For the third week of December, Clive Barker fans have much to celebrate as Scream Factory is releasing Lord of Illusions in high def for the first time ever. Also coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week are several indie horror films, Millennium’s Poe-inspired Stonehearst Asylum and the cult classic Don’t Look in the Basement is being resurrected on DVD as well.

SPOTLIGHT TITLES:

Don’t Look in the Basement – Digitally Restored (Film Chest, DVD)

Don't Look in the Basement, also known as The Forgotten, is one of the best low-budget movies in the horror/thriller genre. With a budget of roughly $100,000, the film is presented in great B-movie style with generally good acting and directing.

The plot revolves around a young psychiatric nurse, Charlotte Beale (Rosie Holotik/Playboy cover girl 1972), who goes to work at the isolated Stephens Sanitarium following the murder of its proprietor, Dr. Stephens (Michael Harvey), by one of the patients. There, she finds her job extremely difficult as the patients torment and harass her in varying degrees while she learns why Dr. Stephens successor, Dr. Geraldine Masters (Annabelle Weenick), is not very willing to take on new staff and so eager to keep outsiders out. The patients are truly frightening and the asylum is horribly understaffed.

There's no other film quite like this...

Lord of Illusions Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)

From best-selling author and celebrated director Clive Barker comes a supernatural thriller that rips apart the boundaries between sanity and madness, and between the art of illusion and the terrifying forces of magic. 

Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) portrays Harry D’Amour, a private detective visiting Los Angeles on a routine investigation. Harry gets more than he bargains for when he encounters Philip Swan (Kevin J. O Connor, The Mummy), a performer whose amazing illusions captivate the world. But are they really illusions? Harry isn’t so sure as he is thrust into a nightmare of murder, deception and terrifying assaults from the dark beyond. Famke Janssen (X-Men, Taken, Hemlock Grove) and Daniel von Bargen (Crimson Tide, The Faculty) also star.

Two-Disc features included are a Theatrical Cut of the film, All NEW High Definition transfer of Clive Barker’s Director’s Cut of the film, Commentary by Director Clive Barker,  “A Gathering of Magic” Featurette - Original Behind the Scenes Footage, Unseen Rare Behind the Scenes Footage “Illusion of Reality” - Vintage interviews and UNSEEN On-Set Footage provide a fascinating look into the making of the film, Deleted Scenes with Clive Barker commentary, NEW Interview with Storyboard Artist Martin Mercer and Photo Gallery.

Stonehearst Asylum (Millennium Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)

When young doctor Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) arrives at Stonehearst Asylum in search of an apprenticeship, he is warmly welcomed by superintendent Dr. Lamb (Ben Kingsley) and a mesmerizing woman by the name of Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale). Edward is intrigued by Lamb’s modern methods of treating the insane until a series of unusual events leads him to make a horrifying discovery, exposing Lamb’s utopia and pushing Edward to the limits of his conscience.

Inspired by a short story from Edgar Allan Poe, STONEHEARST ASYLUM is a tale in which nobody is who or what they appear to be. Also stars Michael Caine, Brendan Gleeson and David Thewlis. STONEHEARST ASYLUM is produced by Mark Amin and Bruce Davey with Christa Campbell, Lati Grobman, Mark Gill, Cami Winikoff and David Higgins serving as executive producers.

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:

At the Devil’s Door (IFC Midnight/MPI, Blu-ray & DVD)

Dark Mountain (Dark Mountain, DVD)

The Devil’s Hand (Lionsgate, DVD/Digital)

Extant: Season One (Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)

Intruders: Season One (BBC Home Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)

The Maze Runner (20th Century Fox, Blu/DVD/Digital HD & DVD)

Mother’s Milk (Monarch Home Video, DVD)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu 3D/Blu/DVD/Digital HD & DVD)

Wax (Full Moon Features, DVD)

  • Heather Wixson
    About the Author - Heather Wixson

    Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.