What An Excellent Day for An Exorcism! Warner Bros. Brings William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST to 4K UHD for its 50th Anniversary!

WARNER BROS. BRINGS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL HORROR FILMS OF ALL TIME TO THE 4K UHD FORMAT ON SEPTEMBER 19TH!

While it may be a bit on the tamer side today, when THE EXORCIST came out just after Christmas in 1973 it shocked the world, terrified generations of moviegoers, and helped bring the Horror genre into the mainstream! Now here we are 50 years later, and after numerous knock-offs (e.g. ABBY and BEYOND THE DOOR), two prequels, and two sequels (with another on the way!) Friedkin's original has proven to have quite the legacy!

To celebrate fifty years of a pea-soup vomiting, head-spinning, trash-talking Linda Blair, Warner Bros. has brought THE EXORCIST to 4K disc! (With another Deluxe Collector's Edition on the way in October that has MORE bonus features and different packaging... and a heftier pricetag! More on that later!) If you don't already own this movie, well I guess now's the time to add it to your collection. But if you already do, is it worth it to make the upgrade? Let's find out!

Synopsis: Controversial, haunting and popular from the moment it opened, William Friedkin's masterpiece THE EXORCIST turns 50 years old, featuring stunning 4K UHD restorations of the original 1973 Theatrical Version and the 2000 Extended Director's Cut! The terrifying and realistic tale of an innocent girl inhabited by a terrifying entity, her mother's frantic resolve to save her and two priests - one doubt-ridden, the other a rock of faith - joined to battle the ultimate evil, always leaves viewers breathless. Winner of two Academy Awards® and nominated for an additional eight including Best Picture, this greatest supernatural thriller of all time still astonishes and unsettles like no other movie.

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 132 minutes (theatrical) & 143 minutes (extended) | Region Free
Video - 2160p (HDR10) Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono

           French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1

Extras:

• NEW! 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM!
• Theatrical Version
• Introduction by William Friedkin.
• Commentary by William Friedkin.
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects.
  
  
• Extended Director's Cut
• Commentary by William Friedkin!

So here's my take on this release Vault Dwellers - if you do not own the film OR aren't too worried about bonus features, this standard 50th anniversary release (which goes for approximately $25) is perfect for you. You can pre-order this version from AMAZON or BULL MOOSE! (Or if you're a steelbook enthusiast, you can get the Best Buy Exclusive Steelbook which definitely has a way better cover!)

Now if you want LOTS of bonus features and don't mind paying almost five times more, there's always the 4-disc(?) DELUXE ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION which drops on October 20th! This is a UK import, with the 4K disc being REGION FREE and the accompanying Blu-rays being Region-B locked.

Here's what you get with this $90 release:

DIRECTOR'S CUT BLU-RAY EXTRAS:

• Raising Hell: Filming The Exorcist
• The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown
• Then and Now and Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist
• Commentary by Director William Friedkin.
  
  

 THEATRICAL CUT BLU-RAY EXTRAS:

• Commentaries by Director William Friedkin and Producer/Screenwriter William Peter Blatty.
• Introduction by William Friedkin.
• Feature-Length 1998 Documentary The Fear of God: The Making of The Exorcist.
• Interview Gallery Covering the Topics: The Original Cut, The Final Reckoning, and Stairway to Heaven.
• Original Ending.
  
  

SPECIAL FEATURES BLU-RAY CONTENTS:

• Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist Documentary.
• Talk of the Devil Documentary.

 
ADDITIONAL EXTRAS:

• Rigid Slipcase with new Key Art!
• Steelbook with Matte Finish!
• Double-Sided Theatrical Poster Reproduction!
• Double-Sided Lobby Card!
•  40-Page Booklet! 
• 3 Behind the Scenes Art Cards!
• 3 Iconic Scene Art Cards!

If you want this edition, you better act fast because a lot of online retailers (including DIABOLIK DVD!) seem to have already sold out, so definitely check AMAZON and DEEP DISCOUNT for availability! And just to reiterate: Before you purchase this edition, remember that the Blu-rays in the Ultimate Collector's Edition are Region-B locked! If you don't  already own a region free player, I highly recommend you visit 220 Electronics and pick one up!

MVD Will Get You in the End With Their New 4K Collector's Edition of GHOULIES!

