DVD Release: Everything You Want & More

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We do hope you saved your pennies cause September 26th, 2006 is going to be an expensive day…

Amazing Stories on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Amazing Stories (1993)
Directed by Kam Ngo Fan

No, there is no relation between this and the Steven Spielberg-produced anthology show that was a big hit in the 80’s, as if the cover weren’t evidence enough of that fact. It is an anthology, however, with karma as its central theme; a fox sacrificing his life to save a hunter, the repercussions of a shop owner’s murder on his cheating wife, and a story about a doll fairy (?) punishing a man for sexually abusing his wife are the three tales that make up the heart of the film. Buy it here!


Bollywood Horror Collection on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Bollywood Horror Collection
Directed by Various

The wait is finally over! No more wondering when we in the U.S. would finally get to see our first horror films with song and dance routines; Mondo Macabre has fulfilled our most secret of wishes! This two-disc collection features Band Darwaza, which is the Indian version of Dracula, and Purana Mandir, which is the story of the most recent member of a cursed bloodline attempting to put an end to their family’s suffering by breaking the curse. Mondo has packed the set with all sorts of goodies, so if you’re in the mood for something very, very different, here it is! Buy it here!


Chaos on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Chaos (2006)
Directed by David DeFalco

By now I’m sure you’ve heard at least one or two things about DeFalco’s “homage” to Wes Craven’s classic film Last House on the Left, but do you know the whole story? Probably not, but I’m sure you’ll get it on this stacked disc, though something tells me that you’re not going to care too much after you watch the movie. The simple fact that it has the balls to call itself, not quote from someone but actually make the statement, “The Most Brutal Movie Ever Made” should give you some idea of the kind of hyperbole that’s surrounded this movie from Day One. But don’t make my word for it… Buy it here!


Dark Shadows Collection 26 on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Dark Shadows Collection 26
Directed by Various

Much like death and taxes, one thing you can always count on is a new collection of Dark Shadows episodes once a month, but really, how many more can possibly be left? I’ve asked that before and found it to be a lot, so consider that rhetorical. Some of the plot lines in this set, which features episodes 1227-1245, include death with a suicidal Daphne, the explanation of the Collins curse, ghosts finding mummies, and of course tons and tons of bonus material culled from the DS archives. Buy it here!


Dark Waters on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Dark Waters (1994)
Directed by Mariano Baino

With this movie it seems that NoShame is finally moving out of the realm of strange Italian giallos and treading into the territory of strange Italian monster movies. The story involves a beautiful girl who travels to a desolate island after the death of her father to investigate his request to donate a large sum of his money to its residents. Turns out it’s the home of a prison for an aquatic demon, a demon whose wrath is about to be unleashed. Along with the normal edition pictured on the left, NoShame has a massive box set out today as well that is absolutely bogged down with extras including commentary, featurettes, and early short films from the director. Buy it here!


Dead Zone Collector's Edition on DVD (click to see it bigger!)The Dead Zone: Collector’s Edition (1983)
Directed by David Cronenberg

Though I appreciate the effort from Paramount to give us a collector’s edition of one of the best adaptations of King’s work to date, I really wish they could have hired someone with a few more skills to come up with the new cover art. I mean, seriously, have you ever seen something quite so hideous? The extras on this new edition might make up for it, but just barely, as they consist of five featurettes about the creation of the movie, something that has been far overdue for this creepy little flick. Click here for Syxx’s DVD review. Buy it here!


Dust Devil: The Final Cut on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Dust Devil: The Final Cut (1992)
Directed by Richard Stanley

Talk about a long time coming. Richard Stanley’s notorious supernatural serial killer movie got a shit release from Dimension years ago, and talk has been circulating for over a decade of a director’s cut of the film getting a real release. Subversive delivers on that promise, and then some, with this massive 5-disc edition of Dust Devil that includes not only Stanley’s final vision for the film but also a work print version (consisting of deleted scenes), a separate soundtrack, and three of Stanley’s amazing documentary films. Check out my DVD review of it right here, and then be sure you buy it here!


Frankenstein 75th Anniversary on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Frankenstein: 75th Anniversary Edition (1931)
Directed by James Whale

Didn’t think Universal could give you any more than they did with the Legacy Series box set from a few years back? Shows what you know! This time, however, the SE is just for the movie and not the series and includes two commentary tracks, two features, a Universal Monsters trivia game, a feature-length documentary about Universal’s history with the classic creatures, poster and still galleries, and a ton more. As an added bonus it doesn’t contain a single mention of Van Helsing unlike the last Legacy Collection DVD. Buy it here!


