Hello again, everyone! We have a brand new assortment of horror and sci-fi Blu-ray & DVD releases coming out this week, and here’s the lowdown on what to expect. In terms of new films, Willy’s Wonderland is headed home on both Blu and DVD, the new William Friedkin doc, Leap of Faith, is being released on Blu-ray and one of my favorite films I saw last year, I Blame Society, is getting a DVD release as well.
As far as older titles go, the Warner Archive Collection is showing some love to Doctor X this week, Troma is resurrecting The Children with a brand new Blu, and Full Moon has remastered Shrunken Heads as well. Other releases for April 13th include Killer Pinata, Phobias, Virus Shark and The Slayers.
Doctor X (Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray)
Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? Yes! shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by recreating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version, originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, which has been unavailable for over 30 years.
I Blame Society (Kino Lorber, DVD)
Gillian (writer-director Gillian Wallace Horvat playing a warped version of herself) is one of those many struggling filmmakers in L.A. who just can't seem to get the money for their first feature. Feeling like her friends and her partner (Keith Poulson) are losing faith in her abilities, she decides to resurrect her abandoned documentary based on a compliment she once received that she would make a good murderer. But while she documents what makes the perfect murder a hitherto unseen dark side of Gillian emerges and grows.
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (RLJE Films, Blu-ray)
LEAP OF FAITH is a complete dissection and sweeping examination of the award-winning genre classic The Exorcist. Explore the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mind’s eye, the nuances of his filmmaking process, and the mysteries of faith and fate that helped shape his life and filmography, as told by the man himself.
BONUS FEATURES:
Willy’s Wonderland (Screen Media, Blu-ray & DVD)
A quiet loner, Nic Cage finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Unable to pay for the repairs he needs, he agrees to spend the night cleaning Willy s Wonderland, an abandoned family fun center. But this wonderland has a dark secret that The Janitor is about to discover. He soon finds himself trapped inside Willy's and locked in an epic battle with the possessed animatronic mascots that roam the halls. To survive, he must fight his way through each of them.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
The Children (Troma, Blu-ray)
Killer Pinata (Rising Sun Meda, Blu-ray)
Phobias (Lionsgate, DVD)
Shrunken Heads: Remastered (Full Moon Pictures, Blu-ray & DVD)
The Slayers (Wild Eye Releasing, DVD)
Virus Shark (SRS Cinema, 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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