WEBVTT 1 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:28.399 Hello there, everybody, and welcome back to the Disconnected. I am here 2 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.559 with and I'm gonna try this for the first time on air with him. 3 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:38.359 See if I can do this, Eugenio er Kolani. I even got these 4 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:45.119 the chef's kiss amazing. This is somebody that I have really become acquainted with 5 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:48.719 over last year with his work at least, and I have been more and 6 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:54.359 more impressed with what I'm reading and hearing. Producer contributor to all of these. 7 00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:00.320 You work at acquisitions, interviewing people and pretty much everything that leads to 8 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.400 us holding all of these wonderful boutique releases. So thank you so much for 9 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:07.640 giving your time and coming on here to spend some time talking. It's amazing, 10 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:15.040 absolutely happy to be here and chat. Shoot the breeze. If you 11 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:19.000 don't know right now he is located in Rome, right I am. I 12 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:23.480 am located in Rome. My life really at the moment, well for the 13 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:30.599 past few years has been split between London and Rome, so at the moment 14 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:38.439 I'm in Rome working. In fact, I'm going to be starting a principal 15 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:47.519 photography on a kind of a docu film hybrid documentary with the kind of a 16 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:51.719 cinema twist, a film twist within it. We're going to start principal photography 17 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:59.480 in less than forty eight hours on Monday, and we will be on the 18 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:07.639 career of Luke Mirinda French French actor who became big in the early seventies, 19 00:02:07.919 --> 00:02:14.360 first half of the seventies in Italy. And yeah, it's quite an undertaking. 20 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:20.000 It's a big, big project, quite an ambitious documentary. It's set 21 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:24.840 to be released in theaters, so it's not an extra, but people might 22 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:31.400 like to know that. We have quite an array of interviewees. Tinto Bras, 23 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:42.560 Sercho Martino, General Abizo, who's just ridiculously was a ridiculously prolific editor. 24 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:46.199 He's the guy who edited The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 25 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:53.759 and all of the Dania Dania Films, Dania production. So so yeah, 26 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:59.639 it's it's quite quite an ambitious project and I'm going to be shooting that throughout 27 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:06.439 the rest of November. So yeah, so you have worked on a lot 28 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:07.439 of the stuff. What do you what do you tell people you do? 29 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:12.240 Because I'm curious how how the people that are in this industry, how they 30 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:15.159 even described their job, because it feels like you probably have like fourteen different 31 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:21.159 part time jobs. Essentially, yeah, pretty much. I mean when I 32 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:29.639 tell people who are not collectors of physical media, I mean my my my 33 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:34.360 girlfriend, my partner, she is absolutely not a collector of Blu rays, 34 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:38.199 although she appreciates it. And so when we kind of go out and the 35 00:03:38.280 --> 00:03:42.319 question arises, like, oh, what do you do, and I say, 36 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.960 well, I'm a freelance producer for you know, home video releases. 37 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:51.000 I kind of do the extras. The usually the answer is, oh, 38 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:58.319 are they still doing blue rays? That's that's It's very it's quite a disquieting 39 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:04.280 experience because you've got a slice of the population that you know, sees these 40 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:10.520 things as completely obsolete, and you know, really is there any money? 41 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:15.079 Like you know, and then you've got you know, collectors and people within 42 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:23.040 the business who dedicate their life to the preservation of films and the restoration and 43 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:28.800 getting these these films out in the best edition possible. And it's very difficult 44 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:36.480 sometimes to kind of gel those those two realities together. I I'm kind of 45 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:46.800 I define myself as a film historian slash producer. But you know, you 46 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:51.079 have to wear a lot of hats, so, you know, especially when 47 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:59.959 I started out I've been doing this now for a little less than sixty eight 48 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:05.920 is although the first three years I was a d ing. I was an 49 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:11.519 ad both in Italy, mostly in Italy to be fair, but also occasionally 50 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:17.680 abroad. And then I've been doing this working on extras full time for the 51 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:26.000 past three years. So and and yeah, you you you, I was 52 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:29.000 saying, you wear a lot of hats. You know, you you sometimes 53 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:36.360 have to improvise as a camera operator, you end up doing subtitles. You 54 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:44.759 you connect rights holders with labels, and it's it's yeah, it's very dynamic. 55 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:53.120 Every every project and every label is a different relationship, requires different tasks 56 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:58.079 and roles, and you know, it's it's it's ever changing. You never 57 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.839 really do the same set of things every time. Dynamic is probably the best 58 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.040 word to put onto this, because not only are the labels different, but 59 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:10.240 I imagine the experience with most of the films themselves can be very different because 60 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:15.399 where you know, the the reels are kept, where the rights holders are, 61 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.000 the actual ability for people to sign these over, and then on top 62 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:24.319 of that, the willingness of people to participate in extras can be a completely 63 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.120 different jot. I'm sure, oh yeah, I mean, when it comes 64 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:34.079 to finding the rights of films, that's what can be very complex. Another 65 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:39.399 aspect is getting what you want from the rights holders. So you know, 66 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:46.160 they will give you so many obstacles. So we'll give you this film but 67 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:54.600 for subs or you know, you have to pay for the scan side, 68 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.240 or we'll give you this film but only if you buy these two films or 69 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:01.439 you know that amount of money. More. So you have to kind of 70 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:09.480 it's it's really it's it's it's a whole song and dance to try to get 71 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:14.839 what you actually want. Not to mention some of these big companies in Italy, 72 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:19.360 but the same same goes for you know, UK or US. Is 73 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:25.399 their core business is not this. You know, sometimes their production companies. 74 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:31.720 Sometimes they are distributing companies and this is kind of a side thing for them, 75 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.879 so they don't prioritize. So it's like, oh, you know they 76 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.759 want the rights for this film, we didn't even know we had in our 77 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:43.800 catalog, you know, And so sometimes they will take months to answer because 78 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:46.839 you know, their their money, but you know, their core businesses elsewhere, 79 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:51.879 so there it's not really a priority for them to answer. So it's 80 00:07:51.879 --> 00:08:00.000 tricky. It needs a lot of patients. But but yeah, I mean 81 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:05.759 it's it kind of comes with the territory you you have. You know, 82 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:09.199 you have to deal with these companies and sometimes you will find that the rights 83 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:15.160 holders they're willing to give you the film for a reasonable price, but they 84 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:18.839 don't have the actual material. They don't have the master. So you have 85 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:24.199 to find who owns the master. And there's a saying, really the real 86 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:28.160 rights holders is the right holder is the person with the master, is the 87 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:33.200 person with the physical copy of the film. So sometimes you have you end 88 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:39.080 up spending so much more time and money for the well not my money, 89 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:43.679 but the label's money. Is to kind of convince two people to work together 90 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:50.039 so that you know, the company that actually stores the materials and then you've 91 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:52.320 got the rights holders. So it can get very tricky. And that's the 92 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:58.159 reason why you know, some films, even major cult items, have not 93 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:03.240 been released, you know, because we can't you know, we can't find 94 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:07.639 the material. You can't actually find the copy of the film, or the 95 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:15.600 rights holders are being unreasonable, asking too much or taking too much time to 96 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:22.120 do things, or another option is some films are entangled into a web of 97 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:28.840 like failed companies. You have to kind of follow the paperwork, and then 98 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:37.200 it kind of ended up a certain film has ended up in in a company 99 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:43.720 in the catalog of a company who's gone bankrupt, and so that's a completely 100 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:48.960 whole you know, that's a whole different scenario to deal with. So it's 101 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:54.679 it's tricky. And as far as the other point you were making convincing people, 102 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:58.919 it's it's can be tricky. It can be very tricky at time. 103 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.320 I mean, it depends. I mean, obviously, over the years, 104 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.879 I've established a relationship with a lot of people, so they trust me and 105 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:16.480 you know, they're they're fine with being interviewed and they're very collaborative. But 106 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:20.679 at times you find people, you know that are busy, people that you 107 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:22.080 know don't want to talk about that film. You know, they don't have 108 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:26.960 a problem being interviewed, but they don't want to talk about that film. 109 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.759 And it's I think it says a lot of the fact that you know, 110 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:37.519 sometimes you you know, the some films are released and don't have many extras, 111 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:43.120 and the reason is because you know, people didn't want to talk about 112 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:48.360 it. You know, they were either ashamed or you know, that happens 113 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:52.399 I'm afraid that a lot with actresses, for example, you know, they 114 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:58.000 have families, and you know, maybe they don't feel comfortable talking about films 115 00:10:58.039 --> 00:11:01.919 that are a bit risky, you know that, you know, in which 116 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:07.360 there was heavy doses of nudity or kind of very strong sexual overtones, and 117 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:13.519 they don't feel comfortable talking about that. But yeah, I mean, I 118 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:18.840 mean, I personally like inventing when it's possible, when I had the time 119 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:24.759 and the budget to do so, I like inventing kind of like for example, 120 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:31.559 recently, Violence in a Women's Prison was released from eighty eight Films, 121 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:37.559 and we had this massive interview with Claudio flag Ass. So it's forty eight 122 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:43.320 forty nine minutes long, and I'm really happy about that interview. He kind 123 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:48.799 of is uncensored, as you'd expect from flag Ass. And then there's an 124 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:52.600 interview with the ad but I didn't think it was enough, but I couldn't 125 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:56.919 kind of find anybody else to interview, so we did all special about twenty 126 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:05.639 minutes long on this obscure figure called Franco Caraco, who is and has an 127 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:15.200 incredible I mean, he played he's an extremely problematic, problematic figure because he 128 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:18.960 he was openly homosexual. He was gay, but he was required in the 129 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:26.519 films he did to play this absolutely offensive gay stereotype and he had. He's 130 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:31.799 in loads of films. He's obviously in this film. He is quite a 131 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:37.200 disturbing aspect of this film. I mean, his role really is is cringey, 132 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:43.480 to say the least. And and so I worked with a with a 133 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:54.919 friend of mine and a Italian gay association in Milan and had a lot of 134 00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:01.440 information about this act who's who died of HIV in the early nineties, and 135 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:05.759 so we did a little specialists called the Gay Prince. So I, like, 136 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:11.080 you know, kind of finding ways of putting interesting content. And I'm 137 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:15.399 fully aware of the fact that you know, most people might read that and 138 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:18.039 go, you know, I don't give a fuck about this guy. You 139 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:20.639 know, it's I hardly know who he is, what he's done. But 140 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:28.039 the eight percent that you know kind of wants to dig in and kind of 141 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:35.440 dwell with these obscure figures of Italian cult cinema. It's it's basically there's no 142 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:43.559 way they can access any sort of information if not through these kind of crazy 143 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:46.240 ideas I have sometimes, you know, So I really try and and do 144 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:56.440 the best I can to provide quirky, strange information you know, where it's 145 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:01.000 possible, because as said, you know, you need the time and right. 146 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:07.679 Those historical and contextual interviews and featurettes. They really provide so much to 147 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:13.799 these releases to make them rich and educational, to a point that I always 148 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:18.000 get frustrated when people say they buy these and just watch the film and not 149 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:22.519 some of the extras, because they, at least for me, watching the 150 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:24.679 extras, well, first of all, it will make me appreciate the film 151 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.879 way more than just by watching through the film with my brain dead mind paying 152 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:35.440 attention to it for ninety minutes. But hearing something like that and seeing why 153 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:39.200 some of the choices were made, it makes everything just so much more real 154 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:43.720 and human, and I just publicly thank you for that. It's the kind 155 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.039 of thing that really gives credence to some of these films that people don't really 156 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:52.960 understand until they dive in. So definitely thank you. No, I mean, 157 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.120 it's fun, it's a lot of fun, and sometimes it's the weirdest 158 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:05.399 most I mean even even the kind of the really really bad films that I 159 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:11.799 have more fun doing extras for because you know, like recently this year I 160 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:18.120 produced extras for a German label. It's it has English. As a really 161 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:24.960 really good addition, I have to admit breeders, Tim Kinkaid, tinkin kid 162 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:31.919 film and from nineteen eighty eight, I believe, and it's an American film. 163 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.399 It's not very good, it's cheesy, it's all over the place, 164 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:41.919 but you know, it's kind of one of those films that I saw in 165 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.519 my formative years, you know, kind of you know when I went to 166 00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:52.399 rent films in the VHS era, and you know, you watch loads of 167 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:56.600 stuff like this, you know, like David Dickutel and Jim Winowski and Tim 168 