18 July, 2007

Mirek Lipinski's KRIMI CORNER




I highly recommend Mirek Lipinski's engaging, expertly written, smartly laid out and handsomely illustrated 'zine KRIMI CORNER. It's the only current US publication I am aware of which focuses exclusively on these German Edgar Wallace films which were very popular in Europe during the 1950s and 1960s. These are crime films with horror elements based on the works of Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan. They were mostly produced by the Rialto company and Artur Brauner's CCC. Jess Franco worked in this genre several times with Brauner's backing, lensing the THE DEVIL CAME FROM AKASAVA with Soledad Miranda (1970) and DER TODESRACHER VON SOHO (1971) based on Bryan Edgar Wallace stories. Franco himself has amusing cameos in both titles.


These German krimis, of course, strongly influenced the Italian gialli of the 1960's onward both in terms of style, casting and atmosphere, like Mario Bava's BLOOD AND BLACK LACE and Dario Argento's THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970). In issue n. 1 Mirek explains the origins of the genre, profiles Edgar Wallace and provides a helpful checklist of Rialto produced krimis. There are also informed reviews of two krimis released by Retromedia on DVD. I'm hoping he'll take a look at the Jess Franco krimi titles and the related German DR MABUSE films in future issues. If you are a fan of these films or want to learn more about them this is a must have.
Checks, money orders and well-hidden cash should be sent to M. Lipinski, P.O. Box 2398, New York, NY 10009

BTW, if anyone has a copy of DER TODESRACHER VON SOHO/THE DEATH AVENGER OF SOHO/DEATH PACKS A SUITCASE they would be willing to make a trade for please contact me asap. Thanks...

(C) Robert Monell, 2007







12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,I just stumbled on your blog today
and found it to be a very interesting (and entertaining) read.I have this question I would like to ask you if I may.Does the US dvd version of Virgin among the living dead include the scene with the throne?I've heard the French "mad movies dvd" does.In any case,keep up the good work!
Best from Belgium,
Bruno

Robert Monell said...

Welcome to the blog and thanks for your kind words, Bruno. No the US DVD does not contain that scene. That was filmed by another director. A French director hired later by the producers, I believe. Does anyone know for sure who that director was? I do like that scene though.

Anonymous said...

Hello again,thank you for the info on that,don't know who directed the extra scene though...I've just bought the French dvd on eBay so it will be nice to compare it to my Dutch one.On another note,in case you shouldn't know (and be interested since you seem to enjoy other European movies as well) there is a German R2 dvd out with "Die Schlangegrübe un das Pendel" (the supposedly only German gothic horror),pretty decent print too,has an English version on there as well and some interesting extra's in German (on e-m-s).
Best,
Bruno

Anonymous said...

You can find Todesracher on vhs (pal)(there doesn't seem to be a dvd yet) in German language cheap here:
http://cgi.ebay.de/Der-Todesraecher-von-Soho-Toppic-VHS-wie-neu_W0QQitemZ220120994102QQihZ012QQcategoryZ58995QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
the seller says it's good quality ,accepts paypal and ships worlwide.Just have to check how much shipping to the US? is.If you want I can mail her in German to find out.
Best,
Bruno

Anonymous said...

This is it:
http://www.amazon.de/Bryan-Edgar-Wallace-Collection-DVDs/dp/B000BSNH74

Robert Monell said...

Thanks, Bruno, for the additional info. That "...Pendel" DVD of sounds pretty good. I really like that film but have never seen it in German.

Yes, please find out about that if you could. Actually, I just usually pay by US POSTAL MO, which she might not accept. I don't have credit cards or paypal. I would like to an OAR of this in German or English or best of all German w Eng subs. I'm also interested in other German DVDs/versions of Franco films, esp THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU. I have the German version of SUMURU: DIE SEIBEN MANNER DER SUMURU which has a lot of footage the US DVD doesn't and a different soundtrack. Is that out on German DVD you know of? Thanks and I'm pleased to see you becoming a regular here as input from German fans is highly valued since so many Franco films came out in special German versions.

Anonymous said...

Hi Robert,my previous comment seems to have gone missing! This (todesracher) is indeed out on dvd but only as a part of the R2 3 disc Bryan Edgar Wallace collection 3 (box set) it's German language and I believe the company is called Universum...Just let me know if you still want the vhs!
I'll check out the other titles.
Meanwhile I'd like to ask is there a version of Erotic rites of Frankenstein with all the nudity available in the US?
PS
You can link a US checking account to a Paypal account,it's the easiest way to pay internationally I've found.
Bruno

Anonymous said...

Hi again,just checked "die sieben Männer" isn't out on dvd in Germany it seems,the castle of Fu Manchu is out as part of a German dvd box (dr Fu Manchu collection)
Some info and screenshots here:
http://www.kinowelt.de/detail.php?id=1451&backlist=a-z&args=%26form%3Da-z%26buchstabe%3DF
Btw I'm from Belgium :)
Best,Bruno
PS please let me know if you still want the vhs info.

Anonymous said...

dr fu manchu boxset also includes English language it seems

Robert Monell said...

Belgian fans are equally appreciated! In fact, I highly appreciate our readers from ALL over the world, including Russia, Vietnam, Japan, Iceland, Chile, Brazil, S. Africa, Australia, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Poland, the Czech republic, and everywhere else. We have had visits from all those above mentioned places and much more. Believe it or not no checking account, either! Stricly cash. I'm very old fashioned.

BTW, I spent many weeks in Belgium back in the 1970s: Antwerpen, Brussels, Beveren Was, etc, via the TEE. I would like to get singles of the TODESRACHER and CASTLE German DVDS, but they look like they are on boxsets. Many thanks and best regards, Robert

Robert Monell said...

EROTIC RITES OF FR: Bruno, I forgot to address your question on the "uncovered" version, which btw Jess told me he prefers. There is the IMAGE DVD of the covered Spanish language version, with the nude scenes as extras in vhs quality. But I know of no US DVD of the nude vers. I hope to see one or a set with both versions.

Anonymous said...

Hi Robert,thanks for the info,it seems at least 2 additional comments of mine have gone missing? I hope this one gets out alive! :)
Bruno