Frankenstein: El Vampiro y Companio on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Frankenstein: El Vampiro y Compania (1962)
Directed by Benito Alazraki

Didn’t know the Mexicans had a rip-off of Abbott & Costello? Man, you just think you know it all, don’t you? In fact they did, and this film is the closest they came to Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. The story is about two bumbling delivery men who are tasked with delivering wax figures to a creepy castle in Castille. Of course they come to life, and all sorts of wacky hijinks ensue. Buy it here!


Frankenstein: The True Story on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Frankenstein: The True Story (1973)
Directed by Jack Smight

Don’t let that subtitle fool you; from all accounts I could find there’s very little true about this 1970’s TV production. In fact, almost nothing from Mary Shelley’s original story survived this adaptation. The story finds the good doctor lured into reviving the dead by an even more insane doctor whose untimely death only serves to expedite the process of working out the secrets of life. All sorts of camp happens left and right, but overall I bet it’s a lot less dull than most other Frankenstein movies have been. Buy it here!


Head Trauma on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Head Trauma (2006)
Directed by Lance Weiler

The director of The Last Broadcast returns with this simple story of a man returning to his grandmother’s estate after her death. He comes back to find that squatters have taken up residence in his childhood home, and in the process of trying to clear them out, he hits his head very badly, which triggers a series of vividly real nightmares and visions. As they progress, he becomes slowly convinced that someone is trying to kill him. But is there really something after him, or is it just a product of his head trauma? Check out my DVD review of it right here! Buy it here!


Henry II: Portrait of a Serial Killer on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Henry II: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1998)
Directed by Chuck Parello

Picking up where the last film left off, though without the necessary presence of Michael Rooker in the title role, Henry II finds the titular serial killer taking a thankless job for a port-a-john company owned by a husband and wife. They take pity on the homeless maniac and invite him into their home. He soon finds out that the husband is also an arsonist-for-hire, and the first job they do together involves killing some squatters. Soon Henry has another accomplice, but just like Otis, he wants out when it becomes too much. Buy it here!


House of Carnage on DVD (click to see it bigger!)House of Carnage (2006)
Directed by Ryan Cavalline

Another story of two youths being stalked by a maniac in the middle of nowhere. Is anyone as sick of this same general premise as I am? Really, how many times can a story like this be told and remain fresh? This time out the youths are stalked through the rural area of Pennsylvania, hunted by a madman with an axe and his twisted family. Of course they dig the taste of our skin and want them some demon babies, too, which is understandable for a clan of inbred cannibals. Buy it here!


Land of the Minotaur/Terror on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Land of the Minotaur/Terror (1976/1978
Directed by Costas Karagiannis/Norman J. Warren

Two more odd horror films in one very cool box; I need to reiterate how good a job the guys at Brentwood are doing with their packaging as of late. Land of the Minotaur stars Donald Pleasence as a priest who must save three young people from the Satanic cult that has kidnapped them. Terror tells of a filmmaker who bring his friends together to watch a film about the deaths of his ancestors, and things go badly when the guests start dying in increasingly strange and painful ways. Trust me, I know from personal history, that always ruins a party. Buy it here!


The Last Broadcast on DVD (click to see it bigger!)The Last Broadcast (1998)
Directed by Stefan Avalos & Lance Weiler

The film that had the misfortune of being made before The Blair Witch Project but not actually coming out until after it, The Last Broadcast still has a good share of scares to share with its audience and some would argue is actually superior to the wildly popular Project. The film is about two cable access producers who enlist the help of a third cameraman to hit the woods in an attempt to document the existence of the Jersey Devil. A few days later only one of them emerges, however, and the truth has to be pieced together through his footage. Heretic has put together a great DVD package for this new release with tons of goodies like two commentary tracks, interviews, lost footage and more! Buy it here!


Madmen of Mandoras/Bride of the Monster on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Madmen of Mandoras/Bride of the Monster (1963/1955)
Directed by David Bradley/Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Ah, the double feature. I know it’s not doing that great at the cinema, but it sure as hell works on DVD until something better comes along. Madmen is the incredible story about a group of Nazis who just can’t move on with their lives after Hitler’s death so they save his brain and allow it to continue ordering them around. Bizarre. And then there’s Ed Wood’s Bride of the Monster about a doctor who captures 12 men in an attempt to make them all supermen using atomic energy. Buy it here!


Masters of Horror: Imprint on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Masters of Horror: Imprint (2005)
Directed by Takashi Miike

Finally, the one we’ve all been waiting for comes to DVD. The one Showtime said was just too horrific to show on their channel, despite the fact that the show is all about horrific things being shown. Miike’s tale is of an American who travels to a mysterious island in search of the woman he loves, a kind-hearted whore. Instead he meets a deformed girl who was once her friend and who has some very horrible news to deliver – in extremely graphic detail. Be sure to check out Creepy’s DVD review of it for more! Buy it here!


The Munsters: Two Movie Fright Fest on DVD (click to see it bigger!)The Munsters: Two Movie Fright Fest
Directed by Various

From one extreme of horror to another; here we have a box set of two movie starting America’s first family of fright, The Munsters. The first, Munsters, Go Home, finds Herman gaining Lord status when one of his relatives dies, forcing the family to take a trip to England, where they meet other members of the family and a lot of in-fighting goes on. The second, Munster’s Revenge, tells of a wax museum criminal circuit who are using Munsters disguises to do their dirty work, so of course the family is under suspicion almost instantly. Buy it here!


Naked and Dead on Blood and Black Lace on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Naked and Dead on Blood and Black Lace
Directed by Various

Sub Rosa decides to not only collect four bizarre B-movies from Spain into one box but give it one of the most confusing titles I’ve ever seen. Why not just call it “Erotic Horrors From Spain” for Christ’s sake? Here we have the skin flick Vampira (no relation to our Vampira), ,Night Vamps (which takes us into the world of sex and lust, never a bad place to be), Vampire Call Girls (that should be pretty self-explanatory), and Battle of the Colossal Women (two female scientists take an experimental drug that makes them both giants and horny for one another). What a strange, strange world we live in. Buy it here!


Nightmare on Elm Street on DVD (click to see it bigger!)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Directed by Wes Craven

Having just gotten to see this in theaters last week, I can tell you that the film looks amazing thanks to the good folks at New Line. One might wonder if their efforts to give Nightmare a new life on DVD have a connection to any long-term plans for the franchise, but New Line ain’t telling. Nevertheless, this new 2-disc edition contains tons of great stuff you’ve likely never seen before, not to mention the cleanest-looking and best-sounding Nightmare you’ve ever seen. Be sure to read Creepy’s DVD review for more, but do not hesitate to get this disc! Buy it here!


Pet Sematary on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Pet Sematary: Collector’s Edition (1989)
Directed by Mary Lambert

Another attempt by Paramount to give us a new edition of one of their catalogue with some horrible cover design choices being made along the way. What were they thinking, seriously? Well, this new edition features a commentary track by director Mark Lambert as well as three featurettes and a brand-new transfer and sound mix to ensure you’re getting the best Sematary you can; if only they had kept the original cover for it. Read Creepy’s DVD review here for further complaints about the cover … and details on the disc. Buy it here!


Stephen King Collection on DVD (click to see it bigger!)The Stephen King Collection
Directed by Various

So this is what it was all about; Paramount went back and gave us two special editions of their King movies then tacked on the standard editions of two others for this box set, which is a good buy no matter how you slice it. You get the CE of The Dead Zone and Pet Sematary as well as re-packaged versions of Silver Bullet and Graveyard Shift. I’ll be getting it, that’s for sure, cause you can never have too many Gary Busey werewolf films, damnit. Buy it here!


Street Trash: Meltdown Edition on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Street Trash: Meltdown Edition (1987)
Directed by J. Michael Muro

So the last edition of this 80’s gross-out classic wasn’t enough for you? What, you think you’re special or something, that you deserve new things all the time? You’ve got a lot of nerve. Luckily, Synapse is more forgiving than I, so here we have a 2-disc, feature-packed DVD of Street Trash. Features on this new disc include commentary, short films, a teaser or two, and a brand-new documentary about the making of the film. I really hope that’s enough for you for now; we wouldn’t want you getting spoiled or anything, would we? Buy it here!


TCM: Ultimate Edition on DVD (click to see it bigger!)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Ultimate Edition (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper

Though there have been numerous editions of Hooper’s classic film on DVD, what makes Dark Sky think they can call theirs “ultimate”? Well, for starters it’s got an HD transfer from the 16mm print, two commentary tracks, two 70+ minute documentaries on the film, “The Shocking Truth” and the all-new “Flesh Wounds”, a tour of the TCM house before and after its remodeling, deleted scenes, bloopers, and a helluva lot more. Yeah, I think “ultimate” is a good word for this one. Buy it here!


Zombie Pack 2 on DVD (click to see it bigger!)Zombie Pack 2
Directed by Various

Another collection of three classic zombie films from their original heyday, courtesy of the good folks at Media Blasters. This set includes Zombie Holocaust, about a expedition team who find themselves hunted by cannibals and zombies, the creations of a experiment by a mad scientist; Flesh Eater follows the exploits of a not-quite-dead psychopath one Halloween night, in which he kills kids left and right (Hey! That rhymed!); and Burial Ground, about a rotting group of recently-freed zombies who attack a jet-set group during one of their high-class parties. Buy it here!


Since it was such a long list this week, there are some titles I left off because they’re already out in one form or another. Blue Underground is releasing all four Blind Dead movies as stand-alone discs this week, and the first batch of Blu-Ray horror is hitting with titles like The Corpse Bride and Land of the Dead. Keep an eye out for those this week as well!

Johnny Butane

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