Blu-ray Review: MADHOUSE (1974)

MADHOUSE

Directed by:  Jim Clark

Distributed by:  Eureka Video

  Once again I get the privilege of watching and reviewing a film I have always known about, but had never watched for one reason or another.   1974's MADHOUSE stars the legendary Vincent Price, one of my all time favorite horror icons.  I really should make a point of watching all his films.  I have seen many of them, but there are still quite a few I have not.   I was glad to check MADHOUSE off the list of his films I have seen!  

Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Eureka! website!

Paul Toombes (Price) is an actor whose trademark role is the enigmatic and terrifying Dr Death, a skull-faced serial killer and the central antagonist of a long-running series of horror films. When Toombes’ fiancée Ellen (Julie Crosthwait) is murdered in mysterious circumstances by an assailant dressed as Dr Death, the actor wonders if he has succumbed to madness – a question he will be forced to reckon with again when, years later, people begin dying on the set of a new television series based on his most famous character.

  This was such a fun film, and pretty tame by today's standards.  It does have a couple of creepy images, including the skull makeup/mask of the killer and one instance of a woman's head coming off after a decapitation.  I know it sounds bad, but it's one of the cleanest, bloodless decapitations I have ever seen!   It's exactly the type of decapacitation you would expect to see in a rated PG horror film!  That's right, MADHOUSE is rated PG!  Of course, these were the days before the creation of the PG-13 rating, so most likely this is a PG-13 film by today's standards.  

  I thought it was really neat how they used clips from older Vincent Price films in the movie, to show his character's past films.  We see clips from THE HAUNTED PALACE,  THE RAVEN, and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, just to name a few. 

 The movie was pretty tame overall, but it kept me entertained for the entire running time, a quick 89 minutes.   Also of note, is an appearance from another Horror icon, Peter Cushing.    You can't go wrong with both Cushing and Price in a film together!  

 I would definitely recommend MADHOUSE to any horror fan.  Don't expect a lot of blood and gore, but do expect the strange charm that comes with any Vincent Price film.  I don't know what it is about him, but I love anything he is involved with!  

MADHOUSE comes out tomorrow, 6/22, and contains the following Special Features:

• Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring original poster artwork [2000 copies]
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on Madhouse by genre film expert Christopher Stewardson and an archival interview with director Jim Clark conducted by John Hamilton, originally published in The Dark Side [2000 copies]
• 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray
• Original English mono audio
• Optional English subtitles (SDH)
• New introduction to Madhouse by horror novelist Stephen Laws
• Lights, Camera, Murder! – new video essay on Madhouse by horror and gothic scholar Mary Going
• Audio commentary by film historian David Del Valle
• Archival making-of featurette
• Stills Gallery
• Original theatrical trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray 

Please note, this is a Region B release only.  You must have a Region B player, or Region Free player to play this disc. 

Check out the amazing Horror related artifacts over at Minimuseum.com!!

 

 

  If you are into Horror Collectibles, or any Historical Collectibles, Mini Museum is the place for you!   I don't remember how I found out about this company, but I sure am glad I did!   Mini Museum was launched in 2014 and was founded on a love of Science and History.    This company makes small, historical artifacts in special keepsake display cases.   You can literally own a piece of history!  

 Why am I talking about this on a horror blog?  Well, in addition to the Science and History related items, there are quite a few Horror related items as well!  

 Did you know you can own a piece of brick from Dracula's castle?  That's right, you can own a piece of Cetatea Poenari, which was once the home of Vlad III, better know to you and me as Vlad The Impaler!   

 I love my piece of brick from Dracula's castle, and I also got a vial of soil from the base of the castle.   

  These are awesome artifacts and definitely a cool conversation starter when your friends see this displayed at your house! 

 If these artifacts displays aren't your thing,  you can also get these same specimens in a locket, or necklace!

  You can also get this cool sample card of Dracula's soil which has been sealed with resin into the shape of a coffin!

CLICK HERE to purchase the soil card!

CLICK HERE to purchase the  Castle Brick and Soil Bundle for a special low price!!

  If that's not cool enough, Mini Museum has something new coming up for all you WALKING DEAD fans!   

