• The Curious Case Of Juraj Herz And The Švankmajers – Video Essay By Czech Film Programmer Cerise Howard

Feature Specs For THE NINTH HEART

• Runtime: 92 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Czech Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 9: DEMON / NOVEMBER Blu-ray

Special Features For DEMON

• Introduction By Slavic Horror Scholar Dr. Agnieszka Jeżyk
• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Daniel Bird And Film Critic/Actress Manuela Lazić
• In The Shadow Of The Dybbuk – Video Essay By Peter Bebergal, Author Of Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story Of The Technological Quest For The Supernatural, And Filmmaker Stephen Broomer
• Trailer

Short Film

• DIBBUK

Feature Specs For DEMON

• Runtime: 94 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Polish 5.1 Surround, Polish Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For NOVEMBER

• The Supernatural Lore Of NOVEMBER – Archival Video Essay With Film Critic John DeFore
• Kratt Test Footage
• Theatrical Trailer

Short Films

• BOUNDARY
• JOURNEY THROUGH SETOMAA
• MIDVINTERBLOT

Feature Specs For NOVEMBER

• Runtime: 115 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Estonian, German And Italian 5.1 Surround

Estonian, German And Italian Stereo

• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 10: LITAN / BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING Blu-ray

Special Features For LITAN

• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Frank Lafond
• Un Tournage LITAN – Archival Making-Of Made For Antenne 2
• Jean-Pierre Mocky, Un Drôle D'Oiseau – 1982 Episode Of Temps X

Feature Specs For LITAN

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: French Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING

• Introduction By Director Christiane Cegavske
• 2021 Indie Scream Online Film Festival Q&A With Christiane Cegavske
• Production Stills And Concept Illustrations
• Trailer
• Trailer For SEED IN THE SAND, Cegavske’s Work-In-Progress

Feature Specs For BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING

• Runtime: 70 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: English Stereo
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 11: NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF / AKELARRE Blu-ray

Special Features For NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF

• Audio Commentary With Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Director Of HERE COMES THE DEVIL, And Nicanor Loreti, Director Of PUNTO ROJO

Short Film

• LOVE FROM MOTHER ONLY
• Audio Commentary For LOVE FROM MOTHER ONLY With Director Dennison Ramalho

Feature Specs For NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Spanish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For AKELARRE

• The Realistic Inquisition – Interview With Director Pedro Olea
• Empowered Woman – Interview With Actress Silvia Munt
• Playing The Villain – Interview With Actor Iñaki Miramón
• Invoking The Akelarre – Dr. Antonio Lázaro-Reboll, Author Of Spanish Horror Film, On The Basque Witch Trials

Feature Specs For AKELARRE

• Runtime: 97 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: Spanish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 12: FROM THE OLD EARTH Blu-ray

Special Features For FROM THE OLD EARTH Blu-ray

• Introduction To FROM THE OLD EARTH By Musician Gruff Rhys
• Getting A Head In North Wales – Interview With Director Wil Aaron
• FROM THE OLD EARTH By The Book – Welsh Folklore And O'R DDAEAR HEN
• A Sword In The Battle Of Language – Welsh Film Scholar Dr. Kate Woodward On The Welsh Film Board

Short Films

• Introduction To BLOOD ON THE STARS By Gruff Rhys
• BLOOD ON THE STARS
• Reunion Hotel – BLOOD ON THE STARS Cast Reunion From Gwesty Aduniad
• THE WYRM OF BWLCH PEN BARRAS

Feature Specs For FROM THE OLD EARTH Blu-ray

• Runtime: 46 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Welsh Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

Disc 13: THE CITY OF THE DEAD / THE RITES OF MAY Blu-ray

Special Features For THE CITY OF THE DEAD

• Introduction By Kay Lynch, Director Of The Salem Horror Fest
• Audio Commentary With Film Historians Kim Newman And Barry Forshaw
• Archival Audio Commentary With Film Historian Jonathan Rigby
• Archival Audio Commentary With Actor Christopher Lee
• Archival Audio Commentary With Director John Llewellyn Moxey
• Sir Christopher Lee Remembers THE CITY OF THE DEAD
• Archival Interview With John Llewellyn Moxey
• Archival Interview With Actress Venetia Stevenson
• Burn Witch, Burn! A Tribute To John Llewellyn Moxey – Video Essay By TV Historian Amanda Reyes And Filmmaker Chris O'Neill
• Trailer

Feature Specs For THE CITY OF THE DEAD

• Runtime: 78 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

Special Features For THE RITES OF MAY

• Audio Commentary With Filipino Film Historian Andrew Leavold
• ITIM: AN EXPLORATION IN CINEMA – Archival Documentary
• Portrayal Of Guilt – Filipino Film Scholar Anne Frances N. Sangil On The Darkness Of THE RITES OF MAY

Feature Specs For THE RITES OF MAY

• Runtime: 107 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: Tagalog Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

I still need to watch my Volume 1.

