Greetings, everyone! Welcome to what is the final Blu-ray and DVD recap of 2018, as it seems like we have no major genre home media releases coming home next week on Christmas. That being said, the year is ending on a strong note, as we have a number of essential titles hitting various formats this Tuesday.
Scream Factory is keeping busy with their Collector’s Edition releases of Dracula: Prince of Darkness as well as John Carpenter’s Starman (two of my personal favorites!), and Arrow Video has put together a stellar Special Edition of Bloody Birthday for this week as well. As far as recent theatrical titles go, The House With a Clock in Its Walls, The Predator, A Simple Favor, and Venom all arrive on various formats this Tuesday, and if you’re a completist, there’s a 4-film collection of the Predator movies that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has assembled, which includes the latest installment from Shane Black.
Other releases for December 18th include Monster Party, Horror of Dracula (1958), the Saw 8-Film Collection, Snowflake, and Scarecrowd.
Bloody Birthday: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
The Bad Seed meets Halloween in this deliciously twisted early 80s slasher offering directed by Ed Hunt (The Brain) and starring the always loveable Lori Lethin (Return to Horror High, The Prey). Debbie, Curtis and Steven may seem cute as buttons. But their angelic facade conceals the wicked, murderous streak given to them having all been born under the same solar eclipse. With the grown-ups around them blissfully unaware of their little darlings’ homicidal tendencies, the evil brats begin to bump off the adults one-by-one. By gun. By arrow. By cake. Bye-bye!
Mixing the killer-kid subgenre with elements of the then-booming slice-and-dice movie, 1981’s Bloody Birthday shocks and appalls with its scenes of young children shooting, strangling and bludgeoning their way through the local population. They sure don t (and can’t!) make ‘em like this anymore.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Dracula: Prince of Darkness: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Four English tourists find themselves stranded in the mysterious village of Karlsbad, a sinister and remote place with a deadly, dark legend. Their journey leads them to an abandoned castle where a nightmarish destiny awaits them: an evil in need of resurrection, a blood-craving beast known only as Count Dracula, Prince of Darkness (Christopher Lee, The Lord Of The Rings films, Wicker Man).
Bonus Features:
- Two Versions! The UK version and the U.S. version
- NEW 4K scan of US version of the interpositive from the 20th Century Fox vaults
- NEW audio commentary with author Troy Howarth
- NEW audio commentary with filmmaker Constantine Nasr and writer/producer Steve Haberman
- Audio commentary with cast members Christopher Lee, Suzan Farmer, Francis Matthews, Barbara Shelley
- World of Hammer episode “Dracula and the Undead”
- Back to Black – The Making of Dracula -Prince of Darkness
- Super 8mm Behind-the-Scenes footage
- Theatrical Trailers
- Still Gallery
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD Combo & DVD)
In the tradition of Amblin classics where fantastical events occur in the most unexpected places, Jack Black and two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett star in The House with a Clock in Its Walls. The magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro), who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. But his new town's sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches. Based on the beloved children's classic book.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Predator (20th Century Fox, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD Combo & DVD)
The hunt has evolved – and so has the explosive action – in the next chapter of the Predator series, from director Shane Black (Iron Man 3). Now, the most lethal hunters in the universe are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before….and only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biology professor can prevent the end of the human race.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Deleted Scenes
- A Touch of Black
- Predator Evolution
- The Takedown Team
- Predator Catch-Up
- Gallery
Starman: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
When his spacecraft is shot down over Wisconsin, Starman (Bridges) arrives at the remote cabin of a distraught young widow, Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), and clones the form of her dead husband. The alien convinces Jenny to drive him to Arizona, explaining that if he isn't picked up by his mothership in three days, he'll die. Hot on their trail are government agents, intent on capturing the alien, dead or alive. En route, Starman demonstrates the power of universal love, while Jenny rediscovers her human feelings for passion.
Bonus Features:
- NEW They Came from Hollywood: Re-visiting STARMAN – featuring director John Carpenter, actors Jeff Bridges, Charles Martin Smith and script supervisor Sandy King-Carpenter
- Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and Jeff Bridges
- Vintage Featurette
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery
Venom (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD Combo & DVD)
One of Marvel's greatest and most complex characters takes center stage as Eddie Brock ( Tom Hardy) becomes the host for the alien symbiote Venom. Upon investigating one of Drake's experiments, the alien Venom merges with Eddie's body, and he suddenly had incredible new superpowers, as well as the chance to do just about whatever he wants.
BONUS FEATURES:
- Venom Mode: When selecting this mode the film will engage informative pop-ups throughout the film to provide insight on the movie’s relationship to the comics, and to reveal hidden references that even a seasoned Venom-fan may have missed!
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: These deleted and extended scenes will give fans even more of the Venom action they loved in theaters!
- Ride to Hospital – Eddie and Venom take a ride to the hospital.
- Car Alarm – Let’s just say that Venom is not fond of car alarms.
- San Quentin – Extended post-credits scene at San Quentin.
- From Symbiote to Screen: A mini documentary about the history of Venom in comics and his journey to the big screen. Interviews with Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Ruben Fleischer, Oliver Scholl, and Director and Comic Fanboy Kevin Smith.
- The Lethal Protector in Action: Go behind the scenes with the production crew and learn the secrets behind the awesome Motorcycle stunts, wire stunts, and drones.
- Venom Vision: A look at how Ruben Fleischer came to the project, gathered his team, and made Venom a reality. Utilizes interviews from cast, crew, and producers as well as Fleischer himself.
- Designing Venom: Designing and creating Venom meant a huge challenge for VFX artists; follow the amazing journey.
- Symbiote Secrets: Blink and you may have missed it! Enjoy the hidden references throughout the film.
- 8 Select Scenes Pre-Vis sequences: See the progression of the visual effects, storyboards and fight chorography compared to the finished film.
- “Venom” by Eminem – Music Video
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone, Swae Lee (From Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sneak Peek: Meanwhile in another universe…
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Horror of Dracula (1958) (Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray)
Monster Party (RLJE Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
Predator: 4-Movie Collection (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD Combo)
Saw 8-Movie Collection (Lionsgate, Blu-ray)
Scarecrowds (SRS Cinema, Blu-ray)
A Simple Favor (Lionsgate, 4K Ultra HD/Blu Combo, Blu/DVD Combo & DVD)
Snowflake (Artsploitation Films, Blu-ray & 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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