For the final week of home media releases in September, genre fans have a lot to get excited over, as we have a multitude of titles coming our way on Tuesday. In terms of recent releases, the Child’s Play remake will hit multiple formats, and both the Jacob’s Ladder remake and the possession thriller Luz (which is INCREDIBLE) are heading to DVD as well. As far as classic horror titles being resurrected this week, Scream Factory is keeping busy with both Fear No Evil (1981) and John Carpenter’s Vampires, and Arrow Video has put together some special edition releases for The Hills Have Eyes Part 2, In the Aftermath, as well as both Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (both of which has previously been released by Arrow as part of their Scarlet Box set).
As if all of that wasn’t enough, Vinegar Syndrome is showing some love to Mountaintop Motel Massacre, Pledge Night, The Vineyard, Beyond Evil and Secta Siniestra and Severin is resurrecting both Wax Mask and Killer Crocodile, too.
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for September 24th include Stephen King’s The Stand, A Bucket of Blood, 7 Deadly Sins, and The Field.
Child’s Play (2019) (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Blu/Digital & DVD)
Get ready for childhood dreams of talking toys to go completely sideways when Chucky, the sinister killer doll, comes home in Child’s Play - a re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic sure to elicit screams from a whole new generation of fans this fall. Realizing that her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) is lonely, Karen (Aubrey Plaza) buys him a seemingly innocent, AI-enhanced Buddi doll that he names Chucky. But Chucky’s safety restrictions have been disabled, and soon, a gruesome series of events unfolds. Unable to convince his mom that the doll is responsible for the carnage, Andy becomes the target of the bloodthirsty Chucky!
Bonus Features:
Fear No Evil (1981) (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
God has appointed three archangels to fight against Lucifer, who has assumed human features. Archangel Raphael, in the guise of Father Damon, kills Lucifer and ends his life in jail. But his sister, Archangel Mikhail, knows that one day the Devil will reappear. Eighteen years later, Lucifer returns, now in the form of Andrew, a brilliant but shy schoolboy who becomes conscious of his devilish nature on his birthday. Archangel Mikhail, allies with Gabrielle to defeat Lucifer in this "remarkably assured, personal and powerful film [that] is never less than gripping" (TV Guide)!
The Hills Have Eyes Part 2: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
The hills are once again alive with the sound of screaming in Wes Craven s hugely entertaining follow-up to his own groundbreaking 1977 The Hills Have Eyes.
A motocross team on their way to trial a new super-fuel head out across the desert lead by Rachel, who, unbeknownst to the rest of the group, is a survivor of the cannibal clan which menaced the Carter family several years before. Opting to take an ill-advised shortcut across the desert, the busload of youngsters drive straight into the path of the remnants of Rachel s demented cannibal kin - the menacing Pluto, and a hulking, blood-hungry brute by the name of The Reaper.
Made by Wes Craven immediately prior to his smash-hit A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes Part II diverges from the grim tone of its predecessor in favour of fun action-horror thrills and spills replete with mutants, motorbikes, and - oh yes - dog flashbacks!
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
John Carpenter’s Vampires Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
"Forget everything you've ever heard about vampires," warns Jack Crow (James Woods), the leader of Team Crow, a relentless group of mercenary vampire slayers. When Master Vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) decimates Jack's entire team, Crow and the sole team survivor, Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), set out in pursuit. Breaking all the rules, Crow and Montoya take one of Valek's victims hostage – a beautiful but unlucky prostitute (Sheryl Lee). She is the sole psychic link to Valek and they use her to track down the leader of the undead. As Valek nears the climax of his 600-year search for the Berziers Cross, Jack and the new Team Crow do everything possible to prevent him from possessing the only thing that can grant him and all the vampires the omnipotent power to walk the world in daylight.
Killer Crocodile Limited Edition (Severin Films, Blu-ray)
More than a decade after the Spielberg blockbuster, a dream team of shock maestros - including producer-turned-director Fabrizio De Angelis (DR. BUTCHER M.D., EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS), screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti (BAY OF BLOOD, DEMONS), gore guru Giannetto De Rossi (ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND) and Oscar®-nominated composer Riz Ortolani (MONDO CANE, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST) - created one of the most ridiculously entertaining JAWS rip-offs in ItaloSleaze history.