00:15:56.679 --> 00:16:03.960 Kinkaid and these kind of really sleazy like eighties films, and growing up, 169 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:07.240 I was like, you know who did these? You know who? So 170 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:17.720 the idea of kind of providing extras in this case, We've got an interview 171 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:26.000 with Ed French, who is a Oscar nominated Emmy Award winning special effects designer 172 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:30.480 who did the special effects for this. And we've also got Francis Rains, 173 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:34.919 who's one of the leads. She's also happens to be the nephew of Claude 174 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:38.639 Rains, and so that's who we interviewed, and so the idea to provide 175 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:48.120 extras for these obscure films and is kind of I don't know, it's kind 176 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:53.120 of more gratifying in a way than being the one hundred and seventh person to 177 00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:59.279 do extras for I don't know, V Beyond, which is great, but 178 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.079 Europe part of like, you know, they've been loads of people before you, 179 00:17:03.400 --> 00:17:07.440 There'll be loads off you know, will never stop producing stuff for that 180 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:12.640 sort of film. But with Breeders, it's kind of like it it's breeders, 181 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:21.319 Like who would have ever imagined the limited edition a limited edition media book 182 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.799 this lavishly produced or Breeders a few years ago? I mean I wouldn't have 183 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:30.079 so, so yeah, you are the first contributor to bring up media books 184 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.720 on this channel. So I have to ask, if you know the question 185 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:37.960 or the answer to this question, why is Germany so hot on media books 186 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:41.440 and no one else is because I would love to see media books elsewhere, 187 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:45.200 but they seem to be the only one, and I've got forty of them 188 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:48.799 because I love them. I sit here with my phone and read the booklets 189 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:57.720 with Google lens to translate it for me word for word. Germany is as 190 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:03.279 a market. I work a lot in I work with a lot of German 191 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:11.839 labels, and Germany is a world onto itself. I mean it's so weird. 192 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:18.920 I mean they literally labels in Germany don't care about making their releases kind 193 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:26.960 of appetizing for other markets because their market is just so big that it's enough, 194 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:33.440 you know. They you know, it's such a massive home video market 195 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:40.480 with its own rules, and you know, a whole massive list of labels. 196 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:45.640 So I mean, for example, they x rated, which is a 197 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.720 it's kind of a historically relevant label because I mean X rated in the VHS 198 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:57.319 era was releasing stuff that you know, people were desperately looking for. So 199 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:04.079 I remember, you know, people traveling to Germany from Italy just to kind 200 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:11.839 of grab an next video x rated sorry, x rated release. And they're 201 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:15.160 really big. And a lot of labels in Germany are with the kind of 202 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:22.920 soft box VHS kind of thing. You know, the VHS soft box BHS 203 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:29.720 is in Italy didn't have as many like that, but apparently this thing transitioned 204 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:36.799 into into the DVD and Blu ray era and yeah, they they they have 205 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.240 their own kind of internal logics. I mean, I I like I like 206 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:48.000 media books. I do like media books. I mean a label that does 207 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:52.960 really good media books, apart from an olist entertainment which I didn't mention, 208 00:19:52.440 --> 00:20:03.480 which did breeders and now what else was released recently? Oh yeah, Panic 209 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:10.119 Bacterium, I believe was released a few years ago in the States from Code 210 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:15.000 Red was taken. There is it? Code red? Yep? Okay, 211 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:22.599 yeah, so apart from analysts, another label that does really good media books, 212 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:30.079 I mean they're super pretty is Wicked Visions. Wicked Visions, sorry, 213 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:37.319 Wicked Vision. Wicked Vision does amazing media books. I did loads with them 214 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:47.559 recently. Simbad of the seventh ce's the ninth quarter last year, I did, 215 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:49.519 Oh no, this year. Ninth quarter was last year. This year 216 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:57.119 YETI giant of the twentieth century. So yeah, it's I don't know why. 217 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.200 I don't know why there's so big a media book. Although the question 218 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:08.200 probably is why on other territories exactly equally interested in media books. The first 219 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:14.319 answer is probably they do cost more. They do cost more to produce. 220 00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:23.480 They are more complicated to package into boxes to distribute because they're bigger, they're 221 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:32.960 bulkier, they're they're more fragile. The corners kind of can can snap or 222 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:37.920 break or whatever, and so bend. Sorry, that's the word I was 223 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:41.799 looking for. They can bend. So I believe it comes down to money. 