With Christmas now only a week away, there’s a big day of genre-related home entertainment releases to look forward to in the meantime, just in case you were in need of some last-minute gift ideas (or if you were looking to spoil yourself, which is totally cool). Easily my most anticipated Blu-ray release for all of 2017, Synapse Films' stunning 4K restoration of Suspiria gets the royal treatment via an incredible three-disc limited edition Steelbook set this Tuesday, and Severin Films is also keeping busy with their HD upgrade of The Amicus Collection, which includes Asylum, And Now The Screaming Starts, and The Beast Must Die.
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for December 19th include American Gothic, Leatherface, mother!, and the limited edition Steelbook for Donnie Darko.
American Gothic (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
A new tale of terror from the director of The Legend of Hell House and The Incubus. When six young friends fly off on a weekend getaway and suddenly find themselves with engine trouble, they have no choice but to land on a remote Pacific island. Looking for shelter, they are grateful when they meet Ma and Pa and their children: an eccentric family still living in the backwoods as if it’s still the 1920s. But what begins as simple old-school hospitality becomes a terrifying race for survival when one by one, the friends start disappearing and dying horrible deaths. Fleeing the outside world many years ago, the family has created an island domain, where all strangers are sinners: and the killing has never stopped.
American Gothic features an all-star cast including Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night), Yvonne De Carlo (The Munsters), Michael J. Pollard (Bonnie and Clyde) and William Hootkins (Raiders of the Lost Ark).
The Amicus Collection (Severin Films, Blu-ray)
Known as The Studio That Dripped Blood, the British film company Amicus Productions founded by American writer/producers Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky built a legacy of horror anthologies and twisted thrillers that remains among the very best genre movies of the 70s. In this trio of Amicus classics, featuring stars that include Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Britt Ekland, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham, Calvin Lockhart, Michael Gambon and Charlotte Rampling, you’ll discover the studio’s legendary portmanteau ASYLUM, their insane gothic shocker AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS, and exclusive to this set, the infamous werewolf whodunit THE BEAST MUST DIE, as well as a Bonus Disc of Amicus trailers, TV commercials, rare interviews and more all in this 4 disc box set.
Special Features:
Disc 1:
- Two's A Company: 1972 On-set report from BBC featuring Interviews With Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland
- David J. Schow on Robert Bloch - Featurette
- Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky - Featurette
- Inside The Fear Factory Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg
- Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney - Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2:
- The Haunting Of Oakley Court - Featurette with Allan Bryce, Author of Amicus: The Friendly Face Of Fear, and David Flint, Author of Ten Years Of Terror, visit the classic horror film location
- Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Actress Stephanie Beacham
- Audio Commentary with Star Ian Ogilvy
- Archive Audio Interview with Actor Peter Cushing By Denis Meikle
- Horror Journalist Denis Meikle Recalls And Now The Screaming Starts - Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
- Radio Spot
Disc 3:
- And Then There Were Werewolves - Audio Essay By Horror Historian Troy Howarth
- Audio Commentary with Director Paul Annett
- Directing the Beast: Featurette with Director Paul Annett
- Theatrical Trailer
Disc 4:
- Audio Commentary With British Horror Film Writers Kim Newman & David Flint
- Phil Nutman Audio Interview with Milton Subotsky - Audio Interview With Accompanying Stills / Posters
- Jonathan Sothcott Audio Interview with Max Rosenberg - Audio Interview With Accompanying Stills / Posters
- Bonus Amicus TV spots
Asylum (Severin Films, Blu-ray)
In 1972, The Studio That Dripped Blood brought together director Roy Ward Baker (DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HYDE, THE VAMPIRE LOVERS), novelist/screenwriter Robert Bloch (PSYCHO), and an all-star cast that includes Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland (THE WICKER MAN), Herbert Lom (MARK OF THE DEVIL), Patrick Magee (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), Robert Powell (THE SURVIVOR) and Charlotte Rampling (THE NIGHT PORTER) for the shocker 10kBullets.com calls “Classic British horror, genuinely creepy and essential viewing.” Here inside the gates of Dunsmoor Asylum For The Incurably Insane, you’ll discover four disturbing tales of voodoo vengeance, murderous mannequins, psychotic ingénues, demonic dolls and one killer twist of an ending. Barry Morse (SPACE: 1999), Barbara Parkins (VALLEY OF THE DOLLS) and James Villiers (REPULSION) co-star in the best Amicus anthology (Classic-Horror.com), now remastered from vault elements and loaded with Special Features.
Special Features:
- Two's A Company: 1972 On-set report from BBC featuring Interviews With Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland
- David J. Schow on Robert Bloch - Featurette
- Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky - Featurette
- Inside The Fear Factory Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg
- Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney
- Theatrical Trailer
Leatherface (Lionsgate, Blu/Digital HD & DVD)
In Texas, years before the events of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff's daughter dead. Ten years later, he kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities, including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter's death, the Sawyer teen goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface.
Special Features:
- Behind the Mask: the Making of LEATHERFACE
- Six deleted scenes
- Play feature with alternate ending
mother! (Paramount, 4K Ultra HD Combo, Blu/DVD/Digital HD & DVD)
A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.
Suspiria: 3-Disc Limited Edition Steelbook (Synapse Films, Blu-ray w/CD)
Dario Argento’s masterpiece of horror comes to home video from Synapse Films in an exclusive new 4K restoration from the original uncut, uncensored 35mm Italian camera negative and with the original 4.0 English surround sound, for the first time EVER! Painstakingly restored over the past three years, Synapse Films has created the ultimate special edition of SUSPIRIA with the supervision and approval of the film’s Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli, and loaded with a separate Blu-ray disc of amazing extras! SUSPIRIA is presented in its original glory for its 40th Anniversary!
Special Features:
- Three disc (Two Blu-rays + One CD) limited collector’s edition containing a new 4K restoration of the original uncut, uncensored Italian 35mm camera negative exclusively done by Synapse Films, with color correction supervised and approved by SUSPIRIA Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli
- Exclusive Steelbook packaging and collector's o-card sleeve, featuring artwork from Malleus, Van Orton Design, Juan José Saldarriaga & Chris MacGibbon.
- Original 4.0 1977 English language LCRS sound mix not heard since the theatrical release in 1977, presented in high-resolution DTS-HD MA 96 KHz-bit audio.
- Italian 5.1 surround sound mix.
- Two audio commentaries by authors and Argento scholars, Derek Botelho, David Del Valle & Troy Howarth.
- Do You Know Anything About Witches? - 30 minute SUSPIRIA visual essay written, edited and narrated by Michael Mackenzie.
- Suzy in Nazi Germany Featurette on the German locations from SUSPIRIA.
- A Sigh from the Depths: 40 Years of SUSPIRIA All-new anniversary retrospective on the making of the film and its influence on cinema.
- Olga’s Story: Interview with star Barbara Magnolfi.
- Original theatrical trailers, TV spots and radio spots.
- Special Collector Edition Booklet containing an American Cinematographer interview with Luciano Tovoli, liner notes by Derek Botelho and restoration notes by Vincent Pereira & Don May, Jr. Cover artwork by Matthew Therrien Illustration.
- "International Classics" English "Breathing Letters" opening credit sequence from U.S. release version.
- Alternate All-English opening and closing credits sequences, playable via seamless branching.
- Newly translated, removable English SDH subtitles for the English language version.
- Newly translated, removable English subtitles for the Italian language version.
- Exclusive CD remaster of Goblin’s SUSPIRIA motion picture soundtrack, containing additional tracks not included on the original 1977 soundtrack release.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
And Now the Screaming Starts (Severin Films, Blu-ray)
Donnie Darko: Steelbook Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
Eye in the Labyrinth (Kino Lorber, DVD)
Headhunter (Kino Lorber, 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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