For the final week of February, horror fans have several fun cult classics getting a high definition upgrade this Tuesday, including New Year’s Evil from Scream Factory, Larry Cohen’s God Told Me To and the unforgettable Black Sunday from Mario Bava. Also coming to DVD are several indie thrillers including VANish and The Intruders as well as the upcoming horror comedy Amityville Death House and the 70’s shocker A Candle for the Devil (aka It Happened at Nightmare Inn).
Black Sunday- AIP Version (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray)
When Mario Bava's groundbreaking Black Sunday was introduced to the U.S. market, American International Pictures retooled the film for the release. In addition to being redubbed in English, the film was given a new musical score and re-edited.
In one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in movie history, Mario Bava bridged the gap between the gothic horror picture and the European art film with Black Sunday (aka La maschera del demonio or The Mask of Satan). Made in 1960 and now considered a cult classic, it continues to reverberate through the cinema, inspiring and influencing new generations of filmmakers.
In an absolutely mesmerizing performance, Black Sunday stars Barbara Steele as Asa Vajda, a beautiful woman tortured and executed as a witch but not before pronouncing a curse upon those who have condemned her, a curse that is fulfilled 200 years later. Special Features: Mastered in HD from original 35mm elements and Mario Bava theatrical trailers.
God Told Me To (Blue Underground, Blu-ray & DVD)
A rooftop sniper guns down 14 pedestrians on the streets of New York City. A mild-mannered dad takes a shotgun and blows away his wife and children. A cop goes on a sudden shooting spree at the St. Patrick s Day Parade. And each of these unlikely killers makes the same dying confession: God told me to. Now a repressed Catholic NYPD detective (Tony Lo Bianco) must uncover a netherworld of deranged faith, alien insemination and his own unholy connection to a homicidal messiah with a perverse plan.
New Year’s Evil (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Diane "Blaze", Sullivan, the host of a nationally televised punk-rock show on New Year’s Eve, is receiving calls from a mysterious killer who tells her of his plans to off someone at midnight in each of America’s major time zones… and she will be the last.
Starring Roz Kelly (who played Pinky Tuscadero on Happy Days), Kip Niven (Magnum Force), Grant Cramer (Killer Klowns From Outer Space), Louisa Moritz (Death Race 2000), Taaffe O’Connell (Galaxy Of Terror) and Teri Copley (We Got It Made), New Year’s Evil injects an "intimate and refreshing viewpoint into what was once a tired old scenario", (Andre Dumas, The Horror Digest)…and then takes you on a non-stop thrill ride of unmitigated terror!
Special features include Audio Commentary with director Emmett Alston, The Making of New Year’s Evil featuring new interviews with actors Kip Niven, Grant Cramer and Taaffe O’Connell and director of photography Thomas Ackerman and Theatrical Trailer.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Amityville Death House (Bayview Entertainment/Widowmaker, DVD)
A Candle for the Devil (Scorpion Releasing, DVD)
The Intruders (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD)
VANish (MPI Home Video/Dark Sky, Blu-ray & DVD)
Zombieworld (Image Entertainment, DVD)