My personal favorite from Bava is making it's US Blu-ray debut from Kino.
One of the great horror anthology films, and Bava's personal favorite of his works, BLACK SABBATH solidified the director's reputation as Europe's maestro of the macabre.
In "The Telephone," a woman is haunted by menacing phone calls from a former lover. "The Wurdulak" stars Boris Karloff as a vampire hunter whose family is stalked by the wandering spirit of an undead ghoul. "A Drop of Water" involves a nurse who steals a ring from a corpse-not realizing the curse that is carried with it.
This Kino Classics edition showcases Bava's original European cut of the film (I tre volti della paura, or Three Faces of Fear), before it was re-edited and re-scored for American release.
A heads up about this release, it's pretty much barebones, only featuring a few trailers. The Arrow Blu-ray/DVD release is pretty packed, and is actually on sale for £8.99 for the rest of the month on Arrow's site, which makes it about the same price as the Kino. The only downside to the Arrow is that it's Region B.
Another Bava from Kino:
A brutal tale of abduction and psychological torment, KIDNAPPED involves a gang of criminals who, when their robbery goes wrong, take a woman, man, and sick child hostage and embark on a tesnion-fueled getaway. In a departure from his more audacious visual style, Bava keeps the action claustrophobic and the tension wound tight, building to an unexpected (and unforgettable) finale.
Shot in the mid 1970s, KIDNAPPED was, for decades, a lost film, having been shut down near the end of production after the death of its principal investor. Years later, producer Alfredo Leone and Mario's son, filmmaker Lamberto Bava, obtained the footage and brought the long-abandoned project to fruition.
Evil Dead
The Evil Dead remake seems to have the internet divided, a lot of people loved it, a lot of people really, really hated it. Like aggressively, angrily hated it, like the movie stole their car and raped their dog or something. Hate a movie all you want, but relax, it's a movie.
Me, I thought it was pretty great. It's easily the most relentlessly gruesome film I've ever seen in a theater, how this thing passed with an R is beyond me. Sure, they had to cut it down prior to the theatrical release, and I'm sure a lot of fans will be upset we aren't getting that Unrated cut here, but realistically Evil Dead was so gory that it's actually a bit ridiculous as it is, I'm fine with the R rated cut I saw in the theater, which, again, was very gruesome.
There are a few options with this one, you can get the regular ass Blu-ray (or DVD) from Amazon, or most other retailers. If you're into bonus bonus content, Best Buy is offering up a 25-minute bonus disc featuring an interview with Bruce Campbell and an effects featurette. Here's a picture of the cover that I swiped from the Blu-ray.com forum.
Or, if you're like me and value fancy packaging that will spruce up your collection forever over a bonus disc you'll watch once (sorry Bruce), Target has an exclusive Steelbook case (which is also available at Future Shop). If you're interested in the Steelbook, act fast, these things are apparently low in quantity but high in demand. Which of course means eBay people are probably already hitting every Target near them to scoop up the remaining copies to sell for $50 once the supply completely dries up. Luckily I grabbed mine 2 minutes after Target opened, while they were still having that creepy morning meeting they have out on the sales floor. Anyone encounter this thing before? 30 people in a giant circle just inside the entrance, clapping every time a manager finishes a sentence. It's weird and it freaks me out. I don't need an audience while I'm holding five copies of a steelbook in my hands trying to find the one copy with the least amount of defects.
The Car - Arrow UK Region B Release
Not a July 16th title actually, but another release well worth picking up that came out yesterday is Arrow Video's worldwide Blu-ray debut of Elliot Silverstein's The Car, the action packed film about a vehement vehicle from Hell that terrorizes a small town while commiting various automotive atrocities. Arrow's put together a very nice little package for the film, here's a look at the bonus features:
-High Definition presentation (1080p), on Blu-ray for the first time in the world!
-Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
-Audio commentary with director Elliot Silverstein moderated by Calum Waddell
-Making a Mechanical Monster: Special Effects Artist William Alridge Remembers The Car
-Hitchhike the Hell: Actor John Rubinstein recalls becoming a victim of The Car
-Original Trailer
-Easter Egg
-Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Wilson
-Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Cullen Gallagher as well as a brand new interview with co-writer Michael Butler conducted by Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and artwork
I actually have a copy of this already, so look for a review soon. Fans of the film can pick it up now directly from Arrow.
I always feel awkward and dirty when I run into the Target "morning huddle" or whatever the hell they call it. Like I've just walked into some sort of arcane religious ritual disguised as a motivational pep-talk. And of course it's always located right where I need to shop. I always pity the one cashier that's left out and forced to man the front. No doubt this is the employee that clapped the least the day before...
ReplyDelete