DVD and Blu-ray Releases: February 7, 2017
Welcome back, folks. We had a good handful of last minute additions this week, which bumps our total count up to 23 releases. Combine that with next week’s 29 releases and February alone has more than 50 entries to choose from. We have a good handful of classics this week, as well as some decent TV releases, so let’s get to it.
Starting with the 1960s, we have DVD releases for Dr. Orloff’s Monster and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. There’s something about doctors and their monsters that just seems to put people off.
We do have an entry from 1970 coming to us from Hammer Films. Now we can all Taste The Blood Of Dracula. I’d imagine it’s very high in iron.
From the 1980s we have the Critters collection. My favorite scene will always be from the bowling alley. That’s how you knock some pins down. Also from the 80s is “Twilight Zone: The Complete 80s Series.” Rounding out the best decade ever is 1984’s Wild Beasts on DVD and Blu-ray.
IN addition to the “Twilight Zone” entry, we also have Season 3 of “From Dusk Til Dawn” as well as the complete “Penny Dreadful” series.
All of this comes along with a bunch of other titles this week, including the highly anticipated Abattoir. Keep reading below and see what else tickles your fancy, and be sure to check back next week for more fancy tickling. As always, pleasant viewing.
MOVIES
Abattoir (2016)
Starring:
Lin Shaye, Jessica Lowndes, Joe Anderson, Michael Pare, Dayton Callie
Synopsis:
An investigative reporter works to solve the mystery of a haunted house constructed from rooms of the deceased.
The Alchemist Cookbook (2016)
Starring:
Ty Hickson, AmariCheatom
Synopsis:
Suffering from delusions of fortune, a young hermit hides out in the forest hoping to crack an ancient mystery, but pays a price for his mania.
Antibirth (2016)
Starring:
Natasha Lyonne, Chloe Sevigny, Meg Tilly
Synopsis:
Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne, “Orange In The New Black”) and her best friend Sadie (Chloe Sevigny, #Horror, Love & Friendship) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Who (or what) is growing inside her? As her due date approaches with alarming swiftness, the fear, paranoia, and conspiracy theories begin to pile up. Spiked with blasts of hallucinatory color, surreal shocks, and subversive comedy, the audacious feature debut from Danny Perez is a no-holds-barred descent into delirium. This “Weird, messy and oddly fascinating”, (Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International) film also stars Meg Tilly (Psycho II) and Mark Webber (Green Room).
Candiland (2015)
Starring:
James Clayton, ChelahHorsdal, Gary Busey
Synopsis:
New lovebirds Peter and Tess find solace in each other s brokenness. They decide to isolate themselves from the world inside Peter s apartment, creating their own reality Candiland, but their possessive love descends into a surreal savagery. Cut-off, Peter s father must fight to save them both before they completely disappear into madness.
Dead West (2016)
Starring:
Brian Sutherland, Meagan Karimi-Naser, Jeffrey Arrington, Aurelio Voltaire, Michael Joseph Draper
Synopsis:
A charismatic outlaw sets out on a murderous cross-country trip searching for true love. Each time he thinks he has found “the one,” he ends up disappointed – and she ends up dead. Managing to elude capture by traveling from one town to the next, his luck runs out when Tony, the brother of one of his victims, tracks him down. Suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted as Tony seeks vengeance by enforcing his own brand of vigilante justice.
Death Reel (2017)
Starring:
Alan Smithee
Synopsis:
An eccentric collector of rare movies shot on Super-8 dies and his library is sold off. Film Fanatic Marty Weeks successfully bids on several reels of film and rushes home to watch them. The projector clatters to life an the light flickers on the screen as terror unspools in early short films made by the Polonia bros between 1983 and 1985, right before their switch to the new video format. Witness the celluloid horror of maniacal cults, scarecrow vengeance, and even an Aqua-Maniac! Watch as Death Reel unfolds and the fevered beginnings of the Polonia Bros gets you in its death grip!!!!!! DVD-R (all DVD-R’s are professionally pressed and silk screened by Discmakers). SRS Cinema Limited Edition, JUST 100 Will Be Sold Ever!
Dr. Orloff’s Monster (1964)
Starring:
Hugo Blanco, Agnès Spaak, Perla Cristal
Synopsis:
The follow-up to Jess Franco’s career-launching film The Awful Dr. Orloff, Dr. Orloff’s Monster is a modern gothic thriller, injected with moments of perverse eroticism, science fiction, and smoky jazz. When Melissa (Agnés Spaak) returns to her ancestral home to claim her inheritance, she finds that the castle is filled with strange characters and dark secrets. Governing the crumbling manor is a diabolical scientist, Dr. Conrad Jekyll (Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui), who uses high-frequency mind control to command an undead henchman (Hugo Blanco) to perform a series of vicious murders. When a dry-witted detective (Pastor Serrador) and Melissa’s suitor (Pepe Rubio) trace the crimes back to Jekyll’s castle, they realize the only way to trap the zombie is to use Melissa as bait.
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
Starring:
Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Jones, Simon Ward, Thorley Walters
Synopsis:
In this horror thriller, Peter Cushing stars as Baron Frankenstein, the mad scientist who creates yet another grotesque monster—supposedly in the interest of science–when he transplants the brain of an insane doctor into a different body. Note: A controversial rape scene was onlyadded in at the last minute, after shooting was nearly complete, because Hammer studio head Sir James Carreras thought the film lacked “sex.”
Massacre On Aisle 12 (2016)
Starring:
Chad Ridgely, Michael Buonomo, Jim Klock
Synopsis:
It’s Christmas Eve at the famous Mr. Beavers’ hardware store. Except on this special holiday night – a dead body and a duffel bag full of cash are discovered locked in a box on Aisle 12. Staring at a dead body and a box of loot the employees must now decide – do the right thing? Or take the money and run…
Paranormal Abduction (2016)
Starring:
Edward Furlong, Vail Bloom, Heather McComb
Synopsis:
A young women suffering memory loss and psychological issues after surviving a brutal attack, tries to piece together the clues surrounding her attack and its similarities to a series of recent murders. During the investigation, she struggles to maintain her sanity as her world gets more surreal and reality starts to unwind around her. Following the clues that lead her down the “rabbit hole” she finds herself fighting to wake up from this nightmare…before she becomes the next victim.
The Priests: Exorcism (2015)
Starring:
Dong-won Kang, Byeong-ok Kim, Eui-sung Kim, Yun-seok Kim, so-dam Park
Synopsis:
After a hit-and-run accident a girl named Young Shin is in coma, possessed by one of the 12 manifestations of evil that hide inside and threaten humans. Despite numerous failures, Father Kim and a young, rebellious seminarian named Choi, conduct one last exorcism to free her from the demon s powerful reach. Choi must now battle with his dark inner past in order to save the girl and those around him.
Queen of the Damned (2002)
Starring:
Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Lena Olin
Synopsis:
After years of slumber, the legendary vampire has awakened and found acceptance in a tattooed, pierced and black-clad world. He’s a rock star. And his awesome goth-riffed sound has echoed around the globe…and stirred to life the fearsome Mother of All Vampires. Based on “The Vampire Chronicles” by Anne Rice, whose work previously came to the screen in Interview with the Vampire.
Recovery (2016)
Starring:
Samuel H. Larsen, James Landry Hebert, Alex Shaffer
Synopsis:
The night before their high school graduation, Jessie and her friends are guided by a “Find My iPhone” app to recover her lost device from a house whose demented tenants are hell-bent on making her a flesh-and-blood member of the family.
The Red Man (2016)
Starring:
Daniel Faraldo, Daniel David Diamond, Charissa Saverio
Synopsis:
A celebrity DJ and recovering drug addict, Evan Gough has had enough the fame, fortune and transparent friends; he is done. Increasingly recurring nightmares from a tragic past are stirring skepticism and suspicion about his life and neighbors at his trendy apartment tower.
Especially unsure about his psychiatrist s prescribed medication regimen, Evan turns within and embarks on a soul-searching journey through psycho-self-analysis and his own intuition.
Suspecting that his psychiatrist, along with his new apartment neighbor, are possibly involved in a secret society conspiracy and are drugging and killing his fellow celebrity tenants, Evan teams up with Dr. Verde s intern to find the truth.
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Starring:
Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Gwen Watford, Linda Hayden, Peter Sallis
Synopsis:
A black cloak … A ring … And a phial of red dust. Three Londoners become ensared in a demonic trap when they use three artifacts to help a Satan-worshipping aristocrat resurrect a long-dead vampire who forces them to Taste the Blood of Dracula. Swearing vengeance on the descendants of the men who vanquished him, Count Dracula vows that the targets of his revenge will be murdered by their own children–even though the men to die are those responsible for his rebirth.
Wild Beasts (1984)
Starring:
Lorraine De Selle, John Aldrich, Ugo Bologna
Synopsis:
For his final work, Godfather Of Mondo Franco E. Prosperi took on the Nature Strikes Back genre and delivered perhaps the most shocking movie of his controversial career: When PCP gets into the water supply of a city zoo, the drug-crazed beasts including tigers, lions, cheetahs, hyenas and elephants, as well as seeing eye dogs and sewer rats go berserk and rampage through the streets of Rome. What follows is a terrifying mix of actual animal attacks (supervised by professional circus trainers) and over-the-top 80s Italian gore that remains the greatest eco-revenge shocker in EuroCult history. Lorraine De Selle (Cannibal Ferox, House At The Edge Of The Park) and Ugo Bologna (Nightmare City) star in this disturbing urban bloodbath, now digitally remastered for the first time ever and bursting with all-new Special Features!
TELEVISION
“From Dusk Till Dawn” Season Three
Starring:
Brandon SooHoo, Wilmer Valderrama, Robert Patrick, D.J. Cotrona, Eiza González
Synopsis:
Season three of “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” continues the Gecko brothers’ saga as they fight their way through the chilling world of culebras, the vampire-snake hybrids that control hidden empires in Texas and Mexico. Once the baddest outlaws in the land, Seth and Richie made a run for the Border two years ago to save their lives – and their fortune. After stumbling into a bar full of bloodsuckers and bandits, the Geckos encountered the vampire goddess Santánico, joining her cause to settle an old score. It won them a place in the culebra world. Now that world is on the verge of violent and destructive explosion as new enemies hell-bent on domination gather to take them down. In typical Gecko fashion, Seth and Richie assemble an unlikely crew (some new, some old) to take on the forces of hell.
“Penny Dreadful” The Complete Series
Starring:
Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, Billie Piper
Synopsis:
Some of literature’s most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. They are joined by a core of original characters in a complex, frightening new narrative, where personal demons from the past can be stronger than vampires, evil spirits and immortal beasts. Relive every chilling episode of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful if you dare – available in a complete series set on BD and DVD for the first time!
“The Twilight Zone” The Complete 80s Series
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Bud Cort, David Faustino, Frances McDormand, Giovanni Ribisi, Helen Mirren, John Carradine
Synopsis:
Travel into the fifth dimension once again with The Twilight Zone, testing the limits of reality and exploring the mysteries of the universe. Airing from 1985 to 1989, this critically acclaimed anthology series carried on the legacy of the original Rod Serling program and attracted a brand new audience of fans. The series features major stars – including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Martin Landau and many more! — in compelling tales of intrigue by such noted writers as Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Arthur C. Clarke and Theodore Sturgeon.
COLLECTIONS
Critters 4-Film Collection
Starring:
Various
Movies:
Critters
Hungry hairballs escape from a maximum-security asteroid, land in Kansas and eat a cow.
Critters 2: The Main Course
Alien bounty hunters hunt man-eating hairballs, for whom a boy visiting his aunt is blamed.
Critters 3
Hairy little aliens make their way to a city in search of their favorite snack.
Critters 4
Space salvagers find an earthman in suspended animation, sharing a pod with alien eggs.
Freak Fest 5 Movie Collection
Starring:
Peter Graves, James Philbrook, Tamio Kawaji, Kôjirô Hongô, Nobuhiro Kajima
Movies:
Killers From Space
Nuclear scientist Doug Martin disappears after his plane crashes while he is investigating conditions following an atomic bomb test. When he appears at the military base later, he is taken into custody after he is caught spying. When he is injected with a truth serum, it is hard to believe his incredible stories of alien abduction, world conquest and control of animals and insects.
Monster from a Prehistoric Planet
A Japanese tycoon sends out an expedition to a remote South Pacific island to investigate the story of some mysterious creatures revered as gods. Arriving with reporters in tow, the expedition soon discovers a small reptilian creature in an underground cavern. Despite the warnings of the natives to leave it alone, the expedition takes the creature, known as Gappa, back to Japan to be exhibited at the tycoon s theme park. Unfortunately, the creature s parents decide to retrieve their baby and storm Japan intent on doing so regardless of the damage they must inflict.
Destroy All Planets
The reign of terror continues when aliens take two boy scouts hostage to blackmail Gamera into aiding their invasion of Earth. When that plan fails the giant alien leader Viras battles the flying turtle in a duel to the death.
Attack of the Monsters
Gamera, the giant flying turtle, spins into action when two young boys board a spaceship and are hijacked to a strange planet on the other side of the sun. While the boys evade the clutches of two brain-hungry alien beauties, Gamera must deal with a knife-nosed monster named Guiron.
Sound of Horror
A group of archeologists is exploring mountains in a remote part of Greece when they stumble across an unexpected find. While blasting away the rock to find the hidden treasure, the explorers awaken a prehistoric creature with the power of invisibility. Only the shrieking cries of the approaching monster give its victims any warning to their terrifying fate.
Monsters Quad
Starring:
Various
Movies:
Leprechaun
An Irish fairy escapes from a crate and goes on a gory quest for his 100 stolen gold coins.
The Collection
When Elena’s (Emma Fitzpatrick) friends take her to a secret party at an undisclosed location, she never imagined she would become the latest victim of The Collector, a psychopathic killer. The Collector kidnaps and transports her to an abandoned hotel he’s transformed into his own private maze of torture and death. Upon learning of his daughter’s disappearance, Elena’s wealthy father (Christopher McDonald) hires a group of mercenaries to retrieve her from the vicious grips of The Collector. These mercenaries coerce Arkin (Josh Stewart), the only man to have escaped the wrath of this heinous monster, to lead them through the gruesome labyrinth. Now, Arkin finds himself fighting for his own life in order to save Elena.
My Bloody Valentine
Ten years ago, a tragedy changed the town of Harmony forever. Tom Hanniger, an inexperienced coal miner, caused an accident in the tunnels that trapped and killed five men and sent the only survivor, Harry Warden, into a permanent coma. But Harry Warden wanted revenge. Exactly one year later, on Valentine’s Day, he woke up…and brutally murdered twenty-two people with a pickaxe before being killed.
Ten years later, Tom Hanniger returns to Harmony on Valentine’s Day, still haunted by the deaths he caused. Struggling to make amends with his past, he grapples with unresolved feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Sarah, who is now married to his best friend, Axel, the town sheriff. But tonight, after years of peace, something from Harmony’s dark past has returned. Wearing a miner’s mask and armed with a pickaxe, an unstoppable killer is on the loose. And as his footsteps come ever closer, Tom, Sarah and Axel realize in terror that it just might be Harry Warden who’s come back to claim them…
Texas Chainsaw
In 1974, enraged townspeople hunt down and kill every member of the Sawyer family for committing a series of grisly murders. Decades later and hundreds of miles away, a young woman learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from a grandmother she never knew she had. After embarking on a road trip with friends to uncover her roots, she finds she is the sole owner of a lavish, isolated Victorian mansion. But her new found wealth comes at a price as she stumbles upon a horror that awaits her in the mansion’s dank cellars.
The Shadows Collection: 8 Films
Starring:
Dale Anderson, Paul Collett
Categorized:News
