It is a glorious week to be a horror fan, because we have a ton of amazing Blu-rays and DVDs heading home on Tuesday. And while there’s a lot to be excited about, on a personal note, I’m beyond thrilled that Anna and the Apocalypse is finally getting a tangible home media release, because I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to add a copy of John McPhail’s delightful musical to my own collection of movies.
Beyond that, the amazing-looking House of Hitchcock Collection arrives this Tuesday, and looks to be a must-own set for any Alfred Hitchcock fans out there. Kino Lorber is showing some love to Nightmare Beach this week with their special edition release, and Arrow Video has put together a much-deserved limited edition set for The Prey as well. We also have a few genre favorites making their 4K Ultra HD debut this week: The Shining, Gremlins, and Zombieland, and if you’re into arachnid-themed entertainment, be sure to pick up Itsy Bitsy from Scream Factory.
Other notable releases for October 1st include both The Addams Family and Addams Family Values on Blu, Replace featuring Barbara Crampton, The Boat (a thriller that I enjoyed at last year’s Fantastic Fest), Killer Sofa, Doom: Annihilation, and Knightmare.
Anna and the Apocalypse (Cinedigm, DVD)
A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.
Gremlins 4K (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu/Digital Combo)
Gremlins is a wildly original roller-coaster ride of hilarious mischief. One minute your hair will stand on end, the next you’ll hold your sides with laughter at the havoc these supposedly gentle furballs create when the rules surrounding their care and feeding are inadvertently broken one fateful Christmas. Written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins unleashes special effects that dazzle and enchant and merriment that lingers in the memory.
The House of Hitchcock Collection: Limited Edition (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema's most thrilling and unforgettable classics. The House of Hitchcock features 15 iconic films from the acclaimed director's illustrious career including Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, Vertigo and North by Northwest, plus a range of limited edition extras including blueprints of the infamous Psycho house, movie poster art cards for all the films, and a booklet about his work.
Over 15 hours of bonus content including documentaries, expert commentaries, interviews, screen tests and much more! - 2 bonus discs include: 7 TV Episodes from Alfred Hitchcock Presents and 3 TV Episodes from Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Itsy Bitsy (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD)
Kara, a private nurse and single mother, moves from the big city to the quiet countryside with her two children, 13-year-old Jesse and 8-year-old Cambria, to live with and take care of an elderly man. Things seem normal enough until they discover a mysterious old relic in the old man's house, leading to an unexpected and horrifying giant spider coming to life.
Nightmare Beach: Special Edition (KL Studio Classics, Blu-ray)
Brand New 4K Master! From Umberto Lenz, notorious director of such Euro-sleaze classics as Paranoia, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, Spasm, Eyeball and Cannibal Ferro comes Nightmare Beach, a shockingly gory tale of a madman in a motorcycle helmet who is taking out young co-eds all over the sparkling sands of South Florida during Spring Break. As the body count creeps up, Miami detective John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Black Christmas, Evil Eye) tries to keep ahead of the curve in this carnage-packed slasher gem from the maestro of macabre. Featuring a rollicking score by Goblin’s Claudio Simonetta (Suspire, Dawn of the Dead, The Heroin Busters) and co-starring the great Michael Parks (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2 and TV’s Then Came Bronson). Special Features: -Audio Commentary by Film Historian Sam Dhegihan -Nightmare Rock: Interview with Composer Claudio Simonetta -Includes both English and Italian Audio -Theatrical Trailer
The Prey: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
It’s not human, and it’s got an axe! One of the most underrated efforts to hail from the slice-and-dice boom, The Prey at last emerges from the VHS wilderness in a brand new 2K restoration from the recently unearthed original camera negative. Three young couples set off into the mountains for a weekend of climbing, drinking and lovemaking. But little do they know that they are stumbling into the terrain of a fearsome predator - a wild man, horrifically burned as a child many years ago in a fire which engulfed his gypsy camp and left only him alive. Now, he roams the woods in search of his next human prey.
Filmed in 1979-1980 - making it a contemporary, rather than an imitator, of the likes of Friday the 13th - but not released until 1984 when it was picked up by New World Pictures, The Prey is a unique woodsy slasher gem ripe for reappraisal in this extras-packed, 40th anniversary edition!
LIMITED EDITION 2-DISC BLU-RAY CONTENTS:
DISC ONE - US THEATRICAL CUT:
DISC TWO - INTERNATIONAL & COMPOSITE CUTS:
The Shining 4K (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu/Digital Combo)
All work and no play makes Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson-the caretaker of an isolated resort-go way off the deep end, terrorizing his young son and wife (Shelley Duvall). Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, who's come to the elegant, isolated Overlook Hotel as off-season caretaker. Torrance has never been there before-or has he? The answer lies in a ghostly time warp of madness and murder.
Zombieland 4K (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 4K Ultra HD/Blu/Digital Combo)
Nerdy college student Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived the plague that has turned mankind into flesh-devouring zombies because he’s scared of just about everything. Gun-toting, Twinkie-loving Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) has no fears. Together, they are about to stare down their most horrifying challenge yet: each other’s company. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin co-star in this double-hitting, head-smashing comedy, All new special feature includes a look at the new film and reflections on the first film from the cast and filmmakers. Newly remastered and with Dolby Atmos audio.
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
The Addams Family (Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Addams Family Values (Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
The Addams Family/Addams Family Values 2-Movie Collection (Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
Alice, Sweet Alice (SGL Entertainment, DVD)
Art of the Dead (ITN Distribution, DVD)
The Boat (Unified Pictures, DVD)
The Curse of Halloween Jack (4Digital, DVD)
Dear Diary (ITN Distribution, DVD)
Doom: Annihilation (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu/Digital Combo & DVD)
Encounter (Vega Baby, Blu-ray & DVD)
Festival of Fright (Synergy Entertainment, DVD)
Killer Sofa (High Octane Pictures, DVD)
Knightmare (Leomark Studios, Blu-ray & DVD)
Lonely Hearts (Dark Side Releasing, Blu-ray)
Museum of Wonders (Dark Side Releasing, DVD)
Replace (Uncork’d Entertainment, DVD)
Storm of the Century (KL Studio Classics, DVD)
Tales of Frankenstein (Leomark, Blu-ray & DVD)
The Young Cannibals (The Asylum, 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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