SCORPION RELEASING GIVES THE POST-APOCALYPTIC CLASSIC ITS NORTH AMERICAN BLU-RAY DEBUT, WITH AN ALL NEW HD REMASTER!
DEF-CON 4 doesn't seem to get mentioned much these days, and yet this film's theatrical one-sheet is easily one of the most memorable, and iconic pieces of art from the long-lost VHS rental era. I never got around to watching this movie back in the day (though I definitely perused the VHS sleeve numerous times in my youth) so I'm excited to see it finally get a Blu-ray release here in the U.S.! (Prior to this disc, it was released by Arrow Video in a Region B-locked release.) The film has been newly remastered in high-definition, contains a handful of special features, reversible cover art, and comes packaged in a collectible slipcover, which should excite some of you collectors! To get the full details of this new release, read onward!
Synopsis: Three astronauts, Tim Choate (THE FIRST TIME, GHOST STORY), Kate Lynch (MEATBALLS), John Walsch (BODY PARTS), in a secret spaceship lose all contact with the ground and observe what appears to be a nuclear exchange between the USA and Russia! Two months later, the spacecraft’s guidance system is mysteriously reprogrammed, forcing the crew’s return to a vastly changed Earth, where they encounter crazed cannibals, paranoid survivalists, and a sadistic despotic ruler! Hang on tight, DEF-CON 4 is a sci-fi survival thriller that will leave you breathless!
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 88 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0 (?)
Extras:
NEW! HD remaster of the film!
NEW! Interview with Composer Chris Young!
Newly Commissioned Reversible Artwork!
Limited Edition Slipcase
Theatrical Trailer
Scorpion Releasing's new Blu of DEF-CON 4 is now readily available to own and should cost you somewhere between $18 - $23! If you're a post-apoc sci-fi junkie, you may just want to add this one to your personal collection Vault Dwellers - Get a copy of DEF-CON 4 today from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from KINO LORBER!
POST-APOCALYPTIC WASTELANDS AND VISITORS FROM HELL AWAIT YOU IN ARROW VIDEO'S TRIO OF NEW BLU-RAY RELEASES!
HELLRAISER and HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (previously available in Arrow's now out of print SCARLET BOX) are easily two of the greatest Horror films of all time. As the years have gone by, I've gained an even larger appreciation for both films. (The other HELLRAISER sequels? Well.... not so much.) IN THE AFTERMATH is a film I am not familiar with at all: It's apparently a repurposed anime (1985's ANGEL EGG) that was edited together with new live-action footage shot by director Carl Colpaert. The result is a unique, and "hauntingly beautiful" post-apocalyptic tale! All three of these releases are available today - read onward to see if they're worth adding to your growing collections Vault Dwellers!
HELLRAISER (1987 - SPECIAL EDITION)
Synopsis: “Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, “I have seen the future of horror… his name is Clive Barker.” That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker’s directorial debut HELLRAISER.
Based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart, Barker’s HELLRAISER sees Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into their new home, unaware that something evil lurks beneath the floorboards of the dilapidated house – something that wants human blood…
Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, HELLRAISER became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror.
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 93 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 2.0 & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Extras:
NEW! 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon!
Audio commentary with writer-director Clive Barker!
Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence!
NEW!Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser - Brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members!
Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser - Actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker s original
Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score - Ex-Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost wa!
Hellraiser: Resurrection - Vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen, and others!
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser!
Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew.
Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content]
Trailers and TV Spots
Image Gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx!
Arrow Video's Special Edition of HELLRAISER is available now wherever Blu-ray discs are sold! This disc should cost you between $24 - $28, and can be obtained from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from ARROW VIDEO!
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II (1988 - SPECIAL EDITION)
Synopsis: Picking up right where HELLRAISER left off, HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II expands upon the terrifying universe created in Clive Barker s original film taking the story into the very depths of Hell itself.
