Obscurities to Own: CODE RED / SCORPION EDITION

How many times have you found yourself blind-buying a disc because someone just released a new scan of a movie you had never heard of? If you’re like me, you’re nodding uncontrollably right now. If not, that’s okay maybe you’ll like this anyway. Nowadays it seems as if weekly we are seeing some forgotten prints lost in the abyss of cinema hell resurface only to receive the most painstaking remasters into new and better mediums. Some might say this is overkill for films such as these, others say it’s the only way to honor them. What I feel comfortable saying is, we just can’t buy them all.

And that brings us here, to this (hopefully) recurring feature where we will help you find the needles in the proverbial haystack, the diamonds in the rough, the treasure in the trash. This is to help make sure your hard-earned dollars give you the maximum amount of entertainment AND give you ample conversation starters about deep-cut horror/cult/exploitation to bring to your next family gathering or religious holiday!

This week we are going to explore the catalog of Code Red / Scorpion Releasing. Normally I would link you to their sites, but there is an air of mystery to the connection between Code Red, Scorpion Releasing, and Ronin Flix. I can link you to Ronin Flix, as they are the primary distributor (so it seems) for Code Red and/or Scorpion Releasing (from here on referred to as “CR/SR”). To be honest, I have not done the research on the connections and this feature isn’t about that. This is about recommending some weird films, and the only rule is that whatever is suggested should still be available at the time of posting. 

DARIO ARGENTO'S OPERA (1987)

This is probably the least obscure film on this list, but it is one that I firmly believe every horror fan should own. While it is very much a Giallo, it also lends itself more to the slasher side of the genre rather than the more crime-centric examples of the genre. Which means it includes heaps of very unfortunate looking deaths with some truly effective set-pieces that will certainly arouse the fears of those who are sensitive to their eyes. 

The story is your standard Giallo whodunnit fair, this time with our black-gloved misogynistic killer tormenting the leading lady of a modern-day Gothic Italian performance of Macbeth. As people around the actress and singer disappear, suspicions arise as to who is the culprit, and how to stop them. The story is not a life-changing affair by any means, but it is really interesting to see Dario Argento direct opera…it’s not bad!

This comes with an extremely high BUY recommendation purely because of how much fun this one is. Even if you don’t usually enjoy Giallo films, or if you just don’t like the Italian output from the 70s-80s, you can always appreciate the fact that this film is as close to an Argento-made opera we will ever get. The plotting in this is quite good, and the team over at CR/RS did a fantastic job with the transfer both for the audio (5.1 Mix) and the visuals (New 2k Scan). 

#2: BUTCHER BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER

Do you like your movies bat-shit insane? If so, please do yourself the kindness and seek out this early eighties oddity as soon as possible. If Freud made a horror film, this might be somewhat close to what would be the output. I must preface this recommendation by saying that the film does deal with themes of homophobia and incest, and it does not stand the test of time with its dialogue or characters. What it is, however, is a rare example of scenery-chewing so fabulous that it puts Roseanne Barr singing the national anthem to shame.

The story here centers around the strange relationship that a young-man, Billy Lynch, has with his caretaker Aunt Cheryl. Who also happens to have the hots for her nephew, and it’s not subtle. Aunt Cheryl kills a guy and claims he tried to rape her, all while trying to keep her nephew from going to college on a basketball scholarship. As these kinds of stories go, there is a detective investigating the crime who thinks there is a sex-triangle afoot and things go expectedly off the rails.

I recommend this one more as a way to own a piece of history. This is a film that will surely be forgotten in the next 20+ years. Its emergence on blu-ray is likely our last remaining opportunity to own a film such as this to have as an artifact of a time long gone, and we are better for it. This is a movie to watch with friends and guffaw at just how shameless it is but at the same time tragic for what kind of narrative it weaves. It’s like an exploitation version of an after-school special, and one that has a “so bad it’s good” kind of fragrance to it.

#3: SILENT SCREAM (1980)

The first half of the ’80s was dedicated to “slashers”. Some good, some bad, but all of them were attempting to recreate something close to what “Black Christmas”, “Halloween”, and “Friday the 13th” did, and some of them even succeeded only to be forgotten over the decades. While “Silent Scream” isn’t a slasher in the sense that we have some iconic killer butchering teens, but rather closer towards the Italian Giallo films of the ’70s. That doesn’t take away from how effective and dark SILENT SCREAM is, and it certainly has a more formidable plot than the Giallo films it resonates closest with. 

SILENT SCREAM is about Scotty, a co-ed who rents a room from a mother and son who also provide housing for other students. When one of the students living there mysteriously dies, Scotty begins to observe stranger things happening around the house and becomes suspicious of the mother and son she rents the room from. It doesn’t make sense to divulge more of the plot, as it ruins the dark and very surprising ending. It’s the ending that makes this one a highly recommended pick up. It’s a complete blindside, and it goes absolutely off the rails in the best possible way. If you fancy yourself a slasher connoisseur and you haven’t seen this early ‘80s gem you should absolutely grab SILENT SCREAM.

#4: THE CHURCH (1989)

If you’re not familiar with the name MICHELE SOAVI, allow me to make an introduction. Michele has worked on movies you have probably seen, and some of which you might even love! Small bit roles like the mysterious masked man in DEMONS, or his wonderfully weird CEMETERY MAN (aka Dellamorte Dellamore) from 1994. In 1989, Soavi put together a spiritual sequel to Bava’s Demon’s films with THE CHURCH. The plot is thinner than the hair’s on Fulci’s head (RIP), but if you’re watching an Italian horror movie from the ‘80s for the plot you’re already setting yourself up for disappointment.

The story is quite simple; some nasty templar dudes are buried under what is now a church, only to be awakened and wreak havoc. What makes THE CHURCH so great is the technical aspects and gory execution. While the action takes some time to get going, once it does you’re instantly reminded why the Italians just do some things better. Once we get to the third act things have started to get appropriately squishy and goopy as layers of slime and blood cake the screen. If you’re familiar with some of the more gruesome death sequences from films like THE BEYOND you’ll know exactly what to expect here and will not be disappointed!

#5: MESSIAH OF EVIL (1973)

If you haven’t heard of 1973’s “MESSIAH OF EVIL” before now I don’t blame you. It’s a relatively obscure film that hasn’t received any particular acclaim or special edition the same way so many other forgotten gems have. That said, it’s one of the most criminally underseen movies out there and deserves every ounce of your attention. The plot is simple enough, but it’s the execution that makes this one so engaging. A woman goes to seek out her estranged father in a remote seaside town, only to discover the inhabitants of the town have cannibalistic tendencies. Shades of Lovecraft and heaps of dread make the atmosphere downright foreboding throughout, and it’s one of the few movies that leaves you with a chill down your spine. 

While some might find it a bit slow, there are some true marquee moments that make this worth the watch including a stellar opening scene and one of the creepiest scenes to ever take place in a movie theater! There is a dreamlike haze draped over every second of the film here that gives the impression that the viewer, much like the characters, is living in some sort of waking nightmare. 

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