When a humongous crocodile begins chomping on a tropical island community, a group of idealistic young environmentalists will clash with a crusty redneck hunter to destroy the monster reptile spawned by toxic waste. Richard Anthony Crenna (ROSWELL), Sherrie Rose (DEMON KNIGHT), Ennio Girolami (GREAT WHITE) and Hollywood legend Van Johnson (THE CAINE MUTINY) star in this crocsploitation classic now scanned in 2k from the original negative.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
KILLER CROCODILE 1:
Interview with Makeup FX Artist Giannetto De Rossi
Interview with Actor Pietro Genuardi
Interview with Cinematographer Federico Del Zoppo
KILLER CROCODILE 2:
The Prince Of Plasma -The Giannetto De Rossi Story
Mountaintop Motel Massacre (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu-ray)
Evelyn (Anna Chappell) runs the Mountaintop Motel, a cluster of ramshackle cabins nestled deep in the Texas countryside. But Evelyn isn't 'all there;' instead she's tormented by ghastly voices and visions which cause her to periodically lose her grip on reality, until one fateful day, lost in a bout of insanity, she unwittingly murders her young daughter.
Although the police rule it an accident, Evelyn's guilt soon overtakes her, plunging her deeper and deeper into a world of violent paranoia. When a group of travelers arrive to spend the night at the motel, Evelyn completely detaches from reality and, viewing her new guests as a threat, begins to terrorize and dispatch them one by one, with the help of her trusty sickle...
An atmospheric regional slasher from director Jim McCullough Sr. (The Creature From Black Lake), MOUNTAINTOP MOTEL MASSACRE blends suspenseful psychological drama with gory killings. Filled with gorgeously gelled cinematography from Joseph Wilcots (Roots), Vinegar Syndrome brings this unsettling horror classic to Blu-ray in an brand new 2k restoration.
Bonus Features:
1. Region Free Blu-ray/DVD combo
2. Newly scanned & restored in 2k from 35mm negative elements
3. "Under the Influence" - an interview with assistant cameraman David Akin
4. "Mountaintop Motel Memories" - an interview with production designer Drew Edward Hunter
5. Still gallery
6. Original theatrical trailer
7. Reversible cover artwork
8. English SDH subtitles
Pledge Night (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
It's hazing season at Phi Up and the boys are up to all sorts of nasty pranks on their hapless pledges, in between regular bouts of 'wetting their whistles' at the campus watering hole…with some of the area's beautiful sorority babes. But this is going to be one literal 'hell week' as they unwittingly unleash the spirit of Acid Sid; an unfortunate pledge who was accidentally dissolved in acid during a hazing prank gone wrong some 20 years earlier. As the helpless fratboys and pledges fall victim to Sid's wrath and seemingly indestructible towering zombie corpse, it's up to the stragglers to figure out how to kill someone who's been dead for two decades, or die trying.
A truly one-of-a-kind blending of post-Animal House T&A sex comedy and gore filled supernatural slasher, Paul Ziller's PLEDGE NIGHT unloads a nearly non-stop barrage of weirdness on the viewer. From the jaw dropping, all-based-on-actual-practices, hazing rituals, as meticulously researched by writer/producer Joyce Synder (Raw Talent), to the slimy and often 'explosive' gore, from effects wizard Robert Mulvey, along with a soundtrack performed by Anthrax, whose singer, Joey Belladonna makes a memorable onscreen appearance, PLEDGE NIGHT serves up a non-stop ride of horror and weirdness guaranteed to keep you glued to the screen, mouth agape. Vinegar Syndrome is excited to offer up this one-of-a-kind slice of sleaze on Blu-ray for the very first time, newly restored in 2k from its original 35mm camera negative.
Bonus Features:
1. Region Free Blu-ray/DVD combo
2. Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original camera negative
3. Brand new video interview with director Paul Ziller
4. Brand new video interview with writer/producer Joyce Snyder
5. Brand new video interview with actor Robert Lentini
6. Brand new video interview with actor Arthur Lundquist
7. Original theatrical Trailer
8. Reversible cover artwork
9. English SDH subtitles
Stephen King’s The Stand: Collector’s Edition (CBS Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment, Blu-ray)
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It expands upon the scenario of his earlier short story "Night Surf" and presents a detailed vision of the total breakdown of society after the accidental release of a strain of influenza that had been modified for biological warfare causes an apocalyptic pandemic, killing off over 99% of the world's population.
