Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Crypts & Castles: Severin Films Delivers a Double Dose of Christopher Lee on Blu-ray Disc!

Cover art for Severin Films' CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD Blu-ray!

TWO FORMER BOXED SET EXCLUSIVES FEATURING THE INIMITABLE CHRISTOPHER LEE ARE NOW AVAILABLE SEPARATELY ON BLU-RAY!

I snapped up Severin's fantastic 9-disc EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION back in 2021, and at the time it was the only way to watch CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD and CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE on Blu-ray (along with four other feature films and 24 television episodes of THEATRE MACABRE)! But now, nearly two years later, Severin has finally released these two films on their own, which is great news for collectors that wanted them but didn't want to throw down coin for an expensive boxed set (even if it was well worth the price)! If the mere presence of Christopher Lee somehow isn't enough to get you to purchase these two movies immediately (did I mention CASTLE also features Donald Sutherland as a hunchback?!), then perhaps taking a closer look will help you make up your mind!

CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD (1964)

Synopsis:
In the final film of his early ‘60s European period, Christopher Lee stars as a 19th century Count who invites a theatrical troupe for a weekend of horrors that boasts an enthusiastically creepy performance by Lee, startling locations in Lazio, Italy’s Orsini-Odescalchi Castle and ‘Park of the Monsters’, second-unit direction by Michael Reeves (WITCHFINDER GENERAL) and the screen debut of Donald Sutherland as both a doofus gendarme and a hunchbacked hag.

Philippe Leroy (THE NIGHT PORTER) and Jacques Stany (VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN’S PRISON) co-star in this 1964 French-Italian co-production from American producer Paul Maslansky – who would go on to produce DEATH LINE and the POLICE ACADEMY movies – and fellow expat writer/director Warren Kiefer – after whom Sutherland would name his son – now scanned in 4K from the Italian negative for the first time ever!


Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Black & White | 90 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono


Extras:
  • Audio Commentary with Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson & Film Writer Troy Howarth!
  • Audio Commentary with Film Writer Kat Ellinger!
  • From the Castle to the Academy – Interview with Master Producer Paul Maslansky!
  • The Castle of The Mystery Man – Roberto Curti, Author of Mavericks of Italian Cinema, on Writer / Director Warren Kiefer!


Severin's CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD Blu-ray is now available to purchase through most online retailers and should cost between $20 - $24! Get a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from SEVERIN FILMS!



 
Cover art for Severin Films' Blu-ray of CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE!
CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE (1964)

Synopsis: In a lavish gothic shocker inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s immortal novella Carmilla, Christopher Lee delivers a rare ‘hero’ turn as nobleman Count Karnstein whose foreboding castle teems with ancestral curses, unnatural desires, philosophical hunchbacks and grisly acts of vengeance!

Adriana Ambesi (FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD) co-stars in this 1964 Spanish-Italian co-production – also known as TERROR IN THE CRYPT and CRYPT OF HORROR – directed by Camillo Mastrocinque (AN ANGEL FOR SATAN) as Thomas Miller & Robert Spafford from a screenplay by giallo master Ernesto Gastaldi (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) as Julian Berry and Sergio Leone protégé Tonino Valerii (MY NAME IS NOBODY) as Robert Bohr, now featuring a 2k scan from a fine-grain 35mm master print!


Disc Specs:

Not Rated | Black & White | 85 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English & Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono


Extras:
  • Theatrical trailer

This bare bones Severin release of CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE is now available to purchase wherever Blu-rays are sold, and should cost between $20 - $24! Order yourself a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from SEVERIN FILMS!


Tuesday, January 24, 2023

STOCK YOUR VAULT: New Blu-rays & 4K Discs for 01/10 - 01/24/23!

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Vault Master's Pick of the Week(s)!

Hello there fellow collectors and welcome to another edition of our handy STOCK YOUR VAULT column! As was the case with the last post, we're tripling up because there are so few titles of interest in the first month of the year! But that doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of cool discs that will have you scrambling to click those order buttons on Amazon and other retailer sites!

January 10th wasn't too shabby and gave us Arrow Video's new Blu-ray releases of THE DUNWICH HORROR (starring Dean Stockwell) and THE EXECUTIONER COLLECTION (a two-film set featuring the late Sonny Chiba!), Sony's new 4K UHD of the beloved Bill Murray comedy GROUNDHOG DAY, and Scream Factory's new 4K release of OUIJA.

The following week was once again light on new releases but boasted Paramount's new 4K steelbook of CLOVERFIELD, Arrow Video's 2-disc double feature of LADY WHIRLWIND & HAPKIDO, and Scream Factory's limited edition 4K steelbook of John Carpenter's (still very relevant) sci-fi classic THEY LIVE! I should also note that Kino Lorber Studio Classics dropped PROGRAMMED TO KILL (aka THE RETALIATOR), as well as a Blu-ray set of Cannon's classic MISSING IN ACTION TRILOGY!

Finally, this week fares a bit better with a larger mix of titles from many of our favorite labels: Kino Lorber Studio Classics gives iconic Charles Bronson revenge flick DEATH WISH its 4K debut, Shout Select brings seven martial arts classics to Blu-ray in the new JACKIE CHAN COLLECTION: VOLUME I, and MVD Rewind Collection adds MEN AT WORK to their Blu-ray catalog! Ronin Flix brings NIGHTMARE MAN to Blu-ray for the first time ever, and Scream Factory adds another modern Horror title to their 4K collection, namely the surprisingly fun FREAKY!

But I'm giving the mantle of "Pick of the Week" to Lionsgate's latest addition to their Vestron Video Collector's Series, namely THE DENTIST COLLECTION! Starring the fantastic Corbin Bersen as the titular villain of these two direct-to-video Horror essentials, this new set offers up new transfers of the films and lots of cool extras, such as feature-length commentaries with director Brian Yuzna and special f/x supervistor Anthony C. Ferrante, isolated score tracks with commentary by Alan Howarth, trailers, cast & crew interviews, and more!

Scroll down to see what came out over the past three weeks, and maybe add a few new discs to your already overflowing shelves with whatever leftover holiday gift cards and cash you have left!


NEW BLU-RAY & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 01/10/23
Amber Road (Koa Aloha Media)
The Dunwich Horror (Arrow Video)
The Executioner Collection (Arrow Video)
Fear the Walking Dead: Season Seven (AMC)
Groundhog Day (4K UHD - 30th Anniversary Steelbook - Sony Pictures)
A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse (Mondo Macabro)
Ouija (4K UHD - Scream Factory)
Rancho Notorious (Warner Archive Collection)
Vesper (IFC)

Warning Shot (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)



NEW BLU-RAY & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 01/17/23
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (Ultimate Edition - Utopia)
Cloverfield (4K UHD - Limited Edition Steelbook - Paramount)
Detective Knight: Redemption (Lionsgate)
Lady Whirlwind & Hapkido (2-Disc Special Edition - Arrow Video)
The Menu (2022 - Fox Searchlight)
Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (Special Edition - Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
The Missing in Action Trilogy (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed C.E. 73: Stargazer (Right Stuf)
Programmed to Kill (aka The Retaliator - Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
They Live (4K UHD - Limited Edition Steelbook - Scream Factory)



NEW BLU-RAY & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 01/24/23
The Barn: Part II (Scream Team Releasing)
Death Wish (4K UHD - Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
The Dentist Collection (Vestron Video Collector's Series/Lionsgate)
Freaky (4K UHD - Scream Factory)
The Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 1 [1976 - 1982] (Shout Select)
Men at Work (MVD Rewind Collection)
Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (AnimEigo)
Mindcage (Lionsgate)
Nightmare Man (Ronin Flix)
Playing With Fire (Special Edition - Cult Epics)
The Scorpion With Two Tails (Full Moon Pictures)
Stuck on You! (Troma)
Violent Night (Collector's Edition - Universal)

 

Monday, January 23, 2023

They Made Her the Perfect Killing Machine... Then They Lost Control! PROGRAMMED TO KILL is Now Available on Blu-ray Disc!

Cover artwork for Kino Lorber's PROGRAMMED TO KILL Blu-ray!
KINO LORBER STUDIO CLASSICS GIVES THIS FORGOTTEN SANDAHL BERGMAN CYBORG ACTIONER ITS BLU-RAY DEBUT!

Honestly Vault Dwellers, I never knew this movie existed until about a month ago, and I'm hoping to get my paws on it sooner rather than later now that Kino Lorber gave it the physical media release it deserves! The trailer definitely makes this one look like its a good time (low IMDB score be damned) and I could totally see myself double-featuring it with EVE OF DESTRUCTION (another killer female-cyborg on-the-loose film that doesn't get nearly enough love)! If you saw this movie once on VHS as a kid and kinda liked it, or never heard of it before (like me) then continue reading to get all the details of this new Blu-ray release!

Synopsis: Captured in a daring raid by ex-CIA agent Eric Mathews (Robert Ginty - THE EXTERMINATOR, EXTERMINATOR 2), the merciless terrorist hit-woman Samira (Sandahl Bergman - CONAN THE BARBARIAN) is brought to the U.S., where she undergoes experimental brain surgery. Transformed into an unstoppable bionic warrior, she returns to the Middle East, where she obediently wipes out all of her former comrades. But when a malfunction reactivates Samira's human memories, she launches into a frenzy of cold-blooded vengeance.

As she methodically terminates her CIA adversaries, only Mathews can halt her murderous onslaught! Directed by Allan Holzman (FORBIDDEN WORLD), PROGRAMMED TO KILL (a.k.a. THE RETALIATOR) is a gripping, futuristic action thriller that also stars James Booth (AVENGING FORCE) and a young Paul Walker (THE FAST & THE FURIOUS franchise).


Reversibile "THE RETALIATOR" cover art for Kino Lorber's PROGRAMMED TO KILL Blu-ray release!

Disc Specs:

Rated R | Color | 91 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English 2.0 Mono (?)


Extras:

  • NEW! 2K RESTORATION FROM AN INTERPOSITIVE!
  • NEW! Audio Commentary by Director Allan Holzman, Moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale!
  • NEW! Interview with Screenwriter Robert Short!
  • Alternate Opening Title Credit
  • Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K!)
  • Reversible "Retaliator" Art and Spine!
  • Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase!

We are truly living in a golden age where almost anything is likely to get a Blu-ray or 4K UHD release, including obscure stuff that vanished after VHS went bust. So even if it isn't all that great (it at least has to be better than R.O.T.O.R., right?) I'm happy to see PROGRAMMED TO KILL getting a second chance at finding an audience over three decades after its theatrical release! Also known as THE RETALIATOR, this sci-fi actioner is currently available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics and should cost between $15 - $18! Snap up a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or get it directly from KINO LORBER!


Tuesday, January 10, 2023

STOCK YOUR VAULT: RINGING IN 2023 EDITION!

 

The News Vault's Stock Your Vault Logo!

Vault Master's Pick of of the Week(s)!

Hey fellow collectors! Between working a lot of overtime, traveling to another State for the holidays, and being laid up for a bit with the flu, I've fallen behind on my duties! But things have finally calmed down so here is the first STOCK YOUR VAULT post of 2023!

As is usually the case with the start of a new year there's not a lot of new titles coming out weekly to fill a post. so there will be fewer Stock Your Vault posts throughout January. But by February, the release slate will start to beef up again, and oh boy is there ever a lot of cool stuff coming down the pipe!

Last year ended with a whimper: The first Season of HBO's GAME OF THRONES: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON arrived on both formats, as did the first season of AMC's TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD, and Kino Lorber Studio Classics ended things on a high note with a new 4K release for THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

Universal dropped their intensely debated trilogy capper HALLOWEEN ENDS (alone and in a 3-film collection), VCI brought the classic Bela Lugosi serial THE PHANTOM CREEPS to Blu-ray, and the (apparently much-loved) TERRIFIER 2 made its Collector's Edition Blu-ray debut! 

Moving on to this week, there were only really four new titles out: Criterion's THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (a personal favorite of mine that I'll have to upgrade now!), Warner Bros.' BLACK ADAM, Lionsgate's PREY FOR THE DEVIL, and Paramount's first season of STAR TREK: PRODIGY!

While I toyed with the idea of choosing a "pick of the week" for each week, I decided instead to choose just one best overall new release for this post, and that is Shout! Factory's new 4K Ultra HD Blu of WARGAMES! Along with a new 4K scan (made from original camera negative) this 2-disc set comes with a feature-length commentary by director John Badham (and the film's two writers), plus a handful of featurettes, and the original theatrical trailer!

There's really not too much else to shine a spotlight on, but if you want to see the paltry summary of new discs that were released the past three weeks, just scroll down!


NEW BLU-RAYS & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 12/20
Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon - The Complete First Season (HBO)
Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon - The Complete First Season (4K UHD - HBO)
My Hero Academia: Season 5, Part 2 (Crunchyroll)
Secret Headquarters (Paramount)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (4K UHD - Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
Tales of the Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (AMC)
Wargames (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack - Shout! Factory)



NEW BLU-RAYS & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 12/27
Female Yakuza Tale (Discotek Media)
Halloween Ends (Collector's Edition - Universal)
Halloween Ends (Collector's Edition - 4K UHD - Universal)
Halloween Trilogy (Universal)
Halloween Trilogy (4K UHD - Universal)
The Haunting of the Murder House (Indie Rights)
Lupin the 3rd: Farewell to Nostradamus (Discotek Media)
The Phantom Creeps (2K Restored Special Edition - VCI)
Project A-KO 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (Discotek Media)
Terrifier 2 (Collector's Edition - Cinedigm)



NEW BLU-RAYS & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAYS FOR 01/03
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Criterion Collection)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (4K UHD - Criterion Collection)
Black Adam (Warner Bros.)
Black Adam (4K UHD - Warner Bros.)
Prey for the Devil (Lionsgate)
Prey for the Devil (4K UHD - Lionsgate)
Star Trek Prodigy: Season One (Episodes 1 - 10, Paramount)