This week's horror related DVD and Blu-ray releases, June 27th

Here are this week's horror related DVD/BD's that come out tomorrow, 6/27:

*  THE ANGRY RED PLANET  [BD]
*  THE BELKO EXPERIMENT  [BD and DVD]]
*  BERLIN SYNDROME  [DVD]
*  DEATH LINE  [BD/DVD combo]
*  THE EVICTORS  [BD]
*  FEED THE LIGHT  [BD & DVD]
*  THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE  [BD]
*  HARVEST MOON  [DVD]
*  NURSE SHERRI  [BD]
*  TRUTH OR DARE  [DVD]
*  THE UNHOLY  [BD]
*  VICTIMS  [BD & DVD]

Check out the award winning short film, DAWN OF THE DEAF

  When I first saw the title for this film, I thought it was going to be a zombie parody movie that was probably going to be pretty non-pc and offensive to the deaf community.  Boy was I wrong!    This is not a comedy or spoof movie by any means.  In fact, DAWN OF THE DEAF is one of the best short films I have ever seen!   Here is the basic plot from the film's official website:

When a strange sound wipes out the hearing population, a small group of Deaf people must band together to survive.

  I had no idea what to expect when I watched this film, but what I got was one of the most entertaining 12 minutes I have seen in a long time.   The film is brilliant and definitely makes me want to see more.   

  The film was directed by Rob Savage, and Mr. Savage, if you're reading this, I really hope that you are considering making this into a feature length film!

 Watch the film below and then leave a comment to let me know what you think!


Dawn of the Deaf from Rob Savage on Vimeo.

This week's horror related DVD and Blu-ray releases, June20th

Here are this week's horror related DVD/BD's that come out tomorrow, 6/20:

*  THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE  [Arrow BD/DVD combo]
*  DEATH POOL  [DVD]
*  HACK-O-LANTERN  [BD/DVD combo pack]
*  ISLAND OF TERROR  [BD]
*  THE LAWNMOWER MAN  [BD]
*  LIFE  [BD & DVD]
*  NIGHT TERRORS  [DVD]
*  PATCHWORK  [DVD]
*  THE PAUL NASCHY COLLECTION  [BD]

Blu-ray Review: EVIL ED (1995)

EVIL ED
Directed by Anders Jacobsson
Distributed by Arrow Films / MVD Entertainment Group

  Arrow video keeps hitting the ball out of the park with their Blu-ray releases!    EVIL ED is another great release from Arrow and is a film that has been very hard to come by the past few years.  The out of print DVD was very expensive, so I was so happy to see that Arrow finally put out a new version of this film.  
 
  EVIL ED is another one of those classic horror films that I have always known about, but had never seen before.   It is one of the strangest horror films I have seen in a long time!    Here is the basic plot of the film from the MVD website: 
 
  WHEN HIS MIND BLOWS, ANYTHING GOES! A blood-soaked love letter to the splatter films of the '80s, video rental favourite Evil Ed returns in a brand-new Special EDition featuring an extended cut of the feature and hours of stomach-churning bonus features! Mild-mannered film technician Edward enjoys his job. That is, until he finds himself transferred from his regular post to the "Splatter and Gore department", where he's forced to edit hours upon hours of grisly video nasty footage. Traumatized by the onscreen violence, Ed starts to lose his grip on reality - with ghastly (and bloody) consequences... Owing a debt to films such as The Evil Dead, Re-animator and the early splatter classics of Peter Jackson, Evil Ed is a veritable smorgasbord of flying limbs, exploding heads, busty babes and creepy creatures!
 
  This film is not a scary horror film by any means, it is mainly just gory yet with a light and almost comical tone at times.   It kind of reminded me a of the HOUSE movies from the 1980's as it contains a wide variety of creatures.   As Ed goes crazy, he continually sees things that aren't really there.  He imagines a dinosaur like creature in his refrigerator, and many of the people he comes across look like demons of a wide variety in the crazy mind of good 'ol Evil Ed!  

