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Release Date: October 25th, 2022 Movie Release Year: 2008

The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler

Overview -

One of the weirdest personalities to ever hit the American drive-in/exploitation circuit in the 1960s and 70s invades your home theater with the incredible 20-film 10-disc The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler collection! Covering everything from Steckler’s hits Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? and Rat Pfink a Boo Boo to his most egregious, compulsory, and X-rated efforts – like Nazi Brothel and Red Heat – stands tall as a major realization of Severin’s mission statement to rescue and release cult films from across the world. Your mileage may vary on the films in the set, but this set is packed with commentaries, interviews, essays, newly produced featurettes, and scans of Steckler's lost incomplete films. The result is a well-curated crash course in one of American Exploitation’s most distinct cinematic voices... for better or worse. Highly Recommended!

See: the incredibly comprehensive 10-disc career spanning collection from producer/director/writer/showman/star Ray Dennis Steckler along with noms de cinéma that included Sven Christian, Wolfgang Schmidt, Cindy Lou Sutters and Cash Flagg – “an unheralded auteur misunderstood by the mainstream and de-legitimized by a critical community unable to appreciate his genius.” (PopMatters)

See: 20 incredibly strange films scanned in 4K/2K from the best existing 35MM/16MM vault elements, sole remaining prints and video masters – including several rarely-seen, thought-lost or never-before-on-disc, plus all-new Special Features, audio commentaries, a full-color book and more that smashes the fun barrier!

See: the incredibly true story – filmed in Hallucinogenic Hypno-Vision & Terrorama! – behind one of the most incomparable, unstoppable and wildly original talents in horror, exploitation, adult film and pop culture history.

New Book:

The Incredibly Strange Filmmaker Who Stopped Living And Became A Mixed-Up Legend written by Zack Carlson, co-author of Destroy All Movies!!! and Bleeding Skull: A 1990s Trash-Horror Odyssey, with contributions by Charles Devlin

 

Disc 1: Wild Guitar (1962)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 90 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Special Features:

  • Bud Eagle Rocks — Interview With Actor Arch Hall, Jr.
  • The Incredibly Strange Film Show Season 1, Episode 2: Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Master Of The Grind — Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Trailer

Disc 2: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1963)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 82 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.75:1

Special Features:

  • Introduction By Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Joe Bob Briggs
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview With Carolyn Brandt
  • Deleted Scenes
  • VHS Trailer
  • Trailer
  • TEENAGE PSYCHO MEETS BLOODY MARY Re-Release Trailer
  • TEENAGE PSYCHO MEETS BLOODY MARY Radio Spot

Disc 3: The Thrill Killers (1965)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 70 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Special Features:

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Christopher Wayne Curry, Author Of The Incredibly Strange Features Of Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Confessions Of A Thrill Killer — Interview With Actor Gary Kent
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Q&A At The York Theatre, San Francisco
  • Alternate Cut: THE MANIACS ARE LOOSE (77 mins)
  • Behind The Scenes Footage With Commentary By Ray Dennis Steckler
  • THE THRILL KILLERS Trailer
  • THE MANIACS ARE LOOSE Trailer
  • THE MANIACS ARE LOOSE TV Spots
  • Radio Spots

Disc 4: Rat Pfink A Boo Boo (1965) / The Lemon Grove Kids (1967, 1969)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 67 mins / 78 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 / 1.33:1

Special Features:

Rat Pfink A Boo Boo

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Aaron AuBuchon, Webster University Professor Of Film Studies
  • First Lady Of Cult — Interview With Actress Carolyn Brandt
  • Mondo Psychotronic — Interview With Mondo Movies Label And Psychotronic Video Store Owner Bal Croce And Friends
  • Monster Mags, B-Movies & Rock ‘n’ Roll — Filmmaker Don Glut On Ron Haydock And Ray
  • Original Opening Footage
  • Color Footage Of Rat Pfink And Boo Boo
  • Trailer

The Lemon Grove Kids

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Tickles Talks — Interview With Daughter Laura Steckler
  • Text Card For Live Show
  • Footage From Unreleased Fourth Segment
  • Parade Footage
  • GOOF ON THE LOOSE — Short Film With Optional Director Commentary
  • Trailer

Disc 5: Body Fever (1969) / Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll (1969) 

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 78 mins / 77 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 / 1.33:1

Body Fever Special Features:

