in my opinion anyway…

So far, I’ve discussed my first three picks for the best genre DVD labels in the US. To save you a few clicks, here’s how the list is shaping up so far. My #10 spot came down to a tie between heavy weight label Anchor Bay and the infinitely smaller (and sadly defunct) label Barrel Entertainment. My #9 choice was Code Red, a label which has excelled at releasing great prints of some truly niche titles but suffers from a few quality control problems. #8 belonged to Mya Communications, a small label that releases some really bizarre Italian genre titles but unfortunately does nothing to better the print quality of their releases. So now that we’re up to date, we can move on to the next batch.

#7

Although their focus has shifted to new films, the catalog of older titles offered by Dark Sky is impressive, though not very extensive. But quality always trumps quantity and the titles offered by Dark Sky are great. BONNIE’S KIDS, THE KILLING KIND, AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS, EATEN ALIVE, ASLYUM, THE BEAST MUST DIE, THE DEVIL’S RAIN, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER and THE FLESH EATERS are all essential titles for fans of horror cinema. Dark Sky’s attention to detail is impressive and the transfers they use for their releases are near the top of the scale. Their lack of releases for older cult films is regrettable given their track record.

TOP 5 DARK SKY TITLES

#1 SPIDER BABY – Dark Sky did a major service to cult film fans everywhere when they released Jack Hill’s amazing SPIDER BABY in 2007. Easily the best release in Dark Sky’s line-up, this film is in equal measures camp and terror and has stood the test of time as one of the best cult film oddities of all time.

#2 WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? – A brilliant horror film with political undertones, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is the killer child film taken to horrifying new extremes. The incredible atmosphere is captured wonderfully in this beautiful release and the extras, consisting of two interesting interviews, adds a healthy dollop of context to the film. An essential purchase.

#3 TRAGIC CEREMONY – TRAGIC CEREMONY is not Riccardo Freda’s best film but it is one of his most visually impressive. For years the only way to experience this film was in shoddy bootleg editions that robbed the film of all its visual splendor. Dark Sky corrects the problem with a stunning 1.85:1 transfer. It’s not a very good film from start to finish but it is definitely an interesting viewing experience.

#4 RICCO THE MEAN MACHINE – A Spanish/Italian action revenge flick best known for a very graphic castration (and a very hot Barbara Bouchet strip tease), RICCO is high camp, light on story but high on style. This is drive-in trash done well, fun without being demanding, violent without being exploitative. The Dark Sky release is the best this film has ever looked.

#5 THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS – One of the most divisive slasher films ever made, THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS has a very rough reputation as the ultimate in misogynist trash. What is often overlooked is how good the film looks and how well directed it is by John Peyser. This is easily the best transfer of the film I’ve ever seen. The extras on offer here are slim but having this notorious film in a nice 1.66:1 transfer more than makes up for it.

#6

Shriek Show has been around for quite some time and their line-up is rife with some of the worst and some of the best the exploitation film has to offer. The quality isn’t always the best but the extras are usually intriguing. Shriek Show is also known for releasing triple packs of exploitation films for cheap, bringing cannibal films, Nazisploitation and Italian trash cinema into households for the cost of a single DVD. For lovers of lower level exploitation, Shriek Show is a godsend.

TOP 5 SHRIEK SHOW TITLES

#1 SHRIEK SHOW TRIPLE FEATURE PACKS – The quality of the DVDs is a mixed bag but the price is right. Psycho Killers Triple Feature (DELIRIUM: PHOTO OF GIORA, HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK, BEYOND THE DARKNESS), Jungle Horrors Triple Feature (JUNGLE HOLOCAUST, EATEN ALIVE, MASSACRE IN DINOSAUR VALLEY), Evil Animals Triple Feature (GRIZZLY, DAY OF THE ANIMALS, DEVIL DOG: THE HOUND OF HELL), SS Hell Triple Feature (SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP, SS GIRLS, SS CAMP WOMAN’S HELL)… those are the some of the easiest buying decisions for any genre fan to make. And for about $20 a pop, they’re virtually risk free.

#2 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? – Massimo Dallamano’s brilliant giallo classic has been poorly served on home video. Shriek Show’s beautiful presentation corrects that, featuring a beautiful 1.85:1 transfer with beautiful colors and sharp details. There are no extras outside of a gallery but that doesn’t matter. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? is worth every penny. A beautiful release of an amazing film.

#3 ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK – Sergio Martino’s mixture of Satanic cult horror and giallo is uneven and shaky but Shriek Show’s release is rock solid. Boasting a gorgeous transfer and excellent interviews, this is an easy choice for giallo fans (or Edwige Fenech fans).

#4 MAN FROM DEEP RIVER – The granddaddy of the Italian cannibal film, Umberto Lenzi’s MAN FROM DEEP RIVER doesn’t contain nearly as much carnage as the films that followed it but it nevertheless a must-own for fans of genre cinema. Shriek Show’s presentation is good but the extras are a bit underwhelming. Still, as a piece of Italian genre history, it should be in every serious collector’s collection.

#5 SPASMO – A bizarre giallo from Umberto Lenzi, SPASMO remains insanely popular even though it is way too high on the melodrama to make any kind of visceral impact. The giallo may be an acquired taste but SPASMO takes that to a whole new level, creating a film that will baffle much more than half of those who view it. Shriek Show’s transfer is beautiful though and the film should be seen by anyone interested in the giallo.

#5

Another short lived but excellent label, Subversive was home to only a handful of essential titles. But what a handful of titles they were. A remarkable release of Richard Stanley’s DUST DEVIL, the immortal THE CANDY SNATCHERS, THE FREAKMAKER, BLOOD BATH, METAL SKIN and LIVING HELL… Subversive’s short catalog of titles is full of ultimate cult oddities. Excellent transfers coupled with great extras made each Subversive an instant buy regardless of whether or not the film itself interested you.

TOP 5 SUBVERSIVE TITLES

#1 THE CANDY SNATCHERS – The calling card release for Subversive, THE CANDY SNATCHERS brought one of the best exploitation films of the 1970s into the very deserving limelight. Regulated to the realm of VHS bootlegs for years and years, THE CANDY SNATCHERS arrived looking beautiful and filled with great extras. This is easily one of the best exploitation oddities of the 1970s and every serious collector needs this disc in their collection.

#2 SAVAGE SINEMA FROM DOWN UNDER – A four disc beauty, Subversive’s collection of Mark Savage films is the best boxed set ever devoted to a filmmaker that no one had ever heard of before. Quality is as good as one could hope for given the fact that two of the features and most of the included short films were shot on the cheap. The real revelation here is DEFENCELESS, a silent rape / revenge flick with supernatural undertones set to a glorious, sweeping score. An excellent boxed set.

#3 THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA – Not nearly as squirm inducing as you may have heard, Matt Cimber’s film finds its way under your skin and stays there for a long time. Benefitting immensely from Millie Perkins’ excellent central performance, THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA is a complicated drama that grows more disturbing as the film goes on. Subversive released the film in a great 2.35:1 transfer. The audio commentary by Matt Climber, Millie Perkins and director of photography Dean Cundey is excellent (if poorly recorded).

#4 DUST DEVIL: THE FINAL CUT – A great release. Subversive includes two cuts of this stunning film (a workprint and a beautifully restored director’s cut print), three documentaries (THE SECRET GLORY, VOICE OF THE MOON and THE WHITE DARKNESS), three booklets (a production diary, a comic book and a booklet of essays) and a CD featuring Simon Boswell’s evocative score. There are even more extras sprinkled throughout the discs, including excellent commentary tracks by director Richard Stanley. This is the most comprehensive edition ever of this much maligned film. Essential stuff.

#5 BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL – What a bizarre, entertaining mash-up of a film this is. Like a splatter movie version of SHAOLIN SOCCER (except with baseball, of course), BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL is tremendous fun. Two great making-of documentaries and the best audio commentary this side of EVIL DEAD 2 makes the Subversive edition a winner.

Next up, number 2, 3 and 4…

…in my opinion anyway.

Before you start, you can click HERE for Part 1.

Continuing my list of the greatest genre labels in the US, I bring you

#9

Code Red has a catalog of titles that reads like a 1980s horror fan wish list. From bizarre sex flicks like the weirdo-porn ALICE IN WONDERLAND and the ode to necrophilia LOVE ME DEADLY to slasher film oddities like SWEET SIXTEEN and MARDI GRAS MASSACRE, Code Red has every base covered for a variety of genre film fans. While they are somewhat notorious for their low print runs and sometimes shoddy quality control, Code Red remains a force to be reckoned with when it comes to weird and forgotten genre cinema.

TOP 5 CODE RED TITLES

#1 THE NIGHT CHILD – Massimo Dallamano’s excellent ghost/demonic possession drama is one of those films that divides audiences. Now out of print, this is one of those small gems of horror filmmaking that manages to stand out from the pack. A great film, well worth tracking down on eBay.

#2 NIGHTMARE – Romano Scavolini’s 1981 psycho-slasher is one of the most notorious films of the 1980s. A popular target for censorship, NIGHTMARE (better known as NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN) found itself on the Video Nasties list in the UK. Long unavailable in an official, uncut release, Code Red’s release is a revelation, a great package for a film that does not live up to its notorious reputation.

