Squrim Extras & Lord of Illusions Cover Art Revealed

Scream Factory has announced bonus features for their upcoming release of the "classic" screaming worm film Squirm, and they've also given us a first look at their newly designed cover for Lord of Illusions, take a look at both below:

Director Jeff Lieberman’s classic worm-a-thon film is getting the “Collector’s Edition” HD Blu-ray treatment on October 28th and today we report our list of extras that will be on it!

- NEW! DIGGING IN—2014 Interviews with writer/director Jeff Lieberman and lead actor Don Scardino
- NEW! EUREKA! – An exclusive look at where the idea for SQUIRM came from with Jeff Lieberman
- Original Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Jeff Lieberman (ported over from the prior MGM DVD release)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Vintage TV spot
- Still Gallery

Order now at www.screamfactorydvd.com and receive an 18” x 24” limited edition poster of the newly-designed key art too. (While supplies last!)

 
Let’s start off the week right by unveiling the new, Clive Barker-approved artwork for our upcoming Collector's Edition release of LORD OF ILLUSIONS. This sinister vision was created by artist Joel Robinson, who also crafted the designs for Ginger Snaps, Nightbreed Limited Edition and both Vincent Price Collections.

No other details to report (other than this is a blu-ray only release) but extras are in development and will be announced at a later date, along with full specs. National street date is planned for 12/16 and we expect pre-order links to go up sometime in early Sept. If you order directly on our site at www.screamfactorydvd.com you will also receive a limited edition 18" x 24" poster of the newly-commissioned art you see here. (While supplies last.)

New This Week 8.26 - Doppelgängers and Post-Apocalyptic Ratmen

It sits here, shrouded in mist and mystery, a nesting place for living evil and terror from the dead. It’s Hell House. Roddy McDowall heads the cast of this exciting chiller about four psychic investigators and the dark, brooding mansion they call the Mt. Everest of haunted houses. It’s already destroyed one team of researchers. Now this brave quartet ventures in for another try at unraveling its secrets. But before they succeed, they must suffer through madness, murder and everything else that the spirits who dwell here have in store for them. Yet learning the truth just might drive them all insane. An ingeniously devised ghost story, The Legend Of Hell House will thrill and delight veteran horror fans from the first creaking door to the very last slithering shadow. 

New Interview With Director John Hough

New Audio Commentary With Actress Pamela Franklin

Theatrical Trailer

Blue Underground has paired up two of Bruno Mattei's best known films; Hell of the Living Dead and the utterly hysterical Rats: Night of Terror in one convenient Blu-ray package:

Extras:
1. Bonded By Blood - Interviews with Co-Writer/Co-Director Claudio Fragasso and Stars Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Ottaviano DellAcqua & Massimo Vanni
2. Hell Rats Of The Living Dead - Interview with Director Bruno Mattei
3. Theatrical Trailers
4. Poster & Still Galleries


Jersey Shore thankfully went off the air nearly two years ago, so what better time for a movie called Jersey Shore Massacre to be released, right?

The Situation Just Got Deadly.

Executive Producer Jenni JWoww Farley, of MTVs Snooki & JWoww and Jersey Shore, presents JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE, an award-winning, blood-drenched horror-comedy.

When Teresa and the girls leave their N.J. salon for a weekend of sun and sin down the shore, they re blindsided by bizarre events that send them from the sands of Seaside Heights to a secluded house deep in the N.J Pine Barrens. Frightened by stories of the legendary Jersey Devil, the local Piney's and a giant dim-witted neighbor, the girls return to Seaside and hook-up with five fist-pumpers. Later they converge at a Seaside bar where they re quickly ejected for a dance-floor brawl. With nowhere to go, the group retreats to the Pine Barrens for the night. Blinded by lust, they remain unaware that their long-standing debt to humanity is about to be settled - with their lives. One by one, the body count soars as retribution is exacted at the hands of a mentally-deranged killer with much more than just an axe to grind.

JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE stars Danielle Dallacco, Angelica Boccella, Giovanni Roselli (aka pro wrestler Romeo Roselli), Ron Jeremy, Sal Governale, Richard Christy and Bigfoot (from the Howard Stern Wack Pack), and was written & directed by Paul Tarnopol.

Blu-ray Special Features: Bigfoot Unmedicated, Italian Ice (Sal Governale) Music Video Melt, Behind The Scenes Of Jersey Shore Massacre, FAT CAMP MASSACRE PART 1 (featurette)

You're Not The Only One Who Wants Them Dead.

The second feature from director Richard Ayoade (Submarine, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace) is based on the Dostoyevsky novella of the same name.

Simon is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon's exact physical double and his opposite - confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon's horror, James slowly starts taking over his life.

In the new season, we see Rick and the group of survivors fostering a thriving community in the safe haven of the prison only to have it short-lived as the group loses everything, their home, family, and friends to the threat of the walkers, outside threats and the hidden dangers brewing inside the fences. The group of survivors are broken apart and sent on divergent paths, unsure of everyone else's fate as they are exposed to new dangers, new enemies, and heartbreaking choices. They will have their faith thoroughly tested -- a faith that breaks some of them and redeems others.

Special Features:
Inside THE WALKING DEAD
The Making Of THE WALKING DEAD
Drawing Inspiration
Hershel
The Governor Is Back
Society, Science & Survival
Inside KNB Studios
A Journey Back To Brutality
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentaries on Episodes 1, 5, 12 &14
Extended Episodes on Episodes 9 & 14

Bonus Features Revealed For Vincent Price Collection II

Scream Factory has just posted for their upcoming Vincent Price Collection II and it looks to be another outstanding set. I mean, Sweet Christ, THREE commentaries for Tomb of Ligeia alone. If they happen to do a third volume (the dude was in a lot of movies) I'd love to hear a commentary with comedian Dana Gould doing his wonderful Price impression like they did with Pitor Michael on the first volume.

 

Happy Friday everyone! Check out the final list of extras for the upcoming (and highly-anticipated) blu-ray release of THE VINCENT PRICE COLLECTION II. Streets nationally on 10/21 but if you order directly from us at www.screamfactorydvd.com you can get it early on 9/30 AND get a free limited edition 18" x 24" poster of the newly-designed cover art.

And now for the bonus goodies...

THE RAVEN
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Color
• Introduction and parting words by Vincent Price
• NEW Audio Commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman
• Richard Matheson Storyteller: THE RAVEN
• Corman’s Comedy of Poe
• Promotional Record
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

THE COMEDY OF TERRORS
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Color
• Introduction and parting words by Vincent Price
• Richard Matheson Storyteller: THE COMEDY OF TERRORS
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

THE TOMB OF LIGEIA
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Color
• Introduction and parting words by Vincent Price
• Audio Commentary by producer/director Roger Corman
• NEW Audio Commentary with Elizabeth Shepherd, moderated by Roy Frumkes
• NEW Audio Commentary with film historian Constantine Nasr
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Black & White
• NEW Audio Commentary with film historian David Del Valle and author Derek Botelho
• Richard Matheson Storyteller: THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
• Still Gallery

DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Color
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

THE RETURN OF THE FLY
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Black & White
• NEW Audio Commentary with actor Brett Halsey and film historian David Del Valle
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Still Gallery

THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/Black & White
• NEW Audio Commentary with author/historian Steve Haberman
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery
• Vincent Price: Renaissance Man featurette
• The Art of Fear featurette
• Working with Vincent Price featurette
• Introductory Price featurette

Heavy Metal Movies: Guitar Barbarians, Mutant Bimbos & Cult Zombies Amok in the 666 Most Ear- and Eye-Ripping Big-Scream Films Ever!

Today I want to point you guys toward an amazing new movie guide that's recently come out from Brooklyn's Bazillion Point Books: Heavy Metal Movies, also known under its complete - and way more metal title Heavy Metal Movies: Guitar Barbarians, Mutant Bimbos & Cult Zombies Amok in the 666 Most Ear- and Eye-Ripping Big-Scream Films Ever! 

From the back cover:

Heavy metal and high-thrill cinema have been joined together like mutant twins since before the band Black Sabbath adopted the name of a chilling Italian horror film. The unadulterated journey of Heavy Metal Movies spans concert movies and trippy midnight flicks, inspirational depictions of ancient times and future apocalypses, and raw handheld digital video obsessions. As brash, irreverent, and visceral as both the music and the movies themselves, Heavy Metal Movies is the ultimate guidebook to the complete molten musical cinema experience.

Exploding with way over 666 true headbanger classics—raging with disturbing documentaries, bulging barbarians, Satanic shockers, spluttery slashers, post-nuke dystopias, carnivorous chunk-blowers, undead gut-munchers, midnight mind-benders, concert films, killer cameos—plus witches, werewolves, bikers, aliens, lesbian vampires, and vengeful vikings galore...the heaviest sin-ematic sensations of all time!

The massive tome that is Heavy Metal Movies starts off, fittingly enough, with an introduction from McPadden who explains how he first discovered and fell in love with these kinds of movies in a chapter titled Mighty Monsters, Delinquent Double Features, and Sticky Seats: My Life in Heavy Metal Movies. In an interview with Fangoria from a couple of months back McPadden explained exactly what he considers a "Heavy Metal Movie":

“First up, there are the obvious documentaries and concert films; then come narrative movies where the music is an essential subject, like THIS IS SPINAL TAP. From there, it’s films where characters love heavy metal, such as WAYNE’S WORLD, and/or the musicians appear on screen, as with Lemmy in HARDWARE and EAT THE RICH. Rob Zombie’s features fall under this same umbrella. After that, you’ve got movies that inspired band names and/or song lyrics, and soundtracks dominated by heavy metal certainly qualify—AC/DC’s work in MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, for example. Now, past the direct, tangible connections is the really interesting stuff, where you have to say, ‘I know a heavy metal movie when I see it.’ This is the realm of aesthetic embodiments, influences and inspirations—movies that crystalize and catapult forward the spirit of heavy metal: CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE EXORCIST, the MAD MAX and TERMINATOR series, George A. Romero’s zombie epics, Italian cannibal gross-outs, ’80s slasher films, banned ‘video nasties’—even something as beautiful as 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.”


Following Mike's intro, we get 5 pages from Alice Cooper, himself no stranger to heavy metal movies having appeared films like Monster Dog and Wayne's World. Alice gleefully discusses his several movie appearances starting with his own concert film Welcome To My Nightmare, all the way up to his most recent appearance in Tim Burton's critically maligned (but actually not that bad) Dark Shadows.

After the Alice Cooper piece we get into the meat of the book, over 666 reviews of the most metal movies of all time. As you can tell from the bit I quoted from Fangoria's interview Mike covers a massive variety of film genres; horror, comedy, horror comedy, metal documentaries, sword & sorcery, biker flicks, disco slashers, animated viking films, post-apocalytic frog-people films - even the odd metal celebrity sex tape or two. From true classics like This Is Spinal Tap to some more obscure concert videos from bands like 3 Inches of Blood and The Obsessed all the way to delightfully daft turkeys like Howard the Duck (the best movie ever made that features a scene where Lorraine McFly fucks a midget in a duck suit), Mike has included a little something for everyone in his book.

McPadden and I seem to share a very similar taste in cinema. I've seen over 2,000 movies in my lifetime - in fact for the past few weeks I've been slowly compiling a list on IMDB of every movie I've ever seen just to see how many, no matter how awesome (I Saw The Devil), awesomely bad (Shock 'em Dead) or just plain mind-rapingly awful (Goremet Zombie Chef From Hell) - and it's amazing to see how many of the movies I've seen and loved appear in this book. I can't go a full page without finding a favorite, and better still I'm finding tons of stuff I'm dying to check out after reading Mike's reviews.

McPadden's writing is insightful and frequently hysterical which makes Heavy Metal Movies a pretty difficult book to put down once you start reading. If you enjoy heavy metal, heavy metal movies, or even if you just happen to enjoy more offbeat movie guides like Bleeding Skull, or Cinema Sewer I definitely recommend picking this book up at once. It's currently on sale directly from Bazillion Point Books, and many other online retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

New This Week 8.12.14 - Bigfeet and Brain Slurping Midgets

Arrow Video released their Region B locked release of Motel Hell last year, and now Scream Factory is giving US fans a chance to own the film in High Defnition as well. The Scream Factory release shares the same eye-pleasing transfer as the Arrow release, and while the Scream disc drops one of the previous bonus features (Back to the Backwoods), it keeps all the others and includes three new bonus features exclusive to this release.

You really are what you eat with Farmer Vincent's smoked meat in this creepy horror yarn that "packs a punch that goes way beyond mere terror" (Boxoffice). Vincent's popular products contain a special ingredient that the psychotic farmer and his sister would literally kill to keep a secret! Starring Rory Calhoun (Angel), Nancy Parsons (Porky’s), Nina Axelrod (Time Walker, Cobra) and John Ratzenberger (Cheers), and directed by Kevin Connor (From Beyond The Grave, At The Earth’s Core), this darkly funny flick "just might be your cup of meat" (L.A. Herald Examiner)!

Bonus features:

NEW Audio Commentary with director Kevin Connor, moderated by filmmaker Dave Parker NEW It Takes All Kinds: The Making of MOTEL HELL featuring interviews with director Kevin Connor, producers/writers Robert Jaffe and Steven Charles Jaffe and actor Marc Silver NEW Shooting Old School with cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth Another Head on the Chopping Block: An interview with actor Paul Linke From Glamour to Gore: An interview with actress Rosanne Katon Ida, Be Thy Name: A look back at MOTEL HELL’s frightful female protagonist Ida Smith Original Theatrical Trailer Photo Galleries

Vinegar Syndrome has a whole new batch of releases out today, starting with a new Drive-In Collection double feature of In Search of Bigfoot and Cry Wilderness.

