Blu-ray Review: CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN
Directed by Fritz Kiersch
Distributed by Arrow Films / MVD Entertainment Group

 I was super excited to hear that CHILDREN OF THE CORN was getting the Arrow Video Blu-ray treatment.  I saw this film about 20 years ago, but hadn't seen it since, so I was looking forward to checking this film out again.  If you're not familiar with the story, here is the basic plot from the MVD website:

   A young couple on a road trip find themselves lost in the back roads of rural Nebraska, eventually winding up in the seemingly abandoned town of Gatlin. But the town is far from empty - as the pair soon discover, it's inhabited by a twisted cult of murderous children thirsty for another blood sacrifice...
  Adapted from King's eponymous short story first published in 1977 and starring Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Children of the Corn has gone on to spawn one of the most enduring horror franchises of all time.

  Movies featuring creepy kids have always been a favorite of mine. There is just something so creepy about killer kids.  I guess since kids are supposed to be so nice and innocent, that it is extra scary to see them like this.  CHILDREN OF THE CORN is full of creepy kids, and the film starts off with a bang when it shows you the day the kids killed all the adults and took over the town of Gatlin.   This was an extremely disturbing and effective scene, and did a remarkable job of setting the tone for the rest of the film.   The film then jumps to present day when the traveling adults get lost and find themselves in the worst place imaginable,  the town of Gatlin.

  Aside from the opening scene, the film is rather tame, with little gore throughout the rest of the film.  The film maintains it's intensity and sense of terror throughout the film's running time, though.   This is easily one of my favorite Stephen King film adaptations, although I'll be honest....I've never read the short story this film is based on.  Because of that, I can not speak to how well the film matches up with the original story.  On it's own it is an extremely entertaining film that I highly recommend.  
 
  The new Arrow  Blu-ray video quality is amazing.  The 2K restoration is beautiful and looks like it was shot just recently.  It's amazing to think this film is over 30 years old!   This new Blu-ray is a must have in your horror collection!

 CHILDREN OF THE CORN is available now on Blu-ray from Arrow Films and MVD Entertainment and contains the following special features:

*  Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
*  High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
*  Original stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio options
*  Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
*  Brand new audio commentary with horror journalist Justin Beahm and Children of the Corn historian John Sullivan
*  Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains
*  Harvesting Horror - retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Fritz Kiersch, John Franklin and Courtney Gains
*  It Was the Eighties! - an interview with actress Linda Hamilton
*  And a Child Shall Lead Them - a brand new interview with actors Julie Maddalena and John Philbin
*  Field of Nightmares - a brand new interview with writer George Goldsmith
*  Stephen King on a Shoestring - an interview with producer Donald P. Borchers
*  Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights & Sounds of Children of the Corn - interviews with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias
*  Return to Gatlin - a look back at the iconic filming locations in Iowa with host John Sullivan
*  Cut from the Cornfield - an interview with actor Rich Kleinberg on the infamous 'lost' Blue Man Scene
*  Disciples of the Crow - 1983 short film adaptation of Stephen King's story
*  Storyboard gallery
*  Original theatrical trailer
*  Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
*  FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Sullivan and Lee Gambin 
CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: CREEPSHOW 2 (1987)

CREEPSHOW 2
Directed by Michael Gornick
Distributed by Arrow Films / MVD Entertainment Group

 It has literally been over 20 years since I have seen CREEPSHOW 2.  I remember liking the movie a  lot, but for some reason just have never re-visited it.   That all changed when by Blu-ray copy of the film arrived in my mailbox.   I was really looking forward to watching this one and it definitely didn't disappoint.  It was just as good as I remember it being way back when I saw it for the first time.
Here is the basic plot of the film from the MVD website:

