Severin Ends 2024 With Cannibals, ‘Delicatessen,’ Brandon Cronenberg, Cult Movie Novelizations, And More
by David Lewis
Fan favorite boutique disc label Severin Films is closing out the year with some rare releases on Blu-ray and 4K, plus some more novelizations of cult films, and a massive Black Friday sale. Think basically anything with “dead,” “murder,” or “cannibal” in the title. Everything below will be available to pre-order on Severin’s site starting at midnight ET on Black Friday.
First up, the quirky 1991 French cannibal tale Delicatessen — from writer-directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro (Amelie, The City of Lost Children) — makes its UHD debut in North America. Restored in 4K from the original camera negative by StudioCanal under the supervision of Jeunet, the 3-disc set houses six hours of new and archival special features, including an audio commentary with Jeunet, interviews, a retrospective documentary, a short film by Jeunet and Caro, and more.
Next up is Lamberto Bava’s (Demons) rarely seen 1989 shocker The Mask of Satan, a modern re-imagining of his father Mario Bava’s classic proto-giallo Black Sunday from 1960. Scanned in 2K from the original camera negative, and available for the first time ever on Blu-ray in North America, Satan includes interviews with Bava and cast members Mary Sellers and Debora Caprioglio.
Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg‘s gory debut is also making its UHD debut. Caleb Landry Jones stars in this twisted tale of infectious diseases and obsessive fandom. Sarah Gadon and Malcolm McDowell co-star. Featuring both the theatrical version and the longer Cannes Film Festival cut, Antiviral has been scanned in 4K from the 35mm protection internegative supervised by Cronenberg and cinematographer Karim Hussain. Three hours of new and archival special features include a short film from Cronenberg, making-of featurettes, interviews, trailers, a commentary with Cronenberg and Hussain, and more.
All aboard for Night Train Murders: The 1974 rarity directed by Aldo Lado is being presented in UHD for the first time ever. Taking a page from Wes Craven‘s 1972 Last House on the Left, Night Train depicts the assault of two girls riding a train home for the holidays and their blood-soaked vengeance when they track down the transgressors. Next stop: Revenge. Scored by the great Ennio Morricone, Night Train Murders has been scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with over 5 hours of Special Features.
What would a Severin release announcement be without prolific Spanish exploitation maestro Jess Franco? His 1983 summertime sex comedy stars frequent muse Lina Romay and has been scanned in 2K from the original camera negative with over 2 hours of new special features.
Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato comes back for seconds with Last Cannibal World, being served up in UHD for the first time in North America. The survivors of a plane crash in a remote jungle find themselves on the menu for a group of locals with a taste for human flesh. Scanned in 4K from the original negative, Last Cannibal World includes nearly three hours of special features and contains the alternate US cut of the film.
More Italian carnage can be found in Hell of the Living Dead, a zombie epic never before offered in UHD in the US. Directed by Bruno Mattei (Cruel Jaws), Hell has been scanned in 4K from the original camera negative, and includes featurettes, interviews and trailers.
We’ll switch back to cannibalism — but stay in Italy — for the next release. Feast your eyes on director Sergio Martino‘s (All the Colors of the Dark) Slave of the Cannibal God, being presented in UHD for the first time anywhere. Ursula Andress stars as the wife of a scientist gone missing in cannibal country. She goes after him with the help of a grizzled guide (Stacy Keach). Scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with over three hours of special features highlighted by a brand new interview with Martino.
Mattei returns with this futuristic shocker that pits human survivors of an atomic blast against giant, mutated rats. Scanned in 4K from the original camera negative, Rats: Night of Terror includes three hours of new and archival special features, plus a CD of the recently discovered and remastered soundtrack.
Did you think we were finished with cannibalism? Get ready for the next course. Umberto Lenzi‘s 1980 Eaten Alive is making its worldwide UHD premiere and offers up hours of special features including interviews, a Q&A with Lenzi, rare alternate footage, and more.
But wait, there’s more! Severin Films is teaming with Encyclopocalypse Publications for two new novelizations from author Brad Carter based on two of the Mattei-directed releases, Hell of the Living Dead (AKA Virus) and Rats: Night of Terror. Carter’s previous Severin novelizations include Mardi Gras Massacre, Night of the Demon, and Mattei’s Cruel Jaws. The novelizations are available exclusively during Severin’s Black Friday Weekend Salevs Event, which will also include exclusive bundles, new Severin merch, a 24-hour box set sale, 50% off SRP on many older releases, and more.
The sale caps off a huge year for Severin releases, including the release of the massive boxset the Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two, and various other rare cult films making their 4K debut.
