.

In a fabulous piece of news, on 20th October Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will be releasing The William Castle Film Collection. The set will contain The Tingler, 13 Ghosts, Homicidal, Mr Sardonicus, Strait-Jacket, Zotz!, The Old Dark House and 13 Frightened Girls - as well as the documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story. There will be mountains of bonus material, including two episodes of the Castle-produced TV series Ghost Story.

In more great news, the latest additions to the Warner Archive Collection (an infuriating way of doing it, but least they are doing it) include The Terminal Man (hello-oo-oo, Michael Crichton!), Razorback, the Hammer version of She, From Hell It Came (oh, yeah!), and – YES, YES, YES!!!! – Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark!!!! Quick, everyone! – run out and buy it now, before they release the remake and rape all our childhoods!!

.

As previously announced with great joy, Night of the Creeps is finally getting a DVD release from Sony this year. Amazon.com is inviting the public to vote for one of the following DVD covers:

Excuse me, but What. The. Hell.

The original theatrical poster, which was used for the VHS box, is remembered fondly by the fans of this movie — you know, the people they want to buy this thing:

There were a couple of other designs at the time, too:

…any of which is better than the current proposed design, which look like they’re for a different movie entirely which just happens to have the same name.

Unless Sony backtracks and uses one of the classic designs, I’m gonna have to print one of the original posters and swap out the DVD cover art. It’s just that bad.

October 6th will see the release of the Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics set from Warners. As usual, the word “classic” is being thrown around rather cavalierly, and Bela is getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop: the set will include You’ll Find Out, Zombies On Broadway, Frankenstein 1970 and – finally! – The Walking Dead, which has been MIA for far too long.

First Night of the Creeps, and now Phantasm 2 –the OTHER single greatest movie ever made — is slated for a DVD release this Halloween. (source) I love living in the future!

This just in (courtesy DVD Drive-In): on 18th August (squeee!), Sony will be releasing an ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION, which will comprise Mothra, The H-Man, and Battle In Outer Space. All three will be in widescreen, and the set will include the Japanese and English-language versions of each.

As with their previous Hammer set, Sony are asking the public to vote for their favourite cover art at Amazon.

I should also mention that (with very little warning) Mondo Macabro will be releasing The Bollywood Horror Collection Volume 3 on 19th May. This will contain Mahakaal, the Bollywood version of A Nightmare On Elm Street, and Tahkhana, about “Two sisters, separated as children, who share the secret of a hidden treasure. Years later, their secret falls into the hands of a bunch of sleazy adventurers. What none of them know is that the treasure is guarded by a hideous monster, animated by the blood of a vengeful black magician.”

In other important news, Criterion have secured the rights to Roman Polanski’s Repulsion; they will be releasing both DVD and BluRay versions, containing a new, restored 1.85 HD digital transfer, a commentary by Polanski and Catherine Deneuve, and documentaries on the film’s production. Release date is 28th July.

Fans of transgressive cinema, take note: today’s the day a small company in Europe is releasing a limited-run, Special Edition 2-disk set of Vase des Noces — better-known by its alternate English title, which is definitely Not Safe for Work (the English title illustrated here, “One Man and his Pig”, is a compromise, apparently on a reversible sleeve… though why any store that would put this movie on its shelves would feel squeamish about a naughty word in the title, I have no idea).

In addition to the feature film, the set contains interviews with the director and star, a making-of documentary, and a booklet with essays by three different critics. The mind boggles.

OK; kudos to Camera Obscura for what is clearly a labor of love; and maybe this is hypocritical for a guy who eats bacon with every meal; but I can’t really endorse a movie that kills pigs for Art.

Hat-tip to Blake Lewis for this information.

When you can all drag your eyes away from Night Of The Creeps, here are a few more DVD releases in the pipeline:

On 5th May, MVD Visual will be unleashing upon us a 2-disc, Director’s Cut edition of the film that that very director once called “The Giant Spider Disaster“. The set will include a director’s commentary and an interview with Bill Rebane.

Lots of Euro-Horror news! On April 28th, Dark Sky Films will be releasing The She-Beast, Michael Reeves’ first film, starring Barbara Steele and Ian Ogilvy. In more Babs-related news, Severin have at long last named a street date for their release of Nightmare Castle: May 19th.

Meanwhile, Mya Communications will be releasing Jorge Grau’s The Legend Of Blood Castle aka The Female Butcher, another version of the Erzsebet Bathory legend, also on May 19th. On 30th June, Mya will also be releasing the original cut of Sergio Martino’s Island Of The Fishmen (surgically altered in the US to become Screamers), and Horrible aka Absurd, the sort-of sequel to the infamous Anthropophagus that re-teams Joe D’Amato and Aristide Massacessi. On July 28th, Blue Underground will be re-releasing two former Anchor Bay releases, Sergio Martino’s Torso aka The Bodies Bear Traces Of Carnal Violence, and The 10th Victim, directed by Elio Petri and starring Ursula Andress and Marcello Mastroianni.

Proving that some people never learn, Sony Pictures will be releasing the fourth entry in the Anaconda franchise, Anacondas: Trail Of Blood, on 2nd June. Tragically, this time around there’s no sign of The Hoff. The same day will also see the release of Fox’s Silent Venom, directed by Fred Olen Ray. Taking a tip from 1974′s Fer-De-Lance, this film gives us snakes on a submarine, and stars Luke Perry and Krista Allen. Genius Products [sic.] will be releasing Sea Beast on 30th June. Featuring mutated angler fish and Corin Nemec (in that order), this ought to be hugely cool, but sadly seems to be just more of your typical SciFi – sorry, SyFy - crap. I include the DVD cover here so that you can all marvel at its stunning lack of originality.

Heartfelt jumping-up-and-down thanks to reader Blake Matthew, who tipped us off to the good news at ShockTilYouDrop.com that the Greatest Movie Ever Made is finally getting a DVD release:

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is finally getting around to a special edition DVD of Night of the Creeps. Go ahead, read that sentence again. It’s true.

Red Shirt Pictures’ Michael Felsher – who has produced a good deal of terrific genre discs – is spearheading the special features. Here’s what he had to tell Dead Pit Radio: “It is coming out officially for the first time ever. Fred Dekker is already working on it, It’s going to be the director’s cut with the original ending. We’re going to go balls to the wall with the special features on it…I talked to Sony today its official, we’re going ahead and its coming out in October! It’s officially In production…and moving forward, its coming!”

If there were someone to take my money, I would already have this preordered.

Hey, looks what’s out at Amazon.com today!

Who wants to be the first to throw themselves on this particular eldritch grenade and return to tell us the tale?

Hey, you know that romantic comedy triple pack you had to bite your tongue and be polite about? There’s a bonanza of upcoming releases you can exchange it for!

Of course, the big news is that Dario Argento’s long, long, long MIA Four Flies On Grey Velvet is finally getting the treatment it deserves from Mya Communication (who appear to be a new incarnation of NoShame USA), which will be released uncut and remastered on 24th February. Mya will also be releasing—-oops! has released (27th December) the Argento produced and co-directed Door Into Darkness, four one-hour TV horrors, as a two-disc set.

Manskirts ahoy! Image Entertainment have announced The HERCULES Collection for 31st March, a four disc set that will gather together no less than nine pepla: Hercules, Mole Men Against The Son Of Hercules, Hercules The Avenger, Hercules And The Black Pirate, Hercules And The Captive Women, Hercules, Prisoner Of Evil, Hercules And The Princess Of Troy, Atlas In The Land Of The Cyclops and Giants Of Rome. There is some cause for concern in the comment that “most” of these films will be widescreen (I’ve been after a widescreen print of Hercules And The Captive Women for years, so I’d lay odds that’s one of the ones that isn’t), but you can’t argue with the price: $19.98.

