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Here To Be Heard: The Story Of THE SLITS Deluxe DVD package, digital formats, and more coming July 6th

July 5, 2018, 4:37 pm
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Documentary thoroughly examining the world's first all girl punk band credited with pioneering the musical movement known as "Punky Reggae"

MVD Entertainment Group has struck a deal with UK production and sales outfit Moviehouse Entertainment to bring the music-themed documentary HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS to North America. 

The documentary thoroughly examines the world's first all girl punk band formed in London, 1976. As contemporaries of The Clash and The Sex Pistols, the band has been credited with pioneering the musical movement known as "Punky Reggae". HERE TO BE HEARD tells the complete story of THE SLITS and the lives of the women involved, from the very beggining to the band's end in 2010 with the death of lead vocalist Ari Up.

HERE TO BE HEARD features appearances by Viv Albertine (Slist guitarist), Ari Up (Slits vocalist), Palmolive (Slits founder / first drummer), Tessa Pollitt (Slits bass), Bruce Smith (SLITS Second/PIL Drummer), Hollie Cook (Slits vocals / keys / percussion), Vivien Goldman (NYU's Punk Professor), Don Letts (former Slits manager and punk rock documentarian), Dennis Bovell (album producer), Paul Cook (Sex Pistols drummer), Gina Birch (Raincoats bass), Adrien Sherwood (producer / long time friend of the band) and many more. This deluxe DVD package includes previously unseen footage of the band, as well as photographs, & newspaper clippings.



HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS is one of Moviehouse Entertainnment's first in-house productions but is one of many music-related titles handled by the studio since its' inception in 2001. Other films include Live Forever, New York Doll, Be Here To Love Me: The Story of Townes Van Zandt, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, Who Killed Nancy Moviehouse is also currently working on director Kriv Stenders' (Red Dog) The Go-Betweens: Right Here.

Available now at www.MVDshop.com
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American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) to release Lady Street Fighter on Blu-ray, August 14th

July 5, 2018, 4:50 pm
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LADY STREET FIGHTER (1981) 

A new 2K transfer of this trash-action classic from one of the most important lady filmmakers in exploitation history!

Alamo Drafthouse's American Genre Film Archive, the largest non-profit genre film archive in the world, is excited to announce an August 14th, 2018 release date for LADY STREET FIGHTER on Blu-ray.

She makes the bad guys bleed! Written and produced by exploitation demigod Renee Harmon (FROZEN SCREAM) and directed by the legendary James Bryan (DON'T GO IN THE WOODS), this is the story of Linda (Harmon), a tough-as-nails karate cop on the trail of the ruthless scumbags who murdered her twin sister!

From the outrageous fight scenes to Harmon's incredible outfits, LADY STREET FIGHTER is a joyous blast of no-holds-barred chaos from one of the most important female filmmakers in genre history. Don't miss the special appearance by Trace Carradine, the most elusive Carradine brother of all!

"Renee Harmon will now be finally recognized as the low budget genius-in-the-rough that she always was," said LADY STREET FIGHTER director James Bryan. "Her great day has arrived!"



Special features include:
- New 2K preservation from the only surviving 35mm theatrical print!
- Commentary track with director James Bryan and the AGFA team!
- Street fightin' trailers from the AGFA vaults!
- Liner notes by Annie Choi of Bleeding Skull!
- Bonus Movie: REVENGE OF LADY STREET FIGHTER (1990), the unreleased sequel to LADY STREET FIGHTER -- preserved in 2K from the original 35mm camera negative!
- Reversible cover art!



About AGFA
The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Austin, Texas. AGFA exists to preserve the legacy of genre movies through collection, conservation, and distribution. Formed in 2009, AGFA focuses on outlaw exploitation movies that were produced from the 1960s through the 2000s. From manic hicksploitation epics to bloodthirsty shoestring goreblasts, each title in AGFA's collection is a celebration of culture that should never be forgotten. Housing over six thousand 35mm film prints and trailers, our non-profit archive counts among its board members and advisors Alamo Drafthouse founders Tim and Karrie League, filmmakers Paul Thomas Anderson, Anna Biller, Frank Henenlotter, and Nicolas Winding Refn, musician RZA, exploitation film savior Lisa Petrucci, and genre film superheroes Zack Carlson, Kier-La Janisse, and Lars Nilsen.







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BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1989) / BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) (Umbrella Blu-ray Review)

July 6, 2018, 8:29 am
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BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1989) / BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) 
2-Disc Collector Edition 
Beyond Genres: Worlds on Films Vol. 2 

Label: Umbrella Entertainment 
Region: Region B
Rating: MA
Duration: 97 Minutes (Bride)/ 96 Minutes (Beyond) 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo (Bride), English DTS-HD MA Surround 5.1 (Beyond) with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) (Bride), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.77:1) (Beyond) 
Director: Brian Yuzna
Cast: Jeffrey Cobs, Bruce Abbot, Claude Earl Jones, David Gale, Fabiana Udenio, Mel Stewart (Bride) / Jeffrey Combs, Jason Barry, Elsa Pataky, Santiago Segura, Simon Andreau (Beyond)



BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1989) 
The events of Brian Yuzna's lunatic sequel to Re-animator begin eight months after the events of the first movie with both Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs, From Beyond) and Dr. Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott, Bad Dreams) working as medics in Peru where a bloody civil war is raging around them. The steady stream fresh corpses proves ideal for West and his continued experiments in reviving the dead with his green-glowing re-agent serum. When the medical camp is overrun by enemy soldiers the duo are forced to abandon their South American endeavor and return to Arkham, Massachusetts where they resume their former careers as doctors at Miskatonic University Hospital, where Dan seems content in making terminal patients comfortable during their finals days, while West just sort of wrings his hands with delight waiting for them to pass, at which point he can use their fresh corpses as test subjects for his coveted re-agent serum.   



Both Dan and Herbert West live together in a house on the property of the local cemetery which seems appropriate, though the two once again make for combative housemates, not exactly seeing eye to eye on all things. West is conveniently able to pilfer body parts from the Miskatonic University morgue, which is where he finds Dr. Hill's severed head and Meg's heart among other medical artifacts saved from the Miskatonic Massacre, Meg being Dan's former love interest from the first movie. West steals the heart and uses it to coerce Dan into helping him create a body from human parts, which when finished they will give life to by using the re-agent serum. This experimentation takes place in the basement of the home, a space that shares a wall with a cemetery crypt next door, which is where West conveniently disposes of his failed creations, which will come back to haunt him during the final moments of the movie.



Meanwhile, back at Miskatonic University the aptly named Dr. Graves (Mel Stuart, Dead Heat) has himself become obsessed with the work of the late Dr. Hill (David Gale, Ritual), and while using some of the re-agent serum found at the crime scene from the first movie is able to re-animate Hill's head, who then sets about exacting revenge on West, beginning by using his diabolical hypnotic powers to force Grave to sew a pair of bat wings to the sides of his severed head, which enables him to fly around! This has always brought to mind the winged skull mascot of the thrash band Overkill, and if the notion of a bat-winged severed head flying around seems a bit on the silly side that is because it certainly is, and it doesn't look much better than it might sound either. While the first movie was darkly comedic this one amps the comedy up quite a bit and goes right off the deep end of demented.



Also figuring into the story is police officer Lt. Leslie Chapham (Claude Earl Jones, Evilspeak) who harasses both Dan and Herbert whom he holds responsible for the re-animation of his dead wife nine months earlier. As Dan and West were the only survivors of the Miskatonic Massacre he knows that deep down they had something to do with it. His quest for deranged justice results in him becoming one of Dr. Hill's re-animated minions, joining the ranks of the formerly undead. This time around Dan has a new love interest, another doctor named Francesca Danelli played by Fabiana Udenio (Alotta Fagina from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)), her inclusion seems a bit jammed-in here but it's not ruinous.



The movie comes to a head with the completion of their Bride, a corpse stitched together from various cadavers, with the heart of Dan's beloved Meg within it, they inject it with re-agent and the re-animated bride arises, just as the winged head of Dr. Hill and his re-animated minions lay siege to the house, leading up to a fevered finale with a cat fight between the Bride and Francesca, but when Dan rejects the affections of the creature she rips out her own heart and begins to fall apart quite literally. There's some very cool Screaming Mad George created freaky looking creatures that have been kept hidden away in the crypt which come after West he and the others take refuge from Dr. Hill's mind-controlled minions in the crypt, which brings this weird and gory sequel to a proper close. This sequel solid, maybe a bit on the absurd side, with more comedic and slapstick moments than the Stuart Gordon original, but a worthy and gory entry with a nicely deranged performance from Jeffrey Combs as the beloved Dr. Herbert West, a sweet slice of '80s gore cinema loaded with humor and nicely shot. 



Audio/Video: Bride of Re-animator (1989) arrives on region B locked Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment, containing both the R-rated and unrated versions - and looking to be from the same existing source as used by Arrow Video for their Region A release, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The image has a healthy looking grain field with good color saturation and nice looking blacks. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA Stereo 2.0 audio, a well-balanced track with good separation, with Richard Band's score coming through with some nice depth and fidelity, optional English subtitles are provided. 



Extras fro Bride begin with three audio commentaries for the unrated cut of the film, the first with director Brian Yuzna moderated by David Gregory of Severin Films, the director right from the start reveals the influence of schlock-master William Castle on the movie with the floating head of Dr. Hill. I have not listened to the commentary with Yuzna, Combs and the special effects team yet, but the commentary with Combs and Abbott is a great listen, the two have a great chemistry onscreen and on the commentary, coming across as humorous, the two are always questioning the why and how of the absurd sequel.  

The disc also has two Severin Films produced featurettes, beginning with the 10-minute 'Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-animator' with the director remembering the origins of the sequel, unused story idea,making Society before getting to the sequel, the hurried start to the movie and selling the movie to Troma for distribution under the banner of 52nd Street Films, in addition to the critical and fan reception to the movie. 



The 15-minute 'Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-animator' features interviews with the many talented special effects creators who worked on the movie including Robert Kurtzman of KNB, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin, John Buechler and Brian Yuzna, these are great, I always love hearing about the creation of these '80s practical effects, it begins with Yuzna recalling the work on Stuart Gordon's Dolls, and is peppered with loads of behind-the-scenes footage.  

Other extras on the set included an archival making of featurette offering some great behind-he-scenes footage of the movie being made along with the set-up of the great gore gags, eight minutes of deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, and a 12-minute radio play of the H.P Lovecraft source material. 



Bride of Re-Animator Special Features:
- Audio commentary with Brian Yuzna (Unrated Cut) 
- Audio Commentary with Brian Yuzna, star Jeffrey Combs, visual effects supervisor Tom (Unrated Cut) 
Rainone and the effects team including John Buechler, Mike Deak, Bob Kurtzman, Howard Berger and Screaming Mad George
- Audio Commentary with stars Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott (Unrated Cut) 
- Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-animator – brand new featurette in which the director looks back at the making of the first Re-animator sequel (10 Mins) HD
- Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-animator – Brand new FX featurette with a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Robert Kurtzman of KNB, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin and John Buechler (15 Mins) HD
- Getting Ahead in Horror – archive making-of featurette (24 Mins) HD
- Deleted Scenes (10 Mins) HD 
- Theatrical Trailer (2 Mins) HD 
- Behind the Scenes: Special Effects Artists (15 Mins)  
- Dark Adventure Radio Presents: Herbert West: Re-Animator (12 min) 


BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) 
Beyond Re-Animator opens up with a wonderful pre-credit sequence with a pair of kids having a sleepover in their backyard telling scary stories to each other in a tent, they go back inside the house to give one of the boy's sister a hard time when the trio are attacked by one of Herbert Wests re-animated corpses, apparently having wandered in from across the street. It's a stunning looking corpse that is missing it's lower jaw with it's tongue hanging out. It kills the teen girl and then begins drinking milk straight from the carton before a cop shows up and blows it away. The traumatized kid watches as the cops arrest Dr. West (Jeffrey Combs,From Beyond) and put him in the back of a police cruiser, then finding a syringe full of the glowing green re-agent and the opening credits begin to roll. 



Thirteen years later we catch-up with West in prison, still working away on his unnatural quest to defy death, but in the time passed he's begun working on a new key component of the re-animation process, something he calls "Nano-Plasmic Energy", an energy that can be extracted from the brain and stored in a glass capsule/fuse that can then be transferred into the body of another re-animated corpse, which when used along with re-agent can theoretically restore the re-animated to a more natural state, and not one of the near mindless zombie-types usually associated with the serum. As he's in prison his experiments have been rudimentary and relegated to the rat population, and he has no re-agent serum to further test his theories further, but all that's about to change. 


A new prison doctor arrives and requests that Dr. West be assigned to the sick ward as his assistant, it turns out that the new doc Howard Phillips (Jason Barry, Titanic) was the kid whose sister was murdered by one of West's creations thirteen year's earlier, He's been obsessed with the Dr.'s work ever since and the two begin almost immediately working on a new batch of re-agent, while also trying out that syringe of re-agent the kids kept all those years ago, it's degraded some but the results are as problematic as you might expect. 



This movie is a bit of a departure from the previous entries, gone is Bruce Abbott as Dan Cain, West's former partner turning state's evidence against him, and it's set in a prison so it has a different feel about it, also being shot in Spain but set in America. The tone may be different, but Jeffrey Combs is still the quirky over-serious doc we've loved for years, and Howard Phillips makes for a good stand-in for the Dan Cain-type character for West. The new doc even has a tragic love-interest by way of gorgeous local reporter named Laura (Elsa Pataky, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt) who arrives at the prison to do a story about the prison and it's sadistic Warden Brando (Simón Andreu, The Blood Spattered Bride), who turns his eye onto Laura, which ends with her violent death when she refuses his come-ons. Of course this leads to Phillips ill-advisedly using the re-agent on his doomed lover, which only further damns everyone involved with the expected results when the prison breaks out into a riot, with the re-agent being spread around in liberal doses.


    
The special effects in this one are realized by Screamin’ Mad George (Society) and look very good, we get a handful of re-agent zombies, including a rat-like  variant, a man cut in half, the jawless zombie from the beginning of the film, tit-munching and some digital effects that aren't too shabby for the time period, mostly relegated top small touches, but it looks like all the gore is practical, so that's cool. 



The movie is third in the series and is last in terms of quality for the franchise, the story is an interesting examination of the evolution of the re-animation process and there's some keen practical effects but the acting is a bit uneven and the tone is inconsistent, but I will say this gets better with each consecutive watch. 



Audio/Video: Beyond Re-Animator (2003) makes it's worldwide HD debut from Umbrella Entertainment on a region B locked Blu-ray in 1080p HD framed in 1.77:1 widescreen. The image on this one is problematic in that it's been heavily DNR'd, looking overly smooth with the fine detail being lost, with facial detail appearing slightly waxy. Colors look decent but there's an overall softness and lack of depth combined with the grainless image that just makes for a lackluster HD presentation. Audio comes by way of an English DTS-HD MA Surround 5.1 that sounds very good, there are no issues with distortion or hiss, and the Xavier Capellas score heavily references Richard Band's scores for the first two films and gets some nice depth to it, optional English subtitles are provided. 



Onto the extras we get that have appeared on previous home video versions from Lionsgate in the U.S. and Arrow Video in the U.K., these include an insightful commentary from director Brian Yuzna, an 18-minute making of featurette with interviews from the cast and Yuzna, plus 18-minutes of interviews from Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs, Jason Barry, Elsa Pataky, Santiago Segura, Simon Andreau, a lot of which was incorporated into the making of featurette. There's also a music video, 18-minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and a trailer for the film. 



This is the second release from Umbrella's Beyond Genres: World's On Film imprint following the wonderful release of Re-Animator, the 2-disc release comes housed in an over-sized Blu-ray keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork with four panels of artwork, though there's no text/logo on any of the artwork options, but the spine is logo-ed, and it comes with a handsome slipcase which which like the branded with the Beyond Genres design, the spine is numbered, this being volume 2. The discs themselves features excerpts of the artwork from the four-panel sleeve.    

Beyond Re-Animator Special Features: 
- Audio Commentary with Director Brian Yuzna 
- The Making of Beyond Re-Animator  (18 min) 
- Dr. Re-Animator: Move Your Dead Bones (4 min) 
- Interviews with Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs, Jason Barry, Elsa Pataky, Santiago Segura, Simon Andreau (18 min) 
- Behind The Scenes (12 min) 
- Trailer (2 min)



Umbrella's Blu-ray release of Bride of Re-Animator/Beyond Re-Animator is a fun double-feature, Bride looks fantastic in HD, while Beyond is marred by a dated HD master and some excessive DNR, but it's great to have both on Blu-ray in HD with loads of extras. I do wish that the Beyond had been afforded a new restoration for it's  worldwide HD debut, but I give kudos to Umbrella for the presentation of Bride and the sweet-looking packaging on this one. Both of these sequels sequels continue to age with a gory grace I wouldn't have guessed when I first watched them years ago, more so for Bride, but Beyond is still growing on me. 

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RAMPAGE (2018) (4K UltraHD Review)

July 6, 2018, 7:32 pm
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RAMPAGE (2018) 
Label: Warner Bros.
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 108 Minutes 
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 2160p UHD Widescreen (2.40:1) 
Director: Brad Peyton 
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Ackerman, Jake Lacy


When I was a kid Rampage wasn't one of the arcade games I pumped a lot of quarters into, I was a Galaga man, so I wasn't too thrilled one way or the other when they announced that the 80's arcade classic was being adapted into a big budget blockbuster starring Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson, a guy who seems super-cool and fun but I don't really drop money to go see at the cinema, he's more of a 'maybe I'll catch it on HBO' sort of star in my book. However, I will say that the idea of giant monsters destroying a city was certainly appealing in a big, dumb fun sort of way, and the movie definitely delivered on that promise - it was big, way dumb and a good bit of brainless big-budget fun.


Here we an evil corporate gene manipulation company named Energyne run by some greedy and unethical siblings who fund some shady genetic research that so illicit they have to do it on a space station orbiting the Earth. As the film opens a altered rodent of unusual size on the space station is out to gnaw on the sole survivor of the crew, scientist Dr. Kerry Atkins, who manages to  make it to the escape pod but Energyne CEO Claire Wyden (Malin Åkerman, Watchmen)  chimes in via the intercom and tells her she's not unlcoking the escape pod unless she brings back the research, four canisters containing a mutagenic pathogen. She manages to evade the rat and get the canisters on the pod but the rat damaged the pod and it explodes while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, spilling it's mutagenic cargo all over the United States. Canisters fall into the Everglades, a rural part of Wyoming (is there any other sort of place in Wyoiming?) and the San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary, where it infects an intelligent and rare albino silverback gorilla named "George", who once exposed begins to rapidly grow and become more hostile, even to his human best friend, primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson, Southland), who conveniently for the story was also a former US Army Special Forces soldier, neat-o!

When news of the rapidly growing gorilla makes the news scientist Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris, 28 Days Later) shows up to fill in the details about how she was fired by Energyne who are using CRISPR technology to create a biological weapon and then the clandestine/dark-side of the government shows up to kill George slash save the world the governmental way, via a black ops team run by Agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Negan from the Walking Dead basically being Negan without a bat wrapped with barbed wire) who reluctantly teams up with the primatologist to hopefully save the Chicago from total destruction. 


Destruction from what? Oh, that's right, those canisters that landed in Wyoming and Florida mutated a wolf and a crocodile to enormous size, and they along with the gorilla are drawn into the city of Chicago via an annoying homing beacon set-off by the evil corporate siblings, and thus the promise of the arcade game is realized, three enormous beasts wreaking havoc on a major American city. 


Throw logic right out the window while watching this one folks, the monsters are cool looking and well rendered via digital effects,the action is actually quite a bit of fun, but the human elements are straight-up eye rolling, just sit there and eat your popcorn and sip on your soda, but don't put any thought into the story there's not much of one to pick over, but the brainless action is admittedly fun, sometimes you just wanna see monsters fuck shit up, and that's what this delivers. I rolled my eyes plenty during this one, but the one true laugh I had was when that wolf sprouted wings and started gliding around like a damned flying squirrel I laughed so hard, oh my Lord. 


Audio/Video: Rampage arrives on Blu-ray and 4K UltraHD from Warner Bros. looking vivid and sharp the Dolby Vision really drenches the blacks and provides some deeply saturated colors that pop right off the screen to a degree, as it has a slightly desaturated color grading by design it's not quiet eye-popping with color. Fine detail is significant, even the darker scenes offer up a pleasing array of craggy facial features and textures, you can see the sweat pouring off of the Rock's bald head throughout. 


The Dolby Atmos audio is a ground-shaker for sure giving the low frequencies a nice workout with some great use of the surrounds with carnage and bullets zipping along giving a real nice immersive presentation all around. 

Extras including deleted scenes, a gag reel, trailer and   about forty-minutes of featurettes that goes into adapting the game, creating the monsters, the cast and filming in Chicago. Nothing too deep but your typical studio EPK style stuff, breezy and not too demanding.  

Special Features: 
- Not A Game Anymore - From arcade sensation to movie monster epic, we explore how the Midway video game inspired the filmmakers to create the ultimate disaster film. (6 min) HD 
- Gag Reel - Hilarious outtakes and mishaps captured during production. (3 min) HD 
- Deleted Scenes (10 min) HD 
- Rampage - Actors in Action: Strap in for a wild ride as Dwayne Johnson, Joe Manganiello and the cast prepare for the film’s demanding stunts and explosive set pieces. (11 min) HD 
- Trio of Destruction - Follow the innovative design team and the artists at Weta Digital as they bring to life the biggest and baddest monsters for the film’s climactic battle royal. (10 min) HD
- Attack on Chicago - Director Brad Peyton reveals the challenges of filming on-location in Chicago and turning digital destruction into a cinematic reality.
- Bringing George to Life - Discover the wonder of what it’s like to be a gorilla, as movement coordinator Terry Notary teaches actor Jason Liles how to move, behave and become “George.” (12 min) HD



Rampage (2018) is a stupefying monster carnage flick, I didn't love it to any degree but it is plenty entertaining in a big, dumb, brainless sort of way, and the 4K UltraHD presentation looks and sounds amazing, so if a big, dumb giant monster movie sounds like a a good time I can whole heartedly recommend this one right here.  
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Scream Factory's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II (1988) Collector's Edition BD (Full details)

July 10, 2018, 7:50 am
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SCREAM FACTORY PRESENTS
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II (1988) 
COLLECTOR’S EDITION BLU-RAY™

RISING ON AUGUST 14th, 2018
FROM SCREAM FACTORY™

Label: Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Ratinbg: R
Duration: 89 Minutes 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Ken Wiederhorn
Cast: James Karen, Thom Mathews, Dana Ashbrook, Marsha Dietlein, Philip Bruns, Michael Kenworthy

The zombies have returned! Writer/director Ken Wiederhorn (Dark Tower, A House in the Hills) churns a fun-and-gory spin on the zombie apocalypse movie in cult classic RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II, starring James Karen (The Return of the Living Dead, Poltergeist), Thom Matthews (Jason Lives: Friday, the 13th Part VI), Dana Ashbrook (Twin Peaks), Marsha Dietlein (Little Children), Philip Bruns (Flash Dance), and Michael Kenworthy (The Blob). On August 14, 2018, SCREAM FACTORY™ is proud to present RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II Collector’s Edition Blu-ray, which includes new 2K scan of the film, new interviews with cast and crew, and much more!

This definitive set includes a collectible slipcover featuring newly rendered artwork and a reversible cover wrap featuring original theatrical key art. A must-have for movie collectors, zombie horror enthusiasts and loyal fans, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com.

***Special Offer: Order from ShoutFactory.com and get a FREE 18" X 24" ROLLED POSTER featuring brand new artwork, available while supplies last! Also get it shipped TWO WEEKS EARLY! *** 

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Part II Collector’s Edition

Special Features:
- NEW 2K scans from the interpositive
- NEW Audio Commentary with actress Suzanne Snyder
- NEW Audio Commentary with Gary Smart (co-author of The Complete History of the Return of the Living Dead) and filmmaker Christopher Griffiths
- NEW Back to the Dead: The Effects of “Return of the Living Dead Part II” – including interviews with Special Make-up Effects creator Kenny Myers and Special Make-up Effects artists Andy Schoneberg and Mike Smithson
- NEW The Laughing Dead - a new interview with writer/director Ken Wiederhorn
- NEW Undead Melodies – an interview with composer J. Peter Robinson
- NEW interview with actor Troy Fromin
- Audio Commentary with writer/director Ken Wiederhorn and co-star Thor Van Lingen
- They Won’t Stay Dead: A Look at RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD II including interviews with  James Karen, Thom Matthews, Brian Peck, Kenny Myers, Susan Snyder, Michael Kenworthy and more…
- Archival Featurette – Live from the Set
- Archival interviews with Ken Wiederhorn, James Karen, Thom Matthews and Kenny Myers
- Behind the Scenes footage
- Theatrical Trailer and Teaser Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery of posters and stills
- Still Gallery of Behind-the-Scenes stills from Makeup Effects artists Kenny Myers and Mike Smithson


Synopsis
The horror begins again as mysterious barrels bounce off an Army transport as it passes through a new housing development and land near an abandoned cemetery. Mischievous neighborhood boys discover the barrels and open them, unaware of the evil contained within. A deadly green vapor escapes and turns the living into flesh-eating zombies and causes the dead to rise from their graves. As these hideous living dead hunt down the fresh human brains they need, man is pitted against man, and the living against the dead. It is a macabre struggle for survival!
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Lionsgate announces 'BEAST', arriving on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) and DVD September 4th.

July 10, 2018, 8:00 am
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BEAST (2018) 

Street Date: September 4th 2018 
Blu-ray™ + Digital SRP: $21.99
DVD SRP: $19.98

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Experience the “unexpected and terrifying” (Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com) when Beast arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) and DVD September 4 from Lionsgate. From exciting new writer/director Michael Pearce (Rite, Keeping Up with the Joneses) comes a thrilling and dark modern-day fairy tale starring newcomer Jessie Buckley in a breakout role that critics are calling “a star-making performance” (Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly). The film was nominated for multiple categories of filmmaking and acting at prestigious film festivals including the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, 2017 London Film Festival, and 2018 Miami Film Festival. The Beast Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Moll is a troubled woman, still living at home, stifled by the small island community around her. When she meets Pascal, a free-spirited stranger, a whole new world opens up to her and she begins to feel alive for the first time, falling madly in love. Finally breaking free from her family, Moll moves in with Pascal to start a new life. But when Pascal is arrested as the key suspect in a series of brutal murders, Moll is left isolated and afraid and finds herself forced to make choices that will impact her life forever.

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES
- “The Making of Beast” Featurette
- “A Look at Beast” Photo Gallery

CAST
Jessie Buckley - TV’s “Taboo,” “War & Peace”
Johnny Flynn - Clouds of Sils Maria, TV’s “Lovesick”
Trystan Gravelle - TV’s “The Terror,” Anonymous
Geraldine James  - Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland


Year of Production: 2017
Title Copyright: Beast © 2017 Agile Stray Beast Limited / Channel Four Television Corporation / The British Film Institute. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2018 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Premiere
Rating: R for disturbing violent content, language and some sexuality
Genre:Thriller
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: Spanish, English SDH
Feature Run Time: 106 Minutes
Blu-ray Format: 1080p High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 2.39:1 Presentation
DVD Format: 16x9 Widescreen 2.39:1 Presentation
Blu-ray Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio


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A QUIET PLACE (2018) (4K UltraHD Review)

July 10, 2018, 10:49 am
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A QUIET PLACE (2018) 

Label: Paramount Home Video 
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible) with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 2160p Widescreen (2.40:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)  
Director: John Krasinski
Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds


A Quiet Place (2018) is an alien post-apocalyptic movie that throws you right into the deep end without much of any exposition, an menacing alien race has arrived on earth - possibly via a meteor that wiped out a large portion of Mexico - they're a blind race of razor teethed/clawed creatures with keen hearing that attack anything that makes a sound, apparently having wiped out a large part of the human population on Earth in a matter of months. The movie isn't really interested in the world stage though, it zeroes in on the Abbott family a few months after it all went down - they're living in on a farm in a rural area, we have the dad Lee (John Krasinski, The Office), mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt, Wind Chill), deaf daughter Reagan (Millicent Simmonds, Wonderstruck), and sons Marcus (Noah Jupe, The Titan) and Beau (Cade Woodward), at the top of the film they're foraging for medical supplies in a desolate town when tragedy strikes, the youngest of the family is killed by an alien when a toy makes a loud noise on the road home. 


The film then moves the timeline up a bit and we catch-up with the Abbott's a year or so later having learned some valuable and hard earned lessons, they're more careful (and quieter) but the danger is still very real. They live in silence, communicating through America Sign Language, stepping softly and travelling on pathways covered with sound-dampening sand, always barefoot. The film is artful and well-shot, and the sound design is notable for the absence of sound that makes the intermittent use of loud noises all the more powerful, it's an interesting spin as in most horror films the characters scream when anguished, but this film doesn't allow for such comfort, here sound is the enemy, but it also turns out to be a weapon when used properly. 


When I first heard that Krasinki, who played the light-hearted character Jim from The Office, would be the father I couldn't see him as a hero-dad, even after seeing a few clips of him in his survivalist beard mode the idea didn't bowl me over, but I must say that I have a new respect for Krasinski as both an actor and director, he's great in both roles. His real wife Emily Blunt plays his partner here and she's a force herself, and the kids played by Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds are top-notch. Simmonds (who has been deaf since birth) gives her angsty teen character some nice depth, she acts out but never in an annoying way, being a teen has always been hard, even more so when there's an alien apocalypse happening and your deaf, unable to hear if you're making a sound that might get you killed! At time when the film is from her POV there's absolutely no sound at all, not even an ambient tone, and I found the vacuum of sound to be very impactful, it definitely heightened the tension. The son Marcus is bit of fraidy-cat, and I don't blame him a bit, having seen his younger brother slaughtered by an an alien his hesitance to join his father on a food foraging trip was understandable, but the trip turns out to be a nice bonding moment with the son offering some valuable insight into his sister's mindset to the dad.


The alien creatures are cool looking, long front-limbed creatures with armored skin, their fearsomely toothed heads cracking open in fragmented ways to reveal a highly evolved sense of hearing, looking a bit like Marvel's toothy Venom, the film wisely only glimpsing them for large swaths of film, but when they're finally revealed full-on the design and digital effects hold up.


While watching this I didn't realize it was PG-13 at first, and more and more I find that PG-13 horror in the right hands is less and less a handicap, Krasinki pours on the suspense with every frame of the film a tension-filled exercise in suspense, not that I would have minded more gore, but it didn't detract from the story this film was telling. It's also anchored by the family drama that as a dad really pulled me in and tugged at the heart-strings, a scene of the father simply telling his daughter that he loves her during a key moment made me tear-up, so it's well-acted and emotionally strong, which makes the suspense and terror all the more frightening. 


Audio/Video: A Quiet Place (2018) arrives on 4K/Blu-ray combo pack from Paramount Home Video in 2160p UltraHD framed in 2.40:1 widescreen, shot on 35mm film and finished in 2K the film has a nice veneer of fine film grain, with an abundance of fine detail and textures throughout with the HDR kicking up colors a notch on the 4K disc and in addition to offering deeper black and shadow detail, this is a very pleasing presentation all around, though it might not be the razor sharp 4K eye-popper some will be expecting from the format. The Dolby Atmos audio is strong and nuanced, offering up a  hushed tone presentation with winds whispering and autumnal leaves rustling along, providing an ambient tone to the near wordless film, however, when the aliens show up and click and shriek it's unnerving stiff, with the silence being broken by a loud sound, and every time I found it startling when the sound kicked-in, optional English subtitles are provided. Screenshots used in the review are sourced from the Blu-ray not the 4K UltraHD. 


Special Features: 
Creating the Quiet – Behind the Scenes of A Quiet Place (15 min) HD
The Sound of Darkness – Editing Sound for A Quiet Place (12 min)HD
A Reason for Silence – The Visual Effects of A Quiet Place (8 min) HD

Sometimes the hype for a film scares me off of it, which is why I try to avoid trailers or reading reviews before seeing a movie, it was nice to go into this one fresh and free of expectations, and I was pleasantly blown away by what a personal and suspenseful alien invasion film this turned out to be. So, now let me add my own hyperbole to the wave of praise, A Quiet Place is a real nail-biter along the lines of The Last Man on Earth (1964) by way of M. Night Shylaman's Signs (2002), a big recommend from me for this one.  

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WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976) (Mondo Macabro Blu-ray Review)

July 10, 2018, 9:23 pm
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WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976) 

Label: Mondo Macabro
Region Code: Region-FREE
Duration: 112 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Video: 1080P HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English, Spanish PCM Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Narciso Ibanez Serrador
Cast: Lewis Fiander, Prunella Ransome, Antonio Iranzo, Miguel Narros, Maria Luisa Arias, Marisa Porcel, Fabián Conde




Synopsis: An English tourist couple rent a boat to visit the island of Almanzora, just off the southern Spanish coast. When they arrive, they find the island apparently empty of adults. There are only children, who don't speak but just stare at the strangers with eerie smiles on their faces. The English couple soon discovers that all the island's children have been possessed by a mysterious force, a kind of madness which they can pass from one to another, and which makes them attack and murder their elders, who can't defend themselves because, of course, nobody can kill a child...



Spanish killer kiddie classic Who Can Kill A Child? (1976) begins with black and white mondo newsreel footage showing how young children have been affected by war and conflict through the years, it's a brutal reel of film that goes on for maybe a bit too long, but then we get into the movie proper with the introduction of loving English couple Tom (Lewis Fiander, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde) and his pregnant wife Evelyn (Prunella Ransome, Man in the Wilderness) who arrive in Spain on Holiday, enjoying one last hurrah before the new baby arrives. As they enjoy the carnival atmosphere, fireworks and beaches we notice that in the background a series of bodies have begun washing up on the beaches, and so the couple decide it would be wise to go off the mainland to the nearby island community of Almanzora hoping to escape the unseemly wave of violence.



They rent small boat and travel to the island, arriving to the idyllic sight of young children laughing and playing in the water, however, as they venture into the picturesque alabaster village they notice that there are no adults on the streets or in the stores, they all seem to have vanished. It's all very strange, and what they discover is truly an unfathomable nightmare, that the kids have killed of all the adults, but for what reason? It is never explained, making it all the more eerie, though it is evident that the wave of murderous intent seems to be spread from child to child via contact or proximity, I like that this one keeps it's mystery while later entries in the killer-kiddie films like Bloody Birthday and The Children offer further explanation. 



Directed by Spanish filmmaker Narciso Ibáñez Serrador (The House That Screamed) the film is chilling to the core, while not as over-the-top and fun as later entries like Bloody Birthday (1981) or The Children (1980) the film is a tense and well-crafted horror-thriller, it keeps everything on an uneasy simmer, eventually boiling over into a frenzy of maddening downbeat horror, with the very title asking the troubling question, who can kill a child? The film is certainly a downer, borrowing a age from Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) to chilling effect.



Audio/Video: Mondo Macabro brings this killer kid classic to Blu-ray with a brand new 4K transfer from the original camera negative, presented in 1080p HD and framed in 1.85:1 widescreen it is a very nice upgrade from my Dark Sky Films DVD I have on my shelf. The source is very clean with only a few very minor blemishes popping up, it's a brighter presentation and the grain is nicely resolved. Skin tones on the Blu-ray look a bit reddish in spots but not unnaturally so, looking considerably cooler than the DVD, though I do miss the sun-drenched golden hue in a few of the scenes, but overall the color grading looks more more natural here. I did notice that the contrast looks a bit off in certain scenes and the image leaning towards the blue side of things in some of the screen grabs, but in motion it was not as problematic. The image offers some pleasing detail and textures throughout, check out the screen grabs comparing the Dark Sky DVD and Mondo Macabro Blu-ray below, these were pulled straight from the discs.

 SCREENSHOT COMPARISON

TOP: DARK SKY FILMS DVD (2007)
BOTTOM: MONDO MACABRO BLU-RAY (2018)








Audio options on the disc comes by way of three choices, the first being an English/Spanish hybrid with optional English subtitles over the Spanish language bits, or you cab choose to watch in it Spanish with English subs or English-dub with a few Spanish language bits, these are all presented in DTS-HD MA Mono, and for the sake of the review I watched it with the English/Spanish hybrid, it was well-balanced and clean, it's a bit flat sounding and doesn't have a lot of depth but the score from Waldo de los Ríos (The House that Screamed) was effectively haunting and sparse.

Looking at the extras Mondo Macabro port the director and cinematographer interviews from the 2007 Dark Sky DVD and add some nifty new ones. New stuff begin with the 46-minute "Version Española' doc, a TV episode featuring a panel discussion of the film with director Serrador, cinematographer Alcaine and film festival programmer José Luis Rebordino. Then Kim Newman shows u for 14-minutes to discuss killer kid films in general, from Bad Seed (1956) on through to more contemporary examples, Newman is always a good watch. We also get a new and informative audio commentary from Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger (of the terrific Daughters Of Darkness podcast) who offers loads of insight about the film, a good listen for sure.

Extras on the disc are finished up with a trailer for the film under the alternate title of The Hex Massacre, a double-bill with Lucifer's Curse, a series of radio spots and a Mondo Macabro trailer reel, which are never dull!

The single-disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork with the standard Mondo Macabro disc featuring the red-range background, MM logo and yellow movie title, nothing too special there. Mondo Macabbro did release a red-case limited edition with reversible artwork prior to this general release version.

Special Features:
- Brand new 4k transfer from film negative
- "Version Española" documentary about the film (46 min)
- "Who Can Shoot A Child" Interview with cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine (16 min)
- "Child Director" Interview with director Narciso Ibanez Serrador (9 min)
- Kim Newman on Killer Kids (15 min)
- Audio Commentary by Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger
- Alternate "Island of Death" Version (102 min)
- Hex Massacre Trailer (1 min)
- Hex Massacre Audio Spots (3 min)
- Mondo Macabro Trailer Reel (11 min)


Monodo Macabro knocked it out of the park bringing this killer-kid classic to Blu-ray, the presentation looks phenomenal and sounds real nice, plus they included all the old extras and added some new goodies, including four viewing options including the shorter American A.I.P. cut of the film. The movie is a bit of a slow-burn but the brief instances of violence are potent and the lingering discomfort caused by the simple yet disturbing premise keeps the tension ramped-up from start to finish, it's an absorbing and gut-punching sort of film.
MORE SCREEN GRABS FROM THE MONDO MACABRO BLU-RAY 


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VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON (1982) (Severin Blu-ray Review)

July 11, 2018, 10:49 am
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VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON (1982)

Label: Severin Films
Duration: 99 Minutes
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Audio: English DTS-HD MAMono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Bruno Mattei
Cast: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Lorraine De Selle, Franca Stoppi,Ursula Flores, Antonella Giacomini, Leila Durante,  Franco Caracciolo


Italian schlock-maker Bruno Mattei filmed this WIP flick back-to-back with Women's Prison Massacre(1983) (available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory) with both films starring Indonesian sex-kitten Laura Gemser of the Black Emanuelle series, these WIP flicks came a few years after the legit Emanuelle series had ended but when Mattei saw an opportunity to exploit the series with a double-dose of sleazy WIP wickedness starring sexy Laura Gemser he just couldn't pass it up. Much like Women's Prison Massacre this one stars the captivating Gemser as a reporter named Emanuelle, this time going undercover as a whore to uncover the prison's human rights abuses for Amnesty International, you have to admire the lengths to which she will go for a story! Also appearing in both films are Lorraine De Selle (House On The Edge of the Park) as the thoroughly wicked warden and Franca Stoppi (Beyond The Darkness) as her wonderfully sadistic lesbian guard, both of who get their rocks off while watching lady inmates get it on with each other. Gemser's husband Gabriele Tinti (Cut and Run) also appears in both films and gets the most dramatic role-reversal of the bunch, in Women's Prison Massacre he was an over-the-top rape-y death row inmate, but here he's a sympathetic prison doctor, and he does decent in the toned down role, even though I kept waiting for him to turn bad at some point, and whle that doesn't happen his character does have a dark wife-murdering past. Also making appearances in both films are are Ursula Flores and Antonella Giacomini as female inmates, plus we get notable newbies by way of Leila Durante as Pilar, an older female inmate with a pet cockroach, and Franco Caracciolo as effeminate male prisoner named Leander who is imprisoned at the adjoining male prison, a character who seems to only be there as an on-going male-on-male rape joke, the character sounding a bit like Ed Wynn (the voice of the Mad Hatter from Disney's Alice In Wonderland).

 
The film has the requisite amount of brutality and sleazy WIP tropes, but the graphic rape stuff is absent for the most part, but notably Gemser appears nude in this film while she did not do so in Women's Prison Massacre for whatever reason, and a nude Gemser is always welcome, she was a lovely lady to look at. Once it is revealed that she's an undercover reporter she suffers tortures such as red-eyed rodents, a bell-ringing, drugging, and the unwanted molestation at the hands of a corrupt prison official (Jacques Stany, Four Flies On Grey Velvet). All the while though she's been plotting with the sympathetic prison doc to make a daring escape, which allows for her to have sex with him several times throughout the film, of course. Fans of prison exploitation should find plenty to delight in, there's loads of girl-on-girl brawling and sex, plus some a surprising turd-wrestling scene, Emanuelle and two guards fall onto the floor during a scuffle and end up wresting in some human feces, so it's got that going for it.  


Audio/Video: Bruno Mattei's WIP sleazefest Violence In A Women's Prison (1982) arrives on Blu-ray from Severin Films sourced from a "2K scan from an uncensored inter-positive" in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen, looking very nice overall with some peripheral roughness by way of some minor speckling and small scratches, but nothing too awful. Colors look reasonably strong and grain looks natural if a bit course during the darker scenes, fine detail could be generously called modest, but having never watched this one before on any format I found the HD presentation very pleasing all shortcomings considered. 


The English-dubbed audio is more problematic than the image, though not ruinous to the whole experience either, it's a noisy track with plenty of hiss, crackling and pops, sounding at moments like there's someone eating a bowl of rice krispies in the room, but dialogue is never hard to discern and the Luigi Ceccarelli (Rats: Nights of Terror) score sounds good, optional English subtitles are provided.


Onto the extra we get a few beginning with the Freak-O-Rama produced 'Brawl in Women's Block', an interview with co-director/co-writers Claudio Fragasso (Troll 2) and Rossella Drudi - each discussing how they came to be in the movie business, working with Bruno Mattei and shooting this film and Women's Prison Massacre back-to-back over a five week period and the challenges that provided. We also get an archival interview from director Bruno Mattei from a previous DVD release from Media Blasters, plus a radio spot for the film.


The single-disc release comes housed in a spiffy black Blu-ray keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork - the b-side is pictured below - the disc artwork is an excerpt of the a-side artwork. It's a good looking release with an handsome looking spine. 

B-Side Reversible Artwork 

Special Features: 
- Brawl in Women's Block - Interview with co-director/co-writers Claudio Fragasso and Rossella Drudi (29 min)
- Archive interview with director Bruno Mattei (3 min)
- Radio Spot (31 sec)


It's always great to see another Bruno Mattei schlocker get an HD release with some extras and good A/V, as 80's women-in-prison films go this is an entertaining slice of Euro-sleaze, the nudity from Gemser is appreciated but I think I like Women's Prison Massacre (1983) just a tiny bit more, that one's just a bit more gonzo and creative when to comes to the violence and crazy dialogue.  













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The new MVD Marquee Collection and MVD Classics lines coming soon, read the details here!

July 11, 2018, 11:34 am
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MVD is proud to announce two new labels for collectors... 
MVD MARQUEE COLLECTION and MVD CLASSICS
Like the recently launched MVD Rewind Collection, these two new brands have their own distinct "personality" (the "Rewind" brand focuses on titles from the "video store era" and loads them with bonus content and more), but these two new labels offer something a little different... a little simpler and (in most cases) a little less expensive.
 
MVD MARQUEE COLLECTION will feature a mixture of major and independent studio product for Blu-ray and DVD. Titles in "Marquee" might be a little too new to be considered "cult" but old enough to be "catalog". Some of these are titles that will be new to Blu-ray and some will be re-releases of titles that have gone out of print and we're bringing back.
   
      
MVD MARQUEE COLLECTION
WALKING TALL (2004) (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] - Streets 8/15
CRAZY SIX  [Blu-ray] - Streets 8/28
BLAST [Blu-ray] - Streets 8/28
AUTUMN IN NEW YORK [Blu-ray] - Streets 8/28
BARBERSHOP (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] - Streets 9/11
BARBERSHOP 2: BACK IN BUSINESS (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] - Streets 9/11
BEAUTY SHOP [Blu-ray] Streets 9/11
OUT OF TIME (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] - Streets 10/9
ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL [Blu-ray] - Streets 10/9
WINDTALKERS (2-Disc Ultimate Edition: Theatrical Cut + Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] - Streets 10/23
BASIC INSTINCT 2: RISK ADDICTION (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] - Streets 11/13
MEMORIES OF ME [Blu-ray] - Streets 11/27
 
MVD CLASSICS will be titles that kinda fall in between the MVD Rewind Collection and the MVD Marquee Collection. They might be a little too "obscure" for those labels and some releases might be DVD only (if it's a title that doesn't exist in HD or was shot in SD). We wanted to create a "brand" or "home" for the films we acquire and consider to be "other" titles and "MVD Classics" fit the bill.
  
MVD CLASSICS



 
DIAMONDS OF KILIMANJARO [Blu-ray] - Streets 9/11

GOLDEN TEMPLE AMAZONS [Blu-ray] - Streets 9/11

Label curator Eric D. Wilkinson explains the differences between each line and what they hope to accomplish...
Pricing: One of our goals here with these two new labels is to keep the prices down. In order to do that it means using existing transfers and all previously available bonus material. For both "Marquee" and "Classics", some of these titles may have been released on DVD in the past with bonus material and then released later on a movie-only Blu-ray and the studio didn't include the previously available bonus material. We aim to correct that by marrying the previously available bonus material with our Blu-rays so you can finally get rid of those old DVDs. In some cases there won't be any bonus material. Shooting interviews and documentaries drive the costs up and our goal here is to bring you the movies and make them as affordable as possible. But if there was bonus features available in the past, we'll do our best to include them here, all on the same disc.

Transfers: With these new labels / brands we're going to use what's given to us because it's about keeping the costs down and passing those savings on to consumers. In many cases some of these titles will have been previously released on Blu-ray early on with a half decent transfer BUT using the MPEG-2 codec. If we are provided the same transfer / master as before we'll be using the H.264/AVC codec and in many cases a BD-50 to give the transfer as much breathing room as possible. IF we do a new transfer we'll let you know. It might affect the price a little, but we'll make sure you are aware!

Slipcovers: Like the MVD Rewind Collection THE FIRST PRESSINGS FROM "MARQUEE" AND "CLASSICS" WILL ONLY HAVE SLIPCOVERS. After that sells out, no more slips. If consumers collect slips, my recommendation is to pre-order. Anything past street date is not guaranteed to have a slip.

Neither "Marquee" or "Classics" will be numbered.
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EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS (1977) (Severin Blu-ray Review)

July 11, 2018, 8:20 pm
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EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS (1977) 

Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 94 Minutes 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English, Italian DTS-HS MA Mono with Optional English Subtitles 
Director: Joe D'Amato
Cast: Laura Gemser, Gabriele Tinti, Monica Zanchi, Donald O'Brien, Geoffrey Copleston, Nieves Navarro, Annamaria Clementi,Percy Hogan 



From the filth-ridden mind of director Joe D'Amato (Sex and Black Magic)comes an exploitation mash-up from some horny gore-fiends nightmares, combing the softcore delights of the Black Emanuelle films with the gut-munching atrocity of a cannibal film, it seems like a weird mixture, and it is. Like any cannibal film worth it's salt the film begin in New York City where investigative reporter Emanuelle (Laura Gemser, Violence In A Women's Prison) is undercover at a psych ward as one of the loonies, she carries around a doll with a camera hidden away in it's head to document her story. I suppose she's there to write an expose on the poor conditions at the asylum, sort of the same way she would go undercover as a whore in Violence In A Women's Prison to expose criminal justice corruption. While there one of the patients takes a bite out a nurse's breast and eats the mouthful of titty-flesh, it's a deliciously bloody scene with the nurse grabbing her mutilated breast and screaming in the hallway, as you do. 



The offender is tied to a gurney and later that night Emanuelle sneaks into her room to interview her, when she's less than forthcoming Emanuelle does what she does best, uses her sultry ways to massage the answers from the interviewee, and in this slice of exploitation that means finger-banging her, which not only seems like an unorthodox interview technique but it fails to elicit verbal response, though she does seem to enjoy it. However, a strange tattoo on the woman's body leads Emanuelle to a primitive people scholar who confirms that the tattoo is linked to a long thought lost tribe of cannibals from the Amazon, 'natch.



In typical Emanuelle fashion the promiscuous beauty beds the scientist, Mark Lester (Gemser's then husband Gabriele Tinti, Women's Prison Massacre), and the pair head to the Amazon on an adventure to document this flesh-feasting tribe of cannibals, which leads to a lot more fornicating with a heaping helping of gut-munching. Down in the Amazon our duo meets-up with a pal of the professor's, a Reverend Wilkes (Geoffrey Copleston, The Black Cat) who puts them on a boat downriver with his voyeuristic daughter Isabelle (Mónica Zanchi, Hitch-Hike) and a not-so-naughty missionary nun named Sister Angela (Annamaria Clementi, Pleasure Shop on the Avenue), once their knee deep in jungle muck they run into a sinister big-game hunter named Donald McKenzie (Donald O'Brien, Dr. Butcher, M.D.), his horny horny adulterous wife Maggie (Nieves Navarro, The Big Gundown) along with their jungle-stud/guide Salvador (Percy Hogan, War of the Planets).


This mixture of reporter, professor, horny teen, nun and big game hunter don't make for easy friends, and when they're not fighting and/or fucking each other they're having to contend with the cannibals, who really begin to rip into them one by one towards the end, coming to a head as the cannibals prepare to sacrifice one of the women to the local god, with Emanuelle once again having to go undercover - this time as river goddess to save the day!



Like Bruno Mattei I find Joe D'Amato's cheapie exploitation films to be typically overstuffed with lust and gore, only to the nth degree, and it usually makes for a fun watch and this Black Emanuelle mash-up is plenty fun, the idea of mixing these two genres is both blasphemous and wonderfully lurid, a kinky and uncomfortable mix of naughty bits being nibbled on by lovers and naughty bits being eaten by cannibals! D'Amato made five Black Emanuelle films with Gemser, this is only loosely connected and is definitely the strangest of the bunch.  


   
Audio/Video: Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977) arrives on Blu-ray from Severin Films scanned in 2K from original vault elements, there's plenty of speckling and scratches evident throughout and the density of the image tends to fluctuates quite a bit, additionally the film grain is fairly heavy and can be mighty course at times. Some of the jungle scenery is well-shot and clarity comes and goes to varying degrees but skin tones looks natural and the blacks are acceptable. 



Audio comes by way of both English and Italian DTS-HD MA Mono mixes with optional English subtitles, as they're both dubbed I went with the English track which seemed to have a bit more depth to the track, there's some hiss and crackle throughout, though not as heavy as the Violence In A Women's Prison disc, but dialogue sounded fine and the Nico Fidenco (Zombie Holocaust) score sounded great, so much so that I sort of regret not ordering the limited edition release with the soundtrack CD from Severin.



Thia disc has quite a few extras compared to Severin's release of Violence In A Women's Prison which was released about the same time, here we get over an hour and half of new interview with composer Nico Fidenco, actresses Annamaria Clementi and Monika Zanchi, actor Donald O'Brien and an archival audio interview with star Laura Gemser, these are all in Italian with subtitles. The disc is finished up with a trailer for the film. 



The single-disc release comes housed in a spiffy black Blu-ray keepcase with a sleeve of reversible artwork - the b-side is pictured below - the disc artwork is an excerpt of the a-side artwork. It's a good looking release with an handsome looking spine that looks good on the shelf. 




Special Features:
- The World of Nico Fidenco: An interview with composer Nico Fidenco (27 min) HD
- A Nun Among the Cannibals: An interview with actress Annamaria Clementi (23 min) HD
- Dr. O'Brien MD: An interview with actor Donald O'Brien (19 min)HD
- From Switzerland to Mato Grosso: An Interview with actress Monika Zanchi (19 min) HD 
- I Am Your Black Queen: Laura Gemser archive audio interview (11 min) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) 


B-side Reversible Artwork 

The flick is well-shot (by D'Amato himself) and he makes sure that every frame of Laura Gemser looks amazing, she's a knock-out and looks great among the verdant jungle scenery. One scene that will haunt you for life is one of Gemser and Mónica Zanchi bathing nude in a lagoon near a waterfall, as they seductively splash each other's naughty bits with cool water there's a chimpanzee just sitting on the shore smoking a cigarette watching the whole thing, it makes very little sense but it's not something you forget, it's just another WTF D'Amaoto moment of pure lunatic cinema, and that's why we watch his films, but make no mistake, the gorgeous and alluring sexpot Laura Gemser herself is reason enough to want to watch this, the lunacy surrounding her is just the demented whipped cream on top of this trashy, strangely erotic, cannibal film.
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Sci-fi horror cult classic "BRAINSCAN" arrives on Blu-ray from Scream Factory August 8th

July 12, 2018, 8:01 pm
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SCREAM FACTORY PRESENTS
 
BRAINSCAN (1994) 

ARRIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME ON BLU-RAY™ AUGUST 28, 2018
FROM SCREAM FACTORY™

This August, SCREAM FACTORY™ invite loyal fans and horror enthusiasts to embark on an interactive trip to hell when 90’s science fiction horror cult classic, BRAINSCAN debuts on Blu-ray August 28, 2018. Produced by Michel Roy (EDtv, Senior Trip) and directed by John Flynn (Lock Up, Rolling Thunder), BRAINSCAN stars Edward Furlong (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), Frank Langella (The Americans), Amy Hargreaves (Homeland), and T. Ryder Smith as “The Trickster.” Available for the first time on Blu-ray, BRAINSCAN is a must have for movie collectors and contains special features including new interviews with cast and crew, audio commentary, and more! Pre-order is available now at Amazon.com

When Michael, a lonely teenager (Edward Furlong), orders the latest interactive video game, the new high-tech wizardry penetrates his subconscious, where his darkest impulses lead him through a deadly maze of murder, deception and desire. Pursued by homicide detective (Frank Langella) and prodded by "The Trickster" (T. Ryder Smith) who materializes into his room, Michael is torn between the worlds of good and evil, of reality and fantasy and, ultimately, life and death.

BRAINSCAN Blu-ray Special Feature:
- NEW Audio Commentary with assistant to the director Tara Georges Flynn
- NEW  A Virtual Debut – an interview with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker
- NEW Talking With Trickster – an interview with actor T. Ryder Smith
- NEW Merging Realities featuring interviews with special make-up effects supervisor Steve Johnson and special make-up effects artists Andy Schoneberg and Mike Smithson
- NEW Musical Virtuosity – an interview with composer George S. Clinton
- Trickin’ With Trickster: Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Fun on BRAINSCAN
- Deleted Scene
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Still Galleries

1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo/1994/Approximate Feature Running Time: +/- 96 Minutes/English Subtitles.

Rated R [for strong violence and language and some sexuality].
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88 Films Raises the Splatter Movie Stakes with Italian Gore Classic AMAZONIA!

July 12, 2018, 8:17 pm
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AMAZONIA (1985) 

Label: 88 Films 
Region Code: B 
Audio: English and Italian DTS-HD MA with Mono with Optional english Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Duration: 90 Minutes 
Cast:  Elvire Audray, Will Gonzales, Dick Campbell 
Director: Mario Gariazzo

Why wait until 20th August for your chance to see a cannibal corpse-crunching classic in a stacked HD special edition when AMAZONIA begins to ship from the 88 web site next week!!!


Fans of the video nasty era rocked along to the flesh-feasting greatness of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980) and CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) – but the BBFC were fast to ban such shockers outright, only adding to their controversial legacy. As a result, when AMAZONIA – also known as WHITE SLAVE and (wait for it) CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 – arrived on the horror scene in 1985, no one dared to submit it to the notoriously stringent British censor board. In today’s more lenient times, however, 88 Films is thrilled to bring this macabre masterpiece of late-day Italian exploitation excess to Blu Ray in a new 2k restoration, totally uncut and uncensored – and with all of the colourful creepiness oozing from the screen. For followers of this oddball cycle of sex and sleaze in the jungle steam, AMAZONIA more than holds it own against the genre progenitors that proceeded it and fans of plasma-spilling pot-boilers will doubtlessly be excited to add this outrageous innards-packed wonder to their Italian terror collection.

Starring the late screen siren Elvire Audray (IRONMASTER), and directed by Mario Gariazzo (ENTER THE DEVIL), AMAZONIA also boasts a screenplay from trash movie maestro Franco Prosperi (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2). Shot on location in the vast natural forests of Venezuela, WHITE SLAVE introduces viewers to the ‘true story’ of Catherine Miles – a beautiful blonde American expat, who witnesses the death of her parents at the hands of a local tribe. Things are only just beginning to turn bloody for Miles, however, as our helpless heroine is integrated into tribal life – first by losing all of her clothing and secondly by bearing witness to a number of tribal tortures that are certain to shock, scandalise and scare even the hardiest of horror-buffs! In AMAZONIA it is the law of the jungle that is King, and Catherine Miles might want to escape but word has it among her newfound ‘family’ that a gang of gut-hungry cannibals live in the surrounding jungle. 

Is it worth attempting a run for it? Only AMAZONIA reveals the ‘truth’ around the kidnapping and cannibals that threatened Catherine Miles during her ‘factual’ ordeal.


AMAZONIA basks in the blood, boobs and brilliance of Italian sick-cinema tropes and for this very special edition 88 Films has truly pulled out all the stops to present a feast of fabulously fleshy proportions. It will surely take more than one sitting to scoff-up the delicious extras on offer in this magnificent 88 Films release that – if ordered direct from the 88 Films web site – comes with a limited edition slipcase highlighting the original (frequently censored) Italian theatrical art that exposes the curves and curls of blonde-haired jungle-babe Elvire Audray! In addition, a limited booklet charts the career of Audray, from the Euro-music charts to the charms of cinematic starring roles and beyond. Furthermore, not only does AMAZONIA arrive in an international Blu Ray premiere but fans are treated to a fresh 50-minute documentary entitled THE LAST SUMMER: THE FINAL DAYS OF THE ITALIAN CANNIBAL FILM – charting the concluding tail-end of the cycle that includes AMAZONIA and other attempts to keep the ‘nasty native’ theme popular at the box office! Featuring contributions from the likes of Ed Sanchez (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), Ruggero Deodato (CUT AND RUN) and Michael Sopkiw (MASSACRE IN DINOSAUR VALLEY) this is a must-see slice of documentary-making. But we are not quite done yet – with an insightful on-camera interview with cameraman Federico Del Zeppo rounding off a package that makes AMAZONIA one of the most mesmerising 88 Films releases yet!

SPECIAL FEATURES
- LIMITED EDITION SLIPCASE - 500 UNITS ONLY (EXCLUSIVE) 
- LIMITED EDITION FIRST PRESSING BOOKLET - The Life and Times of Elvire Audray - By Dr Calum Waddell
- Brand New 2K Transfer of the Film From the Original Camera Negative
- Original Lossless Mono English and Italian Soundtracks
- Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian sountrack
-THE LAST SUPPER: THE FINAL DAYS OF THE ITALIAN CANNIBAL FILM - Feature length (50 mins) documentary and follow-up to the award winning EATEN ALIVE! THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ITALIAN CANNIBAL FILM. Includes interviews with actor Michael Sopkiw (MASSACRE IN DINOSAUR VALLEY), directors Ed Sanchez (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) and Ruggero Deodato (CUT AND RUN), academics Mikel Koven and Calum Waddell and author and critic John Martin!
- An Italian in Amazonia: Interview with Cameraman Federico Del Zoppo
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Collector's booklet on the life and times of AMAZONIA actress Elvire Audray
- Reversible sleeve featuring 2 alternative original artworks


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90's horror cult classic "THE UNBORN" hits Blu-ray on August 14th from Scream Fcatory!

July 13, 2018, 8:07 pm
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SCREAM FACTORY PRESENTS
THE UNBORN (1991) 

Label: Scream Factory 
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 96 Minutes
Video: 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Cast: Brooke Adams;James Karen;Lisa Kudrow;Kathy Griffin
Director: Rodman Flender

A young woman named Virginia Marshall is desperate to have a child. She joins an experimental in-vitro fertilization trial that succeeds, but something weird is happening to the fetus. She’s impregnated with a new generation of terror! On August 14th, 2018, SCREAM FACTORY™ is proud to unleash 90’s horror cult classic, THE UNBORN on Blu-ray. Produced and directed by Rodman Flender (Idle Hands) and written by Henry Dominic (The Game), THE UNBORN stars Brooke Adams (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Jeff Hayenga (Bones), and James Karen (The Return of the Living Dead, Poltergeist) and features early film roles in the careers of Lisa Kudrow and Kathy Griffin. Available for the first time on Blu-ray, THE UNBORN is a must-have for horror movie collectors and contains a brand new 2K scan of the film and new audio commentary with filmmaker Rodman Flender. Preorder is available now at ShoutFactory.com

A young wife (Brooke Adams) suspects that a mysterious doctor (James Karen) has inseminated her with mutated sperm in an attempt to create a super-human fetus. Unfortunately, there are extreme side-effects. More frightening than Rosemary’s Baby, this horror classic is not for the faint of the heart!

CALIFILM presents “THE UNBORN” BROOKE ADAMS JEFF HAYENGA JAMES KAREN
K CALLAN RICK DEAN KATHY GRIFFIN LISA KUDROW JANE CAMERON
Director of Photography WALLY PFISTER 
Production Designer GARY RANDALL
Music by GARY NUMAN and MICHAEL R. SMITH 
Written by HENRY DOMINIC
Produced and Directed by RODMAN FLENDER

Special Feature:
- NEW 2K scan of the original film elements
- NEW Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Rodman Flender and filmmaker Adam Simon
- Theatrical Trailer
  
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CBS Films and Lionsgate will release HELL FEST in theaters September 28th, 2018

July 13, 2018, 8:12 pm
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Welcome to HELL FEST, a terrifying new vision of horror from director Gregory Plotkin (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Editor – Get Out, Happy Death Day) and Producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator).

If you dare, prepare yourself for unimaginable scares in the Green Band Teaser Trailer coming next week…
HELL FEST 

Distributors: CBS Films & Lionsgate
Directed by: Gregory Plotkin
Written By: Seth M. Sherwood
Produced by: Gale Anne Hurd

Starring: Amy Forsyth (RISE, BEAUTIFULY BOY), Reign Edwards (THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, SNOWFALL), Bex Taylor-Klaus (VOLTRON, THE KILLING), Christian James (NASHVILLE, EXPOSED), Roby Attal (THE LONG ROAD HOME, RED ELEVEN), Matt Mercurio (BLACK LIGHTNING, THE RESIDENT) and Tony Todd (CANDYMAN, THE MAN FROM EARTH)

A masked serial killer turns a horror themed amusement park into his own personal playground, terrorizing a group of friends while the rest of the patrons believe that it is all part of the show.

College student NATALIE (Forsyth) is visiting her childhood best friend BROOKE (Edwards) and her roommate TAYLOR (Taylor-Klaus).  If it was any other time of year these three and their boyfriends might be heading to a concert or bar, but it is Halloween which means that like everyone else they will be bound for HELL FEST – a sprawling labyrinth of rides, games, and mazes that travels the country and happens to be in town.  Ever year thousands follow Hell Fest to experience fear at the ghoulish carnival of nightmares.

But for one visitor, Hell Fest is not the attraction – it is a hunting ground.  An opportunity to slay in plain view of a gawking audience, too caught up in the terrifyingly fun atmosphere to recognize the horrific reality playing out before their eyes.  As the body count and frenzied excitement of the crowds continues to rise, he turns his masked face to NATALIE, BROOKE, TAYLOR and their boyfriends who will fight to survive the night.

A terrifying thrill ride from iconic horror producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead, The Terminator) and director Gregory Plotkin (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Editor – Get Out, Happy Death Day), this September, audiences will discover that it’s fun going in… but it’s hell getting out.
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Severin Films Presents Del Tenney's THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964) – the Original Horror-Monster Musical Uncut on Blu-ray For the First Time Ever!

July 13, 2018, 8:22 pm
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THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964) 

Label: Severin Films
Release Date: August 28th 2018 
Region Code: A
Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono
Video: B/W 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Duration: 78 minutes in English
Director: Del Tenney
Cast: John Scott, Alice Lyon, Allan Laurel

In 1964, 20th Century Fox released an independent shocker – shot in two weeks for $50,000 outside Stamford, Connecticut by local producer/director Del Tenney – advertised as “The First Horror-Monster Musical.” More than 50 years later, this “Absolute classic of exploitation cinema” (Legends Magazine), returns like you’ve never seen or heard it before.

When nuclear waste dumped into the ocean mutates a shipwreck full of corpses, it will unleash an onslaught of bikini teens, surprising gore, dubious science, an intrepid maid, The Del-Aires, and arguably the greatest, worst monsters in horror movie history. Severin is proud to present this cult favorite from “Connecticut’s own Ed Wood” (Stamford Advocate), now featuring a new 2k scan from the original negative and loaded with all-new Special Features like nothing that ever stalked this earth!

Special Features: 
- Return to Party Beach: A Retrospective Documentary on The Horror of Party Beach.
- It's the Living End: An Encounter with The Del-Aires - Interview with band members Bobby Osborne and Ronnie Linares.
- Shock & Roll: Filmmaker Tim Sullivan on Rock & Roll Horror Movies.
- Archival interview with Director Del Tenney.
- Trailer.
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Lionsgate is proud to announce Hereditary, starring Academy Award® nominated Toni Collette, arriving on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, and DVD on September 4th.

July 17, 2018, 7:32 am
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HEREDITARY (2018) 

The Terrifying Psychological Thriller Arrives on
4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, and DVD on September 4 from Lionsgate

A family’s darkest secrets surface when Hereditary arrives on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), and DVD September 4 from Lionsgate. Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette “is raw, almost feral, making us feel in our marrow what it’s like to be a mother losing control of her family and maybe her mind” (Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly) in this riveting film from writer-director Ari Aster (Munchausen, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons) about a grieving family haunted by tragic and disturbing events. From the producers of The Witch and Split, Hereditary is being lauded as “a new horror classic” by the Los Angeles Times and as “this generation’s The Exorcist” by Time Out New York. The Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh™ horror film also stars Alex Wolff (Patriot’s Day, My Friend Dahmer), newcomer Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd (TV’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Gabriel Byrne (The Man in the Iron Mask, TV’s “Vikings”).

When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. Making his feature debut, writer-director Ari Aster unleashes a nightmare vision of a domestic breakdown that exhibits the craft and precision of a nascent auteur, transforming a familial tragedy into something ominous and deeply disquieting, and pushing the horror movie into chilling new terrain with its shattering portrait of heritage gone to hell.

Take home Hereditary and go behind the scenes with the cast and crew in a featurette exclusive to the home entertainment release, offering a revealing account of what it took to create this harrowing tale. Also included in the home entertainment release are nine never-before-seen deleted scenes and an “Evil in Miniature” photo gallery. Experience four times the resolution of full HD with 4K along with Dolby Vision™ HDR, which brings entertainment to life through ultravivid picture quality.  When compared to a standard picture, Dolby Vision can deliver spectacular colors never before seen on a screen, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker. The Hereditary 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.95, respectively.

4K UHD / BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
- Deleted Scenes
- “Cursed: The True Nature of Hereditary” Featurette
- “Evil in Miniature” Photo Gallery

Trailer: https://youtu.be/E2bvCHiteHg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HereditaryMovie/
Instagram: @hereditarymovie
Twitter: @HereditaryMovie
#Hereditary

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2018

Title Copyright: Hereditary © 2018 Hereditary Film Productions, LLC and A24 Distribution, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2018 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: R for horror violence, disturbing images, language, drug use and brief graphic nudity
Genre: Horror
Closed-Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: Spanish, English SDH
Feature Run Time: 127 Minutes
4K Ultra HD™ Format: 2160p Ultra High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 2.00:1 Presentation with Dolby Vision
BD Format: 1080p High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 2.00:1 Presentation
DVD Format: 16x9 Widescreen 2.00:1 Presentation
4K Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM
BD Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioTM
DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Audio™
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The cult favorite slasher, American Psycho 4K comes to 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (Plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) on September 25th from Lionsgate

July 17, 2018, 7:53 am
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AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000)
UNCUT VERSION 

Available on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack
Including Both Dolby Vision™ and Dolby Atmos®

Street Date: September 25th 2018
4K UHD SRP: $22.99

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Sit back, relax, and turn on some Phil Collins, becauseAmerican Psycho: Uncut Version arrives on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray™ and Digital) September 25 from Lionsgate. This groundbreaking thriller based on the acclaimed book by Bret Easton Ellis stars Academy Award® winners Christian Bale (Best Supporting Actor, The Fighter, 2010), Jared Leto (Best Supporting Actor, Dallas Buyers Club, 2013), and Reese Witherspoon (Best Actress, Walk the Line, 2005), alongside Academy Award® nominee Willem Dafoe (Best Supporting Actor, The Florida Project, 2017) as well as Justin Theroux and Josh Lucas. Experience four times the resolution of full HD with 4K along with Dolby Vision HDR, which brings entertainment to life through ultra-vivid picture quality. When compared to a standard picture, Dolby Vision can deliver spectacular colors, highlights that are up to 40 times brighter, and blacks that are 10 times darker. The release also features Dolby Atmos audio, which puts you in the action with bigger, more encompassing sound that fills your room – even overhead – to immerse you in your entertainment. The American Psycho: Uncut Version 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack is loaded with special features, including an all-new commentary by writer/director Mary Harron, and will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.99

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Patrick Bateman, a young, well-to-do man working on Wall Street at his father's company, kills for no reason at all. As his life progresses, his hatred for the world becomes more and more intense. Based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis. Screenplay by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner. Directed by Mary Harron.

CAST
Christian Bale The Dark Knight, American Hustle
Willem Dafoe The Florida Project, Platoon
Jared Leto Dallas Buyers Club, Suicide Squad
Josh Lucas A Beautiful Mind, Poseidon, Sweet Home Alabama
Samantha Mathis Super Mario Bros., Little Women, The Punisher
Matt Ross The Aviator, Face/Off
Bill Sage TV’s “Hap and Leonard,”We Are What We Are
Chloë Sevigny Lean on Pete, Boys Don’t Cry
Cara Seymour Adaptation, You’ve Got Mail
Justin Theroux Mulholland Drive, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Guinevere Turner Dogma, Chasing Amy
Reese Witherspoon Walk the Line, Wild

SPECIAL FEATURES
- NEW Audio Commentary with writer/director Mary Harron
- Previously Recorded Audio Commentary with writer/director Mary Harron
- Audio Commentary with writer Guinevere Turner
- Deleted Scenes with optional director Audio Commentary
- “The ‘80s: Downtown” Featurette
- “American Psycho: From Book to Screen” Featurette

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2000
Title Copyright: © 2000 Lions Gate Films Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Type: Theatrical Release
Rating: Unrated. This motion previously was released in a version rated R for strong violence, sexuality, drug use and language. This unrated version contains material different from the original R-rated version.

Genre: Thriller, Horror
Closed Captioned: N/A
Subtitles: English, Spanish, English SDH
Feature Running Time: 102 Minutes
4K Ultra HD™ Format: Dolby Vision, 2160p Ultra High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 2.35:1 Presentation
Blu-ray Format: 1080p High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 2.35:1 Presentation
4K Ultra HD™ Audio Status: English Dolby Atmos
Blu-ray Audio Status: English DTS-HD Master Audio™, English 5.1 Dolby Audio™


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BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) (Vestron Blu-ray Review)

July 17, 2018, 10:29 am
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BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) 

Label: Lionsgate/Vestron Video Collector's Series 
Region: Region-Free
Rating: R (but actually the unrated cut) 
Duration: 96 Minutes 
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Surround 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Brian Yuzna
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Jason Barry, Elsa Pataky, Santiago Segura, Simon Andreau 



After causing the Miskatonic University Massacre, Dr. Herbert West has been serving a prison sentence for the past 14 years. When Howard, a new young doctor, comes to work as the prison MD and requests Dr. West’s assistance, Dr. West discovers that Howard has something he left behind 14 years ago...



Beyond Re-Animator opens up with a wonderful pre-credit sequence of a pair of kids having an old fashioned  sleepover in their backyard, they're telling scary stories to each other in a tent and then take a break to go back inside the house to give one of the boy's sister a hard time.  Inside the trio are attacked by one of Herbert Wests re-animated corpses, apparently having wandered in from across the street, it's a stunning looking corpse that is missing it's lower jaw with its tongue hanging out in a sickening way. It kills the teen girl and then begins drinking milk straight from the carton before a cop shows up and blows it away. The traumatized kid watches as the cops arrest Dr. West (Jeffrey Combs, From Beyond) and put him in the back of a police cruiser, then finding a syringe full of the glowing green re-agent and the opening credits begin to roll, it's a start to the film.



Thirteen years later we catch-up with West now in prison, still working away on his unnatural quest to defy death, but in the time passed he's begun working on a new key component of the re-animation process, something he calls "Nano-Plasmic Energy", an energy that can be extracted from the brain and stored in a glass capsule/fuse that can then be transferred into the body of another re-animated corpse, which when used along with re-agent can theoretically restore the re-animated to a more natural state, and not one of the mindless psycho zombie-types usually associated with the serum. As he's in prison his experiments have been rudimentary and relegated to the rat population, up to this point he has had no re-agent serum to further test his theories, but all that's about to change with the arrival of a new prison doc. 



A new doctor arrived at the prison and he requests that Dr. West be assigned as his assistant, it turns out that new doc Howard Phillips (Jason Barry, Titanic) was the very same kid whose sister was murdered by one of West's creations thirteen years earlier. He's been obsessed with the Dr.'s work ever since and the two begin immediately working on a new batch of re-agent. The doc has also brought with him that syringe of re-agent he kept all those years ago, it's degraded some but the results are as problematic as you might expect, re-agent has never been without its share of unintended repercussions and it's no different this time. 



Tonally the movie is a bit of a departure from the previous entries, gone is Bruce Abbott as Dan Cain, West's former partner having turned state's evidence against him, and he's missed.  Also being set in a prison gives it a different feel and dynamic, as does  being shot in Spain but set in America. The tone and locations may be different, but Jeffrey Combs is still the quirky over-serious doc we've loved for years, and Howard Phillips makes for a good stand-in for the Dan Cain-type character for West. The new doc even has a tragic love-interest by way of an attractive local reporter named Laura (Elsa Pataky, Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt) who arrives at the prison to do a story about it's sadistic Warden Brando (Simón Andreu, The Blood Spattered Bride), who turns his pervy eyes onto Laura, which ends with her violent death after she refuses his come-ons and he learns of the unflattering true nature of her story. Of course this leads to Phillips ill-advisedly using the re-agent on his doomed lover, which only further damns everyone involved with the expected results when the prison breaks out into a riot, with the re-agent being spread around in liberal doses causing all sorts of freaky weirdness.




The special effects in this one are realized by Screamin’ Mad George (Society) and look very good, we get a handful of re-agent zombies, including a rat-like variant of the prison warden, a man cut in half, the jawless zombie from the beginning of the film, tit-munching and some digital effects that aren't too shabby for the time period, but the digital stuff is mostly relegated to small touches, but it looks like all the gore is practical, so that's good news, n the gore department this one is tops. 



Audio/Video: The unrated cut of Beyond Re-Animator (2003) arrives on region-free Blu-ray from the Lionsgate's Vestron Video Collector's Series in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen, it has a healthy veneer of film grain, and is easily superior to the recent region-B locked release from Umbrella Entertainment which had some DNR baked into the master they used, that release is reviewed HERE. The Vestron image is brighter and not de-grained, fine detail offering more of Herbert West's signature facial wrinkles and furrowed brow, skin tones look warmer and the image has better clarity and depth. Black levels are good looking, and while there's some minor noise evident throughout this is a very good looking presentation, easily the better of the two versions available on Blu-ray right now. Check out the screenshot comparison of the two releases below, while I prefer the Vestron release notice how blown out the whites are in the first comparison shot of the re-animated guy drinking milk compared to the Umbrella release, it looks a bit too hot, losing some detail, but that's really the only shot that looks iffy in the comparison, the increase in detail is rather noticeable in the close-ups.

Audio comes by way of an English DTS-HD MA Surround 5.1 that sounds very good, there are no issues with distortion or hiss, and the Xavier Capellas score which heavily references Richard Band's score for the first two films gets some nice depth. This is front heavy mix but the score and some directional audio get some play in the surrounds, everything sounds clean and well-balanced, optional English subtitles are provided.

Onto the extras we gets loads of new stuff beginning with an isolated score and audio interview with Composer Xavier Capellas moderated by Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures. Director Brian Yuzna shows up for a new nineteen minute interview speaking about setting it in a prison, what it was like shooting in Spain with a Spanish crew who weren't aware of the previous films, trying to recapture the tone of the series with only himself and Jeffrey Combs returning from the previous film. He also discusses the idea of nano-plasmic energy and the special effects used in the film. 
Jeffrey Combs shows up for a new 20-minute interview, he discusses the series, speaking of the space in between the series, shooting in Spain with Brian Yuzna, and the hurdles they had to overcome like the sometimes thick Spanish accents, which were overcome with  editing and voice over. He also describes the script as having potential but being a bit clunky, a work in progress, but thinking the kernel at the heart of the story was strong.

S. T. Joshi, author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft, who also appears on Vestron Dagon Blu-ray release,  shows up for a 16-minute interview discussing H.P. Lovecraft, his early career, the writing of Herbert West: Re-Animator, and how the the films compare to the source material, saying that the first film is actually quite faithful, capturing the wild grisliness of the source, and stating the original film is his preference of the series. 

The disc is buttoned-up with the original Brian Yuzna audio commentary that appears on previous home video versions, a five-minute gallery of production artwork by illustrator Richard Raaphorst with score from the film. I  am not sure what movie he was sketching for but I want to see that surreal nightmare movie he thought he was sketching these for, some great imagery in there. We also get the original 17-min EPK with vintage interviews from Director Brian Yuzna, and the cast including Jeffrey Combs, Jason Barry, Elsa Pataky, Santiago Segura, and Simon Andreau. There's also a 17-min still gallery, the theatrical trailer, the international trailer, and of course that awful Dr. Reanimator "Move Your Dead Bones” music video that seems to be on all the releases of the film, and spoiler alert, it hasn't got better with age. 

The single-disc release comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork, the wrap, slipcover and disc all feature the same key artwork, the slip is branded with the Vestron Collector's Series, and both the spine of the wrap and slipcover are numbered, this being number fifteen, and it looks great on the shelf with my handful of other Vestron titles. Notably, this release is branded with the R-rating, but it looks to be the unrated cut, which includes about eight seconds of additional gore by way of the junkie's guts bursting and some additional eye-trauma, and Laura's throat being slashed. 


 SCREENSHOT COMPARISON
TOP: VESTRON VIDEO 2018 BLU-RAY (REGION-FREE)
BOTTOM: UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT (REGION B)














Special Features: 
- Audio Commentary with Director Brian Yuzna
- NEW – Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer Xavier Capellas
- NEW – “Beyond and Back” – An Interview with Director Brian Yuzna (19 min) 
- NEW – “Death Row Sideshow” – An Interview with Actor Jeffrey Combs  (20 min) 
- NEW – “Six Shots By Midnight” – An Interview with S. T. Joshi, author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft (16 min) 
-  NEW – Production Art Gallery by Illustrator Richard Raaphorst (5 min) 
- Still Gallery (17 min) 
- Vintage EPK Featurette (18 min) 
- “Dr. Reanimator – Move Your Dead Bones” Music Video (4 min) 
- Theatrical Trailer (1 min) 
- International Trailer (2 min)

Beyond Re-Animator (2003) is third in the series and is last in terms of quality, while the story is an interesting examination of the evolution of the re-animation process and there's some keen practical effects the acting is uneven and the tone is inconsistent. Jeffrey Combs is still great as Herbert West, I just wish the movie around his performance was a bit better. but I will say that this one gets slightly better with each watch, but it's still a let-down compared to the previous entries. That being said this is easily the best looking version of the film on Blu-ray and the only one with new extras, making this the one to own when it comes down to it.
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88 Films Pays Tribute to the Late Great Umberto Lenzi with a Mega-Edition of his All-Time Terror Classic EYEBALL (1975)!

July 17, 2018, 2:55 pm
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EYEBALL (1975) 
Dual-Format Blu-ray 

Label: 99 Films
Region Code: B
Rating: Cert.15
Duration: 92 Minutes
Audio: English and Italian, DTS-HD MA Dual Mono with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Umberto Lenzi 
Cast: Martine Brochard, John Richardson, Ines Pellegrini

On general release from August 27th but shipping from the 88 Films website SOON is one of the grand guignol greats of giallo horror!

Long since regarded as an underrated name among the top tier Italian terror directors, Umberto Lenzi sadly left us just one year ago. As such, we at 88 Films have been preparing the ultimate edition of what is widely regarded as his most mesmerising horror hit – the 1975 stalk ‘n’ slash shocker EYEBALL! In this eerie bout of blood-splashed brilliance, a tour bus visiting some especially scenic Spanish resorts encounters a series of gruesome goings-on when one-by-one various tourists begin to lose their peepers to a red-gloved (yes, not a black-gloved!) slaughterer. It is difficult to predict how this rollercoaster ride of knife-play plasma-spilling fear will conclude but one thing is for sure… no one has seen EYEBALL looking better than in this amazing new 2k scan which comes as a packed (and we mean PACKED) limited special edition.

Never before seen in the UK, this spectacular 88 Films debut of EYEBALL will surely, finally, give Lenzi his standing as one of the finest fright-makers to ever step on a sanguine-caked movie set. Priced at the frankly astonishing bargain price of £15.99, EYEBALL is available for pre-order from 88 Films NOW and comes accompanied by a new 85 minute long documentary, ALL EYES ON LENZI: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE ITALIAN EXPLOITATION TITAN – which contains not just unseen Lenzi interview footage and an entire breakdown of the late, great exploitation-helmer’s phenomenal celluloid musings but is an official selection of the SITGES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018! In addition, this outrageously enthusiastic package includes and additional chat with the actress Martine Brochard whose credits include the likes of THE VIOLENT PROFESSIONALS and many other greats of the Rome-based gore-game. As well as original trailers and an audio commentary from Justin Kerswell and the Hysteria Continues team, fans can look forward to an extensive booklet that charts and horror highs and bullet-ridden police ballets of the one and only Umberto Lenzi!  

(Also live on the 88 Films site as of today are SURF NAZIS MUST DIE and the VHS-era masterpiece of creepy creature feature mayhem DEADTIME STORIES! Both attesting to the dedication that the label takes to resurrecting and revamping some of the most demanded exploitation and B-movie horror of yesteryear! We, as always, appreciate your support and encouragement!)



SPECIAL FEATURES
- Brand New 2K Transfer of the Film restored and regraded from original elements 
- ALL EYES ON LENZI: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE ITALIAN EXPLOITATION TITAN - Brand new feature length documentary (80 minutes) detailing the work and legacy of Rome’s most prolific grindhouse nightmare-maker. Features never-before-seen interview footage with Lenzi himself and comments from critics John Martin, Manlio Gomarasca and Rachael Nisbet, academics Calum Waddell and Mikel Koven, actors Danilo Mattei and Giovanni Lombardo Radice and director and writer Scooter McCrae!! 
- Eyeballs on Martine Brochard: 2018 Interview with Actress Martine Brochard 
- Eyeball Locations Featurette 
- Audio Commentary by the Hysteria Continues 
- Eyeball Trailers 
- Reversible sleeve featuring alternative artwork 
- 4 original “Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro” lobby card reproductions 
-Limited edition booklet featuring All About Umberto: an extensive and intricate 6000 word look back at the work of an Italian genre-bending legend... by Calum Waddell 
- Additional booklet copy - Cats and Eyeballs: An interview with Umberto Lenzi by Eugenio Ercolani

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