#3 PETS – While not a great transfer, Code Reds release of PETS is a welcome edition that finally brings the Candice Rialson starring trash epic to DVD. An interesting film with serious undertones, PETS might not have the power it once did, but it is a bizarre viewing experience with moments of genuine brilliance.

#4 TEENAGE HITCHHIKERS – Like a homegrown, white trashy version of TO BE TWENTY, TEENAGE HITCHHIKERS is low on action, high on graphic (though softcore) sex. This is the best this film has ever looked and is a definite cult oddity. Not a great film by any stretch, it still stands well above most films of its kind.

#5 MADMAN – A great piece of 1980s slasher mayhem, MADMAN is a suspenseful, bloody good time. The film itself looks great and the assortment of extras (including an audio commentary with director Joey Giannone, producer Gary Sales, and actors Paul Ehlers and Tony Fish) are all excellent.

#8

Rising from the ashes of NoShame Films, Mya Communications deals almost exclusively in hard to find Italian genre cinema. Their release list is a mixture of cult items and forgotten gems. PROVOCATION, THE MANIACS, SCORPION WITH TWO TAILS, FATTY GIRL GOES TO NEW YORK, CRAVING DESIRE, HUMAN COBRAS, PASSION, THE LEGEND OF BLOOD CASTLE, HORRIBLE, SUBMISSION OF A WOMAN and ANNA, THE PLEASURE, THE TORMENT are the kinds of titles that make Italian genre cinema fans salivate. There is a trade-off to this bounty of treasures however. Most of the prints used by Mya are little more than public domain prints or grubby, ugly and worn VHS rips. Most titles are without extras and can be found on private trackers in better quality, but the novelty of finding any of those titles sitting on the shelves of your local video store outweighs that fact. Sort of.

TOP 5 MYA COMMUNICATIONS TITLES

#1 FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET – The first official (kind of) US release of Dario Argento’s “lost” giallo is a winner. Despite some audio problems, the disc is worth the cost. The picture quality is good and the film itself is great fun, a little light on violence for an Argento giallo but with a story that keeps you glued to your screen right until the very end.

#2 DARIO ARGENTO’S DOOR INTO DARKNESS – Originally scheduled for a NoShame release, this release collects the four episodes of the short lived Italian television show that ran in 1973. The episodes are largely hit and miss but when the episodes work, they work wonderfully well. Argento only directed one episode, “The Tram”, and the limitations of television censorship didn’t allow the episodes to really go all the way, but they work as short blasts of suspenseful fun.

#3 LUCIFERA, DEMONLOVER – The quality is not the best here. The film is presented in a sometimes smudgy 4:3 print that does little service to the atmospheric direction of Paolo Lombardo. The narrative is far from original and the action is a bit plodding at times, but Rosalba Neri is fantastic and the film is ultimately a good bit of fun. Of all the Mya releases, this is the film that really deserves a much better transfer.

#4 DEATH WILL HAVE YOUR EYES – Strangely enough, the cover of this film features an image from an entirely different film (that being MASQUERADE from 1965). Sounding like a giallo thriller, DEATH WILL HAVE YOUR EYES is anything but. While people do die in the film, it is a very tame, very slow thriller that bounces between suspense and melodrama. The lovely Marisa Mell and an excellent Stelvio Cipriani score help pick up the slack of the workmanlike script. It’s just a shame the print used is absolutely terrible.

#5 THE GIRL FROM CORTINA – One of the better looking Mya releases, THE GIRL FROM CORTINA is a late era giallo produced by Sergio Martino. While light on the violence and sexuality, it remains an intriguing (if a bit familiar) film, one that will be best appreciated by giallo fanatics.

Next up, number 5, 6 and 7…

…in my opinion anyway.

Making lists is a thankless endeavor. First of all, they’re time consuming to put together. You usually begin by collecting all the information you need. That means if you’re setting out to make a Top 100 Films list, you begin by listing every single film which may make the list. Then you begin to make another list from the list you’ve just created, striking out titles and possibly adding new titles. You agonize over choices, second guessing every list item you strike off. Then once you’ve narrowed the list down, you repeat the process again and again until you reach your required number of items. Then you agonize over the list order for hours and hours, weighing films against each other, asking yourself stupid questions like “which film is lit better?” or “which film has the better sound design?” It’s tedious and obnoxious, but you keep going until you’ve finally produced a list you’re happy with.

Once all the hard work is over, you publish the list. And what do you get for all your hard work? Round after round of angry readers who want to take you to task for your ordering of titles, titles you left off, etc. A thankless endeavor indeed.

What’s important to stress with this list is that this is my own personal list of top DVD labels. It is by no means definitive or meant to be anything more than a reflection of my own personal preferences. My bias for certain kinds of cinema will scream through. With that said, allow me to say three things up front:

1. I’m only focusing on labels which issue films in the US. Region 1 labels abound. While there are more than a few genre film labels that release films in All Region format, I’m purposefully sticking to US distribution labels. So don’t go looking for Shameless or Arrow here. You won’t find them.

