By: Sean Brickley
It looks like the non-stop inclement weather that has wreaked havoc across our country recently has a bit of a bright lining. This week we have 28 new releases to DVD and Blu-ray. Of those, there are 21 movies and 7 collections, including Battle Of The Damned and the Blu-ray release of Darkman. Enjoy, fellow fiends.
Movies:
Alter Ego (A School Conjuring) (2002)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Nobuko Sakuma, Chieko Kawabe, Takashi Shimizu, Issei Shibata
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00FIO19QM
Synopsis:
From Takashi Shimizu, the famed director behind The Grudge and Ju-On horror franchises comes one of his undiscovered films. Never before seen outside the shores of Japan. Set in an urban Japanese city, three young aspiring models are on their very first fashion shoot at an abandoned and neglected school one hot summer day. Without warning strange events begin occurring around the set that causes the models and photo crew to question their sanity as one by one they begin dying an agonizing and painful death. Deaths seemingly caused by none other than themselves. (Japanese with English subtitles)
Angry Nazi Zombies (2014)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Tina Barnes, Paul Kelleher, James Eaves, Pat Higgins
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00I30MQE2
Synopsis:
3 interlocking stories from the dark days of World War 2. A soldier on a suicide mission. A troubled family with a monster in their bomb shelter. A supernatural investigator on her most dangerous assignment yet. A unique, sexy and terrifying anthology movie brought to you by three of the most fiercely original independent directors working in horror today. Jim Eaves (Bane), Pat Higgins (KillerKiller) and Alan Ronald (Jesus vs the Messiah) bring you three dark tales from the battlegrounds of World War 2. Medal of Horror: Director Jim Eaves takes you on a suicide mission, with a young British soldier doing all he can to defeat the Nazi menace and their First World War zombified soldiers. Devils of the Blitz: A family, sheltering from Nazi bombers, is terrorized by flesh eating devils. Director Pat Higgins brings you a dark tale of suspense, edged with pitch-black comedy. Harriet’s War: Director Alan Ronald brings you a spooky slice of paranormal pulp in this nerve-jangling ghost story, all against the backdrop of World War 2.
Battle of the Damned (2014)
Format(s): DVD, Blu-ray
Notable Names: Dolph Lundgren, Melanie Zanetti, Christopher Hatton
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GOYC3I8
Blu-ray Link: http://amzn.com/B00GOYC3ME
Synopsis:
When a deadly virus is accidentally released into a major city, its population is quarantined by military blockade. And for a wealthy industrialist desperate to rescue his daughter from inside the rabid chaos, his only hope is former commando Max Gatling (Dolph Lundgren). Now Gatling has one day to bust in, blast through hordes of the undead, find the girl, and hunt for a way to get them both out alive. But will a small band of survivors and an army of killer robots turn his mission into maximum slaughter? Matt Doran (The Matrix) and David Field (Chopper) co-star in this intense action shocker!
Boys Behind Bars (2013)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Wade Radford, Jason Impey
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GKP70HU
Synopsis:
Darrell is a well trained prison bitch looking forward to a night alone in his cell getting jacked on the drugs he’s had smuggled in when a riot erupts on the floors above. To separate the offenders, three of the inmates are placed in Darrell’s cell. Always up for a laugh, Darrell teases, flirts and annoys his fellow cellies Seth & Lanks, until a new boy is placed with them and becomes prey to these wild animals. Nothing short of offensive and disgusting, these boys are savage and hell bent on abusing, insulting, and degrading each other throughout the night. 4 Boys, One Room, & Pure Hell in the Cell, this trashy British arthouse throwback captures the reality of the 80s.
Cohasset Snuff Film (2012)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Maria Olsen, Becky T. Bordo, Chad Addison
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00G7A5W6Y
Synopsis:
In 2009, the small town of Cohasset, Massachusetts was rocked with tragedy. A 17-year-old high school senior named Collin Mason murdered three classmates. All the murders were videotaped and uploaded to the Internet via bit torrent sites and for three days, the world viewed the murders of these three innocent teens. Through legal action, the parents of the victims were able to remove all footage from the Internet and the town tried to save face by pretending it never happened. Bootleg copies of this footage are still passed around and downloaded through illegal means. The impact of this video is still being felt in Cohasset today. The video has become infamous, and is now referred to as The Cohasset Snuff Film.
Darkman (Collector’s Edition) (1990)
Format(s): Blu-ray
Notable Names: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Sam Raimi
Blu-ray Link: http://amzn.com/B00ESZZO4A
Synopsis:
Liam Neeson (Taken) and Oscar winner Frances McDormand (Fargo) star in Darkman: the explosive, action-packed thriller from director Sam Raimi (The Spider-Man trilogy).
Dr. Peyton Westlake (Neeson) is on the verge of realizing a major breakthrough in the creation of synthetic skin when his laboratory is blown up by gangsters. Having been burned beyond recognition and forever altered by an experimental medical procedure, Westlake becomes known as Darkman, assuming alternate identities in his quest for revenge and a new life with his former love (McDormand).
Also Starring Colin Friels (Dark City), Larry Drake (Dr. Giggles), Danny Hicks (Evil Dead 2) and Nicholas Worth (Swamp Thing), Darkman is ’a frenetic funhouse ride that has you laughing and screaming at the same time’ (The Washington Post)!
Darkroom (2013)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Kaylee DeFer, Elisabeth Röhm, Britt Napier
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00EIEPG4Y
Synopsis:
Michelle kills three of her friends in a horrific car accident while driving under the influence. After rehab, Michelle takes a job recommended by her counselor that lands her trapped in a mansion with three psychotic siblings hell bent on physical torture to purge Michelle of her sins.
Dead Creatures (2001)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Antonia Beamish, Beverly Wilson
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00FYW50CC
Synopsis:
Part 2 of the Andrew Parkinson Trilogy – A group of young women have a terrible, degenerative illness which forces them to murder and feed on human flesh. As they adjust to this carnivorous existence, their only concerns are where to find human flesh and how to avoid a zombie hunter, until a newly infected girl arrives…
Deliverance From Evil (2012)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Victor Miller, Angel Aviles
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GKP710G
Synopsis:
A young couple encounters a diabolical presence that threatens to consume their souls and their flesh after moving into a new home, and suffering the devastating loss of their only child. Later, when a powerful psychic agrees to purge the evil from the tainted home, the demons get angry, and strike back with a vengeance. Angel Aviles and Jose Rosete (The Mentalist, San Franpsycho) star in a film featuring original Friday the 13th screenwriter Victor Miller.
Dracula Reborn (2012)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Victoria Summer, Corey Landis, Patrick McManus
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GV8B1EO
Synopsis:
Jonathan had it all; a great job, a loving wife and a baby on the way. But everything is stripped from him when a vampire takes his wife. In order to save his wife and seek vengeance against the vampire that destroyed his life, he joins forces with a renown vampire hunter and descends into the depths of hell.
Fields Of The Dead (2014)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Nick Sanchez, Mark Booker
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00HRYH64A
Synopsis:
Seven friends find themselves on an isolated farm. Here, they discover an ancient book, which summons demons from the surrounding woods. Now, these friends will have to find a way out of the fields, if they want to survive.
Ganzfeld Haunting (2014)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Taylor Cole , Billy Zane
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GSTHCWQ
Synopsis:
Set out to prove that thoughts can be transmitted psychically, a group of hard-partying students mistakenly unearth a grisly series of murders from their forgotten youth. As ghosts from the past become increasingly violent, the students must solve a 20-year-old crime before they are driven insane – or become murder victims themselves. Terrifying and captivating, The Ganzfeld Haunting is a head trip that will keep you up at night!
Garden of Hedon (2014)
RELEASED ON 2/17/2014
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Danielle Lozeau, Richard Cutting, Kevin Kangas
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00I71U4MI
Synopsis:
Owen wakes in a mansion, no memory of how he got there. And a very bad feeling when he sees the dead woman next to him. With no help, no phones, and no way to leave the mansion, he sets out to find the killer himself. But the killer has only just begun…
Hanging Shadows: Perspectives On Italian Horror Cinema (2007)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Lamberto Bava, Ruggero Deodato, Michele Soavi, Dario Argento
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GO55QIQ
Synopsis:
Before The Ring and The Grudge, there was Suspiria. Hanging Shadows offers a critical appreciation of Italian horror cinema, pioneered by directors such as Dario Argento and Maria Bava, a genre that influenced filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino to Takashi Miike. With its roots in the pulpy crime novels of the 1920s and 30s, Giallo cinema (the term refers to the lurid yellow covers that graced the early novels) or Italian horror cinema, as it’s more commonly known, first emerged in the late 1960s. Following the neo-realists, the giallo films represented a radical break with Italy’s cinematic past, and much like film-noir in America, were often derided by critics as mere genre films – movies made by artisans (not artists). The films, however, have since developed a fervent cult following and their influence can be seen in the work of numerous contemporary filmmakers, most prominently in the young Asian directors who are developing their own wildly-popular brand of horror cinema. This documentary presents an informative historical overview of the giallo genre, exploring its genesis and chronicling the films, directors, and personalities that made up its golden age. Featuring interviews with Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava (director and son of Maria Bava), Antonella Fulci (daughter of director Lucio Fulci), Franco Ferrini (co-writer of Sergio Leone’s Once upon a time in America and numerous Argento films), Ruggero Deodata (Cannibal Holocaust), Giannetto De Rossi (make-up artist on Fulci’s films), and many others, Hanging Shadows is a fascinating study of a group of films and filmmakers that redefined the horror genre and forever changed the way we think of horror films.
Hellbenders (2014)
Format(s): DVD, Blu-ray
Notable Names: Clifton Collins, Jr., Clancy Brown
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GWJIDFC
Blu-ray Link: http://amzn.com/B00GWJIDKC
Synopsis:
There are demons so terrible that no mortal man of God could successfully drive them back to Hell. The only option is for the exorcist himself to invite possession and then commit suicide, dragging along the demon to damnation – so the Augustine Interfaith Order of Hellbound Saints – or Hellbenders – was formed. A group of elite, highly-trained exorcists, they live in a constant state of debauchery so they will be ready to go to Hell at any moment. When an infernal Norse demon called Black Surtr escapes into New York City intent on cracking open the gates of Hell, the Hellbenders must use every ounce of their debauchery to battle the demon and save the planet from eternal damnation!
I, Zombie (1998)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Dean Sipling, Claire Griffin, Giles Aspen, Ellen Softley
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00FYW52G6
Synopsis:
Part 1 of the Andrew Parkinson Trilogy – While on a trip to the country, a young man is bitten by a strange. When he returns to the city, a slow degeneration begins. In order to survive he must eat human flesh. Against his own conscience he embarks on a killing spree, dragging his victims to his living room where he devours them limb by limb.
The Invoking (2013)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Josh Truax, D’Angelo Midili, Jeremy Berg
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GOITWVU
Synopsis:
After inheriting a house from the family she never knew, Samantha Harris (Trin Miller) and three friends head to rural Sader Ridge to inspect the property. Soon after arriving, Sam begins to experience horrific visions of savage brutality and unspeakable evil. Plagued by the sinister forces closing in around her, Sam descends into a waking nightmare when the demons from her past refuse to stay buried any longer.
Mad In Italy (2014)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Giovanni Maria Buzzatti, Andrea De Bruyn, Eleonora Bolla
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GO55Q90
Synopsis:
Mad in Italy is a truly disturbing psychological film based on true events about one girl’s ordeal to stay alive at the hands of a young maniac. Featuring amazing cinematography by one of the most talented Italian directors of photography Mirco Sgarzi (House of Flesh Mannequins and Orgy of Blood).
Random Acts of Violence (2013)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Ashley Cahill, Jake Hoffman
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00H47IWKC
Synopsis:
The adventures of a young man whose principle interests are movies, New York, and mass murder. When Malcolm gets tired of how gentrified, tepid and antiseptic New York has become, he decides to take matters into his own hands by personally starting a crime wave which he hopes will catch on and drive real estate value down, opening up the city to bohemians, artists and a swell of creativity. The only problem is nobody’s paying attention.
Silent Night Bloody Night: The Homecoming (2013)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Lee Bane, Sabrina Dickens, Adrienne King
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GO55O2E
Synopsis:
The abandoned home of Wilfred Butler, a wealthy but troubled man who committed suicide in 1987, has been willed to his grandson, Jeffrey. The house has sat in disarray since Wilfred’s death, standing in the way of developers who want to turn the property into residential homes. Just before Christmas 2012, many years after Wilfred’s death, Jeffrey and his lawyer appear in town to negotiate the sale of the property. But an Axe wielding maniac has set up residence in the house, and he doesn’t take kindly to strangers.
Venus Drowning (2006)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Jodie Jameson, Brendan Gregory, Andrew Parkinson
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00FYW4ZK0
Synopsis:
Part 3 of the Andrew Parkinson Trilogy – After a failed suicide attempt a vulnerable woman moves to a remote seaside town where she finds a limbless creature on the beach. Soon a quasi-sexual relationship develops between the two with the creature feeding of orgasms.
Collections:
21st Century Grindhouse Vol 1: God Told Me Not To… But I Did It Anyway
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Alex Dawson, Ben Brett
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00G1L6VHS
Synopsis:
4 Grindhouse style tales of terror from filmmaker Nik Box!
Brutal Jesus and the House of Wasted Youth: a Christ like figure punishes a group of teenage drug addicted wasters for their sins.
The Violent Vicar: a friendly local Vicar battles an evil Reverend who is spreading sin in his town.
She’s Dead: When a one night stand goes messy, 3 men have one hour to dispose of the corpse before they are discovered.
Terror of the Blood Demon: friends at a Halloween party unleash something evil through a séance.
Bad Dreams / Visiting Hours
Format(s): Blu-ray
Notable Names: William Shatner, Michael Ironside, Andrew Fleming
Blu-ray Link: http://amzn.com/B00GHH9GSC
Movies:
Bad Dreams, Visiting Hours
The Boggy Creek Legacy Collection (Bigfoot Triple Feature)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Various
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00G1L6WCW
Synopsis:
It’s hours of Bigfoot action in this gigantic triple feature – the very best of Sasquatch cinema, all for one low price.
Bigfoot: The Mysterious Monster – Real life searches and chilling recreations of Bigfoot sightings.
Sasquatch: A group of adventurers set out on the hunt for the elusive Sasquatch.
The Snowbeast: A research expedition in Tibet discover something that did not want to be found.
Jean Rollin: The Vampire Films
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Olivier Rollin, Jean Rollin
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00H27PDUG
Synopsis:
AS the constraints of censorship began to see in the late 1960’s and early ’70’s, visionary French filmmaker Jean Rollin created a series of mesmerizing thrillers that injected the Gothic vampire film with a more contemporary strain of eroticism. Fluctuating between visual poetry and shocking violence, Rollin’s deeply personal films have come to be recognized as classics of the horror genre, and are presented here in deluxe editions, mastered in HD from the original 35mm negatives, and accompanied by printed essays by Tim Lucas (Video Watchdog).
This box set contains:
The Rape Of The Vampire
The Nude Vampire
The Shiver Of The Vampires
Requiem For A Vampire
Kinky Cannibal Double Feature
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Misty Mundae, Tina Krause, William Hellfire
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00172TIGC
Synopsis:
Cannibal Doctor, Dinner for Two
The Old Dark House Mystery Collection
RELEASED ON 2/17/2014
Format(s): DVD, Blu-ray
Notable Names: Wallace Ford, Louis Hayward, Paul Leni, René Clair
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00H4XPGF0
Blu-ray Link: http://amzn.com/B00H3GQEEK
Movies:
And Then There Were None (1945); Cat and the Canary (1927); One Frightened Night; Topper Returns; The House on Haunted Hill (1959); Rogues Tavern; Fog Island (1945); Black Raven; The Ghost Train; Crooked Circle; Charlie Chan’s Secret; The Ghoul (1933); The Gorilla; Tangled Destinies; The Moonstone; The Monster Walks; Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police; The Door With Seven Locks; Murder By Invitation; The Ghost Walks; One Body Too Many; Thirteenth Guest; The Bat (1926); The Terror (1938)
Vaulted: Films From The Yellow Ape Vault (2014)
Format(s): DVD
Notable Names: Lady MacDeath
DVD Link: http://amzn.com/B00GO55PG4
Synopsis:
The lovely Lady MacDeath takes you into the Yellow Ape Productions film vault and unravels four thrilling ‘Movies for the Midnight Hour’:
In Jim Haggerty’s Cold Dead Hand, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks finds an apartment that’s too good to be true…and something scary in the fridge!
In Ben Fiore’s Penelope, a young woman is haunted by something from her past – and nothing is quite what it seems. The first runner-up of the first annual Yellow Ape Film Festival!
In the Snyder Brothers’ Farewell To Arm we have a charming coming of age tale of blood relations and bloody dismemberment. The grand prize winner of the first annual Yellow Ape Film Festival!
And the DVD premiere of lost underground surrealist nightmare Haunting Day. Sought after by film fanatics the world over and believed to only be an urban legend, Yellow Ape has obtained what is believed to be the only existing print of this rare film and restored it to its best possible quality for this DVD premiere!
So sit back and enjoy an evening of thrills and excitement hosted by the most luscious hostess you could hope for! Won’t you join us?
