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: TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015)

TALES OF HALLOWEEN
Directed by  Multiple Directors
Distributed by Epic Pictures

  I am a huge fan of anthology movies.  I think it's probably because I have a pretty short attention span, so multiple short stories is much easier for me to sit and watch than one story for 2 hours.   Plus, with shorts there is not much filler, or slow times.  Everything is fit into a short time frame so it's pretty much entertaining the entire running time, as long as it's a good story of course.   There are quite a few horror anthologies, some much better than others.  I honestly had no idea what to expect from TALES OF HALLOWEEN, but after watching it I can easily say it is among the top tier of horror anthologies.   Here is the plot synopsis from the film's official website:

  Named “the best horror anthology since Trick 'r Treat” by Fangoria and “among the best Halloween-themed horror movies ever made” by DailyDead, this critically acclaimed film weaves together ten chilling tales from horror's top directors. Ghosts, ghouls, monsters, and the devil delight in terrorizing unsuspecting residents of a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night. The all-star directorial lineup includes Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones, The Descent), Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW 2,3,4), Lucky McKee (The Woman, All Cheerleaders Must Die), and Mike Mendez (Gravedancers, Big Ass Spider!). Cameos by horror heavyweights such as Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Lin Shaye (Insidious), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), John Landis (Director of Animal House), Joe Dante (Director of Gremlins), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, We Are Still Here), Booboo Stewart (Twilight), Keir Gilchrist (It Follows), Grace Phipps (Fright Night), Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills), Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie's Halloween), Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Star Wars), Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes), Pollyanna McIntosh (The Woman), and more.

 This movie was so much fun, and I loved each story having been done by a different director.  It's a lot of fun to see all the different types of short stories and see all the different film styles.   This film consists of 10 shorts, which I will list and describe each a little here for you.

1. SWEET TOOTH  (Directed by Dave Parker) - The first film of the movie is a classic "urban legend" type story about a boy who's parents never let him eat his Halloween candy.  The boy killed his parents, and finally was able to eat all his candy.  The legend says that he still roams today, and you must leave part of your candy out for Sweet Tooth, otherwise you'll wind up dead!  This was one of my favorite of the short films.  It had some great gore, and what looked to be all practical effects.

2.  THE NIGHT BILLY RAISED HELL (Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman) -  This is a dark comedic tale about a boy who hangs out with the devil on Halloween, and is coerced into pulling off some crazy Halloween pranks, each one a little more worse than the previous. 

3.  TRICK  (Directed by Adam Gierasch)  -  This was a very creepy tale about a group of kids that attack the people of a house they are trick or treating at.    The man who went to the door to hand out the candy had no idea the cute little girl would end up stabbing him!  Eventually other kids join in and terrorize the people of the house.   Killer kids terrifies me, so this segment was very effective!

4.  THE WEAK AND THE WICKED  (Directed by Paul Solet)  - This was actually one of my least favorite of all the stories.   It centers around a group of bullies that have been terrorizing people since they were young kids.  This time though, they seem to have messed with the wrong person who has someone, or something on their side.

5.  GRIM GRINNING GHOST  (Directed by Axelle Carolyn) - This is a fun story about a lady driving home from a party after listening to ghost stories.  Her car breaks down and she has to walk home alone...or is she?  This is a very simple premise, but  is executed extremely well with some great, creepy imagery.

6.  DING DONG  (Directed by Lucky McKee)  - This is an interesting tale of a husband and wife who lost their son, and is now picking out the perfect replacement from the trick or treaters that come by.

7.  THIS MEANS WAR (Directed by Andrew Kasch & John Skipp)  - This was one of my favorite entries, as it deals with one of my favorite parts of the Halloween season which is the Halloween decorations.  This story is about new neighbors that come in and try to outdo the guy on the street that normally has the biggest and best decorations, ending up in a deadly battle!