IN SEARCH OF BIGFOOT (1975):
In this sincere documentary, a team of bigfoot enthusiasts attempt to locate the mythical creature in the forests of Washington State.
Director: Lawrence Crowley / William Miller
CRY WILDERNESS (1986):
A young boy befriends bigfoot, who instructs the boy to venture into the wilderness in order to save his father from impending danger.
Director: Jay Cohen

Features Include:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic & 1.33:1 Full Frame | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k (CW = 35mm Camera Negative / ISOB = 16mm Camera Negative)

For the smut fans out there they've also put out three more Peekarama Double Features from directors Bob Chinn, Chris Warfield and Carlos Tobalina

TROPIC OF DESIRE (1979):
In director Bob Chinn’s lavish period melodrama, Georgina Spelvin stars as a madam at a tropical island-bound brothel, serving weary sailors at the close of WWII.
Director: Bob Chinn
FANTASY WORLD (1979):
Two groups of friends find their way to mysterious club in San Francisco where bizarre sexual fantasies become surreal reality.
Director: Bob Chinn

Features Include:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm original negatives
+ Original theatrical trailers for both titles

PURELY PHYSICAL (1982):
A young woman accepts a job as the night clerk at a seedy motel and soon discovers that the motel caters almost exclusively to sexual deviants.
Director: Chris Warfield
CATHOUSE FEVER (1984):
Three college coeds who are having trouble paying their tuitions, turn to prostitution to help foot their bills but soon find themselves loving their wild sexual encounters.
Director: Chris Warfield

Features Include:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm original negatives
+ Original theatrical trailers for both titles

THE ULTIMATE PLEASURE (1977):
A young couple, trapped in a loveless marriage, visit a renowned psychiatrist as an attempt to rekindle their sex life.
Director: Carlos Tobalina
I AM ALWAYS READY (1978):
A young and wealthy woman fulfills her wildest fantasy: to appear in X rated films and to have sex with John Holmes!
Director: Carlos Tobalina

Features Include:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm Original Camera Negatives
+ Original theatrical trailers for both films

From Troma, The Toxic Avenger, everyone's favorite Tutu-wearing, mop weilding destroyer of bad dudes finally gets a Blu-ray release.

It's time to celebrate Toxie's Tro-matic, Troma-riffic 30th anniversary in HD. FAN-TOXIC! Lovingly recreated, digitally remastered in head-crushing, arm-ripping, mop-wielding High Definition! Troma Entertainment is proud to present Lloyd Kaufman's seminal movie (not fluid) for the first time on Blu-Ray! You grew up with the story, but here it is again anyway! The first Super (hero word removed due to registered trademark by two major comic book companies) from New Jersey! The rest, as they say, is history! Experience the action that made Troma Entertainment cinematic legend! Still a classic three decades later!

Special Features:

Behind The Scenes And Production Slideshow

Interviews With: Jennifer Babtist, Robert Prichard, Mitch Cohen, Dan Snow, Gary Schneider And Michael Herz

Director's Commentary

Cast Commentary

Mark Torgl's Special Video

NEW Cast Commentary with Dan Snow, Robert Prichard, and Gary Schneider

Collectible Toxic Green Case

 

Also from Troma, with a way less legit looking cover, is Bloodsucking Freaks:

BLOODSUCKING FREAKS has earned a world-wide reputation as being a film unlike anything ever seen before in the history of the cinema. It has been held over in certain theatres across the U.S. for over a full year! BLOODSUCKING FREAKS takes you to a bizarre Off-Broardway theatre of the macabre, operated by a deranged impresario. Inside, sadistic entertainments are staged for his audience’s pleasure, including tortures, dismemberments, and other gruesome acts which appear to be faked. When people begin disappearing off the streets of Manhattan, the twisted truth begins to chillingly sink in: these horrifying bloodcurdling acts are not theatrical at all. They are real! You’ll be GROSSED OUT by the unique mélange of humor and horror as the impresario’s horde of beautiful teenage girls, who are kept in cages and “perform” on command, take over the show and devise a nasty game of their own! You’ll SCREAM YOUR HEAD OFF as the “fun” climaxes in one of the most unforgettable scenes in movie history!

Desperate to escape both a world she never wanted to be part of and the man who turned her into a werewolf, Elena abandons her Pack and takes refuge in a new city, starting over with a hot new romance and a successful photography career. But when bodies turn up in the werewolf sanctuary, Elena is torn between the life she s building and the wild and dangerously unpredictable one she thought she left behind. Based on the Women of the Otherworld novels by #1 New York Times best selling author Kelley Armstrong. Includes all 13 UNCUT episodes featuring footage not seen on American television.

Renee Olstead of The Secret Life of the American Teenager stars as a partying teen whose friends decide to perform an ancient pagan ritual found online called The Midnight Game: Candles are lit. A drop of blood is spilled. Your worst fear is confessed and an entity is summoned. But if the rules are not followed exactly, punishment is promised. Tonight, the game is not being taken seriously. A demonic horror has been unleashed. And now, even daylight cannot stop the nightmares that may destroy them all. Shelby Young (American Horror Story), Guy Wilson (Days Of Our Lives), Valentina de Angelis (Gossip Girl) and Spencer Daniels (Mom) co-star in this eerie chiller inspired by true events.

New This Week 8.5 - Predator Predecessors and Haunted Mirrors

Pretty slow release week, but there are a few titles worth checking out this week, starting with Brian De Palma's wonderfully entertaining horror-rock-opera-musical Phantom of the Paradise:

Phantom Of The Paradise is a ground-breaking cult film favorite from acclaimed writer/director Brian De Palma (Carrie, Dressed To Kill).

Paul Williams wrote the acclaimed score for this musical horror classic, and stars as an evil record tycoon haunted and taunted by the disfigured composer Winslow Leach (William Finley, Sisters) he once wronged. Cheered by the Los Angeles Times as a “delightful, outrageous…visual triumph,” and also starring Jessica Harper (Suspiria, Shock Treatment) and Gerrit Graham (Chud II, Terrorvision), this hilarious send-up of the glam rock era is pure entertainment from beginning to end.”

Scream has really outdone themselves with the bonus features on this one:

DISC ONE (BLU-RAY):
• NEW Audio Commentary with Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham and the Juicy Fruits (Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor and Harold Oblong aka Peter Eibling)
• NEW Audio Commentary with Production Designer Jack Fisk
• NEW Interview with director Brian DePalma (36 minutes)
• NEW Interview with Paul Williams talking about the music of PHANTOM (30 minutes)
• NEW Interview with Make-up Effects wizard Tom Burman discussing the Phantom Helmet

DISC TWO (DVD):
• Paradise Regained – documentary on the making of the film featuring director Brian DePalma, Producer Edward R. Pressman, William Finley, Paul Williams, Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham and more… (50 minutes)
• Interview with Paul Williams moderated by Guillermo Del Toro (72 minutes)
• Interview with costume designer Rosanna Norton (10 minutes)
• NEW Interview with producer Edward R. Pressman (15 minutes)
• NEW Interview with drummer Gary Mallaber (15 minutes)
• NEW Alvin’s Art and Technique – a look at the neon poster (15 minutes)
• NEW Phantom of the Paradise Biography by Gerrit Graham - 1974 Publicity Sheet written by and read by Graham (8 minutes)
• Alternate Takes (40 minutes)
• Swan Song Outtake Footage (10 minutes)
• Radio Spots
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

From director Greydon Clark (who has directed not one, but two films that have appeared on MST3K) comes Without Warning. It's a lot like Predator with an alien that hunts humans for sport. Only, unlike Predator, Without Warning is not awesome. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Without Warning for what it is, but it is a bit too slow moving at times. But the alien is quite spooky in far off shots (not so much in the ultra bright Glam Rock shot on the back of the Blu-ray cover though) and we do get some solid acting from veterans Palance and Landau, which does help the film out quite a bit. Landau is especially convincing as spooked conspiracy theorist Sarge. I've known a few guys like Sarge, and Landau's performance is pretty believable. The second I saw his character I thought "Hey, they made a movie character based on Dale!"

The most interesting thing for me is that the alien is played by Kevin Peter Hall who actually went on be The Predator in Predator and that The Predator is also Harry from Harry and the Hendersons and Monster from Monster in the Closet.

"A group of teenagers head out to the lake for a relaxing camping trip in the mountains. They ignore the warnings of the local truck stop owner and head to their destination. Things go terribly wrong when they run into an extraterrestrial who throws deadly discs that suck the blood of their victims. The group heads back to the truck stop for help from the eclectic group of residents: a crazy war veteran (Martin Landau, Ed Wood) and a determined hunter (Jack Palance, Batman).

Also starring David Caruso (NYPD Blue, CSI Miami), Neville Brand (Eaten Alive), Cameron Mitchell (Blood And Black Lace) and Kevin Peter Hall (Predator) as the alien, and directed by Graydon Clark (Joysticks, Satan’s Cheerleaders), this ’thematic predecessor to Predator’ (FilmFanatic.org) is a non-stop ride into extra-terror-strial mayhem!"

 

Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Greydon Clark

New Interviews with:

- Cinematographer Dean Cundey

- Co-Writer/Co-Producer Daniel Grodnik

- Special Make-Up Effects Creator Greg Cannom

- Actors Christopher S. Nelson and Tarah Nutter

Original Theatrical Trailer

Still Gallery

 

Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents' deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force­­ unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim's innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again...

Special Features:

• Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Inside The Mirror: Creating Oculus
• Original Oculus 33 Minute Short Film with Optional Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Commentary by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
• Theatrical Trailer

Framed for assassinating the Grandmaster, the Lost Ninja Clan must battle their way up an underground nuclear bunker filled with hordes of supernatural enemies, mutants and flesh-eating zombies. Trapped a thousand feet below the earth's crust, these ninjas will face hell! The Raid meets The Warriors in a picture that delivers a heart-pounding, adrenaline injected ride.  

 

 

 

Vinegar Syndrome Redesigns Site And Announces September Releases

Earlier this week Vinegar Syndrome finished revamping their site to make it better... stronger... faster. It's a lot swankier and more official looking now, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already. They also have added their September 9th release line-up which can be found here. And, if you want all four of the September releases they've been awesome enough to offer up this bundle, which saves you about $25 off the regular price. Between the Code Red blu-ray bundle and now this, I'm hoping more companies start offering up discounted packs of their new releases.

I'm most excited about Graduation Day, which I've seen but do not remember at all, so it'll be like a new movie for me. All I remember is that Vanna White is in it, that's literally it.

It's understandable since I think her part was pretty small, but it's kind of a shame they couldn't get Vanna to participate in any extra features. She was in this and two years later she started her 6,000 episode Wheel of Fortune sentence, she's probably too busy touching screens when contestants yell out letters to do an interview.

After the death of a high school track star during a race, a mysterious, fencing-mask wearing killer begins murdering her friends and teachers. Who could the killer be? Her disgruntled coach? Her angry sister? Her violent boyfriend? As the bodies pile up, a twisted mystery unfolds, slowly revealing itself as it moves towards its bloody climax. One of the quintessential high school set slasher films of the early 80s, Vinegar Syndrome is bringing GRADUATION DAY to blu-ray, newly restored in 4K and presented in its original aspect ratio for the very first time!
Director: Herb Freed
96 minutes / 1981 / Color / 1.85:1

Features Include:

+ Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack
+ 4K Restoration from the Editor’s 35mm Answer Print + Video interview with Director Herb Freed
+ Video interview with Star Patch Mackenzie
+ Video interview with Producer David Baughn
+ Video interview with Editor Martin Sadoff
+ Commentary track with Producer David Baughn
+ Commentary track with The Hysteria Continues (link)
+ Original Theatrical Trailer

In Bob Chinn’s big budget mix of X rated war epic and Nazisploitation, John Holmes stars as an American G.I. who gets marooned on a tropical island after his ship is bombed. There he discovers a small Nazi outpost which has kidnapped a beautiful American nurse. Determined to save her, he slowly begins to infiltrate the Nazi compound.
Also starring Seka, in one of her first roles, and beautiful Jade Wong, PRISONER OF PARADISE remains one of director Bob Chinn’s crowning achievements.
Director: Bob Chinn
78min / Color / 1.85:1 OAR

Features Include:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm Negatives
+ Original theatrical trailer
+ Caribbean Films Promo Trailers

Mai Lin vs. Serena/Oriental Hawaii - No synopsis for either of these up on the site yet, but here are the features:

+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm Original Camera Negatives
+ Original theatrical trailers for both films

Cry For Cindy/Touch Me/Act of Confession - Also no real details on any of these films on their site yet other than the fact that Anthony Spinelli directed all of them, but here are the features:

+ 2 Disc DVD Set | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic + 4:3 | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm and 16mm elements
+ Includes feature length softcore version of CRY FOR CINDY

Scream Announces 10 New Blu-ray Titles at Comic-Con

Scream Factory held their panel at Comic-Con last night where they announced 10 new titles slated for late 2014/early 2015 releases. Some exciting titles announced, more Romero, Hooper and Carpenter is always welcome. Check the complete list below. Of course they'd announce Phantom of the Opera, I just bought the Region B release of Phantom earlier this week. Oops.

We just announced the following upcoming Scream Factory blu-ray releases at our Comic Con panel this evening. Here's the exciting line-up!

1. The Dark Half
2. Monkey Shines
3. Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh
4. Scarecrows
5. Phantom of the Opera
6. New Year’s Evil
7. Invaders from Mars
8. Dolls (Collector’s Edition)
9. Mad Max (Collector’s Edition)
10. Escape From New York (Collector’s Edition)

We have no details to report on this time other than that Dolls, The Dark Half and Monkey Shines are slated for November 2014 street dates and the rest will land in 2015.

Huge List of Features Announced For Scream's Halloween Complete Collection

Complete details have been announced for Scream's September 23rd release of the Halloween Complete Collection Blu-ray box set. I hope you've got a few minutes, because there's a lot to read here:

Disc 1 – John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978)
• HD transfer supervised and approved by cinematographer Dean Cundey
• NEW Audio Commentary With Director Of Photography Dean Cundey, Editor Tommy Lee Wallace And The Shape, Nick Castle
• Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director John Carpenter and Actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
• “The Night She Came Home” Featurette
• “On Location: 25 Years Later” Featurette
• TV Version Footage
• Television Spots
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV and Radio Spot
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); Dolby TrueHD 7.1; Original 1978 Audio in Dolby TrueHD Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Disc 2 – John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) (Exclusive to Deluxe Edition)
• Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director John Carpenter, Actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Co-Writer/Producer Debra Hill
• Featurette: Halloween: A Cut Above The Rest
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV and Radio Spots
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); Dolby Surround 5.1; PCM 5.1; Original 1978 Mono Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Disc 3 – Halloween II (1981)
Theatrical Version
• Audio commentary with director Rick Rosenthal and actor Leo Rossi (Theatrical version)
• Audio commentary with stunt co-ordinator/actor Dick Warlock (Theatrical version)
• Theatrical Version And “The Nightmare Isn’t Over: The Making Of Halloween II” Featuring Rick Rosenthal, Lance Guest, Dick Warlock, Alan Howarth, Dean Cundey, Leo Rossi and Moore…
• “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Locations of Halloween II” – Host Sean Clark revisits the original shooting locations of the film
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary from director Rick Rosenthal
• Alternate Ending with Optional Audio Commentary from director Rick Rosenthal
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV and Radio Spots
• Still Gallery
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); DTS-HD MA 5.1

Disc 4 – Halloween II TV Cut (1981) DVD (Exclusive to Deluxe Edition)
Television Cut With Added Footage Not Seen In The Theatrical Version
Standard Definition Full-frame 1.33:1; Dolby Digital Mono

Disc 5 – Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
• Audio Commentary with director Tommy Lee Wallace
• “Stand Alone: The Making Of Halloween III: Season of the Witch” featuring Tommy Lee Wallace, Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dick Warlock, Dean Cundey and more
• “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” – Revisiting the original shooting locations
• Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailers
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); DTS-HD MA 5.1; Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0

Disc 6 – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
• Audio Commentary with Actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris
• Audio Commentary with Director Dwight H. Little and Author Justin Beahm
• Theatrical Trailer
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1); Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Disc 7 — Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
• Audio Commentary with Actor Don Shanks and Jeffrey Landman
• Audio Commentary with Director Dominique Othenin-Girard and Actors Danielle Harris And Jeffrey Landman
• Halloween 5: On The Set
• Halloween 5: Original Promo
• Theatrical Trailer
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1); Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Disc 8 — Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Theatrical Cut
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Still Gallery
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1); Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English

Disc 9 – Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Producer’s Cut (Exclusive to Deluxe Edition)
• NEW High Definition Master from the original inter-negative
• NEW Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Daniel Farrands and Composer Alan Howarth (Producer’s Cut)
• NEW “Jamie’s Story” – An Interview With The Original “Jamie” Actress Danielle Harris
• NEW “The Cursed ‘Curse’” – An Interview With Producers Malek Akkad And Paul Freeman
• NEW “Acting Scared “– A Look At The Film’s Cast With Actresses Mariah O’Brien And J.C. Brandy
• NEW “The Shape Of Things” – A Look At Michael Myers’ Murders And Mayhem With Special Make-Up Effects Artists John Carl Buechler And Brad Hardin And Actor George P. Wilbur (Michael Myers)
• NEW “Haddonfield’s Horrors” – The Sights of Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers With Director of Photography Billy Dickson And Production Designer Brad Ryman And Director of Photography (Additional Scenes) Thomas Callaway
• NEW “Full Circle” – An Interview With Composer Alan Howarth
• NEW Cast And Crew Tribute to Donald Pleasance
• Archival Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage (approx. 30 Minutes)
• Alternate And Deleted Scenes (Not Present In Either Cut Of The Film)
• Teaser Trailer: Halloween 666: The Origin Of Michael Myers
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1:78:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English

Disc 10 — Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
• Presented in the correct 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
• NEW Commentary With Director Steve Miner And Jamie Lee Curtis, Moderated By Sean Clark
• NEW “The Making of Halloween H20” Featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Nancy Stephens, Adam Hann-Byrd, Tom Kane, Editor Patrick Lussier, Producer Malek Akkad, Producer Paul Freeman, Composer John Ottman, Chris Durand (Michael Myers), Writer Robert Zappia, Stunt Co-Ordinator Donna Keegan, Make-Up Brad Hardin And Cinematographer Daryn Okada
• Vintage Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Theatrical Trailer
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Disc 11 — Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
• Audio Commentary With Director Rick Rosenthal And Editor Robert A. Ferretti
• Alternate Endings
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurette: “Head Cam”
• Storyboard Analysis
• Set Tour With Production Designer Troy Hansen
• Set Interview With Jamie Lee Curtis
• Vintage Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Theatrical Trailer
• Home Video TV Spots
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English

Disc 12 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007)
• Unrated Director’s Cut With Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Rob Zombie
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary
• Alternate Ending With Optional Commentary
• Bloopers
• Featurette: “The Many Faces Of Michael Myers”
• Re-Imagining Halloween
• Meet The Cast
• Casting Sessions
• Scout Taylor-Compton Screen Test
• Theatrical Trailer
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Disc 13 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) Bonus Disc (Exclusive to Deluxe Edition)
Bonus Features:
• Documentary: “Michael Lives: The Making of Halloween (4 ½ hours)
Dolby Stereo
Subtitles: English

Disc 14 – Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 (2009)
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Rob Zombie
• Deleted And Alternate Scenes
• Audition Footage
• Make-Up Test Footage
• Blooper Reel
• Captain Clegg And The Night Creatures Music Videos
• Uncle Seymour Coffins’ Stand-Up Routines
1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1); DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1;
Subtitles: English

Disc 15 – Bonus Features (Exclusive to Deluxe Edition)
• John Carpenter’s Halloween – The Extended Version (In HD – TV Inserts Are In Standard Definition)
• Interview with Moustapha Akkad about origin of Halloween
• Featurette: Halloween UNMASKED 2000
• Featurette: The Making Of Halloween 4: FINAL CUT
• NEW The Making Of Halloween 4 Featuring Actors Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Kathleen Kinmont, Beau Starr, Raymond O’Connor, Erik Preston and Sasha Jensen, Stuntmen Tom Morga (Michael Myers) And George P. Wilbur (Michael Myers), Composer Alan Howarth, Writer Alan B. McElroy, Producers Malek Akkad And Paul Freeman, Special Make-Up Effects Artists John Carl Buechler And Ken Horn
• Featurette: Inside Halloween 5
• NEW The Making Of Halloween 5 Featuring Interviews With Actors Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Wendy Kaplan, Jeffrey Landman, Jonathan Chapin, Frankie Como, Tamara Glynn, Matthew Walker, Don Shanks (Michael Myers), Producer Malek Akkad, Line Producer Rick Nathanson And Composer Alan Howarth
• NEW Interview With Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Burman On Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch Radio Spots
• TV Spots – Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009)
1080p, 520p Full Frame, Anamorphic Widescreen 1:85:1, 2.35:1;
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Stereo, Mono___

Night Train To Terror 7" Soundtrack Coming This Fall

Vinegar Syndrome has just announced their first soundtrack release, a collaboration with label No Visible Scars on a 7" release of music from Night Train To Terror. Night Train is my favorite thing VS has released so far, so I'm certainly going to have to pick this up:

A co-production from Vinegar Syndrome and local label No Visible Scars (http://novisiblescars.bandcamp.com/), these 7" should be arriving late September/early October, possibly earlier. Depending on how well these do, we may do some bigger and better soundtracks from the archive as well!

Be sure to visit the No Visible Scars bandcamp, there's some pretty interesting stuff on there, and a lot of the albums are free to download. I recommend the Abazagorath album, that one isn't free but it's a pretty solid release that's worth a listen, if only to say you've listened to a black metal band from New Jersey.

Rifftrax Invites You To The Last Slumber Party

In Rifftrax's latest VOD release Mike, Kevin and Bill are taking on the legendarily bad 1988 SOV slasher film The Last Slumber Party from director/maniac Stephen Tyler. Attack of the Puppet People, Terror at Tenkiller, and now this, I am loving these horror VOD releases and hope they keep cranking them out. I'd love to see them do The Dungeonmaster. I watched that one earlier in the week while drunk (a rare occurrence for me - I'm a 3 beers once a year drunk) and nearly pissed myself laughing at my own jokes, I'd love to hear what the professionals could do with that one.

Anyway, more on The Last Slumber Party:

Slumber parties! What could be more terrifying?? Thrill as a rented movie is watched! Chill as a boy someone likes is called and hung up on!! Squirm as ice cream is devoured directly from the container!!!
OK, maybe slumber parties are not actually that terrifying. The one featured in The Last Slumber Party, despite the presence of a scalpel toting psychopath is no exception to this rule. This is because any hint of terror that might arise from the idea of high schoolers being murdered is completely negated by the VHS video quality, amateur sound, and baffling dialogue such as “Who’d you think it was, Shelley Hack?”

