Thai Theatrical Posters of Terror

I think posters from Thailand just might be my favorite. They really sell the gory and schlocky elements of the films, I've never seen a Thai poster that didn't make me immediately want to view the film they're trying to sell. For example, they've even managed to make Return to Horror High look like an amazing must-see horror classic, that is quite an amazing feat.

Batman World Tour

Take a look at these amazing posters from around the world for the delightfully campy Batman: The Movie - still the best Batman movie in my opinion. Click each poster to supersize them. Seriously, they're huge.

 
What I find interesting in the variation in the colors of Batman's suit. I'm not sure where these people were seeing pink and red Batmen, but they're wrong. Still, that red suit is pretty rad - that could make for a pretty great costume actually, "Chinese Bootleg Batman".

From Weirdo Toys:

The Blood Rose - Allied Artists Campaign Manual

Pressbook from France's "first sex horror film" Claude Mulot's The Blood Rose (original title "La rose écorchée").

See Grabbers July 19th

Director Jon Wright's super fun tentacled monster flick Grabbers is finally coming to the US. You can catch in On Demand starting July 19th, check the trailer, and the amazing poster out:

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie on Blu-ray This September???

I don't mean to get anyone excited as I've not heard anything official about this yet, but I stumbled upon this listing over at the HorrorDVDs forum. Is MST3K: The Movie coming to Blu-ray September 3rd from Shout! Factory? Here's hoping this is true. I'm also very hopeful for a commentary, though a commentary played over people talking over a movie with people talking might be too complicated a thing for the human mind to handle.

Here's an extra I think I would've been really cool for MST DVDs, do a trivia track for the episodes. I'm sure you've come across one of these before, it works just like a subtitle track, but instead it shows you a lot of trivia about the thing you're watching. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I think this would be great for MST episodes, something new to check out when you're watching an episode for the 5th time.

Scream This August - X-Ray/Schizoid/Dark Angel/Quetzacoatl

Scream Factory has posted the full press release for their upcoming August titles with the complete list of features for each release. Really excited about a hi-def version of Hospital Massacre, it'll be nice actually being able to see what the hell is going on. I caught it on a ultra murky VHS rip a few years back. I couldn't see a damn thing, but it sure sounded like an entertaining movie.

A Double Feature Presentation of Rare 80s Slasher Terrors

X-RAY/SCHIZOID

BLU-RAY™+ DVD COMBO PACK

HITS HOME ENTERTAINMENT SHELVES EVERYWHERE ON AUGUST 20, 2013

&

Fantasy Horror Cult Classics

Q THE WINGED SERPENT and DARK ANGEL

TWO BLU-RAY™ COLLECTIONS SET TO UNLEASH IN STORES ON AUGUST 27, 2013

Pre-Order These Special Scream Factory Home Entertainment Presentations Today!

This August, loyal fans are invited to combat the summer heat with a quadruple dose of 80s high-camp horror classics when a double feature presentation of Boaz Davidson’s

X-RAY (aka HOSPITAL MASSACRE), starring former Playboy Playmate Barbi Benton, and David Paulsen’s SCHIZOID, starring cult film favorite Klaus Kinski (Crawlspace), debut on home entertainment shelves together in a double-feature Blu-ray™ + DVD combo pack on August 20, 2013; Larry Cohen’s creature terror classic Q THE WINGED SERPENT, starring Michael Moriarty Law & Order), Candy Clark (American Graffiti), David Carradine (Kung Fu, Kill Bill) and Richard Roundtree (Shaft); and Craig Baxley’s DARK ANGEL starring Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables) arrive on Blu-ray™ for the first time on August 27, 2013.  Available for the first time on Blu-ray, each movie collection boasts original theatrical key art, anamorphic widescreen movie presentations and exciting bonus content. 

Fans and collectors can preorder these exciting SCREAM FACTORY collections now at ShoutFactory.com or Amazon.com

X-RAY / SCHIZOID Double Feature Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack 
Preorder from Shout!  or Amazon

Q THE WINGED SERPENT Blu-ray™ Preorder from Shout! or Amazon

DARK ANGEL Blu-ray™
Preorder from Shout! or Amazon

X-RAY / SCHIZOID Double Feature Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

Release Date: August 20 / $26.99 SRP

X-RAY (a.k.a HOSPITAL MASSACRE)

This movie will scare the life out of you! Susan Jeremy (Barbi Benton) goes to a local hospital for a “routine examination.” Once inside, she discovers that someone doesn’t want her to check out…unless it’s in a body bag. A psychotic killer keeps her trapped inside the hospital, having fixed her x-rays to make it look like she has a terminal illness. Meanwhile, he brutally murders everyone she comes in contact with!

