We\u2019ve widely covered the franchise<\/a> in the past and encourage genre fans to take that journey too. Be warned, it\u2019s not for the faint of heart but it\u2019s also something you won\u2019t easily forget!<\/p>\nWe caught up with Terry Zarchi, documentary filmmaker and son of I Spit on Your Grave<\/em>\u2019s<\/strong> Meir Zarchi, to tell us more about the restoration and what\u2019s next as the film approaches 45 years\u2026<\/p>\nHi Terry, we\u2019ve spoken in the past about the original I Spit on Your Grave<\/em><\/strong> film and the franchise as a whole. How was it for you going back to Meir\u2019s own 35mm camera negative for this brand-new release?<\/h3>\nIt\u2019s been a really special experience for me and my family. This is actually the first time in 44 years that it will be seen in the UK in this state, scanned from my father\u2019s own print as you mentioned. It means a lot to me. My mother, who is no longer with us, actually did the negative cutting on the picture, so they took this original negative that’s been stored away in a laboratory vault for many decades and got this beautiful 4K presentation. It looks so lush and I felt like I was seeing it for the first time, like seeing it through a very clean windshield. The blood is so red, the trees look so green, and the wilderness looks incredible. There\u2019s also a lot of background detail I hadn\u2019t noticed before.<\/p>\nThe new 4K release of I Spit On Your Grave<\/strong><\/em> will be the first time it has been seen in this slate in the UK.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhat was the condition of the camera negative? You hear stories about some film reels being badly stored or damaged, but it sounds like this was well preserved!<\/h3>\n Yes, it was very well preserved. There was some very slight vinegar syndrome here and there, but for the most part it looked incredible. It was very surprising for me because I’m used to seeing a lot of old 35mm prints which are completely scratched and filthy. Also, in this film we\u2019re used to seeing a dirty, horrifying, exploitation story but now it looks so clean and crisp. People always talked about it having a grainy, naturalistic documentary look and this really comes to life. The cinematographer, Yuri Haviv, did a great job building such strong visuals but also using the environment this film takes place in.<\/p>\n
Can you talk about this new 4K release and what it contains across the three discs?<\/h3>\n There\u2019s a ton of great material including a new, UK-only audio commentary and intro with Camille Keaton, a new interview with film historian Chris Poggiali about legendary distributor Jerry Gross who was instrumental in marketing and releasing the film, an interview with Meir Zarchi, more commentaries with Meir and critic Joe Bob Briggs, alternate opening titles (for Day of the Woman <\/em><\/strong>as it was first known), a look back at the locations, my own 8mm film with Camille Keaton which is fun, footage of Camille and Meir’s real wedding, rare set photos and, of course, my feature documentary Growing Up with I Spit on Your Grave<\/strong><\/em>. I\u2019m really happy to see everything presented together. This collector\u2019s edition is the Grand Slam release for this movie. If you want to go to the school of I Spit on Your Grave<\/em><\/strong>, this is it! You\u2019ll see the movie looking better than ever and you\u2019ll learn a huge amount of history from all the extra material.<\/p>\nThe new 4K edition also features Terry Zarchi’s (pictured) Growing Up with I Spit on Your Grave.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHow does Meir feel about the ongoing popularity?<\/h3>\n He keeps a low profile and takes everything in his stride, but I don’t think he ever expected any of this. I believe he\u2019s happy that so much has come from this one low-budget movie he made. There are sequels, a remake, the documentary, books have been written, and of course the original film is still being discovered and talked about to this day.<\/p>\n