Having escaped the clutches of Pinhead and the demonic Cenobites, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) awakens to finds herself detained at the Channard Institute, a hospital for the mentally ill. But her torments are far from over the chief doctor at the institute is determined to unleash the powers of Hell to achieve his own twisted ends.
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II is one of the most celebrated horror sequels of all time, offering a vision that is both more gruesome and fantastical than its predecessor. Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 99 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 2.0 & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Extras:
NEW! 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon!
Audio commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins!
Audio commentary with Randel, Atkins, and actress Ashley Laurence!
NEW!Leviathan: The Story of Hellbound: Hellraiser II - Brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellbound, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members!
Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound - Actor Sean Chapman talks about reprising the role of Frank Cotton in the first Hellraiser sequel!
Surgeon Scene - The legendary excised sequence!
Lost in the Labyrinth - Vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins, and others!
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II!
On-set interview with Clive Barker.
On-set interviews with cast and crew.
Behind-the-Scenes Footage.
Rare and unseen storyboards.
Draft Screenplay [BD-ROM content]
Trailers and TV Spots
Image Gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx!
Arrow's Special Edition of HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II is also available everywhere today, and should cost between $24 - $28! Order yourself a copy right this very minute from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from ARROW VIDEO!
IN THE AFTERMATH (1988 - SPECIAL EDITION)
Synopsis: Following in the footsteps of Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Corman protégé Carl Colpaert (THE CREW) made his directorial debut by combining repurposed excerpts from a foreign film in this case, Mamoru Oshii s (GHOST IN THE SHELL) spellbinding 1985 anime ANGEL'S EGG with new live-action footage shot in America. The result is IN THE AFTERMATH, a haunting post-apocalyptic vision like no other.
In a radiation-soaked wasteland, two surviving soldiers, Frank and Goose, search for essential supplies amid the rubble. After a violent confrontation, Frank is haunted by visions of an angelic young girl holding a giant egg, herself a refugee from another world altogether. Could the egg be the key to saving both their worlds?
A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia and hauntingly lyrical animation, IN THE AFTERMATH is presented in a stunning new restoration that highlights Oshii's visionary genius and Colpaert's low-budget ingenuity.
Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 72 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English LPCM 2.0
Extras:
NEW! 2K restoration from original film elements!
NEW!The Path To Aftermath - An interview with producer Tom Dugan!
NEW! Apocalypse Then - An interview with star Tony Markes!
NEW! Before The Aftermath: The Influence of Angel's Egg - An appreciation of Mamoru Oshii's original film by anime expert Andrew Osmond (author of Arrow Books' Ghost In The Shell)!
Still and poster gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Corey Brickley!
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring essay on the film by Jon Towlson!
Arrow's Special Edition of IN THE AFTERMATH is now available to purchase, and costs between $24 - $28! If experimental and/or post-apocalyptic films are your jam, then pick up a copy today from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or ARROW VIDEO!
THE INFAMOUS FILM ADAPTATION OF THE BELOVED VIDEO GAME GETS A COLLECTOR'S EDITION BLU-RAY!
DOUBLE DRAGON is definitely on the shortlist of films vying for the title of "worst adaptation of a video game property ever," alongside MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION, STREET FIGHTER: THE MOVIE, and my personal favorite, SUPER MARIO BROS. - THE MOVIE. (I'm proud to say I actually own a Limited Edition Steelbook of that one!) And yet, DOUBLE DRAGON has apparently garnered enough of a cult following to warrant the Collector's Edition Blu-ray that we're looking at today!
Synopsis: EVIL HAS JUST MET ITS MATCH! From producers Don Murphy (the TRANSFORMERS franchise), Jane Hamsher (NATURAL BORN KILLERS), Alan Schechter (SHOWDOWN), writers Michael Davis (SHOOT 'EM UP) and Emmy Award Winner Peter Gould (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) comes the cult classic movie based on the video game smash!
