This week, we have another great group of home media releases on tap that has a little something for fans of both new and old horror. Pennywise and the kids from Derry come home on Tuesday with IT Chapter Two, as it’s being released on multiple formats, and if you’re in the mood for some ambitious sci-fi, be sure to check out Freaks, too (Bruce Dern is a delight!).
In terms of genre classics, Scream Factory has put together an incredible box set with their The Fly Collection, and they’re also showing some love to The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde as well.
Other releases for December 10th include Viy, Along Came the Devil II, The Tombs, The Wrath, and The Curse of Buckout Road.
The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
He'll turn your spine to ice! Botanist Dr. John Rollason (Peter Cushing) decides to join the exploration team of crass, American showman Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) on a dangerous expedition into the Himalayas to search for the legendary Yeti. Soon after setting up camp, the group is attacked by a large beast which is shot by trapper Ed Shelley (Robert Brown) and stored in a cave to attract a live specimen. Before long, the strain of the expedition is felt and the party begins to lose control. To his growing terror, Dr. Rollason suspects that the race of giant "monsters" not only exists, but is capable of invading the thoughts of human beings!
The Fly Collection (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Be afraid ... be very afraid ... Experience the ultimate in horror with The Fly Collection, featuring the chilling original trilogy, the eye-popping '80s remake and its terrifying sequel. Packed with hours of fascinating special features, this 5-disc set includes 1958's The Fly starring Vincent Price; The Return Of The Fly, in which the son of the original scientist continues his father's work; and The Curse Of The Fly, in which a woman finds she's married into the wrong family. David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly electrified audiences with its ground-breaking, gooey effects and the riveting performance by Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, a scientist whose teleporting experiment takes a tragic toll. The hair-raising sequel to the remake stars Eric Stoltz as Seth Brundle's son, who is beginning to show the effects of his father's experiment. Get ready for hours of skin-crawling terror as you witness a transformation like no other – from man to fly.
Freaks (Well Go USA, Blu/DVD Combo & DVD)
Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein's FREAKS portrays the story of 7-year-old Chloe (Lexy Kolker), who lives in both fear under her father's (Emile Hirsch) protective and paranoid control, and fascination of the outside world, where Abnormals create a constant threat - or so she believes. When a mysterious stranger (Bruce Dern) offers her a glimpse of what's really happening outside, Chloe soon finds that while the truth isn't so simple, the danger is very real.
IT: Chapter Two (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu, Blu/Digital & DVD)
Twenty-seven years after the Losers Club defeated Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), he has returned to terrorize the town of Derry once more. Now adults, the Losers have long since gone their separate ways. However, people are disappearing again, so Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only one of the group to remain in their hometown, calls the others home. Damaged by the experiences of their past, they must each conquer their deepest fears to destroy Pennywise once and for all…putting them directly in the path of the shape-shifting clown that has become deadlier than ever.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by Director Andy Muschietti
- Pennywise Lives Again!
- This Meeting of the Losers Club Has Officially Begun
- Finding the Deadlights
- The Summers of IT: Chapter One, You'll Float Too
- The Summers of IT: Chapter Two, IT Ends
Viy (Severin Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
In 19th century Russia, a seminary student is forced to spend three nights with the corpse of a beautiful young witch. But when she rises from the dead to seduce him, it will summon a nightmare of fear, desire and the ultimate demonic mayhem. Bursting with startling imagery and stunning practical effects by directors Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov, this "overlooked classic" (Paste Magazine) has influenced generations of directors for more than half a century and is still unlike any horror movie you've ever seen.
Special Features:
- VIY the Vampire - An interview with Richard Stanley
- From The Woods to the Cosmos - John Leman Riley on the history of Soviet Fantasy and Sci-Fi Film
- Short Silent Films: Satan Exultant, The Queen of Spades, and The Portrait
- Trailer
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Along Came the Devil II (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
The Curse of Buckout Road (Lionsgate, DVD)
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
The Tombs (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
The Wrath (RLJE Fims, Blu-ray)
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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