  WHEN THE CURTAIN GOES UP THE TERROR BEGINS Horror titans George A. Romero and Stephen King deliver yet another fiendish selection of blood-curdling tales in Creepshow 2 - now newly remastered in 2K! In "Old Chief Wood'nhead", a group of young hoodlums face retribution from an unlikely source after looting a local hardware store. Meanwhile, "The Raft" sees a group of horny teens wishing they'd read the warning signs first before taking a dip in a remote lake. Finally, an uptight businesswoman finds herself with some unwanted company following a hit-and-run incident in "The Hitch-hiker". Whilst retaining the EC comic book flavour that made the original such a hit, Creepshow 2, this time directed by long-time Romero collaborator Michael Gornick, is a decidedly darker and grimmer affair than its predecessor and remains one of the greatest horror anthologies of all time.

  I am a big fan of anthology horror films, and there is a reason most all anthologies that come out these days are compared to the CREEPSHOW films.   CREEPSHOW and CREEPSHOW 2 are perfect examples of how anthologies should be made.   The 3 stories that make up CREEPSHOW 2 are all wonderful in their own way.  

  The first segment,  "Old Chief Wood'nhead", is about an old wooden storefront Indian that comes to life and takes revenge on the hoodlums that killed the owners of the store he stood out in front of.   The effects are very well done, and the segment has some very memorable scenes, including the shadow silhouette of the 'ol Chief giving one of the hoodlums a good axe to the head.  

  The next segment, "The Raft", is probably my favorite of the three.  It's a simple story of a group of kids that go swimming in a lake and get stranded on a dock out in the middle of the lake, unable to swim to the shore due to the blob like creature waiting for them in the water.   This is a fun tale with some good gory effects as the blob creature basically dissolves the person that it envelops.

  The final segment, "The Hitch-hiker", is a great tale of man that is run over by a car, but then stays with the care and driver, tormenting her along the way, as she continues to "kill" the unwanted passenger.  She soon finds out this guy just can't be killed.  The transition he makes with being more and more beaten and bloodied each time we see him is quite gory, especially at the end when he is basically just a pile of mush with eyeballs hanging down.  This was by far the goriest segment of the film with some amazing effects.

  It's no wonder this film is full of great effects.  The effects were done by Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, and Tom Savini, among others.   If you have never seen CREEPSHOW 2 or even if you have, you need to grab a copy of this new Arrow Blu-ray.  The picture quality is stunning and makes it look like a movie that was just filmed lately.  
 
  CREEPSHOW 2 is available now from Arrow Video and MVD and contains the following special features:

*  Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
*  High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
*  Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 1.0, Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
*  Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
*  Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick
*  Poncho's Last Ride - a brand new interview with actor Daniel Beer
*  The Road to Dover - a brand new interview with actor Tom Wright
*  Screenplay for a Sequel - an interview with screenwriter George A. Romero
*  Tales from the Creep - an interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini
*  Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo
*  Nightmares in Foam Rubber - archive featurette on the special effects of Creepshow 2, including interviews with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
*  My Friend Rick - Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker
*  Behind-the-Scenes Footage
*  Image Gallery
*  Trailers & TV Spots
*  Original Screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
*  FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth


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

 

 

 

Blu-ray Review: JUST DESSERTS: THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW" (2007)

JUST DESSERTS:  THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW"
Directed by  Michael Felsher
Distributed by  Synapse Films / CAV Distributing

  Rarely does a film's special feature get it's own HD Blu-ray release, but that is just what has happened with JUST DESSERTS:  THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW".   After watching it, you can see why.  This is no ordinary "special feature".  Clocking in at 90 minutes, it's a legit feature film itself, that just happens to be about the making of another film.    Here is the basic synopsis of the film from the Synapse Films website:

  In 1982, Author Stephen King and Director George A. Romero collaborated on a feature-film tribute to the controversial EC comics of the 1950s.  Told through five jolting tales of terror, CREEPSHOW has become a celebrated horror classic over the past three decades. With an all-star cast, and featuring groundbreaking special effects by genre legend Tom Savini, CREEPSHOW stands as a horrific and hilarious tribute to the stories that helped influence (and corrupt) a generation of writers and filmmakers.  Now the tales behind the creation of this chilling masterpiece can finally be told!
  Featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, JUST DESSERTS: THE MAKING OF “CREEPSHOW” also contains over a dozen interviews, including George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins and many others.  These are the terrifying stories behind the film that promised you…“The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have…BEING SCARED!”

