Directed by Just Jaeckin, this film has magazine editor Elisabeth (Dayle Haddon, Sex With a Smile, Spermula) having a contest to find the greatest lover in the world with each of the selections getting to spend quality time with her. One of those men is liontamer Pierre (Gerald Ismaël), who works for a destitute circus run by Max (Fernando Rey).

This movie may be less thought of than Jeackin’s Emmanuelle yet it’s a worthwhile film. Perhaps less overall sex, sure, but it still has an erotic charge and more of a romantic story. If you had The Playboy Channel in the 80s, there’s a good chance you probably saw this. And hey — Dalila Di Lazzaro (Frankenstein 80, the female monster in Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, The Pyjama Girl Case, the headmistress in Phenomena) plays herself!

The Cult Epics blu ray release of The Last Romantic Lover has a new 4K HD Transfer from the original 35mm negative supervised by cinematographer Robert Fraisse; audio commentary by Jeremy Richey, the author of the book Sylvia Kristel: from Emmanuelle to Chabrol; interviews with Just Jaeckin and Dayle Haddon; a presentation at the Cinematheque Francaise and trailers. You can get it from MVD.

Dr. Death (John Considine) is a thousand-year-old magician who can transfer souls from one body to another. He keeps himself alive by jumping from one body to the next and oh yeah — he has acid blood. I mean, sure, I’m down with that.

Sadly, this never got a sequel, as that was the plan. The main story is about Fred Saunders (Barry Coe), whose wife has just died and promised to return from the other side. After finding that spiritualist after spiritualist are all carny liars, he meets Doctor Death who really can bring the dead back from the grave. Of course, he’s also an absolute maniac.

One of the film’s financiers was Barry Gordy, who got to direct a scene. It’s also the last screen appearance of Moe Howard and has horror host Larry “Seymour” Vincent as a killer.

Consider this a 1973 TV movie that played theaters and drive-ins. It’s low budget, but groovy as it gets. I want to live in the world of this movie so badly. I really wish they’d made ten of these movies. “Enter that body!” says Doctor Death. Sure, whatever you want.

The Kino Lorber blu ray release of Doctor Death has commentary by John Considine, who also contributed an intro and an interview. It also has an interview with the director’s son Steve Saeta and a trailer. You can get it from Kino Lorber.

Based upon the long-banned novel by Henry Miller and featuring a soundtrack by Country Joe McDonald, Quiet Days In Clichy is considered to be the most daring film adaptation ever of one of the most controversial authors in history.

In May of 1970, the United States Government seized the only English-language prints of this movie on charges of obscenity. It was ultimately cleared in Federal Court, but the film mysteriously disappeared shortly after its release. Now more than 50 years later, a restoration has appeared from Blue Underground.

Joey (Paul Valjean) is an American writer. Carl (Joey Wayne Rodda) is his European friend. Most of the film is about their lack of money yet easy availability of women of all ages and situations, from sex workers to underage girls and married women who have lost their husbands.

Directed by Jens Jorgen Thorsen — who courted controversy over sex much in the same way as Miller — this is a gorgeous black and white film that while not outright pornography has the same story beats, as it moves from one sex scene to another. It’s definitely something worth seeing, but by no means expect gorgeous looking lovemaking. It’s down and dirty real life with all the mess that means.

I did really enjoy how Miller’s words were literally written all over the film at points.

The Blue Underground 4K UHD release of Quiet Days In Clincy has both ultra HD blu ray (2160p) and HD blu ray (1080p) widescreen 1.66:1 feature presentations. It has extras including interviews with Country Joe McDonald and Henry Miller’s editor and publisher Barney Rosset, a Midnight Blue appearance by Rosset, a deleted scene, a trailer, a gallery of posters, stills and book covers, and court documents. You can get it from MVD.

