November 19th is shaping up to be a somewhat quiet day for horror and sci-fi home media releases, but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t a lot to get excited about. Synapse Films is giving Dario Argento’s Suspiria the 4K treatment this Tuesday, and it looks to be a must-own release for any genre fan. Scream Factory is resurrecting The Fan (1981) on Blu, and for those of you who are into cautionary horror, you’ll definitely want to pick up Arrow Video’s release of Hitch Hike To Hell.
Other releases for November 19th include Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection (which includes their genre crossovers), Farscape: The Complete Series, Memory: The Origin of Alien (a documentary that is a must-see for anyone who enjoys Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece), and a 20th anniversary Blu celebrating the criminally overlooked Jawbreaker.
Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection (Shout Factory, Blu-ray & DVD)
All 28 films together in one set in high definition! Get ready to laugh out loud with the most popular comedy duo of all time in Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection! All 28 films produced during the height of their popularity at Universal Pictures are here in one collection. Featuring their most popular movies, such as Buck Privates, Who Done It? and Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein, this collection is filled with some of the most hilarious routines of all time, including "Who's on First?"! Loaded with hours of bonus features and an exclusive collectible book, this is the ultimate tribute to two of the funniest and most enduring comedians of all time!
The Fan (1981) (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
He is Sally Ross' greatest fan ... and greatest nightmare. Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep) and Michael Biehn (The Terminator) tear up the screen in the edge-of-your-seat thriller, The Fan. Sally Ross (Bacall) is a renowned Broadway star, glamorous celebrity, and the object of adoration of countless admirers. But among all the loving little people lurks a young man (Biehn) whose devotion teeters on the edge of madness. His impassioned letters to her are initially a source of pleasure, but as he attempts to realize his ultimate fantasy – and is met with rejection – the stakes are raised to terrifying heights ... which might bring on the final curtain for Sally. Also starring James Garner, Maureen Stapleton, and Hector Elizondo, The Fan is a twisted tale of fame and obsession you'll never forget.
Farscape: The Complete Series (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Astronaut John Crichton assumes he'll be home in time for dinner. But a freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults him across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield. Suddenly, he's trapped among alien creatures wielding deadly technology - a battle that 20th century sci-fi pop culture never prepared him for. Hunted by a merciless military race, Crichton begins his quest for home from a galaxy far, far away...
Hitch Hike to Hell (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
Be careful who you hitch a ride with! All roads lead to terror in Hitch Hike to Hell, the delightfully sleazy cautionary tale from cult director Irvin Berwick (Malibu High, The Monster of Piedras Blancas).
Howard is a mild-mannered momma's boy whose job running deliveries for a cleaning agency affords him a lot of time out on the road. It’s not until he picks up young women who've run away from home that he transforms into a twitching, homicidal maniac, hellbent on meting out punishment for their transgressions. Can the cops put a stop to Howard’s demented spree before he claims yet another victim?
Influenced by the depraved crimes of the likes of ''Co-ed Killer'' Edmund Kemper, Hitch Hike to Hell is a bonafide American nightmare from the vaults of legendary exploitation producer Harry Novak (The Child, Toys Are Not for Children).
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Jawbreaker: 20th Anniversary Edition (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
First, I guess you need to know something about them: The beautiful ones. The flawless four. Everyone wanted to be them. You know them. They went to your school, too. First there's Courtney Satan-in-Heels Shayne (Rose McGowan) and her pawn, the dense but dangerous Marcie Fox (Julie Benz), a legend in her own little mind. Then there's angelic Julie Freedman (Rebecca Gayheart), doomed to be popular because of her pretty face. And lastly, the teen dream herself, Elizabeth Purr. When an ordinary kidnapping prank leaves the future prom queen dead (accidentally gagged with a jawbreaker), a deadly sweet prank leads to cover-up makeover in this edgy and unpredictable comedy. But there will be no mercy as prom night arrives, bringing this spirited tale to its cruel tiara-dropping conclusion.
Memory: The Origins of Alien (Screen Media, Blu-ray & DVD)
The untold origin story behind Ridley Scott's Alien - rooted in Greek and Egyptian mythologies, underground comics, the art of Francis Bacon, and the dark visions of Dan O'Bannon and H.R. Giger. A contemplation on the symbiotic collaborative process of movie-making, the power of myth, and our collective unconscious.
Suspiria 4K (Synapse Films, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo)
Jessica Harper (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN) stars in this frightening tale of a young student who uncovers dark and horrific secrets within the walls of a famous German dance academy. What spirals out from that simple premise is one of the most powerful and hallucinatory nightmares ever captured on celluloid!
Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA comes to home video from Synapse Films in an exclusive new 4K restoration from the original uncut, uncensored 35mm Italian camera negative, with the original theatrical 4.0 English surround sound mix. Synapse Films' beautifully restored version of Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA was completed with the supervision and approval of the film's Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli. Now available for the FIRST TIME EVER on home video in a true 2160p 4K presentation with High Dynamic Range and a new Dolby Atmos remix!
Special Features:
- A new 4K restoration of the original uncut, uncensored Italian 35mm camera negative exclusively done by Synapse Films, with color correction supervised and approved by SUSPIRIA Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli
- Original 4.0 1977 English language LCRS sound mix not heard since the theatrical release in 1977, presented in high-resolution DTS-HD MA 96kHz/24-bit audio, with newly translated removable English SDH subtitles
- All-new Dolby Atmos Remix and High Dynamic Range Presentation
- Italian 5.1 surround mix, with removable English subtitle translation
- Two audio commentaries by authors and Argento scholars, Derek Botelho, David Del Valle and Troy Howarth
- Do You Know Anything About Witches? - 30 minute SUSPIRIA visual essay written, edited and narrated by Michael Mackenzie
- Suzy in Nazi Germany - Featurette on the German locations from SUSPIRIA
- A Sigh from the Depths: 40 Years of SUSPIRIA - All-new anniversary retrospective on the making of the film and its influence on cinema
- Olga's Story - Interview with star Barbara Magnolfi
- Original theatrical trailers, TV spots and radio spots
- "International Classics" English "Breathing Letters" opening credit sequence from the U.S. release
- Alternate all-English opening and closing credits sequences, playable via seamless branching
- Reversible cover art by Wes Benscoter
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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