Happy (almost) Halloween readers! With October 31st falling on the weekly home entertainment release day, that means we have extra reasons to get excited this Tuesday. Scream Factory has put together two absolutely incredible collector’s edition Blu-rays for George A. Romero’s underrated modern classic Land of the Dead as well as Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake, which fans are going to want to add to their own personal collections.
For those of you who may have missed it in theaters, The Dark Tower comes home on Halloween, and Lionsgate has given the cult classic Slaughter High the Vestron Video treatment for their brand new Blu. Blue Underground is also keeping busy this week with a pair of Collector’s Edition sets, too—The Lift and Down—and the complete series of Orphan Black makes its home release bow on Halloween, too.
Other notable Halloween releases include Return of the Ape Man, Apocalypse Cult, The Devil’s Rain, Beyond the Seventh Door, and The Vampire’s Ghost.
The Dark Tower (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu/Digital HD, Blu/Digital HD & DVD/Digital)
Based on the best-selling book series by highly-acclaimed author Stephen King. The last Gunslinger, Roland (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the epic battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.
Dawn of the Dead: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Heart-pounding action and bone-chilling thrills power this edgy and frightening remake of George A. Romero’s apocalyptic horror classic, Dawn Of The Dead! From visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), this pulse-pounding jolt-a-thon stars Ving Rhames (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Sarah Polley (Splice), Jake Weber (Wendigo), Mekhi Phifer (Divergent) and Ty Burrell (Modern Family).
The world is in danger when a mysterious virus turns people into mindless, flesh-eating zombies. In a mall in the heartland, a handful of survivors wage a desperate, last-stand battle to stay alive ... and human!
DISC ONE – Theatrical Version:
• NEW HD master derived from the digital intermediate archival negative
• NEW Take A Chance on Me – an interview with actor Ty Burrell
• NEW Gunn for Hire – an interview with writer James Gunn
• NEW Punk, Rock & Zombie – an interview with actor Jake Weber
• NEW Killing Time at the Mall: The Special Effects of Dawn of the Dead – an interview with special makeup effects artists David Anderson and Heather Langenkamp Anderson
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Zach Snyder and producer Eric Newman
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery
DISC TWO – Unrated Version:
• NEW HD master derived from the digital intermediate archival negative with HD inserts
• Audio Commentary with director Zach Snyder and producer Eric Newman
• Splitting Headaches: Anatomy of Exploding Heads
• Attack of the Living Dead
• Raising the Dead
• Andy’s Lost Tape
• Special Report: Zombie Invasion • Undead and Loving It: A Mockumentary
• Drawing the Dead featurette
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Hidden Easter Egg
The Devil’s Rain (Severin Films, Blu-ray)
Take an all-star cast including William Shatner, Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, Keenan Wynn, Tom Skerritt, Ida Lupino and even John Travolta in his movie debut at their most hellishly over-the- top. Add one of the most visually inventive filmmakers of the era director Robert Fuest, of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES fame and thrust them into an insane tale of rural occult carnage, featuring Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey as Technical Advisor. Watch in infernal awe as it all hurtles towards the most eye-popping, flesh-melting finale in grindhouse history. Now experience this devilishly infamous classic as you've never seen or heard it before, restored in HD for the first time ever and oozing with all-new Extras approved by Lucifer himself!
Special Features:
Land of the Dead: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero returns to unleash another chapter in his zombie series! In this new tale of terror, Romero creates a harrowing vision of a modern-day world where the walking dead roam a vast uninhabited wasteland and the living try to lead "normal", lives behind the high walls of a fortified city. A new society has been built by a hand of ruthless opportunists, who live in luxury in the towers of a skyscraper, high above the less fortunate citizens who must eke out a hard life on the streets below. With the survival of the city at stake, a group of mercenaries is called into action to protect the living from the evolving army of the dead waiting outside the city walls. Land Of The Dead features a cast of great actors including Dennis Hopper, Simon Baker, Asia Argento, Robert Joy and John Leguizamo.
DISC ONE: Theatrical Cut
• NEW 2K Scan of the interpositive
• NEW Cholo’s Reckoning - an interview with actor John Leguizamo
• NEW Charlie’s Story – an interview with actor Robert Joy
• NEW The Pillsbury Factor – an interview with actor Pedro Miguel Arce
• NEW Four of the Apocalypse – an interview with actors Eugene Clark, Jennifer Baxter, Boyd Banks and Jasmin Geljo
• Dream of the Dead: The director’s cut with optional commentary by director Roy Frumkes
• Deleted footage from Dream of the Dead
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
DISC TWO: Uncut Version
• NEW 2K Scan of the interpositive with HD inserts
• NEW Audio Commentary with zombie performers Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher and Rob Mayr
• Audio Commentary with writer/director George A. Romero, producer Peter Grunwald and editor Michael Doherty
• Undead Again: The Making of Land of the Dead
• Bringing The Dead To Life
• Scenes of Carnage
• Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene
• Scream Test – CGI test
• Bringing the Storyboards to Life
• A Day with the Living Dead hosted by John Leguizamo
• When Shaun Met George
Slaughter High: Vestron Video Collector’s Series (Lionsgate, Blu-ray)
There's horror in the halls...lynching in the lunchroom...murder in the metal shop. Welcome to SLAUGHTER HIGH where the students are dying to get out! In high school, Marty was the kid all the students teased, taunted, and tortured mercilessly. One day, things went too far - one of their jokes backfired, disfiguring Marty for life. Now, five years later, Marty has arranged a special reunion for all his high school ''friends.'' The prom queen, the jock, the class clown, the rebel, and a few select others have been invited...and it's going to be a gala of gore!
Special Features:
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Apocalypse Cult (Wild Eye Releasing, DVD)
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (Warner Archive Collection, DVD)
Beyond the Seventh Door (InterVision Picture Corp., DVD)
Down: Collector’s Edition (Blue Underground, Blu/DVD Combo)
Island of the Burning Damned (Cheezy Movies, DVD)
The Lift: Collector’s Edition (Blue Underground, Blu/DVD Combo)
Orphan Black: The Complete Series (BBC, Blu-ray & DVD)
Return of the Ape Man (Olive Films, Blu-ray)
Robert and the Toymaker (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD)
The Vampire’s Ghost (Olive Films, Blu-ray & 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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