DVD Corner

2 Horror Blu-ray Box Sets From Severin

Boutique outfit Severin Films is no stranger to releasing obscure and eclectic titles. Two of their more recent box set releases certainly fit that label with “Fear In The Philippines: The Complete Blood Island Films” and “Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts.”

“Fear In The Philippines: The Complete Blood Island Films” features the 4 films of this schlocky low-budget horror series- “Terror Is A Man” (directed by Gerry De Leon), “Brides Of Blood” (directed by Gerry De Leon and Eddie Romero), “Mad Doctor Of Blood Island” (also directed by Gerry De Leon and Eddie Romero), and “Beast Of Blood (directed by Eddie Romero). ‘Terror’ is an “The Island Of Dr. Moreau” inspired mad scientist story about an escaped panther-man hybrid, ‘Brides’ is a bonkers story involving Blood Island, virgin sacrifices, mutated trees, and a monster (and that’s not even everything), “Mad Doctor Of Blood Island” is a mad scientist (Dr. Lorca) creating monsters tale, and “Beast Of Blood” which is connected to ‘Mad Doctor’ and involves a monster’s head being preserved by Dr. Lorca. None of these 4 films are by any means horror classics. They’re old-school drive-in fare aimed at grabbing the audience’s attention with blood and guts and lovely ladies. The plots are generally basic, there’s some triggering material to be sure, but there’s also a lot of downright weird elements that may be appealing to horror fans. If that sounds up your alley, this is for you.

“Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts” is a curious release for Italian horror fans and especially those who treasure the catalogue of Dario Argeto. The first 2 discs feature 4 episodes from the horror anthology series “Door Into Darkness” hosted by Dario Argento himself. The 4 episodes include “The Neighbor,” “The Tram,” “The Doll,” and “ Eyewitness.” Disc 3 features the 15 episode Argento produced series “Night Shift” which was featured on the variety show “Giallo.” Each episode runs 15 minutes long and centers on a taxi driver encountering a mystery. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this show is that famed horror director Lamberto Bava directed a number of episodes. Finally on disc 4 there is more “Giallo” material with “Nightmares” (5 minute or under segments with Argento discussing things that scare him) along with more “Giallo” TV show compilations featuring the director interviewing celebs (like Anthony Perkins of “Psycho”) and discussing special effects. While it’s a shame the entire series of “Giallo” and “Door Into Darkness” haven’t been released instead, it’s still a nice treasure trove of Argento TV show content. Don’t expect here to be on the level of a “Deep Red” or “Suspiria,” but it’s nice to see the legendary filmmaker working in other mediums and formats.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: Everything in these sets is presented in 1.33:1 1080p

Audio Track: Everything in these sets has a 2.0 DTS-HD MA track.

Fear In The Philippines: The Complete Blood Island Films Extras: 

* Trailers and poster and still galleries for all 4 films
* A radio spot for “Beast Of Blood,” a teaser for “Brides of Blood,” 2 alternate title cards for “Brides Of Blood,” and a Super 8 Digest version of “Beast Of Blood.”
* 4 interviews on “Terror Is A Man” by Hemisphere marketing consultant Samuel M. Sherman, co-director Eddie Romero, author Pete Tombs, and film critic Mark Holcomb.
* Commentary on “Brides Of Blood” by Samuel M. Sherman, commentary on “Mad Doctor Of Blood Island” by horror film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Howard S. Berger and a 2nd track by Samuel M. Sherman, and commentary on “Beast Of Blood” by Samuel M. Sherman.
* 3 interviews on “Brides Of Blood” by co-director Eddie Romero, actress Beverly Powers and Samuel M. Sherman.
* 3 interviews for “Mad Doctor Of Blood Island” by author Pete Tombs, film critic Mark Holcomb, and co-director Eddie Romero.
* 2 interviews on “Beast Of Blood” by actor Eddie Garcia and actress Celeste Yarnall. 

Dario Argento’s Deep Cuts Extras:* Commentary on “The Tram” by Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.
* “Dario Argento, My Cinema” Parts 1 and 2- A 2 hour 1999 documentary covering his films until that point.
* Commentary on “Eyewitness” by Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.
* 2 Dario Argento interviews “A Streetcar Named Fear” and “TV Nightmares.”
* 2 Luigi Cozzi interviews “On The Other Side Of The Door” and “Giallo On The TV.”
* 3 interviews with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti, actress Antonella Vitale and Lamberto Bava.
* “Dario Argento: Master Of Horror”- An hour long documentary by Luigi Cozzi.

August 3, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Quick impressions | 2 Horror Blu-ray Box Sets From Severin, Beast Of Blood, Blood Island, Brides Of Blood, Dario Argento's Deep Cuts, Fear In The Philippines: The Complete Blood Island Films, Giallo, horror, Mad Doctor Of Blood Island, Severin