With Halloween nearly two weeks away now, we have another great new batch of horror and sci-fi Blu-rays and DVDs coming out this week that genre fans are undoubtedly going to want to add to their home media collections, as they are not only perfect to enjoy for the remainder of October, but pretty much any time of year. The two biggest highlights for me personally are Scream Factory’s absolutely stunning Steelbook editions of Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Kino Lorber has also put together a brilliant Blu-ray presentation of Trilogy of Terror as well.
Warner Archive is resurrecting Dracula A.D. 1972 in HD this Tuesday, and AGFA is doing the dark lord’s work with their Schlock Blu-ray. Plus, if you’ve never had the chance to experience the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Olive Films has put together a new special edition release of the sci-fi classic that gives you a prime opportunity to catch up with its brilliance. In terms of new genre offerings, Unfriended: Dark Web, Down a Dark Hall, and Rabbit all come home this week as well.
Other releases for October 16th include Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Collection, The House on Sorority Row, He’s Out There, and the Unfriended 2-Movie Collection.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (Warner Archive Collection, Blu-ray)
London’s become a small town for a handful of jaded psychedelic-era hipsters. But Johnny Alucard has a groovy new way for his pals to get their kicks. A certain ritual will be the living end, he insists. And if you still wonder where Johnny’s coming from, try spelling his last name backwards. Dracula is raised into the modern era in this Hammer Studios shocker that’s “quite well done” (John Stanley, Creature Features). Christopher Lee dons the cape for the sixth time and seeks out fresh victims. As archnemesis Van Helsing, fellow horror legend Peter Cushing clutches a vial of holy water and edges within throwing distance. Their harrowing battle royale is not to be missed. In fact, it’s the living end.
Halloween II (1981): Steelbook Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
Picking up exactly where the first film left off, Halloween II follows the same ill-fated characters as they encounter the knife-wielding maniac they left for dead in the first film. But the inhuman Michael Myers is still very much alive and out for more revenge as he stalks the deserted halls of the Haddonfield hospital. As he gets closer to his main target, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) discovers the chilling mystery behind the crazed psychopath's actions. Written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween II is a spine-tingling ride into the scariest night of the year ... more of the night "He" came home.
Bonus Features:
- 2-Disc Set – The Theatrical Cut And The Original Television Cut With Added Footage Not Seen In The Theatrical Version (Television Cut Is SD Only)
- NEW 4K Scan (Theatrical Cut)
- Audio Commentary With Director Rick Rosenthal (Theatrical Version)
- Audio Commentary With Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock (Theatrical Version)
- "The Nightmare Isn't Over – The Making Of Halloween II" Featuring Rick Rosenthal, Actors Lance Guest And Leo Rossi, Dick Warlock, Composer Alan Howarth, Director Of Photography Dean Cundey And More
- Horror's Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Original Shooting Locations
- Deleted Scenes With Optional Audio Commentary With Rick Rosenthal
- Alternate Ending With Optional Audio Commentary With Rick Rosenthal
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV And Radio Spots
Halloween III: Season of the Witch: Steelbook Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
When a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital babbling and clutching the year's most popular Halloween costume – an eerie pumpkin mask – Doctor Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins, The Fog, Night of the Creeps) is thrust into a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Working with the salesman's daughter, Ellie, Daniel traces the mask to the Silver Shamrock Novelties company and its founder, Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy, RoboCop).
Ellie and Daniel uncover Cochran's shocking Halloween plan and must stop him before trick-or-treaters across the country never come home in this terrifying thriller from writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace (Stephen King's IT).
Bonus Features:
- NEW 4K Scan
- Audio Commentary With Director Tommy Lee Wallace
- Audio Commentary With Actor Tom Atkins
- "Stand Alone – The Making Of Halloween III: Season Of The Witch" Featuring Tommy Lee Wallace, Actors Tom Atkins And Stacey Nelkin, Stunt Coordinator Dick Warlock, Director Of Photography Dean Cundey And More
- Horror's Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Original Shooting Locations With Host Sean Clark And Tommy Lee Wallace
- Interview With Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Burman
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV And Radio Spots
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (Olive Signature, Blu-ray)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers sounded a clarion call to the dangers of conformity, paranoia, and mass hysteria at the heart of 1950s American life. Considered one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, Invasion of the Body Snatchers stars Kevin McCarthy (Academy Award nominee, Best Supporting Actor, Death of A Salesman – 1952) stars as Miles Bennell, a doctor in a small California town whose patients are becoming increasingly overwrought, accusing their loved ones of being emotionless imposters. They’re right! Plant-like aliens have invaded Earth, taking possession of humans as they sleep and replicating them in giant seed pods. Convinced that a catastrophic epidemic is imminent, Bennell, in a terrifying race for his life, must warn the world of this deadly invasion of the pod people before it’s too late!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- New High-Definition digital restoration
- Audio Commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith
- Audio Commentary by actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, and filmmaker Joe Dante
- “The Stranger in Your Lover’s Eyes” — A two-part visual essay with actor and son of director Don Siegel, Kristoffer Tabori, reading from his father’s book “A Siegel Film”
- “The Fear is Real” — filmmakers Larry Cohen and Joe Dante on the film’s cultural significance
- “I No Longer Belong: The Rise and Fall of Walter Wanger” — Film scholar and author Matthew Bernstein discusses the life and career of the film’s producer
- “Sleep No More: Invasion of the Body Snatchers Revisited” — An appreciation of the film featuring actors Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with comments from film directors and fans, John Landis, Mick Garris, and Stuart Gordon
- “The Fear and the Fiction: The Body Snatchers Phenomenon” — Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, along with film directors John Landis, Mick Garris and Stuart Gordon, discuss the making of the film, its place in history, and its meaning.
- “Return to Santa Mira” – an exploration of the film’s locations
- “What’s In a Name?” – on the film’s title
- Gallery of rare documents detailing aspects of the film’s production including the never-produced opening narration to have been read by Orson Welles.
- Essay by author and film programmer Kier-La Janisse
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Schlock: Special Edition (AGFA, Blu-ray)
From writer/director John Landis, the mind behind The Blues Brothers and An American Werewolf in London, comes a love story that transcends the boundaries of nature and good taste the one and only Schlock!
Carnage! Terror! Banana skins! The mighty prehistoric ape Schlocktropus has emerged from hiding to embark on a full-scale rampage across a quiet Southern Californian suburb. The police are baffled. The army is powerless. The body count is rising. But when Schlocktropus encounters a kindly blind woman (Eliza Garrett, National Lampoon's Animal House) who sees beyond his grotesque visage, the homicidal simian is presented with a chance at redemption.
Shot over twelve days on a micro-budget, Schlock launched the careers of both Landis and legendary effects makeup artist Rick Baker (Videodrome). An uproarious pastiche of monster movies, packed to the gills with irreverent humor and biting satire, Schlock serves as the outrageous missing link between the creature features of yesteryear and its creators' subsequent varied and celebrated careers.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Trilogy of Terror (Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Blu-ray)
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION! Legendary producer/director Dan Curtis (The Night Stalker, The Night Strangler) teams up with renowned sci-fi/horror writers Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run) to present three tales of horrific suspense in this highly rated and critically acclaimed made-for-television anthology that also showcases the tremendous acting talent of Karen Black (Burnt Offerings, The Day of the Locust), who plays four distinct roles. In Julie, an aggressive college student seduces and ultimately blackmails his seemingly shy English professor; in Millicent and Therese, two polar-opposite sisters become increasingly hell-bent on the undoing of one another; and in Amelia, a woman falls prey to a murderous Zuni fetish doll. The strong supporting cast includes George Gaynes (Tootsie), John Karlen (Daughters of Darkness) and Gregory Harrison (TV’s Trapper John, M.D.).
Special Features:
-Brand New 4K Restoration
-NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
-NEW Interview with Composer Bob Cobert
-Audio Commentary with Karen Black and writer William F. Nolan
-"Richard Matheson: Terror Scribe" Featurette
-"Three Colors Black" Featurette
-Limited Edition Booklet essay by Film critic and author Simon Abrams
-Newly Commissioned Art by Jacob Phillips
-Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase
Unfriended: Dark Web (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD)
When a 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop, he and his friends are unwittingly thrust into the depths of the dark web. They soon discover someone has been watching their every move and will go to unimaginable lengths to protect the dark web. Unfolding in real-time, Unfriended: Dark Web is the most terrifying horror yet from the producer of Unfriended, Happy Death Day, and The Purge.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
An Accidental Zombie Named Ted (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
Ash vs Evil Dead: The Complete Collection (Starz/Anchor Bay, Blu-ray & DVD)
Down a Dark Hall (Lionsgate, Blu-ray & DVD)
He’s Out There (Lionsgate, DVD)
The House on Sorority Row (Scorpion Releasing, Blu-ray)
Nightwing/Shadow of the Hawk Double Feature (Mill Creek Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Rabbit (The Orchard, DVD)
Unfriended: 2-Movie Collection (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 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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