Severin Films announces Morbid Pleasures, a massive Blu-ray set celebrating extreme cinema
For physical media lovers who enjoy the extreme side of cinema, Severin Films has got just the right collection for you.
The boutique film label recently announced their most ambitious physical media release to date, Morbid Pleasures: A Compendium of Grand Guignol & The Grand Guignolesque. The massive collection features 12 Blu-rays, over 80 hours of content, and over 60 films dating from 1895-2025. Many of the films will be available on home video for the first time ever.
Morbid Pleasures includes rare and rediscovered silent films with new music by Steven Severin, of Siouxsie and the Banshees, David J, of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, along with Tim Newman, Stephen Thrower, and renowned accompanists Michael D. Mortilla and Neil Brand. Further, Morbid Pleasures contains dozens of hours of new and archival Special Features that explore various historical aspects of gruesome entertainment.
The compendium also includes David Gregory's award-winning feature documentary, Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid History of Paris' Grand Guignol. Gregory's film explores the infamous Parisian theater and its long-lasting graphic impact on pop culture. The theatre was located in a former chapel in the Pigalle district, and it operated from 1897-1962. It became famous for its graphic and naturalistic horror shows that made for shocking theatrical entertainment.
Additionally, the collection spotlights Paula Maxa, who was nicknamed "The Most Assassinated Woman in the World," because she was brutally murdered on stage at the Grand Guignol Theatre over 10,000 times. Further, Morbid Pleasures gives focus to filmmakers Fred Paul, Maurice Tourneur, Robert Hossein, and Vernon, while tracing the theatre's gore-fueled influence on contemporary cinema, including true crime and even heavy metal. For example, Morbid Pleasures includes interviews with shock rockers Alice Rooper, GWAR, and W.A.S.P. Rack Girls.
Also included in Morbid Pleasures is a new 350-page, full-color book, Blood, Sweat & Sperm: The Visceral Horrors of The Grand Guignol. This features writings by Andre Breton, Richard J. Hand, Aleister Crowley, Andre de Lorde, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Alfred Binet, Maxa, and more. Meanwhile, Disc 12 is a limited-edition bonus, featuring Herschell Gordon Lewis' influential 1970 film The Wizard of Gore, along with the out-of-print 2007 remake, starring Brad Dourif, Bijou Phillips, and Crispin Glover. The remake was directed by Jeremy Kasten.
Severin created a teaser trailer for Morbid Pleasures, which you can watch below, and preorders are now available on Severin's website here.
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