News:
The Colossus of New York & The Space Children, headed to Blu-ray from Olive Films

March 30th, 2012 | article by | No Comments »
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Previously released to DVD by Olive Films, Eugene Lourie’s stylish creature features the great Ross Martin (Experiment in Terror) as the eponymous The Colossus of New York - a massive robotic hulk powered by the brain of a brilliant young inventor. Also featuring John Baragrey (The Creeper), Mala Powers (City Beneath the Sea), and Wtf-Film favorite Robert Hutton (The Man Without a Body, They Came From Beyond Space). The Colossus of New York Blu-ray is slated for release on June 19th, and is currently up for pre-order through Amazon.com.

Also set for release on June 19th is former Universal B-producer William Alland (The Mole People, Tarantula) and director Jack Arnold’s Paramount sci-fi The Space Children, in which an alien intelligence uses children to tamper with a government space project. Famously mocked in late-season MST3K and previously unavailable on home video, The Space Children is arriving on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time, and is currently up for pre-order through Amazon.com.

 



News:
Bava’s Demons to haunt limited edition steelbook this April

March 12th, 2012 | article by | 3 Comments »
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Gorehounds and ’80s hair metal apologists take note – Arrow Video’s long-in-the-works editions of producer Dario Argento and director Lamberto Bava’s inimitable schlock-rock horror classics Demons and Demons 2 are finally on the horizon!

Though delayed (…again) until April 30th and recently negotiated for Region B only (these were originally announced as All Region, but the licensor has since stipulated otherwise), Demons and Demons 2 are still looking damned attractive to my Stateside eyes. Perhaps the most promising news, beyond the usual spate of Arrow-produced supplements and superfluous packaging flair, is that the films are each being restored from the original negative not by the usual suspects, but by Cineteca di Bologna, who worked with Martin Scorsese to restore Fellini’s La Dolce Vita in 2010. I hope this bodes well.

More exciting news arrived just a few days ago, when it was let known that, in addition to the standalone Blu-ray and DVD editions already planned, Arrow intended to released both Demons and Demons 2 as a limited edition steelbook combo release. Posts at the CultLabs forums show this to be a pretty impressive looking package, though it will lack some of the standalone editions’ considerable paper extras (including the switchable covers, fold-out posters, and exclusive comic book sequel). Actual on-disc content appears exact. The details of this limited edition 2-disc steelbook, quoted from Amazon.co.uk, are below:

INCLUDES:

- Limited Edition SteelBookTM packaging
- Collector s Booklet featuring brand new writing on both films by Calum Wadell
- Brand new HD restorations of both films
- Optional English and Italian audio and English subtitles for Italian and English (SDH) audio for both films

DEMONS SPECIAL FEATURES:

- The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Special Make-Up Creations Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
- The audio recollections of the cast and crew, featuring Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, Geretta Geretta and Claudio Simonetti
- Dario s Demon Days: Producer Dario Argento discusses the inception of Demons
- Defining an Era in Music: Composer Claudio Simonetti on the Demons Soundtrack
- Luigi Cozzi s Top Italian Terrors: Cozzi discusses the highpoints of Spaghetti Splatter

DEMONS 2 SPECIAL FEATURES:

- The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Mechanical Creations & Transformation Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
- Creating Creature Carnage: Extensive Interview with makeup man Sergio Stivaletti
- Bava to Bava: Luigi Cozzi tracks the history of the Italian horror film; from Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava to the end of the golden age with Michele Soavi and Lamberto Bava as well as considering recent Italian horror films.

The Demons + Demons 2 limited edition 2-disc steelbook Blu-ray is slated for release on April 30th, and is available for pre-order through Amazon.co.uk. For fans in the US, it also currently costs £3.31 (a little over $5, plus exchange fees) less to import than the standalone editions due in large part to differences in shipping charges. Make of that what you will.

The already well-publicized standalone DVD and Blu-ray editions are still up for order as well. Click on the appropriate cover below to reserve your copy today:

   

Due to personal taste and even-tighter-than-usual finances, I’ve pre-ordered the limited edition steelbook for my home shelf – a comprehensive review will be readied as soon as it arrives. Stay tuned!



News:
On Blu this week: Two from Twilight Time

March 12th, 2012 | article by | No Comments »
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On March 13th limited edition home video label Twilight Time will be releasing the latest in their Blu-ray line, one deep catalog release each from the libraries of 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures:

First up is 20th Century Fox’s lavish extra-wide 2.55:1 CinemaScope follow-up to 1953′s The Robe, the 1954 sword and sandal smash Demetrius and the Gladiators starring Wtf-Film favorites Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, and Ernest Borgnine, and directed by Delmer Daves (the original 3:10 to Yuma). From ScreenArchives:

DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS (1954) (PRE-ORDER) (BLU-RAY)
Starring: Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, Richard Egan, Ernest Borgnine, Susan Hayward, Debra Paget, Jay Robinson
Directed By: Delmer Daves
Composed By: Franz Waxman

VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 2.55:1
AUDIO: English 4.0 DTS-HD MA
LANGUAGE: English
1954 / Color
101 MINUTES
NOT RATED
NTSC REGION FREE
Limited Edition of 3,000 Units

“Spectacle, action, sex, and reverence.” — The New York Times

“Compelling screen story, and equally compelling direction…the trial of a man’s faith by the temptations of an amoral woman and a pagan Rome.” — Variety

“Spiffing gladiatorial combats…it’s a lot of fun.” — Time Out Film Guide

The thrilling sequel to The Robe (1953), Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) follows the further adventures of the Christian slave Demetrius (Victor Mature), sentenced to servitude as a gladiator in the Roman arena. There, his faith is tested in to-the-death combat and by the wiles of the seductive Messalina (Susan Hayward)—all under the obsessive eye of the mad Emperor Caligula (Jay Robinson). Director Delmer Daves brings epic sweep to the tale, supported by the bravura score of Franz Waxman (available here as an isolated track).

Enjoy the extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes and film art packaged with the Blu-ray disc.

Demetrius and the Gladiators is available as a limited Blu-ray edition of 3000, retail price $29.95, and is currently purchasable exclusively through Twilight Time partner ScreenArchives.com.

Arriving the same day is Richard Brook’s Academy Award-nominated 1975 western Bite the Bullet, starring Gene Hackman, Candace Bergen, James Coburn, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Ben Johnson, with a musical score from Alex North (Dragonslayer). From ScreenArchives:

BITE THE BULLET (1975) (PRE-ORDER) (BLU-RAY)
Starring: Candice Bergen, Ian Bannen, Dabney Coleman, Gene Hackman, James Coburn, Ben Johnson, Jan-Michael Vincent
Directed By: Richard Brooks
Composed By: Alex North

VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1
AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
SUBTITLES: English SDH
LANGUAGE: English
1975 / Color
131 MINUTES
NOT RATED
NTSC REGION FREE
Limited Edition of 3,000 Units

“A finely crafted, epic Western…a film that reexamines and reaffirms the Western myth. Brooks is a proven master.” — Roger Ebert

“An excellent, literate action drama probing the diverse motivations of participants in an endurance horse race.” — Variety

In Bite the Bullet (1975), writer/director Richard Brooks (The Professionals) gives us a Western on a grand scale, focusing on a 700-mile horse race across the bleakly beautiful landscape of the American Southwest. Entrants battling desert and mountain, freezing cold and blistering heat—not to mention their own inner demons—include a former Rough Rider (Gene Hackman); his old comrade-in-arms, now a gambler (James Coburn); a feisty onetime prostitute (Candice Bergen); a weary saddle tramp (Ben Johnson); a wealthy English toff (Ian Bannen); and an arrogant kid (Jan-Michael Vincent) looking to make his reputation. Featuring a score by the one and only Alex North (available here as an isolated track).

Enjoy the extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes and film art packaged with the Blu-ray disc.

The Bite the Bullet limited edition Blu-ray retails for $34.95 and, like Demetrius and the Gladiators, is currently purchasable exclusively through Twilight Time partner ScreenArchives.com. Be sure to follow Twilight Time on Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest release news and updates, and check back here as well – Wtf-Film will have comprehensive coverage of both releases available as soon as our copies arrive.



News:
The Deadly Spawn: Blu-ray Update

March 9th, 2012 | article by | No Comments »
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In case you’ve yet to read it, I unloaded some pretty hefty (if totally justifiable) criticism at Elite Entertainment’s Millennium Edition Blu-ray of The Deadly Spawn when it arrived early last month. That disc was, for lack of better words, an utter disaster. That said, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Spawn fans after all. A new disc appears in the works, though details of it remain sketchy.

What we do have is the below image, posted by The Deadly Spawn‘s producer Ted Bohus on the Blu-ray.com forum (unfortunately only as a scaled-down 100 k .jpg) and said to be sourced from a fresh transfer of the film from the original camera negative. As always, click on the image to see it at its full resolution.

The above image appears exactly as it was provided (though I did change the name). Now, to better compare this new image to what has come before I’ve taken the liberty of scaling it to full 1920×1080 and saving it to .jpg at a quality setting of 100% in Gimp. The result – shared below – should not be considered a true indicator of the transfer quality, but for my purposes it’s good enough.

And now, to the past releases – the Synapse DVD from 2004, and the Millennium Edition Blu-ray released last month. Exact frame matches to the above were captured from each as full-resolution .png in VLC media player, then compressed to .jpg at a quality setting of 97% using the ImageMagick command line tool. I’ve included both the original 480p DVD image as well as a scaled-up 1920×1080 example of the same, for ease of comparison. The order is as follows: DVD / Upscaled DVD / Blu-ray.

Even given the compromised resolution of the sample Bohus provided the positive difference is unmistakable. The new image looks just that, considerably brighter with tighter contrast and detail and more heavily saturated color. Framing is also opened up noticeably on all sides.

Now it’s impossible for me or anyone else to judge anything based on how a single frame of it compares to that same frame in past editions, but having said that I’ll be damned if this doesn’t look like quite the improvement. At the very least there is a lot of promise here, and like other fans of the film who found themselves so disappointed with the Blu-ray I anxiously await further updates of this forthcoming new new edition.


UPDATE (3/17/2012): Bohus’ latest (quoted from the Blu-ray.com forum) is unfortunately less encouraging than the above:

“Well, after doing a bunch of tests, I’m just not happy with the grain situation. Some scenes are fantastic, but others are so-so. I know most of you here say you don’t mind grain…but I hate it. Still tryin’ stuff…I’ll keep yuz posted….”

As they say, one step forward and two steps back.



News:
Hammer Cares: Dracula Prince of Darkness BD/DVD replacement program up and running

March 7th, 2012 | article by | 5 Comments »
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Reports have been surfacing for a few days now with regards to audio sync issues on the (very) recently released Hammer / Studio Canal double play Blu-ray / DVD edition of Dracula Prince of Darkness. Those experiencing the problem will be happy to hear this, copied directly from Hammerfilms.com:

“We recently discovered a small audio synch issue within a couple of scenes of the Dracula Prince Of Darkness discs that were released on the 5th of March.

This problem occurred at the authoring stage where a fix was not implemented despite being supplied.

With this in mind we will be replacing any discs that have this issue present.

Please send your proof of payment and your address to enquiries@vdcgroup.com and we will endeavour to send a working replacement to you promptly.”

While I’d argue that such a fundamental issue should never have gone by un-checked in the first place, the fact that Hammer and Studio Canal have taken ownership of it so swiftly (just two days out from street date) is good enough. I’ve already sent in an email myself, and with the promise of replacements on the way any coverage of the release published here will come with some great big asterisks attached.

 



Wtf-Film News:
Next week’s notable releases – Bruce Dern, Santa Claus, and Evil Dead too!

November 10th, 2011 | article by | No Comments »
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Perhaps the biggest release of next week, at least in my humble opinion, is that of Douglas Trumbull’s green-minded science fiction epic Silent Running, which will be making its limited edition Blu-ray debut courtesy of Eureka!’s Masters of Cinema line on Monday. I remember staying up late to catch this one on television many a time as a kid, enthralled by the fantastic imagery, unique narrative and exuberant score (courtesy of Peter Schickele with contributions by Joan Baez), and still have the 13-year-old Image Entertainment DVD release of it on my shelf. Those tempted should note that MoC’s Blu-ray release is to be Region B locked, and will require an all-region setup to play outside Europe. Wtf-Film considers it must-have material all the same.

The director-approved limited edition Blu-ray and even limited-er Steelbook editions of Silent Running street on Monday, 11/14, and can be pre-ordered through Amazon.co.uk as well as through Eureka directly.

From Masters of Cinema: Three years after helping to achieve some of the most amazing imagery in cinema history with 2001: A Space Odyssey, special effects maestro Douglas Trumbull made an auspicious directorial debut at age 29 with the environmentally themed science fiction classic Silent Running.

In the distant future, plant life on our planet is extinct. Remaining specimens are cultivated in vast greenhouse-like domes orbiting in space. Bruce Dern stars as Freeman Lowell, dedicated botanist aboard the “Valley Forge”, awaiting the call to refoliate Earth – despite the scorn of his crewmates. When an order comes to instead destroy the domes and return home, Lowell takes matters into his own hands, beginning a long and lonely voyage into the unknown.

With its remarkable special effects (especially the robot drones Huey, Dewey, and Louie); glorious score (including songs performed by Joan Baez); memorable sound effects (created by Joseph Byrd from the cult band The United States of America); a screenplay co-written by Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) and Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues), and an impassioned central performance from Dern, Silent Running remains a uniquely contemplative and haunting adventure that continues to make hippies of young children, even today. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present a new Blu-ray special edition to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary.

Special Features:

• Exclusively restored beautiful high-definition 1080p transfer

• Full-length commentary by director Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern

• Isolated music and effects track

• Optional English SDH subtitles on the feature

• The Making of Silent Running, a 1972 on-set documentary [50:00]

• Two video pieces with Douglas Trumbull [31:00 + 5:00]

• A Conversation with Bruce Dern, a discussion with the actor [11:00]

• Original theatrical trailer [3:00]

• A lavish 48-page full-colour booklet featuring rare photographs and artwork from Trumbull’s personal collection, and recollections of the film’s cinematographer, special designs coordinator, and composer


Next up, releasing Tuesday, is the high-definition debut of a guilty pleasure of epic proportions. Directed by Rene Cardona Sr. and imported to America by schlockmeister K. Gordan Murray, Mexico’s bizarre Santa Claus finds jolly old Saint Nicholas fighting the devilish villain Pitch from his workshop in space with assistance from legendary magician Merlin and some Christmas-loving kids. Famously lampooned on TV’s Mystery Science Theater 3000, Cardona’s Santa Claus is must-see insanity of the highest possible order.

The Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment finds both the original Mexican and American import versions of Santa Claus available on on disc, and streets on Tuesday, 11/15. The disc is currently available for preorder through Amazon.com for just $13.99.

From VCI Entertainment: The producers packed every magical, wacky, and just plain weird, holiday oddity known to man in to this wild-n-wonderful, and strangely charming, children’s classic! It’s not enough that Santa must deal with the usual suspects – the good little boys and girls, and the not so good little boys and girls – but this season Lucifer himself is out to ruin Christmas and has sent his chief minion, Pitch, on a mission to Earth to turn all the children of the world against Santa. But wait, there’s more! Santa’s workshop is located high above the North Pole in a Toyland castle in outer space, where he plays the organ and keeps watch over the children on earth through specialized equipment, while readying his mechanical reindeer for Christmas Eve action. Santa also enlists the aid of Merlin the Wizard, who provides him with magic sleeping powder and a flower that makes one disappear. But wait, there’s even more! Santa also receives a magic key that will unlock any door on Earth from Vulcan himself!

Special Features:

Contains both the American K. Gordon Murray and Original Mexican Versions on one disc; Commentary by Daniel Griffith (K. Gordon Murray Historian), and more!

Notes: According to information posted at the Monster Kid Classic Horror Forum, the VCI release is sourced from the original Mexican film negative at the intended aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The film itself was erroneously advertised as being in MexiScope, which has led many to believe that the film was originally 2.35:1 – an idea perpetuated by what VCI itself has said of their release.


Last but not least, on Tuesday Lionsgate will release a 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of Sam Raimi’s classic comedy of gore Evil Dead II, both a sequel to and remake of Raimi’s earlier low-budget horror opus The Evil Dead. Released disappointingly in hi-def by Anchor Bay some years ago, this Lionsgate effort will not be without its controversy (preliminary screenshots show that at least one memorable special effect flub has been fixed). But it is reportedly the first video edition to be sourced from the original negative, and will feature some hefty new supplemental content to boot.

The 25 Anniversary Blu-ray edition of Evil Dead II streets on Tuesday, 11/15, and is available for pre-order from Amazon.com at the low low price of $9.99.