  CREEPSHOW has always been one of my favorite horror films of all times.  I love anthology style horror films, and no one has done it better than CREEPSHOW.   George Romero and Stephen King are two masterminds of horror, so a collaboration of those two is bound to be good.   Watching this documentary about the making of the film made me remember just how good CREEPSHOW really is.    I haven't seen it in years,  but after watching JUST DESSERTS, I am really wanting to watch CREEPSHOW again very soon! 

  I am a big fan of "making of" documentaries of horror films, and this is probably one of the greatest I have ever seen.   Other than the strange absence of Stephen King, everyone involved with the movie is on hand here to give you first hand accounts about their experience on the film.  My favorite interviewee was Tom Savini, the mastermind behind the effects of the film.  He is my all time favorite effects person, so seeing him on screen talking about this film was truly awesome.

  Along with the interviews, we get to see tons of behind the scenes photos and footage, along with scenes from CREEPSHOW.   The movie is broken up into segments, talking about each entry in the film, along with a beginning section explaining how the film came to be and the influence the old EC comics had on Romero and King, and on the film itself.   I was a huge fan of EC comics growing up, so that's one reason I always loved this film....it is like watching an old VAULT OF HORROR or TALES FROM THE CRYPT come to life onscreen.

  I cannot recommend JUST DESSERTS enough...it is a must have for any fan of CREEPSHOW.   The special edition Blu-ray is available now from Synapse Films and contains the following special features:

*  Audio Commentary with Director & Editor Michael Felsher
*  Audio Commentary featuring interviews with Actor John Amplas, Property Master Bruce Alan Miller, and Make-Up Effects Assistant Darryl Ferrucci
*  Creepshow Days – An interview with Director of Photography Director Michael Gornick
*  Extended Interview Segments with George A. Romero, Tom Savini, and Bernie Wrightson
*  Behind The Screams – A compilation of on-set video footage from Tom Savini
*  Horror’s Hallowed Grounds with Sean Clark
*  Scream Greats Volume One: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects with Optional Audio Commentary with Tom Savini
*  Vintage 1982 Evening Magazine Segment shot on the set of the film, featuring rare cast & crew interviews
*  Behind-The-Scenes of CREEPSHOW Photo Gallery



CLICK HERE to watch a clip of the film
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

DVD Review: BIG DRIVER (2014)

BIG DRIVER
Directed by Mikael Salomon
Distributed by Lionsgate

 Here is another film I had never heard of before it arrived on my doorstep for review.   The first thing I noticed was the description on the cover that said "From a story by Stephen King".  I was immediately intrigued and then was even more so after reading the plot synopsis.    Here is the basic plot of the film from the Lionsgate website:

  From best-selling author Stephen King comes BIG DRIVER, starring Maria Bello, Olympia Dukakis, Joan Jett, and Will Harris. Tess Thorne, a famous writer, faces a long drive home following a book signing. On a lonely New England road, her tire blows out, leaving her stranded. Relieved when another driver stops and offers assistance, Tess quickly discovers her savior is actually a serial killer who assaults her. Left for dead, Tess escapes, determined to find her attacker and seek revenge...

  I love rape-revenge films.  I always have, ever since I watched THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE years ago.  I love seeing the bad guys get what's coming to them, so when I read that this was a rape-revenge film, I was really looking forward to checking it out.  I am glad to say that this film did not disappoint!  In fact, I am really surprised I haven't heard more buzz about this film. 

