CONTRABAND Luca Il Contrabbandiere MOGUL Orig US VHS

Infamous Italian horror master Lucio Fulci takes on the police crime action drama.
This is the Original US Release of Luca Il Contrabbandiere aka The Smuggler aka Naples Connection popularly known now on DVD as CONTRABAND.
English Dubbed, Uncut and Widescreen. The first US Release on VHS in English language.

Although Lucio Fulci is better known in the US for horror films this Mogul video was my first introduction to both Fulci and the Italian crime action genre. Fulci directed Contraband a year before THE BEYOND (seven doors of death )
This prolific director took on just about every film genre popular in Italy during the 70's including sex comedies like La Pretora with Edwige Fenech and also the giallo films such as A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Each of these very different films still bare the directors distinct mark . Contraband brought the horror film type violence and gore to the already seemingly brutal crime genre. Fulci later took on Italian Westerns, Science Fiction, and Sword and Sorcery films as well.
Stars: Fabio Testi (giallo a venezia - revolver ) Ivana Monti - Guido Alberti - Ajita Wilson - Daniele Dublino -Ofelia Meyer - Lucio Fulci - Cinita Lodetti - Romano Puppo - Luciano Rossi -Fabrizio Jovine -
Synopsis:
Much more well-known for it exploitive scenes then for its plot. Contraband is a hard driving gory, mob action extravaganza. Set in Naples, Italy. Fabio Testi plays one of two brothers that are part of a cigarette smuggling team. They manage to step on the toes of some cocaine smugglers in Naples. In retaliation they take his girlfriend hostage.

US DVD Release Blueunderground

Don't Look In The Attic COMING TO DVD La Villa Delle Anime Maledette

Don't Look In The Attic (1982) La Villa Delle Anime Maledette aka
house of the cursed spirits aka House of the Damned aka The Damned MOGUL VHS US Video Release 1986 English Dubbed Italian Produced Horror film Color 80mins WIDESCREEN Stars: Beba Loncar - Jean Pierre Aumont - Annarita Grapputo -George Ardisson - Paul Teitcheid - Tonino Campa -
Fausto Lombardi Ileana Fraia
Directed by: Carlo Ausino
Haunted Horrorr B-Movie
Three relatives inherit a mansion in Turin, Italy. When they move in they discover that it is haunted by the murderous spirits of people who have died there.
Rather forgettable euro-horror except for the performance of Beba Loncar!
LINKS:
US DVD Releae from Televista Label Available 9/11/07
See Amazon.com for Details

FATAL FIX - MOGUL US VHS - Corinne Clery Eroine (1983)

FATAL FIX aka Eroina aka Tunnel 1983
Original US Release of Italian Film - MOGUL Home Video English Dubbed Un-Cut Release.
Mogul was one of the few sources of Italian b-movies in the US. Known for releasing usually uncut Italian exploitation films from the 70's and early 80's - While American audiences
were deprived of uncut good quality prints of these Italian Cult Classics, Mogul
became one of few sources for such films in the early days of home video.

Stars: Helmut Berger - Corinne Clery (the story of o - covert action - moonraker - e tanta paura - striptease (insanity) Marzio Honorato - Franco Citti - George
Adrdisson - Agnes Nobercourt - Karl Zinny - Lorenzo Piani -
Directed by: Massimo Pirri -
Dubbed English US Release Mogul Home Video Uncut -
Plot Keywords:
Violence - Drug Addiction - Crime Story
Features: a soundtrack by THE PRETENDERS featured songs: Brass in Pocket - Mystery
Achievement - Precious and more -
Actress Corinne Clery takes a departure from her normal
sexploitation roles in Fatal Fix. Here she attempts a more serious role as a heroine addict and girl friend to the leader of a small gang of dealers. Documents the struggles of a group of friends as the descend into a bottomless underworld of inner city drug dealing.
Links:
Corinne Clery Posts on SIDESHOWVIDEO
Corinne Clery INFO from RETROSEXYCINEMA

METALLICA Sette Uomini D'oro Nello Spazion ( 1979) MOGUL US VHS

MOGUL US VHS ntsc Video release of Italian B-Movie Sci-Fi -
Sette Uomini d'oro Nello Spazio (1979) AKA Space Odyssey
Cheap Low Budget Sci-Fi Italian film most likely rushed into production in an attempt to capitilize on the world-wide success of Star Wars.
Future Earth has been auctioned off to the highest bidder at an intergalactic auction market of space warriors. Humans brace for the attack from an army of robotic androids.
Stars: Gianni Garko, Yanti Somer, Malisa Longo, ( reactor - city of women ) Chris Avram, Roberto Dell'Acqua
Directed by: Alfonso Brescia
This vid along with REACTOR ( la guerra dei robot 1978 ) are the two worst Italian films released by MOGUL Home Video.
Both films are now available in a cheap-o DVD Box Set "Space Odyssey" with picture quality no better than this orginal VHS release.

Venus in Furs Aug. 23rd '07 Egyptian Theater LA

American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre Presents

7th Festival of Fantasy Horror & Science-Fiction 2007

Thursday, August 23 – 8:00 PM Jess Franco's Venus in Furs : Egyptian Theatre Los Angeles, California

VENUS IN FURS, 1969, 86 min. Director Jess Franco reached a mesmerizing, surreal zenith with a quartet of pictures in the late 1960’s/early1970’s – SUCCUBUS, VAMPIROS LESBOS, SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY - and this bewitchingly dreamlike ghost story. Tormented jazz trumpeter Jimmy (James Darren) cannot reconcile his music with his often chaotic personal life. After finding the body of Wanda (Maria Rohm), an innocent girl sucked into the game-playing lives of three wealthy sadists (Dennis Price, Klaus Kinski and Margaret Lee), washed up on the Turkish shore, Jimmy starts to lose his cool. Fatally obsessed, he later glimpses Wanda seemingly alive again at various parties – and watches as the three rich perverts start dying. Sultry chanteuse Barbara McNair (who sings the catchy title tune) is Jimmy’s girlfriend who finds her man slipping away into the arms of a ghost. With an appropriate twist ending and a memorable jazz rock fusion score by Mike Hugg and Manfred Mann. Franco reportedly modeled Darren’s character on tragic jazzman Chet Baker. "Franco exhales Albert Camus existential smoke, but really the film is like a Marvel Team-up between Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Russ Meyer set loose in the Hammer Studios. Translation: It's trippy and campy as hell." – Wesley Morris, The San Francisco Examiner

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BLUE UNDERGROUND DVD RELEASE -
Venus In Furs
Available at Amazon.com

Click Link For More Video Post with JESS FRANCO

FURY - La Mujer de la Tierra Caliente 1979 Mogul US VHS

FURY (1979) La Mujer De La Tierra Caliente
( the woman of the hot earth)
Mogul US VHS Release - English Dubbed
Spain / Italian Co-Production - Color 75mins.
Mogul released a decent print of this lesser know film starring the infamous actress of the 70's Emanuele series. Laura Gemser teams up with American actor Stuart Whitman. The two cross paths on a fateful ride that will eventually lead them on a river boat adventure through the jungles of the Amazon. Gemser's real-life lover Gabrielle Tinti also stars along with Italian B-Movie Actresses Pilar Velazquez and Paola Senatore. Directed by Jose Maria Forque ( beyond erotica)
"Fury" works best in some of its more lighter comedic and sexy moments. Especially the "upskirt" scenes ( see screen shots) The action adventure scenes are forgettable.
Only available on a German Region 2 PAL DVD Release
German Language only. No US DVD Release!
Plot Keywords: Action Adventure, Erotica, Peeping, Upskirt, river boat, Amazon Jungle, Nudity, Sexual Material