Same here!

I watched a couple from that set, plus the documentary (which, to be kind, is more like a whole bunch of featurettes smooshed together), but like a lot of the Severin sets I’ve picked up, it’s on the backburner until I can plow through it in one go.

This new set leans a little ‘new’ for my liking, but there’s enough of interest that it’ll be a sale pickup down the road.

It was nice to see Canada getting some recognition again, with EDGE OF THE KNIFE (aka S’GAAWAAY K’UUNA), the first feature film shot in the extremely rare Haida language spoken by indigenous people off the coast of British Columbia. I’ve heard of the film but haven’t seen it. Apparently it’s on Shudder for those who subscribe.

I have a Korean Film Archive Blu-ray of IO ISLAND (aka IODO) that has a whole bunch of features, including two commentaries and several interviews, but only one commentary and one interview have English subs. I wish Severin could’ve ported all of that over to their disc, with subs, but maybe the KFA doesn’t like to share, or they weren’t aware of the earlier disc (which I doubt). This one is on YouTube with subs, for those who want to try it out first. It’s quite good.

I have NANG NAK on an ancient HK DVD from the turn of the century, so that might be nice to upgrade. It’s a solid film, and part of a somewhat unique genre of ghost films from there that never got much attention in the west.

Similarly, WHITE REINDEER had a well-packed Blu-ray from Eureka some time back, so it’s kind of a shame they couldn’t share more of their supplements (the discs share one short film) so Severin wouldn’t have to resort to another podcast.

NOVEMBER also rang a bell, and a quick search revealed that Oscilloscope still sells it, and the Severin version seems almost the same except for a couple of added short films.

PSYCHOMANIA and CITY OF THE DEAD are practically padding at this point they’ve been available so many times before.

For those looking to test drive, at least for the visuals, a few of these are on YouTube, likely because they’ve been off the radar so long: NAZARENO CRUZ, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (as PANNA e NETVOR), SUNDELBOLONG, LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN, RITES OF MAY, and NANG NAK. Some have subs, some don’t, quality varies because YouTube, but you can still get a feel for at least some of the content.

BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING (which looks pretty cool) is on Tubi.

Well, hot damn!

Severin has a graphic on their home page featuring their logo, another logo, and ‘bosom buddies’ underneath them. I saw it a few days ago, but as it doesn’t link to anything, I stared at that vaguely familiar mystery logo, got nothing, and skimmed right past it.

Just now, I visited Severin again for something else and suddenly that other logo was instantly recognizable to me.

RUSS freakin’ MEYER!

This is serious holy grail shit here.

And boobs. Lots of ‘em.

In North America Meyer’s films have been controlled by his executive assistant Janice Cowart and her presumably now deceased live-in-lover and “marketing director” Julio Dottavio ever since Meyer got dementia and passed away in 2004. This duo was notoriously tight about doing anything with the films and other ephemera beyond a rather half-assed preservation of his estate, lining their pockets, and keeping inferior quality, badly designed, and overpriced ‘RM Films’ DVDs in circulation, barely. Not that they’re worth finding.

According to their press release (see below), Severin reached out and convinced Cowart that the films deserved the royal treatment – I can only imagine the soft-shoeing David Gregory must be doing around her – so now VIXEN, SUPER VIXEN, and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENS are in the pipeline, along with, for now, the hope that the others will eventually follow and Cowart won’t change her devious little mind.

Interestingly, of virtually all of Meyer’s non-studio films around 2005 (I think?), and then with an extra film, a book, and slim pack cases. It contained a real mixed bag of transfers – again thanks entirely to the “managers” of RM’s estate – but also commentaries with the man himself (possibly ported from his own discs), interviews, trailers, galleries, the whole shebang. Most of it should ideally be ported over to Severin’s releases as nearly everyone associated with the films is now gone, but many were still around for Arrow’s set. Fingers crossed.

There was a memorable thread in the DVD Bargains forum from 2009 when Amazon UK marked the Arrow box down to around $40. It’s here:
https://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-bargai...-%2440-us.html

It’s a good read to see the effect Meyer’s films have on pretty much everyone who sees them, and it eventually evolved into a somewhat spirited debate between myself (plus a few others) and former DVD talk reviewer Stuart Galbraith IV, who was being remarkably high-minded about the quality of the transfers in the set without knowing the true story of scheming Cowart and Dottavio and their greed and general lack of care for Russ Meyer’s assets – as thoroughly documented in Jimmy McDonough’s utterly indispensable and still-in-print Meyer biography – and how Arrow basically had to work with what they were given and did a fantastic job. Galbraith disagreed and predicted Cowart and Dottavio’s evident desire to make money would probably see the catalog released on restored Blu-rays as soon as 2011. I explained (repeatedly) to him this pair didn’t work that way, and predictably they didn’t, so for nearly two decades after the first Arrow box we got no Meyer films aside from his Fox pictures.

