DVD and Blu-ray Releases: July 26, 2016
Sean Brickley
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We’re back again for another week of all things digitally scary. Hopefully you’re in a climate that isn’t as hot and humid as my native Northeast. I feel as though I’ve sweated out an entire other person in the past week.
Anyhow, back to the task at hand. There are a bunch of classics to discuss this week, so let’s get right to them.
Starting with the 1960’s, we’ve got Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic Dementia 13 restored on Blu-ray. One of our collections this week also represents the decade of peace and love with Monstrosity and Teenage Zombies.
Next up is the decade of disco and cocaine, though it would have been a lot cooler if it had just remained more like Dazed and Confused. The Thriller Killers Blu-ray delivers three early 70’s exploitation movies, loaded with a bunch of extras. Two other movies getting the Blu-ray treatment this week are 1978’s Hellhole and 1973’s The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.
The last of our classics comes to us from 1980 by way of Dr. Butcher MD (originally titled Zombie Holocaust). Whether you buy the DVD or the Blu-ray of this classic, you will have both the original Italian release and the re-edited American release.
In addition to everything above, there are a bunch of recent releases including a Stephen King double feature. We’ll see you again next week. Pleasant viewing.
MOVIES
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973)
Starring:
Kerwin Mathews, Elaine Devry, Scott Sealey, Robert J. Wilke, Susan Foster
Synopsis:
A boy upset by his parents’ divorce must also tell the sheriff his father is a werewolf.
Purchase:
Consumption (2016)
Starring:
Sarah Greyson, Arielle Brachfeld, David Lautman, Chris Dorman, Myles Cranford
Synopsis:
A group of friends travel to the snowy Utah mountains for a weekend retreat, but one of them carries with him a very dark secret, one that will destroy their lives forever as they prepare to face an ancient, unstoppable evil that has been growing in the woods outside their winter resort, one that will soon grow inside them all.
Purchase:
Dementia 13 (1963)
Starring:
William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton
Synopsis:
Written and directed by a 24-year-old Francis Coppola, Dementia 13 centers on the dysfunctional Haloran family, who have converged at Haloran Castle to enact a morbid ritual in remembrance of Lady Haloran’s (Ethne Dunn) deceased daughter, Kathleen (Barbara Dowling). Secrets shroud Kathleen’s demise, and soon there is a mysterious interloper prowling the grounds with a big axe to grind… Genuinely engaging and well-photographed, Dementia 13 is a bone-chilling horror classic sure to thrill horror enthusiasts and Coppolla fans alike.
Purchase:
Doctor Butcher MD / Zombie Holocaust (1980)
Starring:
Ian McCulloch, Alexandra Delli Colli, Sherry Buchanan
Synopsis:
It sparked riots on 42nd Street, spawned a generation of gorehounds on VHS, and forever set an insane standard for Italian mad doctor/zombie/cannibal carnage worldwide: Ian McCulloch (Zombie), Alexandra Delli Colli (The New York Ripper), Sherry Buchanan (Tentacles) and Donald O’Brien (Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals) star in this blood orgy of gut-munching, eyeball-gouging and face-chopping originally known as Zombie Holocaust, which a notorious American distributor would then re-edit, re-title and re-release as a certified grindhouse masterpiece.
Severin Films now presents both films fully restored for the first time ever from original vault elements discovered in Manhattan and Rome, and loaded with all-new Bonus Features that finally reveal the unbelievable truth behind its bizarre history, infamous marketing and still-deviant legacy.
Purchase:
Exorcist: House of Evil (2016)
Starring:
Connor Trinneer, Amy Holland Pennell, Mark Holzum, Margaret Kimble
Synopsis:
Based on a true story, shot in the real exorcist house, a young woman returns to her old family home, the site of an infamous exorcism, and discovers the devil never left. This film was shot in the real exorcist house and during filming captured both audible and visible paranormal activity which has been left in the film giving those who dare to watch a unique look into one of the most infamous homes in America and possibly exposing them to the devil still lurking within.
Purchase:
Hellhole (1978)
Starring:
Mary Woronov, Robert Z’Dar
Synopsis:
Hell is on a island off the coast of the Philippines where women are captured from around the world and used for the sexual gratification of a group of assassins. Caged like animals! Sexually abused and brutally tortured… escape is their only hope! A terrifyingly gruesome and shocking film!
Purchase:
The Invitation (2016)
Starring:
Logan Marshall-Green, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Tammy Blanchard, Lindsay Burdge
Synopsis:
In this taut psychological thriller by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer’s Body), the tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green, Prometheus) shows up to his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard, Into the Woods) and new husband David’s (Michiel Huisman, Game of Thrones) dinner party. The pair’s tragic past haunts an equally spooky present: Amid Eden’s suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda. Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will–and the audience–are unsure what threats are real or imagined.
Purchase:
Jacob’s Hammer (2016)
Starring:
Helen Holman, Luis James Farouk, Diane Rimmer, George Mccluskey, Thomas Sean Hughes
Synopsis:
No one sees Jacob. It’s not allowed. Sadie keeps him hidden. It’s best that way. She’s always done that. Ever since…..well….ever since. She loves him very much. Maybe she loves him too much, because Jacob’s not like other little boys. There is something wrong with Jacob. Something, sometimes, only a mother can see. Sadie would do anything for Jacob. She will always protect him no matter what. After all, he’s only a child her child. He should be protected. Sadie needs to protect him. Always. Until. The night sweats and dreams she could deal with. Even the nightmarish apparitions she could live with. But when friends and family are ripped from life, ripped from her life, Sadie must confront the truth. Jacob is out of control. The ultimate evil is in her son. Perhaps, the ultimate evil IS her son. Jacob’s Hammer, when a mother’s love is no defense.
Purchase:
https://amzn.com/B01HQP9Y44
Night Seekers (2016)
Starring:
Menetie T. Ejeye, William Bryant, Kristin Lorenz, Shah Granville
Synopsis:
It was that time again for the friends to reunite at their yearly reunion. When they arrived to Astro Island, the people in the small town forewarned the group not to go near the forbidden zone. As the day progresses, the curiosity level of some members of the group increases and they all decide to take the risk. They decide to camp out in the forbidden zone and what happens next to some of the members in the group after their arrival remains a mystery.
Purchase:
The Perfect Husband (2016)
Starring:
Gabriella Wright, Bret Roberts, Carl Wharton, Tania Bambaci, Daniel Vivian
Synopsis:
Viola (Gabriella Wright) and Nicola (Bret Roberts) are going through a difficult period. The couple and their marriage are strained by a termination of pregnancy that has overwhelmed them unexpectedly. To overcome this crisis, they decide to spend a weekend in an old cottage in the woods,. But what was supposed to be a romantic weekend suddenly turns into a deadly nightmare as seething suspicion, maddening paranoia and blind rage explodes around them.
Purchase:
Vampires: Lucas Rising (2016)
Starring:
Rhys Howells, Dan Briggs, Abigail Law-Briggs, Turan Duncan, Rebecca Eastwood
Synopsis:
After having his true love Toby snatched from his arms and dragged into hell’s realm, Lucas followed in vain searching and fighting his way through the demonic hordes in the underworld. A year later, Lucas is summoned back to earth by his immortal friend Mikal to help stop Lilith, the Queen Mother of the Vampires, and her devilish plan to create a master vampire race using students from an esteemed college. With the help of a powerful witch and her coven, Lucas continues his search for his immortal lover Toby while trying to stop Lilith’s evil plan.
Purchase:
The Zombie King (2016)
Starring:
Edward Furlong, Corey Feldman, George Mccluskey
Synopsis:
Samuel Peters once an ordinary man, dabbles within the laws of voodoo to bring his wife back from the grave, he soon encounters the God of malevolence ‘Kalfu’, where he makes a pact with him to destroy the underworld and bring chaos to earth; in return he will become ‘The Zombie King’ and walk the earth for eternity with his departed wife. Seven days before the rise of the Dark Moon, Samuel Peters (The Zombie King) calls upon Kalfu to raise seven of the recently departed, where their souls must be held on earth for seven days. With the ever growing horde of zombies, they begin to completely wipe out a countryside town. Once the Government get wind of what is going on, they set a perimeter around the town area and employ a shoot on sight policy. Trapped within the town, the locals and unlikely bunch of misfits fight for their lives, and the remaining humans soon realise that they have to unite in order to survive. Seeking sanctuary in a local church, they discover a bizarre disturbed priest where he gives them the knowledge of ‘The Zombie King’. Can our hero’s unravel the clues in time and survive or will The Zombie King and his horde of zombies rise on the night of the dark moon?
Purchase:
COLLECTIONS
Big Driver / Riding the Bullet
Starring:
Maria Bello, Olympia Dukakis, Joan Jett, Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette
Movies:
Big Driver
From best-selling author Stephen King comes Big Driver, starring Maria Bello, Olympia Dukakis, Joan Jett, and Will Harris. Tess Thorne, a famous writer, faces a long drive home following a book signing. On a lonely New England road, her tire blows out, leaving her stranded. Relieved when another driver stops and offers assistance, Tess quickly discovers her savior is actually a serial killer who assaults her. Left for dead, Tess escapes, determined to find her attacker and seek revenge.
Riding The Bullet
Alan embarks on a 100-mile hitchhike to see his mother in the hospital. Along the way he must confront his many demons- both living and dead- and in the end make the ultimate choice that will mean life or death for him and his mother!
Purchase:
Killer Thrillers Collection
Starring:
Carroll Baker, Isabelle De Funes, Flavio Bucci, Macha Meril, Edwige Fenech
Movies:
Baba Yaga
Legendary sex symbol Carroll Baker stars as a mysterious sorceress with an undying hunger for sensual ecstasy and unspeakable torture. But when she casts a spell over a beautiful young fashion photographer (the gorgeous Isabelle De Funes), Milan’s most luscious models are sucked into a nightmare world of lesbian seduction and shocking sadism. Are these carnal crimes the result of one woman’s forbidden fantasies or is this the depraved curse of the devil witch known as Baba Yaga?
Night Train Murders
It was released as Second House On The Left, New House On The Left, and Torture Train. The ads screamed, ‘Most movies last less than two hours! This is one of everlasting torment!’ It remains one of the most graphically fiendish films in exploitation history, the story of two teenage girls traveling through Europe, forced into a nightmare of sexual assault and sadistic violence.
Strip Nude For Your Killer
The stunning Edwige Fenech stars in this infamous shocker that packs more grisly violence and sexual depravity into each frame than most any other film in the entire giallo genre. There’s succulent flesh aplenty as a mysterious killer dressed in black leather and wearing a motorcycle helmet begins butchering beautiful young fashion models with no mercy and one deranged request: Strip Nude For Your Killer!
Purchase:
Monstrosity / Teenage Zombies Double Feature
Starring:
Don Sullivan, Katherine Victor
Synopsis:
This DVD presents a double dose of completely off-their-rocker mad scientists!
Movies:
Teenage Zombies
Jerry Warren’s insane Teenage Zombies (1960) features a lumbering monster, a wild gorilla and Katherine Victor as the smoking hot, evening gown-wearing, zombie-maker. Throw in teen favorite Don Sullivan (Giant Gila Monster) and some short-shorts crazy chicks and you’ve got one bizarre experiment in terror.
Monstrosity
Monstrosity (1963) pushes its sexual content to the limit as a bitter old maid plots to have her brain transplanted into one of her luscious house guests. All presented for the first time ever in Wide Screen 16×9 anamorphic transfers from 35mm!
Purchase:
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