LOS ANGELES, CA, June 23, 2008 - Enzo G, Castellari, the Rome-based writer/director recently hailed as "The '70s Italian Drive-In God" by L.A. Weekly, was feted by longtime fan Quentin Tarantino at a recent pair of Hollywood events. Footage from the events - a raucous screening of two Castellari action hits and an in-depth summit between the two directors - will be featured on the special 3-disc DVD of Castellari's INGLORIOUS BASTARDS to be released July 29th by Severin Films. Tarantino's next movie is rumored to be a remake of Castellari's 1978 World War II adventure.
Enzo Castellari has been one of international cinema's most celebrated writer/directors for more than 4 decades, specializing in all-star testosterone-fueled films that have defined the EuroCultgenres of 'spaghetti westerns', war sagas, crime dramas, sci-fi, fantasy and more. Castellari remains a stylistic hero to a generation of filmmakers that includes Tarantino, who has called the 70-year-old former prizefighter one of his favorite action directors.
On May 6th, Tarantino hosted 'Enzo Castellari Night' at Hollywood's Silent Movie Theater. The following day, Tarantino joined Castellari at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills for a rousing 3-hour career-spanning discussion that ranged from the challenges of the original BASTARDS production to Tarantino's plans for his own upcoming version.
Castellari's 1978 international hit remains perhaps the biggest and most badass war movie in EuroCult history. Exploitation legends Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson and Bo (WALKING TALL, KILL BILL) Svenson star as the leaders of a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Alliedprison convoy with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves'volunteering' for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France. Academy Award nominee Ian Bannen (FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, BRAVEHEART) co-stars in this explosive action epic that has now fully restored from original vault elements for the first time ever in America.
"Part of our desire to restore and release INGLORIOUS BASTARDS on DVD was the opportunity to work with Enzo," says Carl Daft, co-founder and CEO of Severin. "Besides being a remarkable director,he's perhaps the most charismatic badass in EuroCult history. After we'd recorded a terrific audio commentary with him in Rome, we knew we wanted to bring him to Los Angeles for some kind of special event. Quentin couldn't have been more enthusiastic about being involved in these DVD Extras. We look forward to restoring and releasing more Castellari classics in the months ahead,hopefully featuring more of Quentin's ardent participation."
Severin Films was formed in May 2006 with offices in Los Angeles and London, and is dedicated to releasing the most provocative and controversial features from around the world. The company's previous successes include the Unrated Director's Cut of GWENDOLINE starring Tawny Kitaen, EuroSleaze auteur Jess Franco's MACUMBA SEXUAL, THE INCONFESSABLE ORGIES OF EMMANUELLE and THE SEXUAL STORY OF O, Walerian Borowczyk's IMMORAL WOMEN, Lucio Fulci's THE PSYCHIC, and the two-volume limited-edition collections BLACK EMANUELLES BOX. Their current releases include the psycho-sexual 'giallo' thriller THE SISTER OF URSULA and the adult 'Spaghetti Sci-Fi' epic THE BEAST IS SPACE.
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