This week’s batch of home media releases are an eclectic bunch of titles, where there’s definitely a little bit of something for everyone headed to Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow. As far as new films go, the award-winning Promising Young Woman is being released on both formats, and RLJE Films is keeping busy this Tuesday with their releases for both PG: Psycho Goreman and last year’s Castle Freak reimagining. Mill Creek Entertainment is putting out a killer Steelbook edition of Rad, and for those who are looking to check out some classic genre fare, Arrow has put together a special edition double feature release of The Invisible Man Appears and The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly, which has never been available outside of Japan until now.
Other releases for March 16th include Tower of Evil, I Am Lisa, Konga TNT, The Stay, The Parish, Sacrilege, and Todd.
Castle Freak (2020) (RLJE Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
After she’s permanently blinded in a tragic car accident, Rebecca receives some bizarre news: her long-lost-mother has recently passed away, leaving her their family’s ancestral castle. Traveling to the estate with a group of friends, Rebecca hopes it will be an opportunity for her to reconnect with a past she never knew—and a mother who seemingly left her behind. When strange and unexplained things start happening and her friends begin to die, Rebecca must unravel her family’s mysterious history before she too falls prey to the Castle Freak.
The Invisible Man Appears/The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from Daiei Studios, later the home of Gamera.
In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film's entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, five years before he first brought Godzilla to life.
Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama s exciting The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing noise at the scene of the crime could this be linked to secret wartime experiments in shrinking humans to the size of insects? And can a scientist who’s just invented an invisibility ray be the one to stop it?
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Promising Young Woman (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu/Digital & DVD)
From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman…until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be: she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story.
Bonus Content:
PG: Psycho Goreman (RLJE Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who was entombed on Earth millions of years ago after a failed attempt to destroy the universe. They nickname the evil creature Psycho Goreman (or PG for short) and use the magical amulet they discovered to force him to obey their childish whims. It isn’t long before PG’s reappearance draws the attention of intergalactic friends and foes from across the cosmos, and a rogues’ gallery of alien combatants converges in small-town suburbia to battle for the fate of the galaxy.
Bonus Features:
Rad: Steelbook Edition (Mill Creek Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Cru Jones (Bill Allen) is the best BMX biker in Cochrane. He's got the talent to become the best BMX daredevil in the world. As the local paperboy, he jumps, spins, twists, and flips his bike with amazing ability. Bart Taylor (Bart Conner) is the best BMX biker in the world, and he's in town to race in the Helltrack competition, the most grueling BMX race in history. Cru wants a shot at winning the title, but his mom (Talia Shire) insists he take his college entrance exams which fall on the same day.
This special edition Blu-ray will serve as the #46 Mondo X SteelBook collaboration repurposing JJ Harrison’s gnarly artwork for a stunning homage to this cult favorite film.
Special Features include: "Rad" Q&A Session featuring cast members Bill Allen, Talia Shire, Bart Conner, screenwriter Sam Bernard, and hosted by Jorma Taccone, Archival video interviews with cast and crew, Original Behind-the-Scenes Featurette and “Break the Ice” music video
Tower of Evil (Scorpion Releasing, Blu-ray)
From horror producer Richard Gordon (Inseminoid, First Man into Space, Fiend Without a Face, Horror Hospital) comes one of the most brutal and mysterious stories ever to be filmed. Tower of Evil is a haunting tale set in and around a deserted lighthouse on fog-shrouded Snape Island. The terror begins when a nude, crazed woman slaughters a sailor who was visiting the island. When she is taken back to civilization, an ancient relic is discovered and an expedition is mounted to solve the mystery of the island, which leads to a series of psycho-sexual murders. Starring Jill Haworth (It!), Bryant Haliday (Devil Doll), Dennis Price (Theater of Blood), George Coulouris (Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb) and Candace Glendenning (Satan’s Slave) and directed by cult filmmaker Jim O'Connolly (The Valley of Gwangi). Now witness the horror in HD!
Special Features:
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
I Am Lisa (Mill Creek Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)
Konga TNT (SRS Cinema, DVD)
The Parish (Uncork’d Entertainment, DVD)
Sacrilege (Devilworks, DVD)
The Stay (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
Todd (Bayview Films, DVD)