Russ Meyer keeps rolling at Severin 3

Russ Meyer keeps rolling at Severin

Severin Films, in collaboration with The Russ Meyer Trust, proudly presents two landmark releases from the legendary auteur Russ Meyer: the shocker MOTORPSYCHO (1965) and the outrageous RUSS MEYER’S UP! (1976). Both titles have been scanned in 4K from their original negatives and restored to showcase Meyer’s singular vision of full-throttle violence, carnality, and dark humor.


MOTORPSYCHO (1965)

Russ Meyer keeps rolling at Severin 5

In MOTORPSYCHO, Russ Meyer first unleashed his unique blend of exploitation and revenge. In this 1965 shocker, a trio of psycho bikers embarks on a sexual assault and murder spree in a desert town. When the local veterinarian (in his screen debut, Alex Rocco of THE GODFATHER fame) teams up with a rage-fueled vixen (the incredible Haji in her first film role), the two set out to settle the score in a story that’s as slick, violent, and well-made as it is provocative. The film also stars Steve Oliver (WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS), Lane Carroll (THE CRAZIES), Timothy Scott (THE FARMER), and features a cameo by Meyer himself.

Special Features – UHD

  • Audio Commentary: With film historian Elizabeth Purchell and filmmaker Zach Clark
  • Trailer

Special Features – Blu-ray/DVD

  • Audio Commentary: With film historian Elizabeth Purchell and filmmaker Zach Clark
  • Desert Rats On Hondas: Interviews with actors Haji and Alex Rocco
  • Trailer

Feature Specs

  • Runtime: 74 minutes
  • Audio: English Mono
  • Closed Captions: English SDH
  • Region: A/B/C
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

RUSS MEYER’S UP! (1976)

RUSS MEYER’S UP! is a no-holds-barred, sex-blasted romp set in a wild, surreal burg in Northern California. Directed by Russ Meyer himself—co-written with BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert—this penultimate feature is hailed as “jaw-droppingly perverse” (Entertainment Weekly) and “Meyer at his most outrageous” (Images Journal). In this film, a medley of bizarre characters collide in a world of sodomized Führers, ravenous piranha, and shameless extravagance, with Kitten Natividad (in her RM Productions debut) serving as The Greek Chorus. Janet Wood (THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS) co-stars in what is considered one of Meyer’s best films.

Russ Meyer keeps rolling at Severin 7

Special Features – UHD

  • Audio Commentary: With film historian Elizabeth Purchell

Special Features – Blu-ray/DVD

  • Audio Commentary: With film historian Elizabeth Purchell
  • No Fairy Tale… This!: Interview with actress Raven De La Croix
  • Radio Spot

Feature Specs

  • Runtime: 80 minutes
  • Audio: English Mono
  • Closed Captions: English SDH
  • Region: A/B/C
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

About the Severin Films / Russ Meyer Estate Partnership

Russ Meyer has been celebrated as “a one-man film industry” (The Guardian), “the first feminist American director” (B. Ruby Rich), and “the ultimate auteur” (Roger Ebert). With classics like LORNA, UP!, MUDHONEY, FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, and the legendary VIXEN Trilogy to his credit, his creative vision changed cinema forever.


After Meyer’s passing in 2004, his landmark catalog became shrouded in mystery—until Severin Films, with the passionate support of The Russ Meyer Charitable Trust and longtime Executive Assistant Janice Cowart, embarked on an exhaustive restoration project. Using state-of-the-art technology and meticulous archival research, these films have been restored to their former glory, ready to be celebrated by modern audiences as the gold standard of exploitation cinema.


Final Thoughts on Russ Meyer and Severin

MOTORPSYCHO and RUSS MEYER’S UP! are more than just films—they’re raw, unfiltered expressions of a maverick spirit that redefined genre cinema. With these 4K restorations and a wealth of new and archival bonus features, these releases not only honor Russ Meyer’s extraordinary legacy but also offer a definitive look into the world of provocative, boundary-pushing filmmaking. Prepare for an unforgettable ride into the heart of exploitation cinema.

Comments

  1. […] Severin Films has finally rescued this “most elusive, requested and unapologetically unhinged Penne Post-Apocalypse epic” from distribution limbo, presenting it uncut and uncensored on 4K UHD for the first time ever. This marks the worldwide UHD premiere of a film that has achieved legendary status among Italian genre enthusiasts precisely because it remained so difficult to see in quality presentations. The three-disc limited edition treatment demonstrates Severin’s commitment to preserving even the most outrageous examples of exploitation cinema with the same care typically reserved for acknowledged classics. […]

  2. […] Severin Films delivers the North American Blu-ray premiere of Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Douglas Hickox‘s 1970 adaptation of Joe Orton’s scandalous stage success, now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative with over four hours of new and archival special features. This marks the first time American audiences can properly experience one of British cinema’s most audacious black comedies in high definition, a film that translates Orton’s “sophisticated and devastating” theatrical provocation into a visual feast of suburban perversity. […]

  3. […] is quite the fascinating Russ Meyer film, as he transitioned into the late 70s/early 80s. The year 1976 found American exploitation […]

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.