No other company has done more of Australian cinema than Umbrella Entertainment – the home of Ozploitaion, but the Melbourne-based label is also responsible for some of the most random and outrageous Blu-ray releases on the market.
It never ceases to amaze me what Umbrella Entertainment manage to unearth when it comes to Ozploitation cinema. One of their latest acquisitions is the little-known classic Sidecar Racers, which made its debut on DVD back in May. Offering a casual yet thrilling glimpse into the world of sidecar motorcycle racing, a seasoned racer, Dave […]
DVD Review: Sidecar Racers (1975) Read More »
With the highly anticipated Three From Hell on the horizon, Rob Zombie’s long-awaited third instalment in his Firefly series; Umbrella Entertainment have packaged both House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects together as a double bill, appropriately titled Two From Hell. Out now on Blu-ray with a stack of extras and exclusive artwork. Can
Blu-ray Review: Two From Hell Read More »
I had heard of Krull before, but never gave the lesser known title much thought as I was preoccupied with more prominent titles like Willow and Ladyhawke. What lead to me finally watching Krull was finding it listed among the ’10 Best Star Wars Rip-Offs’. While it’s far less obvious than others, the swashbuckling adventure
Blu-ray Review: Krull (1983) Read More »
I had my first taste of Philippe Mora’s body of work recently in the form of Howling III: The Marsupials, an off-the-wall send up of cheap and nasty B-pictures, but with an Australian flavour. Now I’ve jumped back eleven years with his more celebrated ‘Ozploitation Classic’ Mad Dog Morgan, which like Howling III, made its
Blu-ray Review: Mad Dog Morgan (1976) Read More »
Splatter hounds rejoice because New Zealand’s open-brain nightmare Death Warmed Up is now on Blu-ray thanks to Umbrella Entertainment. Directed by schlock-master David Blyth (My Grandpa is a Vampire), this incoherent horror/sci-fi mash-up follows a man set on avenging his horrific treatment at the hands of a crazed scientist, whose experiments involve a barbaric form
Blu-ray Review: Death Warmed Up (1984) Read More »
Umbrella Entertainment have brought many obscure Australian films to the home media market, titles that would have otherwise remained unheard of by most. However, their March line-up featured the staple classic Storm Boy, on Blu-ray for the very first time in a release I’m confident will never be matched. Based on Colin Thiele’s acclaimed novel,
Blu-ray Review: Storm Boy (1976) Read More »
March was a heavy-hitter for Blu-ray releases from Umbrella Entertainment with Philippe Mora’s Howling III: The Marsupials taking much of the spotlight via a very generous treatment for the Ozploitation classic. Unrelated to Joe Dante’s 1981 original, a sociologist studying werewolves searches for proof of their existence in Australia where an aspiring actress appears to
Blu-ray Review: Howling III: The Marsupials (1987) Read More »
While not a film one would expect to fall under Umbrella Entertainment’s home library, its status as underappreciated has made Cry Freedom a worthy selection for HD treatment. From director Richard Attenborough, this racially and politically charged drama tells the courageous true story of native South African activist Steve Biko and white journalist Donald Woods.
Blu-ray Review: Cry Freedom (1987) Read More »
Umbrella Entertainment delivers its first ‘OzErotic’ double feature to Blu-ray in the form of John D. Lamond’s Felicity and Tony Paterson’s debut film Centrespread, two highly exploitative yet, profoundly different features. Felicity follows a young woman’s eagerness to live out her sexual fantasies but is confined to a monastic school, until a trip to Hong
Blu-ray Review: Felicity & Centrespread Read More »
As many collectors and film fans bask in this 4K climate, the phrase “…first time on DVD.” probably sounds almost foreign to most. However, it’s very much the case for Lunatics: A Love Story, which recently made its surprise debut to the SD format under Umbrella Entertainment in Australia. Hank Stone (Theodore “Ted” Raimi) hasn’t
DVD Review: Lunatics: A Love Story (1991) Read More »