Black Magic Rites, Two Orphan Vampires, Living Dead Girl
New York, NY - August 7, 2012 - Kino Lorber and Redemption are proud to announce the Blu-ray and DVD releases of Black Magic Rites, a psychedelic '70s style horror film by Italian cult director Renato Polselli (Delirium); and two films from French horror filmmaker Jean Rollin: Two Orphan Vampires and The Living Dead Girl. All films come mastered in HD from the original negatives.
Black Magic Rites comes to Blu-ray and DVD with a street date of August 21st, mastered in HD from the 35mm negative. The SRP for the Blu-ray is $19.95, and the SRP for the DVD is $14.95. Both are available for prebook, and come with the original theatrical trailer as a special feature.
Two Orphan Vampires streets on Blu-ray and DVD on August 28th, with a SRP of $24.95 for the Blu-ray edition and $19.95 for the DVD edition. Both are currently available for prebook. The film is mastered in HD from the original 16mm negative, and is presented in its original French language track with optional English subtitles, as well as an alternate English-dubbed soundtrack. It comes packed with special features including "Memories of a Blue World, the Making of Les Deux Orphelines Vampires," by Daniel Gouyette, featuring interviews with cast and crew of the film (2012, 40 min.); an interview with Jean Rollin, by Rebecca Johnson (2008, 20 min.); a 12-page booklet with an essay by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog; the original theatrical trailer; and original trailers of nine other films by Jean Rollin.
The Living Dead Girl also streets on August 28th, with a SRP of $24.95 for the Blu-ray edition and $19.95 for the DVD edition. Both are currently available for prebook. It comes mastered in HD from the 35mm negative, and is presented in its original French language soundtrack with optional English subtitles. The disc includes special features, including an introduction by Jean Rollin himself; four featurettes by Daniel Gouyette: "Jean-Pierre Bouyxou on La Morte Vivante", "The Living Dead Girl:The American Version", "Music by Philippe D'Aram", and "When I Was Seventeen:An Homage to Benoit Lestang"; Jean Rollin at Fantasia (2007, 36 min.); an excerpt of an interview with Jean Rollin by Joshua T. Gravel; a 12-page booklet with an essay by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog; the original theatrical trailer; and original trailers of nine other Rollin films.
Black Magic Rites
"Demonic and sexually depraved... keeps one watching in dazed astonishment."
- TV Guide
In a mountaintop castle, devil worshippers hunt down virgins and cut out their hearts to restore life to their Great Mistress Isabella (Rita Calderoni), a witch who was burned to death centuries before.
The castle is purchased by the unwitting Jack Nelson (Mickey Hargitay, former husband of Jayne Mansfield), whose niece Laureen (also played by Rita Calderoni) bears a striking resemblance to Mistress Isabella.
Drawn into the cult's evil orbit, Laureen is targeted as the final sacrifice in order to restore Isabella's terrifying power.
Special Features
Original theatrical trailer
Italy 1973 Color 98 Min. 1.78:1 1920 x 1080p Not Rated
Two Orphan Vampires 
"Unflinching and adult." --Tim Lucas, Editor of VIDEO WATCHDOG
"Two Orphan Vampires (Les Deux Orphelines Vampires) follows Henriette and Louise (Isabelle Teboul and Alexandra Pic), two blind girls of unknown origin, raised in an orphanage by two adoring nuns. Little do the nuns know, each night as the sun goes down, their 'little angels' acquire night vision (they 'see blue'), as well as an appetite for blood and teenage mischief.
Rollin's entire filmography, more or less, could be summarized as a poetical consideration of death, termination, and unreality, but coming to terms with his own pending death had a way of affecting how he regarded them (the film was undertaken just as he was diagnosed with kidney failure).
Something previously conceptual and child-like, nostalgic and precious in Rollin's work becomes more concrete and dimensional, unflinching and adult. When they commit one violent transgression against their kindly benefactor, the scene's abrupt and awkward brutality recalls the best of Henri-Georges Clouzot." (excerpt of the essay by Tim Lucas)
Special Features
* Mastered in HD from the original 16mm negative
* French with optional English subtitles
* English dubbed version
* "Memories of a Blue World, the Making of Les Deux Orphelines Vampires," by Daniel Gouyette, featuring interviews with cast and crew of the film (2012, 40 min.)
* Interview with Jean Rollin, by Rebecca Johnson (2008, 20 min.)
* 12-page booklet with an essay by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog
* Original theatrical trailer
* Original trailers of nine other Rollin films
France 1997 Color 107 Min. 1.78:1 1920 x 1080p Not Rated
The Living Dead Girl
"One of the most emotionally incendiary finales in horror film history." --Tim Lucas, Editor of VIDEO WATCHDOG
"The Living Dead Girl (La Morte Vivante) is the story of Catherine Valmont (Francoise Blanchard), a wealthy heiress dead before her time, who is accidentally reanimated when some unfortunate movers attempt to store drums of chemical waste in the neglected burial vaults below her uninhabited chateau.
Rollin's 'living dead girl' does everything that cinematic convention requires--she kills people, drinks human blood, devours human flesh--yet, for all this, we accept her as an innocent. Meanwhile, the effect that her resurrection has upon her childhood friend, Helene (Marina Pierro), is infinitely more conscious, deliberate, and evil.
Bloodier and more violent than his own tastes preferred, The Living Dead Girl forced Rollin to work against the grain in his own preferred genre--and he transformed himself in the process. In the unsettling, bloody finale, Blanchard's performance was so intense, so extreme in its confused appetite, revulsion, and glee, the take was nearly interrupted out of concern for the actress's mental health. It's one of the most emotionally incendiary finales in horror film history." (excerpt of the essay by Tim Lucas)
Special Features
* Mastered in HD from the 35mm negative
* French with optional English subtitles
* Introduction by Jean Rollin
* Four featurettes by Daniel Gouyette: "Jean-Pierre Bouyxou on La Morte Vivante", "The Living Dead Girl: The American Version", "Music by Philippe D'Aram" and "When I Was Seventeen: An Homage to Benoit Lestang" * Jean Rollin at Fantasia (2007, 36 min.)
* Excerpt of an interview with Jean Rollin by Joshua T. Gravel
* 12-page booklet with an essay by Tim Lucas, editor of Video Watchdog
* Original theatrical trailer
* Original trailers of nine other Rollin films
France 1982 Color 89 Min. 1.78:1 1920 x 1080p Not Rated