Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Arrow Video Collects Seven of William Grefe's Exploitation Classics in One Fantastic Limited Edition Blu-ray Set!

Cover art for Arrow Video's HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP Boxed Set!
SHARK TELEPATHY, PARTYING TEENS, VOODOO MUMMIES, KILLER JELLYFISH MEN, & MORE AWAIT YOU IN THIS AWESOME EXPLOITATION FESTIVAL IN-A-BOX FROM ARROW VIDEO!

Arrow once again proves that their boxset-fu is extremely powerful with the release of HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP: THE WILLIAM GREFE COLLECTION. Featuring seven feature films, a(n extended) feature-length documentary, new & archival extras, a collectible booklet, and reversible poster & sleeves, this set is a real treat for fans of the notorious king of Everglades exploitation filmmaking! Speaking of which: I've only seen a smidgen of William Grefe's filmography over the years including STING OF DEATH, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU, and MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH, but what's odd is that I never realized all three of those films were from the same guy! So naturally, when I saw that this absolutely gorgeous set was coming out, I jumped on it (mainly for MAKO), and I'm sure you'll follow suit after taking a closer look at what Arrow's new set has to offer Vault Dwellers!

About the Set: Killer sharks and human jellyfish and living mummies, oh my! Arrow Video is proud to present the first ever collection of works by William "Wild Bill" Grefé, the maverick filmmaker who braved the deep, dark depths of the Florida everglades to deliver some of the most outrageous exploitation fare ever to go-go dance its way across drive-in screens!

Bringing together seven of Grefé's most outlandish features, all new to Blu-ray, HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP: THE WILLIAM GREFE COLLECTION packs in a macabre menagerie of demented jellyfish men (STING OF DEATH), zombified witch doctors (DEATH CURSE OF TARTU), homicidal hippies (THE HOOKED GENERATION), and seductive matrons (THE NAKED ZOO) – not to mention the ubiquitous go-go dancing college kids – to create one of the most wildly entertaining box-sets of all time!


DISC ONE: STING OF DEATH (1966) & DEATH CURSE OF TARTU (1966)

Disc Specs:
STING OF DEATH
Not Rated | Color | 80 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 Mono

DEATH CURSE OF TARTU
Not Rated | Color | 88 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 Mono

Extras:
  • NEW! 2K restoration of both movies from original film elements!
  • NEW! Introductions to the films by director William Grefé!
  • Archival audio commentaries for both films with William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter!
  • NEW! Beyond the Movie – Monsters a-Go Go! – a look into the history of rock 'n' roll monster movies with author/historian C. Courtney Joyner!
  • NEW! The Curious Case of Dr. Traboh: Spook Show Extraordinaire – a ghoulish look into the early spook show days with monster maker Doug Hobart!
  • Original Trailers
  • Reversible cover art by The Twins of Evil!
 




DISC TWO: THE HOOKED GENERATION (1968) & THE PSYCHEDELIC PRIEST (1971)

Disc Specs:
THE HOOKED GENERATION
Rated R | Color | 94 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 Mono

THE PSYCHEDELIC PRIEST
Not Rated | Color | 81 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 Mono

Extras:

  • NEW! 2K restoration of both movies from original film elements! 
  • NEW! Introductions to both films with William Grefe!
  • Archival audio commentaries for both films with director William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter!
  • NEW! Beyond the Movie: That's Drugsploitation! - A look inside the counter-culture films that inspired The Hooked Generation with author/film historian Chris Poggiali.
  • NEW! Beyond the Movie: The Ultimate Road Trip - The story behind The Psychedelic Priest with Chris Poggiali!
  • Tje Hooked Generation behind-the-scenes footage!
  • The Hooked Generation still gallery.
  • Reversible cover art by The Twins of Evil!



 
DISC THREE: THE NAKED ZOO (1971) & MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH (1976)

Disc Specs:
THE NAKED ZOO
Rated R | Color | 92 & 87 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono (director's cut)
             English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (Barry Mahon cut)

MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH
Rated PG | Color | 86 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono

Extras:
  • NEW! 2K restoration of both movies from original film elements!
  • NEW! Audio commentaries for both films with Director William Grefe!
  • NEW! Introductions for both films with Director William Grefe!
  • NEW! The 92-minute Director's Cut of The Naked Zoo, painstakingly reassembled from various source materials!
  • Alternate version of The Naked Zoo, as reedited by its original theatrical distributor, featuring added gratuitous nudity and a performance by blues-rockers Canned Heat - 100% non-director approved!
  • NEW! Beyond the Movie: That's Sharksploitation! - A deep dive into the history of shark films with author/film journalist Michael Gingold!
  • NEW! The Aquamaid Speaks! - An audio interview with Mako actress Jennifer Bishop!
  • NEW! Sharks, Stalkers, and Sasquatch - An audio interview with Mako writer Robert Morgan!
  • Mako - The Super-8 Digest Version!
  • Original Mako: Jaws of Death Trailers and Promos
  • Still and Promotion Galleries 
  • Reversible cover art by The Twins of Evil!





 
DISC FOUR: WHISKEY MOUNTAIN (1977) & THEY CAME FROM THE SWAMP: THE FILMS OF WILLIAM GREFE (2016)

Disc Specs:
WHISKEY MOUNTAIN
Rated PG | Color | 90 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.49:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 Mono


THEY CAME FROM THE SWAMP....
Not Rated | Color | 127 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - English LPCM 2.0 Stereo

Extras:
  • NEW! 2K restoration of Whiskey Mountain from original film elements!
  • NEW! Extended cut of They Came From the Swamp: The Films of William Grefe!
  • NEW! Audio commentary for Whiskey Mountain with Director William Grefe!
  • NEW! Introduction to Whiskey Mountain with Director William Grefe!
  • NEW! The Crown Jewels - A featurette on indie film studio and distribution company, Crown International Pictures!
  • Short film - Bacardi and Coke Bonanza (1981)
  • On Location: Grefe in Miami - An archival tour of filming locations with Director William Grefe.
  • Whiskey Mountain trailer & promo gallery.
  • They Came From the Swamp deleted scenes.
  • Bonus Exploitation Trailer Gallery!
  • Reversible cover art created by The Twins of Evil!




 
Exclusive Limited Edition Bonus Extras:
  • Double-sided reversible poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil!
  • Fully illustrated collector’s booklet featuring an extensive, never-before-published interview with William Grefé and a new foreword by the filmmaker!
Arrow Video's stellar limited edition HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP boxed set is now available wherever Blu-ray discs are sold, and let me tell you it is absolutely gorgeous! From the wonderful rigid box the films are housed in, to the reversible cover art, plethora of bonus features, and exhaustive work that went into restoring the films (mostly from 16mm prints!), this collection of William Grefe drive-in classics was truly given an unexpected amount of tender loving care!

HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP: THE WILLIAM GREFE COLLECTION will cost you between $50 - $87 and can be obtained directly from ARROW VIDEO, AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!

A look at the complete contents of Arrow's HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP Blu-ray Set!