DVD Review: J-sploitation Goes Feminist in ‘Ninja Girl’

 Review by Ben Bussey. I don’t know if I can speak for everyone, but when I hear of a new Japanese DVD release my gut impulse is to expect some or all of the following: cheap DV photography, pretty girls in rubber performing martial arts, and ridiculously excessive gore. When the film in question is […]

DVD Review: The Man With The Severed Head (1976)

Review by Ben Bussey. Now how’s about this for a premise: during a heist gone wrong, gangster Jack Surnett (Paul Naschy) takes a bullet in the head. Obviously he can’t go to a regular hospital, so his fellow gangsters take him to one of those disgraced doctors who can only find work doing dodgy operations for […]

DVD Review: Cowboys & Zombies

Cowboys & Zombies (AKA The Dead and the Damned) (2010) Distributor: Left Films DVD Release Date (UK): 8th August 2011 Directed by: Rene Perez Starring: David A. Lockhart, Camille Montgomery, Rick Mora Review by: Ben Bussey The old west. It’s the rootinist, tootinist place. You got lone gunslingers having daring shoot-outs with bad guys in […]

UK DVD Review: Low Rent Creature Feature ‘The Rig’

The Rig (2010) Distributor: Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment DVD Release Date (UK): 8th August 2011 Directed by: Peter Atencio Starring: Serah D’Laine, William Forsythe Review by: Aaron Williams Be honest with yourself for a second. If you’ve seen the poster to The Rig (below) then you should have some sort of idea of what to expect by […]

UK DVD Review: Evil Rising (AKA Sauna)

Evil Rising AKA Sauna (2008) Distributor: Matchbox Films DVD Release Date (UK): 25th July 2011 Directed by: Antti-Jussi Annila Starring: Ville Virtanen, Tommi Eronen Review by: Keri O’Shea  It’s a rare treat to come across a film like Evil Rising (more on that damn title change anon): a project with unusual vision and high production […]

UK DVD Review: Bane

Bane (2009) Distributor: Saefcracker Pictures DVD Release Date (UK): 18th July 2011 Directed by: James Eaves Starring: Sophia Dawnay, Tina Barnes, Lisa Devlin, Sylvia Robson Review by: Ben Bussey Picture the scene I am about to describe; it shouldn’t be too hard to do so, as it’s a scene that’s been played out a great […]

DVD Review: F.W. Murnau’s The Haunted Castle AKA Schloß Vogeloed

The Haunted Castle AKA Schloß Vogeloed (1921) Distributor: Eureka Video DVD Release Date: 22nd August 2011 Directed by: F.W. Murnau Starring: Olga Tschechowa, Arnold Korff, Lulu Kyser-Korff Review by: Keri O’Shea  An incredible ninety years old, The Haunted Castle predates what is arguably director and auteur F. W. Murnau’s best-known work, Nosferatu (1922) and also diverges […]

UK DVD Review: Boris Karloff in ‘The Body Snatcher’

The Body Snatcher (1945) Distributor: Odeon Entertainment DVD Release Date (UK): 11th July 2011 Directed by: Robert Wise Starring: Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell, Russell Wade, Bela Lugosi Review by: Ben Bussey Here at Brutal As Hell, we do tend to focus largely on post-1970s horror. Indeed, I’d argue that contemporary horror fandom in general is most […]

DVD Review: Slaughter High

Slaughter High AKA The Jolly Killer (1986) Distributor: Arrow Video DVD Release Date: 11 July 2011 Directed by: George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, Peter Litten Starring: Caroline Munro, Simon Scuddamore, Carmine Iannaconne, Donna Yeager Review by: Ben Bussey Good afternoon class. Can I have your attention please? Don’t give me that look, I’m just as anxious […]

UK DVD Review: Siren

Siren (2010) Distributor: Matchbox Films DVD/Blu-ray Release Date (UK): 27th June 2011 Directed by: Andrew Hull Starring: Eoin Macken, Anna Skellern, Tereza Srbova, Anthony Jabre Review by: Nia Edwards-Behi To say that the cover for this DVD is a little misleading might be a bit of an understatement. To say that it’s got absolutely sod-all […]

UK DVD Review: Neighbor

Neighbor (2010) Distributor: High Flier Films DVD Release Date (UK): 27th June 2011 Directed by: Robert A. Masciantonio Starring: America Olivo, Christian Campbell, Mink Stole Review by: Keri O’Shea Editor’s note: Neighbor has been reviewed elsewhere on Brutal as Hell by Marc – you can check out his thoughts here. Beware of moderate spoilers ahead. Is […]