DVD News:
’90s Gamera… on Blu-ray… from Mill Creek??

August 28th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »

I’m in some need of confirmation on this, but according to a listing at Amazon, Shusuke Kaneko’s classic 1990′s monster efforts Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Gamera 2: Attack of Legion will be headed to budget-priced Blu-ray on October 12th.  Retail price is a whopping $14.98, with Amazon.com currently allowing pre-orders at a price of just $10.49.  Personally, I think this sounds too good to be true, but will be pre-ordering all the same.

Link: Gamera: Guardian of Universe & Gamera: Attack of [Blu-ray]



DVD News:
Cover art for Shout! Factory’s upcoming ‘Gamera’ double features

July 17th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 2 Comments »
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Shout! Factory is preparing two Gamera double features for release on September 21st – Gamera Vs. Gyaos / Gamera Vs. Viras and Gamera Vs. Guiron / Gamera Vs. Jiger. While there are no specific details yet for either release, the finalized cover art for each has been revealed.  Looks good to me!

Both double features have a retail price of $19.93 (less than $10 per film) and can currently be pre-ordered through Amazon.com at a slightly discounted price:

Gamera Vs. Gyaos / Gamera Vs. Viras |  Gamera Vs. Guiron / Gamera Vs. Jiger



DVD News:
More Gamera on the way from Shout! Factory in September!

June 16th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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With their release of Gamera vs. Barugon less than a month away, Shout! Factory’s next round of Gamera series titles is already up for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Comprising two double feature DVDs to be released on September 21st, Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera vs. Viras, Gamera vs. Guiron and Gamera vs. Jiger will all finally be making their official debuts on domestic DVD.  There is no word yet as to the specific details of either release, but I’ll be sure to pass along that information as it is released.

The double feature discs are priced at just $19.93 each (less than $10 per film and a far cry from the $40+ each for Region 2 Japanese imports)  and can can be pre-ordered online at a discount price of $17.99.

Preorder links:
Gamera Vs. Gyaos / Gamera Vs. Viras | Gamera Vs. Guiron / Gamera Vs. Jiger



DVD News:
Shout! Factory’s ‘Gamera vs. Barugon’ DVD details

June 10th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 2 Comments »
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Just under a month from now, on July 6th, Shout! Factory will be unleashing the second of their Gamera collection, 1966′s Gamera vs. Barugon.  The film concerns a group of greedy explorers who plunder a jungle cave for jewels, unwittingly unleashing the giant monster Barugon upon the world.  Can Gamera, released from his Plan Z space capsule by a wayward meteor, stop the beast before it’s too late?

The first of 7 original Gamera sequels, Gamera vs. Barugon benefits from a more lavish production budget than either Gamera, the Giant Monster or the other entries that were to follow it.  Noriaki Yuasa was made director of special effects for this outing, with Shigeo Tanaka (The Great Wall and several films in the Woman Gambler series) picking up the task of directing a name cast headed by Kojiro Hongo (Wrath of Daimajin) and Kyoko Enami (Whale God).  The improbable monster Barugon, with its freezing breath and rainbow-shooting spines, made a suitably bizarre opponent for hero Gamera, hinting at the more outlandish villains that were to come.

Shout! Factory’s special edition DVD of Gamera vs. Barugon will feature a new transfer of the film sourced from the latest high definition masters, presented in its original Japanese with English subtitles.  Supplements are to include a feature commentary track with August Ragone and Jason Varney, a gallery of publicity images and an essay by star Kojiro Hongo (to be included in the accompanying booklet).  Given the quality of May’s Gamera, the Giant Monster, this is looking to be another fine package from Shout!.

Gamera vs. Barugon is priced at a reasonable $19.93 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and other online retailers, and will be available in stores nationwide on July 6th.



Wtf-Film Sneak Peak:
G.I. Joe: The Movie (Shout! Factory, 2010)

June 9th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 1 Comment »
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G.I. Joe: The Movie is currently available for preorder on both
DVD and Blu-ray / DVD combo pack at Amazon.com.

