Product Details

• Actors: Maxine Ballantyne, Buck Buchanan, Jack Fisher, Lesley Gilb, Charla Hall
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Synapse Films
• DVD Release Date: August 31, 2004
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002M5TRU
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,351 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Lemora - A Child's Tale of the Supernatural" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A notorious bank robber kills his wife and flees the police, only to be captured by a mysterious group of figures in an abandoned town. His beautiful daughter, Lila Lee (played by the late Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith), receives a letter stating that Lila’s father is near death and that he needs to see her.

Sneaking away at night from her minister guardian (EATING RAOUL co-writer Richard Blackburn, who also writes and directs), Lila embarks on a terrifying journey to find her father that leads her to a mansion run by Lemora, a seemingly loving woman who cares for a group of gypsy children and a witch-like servant. Once the terrifying secret of Lemora is revealed, Lila must uncover what happened to her father and fight for dear life as she tries to escape the clutches of the undead! LEMORA: A CHILD’S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL, one of the most beloved horror cult classics ever made, makes its home video premiere with this stunning presentation from Synapse Films. Mastered directly from the original 35mm camera negatives (thought to be lost for over thirty years) and mastered in High Definition using a Spirit DataCine® Telecine System, LEMORA is presented with never-before-seen clarity and detail that will leave you breathless. You may have seen LEMORA in the theatres but you’ve NEVER seen it like this!

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
- New Uncut, Uncensored Anamorphic (1.78:1) Widescreen Transfer, Supervised and Approved by Director Richard Blackburn
- RSDL Dual-Layer Edition for Optimal Image Quality
- Audio Commentary from Director Richard Blackburn, Actress Lesley Gilb and Producer Robert Fern
- Still Gallery Including Rare On-Set Continuity Photos
- Chapter Selections
- Bonus Trailers
- Liner Notes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OFFBEAT HORROR TALE...., September 7, 2004

By	Mark Norvell (HOUSTON) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I never saw this film until the DVD came out. What a surprise. If this ever made the drive-in rounds it was sadly overlooked. "Lemora" is a very unusual and intriguing story of a young girl Lila Lee (Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith), the innocent daughter of a notorious gangster, being lured to an isolated mansion by a mysterious woman, Lemora (Lesley Gilb), with supernatural powers. Her journey there is beset by monsters and weird happenings. Once there, she slowly discovers what her destiny is. Gothic atmosphere and vampirism is vividly depicted and the woods surrounding the estate are overrun with mutants and other victims of a strange curse or "disease" caused by Asteroth...the Lovecraftian name of the area. The film is low budget but this is deftly handled with beautiful photography and striking use of color. "Lemora" is quite unlike any horror film of the period (70's) and being set in the 30's, you wouldn't know it was from that era thanks to the wonderful sets and costumes. The film is dedicated to the late Smith (who apparently died in 2002) and she is quite beautiful and amazingly innocent looking...perfect for the role. There are good extras featured---including interviews with Gilb and others involved in the film. All in all, "Lemora" is highly recommended for collectors of strange horror films and others who like an interestingly spooky tale. Synapse has done a great job and are commended for bringing this truly offbeat film it's due.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Haunting Vampiric Fable, September 2, 2004

By	Edward D. Terhune "Ed T." (Basking Ridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In past reviews, I've mentioned my nostalgic reverence for the drive-in horror movies of generations past that had low budgets but plenty of imagination and ingenuity. Such a movie was, and still is, "Lemora." In my mind, it is probably the quintessential drive-in horror movie, the epitome of what could be achieved when talented, inspired people got together and created cinematic alchemy. Sort of a nightmarish blending of LeFanu and Stoker and Lovecraft with "Alice In Wonderland," I might have missed this movie totally, as it was sort of an innocuous blip on the late-night TV radar many years ago. Luckily, I did chance upon it, and it's haunted me ever since, even though the version I saw was heavily edited and loaded with commercials. Cheryl Smith was one of the great screen beauties of the 70's and my sincere hope is that with the release of this DVD, there will be a revival of interest in her career and she can achieve the illustrious status of such horror icons as Barbara Steele (with whom she co-starred in "Caged Heat") and Allison Hayes. There was an enigmatic and sad magic to her performances that Quentin Tarantino compared to that of Marilyn Monroe. Equally impressive is the performance of Lesley Gilb as "Lemora." She is alternately seductive and terrifying; playfully spiteful and maliciously brutal. It is a testament to the power and efficacy of her performance that she was able to accomplish this difficult feat despite the encumbrance of heavy wig, make-up and clothing. Like all great artistic works, the steadily increasing eerieness and occasionally non-linear quality of the storyline begins to function as a sort of funhouse mirror in which whatever pre-conceptions the viewer brings with him to the viewing experience are reflected back in subjectively distorted imagery. As Mr. Blackburn explains in the DVD commentary, there are those who see this as a Catholic film masquerading as a Protestant film, and those who see it as a Protestant film in the guise of a Catholic film. Then there are those agnostics like myself who will ignore the religious symbolism and experience it viscerally as the spooky, dark Fairytale for adults which it bills itself as. As previous reviewers have commented, the picture quality is superb and for the true fans of this cinematic gem, the commentary by Mr. Blackburn, Ms. Gilb, and Mr. Fern is priceless. Suffice it to say, this is one of my favorite vampire/horror movies of all time and the passage of 30 plus years has not lessened its effectiveness and emotional impact. This is one of those rare movies that will continue to haunt you long after you have seen it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Southern fried spook story, November 12, 2004

By	Matthew King (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Lemora" is a 1973 cult film that had its share of rabid fans but was practically impossible to find on VHS. Thanks to Synapse films, we can now enjoy on DVD this lost film that at the time caused quite a stir, due to hints of pedophilia, lesbianism and witchcraft.

"Lemora" takes place during the depression-era 1920's in the deep south. Lila Lee, a 13 year old girl, is revered around town as a singing angel, an object of virginal purity who is an upstanding member of the church singing choir. Her father, a ruthless gangster who abandoned Lila and suddenly disappears from town, sends Lila a letter informing her he has been seriously injured and needs her help. Lila thus packs her bags and heads deep into the swamps and bayous in search for her dad and ends up at a witch's coven. The coven is headed by "Lemora", a vampire priestess who has kidnapped several children and wishes to make little Lila a piece in her collection...

The storyline is nothing spectacular rather it's the atmosphere created by director Richard Blackburn that makes this film a winner. The pitch-black sets and the several scenes of little girl lost Lila running and hiding in the woods surrounding the witch coven lend the film a very surreal feel. Cheryl Smith is perfect in the role of Lila, with her innocent and naïve face, blond curls and white dress. Her performance reminded me of Jennifer Connelly's in Phenomena; she's not called to say much but that actually helps to lend the film its dream-like feel.

It's easy to see how the film was seen as perverse especiallly for its time. While on her journey to the witch's coven, everyone little Lila comes across be it the priest or the ticket agent or the bus driver salivates over the possibilities of having intercourse with her and this is a girl that looks no older than 13. And then there are the scenes of lesbianism with middle-aged Lemora who salivates over young children.

Make no mistake about it however, Lemora is very low budget replete with buildings that appear like cardboard cutouts and car scenes that you know were not filmed in cars. No doubt at its time of filming it was meant to be little more than drive-in fodder. Also while I loved Cheryl Smith's performance as little Lila the actress who plays Lemora was absolutely atrocious. It was funny witnessing a middle-aged woman getting upstaged in every scene by a little girl.

Still, anyone who likes thick atmosphere and sleazy 70's euro-horror (although this particular one is American) will probably like "Lemora". I know I sure did. How can you not like a film that mixes influences of Lovecraft, George Romero, Brothers Grimm and the sleazy vampires of Jean Rollin?