SEVERIN CAPS SHORTEST MONTH WITH BIG RELEASES SHOWCASING SUZZANNA, JESS FRANCO & UHD LUCIO FULCI
SUZZANNA: EMPRESS OF DARKNESS Features 5 Films + Suzzanna Documentary; JESS FRANCO: FROM BANGKOK WITH BULLETS Brings Rare Pair of Francos; VOICES FROM BEYOND is Penultimate Fulci Film in 4K
Severin Films today announced their February slate of releases in continued celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary. SUZZANNA: EMPRESS OF DARKNESS brings together the North American Disc Premieres of 4 classic films from “Indonesia’s Ultimate Queen of Horror” (Screen Anarchy) – PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS, WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN, MALAM SATU SURO and KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT – plus her final feature GHOST AMBULANCE and the award-winning Severin documentary SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC directed by David Gregory; JESS FRANCO: FROM BANGKOK WITH BULLETS highlights two of the famed filmmaker’s rarely seen 1985 action-adventure romps filmed partially in Thailand; and the Worldwide UHD Premiere of VOICES FROM BEYOND, the penultimate shocker and “worthy finale to his career” (Morbidly Beautiful) from writer/director Lucio Fulci in a 3-disc collection with a Bonus Stelvio Cipriani Soundtrack CD.
Pre-orders for SUZZANNA: EMPRESS OF DARKNESS, JESS FRANCO: FROM BANGKOK WITH BULLETS and VOICES FROM BEYOND begin February 27th at the Severin Webstore.
She’s known as “an icon” (Hi-Def Digest), “a cult legend” (Gizmodo) and “an inspiration for modern scream queens” (The Final Girls). Nearly two decades after her passing, she remains “Indonesia’s Ultimate Queen of Horror” (Screen Anarchy). In this 3 disc/6 film collection, discover Suzzanna for the very first time…or as you’ve never experienced her before: In PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS, Suzzanna stars as a woman who returns from the dead for violent revenge, complete with knockoff Freddy Krueger glove. Suzzanna portrays a regal reptile empress and her mortal twin sister in the wild WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN. MALAM SATU SURO and KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT both star Suzzanna in her most famous role as the grisly ghost of feminist vengeance, Sundelbolong. And in the “fascinating” (Cinapse) Severin Films documentary SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC, director David Gregory peels back every startling layer of her controversial life, death and legacy. The 4 Soraya Productions have been scanned in 2K from their original camera negatives in English-friendly versions for the first time ever in America, with over 3 hours of Special Features that include revealing interviews, expert analysis and Suzzanna’s final film, GHOST AMBULANCE.
Disc 1: PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS / WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN
“The Queen of Indonesian horror” (Collider) stars in two classic films from the latter part of her legendary career featuring three of her most provocative performances of all: Suzzanna has the time of her life as a woman who returns from the dead – complete with eye-popping special effects and Freddy Krueger-style razor glove – to avenge her family’s massacre in PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS from writer/director Sisworo Gautama Putra (SATAN’S SLAVE, MALAM SATU SURO). In WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN, directed by H. Tjut Djalil (MYSTICS IN BALI, LADY TERMINATOR), Suzzanna triumphs in a dual role as a malevolent reptile empress who possesses the body of her sexually uninhibited twin sister to unleash savage retribution on the men who murdered their parents. Both Soraya Productions are now scanned in 2K from their original camera negatives in English-friendly versions for the first time ever in America.
Disc Specs for PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS / WHITE CROCODILE QUEEN:
● Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
● Runtime: 85 mins / 98 mins
● Audio: Indonesian Mono
● Subtitles: English
● Region: A
Disc 2: MALAM SATU SURO / KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT
In her most iconic role of all, “Indonesia’s greatest scream queen” (Whitlock & Pope) stars as folkloric ghoul Sundelbolong – literally ‘ghost with hole,’ the vengeful spirit of a rape victim whose long black hair hides the maggot-infested opening in her back through which her baby was born – in these two classic ‘80s shockers: In MALAM SATU SURO, Suzzanna brings supernatural carnage to the big city when a violent kidnapping unlocks Sundelbolong’s maternal fury. In KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT, Suzzanna is an agoraphobic author whose haunting by Sundelbolong triggers a nightmare of dark secrets and demonic mayhem. Both films are directed by the legendary Sisworo Gautama Putra (SATAN’S SLAVE, PACT WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS) and are now scanned in 2K from their original camera negatives in English-friendly versions for the first time ever in America.
Disc 2: Special Features for MALAM SATU SURO / KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT:
● Hantu Retribution: Female Ghosts Of The Malay Archipelago – Interview With Filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham And Dr. Rosalind Galt, Author Of Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak And Cinemas Of Decolonization
Disc Specs for MALAM SATU SURO / KLIWON FRIDAY NIGHT:
● Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
● Runtime: 84 mins / 89 mins
● Audio: Indonesian Mono
● Subtitles: English
● Region: A
Disc 3: SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC / GHOST AMBULANCE
She starred in 42 movies and is still hailed as ‘The Queen of Indonesian Horror.’ But who was Suzanna Martha Frederika van Osch, beloved by the Asian world as Suzzanna yet virtually unknown outside it? In this “stellar” (Hi-Def Digest) Severin Films documentary from director David Gregory (ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON), discover the enigmatic horror star best known for portraying vengeful spirits from Indonesian folklore, demons whose supernatural retribution are widely believed to have influenced her controversial life and mysterious death. Through exclusive interviews with family, colleagues, filmmakers and historians, as well as “gloriously over-the-top” (Gizmodo) clips from her classic films, Gregory unearths the legacy of “Indonesia’s eternal queen of darkness” (Vice), complete with over 3 hours of revealing Special Features that include Suzzanna’s final film, GHOST AMBULANCE.
