DVD Releases: September 28, 2010: Frozen King Kong is a Madman at FrightFest
Steve Barton
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After a couple of light on horror weeks, we are finally treated to a bumper crop of new releases. Headlining the week is Frozen, which is just what we in Southern California need to stave off our current heat wave. A couple of oldies but goodies are out, too, as Madman celebrates its Happy 30th Birthday and the original King Kong comes to Blu-ray. Fangoria’s eight FrightFest titles bow as well.
Frozen
Directed by Adam Green
In Frozen (review), Adam Green has crafted a potent combination of absolute terror and compelling human drama that will stick with you long after you’ve left the theatre or turned off the DVD. One thing’s for sure: The next time your friends invite you on a ski weekend, odds are you’ll try to convince them to head to the beach instead. Frozen stars Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell and Kevin Zegers.
Buy the Blu-ray or the regular DVD.
The Killer Inside Me
Directed by Michael Winterbottom
Based on the classic novel by legendary pulp writer Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me tells the story of handsome, unassuming small town sheriff’s deputy Lou Ford. A quiet charmer of his idyllic West Texas town, Ford has a simple life and a pretty girl to come home to. But when the job brings him face-to-face with a gorgeous prostitute on the edge of town, Ford’s fragile world cracks – unbridling his own dark urges. The Killer Inside Me stars Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Ned Beatty and Elias Koteas.
Buy the Blu-ray or the regular DVD.
Suck
Directed by Rob Stefaniuk
The Winners are a down and out band who find their road to stardom by riding rock-n-roll’s highway to hell. It all begins when their bass player, Jennifer (Jessica Paré), disappears with a mysterious vampire and reemerges with a sexual charisma that drives the audiences wild. Now, The Winners are topping the charts and blazing a bloody trail across North America with legendary vampire hunter Eddie Van Helsing (Malcolm McDowell) hunting them along the way. Suck also stars Dave Foley, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins.
Buy the Blu-ray or the regular DVD.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Directed by Frank De Felitta
Dark Night of the Scarecrow tells of a mentally handicapped young man (Larry Drake of Darkman and Dr. Giggles villainy) wrongfully accused of assaulting a young girl in a rural farm community. Veteran character actor Charles Durning leads a lynch mob of locals to hunt down the gentle simpleton, who attempts to disguise himself as the scarecrow in his mother’s field, only to get gunned down in cold blood by the mob.
Buy the DVD.
Madman 30th Anniversary Edition
Directed by Joe Giannone
At a summer camp for youths, cockey pre-teen calls out the name of mass serial killer “Madman Marz”. Suddenly, counselors are being maimed and slaughtered in various ways by the backwoodsman who has returned when his name was called. Madman stars Gaylen Ross, Tony Fish, Harriet Bass, Seth Jones and Jan Claire.
Buy the DVD.
King Kong (Original 1933)
Directed by Kevin Brownlow and Christopher Bird
The newly remastered King Kong features extensive bonus content, including a collectible Blu-ray Book written by renowned film historian Rudy Behlmer; a feature length documentary on Kong creator Merian C. Cooper, directed by acclaimed filmmakers Kevin Brownlow and Christopher Bird; commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston with Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray; and a seven-part documentary that delves deeply into just about every aspect of the making of the film.
Buy the Blu-ray DVD.
Prey
Directed by Darrell Roodt
Tom Newman can’t join his family on their first African adventure vacation due to urgent business obligations, but hopes the trip will provide a chance for his son and daughter to bond with his new young wife, Amy. Their ranger, Brian, decides to add some extra thrills and adventure to their trip and takes them “off roading.” All is well until Amy and the two kids become lost in a labyrinthine game reserve and begin to be stalked by savage lions who won’t quit until they have dinner. Prey (review) stars Bridget Moynahan, Peter Weller, Carly Schroeder, Conner Dowds and Jamie Bartlett.
Buy the Blu-ray DVD.
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film
Directed by Andrew Monument
Horror and sci-fi veteran Lance Henriksen (Alien, Near Dark) takes you through a fascinating look at the history of the American horror film, examining the earliest monster movies of the silent era up to the scariest modern-day masterpieces. Highlights include interviews with genre masters Darren Lynn Bousman, Roger Corman, John Carpenter, Mick Garris, Joe Dante, and George A. Romero, plus clips from classic films like The Exorcist, Night of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Hostel, Rosemary’s Baby and many more! Check out our review.
Buy the DVD.