It’s the last day of school, and one thing is on everyone’s mind: whether or not they are talking to Shelley Hack. In order to solve this problem, they gather at a friend’s house, where the oblivious parents fail to notice that the boys sneaking in and out of the house are in fact d-bags. All is good and stupid until an escaped lobotomy patient shows up and instantly becomes the most intelligent, well-mannered character in the movie.

The fashion is 80s, the soundtrack is hair metal, the poster on the wall is inexplicably of Sesame Street, and the Shelley Hack references are more abundant than every other RiffTrax we’ve ever done combined. Slip into your footie pajamas and join Mike, Kevin, and Bill for The Last Slumber Party!

Buy the lastest VOD release from Rifftrax

How Will You Survive 'The Battery'?

Scream has just announced the extras for their upcoming release of the 2012 zombie film The Battery:

Check out the final list of extras for the fan and horror press-favorite zombie flick THE BATTERY—which streets on DVD & Blu-ray on September 16th!

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director/Star Jeremey Gardner, Producer/Star Adam Cronheim and Producer/Director of Photography Christian Stella
• TOOLS OF IGNORANCE: The Making Of The Battery (90 minute documentary)
• Outtakes
• ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL AT THE PARLOR: The Music Of The Battery
• Theatrical Trailer

You can pre-order now at www.screamfactorydvd.com or other fine online retailers.

New This Week 7.15 - Dachshunds in Rat Suits & Telekinetic Head Explosions

Not a lot of new stuff out this week, but what is out is all quality stuff. The highlight for me this week is Scream Factory's Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack of Robert Clouse's "weiner dogs in rat costumes" film Deadly Eyes. Certainly not the best film in a week where Scanners and Under The Skin are released, but the entertainment value of this one is very high, and Deadly Eyes is way overdue for a proper release.

Each year they plunder one fifth of our food, spread our deadliest diseases and destroy billions of dollars worth of homes and property.

Grain contaminated with steroids produce large black rats that begin feeding on the citizens of Toronto. A college basketball coach (Sam Groom, The Baby Maker) teams up with a local health inspector (Sara Botsford, The Fog 2005) to uncover the source of the mysterious giant rats. When they discover that the rats are living in the subway, they try to prevent a new subway line from opening before all hell breaks loose underground. This is man’s last desperate, bloody battle to preserve the existence of the human race!

Based on the novel The Rats by James Herbert with a screenplay by Charles Eglee (Dexter, The Walking Dead), this nail-biting thriller is directed by Robert Clouse (Enter The Dragon) and co-stars Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Lisa Langlois (The Nest) and Lesleh Donaldson (Happy Birthday To Me, Curtains).

Buy it: Amazon, Scream

Lock and load your Blu-ray player – it’s time for a double-barreled blast of high-octane, high-definition action from Shout! Factory. This pair of hard-to-find action/adventure classics, available for the first time on Blu-ray, are a sure-fire night of entertainment for those who like their meat – and their movies – raw.

THE FINAL OPTION (1982), Widescreen (1.78:1), R: An elite Special Air Service captain takes the ultimate risk when he infiltrates a terrorist organization in order to thwart a plan to take several dignitaries hostage. Inspired by the real-life operations of counter-terrorist forces, this military movie favorite (also known as Who Dares Wins) stars Lewis Collins, Edward Woodward (The Equalizer), and Oscar® nominee Judy Davis.

I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL’S ISLAND (1973), Full Frame, Not Rated: Sentenced to life in the world’s most notorious prison colony, two tougher-than-nails inmates enact the ultimate jail break…but find that trying to survive in the outside world is every bit as hellish as it was in the slammer. Football superstar Jim Brown and drive-in movie mainstay Christopher George star in this gritty actioner from the legendary Roger Corman.

Grab it at Amazon

The Final Option and I Escaped From Devil's Island are also available on a 4-film Action Adventure Movie Marathon DVD set with two other films; Shake Hands With The Devil and Treasure of the Four Crowns.

I ESCAPED FROM DEVIL’S ISLAND: 1973/Color/R/87 minutes/Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)/ Dolby Digital Mono
Sentenced to life in the world’s most notorious prison colony, two inmates enact the ultimate jail break…but find that life on the outside can be every bit as deadly. Football superstar Jim Brown and drive-in movie mainstay Christopher George star in this gritty actioner from the legendary Roger Corman.

FINAL OPTION: 1982/Color/R/126 minutes/Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)/ Dolby Digital Mono
An elite Special Air Service captain takes the ultimate risk when he infiltrates a terrorist organization in order to thwart a plan to take several dignitaries hostage. Inspired by the real-life operations of counter-terrorist forces, this military movie favorite finally makes its explosive debut on DVD in North America.

SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL: 1959/B&W/Not Rated/111 minutes/Full Frame/ Dolby Digital Mono
All-time Hollywood favorite James Cagney stars in a gripping tale of the struggle between the Irish Republican Army and the British Black and Tans.  When an Irish-American medical student (Don Murray) loses his best friend to violence, he abandons his apolitical stance and takes up arms with the rebellion…but he is soon tempted by a comely British hostage.

TREASURE OF THE FOUR CROWNS: 1983/Color/PG/105 minutes/Full Frame/ Dolby Digital Stereo
When a set of mystical artifacts falls into the hands of a diabolical cult leader with plans for world domination, it’s up to devil-may-care mercenary J.T. Striker to reclaim them. Assembling a ragtag team of adventurers, Striker sets out on a mission where the stakes may be nothing less than the balance between good and evil.
BONUS FEATURE: Audio Commentary With Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball.

Get it at Amazon

 
David Cronenberg's Scanners is making its US Blu-ray debut from Criterion, loaded up with tons of features. I recommend getting this one from Barnes & Noble. They're right in the middle of their Summer Criterion sale where all Criterion titles are 50% Off, which makes Scanners $20. If you sign up for a free 2-month trial membership you get an extra 10% Off, plus there are coupons available on this thread at DVDTalk that can potentially bring the price down even lower. This is really dependent upon the cashier who checks you out, some people have luck with the coupons, others, not so much. Certainly worth a shot, just remember to cancel your trial before the 2 months is up so you aren't charged.

The title of this David Cronenberg sci-fi horror film refers to a group of people who have telekinetic powers that allow them to read minds and give them the ability to make other people's heads explode. The children of a group of women who took an experimental tranquilizer during their pregnancies, the scanners are now adults and have become outcasts from society. But Darryl (Michael Ironside) decides to create an army of scanners to take over the world. The only person who can stop him is his brother Cameron (Stephen Lack), who wants to forget that he was ever a scanner. Winner of the International Fantasy Film Award at the 1983 Fantasporto Film Festival, Scanners was followed by a pair of sequels, neither of which involved Cronenberg. 

DIRECTOR-APPROVED DUAL-FORMAT BLU-RAY AND DVD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

New, restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by director David Cronenberg, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray

The “Scanners” Way, a new documentary on the film’s special effects

New interview with actor Michael Ironside

The Ephemerol Diaries, a 2012 interview with actor and artist Stephen Lack

Excerpt from a 1981 interview with Cronenberg on the CBC’s The Bob McLean Show

Stereo (1969), Cronenberg’s first feature film

Trailer

One Blu-ray and two DVDs, with all content available in both formats

PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Kim Newman

A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, Under the Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

I actually drove about 30 miles out of town to see this one when it was in the theater, and I highly recommend renting this one before you buy. Personally, I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's SLOW, one of the slowest movies I've seen actually - probably too slow for most people to make it through - but I found it pretty fascinating and I couldn't take my eyes off the screen - and not just because Scarlett is absolutely nude several times. You'll either enjoy this, or you will absolutely fucking hate it, like the many people who turned it off half way through but still felt the need to give it a 1-star review on Amazon.

"Carrie, with Snakes" Film Jennifer Coming to Blu-ray From Kino

"JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN - Coming October 14th for the FIRST TIME on DVD and Blu-ray From Kino Lorber – Brice Mack’s 1978 Highly Requested Horror Film JENNIFER - Recommended to Kino Lorber by Scorpion Releasing - Starring LISA PELIKAN, BERT CONVY, NINA FOCH, JOHN GAVIN and JEFF COREY.

…Makes “CARRIE” Look Like An Angel!"

I have the old 23rd Century UK DVD release, which has a cool cover but a very VHS-ey full screen transfer. This is a very cool Carrie knock-off, I can't wait to see it with a good looking transfer.

Now, enjoy this ridiculously amazing alternate poster with the title Horrible Carnage:

New This Week 7.8.14 - Radioactive Worm Farms and Hopping Vampires

There's an absolute ton of great new releases out there today, here's some of the highlights.

Up first, three great new releases from Severin.

BLOODY BIRTHDAY- Get ready for the rarely seen slasher classic from the '80s that may also be the most disturbing 'killer kids' movies in grindhouse history: Three babies are simultaneously born in the same hospital at the peak of a full solar eclipse. Ten years later, these adorable youngsters suddenly begin a kiddie killing spree of stranglings, shootings, stabbings, beatings and beyond. Can the town's grown-ups stop these pint-sized serial killers before their blood-soaked birthday bash? K.C. Martel (E.T., Growing Pains), Joe Penny (Jake And The Fat Man), Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja), screen legends Susan Strasberg and Jose Ferrer, and MTV vixen Julie Brown - whose nude bedroom dance remains a landmark of celebrity skin - star in this still-controversial shocker from director Ed Hunt (The Brain, Diary Of A Sinner), now featuring an all-new HD transfer from the original vault elements.
 

THE BABY- An A-list director. A jaw-dropping storyline. And depraved depictions of suburban violence, 70s fashions and 'sick love'. The result remains one of the most disturbing movies in Hollywood history: Anjanette Comer (The Loved One) stars as an idealistic L.A. County social worker who investigates the case of Mrs. Wadsworth (former '50s starlet Ruth Roman of Strangers On A Train fame), her two buxom daughters, and son 'Baby', a mentally-disabled man who sleeps in a crib, eats in a high-chair, crawls, bawls and wears diapers. But what secrets of unnatural attachment - and sexual obsession - are all of these women hiding? Marianna Hill (The Godfather Part II) and Michael Pataki (Grave Of The Vampire) co-star in this psychotic stunner from director Ted Post (Magnum Force, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes), now fully restored from the original film negative for the first time on Blu-ray.

BLOODY MOON- As the 'body-count' genre stabbed its way into audiences' hearts in the early '80s, EuroTrash auteur Jess Franco (Sadomania, Mansion Of The Living Dead) was asked to create his own saga of slaughtered schoolgirls complete with gratuitous nudity, graphic violence, and gory set pieces. But just when you thought you'd seen it all, Franco shocked the world by delivering surprising style, genuine suspense and a cavalcade of depravity that includes incest, voyeurism and roller disco. The luscious Olivia Pascal of Vanessa fame stars in this twisted thriller that was banned in England yet is now presented uncut and uncensored - including the complete 'stone mill power saw' sequence - for the first time ever on Blu-ray!

You can pick them up directly from Severin for $25 a piece, or you can grab this bundle of all three titles for just $50.

Also, I'm not sure exactly how new this release is, but Severin currently has this amazing Nasties & Nazis bundle available for $70. The bundle includes the 3-disc Video Naties: The Definitive Guide, Deported Women of the SS, and Gestapo's Last Orgy, plus a Gestapo's Last Orgy replica VHS and a signed postcard.

Deported Women of the SS

One of the first Italian 'Nazisploitation' shockers is also one of the strangest: John Steiner (CALIGULA, TENEBRAE) stars as the depraved Commandant of a camp where beautiful women are brutalized, degraded, forced to submit to female officers, and trained to be prostitutes for the Reich. But will a mass escape attempt unleash the most sadistic tortures of all? Lina Polito (ALL SCREWED UP), Erna Schurer (SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER), Sara Sperati (SALON KITTY) and Solvi Stubing (STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) co-star in this rancid slab of uber-sleaze from writer/director Rino Di Silvestro (HANNA D, WEREWOLF WOMAN), now presented totally uncensored including the notorious 'cork & razor' scene!

Gestapo's Last Orgy

In the tradition of THE NIGHT PORTER, SALON KITTY and SALO - only far more depraved - comes perhaps the most notorious 'Nazisploitation' epic of them all: Daniela Levy (aka Italian TV presenter and future UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Daniela Poggi) stars as a beautiful young death camp prisoner forced into a nightmare of brutality, torment and sexual degradation. But will a Commandant's vilest urge trigger her ultimate vengeance? Marc Loud (aka Adriano Micantoni of TOMB OF TORTURE) co-stars in this fetid slice of filth-strudel - also known as LAST ORGY OF THE THIRD REICH and CALIGULA REINCARNATED AS HITLER - now presented totally uncut and uncensored, including the infamous 'dinner scene' that still has the film banned in the UK!

Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide

Every Video Nasty critiqued and explored, followed by the original trailers, for the first time ever on DVD in America!

Prepare to be corrupted and depraved once more with this definitive guide to the Video Nasties phenomenon - one of the most extraordinary and scandalous eras in the history of British film. For the first time ever on DVD, TRAILERS to all 72 films that fell foul of the Director of Public Prosecutions are featured with specially filmed intros for each title in a lavish three-disc collector's edition box-set, alongside a brand new documentary - VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE.

Disc One The era-defining and critically acclaimed documentary VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE directed by Jake (Doghouse) West and produced by Marc Morris features interviews with filmmakers Neil Marshall ('The Descent', 'Doomsday'), Christopher Smith ('Severance', 'Black Death') and MP Graham Bright as well as rare archive footage featuring James Ferman (director of the BBFC 1975-1999) & Mary Whitehouse. Taking in the explosion of home video, the erosion of civil liberties, the introduction of draconian censorship measures, hysterical press campaigns and the birth of many careers born in blood and videotape, West's documentary also reflects on the influence this peculiar era still exerts on us today.

Disc Two presents the 39 titles that were successfully prosecuted in UK courts and deemed liable to deprave and corrupt. These included: 'Absurd', 'Cannibal Holocaust', 'The Driller Killer', 'I Spit on Your Grave', 'Nightmares in a Damaged Brain', 'Snuff' & 'Zombie Flesh-Eaters'.

Disc Three presents the 33 titles that were initially banned, but then subsequently acquitted and removed from the DPP's list. These included: 'Death Trap', 'Deep River Savages', 'The Evil Dead', 'Human Experiments', 'The Toolbox Murders' & Zombie Creeping Flesh.

Discs 2 & 3 can be viewed either as a non-stop trailer show, or with newly-filmed introductions from a wide range of acclaimed media academics and notable genre journalists. Each disc is preceded by a brief introduction by cult horror presenter Emily Booth.

From Scream Factory this week is the hi-def debut of Lake Placid, Steve Miner's horror comedy from 1999. There is definitely more emphasis on the comedy than the horror here. In fact, outside of a doozy of a death in the opening scene Lake Placid is pretty light on gore, but the fantastically effective animatronic crocodile more than makes up for the limited display of gory shocks. The script is just a lot of fun and the cast seems to be having a hell of a time, which really adds to the enjoyment in my opinion.

"Bill Pullman (Independence Day, The Grudge), Bridget Fonda (Jackie Brown), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Platt (X-Men: First Class) share an appetite for sheer adventure when a tranquil New England lakefront erupts into an action-packed den of destruction in this monster of a hit!

An investigative team, armed with state-of-the-art equipment, high-powered weaponry and a biting sense of sarcasm, must work together to defeat Black Lake’s most ferocious resident: a 30-foot prehistoric crocodile! Written by David E. Kelley (Ally Mcbeal, Boston Legal), directed by Steve Miner (Halloween H20, Friday The 13th Part 2), and co-starring Betty White as the cantankerous Mrs. Bickerman, this terrifying tale of survival ’combines humor and thrills with remarkable deftness’ (New York Post)."

 

• The Making of LAKE PLACID featuring new interviews with director Steve Miner, actor Bill Pullman, director of photography Daryn Okada, editor Marshall Harvey, Production Designer John Willett, Effects supervisor Nick Marra and Puppeteer Toby Lindala
• Vintage Featurette featuring interviews with actors Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Brendon Gleason, Bette White and director Steve Miner
• Behind the Scenes Still Gallery
• Animatronic Croc Test Footage
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailer

 

Grab it from Amazon

And from Shout Factory comes Southern Comfort:

From the director of The Warriors and 48 Hrs. comes this gut-wrenching tale of backwoods terror that ’draws you into the eerily beautiful Louisiana bayou...then has you running for your life’ (Pauline Kael, New Yorker)! Keith Carradine (The Duellists) and Powers Boothe (Sin City, Deadwood) lead a ’first-rate ensemble’ (Newsweek) in this ’exciting, arresting and tautly told suspenser’ (Variety).

Nine National Guardsmen enter the Louisiana swamp for routine training, but an error in judgment by one of the team incites an all-out war with some angry Cajuns who know the territory like the backs of their hands. Armed with a precious few bullets, and confused by the dimly lit, moss-covered maze into which they’ve stumbled, the guardsmen know they’ll be picked off one by one, until they come up with a solution using the only resources they have left...their wits.

Also starring Fred Ward (Tremors, 2 Guns), T.K. Carter (The Thing), Peter Coyote (Jagged Edge) and Brion James (Blade Runner). 

 

Grab it today

"Following immediately after the events of THE RAID, Rama (Iko Uwais) is forced to reinvent himself as an undercover cop in order to provide protection for his wife and child. Working for the anti-corruption taskforce led by the one person he can trust, Bunawar, he is given a mission to engage himself as an enforcer for a local mob boss, Bangun. Finding a way in through Bangun's son Uco, Rama must hunt for information linking Bangun with police force corruption. All the while, he harbors a dangerous and personal vendetta for revenge and justice that threatens to consume him - and bring both this mission and the organized crime syndicates crashing down."

 

I actually caught this one in the theater the one week it was playing, and I was totally blown away. It received some mixed reviews upon its release, but I think apart from a bit of a bloated running time this was every bit as entertaining than the original, if not more so. Brutal, intense, gruesome and at times downright insane, The Raid 2 is everything I hope for in a martial arts film. Grab it at Amazon.

Runaway Nightmare is another absurd oddity from Vinegar Syndrome. This one is somehow even more bizarre than the titles they usually crank out. The script seems like it was made up on the fly, people frequently refer to a helicopter as "the plane", there's a vampire for no reason, the ending doesn't make any sense and despite being an exploitation film loaded with impossibly attractive women Runaway Nightmare has a staggeringly low naked boob count. That's zero naked boobs, for those of you keeping score at home. There's also a good 45 minute stretch in the middle where the movie seems to forget it sort of has a plot, and just focuses on random nonsense, like exploding gun fights, and nudity free fornication, and yet somehow this is all still amazingly watchable. Certainly well worth a look, you might very well hate it, but you've never seen anything like it before.
 
"Our second in a series of limited-edition Blu-ray combos, this hand-numbered release is limited to just 1,000 units. This release will be exclusively available at DiabolikDVD.com, here on our website and at select conventions until they are sold out. We’ll be at Cinema Wasteland, Rock and Shock and a few others TBD. Note: if you miss out on this limited Blu-ray, RUNAWAY NIGHTMARE will always be available as a regular edition DVD.

After discovering a woman buried alive, two Death Valley worm farmers are kidnapped by an all-female cult of gun runners who, after making the men into their sex slaves, force them to assist in a plan to steal a suitcase full of platinum from the mafia. Combining black comedy with elements of horror, action, thriller, and surrealist cinema, director/writer/producer/editor/star Mike Cartel’s (Pets, Bitter Heritage) RUNAWAY NIGHTMARE stands as one of the most fiercely unique works of outsider/cult cinema to emerge from the 1970s and 80s. Also featuring a co-starring performance from Georgia Durante, author of The Company She Keeps and crewed by Rowdy Harrington (director of Road House) and Daryn Okada (cinematographer of Mean Girls)."

Director: Mike Cartel
94 minutes / 1982 / Color / 1.85:1

Features Include:
+ Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | DTS-HD Mono
+ Scanned and Restored in 4k from 35mm original negatives
+ Commentary track with director Mike Cartel and co-star Mari Cartel
+ Alternate VHS scenes

I think most of the Limited copies are gone, but there are still some left so order now while you still can. If the Blu-ray/DVD combo sells out, it's also available as a DVD only version.

"In this genre-bending "Glee"-meets-Rocky Horror musical comedy a starry-eyed teenager (Allie MacDonald) wants to follow in her mother's (Minnie Driver) footsteps and become a Broadway diva; but instead, she's stuck working in the kitchen of her step-father's (Meat Loaf Aday) snobby performing arts camp. Determined to change her destiny, she sneaks in to audition for the summer showcase landing the lead role. However, just as rehearsals begin, blood starts to spill, and Camilla finds herself terrorized by a homicidal masked killer."

 

If you're interested in this one, I recommend picking it up from Best Buy where it's currently only $18. Much better than the $27 they have it for on Amazon.

And finally, one I've been dying to see. From Well Go USA is Juno Mak's Chinese vampire film Rigor Mortis:

"In this eerie and chilling, contemporary, action/special effects laden homage to the classic Chinese vampire movies of the 1980 s, writer-director-producer, Juno Mak makes his feature directorial debut. Co-produced by J-Horror icon Takashi Shimizu, and reuniting some of the original cast members of the classic Mr. Vampire series, RIGOR MORTIS is set in a creepy and moody Hong Kong public housing tower whose occupants we soon discover, run the gamut from the living to the dead, to the undead, along with ghosts, vampires and zombies."

 

DVD EXTRAS
Trailer
ENGLISH DUB
English subtitles

Amazon