PopCinema

NEWS AND EVENTS



    

HOLIDAYS 2004

EI CINEMA RESTORING THREE EXPLOITATION CLASSICS

ei Cinema president, Michael Raso, is personally supervising the frame-by-frame restoration of three classic exploitation films written and directed by legendary erotica auteur Joseph Sarno. The involved process - which digitally restores layers of faded colors while eliminating dirt, specks and spots on the negative - will bring back to their original vibrant life Sarno's "Swedish Wildcats" (1972), "Abigail Leslie is Back in Town" (1975) and "Laura's Toys" (1975).

All three films were originally released theatrically, but only Swedish Wildcats has been available on home video (VHS Only). Swedish Wildcats, which features well-known erotica star Christina Lindberg and England's answer to Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors, will be the first of the three released on ei Cinema's Retro Seduction Cinema in late March. The company currently is producing documentaries and commentary tracks that will be included as dvd extras for all three restored films.

Other films Raso and ei Cinema will restore in 2005 include two classic Italian exploitation films, "LaGabbia" (also called "The Trap"), starring Tony Musante and co-written by Lucio Fulci, and "Women's Prison Massacre" (1978; also known as "Emanuelle Escapes from Hell"), directed by Bruno Mattei.

FIRST EI CINEMA U.K. PRODUCTION: "THE GIRL WHO SHAGGED ME"

ei Cinema's first-ever production in Great Britain, "The Girl Who Shagged Me," will be released in March 2005 under the company's Seduction Cinema label.

Produced in association with England's Viscera Motion Pictures and written and directed by Tom J. Moose, the movie was shot in London and Manchester. It's a sexy send-up of spy movies, with snappy, pun-filled dialogue and sight gags reminiscent of the outrageous "Carry On" series of movies produced in Great Britain in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Girl Who Shagged Me, which will be released in a director's-cut R version and an unrated version, stars exotic beauty A.J. Khan and Misty Mundae, whose popularity in England is already robust and sure to grow with the release of this film.

A.J. KHAN TO APPEAR AT JANUARY CHILLER THEATER EXPO

A.J. Khan, who has starred in such ei Cinema films as "Lord of the G-Strings," "Screaming Dead," "That 70's Girl" and the soon-to-be-released spy spoof, "The Girl Who Shagged Me," will make her first-ever convention appearance at The Chiller Theater Toy, Model and Film Expo, to be held in New Jersey's Meadowlands Sheraton Hotel from Friday, Jan. 7, through Sunday, Jan. 9.

ei Cinema is talking with Expo planners about the possible screening of "Prison-A-Go-Go" (2003), which will be released in 2005 under the company's horror label, Shock-O-Rama Cinema. The film, written and directed by Barak Epstein, stars Rhonda Shear, the former Miss Louisiana who gained fame hosting the USA "Up All Night" series, and Mary Woronov, who was a member of Andy Warhol's "Factory" production company, and has appeared in more than 50 films, including Eating Raoul, Rock 'n Roll High School and National Lampoon Goes to the Movies.

For more information about the Chiller Theater Expo, go to www.chillertheatre.com/ch4.htm

ei News Briefs is compiled by David Fine, ei Cinema marketing assistant POPcinema2@aol.com
jpg images are available
For ei Cinema's release schedule and cover art, visit POPcinema.com




Prison-A-Go-Go to premiere at Shock-A-Go-Go

Prison-A-Go-Go

Shock-A-Go-Go, the Los Angeles film festival celebrating all that is wild, weird and experimental in cinema, will celebrate it’s 4th annual year with a two day film-a-thon at the historic Vine Theater in Hollywood, California. With an un-precedented selection of 35 & 16 mm prints being screened and appearances by none other than David F. Friedman and Roger Corman, this year’s Shock-A-Go-Go is a must-attend for aficionados of independent and ‘B’ cinema.

Prison A-Go-Go – to be released on DVD by Shock-O-Rama Studios in 2005 – will screen Saturday, December 4th at 1:45pm. Following the screening is a panel discussion by no other than director Barak Epstein and stars Mary Woronov and Rhonda Shear. Shock-O-Rama will support the event by creating a mini-documentary to be included on Prison-A-Go-Go as a DVD extra.

