Calum Waddell

A feature-length documentary exploring the history of the Spanish zombie film.

A revealing insight into the short life and times of Michael Reeves.

The very first feature-length discussion and breakdown of the entire "Emmanuelle" phenomenon - the atmosphere in Europe that led to the production of the original and its subsequent impact across the continent and indeed the world.

Newman covers a lot of ground in under a half hour, including Let's Scare Jessica to Death's connections to Hammer Horror, vampire movies in the Seventies (which is a genre he claims experienced an "enormous boom" during that era), and much more.

Produced for the "ultimate edition" of "Rollerball" from Capelight Pictures in Germany, 2020. The Blu-Ray of the original 1975 classic comes packed with this fascinating 85-minute documentary that charts the influence of "Rollerball" on contemporary scifi cinema, including "Mad Max", "The Warriors" and "Escape from New York", as well as the Italian variant that struck the big time with motion picture successes such as "The Bronx Warriors" franchise, "The New Barbarians" and the wonderfully trashy "Endgame".

This is the first and only feature-length documentary on the life and cinema of the late Jorge Grau, who is most famous for his classic social-political horror masterpiece "Living Dead at Manchester Morgue" (1974), seen by some critics as a fierce critique of the Franco government albeit set in a displaced foreign locale.

A documentary taking a look at the career of Jess Franco.

A look back at the brief period of Eurocine cannibal film production that resulted in such oddball horror epics as 'Cannibal Terror', 'The Devil Hunter' and 'White Cannibal Queen'.

Documentary on actress Me Me Lai, who's best known for playing native girls in several controversial Italian cannibal jungle adventure movies.

A look back at the storied career of the late, great exploitation director Umberto Lenzi - as told through the director, in one of his last substantial sit-down interviews, colleagues and critics.

6.8/10

Documentary cover the final days of the Italian cannibal genre.

New historical documentary on the largely unknown period of South African B-movies, and the later cinematic identity of the nation that was established under the apartheid regime.

An insightful look at the history of Hong Kong's exploitation cinema, from the early days of the Shaw Brothers and such shockers as "Killer Snakes" through to the advent of the Category III rating in 1988 and then the June 4th massacre in Beijing. The latter led to a panic in Hong Kong, before the Handover of the former UK colony to Mainland China, and a number of motion pictures proceeded to take freedom of speech (and sometimes political symbolism) to the extreme. This is the story of one of the most curious and invigorating periods in exploitation filmmaking.

6.4/10

Documentary that breaks down the rise of Hong Kong Splatter Cinema.

Insightful new documentary in which Jeff Lieberman, Roy Frumkes, Matt Cimber and Joe Ellison share memories of the slime and grime of the grindhouse glory days!

Feature-length in-depth documentary by High Rising Productions chronicling the Giallo film genre from its beginnings as early 20th century crime fiction, to its later influences on the modern slasher film genre. Featuring interviews with Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Luigi Cozzi, Richard Stanley, and more.

7.3/10

A High Rising Productions documentary on the short-lived craze of Italian cannibal films in the '70s and '80s, featuring interviews with Umberto Lenzi, Ruggero Deodato, Sergio Martino, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, and Robert Kerman. Featured on the Grindhouse Releasing Blu-ray for "Cannibal Ferox" in the US, and the upcoming UK Blu-ray for "Zombi Holocaust" by 88 Films.

7/10

A featurette looking back at the early years of the celebrated Canadian production company, including interviews with author Kier-La Janisse and special make-up artist Joe Blasco.

Author and critic Michael Gingold looks back at Hallmark Releasing, the controversial and confrontational distributor that introduced Mark of the Devil to American cinemas.

Directed by UK-horror scene stalwart Calum Waddell and hosted by scream queen Debbie Rochon (Terror Firmer, Tromeo and Juliet) Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed features, in a change of pace for horror documentaries, especially those focusing on females in the genre, an all-female line-up, discussing horror movies from their perspective – exploring the challenges of being an actress in a genre predominantly made by and for men, from how they came about to be defined as a “scream queen”, about the vagaries of the genre: nudity, violence, misogyny, etc., and about how they feel about the genre and the label

6/10

Filmed exclusively for Arrow Video in 2013, this documentary looks at the making of The Pit and the Pendulum and features producer and director Roger Corman, star Barbara Steele, Vincent Price's daughter Victoria Price and more.

