SEVERIN FILMS Announces "SCALA!!!", A New Documentary On The Historic SCALA CINEMA

Most of us here at Macabre Daily are in North America, and many of us weren’t old enough to have partaken in the debaucherous delights of NYC’s 42nd Street in the ‘70s and ‘80s, for better and worse. The golden age of cinemas that specialized in obscure and exploitative cinema has long gone, but these theaters have left an undeniable mark on the theater-going experience. Just go to any Alamo Drafthouse to be reminded of a place influenced by and made for fans of cinema, particularly genre works. For those of us not able to have lived these experiences, there is always the magic of the documentary, and thanks to the purveyors of classy and trashy cinema, Severin Films, we are getting another great documentary about a landmark institution.

“Scala!!!” a production of co-directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall is a celebration of a legendary cinema in London that was host to some of the weirdest people, movies, and events in genre history. In true Severin style, the Blu-ray release is packed to the gills with special features, additional documentaries, and short films along with the impressive 96-minute “Scala!!!” documentary. Check out the details below in the press release, and you can pre-order now at Severin’s site!

From The Press Release

The floors were sticky. The patrons were dodgy. Its legacy is extraordinary: Severin Films today announced the North American Disc Premiere of the award-winning documentary 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 in an unprecedented 3-disc collection with hours of Special Features curated exclusively for this release.

 Between the politically volatile years of 1978 to 1993, London’s most infamous repertory movie theater/pleasure dome screened over 4000 mind-warping films that influenced a generation of remarkable writers, musicians, filmmakers, actors, artists and activists. Co-directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall now reveal the incredible true story of The Scala Cinema featuring rare archival footage, dozens of film clips from Scala favorites and interviews with former Scala audience members, guests and staff that include John Waters, Ben Wheatley, Jah Wobble, Cathi Unsworth, Mary Harron, Kim Newman, Nick Kent, Isaac Julien, Matt Johnson and more. Two additional discs include the new documentary SPLATTERFEST EXHUMED directed by Jasper Sharp (THE CREEPING GARDEN) about the notorious 1990 all-night horror festival featuring interviews with attendees John McNaughton, Brian Yuzna, Scott Spiegel and more, plus 12 specially curated Scala-screened short films, hours of additional material that include audio commentaries, an archive of Scala schedules, extended interviews, outtakes and animation, plus a replica Scala membership card and much more.

 In addition, Severin will be releasing first-time-ever standalone Blu-ray discs of two Scala-screened favorites: Ray Dennis Steckler’s immortal 1964 monster musical THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES and the classic Al Adamson biker double-feature of SATAN’S SADISTS and ANGELS’ WILD WOMEN.

Special Features for SCALA!!!:

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

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