By MICHAEL GINGOLD
This documentary is one facet of a massive celebration of a celebrated cinematic venue.
Below are a pair of exclusive excerpts from SPLATTERFEST EXHUMED, a documentary appearing on Severin Films’ three-disc release of SCALA!!! OR, THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE RISE AND FALL OF THE WORLD’S WILDEST CINEMA AND HOW IT INFLUENCED A MIXED-UP GENERATION OF WEIRDOS AND MISFITS, coming December 3. Directed by Jasper Sharp with David Gregory as supervising producer, SPLATTERFEST EXHUMED covers Splatterfest ’90, the notorious all-night horror festival held at London’s legendary Scala Cinema. The event was organized by teenage fan Justin Stanley and featured the UK premieres of HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, COMBAT SHOCK, BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR and others, with filmmakers including John McNaughton, Buddy Giovinazzo, Roy Frumkes, Scott Spiegel, Greg Nicotero, Brian Yuzna and others in attendance. The first clip below reveals some of the illicit activities that occurred during the event, and the second covers the showing of the early Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell/Scott Spiegel short CLEVELAND SMITH: BOUNTY HUNTER.
The SCALA!!! set features that award-winning documentary telling the story of the eponymous theater, which showed an enormous range of offbeat, cult, genre and influential films between 1978-1993 and influenced a generation of moviemakers, writers, musicians and other artists. Directed by Jane Giles and Ali Catterall, it features rare archival footage, copious film clips and interviews with the likes of John Waters, Ben Wheatley, Mary Harron and many more. Special features are:
Disc 1
- Audio Commentary With Co-Directors Jane Giles And Ali Catterall
- Introduction From The UK Premiere At The 2023 BFI London Film Festival
- Introduction To SCALA By Director Michael Clifford
- SCALA (Michael Clifford, 1990)
- SCALA CINEMA (Ali Peck/Victor de Jesus, 1992)
- Director Commentary For SCALA CINEMA
- Scala Programs 1978–1993
- “Cabinet Of Curiosities–Inside The Scala Archive”
- Extended Interviews
- Mary Harron Outtakes
- Nick Kent Outtakes
- Thurston Moore Outtakes
- John Waters Outtakes
- Cartoons By Davey Jones
- Osbert Parker’s SCALA!!! Animation Experiments And Outtakes
- Primatarium Animation
- Scala Programs Animation
- Tentacles Animation
- Trailer
Disc 2:
Short Films
- DIVIDE AND RULE–NEVER! (Newsreel Collective, 1978)
- DEAD CAT (David Lewis, 1989)
- David Lewis Remembers DEAD CAT
- THE MARK OF LILITH (Bruna Fionda/Polly Gladwin/Zachary Nataf, 1986)
- RELAX (Chris Newby, 1991)
- BOOBS A LOT (Aggy Read, 1968)
- KAMA SUTRA RIDES AGAIN (Bob Godfrey, 1971)
- COPING WITH CUPID (Viv Albertine, 1991)
- ON GUARD (Susan Lambert, 1984)
Disc 3:
Documentaries
- THE ART OF THE CALENDAR (Kier-La Janisse, 2024)
- SPLATTERFEST EXHUMED (Jasper Sharp, 2024)
Short Films
- MANIAC 2: MR. ROBBIE (Buddy Giovinazzo, 1986)
- Audio Commentary For MANIAC 2: MR. ROBBIE With Buddy Giovinazzo
- HORRORSHOW (Paul Hart-Wilden, 1990)
- Audio Commentary For HORRORSHOW With Director Paul Hart-Wilden
- CLEVELAND SMITH: BOUNTY HUNTER (Josh Becker, 1982)–Original Cut
- CLEVELAND SMITH: BOUNTY HUNTER (Josh Becker, 1982)–Producer’s Cut
- Audio Commentary For The Producer’s Cut Of CLEVELAND SMITH:
- BOUNTY HUNTER With Producer Scott Spiegel
- MONGOLITOS (Stéphane Ambiel, 1988)
- Audio Commentary For MONGOLITOS With Director Stéphane Ambiel
- “The Legendary H.G. Lewis Speaks”: 1989 Scala appearance by the Godfather of Gore
Retail price is $39.95, but the set can be pre-ordered at the Severin website for $34. In addition, Severin is releasing first-time-ever stand-alone Blu-rays of two Scala-screened cult favorites: Ray Dennis Steckler’s THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES and the Al Adamson biker double feature SATAN’S SADISTS and ANGELS’ WILD WOMEN.