’80s cartoon fans itching to fill the final slot in Shout! Factory’s expansive G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The Complete Collection rejoice, for the company’s re-issue of 1987′s G.I. Joe: The Movie is almost upon you.  Shout! will be re-issuing the film to special edition DVD on July 27, day and date with its debut on high def Blu-ray.  I have to admit to never really being a fan of the various G.I. Joe television series, having watched them only rarely as a kid, but this screener has come close to making a convert of me.  Cobra-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Read the rest of this entry »



Film News:
R.I.P. Dennis Hopper, 1936 – 2010

May 29th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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The Guardian – Dennis Hopper: a friend, a maverick and a truly great artist



Wtf-Film Sneak Peak:
Death Race 2000 (Shout! Factory, 2010)

May 12th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 2 Comments »
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preorder this film from Amazon.com: DVD | Blu-ray

Another day, another new screener!  Paul Bartel’s violent sci-fi comedy classic Death Race 2000 is due out from Shout! Factory on the 22nd of June, and here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect from the release (which will be hitting Blu-ray same day and date).  You’re welcome.

Read the rest of this entry »



DVD News:
Shout! Factory bringing ‘The Stepfather’ to Blu-ray June 15th

May 4th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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Just when I thought it was going to be a slow week, the disc announcements keep on coming!  From the Shout! Factory press release:

80′s cult classic horror flick The Stepfather is set for Blu-ray release for the first time ever, remastered and featuring new bonus features otherwise only available on Shout! Factory’s 2009 DVD release of the film. Available on Shout! Factory on June 15, the film stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost), in a role that won him a nomination for Best Actor at the 1988 Independent Spirit Awards and the Saturn Awards. The Stepfather was selected as one of the year’s Top 10 movies by Vanity Fair, Village Voice and LA Weekly and featured on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments special. A remake of the film from Screen Gems, starring Dylan Walsh
(Nip/Tuck) and Sela Ward (The Guardian, Once and Again), hit theaters in 2009.

Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) is a man obsessed with having the perfect ”American Dream” life – including the house with the white picket fence in the suburbs, an adoring wife and loving children. He believes he’s found it when he marries Susan Maine (Shelley Hack) and becomes the stepfather to Susan’s 16-year-old daughter, Stephanie (Jill Schoelen). But Stephanie gets an uneasy feeling when she is around Jerry with his ”Father Knows Best” attitude – she can see that there is a darker side behind his cheerful exterior. Could he be the same man who brutally murdered his family just one year earlier? . . .

Special features include an audio commentary with director Joseph Ruben, film trailers (HD), a still gallery, and The Stepfather Chronicles – an all-new retrospective featuring interviews with director Joseph Ruben, producer Jay Benson, actress Jill Schoelen, author Brian Garfield and others on the making of the film and its enduring legacy (HD).

I’ve never seen this film and didn’t bother with the recent remake, but this release is looking to be up to Shout!’s usually high standards (the company released the film to DVD in October of last year).  I dare say I’m looking forward to it!  The Stepfather Blu-ray is up for pre-order at Amazon.com at a reduced price of $19.99 (26% off retail).



DVD News:
‘Gamera vs. Barugon’ and ‘Crack in the World’ on DVD, ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ on Blu-ray, all due out this July!

April 25th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 1 Comment »
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July is turning out to be quite a month for home video releases, and I’m certainly not complaining.

The second of Shout! Factory’s much-anticipated Gamera releases – 1966′s Gamera vs. Barugon – is due out on the 6th of July.  There are no specific details on supplements as of yet, but the film will be sourced from the latest HD master and presented in its original Japanese with English subtitles for the first time (legitimately) on domestic home video.  If Shout!’s Gamera, The Giant Monster is any indication then this is going to be a disc fans will not want to be without.

Gamera vs. Barugon follows a group of treasure-seekers who, in their greed, inadvertently unleash the monster Barugon (equipped with equally improbable freezing tongue and rainbow-shooting back spines) upon the world.  Arriving just in time to save the day is Gamera, recently extricated from the Plan Z rocket and minus a child sidekick for the first and only time in the original series of films.  The newly-released cover art for this release is to the right.  Gamera vs. Barugon is currently up for preorder at Amazon.com at a reduced price of $17.99.

Set for release on July 13th and making its world premiere on home video is Andrew Marton’s Crack in the World, a long-time favorite of this reviewer and one of the finest science fiction efforts of the ’60s.  The film stars Dana Andrews in one of his better late-career performances as well as Day of the Triffids alums Janette Scott and Kieron Moore and These Are the Damned‘s Alexander Knox, and features special effects direction by Eugene Lourie (director of Gorgo, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and The Giant Behemoth).  The story follows a collective of scientists who are on a race against time as an ever-growing fissure in the Earth’s crust, the result of a recent experiment, threatens to destroy all humanity.  Crack in the World is currently up for preorder at Amazon.com at a reduced price of $17.49, 30% off the SRP.