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Dark Eyes Of London’s David Dent
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview With Carolyn Brandt
  • Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler At The York Theatre, San Francisco
  • Work Print Footage From BLOODY JACK (Unfinished Film Started After BODY FEVER)

Disc 6: Blood Shack (1971)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 55 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Special Features:

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Alternate Cut: THE CHOOPER (70 mins)
  • Introduction By Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary With Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary With Aaron AuBuchon, Webster University Professor Of Film Studies
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview With Carolyn Brandt
  • Outtakes

Disc 7: The Hollywood Strangler Meets The Skid Row Slasher (1980) / The Las Vegas Serial Killer (1987)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 71 mins / 76 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Special Features:

The Hollywood Strangler Meets The Skid Row Slasher

  • Introduction By Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Joe Bob Briggs
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview With Carolyn Brandt By Ray Dennis Steckler
  • HOLLYWOOD STRANGLER IN LAS VEGAS Trailer

The Las Vegas Serial Killer

  • Audio Commentary With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary With Actor Ron Jason Moderated By Severin Films’ David Gregory And Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin
  • Archival Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • The Las Vegas Thrill Killer — Interview With Actor Ron Jason
  • Savage And Steckler — Interview With Actress Glenda Savage
  • Promo For The Unfinished Film LAS VEGAS THRILL KILLER With Optional Commentary By Ron Jason

Disc 8: The Mad Love Life Of A Hot Vampire / Nazi Brothel / Love Life Of Hitler’s Nazis / Count Al-Kum 

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 51 mins / 55 mins / 52 mins / 49 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Special Features:

  • Steckler Locations Tour Of Los Angeles And Las Vegas With Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin

Disc 9: Dr. Cock Luv / The Sexorcist’s Devil / Red Heat

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 52 mins / 60 mins / 81 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Special Features:

  • Interview With Actress Lovey Goldmine
  • Lost Film Productions Digest Versions Of FACE OF EVIL and SLASHED…

Disc 10: Summer Fun (1997) / Reading, Pennsylvania (2006) / One More Time (2008)

Disc Specs:

  • Runtime: 61 mins / 257 mins / 66 mins
  • Audio: English Mono / Closed Captions
  • Region Free
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Special Features:

  • AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE Extended Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Interview With Elijah Drenner, Director Of AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE
  • Natasha Diakova’s Screen Test For ONE MORE TIME
  • Ray Dennis Steckler Talks B-Movie Filmmaking At Las Vegas High School
  • Johnny Legend’s Final Interview With Ray Dennis Steckler And Behind The Scenes Footage From ONE MORE TIME
  • Audio Interview With Katherine Steckler
  • MASCOT VIDEO By Filmmaker Joaquin Montalvan
  • SUMMER FUN Trailer

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
10 x Region-Free Blu-ray Discs
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p AVC/MPEG-4
Release Date:
October 25th, 2022

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Just as a quick primer to the films of Ray Dennis Steckler, it’s important to note what kind of cult filmmaking you’re about to watch. Of course, that depends on which period in Steckler’s career you’re going through. The Reading, Pennsylvania-born weirdo had a few key hallmarks throughout his career – for one, he never used a script. Steckler was a compulsive filmmaker in that he simultaneously was hustling for a quick buck and eager to create his own cinematic world. He was adept at reusing footage from his films to create slight-enough variations to resubmit back into the drive-in circuit, had common characters pop up throughout his films to milk whatever notoriety he created from his image for all its worth, plus he very rarely had trained actors in front of the camera.

The man had the knack for convincing anyone and everyone to give up their day, week, month, or life for the purpose of executing his ideas. That, and he used a lot of performers who had a similar hustle on the exploitation circuit in their own respects. When Steckler put the focus of a film on the rogue’s gallery of outsiders he organized to get in front of a camera, the result can often be unlike anything else in the cult genre. Many of the hits, like Rat Pfink a Boo Boo and Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll, can feel beamed in from a parallel universe that’s not dissimilar to ours but plays by a totally different set of rules. In short: no matter how egregious the filmmaking gets, it’s all driven by such an idiosyncratic character that you can’t help but watch in awe. 

The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler kicks off the weirdo’s career with Wild Guitar (1962), the B-movie that Steck made with cult figure Arch Hall Sr. and his son, Arch Hall Jr. of Eegah! fame. Junior stars as Bud Eagle, a bright-eyed and naïve guitar-toting singer who arrives in Hollywood on a motorcycle and almost immediately becomes a victim of an abusive talent manager. Steckler, listed in the film as Cash Flagg (one of his common pseudonyms and personalities), plays the wiry, intense henchman named Steak. Steckler’s unique presence actually sets this standard Hollywood-gone-bad story from the norm, as his henchman punctuates the rote material with unpredictability. 3/5

Next up is both Steckler’s best-known film and ironically, the most expensive film he ever made at about $37,000, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964). The story is rather simple in that it doesn’t really have one? Three friends – Jerry (Steckler as Cash Flagg), Angela (Sharon Walsh), and Harold (Atlas King) visit a carnival and soon uncover a sinister plot orchestrated by Madam Estrella (Brett O’Hara) in which she’s turning carnival patrons into zombies. The 82-minute runtime is filled with ‘60s-era live musical performances to pad the time, people constantly falling over each other to create plot and experimentation with lighting gels to create a hippie-adjacent horror comedy. Okay, that last part can probably be attributed to the film’s camera operator, Vilmos Zsigmond (listed as William Zsigmond in this early gig). Anyway, this film is the best kind of bad that Steckler ever achieved. 5/5

The third film in the set, Steckler’s take on the common ‘60s-era serial killer picture, The Thrill Killers (1965) once again showcased the unpredictability of Steckler’s universe. The story revolves around several psychotic murderers who have escaped a local mental institution and set their sights on a murderous rampage in Los Angeles. At the center of it all are aspiring actor Joe Saxon (Brick Bardo) and his worried wife Liz (played by gangster Mickey Cohen’s ex-girlfriend, the actress Liz Renay). Steckler, once again as Cash Flagg, plays an intense and psychotic killer that gets an iconic murder sequence with scissors. His performance actually feels more disturbing than anything as if Steckler’s usually innocent worldview was starting to crumble. 4/5

That affected worldview is negated and replaced with pure, unadulterated Steckler ID in my personal favorite film of his, 1966’s Rat Pfink a Boo Boo. The plot is relatively simple at first: three gutter trash criminals terrorize and eventually kidnap Cee Cee Beaumont (Steckler’s then-wife and frequent collaborator, Carolyn Brandt), much to her musician boyfriend Lonnie Lord’s (Ron Haydock) dismay. But about 40 minutes into the film, in a scene where Lonnie receives a call with a request for ransom money from the gutter trash trio, Lonnie’s eyes go wide and he exclaims, “This is a job for You-Know and Who!” Soon, Lonnie and his friend Titus (Titus Moede) emerge from a coat closet as Rat Pfink and Boo Boo, two wool-clad superheroes here to stop the baddies. The rest of the film offers dangerous chase footage and an appearance by an ape named Kogar. This is the bad and the weird writ large, and boy is it committed. 5/5 

Luckily for us, that innocent worldview came back in full force with the next film in this set, Steckler’s homage to The Bowery Boys titled The Lemon Grove Kids (1969). Mirroring other short-form comedy works, The Lemon Grove Kids offers three tales all with Gopher (Cash Flagg) and Slug (Mike Kannon) getting into G-rated hijinks. Cee Bee Beaumont (Carolyn Brandt) and Rat Pfink make cameos, and Steckler’s daughter Laura plays the cute kid Tickles. This is a family affair that gets by on some truly funny physical gags in which Steckler definitely hurt himself during the production. 3/5

As the end of the 60s was nearing, Steckler turned his creativity to another common bit of drive-in entertainment, the skid-row noir. Made on a tiny budget and once again being a showcase of Steckler’s obsession with being the wild card in front of the camera, 1969’s Body Fever signified a departure for our lovable weirdo. Here, he plays Charles Smith, a toupee-adorned private investigator who gets wrapped up with the wrong hippie. Carrie Erskine (Carolyn Brandt) was that hippie, who just stole a small of amount of heroin from a mob boss. Body Fever is your classic hardboiled noir fare, but it offers a direct look at Steckler’s uneasiness with sex in his films, which is something unfortunately revisited in many of his hardcore features. 2.5/5

If we’re to take Steckler’s transition into the Z-grade porno circuit as a man uneasily becoming a voyeur, then 1970’s Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll is a live look at Steckler’s internal battle to get into the lurid side of exploitation. It’s also the closest that he ever came to making an arthouse film, with a story about a woman drifting in the netherworld/afterlife, constantly reliving past sexual trauma and pain. Filmed entirely in Steckler’s basement, there’s a real dire feel to everything that anchors the gauzy nastiness that would only flit across softcore content as if we’re in a dream. When it comes to Steckler’s adult work, this one stands out. 4/5 

Before we fully dive into the porn-again phase of Steckler’s career, his 1971 Z-grade horror work Blood Shack (funded by those X-rated features) also signified a bit of an aesthetic change for the filmmaker. Gone was the city streets of Los Angeles and here was the endless, disquieting desert of Nevada. Once again, the story is pretty simple: there’s a shack in the Nevada desert where a restless Native American spirit lives and attacks visitors with a sword. The spirit always wearing a black hoodie and having shiny red skin. The film wastes no time to start the bloodletting, with a woman who ignores all warnings to go into the shack. It’s a weirdly mean affair for Steckler, and that feels ingenuine to the audience. But hey, the guy was going through a divorce and wanted to make a movie about a sword-wielding Native American spirit, okay? Alright! 3/5

The last of Steckler’s big hits in the set before we get into his porn era are 1980’s The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher and 1987’s The Las Vegas Serial Killer. The former is about a serial killer, photographer Johnathan Click (Pierre Agostino), who loves to slice up women after getting all horned up by taking pictures of them. Carolyn Brandt shows up as a disapproving clerk at a local bookstore, with this role being her final collaboration with Steckler. Click shows up again somehow in The Las Vegas Serial Killer, which you guessed it, revolves around the killer descending upon Las Vegas in the same fashion they did Hollywood. The returns may be diminishing, but this is a decent showcase for Steckler’s obsession with capturing locations in time. 2/5 and 2/5, respectively.

Alright, here we go into Steckler’s porn era. First up is 1971’s The Mad Love Life of a Hot Vampire. Most of these 70s pornos made by Steckler all included a core group of Las Vegas sex performers and shared similar plots. Easier to repurpose footage when the stories all bleed together and they’re sex films, so it’s not like plot is a main focus to begin with. The Mad Love Life of a Hot Vampire is about Dracula (Jim Parker), who is a pimp that sends out vampire hookers to ensnare victims. A lot of footage of women actually biting penises, which to each their own. A perfect example of how Steckler’s pornos were frequently not-titillating, with garish close-ups of sex acts that look more uncomfortable than anything. 2/5 

The vampire thread continues in 1971’s Count Al-Kum, a 49-minute quickie about a vampire named Count Allcum (Jerry Delony) who can’t get laid, so he gets really mad when he’s constantly usurped by a bearded man who gets more than he does. A Z-grade affair that films sex acts with a kaleidoscopic effect that ends up being more disturbing than titillating. 1/5 

Nazi Brothel, Love Life of Hitler’s Nazis and Dr. Cock Luv can all be approached at the same time, as they’re three Nazi-focused pornos that all run under an hour each, with the two first titles sharing footage to pad for time. Nazi Brothel being the genesis for the other efforts that are clearly Steckler’s attempt to capitalize on the Nazisploitation genre of that period. The result is a bunch of men getting degraded by SS officers in various ways (not very sexy) and a lot of gags about Nazis not being able to get it up. Not as good as that sounds, I swear. 1/5

1973’s The Sexorcist’s Devil is the closest Steckler got to an Ed Wood movie, just with more hardcore sex. Diane Tracy (Lilly Lamarr) is a prostitute who gets possessed by a demon named Volta and takes off for world domination. But when Eva, a hard-nosed journalist, and Professor Ernest Von Kleinsmidt (Kelly Guthrie), a self-proclaimed Sexorcist, are on the case and hijinks ensue. The pacing is erratic, the sex unattractive but boy howdy is it weird. So, a Steckler film! 3/5

Steckler’s most accomplished adult film may be Red Heat (1976). It’s one of the longest adult features he ever made, running at 81 minutes and offering the worst narration in adult cinema history. A female porn director talks about how excited she is to film a red-hot redhead named Mary (Lovey Goldmine). But after filming a scene and before you know it, Mary’s boyfriend is cheating on her and she goes on a murderous rampage. Mary’s sex crimes run in parallel to the female porn director trying to find another leading lady by roaming the streets of Las Vegas. This is Steckler’s most accomplished porn just because it has actual shot composition and dedication to an idea. 3/5

Although Steckler had continued to make adult films after Red Heat, it’s pretty much all he made up until Las Vegas Serial Killer in 1986. At that point, the adult film theatrical market had dried up and the industry was seeing a boom on home video. But the Steck had lost a lot of that filmmaking spirit. That’s until 1997’s Summer Fun, where he decided to make an homage to silent filmmaking in the only way he knew how: by organizing a bunch of friends for some fun in the sun and employing his own kids. Less a movie about anything and more an act of compulsion to create when the well has been dry for years. Unfortunately, this one was shot on digital video and really doesn’t look good at all. 1.5/5

In Reading, PA, Ray Dennis Steckler’s 253-minute documentary shot on digital video about his hometown, that compulsion arises again. But this time, it’s to document a journey into the past. Steckler and his wife Katherine Louise Coon travel by car to Reading and document everything along the way. The proceedings get most interesting when Steckler is prodding and poking the locals for information and reactions. The man is clearly comforted by these locals telling stories about a time and place he didn’t have the chance to capture on film. It’s both incredibly egregious and long, but it’s still an interesting document of a man revisiting his influences to find a totally different world. 2/5

The last film in the set is Steckler’s last feature, the semi-sequel to Incredibly Strange Creatures, titled One More Time. Steck once again reuses a ton of footage from previous efforts to help depict Incredibly Strange Creatures' Jerry (Cash Flagg) as an old man in a nursing home who’s suffering from nightmares and is soon turned into a killer zombie again. It’s a patchwork quilt made of past lives made in the only way Steckler could, never reaching the heights of his best work but imbuing a sense of melancholy for a man at the end of the road. 1.5/5

 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
When the weird gets going, the going gets weird in The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler 10-disc Blu-ray box set from Severin Films. Because of production issues with the manufacturing of the box, we were given advance access to review discs rather than wait for the full product. When we receive the box, this review will be updated with the proper information about packaging, disc specs, and other items featured in the set.

Video Review

Ranking:

How can you accurately showcase 20 films with varying qualities of elements available? Severin Films answers that question capably with really solid encoding in each disc, pulling the most visual information possible out of the included masters. Many of these films were made for almost no money, so to see them in any condition that’s not a VHS scan is a true wonder to behold. Naturally, the shape of each transfer was dependent on the shape of the source elements that were available. All restoration notes and transfer details are included in a section titled “Disc Breakdown and Tech Specs” in the accompanying 100-page, full-color book. 

Wild Guitar is presented in a new 4K restoration sourced from the 35mm original camera negative provided by Nicolas Winding Refn. As seen in other Refn-produced restorations, the results are quite stunning. The film is in black and white, plus has a thick layer of nicely-resolved grain. Contrast looks terrific and black levels are strong. The source seems to have been in immaculate condition and proper care was taken in presenting it as such. As you’ll see with every Steckler film, softness is inherent where seen. 4/5

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? rise from the carnival grave with a new 2K restoration sourced from the 16mm camera reversal AB rolls. Severin notes that one reel of the film was missing and the footage contained on that reel was scanned from a 16mm dupe negative. This isn’t the stunner that Wild Guitar is, but this is a remarkable upgrade over the very old DVD of the film. Primaries are strong, which is terrific given it’s a film of such strong and bold color that’s unique to the 1960s. 3.5/5

The Thrill Killers looks great as well with a new 4K restoration sourced from the 35mm fine grain master. The black and white details are all nicely resolved, although there’s some clear print damage from time to time. Luckily, that doesn’t hamper enjoyment of this strong and fluid presentation. 3.5/5

Rat Pfink a Boo Boo is presented in 1080p and was “…scanned and restored from its 35mm dupe negative.” The result reveals a lot of detail in the shoddy craftsmanship you’ll see across Steckler’s career. A fair share of frame instability is inherent to film and not having to do with the presentation. This is a great representation of the film. 4/5 

The Lemon Grove Kids and all their crazy antics arrive in a 1080p presentation of a 4K restoration of the first two segments sourced from the 35mm blown-up internegatives. The third segment is from a 2K restoration pulled from the 16mm camera reversal AB roll. The second segment suffers from severe fade that couldn’t be corrected, but them’s the breaks with these low-budget works. Contrast is solid across the three segments. 3/5

Body Fever was restored in 2K from the 16mm camera reversal AB rolls. This presentation looks quite good given the low-quality, grainy source material. So much so that I was shocked to see some fine details in that thick grain layer. No edge enhancement or other digital tinkering is present. 3.5/5

Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll was scanned and restored by AGFA from a 16mm release print. Of course, given that the presentation is sourced from a release print, expect this to be some of the worst-looking footage in the set. Encoding is still solid and the presentation pulls as much visual information out from the beaten and battered source as possible. 2.5/5

Blood Shack of course gets adorned with a 4K restoration sourced from the 35mm dupe negative, which brings the most out of that dusty and brown aesthetic. Source seems to be in decent shape, with only some minor contrast fluctuations present. 4/5

The flaws in Steckler’s photography really show up in The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher, which arrives here in a 4K restoration sourced from the 35mm CRI. Color levels are overall good, but you get a really good feel for just how slapdash Steckler’s approach became when working with untalented crew. Not too much source damage either, which is nice. 3/5

In the sequel, The Las Vegas Serial Killer, a short opening sequence had to be pulled from a scan of a 1-inch tape master, but otherwise everything else is from a 2K restoration sourced from the 16mm AB roll negative. Again, this is another low-budget, slapdash effort from Steckler, but the transfer here is on par with the preceding film. 3/5

Mad Love Life of a Hot Vampire was scanned and restored by Vinegar Syndrome from a 16mm release print, while Strange Love Life of Hitler’s Nazis was scanned and restored by Vinegar Syndrome from the 16mm single-strand camera reversal. Nazi Brothel was sourced from a similar VS-produced restoration from the 16mm dupe negative. All of these presentations look overall good given the really subpar production quality. So much so that you’ll be surprised of some of the details pulled out of these prints. 2.5/5

Count Al-Kum, on the other hand, had to be sourced from two 16mm prints supplied by Something Weird Video. The result is a bit rough to watch and some noticeable print damage does occur throughout the presentation. 2/5

Dr. Cock-Luv, The Sexorcist’s Devil and Red Heat are all sourced from VS-produced restorations of various elements – (from first to last) 16mm release print, 16mm answer print and 35mm archival print – and the presentations are nothing short of great given the budgets and materials available. Dr. Cock-Luv looks a bit worse than the other two, but they’re all great representations of the films with some nice added detail. 3/5

Summer Fun, Reading, PA and One More Time are all sourced from digital video masters supplied by Katherine Steckler. Simply put, these presentations are solid given how terrible digital video can look. Just don’t expect anything special. No compression issues or archiving are present. 2/5

Audio Review

Ranking:

Similar to the video section of this review, I approached all the audio tracks with a bit of kindness given the production quality of each film. That being said, there were some standout tracks that really did impress. Wild Guitar and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?, for instance, are both adorned with 24-bit lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Mono Master Audio tracks that don’t offer much hiss and sound remarkably clean given just how cheap the sound recording equipment was on these films. The live audio in Steckler films is always something to pay attention to, as he frequently just straight up didn’t record sound for some of his films and put cheap music over the footage. That’s not the case with these two flagship titles in the set. 

One minor disappointment in the set in terms of audio is the 24-bit DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track attached to The Thrill Killers. There isn’t a ton of surround activity and I can only imagine the track was created to take advantage of the surround sound boom in the home video market. That being said, the track is clean and well-balanced. Oh, and approach all the adult titles in the set with extra caution with their audio, as there’s some noticeable hiss and pop, but I can only imagine how beat up the sources were on those films. 

Special Features

Ranking:

As you can see from the exhaustive list below, Severin Films’ has really brought the goods in addition to their solid audio and video presentations throughout. We’ve got a collection of archival features from older Media Blasters releases of various films coupled with newly produced featurettes for select films, plus there’s a 100-page book that includes critical assessments of Steckler’s work sorted chronologically, acting as a guide through the weird world of the Steck. Writers Zack Carlson and Charles Devlin showcase their deep knowledge of Steckler’s work in incredible fashion, with historical anecdotes abound and details that crack some of the confounding films in this set wide open.

As for standout special features, pay close attention to the Lost Film Productions digest versions of Face of Evil and Slashed, two films that Steckler made in the 1990s using old Sex Rink footage to make a quick buck on the home video market. They’re slapdash efforts by Steckler, but nonetheless fascinating in their repurposing of material to make something new. The tour of Steckler filming locations with Vinegar Syndrome’s Joe Rubin is a great time as well and comes highly recommended.