224 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:49.039 I think it just easier and safer and more cost efficient to release them 225 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:56.640 in other ways, other box sets or amarai. That makes sense. I 226 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:00.480 think the first time I read about you that caught my eye was in The 227 00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:04.319 Tough Ones. I'd heard your name previously, but you did an interview with 228 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:08.240 Umberto Lenzi in this one, and you wrote a little introduction to it, 229 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:14.839 and it was amazing. It is something that when something comes out on LENSI 230 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.799 I always try to get it into my veins as fast as possible because it 231 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:23.359 is so fascinating to read up on somebody that's had such an impact eighty eight 232 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:27.079 films? Who else have you had such a major impact on some of their 233 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.599 releases? I know you've got eighty eight films, you just started with Vinegar 234 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:34.400 Syndrome, You've done stuff with Fractured Visions, a bunch of media books. 235 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:40.839 Who else is out there under your resume? Okay, so the Ones I 236 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:48.519 have a long, kind of long standing relationship with you, know, I 237 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:52.440 feel part of the family. In a way is definitely eighty eight films, 238 00:22:53.240 --> 00:23:00.799 no less entertainment in Germany, fractured visions. I'm definitely warming up quickly to 239 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:08.160 vinegar syndrome. The first two collaborations have been very fruitful. Then, I 240 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:12.359 well, I mean, I do, I've had a non and off relationship 241 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:17.039 because it's a way more complex system. But you know, the things I 242 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:22.519 have done with Arrow have been have been very you know, very very nice. 243 00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:27.720 I mean, I remember fondly the massive undertaking that was Beyond the Door, 244 00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:36.759 Beyond the Tour limited edition, you know that was that was a fun, 245 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:41.480 complex, complicated project, but a fun one. Then. Oh, 246 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:47.240 of course, I have a brilliant relationship and I love working with them. 247 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:52.720 We have loads of titles. I mean literally seven seven films still to be 248 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:59.960 released. I did extras for Caldron Films. Oh nice cauldron. I will 249 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:07.079 with them from the beginning pretty much with American Rickshaw and then The Crimes of 250 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:14.640 Black Cats and then Contrabands. Now they've they've announced a month ago, they've 251 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.519 announced a whole bunch of titles and I'm I'm I'm working on those at the 252 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:26.119 moment, pretty much done and then and then they're kind of you know, 253 00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:34.559 other labels where I've done something. You know, it's more on a title 254 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:41.319 by title situation because a maybe they don't release a lot of stuff I can 255 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:47.440 help them with, so Wi con vision. I've literally worked on every single 256 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:52.880 Italian film they've done for the past two years, but they don't release a 257 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:56.079 lot of Italian films, so I could say they I have a great relationship 258 00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:03.880 with them. The same goes for Turbine in Germany or Cape Like Pictures again 259 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:11.240 Germany. I've done a couple of things for Severin, done one thing for 260 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:18.720 Synaps, So yeah, it's you know, and sometimes you know, some 261 00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:29.319 labels they rather go archivval you know, other labels have other people doing extras 262 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:36.519 for them, other producer service. But you know, it's I kind of 263 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:42.920 jump around. I can't reveal what I'm working on. But I've just two 264 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:51.440 months ago received a massive commission from Indicator. Oh nice, So a lot 265 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:57.200 of Indicator titles with my extras will be released next year. So yeah, 266 00:25:57.880 --> 00:26:03.119 it's it's Oh by the way, I mean, you mentioned Lency, so 267 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:11.680 that's my cue to plug Troy Howard's book. I did the forward for Make 268 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:19.880 Them Die Slowly, which I'm Happy is finally released and finding homes. I 269 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.920 don't have it in front of me, I have it here and this will 270 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:26.480 be my time to plug. Troy is actually going to be on the channel 271 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:29.839 in the next two weeks at some point and we're gonna be talking about the 272 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.480 book quite deeply. So exciting times for a lot of people that are in 273 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.519 this industry because physical media is far from dead. And one of the reasons 274 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:41.319 we can see that is one of the labels you didn't mention is a new 275 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:45.599 one, Treasured Films. This is out of the UK, I believe correct. 276 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:55.720 Indeed, it is a UK based label and it recently a week ago 277 00:26:55.720 --> 00:27:04.079 probably announced their first title, which is The Last Hunter Anthony Endowson, Antonio 278 00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:11.119 Margheriti. And yeah, it was completely it hapn't completely out of the blue. 279 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:19.400 I was in London and I was at Darkfest, and I had brought 280 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:27.880 over to Darkfest that brought over Ruggiero do Dato and Zdakova and they were all 281 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:32.279 obviously as one would expect. There were loads of stands and you know, 282 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:36.599 people selling all sorts of stuff, and I was I started a conversation. 