  A Kickstarter project was made for the creation of one of the coolest WALKING DEAD items I have ever seen!   It's a one of a kind Lucite acrylic display featuring 32 screen-used props, costumes, and set pieces from THE WALKING DEAD!   Item's on this amazing collectible include pieces/specimens from the following items:

*  King County Sheriff's Patch

*  Rick's Boots

*  Walker Blood

*  Carl's T-shirt

*  Glenn's Jersey & Machete

*  Daryl's Vest

*  Hershel's Pants

*  Michonne's Katana

*  D Block Prison Sign

*  The Governor's Shirt

*  Carol's Trench Knife

*  Rick's Shearling

*  Daryl's Bandana & Diamond Knife

*  Terminus Sanctuary Sign

*  Morgan's Staff

*  Alexandria Wall

*  Rick's Hatchet

*  "Lucille" - Negan's Bat

*  Hilltop Brick

*  Savior Lineup

*  Moss Walker

*  The Kingdom Gates

*  Oceanside Cabin Sign

*  Sanctuary Shootout

*  Metal Head Walker

*  The Bridge Dynamite

*  Alpha's Knife

*  Princess' Goggles

*  Commonwealth Brick Wall

*  Daryl's Crossbow Bolt

  

  The Kickstarter campaign has already been fully funded, but you can still pledge and get this awesome acrylic display or some other cool WALKING DEAD items if you hurry!   The Kickstarter campaign will be closing soon!

Blu-ray Review: CRADLE OF FEAR (2001)

CRADLE OF FEAR

Directed by:  Alex Chandon

Distributed by:  Unearthed Films / MVD Entertainment

  Once again I am here to review a film I have always known about, seen the box art countless times when perusing my local video store, yet have never watched.  Hopefully most of you are old enough to remember video stores!   I recall seeing the original DVD cover art on the shelf, but for whatever reason I just never picked it up.  

  Well, I wish I would have back then, because I have been missing out for years on a very interesting and entertaining movie!   Before I go any further, here is the basic plot synopsis from the Unearthed Films website:

Cradle Of Fear (2 Disc Limited Collector's Edition) is a brutal anthology-style horror film centered around notorious child murderer Kemper, who seeks revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment.

Confined to a padded cell in a local asylum, Kemper orchestrates his vengeance from afar, commanding a mysterious figure known only as "The Man" to carry out a series of increasingly savage murders targeting the families of those who put him away. As the body count rises, Detective Nielson--who has a personal history with Kemper--struggles to make sense of the escalating violence and its seemingly supernatural orchestration.

Blending interconnected storylines with extreme gore and shock-driven set pieces, the film has gained a cult reputation as one of the most notorious entries in British horror cinema, featuring Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth in a central role.

 I have always loved Anthology films, and this one is done really well.  Unlike other Anthology films, where they break each story up into it's own chapter, sometimes even putting the new segment title up on screen between each film, this plays as one continuous movie.  In fact, if you didn't know this was an Anthology pic, you would just assume this film was all over the place and made zero sense!  So definitely go  in knowing these are 4 separate stories that just all tie in together. 

  The first story shows you the downside to what was otherwise a satisfying one night stand, complete with a spider-baby hybrid impregnation!

 The second film involves a burglary gone wrong, and shows how things can spiral out of control very quickly when you can't trust your accomplice!

 The third instalment was probably the most interesting to me, as an amputee who is missing his leg goes to extreme measures to get a replacement leg.   Unfortunately, the leg has a mind of it's own and is apparently very upset about being removed from it's original body!

 The final instalment was my personal favorite, as it involves a man who is obsessed with violent images and snuff films on the internet.   He comes across a website where you can can watch real murders.  Not only can you watch, if you pay a fee, you can actually choose how the person is killed.   You get to choose the weapon used, how to use it, and where on the victims body to use it.   This one is terrifying to me, because it makes me wonder if something like this could really be out there on the dark web.  It wouldn't surprise me in this crazy world! 

Now, I have to be honest, this film has not aged well in some aspects.  Certain scenes were very obvious CGI, almost to a laughable degree.  I am mainly talking about a car crash scene that is hard not to snicker at when watching.   That is a very small part though, and didn't keep me from enjoying the film at all.    All the gore effects are done with practical effects and are extremely well done.   Head smashing, stabbings, eye gouging, decapitations, and one of the most realistic amputations I have ever seen on film make up just a few of the incredible gore effects in this film. 

