For the week of July 15th, we have giant rats, a handful of indie horror movies, a David Cronenberg classic and a killer Scarlett Johansson sci-fi thriller all coming our way on Blu-ray and DVD.

Criterion is releasing a brand new Blu-ray/DVD combo of the horror classic Scanners and Scream Factory is continuing their Summer of Fear with their latest release, Deadly Eyes, as well. Jonathan Glazer’s stunning sci-fi film Under the Skin is also getting its home release on Tuesday and, for all you shark movie fans out there, Anchor Bay’s put together a fun four pack of some recent shark-related titles perfect for a camp-tastic marathon one night.

SPOTLIGHT TITLES:

Scanners (Criterion Collection, Blu-ray/DVD Combo & DVD)

From Criterion Collection comes the Director- Approved Dual-Format Blu-ray and DVD Special Edition Feature of Scanners which includes a new, restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by director David Cronenberg, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Also included are "The Scanners Way," a new documentary on the film’s special effects, a new interview with actor Michael Ironside, The Ephemerol Diaries, a 2012 interview with actor and artist Stephen Lack, an excerpt from a 1981 interview with Cronenberg on the CBC’s The Bob McLean Show, Stereo (1969)- Cronenberg’s first feature film, trailer and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Kim Newman.

Deadly Eyes (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)

Meet mankind’s deadliest enemy! Each year they plunder one fifth of our food, spread our deadliest diseases and destroy billions of dollars’ worth of homes and property. They’re not cute. Grain contaminated with steroids produce large black rats that begin feeding on the citizens of Toronto. A college basketball coach (Sam Groom, The Baby Maker) teams up with a local health inspector (Sara Botsford, The Fog 2005) to uncover the source of the mysterious giant rats. When they discover that the rats are living in the subway, they try to prevent a new subway line from opening before all hell breaks loose underground. This is man’s last desperate, bloody battle to preserve the existence of the human race! 

Based on the novel The Rats by James Herbert with a screenplay by Charles Eglee (Dexter, The Walking Dead), this nail-biting thriller is directed by Robert Clouse (Enter The Dragon) and co-stars Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Lisa Langlois (The Nest) and Lesleh Donaldson (Happy Birthday To Me, Curtains).

Under the Skin (Lionsgate, Blu-ray & DVD)

A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Scarlett Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, Under the Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:

Killer Legends (Breaking Glass Pictures, DVD)

Open Grave (UMVD, Blu-ray & DVD)

Shark 4 Movie Collection (Anchor Bay, Blu-ray & DVD)

The Surrogate (MTI Home Video, DVD)

SX_Tape (Well Go USA, Blu-ray & DVD)

Toxin (Xlrator, DVD)

Torment (Vertical Entertainment, DVD)

Killer Legends (Breaking Glass Pictures, 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.