3. I will be focusing on labels that specialize or devote a large part of their catalog to horror, exploitation, erotic, thriller and action cinema. In other words, the kinds of labels you would expect to find represented on a site like this. That eliminates a label like The Criterion Collection, for while they do have a dozen or so horror films to their name, that area is incredibly insignificant in their catalog. So I will be looking at genre labels exclusively.

And now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get on with it.

#10 (TIE)

There really is no denying that Anchor Bay has been a major force in the DVD market. They have single handedly done more for the propagation of horror in the home video market than perhaps any other label. Their catalog of titles is enormous and contains some of the most memorable and important mainstream horror movies of the past half decade. Unfortunately, Anchor Bay is the single worst offender when it comes to the practice of double dipping. They are constantly recycling older titles, releasing new editions of key catalog titles every couple of years. HALLOWEEN alone has seen more re-releases and editions than most films have or ever will. While there are times when Anchor Bay has done the re-release right – the DAWN OF THE DEAD ULTIMATE EDITION set is a work of art – most of the time their new editions feel like little more than cash grabs.

But still, Anchor Bay is home to some of the best editions of cult genre films. Their DiViMax editions of HALLOWEEN 4 and 5, RE-ANIMATOR and DAY OF THE DEAD, for example(s), are the best these films have ever looked and will likely ever look on DVD, justifying the repeat purchase. As a source of good catalog titles, Anchor Bay is indispensible.

TOP 5 ANCHOR BAY TITLES

#1 THE MARIO BAVA COLLECTION BOXED SETS – 13 brilliant films spread over two boxed sets in wonderful transfers. The audio commentaries by Tim Lucas (on selected titles, anyway) are informative and fascinating.

#2 JOHN CARPENTER’S HALLOWEEN – One of the greatest American horror films of all time is available in a huge variety of releases including an alternate edit that inserts the various scenes filmed solely for television airings.

#3 DAWN OF THE DEAD: THE ULTIMATE EDITION – An amazing four disc release of George Romero’s zombie classic includes three different cuts of the film all in great transfers, Roy Frumkes’ excellent documentary DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD, and other assorted goodies. This is the definitive DVD release of an all-time great film.

#4 DARIO ARGENTO BOX SET – The majority of Argento’s films have been released by Anchor Bay, including SUSPIRIA, INFERNO, TENEBRE and DEEP RED. While most are now available from other labels in better editions, Anchor Bay’s excellent boxed set contains five Argento films in a cheap, extras-packed package.

#5 EVIL DEAD 1 & 2 – Like HALLOWEEN, Anchor Bay has released the EVIL DEAD films in several different editions, each better than the next. Beautiful transfers and some of the most entertaining commentary tracks around make these excellent films even more fun. Essential titles for any collection.

With fewer than a dozen releases in its short lifespan, Barrel Entertainment is perhaps the best example of what a cult label really is. The films released by the label are definitely cult films, low budget, scrappy and grimy. The amount of care put into each release was astounding, possibly more care than the films deserved. The ridiculous price some of these titles command in collectors circles may put some people off from purchasing them, but those that do will be happy with their purchase. Every single release is money well spent.

TOP 5 BARREL ENTERTAINMENT TITLES

#1 LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET – One of the most insane, disturbing and disgusting cult titles ever made is beautifully represented here with hours of engaging extras.

# 2 NEKROMANTIK – Jörg Buttgereit’s notorious classick about necrophiliacs is one of the most depressing and evocative cult oddities. Complete with audio commentary by director Jörg Buttgereit and co-writer Franz Rodenkirchen, a making of documentary and much more, this is a must own for devotees of dark cinema.

#3 NEKROMANTIK 2 – Jörg Buttgereit’s sequel somehow manages to outdo the original in every single aspect, creating a film that is completely overwhelming and bizarre. Packed with extras, NEKROMANTIK 2 is worth seeking out if only to score the bonus CD which contains the soundtracks for both NEKROMANTIK films.

#4 DARKNESS THE VAMPIRE VERSION – One of the best DIY films ever made, Leif Jonker’s excellent DARKNESS is presented in two different versions complete with three audio commentary tracks and complemented with close to four hours of extras that span two DVDs.

#5 SCHRAMM – Rounding out the Jörg Buttgereit selection Barrel had to offer, SCHRAMM is not the best film Buttgereit ever made but it is a visually distinctive, nasty little film that makes quite the impression. Extras are a bit slim but the two audio commentary tracks included are entertaining and revealing.

Next up, number 9 and number 8 in the list.