This June promises to be a hot and steamy month on DVD with two great collections coming from Shout! Factory. First off is The Wild West Collection containing Rio Conchos & Take a Hard Ride. Jim Brown (Slaughter and Mars Attacks) stars in both. He’s joined by Fred Williamson (Hell Up In Harlem and From Dusk Till Dawn) and Jim Kelly (Black Belt Jones). The trio had previously starred in legendary Urban Action flick Three the Hard Way. The film is a true crossover of the ’70s Urban Action and Spaghetti Western genres since the movie was made by Italians in Europe. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly‘s Lee Van Cleef plays bad once more. Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: The Women In Cages Collection locks up three of Pam Grier’s best ladies trapped in an Asian prison flicks. The Big Bird Cage, The Big Dollhouse and Women In Cages are so hot and sweaty on the screen, you’ll need a shower after a triple feature. I couldn’t include any of the original trailers since they are not even close to being workplace safe. The exciting bonus feature is From Manila With Love. It’s an hour long documentary about how the women behind bars action came about. The DVD comes out on June 21, but you can wait until August 23 for the Blu-ray. Here’s the press releases from Shout! Factory:
THE WILD WEST COLLECTION
RIO CONCHOS & TAKE A HARD RIDE
AN ACTION-PACKED DOUBLE FEATURE STARRING
FOOTBALL GREAT JIM BROWN CHARGING ONTO HOME ENTERTAINMENT SHELVES NATIONWIDE ON JUNE 14, 2011 FROM SHOUT! FACTORY
Shout! Factory has been releasing a string of memorable cult-classic film gems that deserve much attention. On June 14, 2011, Shout! Factory will release two memorable classic films starring football great Jim Brown, RIO CONCHOS, a film by Gordon Douglas and TAKE A HARD RIDE, a film by Antonio Margheriti in an action-packed double feature DVD presentation. Featuring anamorphic widescreen transfer and insightful bonus content, the RIO CONCHOS / TAKE A HARD RIDE double feature DVD is a must-have for Western movie fans and collectors and is priced to own at $14.97. This DVD is now available to preorder at Amazon.com, ShoutFactoryStore.com, and other online retailers.
Rio Conchos (1964)
In avenging himself against the Apache Indians who have massacred his family, ex-Confederate Army officer Lassiter (Richard Boone) recovers a stolen U.S. Army repeating rifle and finds himself arrested by the U.S. Army in connection with the stolen firearm. Lassiter is offered his freedom if he leads a small group into Mexico, consisting of an Army captain (Stuart Whitman), a Buffalo Soldier sergeant (Jim Brown, in his film debut), a knife-wielding Mexican prisoner (Tony Franciosa) and an Apache woman warrior. After blasting their way through bandits and Apaches, they discover a megalomaniacal Confederate soldier (Edmond O’Brien) selling guns to the Apaches.
Take a Hard Ride (1975)
Take a tough-as-nails trail boss (Jim Brown, The Dirty Dozen), a smooth gambler (Fred Williamson, Black Caesar), a ruthless bounty hunter (Lee Van Cleef, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly), a mute martial arts master (Jim Kelly, Enter The Dragon), a desperate prostitute (Catherine Spaak, Cat O’ Nine Tails) and hundreds of greed-crazed gunmen. Turn them all loose in a chase to the Mexican border for a fortune in gold, and you have the action-packed epic Take A Hard Ride. Hollywood legends Dana Andrews (Laura), Barry Sullivan (The Bad And The Beautiful) and Harry Carey Jr. (The Searchers) costar.
Special Features:
* Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.78:1)
* New Interviews With Stars Fred Williamson And Jim Kelly
* Trailer
SHOUT! FACTORY PRESENTS
ROGER CORMAN’S CULT CLASSICS: THE WOMEN IN CAGES COLLECTION!
TRIPLE-FEATURE COLLECTOR’S EDITION DVD & BLU RAY
Three Times the Action, Three Times the Women, Three Times the Excitement!
All three films in new anamorphic widescreen film transfers plus all-new special features
DVD IN STORES NATIONWIDE JUNE 21, 2011
BLU-RAY™ IN STORES NATIONWIDE AUGUST 23, 2011
THE BIRD CAGE
Inside the hellish women’s prison called The Big Bird Cage, inmates like Terry (Anitra Ford, The Price Is Right) struggles to survive. They get their chance to escape when scheming revolutionary Blossom (Pam Grier) engineers a prison break . . . from the outside in. Also starring Carol Speed (Abby). Directed by Jack Hill. Starring Pam Grier, Sid Haig, Anitra Ford and Carol Speed.
Special Features:
* Audio Commentary With Director Jack Hill
* Trailer And TV Spot
* Photo Gallery
BIG DOLL HOUSE
Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) joins a group of sexy, young female prisoners in their struggle against a sadistic warden in Big Doll House. This shockingly real film is perhaps one of the most influential of all women-in-prison films! Also starring Judy Brown, Roberta Collins (Death Race 2000) and Sid Haig (House Of 1,000 Corpses). Directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Foxy Brown with Grier). Starring Pam Grier, Judy Brown, Roberta Collins, Brooke Mills, Pat Woodell.
Special Features:
* Audio Commentary With Director Jack Hill
* Leonard Maltin Interviews Roger Corman
* From Manila With Love – New documentary on the making of The Big Doll House and The Big Bird Cage featuring interviews with director Jack Hill, screenwriter James Gordon White, actors Sid Haig, Judy Brown, Anitra Ford, Roberta Collins, Candice Roman and Teda Bracci, and producers Roger Corman and Jane Schaffer
* Trailer, TV Spot And Radio Spot
* Photo Gallery
WOMEN IN CAGES
Innocent Carol Jeffries (Jennifer Gan, Naked Angels) is framed by her drug-dealing boyfriend and ends up in a tough prison in the Philippines jungle in Women In Cages. She must face off against the sadistic warden, Alabama (Grier), who takes great pleasure in alternately seducing and torturing her prisoners. Also starring Judy Brown and Roberta Collins. Directed by Gerry De Leon (Mad Doctor Of Blood Island). Starring Pam Grier, Judith Brown, Roberta Collins, Jennifer Gan.
Special Features:
* Trailer And TV Spot
* Photo Gallery
Shout! Factory will continue to present Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment releases in 2011. Upcoming highlights include Action-Packed Collection, The Ron Howard Action Pack, The Women in Cages Collection, Battle Beyond the Stars, Black Oak Conspiracy, Savage!, and many others.