RAPE - Desnuda Inquietud 1976 Mogul US VHS

RAPE aka Desnuda Inquietud 1976 Original MOGUL Home Video Release VHS Rare Out of Print Video Dubbed English Spanish Production Spain Produced Film La Pelicula de Espana - Color 90mins Unrated
Stars: Luis Induni - Alfred Lucchetti - Enric Majo - Ramiro Oliveros - Eva Robin - Antonio Sarra - Fernando Uloa - Gil Vidal - - NADIUSKA (conan the barbarian - suave carino, mu suave - beatriz) - - - Dir By: Miguel Iglesias
Here is another great example of the ridiculous cover illustration that was used to market foreign films by Mogul video in the US. How much more outlandish could you be than to market a film by titling the video : "Rape". Well, I am sure it worked to get your attention at the video store. However, if rape was the subject matter for a film you were looking for you won't find it in this video. Desnuda Inquietud is a rather bizarre and convoluted b-movie that deals with too many subplots.
Plot Synopsis: Erotic Supernatural Drama - A mysterious woman is able to tap into a past life as an Indian - The locals of a small town fear the woman as a witch. One foreigner develops a relationship with her. He soon dies in a mysterious death. She then believes herself to be cursed. - The dead man's friend seek her out in order to find out the truth behind his death. - They are instead faced with the supernatural occurrences and bizarre relationships that surround the beautiful but isolated woman. Her father abuses her and the two men attempt to protect her. Deals with issues of incest. While the film is called rape - This is not the main subject matter of the film. - Definite must see performance by Nadiuska - otherwise rather forgettable curiosity of 80's video sleaze.
Plot Keywords: Supernatural Murder Mystery, B-Movie, Witches, Missing Woman, Horror, Nudity Director MIGUEL IGLESIAS is better known for the films he worked on with Paul Naschy. Including Maldicion de la bestia ( 1975) and Tarzan y el misterio de la selva (1972) which is another Mogul Video release GREEN INFERNO Cast Notes: Nadisuka will be known to American audiences for her role in "CONAN the barbarian" playing Conan's mother whose attempt to protect the young Conan leaves her headless. Here striking amazingly green eyes make her a unique beauty.

More info on NADIUSKA at retrosexycinema

Feast For The Devil - Las Amantes Del Diablo ( 1971)

Feast For the Devil - aka Feast of Satan aka Las Amanted Del Diablo ( 1971)
Mogul USA VHS NTSC - English Dubbed
Spain Horror Film Color - 90mins.
Stars: Krista Nell, Espartaco Santoni, Teresa Gimpera (macabre - refuge of fear) , Ennio Girolami, Julio Pena, Luis Villa, Carla Conti, Francesco Acciaccarelli Directed by: Jose Maria Elorrieta
Story By: Miguel Madrid (necrophagus - bacanl en directo)
This is another Mogul video release of a Spain / Italian Produced film. Known in Italy as I Diabolici Convegni.
Plot Keywords: Mad Scientist, Gothic Horror, Mysterious Castle, Hindu Diety,
Video Info: Now Available on DVD (region 0) as Tanz Des Satans
See DVDMANIACS.NET for DVD info on Feast for the Devil
Yet another garish video cover by Mogul Video in a desperate marketing attempt to disguise it as an American film. Often Cast and Crew names where changed on the cover credits to make them more American sounding.

VIEW MY OTHER POST FOR MORE VIDEO INFO ON TERESA GIMPERA

MACABRE Viaje al Vacio 1969 Mogul US VHS Giallo

MACABRE - Viaje al Vacio - 1969 aka Shadow of Death aka L'Assassino Fantasama
Mogul Home Video Release VHS USA NTSC
Dubbed English
Spain Italy Co-Produced Film / Pais Espana i Italia
Stars: Teresa Gimpera ( eroticas vacaciones de stella - ) Larry Ward
- Giacomo Rossi Stuart ( reactor - - sex on the run - black emanuelle ) - Silvana Venturelli - Eugenio Navarro - Javier de Rivera
(terror beach - devil's possessed - gritos en la noche ) - Jose Bastida -
Directed By / Direccion : Javier Seto -

