Tuesday, July 17th looks to be another busy day for home media releases, as we have a rather interesting blend of titles, both new and old. As far as recent flicks go, Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, The Housemaid, Rampage, and You Were Never Really Here are the big highlights of this week’s Blu-ray and DVD debuts. And for those of you who are looking to expand your cult cinema collections, Arrow Video is keeping busy with new HD releases of The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail and Doom Asylum.
Other notable releases for July 17th include the new EndoArm edition of Terminator 2 in 4K, the Church of the Damned/Bad Magic double feature Blu-ray, Amityville Prison, and The Antithesis.
Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu/DVD/Digital Combo & DVD/Digital)
Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) lead the cast of Blumhouse's Truth or Dare, a supernatural thriller from Blumhouse Productions (Happy Death Day, Get Out). A harmless game of "Truth or Dare" among friends turns deadly when someone—or something—begins to punish those who tell a lie—or refuse the dare...
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
One of the major consequences of Western Europe’s post-war Economic Miracle was the proliferation of international travel. Eager to tap into audience’s desire to experience the glamor of the jet set lifestyle, the popular filmmakers of the day rushed to make the most of the exotic locales at their disposal.
Arguably no other giallo captured this trend as vividly as The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail. The film begins in London, where Lisa Baumer (Evelyn Stewart, The Psychic) learns that her husband has died in a freak plane accident. Summoned to Athens to collect his generous life insurance policy, she soon discovers that others besides herself are keen to get their hands on the money and are willing to kill for it. Meanwhile, private detective Peter Lynch (George Hilton, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) arrives to investigate irregularities in the insurance claim. Teaming up with a beautiful reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), Lynch resolves to unearth the truth... before he too ends up on the wrong end of the murderer’s straight razor.
The second giallo by genre master Sergio Martino (Torso, The Suspicious Death of a Minor), The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail combines stunning views of Athens and the Greek coastline with brutal bursts of violence, a typically tangled script by Ernesto Gastaldi (Death Walks on High Heels), and a cast overflowing with Euro cult talent, including Alberto de Mendoza (A Lizard in a Woman s Skin), Janine Reynaud (Jess Franco’s Succubus) and Luigi Pistilli (A Bay of Blood).
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Doom Asylum (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
If you thought Sex and the City 2 was a stomach-churner, you ain't seen nothing yet! Long before playing one of Carrie Bradshaw's best gal pals, actress Kristen Davis found herself up against an altogether different kind of horror in 1987's Doom Asylum: a riotous mix of gore, gags and goth girl groups galore! When a group of horny teens wind up on the grounds of a creepy abandoned asylum, they think they've found the perfect place to party. Little do they know that inside the building's crumbling walls lurks a freakishly deformed maniac, driven to madness by the tragic loss of his fiancée in a car accident. With an array of grisly surgical tools at his disposal, it's only a matter of time before the youngsters begin meeting various splattery ends at the hands of the ghoulish Coroner. Helmed by director Richard Friedman (Scared Stiff and Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge), and also starring Penthouse Pet of the Year 1988 Patty Mullen (Frankenhooker), Doom Asylum combines outlandish gore and a wise-cracking villain to create one of the most wildly entertainingly blood-spattered slashers of the late '80s.
The Housemaid (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Blu-ray & DVD)
A forbidden passion awakens vengeful spirits within a haunted mansion in this bloodcurdling, erotic tour-de-force. Vietnam, 1953: Linh (Nhung Kate), a poor, orphaned young woman, finds employment as a housemaid in a crumbling rubber plantation presided over by the emotionally fragile French officer Sebastien Laurent (Jean-Michel Richaud). Soon, a torrid love affair develops between the two – a taboo romance that rouses the ghost of Laurent’s dead wife, who won’t rest until blood flows. Submerged in moody Gothic atmosphere, this stylish supernatural saga confronts the dark shadows of Vietnam’s colonial past while delivering heart-stopping scares.
Rampage (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, 3D Blu/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD/Digital Combo)
Primatologist Davis (Dwayne Johnson) shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. When a greed-fueled corporation's genetic experiment goes awry, George and other animals across the country are mutated into aggressive super creatures that rampage the city. In an adrenaline-filled ride, Davis tries to find an antidote to not only halt a global catastrophe, but to also save the fearsome creature that was once his friend
You Were Never Really Here (Lionsgate, Blu/Digital & DVD)
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Amityville Prison (Parade Deck Films, DVD)
The Antithesis (Bayview Entertainment, DVD)
Church of the Damned/Bad Magic Double Feature (SRS Cinema, Blu-ray)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day EndoArm 4K (Lionsgate, 4K UltraHD/Blu/Digital Combo)
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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