  The gore is very abundant in this film, and the practical effects look very good!   The  film also pays homage to other horror films throughout the movie, such as EVIL DEAD and HALLOWEEN.   All this makes for a very fun movie that I highly recommend.  
 
  Once again, Arrow Video has outdone themselves with another amazing release.   EVIL ED is presented in a 3 disc set, containing 2 different cuts of the film.    EVIL ED is a release you need to get your hands on now!   The Arrow Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is available now and contains the following special features:

3-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

Two versions of the film!

Original Stereo and 5.1 Audio Options

Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

Collector’s booklet with new writing on the film

DISCS 1 & 2 (BLU-RAY + DVD) – THE SPECIAL ED-ITION CUT

World premiere of the newly-extended version of the feature [95 min]

Keep ’Em Heads Rollin’ – making-of documentary

Reconstructing Edward – featurette on the creation of the Special EDition cut

Deleted scenes

Bloopers

Teasers and Trailers

Still Gallery

DISC 3 (BLU-RAY) – THE ORIGINAL CUT [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]

Original Cut [93 mins]

Lost in Brainland – never-before-seen extended 3 hour version of the making-of documentary

PLUS OTHER SURPRISES!!!

  

 
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack

 

This week's horror related DVD and Blu-ray releases, June 13th

Here are this week's horror related DVD/BD's that come out tomorrow, 6/13:

*  ALIENTATOR  [BD]
*  ANOMALY  [DVD/BD]
*  BADASS MONSTER KILLER  [DVD]
*  THE BUTCHER POSSESSIONS  [DVD]
*  THE CASEBOOK OF EDDIE BREWER  [DVD]
*  CLOWN PANIC  [DVD]
*  DEATH CAM  [DVD]
*  DOCUMENTING THE GREY MAN  [DVD]
*  DRY BONES  [DVD]
*  FOREST OF THE VAMPIRE  [DVD]
*  GRIM:  SEASON 6  [DVD/BD]
*  INQUISITION  [Mondo Macabro BD]
*  MADHOUSE  [Arrow BD]
*  MEDUSA  [DVD]
*  NAVY SEALS VS. DEMONS  [DVD/BD]

Blu-ray Review: POOL PARTY MASSACRE (2017)

POOL PARTY MASSACRE
Written & Directed by:  Drew Marvick
Produced & Distributed by:  Floating Eye Films

  I have always been a fan of low budget independent horror films, but I have to admit that there are way more bad ones than there are good ones.  Every now and then, though, you'll find a diamond in the rough and POOL PARTY MASSACRE is the shiniest diamond I have seen in a long time!   This is what independent horror should be like!  Here is the basic plot of the film from the official website:

  POOL PARTY MASSACRE BEGINS AS BLAIR WINTHORPE, A SPOILED ROTTEN COLLEGE AGED DAUGHTER OF WEALTHY PARENTS, IS PLANNING A POOL PARTY FOR A FEW FRIENDS AT HER PARENTS MANSION. WITH BLAIRE DETERMINED TO HAVE A RELAXING DAY BY THE POOL, AND ALL OF HER SELF ABSORBED FRIENDS FOCUSING ON THEMSELVES, NONE OF THEM SEEM TO NOTICE THAT THERE IS AN UNKNOWN KILLER IN THE HOUSE STALKING THEM. ONE BY ONE AS PARTY GUESTS ENTER THE HOUSE TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, HAVE SEX, REFILL DRINKS OR EVEN MASTURBATE, THEY ARE BRUTALLY MURDERED BY THE MYSTERIOUS KILLER. USING VARIOUS WEAPONS FOUND IN THE GARAGE, THE FACELESS KILLER CONTINUES TO MURDER AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE CAN IN CREATIVE AND BLOODY WAYS. WHAT STARTED OUT AS A RELAXING DAY BY THE POOL, QUICKLY BECOMES THE WORST POOL PARTY EVER.

  My only complaint with this film is it's running time.   It clocked in at 79 minutes, but as fun of a time as I was having with this film, I wanted it to last much longer!  That is not really a complaint at all, of course, just a testament to how much fun this movie was!  

  You can tell this movie was made by a true horror fan.  Director Drew Marvick delivers everything you'd want in a slasher film including tons of babes, boobs, and blood...lots of blood!   The gore in this film was great, and I was happy to see all practical effects....something that is very rare these days, especially in low budget independent films such as this.    The movie is very fast paced with hardly any slow/down times.  The kills come fast and often and each one was different and unique from one another.  The killer basically just goes down the line using tools found on the workbench pegboard, replacing each one to it's correct spot after use, although quite a bit bloodier than we he took it off the pegboard!    

  The film had some humor mixed in as well, which I usually don't like in my horror films, but with this style of film it worked well.   POOL PARTY MASSACRE is Director Drew Marvick's first feature length film according to his imdb page.   If that is the case, I can not wait to see what else we get from this great talent in the future!   Way to hit a home run as soon as you step up to the plate, Mr. Marvick!   Indie horror is alive and well!

 If you are a slasher film fan, or a horror fan in general, you need to check out this classic piece of cheesy slasher fun!   The DVD and Blu-ray is available now and the Blu-ray Special Features include:

*  Director's Commentary with Drew Marvick and his Mom
*  Cast Commentary with Nick Byer, Jen Marvick, and Kristen Noel McKusick
*  Location Tour
*  Gag Reel
*  Making of Featurette


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

 

 

Blu-ray Review: INQUISITION (1976)

INQUISITION
Directed by Paul Naschy (as Jacinto Molina)
Distributed by Mondo Macabro / CAV Distributing

  Mondo Macabro has long been one of my most favorite video labels.  They are constantly putting out great products and films that I usually have never heard of, but always enjoy.  INQUISITION is a film that once again I had never heard of, but thoroughly enjoyed.   The film stars and was directed by Paul Naschy and centers around a 16th century witch-hunt in France.  Here is the full plot synopsis from the CAV website:

  In 16th century France, Inquisitor and magistrate Bernard de Fossey (Paul Naschy) travels to the plague-ridden region of Peyriac in search of witches and devil worshippers. Local beauty Catherine (Daniela Giordano) quickly catches his eye, tormenting him with impure thoughts, although her affections lie with her handsome fiancé Jean. Meanwhile, embittered one-eyed manservant Rénover (Antonio Iranzo) presents Bernard with his first group of torture victims when he accuses several sexy young things who spurned his advances of being witches responsible for the plague.
One by one beautiful women are tortured on the rack then burned at the stake. No-one seems able to halt the Inquisition's reign of terror or the baseless accusations that cause so many innocent deaths. When Jean dies in mysterious circumstances, Catherine allies herself with Satan to get revenge on her enemies - foremost among them, De Fossey himself.
  This was horror star Paul Naschy's directorial debut and one of his very best films. He plays three roles - Inquisitor De Fossey, the Devil, and the Grim Reaper. The film is a brutal and unrelenting portrait of a past when superstition and terror ruled the minds of men.

  I have always been fascinated by witch trail films.   There is a real horror to the thought of women being tortured and killed based on hysteria and accusations rather than fact and proof.  The fact this actually happened in multiple parts of the world is even more horrifying.  

  This film reminded me a lot of the 1970 film, MARK OF THE DEVIL, except I think I enjoyed this film even more.    There are some great torture scenes in this film, including one involving a woman's nipple that made me cringe!   Yet as grotesque as it was, I had to rewind and watch it again to see if I could figure out how they did the effect!  I am a huge fan of special effects (especially gore effects in horror films), so I was very impressed by this scene.   If you have seen the film, you will know exactly what scene I am talking about.  If you haven't seen this film, I won't say any more to keep from spoiling it for you!

  If you enjoyed MARK OF THE DEVIL and the early Hammer Films, I think you will really enjoy this one. 

  INQUISITION is available now on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro and CAV Distribution and contains the following special features:

*  Introduction by Paul Naschy
*  Interview with star Daniela Giordano
*  Audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn (the Naschycast)
*  Blood and Sand - documentary on Spanish horror films
*  English/Spanish audio choice .
*  Newly created English subtitles
*  Mondo Macabro previews


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray