Severin Films Announces Russ Meyer 4K UHD Restorations of ‘BLACKSNAKE!,’ ‘COMMON-LAW CABIN’ and ‘CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL’
Severin Films Announces 4K UHD Premieres of Three Russ Meyer Classics, Including ‘BLACKSNAKE!’ and ‘CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL’
Severin Films is continuing its partnership with The Russ Meyer Trust with the announcement of three additional restorations from the influential independent filmmaker's catalog. CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL, COMMON-LAW CABIN and BLACKSNAKE! will receive their worldwide 4K Ultra HD premieres, with each title also available separately on Blu-ray and DVD.
Announced November 10, 2026, the releases represent the latest additions to Severin's ongoing effort to restore and preserve Meyer's filmography, which became known for its provocative depictions of sexuality, exploitation cinema and confrontations with censorship authorities.
All three films have been newly scanned in 4K from their original camera negatives, with supplementary materials examining their production histories, critical reception and controversies.
The announcement also includes an exclusive online auction featuring memorabilia from Meyer's personal collection, including materials previously displayed in his home office.
Among the items available are plaques featuring original trade advertisements, international theatrical posters, repertory cinema calendars, photographs, VHS packaging artwork and vintage pressbooks.
The auction and preorders for the three releases are available through Severin Films' official website.
Released in 1969, CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL arrived during a particularly productive period in Meyer's career, between VIXEN and his subsequent studio production BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.
Set in a corrupt Southwestern border town, the film follows Sheriff Harry Thompson, played by Charles Napier, whose involvement in a marijuana-smuggling operation becomes increasingly complicated by his relationships with several women.
Larissa Ely portrays Raquel, a bisexual sex worker, while Linda Ashton plays Cherry, a nurse whose involvement adds to the film's escalating personal and criminal conflicts.
Frank Bolger and Uschi Digard also appear in the production.
The film combines crime, sexual melodrama and the exaggerated visual style that became synonymous with Meyer's filmmaking.
Severin's upcoming edition marks the film's first release on 4K Ultra HD and includes more than two hours of supplemental material.
Among the newly assembled features is an interview with Digard, whose appearances in exploitation cinema included several collaborations with Meyer.
COMMON-LAW CABIN, originally released in 1967, receives its worldwide UHD premiere in a newly restored, uncut presentation.
The film takes place at Hoople's Haven, a deteriorating tourist destination along the Colorado River where visitors become entangled in increasingly volatile relationships involving sex, jealousy and violence.
Its ensemble includes Jack Moran, Babette Bardot, Frank Bolger, Alaina Capri, John Furlong and Ken Swofford.
Moran, who also co-wrote the screenplay, previously collaborated with Meyer on FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, one of the director's most widely recognized productions.
COMMON-LAW CABIN became another example of Meyer's confrontations with international censorship authorities. The film was banned in the United Kingdom for approximately two decades by the British Board of Film Classification.
Its forthcoming restoration will present the film uncut, accompanied by newly produced special features developed by Severin Films in collaboration with The Russ Meyer Trust.
The third title, BLACKSNAKE!, represents a different chapter in Meyer's career.
Released in 1973, the film followed the end of his relationship with 20th Century Fox and marked his return to independent production after working within the studio system.
Combining elements of blaxploitation, historical drama and exploitation cinema, BLACKSNAKE! is set in the colonial West Indies in 1835.
The story centers on Lady Susan Walker, a plantation owner portrayed by Anouska Hempel, whose brutal treatment of enslaved people establishes a violent social order on the island.
The arrival of a nobleman, played by David Warbeck, introduces additional conflicts involving power, sexuality and revenge.
The supporting cast includes Percy Herbert, Thomas Baptiste and Dave Prowse, who later became internationally recognized for physically portraying Darth Vader in the original STAR WARS trilogy.
Filmed on location in Barbados, BLACKSNAKE! circulated under several alternate titles, including SWEET SUZY, THE DUCHESS OF DOOM and RUSS MEYER'S SLAVES.
The production also encountered significant distribution complications. Hempel successfully opposed the film's release in the United Kingdom, contributing to its unusual exhibition history.
Severin's restoration marks the film's first availability in more than 15 years, according to the distributor, and its debut on 4K Ultra HD.
The uncut presentation will include more than two hours of newly produced supplemental features examining the film and its place within Meyer's career.
Across his filmography, Meyer developed a distinctive approach to independent production, frequently combining heightened sexuality, crime, violence and satire with an aggressive visual style.
His work also became central to debates over obscenity, censorship and the changing boundaries of American filmmaking during the 1960s and 1970s.
While his films remain controversial for their portrayals of gender, sexuality and race, their influence on exploitation cinema and independent filmmaking continues to attract attention from film historians, collectors and preservation specialists.
The latest Severin releases provide an opportunity to revisit three productions from different stages of Meyer's career, including films that have experienced extended periods of limited availability.
The inclusion of archival interviews, newly produced documentaries and other historical materials is intended to provide additional context for their production and reception.
Severin Films has not specified individual street dates for the three editions in the announcement.
Preorders for CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL, COMMON-LAW CABIN and BLACKSNAKE!, along with information about the Russ Meyer memorabilia auction, are available now at [SeverinFilms.com](https://severinfilms.com).
Comments