 Unearthed Films has always been the leader in releasing some lesser known, non-mainstream extreme films, especially those with extreme gore.   This newest release is a perfect addition to their already amazing catalog of films. 

 CRADLE OF FEAR is out now on Blu-ray and contains the following special features:

DISC ONE: FEATURE & EXTRAS

• Some Making of Cradle of Fear
• Important Words
• The Special German DVD Making of Thingy Something for Cradle of Fear
• Behind the Scenes
• Gallery
• Trailers

DISC TWO: SHORT FILM COLLECTION & EXTRAS

• Alex Chandon's Shorts Collection Including:
• Chainsaw Scumfuck
• Bad Manor
• Bad Karma
• Drillbit
• Night Pastor
• Bullshit News
• Film Extremes 3 Promo
• Borderline
• Shorts Outtakes
• Shorts Behind the Scenes Gallery
• Shorts Trailers

CLICK HERE to purchase the 2-disc limited collector's edition Blu-ray direct from Unearthed Films

CLICK HERE to purchase the 2-disc limited collector's edition Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment

Movie Review: MODELS VS. WEREWOLVES (2026)

 

MODELS VS. WEREWOLVES

Directed by:  Danny Draven

Distributed by:  Full Moon Empire

 If you are a fan of Full Moon Films, you are going to love their newest feature!  I had the privilege of attending the world premiere of MODELS VS. WEREWOLVES at this year's Texas Frightmare Weekend on May 23rd.   I am a huge fan of Full Moon, so I was expecting something really fun with this one.  I am happy to say that it did not disappoint.  In fact, it was even more fun and entertaining than I had hoped for!!  

 Now don't get me wrong, if you are not familiar with the films from Full Moon,  you aren't going to see an Oscar winning film by any means, but that is ok.  That is not what Full Moon strives for.  They just put out fun and entertaining films they know their fans will love and they hit a home run with this one!  Here is the basic plot of the film from IMDb.com:

Five young models go to an Airbnb in the woods for a full moon that comes once every five hundred years. What starts off as the perfect girl's trip quickly becomes a nightmare as a pack of ancient werewolves are awoken by the new moon.

 Again, this was such a fun film.  The Werewolf effects were done really well, with a nice blend of CG and practical effects.   The acting was actually really good,  and the dialog was so much fun.  This is definitely a horror/comedy, and the comedy did not disappoint!  It was fun watching in a big crowd of people and hearing everyone's reactions.   This was also one of Full Moon's gorier films, with lots of blood being spewed thanks to the werewolves.   Now I will say the blood effects were a little too CG heavy for my liking, but that didn't keep  me from enjoying this film at all.     Also, I must note that legendary horror actress Dee Wallace makes a small, yet hilarious appearance in this film, and she really holds her own against one of the werewolves!   I really want to say what happens, but I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say it drew a huge laugh and applause from the audience! 

 Horror fans will love this as well as comedy fans.  There is really something for everyone in this latest release from Full Moon!

Check out the trailer for MODELS VS. WEREWOLVES!

MODELS VS. WEREWOLVES will be streaming soon, so keep your eyes out for it!  This is one you won't want to miss!

Blu-ray Review: PICTURE OF A NYMPH (1987)

 

PICTURE OF A NYMPH

Directed by:  Wu Ma

Distributed by:  88 FILMS / MVD Entertainment

"CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON meets THE EVIL DEAD" 

  I love when I come across a film for review that I know nothing about.    PICTURE OF A NYMPH is one of those films.   I had not even heard of this film before it arrived in my mailbox for review.  The film was released in 1987 and I am amazed that it is not more well known.   Maybe it is, and I just somehow missed it, but I never see it talked about in any of my film groups on facebook or other social media platforms.    Hopefully this changes with the amazing new release of the film from the fine folks at 88 FILMS.  

 Before we go any further, her is a brief plot synopsis from the 88 FILMS website:

  A hauntingly beautiful tale of love, art, and the supernatural, Picture of a Nymph (1988) stars Yuen Biao in one of his most tender and visually stunning roles. Set in ancient China, the story follows a gentle scholar whose chance encounter with a mysterious young woman leads to a love that transcends the boundaries of life and death. But when he unwittingly releases a vengeful demon from centuries of imprisonment, the spirit of his beloved becomes the demon’s only hope for regaining power.
To protect her, the scholar paints her likeness, allowing her to hide within the portrait — but his devotion soon draws the wrath of dark forces. Blending romance, fantasy, and dazzling martial arts spectacle, Picture of a Nymph is a visually rich masterpiece of Hong Kong cinema that captures the eternal struggle between passion, sacrifice, and destiny.

  This is a very strange movie, but in a good way.  It's not a horror movie per se, but it definitely has some horror elements to it.   It's actually very hard to describe this film, as there are element of so many different genres.  In fact, I think that's one of the reasons I liked this film so much.  Part Drama, part Fantasy, part Supernatural Horror, with tons of martial arts mixed in....there is definitely something  for everyone here!    

 The film starts out like a pure horror film, with a party walking through the forest getting attacked by an invisible entity.   The first thing I noticed was the homage to 1981's, THE EVIL DEAD.   You get a first person view from this ghost as it moves along the trail towards the group of people.   At least I assume this was an homage....if the filmmakers used that filming style without seeing or knowing about THE EVIL DEAD,  it would be one heck of a coincidence!   

  The rest of the film is more of a martial arts drama film, with lots of supernatural elements mixed in.   Our main character is in love with a ghost, and other ghosts and demons are trying to keep them apart. 

This creates many instances of fighting in some very fun and unique styles.   One scene that was particularly interesting to me was a fight scene involving a man in a sedan chair.  Ghosts appear that are all inside Sedan Chairs as well, and we get a typical fight scene except everyone remains in their Sedan Chairs and the chairs fight each other!   That might be hard to imagine, it's a scene that must be seen to be understood.  It sounds silly, but they make it work! 

  Another scene that was so much fun was a fight with a demon that looked like an old man.  His long gray hair grew extremely long on demand and he used his hair to fight!   This was a very fun scene for sure!

 One thing I have to note is the beauty of this film. the sets, scenes, and cinematography are all amazing.   The release itself is beautiful as well.  The colors in this film really pop on this new release, and the picture quality and clarity is amazing.  You would never know you were watching a film that is over 30 years old just by looking at it.  The new transfer is truly amazing!

 This was such a fun film and one I cannot recommend enough!  If you are a fan of  the Shaw Brothers films, this one will be right up your alley!

  PICTURE OF A NYMPH is available now on an amazing Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray set that features the following Special Features:

*  Limited Edition Rigid Slip Case wtih new artwork by Sean Longmore

*  Limited Edition 40 Page Perfect Bound Book

*  Limited Edition Premium Artcard

*  Brand New 2K Restoration from the Original Negative

*  Remastered Original Cantonese Monoaural Soundtrack

*  Newly Translated English Subtitles

*  Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)

*  Audio Commentary by David West

*  Image Gallery

*  Original Trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Limited Edition Blu-ray direct from 88 FILMS

CLICK HERE to purchase the Limited Edition Blu-ray from MVD Shop

Blu-ray Review: HELTER SKELTER (2012)

HELTER SKELTER

Directed by:  Mika Ninagawa

Distributed by:  88 Films / MVD Entertainment

"Why do the Gods give us youth and beauty....then take them away?"

"Youth is beautiful, but beauty isn't youth"

  I love when I get a film in for review that I have never heard of before.  HELTER SKELTER is one of those for sure.   The only HELTER SKELTER film I knew about was the 1976 TV mini-series about Charles Manson and some of the newer films of the same name about the Manson Murders.   This HELTER SKELTER has nothing to do with that at all.   HELTER SKELTER in this case is just a term for total chaos, which is what our main character, Lilico, goes through throughout the film. 

  IMDb.com classifies this film as Body Horror and Psychological Drama.  I wouldn't really call this a horror film by any means, but it does have one bloody scene.  This is definitely more of a very dark drama film.   I just want to make sure to point that out so you don't go into this thinking you are going too see anything scary or frightening.   