MVD ADDS THE INFAMOUS B-MOVIE CLASSIC TO THEIR NEW LASERVISION COLLECTION LABEL ON SEPTEMBER 12TH!

If you told me a year ago that the Charles Band-produced GHOULIES was going to receive a 4K UHD release, I probably would have scoffed at you. And yet, here we are! 

The little rubber monster classic that traumatized an entire generation of potty-training kids with its promotional campaign is now the second release in MVD's new "LaserVision Collection!" (The first one being Wes Craven's SWAMP THING!) Boasting an all new 4K restoration, this title (which was formerly released in a double feature set by Scream Factory) comes with a plethora of bonus features and, if you get it early enough, a new slipcover and mini-poster!

If you already own GHOULIES on another format but currently have your interest piqued, come with me on this journey to see if an upgrade to 4K is warranted! (Spoiler Alert: IT IS!)

Synopsis: Take a creepy old Hollywood mansion, a naïve young man and a pretty girl. Add an over-the-top orgy and some slimy, winged goblins who crawl out of toilets, and you have GHOULIES, a horrifying and hilarious ride into the darkest regions of hell! Conjured during a party thrown by the mansion's new owner, the hairy, fanged demons waste no time wreaking havoc on the scene - and declaring the unsuspecting owner their new lord and master!

Disc Specs:
Rated PG-13 | Color | 81 minutes | Region Free (4K UHD)/Region A (Blu-ray)
Video - 2160p & 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono

Extras:
DISC ONE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY DISC)

• NEW! 4K RESTORATION (16-Bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of the film!
• Archival 2015 Audio commentary with director Luca Bercovici!
• Archival 2016 Audio commentary by director Luca Bercovici moderated by Jason Andreasen of Terror Transmission!

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY DISC)

• NEW! 4K RESTORATION (16-Bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of the film!
• Archival 2015 Audio commentary with director Luca Bercovici!
• Archival 2016 Audio commentary by director Luca Bercovici moderated by Jason Andreasen of Terror Transmission!
• Video Introduction by Luca Bercovici!
• Editing an Empire: Interview with Ted Nicolau
• The Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Waste: Interview with Scott Thomson
• Just For The Chick Man: An interview with Luca Bercovici
• From Toilets to Terror: The Making of Ghoulies
• Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• 4 TV Spots 

Though there's nothing new as far as extras go, it is nice to get all of the previous bonus features that were created by Scream Factory and Umbrella Entertainment present on this release! MVD's 4K Collector's Edition of GHOULIES will debut on Tuesday, September 12th and should cost between $33 - $50! Snag a copy ASAP (especially if you want a slipcover and mini poster!) from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from MVD ENTERTAINMENT'S ONLINE STORE! 

Notes: For those of you who refuse to make the change over to 4K UHD, or just can't justify the current cost of this disc fear not - MVD is putting out a Collector's Edition Blu-ray the same day that's a little bit cheaper and has all of the same extras! I should also note that they're also releasing a Blu-ray of GHOULIES II (easily the best entry in the four-film series) the same day, with a 4K release planned sometime in 2024!

Arrow Video Delivers a Double-Dose of Supernatural Horror with CRIMSON PEAK and THE DEAD CENTER!

HAUNTED HOUSES AND EVIL SPIRITS INHABIT ARROW VIDEO'S TWO NEWEST SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY TITLES!

I've been meaning to watch CRIMSON PEAK for some time, but just haven't gotten around to seeing del Toro's tale of Gothic romance. (Ditto for his Oscar-winning film THE SHAPE OF WATER! Ack! I have absolutely no right to call myself a fan!) THE DEAD CENTER is a new film from writer/director Billy Senese that is part psychological thriller and part supernatural shocker! If either title sounds enticing, then continue reading to learn more about each release and where you can purchase them!

CRIMSON PEAK (SPECIAL EDITION - 2015)

Synopsis: From the imagination of Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro (PAN'S LABYRINTH, THE SHAPE OF WATER) comes CRIMSON PEAK, a lavish, stunningly realized journey into the dark heart of Gothic romance!

Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, CRIMSON PEAK stars Mia Wasikowska (ALICE IN WONDERLAND, STOKER) as Edith Cushing, an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston - THOR, THE AVENGERS), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay. Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain - ZERO DARK THIRTY), Thomas' sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind CRIMSON PEAK.

