Julie Darling DVD Starring Tenebrae’s Anthony Franciosa
So says the synopsis for Julie Darling (1983): “From the makers of Chained Heat comes a new kind of sleaze! She’s sweet, she’s sixteen, and she simply loves her daddy. . . she’ll slaughter you if you love him too! A teenage girl whose inaction caused her mother’s death arranges a similarly gruesome fate for her stepmother and brother. Watch out – sleazy thrills ahead!” Julie Darling does offer up some cheap jollies, but also operates under a cover of family drama.
What I treasure most about Julie Darling is the same thing I value most from Dario Argento’s modern take on gialli (for 1982) Tenebrae AKA Unsane: actor Anthony Franciosa. I was so bummed when he passed away in 2006. He had an uncanny ability to imbue his goodguy roles with a friendly, peaceful confidence and maturity. He could go all the other way too – witness his flip into stark raving madness in the climax of Tenebrae – and once he’s bloodily dispatched and the terror is over, you finish the film with an overwhelming sense of melancholy. That’s all Franciosa. So if you dug him in that movie, you gotta check out Julie Darling.
Code Red quietly released Julie Darling to DVD two weeks ago. I consider myself a Code Red affectionado but quite frankly drop the ball on catching their new releases on time. But I just remind myself that Code Red are in a league of their own so it’s easy to overlook them in a crowded marketplace. Sure, they have a blog and even a Twitter but they don’t emit the type of radar pings the other stalwarts do. If you want to keep up, you gotta do some detective work sometimes. Since Julie Darling caught me with my metaphorical pants down, I see there are only 5 copies left on Amazon. I just ordered Nightmare, so hopefully this will be restocked.
Extras included with the Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic release: Audio Commentary with Star Sybil Danning Moderated by David DeCocteau, Audio Commentary with Star Isabelle Mejias, On Camera Interview with Sybil Danning, On Camera Interview with Isabelle Mejias, Code Red Trailers.
|
||||||||
I just watched this DVD the other night, and while it probably won’t make your jaw drop this is still a fun, little-seen movie. I really appreciate that Code Red continues to bring these overlooked and forgotten pictures to DVD. Julie Darling would make a great late-night double feature with They’re Playing With Fire, as both films feature Sybil Danning and teenagers caught in murder plots.
I’ve not seen this one. though I’ve heard of it. They’re Playing with Fire I have seen, but I haven’t got it.
I think I might order Julie Darling.
I gotta see this film. I suspect the stepbrothers death was the sleaziest. Ewwww