Cinemaniac Mark

Severin Films brings to Blu-ray Christopher Lee's singular turn as supersleuth Sherlock Holmes, the German-produced SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE (1962), directed by regular Hammer helmer Terence Fisher (who'd previously directed frequent onscreen Lee nemesis Peter Cushing as Holmes in Hammer's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES), and Thorley Walters (who'd reteam with Fisher and Lee four years later in DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS) as Dr. Watson. Interesting, moodily-shot black and white suspenser inspired by the wave of Edgar Wallace krimi films coming out of Germany at the time, it's interesting to see a film where Lee doesn't dub his own voice in the English language track, and is dubbed in German for the Deutsch one. Super fun and interesting commentary track with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw, and additional extras about director Fisher. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3ShGq34 (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)...

Severin Films brings the 1968 BBC series (or what's left of it) SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S SHERLOCK HOLMES to Blu-ray, starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson, amassing the six surviving episodes, shot on color videotape, with investigatory extras and commentary by Holmes scholars. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4fcm8BV (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

Blue Underground brings the Dutch giallo/slasher/thriller/action/comedy AMSTERDAMNED (1988) to Blu-ray, about a young cop on the trail of a serial killer who emerges from the canals in Amsterdam to stalk and slash, looking great and loaded with extras. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3WdOof8 (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

Film Masters strikes again with a restored Special Edition of the infamous martial arts epic THE CRIPPLED MASTERS (1979) on Blu-ray, with fun and insightful extras including an audio commentary by The Important Cinema Club's Justin Decloux and Will Sloan, a featurette on Kung Fu movies and the NYC theaters who loved them by Chris Poggiali, a restoration demo, trailers, a booklet with two interesting articles, and the raw, unrestored scan of the film! If you see one film about a pair of martial artists, one missing arms and the other missing legs, who learn the ways of Kung Fu from an elderly Yoga master, this might be just what you're looking for! Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3zIU4pF (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

  Now available on 4K + Blu-ray from the MVD Entertainment Group's 4K LaserVision Collection (in packaging designed to replicate old CED discs) is Albert Band's GHOULIES II (1987), a goofy, goopy, horror comedy set at a travelling carnival under siege from mischievously malevolent mini-monsters. Quite a bit of fun, and looks great in this new transfer, which also includes the previous MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray and extras ported over from the earlier Shout! Factory release. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4bBTRlv (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

  88 Films brings the final film in the INSPECTOR WEARS SKIRTS series to Blu-ray with THE INSPECTOR WEARS SKIRTS 4 (1992), this time finding the S.K.I.R.T.S. team on the brink of being disbanded, with original team members being brought back to train a new squad and deal with a hostage crisis. Perhaps the goofiest entry in the series, with a hilarious gross-out final freeze-frame. I loved it! Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3RR5gqD (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

  88 Films continues their series of restorations of the Hong Kong answer to the POLICE ACADEMY series with THE INSPECTOR WEARS SKIRTS 3, another action-filled ribald romp with the S.K.I.R.T.S. team, an all-female elite division of the police force, this time hitting the high seas to take out the baddies on a floating casino. Goofy comedy and great action in a series that to me, keeps getting better. With Sandra Ng, Amy Yip, Sibelle Hu, Kara Wai, Stanly Sui-Fan Fung, and Fui-On Shing. Available on Blu-ray now. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4buDhUo (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full review here:

  Synapse Films brings the Thai giant aquatic chomper thriller CROCODILE to Blu-ray in a special edition that should delight fans of the oddball JAWS clone, and continue to amuse and confuse the casual viewer, in this spiffy new widescreen HD presentation. (Not to be confused with ALLIGATOR...or KILLER CROCODILE...or THE GREAT ALLIGATOR RIVER...or...) Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/45QsItQ (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here:

  One of several early-80s teen sex comedies revolving around a hormone-fueled adolescent boy making time with an older woman, HOMEWORK (1982) mixes that with a group of high schoolers looking to make it in the music business, and their personal struggles along the way. Not quite delivering on what its poster and trailers advertised, this is an odd entry in the genre, feeling like an amount of postproduction rejiggering occurred before release, adding several nudity and body double-filled fantasy sequences to the proceedings. Starring Joan Collins as the adult woman (I wonder what the script for the film she showed up for looked like), and Wings Hauser as a sleazy rock star. Featuring a fantastic half-hour interview with producer Max Rosenberg on the film, he who brought us DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS and TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972). Available on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3XOPY9E (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying ...

  Arrow Video brings the solid DePalmaesque thriller MUTE WITNESS (1995) to Blu-ray and 4K in a crisp new transfer with fun extras. What happens when a mute member of a film crew witnesses nefarious after-hours activity at a Russian film studio? A tense and expertly-shot cat-and-mouse game where the stakes are sky high and the twist keep coming. Get your copy now from Amazon at: https://amzn.to/3ziw6Bl (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.) Full review here: