Arrow Video, out now

From killer sharks and human jellyfish to living mummies and homicidal hippies, Arrow Video present seven Blu-ray premieres of William ‘Wild Bill’ Grefé’s outrageous exploitation creature features.

There’s every possibility that you’ve never seen any of these films by Florida’s maverick filmmaker – they’re not shining examples of quality film-making. However, if you’re prepared to try something a little different, there’s so much bonkers enthusiasm on display that they are quite hypnotic.

A good start is the 2016 feature-length documentary They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé, which introduces you to the larger-than-life film-maker and his eclectic output. Year by year, we find out how each of his films was completed to a ridiculous schedule on a budget that would dream of having a shoestring. He would go on to make 25 promotional films for Bacardi, some with William Shatner.

Onto the films, which sit two per disc, the jelly fish monster in Sting of Death (1966) is created from a wet suit and flippers, beads and an inflated bag. You can see all the joins – it’s dreadful. And then Neil Sedaka sings ‘Do the Jellyfish!’ Death Curse of Tartu (1966) joined Sting of Death in a drive-in double bill and like its screen partner is again set in the Everglades. A Native American medicine man’s tomb is disturbed by teens and he effects his terrible (and it is terrible) revenge. Written overnight and filmed in a week, the cast had to wrestle dangerous animals for their art.

The Hooked Generation (1968) and The Psychedelic Priest (1971) are less interesting, being unmemorable counter-culture, dope-fuelled quickies. The Naked Zoo (1971) features Hollywood starlet Rita Hayworth in the latter stage of her career, a thriller bolstered by extra salacious scenes to pep it up.

Mako: Jaws of Death (1976) is by far the most accomplished movie, riding the wave of Jaws. It’s a pretty scratchy and hissy print unfortunately, with Oscar-nominated tough guy Richard Jaeckel (Grizzly) discovering that he has a psychic connection with sharks and protection from them by a magical medallion.

Harold Sakata (Odd Job in Goldfinger) also appears, and the movie’s tagline boasts that it was ‘Filmed without the benefit of cages, mechanical sharks or other protective devices.’ Or proper script. Or decent acting… In its defence, and as a change to most Jaws knock-offs, the shark is not portrayed as the enemy. Final movie Whiskey Mountain (1977) takes us into Deliverance territory as Christopher George (Pieces) is one of a group of motorcyclists terrorised by hillbillies; it’s standard revenge fare.

Arrow’s collection includes a collector’s booklet and reversible poster. Each movie has its trailer and promotional material, four have audio commentaries with the director, and there’s sundry documentaries and features. Unfortunately, the original movies are not in great shape and the HD transfer just amplifies the scratches and artefacts on the reels.

Verdict: Come for the documentary and watch film-making at its cheapest. There’s no lacking in imagination and ambition, but you’ll need to be a dedicated follower of bad films to want this strange confection in your library. As always, Arrow give the best possible presentation, but the polish only goes so far. 7/10