A 50-minute retrospective on Larry Cohen's 1985 cult classic, The Stuff.

An in depth look at the making of The 'Burbs, from High Rising Productions. This feature-length documentary includes interviews with director Joe Dante, actors Corey Feldman, Courtney Gains and Wendy Schaal, director of photography Robert M. Stevens and production designer James H. Spencer.

"Parasite Memories" is a brand new retrospective piece on the film produced by High Rising Productions with lively contribution from effects artist Joe Blasco, actresses Lynn Lowry and Barbara Steele, actor Allan Kolman, and Canadian critic Kier La-Janisse.

5.2/10

The story behind the rise and fall of New York's 42nd Street. The cinemas, the films, the people, the crime and the rebirth of the block as "New 42nd Street" - this is the document of the world's most notorious movie strip.

7.6/10

This feature-length documentary from High Rise Productions takes a close look at some of the most popular action movies from the '80s and the different political overtones in them, as well as the very specific characterizations they promoted, their general attitude towards violence, the political climate in Hollywood, etc. - www.blu-ray.com

6.7/10

Extensive documentary on the making of Tobe Hooper's infamous 1985 science fiction flop LIFEFORCE. Features interviews with Hooper, producer Michael J. Kagan, editor John Grover, actors Aubrey Morris and Nicholas Ball, makeup artist Sandra Exelby, screenwriter Michael Armstrong, sound designer Vernon Messenger, artistic designers Tom Adams and Roger Stewart and effects artist John Schoonraad.

7.9/10

Andrei Konchalovsky reflects on the making of Runaway Train.

A look at horror films featuring people who leave modern civilisation with the aim of seeking out pastures new.

Actor Ian McCulloch reflects upon making Zombi 2 and his other Italian horror epics - Zombi Holocaust and Contamination.

5.9/10

A celebration of slasher cinema - from PSYCHO to the present day, with a focus on highlighting many of the genre's forgotten cult classics, deconstructing how to survive a slice and dice movie and meditating upon why it is almost always a final girl and rarely a final guy... this is a documentary which is designed for both the biggest fan of "mad maniac" movies and the person who may only have seen HALLOWEEN and SCREAM. Either way, this is a documentary that proves the SLASHER FILM is truly FOREVER!

6.3/10

Dolph Lundgren discusses the making of 'Red Scorpion'.

6.5/10

The history of Italian zombie cinema, beginning with the breakout worldwide influence and success of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead and continuing through to Lucio Fulci's trend-setting Zombie Flesh-Eaters (Zombi 2) and its many imitators.

6.5/10

Director Frank Henenlotter, actor James Lorinz and special effects wizard Gabe Bartalos speak about the making of the cult classic Frankenhooker. Released on the Arrow Video Blu Ray edition of Frankenhooker.

8/10

Actress Cinzea Monreale guides viewers through her cult roles - most noticeably as the mysterious blind girl Emily in Lucio Fulci's classic haunted house film The Beyond (1981).

This documentary is featured on Arrow Video's 2011 DVD & Blu-ray releases for The Beyond (1981).

Larry Cohen remembers the genesis of Maniac Cop and his part in the creation of the film in this documentary shot exclusively for the Arrow UK Blu Ray release of the movie in 2011.

This documentary explores the hidden history of the American Exploitation Film. The movie digs deep into this often overlooked category of U.S. cinema and unearths the shameless and occasionally shocking origins of this popular entertainment.

7.1/10
8.6%

An affectionate look back at the life and career of Paul Naschy from those who worked with him, admired him and spent time with him. Produced for the Arrow DVD release of The Man with the Severed Head (AKA Crimson).

Italian horror fan and academic Calum Waddell speaks with some of the original makers of the controversial horror classic "Cannibal Holocaust" before venturing into the Amazon jungle and surrounding city port, Leticia, to uncover some of the local stories behind the making of the motion picture. What is uncovered, however, leads to a wider and unexpected "true crime" story.

Five of the main players behind Dario Argento's classic horror shocker Phenomena (1985) sit down to take viewers through this exclusive, epic-sized, 52 minute making of feature documentary. This was compiled and created for the nationwide Arrow UK DVD and Blu Ray release of the film, which hit all British home video stores on March 7th 2011.

7/10

Brian Yuzna sits down for a lengthy talk about the Re-Animator franchise for the The Beyond Re-Animator UK DVD.