Mondo Macabro

With the upcoming Anchor Bay US Alejandro Jodorowsky set and the already available Fernando Arrabal Collection from Cult Epics, only one director and member of the groundbreaking Panic Movement is left for me to discover: Juan Lopez Moctezuma.

I confess never having seen any of his movies, though I've read a lot about them when cult label Mondo Macabro released his Alucarda and The Mansion of Madness. I'm willing to take the plunge on them because they sound right up my alley, particularly in the way they both combine elements of surrealism and horror (have they really been apart, ever? don't think so, either).

Anyone here seen them?

Meanwhile, in their own blog page, they announce some upcoming titles:

I have them both but as yet have only watched Alucarda and yes, I think they would indeed be right up your street, though I doubt I would be able to say that to many posters here...

Jodorowsky, yes, but low budget Jodorowsky and to me more like the Euro cult films I used to love when I were a lad, very low budget but much of it looks very beautiful. You know what to expect...

A while back I mentioned the three volumes of DVD Delirium on the Books About Film thread, with particular reference to you. I don't know if you saw it or not so I'll praise the books again. Over the three volumes, some 2000 films are given in depth reviews, two pages or more, small print, double columns, so they are indeed extensive. You will find every cult classic in here, along with the more revered world cinema. So, Blue Underground, Criterion, Mondo Macabro, Synapse, MoC, all of them are here. You get full synopsis, review, comparisons of all the different versions worldwide, aspect ratio, degree of cropping, quality of print, details of extras, etc. Essential for someone with y/our tastes.

And when I checked said book, it pointed out that the UK version of the Moctezuma films has a 22" documentary on Mexican horror, to replace the 15" interview with Moctezuma on the US disc, wherein he talks about his work, Jodorowsky, etc. Both discs have the same extras though, so one UK and one US would get you both features.

Gorgeous print of course and ain't it ironic that after so many years of nth generation video tapes with Greek subtitles that those of us with more obscure cult-horror tastes used to have to suffer, we now get such pristine prints of these films...

Oh, and I love this one. Mansion Of Madness was originally known in the US as Dr Tarr's Torture Dungeon, which for some folk (not me!) could serve as a one line review of Satantango...

Thank you so much for this, Felix! I do remember the words you wrote about the DVD Delirium books and I guess I will have to check them out after all!

The thing with the Alucarda US and UK discs is that, if I buy the UK disc in order not to have the same extras repeated all over again when I eventually get the Mansion of Madness one, I will still be missing on one very important thing: Mondo Macabro struck a new restored negative for its US edition and the difference in picture quality is reportedly very high. Oh, decisions, decisions...


I actually take that as a compliment!

Anyway, definitely checking these two out and will report back on them later. BTW, have you seen Satanico Pandemonium?

OK, I may be missing something here, but why not then get the UK Alucarda and the restored US Mansion. There is no mention of any differences between them in DVD Delirium but I cannot pass comment as both my copies are US. I wonder whether they mean a restored version for both, compared with the old video Dr Tarr release?
(Ooops, may be academic anyway as Amazon only list Alucarda at a high price so it may be OOP.)

Mansion is said to be more akin to Jodorowsky than Alucarda BTW.

No, I haven't seen SP (sorry, ain't got the hang of doing these quotes yet). It had popped up on my radar so I must have seen something about it here or somewhere else and I have just checked it out in the bible. Certainly looks like fun... "Gives those blasphemous Italians a run for their money".

Was that really what they called Selma Hayek's character in From Dusk Till Dawn? Blimey...

The books really are essential, but they may cost you a bomb buying new DVDs. Volume 1 is the best value, with as many films as the other two together, but Vol 3 does bring it all up to date...

No, what I meant was (and sorry if I wasn't clearer first time around) is that the UK and the US editions of Alucarda have different transfers (or at least that's what the reviews said).

Alucarda was first released in the UK with the aforementioned Mexican Horror documentary as extra but when Mondo Macabro set up base in the US and it came time to release a stateside disc of that same movie, they used a different, better transfer on it because apparently a new negative had been found. They then decided to take the Mexican Horror doc from the UK disc and edited it around an interview they recorded with Moctezuma. They also added the original theatrical trailer which the UK disc didn't have. So, all in all, the US disc is the way to go. It's only a shame that they duplicated the extras on the other Moctezuma disc, Mansion of Madness.

As for Satanico Pandemonium, the Salma Hayek character in From Dusk Till Dawn was in fact almost solely responsible for bringing this little oddity back to life because Tarantino and Rodriguez started saying that the name was taken from a movie title. The rest is history.

OK, I'm with you now. I take back what I said about the books, you clearly don't need them... No mention of this in them.

As we have been talking about Moctezuma and it has re-engaged my interest I may take the chance to watch Mansion later this week and let you know what I think. I am assuming your query re-Satanica Pandemonium was a recommendation. I hope so, I am away to order it.

I haven't seen Dusk Til Dawn so that one passed me by. That detail alone makes me want to seek it out as well.

What are you waiting for? That movie kicks some real ass (never thought I'd utter these words on this forum, of all fora!)! Robert Rodriguez is a very talented guy. Forget those Spy Kids movies -- his Mexico Trilogy, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City and the upcoming Grindhouse flick are the ones he will be remembered by.