Spain / Italian Co- Production Giallo Murder Mystery -
Larry Ward plays a man who has an evil twin brother - But now he thinks he may be
the twisted murderous one. - Teresa Gimpera stars as the sultry woman playing them against each other. A vicious game of cat and mouse ensues serving up several unexpected twists in typical giallo fashion. - Nudity Violence - 91mins Color - -

Video Notes:
This Mogul video release is has excellent picture quality. One of the harder to find videos from this label. Highly sought after and well worth seeking out. Still no official DVD release.
Macabre is also the best cover out of all the Mogul Video Releases
Genre: Giallo, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Sexual Intrigue, Identity Crisis

Cast Notes:
See More of Posts with TERESA GIMPERA
Teresa Gimpera also starred in the Mogul Video Release of Feast For the Devil ( 1971 )

INSANITY aka Striptease (1976) Mogul VHS Video US

US MOGUL HOME VIDEO RELEASE NTSC VIDEO VHS
English Language


Stars: Terence Stamp - Corinne Clery - Pilar Velazquez ( fury) - Veronica Miriel ( llamada delsexo ) Georges Rigaud - Manuel Zero - Gerard Tichy - Alberto de Mendoza - Fernando Rey- Conchita Montes - Dir. By: Germain Lorente - ( tres mujeres de hoy )

Video Info:
"Striptease" (1976) was released in the US as "Insanity" by Mogul Video during the mid 80's. Mogul released many Euro B-Movies in English Language Dubbed Versions. Most where Italian films from the mid-70's. These Mogul videos where often un-cut versions with great picture quality. Mogul videos were marketed with garish video covers, usually illustrated in gaudy colors with exploitive titles that misrepresented the content of the film. In this case both the film title and the video title are misleading.

Review:

Corinne Clery stars in the inappropriately titled film "Striptease". Not that there is not an ample amount of stripping from the "Story of O" actress. But the title suggests a plot about a tawdry stripper or perhaps a hot nightclub filled with salacious stories. What we have instead is a take off of of Jean Luc Godard's "Contempt". Terence Stamp plays an eccentric producer who hires a disillusioned director to save his disastrous film project. Clery - the stripper, is his muse, the inspiration for his over ambitious and pretentious film project.

Similar to "Contempt" the small group of characters spend there time together in a remote island estate. Here they gather to drink and spout philosophy. Stamp is willing to risk everything for his new project. He becomes infatuated with Clery as an ex actress turned stripper with a mysterious past. He sees her life story as a way to get back into film making. His lover (Silvia) becomes jealous of the attention to the film and the real life subject. Stamp confides to his lover that he must make himself fall in love with the stripper in order to really be able to create his film. They both agree to play along with a charade that will make Clery fall in love with him. Stamp's old friend (George) is brought on to direct. The director is sauced half the time and when sober shows little interest in the project other then the money it provides him. He does however, manage to warn Clery that the film maker is a cold hearted user who plans to destroy her in order to make his fictional character a reality. The slow moving story of affluent euro-types is thankfully interrupted about every 5 mins. with a stage scene of Clery dancing nude.

The story takes place in only two places, either the nightclub or the estate. There are only 4 main characters. So you wouldn't think that such a small set-up would require narration. But, yes indeed the Clery subjects us to her inner most thoughts via narration. A sexploitation version of Contempt sounds like a great idea. To bad this isn't it. We are supposed to believe Stamp as a devilish manipulator but the audience never really feels any real threat to the Clery's character.

Notes: Director Germain Lorente also directed Tres Mujeres de Hoy with Charo Lopez. Another film concerning cabaret show girls. View link to see my post of the MAGO us video release of this film. Mexican actress Veronica Miriel makes a brief cameo appearance in "Insanity". Her more important films will be included in this blog shortly.

Plot Keywords: Stripping, Movie Production, Love Triangle,

See RETROSEXYCINEMA for more info on Corinne Clery & Pilar Velazquez

For more INFO on Terence Stamp see CINEBEATS Blog