  First off, the acting in the film was excellent.  There was  not a bad performance in the entire film, which is always a bonus.  Maria Bello does a remarkable job as the main character and was a perfect choice for the roll.  

  The film was shot very well and was paced extremely well.  Clocking in right at 90 minutes, the film was the perfect length that never had much of a dull or slow moment.  The film kept me entertained the entire running time.

  Another great thing about this film, is that not only was  it rape-revenge style horror film, it also had a very interesting and unique twist to it.   In the film, the main character in an author and throughout the film she is constantly seeing and conversing with characters from the books she has written.   This really come into play as she is in the midst of her revenge sequence.  This gave the film an almost supernatural/psychological feel to it.

  BIG DRIVER was a big hit in my book.   I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fresh, new take on the rape-revenge sub-genre of horror films.  The film is available now on DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

Check out the trailer for the campy horror/comedy, YOU CAN'T KILL STEPHEN KING

  I saw a post about this film a while back on Facebook, and I just got around to watching the trailer tonight.    I don't know how the movie is going to be, but the trailer is pretty funny.   Definitely worth checking out.  The movie is called YOU CAN'T KILL STEPHEN KING and is about a group of kids that go on a road trip to meet their favorite horror author, Stephen King.  For some reason that I can't tell from the trailer, the kids start getting killed off one by one.   The movie is full of Stephen King references which will be fun to spot as you watch the film I'm sure. 

  I can't find any sort of release date on this film....looks like their is a UK Region 2 DVD for sale, but I see no record of a Region 1 DVD.  Hopefully we will see one soon.  Watch the trailer and let me know what you think!


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Check out the great CARRIE inspried coffee shop Telekinetic girl prank!!

 

  You might have already seen this, as it is making it's way around  the internet.  A marketing company has produced an awesome Telekinetic girl prank at a New York coffee shop to promote the new CARRIE film coming out next Friday, 10/18! 

 In the prank, a man is set up with a harness and cord tied to him, and he spills coffee on actress playing the telekinetic girl. She then uses her "powers"  to throw the man and begin wrecking the coffee shop, as horrified patrons look on in disbelief!  This is very cool, and worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet!


CLICK HERE to watch the prank

 

Check out the trailer for the documentary, UNEARTHED & UNTOLD: THE PATH TO PET SEMATARY

  A while back I posted about an upcoming documentary about the making of the film PET SEMATARY called UNEARTHED & UNTOLD: THE PATH TO PET SEMATARY.  You can see my original post here.   A trailer has now been released for the film for you to check out! I was super excited about this project before, but now after seeing the trailer I am even more excited to see this!

  Check out the film's official facebook page for news in and info on upcoming release dates!  Until then, check out the trailer and let me know what you think by posting a comment below!  

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
 

I'm back from vaction!!! Read on about my SHINING moment!!

Greetings Boils and Ghouls!  I am back from a week long vacation...I hope you didn't miss me too much!!   I went on a week long trip to beautiful Estes Park, Colorado with the family and had a great time hiking the Rocky Mountains!! 

One very pleasant surprise I got when I arrived in Estes Park was a familiar looking hotel that was right across the field from our rental house.  It was a hotel called the Stanley Hotel, and I soon found out why it looked so familiar to me! 

Here is a brief description from wikipedia:

The Stanley Hotel was the inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's novel THE SHINING. While he and his wife were staying at the Stanley, King conceived the basic idea for the novel. The 1997 television miniseries version of THE SHINING was filmed at the Stanley, and it has been used as a location site for other films as well, most notably as the "Hotel Danbury" in DUMB AND DUMBER.

Wow!  Every morning I woke up and went out on the back deck I could look across and see the hotel that inspired THE SHINING!  Pretty cool!!

The pic up above is a panoramic of the hotel I took when I walked over to visit the hotel.  It is a beautiful hotel both inside and out.
The pic below was the view I had of the Stanley while sitting on the back deck of our rental house.