Oh, and I still haven't seen Satanico Pandemonium yet but it sure sounds exciting. Let me know what you think of it afterwards, ok?

So I had a look at Mansion of Madness and it did not live up to my expectations. It is a few years since I saw Alucarda but I definitely remember it as being better than Mansion.

I didn't like the look of it, Eastmancolour and very washed out pallette of mostly green and brown. The plot, such as it was, actually distracted from the sections where he allowed his visual imagination free rein, those bits being very good, with the best of what is going on doing so in the background of the frame. A great long take from about 23" which put me in mind of the framing of Delvaux or De Chirico, and some other lovely sets, but on the whole it did not work for me.

Setting a film in an asylum which the imnmates have taken over may allow him too much freedom with what he is doing, or perhaps my sensibilities are more attuned to Euro-horror, I don't know.

One title from them I can wholeheartedly recommend is their DVD of Dominique Deruddere's Crazy Love, adapted from the work by Chuck Bukowski. It's not the masterwork that it's cult following hype it up to be, but it's a great little bittersweet film, and it was Bukowski's favorite of movies based on his work, if that tells you something. A surprising piece of more "serious" film in the midst of their genre and cult releases.

Got round to watching this last night and it was delirious, it hit all the buttons and made up for the disappointment I felt at Mansions of Madness. The first thing I noticed was the colours which were so rich and vibrant and just downright gorgeous, as was the print. It had everything you would expect, Cecilia Pezet wasted little opportunity to disrobe, but each scene was composed immaculately, each shot carefully set and filled, just like the other classic of the genre, School Of The Holy Beast. A couple of pretty strong scenes too, I winced in sympathy a couple of times.

That's great to know that! I will definitely check it out in the future.

I watched "The Living Corpse" recently. If the prospect of a 1967 Pakistani version of "Dracula" piques your interest, you won't be disappointed. Hammer knockoff with musical numbers.

DVDManiacs reviews the upcoming rerelease of Mystics in Bali. This edition apparently features a new transfer and it looks better than ever. Good show!

Mondo Macabro's new release, Silip, is getting plenty of great reviews online. Check out Mondo Digital's.

This one looks right up my alley!

I'm looking forward to Silip.

I still need to order The Blood Rose, that sounds like my kind of sleaze.

Finally managed to watch Alucarda and man!, what a wild ride that was! All the time I kept thinking, "There's no way this kind of movie could've been done today!". I mean, NO way.

The visuals are impressive, the story is pagan and satanic enough to hold your attention, but best of all, the acting is also top-notch! Particularly the two female leads. The screaming helps too - I had to turn the volume down several times in order not to scare the neighborhood!

Mondo Macabro's DVD is excellent and I'm about to start on the (many) extras included. If you're thinking of checking this one out, it's a keeper, guys.

On the way: the other Moctezuma freak-fest - The Mansion of Madness.

Fresh from finishing watching Mansion of Madness, I can now attest to the great talents of Moctezuma. He really was able to conjure moods and atmospheres that noone could. It really feels distinct. It's like you're entering his mind or something. Really phantasmagorical and fantasy-like at the same time.

I have to say, this sort of holy trinity of Panic Movement directors (Moctezuma, Arrabal and Jodorowsky) were some of the most fantastic voices of 70's cinema around. It's a shame that this Movement in particular isn't more widely known and studied in film school. It really deserves that kind of attention. It might very well become my favorite slice of cinema of the 20th century. It's that rich.

Hail Satan! Alucarda is an utterly messed-up film and it's really fun to watch. Orgies, crucifixions, bleeding nuns. And you're absolutely right about warning to turn down the volume or the neighbors will be calling the cops! It's a scream fest!

Can't believe there hasn't been more action on this thread, as MM are THE BEST BOUTIQUE LABEL IN THE WORLD!

So I'm trying to get the word out about their releases since they are often missed in the constant and crowded tumult of archival DVD releasing. Their latest DVD is GIRL IN ROOM 2A, a mid 70s Eurosleaze classick that the late Bill Landis called "one of the most notoriously sadistic of the giallos, alternating between moodiness, ultraviolence, and fantasy-fulfillment outbursts of S&M".

Although the official release date is March 27th, you can order it RIGHT NOW from Diabolik DVD.

Edit: Sold out at Diabolik. Look for other retailers to start sending it out around the 27th. Review copies are being sent out now.

Import CDs have this in stock and are shipping.

First review I could find is online

Jess Franco's COUNTESS PERVERSE, one of his very best and most delirious films, is coming to DVD in June from MM.

A quick update on MM's upcoming COUNTESS PERVERSE DVD: http://mondomacabrodvd.blogspot.com/201 ... verse.html

Wow, the lack of interest in Mondo Macabro here is quite shocking. Are any of you aware of the amazing and unique international cinema that MM is putting out? Often far more radical and obscure than what other boutique labels are releasing.
Any way, more info on their next DVD Jess Franco's COUNTESS PERVERSE: http://mondomacabrodvd.blogspot.com/201 ... bf0e131b3b
And for today only, a special pre-order sale at TLA: http://mondomacabrodvd.blogspot.com/201 ... verse.html