Disc 3: Special Features for SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC / GHOST AMBULANCE:
SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC
● A Conversation With Director/Co-Producer David Gregory And Co-Producer Ekky Imanjaya
● David Gregory Introduction At Jakarta Film Week Screening, October 2024
● Trailer
GHOST AMBULANCE
● The Making Of GHOST AMBULANCE
● ShowBiz On Location Interviews With Cast And Crew
● GHOST AMBULANCE Silet Interview With Actors Suzzanna And Clift Sangra
● Promo Clips
● Trailer
Disc Specs for SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC / GHOST AMBULANCE:
● Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
● Runtime: 88 mins / 88 mins
● Audio: Indonesian Stereo / Indonesian Mono
● Subtitles: English
● Region: A/B/C
JESS FRANCO: FROM BANGKOK WITH BULLETS
In 1985, writer/director Jess Franco briefly stepped away from horror and erotica to focus on several adventure thrillers that combined elements of his earlier Eurospy and Fu Manchu hits with his sardonic wit and love for exotic settings. But having no budget for foreign locales, he instead sent cinematographer Juan Soler to Thailand to shoot a few days of exteriors which became the foundation for two of Uncle Jess’ most surprising – and rarely-seen – Spanish productions of the decade: In The Worldwide Blu-ray Premiere of TRIP TO BANGKOK, COFFIN INCLUDED, Francoverse legend Howard Vernon stars as a cantankerous British agent on the trail of a creepy cult leader. In The Worldwide Disc Premiere of BANGKOK, DATE WITH DEATH, Jess unleashes a pop-art crime spree of pirates, kidnappers and kung fu killers starring his beloved muse Lina Romay. Both films have been scanned in 4K from their original camera negatives, complete with all-new appreciations by Stephen Thrower and Parts 14 & 15 of In the Land of Franco, hailed by Mondo Digital as “Severin’s ongoing featurettes that now constitute the most intensive and valuable survey of a filmmaker’s locations in history.”
Disc 1: Special Features for TRIP TO BANGKOK, COFFIN INCLUDED:
● Filmmaking On The Run – Interview With Film Writer/Bit Player/Assistant Director Carlos Aguilar
● Colonel Blimp In Bangkok – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Flowers Of Perversion: The Delirious Cinema Of Jesús Franco
● In The Land Of Franco Part 14
Disc Specs for TRIP TO BANGKOK, COFFIN INCLUDED:
● Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
● Runtime: 92 mins
● Audio: Spanish Mono
● Subtitles: English
● Region: A/B/C
Disc 2: Special Features for BANGKOK, DATE WITH DEATH:
● Carrara In Bangkok – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Flowers Of Perversion: The Delirious Cinema Of Jesús Franco
● Bangkok Back To Back – Interview With Film Scholar Dr. Álex Mendíbil
● In The Land Of Franco Part 15
Disc Specs for BANGKOK, DATE WITH DEATH:
● Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
● Runtime: 88 mins
● Audio: Spanish Mono
● Subtitles: English
● Region: A/B/C
VOICES FROM BEYOND
The penultimate film from writer/director Lucio Fulci – in ill health and likely knowing the end was near – is “the highlight of his twilight era” (Mondo Digital), “a classic return to the formula that made his earlier work so incredible” (Blood Sucking Geek) and presented in UHD for the first time ever: When the scion of a wealthy family dies under shocking circumstances, every heir has a motive for murder. But will the restless spirit of the deceased now seek vengeance from beyond the grave? Karina Huff (THE BLACK CAT), Pascal Persiano (PAGANINI HORROR) and Lorenzo Flaherty (Private Crimes) star – with a juicy cameo by the maestro himself – in “the movie that shows Fulci could still do it” (Horror Cult Films), co-written by Piero Ragnoli (BURIAL GROUND) from a short story by Fulci with gore effects by Pino Ferranti (CANNIBAL FEROX, HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD) and a score by Stelvio Cipriani (A BAY OF BLOOD), newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with over an hour of Special Features and a Bonus Soundtrack CD.
Special Features for VOICES FROM BEYOND:
UHD:
● Trailer
Blu-ray:
● About Death – Audio Interview With Lucio Fulci
● Beyond The Living – Interview With Actor Pascal Persiano
● A House For The Dead – Interview With Set Designer Antonello Geleng
● Like A Father – Interview With Prop Master Vincenzo Luzzi
● Lucio’s Last Wave – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Beyond Terror: The Films Of Lucio Fulci
● Trailer
+ Soundtrack CD
Disc Specs for VOICES FROM BEYOND:
● Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
● Runtime: 91 mins
● Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono
● Subtitles: English SDH, English
● 4K Video: HDR10
● Region: UHD: A/B/C, Blu-ray: A