From Lionsgate: Ash (Bruce Campbell), the sole survivor of THE EVIL DEAD, returns to the same cabin in the woods and again unleashes the forces of the dead. With his girlfriend possessed by the demons and his body parts running amok, Ash is forced to single- handedly battle the legions of the damned as the most lethal – and groovy – hero in horror movie history! Welcome to EVIL DEAD II, director Sam Raimi’s infamous sequel to THE EVIL DEAD and outrageous prequel to ARMY OF DARKNESS!

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Sam Raimi, Star Bruce Campbell, Co-Writer Scott Spiegel and Special Make-Up Effects Artist Greg Nicotero
• “Swallowed Souls: The Making of Evil Dead II” Multi-chaptered feature-length look at the making of the film
• “Road to Wadesboro: Revisiting the Shooting Location of Evil Dead II” – NEW
• “Cabin Fever” Featurettes from original production video taken on the set of Evil Dead II – NEW
• “Artifacts of the Dead” – Extensive Still Galleries – NEW
• Theatrical Trailer
• Archival Featurette: “The Gore The Merrier”
• Archival Featurette: “Evil Dead II: Behind-the-Screams


Sneaking in as an honorable mention is Eureka! Masters of Cinema’s upcoming Blu-ray of Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil, which features no fewer than three cuts of the film spread across two dual-layer Blu-ray discs. This is another Region B locked title, and though I’ve not pre-ordered it myself (I only have so much money to spare in a month that’s seen all of the above and Twilight Time’s Mysterious Island too) it’s too historically important a release not mention it here.

Touch of Evil, which streets on Monday 11/15, is available for pre-order on limited edition Blu-ray through Amazon.co.uk and Eureka directly, or as a limited edition Steelbook exclusive to HMV.

From Masters of Cinema: Touch of Evil begins with one of the most brilliant sequences in the history of cinema; and ends with one of the most brilliant final scenes ever committed to celluloid. In between unfurls a picture whose moral, sexual, racial, and aesthetic attitudes remain so radical as to cross borders established not only in 1958, but in the present age also. Yet, Touch of Evil has taken many forms. The film as released in 1958 was certainly compromised from Orson Welles’ vision, but a lengthy, arresting memo written by Welles to studio heads in 1957 – taking issue with a studio rough-cut – had some influence on a subsequent preview version shown to test audiences (and rediscovered in the mid-1970s) as well as the 1958 theatrical version. Forty years later, in 1998, Universal produced a reconstructed version of the film that takes into meticulous account the totality of Welles’ memo, and ostensibly represents the version of the film that most closely adheres to his original wishes.

Charlton Heston portrays Mike Vargas, the Mexican chief of narcotics who sets out to uncover the facts surrounding a car bomb that has killed a wealthy American businessman on the US side of the border. As Vargas investigates, his newly-wed wife Susie (Janet Leigh, two years before Hitchcock’s Psycho) is kidnapped by a gang out to exact vengeance for the prosecution of the brother of their leader (Akim Tamiroff). Meanwhile, Vargas’ enquiries become progressively more obfuscated by the American cop Hank Quinlan (played by Welles himself, in one of the most imposing and unforgettable screen performances of his career), a besotted incarnation of corruption who alternately conspires with Susie’s captors and seeks solace in the brothel of the Gypsy madame (Marlene Dietrich) who comforted him in bygone times.

Welles’ final studio-system picture has at last become secure in its status as one of the greatest films ever made. It remains a testament to the genius of Welles –– a film of Shakespearean richness, inexhaustible. The Masters of Cinema Series attempts to honour Welles with this special two-disc, Blu-ray only edition of Touch of Evil, with the film presented in multiple versions and aspect ratios.

Special Features:

• New high-definition masters of five variants of the film: the 1958 Theatrical Version in both 1.37:1 and 1.85:1, the 1958 Preview Version in 1.85:1, and the 1998 Reconstructed Version in 1.37:1 and 1.85:1

• 4 x audio commentaries, featuring: restoration producer Rick Schmidlin; actors Charlton Heston & Janet Leigh, with Schmidlin; critic F. X. Feeney; and Welles scholars James Naremore & Jonathan Rosenbaum

• The original theatrical trailer, which includes alternate footage

• Bringing Evil to Life + Evil Lost and Found – two video pieces [21:00 + 18:00]

• Optional English SDH subtitles on all versions of the film

• A 56-page booklet featuring essays by Orson Welles, François Truffaut, André Bazin, and Terry Comito; interview excerpts with Welles; a timeline of the film’s history; and extensive notes on the film’s versions and ratios



Wtf-Film News:
Horror Express, MST3K, and Mysterious Island on the big screen!

November 2nd, 2011 | article by | No Comments »
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First off, a friendly reminder that the good folks at Severin Films will be releasing the Euro-horror classic Horror Express, starring the legendary duo of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, as a special edition Blu-ray / DVD combo pack on November 29th.  Though much delayed this release is finally happening, and it sounds like it’s going to be a great piece of work.

From the press release: Severin Films is pleased to announce the Blu-Ray debut of 70s terror classic HORROR EXPRESS starring genre titans Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing with an unforgettable supporting turn from Telly ‘Kojak’ Savalas. Loved by fans and critics alike, with Dread Central declaring it “One Of Our Absolute Favorites”, this gory masterpiece has been transferred in hi-definition from the original camera negative and is packed with exclusive new special features as well as the first in-depth interview with Cushing ever to emerge on disc, unearthed from a British archive. The film will be released as a Blu-Ray/DVD 2-disc combo pack.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star as rival turn-of-the-century anthropologists transporting a frozen ‘missing link’ aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. But when the prehistoric creature thaws and escapes, it unleashes a brain-scarfing spree that turns its victims into the eye-bleeding undead.  Can the crafty colleagues stop this two million year old monster, hordes of zombie passengers and a psychotic Cossack officer (Telly Savalas) before terror goes off the rails? Silvia Tortosa (WHEN THE SCREAMING STOPS) co-stars in this all-time fright favorite from director Eugenio Martín and the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriters of PSYCHOMANIA.

Severin Films, founded in 2006 with offices in Los Angeles and London, has been called  “well on its way to becoming the greatest indie label of all time” by BlogCritics.org. Their DVD and Blu-ray releases include Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Santa Sangre, the unrated Director’s Cut of Just Jaeckin’s Gwendoline, Richard Stanley’s restored Hardware, Enzo Castellari’s original Inglorious Bastards, Oscar®-nominee Patrice Leconte’s The Hairdresser’s Husband, Don Sharp’s Psychomaniaand Roman Polanski’s What? Severin’s upcoming HD restorations include The Wild GeeseAshanti and Zulu Dawn. The company’s theatrical releases include Birdemic – Shock & TerrorDevolved, and the forthcoming horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre.

Horror Express
1972 • 90 minutes • Color • 1.66:1, 16×9 • SRP $29.98 • 1 DVD, 1 Blu-Ray

EXTRAS:

• Murder On The Trans-Siberian Express: New Interview With Director Eugenio Martin
• Notes From The Blacklist: Producer Bernard Gordon Discusses The McCarthy Era
• 1973 Audio Interview With Peter Cushing
• Telly And Me: New Interview With Composer John Cacavas
• Introduction by Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander
• Theatrical Trailer

The Horror Express DVD / Blu-ray combo pack can currently be pre-ordered through Amazon.com at the considerably reduced price of $13.99.  For the latest updates be sure check out Severin Films on Facebook and Twitter.


Next up, Shout! Factory have another fantastic box of DVD goodies on the way for fans of the cult television phenomenon Mystery Science Theater 3000.  Wtf-Film already has its review copy in hand, and can say unequivocally that Volume XXII  – which debuts on December 6th – is another winner.  Expect a review shortly.

From the press release:  Our long cultural nightmare is over. On December 6, Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc., will release Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXII, a 4-DVD set that includes Time Of The Apes, Mighty Jack, The Violent Years, The Brute Man and a cornucopia of extras worthy of the holiday season. All four episodes are previously unreleased on DVD, and Time Of The Apes and Mighty Jack are two of the most beloved and most requested episodes of the comedy phenomenon!

Disc 1 of Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXII features Time Of The Apes, which enjoys a mythical cult status among MSTies. Adapted (i.e., shredded and stitched into incoherence) from the 1974 Japanese series Saru No Gundan, Time Of The Apes follows the travails of a scientist and two small children who are accidentally frozen and thaw into a future ruled by apes. The plot may sound familiar, but the riffs are absolutely unique.

Over on Disc 2 we have the long-awaited Mighty Jack, one of the funniest episodes of one of the funniest TV series ever made. The Japanese apparently had a license to kill television when they handed this prized Tsuburaya production to Sandy Frank. Long before “junk bond” joined the English lexicon, the 007-ish exploits of Mighty Jack — a government organization created to defeat the notorious crime syndicate known as “Q” — took everything that was bad about cool and thrilling espionage movies and threw the rest out. Fortunately for us, Joel and the ’bots had a license to riff. And fortunately for you, Shout! Factory has a license to release it on DVD.

Next up, The Violent Years is a tale from 1956 of girls gone wild. Mike and the ’bots take on this low-budget black-and-white potboiler about a neglected rich girl and her hardened gang of babes who, thanks to inside information from her unwitting father, always manage to stay one step ahead of the police. In this delirious episode, we find the Mads “softening to reach a wider audience,” which includes performing their new theme song, “Living In Deep 13.” The DVD also includes the 1952 short film A Young Man’s Fancy, wherein a visiting young man prefers the household electrical appliances to the teenage daughter.

Last but not least, Mystery Science Theater 3000 presents The Brute Man. Rondo Hatton plays a disfigured man, a/k/a “The Creeper,” who hunts down and kills the people responsible for his deformity. During his downtime, he falls for a blind woman and engages in some light felony by stealing to pay for an operation to restore her sight. She may regret that. The DVD includes the 1948 short film The Chicken Of Tomorrow. Remember the stylish sequence in Casino that takes us through the mechanics of the operation? It’s like that, except with chicken farming and without the style.

***
Bonus Features Include:

New Introduction By Mary Jo Pehl
Origin Of The Creeper: Birth Of A B-Movie Icon
Introductions By August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters
The Making Of MST3K (1997)
Mystery Science Theater Hour Wraps
Ed-ucation: Archival Interviews with Delores Fuller & Kathy Wood
The DVD Menus of MST3K
4 Exclusive Mini-Posters By Artist Steve Vance

Mystery Science Theater 3000 volume XXII is currently available for pre-order through Amazon.com at the reduced price of $37.99, or through Shout! Factory directly for $41.97 (ships with a free MST3K stress ball not available through other retail outlets).  For the latest updates be sure to follow Shout! Factory on Facebook and Twitter.


Last, but certainly not least, newfound home video label Twilight Time will be releasing the Charles H. Schneer-produced Ray Harryhausen effects classic Mysterious Island, directed by the great Cy Endfield, on Blu-ray on November 8th (next Tuesday).  Mastered from the latest Sony Pictures high definition restoration, Twilight Time’s limited edition of 3000 is not to be missed!

From Screen ArchivesMysterious Island (1961) opens with a spectacular clash of signature Bernard Herrmann brass; from then on, it’s a headlong rush from one thrill-packed set-piece to the next. This classic fantasy adventure tale, the best of many screen adaptations of Jules Verne’s sequel to his own Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, is the inspired collaboration of a superb action director—Cy Endfield, who would give us one of the greatest of all true-life epics, 1964’s Zulu—and an authentic Hollywood genius: Ray Harryhausen, inventor of the film’s “SuperDynaMation” stop-motion animation process and a “total” filmmaker, spearheading the story, art direction, and design of such masterworks as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963).

Legend has it that Harryhausen’s producing partner, Charles H. Schneer, hit upon Mysterious Island as the team’s next project after reading a public library survey indicating that the book was the “most looked-at” item on the shelves. But the film was also Columbia Pictures’ vigorous answer to two successful Disney movies: an earlier Verne adaptation, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), and the more recent Swiss Family Robinson (1960). Mysterious Island would provide the best of both: the Verne fantasy element, featuring the return of the mad genius Captain Nemo (incarnated here by the impressively dignified Herbert Lom), intertwining with a tale of ship/balloon-wreck survival. The extra added attraction, of course, would be the mind-boggling creatures crafted by Ray Harryhausen.

Unlike some of the more fantastical wonders in Harryhausen’s arsenal—drawn from myth or legend, from a prehistoric past or an alien-invaded future—the “monsters” of Mysterious Island have a new kind of strangeness: they are, for the most part, eye-poppingly enlarged versions of everyday fauna, the products of Nemo’s experiments in what he calls “horticultural physics.” As usual, the Captain’s goal is as huge as his gigantic bees, crabs, sea snails, and fowl: where once he attempted to end war by perversely constructing its ultimate instrument, the death-wielding submarine, Nautilus (which makes a cameo appearance here), now he’s focused on conquering what he identifies as war’s causes—famine and economic competition—by guaranteeing “an inexhaustible food supply.”

It’s certainly a big food supply—and one that provides most of Mysterious Island’s most delightful chills and thrills. The castaways—a motley collection of Civil War-era POWs, a newspaperman, and a lone Rebel sentry who’ve all made an exciting escape from a Confederate prison in a storm-tossed balloon, plus two shipwrecked English gentlewomen who propitiously arrive to sew, keep the cave tidy, and provide a bit of pulchritude—not only have to battle nature in order to survive, but a gargantuan nature, transformed by Nemo (read: Harryhausen) to fascinating if terrifying proportions.

Video: 1080p High Definition / 1.66:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English Original Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
Special Features: Isolated Score Track (2.0 Stereo) / Original Theatrical Trailer / TV Trailer Spot #1
RT: 101 Minutes
NOT RATED
Region-Free
3,000 Unit Limited Edition

***

Note: Sony Pictures and Twilight Time will also be hosting a special 50th Anniversary screening of Mysterious Island on Sunday, November 13th at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA.  Grover Crisp (VP of Sony Pictures Archive Restoration), Twilight Time’s own Nick Redman and award-winning effects artist Randall William Cook will be on-location for a post screening Q&A, and copies of Twilight Time’s Blu-ray of the title will be available for purchase as well.

The all-region Mysterious Island Blu-ray is available exclusively through Screen Archives, and available for pre-order now.  Twilight Time have a host of other fantastic titles slated for Blu-ray and DVD release in the near future, so keep posted on the latest updates by following them on Facebook and Twitter.



Wtf-Film Sneak Peak:
Damnation Alley Blu-ray

June 20th, 2011 | article by | 1 Comment »
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Seeing as my wedding is less than five full days away, and that I’m necessarily pre-occupied with finalizing all the fineries of that, I had absolutely no intention of posting an article to Wtf-Film this week.  None.  But thanks to the enterprising folks at Shout! Factory I’ve been dragged up from the depths of my personal life to cover something really special – the gala Blu-ray premiere of Jack Smight’s cult sensation Damnation Alley.  Talk has been circulating for ages about possible DVD editions of this film, from Anchor Bay and others, but when Shout! announced their intentions to release it earlier this year I knew that I and other fans were in for something special.

For those as yet uninitiated, Damnation Alley is a loftily budgeted science fiction adventure film based (loosely) upon the novel of the same name by Roger Zelazny.  World War III has left the Earth tilted off its axis and beset by a constant meteorological holocaust, its bleak landscape brimming with menacing mutant wildlife.  After an accident leaves their quarters unlivable, a handful of surviving Air Force Missiliers set out across the wasteland in the mother of all all-terrain vehicles – the Landmaster – to find a new home.

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DVD News:
Another Cult Cinema Home Video Pre-order Round-up

May 21st, 2011 | article by | No Comments »
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I don’t publish as much in the way of video news as I really should anymore, as I don’t relish writing numerous tiny articles to re-publish the press releases for this or that.  That’s not to say that there aren’t video releases I’m looking forward to, and I do like to do my part to make sure that you have the opportunity to look forward to them as well.  My last round-up article seems to have worked well enough to that end, so I’ll be continuing in that format here with two revisions: This expanded edition will include both upcoming Blu-ray and DVD releases, and will be divided by distributor.

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DVD News:
A Cult Cinema Blu-ray Pre-order Round-up

February 6th, 2011 | article by | 4 Comments »
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If the title of this post is a little convoluted, it’s only because 2011 is looking to be a very good year for marginal cinema in HD.  I can’t possibly keep up with everything that’s on the calendar, but here’s a brief rundown of the upcoming titles I’m most excited about:

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2008)
company: Severin Films
release date: 02/22/2011  pre-order link: Amazon.com
Extras are still listed as TBA for this high-definition release of James Nguyen’s DIY epic.  Once described as “Confounding, painful, and terrifically hilarious” by yours truly, Birdemic: Shock and Terror is an experience that defies easy explanation.  You’ll either love it or hate it, but either way it’s a film you’re not likely to forget.  Get your beer and clothes hangers ready – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

The Beyond (a.k.a. 7 Doors of Death / E tu vivrai nel Terrore: L’Aldia) (1981)
company: Arrow Video
release date: 03/14/2011  pre-order link:  Amazon.co.uk
Even a delay of a month (to secure rights for some older supplements) can’t dampen my enthusiasm for this release, which marks the first time my favorite Fulci horror effort has been seen in HD.   The full details of the package can be found at my earlier post here – suffice it to say that the supplements look stacked.  Note that as of this writing the Amazon link above still lists the release date as February 14th, but discussion at the Cult-Labs Forum has confirmed that release of the title is delayed.  Note: Wtf-Film review published on February 28th.

