DVD)

2022/02/01 02:01:18 +00:00 | Heather Wixson

This week’s horror and sci-fi home media releases are a fun bunch, as we have a lot of great new movies to look forward to, as well as a ton of killer classic titles headed home to various formats. If you missed it in theaters, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is being released alone and then alongside the first two Ghostbusters films as a three-movie collection, and for those of you who love mind-blowing animation, you’re going to definitely want to check out The Spine of Night. One of my favorite films from 2021 was Danishka Esterhazy’s Slumber Party Massacre, so if you missed seeing it then, now you can catch up with it courtesy of Scream Factory.

In terms of older titles, several of my favorite movies are headed to Blu-ray this week from the fine folks at Kino Lorber: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and both F/X films are getting released in a double feature set, and if you are looking to upgrade the Mad Max films in your collection, the whole anthology is getting a 4K upgrade this week, too.

Other releases for February 1st include Superhost, Nocturna: The Collection, and Jack and Jill.

F/X & F/X 2 Double Feature (Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Blu-ray)

F/X (1986) – Bryan Brown (Tai-Pan) and Brian Dennehy (Gorky Park) command the heart-pounding action in this first-class thriller, crackling with excitement. Rollie Tyler (Brown) is the best special effects artist in showbiz, but this time it's not the studios seeking him out... it's the Justice Department. His assignment: to stage the assassination of an important underworld witness. And after he pulls the illusion off—making the informant disappear—Tyler is dumbfounded to learn that he's being pinned for the murder. Double-crossed and now hunted by those who hired him, Tyler quickly learns that he can trust no one... and the only thing left that can save his life is his unequaled mastery of illusion. This top-notch actioner features wonderful performances by Diane Venora (Heat), Cliff De Young (Blue Collar), Mason Adams (The Final Conflict), Jerry Orbach (TV’s Law & Order) and Tom Noonan (Manhunter) and great direction by Robert Mandel (The Substitute).

F/X2 (1991) – Bryan Brown (Cocktail) and Brian Dennehy (Legal Eagles) are back as Rollie and Leo in an all-new action-thriller that continues the F/X saga with stylish wit, unrelenting suspense and amazing high-tech action. Five years after his first deadly adventure, Rollie Tyler (Brown) has left the special effects business and now designs sophisticated electronic toys for a living. But when his girlfriend's ex-husband, a police detective, persuades him to devise an illusion to capture a serial killer, Rollie is once again lured into the lethal world of make-believe. And soon, he finds himself trapped in a murderous maze of deceit and treachery in which he must depend on his ingenious tricks and his friendship with detective Leo McCarthy (Dennehy) to expose a terrifying underworld conspiracy... but only if he can stay alive. Cult filmmaker Richard Franklin (Psycho II, Link) directed this top-notch sequel, featuring wonderful performances by Rachel Ticotin (Total Recall), Joanna Gleason (Boogie Nights), Philip Bosco (The Dream Team) and Kevin J. O’Connor (Deep Rising).

Special Features:

-On-camera interview with F/X Director Robert Mandel

-The Making of F/X and F/X 2 Featurettes

-FX and FX2 Theatrical Trailers

-O-Card Slipcase

-Optional English Subtitles

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray/Digital, Blu-ray/Digital & DVD)

From director Jason Reitman and producer Ivan Reitman, comes the next chapter in the original Ghostbusters universe. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Blu-ray)

From acclaimed filmmaker Philip Kaufman (The Wanderers) comes this chilling ’70s adaptation of Jack Finney’s classic novel The Body Snatchers. Filmy spores fall from space over San Francisco, and the city blossoms with beautiful new flora. People take the flowers home and, as they sleep, the plants creep over them, devouring their bodies and stealing their identities—their emotions, their uniqueness, their souls. If you notice an eerie change in someone very close to you, chances are you’re next! More than just a highly effective sci-fi thriller, Invasion of the Body Snatchers treats contemporary problems of urban paranoia and loss of individuality with intelligence and sensitivity... and ends with the single most horrifying frame in movies. Featuring a brilliant screenplay by W.D. Richter (Big Trouble in Little China), gritty camerawork by Michael Chapman (Raging Bull) and awe-inspiring special effects, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a pulse-pounding shocker with wonderful performances by Donald Sutherland (The Puppet Masters), Brooke Adams (The Dead Zone), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), Jeff Goldblum (The Fly) and Veronica Cartwright (Alien).

Special Features:

-Newly Restored HD Master from a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative – Approved & Color Graded by Director Philip Kaufman

-Audio Commentary by Director Philip Kaufman

-Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman

-Star-Crossed in the Invasion: Interview with Actress Brooke Adams (9:06)

-Re-Creating the Invasion: Interview with Screenwriter W.D. Richter (15:43)

-Scoring the Invasion: Interview with Composer Denny Zeitlin (15:34)

-Leading the Invasion: Interview with actor Art Hindle (25:04)

-Writing the Pod: Interview with Jack Finney Expert Jack Seabrook (11:14)

-Re-Visitors from Outer Space, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pod - Featurette (16:14)

-Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod - Featurette (4:38)

-The Man Behind the Scream: The Sound Effects Pod - Featurette (12:47)

-The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod” featurette (5:24)

-TV Spots

-Radio Spots

-Theatrical Trailer

-5.1 Surround & Lossless 2.0 Audio

-Optional English Subtitles

Nocturna: The Collection (Breaking Glass Pictures, DVD)

Nocturna: The Collection brings together both award-winning films from iconic horror director Gonzalo Calzada into one ultimate collection. In “Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night”, Ulysses is a hundred-year-old man, battling for redemption on his last night on earth. Faced with imminent death, he is forced to rethink his past, his present and his take on reality. “Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die” brings a new twist to the tale as a woman narrates the final night on earth of a 100-year-old man, whom fights for redemption from his life's misdeeds.

Slumber Party Massacre (2021) (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD)

Hannah Gonera (Spell), Alex McGregor (Blood Drive), Frances Sholto-Douglas (The Kissing Booth) and Jane de Wet (Trackers) star in this terrifying thriller that gives new life—and death—to the classic '80s horror franchise. When a quartet of friends heads from L.A. to an isolated cabin for a getaway, they encounter a few uninvited guests. But someone has an axe—and a few other sharp implements—to grind, and soon, an evening meant for fun and games descends into a night of chaos and fear. Brace yourself for all-new thrills and drills as the party-goers try to escape the most terrifying Massacre yet!

Bonus Content: