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Magic, Myth & Mutilation: The Micro-Budget Cinema Of Michael J. Murphy 1967-2015

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  • Magic, Myth & Mutilation: The Micro-Budget Cinema Of Michael J. Murphy 1967-2015

    Press release!

    https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/co...y-1967-2015-le

    Click image for larger version  Name:	mmm.jpg Views:	0 Size:	51.1 KB ID:	397471

    Release date: 24 October 2022
    Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set (World Blu-ray premieres)

    Amongst overlooked filmmakers, British director Michael J Murphy ranks as one of the most sorely neglected. Having cut his teeth on a variety of homemade 8mm shorts, he had completed three feature-length productions by the age of eighteen. Over the next five decades, Murphy would go on to make many more films across a variety of genres, dividing his production time between Greece, Portugal, and the UK, with family, friends, and local stage performers becoming his regular cast and crew in exchange for holidays in the sun.

    Despite this prolific output – a total of more than thirty completed films over a half-century, of which twenty-six survive – Murphy’s work remains rarely seen and little championed. Fitfully available on videotape, and barely represented on DVD, this comprehensive and long-gestating ten-disc Blu-ray collection seeks to rectify that situation once and for all. Boasting all-new 2K restorations from archival 16mm and 8mm elements, as well as a number of new digital captures from Murphy’s personal tape masters, this extensive retrospective of the obsessive auteur’s work is bolstered by a wealth of bonus features, including surviving fragments from lost works, and a 120-page book, all of which provides the definitive account of the weird and wonderful worlds of Britain’s great unheralded DIY filmmaker.


    INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION 10 x BLU-RAY BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

    All-new 2K restorations by Powerhouse Films, using film elements from the Murphy archives, of Tristan and Iseult (1970), Happy Ever After (1974), Secrets (1977), Almost a Movie (1979), The Cell (1980), Stay (1980), Death in the Family (1981), Invitation to Hell (1983), The Last Night (1983), Bloodstream (1985), Moonchild (1989), Torment (1990), Atlantis (1991), Road to Nowhere (1993), Tristan (version one, 1999), ZK3 (2012), Nekros: Isle of the Dead (2014), and The Return of Alan Strange (2015)

    Standard Definition presentations, newly digitised from Murphy’s tape masters, of Qualen (1983), Tristan aka Legend of the Hero (1986), Death Run (1987), Avalon (1988), Second Sight (1992), The Rite of Spring (version one, 1995), The Rite of Spring (version two, 1995), Tristan (version two, 1999), Roxi (2004), and Skare (2008)

    Original mono soundtracks

    Over 34 hours’ worth of film content

    Audio commentary with Murphy, and actors Sally Duncan and Phil Lyndon on Invitation to Hell (2008)

    Audio commentary with author and arts professor Johnny Walker on Invitation to Hell (2022)

    Audio commentary with Murphy, Duncan and Lyndon on The Last Night (2008)

    Audio commentary with Murphy, actors June Bunday, Judith Holding and Lyndon on Atlantis (2010)

    Audio commentary with Murphy and Holding on Skare (2009)

    Murphy’s Lore (2022): three-part documentary assessing Murphy’s five-decade career, featuring interviews with Murphy, Bunday, Holding, Chris Jupp, Stephen Longhurst, Patrick Olliver, filmmakers Jackson Batchelor, Sam Mason Bell and Tom Lee Rutter, film historians Darrell Buxton and Walker, and film programmer Paul Cotgrove

    The Horror-on-Sea Interview with Michael J Murphy (2013): the prolific filmmaker in conversation with Bunday and Lyndon, recorded for the British horror festival

    The Making of ‘Invitation to Hell’ and ‘The Last Night’ (2008): retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Murphy, Lyndon and Duncan

    The Making of ‘Atlantis’ (2010): two-part retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Murphy, Lyndon, Bunday and Holding

    The Making of ‘Skare’ (2009): retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Murphy and Holding

    The Making of ‘Roxi’ (2004): documentary featuring interviews with actors Mary-Anne Barlow, Bruce Lawrence, Ross Maxwell and Valia Yanarou

    The Making of ‘ZK3’ (2012): retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Murphy, Holding and Lyndon

    ‘The Rite of Spring’: Behind the Scenes (1999)

    ‘Nekros’: Behind the Scenes (2012)

    ‘Skare’ Script Readthrough (2008)

    Surviving fragments from six lost Murphy films: Atlantis: City of Sin (1967), Boadicea (1968), Gods and Heroes (1971), two versions of Seventh Day (1976/77), and Insight (1978)

    Outtakes from Moonchild, Torment, Atlantis, Second Sight, and Skare

    Mute rushes from the lost 16mm version of Skare, with optional selected scene commentary with actor Oliver Price

    ‘The Return of Alan Strange’ Test Footage (2014)

    Michael J Murphy on ‘Beast’ (2010): interview with the filmmaker about Chris Jupp’s remake of his lost version of Skare

    Video Tour of Michael J Murphy’s Home (2014)

    Michael J Murphy Tribute Video (2015): documentary short made for the Murlyn Films International website

    Home video footage shot by Murphy

    Trailers for Invitation to Hell, The Last Night, Bloodstream, Legend of a Hero, Death Run, Avalon, Moonchild, Torment, Atlantis, Road to Nowhere, The Rite of Spring, Tristan, Roxi, Skare, ZK3, Nekros: Isle of Death, and The Return of Alan Strange

    Original ‘Stay’ 7" single needle-drop recording

    Image galleries

    Script galleries

    Limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Murphy experts Wayne Maginn, Paul Higson, Darrell Buxton and Johnny Walker, a comprehensive filmography, and film credits

    World premieres on Blu-ray

    Limited edition box set of 6,000 numbered units for the UK and US

    All extras subject to change

    #PHILTD280
    BBFC cert: 18 TBC
    REGION FREE
    EAN: 5060697922523
    Rock! Shock! Pop!

  • #2
    I applaud the Severin type box set, but I've only heard of one of these films. I need to do some research at £70.
    I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

    Comment


    • #3
      I was hoping to be first in line to say, "why, I never even heard of this bloke", but you beat me to it agent999.

      The name rings a bell, maybe I've seen a VHS or DVD of 'Invitation to Hell' knocking around or something, but beyond that, I dunno...

      As with some of Severin's recent boxes, the main mitigating factor here is just TIME.... if I were living in some eternal, featureless limbo with nothing but a TV and a blu-ray player, I'm sure spending 50 hours traversing the world of Michael J. Murphy would be a perfectly reasonable undertaking, but in a world in which I struggle to find time to watch films which are actually good & well-made & actively appealing to me, I'm afraid that it's probably just never going to happen.
      https://breakfastintheruins.blogspot.com/
      http://stereosanctity.blogspot.com/

      Comment


      • #4
        Murlyn Films has a Youtube channel where you can see some of the trailers. I'm sure I remember them having the full films there at one time but not now (for obvious reasons).

        https://www.youtube.com/c/MURLYNFILM...IONAL/featured

        Comment


        • #5
          Odd! First thought, that's an incredibly admirable, impressive release! Second thought, that's just exploitation of all those physical media collectors who will buy anything that comes in a nice box. LBecause lets face it, no ones watching all of these. Few will be watching half. Most will start a few of them, maybe finish one. Third thought, maybe that's unfair. Fourth thought, there's hope for all of us no budget filmmakers out there. I can see a future box set with my name on it. Finally discovered in box set form!
          "Never let the fact that they are doing it wrong stop you from doing it right." Hyman Mandell.

          Comment


          • #6
            That is a great cover, wonder if the films remotely live up to it. I'm more likely to ve interested in a zero budget filmmaker working on film than SOV though.

            Comment


            • #7
              Invitation to Hell and The Last Night were made specifically for the pre-cert video market and got released by the same company that put out Milligan's The Ghastly Ones (with both on the same tape since they're medium-length films). I knew Murphy had made at least one or two other films around the same time, mainly because of some Bleeding Skull reviews, but I had no idea his career went any further than that.

              I'm all over this though, it's right up my alley. A guy churning out absurdly ambitious no-budget movies for decades, shooting on film wherever possible, relying on a small group of returning actors? That's so enticing that even if the films are unwatchable I know Indicator will stack on enough extras and context to make it worthwhile. Though I have to wonder if they set out to do a big retrospective boxset on Murphy, or if they were looking at releasing some of his '80s horror and realised "holy shit we could technically put out everything".

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Ignatius View Post
                . Though I have to wonder if they set out to do a big retrospective boxset on Murphy, or if they were looking at releasing some of his '80s horror and realised "holy shit we could technically put out everything".
                I imagine Murphy would have given the films for free with just a percentage after profits are made, and I wouldn't think they would do a massive amount of restoration on anything so why not throw them all in?
                "Never let the fact that they are doing it wrong stop you from doing it right." Hyman Mandell.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Dom D View Post
                  I imagine Murphy would have given the films for free with just a percentage after profits are made, and I wouldn't think they would do a massive amount of restoration on anything so why not throw them all in?
                  But that's the thing - Indicator releases have sometimes been let down by existing masters but any restorations they've done themselves have been superb. Even if they decided not to go all-out on the restorations it's still a huge cost to get all that material scanned, cleaned, and graded. All the boxsets of theirs I've watched have clearly had a lot of effort poured into them, so even if they did get the films for basically nothing this must still be a hugely expensive endeavour. Must be a passion project for someone over there.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    16mm to digital transfer ith some clean up doesn't have to cost that much. Even if you're outsourcing for just a single film, and not getting a deal, it can be done for around a grand a film.

                    But it is a fascinating set. Either a passion project or a deeply cynical release. I can't decide.
                    "Never let the fact that they are doing it wrong stop you from doing it right." Hyman Mandell.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I think on balance it's a passion project. Certainly a ballsy move, it's not like there's much of a ready made following unlike like Adamson, Milligan or Steckler. It's quite a hard sell to put out a set like this to people that mostly aren't aware of him (a pretty lukewarm reaction so far), and it's well priced considering the sheer amount of stuff. Is it aquick Halloween cash grab? I personally doubt it will be ready in time as it's due the week before and delays often happen on big box sets, plus it will be fighting against other horror titles for people's cash. I'm tempted despite knowing I'll probably never complete the set, but I don't think there's any need to rush into it.
                      ​​​​
                      ​​​
                      I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Screw it, I ordered it. £63 with the 10% discount code direct from Powerhouse. That's only £13 more than I paid for their Norman J Warren and Fu Manchu boxsets. Plus that Invitation to Hell cover was one I used to see all the time as a kid in video stores in the Pre Cert days, so it'll be fun to have on the shelf. I don't feel violated ...yet.
                        I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

                        Comment

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