Galaxina (1980) / The Crater Lake Monster (1977)
company: Mill Creek Entertainment
release date: 03/22/2011  pre-order link: Amazon.com
There are no details out there at all for this one as of yet, but the very idea of these two titles in HD (Galaxina was previously available on HD-DVD) is enough to get me interested.  The Crater Lake Monster was a go-to VHS for me in my brief tenure as a video store clerk, and I think this bargain-priced double feature is worth it for its inclusion alone.  If prior Mill Creek releases are any indication supplements will be nothing or close to it, but at a retail price of $14.98 (with an additional 30% off if pre-ordered today) who can complain?

Alien 2: On Earth (a.k.a. Alien Terror / Alien 2: Sulla Terra) (1980)
company: Midnight Legacy
release date: 03/22/2011  pre-order link: Amazon.com
My adoration for this film, a quaint little Alien cash-in directed by Cirio Ippolito in 1980, is not to be underestimated.  Reminiscent of The Outer Limits episode Corpus Earthling with a touch of The Monolith Monsters thrown in for good measure, Alien 2: On Earth concerns alien rocks that crash land on Earth and promptly set to gorily attacking an intrepid band of cave explorers.  It may not make much sense, but this no-budget over-achiever gets a strong recommendation from me.  Supplements include the original trailer and silent alternate and excised footage sourced from the negative B roll.

Zombie Holocaust (a.k.a. Dr. Butcher M.D) (1980)
company: Shriek Show (Media Blasters)
release date: 04/19/2011  pre-order link: Amazon.com
Media Blasters have a terrible history of delaying their titles to the point of absurdity (just look at their proposed Blu-ray of D’Amato’s Beyond the Darkness, originally scheduled for last July and since pushed back to March of this year), but I hope this one comes off as planned.  An effort to cash-in on both the zombie and cannibal sub-genres that were taking Europe by storm, Zombie Holocaust is an awful slice of camp hilarity that needs to be seen to be believed.  No details on extras, but the cover for this Blu-ray / DVD combo pack looks pretty sweet!

Deep Red (a.k.a. Profondo Rosso) (1975)
company: Blue Underground
release date: 04/26/2011  pre-order link: Amazon.com
Previously released on Blu-ray through UK outfit Arrow Video, it is hoped that this Blue Underground edition will not present with the same careless encoding issues that marred that otherwise fine presentation of this Argento classic.  Advertised as being newly transferred from the original elements, this edition includes both the English (105 minutes) and Italian (126 minutes) cuts of the film, two music videos, English and Italian trailers, and interviews with the film’s creators.

I’ve either pre-ordered or am otherwise expecting all of the titles enumerated above and will be reviewing them all in time. Stay tuned!



DVD News:
Arrow Video wants YOU to live in terror – The Beyond headed to blu-ray!

December 25th, 2010 | article by | 2 Comments »
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That’s right, folks! Lucio Fulci’s masterpiece of surreal horror is headed to high definition courtesy of Arrow Video, the UK cult video company known for their lavish special editions of films like Battle Royale and Fulci’s City of the Living Dead.  Details of Arrow’s upcoming The Beyond can be found below the break, but the quick facts are as follows: the Blu-ray will be region free, and the feature and extras will both be in 1080p (disc 2 will be a PAL-coded region free DVD).

The Beyond 2-disc Blu-ray and DVD sets are due for release on March 14th (a month delayed from the original February 14th) and can be pre-ordered through Amazon.co.uk at considerable savings.  The full details of the package, copied directly from the Cult-Labs forum, are below:

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Film News:
Tommy Wiseau – In the Flesh – November 19-20

November 17th, 2010 | article by | No Comments »
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Oh hi, readers – I have something for you!

Twin Cities fans of the bizarrely endearing cult phenomena The Room take note, for producer / writer / director / star Tommy Wiseau will be here live, in the flesh (though presumably with his throbbing butt muscles in check), for two midnight screenings of his magnum opus.

Bring your footballs and to-be-framed pictures of cutlery to the Landmark Uptown Theatre (2906 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN) at midnight this Friday and Saturday, and show Mr. Wiseau that he does have a friend in the world.  Cover charge is $15.

Tommy will be making future appearances at Landmark cinemas in Milwaukee (Oriental Theatre, December 3rd and 4th), Dallas (Inwood Theatre, January 7th and 8th) and Houston (River Oaks Theatre, January 14th and 15th) as well.

Visit Landmark Theatres’ The Room page for more details or to pre-order tickets.



DVD News:
Battle Royale, Limited Edition Blu-ray and DVD Packaging

October 27th, 2010 | article by | No Comments »
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No needless commentary from me this go around – let’s get right to the good stuff.

Full details can be found at the Cult Labs forum.

Exploded shots – Blu-ray and DVD:

Looks pretty sweet!  The Battle Royale Limited Edition 3-disc Blu-ray and DVD sets are still up for pre-order at Amazon.co.uk and other online retailers, and have a street date of November 29th.  I’ve been told to expect at least one more final awesome announcement with regards to this release, so stay tuned!



DVD News:
Details of Arrow Video’s Deep Red announced!

