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So without further ado, here are our favorite titles that we were able to review up this year, ranked in no particular order and based on the ever important mix of entertainment value and quality of the release itself.
Rock! Shock! Pop’s Top 20 Releases Of 2022:
AGFA’s Doris Wishman Blu-ray Sets
The American Genre Film Archive, in conjunction with Something Weird Video, released the vast majority of Doris Wishman’s films in very nice Blu-ray editions this year, spread across three sets: The Twilight Years, The Moonlight Years and The Daylight Years. Each set showcased a different era of Wishman’s career and these sets were not only nicely restored but they contained a great selection of extra features as well.
Severin Films - Four Flies On Grey Velvet UHD/Blu-ray
Four Flies On Grey Velvet is a rock solid thriller, a tense and well-made giallo made all the better by some fine acting, some excellent camerawork, strong direction and a fantastic score. Severin Films’ UHD release finally gives this picture the special edition home video release it deserves, presenting it in a gorgeous presentation on a disc loaded with interesting and illuminating extra features. Highly recommended!
Vinegar Syndrome - Werewolf Vs vampire Woman UHD/Blu-ray
The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Woman remains a highpoint in Naschy’s career, a quirky but really enjoyable slice of atmospheric Euro-horror made with plenty of style and a really solid cast. Vinegar Syndrome’s UHD/Blu-ray release gives the film an excellent 4k presentation and includes three different versions of the movie alongside some other really interesting supplements, making this one essential for Naschy fans.
Shout! Factory – The Sonny Chiba Collection Blu-ray
Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release of The Sonny Chiba Collection brings seven really solid pictures starring the late, great man himself to Blu-ray in very nice condition. While it would have been nice to see more in the way of extra features here, the movie’s themselves are all really solid and quite a few of them genuinely excellent. Overall, this is an excellent set and one that should bring Chiba fans no small amount of joy. Highly recommended, now bring on a second volume!
Kino Lorber - Kamikaze Hearts Blu-ray
Kamikaze Hearts is a unique and challenging movie that does an excellent job of exploring the relationship of its two leads and how the porno movie industry it's centered around sometimes wreaks havoc with it. Kino's Blu-ray release looks and sounds about as good as it probably can and probably should and is stacked with interesting extras. Highly recommended.
Cauldron Films – Contraband Blu-ray
Contraband is a really solid crime thriller with Testi delivering good work in the lead and some of Fulci’s obvious touches all over it, giving it an enjoyably gritty, sleazy feel. The Blu-ray from Cauldron Films offers the movie up uncut and nicely restored on a disc loaded with some pretty strong supplements that explore its origins. All in all, great release for a great movie.
Severin Films – House Of Psychotic Women Rarities Collection Blu-ray
The Severin Films Blu-ray release of House Of Psychotic Women Rarities Collection offers up a collection of four films that are as eclectic as they are compelling, each taking its own unique path into the depths of insanity, bringing the viewer along for the ride. The presentation quality is strong for each of the four films in the set and the extras offer welcome analysis and context for each of the features. All in all, this is a very well-rounded collection of four films that really should be seen and appreciated by a wider audience.
Visual Vengeance – Moonchild Blu-ray
Moonchild remains one of Todd Sheets’ most ambitious and unique movies, it’s a really entertaining mix of genres made with a whole lot of passion and energy. Visual Vengeance has done a great job bringing this underappreciated SOV gen to Blu-ray in a true special edition loaded with extras, and overall this release is just a whole lot of fun.
Mondo Macabro – The Other Side Of The Mirror Blu-ray
The Other Side Of The Mirror is a weirdly dreamlike film, deliberately slow in its pacing but somehow quite engaging throughout thanks to some really nice camerawork and a strong performance from Emma Cohen. Mondo Macabro’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds very good and has a nice selection of extra features as well. Essential for Franco fans.
Vinegar Syndrome – Hot Snake/Guns And Guts
Vinegar Syndrome’s Blu-ray release of Hot Snake / Guns And Guts might not be stacked with extras but it does offer up two really entertaining westerns from South Of The Border in very nice restorations and with an interesting interview providing some history of the second feature on the disc. Absolutely recommended, don’t let this one fly under your radar!
Grindhouse Releasing – Death Game Blu-ray:
Grindhouse Releasing's Blu-ray release of Death Game is an excellent presentation of an excellent film. The transfer is fantastic and the disc is loaded with some really solid extras, including a high definition presentation of a complete second feature! As to Death Game itself, it’s a very well-made, tense and unique picture that benefits from some superb acting and stylish direction and photography.
Synapse Films – Massacre At Central High Blu-ray
Synapse Film’s long overdue special edition Blu-ray release of Massacre At Central High is a good one, presenting this quirky, intriguing film in a beautiful presentation and with a really nice selection of supplements to complement the feature presentation.
Unearthed Films – Dr. Lamb Blu-ray
Dr. Lamb holds up well, a nasty Category III serial killer picture with some strong acting, great direction and plenty of exploitative elements to keep things interesting. Unearthed Films has done a nice job bringing this one to Blu-ray, finally uncut, and with some decent supplements complementing the feature attraction.
Circle Collective – Heavy Metal Parking Lot Blu-ray
If you ever banged your head during the Reagan years, Heavy Metal Parking Lot will bring back a whole lot of fond memories for you and if you never did, well, it’ll be quite the learning experience. The audio and video quality isn’t perfect, but it shouldn’t be either and there is a ridiculously huge selection of really entertaining extra features on here (highlighted by Ernest Borgnine On The Bus!) that give the short film a whole lot of added value and do just as good a job at covering their own esoteric subjects. Definitely one of the best discs of 2022.
Vinegar Syndrome – Thriller: A Cruel Picture UHD/Blu-ray
Thriller: A Cruel Picture remains a landmark of Swedish exploitation filmmaking, a fantastic showcase for Lindberg’s considerable charms and Vibenius’ penchant for sleazy style. Vinegar Syndrome’s UHD/Blu-ray combo pack release offers up an excellent 4k version of the uncut version, Blu-ray versions of the uncut and AIP versions and loads of extra features making this a great way to experience the movie.
Synapse Films – The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue
One of the finest European zombie films ever, The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue gets an excellent Blu-ray reissue from Synapse Films, with a fantastic presentation and a nice array of new, exclusive extra features.
Terror Vision - Killing Spree Blu-ray
Killing Spree is just as much insane fun now as it was back in the nineties thanks to some great gore set pieces, quirky characters and Felt’s manic performance. The new Blu-ray release from Terror Vision presents the film in as nice a shape as would seemingly be possible with the available elements, and it throws in some fantastic new extras and a lot of archival supplements to round out the release quite nicely.
Blue Underground – The Toolbox Murders UHD/Blu-ray
A reasonably well made and enjoyable sleazy late seventies slasher, The Toolbox Murders receives a very welcome ultra-high definition upgrade from Blue Underground, who continue to impress with their UHD catalogue title reissues. The movie looks and sounds better than it ever has before and there’s a host of excellent new extra features included here as well.
Vinegar Syndrome - Death Wish 2 UHD/Blu-ray
Death Wish II is a rough and nasty revenge thriller, especially in its uncut form as presented here, that isn’t afraid to push the audience far enough to ensure that they side with the film’s vigilante hero. Bronson is in fine form here and the supporting cast is solid as well. Vinegar Syndrome’s UHD release looks and sounds fantastic and features a nice selection of extra features, highlighted by a proper HD version of the TV cut and an excellent commentary track.
88 Films - Human Lanterns Blu-ray
While not on the same level as some of the more insane Shaw Brothers horror films, Human Lanterns has got enough action, chaos and carnage to make it worth a look. 88 Film’s Blu-ray release won’t win transfer of the year but it does improve over the older DVD release and it throws in a really solid array of supplements to complement the really entertaining feature attraction.
As to the best release of the year? A lot of great stuff came out in 2022 but the release that stood head and shoulders above the rest was…
Severin Films - The Incredibly Strange Films Of Ray Dennis Steckler Blu-ray
A release so big that we had to break it up into five parts (one, two, three, four, and five),this massive collection was an obvious labor of love covering everything from his early horror pictures to his no-budget porno movies to his later attempts to get back into the filmmaking game. With twenty films spread over ten discs, each loaded with extras that do a great job of peeling back the layers of the man’s career, it’s a set that fans of exploitation and oddball cinema cannot miss. Overall, it’s an impressively comprehensive offering that documents the life and career of one of the most important figures in to ever toiled away in the American low budget filmmaking arena. Highly recommended!