March’s home entertainment releases are ending on a quiet note, as we’ve only six titles arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday. Scream Factory has their Cherry Falls and Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Dunwich Horror double feature Blus for you guys to look forward to, and Vinegar Syndrome is keeping quite busy themselves with three different releases: Frightmare, Pigs, and their Revenge of the Virgins / Teenage Zombies double feature. Last but certainly not least, the Christopher Lee cult classic The City of the Dead is also getting the HD treatment on March 29th as well.
Cherry Falls (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
A fiendish take on the teen thriller genre, where there’s a method to a killer’s madness, and only one naughty way to insure you’re not the next victim in the town of Cherry Falls. Dark secrets, darker motivations, and the blackest humor ever run wild in this send-up of horror films, where it’s not always the innocent who survive.
Special Features Include Audio Commentary with director Geoffrey Wright, “Lose it or Die: The Untold Story of Cherry Falls:” Interviews with writer and co-executive producer Ken Selden and producer Marshall Persinger, “Cherry Falls Deputy Mina:” An interview with Amanda Anka, Vintage Interviews with Brittany Murphy, Michael Biehn, Jay Mohr, and director Geoffrey Wright, Behind-the-Scenes footage, Original Script (BD-Rom) and Theatrical Trailer.
The City of the Dead (VCI Entertainment, Blu-ray)
This classic of British horror has been painstakingly restored by VCI (with the cooperation of the British Film Institute) and is now complete and uncut; including more than 2 minutes of additional footage, which had been cut from the U.S. version, titled Horror Hotel. This also marks the first time ever this uncut version has been seen on video with its original title. THE CITY OF THE DEAD is an extraordinarily good chiller scripted by George Baxt, which still has the power to frighten fans of the horror genre.
A college student, Nan Barlow is researching the history of witchcraft. Taunted by her brother and fiancé, who have voiced their concern over her silly notions, Nan arms herself with resolve and drives into the small New England village of Whitewood. She is glad that at least she was able to count on the support of her professor. A bit anxious, but consumed with curiosity, she will soon embark herself on the journey of her life!
Special Features Include an archival interview with Christopher Lee (45:09) as he sits down to discuss Orson Welles, John Boles, Terence Fisher, etc. Lee, who passed away at age 93 in 2015, lived long enough to see his career lionized by film fans and he enjoyed an international reputation as a top-flight character actor.... An Exclusive Behind the Scenes Interview with Christopher Lee (16:37) is video footage of Lee signing autographs and talking to fans/staff while the cameras are rolling, and this footage was taken when CITY OF THE DEAD was first being released to DVD back in 2001.
There’s a new audio commentary by author, British horror film expert and frequent Little Shop of Horrors contributor Bruce G. Hallenbeck. This is his first ever commentary, as he shares information (some scene-specific) about the film, its style and technique, and its players, and he gives his views and opinions on what is one is one his favorite British horror films...
Rounding out the extras are digital liner notes by Mike Kenny, an original theatrical trailer (though altered to reflect the British title and VCI’s copyright), and a photo gallery of DVD covers, posters, lobby cards and production stills.
Frightmare (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
Conrad Radzoff (Ferdy Mayne) was the biggest name in horror movies for decades until, one day, he died of a heart attack. Determined to celebrate his life, and death, the members of a local horror film society steal his freshly buried corpse and decide to host a party, in his honor, at their old and lavish mansion. Unaware that Radzoff's interest in horror extended beyond the silver screen and into the black arts, his corpse is soon re-animated and he begins exacting a bloody revenge against those who disturbed his final resting place.
Slyly combining 80s slasher tropes with an insightful and self reflective look at the meaning of horror movies and death itself, Norman Thaddeus Vane's FRIGHTMARE (originally known as THE HORROR STAR) is a quick witted and suspenseful tribute to classic horror cinema. With captivating cinematography by Joel King (JUST BEFORE DAWN) and supporting performances from Jeffrey Combs (RE-ANIMATOR), Luca Bercovici and Leon Askin, FRIGHTMARE has been newly restored from its original camera negative and is coming to Blu-ray for the very first time!
Special Features Include New 2K restoration from the original 35mm negative, Video interview with cinematographer Joel King, Audio interview with director Norman Thaddeus Vane, Historical commentary with David DelValle and David Decoteau (RapidHeart.com) and Commentary with The Hysteria Continues & More!
Murders in the Rue Morgue/The Dunwich Horror Double Feature (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE:
Paris...at the turn of the century. Inspector Vidocq investigates a series of unexplained murders at a Grand Guignol-type theatre...where the players have suddenly become real-life victims. Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe.
Special Features include Audio commentary with author and film historian Steve Haberman, “Stage Tricks & Screen Frights" featurette and Theatrical Trailer.
THE DUNWICH HORROR:
A young college girl falls in love with a boy who is the last descendant of a race of strange creatures who once inhabited the Earth. In an attempt to use her as a sacrifice in an unholy rite that will bring his people back to life, the boy comes face to face with a university professor whose knowledge of the occult is more than a match.
Special Features include Audio commentary with author and film historian Steve Haberman and Theatrical Trailer.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
Pigs (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
Revenge of the Virgins/Teenage Zombies Drive-in Collection (Vinegar Syndrome, 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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