October 22nd, 2010 | article by | 2 Comments »
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Thanks to Almar at Cult Labs for the head’s up!  Dario Argento’s classic 1975 giallo is headed to all region Blu-ray and region free DVD special edition courtesy of Arrow Video and is slated for release in late November or early December of this year.  Though a UK release, both the feature and supplements look to be compatible with US blu-ray players.

The full details, copied from the Cult Labs announcement:

THIS AMAZING BLU-RAY EDITION CONTAINS:

- 4 Panel reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned art work

- Two-sided fold-out poster with new art work

- Exclusive collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing on Deep Red by Alan Jones, author of ‘Profondo Argento’

DISC 1 CONTAINS:

- Brand new transfer of the Director’s Cut in High Definition (1080p)

- Optional Dolby 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio/Stereo Italian Audio and Mono/Stereo English* Audio

SPECIAL FEATURES:

- Introduction by composer Claudio Simonetti (1080p)

- Rosso Recollections – Dario’s Deep Genius (1080p)

- Lady in Red: Daria Nicolodi remembers Profondo Rosso (1080p)

- Music to Murder For! Claudio Simonetti on Deep Red (1080p)

- Original US Trailer (1080p) (TBC)

- Original International Trailer (1080p) (TBC)

DISC 2 CONTAINS:

- Brand new transfer of the International Theatrical Cut in High Definition (1080p)

SPECIAL FEATURES:

- A Tour of the Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) shop in Rome with long time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi (1080p)

*The English Audio track on the Director’s Cut has some portions of English audio missing. This was either never recorded or has been lost. The English audio has been painstakingly assembled from various audio sources and represents the most complete audio available in a Mono/Stereo audio mix.

The DVD Edition contains exactly the same versions of the film and extras but of course these are not in HD.

The BD is all-region and the DVD is region free.

Packaging:



DVD News:
Battle Royale 3-disc Blu-ray on the way!

October 21st, 2010 | article by | No Comments »
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*UPDATE 10/22/10* Due to the high volume of pre-orders for the release, Arrow Video has now doubled its production run for the 3-disc limited edition Battle Royale blu-ray to 10,000 (from the previously announced 5,000).  The production run for the DVD edition, which releases same day and date, has not been increased.  Details here.

Kinji Fukasaku fans rejoice – his final masterpiece is headed to region free special edition Blu-ray courtesy of cult video distributor Arrow Video.  The company has recently confirmed the release, with an initial limited edition run of 5000 copies, as all region capable and detailed its expansive specifications.  The basics are mind-blowing on their own – both the original theatrical and director’s cut of the film, newly translated and restored in full 1080p!

Here are the details, copied directly from Arrow Video:

3 DISC LIMITED EDITION SET FEATURES:
- BRAND NEW RESTORED TRANSFER IN GLORIOUS HIGH DEFINITION 1080P OF BOTH FILMS
- BRAND NEW SUBTITLE TRANSLATION ON BOTH FEATURES
- LIMITED EDITION PACKAGING NUMBERED #/5000 WITH CERTIFICATE
- LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES
DISC 1 – THEATRICAL CUT: SPECIAL FEATURES
- ORIGINAL THEATRICAL TRAILER
- THE MAKING OF BATTLE ROYALE: THE EXPERIENCE OF 42 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
- CONDUCTING BATTLE ROYALE WITH THE WARSAW NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
DISC 2 – SPECIAL EDITION [DIRECTOR’S CUT]: SPECIAL FEATURES
- SPECIAL EDITION TRAILER
- TV SPOT: TARANTINO VERSION
- SHOOTING THE SPECIAL EDITION
- TAKESHI KITANO INTERVIEW
- THE CORRECT WAY TO MAKE BATTLE ROYALE [BIRTHDAY VERION]
- TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTATION

DISC 3 – SPECIAL FEATURES
- OPENING DAY AT MARU NO UCHI TOEI MOVIE THEATRE
- THE SLAUGHTER OF 42 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
- PREMIERE PRESS CONFERENCE
- THE CORRECT WAY TO FIGHT IN BATTLE ROYALE
- ROYALE REHEARSALS
- MASAMICHI AMANO CONDUCTS BATTLE ROYALE
- SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPARISON
- BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURETTE
- FILMING ON SET
- TV SPOTS, PROMOS AND COMMERCIALS
- KINJI FUKASAKU TRAILER REEL

32 PAGE COMIC

36 PAGE BOOKLET INCLUDING:
- ‘A BATTLE WITHOUT AN END’ BY TOM MES, AUTHOR OF ‘THE MIDNIGHT EYE GUIDE TO NEW JAPANESE FILM’
- PRINTED INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR KINJI FUKASAKU
- ‘TODAY’S LESSON IS… YOU KILL EACH OTHER’ BY JAY MCROY, AUTHOR OF ‘JAPANESE HORROR CINEMA’ [LE EXCLUSIVE]
- EXTRACT FROM KOUSHUN TAKAMI’S ORIGINAL NOVEL [LE EXCLUSIVE]
- ORIGINAL PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL INCLUDING DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT, CAST AND CREW BIOGS [LE EXCLUSIVE]

16 PAGE BOOKLET INCLUDING:
- CONCEPT ARTWORK AND DRAWINGS FOR THE LIMITED EDITION SET [LE EXCLUSIVE]

5X7” POSTCARDS OF STILLS FROM THE FILM [LE EXCLUSIVE]
FOLD-OUT REVERSIBLE POSTER OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK

The Battle Royale limited edition 3-disc blu-ray, with a street date of November 29th, has a suggested retail price tag of £29.99, and can currently be pre-ordered at a savings of 50% (!) through Amazon.co.uk.  For SD enthusiasts, a limited edition 3-disc DVD will be released on the same day and date.  Wtf-Film has already pre-ordered its copy, and will post a review as soon as it arrives.