Hope you guys made some extra room in your wallets for all the cash you’ll undoubtedly be shelling out this week (love me some "dad humor"), as August 23rd boasts an awesome selection of horror and sci-fi Blu-ray and DVD releases, all capped off by the home entertainment debuts of season one of Ash vs Evil Dead, season two of The Strain, and the sixth season of The Walking Dead.
Arrow Video is giving the cult classic The Bloodstained Butterfly an HD overhaul for their impressive-looking two-disc Special Edition release that arrives this Tuesday, and Scream Factory is doing the same for another cult classic, Psycho IV: The Beginning. Kino Lorber is releasing a Blu-ray for Chandu The Magician this week, and we’ve also got a DVD and Blu release for Jon Watts’ Clown to look forward to as well.
Other notable releases for August 23rd include Der Bunker, The Ultimate Vincent Price Collection, The Amityville Terror, and Lake Eerie.
Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete First Season (Anchor Bay Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)
“Ash vs Evil Dead,” a 10-episode, half-hour series, is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead. The series follows Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.
The cast is led by Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, Lucy Lawless as Ruby a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks, Ray Santiago as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick, Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past and Jill Marie Jones as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner. The series is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers of the franchise, and Craig DiGregorio (“Chuck”), who serves as executive producer and showrunner.
The Bloodstained Butterfly: Two-Disc Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu/DVD Combo)
Directed by Duccio Tessari (Death Occurred Last Night, A Pistol for Ringo), The Bloodstained Butterfly melds the lurid Giallo traditions popularized by Dario Argento and Mario Bava with courtroom drama, resulting in a film that is as concerned with forensic detail and legal process as it is with grisly murders and audacious set-pieces.
When a young female student is savagely killed in a park during a thunderstorm, the culprit seems obvious: her lover, TV sports personality Alessandro Marchi (Giancarlo Sbragia, Death Rage), seen fleeing the scene of the crime by numerous eyewitnesses. The evidence against him is damning... but is it all too convenient? And when the killer strikes again while Marchi is in custody, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s more to the case than meets the eye...
Starring 70s heartthrob Helmut Berger (Dorian Gray, The Godfather: Part III) alongside genre mainstays Evelyn Stewart (The Psychic, The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail) and Carole André (Colt 38 Special Squad), and featuring a score by Gianni Ferrio (Death Walks at Midnight), The Bloodstained Butterfly is presented uncut and in a sumptuous new 4K restoration that allows this unique and haunting thriller to shine like never before!
Special Features include:
Chandu The Magician (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray)
Magic, mirth and mystery highlight this tale starring horror legend Bela Lugosi (Dracula, White Zombie) as an evil lunatic set on destroying mankind with a gigantic death-dealing device. Mankind's only hope is Frank Chandler, a.k.a. Chandu The Magician (Edmund Lowe, Dinner at Eight), who calls upon mystical abilities to fight the megalomaniacal fiend. Adapted from the popular broadcast serial, this creepy classic conjures action and excitement at every turn. Co-starring Irene Ware (The Raven) - Directed by William Cameron Menzies (The Maze, Thing to Come) and Marcel Varnel (Convict 99).
Bonus Features include Audio Commentary by Bela Lugosi Biographer Gregory William Mank, Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu Featurette, Restoration Comparison and Trailers.
Psycho IV: The Beginning (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Before The Terror Can End, See How It All Began. Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas and Olivia Hussey star in this chilling prequel to the classic Hitchcock thriller.
A seemingly rehabilitated Norman Bates (Perkins) is drawn to a late night radio show where the host (CCH Pounder, Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight) encourages him to share his views on the topic of matricide. Reliving his childhood, Norman recounts his trials of a young boy (Thomas, Ouija 2) living with his widowed schizophrenic mother (Hussey, the original Black Christmas). These haunting memories are more than just disturbing visions of the past; they threaten to rekindle his killing urge in this spine-tingling thriller directed by Mick Garris (The Stand, Masters of Horror).
Special Features Include:
-Audio Commentary with director Mick Garris, actors Henry Thomas, and Olivia Hussey
-“The Making of Mother:” An interview with make-up effects artist Tony Gardner (27 minutes)
-Rare Behind-the-Scenes footage from director Mick Garris
-Photo Gallery of rare photo from Mick Garris
The Strain: The Complete Second Season (20th Century Fox, Blu-ray & DVD)
The mysterious epidemic transforming the citizens of New York into horrifying creatures continues to rage during the second terrifying season of this acclaimed horror series. While doctors Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) and Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) race to create a biological weapon to destroy the creatures, Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) relentlessly searches for an ancient book that may hold the key to defeating the sinister “Master.” Aware that he is now hunted by his handful of unlikely allies, the Master creates even more unstoppable bloodthirsty monsters in this darkly thrilling show that delivers nonstop chills from the first episode through the climactic season finale!
Special Features Include:
The Walking Dead: The Complete Sixth Season (Anchor Bay Entertainment, Blu/Digital HD & DVD)
Season Six starts with Alexandria’s safety shattered by multiple threats. To make it, the people of Alexandria will need to catch up with our survivors hardness while many of Rick's people will need to take a step back from the violence and pragmatism they've needed to embrace. These reversals won’t happen easily, or without conflict. But now Rick's group is fighting for something more than survival...They’re fighting for their home, and they will defend that at any cost, against any threat, even if that threat comes from within.
Special Features include Episode 616: Last Day On Earth The Extended Version, Deleted Scenes, The Making Of THE WALKING DEAD Season 6 Featurettes: In Memoriam, 601: Out Of The Quarry, Guts & Glory: The Death Of Nicholas, Strength In Bonds, Negan: Someone To Fear, and The Face Of Death: Iconic Walkers Of The Season.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
The Amityville Terror (Uncork’d Entertainment, DVD)
Clown (Anchor Bay Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)
Der Bunker (Artsploitation, DVD)
Lake Eerie (FilmRise, Blu-ray & DVD)
Vincent Price: The Ultimate Collection (TGG Direct, 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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