SCHIZOID

In this “lurid shocker” (Leonard Maltin), a newspaper advice columnist (Marianna Hill, Blood Beach) starts receiving threats from a mysterious person. At the same time, the female members of her psychiatrist’s (Klaus Kinski) therapy group are being murdered one by one…by a maniac wielding a large pair of scissors. Could these incidents be linked? Donna Wilkes (Angel, Jaws 2), Craig Wasson (Body Double), Flo Gerrish (Don’t Answer The Phone) and Christopher Lloyd (Back To The Future) also star.

X-ray/Schizoid Double Feature Bonus Content:

·         Schizoid– interview with actress Donna Wilkes – Theatrical Trailer

·         X-ray – interview with director Boaz Davidson

BARBI BENTON

In A GOLAN-GLOBUS Production of

A BOAZ DAVIDSON Film

“X-RAY”

Also Starring CHIP LUCIA  JON VAN NESS  JOHN WARNER WILLIAMS  DEN SURLES

Produced by MENAHEM GOLAN and YORAM GLOBUS

Directed by BOAZ DAVIDSON

Screenplay by MARC BEHM Story by BOAZ DAVIDSON

Associate Producers CHRISTOPHER PEARCE and JOHN THOMPSON

Director of Photography NICHOLAS VON STERNBERG

Music Composed and Conducted by ARLON OBER

THE CANNON GROUP, INC. Presents

A GOLAN-GLOBUS Production

KLAUS KINSKI  MARIANNA HILL  CRAIG WASSON

“SCHIZOID”

Special Guest Appearance by RICHARD HERD and CHRISTOPHER LLOYD as Gilbert

Associate Producer CHRISTOPHER PEARCE

Music Composed & Created by CRAIG HUXLEY

Director of Photography NORMAN LEIGH

Produced by MENAHEM GOLAN and YORAM GLOBUS

Written and Directed by DAVID PAULSEN

DVD: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)/ Dolby Digital Stereo

BD: 1080p High-Definition Widescreen/DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo

89 mins. (X-RAY)/89 mins. (SCHIZOID)

Q THE WINGED SERPENT Blu-ray™

(Release Date: August 27, 2013 / $19.97 SRP)

“Q is a genuinely entertaining film. A terrific performance by Michael Moriarty, wonderful writing by Larry Cohen – it’s all a lot of fun! Recommended.”  – Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

Its name is Quetzalcoatl, a dragon-like Aztec god that is summoned to modern-day Manhattan by a mysterious cult. But just call it “Q”…because that is all you’ll be able to say before it tears you apart! Roosting within the top of the Chrysler Building, this fearsome monster begins raining blood – from the bodies of window washers, construction workers and rooftop sunbathers alike – onto the streets of New York!

Director Larry Cohen (It’s Alive, Maniac Cop) “proves himself to be among the most creative, original and intelligent American horror film directors [with] this bizarre masterwork” (TV Guide), while the fantastic cast includes Michael Moriarty (Law & Order), who’s “fun to watch” (Roger Ebert) as a small-time thief who finds the nest of the creature, and Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and David Carradine (Kill Bill) as New York’s finest, hot on the serpentine tail of the bloodthirsty Q!

Special Features:

·         NEW Audio Commentary with writer/producer/director Larry Cohen

·         Theatrical Trailer and Teaser Trailer

SAMUEL Z. ARKOFF presents A LARCO PRODUCTION

Starring MICHAEL MORIARTY  CANDY CLARK  DAVID CARRADINE as Shepard  RICHARD ROUNDTREE

In a LARRY COHEN Film “Q – THE WINGED SERPENT”

Music by ROBERT O. RAGLAND Production Executive PETER SABISTON

Written, Produced and Directed by LARRY COHEN

DTS-HD Master Audio/1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1)/1982/Color/92 minutes

DARK ANGEL Blu-ray™ (Release Date: August 27, 2013 / $19.97 SRP)

IT’S NOT A CLOSE ENCOUNTER…IT’S THE LAST!

Detective Jack Caine (Dolph Lundgren, Joshua Tree, The Expendables) thought he’d dealt with every kind of crime on earth. But now, someone is using human bodies to manufacture narcotics. Someone – or something – not of this world.

To the Alien that has arrived on earth, humans represent ideal drug factories because of our endorphins. To detective Caine, the Alien represents mankind’s worst threat. If the alien’s mission succeeds, our planet will be destroyed.

Together with his straight-arrow FBI partner (Brian Benben, Private Practice) and his girlfriend, the city coroner (Betsy Brantley, Deep Impact), Caine is going to send this alien home in pieces!

Special Features:

• Interviews  with director Craig R. Baxley and  actors Dolph Lundgren and  Brian Benben
• Theatrical Trailer

VISION p.d.g Presents

A DAMON/SAUNDERS Production

A CRAIG R. BAXLEY Film

DOLPH LUNDGREN    

“DARK ANGEL”

BRIAN BENBEN  BETSEY BRANTLEY

Music by JAN HAMMER Edited by MARK HELFRICH Associate Producer RON FURY

Co-Producers RAFAEL EISENMAN  JON TURTLE

Executive Producers MARK DAMON  DAVID SAUNDERS

Written by JONATHAN TYDOR and LEONARD MAAS, JR.

Produced by JEFF YOUNG

Directed by CRAIG R. BAXLEY

1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo/1990/Color/ 91 mins.

Arrow Presents Spiderbaby Blu-ray - So Shocking It Will Sliver Your Liver!

I think of all of Arrow's announcements for this spring this one has me the most excited

 

Arrow Video is pleased to confirm the UK DVD and Worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Jack Hill’s landmark debut feature film, SPIDER BABY, on Monday June 17th.

Finally available on Blu-ray for the very first time anywhere in the world, this stunning version of “the maddest story ever told” features a beautifully restored high-definition transfer, a process supervised and approved by Jack Hill himself.

Starring cult superstar Sid Haig (House Of 1000 Corpses) alongside Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man, Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein) in one of his last ever on-screen roles, SPIDER BABY tells the unfathomable story of three orphaned siblings who suffer from "Merrye Syndrome" – a condition which causes them to mentally, socially, and physically regress backwards down the evolutionary ladder!
The super-deluxe dual DVD & Blu-ray edition comes LOADED with special features and bonus material, even including Hill’s 30-minute short film “The Host”. Made in 1960 and starring Sid Haig in his first ever leading role, “The Host” sees a fugitive gangster attempt to set-free a group of Spanish settlers who are held under the powers of evil. 

Other extras include audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, three new featurettes, an alternate opening sequence, extended scenes, original trailer, behind-the-scenes imagery and an in-depth collector’s booklet. A complete list of special features and full details follow the synopsis. 

Keeping with what is a now a fan-favoured tradition of Arrow Video restorations, SPIDER BABY will come complete with a reversible sleeve, featuring the original 1968 artwork and a stunning new design by Graham ‘Evil Dead’ Humphries.

Spider Baby - Synopsis

The credits dub this “the maddest story ever told”, a promise that’s well on the way to being fulfilled in the opening scene alone, when Virginia traps and kills a hapless deliveryman in her makeshift web.  She’s one of three siblings who suffer from a unique genetic disorder that causes them to regress back to childhood, while retaining the physical strength and sexual maturity of adults.

Lon Chaney Jr gave one of his most memorable late performances as Bruno, their guardian and protector, who has managed to cover up their crimes until two distant relatives lay claim to their house.  When they insist on moving in, Bruno has to cross his fingers and hope that the ‘children’ behave towards their new guests...

This was the first solo feature by Jack Hill (Coffy, Switchblade Sisters), whom Quentin Tarantino dubbed “the Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking”, and it remains one of his wildest and weirdest.

The director-approved special features included on the dual edition release of SPIDER BABY are as follows:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature, available in the UK for the very first time.
- High Definition transfer of the feature approved by director Jack Hill.
- English SDH subtitles for deaf and hearing impaired.
- Audio commentary featuring Jack Hill and star Sid Haig.
- Panel discussion from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “FILM-TO-FILM” Festival, recorded September 2012, featuring Jack Hill and stars Quinn K. Redeker and Beverly Washburn.
- “The Hatching of Spider Baby” – Interviews with Jack Hill, Sid Haig, star Mary Mitchel, fan Joe Dante and more on the making of the film.
- “Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein” – The composer of ‘The Terror’ and ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ among others is remembered by Harlene Stein, Jack Hill, American Cinematheque’s Chris D. and others.
- “The Merrye House Revisited” – Jack Hill revisits the original house that was used as the main location in the film.
- Alternate opening title sequence.
- Extended scene.
- Original Trailer.
- Gallery of behind-the-scenes images.
- The Host (1960) – Jack Hill’s early short film featuring Sid Haig in his first starring role.
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham ‘Evil Dead’ Humpreys.
- Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by artist and writer Stephen R. Bissette, and an extensive article re-printed from FilmFax: The Magazine of Unusual Film and Television featuring interviews with the cast and crew, illustrated with original stills and artwork.

VHS 2 - On Demand Now!

Wow, I think I lost track of just how quickly VHS 2 was coming. So quickly that's it's actually On Demand right now. Seriously, turn on your TV and look, it's already there. I'm stupid busy with work right now, so I probably won't get a chance to check it out for a few days but I'm very anxious to see this one as soon as possible.

Here's another I'm looking forward to checking out that's coming out tomorrow, though very far from the type of movies I usually talk about here. A post-rapture comedy awkwardly titled Rapture-Palooza. Looks like an okay comedy, not hysterical but good for some laughs, but what has me excited is seeing the name Chris Matheson after the words "Written by"". Chris wrote a little movie called Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, that's all I need to hear to want to check it out when it hits On Demand June 7th.

Vincent Price's House of Wax Hits Blu-ray in 3D

Between this and Scream's Vincent Price Collection fans of ol' Egghead are going to be broke this fall.

"Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the 3D Blu-ray release of André de Toth's House of Wax (1953), which stars Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, Paul Picerni and a young Charles Bronson. The 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release arrives on October 1st, and features 3D and 2D presentations minted from a 4K scan and restoration, a new featurette and the original 1933 film, Mystery of the Wax Museum.

Official Synopsis: Professor Henry Jarrod (Price) is the owner and figure sculptor in a wax museum whose specialty is historic figures. When he and his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts) quarrel over the choice of exhibits displayed, Burke suggests it would be more profitable to burn down the museum in order to obtain the insurance money. As they fight, the museum burns and Jarrod is left for dead. It's not until much later at a new museum that the fate of Jarrod and the mystery of how the lifelike waxed figures are created becomes gruesomely evident.

In 1953, House of Wax was the first color 3D feature released by a major studio, and quickly became a box office hit. If adjusted to today's gross, it would have brought in more than $401 million, placing it among the top 100 highest grossing films of all time. It no doubt paved the way for a 3D boom over the next several years as well, during which fifty 3D features and some two dozen shorts and cartoons were released.

The film also marked Vincent Price''s first major starring horror role and changed the course of his career. Thanks to advanced technology and the expert work of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI), audiences will now be able to experience the classic mystery shocker as it was originally seen in theaters. Originally designed to lure audiences away from their TV sets, the 3D involved in the film's original presentation utilized a "left-eye/right-eye" dual projection process and polarized glasses, the basis for what is seen today. MPI''s work on House of Wax includes a 4K scan, and a full restoration of the two "eyes," as well as perfect 3D image alignment.

Special features include:

• Expert Commentary
• All New Featurette: "House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before"
• "Round-the-Clock Premiere: Coast Hails House of Wax"
• Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933 Warner Bros. Feature Film)
• Theatrical Trailer"

Get Insidious-er With Insidious 2 Trailer

I was surprised by the first Insidious. Anytime I see "from the creators of Saw" in a trailer I usually just kinda check out and stop paying attention, but I actually found Insidious to be effectively spooky for the most part. It did lose me a bit by the end, but I enjoyed it enough to give a part 2 a shot. We've got another 3 months to wait, release date is Friday September 13th.

House of Mysterious Secrets

Before I get to posting I just wanted to throw in a quick plug for my friend Kevin's store House of Mysterious Secrets. You've probably seen the banner on the right, looks kinda like this:

Unlike a lot of stores aimed at horror fans House of Mysterious Secrets actually has some solid prices, plus free shipping on orders over $65. It's also the only place where you can get these great Grindhouse style 11x17 posters.

I also wanted to mention that I am trying to resurrect my long lost other site Space Bastard. Since it was basically nothing more than a Tumblr style site to begin with, I've decided just to make an actual Tumblr page called Space Bastard. Like most Tumblr pages it'll just be filled with images that I think are awesome that don't really fit in with anything I'm posting here. I haven't really added anything yet, but I'll post a link in a couple of days if I actually get it going.

The Cracked Monsters Lens

Going through some old Cracked Monster Party issues and found this wonderfully corny little feature called The Cracked Monsters Lens. Anyone remember Monster Party? I feel like I'm the only one who ever owned any issues. I remember the first time I stumbled upon Monster Party. As a young horror fan and a young reader of Cracked Magazine finding something with the words "Cracked" and "Monster Party" on it at the grocery store in 1988 was almost too exciting for my seven year old self to handle. 

Looking at this Cracked Monsters Lens feature I'm surprised at some of the movie choices, Godzilla and Frankenstein are obvious choices, but I never thought I'd see images from Deranged or Teenage Frankenstein in there as well. Or The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant. Or Frankenstein Conquers The World. The first one is driving me nuts, I know I've seen the movie with that Gator-head creature but I can't remember what it's from.

These actually aren't from the official Monster Party magazine that debuted in 1988, I believe Cracked did a yearly Monster Party issue for several years before they made it a regular magazine. This was the 1987 Cracked Digest II - Monster Party issue. 

Click to make bigger. Prepare to laugh.

Own Danielle Harris' Among Friends August 27th

Directed by Danielle Harris back in 2012 and finally coming to DVD August 27th from Lionsgate:

"Veteran scream queen Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise) makes her directorial debut with the horror thriller Among Friends arriving on DVD, Digital Download and Video on Demand August 27 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Also starring Harris, the film features a murder mystery night gone awry for a group of friends when someone decides to use the evening for revenge. The Among Friends DVD includes an audio commentary and will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98.

Good times take a dark turn when longtime friends get together for an '80s-themed murder mystery party that is soon hijacked by someone from their past. The dinner guests will have to face their lies and secret betrayals as they discover the terrifying lengths to which their host will go to expose the truth."

I think the teaser is a bit on the grating side (mainly the music choice) but I love Danielle Harris so I'll definitely give this one a shot. For more info from people who have actually seen Among Friends, check out these very positive reviews over at Dread Central and Arrow In The Head.

Prince of Darkness Gets Justin Osbourn Artwork

From Facebook:
Check out the official, spot-on and nightmarish new artwork for our upcoming Collector’s Edition of John Carpenter’s PRINCE OF DARKNESS, illustrated by artist Justin Osbourn. (As always, the original theatrical poster image will be on the flip-side for you purists to enjoy too.)

Street date is planned for 9/24 and pre-order links will be up soon at ScreamFactoryDVD.com where there will be an exclusive limited 18” x 24” poster offer with purchase. More details on extras will be announced later on this Summer.

I'm seeing both positive and negative feedback for the artwork on a couple forums I visit, but I think it's pretty solid myself. Of course this was the same artist that got busted a while back for his countless cut and paste plagarism jobs so it should be fun to wait and see if people will discover something else he stole for this new artwork.

It's a lot better than the theatrical poster in my opinion, which I've always thought was one of the goddamned ugliest movie posters of all time.  But that art will be on the flipside if you somehow prefer this:

Waxwork Records Debuts With Richard Band's Re-Animator

Newly formed label Waxwork Records is now taking preorders for their first release, a limited vinyl edition of Richard Band's classic Re-Animator soundtrack. Featuring gorgeous Gary Pullin artwork with Dr. Hill, Dan, Megan and that bastard West. It's some of the best Re-Animator artwork I've seen, we need this on a shirt at once.

RE-ANIMATOR - $25

 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack composed and conducted by Richard Band.

Mastered for vinyl from original master tapes.

Pressed on 180 gram green vinyl and randomly inserted Glow In The Dark vinyl variants.

Original artwork (Jacket, Inner Sleeve, Poster, and Center Labels) by Ghoulish Gary Pullin.

Liner notes by director Stuart Gordon and composer Richard Band.

18″ x 24″ poster included.

Ships July 30, 2013.

They Call Her One Eye

Here's a great pressbook from They Call Her One Eye with Christina Lindberg. The film is noteworthy for being awesome and for featuring the absolute slowest slo-mo scenes of all time.

The highlight of this pressbook is on the second to last page. Eye Patches For Girls - The Newest Fad! Holy crap, that's amazing. Was this a thing that happened? Were these eye patches actually produced and if so is there anyone out there who knows where to buy one?

Weird Woman - Daring! Shocking! Brutal! Pressbook!