Shriek Show will be issuing a remastered, anamorphic version of Alan Rudolph’s Barn Of The Naked Dead aka Terror Circus, starring AYCYAS! crush Andrew Prine, on 27th January. Meanwhile, El Santo’s good friends at Severin Films have recently acquired the rights to another former Video Nasty, Expose aka House On Straw Hill, starring Udo Kier, Fiona Richmond, and a great deal more of Linda Hayden than you might expect. Severin have also announced that their upcoming release of Nightmare Castle will include a lengthy chat-featurette with Barbara Steele. Still no firm release date for that one (“Summer 2009″), although the project seems to be well along the way. Speaking of Barbara, the good news is that new label Midnight Choir is releasing on 24th February a double disc of The Long Hair Of Death with An Angel For Satan; the bad news is that behind Midnight Choir is Johnny Legend, so caveat emptor.

Mondo Macabro, bless ‘em, will be releasing The Bollywood Horror Collection Volume 2 on 31st March, serving up two more Ramsay Brothers efforts: Veerana and Purani Haveli. The former is a serious vampire story whose mix of sex and horror got the Ramsays into trouble; the latter is a haunted house story that allows the brothers to dabble in a bit of self-parody. Also early next year, Onar Films will release the Turkish giallo Kadin Dusmani aka Woman Despiser.  BUY THESE FILMS, PEOPLE!! These guys need and deserve our support.

First Look probably don’t deserve our support, but… On 27th January, First Look will be releasing Sharks In Venice. If ever a film was sold on its title and poster, this is it; AIP would be proud of this one. (Also note the complete  absence of star Stephen Baldwin’s name.) First Look will also be bundling five previous releases into the Shark Attack Pack: Shark Hunter, Dark Waters, Shark Zone, Blue Demon and Hammerhead; the set will be available from 6th January.

(Thank you, Nathan!)

On October 21st, BCI Eclipse will release a double-disc Collector’s Edition of William Grefé’s killer snake film, Stanley. What an age we live in, hey? Stanley stars Chris Robinson as a Seminole Vietnam vet who uses his connection with rattlesnakes to enact vengeance on his enemies. (“Stanley” is the lead snake’s name, BTW.) The film will be anamorphic widescreen, and will come accompanied by commentaries by Grefé and his screenwriter, Gary Crutcher; a 50-minute documentary on the making of the film; and a featurette in which Grefé re-visits locations. In theory, this one’s right up my alley; but given that the film notoriously contains as much real snake killing as its re-make, The Jaws Of Death, did real shark killing….I’m not so sure.

More Warners news. On October 7th, double-discs of The Shuttered Room and It!, and The Brides Of Fu Manchu and The Chamber Of Horrors, will be released. (Odd choice of order, considering that Warners also holds the rights to revered horror icon Christopher Lee’s first outing as the oriental mastermind, The Face Of Fu Manchu.) Again, these will be Best Buy exclusives….although they may not remain so. The previous Warner/Best Buy discs will be re-released for general sale in October. HOWEVER— Word on the street is that Warners’ use of the R-rated cut of When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth (translation: boobies) was a mistake; and that when the film is re-released, they will substitute the G-rated cut (translation: no boobies). So if boobies are of any particular interest to you, you might want to pick up a Best Buy copy ASAP.

(And a public shout-out to Scott Hamilton for nabbing me copies of the first three BB releases.)

Oops! This one nearly slipped by me. September 9th will see the release of the Fox Horror Classics Collection Volume 2. Using the term “horror” rather loosely, this set will consist of the gothic melodrama Dragonwyck, starring Vincent Price and Gene Tierney; the long-MIA Chandu The Magician, with Bela Lugosi in one of his rare post-Dracula hero roles; and Dr Renault’s Secret, with George Zucco as a mad scientist dabbling in Things That Man Was Not Meant To Know.

September 9th also sees a whole slew of earlier releases from MGM/Fox re-packaged as triple-disc sets (although sometimes with four films). The quality of the sets varies from the surprisingly good to the you-gotta-be-kidding-me. This buyer is eyeing off the “Stay Out Of The Water” set (The Alligator People, Lake Placid and Swamp Thing), but there’s something there for most tastes. Details here.

After – jeez, what is it? nearly two years? – of being jerked around by The Idiot Brothers, Greg Mclean’s killer croc film Rogue finally hits the US street on DVD today. Although it does go a bit over-the-top towards the end, particularly in the area of Hero’s Death Battle Exemption (so what else is new?), Rogue is a commendably straight-faced effort full of good special effects, interesting character touches (you won’t guess who lives and dies) and some absolutely spectacular cinematography. Recommended.

If you don’t feel like lining the Weinsteins’ pockets, the Region 4 version will be released September 4th.

In related news, Urban Cinephile  reports that the other Australian killer croc film, Black Water, has now secured distribution in 76 countries. Nice if ours were among them, hey? Black Water is notable for, among other things, having “the Northern Territory” played by a southern Sydney area two suburbs away from where I live. And the bastards didn’t invite me!!!! Aw, hell, I guess I’ll see it anyway…..always supposing.

Hey, cool! Another DVD release I can embarrass myself over in public!

On October 28th, Grindhouse will release a double-disc Collector’s Edition of Juan Piquer’s Mil Gritos Tiene La Noche / Pieces. This will be uncut and widescreen anamorphic, with an optional Spanish soundtrack featuring the original score by Librado Pastor.

After Metropolis, this probably only counts as a minor miracle, but who’s complaining? Severin Films will be producing the first official DVD release of Mario Caiano’s Amanti D’Olltretomba / Nightmare Castle, starring Barbara Steele, after a good quality, uncut negative of the film was discovered in a storage vault in Rome.

This just in! On July 29th, Warners will be releasing a trio of science fiction double-bills: World Without End + Satellite In The Sky (I’ve always felt that was a good place for a satellite); When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth (yo, Keith!!) + Moon Zero Two; and Battle Beneath The Earth + The Ultimate Warrior. The bad news for those of us who don’t happen to live down the street from the Brothers Warner is that these releases will be Best Buy exclusives. Thank Jabootu for eBay.

There are a zillion DVDs slated for upcoming release, but here are the ones I’m currently most excited about. Which probably tells you more about me than you need to know.

So in chronological order and/or descending degrees of classiness:

On July 22nd, Criterion will re-release Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr in an expanded 2-disc edition. The film will be in 1.19 “pillarbox” format. Supplementary material will include commentary from film scholar Tony Rayns, a documentay by Jorgen Roos about Dreyer’s career, a visual essay by film scholar Caspar Tybjerg on Dreyer’s influences, a radio broadcast by Dreyer on film-making from 1958, new essays on the film itself from Mark Le Fanu and Kim Newman, notes by Martin Koerber on its restoration, an archival interview with Nicolas de Gunzburg, the original screenplay, and a copy of Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla”.

September 9th will see the long-awaited release of Classic Media’s double-disc presentation of Rodan and War Of The Gargantuas. The Japanese (English subtitles) and Americanised versions of both films will be included, along with the documentary “Bringing Godzilla Down To Size”.

After numerous delays, Code Red DVD will release the widescreen, uncut (European) version of Chi Sei? / Beyond The Door on September 22nd. Extras include two commentaries, one featuring Ovidio G. Assonitis and the other Juliet Mills (!!); a video interview with Richard Johnson; the featurette “Beyond The Door: 35 Years Later”; and the original trailers. (Edit: – now I’m hearing September 16th.)

And last, and least, but no less dear to my heart, on September 30th Dark Sky Films will release their latest ”Drive-In Double Feature”, Barracuda plus Island Fury.

