DVD and Blu-ray Releases: February 2, 2016
Happy Groundhog Day, folks. I read somewhere recently that in the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character lives the same day over and over again for an estimated 10,000 YEARS. This kind of blew my mind. I figured it was a pretty long time, but actual millennia? That’s terrifying.
Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. We’ve got a pretty extensive release list for you so let’s start with the discrepancies. Visions and Curve were both originally slated for October 6th of last year but have popped up again on my radar for this week. Be on the lookout for those unless you already got them in October. If that’s the case, lucky you.
Also, Rough Cut is coming out this week, and frankly, I have no idea what it is about. I’ve been trying to find information on it for a bit, but so far it’s an anomaly… no trailer, not even a description. It may not even exist at this point – or it may exist and if you actually are able to find it and watch it, you die a gruesome death a week later.
Seeing as it is now 2016, my new cutoff for what I deem to be classic is 1991. This has earned Highway to Hell its spot as a classic on this week’s list. Joining it is 1975’s The Giant Spider Invasion, which also had a similar release drop back in June of 2015. That’s it for classics for now.
Henry Rollins. He Never Died. Enough said.
This week also sees two television series: Season 2 of “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles” Season 1 DVD. “From Dusk Till Dawn” is another show where I got pretty far into the first season but forgot to keep watching it and have been kicking myself since. I don’t really know the premise of the second season, but being a fan of the original movie and what I’ve seen of the first season, I’d imagine it’s right up my alley. As for “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles,” I don’t know much about it, but generally speaking, Christina Ricci doesn’t attach herself to very many projects that make me shrug with indifference so I can’t imagine it’s that bad.
Lastly, there’s a ton of other releases to check out this week, including the remake of Martyrs. Some of you will think that’s cool while some of you won’t, but still I felt obligated to make it a main point. Browse through the rest of this week’s article, and keep checking back over the next weeks as we have a very busy upcoming calendar for this time of year.
Pleasant viewing, fiends.
MOVIES
All Hallows’ Eve 2 (2015)
Starring:
Andrea Monier, Damien Monier
Synopsis:
A maniac stalks a woman on Halloween night.
Purchase:
Anger of the Dead (2016)
Starring:
Roberta Sparta, Aaron Stielstra, Marius Bizau, Desiree Giorgetti
Synopsis:
Alice and Nicholas survived an epidemic that ravaged the world, now only inhabited by the undead. But the nightmare is not over; as they try to avoid the hordes of zombies, a new predator is coming through the darkness. As they search for other survivors and a safe place to begin a new life, the constant threat of death looms in the air and around every corner, death awaits.
Purchase:
The Bone Garden (2016)
Starring:
Ron Millkie, Paul Kratka
Synopsis:
Alice Hardy had it all, until her new neighbors moved in. Suddenly, missing students and a rising body count bring detectives, the police and crime dogs to her door. Desperate to untangle all the secrets and lies, Alice turns her gaze onto family and friends… only to realize she might be next in line for murder.
A non-stop thrill ride of plot twists and turns, The Bone Garden will keep you guessing until its shocking and bloody climax!
Purchase:
Curve (2015)
Starring:
Julianne Hough, Teddy Sears, Penelope Mitchell, Madalyn Horcher, Drew Rausch
Synopsis:
Julianne Hough (Safe Haven) stars in this horror-thriller as a young bride-to-be who deliberately crashes her car off a deserted highway in an attempt to escape from a charming, predatory hitchhiker, played by Teddy Sears (“Masters of Sex”). When the plan backfires, trapping her in an overturned vehicle, she defends herself against a terrorizing psychopath—only to uncover a shocking truth that fuels her fight for survival.
Purchase:
Extraordinary Tales (2015)
Starring:
Sir Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Roger Corman
Synopsis:
Five of Edgar Allan Poe s best-known stories are brought to vivid life in this heart-pounding animated anthology featuring Sir Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Roger Corman and Guillermo del Toro. Murderous madmen, sinister villains and cloaked ghouls stalk the darkened corridors of Poe s imagination, as his haunting tales are given a terrifying new twist by some of the most beloved figures in horror film history.