The Vine Theater is located at 6321 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Ca. Doors open at 7:00pm Dec. 3 and stay open until 2:00am Dec. 5, 2004.

For more information go to www.anxietyfilms.com or contact Eric Eichelberger at Anxiety Films, info@anxietyfilms.com


Yerba Buena to screen the Swedish version of Inga

Inga

This Saturday the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco will screen the un-cut, never-before-seen-in-the-U.S. Swedish version of Inga. Directed by the legendary Joseph Sarno, this 1967 erotic masterpiece will be introduced by V. Vale, founder and original publisher of RE/Search books. Vale's Incredibly Strange Films is considered by many to be the definitive guide to gore and exploitation cinema.

Organized by Jonathan Marlow, Content Acquisitions Director for GreenCine, the screening will take place at 8:00pm on November 20, 2004.

Members of GreenCine, YBCA, students and seniors receive a discounted admission of $5.00. Members of the general public will be charged an $8.00 admission fee.

For more information please visit the Buena Yerba Center of the Arts website at www.ybca.org/b_ybca.html


SPIDERBABE SPINS HER WEB ON CABLE TV

Spiderbabe, Seduction Cinema's 2003 home video hit and winner of Mr. Skin's "Best B Movie of the Year" Award, hits cable TV in November on the Cinemax and ShowTime Networks.

SpiderBabe is a hilarious, ultra-erotic, special fx-filled spoof of director Sam Raimi's super-blockbuster, Spider-Man, and stars Seduction Cinema beauties Misty Mundae as the web-squirting heroine "Patricia Porker" and Julian Wells as her arch- enemy, "Lucinda Knoxx" - a.k.a. The Femtilian. Fighting crime and battling for truth and justice may be SpiderBabe's claim to fame, but seducing the grateful citizens of New York is her game, and she plays it with a building-bounding intensity that will have her web and your head spinning. Look for SpiderBabe to "air" frequently throughout the coming months. Log on to www.cinemax.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet for broadcast information.


LUST FOR DRACULA HITS STORES THIS MONTH

Lust for Dracula, the newest erotic horror film from acclaimed filmmaker Tony Marsiglia (Dr. Jekyll and Mistress Hyde, Sin Sisters), hits home video on November 23 in an MPAA R version (on the Shock-O- Rama Cinema label) and an Unrated Director's Cut (on the Seduction Cinema label).

Written and directed by Marsiglia, Lust for Dracula is a sensual and stylish re-interpretation of the classic Bram Stoker story, updated for the 21st Century, and starring Misty Mundae ("Mina Harker"), Darian Caine ("Dracula"), Julian Wells ("Jonathan Harker") and Andrea Davis ("Sara"). Seductive sisters Shelly Jones ("Abigail Van Helsing") and Casey Jones ("Beth") also co-star in this dark, moody, ultra-erotic tale of madness, murder, obsession, death and transfiguration.

Poor Mina Harker isn't the happiest of Hollywood Hills wives even though she's married to wealthy pharmaceuticals magnate Jonathan Harker. The depressed Mina longs for Jonathan's love and the happiness a child would bring them, yet the arrival of the beautiful and mysterious Dracula - seductive vampire servants at her side - will change their lives forever. Dracula offers Mina the existence she so desperately craves - one that is immediately threatened by Mina's sister, Abigail Van Helsing. Van Helsing seeks to not only destroy the monstrous vampire but also covet Mina's seemingly perfect life and husband Jonathan. As these troubled individuals move closer towards their destinies and a final battle with Dracula, blood will be spilled, souls will be destroyed, and true love will become undying.