  This might be a hard film to review, just because it is so hard to describe.  So much is going on in this film and it's hard to categorize.  Here is the basic plot of the film courtesy of the 88 Films website:

 Top model and fashion idol Lilico (Erika Sawajiri) is used to being the centre of attention – the living epicentre of her own universe and of a multimedia-saturated hyperreality in which everything is airbrushed and colour-adjusted to perfection. When she begins to suffer traumatic side effects from her repeated illegal cosmetic surgery sessions, she finds fame comes at a cost, as she is plunged into a nightmarish world where her sense of self-image and identity begins to fracture. 

 One thing I loved about this film was the cinematography.   The way this movie is filmed  is so interesting, and kudos to whoever edited this film.  So many quick cuts and scene changes had to be a pain to edit.   The most striking thing about this film were the sets and the use of color.    The color in this film is amazing and total eye candy for sure.  

 The film follows Lilico, starting at the height of her popularity.  She is on the cover of every fashion magazine and just a huge star.  She starts to see her popularity fade and a new young model starting to take her place.   To combat this, Lilico goes to a cosmetic surgery center and undergoes multiple surgeries and uses multiple pills and supplements to keep her looking young.    Over time, all these procedures start causing some side effects, starting with dark spots on her body.   Unfortunately she his becoming darker inside as well as she starts becoming a horrible person, and treating people worse and worse, taking advantage of her notoriety and fame. 

 I can't help but think the creators of the film THE SUBSTANCE must have got a lot of inspiration from this film.    THE SUBSTANCE took the same plot and ideas, but multiplied them drastically.    While the character in THE SUBSTANCE turned into a literal monster, Lilico turned into a monster of a person.   

 This is a strange film for sure, but one I thoroughly enjoyed.   I highly recommend it!

 HELTER SKELTER is available now and contains the following Special Features:

*  Numbered OBI Strip [4000]

*  Original and Newly Commissioned Artwork by Luke Insect

*  Booklet Essay by Violet Burns

*  High-Definition Blu-ray Presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

*  Original Japanese 5.1 / Stereo Audio with New English Subtitles

*  Interviews with Erika Sawaji and Director Mika Ninagawa

*  Behind the Scenes Footage of the Making of Helter Skelter

*  Production Site Press Conference

*  Japanese Premiere Stage Greeting

*  Opening Day Stage Greeting

*  Taipei Film Festival Introduction by Mika Ninagawa

*  Stills Gallery

*  Teasers and Trailers 

*  Region A/B Coding

This was released as a limited edition Blu-ray with a run of only 4000 units, so get your copy before it's gone!

CLICK HERE to purchase the Limited Edition Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: THE UGLY (1997)

THE UGLY

Written & Directed by:  Scott Reynolds

Distributed by:  Unearthed Films / MVD Entertainment

  THE UGLY is one of those films that I had always known about, but have never seen.  I feel like it's not talked about much, which is why I probably never made a point to see it.   After watching this film, I am shocked it is not talked about more often. 

Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Unearthed Films website:

 Confined to a mental institution, disturbed young serial killer Simon (The Rule of Jenny Pen's Paolo Rotondo) is tormented by cruel orderlies and his own personal demons including “The Ugly” which compels him to kill. Now at his request, Dr. Karen Schumaker (The Brokenwood Mysteries’ Rebecca Hobbs) arrives to discover whether Simon is fit to be released back into society. As the terrifying secrets within Simon’s mind are revealed, no one will be left unscathed by the horrors about to be unleashed.

  If you are a fan of serial killer films, this one is a must see.  This is New Zealand's answer to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and while not on the same level of that film in terms of budget and production values, it's extremely well made and very entertaining.   The acting in this film is very good, especially from the two main stars, Paolo Rotondo who plays the killer (Simon) and from Rebecca Hobbs who plays the Doctor sent to judge whether or not Simon is fit to be released from prison.   They have a great onscreen chemistry.   

 The movie is pretty simple in terms of production and set.   The film pretty much just takes place at the prison Simon is being held at.   Most of the film is the Doctor and Simon talking in an interrogation room.   The doctor is trying to get inside the mind of Simon to figure out why he killed and to figure out if she thinks he will continue to kill if released.    The doctor asks about all his past kills, in which Simon gives us the details.  We are shown flashbacks to each of his kills, so we see the scene he is describing.   Some of these are pretty brutal, and there is a bit of gore.  

 What sets this film apart from all the other Serial Killer films out there, is the addition of this supernatural element.   "The Ugly" is what Simon calls the vision he sees in his head telling him to kill.   It basically a group of what look to be dead people in a living state that torment him until he kills.   Killing is the only way to make "The Ugly" go away,  yet they always come back eventually and he has to kill again to get them to go away.  

 The film does a good job of showing how "The Ugly" started, with a traumatic experience Simon suffered as a child.   I found this very interesting and was glad to find out how "The Ugly" got it's name!

  

  One thing to note about this film was that in all the gore scenes, the blood was black.  It wasn't in black and white as the scene is in full color, but instead of being a crimson red like expected, it's always a dark black color.   I searched around online for an explanation.  Some say that it's black because Simon doesn't view his victims as human.  He sees them more as a machine or entity, and the black is like the oil that makes the machine run.   Another explanation I saw was that it enhanced the film's dream-like, unsettling aesthetic instead of just conventional gore.   Either way it was an interesting choice by the filmmakers.  

  If you haven't seen THE UGLY, I highly recommend it.  If you have the old DVD  (which if memory serves me was an old Blockbuster exclusive),  you'll definitely want to upgrade to this new Blu-ray.  

 THE UGLY is available now from Unearthed Films and contains the following Special Features:

• NEW 4K restoration of the film from the original 35mm interpositive
• NEW Original Theatrical 2.0 Stereo and 4.0 DTS-HD MA Surround
• NEW Commentary with actors Paolo Rotondo and Rebecca Hobbs, moderated by Nathaniel Thompson
• NEW Scott Reynolds short films 'A Game with No Rules' & 'The M1nute'
• NEW 1997 Radio New Zealand Interview with Scott Reynolds
• NEW Isolated Score
• NEW Photo Gallery
• NEW Original Theatrical Trailer
• NEW The Ugly Visual Essay
• NEW Collectable Booklet
• Reversible Cover

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray from Unearthed Films

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment

 

Blu-ray Review: THE PARANORMAL (1998)

THE PARANORMAL

Directed by:  Todd Norris

Distributed by:  Visual Vengeance / MVD Entertainment

 Today's review is for another film in the Visual Vengeance line, which is a division of Wild Eye Releasing.   It looks like most of the Visual Vengeance releases are low budget independent films which can be hit or miss for sure.   I'm glad to say that this one was actually quite fun.  Here is the basic plot synopsis from the MVD Entertainment website:

  Something is haunting the Englewood movie theater - an unseen force that comes alive after dark. Paranormal investigator Kyle Jennings is called in, but the moment he steps inside, the nightmare begins. The theater seals itself shut, the screen tears open like a doorway, and the low budget zombie movie playing suddenly becomes real. With the undead spilling into the aisles, Kyle must uncover the source of the disturbance before the entire theater becomes a feeding ground, and the only clues may be trapped inside the film itself.

  Now let me first start by mentioning that this is a low budget film.  Like, a really low budget, and it shows.   It looks like it was shot on an old video camera from the 80's, although the pic is clear thanks to the new blu-ray transfer.   I was surprised to see this film is from 1998, as it felt much older than that.  It had a very early 80's look and feel to it.   Maybe that is what the filmmakers were going for at the time, or maybe 1998 is just a lot longer ago than I realize!   The acting is also subpar for sure, with Director Todd Norris taking the lead role. 

  That all being said, the movie had a great story and was still fun enough to make me overlook all the aforementioned shortcomings.   What I thought was going to be a simple zombie film turned out to be a much more complex film that actually made you think!

  While watching a certain zombie film, the main characters are trapped inside the theater and realizes that the film has opened a doorway to where the zombies can come through the screen and into the real world.  In order to stop this, Kyle realizes that if the zombies can come out of the film into the real world, then the door should work both ways so that he can go in the door and into the movie!   He does this in order to stop the zombie hordes, but realizes that anything he changes in the movie changes the outcome of the real world.  It reminded me of the butterfly effect kind of thing, where those that go back in time change the present and future if they change anything.   This was a very smart aspect of the plot and was very interesting to see how his actions changed things back at the theater.   

 Again, don't expect a blockbuster here, but THE PARANORMAL was a fun film that I was glad to have seen.   