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 119 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS:X Master Audio 7.1 and 2.0 DTS Headphone:X




Extras:

• Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo del Toro!
• The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak - A feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and extensive behind the scenes footage!
• Spanish language interview with Guillermo del Toro!
• The Gothic Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set - Four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall!
• A Primer on Gothic Romance - The director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance!
• The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak - The cast and crew talk about the film's use of color!
• Hand Tailored Gothic - A featurette on the film's striking costumes!
• A Living Thing - A look at the design, modeling, and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets!
• Beware of Crimson Peak - A walking tour around Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston!
• Crimson Phantoms - A featurette on the film's amazing ghosts!
• Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance - An interview with the author and critic!
• Violence and Beauty in Guillermo del Toro's Gothic Fairy Tale Films - A video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger!
• Deleted scenes 
• Image gallery 
• Original trailers and TV spots.
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and exclusive artwork by Guy Davis!

Arrow's Special Edition of del Toro's CRIMSON PEAK is now available wherever discs are sold, and should cost you between $24 - $28! Order a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from ARROW VIDEO!

THE DEAD CENTER (SPECIAL EDITION - 2018)

Synopsis: When a very dead suicide victim (Jeremy Childs - Preacher, Nashville) disappears from the morgue, it sets in motion a chain of events that has the power to immolate everything, and everyone, it touches.

Troubled psychiatrist Daniel Forrester (Shane Carruth - PRIMER, UPSTREAM COLOR) is drawn to help a mysterious patient who is brought to the emergency psych ward in a catatonic state with no memory of how he reached the hospital. As if to exorcise his own demons, the doctor feverishly tries to break through to his mysterious patient. But as a spate of mysterious deaths shake the ward to its core, Forrester comes to suspect that there is more to his new ward than meets the eye. As he comes to realize what he's unleashed, a desperate race against the forces of evil threatens to swallow him whole.

THE DEAD CENTER is a smart supernatural thriller that explores the demons that live inside all of us from writer-director Billy Senese, recently hailed as a masterful new voice in terror!

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 93 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & LPCM 2.0

Extras:

• Commentary with writer-director Billy Senese, producer-actor Shane Carruth, and co-star Jeremy Childs!
• Commentary with writer-director Billy Senese, producers Denis Deck and Jonathan Rogers, and cinematographer Andy Duensing!
• A Walk Through The Dead Center - An in-depth making-of documentary featuring new interviews with writer-director Billy Senese, producer-actor Shane Carruth, cinematographer Andy Duensing, and many others revisiting the locations and discussing the production!
• Nine deleted scenes, including an alternate ending!
• On-set interviews with actors Shane Carruth and Poorna Jagannathan!
• Head-Casting with Jeremy Childs - A brief look at the creation of the make-up effects seen in the climax of the film!
• Intruder - A short film from 2011 directed by Billy Senese and starring Jeremy Childs!
• The Suicide Tapes - The original short film from 2010 directed by Senese and starring Childs that later inspired The Dead Center!
• Midnight Radio Theater - Six chilling radio plays ("Insomnia," "The Long Weekend," "Disposable Life," "The Suicide Tapes," "The Woman In The Basement," "Blood Oath," and "Flu") written, produced and directed by Billy Senese!
• Theatrical trailer and teasers
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork!
• First pressing only: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jamie Graham!

Arrow's Special Edition Blu-ray of THE DEAD CENTER is currently available wherever Blu-ray discs are sold and should cost between $18 - $22! Add this film to your collection today by picking up a copy from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from ARROW VIDEO!

Death? Yeah, There's an App for That: COUNTDOWN Arrives in Theaters on October 25th!

THE FIRST EVER KILLER PHONE APP MOVIE ARRIVES ON THE BIG SCREEN, JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

I know you may be rolling your eyes right now: "They made a movie about a cell phone app that kills people?" Yes. Yes they did. But it's hardly any less ludicrous than a cursed VHS tape, a killer website, murderous toys & homicidal dolls, and evil furniture, right?

Directed by Justin Dec, this modern Horror feature looks to turn something as innocuous as a phone app into a thing of abject horror. Look, I know that's going to require a lot of suspension of disbelief, but give it a shot. It's always good to see a new Horror film on the big screen so close to Halloween, plus this movie might be fairly entertaining!

Synopsis: When a young nurse downloads an app that claims to predict exactly when a person is going to die, it tells her she only has three days to live. With time ticking away and a mysterious figure haunting her, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out.

