I have been a Blue Underground fanboy for quite a while now, as I have quite an impressive collection of their Blu-ray releases. This will be the first Blue Underground title that I have reviewed for the site, and what a title to start with. Blue Underground’s Blood Soaked Double Feature, is two Bruno Mattei films on Blu-ray for the price of one, and it’s quite an interesting pairing, I must say. The set consists of Hell of the Living Dead, following by Rats: Night of Terror. I have seen Hell of the Living Dead several times, but this marks the first time that I’ve seen Rats. If you want to follow the format given to us, you would watch Hell of the Living Dead first, but the truth of the matter is, these two films compliment each other so well that you could reverse it and it would have the same effect. Also, it is a Blue Underground release, so you can buy with confidence, knowing that you’re getting a quality product.
From Blue-Underground.com:
Two jaw-dropping shockers now available as a “Blood-Soaked Double Feature” Blu-ray!
HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD:
When The Creeping Dead Devour The Living Flesh!An accident at a chemical plant unleashes a horrific virus, and an elite SWAT team is sent to New Guinea to investigate. But when they arrive on the hellish island, they discover a plague of flesh-eating zombies as well as a beautiful female reporter who practices nude anthropology. Can the commandos survive this cannibal rampage, uncover a shocking government secret, and still find time for the occasional cross-dressing before the ravenous hordes of the living dead infect the entire world?Directed by the notorious Bruno Mattei (THE OTHER HELL), this ’80s Italian gut-muncher is infamous for its eye-popping gore, jaw-dropping dialogue and heart-stopping use of inappropriate stock footage. Also known as VIRUS, NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES and even ZOMBIE CREEPING FLESH, HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD has been newly transferred in shocking High Definition from the original uncut and uncensored negative!RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR:
Mutants Of A Nuclear Disaster!In the year 225 A.B. (After the Bomb), a group of post-apocalyptic bikers discover an abandoned research laboratory filled with food, water… and thousands of rats. But these are no ordinary vermin; these are super-intelligent mutant rodents with a ravenous appetite for human flesh. Can a bunch of heavily armed but not-too-bright human scavengers survive a night of terror against the most hungry and horrific predators on earth?Directed by the notorious Bruno Mattei (WOMEN’S PRISON MASSACRE), this hilarious Italian shocker is filled with over-the-top gore, bottom-of-the-barrel dialogue and attacks by what appear to be thousands of painted guinea pigs, all capped with a twist ending that must be seen to be believed. Also known as RATS OF MANHATTAN and BLOOD KILL, RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR has been newly transferred in flesh-ripping High Definition from the original uncut and uncensored negative!
Hell of the Living Dead, as I mentioned above, is the one movie in this double feature that I was previously exposed to. I’ve had the DVD for a long time, and I enjoy the campy nature of the film, and especially that Goblin soundtrack enough, that I revisit it from time to time. Blue Underground’s Blu-ray presentation of the film, however, was the best time I’ve ever had with the film. The picture quality is fabulous, and that DTS-HD Master Audio track had my living room thumping. This is not a movie, in my eyes anyway, that some casual viewers will love right off the bat. However, even if you are a younger fan, that doesn’t often watch movies made before 1990, Hell of the Living Dead has enough going for it that repeat viewings could turn almost anyone into a fan. This isn’t a gritty, grimy, ultra-realistic take on the zombie genre, this is a cheesy eighties celebration of excess, and the cliche, and for that, I love it.
My first experience with Rats: Night of Terror was a good one. I didn’t have as much fun with it as Hell of the Living Dead, but it made for a good close to this double feature. That Bruno Mattei tone is still present, but Rats is handled a little more seriously than the previous film. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of comedy within, because there is, I just have a feeling that more of that is unintentional in this film, when compared to Hell of the Living Dead. If you’ve never seen Rats before, it basically unfolds like any other slasher or killer-on-the-loose type of film, but with a post-apocalyptic backdrop. A group of badass survivors happen across an abandoned town. They make their way into the remains of a bar, and just as they begin to get comfortable, they begin getting picked off one by one. But, instead of a psychopath, zombies or any number of masked-killers, they are being hunted and exterminated by a pack of rats, that took to the streets after man invaded the sewers after “the blast”. It’s a good time, for sure, I just happen to be partial to Hell of the Living Dead.
Blue Underground put together a great little package for this double feature. I usually roll my eyes at the thought of having two films on one disc, but Blue Underground and Scream Factory are slowly changing my mind. You can’t compare this release to a double feature from a budget label, like Mill Creek or Echo Bridge. Those are releases that are done to be cheap, and without love, and in most cases, completely devoid of bonus content. Often the picture quality suffers from compression, due to two films being jammed onto one BD25. This Blood Soaked Double Feature is nothing of the such. This is a loving presentation of two classic Italian cheese-fests from Bruno Mattei. The films and the bonus content are on a BD50, so compression is never an issue. At first, I thought the PQ on Rats was a little soft, but as I continued to watch, I noticed that what I was witnessing was occasional focusing issues, and not a problem with the transfer. Both movies look and sound better than they ever have before. Blue Underground’s Blood Soaked Double Feature of Hell of the Living Dead and Rats: Night of Terror is now available to own, and is highly recommended. You may purchase a copy for yourself by clicking here.
Bonded By Blood – Interviews with Co-Writer/Co-Director Claudio Fragasso and Stars Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Ottaviano Dell’Acqua & Massimo Vanni
Hell Rats Of The Living Dead – Interview with Director Bruno Mattei
Theatrical Trailers
Poster & Still Galleries