Arrow's December

Arrow Video has some fantastic releases lined up for December. A couple of my favorites actually, Tenebre (or Tenebrae, if you prefer) is my favorite Argento film, and Big Trouble in Little China is my favorite Carpenter film that isn't called The Thing. You can find the list with extra features below, and if you're wondering, yes they've done a new transfer for Tenebrae for this release.

A notorious horror classic returns in all its depraved glory. This infamous video nasty updated the classic Giallo blueprint for the gorified 80s, courting controversy and drenching the viewer in crimson arterial spray.

A razor-wielding psycho is stalking the horror writer Peter Neal, in Rome to promote his latest work, Tenebre. But the author isn't the obsessive killer's only target, the beautiful women who surround him are doomed as one by one, they fall victim to the murderer's slashing blade…

Will fiction and reality blur as fear and madness take hold? Watch in terror as by turns the cast fall victim to the sadistic imagination of Dario Argento, Italy's master of horror.

Special Features:

• Limited Edition SteelBook packaging featuring original artwork
• Newly remastered High Definition digital transfer of the film
• Presented in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD
• Optional original English & Italian Mono Audio tracks (uncompressed PCM Mono 2.0 Audio on the Blu-ray)
• Optional English subtitles for Italian audio and English SDH subtitles for English audio for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio Commentary with authors and critics Kim Newman and Alan Jones
• Audio Commentary with Argento expert Thomas Rostock
• Introduction by star Daria Nicolodi
• The Unsane World of Tenebrae: An interview with director Dario Argento
• Screaming Queen! Daria Nicolodi remembers Tenebrae
• A Composition for Carnage: Composer Claudio Simonetti on Tenebrae
• Goblin: 'Tenebrae' and 'Phenomena' Live from the Glasgow Arches
• Original Trailer
• Exclusive collector's booklet featuring brand new writing by Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento
• More to be announced!
• Street Date: December 16th

Following Escape from New York and The Thing, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell re-unite for this mystical, action, adventure, comedy, kung-fu, monster, ghost story!

Russell plays Jack Burton, a reasonable guy who is about to experience some unreasonable things in San Francisco's Chinatown. As his friend's fiancée is kidnapped Jack becomes embroiled in a centuries-old battle between good and evil. At the root of it all is Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who rules an empire of evil spirits. Jack goes to the rescue dodging demons, goblins and the unstoppable Three Storms as he battles through Lo Pan's dark domain.

One of Carpenters most enjoyable and best loved films, Big Trouble in Little China brilliantly juggles delirious set-pieces, comedy and kung-fu action with a razor sharp script of corking one-liners, as Jack would say "It's all in the reflexes".

Special Features:

• Limited Edition SteelBook packaging
• High Definition presentation of the film from a digital transfer prepared by Twentieth Century Fox
• Optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed Stereo 2.0 Audio
• Isolated 5.1 DTS-HD Isolated Score Soundtrack
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell
• Return to Little China – A brand new interview with John Carpenter
• Being Jack Burton – A brand new interview with Kurt Russell
• Carpenter and I – A brand new interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey
• A new interview with producer Larry Franco
• Interview with visual effects producer Richard Edlund
• Vintage Making-of featurette featuring cast and crew
• Extended Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Video
• Gallery of behind-the-scenes images
• 3 original trailers
• TV Spots
• Booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Kenneth Muir, author of The Films of John Carpenter, a re-print of an article on the effects of the film from American Cinematographer, illustrated with archive stills and posters
• Street Date: December 2

When private eye Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is visited by an old friend, this sets in train a series of events in which he's hired to search for a missing novelist (Sterling Hayden) and finds himself on the wrong side of vicious gangsters.

So far so faithful to Raymond Chandler, but Robert Altman's inspired adaptation of the writer's most personal novel takes his legendary detective and relocates him to the selfish, hedonistic culture of 1970s Hollywood, where he finds that his old-fashioned notions of honour and loyalty carry little weight, and even his smoking (universal in film noir) is now frowned upon.

Widely misunderstood at the time, The Long Goodbye is now regarded as one of Altman's best films and one of the outstanding American films of its era, with Gould's shambling, cat-obsessed Marlowe ranking alongside more outwardly faithful interpretations by Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum.

Special Features:

• High Definition presentation of the film from a digital transfer by MGM Studios
• Original uncompressed mono 2.0 PCM audio
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
• Rip Van Marlowe – An interview with director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould
• Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye – An interview with the legendary cinematographer
• Giggle and Give In – Paul Joyce's acclaimed documentary profile of Robert Altman, with contributions from Altman, Elliott Gould, Shelley Duvall, assistant director Alan Rudolph and screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury
• David Thompson on Robert Altman - David Thompson, editor of 'Altman on Altman' and producer of the BBC's 'Robert Altman in England', talks about The Long Goodbye 's place in Altman's filmography
• On Raymond Chandler - Raymond Chandler's biographer, Tom Williams, outlines the author's life and work and discusses Altman's adaptation of The Long Goodbye
• On Hard Boiled Fiction - Crime writer and critic Maxim Jakubowski discusses the emergence of hard boiled detective characters from the pages of the pulp magazines from the 1920s through to the 1950s.
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spots
• Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Brad Stevens, a new interview with assistant director Alan Rudolph and an extract from American Cinematographer discussing Zsigmond's unique treatment of the film, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
• Street Date: December 2

Arrow Video's Big Trouble

Arrow Video has just posted the first look at their Big Trouble in Little China steelbook, and it's a beauty. I consider The Thing to be Carpenter's greatest film, but Big Trouble is certainly his most fun, it's a goddamn blast and I can't wait to get my hands on Arrow's upcoming release.

Arrow Video's Showreel Teases Big Trouble and The 'Burbs

Starburst has just posted an amazing showreel of past, present and future Arrow Video releases. There was a big "Ho-ly Shit!" moment for me halfway through when the shot of Tom Hanks from The 'Burbs popped up, that's an instant buy for me when it comes out early next year. Also excited about Big Trouble in China of course, but I've seen The 'Burbs like 25 times and I somehow never tire of it. Take a look at the showreel below:

Hitting Shelves 8.6

Here are some of the finer things that will be hitting shelves today at your local...online retailer. At least, that's where I have to buy most of my movies. Some of you might be lucky enough to have a local source where you can buy Scorpion or even Scream Factory releases. Not me. The best movie source I've got anywhere near me is Best Buy, and Best Buy kind of sucks.

"World War IV has ravaged Earth, and its survivors must battle for food, shelter and companionship in a post-atomic  wasteland.  This classic sci-fi tale follows the exploits of a young man, Vic (Don Johnson), and his telepathic dog, Blood, as they struggle through the barren wilderness. In the midst of their meager existence, foraging for scraps of food and battling ruthless gangs, Vic and Blood encounter a young woman who lures them into a surreal city deep beneath the earth’s surface.

Based on the award-winning novella by acclaimed science-fiction author Harlan Ellison, A Boy and His Dog is a dark, twisted and sometimes comical trip through a post-apocalyptic reality in the not-too-distant future."

Grab it now from Shout! or Amazon.

Alex Winter's hilarious goofball take on Dr. Moreau has finally hit Blu-ray from Anchor Bay, who are kind of giving us a bit of a shaft job with this release, it seems to be lacking approximately 100% of the bonus features that appeared on the 2-disc DVD. So if you have the DVD you're gonna want to hang onto it.

"Alex Winter (of BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE) stars as Ricky Coogin, an arrogant former child star who becomes the celebrity spokesman for toxic fertilizer Zygrot-24. But when Ricky is taken prisoner by demented sideshow impresario Elijah C. Skuggs (Randy Quaid), he is transformed into a hideous mutant freak to join the likes of The Bearded Lady (Mr. T), Sockhead (Bobcat Goldthwait), a human worm, a giant nose, and their fearless leader, Ortiz The Dog Boy (an uncredited - and unforgettable - performance by Keanu Reeves). Can a hack actor-turned-genetic nightmare now survive an evil conspiracy of corporate sleazebags, desperate milkmen, Rastafarian eyeballs, canned cheese and most horrifying of all, Brooke Shields? It's time to get FREAKED!"

If you haven't seen it, it's kind of like Basket Case 3 meets The Island of Lost Souls. In other words, it's awesome. If you're like me and you think jokes about a guy with a nose so huge it enables him to "smell the future" are funny, this is definitely a movie you'll want in your collection. Grab it from Amazon.

Wes Craven's backwoods bad guy basher flick Swamp Thing hits Blu-ray today from Scream Factory. I think Swamp Thing is a decently fun time at the movies, but am I alone in finding it inferior to Jim Wynorski's much more entertaining Return of the Swamp Thing? I mean, from a technical standpoint Craven's gonna beat Wynorski every time, but in terms of entertainment I found Return way more rewarding than this original. I don't know, maybe that's just me. Either way, I actually didn't get a review copy of this one, but according to Gary at The Beav fans of the film should be pleased with this very nice package Scream has put together.

"Science Made Him A Monster!

Swamp Thing is the perfect blend of thrills, chills and "winsome humor" (Robert Ebert) from master of horror Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes).

Deep in the Florida everglades, a brilliant scientist, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise), and a sexy government agent, Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau, The Fog), have developed a secret formula that could end world hunger. Little do they know, however, that their arch nemesis, Arcane (Louis Jourdan, Octopussy), is plotting to steal the serum for his own selfish schemes. Looting the lab and kidnapping Cable, Arcane douses Holland with the chemicals and leaves him for dead. Mutated by his own formula, Holland becomes "Swamp Thing" - a half-human/half-plant superhero who will stop at nothing to rescue Cable and defeat Arcane...even if it costs him his life!"


Just a heads up, Shout was only able to release the PG rated "No Tits" version, so if you're desperate for a peek at Adrienne's Barbeaus you'll need to seek out that original recalled MGM DVD. You can grab the Blu-ray directly from Shout Factory.

Bill "Code Red" Olsen's less eccentric brother Walter's label Scorpion Releasing steps into the world of Blu-ray with Jim O'Connolly's 1972 film Tower of Evil.

"From horror producer Richard Gordon (Inseminoid, First Man into Space, Fiend Without a Face, Horror Hospital) comes one of the most brutal and mysterious stories ever to be released on BluRay. Tower of Evil is a haunting tale set in & around a deserted lighthouse on fog-shrouded Snape Island.

The terror begins when a nude, crazed woman slaughters a sailor who visits the island. When she is taken back to civilization and an ancient relic is discovered, an expedition is mounted to solve the mystery of the island which leads to a series of psycho-sexual murders. Starring Jill Haworth (It!), Bryant Haliday (Devil Doll), Dennis Price (Theather of Blood), George Coulouris (Blood from the Mummy's Tomb) and Candice Glendenning (Satan's Slave) now witness the horror from a brand new HD master"

Grab it now from Amazon.

Joining Tower of Evil in Scorpion's jump to Blu-ray is the 1985 comedy Tomboy. I've never seen Tomboy so I don't have much to say about the film, but high def Betsy Russell boobs have gotta be worth the price of admission, right?

Tomasina "Tommy" Boyd (Betsy Russell, PRIVATE SCHOOL, AVENGING ANGEL, the SAW films) has always been a tomboy. She'd rather tinker with cars and play baseball than dress up dolls. She tried to be the son her father always wanted. Now all grown up, Tommy works as a mechanic at Chester's garage. While working on racecars for racing entrepreneur Junior Leeds, she meets race car driver Randy Star. She is attracted to Randy and hopes for a romantic relationship when her race car driving skills are spotted by Junior and his partner. They offer Tommy a job racing against her new love, Randy. Who will win, and will the competition move this new romance across the finish line? Now see it from a brand new HD master on Blu Ray!

Includes a Brand New interview with Betsy Russell! And hosted by Katarina Leigh Waters. Get it from Amazon.

The Initiation - Arrow Video (Region 2 DVD)

Here's to being young... staying young... and dying young.

Like any blossoming all-American gal, Kelly is looking forward to her sorority initiation with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. And she s got every reason to be anxious considering the prank her sorority sisters have tasked her with a late-night break-in of her father s department store. At first, it seems pretty straightforward and everything goes to plan, but once inside the labyrinthian mall, Kelly and her fellow pledges finds themselves locked in, and they re not alone...

Who is the stranger stalking Kelly and her randy teen friends through the department s stores shadowy corridors? And how is this unseen assailant connected with Kelly's terrible recurring nightmares of a man burning in agony....?

ALSO INCLUDES A TRAILER + BOOKLET BY CRITIC CALUM WADDELL!

Those of you on Clu Gulager alert will be happy to know Clu does in fact appear in The Initiation. Grab it now from Arrow.

I actually have a screener copy of this one, so I will be reviewing it soon. We still haven't gotten a temporary house since the fire (which was 3 weeks ago now) so I'm still stuck in a room without a TV which makes reviewing movies difficult, I might have to watch this and my Scream August releases on my laptop if we don't have a house in the next couple of days.

Hitting Shelves 7.16

Not a ton of stuff out this week, but here are the highlights.

Black Sabbath

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.

Kidnapped

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.