Until now.

My only gripe is that Severin wasn’t allowed to do a massive boxed set of the entire library along the lines of their ALL THE HAUNTS or CLONES OF BRUCE sets. That would be absolute nirvana, but it’s likely that Cowart will drag this out for maximum revenue streams into the estate she now apparently controls alone in her old age. Of course there’s also the sad fact that Cowart and Dottario did little to actually preserve or restore the prints and negatives they own, meaning Severin surely has their work cut out for them on some titles, just as Arrow did.

So for now, Arrow’s Russ Meyer box remains one of the absolute Crown Jewels of my collection.

Here’s the text of Severin’s press release (which is understandably kind to Cowart):

One of the more popular clips on my YouTube channel is from Meyer’s COMMON LAW CABIN:

I haven't gotten into collecting any movies released by Severin and these Russ Meyer movies look like a great place to start.

They are indeed! It’s an entirely unique filmography. It’s probably safe to assume that these will be as definitive (overall) as we’ll ever get, even if the years of highly unqualified guardianship and general indifference shown by Meyer’s two estate handlers means some materials are less than optimal. Hopefully that turns out to not be the case. And in fairness, any issues really began with Meyer himself. He retained the rights to virtually all of his films but was notoriously untrusting of anyone but himself to oversee their releases during the entire home video era, thus the shoddy tapes and DVDs on his own label for decades, and Arrow having to work with compromised materials for some films. My guess is that Cowart is probably well into her senior years and is finally relenting . . . somewhat. The VIXEN “trilogy” is a decent start, although the first one of those is really the superior film, so I hope this ‘pact’ lasts long enough to get through all the others. Hopefully there are some iron-clad contracts in place so Cowart can’t suddenly change her mind.


I do wish they’d started with the undisputed classic in his filmography, FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! but I’m sure both parties are well aware of the demand for that one and will string us along for a while.

Gonna disagree with you there. Supervixens is by far my favorite film of his filmography tied with Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls. The girls in Supervixens are absolutely gorgeous and unbelievably built, the dialogue is just ridiculously campy and deviously, deliciously delivered, and the crazy number of quick edits throughout will make your head swimmy.

I have always thought Fast Pussycat! Kill! Kill! was overrated thanks to the title John Waters ridiculous love for it with him announcing it anywhere he could.

I hope they release these separately as I would really only want Supervixens. Maybe Vixen!. Have to hide them from the wife. Hope they are in 4K because anything less would be disappointing, and I will probably skip.

I recently rewatched all of his films and unloaded the Arrow boxset, the rare Blu-ray release of FPKK, his MASSIVE 3 tome biography and all my other Russ Meyer collection for a small mint. I kept the CD soundtracks that I have for all his movies as they are priceless as far as I am concerned.

My favorites of his main movies for shits and giggles:

1. Tie:
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls
Supervixens
3. Good Morning And Good-Bye
4. Vixen!
5. Motorpsycho!
6. The Seven Minutes
7. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
8. Lorna
9. Mondo Topless / Common Law Cabin / Cherry, Harry, Raquel / Up! / Beneath The Valley Of The Ultra-Vixens / Europe In The Raw - (all worth a watch)

You can skip anything else in his filmography as far as I was concerned. You get the best flavor of Russ in the above. But here are others I didn't mention that have some hilarious dialogue and/or narration that is 100% unique to the Russ Meyer experience that one might appreciate, even if the movie itself is lacking as a whole.

FYI - trailer for Supervixens is NSFW

Hey, we all have our favourites and I find much to enjoy in all of them, some more than others, naturally, but even the ones you consider skippable (and probably for the same reason you note: his unique dialogue). For me I guess it’s slightly more about his idiosyncratic filmmaking and photography and screenwriting style than the sex content (which is certainly crucial), and again for me that’s less apparent and increasingly less coherent in his 70s movies, which are still crazy enjoyable (very important to note for anyone on the fence about trying him out!) but very much a part of the ‘dirty old man’ phase that eventually made him obsolete. I just think more of his 60’s stuff crackled with a cynical energy and economical storytelling – the very things that got him the BVOD gig IMO – that he eventually lost somewhat as his lifelong big breast obsession took over. People could debate all day about whether that was a good thing, as I’m not sure myself because those later films are absolutely worth watching. The only one that made me kinda sad was that PANDORA PEAKS “documentary” he released around the turn of the century. Even that has moments, but he was clearly past it at that point, and not much longer for this world.