Wild Guitar

  • Bud Eagle Rocks — Interview with Actor Arch Hall, Jr.
  • The Incredibly Strange Film Show Season 1, Episode 2: Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Master of The Grind — Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Trailer

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?

  • Introduction by Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Joe Bob Briggs
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview with Carolyn Brandt
  • Deleted Scenes
  • VHS Trailer
  • Trailer
  • Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary Re-Release Trailer
  • Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary Radio Spot

The Thrill Killers

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Christopher Wayne Curry, Author of The Incredibly Strange Features Of Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Confessions of a Thrill Killer — Interview with Actor Gary Kent
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Q&A at The York Theatre, San Francisco
  • Alternate Cut: The Maniacs Are Loose (77 mins)
  • Behind the Scenes Footage with Commentary By Ray Dennis Steckler
  • The Thrill Killers Trailer
  • The Maniacs Are Loose Trailer
  • The Maniacs Are Loose TV Spots
  • Radio Spots

Rat Pfink a Boo Boo

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Aaron AuBuchon, Webster University Professor of Film Studies
  • First Lady of Cult — Interview with Actress Carolyn Brandt
  • Mondo Psychotronic — Interview with Mondo Movies Label and Psychotronic Video Store Owner Bal Croce And Friends
  • Monster Mags, B-Movies & Rock 'n' Roll — Filmmaker Don Glut on Ron Haydock And Ray
  • Original Opening Footage
  • Color Footage of Rat Pfink and Boo Boo
  • Trailer

The Lemon Grove Kids

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Tickles Talks — Interview with Daughter Laura Steckler
  • Text Card for Live Show
  • Footage from Unreleased Fourth Segment
  • Parade Footage
  • Goof on the Loose — Short Film with Optional Director Commentary
  • Trailer

Body Fever

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Dark Eyes of London's David Dent
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview with Carolyn Brandt
  • Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler at The York Theatre, San Francisco
  • Work Print Footage from Bloody Jack (Unfinished Film Started After Body Fever)

Blood Shack

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Alternate Cut: The Chooper (70 mins)
  • Introduction by Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary with Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary with Aaron AuBuchon, Webster University Professor of Film Studies
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview with Carolyn Brandt
  • Outtakes

The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher

  • Introduction by Joe Bob Briggs
  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Joe Bob Briggs
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Archival Interview with Carolyn Brandt by Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Hollywood Strangler in Las Vegas Trailer

The Las Vegas Serial Killer

  • Audio Commentary with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Audio Commentary with Actor Ron Jason Moderated by Severin Films' David Gregory and Vinegar Syndrome's Joe Rubin
  • Archival Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • The Las Vegas Thrill Killer — Interview with Actor Ron Jason
  • Savage and Steckler — Interview with Actress Glenda Savage
  • Promo for the Unfinished Film Las Vegas Thrill Killer with Optional Commentary by Ron Jason

The Mad Love Life of a Hot Vampire / Nazi Brothel / Love Life of Hitler’s Nazis / Count Al-Kum

  • Steckler Locations Tour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas with Vinegar Syndrome's Joe Rubin

Dr. Cock Luv / The Sexorcist’s Devil / Red Heat

  • Interview with Actress Lovey Goldmine
  • Lost Film Productions Digest Versions of Face of Evil and Slashed…

Summer Fun / Reading, Pennsylvania / One More Time

  • American Grindhouse Extended Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler
  • Interview with Elijah Drenner, Director of American Grindhouse
  • Natasha Diakova's Screen Test for One More Time
  • Ray Dennis Steckler Talks B-Movie Filmmaking at Las Vegas High School
  • Johnny Legend's Final Interview with Ray Dennis Steckler and Behind the Scenes Footage from One More Time
  • Audio Interview with Katherine Steckler
  • Mascot Video by Filmmaker Joaquin Montalvan
  • Summer Fun Trailer

Gosh, how can you put an entire exploitation filmmaker’s career into a quick summary? In short: you can’t. That’s why we have Severin Films’ newest masterful box set to refer to for all our Ray Dennis Steckler needs. While the transfers for each film within The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler collection vary based upon the materials used, this is truly the best this cult film figurehead’s work has ever looked and it’s a grand pleasure to behold in its entirety. Another breathless, features-packed crash course in exploitation filmmaking that comes Highly Recommended.