Lust for Dracula was produced on film and edited to Hi-Definition D5 in the summer of 2003, in Los Angeles - shot back-to-back with Marsiglia's remake of the Nick Philips' sexploitation classic Chantal, also starring Misty, Julian and Darian (see Alternative Cinema Magazine, Issue #23, for the full scoop on the Lust for Dracula/Chantal production story). It was beautifully photographed by Marsiglia's long-time cinematographer Dang Lenawae and offers many of the surreal and bizarre serio-comic touches and disturbing imagery for which Marsiglia is known. The outstanding and provocative performances - Misty, Darian, Julian, Andrea, Casey and Shelly are all standouts - in tandem with an enigmatic script and the hot sensuality on display help to forge an unforgettable "Dracula" that all Seduction Cinema fans will embrace.


LUST FOR DRACULA GOES HOLLYWOOD

Lust for Dracula (the MPAA R version on the Shock-O-Rama Cinema label), the newest sexy horror film from acclaimed filmmaker Tony Marsiglia (Dr. Jekyll and Mistress Hyde, Sin Sisters), has been picked up by Hollywood Video, so please feel free to make your way over to their nearest location to help support Lust for Dracula's November 23 availability at the #2 rental chain, which has been very supportive of recent Shock-O-Rama Cinema films including Bite Me! and Vamps 2: Blood Sisters. And be advised that your rental of a New Release Shock-O-Rama film further assist in solidifying a place on the shelf for future Shock-O-Rama films.


BITE ME! STARS AT FYE IN MANHATTAN

Beautiful Shock-O-Rama Cinema stars Misty Mundae, Erika Smith and Caitlin Ross along with co-star John P. Fedele were the main attractions at fye, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, at Rockefeller Center, on Wednesday, October 20, from 12 - 2pm, to promote Shock-O- Rama's newest horror film, Bite Me!. Also making a special guest appearance was the Bite Me! monster - the man/insect hybrid that terrorizes the Go-Gosaurus strip club and its hapless denizens - who spent the early afternoon on the corner of 6th Ave. and 52nd Street entertaining, bewildering and gently accosting mid-town passersby.

The quartet of stars was on hand to meet fans, sign Bite Me! DVDs and posters and whatever else was thrust into their faces, and pose for photographs. It was a fun-filled couple of hours made even more pleasant by the friendly and accommodating fye managers and employees. Thanks to all the fans who stopped by to purchase the Bite Me! DVD and support fye and the in-store promotion. And a special thanks to uber fans Phil and Artie, always a welcome fixture at Shock-O-Rama events, who assisted with the booth set-up and break- down, got coffee for the stars, and took lots of photos.


CHILLER THEATRE

Another wonderful and exciting Chiller Theatre Toy, Model and Film Expo (a.k.a. Chiller Theatre Con) has come and gone. This year's Halloween-timed convention, October 29-31, at The Meadowlands Sheraton, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, featured an exciting line- up of celebrities (most unique was director Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams, of "Laverne and Shirley" fame), a steady torrent of eager, costumed fans, and lots of cool merchandise, movies and more.

Occupying their usual chunk of real estate overlooking the lobby atrium, Shock-O-Rama Cinema and Seduction Cinema studios were on hand throughout the weekend promoting their newest releases Bite Me!, Lust for Dracula and Sexy Adventures of Van Helsing and giving away a thousand or two of the brand-new black & red Shock-O-Rama Cinema logo key chain to all customers and passersby. Other recent releases including Misty Mundae's limited edition Voodoun Blues, Brian Paulin's At Dawn They Sleep, Suburban Nightmare and Vamps 2: Blood Sisters were available for purchase, too, as were all past releases from each of the popular `B' labels.

On Saturday, beautiful Bite Me! and Sexy Adventures of Van Helsing star Erika Smith was at the Shock-O-Rama table - her first Chiller appearance - autographing DVDs and 8x10s. Erika also had the opportunity to be filmed doing a "station break" for the upcoming launch of the Horror Channel. Sexy Glori-Anne Gilbert appeared at the Shock-O table on Friday night and Sunday promoting the go-go dancing vampire epic Vamps 2: Blood Sisters, of which she is the star. There was a lot of shrink-wrap and top & bottom spine sticker removal as both actresses were quite busy signing DVDs. Needless to say, Erika and Glori-Anne made quite an impression on the fans and kept the booth hopping.

The April 2005 Chiller Theatre Con is right around the corner…