8.  FRIDAY THE 31st (Directed by Mike Mendez)  -   This was a weird one, but one of my favorites!  It involves an awesome killer reminiscent of Jason Voorhees, but mixes in some humor and a little weird animated alien.  The results are a funny, but bloody, good time!

9.   THE RANSOM OF RUSTY REX  (Directed by Ryan Schifrin)  -  This is a great kidnapping tale.  The kidnappers think they are kidnapping the kid of a rich businessman, but it turns out, kidnapping this "kid" did the businessman a favor!

10.  BAD SEED  (Directed by Neil Marshall)  -  The final tale is an extremely fun tale about a demon jack-o-lantern.   Man eating jack-o-lanterns running through the streets eating people is a perfect way to end this awesome anthology!

  
  This is a must have for any horror fan in my opinion.  I hope this catches on and we get a new TALES OF HALLOWEEN every year or so, using the same format of multiple short films all made by different directors.  I also have to mention all the awesome cameos from some horror legends, such as:  Adrienne Barbeau, Caroline Williams, Tiffany Shepis, Barbara Crampton, Mick Garris, Stuart Gordon, Felissa Rose, John Landis, Kristina Klebe, Adam Green, and Joe Dante!

  TALES is available now on an awesome Blu-ray/DVD/CD combo pack and contains the following special features:

*  7 Bonus Short Films
*  Feature Commentary
*  Bonus Commentary Tracks on Certain Shorts
*  Deleted Scene (Grim Grinning Ghost)
*  Anatomy of a Scene  (Friday the 31st)
*  Fun Facts  (Pop-On Video Commentary for Selected Segments)
*  Photo Gallery  (Bad Seed)
*  Storyboards  (Ding Dong)
*  Diaries  (23 Videos of Behind-the-Scenes & Interviews)
*  Collectible Trading Cards
*  CD Soundtrack



CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD/BD/CD combo pack

DVD Review: HORROR STORIES (2012)

HORROR STORIES
Distributed by:  Artsploitation Films

  I am  a huge fan of foreign horror films, especially Asian horror.  I am also a huge fan of horror anthologies, so this South Korean horror anthology film had a lot going for it in my eyes before I ever watched it.  Luckily, upon actually watching the film, I was not disappointed in the least.  This is one of the better horror anthologies I have seen in a while!   Here is some info on the film from the Artsploitation Films website:


Horror anthologies might be everywhere these days, but the Korean entry Horror Stories raises the bar with four terrifying stories (and a nail-biting wraparound tale), each one chilling enough to be its own feature. If you thought this was going to be a tame collection of teen-friendly “ghost girl” stories – think again. Horror Stories goes right for the jugular with non-stop splatter, intense shocks and riveting suspense. A high school girl is abducted and forced by a psycho to tell him the scariest tales she knows.

• “Don’t Answer the Door” finds a little brother and sister home alone at night and under siege.
• “Endless Flight” has a serial killer escaping police custody in the middle of an otherwise empty flight.
• “Secret Recipe” serves up a wildly macabre fairy tale about two jealous stepsisters who take plastic surgery to nightmarish extremes.
• “Ambulance on the Death Zone” is a claustrophobic zombie shocker with a paramedic and a mother at a standoff over her possibly infected young daughter.

An international genre festival success from Sitges to Fantasia, this is one of the best Korean horror films in years and has been called “one of the scariest Asian horror anthologies of the 21st century” (horror-movies.ca).


HORROR STORIES is a must see for any horror fan in my opinion.  The production value is top notch and the acting in all 4 stories is superb.  I think the first and last story are my favorites by far, with the last story (“Ambulance on the Death Zone”) being my favorite.  This is a zombie film done in a very unique way, as most of the entire film takes place inside an ambulance.  The confined space of the ambulance really works well with this story and adds to the suspense.  

HORROR STORIES is available now on DVD and it includes the following Special Features:

*  Cast Interviews
*  12-page Collectible Booklet
*  Reversible Cover Art
*  Artsploitation Trailers


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