283 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:41.160 I struck up a conversation with Graham Graham Lloyd and he was like, you 284 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:45.720 know, I want to do my own label. I was like, yeah, 285 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:48.359 that's that's great, and you know, no, no, no, 286 00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:49.920 no, I mean I'm going to contact you. You know, I want 287 00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:53.440 you to produce EXSS for it. I was like, sure, sure, 288 00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.839 sure, here's my email. But I you know, it's not I didn't 289 00:27:56.839 --> 00:28:00.000 take him seriously, but you know, you hit this sort of stuff a 290 00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:03.319 lot. You know, one day I'm going to do my own label. 291 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:06.160 You know I'm going to do that, or we're definitely going to work together 292 00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:10.720 at some point. It's like you take it with a pinch of salt. 293 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:15.559 But then he he did contact me and was like, you know, this 294 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:17.759 is this is a bunch of films I want to release. What do you 295 00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:22.119 think? And I wouldn't. I gave him my feedback and then yeah, 296 00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:26.960 the Last Hunter was picked and we yeah, hit the hit the ground running. 297 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:36.079 Unfortunately, the only kind of really sour sour the spot about the whole 298 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:44.119 Last Hunter Treasured Films is the fact that we I wasn't able to get John 299 00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:48.400 Steiner on board. And I'm you know, I love John Steiner. You 300 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:52.119 know, he's he's kind of the in my eyes is the kind of the 301 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:56.759 quintessential cult actor, and he really delivers the goods. I mean, he 302 00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:04.759 is that the stage trained actor. He's incredibly he was incredibly talented. And 303 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:10.440 I literally had an appointment with him. I had organized everything with a camera 304 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:17.920 operator, you know, everything was set up for Thursday, and we were 305 00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:25.640 we had talked on the phone numerous times, and we had a phone appointment 306 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:30.240 on that Monday, so two days before, three days before the interview, 307 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:34.440 just to confirm things, you know, and just had a chat. And 308 00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:37.920 that's when I discovered he had died the previous day on Sunday in a car 309 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:48.839 accident. And it's it was doubly kind of frustrating because I had been wanting 310 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:53.839 to interview him in a long time. The first time I contacted him recently, 311 00:29:53.920 --> 00:29:57.920 I mean, you know, about a month and a half probably if 312 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:03.319 that before before the car accident that killed him, he had said he wasn't 313 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:08.240 really convinced, he didn't really want to do an interview, and I played 314 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:15.039 a card I usually don't play because I don't like to and generally it can 315 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:23.079 backfire, which I told him. I was the grandson of Julia Petroni, 316 00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:29.799 who directed the very first Italian film he made, which is Blood and Guns 317 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:34.640 with Austin Wells and Thomas Melian. Fans of westerns will I'm one hundred percent 318 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:41.640 sure we'll know what I'm talking about. It's in the not that that actually 319 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:45.880 gives a value, I mean, but you know, it is in the 320 00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:52.440 twenty in the twenty best Westerns list by Tarantino. And so that was the 321 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:57.559 film that brought him to Italy, and actually Julio Julia Petroni gave him his 322 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:03.799 first not only his first Italian film, but his first major role. You 323 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:10.839 know, he was exclusively a television actor, mostly a stage actor, and 324 00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:15.759 had appeared an a handful of films, but either uncredited or really big parts. 325 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:19.200 And once he knew that, he said, yes, let's do it. 326 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:25.799 I'll you know, yes, and didn't ask any money for it as 327 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:27.839 well, you know, he was he was doing it, he was committed. 328 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:30.839 And then yeah, he died just a few days before in the car 329 00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:37.480 accident. So that was really really prostrating and sad. But besides that, 330 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:45.799 we do have a strong lineup for this release, me and Troy Howarth and 331 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:53.079 Nathaniel Thompson. We recorded an audio commentary. I also put together a video 332 00:31:53.160 --> 00:32:00.000 essay on the film. We've got interviews with Margie Newton, with Franco Migalicio 333 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:08.480 did the soundtrack with Margheriti. Massimovanu was a stunt coordinator. The two photo 334 00:32:08.519 --> 00:32:14.640 galleries I managed to put together, and this booklet where both me and Troy 335 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:21.920 participate. So yeah, it's it's a nice package. And also I managed 336 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:29.880 to connect Graham with the rights holders of The Outsider, which is a feature 337 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:37.799 length documentary on the career of Antonio mcguhiti. So we're talking about audio commentary 338 00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:45.240 aside probably nearly two hours, three hours of special content. That's it's. 339 00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:51.119 Yeah, it was a for the first release. That's pretty good. Yeah, 340 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:54.599 it's very good. It's very good. I mean, Graham really didn't, 341 00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:00.359 you know, didn't hold back anything. He gave it one hundred. 