While the name Cliff Twemlow likely does not ring a bell for most of the world, in England, specifically in the city of Manchester, he is a cult film icon. A rather compelling character with a fascinating trajectory, the story goes that Twemlow was once a nightclub doorman, then a novelist, composer, and indie filmmaker. A series of events that took place over a couple of decades, few realize that under the names Peter Reno and John Agar, his music was used in The Benny Hill Show, Bob Clark’s 1974 Deathdream, and George A. Romero’s 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead (with the song “Cause I’m A Man”).
Truly enticing, he even published an autobiography in 1980, which documented his music career and as a bouncer, before writing the 1982 novel The Pike and 1983’s The Beast of Kane. Clearly a motivated individual, he soon dove into the world of do-it-yourself filmmaking, making one low-budget film after another over the next decade-plus. Running the gamut of styles, his films ranged from Gangster and Horror-themed to Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and more. Often wearing numerous hats on his projects, Twemlow not only wrote the scripts but also served as the lead actor, producer, stunt coordinator, and composer.
While the exact number of films he made is unknown, it is believed that between 1981 and 1992 (just a year before his untimely death at 55), Twemlow completed 11 films. Again, a broad range of themes, you had his wild 1981 Tuxedo Warrior debut, 1983’s infamous Video Nasty G.B.H., leading into 1992’s Horror flick The Eye of Satan. Interesting for those who appreciate filmmaking that uses creativity to make up for a lack of budget, for the first time, international audiences have a chance to dig into the world of Cliff Twemlow in the new Intervision Picture Corp/Severin Films boxset, Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection.
An expansive career encompassing set, it arrived as a 9 Blu-ray box set on July 29, 2025, with an enormous amount of material. Including all eleven of Cliff Twemlow’s completed feature films, each is a solid restoration that gives you a chance to get a good grasp of Twemlow’s passion for filmmaking and knack for pace, humor, and engaging storytelling. Beyond this, you also get unfinished materials as part of a whopping 13-plus hours of extra features, plus a CD that features Twemlow’s music. However, capping it all off, and as a perfect homage to him, there is the very well-worth watching 2023 documentary film from Jake West entitled Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow.
All put together in a very nicely built box set that cleverly looks like a VHS tape. At the same time, inside, dressed in some really cool promotional photos, ads, and writings that make the set professional yet one made with attention to detail. These matters considered, it is tremendous to see the legacy of a dedicated independent filmmaker like Cliff Twemlow documented for future generations to discover. That is why Cryptic Rock commends Severin Film’s Intervision Picture Corp for the love and care put into Bloody Legend: The Complete Cliff Twemlow Collection, giving the release 5 out of 5 stars.
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