7 Days
Directed by Daniel Grou
How far would you go to get revenge on the man who raped and killed your little girl? In the tradition of the horror masterpiece The Last House On The Left, 7 Days (review) shows a doctor (Claude Legault) kidnapping, tying up and then methodically extracting every drop of justice from the vile criminal he is convinced did that horrific deed. The hostage (Martin Dubreuil) begs and pleads and insists he s innocent…only to turn around and boast of his crimes, perhaps in the vain hope that the nightmare will end sooner. But the not-so-good doctor has told his wife and the police and the world he will not relent for seven days.
Buy the DVD.
Dark Woods
Directed by Michael Escobedo
A young married couple moves to a secluded area to cope with the wife’s terminal illness. As the wife’s condition gets worse, the husband’s growing detachment from her forces him into a tumultuous relationship with a local teenage girl whom he rescues from a sexual assault. Dark Woods stars Tracy Coogan, John Muscarnero, Mary Kate Wiles, James Russo and Mark Shady.
Buy the DVD.
Brothel
Directed by Amy Waddell
After her lover commits suicide, Julianne runs away from her life in the city and moves in the small ghost town of Jerome, Arizona. She purchases an abandoned brothel from the turn of the century, and sets to work turning it into a hotel; but in the process of restoring the past, she comes to know the ghosts of the brothel. Brothel stars Serena Scott Thomas, Grace Zabriskie, Brett Cullen, Bruce Payne, and Timothy V. Murphy.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Pig Hunt
Directed by Jim Isaac
When John takes his friends to his deceased uncle’s remote ranch to hunt wild pigs, it seems like a typical guys weekend. But as John and his crew trek deeper into the forest, they begin tracking the awful truth about his uncle’s demise and the legend of The Ripper – a murderous three-thousand-pound black boar! Pig Hunt (review) stars Travis Aaron Wade, Tina Huang, Howard Johnson, Jr., Rajiv Shah and Les Claypool.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Dark House
Directed by Darin Scott
In Dark House (review), a troubled young woman, Claire (Meghan Ory) returns to the house where she witnessed a horrible massacre fourteen years ago with a small group of friends. The house has since been turned into a haunted house attraction led by impresario Walston Ray (Jeff Combs). As the day rolls on, the group slowly begins to realize there may be other forces at work in the house, as the attractions begin to come to life with seemingly murderous intent.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Hunger
Directed by Steven Hentges
Five strangers awaken to find themselves trapped in an underground dungeon. They soon realize they are the subjects of one man’s sadistic experiment to test the depths of a human being’s will to survive. As the days go by with no means of escape, their hunger increases as their humanity fades away. Hunger stars Linden Ashby, Lori Heuring and Lea Kohl.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Fragile
Directed by Jaume Balaguero
As the new night nurse at a soon to be abandoned children’s hospital readies the last group of orphans to leave, it becomes increasingly clear that these are not normal children. Something living in the hospital, something the children call the mechanical girl; has a terrifying hold over them and will stop at nothing to keep them in the hospital with her forever. Fragile stars Calista Flockhart, Elena Anaya, Richard Roxburgh and Gemma Jones.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – The Haunting
Directed by Elio Quiroga
Francesca is a young pediatrician who has been traumatized by the loss of a child through crib death. When the family moves to a new home in the country, supposedly to help her recover from the experience, she begins seeing completely inexplicable things. The house in which they now live seems to hide terrible secrets. Both the cellar and the attic are locked and barred to the family – and it is from both of these places that Francesca receives nocturnal visits that are slowly driving her mad. The Haunting stars Ana Torrent and Francisdo Boira.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Grimm Love
Directed by Martin Weisz
Graduate student Katie Armstrong researches cannibal killer Oliver Hagen for her thesis, she becomes obsessed with her subject and ultimately plunges into a lifestyle similar to Hagen’s and the thousands of people like him. Based on a true story. Grimm Love (review) is directed by Martin Weisz and stars Keri Russell and Thomas Kretschmann.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – Road Kill
Directed by Dean Francis
Four young friends on a camping adventure are run off the road by an erratically driven road train – a massive three-trailer truck. With their own vehicle wrecked and the road train stopped, the friends march off to vent their anger at the driver. But the truck is empty. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the sound of gunshots. To escape, the friends commandeer the road train. What they discover inside the vehicle s trailers proves more terrifying than anything out there on that lonely road. The next town is only three hours away, but will they reach it? Road Kill (review) stars Sophie Lowe, Bob Morely and Xavier Samuel.
Buy the DVD.
Fangoria FrightFest Presents – The Tomb
Directed by Michael Staininger
Successful writer and scholar, Jonathan Merrick, falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful, Ligeia. She’s fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people’s souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia’s everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness. The Tomb (review) stars Michael Madsen, Wes Bentley, Eric Roberts and Kaitlin Doubleday.
Buy the DVD.
– kwlow
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