This is for the benefit of our readers who get the magazine edition of Cinema Retro. In issue #21 (the Clockwork Orange cover story), writer John Exshaw presents a painstakingly researched in-depth article on the making of Ken Russell's shocking 1971 film The Devils starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed - and why it may never be released in DVD in America or the UK. (Warner Home Video had announced it but canceled the release.) The film caused such an outrage with its depiction of torture inflicted in the name of religion in 17th century France that the movie was severely edited in different ways for different countries in an attempt to sanitize it. In his article, Exshaw presents a detailed account of the various running times the film has experienced over the decades as well as catalogs known video releases throughout the world and their respective running times. (The film was originally available at one time on VHS) Various versions contain some of the scenes that were originally excised during the theatrical release. Now reader Christophe Martinel from France provides another missing link: a Japanese laser disc release from 1991 in pan-and-scan format. The running time of this version is 109 minutes.

Check out the latest issue of Cinema Retro for a full report on the controversies that still surround this provocative movie.We've even tracked down ultra rare photos of the censored scenes including the infamous sequence with naked nuns.

Cinema Retro has received the following notice concerning developments for official web sites dedicated to the late Ingrid Pitt:

Tall Acre Beach: After the Apocalypse © Howard Hughes 2011

Author and Cinema Retro writer Howard Hughes takes movie fans through a history of a specific Italian beach area- and how it figures into so many prominent films.  Click here to read

I recently picked up your special edition of Kelly's Heroes. I'm an Eastwood fan but I hate this movie, so that says a lot about your publication. When I came across it, I put it down twice trying to convince myself not to purchase it! It was just too good to pass up!

Retro responds: Brian, with enemies like you, who needs friends? The sales of our Kelly's issue are far above expectations. The compelling stories behind the making of this movie seem to intrigue even those who don't care for the film itself. - Lee Pfeiffer

Cilento and Connery with their son Jason in the 1960s: happiness would be short-lived in the tumultuous marriage.

Australian actress Diane Cilento has died at age 79. The multi-talented actress had already won acclaim for her work on stage when she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the 1963 classic Tom Jones. Cilento divorced her first husband to marry Sean Connery in 1962-the year his first James Bond movie premiered. With Connery's rise to international superstar, the couple could not cope with the fame and constant intrusions on their private lives. The marriage ended after 12 years and Cilento married acclaimed playwright Anthony Shaffer. She also had a second career as an author. Among her most memorable films are The Agony and the Ecstasy, The Wicker Man and Hombre. For more click here

The name of Hammer has long been associated with the horror film genre. However, the legendary British company also made some of the best fantasy and science fiction films in the UK. From the terrors of The Quatermass Xperiment to the prehistoric menace of One Million Years BC, Hammer produced well-made productions with style and creativity equally as good as their gothic horrors. Directors such as Val Guest, Don Chaffey and Joseph Losey turned out spectacular fantasies for Hammer, many of which are now considered cult classics.

Writer Bruce G Hallenbeck explores the history of the studio's many ventures into science-fantasy, setting them in the context of the genre as a whole and provides the reader with a wealth of fascinating detail, as well as dozens of rare photos from private collections.

With a foreword by actress Martine Beswick, HAMMER FANTASY & SCI-Fi is a 268 page book illustrated with more than 200 photos, including 8 pages in colour, and can be highly recommended for all lovers of this film genre, whether a Hammer fan or not.- Dave Worrall

Available now from: www.hemlockbooks.co.uk

By Todd Garbarini

Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975), the best movie he has ever made (Tenebre is a close second), has been known under many titles such as Profondo Rosso, Deep Red The Hatchet Murders and Les Frissons de l'Angoisse. The film astonished audiences with its breathtaking cinematic style, unparalleled marriage of quasi-jazz/rock that inspired John Carpenter’s Halloween theme, and extensive use of a huge old house as the scene of a crime that has remained secret for years until a chance meeting with a psychic threatens to bring the murder out into the open.

Coming on the heels of Mr. Argento’s phenomenal debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), his interesting The Cat O’Nine Tails (1971), the overlong and meandering Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972) and his comedic The Five Days of Milan (1975), Deep Red announced the arrival of what most of us think of as a Dario Argento film. While his first three “fauna”–titled films all employed a regular Everyman as its protagonist-turned-amateur sleuth attempting to solve the puzzle of a murder victim’s death, Deep Red raised the bar by showcasing a series of firsts for the director: it was the first time that he utilized the considerable talents of Goblin, the Italian rock group whose musical score elevates the film into the stratosphere, and Daria Nicolodi, Mr. Argento’s long-time girlfriend, appeared in her first role for him. She was also a story and script collaborator on his films until 1987. Ms. Nicolodi’s performance as news reporter Gianni Brezzi and her ability to bounce off of David Hemmings’s Marcus Daly is one of the film's greatest assets. Their comedic banter is a pleasant counterpoint to the macabre mayhem at hand. While the Italian cut contains additional, non-essential exposition of this same nature, the American version is the preferable cut as it is more polished.