DOUBLE DRAGON roars to life with amazing special effects, spectacular action sequences, and a knock-about sense of humor. It's the year 2007, and what remains of L.A. is now "New Angeles," a city ravaged by earthquakes, tidal waves and vicious gangs. The evil tycoon Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY) is obsessed with finding the two halves of a talisman known as the "Double Dragon," which will give him awesome mystical powers.
Two teenage brothers, Jimmy (Mark Dacascos - ONLY THE STRONG, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF) and Billy Lee (Scott Wolf - Party of Five) find themselves in possession of the amulet's missing half, thrusting them into the adventure of their lives. With the help of Maria (Alyssa Milano - Charmed) and her vigilante group "The Power Corps," Jimmy and Billy must summon all of their courage, resourcefulness and martial-arts skills to stop the villain's malevolent plan. Crackling with the energy and humor of its two heroes, Double Dragon is a high-octane action spectacular. Buckle your seatbelt and enjoy the ride!
Yup, Abobo looks JUST like he does in the classic NES game! #nailedit
Disc Specs:
Rated PG-13 | Color | 96 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - English 5.1 & 2.0 Stereo, German 2.0 Stereo
Extras:
NEW! "The Making of Double Dragon" (full length documentary
featuring interviews with stars Scott Wolf and Marc Dacascos, writers
Peter Gould & Michael Davis and producer Don Murphy)!
NEW! "Don Murphy: Portrait of a Producer" featurette!
Archival ''Making of'' featurette.
Behind the Scenes featurette.
1993 Double Dragon Animated Series Pilot Episode #101: "The Shadow Falls."
Storyboard Gallery
Press Photos, Marketing and Behind The Scenes Photo Galleries.
TV Spots
VHS Home Video Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer
Collectible Mini-Poster
Reversible Sleeve Featuring Alternate Artwork
MVD Rewind Collection's new Blu of DOUBLE DRAGON is currently available and costs around $28! Take a trip down memory lane (either because you love this movie, or are just really eager to see if it's as bad as you recall) and order yourself a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!
THE DRUG WARS HEAT UP WHEN KILLER ROBOTS ARE ADDED INTO THE MIX, IN CHRIS LE'S "CARTEL 2045!"
Set in a not-too-distant future when drug wars have ravaged the borderlands between The United States and Mexico, CARTEL 2045 is now available on various Video on Demand platforms! Featuring robotic enforcers led by drug lord Danny Trejo, this million dollar Sci-Fi Actioner appears to have taken some inspiration from films like ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and CHAPPIE!
Synopsis: The year is 2045, the continuing drug war has caused havoc between The United States and Mexico. Gear Side International, a robotics engineering company on the brink of bankruptcy, sells off their technology to the Cartel on the black market. With the advanced military robotics technology in the wrong hands the cartel uses it to their advantage; replacing their enforcers, hit men, and soldiers.
Stills & Trailer: (Click on images to enlarge them.)
CARTEL 2045 is now currently available to stream on various On Demand services including AMAZON INSTANT VIDEO and will get a DVD release later this year!
AUSTRALIAN SCI-FI ACTIONER "BLUE WORLD ORDER," COMES TO VIDEO ON DEMAND & DVD ON JANUARY 16TH!
BLUE WORLD ORDER is a new sci-fi flick from the Land Down Under that has everything but the kitchen sink. It has a population-decimating pandemic, an evil dystopian warlord (played by Billy Zane!), car chases, and... wait, did I just see a fleet of DeLoreans cruising through a desert in the trailer?! I think I'm sold!
Synopsis: After a nuclear war decimated the Northern Hemisphere, the surviving population was infected with a deadly bacterium. In an attempt to rebuild civilization, a self-appointed government called The Order distributed an immunization to the bacteria, which inadvertently killed all the children. Only one man, Jake Slater, remained immune. The only child that survived is his daughter Molly. Now, Jake scavenges the wasteland searching for a way to keep her alive, unaware that Molly is the key to the survival of humankind.