The Vineyard (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
The wines created by Dr. Elson Po have been known for decades as among the finest in the world, but unknown to the public, Po has been using his vintning and chemistry skills as a front for a much more sinister purpose; harvesting fresh blood from his youthful victims to produce an elixir designed to keep him young forever. Unfortunately, his special potion seems to be weakening in its strength and Po finds himself in need of fresh bodies. Deciding to use his connections to the film industry, he presents himself as a potential film investor and invites a group of attractive young actors and models to his secluded island mansion, with the intent of harvesting their life sustaining properties. When they arrive, Po becomes convinced that statuesque beauty, Jezebel, might be the ideal candidate from which more elixir can be created and sends his henchmen out with the task of violently killing off her friends.
A wild late 80s horror film starring and co-directed, with William Rice, by character actor James Hong (Chinatown, Big Trouble in Little China), THE VINEYARD mixes just about every popular horror trope around into a non-stop assault on the senses. Featuring everything from zombies, to supernatural mysticism, to slasher touches, along with bouts of martial arts and loads of T&A, all photographed by John Dirlam (Gone in 60 Seconds), Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to present the world Blu-ray debut of THE VINEYARD, newly restored in 4k from its original 35mm camera negative and loaded with revealing interviews with its creators.
Bonus Features:
1. Region Free Blu-ray/DVD combo
2. Newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original camera negative
3. "Welcome to the Vineyard" - a brand new interview with director/actor James Hong and producer/actor Harry Mok
4. "Zombies From San Jose" - a brand new interview with co-director William Rice
5. "Sacred Earth and Restless Souls" - a brand new interview with cinematographer John Dirlam
6. Original theatrical trailer
7. Reversible cover artwork
8. English SDH subtitles
Wax Mask Limited Edition (Severin Films, Blu/CD Combo)
In the mid-'90s, Dario Argento approached a physically and professionally ailing Lucio Fulci to direct one final production, an over-the-top shocker about grisly murders at a Paris wax museum. But when Fulci passed away only weeks before filming began, Argento turned to Sergio Stivaletti - the FX genius on PHENOMENA, OPERA, DEMONS and CEMETARY MAN - to make his feature-directing debut. Original Grand Guignol director/performer Robert Hossein (RIFFIFI) and Aldo Massasso (CONTRABAND) star in what DVD Drive-In hails as "Old-timey luridness married to state-of-the-art gore." From a screenplay co-written by Fulci with cinematography by Sergio Salvati (ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND), and now featuring a 4k scan from the original negative supervised by Stivaletti. Packed with Special Features that include rare behind-the-scenes footage, all-new interviews and more!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Audio Commentary with Director / Special Effects Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Michelangelo Stivaletti
BEYOND FULCI - Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo, Production Designer Massimo Geleng, Actress Gabriella Giorgelli and Filmmaker Claudio Fragasso
THE CHAMBER OF HORRORS - Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo, Production Designer Massimo Geleng and Actress Gabriella Giorgell
LIVING DOLLS - Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti, Producer Giuseppe Columbo and Actress Gabriella Giorgelli
THE MYSTERIES OF THE WAX MUSEUM - Interview with SFX Artist Sergio Stivaletti
THE WAXWORKS SYMPHONY - Interview with Soundtrack Composer Maurizio Abeni
THE GRAND OPENING - Interviews with Producer Dario Argento, Director Sergio Stivaletti and Producer Giuseppe Columbo
WAX UNMASKED - Interview with Film Writer Alan Jones
Vintage featurettes: Behind the Scenes, Special Effects, On Set with Dario Argento
ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK:
7 Deadly Sins (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
Beyond Evil (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
A Bucket of Blood (Olive Signature, Blu-ray)
Early Grave (Fenix Pictures, DVD)
The Field (Gravitas Ventures, Blu-ray & DVD)
Hellraiser: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
Hellbound: Hellrasier II: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
In the Aftermath: Special Edition (Arrow Video, Blu-ray)
Jacob’s Ladder (2019) (Lionsgate, DVD)
Legend Has It (Fenix Pictures, DVD)
Luz (Screen Media, DVD)
Secta Siniestra AKA Bloody Sect (Vinegar Syndrome, Blu/DVD Combo)
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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