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Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz (Collector's Set)

Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz (Collector's Set) front cover
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Genres: Horror
Starring: Karl Lanchbury, Marianne Morris, Patricia Granada, Anulka Dziubinska, Lidia Zuazo, Vivian Neves
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Plot Sypnosis:

In Larraz s debut feature, the hitherto ultra-rare Whirlpool (1970), Vivian Neves stars as Tulia, a young model invited to a photographer s secluded country home for what purports to be a quiet weekend retreat but soon turns into a descent into deadly depravity. 1974 s Vampyres perhaps the best known and most widely-released of all José Larraz s films sees a duo of blood-hungry female vampires prowling the British countryside, from where they lure unsuspecting male motorists back to their imposing, dilapidated mansion. Meanwhile, in 1978 s The Coming of Sin (La Visita del Vicio, in its native Spanish), a young gypsy girl experiences a violent sexual awakening as her dreams of a naked young man on horseback become reality.

By turns terrifying, titillating, artful and scandalous, these three films assembled here collectively offer film fans a unique perspective on the fascinating, highly-varied career of one of the horror genre s most overlooked auteurs.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • Three films by José Ramón Larraz: Whirlpool, Vampyres and The Coming of Sin, restored in 2K from original film elements

  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing for all features

  • Newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

WHIRLPOOL (1970)

  • Original US Theatrical Cut

  • Audio commentary with Tim Lucas

  • Obsessive Recurrence: The Early Films of José Larraz author and critic Kim Newman reflects on the recurring themes and underlying obsessions linking together the early productions of José Larraz

  • A Curious Casting actor Larry Dann on the strange story behind his casting in Whirlpool

  • Deviations of Whirlpool featurette comparing the differences between the US Theatrical Cut and a previously circulated, alternate cut of the film

  • Vivian Neves interviewed by Michael Parkinson on BBC s Parkinson, originally broadcast in July 1972

  • Extract from an archival interview with José Larraz

  • Image Gallery

  • Original US Theatrical Trailer

VAMPYRES (1974)

  • Full Uncut Version

  • Audio commentary with Kat Ellinger

  • Interviews withproducer Brian Smedley-Aston, actors Marianne Morris, Anulka, Brian Deacon, Sally Faulkner, makeup artist Colin Arthur and composer James Kenelm Clarke

  • Reimagining Vampyres an interview with Larraz s friend and collaborator Victor Matellano, director of the 2015 Vampyres remake

  • Extract from an archival interview with José Larraz

  • José Larraz and Marianne Morris Q&A at 1997 Eurofest

  • Image Gallery

  • Trailers

THE COMING OF SIN (1978)

  • Spanish and English language versions of the feature

  • Audio commentary with Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan

  • Variations of Vice: The Alternate Versions of The Coming of Sin exploitation expert Marc Morris on the strange and scandalous release history of José Larraz s most censored film

  • Remembering Larraz author and filmmaker Simon Birrell shares his fond and extensive memories of his long-time friend and collaborator José Larraz

  • His Last Request (2005, 27 mins) short film by Simon Birrell made under the guidance of José Larraz and starring Spanish horror legend Jack Taylor

  • Extract from an archival interview with José Larraz

  • Image Gallery

  • Original Spanish Trailer
Release Details

Movie Release Year: 1978
Tech Specs & Release Details

Length: 184
Specs: Three Blu-ray Discs
Video Resolution/Codec: 1080p AVC/MPEG-4
Aspect Ratio(s): 1.85:1, 1.66:1
Audio Formats: Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Subtitles/Captions: English SDH