THE MIGHTY GORGA: I am a bit worried about this upcoming DVD

[Chris K.]

At Image Entertainment's website, I saw that Image and Something Weird Video are planning to release THE MIGHTY GORGA and ONE MILLION AC/DC as a Double Feature. At first I was excited. THE MIGHTY GORGA is one of my favorites. But, now I am worried. Why?

I have the 1996 SWV copy of THE MIGHTY GORGA and it's the quality of the film that I am worried about. The box clearly states it's from a 35mm print. Well, at the first reel of the film it looks as if it was taken from a 35mm negative and is in BEAUTIFUL shape. That's the good news. Now here is the bad news. I feel SWV has an incomplete version. Right after reel 1, it seems reel 2 is missing and that the film jumpstarts ahead too quickly and I am told their is a scene in which an animal compund is set on fire, yet it's not in the SWV release. Not only that, but when the rest of the film comes in the quality then looks as if it came from a blurred 35mm washed out print! Yikes!

Of course, this could be the case of SWV Jimmy Maslin editing out a scene he thought was "stupid" (i.e. in the earlier SWV releases of SOMETHING WEIRD, Maslin cut out the karatie fighting sequence because he hated it). If that is it, then Mike Vraney should fire that bastard for doing things like that.

Otherwise, if SWV has an incomplete version I hope they have found a better quality and complete print. If they haven't and the film is the same as the 96 release, then my money is staying right in my pocket.

Has anybody heard of this upcoming title on DVD?

[Steven Millan]

              No,it's the first time that I did.
              Thanks,Chris,for alerting me about what horrid sin Jimmy Maslon committed upon "Gorga"'s Something Weird video release;it makes myself much happier than he never got around to making "Blood Feast 2" when he had the chance in 1986(and planned on doing it without Herschell Gordon Lewis).
                And,I know that "Blood Diner" as the unofficial "Blood Feast 2" around that time,which was quite a fun movie,but at least that played more like Jackie Kong's and Bill Osco's movie,than it did Maslon(who is Hollywood Book And Poster's Eric Caidin's original ex-partner in operating that famous L.A. genre cinema store).

[Chris K.]

It's just a though. On the audio commentary for SOMETHING WEIRD, Maslon admitted to editing out the karate fighting sequence because he felt it was stupid. His exact words.

As for the "missing reel" on THE MIGHTY GORGA, it could either be Jimmy Maslon's needless editing or SWV just got an incomplete print.

But still, I am looking forward to the DVD release.