For the final week of November, horror and sci-fi fans have a few things to be thankful for, including some great films they can add to their home entertainment collections. With the holidays just right around the corner, RLJ Entertainment is releasing A Christmas Horror Story and Scream Factory is resurrecting a duo of classic films in HD on Tuesday as well—Ghost Story and Blood and Lace.
Other notable titles being released on November 24th include The Badger Game, The Last House, The Mask 3-D and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant.
A Christmas Horror Story (RLJ Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)
It’s the season of joy, peace, and goodwill… unless you live in Bailey Downs. Last Christmas Eve, two teens came to a grisly end in a school basement. Now, one year later, a new set of horrors has come to town. As three friends explore the site of the massacre, a malevolent spirit is determined to keep them there forever. One of the first cops to the scene of the bloody murders has new complications as his seven-year-old son exhibits terrifying and violent behavior. And when a local family seeks reconciliation with an estranged aunt for the wrong reasons, they suddenly find themselves running in terror from Krampus, the demonic anti-Santa Claus. Not even St. Nick is immune to the terror as he fights back against a horde of zombie elves. This is destined to be a holiday no one will ever forget….
Ghost Story (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Four of Hollywood’s most distinguished statesmen (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and John Houseman) join forces against a paranormal nemesis in Ghost Story, based on the terrifying novel by best-selling author Peter Straub.
In a peaceful New England town, the four lifelong friends who make up the Chowder Society come together each week to regale each other with tales of terror. But when one of the elderly gentlemen experiences a family tragedy, it becomes apparent that a buried secret from their youth has arisen to remind them of the sins of their past. Soon, they will learn they have never been forgiven… and a supernatural vengeance awaits them all. Craig Wasson, Patricia Neal, and Alice Krige also star in this chilling and atmospheric telling of one of horror’s greatest stories.
Special Features Include Audio Commentary by Director John Irvin, Interviews with Author Peter Straub, Actress Alice Krige, Screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen, Producer Burt Weissbourd, and Matte Photographer Bill Taylor, Vintage Theatrical Trailer, TV and Radio Spots and Photo Gallery.
The Mask 3-D (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)
After the shocking death of a disturbed patient, psychiatrist Dr. Allan Barnes (Paul Stevens) comes into possession of the ancient tribal mask that supposedly drove the young man to his doom. When Barnes puts on the mask, he is assailed with nightmarish visions of monsters, occultists, and ritual torture. Believing that the mask has opened a portal to the deepest recesses of his mind, the doctor continues to explore this terrifying new psychic world even as the mask reveals a latent violence in Barnes' nature that threatens those closest to him.
Shot in Toronto on a shoestring budget, THE MASK (retitled Eyes of Hell for its American release) claims the distinction of being the first feature-length Canadian horror movie. Director Julian Roffman turns the act of wearing the anaglyph 3D glasses into part of the theatrical experience: when Barnes' voice intones the immortal words "Put the mask on, now!," the audience puts on their glasses to witness the doctor's visions, a riot of psychedelic imagery rendered in bright, blazing color. Premiering at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, this edition of THE MASK was digitally restored by the 3-D Film Archive from the best surviving 35mm film elements.
ONE NIGHT IN HELL (3-D Animated Short): From internationally award-winning animation studio and production company Unanico Group, and visionary rock musician Brian May, a 3D phenomenon of 1860s Paris is unleashed on the 21st century. ONE NIGHT IN HELL is a devilish and spectacular animation short that tells the story of one skeleton s journey into a stereoscopic Hell. The film features exclusive new music from Brian May & the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and has a Dolby Atmos track.
Special Features: 3-D sequences provided in both stereoscopic (3-D television required) and anaglyph formats (red/cyan glasses not included), Newly restored Electro-Magic Sound (optional 5.1 Surround during 3-D sequences), Audio commentary by 3-D film historian Jason Pichonsky, Making-of Documentary, Four trailers and TV spots, 3-D Setup Video (for monitor calibration), Films by visual consultant Slavko Vorkapich: 9413: The Life and Death of a Hollywood Extra (11 min.), Abstract Experiment in Kodachrome (2 min.), Montage Sequences (6 sequences, 12 min. total).
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
The Badger Game (Intervision Picture Corp., Blu-ray & DVD)
Blood and Lace (Scream Factory, Blu/DVD Combo)
Haunting at Foster Cabin (MTI Home Video, DVD)
The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray)
The Last House (Wild Eye Releasing, DVD)
Ray Harker (Lost Empire, DVD)
Star Leaf (Leomark Studios, DVD)
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.
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