Finally (for this update, at least), more classic Harryhausen is on its way to the glory of high definition.  Jason and the Argonauts, arguably the best of the Harryhausen / Schneer co-productions and the former’s career favorite, will premiere on Blu-ray from Sony on the 6th of July.  Rather than paraphrase, I’ll just let DVDSavant do the talking for this one (thanks for the heads up, Glenn!):

“The word from London is that Sony’s new Blu-ray of Jason and the Argonauts . . . will have two special commentaries. A couple of days ago Peter Jackson and Randall William Cook recorded one track, commenting on all things Harryhausen. By the time this announcement comes out, Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton should have finished a second commentary in London. I’m told that the new Hi-Def transfer for Jason has been laid down at an appropriate 1:66 AR, which should make some highly vocal associates happy!”

Happy, indeed!  Sony’s earlier Harryhausen Blu-rays (reviews of which can be found in the archive) were all exceptionally realized, and I’ve no doubt that this one will live up to the high expectations fans will have set for it.  Jason and the Argonauts is up for pre-order at Amazon at the reduced price of $17.49, a savings of 30% off the SRP.

I’m looking forward to these, one and all, and Wtf-Film reviews can be expected in due course.



DVD News:
Shout! Factory’s ‘Gamera, The Giant Monster’ – $11.99 at Amazon.com (outdated)

April 8th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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The title says it all on this one.  Click here to preorder the title (out May 18th) at a savings of 40% today!



Wtf-Film Sneak Peak:
Gamera, The Giant Monster DVD (Shout! Factory, 2010)

April 5th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 7 Comments »
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Gamera, The Giant Monster is due out from Shout! Factory on the 18th of May, a little more than a month from now, but the screener just came in and is, frankly, too awesome not to share (a thorough review of the disc and film will appear here closer to the release date).  Fans out there who have yet to pre-order this title should head over to Amazon.com and take care of that ASAP.  You won’t be disappointed.

First things first – the packaging on this release is exceptional all around.  Major points to Shout! Factory for utilizing clear Amaray cases, as I repackage my home video library into these either way.  The artwork is nice all around, and based upon still photos of the titular behemoth and his human co-stars.  Opening the package one finds well designed disc art as well as a 12-page booklet, featuring a 2001 essay by director Noriaki Yuasa, character bios, a neat anatomical rendering of Gamera himself (reproduced as the inside art for the case!), and a reproduction of the original theatrical poster.  Good stuff, but don’t take my word for it:

Things only get better once the disc hits the player.  Shout! Factory’s release offers nice Arctic-themed animated menus and easy operations – each menu option is also, amusingly, accompanied with an exclamation mark.  Having seen the film before I headed straight for the supplements.

Making its first appearance on legitimate US DVD is the Gamera retrospective that originally appeared (without subtitles) on Daiei’s expansive LD boxed set in the 1990′s and was divided into brief pieces for the Toshiba / Daiei DVD release in 2002 (again, without subtitles).  Featuring input from director Yuasa and other members of the crew, this brief piece covers the full history of Daiei’s original Gamera series and even offers up a brief reconstruction of what the unfilmed Gamera vs. Garasharp may have been like.  New in the supplemental department is a feature commentary by August Ragone, author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.  This is a fine track, offering insight into the Cold War setting of the film and a wealth of back info for the production and biographical information on the cast and crew.  Extensive image galleries (still and publicity photos, the American pressbook, and even an International Sales Brochure) and the original Japanese theatrical trailer round out the supplements.

As most of you have probably heard, only the original Japanese version of Gamera, The Giant Monster is included on this disc, so hold onto your old Neptune Media VHS of Gammera the Invincible.  As for the Japanese cut, it’s never looked better in standard definition.  Shout! Factory has utilized Kadokawa Pictures HD master (which recently appeared on Blu-ray in Japan) with excellent results.  The transfer is clean, crisp, and all-around fantastic, and the well-translated English subtitles that accompany it certainly don’t hurt!  The basic details are that it’s progressive and anamorphic with almost exactly the same framing as the 2002 release (a slightly wider 2.26:1 versus the older 2.25:1). The film has been cleaned up considerably, and the new HD master presents with neither the video noise or artificial edge enhancement of its SD predecessor.

Gamera, the Giant Monster‘s first legitimate appearance on domestic DVD is a winner all around, and it’s wonderful to see another fan favorite getting its long-due respect.  As far as Wtf-Film is concerned, Shout! Factory’s Gamera, the Giant Monster is a must buy!



DVD News:
Shout! Factory’s upcoming ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll High School’ and ‘Suburbia’ releases detailed

March 28th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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From the Shout! Factory press release:


ROCK ’N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL
30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY™ AND DVD
&
SUBURBIA COLLECTOR’S EDITION DVD
DVDs In Stores Nationwide May 4, 2010;
Rock’n’ Roll High School on Blu-ray May 11, 2010

Gabba gabba hey! Two hugely popular Roger Corman rock films that have long been out of print will hit the home-entertainment shelves this May 2010: the Rock ’N’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary Special Edition and Suburbia Collector’s Edition, the first two titles launching the highly anticipated Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment series from Shout! Factory. Rock’n’Roll High School 30th Anniversary Special Edition DVD and Suburbia Collector’s Edition DVD debut on May 4; the first-ever Blu-ray release of Rock’n’Roll High School is set for May 11. Newly remastered and available for the first time in Anamorphic widescreen (16:9), Rock ’N’ Roll High School Special Edition and Suburbia Collector’s Edition provide the outrageous candor of teenage angst and nostalgic reverie of a counterculture rock movement that captured the hearts of many generations. With explosive musical performances from the Ramones, T.S.O.L., The Vandals and D.I., and extensive bonus content including all-new interviews and commentary with cast and crew, rare behind-the-scenes footage and much more, these two definitive home entertainment releases from Shout’s Roger Corman’s Cult Classics line are a must-have for Roger Corman fans and film aficionados as well as anyone who remains young at heart. Blu-ray is priced to own at $26.97 SRP. Each DVD title is sold separately and has a suggested retail price of $19.93.

Executive produced by Corman and directed by Allan Arkush (Heroes), Rock ’N’ Roll High School boasts performances by the Ramones and stars P.J. Soles (Halloween) in the lead role of Riff Randell, Vince Van Patten (Hell Night), Clint Howard (Grand Theft Auto), Dey Young (Spaceballs), Mary Woronov (Death Race 2000), Dick Miller (Piranha) and Paul Bartel (Hollywood Boulevard).

Based on Arkush’s own high school fantasy, the 1979 cult film takes place at Vince Lombardi High School — the wildest, most rockin’ high school around! That is, until a thug of a principal, Miss Togar, comes along and tries to make the school a totalitarian state. With the help of the Ramones, the students of Vince Lombardi battle Miss Togar’s iron-fisted rule and take their battle to a truly rockin’ conclusion!

Rock ’N’ Roll High School quickly developed a devoted following after its release in 1979 and became a mainstay of the midnight movie cult circuit. As with films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, audience members began to dress up like the cast and the Ramones for screenings. Arkush, a self-described “unabashed rock ’n’ roll fanatic,” chose the Ramones to star as the film’s musical heroes, as he felt they epitomized pure rock ’n’ roll. As Arkush remembers, “We staged a live, marathon show at the Roxy Theatre that consisted of 22 hours of nonstop Ramones,” and the tireless quartet also wrote two songs for the film: “I Want You Around” and “Rock ’N’ Roll School.” The Ramones were fans of Corman as well. Johnny Ramone said in an interview at the time, “When we found out Roger Corman was behind the picture, we said, sure, we’ll do it because we knew he had a reputation and we knew he made good movies.”

ROCK ’N’ ROLL HIGH SCHOOL 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION
EXTENSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
New Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.85:1)
Special Introduction And “Thank You” From Director Allan Arkush
Audio Commentary With Director Allan Arkush, Producer Mike Finnell And
Screenwriter Richard Whitley
Audio Commentary With Roger Corman And Dey Young
New Audio Commentary With Director Allan Arkush, P.J. Soles And Clint
Howard
Back To School: A Retrospective Including All-New Interviews With Allan Arkush, Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Dey Young, Marky Ramone And More . . .
Staying After Class: A Roundtable Interview With P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten And Dey Young
Interview With Roger Corman Conducted By Leonard Maltin
New Interview With Director Allan Arkush Including A Look At Rare, Behind-The-Scenes Stills From His Personal Collection
Audio Outtakes From The Roxy – Audio Recording Of The Ramones Shooting
The Final Scene
Original Radio Ads And TV Spots
Original Theatrical Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer With Commentary By writer/director/actor Eli Roth Courtesy Of Trailers from Hell.
Additional Roger Corman Trailers
And more TBA!

Written and directed by Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World), featuring live performances by T.S.O.L., The Vandals and D.I., and starring Bill Coyne, Chris Pederson, Jennifer Clay and Christina Beck, 1984’s Suburbia deftly explores the punk rock generation and follows the unforgettable journey of two teenage boys who escape their unhappy home and join a group of runaways, punks who have banded together to form their own family. Dubbing themselves “The Rejected,” (aka T.R.), the teens have taken squatters’ rights in a filthy, abandoned house, and are bound together by tragedy and punk rock until they’re confronted by the “Citizens Against Crime,” a group of irascible adults from the suburbs who blame the punks for the ruin of their town. During the course of filming, the production used real kids for many parts in addition to professional actors (and includes the acting debut of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea).

SUBURBIA COLLECTOR’S EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
New Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.85:1)
Audio Commentary With Director Penelope Spheeris
New Audio Commentary
Theatrical Trailers
And more….

Following the release of the Rock ’N’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary DVD and Suburbia Collector’s Edition DVD, Shout! Factory will continue to present Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include Death Race 2000, Battletruck (aka Warlords Of The 21st Century), Deathsport, Forbidden World, Galaxy Of Terror, Attack Of The Crab Monster, Not Of This Earth (1957), Piranha and Humanoids From The Deep, among others.


These first Roger Corman’s Cult Classics titles are sounding better and better all the time!  And what’s that?  Where’s the disc art you say?  Have a look:

Rock ‘N’ Roll High School (DVD / Blu-ray) and Suburbia (DVD) are both up for pre-order now at Amazon.com at a savings of 10% to 25% off retail.



DVD News:
MGM on-demand DVD round two – ‘Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot’, ‘The White Buffalo’ and more

March 25th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | 1 Comment »
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With The Warner Archive Collection proving a rather successful endeavor for that company, 20th Century Fox is stepping up its game and offering another large batch of MGM catalog titles as made-to-order DVD-Rs through an agreement with Amazon.com’s Create Space on-demand service.  There’s some very desirable stuff here – Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot – The Complete Series, The White Buffalo starring Charles Bronson and Will Sampson, and The House of Long Shadows, with Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Cristopher Lee and John Carradine.

A full listing of available and soon-to-be available MGM on-demand titles is here: MGM Limited Edition Collection



Film News:
R.I.P. Robert Culp, 1930 – 2010

March 25th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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The prolific television and film actor will always be best remembered here in Wtf-Film-land as the star of three of the very best episodes of the 60s anthology series The Outer Limits.  He brought fear, paranoia, and all-important humanity to the roles, which required him to be a man-turned-alien one moment and a cyborg with a speaking glass hand the next.  Culp, who passed away on Wednesday after collapsing at his home, was 79 years old.  He will be missed.

Robert Culp and actress Geraldine Brooks in a publicity shot for 'The Architects of Fear', 1963.



Film News:
The FX Magic of Ray Harryhausen continues with ‘First Men in the Moon’ and ’20 Million Miles to Earth’, this weekend at the Trylon Microcinema

March 19th, 2010 | article by Kevin Pyrtle | No Comments »
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Take-Up Productions and The Trylon Microcinema’s month-long celebration of the career of one-man effects powerhouse Ray Harryhausen continues this weekend with two more science fiction  demi-classics: the fine 1964 adaptation of H. G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon (Harryhausen’s only film in ‘scope) and the monster-from-Venus mini-epic 20 Million Miles to Earth.  Both films were directed by Nathan Juran, who also helmed the fantasy classic The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.   Showtimes are as follows:

First Men in the Moon
Friday: 7:00pm, 9:00pm
Saturday: 7:00pm, 9:00pm

20 Million Miles to Earth (HD)
Sunday: 5:20pm, 7:00pm

Tickets are $8.00, and can be purchased (cash-only) at the door or in advance online.  For the complete schedule for this series and advance ticketing information, click here.

The Trylon Microcinema is located at 3258 Minnehaha Ave S in Wtf-Film’s own Minneapolis, MN, and is the home of Take-Up Productions.