Courtesy of DVD Drive-In: “On October 14th, Sony Home Entertainment will release ICONS OF HORROR: HAMMER FILMS, which will contain the following Hammer film classics: THE TWO FACES OF DR JEKYLL, THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB, THE GORGON and SCREAM (TASTE) OF FEAR. Expect the set to include commentaries, trailers, supplements and newly remastered transfers.”

I don’t know about “classics”, but all four films are very welcome. No cover art as yet, so in the meantime, here’s one of my personal heroes. Actually, two of my personal heroes:

OK, my ten day Highland motoring tour through Scotland (I did not find a man-frog in the middle of a hedge maze, though) is over, and as a result of it, I am dead broke. $100 to fill up a Ford Focus??? Anyway, luckily, while I was away eating haggis and drinking a positively staggering amount of single malt scotch whisky, the rest of the crew kept the home fires stoked:

VOODOO ISLAND
The irrationality of the film is in some ways before its time. I think this is part of its ultimate failure; the writers clearly wanted to create a sense of un-reality at a time when there weren’t many films whose lead they might follow. Bleeding plants, the voodoo ragdoll which serves no apparent purpose, the “death wishes” based on real magic which don’t end up being lethal, the trouble with the radio, etc…. These have been criticized elsewhere as loose ends of a script that never had a final draft. I’ll throw out the possibility that, in fact, they were more deliberate attempts to undermine Knight’s stolid positivism because–and I’m not trying to be cute here–there was no unity to their disunity.

Todd saves us from becoming the “all skull mask guys, all the time” website.

Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams
Blossoming Night Dreams is the first in the Delinquent Girl Boss series, as well as Toei’s first entry in the Pinky Violence genre. Spurred to jump into the game by the success of Nikkatsu’s Stray Cat Rock series of female delinquent films, the studio would go on to make the PV genre their own through more brazenly exploitative franchises like the aforementioned Terrifying Girls’ High School and Female Prisoner Scorpion films. At the time of this film, the template that those later films followed had yet to be set, and so, while there is a fair share of boobs and blood on display, there’s nowhere near as much as would become standard within a couple years. Furthermore–and again unlike perennial PV stars Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike–Oshida was not required to shed her clothing for her role, leaving the burden of baring all upon her supporting stars.

Deepdiscountdvd.com is holding its semi-yearly 20% off sale–an additional 20% off all non-advance items, that is. Their regular discounts are not always as deep as they used to be, but even so, this is the best time of year to grab big box sets. For instance, they are selling that James Bond Ultimate set for $179 (about a hundred bucks off list), so with an additional 20% off, it’s more like $145, for 22 movies on 44 discs. Not too shabby. And don’t forget all the recent “full run” DVD sets on TV shows like Land of the Giants, the X-Files, Twin Peaks, etc.

Something I never knew is that DVD Planet does this at the same time. Sometimes their prices are cheaper, so I’d check your list on Dvdpricesearch, see which site is selling each item cheapest, and make two orders.

These sales require codes that you input at checkout. For DVD Planet, there’s one code, but it may be resusable through Nov 21st: 20offsale.

In contrast, Deepdiscountdvd has numerous codes, which may be used once each. SUPERSALE I know works, as does PRICESEARCH, and in the past DVDTALK and USATODAY have as well. There are probably others should you need them, just Google for them.

As far as I know, DVDPlanet’s sale runs through the 21st, and DDD’s through the 25th.  Certainly they will both be running through this weekend.  Anyway, don’t forget the holidays are approaching, so you could do worse than use this for presents. 

In fact, let me start with what I still consider the biggest DVD release of the last several years, the 60 cartoon Popeye The Sailor 1933-1938.  Just astounding stuff.  Even better, you can for the next week or so really knock a hefty amount off the price tag via Deepdiscountdvd’s 20% off sale.  They currently list the set at $42.89 (from the $64.95 list), so an additional 20% would reduce that by a further eight bucks and change.  So that’s about $35!!  You can’t beat that.