342 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:07.799 Yeah, it's I'm very curious to I'm really hoping people do appreciate it. 343 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:15.759 I'm I'm sure it's gonna sell well. Yeah, and I'm curious to see 344 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:17.359 all the details, see what they follow that up with. It's it's a 345 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:21.440 great first title, one that I think will peak a lot of interest for 346 00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:25.359 sure. Is there anything else coming up that you can shed light that you 347 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:30.160 might be contributing on. Obviously, stuff that hasn't been announced yet you can't, 348 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:34.079 but anything that has been that you'd like to speak. I can announce 349 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:38.640 what the extras will be because the film has been announced, but not the 350 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:46.880 extras. I can announce the extras for Tentacles. Oh nice. So we've 351 00:33:46.920 --> 00:34:00.359 got a thirty five minute interview with the video Jess obviously the director, covider 352 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:05.240 and co writer of the film. We've got a twenty minute roughly twenty twenty 353 00:34:05.240 --> 00:34:09.679 five minute interview with Roberto di torre Pezzoli, who's the doop very nice. 354 00:34:10.199 --> 00:34:16.400 We've got a fifteen minute interview but a very dense one with the nicolitte Ercole 355 00:34:16.440 --> 00:34:23.000 who's the costume designer. And then we've got something I'm very happy with which 356 00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:28.280 is going to be about an hour and five minutes. So it's a very 357 00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:37.159 very long kind of special featurette which is with a kind of a hidden secret 358 00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:45.760 of Italian genre cinema. His name is Alberto pass City, also known as 359 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:52.960 al pas City, and he's a special effects designer special effects artist who started 360 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:59.000 his career in films actually as a production designer in the early seventies, very 361 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:05.320 young doing sculptures. I believe among his first films as in that capacity, 362 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:10.440 I think there was Caligula like into Brass. And then he passed on and 363 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:16.960 became a special effects designer and he worked with everybody. He worked with, 364 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:23.840 fool Shoe, with Dado, with Dario Rigento, Jodamato, he worked on. 365 00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:30.159 He directed a handful of films that are weird as fuck, and I 366 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:37.440 mean very entertaining. I mean absolutely low budget and weird. But I do 367 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:44.320 suggest people. They're called Creatures from the Abyss is one and Flight to Hell, 368 00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:53.000 and he is amazing. I mean I knew I was onto something when 369 00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:58.960 I talked to him on the phone, and so when I did go there 370 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:04.760 with the camera operator, we kind of I said, you know, we're 371 00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:07.159 we're going to take an afternoon here, and we did. We really we. 372 00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:14.440 I think we went away with about three hours worth of footage because this 373 00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:16.679 this guy, I mean, apart from the interview, I mean he showed 374 00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:24.559 us this massive kind of sound stage, he has these offices and all these 375 00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:30.360 kind of weird gadgets and and say, it's just it's gonna be quite quite 376 00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:38.280 a special feature. And he he did obviously the special effects of Tentacles, 377 00:36:39.719 --> 00:36:44.400 and that was actually his first film as a special effects design at Tentacles. 378 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:47.679 So yeah, so it's it's that's the package for that. Then there will 379 00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:58.079 also be a audio commentary with myself, Troy and Nathaniel, so which we 380 00:36:58.199 --> 00:37:00.719 actually going to record this evening. Well, I mean this evening for me, 381 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:07.239 it's gonna be like early afternoon probably for Troy and Nathaniel. But yeah, 382 00:37:07.480 --> 00:37:13.639 so that's Tentacles. That's awesome, and it's it's gonna be a much 383 00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:16.599 better release than what was put out in the US because they barely put anything 384 00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:21.199 on the disc that came out here. So I can't wait, I mean, 385 00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:23.760 correct me if I'm wrong. Isn't it completely vanilla? I believe so. 386 00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:29.760 I think there may have been a trailer If that, yeah, I 387 00:37:29.760 --> 00:37:35.039 don't really count that. It's just nice to see some companies still willing to 388 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:38.519 put stuff into stuff like Tentacles. And to be honest, we're getting to 389 00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:44.599 that age where a lot of the people that affected these releases they're gonna be 390 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:47.840 passing on. So these special effects, not just the special effects one, 391 00:37:47.880 --> 00:37:52.280 but all of the features. They are vastly important because we have to archive 392 00:37:52.800 --> 00:37:57.199 the people that were a part of this and not just the film itself, 393 00:37:57.280 --> 00:38:01.280 