Stills & Trailer:
(Click on images to enlarge them.)

COUNTDOWN arrives in theaters on October 25th. To see if it's playing at a theater near you, and to pre-order tickets, visit FANDANGO!

Severin Films Brings Supernatural Classic THE CHANGELING to Blu-ray on August 7th!

PETER MEDAK'S TALE OF A MAN HAUNTED BY A RESTLESS SPIRIT GETS SOME MAJOR LOVE FROM SEVERIN FILMS!

THE CHANGELING is one of my all-time favorite supernatural fright flicks. It's quite atmospheric, and pulls you right in as George C. Scott's John Russell begins to unravel a mystery that started nearly a century before he moved into a haunted house. I'm very excited about this release and look forward to eventually watching this film in glorious high-definition! If you're a fan of THE CHANGELING, read on Vault Dwellers and rejoice!

Synopsis: The 1980 horror classic in HD for the first time ever in America! It is perhaps the most chilling supernatural thriller of our time and remains a career peak for star George C. Scott and director Peter Medak (THE RULING CLASS, THE KRAYS). Now the film that Martin Scorsese calls, "One of the scariest movies ever made," finally comes to Blu-ray.

Academy Award winner Scott stars as a Manhattan composer consumed by grief after his wife and daughter are killed in a shocking accident. But when he moves to a secluded Victorian mansion, he will find himself haunted by a paranormal entity that may unleash an even more disturbing secret.

Trish Van Devere (THE HEARSE), two-time Oscar winner Melvyn Douglas (BEING THERE) and Jean Marsh (FRENZY) co-star in one of the most unsettling ghost stories ever made. THE CHANGELING was the winner of 8 Genie Awards, including Best Foreign Actor, Best Foreign Actress and Best Canadian Film, and is based on actual events.

This wheelchair would go on to have a major cameo in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3!

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 97 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - ?

Extras:

•  Audio Commentary With Director Peter Medak and Producer Joel B. Michaels Moderated By Severin Films’ David Gregory!
• The House On Cheesman Park: The Haunting True Story Of The Changeling.
• The Music Of The Changeling: Interview With Music Arranger Kenneth Wannberg.
• Building The House Of Horror: Interview With Art Director Reuben Freed!
• The Psychotronic Tourist: The Changeling 
• Master of Horror Mick Garris On The Changeling
• Poster & Still Gallery
• Trailer
• TV Spot
• Only 5,000 copies of the Limited Edition will include embossed slipcover and a soundtrack CD!

Severin's Standard and Limited Editions of THE CHANGELING have a street date of Tuesday, August 7th, and should cost you between $21 and $25! Boasting a new 4K transfer, the soundtrack CD, and a plethora of new extras, this is definitely a must-have release! Get your copy now from AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD! You can also get THE CHANGELING directly from SEVERIN FILMS, either by itself or in a cool bundle that includes additional items! (e.g. an enamel pin, replica ball, and movie poster!)

Wild Eye Releasing Wants You to Stay at the HOUSE ON ELM LAKE!

WELCOME TO THE "HOUSE ON ELM LAKE" WHERE THE ROOMS ARE TO DIE FOR! NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DEMAND!

If a deal on a house seems too good to be true, then it probably is. I'm sure that's the main lesson learned by the unfortunate family that moves into James Klass' HOUSE ON ELM LAKE! 

Synopsis: In the tradition of THE CONJURING comes a critically acclaimed and genuinely frightening feature “chock-full of superbly scary imagery” and “oozing with atmosphere.” (The Schlock Pit).

A young couple moves into a lake house that was the site of a ritual murder, and soon realize an ancient, dormant evil has awakened - a possessive force that has preyed on unsuspecting families like theirs for centuries.

HOUSE ON ELM LAKE was written and directed by James Klass (MOTHER KRAMPUS), and stars Becca Hirani (UNHINGED, MOTHER KRAMPUS), Oliver Ebsworth (CURSE OF THE WITCHING TREE, MOTHER KRAMPUS), and Tony Manders (DARKER SHADES OF ELISE, FOX TRAP).

Stills & Trailer:
(Click on images to enlarge them.)

HOUSE ON ELM LAKE is now available on various streaming platforms including AMAZON INSTANT VIDEO and GOOGLE PLAY. This title is currently not available on DVD (or Blu-ray) but most likely will be in coming months. Stay tuned for further updates!