  Once again Visual Vengeance has spared no expense with this release, giving it probably far more than it deserves, if we're being quite honest!   It's packaged in a very nice slipcase and contains the following Special Features:

*  New Director-supervised transfer from original tape elements

*  Commentary with Director Todd Norris

*  Commentary with Director Todd Norris and Composer Paul Roberts

*  New Cast and Crew Interviews

*  The Two Todds:  Todd Norris and Todd Sheets Interview

*  The Paranormal Channel 5 TV Airing Bumpers

*  Blooper Reel

*  Deleted Scenes

*  Original Script Exerpts

*  Storyboard Gallery

*  Short Film:  The Closet

*  Short Film: L...

*  Short Film:  Night of the Growling

*  Short Film:  Parallax

*  Visual Vengeance Trailer

*  Trailers

*  Optional English Subtitles

*  Folded Mini-Poster with Art by Giorgio Credaro

*  Reversible Sleeve Featuring  Original VHS Art

*  'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set

*  Limited Edition O-Card Featuring Art by Uncle Frank - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

*  Limited Edition 'Ghost Finder" Viewer - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

*  Limited Edition Promo Flyer for "Z is for Zombie" Movie

*  Original Sleeve Art by The Dude

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: DREAM EATER (2025)

DREAM EATER

Written & Directed by:  Jay Drakulic, Mallory Drumm, & Alex Lee Williams

Distributed by:  Alliance Entertainment / The Horror Section

 In 2025, Eli Roth created a new company to help get their horror films distribution.  That company is called THE HORROR SECTION, and one of the first releases is the film DREAM EATER.   I knew nothing about this film going into it, but with "Eli Roth Presents" above the title, I knew I wanted to check it out.   I'll be honest, I didn't really have super high expectations for it, as found footage films have been done to death lately it seems.  I am happy to say that this film blew away my expectations and was a fresh and actually very scary and disturbing entry into what had become a very saturated sub-genre in recent years, in my opinion. 

Here is the basic plot synopsis from The Horror Section's website:

  A filmmaker documents her boyfriend's violent parasomnia during their holiday at a remote cabin in the woods, and as his sleepwalking gets worse, she believes the cause might be something far more sinister. 

  It's a simple plot, but it is not a simple film by any means.   I can honestly say this is one of the best found footage films I have ever seen.   While a lot of found footage films start off super slow and only have a pay off at the very end  (I'm looking at you BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), this film had me hooked from the very beginning.   The main character's sleep walking starts from the very beginning and just gets progressively worse with each episode.   It was scary to think what he was going to do the next night, since you knew it was going to be even worse.  It really made you feel for his girlfriend, knowing that every night she was going to have to deal with a progressively worse bout of his sleep walking.   

  The film does have a crazy climax at the end, but the whole film was a crazy ride.    Just the anticipation of what was coming each night was very uncomfortable.   The acting in this film was great, and you really had a connection to these characters, so that made you feel even worse with what was going on.  

  Out of the many scary and uncomfortable scenes, one I found particularly disturbing was actually very tame on the surface.   While Mallory (the girlfriend) goes out looking for Alex  (the sleepwalker), she goes into the shed behind the cabin and finds a stack of drawings that Alex has done, all showing a dark, shrouded character.   What's interesting is that as she thumbs through the stack of sketches, each one gets more disturbing than the last.  The character becomes bigger and the picture as a whole becomes darker with each one she skims through.  I loved the correlations of these sketches and his episodes, showing how each one gets progressively worse. 

  

  One thing I really noticed that I don't in a lot of films, was the music.  The score for this film was very unnerving.  A simple tune whistled with a very eerie sound.   Check out the trailer and you'll know what I am talking about as soon as you hear it. 

 As impressive enough as this film is, even more impressive is the fact that the 3 writers and directors are also the main actors in the film.  It was done a very moderate budget, but the film doesn't look or feel that way.   They made the most of what they had and it paid off  for sure!   

 Watch DREAM EATER with the lights down, and the volume up and buckle in for a wild and scary ride!  

  DREAM EATER is available now on Collector's Edition Blu-ray and contains the following Special Features:

*  Director's Commentary

*  Behind the Scenes Featurette with Eli Roth

*  Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery

*  Trailers

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray