For his second feature film—and first full collaboration with co-writer/producer/mentor Dario Argento—writer-director Michele Soavi unleashes a “mind-blowing” (Bloody Disgusting), “breathtaking” (Slant), “masterwork” (DVD Drive-In), now in Uhd for the first time ever: In a Gothic cathedral built on the mass grave of a Teutonic purge, an ancient discovery by the new librarian will release an unholy maelstrom of madness, violence, and demonic vengeance. Tomas Arana (The Sect), Feodor Chaliapin (Inferno), Hugh Quarshie (Nightbreed), Barbara Cupisti (Cemetery Man), and Asia Argento co-star in this Italian horror milestone co-written by Franco Ferrini (Phenomena), with a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the original negative and over three hours of special features—including new interviews with Soavi and Argento.
The Church is available on 4K Uhd on April 30.
Enter for your chance to win a 4K Uhd of The Church, courtesy of Severin Films. Three (3) winners will be selected at random.
The Church is available on 4K Uhd on April 30.
Enter for your chance to win a 4K Uhd of The Church, courtesy of Severin Films. Three (3) winners will be selected at random.
- 4/21/2024
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
It’s time for a new episode of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw video series, and in this one we’re looking back at the 1994 Italian horror comedy Cemetery Man, a.k.a. Dellamorte Dellamore. To find out all about Cemetery Man, check out the video embedded above!
Based on the novel Dellamorte Dellamore by Tiziano Sclavi, Cemetery Man was directed by Michele Soavi from a screenplay by Gianni Romoli. The film has the following synopsis: Something is causing the dead to rise from their graves as flesh-eating zombies, and cemetery custodian Francesco Dellamorte grows tired of killing them all for the second time. However, the town politicians won’t listen to him, so Francesco is on his own. One day, he falls for a beautiful woman whose husband has recently died — but their affair is tragically interrupted by zombies, sending Francesco into a tailspin of madness and woe.
Based on the novel Dellamorte Dellamore by Tiziano Sclavi, Cemetery Man was directed by Michele Soavi from a screenplay by Gianni Romoli. The film has the following synopsis: Something is causing the dead to rise from their graves as flesh-eating zombies, and cemetery custodian Francesco Dellamorte grows tired of killing them all for the second time. However, the town politicians won’t listen to him, so Francesco is on his own. One day, he falls for a beautiful woman whose husband has recently died — but their affair is tragically interrupted by zombies, sending Francesco into a tailspin of madness and woe.
- 1/25/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. As the Venice Film Festival kicks off today, we’re speaking with Rai Cinema CEO Paolo Del Brocco about some of the company’s 24 titles featuring in the festival this year as well as his ongoing challenge to lure Italian audiences back into the cinema after a rocky post-pandemic period.
Rai Cinema CEO Paolo Del Brocco is no stranger to the Venice Film Festival, having headed up the film arm of the top Italian public broadcaster Rai for more than a decade. But, in many ways, this year feels more significant than ever for the top exec as he touches down on the Lido to enjoy local and international projects on the big screen at a time when the cinema sector has...
Rai Cinema CEO Paolo Del Brocco is no stranger to the Venice Film Festival, having headed up the film arm of the top Italian public broadcaster Rai for more than a decade. But, in many ways, this year feels more significant than ever for the top exec as he touches down on the Lido to enjoy local and international projects on the big screen at a time when the cinema sector has...
- 8/31/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
I was a gangster. The pinstriped suit, wingtip shoes, felt fedora, and a heavy tough-guy accent in my final high school drama performance. On the closing night our interactive dinner theater show, where performers were expected to chat with the guests in the audience, was loose and freewheeling with cast members in heavy eyeliner and some with spirit gummed mustaches. The ensemble was excited and I, playing the villain who made a grand entrance with a gang of thugs, was ready to give one final performance before hanging up the black fedora and, ultimately, my short time as a stage performer. During the show, I found my target, an older gentleman with a wooden cane who also sported a brimmed fitted Panama. With an aggressive tone I called out to him just as the crowd quieted, I said, “What are you looking at old man?”. The older gentleman paused, stared me up and down,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Monte Yazzie
- DailyDead
By Todd Garbarini
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
Lieutenant Fred Williams (Jack Hedley) is easily the horror cinema’s most pedestrian, laid back, and disinterested police detective in recent memory. In Lucio Fulci’s infamous slasher outing The New York Ripper (1982), a spate of brutal crimes involving young women being sliced up by a knife-wielding maniac who quacks like a duck lands right smack into Williams’s lap and he couldn’t be more bored by it. Mr. Hedley’s characterization of this by-the-book investigator was no doubt in the script, but his character just meanders through his scenes with such an aloof attitude that it’s amazing no one calls him out on it. The few times Williams does appear to spring to life are when the sex lives of his victims are revealed, which he reacts to with a judgmental shrug and smirk when he’s...
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
Lieutenant Fred Williams (Jack Hedley) is easily the horror cinema’s most pedestrian, laid back, and disinterested police detective in recent memory. In Lucio Fulci’s infamous slasher outing The New York Ripper (1982), a spate of brutal crimes involving young women being sliced up by a knife-wielding maniac who quacks like a duck lands right smack into Williams’s lap and he couldn’t be more bored by it. Mr. Hedley’s characterization of this by-the-book investigator was no doubt in the script, but his character just meanders through his scenes with such an aloof attitude that it’s amazing no one calls him out on it. The few times Williams does appear to spring to life are when the sex lives of his victims are revealed, which he reacts to with a judgmental shrug and smirk when he’s...
- 7/14/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Stars: Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Antonella Vitale, William McNamara, Barbara Cupisti | Written by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini | Directed by Dario Argento
Good god… Dario Argento is wildy over-rated isn’t he? Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Suspiria and now Opera, three so-called “classics” of Argento oeuvre released on to Blu-ray with great fan fare but all three of which have left me cold. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a couple of Argento movies – Deep Red and Phenomena (though I prefer the Creepers cut), however I can live without the rest. I much prefer the work of his proteges Lamberto Bava… and Michele Soavi in particular.
The plot of Opera goes something like this: When young understudy Betty takes the lead role in a new operatic production of Verdi’s Macbeth, she soon attracts the attention of a knife-wielding psycho who forces...
Good god… Dario Argento is wildy over-rated isn’t he? Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Suspiria and now Opera, three so-called “classics” of Argento oeuvre released on to Blu-ray with great fan fare but all three of which have left me cold. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a couple of Argento movies – Deep Red and Phenomena (though I prefer the Creepers cut), however I can live without the rest. I much prefer the work of his proteges Lamberto Bava… and Michele Soavi in particular.
The plot of Opera goes something like this: When young understudy Betty takes the lead role in a new operatic production of Verdi’s Macbeth, she soon attracts the attention of a knife-wielding psycho who forces...
- 2/1/2019
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Join me for a summer abroad as I check out a series of foreign films from countries that have made a big splash in the horror community. Of course, in the spirit of this column I’ll be taking a peek at movies that may not be as well-known as some of the classics from their particular country. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to find a few surprises together.
[Spoiler warning if you haven't seen StageFright.]
As I wrap up my international horror tour this summer, I’ve decided to make a return trip to Italy, the land of bloody black gloves and bad dubbing. A few months ago I tried to acquire a taste for giallo with a viewing of A Blade in the Dark, and while it didn’t fully win me over, I knew I wanted to keep exploring the subgenre. A recent episode of the podcast Exploding Heads covered Michele Soavi...
[Spoiler warning if you haven't seen StageFright.]
As I wrap up my international horror tour this summer, I’ve decided to make a return trip to Italy, the land of bloody black gloves and bad dubbing. A few months ago I tried to acquire a taste for giallo with a viewing of A Blade in the Dark, and while it didn’t fully win me over, I knew I wanted to keep exploring the subgenre. A recent episode of the podcast Exploding Heads covered Michele Soavi...
- 9/25/2018
- by Bryan Christopher
- DailyDead
March 20th’s horror and sci-fi home media releases are an eclectic bunch, Shout Select’s Collector’s Edition of The ’Burbs and the new Blu-ray of Michele Soavi's The Church leading the pack. Arrow Video has put together a stunning release of Robert Altman’s Images that fans will definitely want to pick up, and for those of you who enjoy the work of Takashi Miike, Well Go USA has put together a remastered edition of Ichi the Killer that you’ll want to nab as well.
Kino Lorber has resurrected Offerings on Blu-ray, and Scream Factory has a pair of cult classics—Rockula and Nightmare at Noon—that are also enjoying a brand new HD overhaul as well. Other notable releases for March 20th include Delirium, Caged, Still/Born and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (which I’d call something of a family fantasy/adventure hybrid, so...
Kino Lorber has resurrected Offerings on Blu-ray, and Scream Factory has a pair of cult classics—Rockula and Nightmare at Noon—that are also enjoying a brand new HD overhaul as well. Other notable releases for March 20th include Delirium, Caged, Still/Born and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (which I’d call something of a family fantasy/adventure hybrid, so...
- 3/20/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
March’s genre-related home entertainment releases just keep getting better with each passing week, as we have more than 20 different Blu-ray and DVD offerings coming our way this Tuesday. Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-nominated masterpiece The Shape of Water arrives on various formats, and for those who didn’t get a chance to nab the Steelbook Edition, Synapse is putting out a standard Blu-ray release of Dario Argento’s Suspiria that is absolutely worth every single penny.
As far as other more recent titles, look for Are We Not Cats, Justice League, Children of the Corn: Runaway and Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies this week, and all you cult film fans out there should be sure to check out Scream Factory’s new Blu for The Ambulance, The Church from Scorpion Releasing, as well as a trio of under-appreciated gems from George A. Romero—There’s Always Vanilla, The Crazies,...
As far as other more recent titles, look for Are We Not Cats, Justice League, Children of the Corn: Runaway and Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies this week, and all you cult film fans out there should be sure to check out Scream Factory’s new Blu for The Ambulance, The Church from Scorpion Releasing, as well as a trio of under-appreciated gems from George A. Romero—There’s Always Vanilla, The Crazies,...
- 3/13/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Earlier this month it was announced that Music Box Films and Scorpion Releasing were teaming up to release several Italian horror films on Blu-ray. One of those movies is Michele Soavi's The Church, complete with unsetting, unforgettable new artwork by Wes Benscoter.
You can view the new artwork by Benscoter below (via Facebook), as well as the bonus features for the two-disc Blu-ray release, which is expected to come out on March 20th, 2018:
From Scorpion Releasing: "Here is the custom cover art for The Church by artist Wes Benscoter, and I think this one is a real beauty!
We are looking for the right case for the two-disc deluxe edition, so we haven't decided if it will come with a limited slip sleeve or not, so stay tuned.
We can announce the extras that will be on the deluxe edition:
New 2k scan of the original negatives...
You can view the new artwork by Benscoter below (via Facebook), as well as the bonus features for the two-disc Blu-ray release, which is expected to come out on March 20th, 2018:
From Scorpion Releasing: "Here is the custom cover art for The Church by artist Wes Benscoter, and I think this one is a real beauty!
We are looking for the right case for the two-disc deluxe edition, so we haven't decided if it will come with a limited slip sleeve or not, so stay tuned.
We can announce the extras that will be on the deluxe edition:
New 2k scan of the original negatives...
- 11/21/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Little over a week ago, we shared details that the Argento-directed, Opera, and Argento-produced films, The Sect and The Church, would be hitting Blu-Ray by Doppelgänger Releasing and Scorpion Releasing. We finally got some specific details today on the Opera Blu-Ray!
While we had some details back in 2016 about the Opera release, we’re not sure if they are still using the cover art displayed in that post.
Original Trailer
From the Press Release:
Best known for his work in the horror and thriller genres and regarded as one of the most influential artists of the past half-century, Italian filmmaker Dario Argento’s 1987 cult classic film Opera will make a fresh new reprise in the new year. Arriving for the first time on Blu-ray, Doppelgänger Releasing and Scorpion Releasing will present a remastered/restored edition in high definition, with over 45 hours of color correction, brand new 5.1 soundtrack,...
While we had some details back in 2016 about the Opera release, we’re not sure if they are still using the cover art displayed in that post.
Original Trailer
From the Press Release:
Best known for his work in the horror and thriller genres and regarded as one of the most influential artists of the past half-century, Italian filmmaker Dario Argento’s 1987 cult classic film Opera will make a fresh new reprise in the new year. Arriving for the first time on Blu-ray, Doppelgänger Releasing and Scorpion Releasing will present a remastered/restored edition in high definition, with over 45 hours of color correction, brand new 5.1 soundtrack,...
- 11/13/2017
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Horror fans can grab a seat for Dario Argento's Opera like never before in 2017 when Scorpion Releasing unleashes a collector's edition Blu-ray of the 1987 film, and we have a look at the cover art and list of special features for the upcoming release.
From Scorpion Releasing: "Here is our custom cover art of for the deluxe collector's edition of Dario Argento's Opera, by artist Yannick Bouchard.
We are still finalizing the final details of our discs, but here is a sneak peek of what the release will include:
New 2K scan of the original camera negative with extensive color correction - exclusive to this release Two different English tracks and the Italian track with English Subtitles The film presented in two aspect ratios, each on their own dual layered discs - 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 New audio commentary with film historian Nathaniel Thompson New interviews with stars William McNamara,...
From Scorpion Releasing: "Here is our custom cover art of for the deluxe collector's edition of Dario Argento's Opera, by artist Yannick Bouchard.
We are still finalizing the final details of our discs, but here is a sneak peek of what the release will include:
New 2K scan of the original camera negative with extensive color correction - exclusive to this release Two different English tracks and the Italian track with English Subtitles The film presented in two aspect ratios, each on their own dual layered discs - 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 New audio commentary with film historian Nathaniel Thompson New interviews with stars William McNamara,...
- 12/27/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Details were released yesterday on the upcoming, and dare I say highly-anticipated, release of Dario Argento’s Opera on Blu-Ray from Scorpion Releasing. They revealed a (not final) cover and some of the special features, which are also not final.
From Scorpion Releasing’s Facebook page:
Above is a look at the cover by Yannick Bouchard. Apparently, it will read “Dario Argento’s” instead of “Dario Argento”.
New 2K scan of the original camera negative with extensive color correction – exclusive to this release Two different English tracks and the Italian track with English Subtitles The film presented in two aspect ratios, each on their own dual layered discs – 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 New audio commentary with film historian Nathaniel Thompson New interviews with stars William McNamara, Barbara Cupisti, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni , Urbano Barberini and make up artist Franco Casagni Interviews with director Dario Argento, composer Claudio Simonetti, screenwriter Franco Ferrini, special fx artist Sergio Stivaletti,...
From Scorpion Releasing’s Facebook page:
Above is a look at the cover by Yannick Bouchard. Apparently, it will read “Dario Argento’s” instead of “Dario Argento”.
New 2K scan of the original camera negative with extensive color correction – exclusive to this release Two different English tracks and the Italian track with English Subtitles The film presented in two aspect ratios, each on their own dual layered discs – 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 New audio commentary with film historian Nathaniel Thompson New interviews with stars William McNamara, Barbara Cupisti, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni , Urbano Barberini and make up artist Franco Casagni Interviews with director Dario Argento, composer Claudio Simonetti, screenwriter Franco Ferrini, special fx artist Sergio Stivaletti,...
- 12/27/2016
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Stars: Tomas Arana, Barbara Cupisti, Hugh Quarshie, Asia Argento, Feodor Chaliapin, Jr., Giovanni Lombardo Radice | Written by Dario Argento, Michele Soavi, Franco Ferrini, Dardano Sacchetti, Lamberto Bava, Fabrizio Bava | Directed by Michele Soavi
It has been a Long time since I last watched Michele Soavi’s The Church - the last time I saw it was a rare TV screening on Bravo if memory serves… It’s not like I’m not a fan of the film, after all – thanks to the heavy promotion of the film in The Darkside magazine – I first saw the film on the very day it hit VHS here in the UK… I actually “pre-ordered” my rental of the film at my local, now long defunct, video store and fell in love with the glorious religious iconography and the overall otherworldy, eerie, look of the film – from the prologue, to the [literal] heart-wrenching scene featuring Tomas Arana,...
It has been a Long time since I last watched Michele Soavi’s The Church - the last time I saw it was a rare TV screening on Bravo if memory serves… It’s not like I’m not a fan of the film, after all – thanks to the heavy promotion of the film in The Darkside magazine – I first saw the film on the very day it hit VHS here in the UK… I actually “pre-ordered” my rental of the film at my local, now long defunct, video store and fell in love with the glorious religious iconography and the overall otherworldy, eerie, look of the film – from the prologue, to the [literal] heart-wrenching scene featuring Tomas Arana,...
- 12/1/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The late ‘80s signaled the end of my first golden age of horror. Which is to say two things: adulthood beckoned, and horror films – especially slashers - were running low on inspiration (remember the early ‘90s wasteland? Brr.). However, looking across the waters, some veteran Italian filmmakers weren’t throwing in the towel yet. Michele Soavi’s Stage Fright (1987) stands apart from the crowd because it proved that not only was the beaten and flogged sub-genre alive, it was still capable of surprising fans with enough fresh blood pumping through its weary veins to make you sit up and notice. Just when you thought you couldn’t survive another hack ‘em up, Stage Fright made you a believer again.
Stage Fright, Aka StageFright: Aquarius, Deliria, and Bloody Bird, whatever you’d like to call it – is a triumphant call back to a half decade earlier when slashers were full of kinetic energy,...
Stage Fright, Aka StageFright: Aquarius, Deliria, and Bloody Bird, whatever you’d like to call it – is a triumphant call back to a half decade earlier when slashers were full of kinetic energy,...
- 1/23/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Locked inside a theater overnight with a murderous madman, a musical’s cast will have no trouble portraying real fear, but this type of method acting could be the death of them all. In 1987′s StageFright, the actors unknowingly performing beside a murderer in an owl mask could break a lot more than a leg in perhaps their final performance on this earth. The Blu-ray upgrade of StageFright‘s uncut and uncensored camera negative is making its Us debut this fall from Blue Underground.
Available to pre-order starting on August 12th and officially hitting shelves on September 23rd, Blue Underground is coupling StageFright‘s high definition transfer with a host of bonus features and some glass-shattering cover art.
“While a group of young actors rehearse a new musical about a mass murderer, a notorious psychopath escapes from a nearby insane asylum. But when the show’s director locks his cast in the theater overnight,...
Available to pre-order starting on August 12th and officially hitting shelves on September 23rd, Blue Underground is coupling StageFright‘s high definition transfer with a host of bonus features and some glass-shattering cover art.
“While a group of young actors rehearse a new musical about a mass murderer, a notorious psychopath escapes from a nearby insane asylum. But when the show’s director locks his cast in the theater overnight,...
- 6/14/2014
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
One of the true pioneers of adult and erotic cinema, Tinto Brass is renown as one of Europe’s leading figures in softcore erotic filmmaking, earning a worldwide reputation for his blend of art and extremity. After joining the Italian film industry in the early 1960’s Brass worked alongside the likes of Federico Fellini and Roberto Rossellini, before directing his debut solo feature in 1963. However it was not until 1976 that Brass would gain worldwide recognition, when Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione chose him to direct the infamous Caligula. Despite numerous editing and post-production issues, which caused Brass to disown the film, it made millions at the box office and ultimately gained him global notoriety.
And now Arrow Video bring us The Key and All Ladies Do It in two dual format editions including brand new uncut and uncensored versions of each film, which have been painstakingly restored for Blu-ray and DVD.
And now Arrow Video bring us The Key and All Ladies Do It in two dual format editions including brand new uncut and uncensored versions of each film, which have been painstakingly restored for Blu-ray and DVD.
- 5/19/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Review By Chris Wright, MoreHorror.com
Directed by: Michele Soavi
Written by: George Eastman & Sheila Goldberg
Starring: Barbara Cupisti (Alicia), David Brandon (Peter), Mary Sellers (Laurel), Robert Gligorov (Danny), Jo Ann Smith (Sybil), Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Brett), Martin Philips (Mark), Piero Vida (Ferrari), Loredana Parrella (Corinne), Ulrike Schwerk (Betty), Domenico (Police Chief), Clain Parker (Irving Wallace)
The slasher genre had long come to a close by the time “Stage Fright” came about, but it did its part in giving a tired genre a refreshing spark of life. Its original title is “Deliria” and also known as “StageFright: Aquarius.” Italian director Michele Soavi delivered a gory forgotten slasher gem in his directorial debut. In the tradition of Dario Argento, whom he had worked with in production of several films with, he uses his surreal style to deliver a near hypnotic feel to the movie at times. This Italian flick was...
Directed by: Michele Soavi
Written by: George Eastman & Sheila Goldberg
Starring: Barbara Cupisti (Alicia), David Brandon (Peter), Mary Sellers (Laurel), Robert Gligorov (Danny), Jo Ann Smith (Sybil), Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Brett), Martin Philips (Mark), Piero Vida (Ferrari), Loredana Parrella (Corinne), Ulrike Schwerk (Betty), Domenico (Police Chief), Clain Parker (Irving Wallace)
The slasher genre had long come to a close by the time “Stage Fright” came about, but it did its part in giving a tired genre a refreshing spark of life. Its original title is “Deliria” and also known as “StageFright: Aquarius.” Italian director Michele Soavi delivered a gory forgotten slasher gem in his directorial debut. In the tradition of Dario Argento, whom he had worked with in production of several films with, he uses his surreal style to deliver a near hypnotic feel to the movie at times. This Italian flick was...
- 2/15/2013
- by admin
- MoreHorror
ROME -- Barbara Cupisti's "Madri" (Mothers), a critical hit when it screened in the Horizons sidebar at the Venice Film Festival last year, was selected Thursday as the winner of the David di Donatello prize for documentaries.
Donatello organizers also said that "Uova" (Egg), from Alessandro Celli, would receive the prize for best short film when the rest of the Donatello prizes are handed out in a gala ceremony April 18.
The Donatello nod was not the only good news for "Madri", which explores the lives of several mothers from war-torn parts of the world. The docu's producers also said they had inked a distribution deal with RAI Cinema that would land the 90-minute project on RAI television networks and could even see it screen in some cinemas.
The Donatello awards are Italy's highest film honors.
Donatello organizers also said that "Uova" (Egg), from Alessandro Celli, would receive the prize for best short film when the rest of the Donatello prizes are handed out in a gala ceremony April 18.
The Donatello nod was not the only good news for "Madri", which explores the lives of several mothers from war-torn parts of the world. The docu's producers also said they had inked a distribution deal with RAI Cinema that would land the 90-minute project on RAI television networks and could even see it screen in some cinemas.
The Donatello awards are Italy's highest film honors.
- 4/10/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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