Directed by Jeffrey Obrow (The Dorm That Dripped Blood, The Power) and Stephen Carpenter, who wrote the script along with John Penney (who wrote and directed Zyzzyx Road), Joseph Stefano (Psycho) and Earl Ghaffari, this movie starts with Amanda (Kim Hunter) giving her son John (David Allen Brooks) a dying request to destroy all of the notes from her lab. And oh yeah — he had a brother. And also, PS PS, that brother has tentacles.

The Kindred has a great cast — Amanda Pays, Rod Steiger, Talia Balsam — and even better effects. It might not have the best story, but look, in 1987, this was a very solid five for five rental. And today, in 2022, it’s a great reissue blu ray that looks way better than it ever has before. I mean, it has Steiger get dumped with KY jelly and he did that stunt himself. A true pro as always.

Practical effects forever. Seriously, if I saw this when I was 15, I would probably be even more into it than I was and that’s the mark of a worthwhile film.

The Synapse blu ray release of The Kindred has an all-new 4K high-definition remaster of the unrated version of the film, along with audio commentary with directors Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter, moderated by horror journalist Steve Barton, an all-new documentary on the film, never-before-seen behind the scenes effects experiments, a still gallery, storyboards, theater and video trailer, and TV ads. You can get it from MVD.

Dougie is obsessed with a video game in which he plays Satan’s helper. So when he meets a serial killer in a Satan mask, well, why shouldn’t he believe that he can really help the Lord of the Flies in this world? After all, his sister Jenna picked her new boyfriend Alex over him for Halloween. Also: Amanda Plummer is his mom, so you may understand why he’s a little strange.

Jeff Lieberman is perhaps better known for Squirm, Blue Sunshine and Just Before Dawn. Yet this is a really fun movie that more people should be watching, a silly — but never dumb — dark film that somehow has Bob Dylan and Joe Walsh on the soundtrack despite a low budget. The ideas and situations are directly opposite of how original this is. And Satan’s mask? Perfect.

The Synapse blu ray of Satan’s Little Helper has a commentary track by Lieberman, a behind the scenes feature, a making of, a tour of filming locations and a trailer. You can get it from MVD.

In the year 2022, John Robbins (Ray Liotta) has been sentenced to a prison island for assassinating his commanding officer. Run by The Warden (Michael Lerner), this prison is filled with society’s most violent and feared criminals and split between the The Outsiders, who are ruled by Marek (Stuart Wilson) and The Insiders, commanded Father (Lance Henriksen) and his followers Hankins (Ernie Hudson) and Casey (Kevin Dillon).

Robbins doesn’t care to join anyone. He just wants to escape. Yet by stealing a weapon from The Outsiders, he’s unleashed a civil war that could destroy everyone.

Based on the 1987 novel The Penal Colony by Richard Herley, this movie was directed by Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, The Legend of Zorro) and really feels way too close to reality. Beyond being set in 2022, prisons are run by corporations and prisoners are seen as assets. Hmm.

There are plenty of stars in this and tons of action. Somehow, some way, I’ve never seen this before and was pretty entertained by it.

The Unearthed Classics DVD of No Escape has the original theatrical trailer, TV spots and an alternate beginning. You can get it from MVD.

A fascinating look at the art of filmmaking, including stories and clips from the making of some of the greatest films of the 70’s and 80’s, Cinematographer focuses on Donald M. Morgan (Se7en, Starman), who has worked with Robert Zemeckis, John Carpenter and Joseph Sargent. It also has an appearance by Owen Roizman, the man who helped shoot The French Connection, The Exorcist and Tootsie.

For a film geek, this is a near-perfect movie to just sit back and savor. Directed by Dan Asma, I came out of this really interested in the life of Morgan, a man who overcame addiction to become someone so important to the way that we see movies. His personal stories are so great as well, including a brutal tale about Carpenter. It was really emotional to hear the way that he spoke of working with some of the greats of Hollywood, as well as others explaining how they felt about him.

You can get this movie from MVD.