Severin Films has been dominating the genre film home video market for years now, and they're offering up another gory feast for fans of Italian horror this August. The releases include a collaboration by three of the country’s top talents and a double dose of killer reptile flicks, both are available on August 27th.
First up is Wax Mask. This over-the-top tale about grisly murders occurring at a Paris wax museum was an idea that Dario Argento had wanted Lucio Fulci to direct. Unfortunately, the ailing Fulci passed a few weeks before production was set to begin. Argento’s FX guru, Sergio Stivaletti, stepped in and took over the directing reigns. Original Grand Guignol director/performer Robert Hossein (Riffifi) and Aldo Massasso (Contraband) star in what DVD Drive-In hails as “old-timey luridness married to state-of-the-art gore” – from a screenplay co-written by Fulci with cinematography by Sergio Salvati (Zombie, The Beyond) – now featuring a 4K scan from the original negative supervised by Stivaletti and packed with Special Features that include rare behind-the-scenes footage, all-new interviews and more.
Special Features for Wax Mask:
Audio Commentary with Director / Special Effects Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Michelangelo Stivaletti
Beyond Fulci – Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo, Production Designer Massimo Geleng, Actress Gabriella Giorgelli and Filmmaker Claudio Fragasso
The Chamber of Horrors – Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo, Production Designer Massimo Geleng and Actress Gabriella Giorgelli
Living Dolls – Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo and Actress Gabriella Giorgelli
The Mysteries of the Wax Museum – Interview with SFX Artist Sergio Stivaletti
The Waxworks Symphony – Interview with Soundtrack Composer Maurizio Abeni
The Grand Opening – Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti and Producer Giuseppe Columbo
Wax Unmasked – Interview with Film Writer Alan Jones
Vintage featurettes: Behind the Scenes (22 mins), Special Effects (12 mins), On Set with Dario Argento (4 mins)
Wax Mask is available in both a Standard Edition and Limited Edition (4000 units) which includes an Exclusive Slip Case and Bonus Soundtrack CD. Bundles will also be available from the Severin webstore containing a Lenticular 5×7 Art Print, key chain and sticker.
Then there's Killer Crocodile, a glorious Jaws rip-off with an Italian-Sleaze twist. A tropical island community is terrorized by a gigantic crocodile spawned from toxic waste. A group of young, idealistic environmentalists set out to stop the creature. Directed by Fabrizio De Angelis, Killer Crocodile features a dream team of shock maestros including screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti, gore guru Giannetto De Rossi and Oscar-nominated composer Riz Ortolani. Richard Anthony Crenna, Sherrie Rose, Ennio Girolami and Hollywood legend Van Johnson star in this crocsploitation classic now scanned in 2K from the original negative.
For fans looking to croc-around-the-clock, a special limited edition release (4000 units) of Killer Crocodile will be available and this one will include Killer Crocodile 2. In this sequel a holiday resort is under attack from a second monstrous croc!
Special Features for Killer Crocodile:
Half A Croc – Interview with Makeup FX Artist Giannetto De Rossi
Italian Crocodiles – Interview with Actor Pietro Genuardi
An Italian in Santo Domingo – Interview with Cinematographer Federico Del Zoppo
Special Features for Killer Crocodile 2 (Available only in the Limited Edition of Killer Crocodile):
Maidens and Flesh Eaters – Career Interview With FX Master Giannetto De Rossi
