Well I’m not sure if it’s any big secret, but the project that I’m working on right now (actually what I’ve been working on for some time now) is the production of a limited edition DVD release of Duke Mitchell’s grindhouse epic Massacre Mafia Style. The preliminary cover art is pictured above. By the way, I mention “grindhouse” but I should note that Grindhouse Releasing never had the rights to the film and doesn’t have anything to do with this DVD release, though they do have the rights and film elements for Duke’s unfinished follow-up film Gone With The Pope.
I’m working on this project with Duke Mitchell’s son, Jeffrey Mitchell, and beyond being the first official DVD release it’s essentially the first North American home video release that’s fully authorized by Mitchell’s family (hence the “Family Edition” title) because after Duke passed away this film became a cinematic orphan, and the guy who bought a limited amount of foreign rights took the whole thing over, re-titled it The Executioner and made a quick buck off the video rights. It’s quite sad actually. All I can say is that the story of Duke Mitchell is just as interesting, if not even moreso, than what the film Massacre… would suggest. Some of the special features that we’re working on are pretty mind-blowing.
As more information becomes available it will be posted to massacremafiastyle.com.