BLUE WORLD ORDER is the first feature from writer-directors Che Baker and Dallas Bland. The duo collected the awards for Best Film at the Canberra International Film Festival and the LA Invasion Film Festival amid screenings around the world. Bruce Spence (MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME, MATRIX REVOLUTIONS), Jack Thompson (THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER, AROUND THE BLOCK), and newcomer Billie Rutherford round out the cast of survivors in search of a new beginning after nuclear war and a deadly plague have pushed humankind to the edge.
Stills & Trailer (Click on images to enlarge.)
BLUE WORLD ORDER will be available on DVD and various VOD services on Tuesday, January 16th.
HAPPY NEW YEAR VAULT DWELLERS! Welcome to 2017's first (and surely not last) weekly summary of the genre DVDs and Blu-rays you (and I) crave! The first week of January is a little bare, but there may be some titles of interest, especially if you love post-apocalyptic cinema!
Kino Lorber rules the roost this week with their new Blu-rays of STRYKER, THE INTERNECINE PROJECT, WHO? (AKA ROBO MAN), and X-RATED: THE GREATEST ADULT MOVIES OF ALL TIME!
Mill Creek brings the original GONE IN 60 SECONDS to Blu-ray, SyFy's 2 LAVA 2 LANTULA arrives on DVD, and Scorpion Releasing gives us FOUR awesome post-apoc titles on DVD, including: DUNE WARRIORS, EQUALIZER 2000, THE SISTERHOOD, and WHEELS OF FIRE!
There's not much else to get excited for, so scroll on down to see this week's full roster of DVDs and Blu-rays!
NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Blair Witch
The Internecine Project
The Monkey King 2
Rurouni Kenshin III: The Legend Ends
Stryker
Who? (aka Robo Man)
NEW TO BLU-RAY
Gone in 60 Seconds
NEW TO DVD
2 Lava 2 Lantula
American Beast
Chasing Bigfoot: The Quest for Truth
Dune Warriors
Equalizer 2000
Fire Twister
Jackie Chan Presents: Amnesia
The Librarians: Season 2
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Quija: 3: The Charlie Charlie Challenge
Shadow Warriors (Double Feature)
The Shelter
The Sisterhood
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Bloody Two-Fer
Wheels of Fire
X-Rated: The Greatest Adult Movies of All Time
Zombie Massacre 2: Reich of the Dead
Yeesh, its been One Crazy Summer! I'm still in the process of rebuilding The Vault archives after a hack attack, and it is slow going. In the end it will surely be worth it (a lot of articles and reviews are getting a much-needed tuneup) but it is grueling work. Because of that, I've sort of been lax on reporting any news (sorry!) so here's some new trailers to whet your appetites!
TRAILER #1: TURBO KID
Based upon the "T is for Turbo" short in ABCs of DEATH 2, TURBO KID is a post-apocalyptic film unlike any other. A teen (known only as "The Kid") scavenges for survival in remnants of the old world, and ends up becoming an unlikely hero. The tone of this movie is super odd: It's full of childlike innocence, yet has copious amounts of gore! It's fun, it's crazy, and you just gotta dig that synth soundtrack!
TURBO KID is currently playing in select theaters and is currently available on various VOD services! Not sure if you want to watch it? Well then peep out the trailer below!
TRAILER #2: THE FINAL GIRLS
The Horror genre has been deconstructed to the extreme in the past decade with films like CABIN IN THE WOODS, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, and BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON. And now it seems THE FINAL GIRLS is going to hold a spot on that list... if its good.
The film revolves around a group of friends that attend a midnight screening of a cult slasher film, only to mysteriously get sucked into the movie! They then have to fight to survive against a Jason Voorhees knock-off with the remaining characters! It actually looks quite fun, though I must disagree with a critic who called it "utterly original." This kind of thing has been done before by other films, such as STAY TUNED, MIMESIS, and LAST ACTION HERO.
