Movie Review: "Meet Him and Die" (1976; Raro Video)

...since the sixties, Italian cinema has relished a most illustrious and deliciously visceral engagement, in the eclectic arena of cult cinema, having dabbled in just about every genre under the sun. There's no denying the fervored fans of devotees of each and every genre...the Sword and Sandal flicks...the Gothic Horrors...the Spaghetti Westerns...the Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi and Space flicks...the Gore-Drenched Splatter & Zombie Horror...the Enigmatic, Mystery-Drive Giallos. And of course...though measurably under-appreciated...there's the Action-Packed Crime Thrillers, or 'poliziotteschi', as they are coined by ardent devotees of the sub-genre. Wrought with tension-filled drama...crosses, double-crosses & even triple-crosses...daring getaways & dynamic chases...and of course, rampant & bloody gunplay, graphic & visceral enough to unnerve even the most seasoned & jaded of gore-mongers. Often emulating their American crime thriller counterparts, with parallel themes of revenge, family loyalty, undercover ops, honor amongst thieves, corruption amongst law enforcers, carefully planned & executed heists, and capers gone oh-so wrong, the 'poliziotteschi' films have still managed to garnish a most exclusive and exotic flavor, which has genuinely individualized and singled them out from their domestic inspirations...gritty, pulpish, juggernaut 'beasts', unto their own selves. Director Franco Prosperi's (..uh, no...not that Franco Prosperi, the director of the 'Mondo Cane' shockumentaries, as well as the brutally visceral and unflinching "Africa: Blood & Guts") singular entry into the genre, the 1976 actioner, "Meet Him and Die", might not be the best example, as far as this particular niche of film; however, there's still a whole heck of a lot here, to relish, nonetheless...

Movie Review: Baron Blood (1972, Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Review By Rob Sibley

Baron Blood may not be Mario Bava's most highly regarded film, but to me it's certainly a blast to watch. I'm a huge Bava junkie and often find myself revisiting his films often and Baron Blood is always a delight for repeat watches. This might have to do with the fact that the film is much faster paced then your typical Bava flick. Don't get me wrong I adore Black Sunday and the Giallo that started it all “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” and “Kill, Baby Kill...” but those films were definitely methodically paced and just a tad slow now and then. Those films are masterpieces of Italian cinema don't get me wrong, but I think younger audiences sadly would find those films painfully slow. Baron Blood on the other hand builds atmosphere quickly and expertly and moves along like a fine tuned freight train.

Movie Review: Lisa and the Devil (1974, Blu-ray)

Review by: Rob Sibley

Note: This is a Region B encoded Blu-ray. You will need an all region player to view this disk.

“Lisa and the Devil” is to me one of Mario Bava's lesser appreciated films. This film is strictly a mood piece. Normal narrative and pacing goes out the window and what were treated to is a highly surrealistic vision of a master at work.

The film became possible when Bava's “Baron of blood” was a rousing success. His producing partner at the time Alfred Leone gave Bava caret-blanch to make the picture he wanted to do. That film was Bava's most personal film, Lisa And The Devil.