It might have been near 40 years ago but those video nasties still have a pull on the cultural landscape of the UK. So as I research a book on Film Censorship in this fair isle, it comes that 88 Films are set to release 2 of the prime films from the list. The first is DELIRIUM, long unavailable for a bunch of reasons, it is a vengeance hunting, shoot ’em up that had shades of DEATH WISH and about every bounty hunter film you can name in it. The second is creature feature, primal evil classic NIGHT OF THE DEMON. The former film is from first time director Peter Maris (MINISTRY OF VENGEANCE) and is a thriller developed from an urban conspiracy story he was developing (as it was the thing at the time) and fused with a ‘lets sort out society’ pre Reagan style.

The result is a half detective murder man hunt and half delightful blood splatter shocker which combined the Vietnam vet and the world of inner city sleaze. DELIRIUM sees a series of savage murders rock St. Louis. The police have little to go on and instead decide to get tough and heavy. This ends up with more blood on their hands and triggers an action and reaction. From a crazed underground organization of white-collar vigilantes, to a series of violent murders, sprinkled with sex and nightmares to boot.

DELIRIUM is a study in A – Effective cheap film making, B – The utter irrationality of the Video Nasties period and C – How that list has a myriad mix of terrible and titanic. So A – The cheap production style adds an absurdist note to the violent executions of the action scenes. This is vividly executed by Peter Maris, who discusses rather tongue in cheekily, in his rather one note interview. I might not be sold on him as a creative force but he has made a bunch of films and I , as of now, have made one. B – If you have come to this expecting something like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE or EVIL DEAD, best think again. Andrew Graves excellent booklet notes really get to the core of the films social logic and its even more potent fit to the 80s of the UK. He might miss some of the intricate detail (I suspect a word limit forced his hand) but its the best thing in the set. C – This falls into the terrible but in a good way. Think COMBAT SHOCK but crossed with the far better STAR COUNCIL. That is DELIRIUM.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Limited Edition Double Walled Slipcase with new Artwork from Joel Robinson
• Double Sided Fold-out A3 Poster
  
• Booklet Notes by Andrew Graves
• Uncut!!!
• 2K transfer from the only known 35mm Film Elements
• High Definition Blu-ray ™ (1080p) Presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
• Original DTS-HD MA 2.0 Soundtrack
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Directing DELIRIUM: Interview With Director Peter Maris
• Monster Is Man: Interview With Special Effects Artist Bob Shelley
• Trailer