Still I'm game for it! Watch the trailer and get excited for this new horror/comedy, which will get a limited theatrical release, and a full VOD release, on October 9th!
TRAILER #3: KNOCK KNOCK
A new Eli Roth flick with Keanu Reeves starring as a loving family man that makes a horrendously awful decision: To have a threesome with two whacked-out women. After booting them out, after knocking boots with them, the two psychos go on a crusade to punish Keanu for cheating on his wife.
At best, this looks like a solid rental to me. Honestly I'm more keen on seeing Eli Roth's other new film, THE GREEN INFERNO, which hits theaters on September 25th.
If you do want to see KNOCK KNOCK, its getting a release on October 9th! Check out the trailer below!
Honestly... even if Keanu dies in this movie (which he won't), it's still a win-win situation for him!
TRAILER #4: SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
Trying to capture a little of that ZOMBIELAND magic (it probably won't), this new horror/comedy features a group of social outcasts (simply known as "scouts" to avoid legal issues) battling hordes of flesh-eating undead. It looks like it could be fun, but I'm having a few doubts.
Regardless, it's hard not to get excited for zom-boobies!
Give the NSFW red band trailer below a glance, won't you? If you like what you see, then check it out in theaters on October 30th!
That's it for now, but there will be more to come as October nears! Keep checking back for more news, and feel free to visit the Vault to see how the repair work is going!
Well gang, June's over with and it left us with a very small stack of genre releases this week. And you know what? I am OK with that! Scream Factory put out a cool double feature of GHOSTHOUSE and WITCHERY (two films I'm not very familiar with), and Blue Underground hit us with a triple dose of post-apocalyptic craziness with their new blu-rays of 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS, ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX, and THE NEW BARBARIANS!
There's not much else to get excited for, so scroll on down to see what else is new!
NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (Criterion Collection)
NEW TO BLU-RAY
1990: The Bronx Warriors
The Alien & Predator Mega Bundle (Amazon.com Exclusive)
Escape from the Bronx
Ghosthouse / Witchery (Double Feature)
Hard to Be a God
The New Barbarians
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
Vanilla Sky w/Alternate Ending
NEW TO DVD
After Midnight
Forbidden Empire
MOM (1991)
Shriek of the Mutilated / Garden of the Dead (Double Feature)
UHF: 25th Anniversary Edition
Voice of the Vespers
There's been several post-apocalyptic films this year that are worth a look (e.g. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD if you want fun & excitement; THESE FINAL HOURS if you want depression), and it seems like you can add one more to the list: Z FOR ZACHARIAH.
Synopsis: In the not-distant future, a disastrous radioactive event has obliterated most of civilization. Yet somewhere deep in the American South is a valley that remains untouched; evidence of a micro-climate or some other miracle.
A young farm girl, Ann Burden (Margot Robbie), is grittily surviving on her own in this valley, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth. Then, she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being.
John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) arrives in the valley a cipher; a distraught scientist nearly driven mad by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. He and Ann share little in common beyond survival. Even so, as Ann nurses Loomis back to health, they build a fragile, imperative strand of trust across the gulf between them - finding solace amidst the eerie reality of their new lives.
With all the time in the world, they even dare to imagine forging a future - for themselves, for humanity. But when a stranger (Chris Pine) enters the valley, their precarious bond begins to unravel. Now, all three must grapple with an unstable situation - one of secrets, suspicions and mortal threats.
Check out the trailer for this upcoming tale of a post-apocalyptic love triangle!
Looks like these two dudes are going to compete (and try to kill each other) in order to knock boots with, what is quite possibly, the last woman on Earth. Z FOR ZACHARIAH will get a limited theatrical release on August 28th, followed by a debut on DVD & Blu-ray. And hey, it's an adaptation of a novel, so you can buy a copy of the book if you're curious!