because it can give that context that allows us to learn and to do things 394 00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:06.440 better for all of our films in the future as well. Yeah. Absolutely, 395 00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:15.159 And also there's there's not only death, but also health issues, mental 396 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:22.440 issues. You know, interviews. It might not seem like that, but 397 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:25.360 for a person who's a lot older, you know, somebody in their eighties 398 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:30.360 or even nineties, they interviews take a chunk out of you, you know, 399 00:38:30.599 --> 00:38:37.599 they you know, as much as I try to make it a pleasurable 400 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:43.079 experience for them, you know, they have to stand straight. You know, 401 00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:46.199 they have a microphone, They've got lights on their face, you know, 402 00:38:46.599 --> 00:38:52.760 which is particularly difficult during the summer. You know, they have to 403 00:38:52.079 --> 00:38:57.079 they have to remember always, you know, to look at the right you 404 00:38:57.119 --> 00:39:00.559 know, to look at me. They have to repeat the kind of the 405 00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:05.440 topic we're talking about, the subject of the question. So, you know, 406 00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:09.880 for somebody in their in their late eighties, interviews can be stressful, 407 00:39:10.480 --> 00:39:14.280 you know, As I said, I mean, we try to make it 408 00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:21.039 as positive and nice and comforting as we can, but it does take a 409 00:39:21.119 --> 00:39:25.360 chunk of energy out of them. Well that's sorry. To cut you off 410 00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:32.960 there, just just curious, is there anybody that is let me scratch that, 411 00:39:34.039 --> 00:39:37.639 because I don't want to get too morbid with it. First off, 412 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:40.719 is there any film that you can share that is locked up in rights problems? 413 00:39:40.760 --> 00:39:45.519 Like you mentioned earlier that you wish we were a good release of loads 414 00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:53.920 loads of films are locked into rights. Hell, well, I mean the 415 00:39:53.960 --> 00:40:00.000 obvious, the obvious one is I mean actually more than one owned by Popiadi. 416 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:08.559 I mean obviously the House with the Laughing Windows would be one. Another 417 00:40:08.760 --> 00:40:15.280 another film that is very complicated. Well, actually it's not complicated in itself, 418 00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:19.920 it's just that it's gonna be hard to unblock. The situation is the 419 00:40:20.039 --> 00:40:28.239 Arcane Enchanta, which quite a few labels are interested in. It's a mid 420 00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:35.679 nineties popi Avadi horror film, very atmospheric, and I know that. I 421 00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:43.239 mean I've been approached by a few labels. But the problem is Alentis Filmoo, 422 00:40:43.599 --> 00:40:49.159 the company who owns not only that film, actually quite quite a big 423 00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:55.159 chunk of pupi Adi's career. They're not They're not willing, they don't want 424 00:40:55.199 --> 00:41:00.440 to. They just don't want to give the rights. And so you know, 425 00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:09.239 now I am asking help to poopi Abadi himself and maybe with poopy It's 426 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:16.920 help will be able to make things, make things right. Although yeah, 427 00:41:17.039 --> 00:41:23.559 femaleo is a tough cookie, but there's also on the other hand, there's 428 00:41:23.559 --> 00:41:30.559 also a lot of interest for poopi Avati recently, and that's why I was 429 00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:36.079 awkwardly grabbing something here, Zenda. Yeah, just came out from Media Films 430 00:41:36.280 --> 00:41:42.519 for medi eight films and not all souls except the dead or all deceased except 431 00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:47.880 the dead. So that's two pupi Avadi films released pretty much, I mean 432 00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:53.320 back to back nearly, so there is a lot of I mean, there 433 00:41:53.360 --> 00:41:58.320 is an interest behind Poopiabadi. So I got all deceased on the way and 434 00:41:58.360 --> 00:42:04.599 I cannot wait for that one. Which one all deceased, Yeah, that's 435 00:42:04.719 --> 00:42:08.119 one. I was amazed. I couldn't believe it when they told me, 436 00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:14.159 you know, I was I had to produce sexs for that. I couldn't 437 00:42:14.199 --> 00:42:20.239 believe it. It was really a film, I could I never imagined it's 438 00:42:21.400 --> 00:42:27.760 even in Italy. It's it's extremely niche. It's not a famous Kubiavati film 439 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:32.599 by any means, very much for ficionado's or Kubiavati or a sudden kind of 440 00:42:32.760 --> 00:42:38.760 like wait quickly horror horror films from the seventies. So yeah, that was 441 00:42:38.800 --> 00:42:43.360 that was mind blowing. And they told me, yeah, we're crying all 442 00:42:43.400 --> 00:42:50.440 deceased except the dead. That's awesome. Uh. Well, I would love 443 00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:52.719 to be able to talk for hours and hours with you, because I feel 444 00:42:52.760 --> 00:42:54.159 like I could, but I got to be respectful to both of our time. 445 00:42:55.400 --> 00:42:59.000 I hope eventually in the next you know, six or seven months, 446 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:01.239 maybe we can get you back on it again to do another talk. You 447 00:43:01.280 --> 00:43:06.000 won't. Best of luck on the on the documentary though, that's that's really 448 00:43:06.039 --> 00:43:09.239 exciting that you're working on that. You Thank you. I appreciate your time. 449 00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:14.280 And everybody check out. Gosh, we got fractured visions. We got 450 00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:19.800 eighty eight films newly on Vin Gersonram releases this and don't open until Christmas. 451 00:43:20.559 --> 00:43:23.199 All of the German labels. The eighty eight film seems to be the biggest 452 00:43:23.199 --> 00:43:28.079 stable right now because they hit so many Italian films, which is great. 453 00:43:28.199 --> 00:43:30.639 I just hope they keep them coming. Yeah, no, they're Oh, 454 00:43:30.840 --> 00:43:36.239 believe me, believe me, they are. They will good good to hear. 455 00:43:36.840 --> 00:43:42.719 Thank you again and from everybody great Please please look out for his work 456 00:43:42.760 --> 00:44:12.440 and we'll see you next time. Have a good one, tell me know.