And as someone who came to Meyer’s films without ever hearing about John Waters’ raving about them beforehand, I’m confident that PUSSYCAT had (and has) a reputation that grew from more than just one cult filmmaker’s devotion. It also has a fairly unique character among Meyer’s filmography in the form of Tura Satana’s Varla. And personally, I love its title, so there! I also feel that, love it or hate it, it’s the film he’s best known for (regardless of Waters), with VIXEN – possibly the trilogy – pretty much on par (again, regardless of anyone’s personal taste), even though I believe he was on record as saying ULTRAVIXENS was his personal favorite movie.

At the end of the day, all three are just part of a remarkable and largely self-contained filmography that delivers the goods in ways few of his exploitation contemporaries could.

I have to think Severin would absolutely do these in 4K as this is probably the last chance any company might get to put them on physical media. Even at that, I’m still skeptical they’ll get through the entire catalog because of Janice Cowart’s weird handling of the estate historically. I’d sell the Arrow box in a heartbeat (especially considering the insane prices it gets online) if Severin reveals some kind of iron-clad guarantee that they’ll be able release everything in the RM holdings, even if some titles have to be double-featured or included as bonus material, whatever works. Maybe Severin will leave out some stuff (shorts? loops?) the same way Arrow did, but the Arrow boxes – non-anamorphic, full frame warts and all – were still a phenomenal one-stop overview of a very singular career. Severin presumably has the resources and access to blow those out of the water now with their individual releases, but any deal with that woman just feels to me like it could become tenuous based on her history. My fingers are crossed so tightly they’re breaking.

If anything, this deal certainly works out better for folks who only want certain titles as opposed to those of us who’d happily take all of it in a box with a lower per-film price, but I’d wager the latter option was poo-pooed by Ms. Cowart right out of the gate.

I still have that dvd set thanks to this site from way back when.

I bought that DVD set because of that deal thread. In fact, I think that was what made me buy a cheap region-free DVD player.

I did sell it within the last two years or so for about $400, I think.

Opera replacement discs have arrived at Severin HQ and will be shipping soon.

That was a lively thread.

And $400?! Wow, I really should have sold mine when I had the chance.

You likely still can. I doubt the existence of these new Blu-rays and/or 4Ks will impact its value for quite a while. If I was to sell mine, though, I’d park it on Amazon Marketplace where the prices are steeper than eBay. Might take ages for someone to buy it, but it will take ages for the bulk of the library to hit Blu/4K now, too. Also, there are a lot of collectors out there who don’t bother with Blu-Ray or 4K and don’t bother with eBay, but will still pay handsomely for a set like that.

The question I have to ask is whether I’m willing to part with it just yet. Severin’s only doing the VIXEN trilogy so far, and I heard speculation just yesterday (*) that they may not actually have the rights to the entire catalog yet. That would definitely fit the m.o. of Janice Cowart, who could then dole out the remaining licences as she sees fit, and if the Trilogy treatment pleases her. And despite what I’m sure will be a gold standard presentation by Severin, we really shouldn’t put it past her to suddenly try and capitalize on the revived interest by shopping the next licenses around to other boutiques, thinking she might squeeze more dough out of, say, Kino or VS, who might balk and then we’re back to square one.

And then there’s the cost factor. Some folks purchased that Arrow box for less than the current cost of one of Severin’s 4K/Blu combos. And they got the bulk of Meyers’ catalog! Rebuilding that on a better format won’t be cheap.

(*admittedly, the speculation came from the owner of the VS store here, but I’m sure he’s in touch with his honchos from time to time, and they’ve been known to collaborate with David Gregory on occasion, so . . . )

Just got my shipping notification!

I was talking with the VS Store guy here a few months back about how Russ Meyer and Ed Wood seemed to be the only schlock auteurs who hadn’t been brought into the Blu-ray boxed set era. I’m disappointed that we’re apparently going to be getting their work piece-mealed out to us like this, but I guess it’s better than nothing, and this set at least bundles together titles released individually by separate companies in the dvd era (NECROMANIA from Fleshbot, ONLY HOUSE from Films Around The World, YOUNG MARRIEDS by Alpha Blue; I don’t think there was a DVD of the PG-grade SHOTGUN WEDDING, but it’s on YouTube, albeit in pretty rough shape).

Hopefully this set is an indicator that Wood’s non-porn (and other porn) features might at last be getting the treatment down the road, but honestly they’re so old at this point – and some of them are so bad – that they’d make much more sense collected into one of Severin’s deluxe boxed sets, but the fact that they’re separating some of his adult stuff like this doesn’t give me hope. This set looks interesting, though, and I’d definitely grab it on sale down the road.

I love the name and the design of the set.

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Kinda reminds me of the title on a previous Eddie compilation from the DVD era (which also included some adult stuff):