The month of May’s home entertainment releases are ending on a strong note, especially if you’re a purveyor of cult cinema. This week boasts an incredible selection of classic films resurrected on high definition including Blood Bath, Venom, The Terror, Psychic Killer and a 12-movie collection from Film Chest.
Sony Home Entertainment is releasing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on various formats on May 31st and, for those of you who may have missed it in theaters, Alex Proyas’ Gods of Egypt is also coming home this Tuesday as well.
Blood Bath: 2-Disc Limited Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
The films of Roger Corman are often as well-known for their behind-the-scenes stories as they are the ones unfolding on the screen. He famously made Little Shop of Horrors in just two days using sets left over from A Bucket of Blood and shot The Terror over a long weekend because bad weather prevented him from playing tennis. But none of these tales is quite so complex, or quite so extraordinary, as the making of Blood Bath.
The saga began when Corman invested in a Yugoslavian Krimi-like picture entitled Operation Titian just prior to it going into production. Insisting it be filmed in English, he sent actors William Campbell and Patrick Magee, and uncredited story editor Francis Ford Coppola (all fresh from Dementia 13), to Dubrovnik to make a US-friendly movie but wasn’t satisfied with the end results. First it was re-cut and re-scored to create Portrait in Terror, a film more in line with drive-in tastes, then it was handed over to Jack Hill (Spider Baby), followed by Stephanie Rothman (Terminal Island), each undertaking reshoots that resulted in a vampire picture by the name of Blood Bath. One final twist was provided when a TV version was required, chopping scenes and adding others to create Track of the Vampire.
For this release Arrow Video has searched through the vaults to bring you all four versions of Blood Bath, newly restored from the best materials available to provide a definitive release of one of Corman’s craziest ventures.
Special Features Include:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray & DVD)
A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in this reimagining of Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their pride and join forces on the blood-soaked battlefield in order to conquer the undead once and for all.
Venom: Collector’s Edition (Blue Underground, Blu/DVD Combo)
Behind the drapes... Between the walls... In your bed... A thriller to make your skin crawl!
It was supposed to be the perfect crime: the sexy maid (Susan George of STRAW DOGS), a psychotic chauffeur (Oliver Reed of THE BROOD) and an international terrorist (the legendary Klaus Kinski) kidnap a wealthy ten-year-old boy from his elegant London townhouse. But they didn't count on a murdered cop, a desperate hostage siege, and one very unexpected houseguest: a furious Black Mamba, the most lethal and aggressive snake known to nature. It can attack from ten feet away. Its bite brings excruciating death. And it is on the loose. Now, terror knows no antidote... and the ultimate in slithering mayhem is VENOM.
Sterling Hayden (THE KILLING), Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR) and Sarah Miles (BLOW-UP) co-star in this gripping suspense thriller based on the novel by best-selling author Alan Scholefield and directed by Piers Haggard (THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW). VENOM has been newly transferred in 2K High Definition from its negative and features some very real - and extremely deadly - Black Mambas!
Special Features Include:
* Audio Commentary with Director Piers Haggard
* Theatrical Trailer
* Teaser Trailer
* TV Spots
* Poster & Still Gallery
* BONUS Collectable Booklet featuring new writing by Fangoria Editor Michael Gingold
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
12 Sci-Fi Cult Classics (Film Chest, DVD)
Gods of Egypt (Lionsgate, 4K Blu-ray, 3D Blu/Blu/DVD/Digital HD, Blu/Digital HD & DVD)
Psychic Killer (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
The Terror (The Film Detective, Blu-ray)
Unhallowed Ground (MTI Home Video, 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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