Top 10 Cult Horror Blu-ray Releases of 2015 to Add to Your Collection
It was a miracle I watched anything in 2015. Sadly, I skipped many of the genre’s new releases, gravitating instead toward the heaps of old favorites and forgotten gems that were dusted off for HD genre junkies.
No overarching criteria went into evaluating these titles. Obviously, audio/video quality is the biggest factor, and then I considered a whole range of others while compiling this list.
Is the movie good? How are the supplements? Not every film here is a jam-packed special edition, and no prizes have been awarded for the glossiest slipcover. Still, here are ten genre titles (and a runner-up) that were done right on Blu-ray this year.
10. The Love Butcher (1975)
Released by Code Red
Code Red doesn’t always make it easy to get their stuff. Ever since leaving the retail game, Code “Blus” have only been available in two places: the Big Cartel shop and Screen Archives Entertainment. This 1975 oddity can only be purchased at the former, and if you’re a fan of low-budget sleaze, this psychological proto-slasher, about a deranged gardener killing upper class women, is a must-have. The extras are light, just a director’s commentary here, but applaud Code Red for bringing this obscurity to Blu-ray. Adventurous horror fans who’ve never seen this are going to dig it, and the HD presentation is quite impressive.
9. A Candle for the Devil (1973)
Released by Scorpion Releasing
Like Code Red, Scorpion Blus aren’t the easiest to come by. While many of their titles are available on Amazon, another subset is available exclusively to Screen Archives. That’s the case for this 1973 chiller. Its title implies satanic panic, but that’s not the case. Instead we focus on two sibling inn proprietors—one of whom is a religious zealot who fancies herself an agent of God, killing the immoral among them. Director Eugenio Martin (Horror Express) has plenty to say about the church’s influence on society writ large and makes great use of the Spanish village where this is set. Scorpion created a new master for this Blu-ray, bringing another lost movie to the forefront of technology.
8. The Brood (1979)
Released by The Criterion Collection
One of the worst covers in recent memory aside, Criterion’s long-awaited release of David Cronenberg’s masterpiece is the must-have edition. Throw out those old MGM discs, because the A/V quality here is perfection. And the movie? Let’s just say it was much easier to take upon initial discovery. As an adult, the themes of marital anger and despair resonate in a way they couldn’t possibly to a high school kid. Add to it my newfound fatherhood this year, and it’s profoundly unsettling in a way that few films are. It’s the work of a master filmmaker, with the payoff that’s pure nightmare fuel. Come for the movie, stay for the fantastic supplements that Criterion has included.
7. Vampyros Lesbos (1970)
Released by Severin Films
Love him or hate him, European horror/exploitation wouldn’t be the same without the late, great Jess Franco. And while I prefer some of his other offerings (Faceless is one I’m praying someone will bring to BD), there’s no denying the erotic power and influence of Vampyros Lesbos. Understanding its importance, Severin Films has seen fit to provide this title with a wonderfully classy release. Frankly, it’s worth your bucks just to savor Soledad Miranda in HD. That the movie has never looked better is just the icing on the cake. The movie itself is a slow psychedelic seduction—an acquired taste for sure, but an essential one for fans of Euro cinema. And kudos to Severin for securing an interview with the legendary director just before his passing. This is the perfect way to honor Franco’s legacy.
6. Long Weekend (1978)
Released by Synapse Films
I love Australian horror, and this is probably my very favorite offering from Down Under. It’s an environmentally conscious story of a married couple vacationing on a lonely stretch of Australian coastline, victimized by the land they brashly disrespect. It’s also the wrenching story of a failing marriage. Directed with confidence by Colin Eggleston, I’m not sure another movie utilizes silence as effectively. With an unnerving climax pushing it into all-timer territory, Long Weekend needs a spot on your shelf. Synapse previously released this on DVD, but if you know anything about their work, you know their Blu-ray restoration is a thing of beauty.
5. Madman (1982)
Released by Vinegar Syndrome
Madman. In 4k. Let that sink in. Vinegar Syndrome has only been on the scene for a few years, but they’ve proved themselves a force to be reckoned with. We need look no further than this year’s superb Madman release for proof. This is one of the best slasher films of the golden age—a literal campfire legend come to life that now comes in a fantastic package to boot. You won’t believe how good this looks/sounds, and VinSyn has licensed most of the supplements from previous releases, making this one a no-brainer.
4. Society (1989)
Released by Arrow Films
While Society has a long-held cult of admirers, it’s never had the following it deserves. Much like The Brood, I didn’t have the wherewithal to fully process writer/director Brian Yuzna’s sly take on societal inequality as a kid. Sitting down with Arrow’s disc this summer was like watching it for the first time, and that’s just part of the fun. Arrow’s limited edition set is easily the best packaged release this year. The disgusting box art (representing the film’s climactic “shunting”) stands out in the best possible way, and it comes packed with a nifty sequel comic that’s worth a read. And that’s just the tip of the supplemental iceberg. Within the span of a calendar year, Arrow has arrived in the U.S. and already ascended to the very top of the cult label ladder. Society gets the royal treatment, and it shouldn’t fly under the radar any longer.
3. Army of Darkness (1992)
Released by Scream Factory
I love definitive editions. We’re reaching the point in physical media’s life cycle where it’s time to start saying “no” to double, triple, and decuple dips. Scream Factory seems to have realized this too, choosing to spare no expense for Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness. With no less than four cuts of the film (the TV version is included as an SD extra on Disc 3) and piles of supplements, no stone is left unturned. Image quality is mostly great, although I really wish these guys would kill compression issues once and for all, as there are fleeting moments of it here. Still, a massive improvement over Universal’s own release a few years back, this is how you treat one of the most popular cult movies of our lifetime.
Extra props to Scream Factory for handling the disc replacement program with the utmost quickness, too.
2. The Beyond (1981)
Released by Grindhouse Releasing
Grindhouse had a killer year. Not only did we finally get Fulci’s masterpiece on Stateside Blu-ray in a killer edition, they also released Duke Mitchell’s duo of mafia exploitation flicks, as well as Umberto Lenzi’s trash classic Cannibal Ferox. Still, you can’t top The Beyond, and Grindhouse knows it. They stuffed this sucker full of extras, new and old, and delivered the best technical presentation I’ve ever seen for The Beyond. It took me a week to make it through all the extras, and the inclusion of the soundtrack CD is a fantastic touch as well. This is one of the most important genre films of the 80s, and this release supports that reputation.
1. Blood Rage (1983/1987)
Released by Arrow Films
I can’t believe Blood Rage, previously one of the most obscure slashers of the 1980s, is at last available in the best Blu-ray package of the year. Blood Rage went from being MIA to fully definitive in a single Stateside release. In our review we theorized that this was about to win a lot of new fans. Not only does the Blu-ray look amazing, but Arrow includes three different versions for us completionists. The 2k restoration of the 1983 cut is a thing of beauty, while the censored 1987 theatrical cut is included as a curio. There’s also a composite print that Frankensteins the two together. Extras are plentiful, and it’s beyond rewarding to get some perspective on this overlooked gem. Seriously, if you only buy one Blu-ray off this list, it should be Blood Rage. More slashers deserve the Criterion treatment, and I trust Arrow to deliver big in the years to come.
Honorable mention: Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985)
Released by Scream Factory
Okay, look. I’ve long since come to terms with the fact that I’m this movie’s only fanatical fan. The head of every genre label has laughed in my face for requesting this. But that doesn’t matter anymore because Scream Factory has answered my prayers. They’ve given this werewolf classic more fan service than even I would’ve thought possible. That makes them heroes. I’ve never seen the movie look better, but what’s more important is the way it sounds. Blasting the great Steve Parsons soundtrack on my sound system was one of my favorite experiences in 2015, and I do believe the supplements push this into “must-have” territory if you’ve had even a passing inkling to own this.
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