Severin Films, good friends of fans of horror/exploitation/trash cinema, continue to add impressive titles to their already drool-inducing library. With releases such as Alejandro Jodorowsky's SANTA SANGRE (which you can win a Blu-ray copy of via our contest) and Ozploitation auteur Brian Trenchard-Smith's BMX BANDITS right around the corner, a blog post appeared on the Severin site today announcing the future release of BLOODY BIRTHDAY, John D. Lamond's NIGHTMARES (1980), and THE BABY (1973). Check out some info about the films and the first hints of special features after the break!

BLOODY BIRTHDAY, one of my favorite killer kid flicks, is notable for several reasons. First, it has an insanely flimsy plot about children born simultaneously during a total eclipse that are evil because of the alignment of Saturn (or something). These kids go on a bloody rampage 10 years later around the time of their birthday. It's a wickedly mean-spirited slasher, especially for one with kids involved (for my money it's got more cojones than, say, DEVIL TIMES FIVE), but manages to be consistently fun. It also stars a very young Billy Jayne who, as you remember, played the brother or friend character in several '80s movies such as CUJO, JUST ONE OF THE GUYS, THE 'BURBS and DEMONWARP (ok, you probably don't remember DEMONWARP but it's awesome). Finally, as noted in Severin's news release, it includes a topless dance scene from Julie Brown (West Coast, not Downtown) before she was an MTV star. The original negative is being used for the transfer and a brand-new interview with Ed Hunt is the first extra revealed.

Also being released is the first fully uncut version of the Australian slasher NIGHTMARES aka STAGE FRIGHT (1980) in North America. Directed by John D. Lamond, who had just come off of FELICITY, NIGHTMARES retains much of the nudity found in his previous films but is also a serviceable slasher. The plot involves a slightly unhinged stage actress who is haunted by what she saw as a child as well as the deaths' of cast-mates of her new play. This was one of the films briefly highlighted in NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD and it is appropriate that Mark Hartley will be joining Lamond for a new NIGHTMARES commentary. This is also being sourced from the original negative.

Finally, a film I actually haven't seen but am now highly interested in, THE BABY (1973), will be receiving the Severin star treatment. From what I can tell, THE BABY (from HANG 'EM HIGH and MAGNUM FORCE director Ted Post and starring famed character actor Michael Pataki) is about the bizarre Wadsworth family who have a baby- a 21-year-old baby, that is. Based on a small clip on the Severin site this appears to be a sleazefest begging for rediscovery. This one, too, is being sourced from the original negative.

You can read Severin's original post about the announcements and watch trailers/clips on their website.

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