Napier with John Belushi in The Blues Brothers.

Charles Napier, the talented character actor who appeared in such diverse films as The Blues Brothers, the Austin Powers series, the films of sexploitation king Russ Meyer and Philadelphia, has passed away at age 75. For more click here

In an exclusive interview in Cinema Retro issue #20, musician and composer Kyle Eastwood said that his legendary father Clint had never told him that he would never act again, even though the Hollywood rumor mill said this was the case. Looks like Eastwood pere is thisclose to returning to the silver screen with a film called Trouble With the Curve. He would play an aging baseball scout who is losing his sight. Sources say Eastwood views this as an ideal directing debut for his Malpaso Productions partner Robert Lorenz. For more click here

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from the British Film Institute regarding their popular series of "Flipside" DVD titles:

'Every time BFI Flipside releases a newly discovered film I always go and get it. It's like finding lost treasure.' Nicolas Winding Refn (Award-winning director of Drive)

'The Flipside is Britain's most far-out DVD label - bold film choices, gorgeous transfers, imaginative extras. Every release a revelation.' Kim Newman

'Flipside provides a window onto a time in British cinema when real film artists stalked our land.' Ben Wheatley (Award-winning director of Kill List)

Launched in May 2009, the BFI’s Flipside label has dedicated itself to unveiling the hidden history of British cinema, drawing upon materials preserved by the BFI National Archive. To date, the series has published over 60 films (features and shorts), and has met with universal acclaim, gathering a number of high profile admirers along the way.

On 24 October, the BFI is reissuing the first nine of its Flipside titles in Dual Format Editions (each containing DVD and Blu-ray versions), bringing them in line the rest of the collection. The new retail price for each title will be £19.99, and the previous stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray versions will be deleted. The re-issued titles are:

001: The Bed Sitting Room (Richard Lester, 1969)

002: London in the Raw (Arnold L. Miller, 1964)

003: Primitive London (Arnold L. Miller, 1965)

004: Herostratus (Don Levy, 1967)

005: All the Right Noises (Gerry O’Hara, 1969)

006: Man of Violence (Pete Walker, 1970)

007: Privilege (Peter Watkins, 1967)

008: That Kind of Girl (Gerry O’Hara, 1963)

009: Permissive (Lindsay Shonteff, 1970)

Also on 24 October, the BFI releases Flipside numbers 020 (Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs – Stuart Cooper, 1974) and 021 (Voice Over – Christopher Monger, 1981).

Sam Dunn, Head of BFI Video Publishing, who programmes the titles for the label, comments: ‘Making Flipsides 001-009 available in Dual Format Editions not only unifies the collection, but also offers viewing flexibility and ensures that expensive format upgrading will never be necessary for anyone who buys any title in this exciting series.’

About BFI Flipside

Developed from its popular monthly screening slot at BFI Southbank, the BFI’s Flipside series is designed to revisit and reappraise British films that have slipped through the cracks of cinema history – films that were overlooked, marginalised, or undervalued at the original time of release, or which sit outside the established canon of recognised classics.

BFI Flipside titles are all newly mastered to High Definition from original film elements, and are presented with rare and fascinating special features, including previously unavailable short films, documentaries and archival interviews, many of which are preserved in the BFI National Archive. Each title comes in collectable numbered packaging and is accompanied by an extensive illustrated booklet with insightful contributions from special guest writers, often including the filmmakers themselves.

Sony has informed American theater chains that the company will stop paying the cost for the special glasses audiences require for 3-D movies. The cost of doing for a blockbuster movie can add up to $10 million to the studio's expenses. It is unclear whether other studios will follow suit (don't worry, they will) and if so, the costs will probably be passed on the to consumer. This may sound self-defeating since movie going is dropping every year due to high ticket prices. However, outside of the USA, movie fans have been paying for glasses all along. If they choose to retain them, they can be used over and over again. The initial cost for 3-D glasses in the UK, for example, is only about $1.50. For more click here

Hardcore Star Wars fans may be griping about changes made by George Lucas to the original trilogy but it hasn't stopped the new Star Wars saga on Blu-ray from setting an all-time sales record. Click here for more

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In 1964 Clint Eastwood and his Rawhide co-star Paul Brinegar visited the legendary Palisades Amusement Park in Ft. Lee, New Jersey and posed for this publicity photo. The photo is among many artifacts relating to the late, great amusement park that are on display in an exhibit hosted by the Fort Lee Museum through January 2012. Click here for more

When you think "Asian", who else would pop into mind than Rex Harrison?

Remember when Hollywood used to absurdly cast white actors in parts meant for ethnic actors? Remember Rex Harrison as the King of Siam? John Wayne as Genghis Khan? British actors playing Chinese diplomats in 55 Days at Peking? Well, according to the web site Film Junk, those bad old days are still with us- and they cite plenty of evidence. Click here to read

Legendary Rolling Stones member Mick Jagger will return to acting for the first time in ten years to play a Rupert Murdoch-like media baron in a new film titled Tabloid. Click here for more

The Guardian newspapers has corralled Sir Roger Moore for one of its amusing rapid fire Q&A sessions- and the former James Bond shows he's in no danger of losing his sense of humor. Click here to read

They may be in different political parties but former Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger has a lot in common with former President Bill Clinton in that their sex scandals didn't seem to tarnish their personal popularity. Arnold is taking the bull by the horns and delving directly into the more controversial aspects of his life and career by penning a memoir titled "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story" (we admit we do like the title). The book will be published in October 2012 and is sure to be an instant international best seller if only because of prurient interest in reading his spin on the scandals he's had to contend with. For more click here

Click here to view New York Times critic A.O. Scott's video tribute to Elia Kazan's 1957 classic A Face in the Crowd, in which Andy Griffith ignites the screen with one of the most dynamic performances of the decade. The film is a cautionary tale about how fame can corrupt and destroy and features superb supporting performances by Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau.

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Cinebeats' Kimberly Lindbergs makes the case for the 1964 thriller Woman of Straw, a Hitchock-like thriller that was unfairly maligned at the time of its initial release. The film features genuine chemistry between Gina Lollobrigida and Sean Connery, who played an outright villain for the first time in his career. The glamorous murder flick also features a great performance by Sir Ralph Richardson. The movie isn't available on DVD yet, so here's a plea to MGM to make it one of  their burn-to-order releases. Click here for more

Ann-Margret as The Swinger (1966): a lousy movie rendered glorious looking thanks to effect use of color.

The brilliant cartoonist Pete Emslie has a poignant article on his blog that reiterates an observation that many of us have made in the past: today's movies generally look bland and lousy compared to films from prior decades. We're not talking about the content of the films (though most pale in comparison to old movies in this department as well). Rather, we're talking about the actual look of the film. Gone are the glorious days when Technicolor would make even mediocre movies look special. Today even $200 million spectacles tend to be bland, blue-tinged bores to view. Click here for more

Al Pacino in the 1983 film

Universal is continuing to find ways to mine gold from Brian De Palma's 1983 crime epic Scarface, which itself was a (very) loose remake of the 1932 Paul Muni classic. The studio says it plans a new Scarface film but it won't be a remake or a sequel...huh? What is it, then? A sitcom? For more click here

There are some remakes that are as good or better than the original films: the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty among them. However, is the world really clamoring for remakes of Porky's and Police Academy?

British film critic Barry Norman knows a thing or two about great movies- he's been reviewing them for decades. Add him to the list of disgusted movie scholars who are appalled that now even mediocre movies are being remade under the justification they are "classics". Norman points out that films like Top Gun, Point Break and Porky's may well have entertained their intended audience, but under no circumstance should they be considered classics. He also correctly states that if Orson Welles were alive today, he would stand no chance whatsoever of finding studio financing for Citizen Kane. We're not as harsh toward the concepts of remakes in general as Norman is. We can reel off a list of remakes or quasi-remakes that are as good, if not better than the original films. However, he is correct in saying the latest wave of remakes is symptom of a film industry almost completely devoid of any originality. Click here to read

Fandango features an exclusive interview with make up genius Rick Baker regarding his work on John Landis' horror classic An American Werewolf in London. The film was  recently screened at the Fantastic Fest and spawned a great new poster by the folks at Mondo, as seen here. Click here to view interview

Dwight M. Cleveland is a businessman who began collecting classic movie posters in 1991 when he discovered many rare gems used as insulation in an old house. His collection now boasts 11,000 posters including some of the most-sought after titles. He's now ready to ensure that the collection has a proper home, preferably in a museum where the posters can be kept intact. However, a two year exhaustive search has not yielded the desired result and the collection may be sold piecemeal. Click here for more