Purchase:
The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
Starring:
Robert Easton, Steve Brodie, Alan Jr. Hale, Leslie Parrish
Synopsis:
A titular spider invasion occurs when what appears to be a meteorite crashes down in rural Wisconsin and spawns spiders of varying sizes. The invasion is deduced to be the result of some sort of interdimensional gateway, and is ultimately thwarted when Drs. Vance and Langer manage to close off the gateway, draining the spiders of their energy and causing them to melt into puddles of disgusting sludge.
Purchase:
Half Human (2014)
Starring:
Brendan Byrne, Leoni Leaver, Rebecca Callander
Synopsis:
The Jingra, the bigfoot of the outback, has haunted Australia’s forests for centuries, content to keep to itself… until now. When Jay and his cameraman buddy Dylan pick up some women at a bar and decide to journey into Pilliga National Park, things take a sinister turn as the local legend comes out to play – complete with big teeth, sharp claws and a craving for human flesh.
Purchase:
The Haunting of Ellie Rose (2015)
Starring:
Paul Atherton, Tom George, Jeremy Sheldon, Andy Thompson, Craig Tuohy
Synopsis:
Torn apart from years in an abusive marriage, an emotionally unstable Ellie Rose arrives alone at her family’s cabin which stands by itself along a broken East Coast shoreline. The cabin, unused for years, still holds haunting memories of Ellie’s shattered past and murdered family. Plagued by nightmares of her childhood and ghosts of her past, Ellie anxiously prepares for an unwelcome visit from her ex-husband. Before long, Ellie’s nightmares turn into reality and she begins to spiral out of control until finally the waiting is over… Ellie must confront her fears, her family’s death and the truth once and for all.
Purchase:
He Never Died (2015)
Starring:
Henry Rollins, Steven Ogg, Booboo Stewart
Synopsis:
Jack (Henry Rollins) is in a rut. His existence has been whittled down to nothing. When he finds his long lost daughter has been taken by the city’s crime syndicate, he must combat his inner demons as he goes on a bloody war path to seek revenge.
Purchase:
Hellions (2015)
Starring:
Robert Patrick, Chloe Rose
Synopsis:
A teenager’s Halloween night turns into a terrifying fight to survive when trick-or-treaters from Hell show up at her doorstep. After getting the unwelcome news that she’s pregnant, seventeen-year-old Dora (Chloe Rose) just wants to stay in on Halloween. But then a knock at the door delivers a gaggle of pint-sized demons after one thing: Dora’s baby. Director Bruce McDonald unleashes a hallucinatory visual and auditory assault that propels Hellions to increasingly disturbing realms of terror.
Purchase:
Highway to Hell (1991)
Starring:
Patrick Bergin, Kristy Swanson, Chad Lowe, Pamela Gidley, Richard Farnsworth
Synopsis:
Chad Lowe (Life Goes On) and Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) star in this horror-comedy-action-adventure as young lovers, Charlie and Rachel eloping to Las Vegas for a secret wedding. Standing in their way is Satan, who has taken a liking to the lovely Rachel and has sent his Hell Cop (C.J. Graham, Jason from Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI) to bring her down to Hell where she can satisfy his devilish lust. When Charlie follows, he’s thrust into an expected world of living satanic bikers, cannibalistic blondes and a coffee shop where the only thing living is the food. The stellar cast includes Patrick Bergin (Patriot Games), Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story), Pamela Gidley (Cherry 2000), Kevin Peter Hall (The Predator from Predator 1 & 2), Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld) with his wife Anne Meara as Medea, his son Ben Stiller as Attila the Hun and his daughter Amy Stiller as Cleopatra… also featuring rocker Lita Ford and comedian Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler. Directed by cult director Ate de Jong (Drop Dead Fred) with a screenplay by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential).
Purchase:
Julia (2015)
Starring:
Ashley C. Williams, Tahyna Tozzi, Jack Noseworthy
Synopsis:
After suffering a brutal trauma, Julia Shames falls prey to an unorthodox form of therapy to restore herself. The film follows Julia as she awakens to her own true and holy violent nature, ultimately setting off to exact revenge on her attackers, the one thing her therapist forbade.
Purchase:
Martyrs (2016)
Starring:
Toby Huss, Bailey Noble, Troian Bellisario
Synopsis:
Ten-year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age. Nearly a decade later and still haunted by demons, Lucie finally tracks down the family that tortured her. As she and Anna move closer to the agonizing truth, they find themselves trapped in a nightmare – if they cannot escape, a martyr’s fate awaits them.
Purchase:
Night of the Wild (2015)
Starring:
Rob Morrow, Kelly Rutherford, Tristin Mays, Jill Zarin
Synopsis:
When a large meteor crashes into a quiet town, pet dogs become mysteriously aggressive – attacking and killing the residents. Now the citizens are forced to fight back against their once beloved companions.
Purchase:
The Piper (2016)
Starring:
Ryu Seung-ryong, Lee Joon, Lee Sung-min, Chun Woo-hee
Synopsis:
A gruesome retelling of the legendary Brothers Grimm classic! After the Korean War a flute-playing wanderer and his son arrives to a peaceful and remote village where he makes a deal to the chief to eradicate the uncontrollable rat infestation. Using his mystical flute he wipes the rats away from the village only to be paid with greed, corruption and betrayal while losing the ones he loves. Vowing for revenge he soon changes his tune and uses his magical flute to settle a score that will clean the land of filth once and for all!
Purchase:
Quarantine L.A. (2016)
Starring:
Bo Linton, Eugenia Kuzmina, Adrian Voo, Adia Dinh
Synopsis:
A group of seven strangers try to survive and escape from an isolated Los Angeles that has been infected by a strange, human changing virus.
Purchase:
Rough Cut (2016)
Starring:
Mike Daffau
Synopsis:
N/A
Purchase:
Uncaged (2016)
Starring:
Ben Getz, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Zachary Weiner, Garrett Hendricks, Paulina Singer
Synopsis:
Orphaned as a child in the wake of a grisly tragedy, Jack was raised alongside his cousin and best friend, Brandon. At age 18, however, Jack’s otherwise uneventful life takes a sinister turn when he’s suddenly plagued by a series of bizarre sleepwalking episodes. After repeatedly waking up in the woods naked with no memory of the night before, Jack straps a camera to himself to document his behavior—and discovers a shocking truth: He is the unwitting heir to a monstrous family legacy of savagery, slaughter, and unrelenting horror from which death may be the only escape!
Purchase:
The Veil (2016)
Starring:
Jessica Alba, Thomas Jane, Lily Rabe, Aleska Palladino, Shannon Woodward
Synopsis:
From the producers of Paranormal Activity and The Purge, comes a gritty docu-horror starring Jessica Alba (Entourage, Sin City), Thomas Jane (Hung), and Lily Rabe (“American Horror Story”). Follow the lone survivor of a religious cult mass-suicide as she returns to the scene of the tragedy for the first time, after 30 years, with a documentary crew in tow. What they unveil is more disturbing than they could have ever imagined.
Purchase:
Visions (2015)
Starring:
Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Parsons, Joanna Cassidy
Synopsis:
Leaving her hectic city lifestyle behind, young mother-to-be Julia joins her husband David at their beautiful new vineyard home only to be plagued by terrifying noises and visions of a sinister hooded figure. No one else hears or sees these hallucinations, not even David, who grows increasingly worried about his wife’s well-being.
Desperate to prove her sanity, Julia hunts down a local medium who reveals the haunted history of the vineyard in which she now resides. As she desperately pieces together past events to keep a future horror from occurring, Julia uncovers a dark conspiracy that puts her life and the life of her unborn child at risk.
Purchase:
The World of Kanako (2015)
Starring:
Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hiroya Shimizu, Fumi Nikaido
Synopsis:
An uncompromising revenge thriller of operatic scope, The World Of Kanako is a nonstop visual and emotional assault to the senses as it follows troubled ex-detective Akikazu on the hunt for his missing teenage daughter, Kanako. What he discovers in his search is an unsettling and harrowing web of depravity surrounding both Kanako and himself. As Akizaku stumbles along a shocking trail of drugs, sex and violence, he finds himself woefully unprepared for the revelations that affect all he holds dear.
Purchase:
Zombie Fight Club (2014)
Starring:
Andy On, Jack Kao, Jessica C, MC HotDog, Michael Wong
Synopsis:
In the not-too-distant future, at a corner of the city, in a building riddled with crime… there is an outbreak of zombies. When one young woman (Jessica C., Double Trouble) witnesses her boyfriend falling victim to the zombie horde, she must team up with a police officer (Andy On, The Viral Factor, Special ID, Cold War) in order to stay alive and escape the building. But the once warm-hearted chemistry teacher, Wu Ming, is now the zombie leader following the chaos, which has transformed him into a cruel, vicious and formidable opponent.
Ratcheting up the terror, an evil organization has begun pitting humans against zombies in a malicious killing game. The good side of humanity has seemingly all but vanished and a world of uncertainty awaits…
Purchase:
TELEVISION
“From Dusk Till Dawn” Complete Season 2
Starring:
D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza Gonzalez
Synopsis:
In season two of the supernatural crime saga, core relationships deepen and become more complicated as everyone tries to put their lives back on track after one very insane day. Santánico and Richie (living outside of Houston) are now partners in crime, resembling a more modern version of Bonnie and Clyde; Seth and Kate are scraping by as small time criminals south of the border; and Freddie Gonzalez has an almost obsessive focus on protecting his wife and young daughter in the suburbs. Carlos Madrigal and Scott Fuller emerge from the Titty Twister, changed men. They will all come together once again this time facing off against an even bigger threat.
Purchase:
“The Lizzie Borden Chronicles” Season 1
Starring:
Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Cole Hauser, Dylan Taylor, Jessy Schram
Synopsis:
“The Lizzie Borden Chronicles” delivers an intense and fictionalized account of actual events and people surrounding Lizzie’s life after her controversial acquittal of the horrific double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892, when the exonerated figure lives a life awash in newfound celebrity filled with scandalous love affairs. But when numerous people close to Lizzie start to mysteriously die under brutal and strange circumstances, legendary Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo becomes determined to prove her involvement in their ultimate demise.
Purchase:
COLLECTIONS
Infected / State of Emergency Double Feature
Starring:
Luke Hobson, Nicky Paul Barton, Roger Fowler, Samuel Hogarth, David Wayman
Movies:
Infected
An average day in a quiet suburb becomes ground zero for the end of the world that we knew. When a fast-spreading global pandemic turns ordinary people into flesh-eating monsters, a handful of terrified survivors and the remnants of an army squad find refuge in an elementary school turned emergency shelter. With the hordes of walking dead trying to get in, scarce weapons and a dwindling food supply, the embattled refugees begin to turn on each other. As they slowly perish, they desperately attempt to escape and determine if they are the last uninfected humans left on Earth.
State of Emergency
After an explosion unleashes the contents of a military bio-weapons plant, the unsuspecting populace is transformed into a roaming army of flesh-eating zombies. Trapped in the quarantine zone, Jim (Jay Hayden, A Warrior’s Heart) finds himself cut off, confused and fighting for his own survival. Contacted by a small band of others unaffected by the toxins, Jim sets out to reach their besieged warehouse. Becoming the group’s de-facto leader, he struggles to keep order as they hunker down, fortify their stronghold and arm themselves against the attacking mutants. Fragmentary radio reports from outside hint at a last-ditch government rescue plan. But can the survivors hold out until help arrives… or will they succumb to the living hell of an undead apocalypse?
Purchase:
Categorized:News
