Waldemar Daninsky Tours 16th Century Japan in THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD!

A SPANISH WEREWOLF CLASHES WITH JAPANESE SAMURAI AND MYSTICISM IN MONDO MACABRO'S NEWEST BLU-RAY RELEASE!

Until recently, I was completely unaware that there were any Japanese werewolf movies other than WOLF GUY and the two KIBAKICHI films, so you can imagine my utter surprise and delight when Mondo Macabro announced their upcoming release of nearly forgotten 1983 classic, THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD! Featuring Paul Naschy in his role as Waldemar Daninsky, a man forever in search of a cure for his lycanthropy, this film takes our tormented hero to the island nation of Japan where he hopes to end his monstrous curse! Promising werewolf hijinks, samurai battles, and even a duel with a real tiger, I am 100% sold on adding this film to my collection!

Synopsis: THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is the last great film from Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy. Although he would go on making and planning films until his death in 2009, he never again attempted the epic sweep and grandeur of this 10th entry into the saga of Waldemar Daninsky, a man afflicted by the curse of lycanthropy.

In this film, we get for the first time an origin story of how the Daninsky curse began back in the 10th century. We then move forward to 16th century Japan where Daninsky has traveled in search of a cure to his affliction. Co-starring Japanese stage and screen veteran Shigeru Amachi, and shot in the studios of Toshiro Mifune, THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is a highly successful and colorful melding of European werewolf legends and dark Japanese fantasy. It features a fight between werewolf and tiger, an evil scarlet-cloaked witch who imprisons Daninsky, a sword fight with a troupe of ghost samurai, and many other unforgettable scenes!

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 115 minutes | Region Free
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1) & Fullscreen (4:3)
Audio - PCM Mono

Extras:

• NEW! 4k RESTORATION FROM A FILM NEGATIVE!
• NEW! Cover art by artist Rick Melton!
• The Smile of the Wolf – Interview with star Paul Naschy. 
• Introduction to the film by Paul Naschy. 
• Interview with the writer and critic Gavin Baddeley. 
• Audio commentary with the Naschy cast. (Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn) 
• Original trailer. 
• Mondo Macabro previews.

Mondo Macabro's stellar Blu-ray release of THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD will be available on Tuesday, February 25th and should cost between $18 - $20! Add this awesome Horror mashup to your personal collection this week by ordering a copy from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from MONDO MACABRO!

Arrow Video Wants You to Beware the Moon and Stay off the Moors on October 29th!

ARROW VIDEO'S UPCOMING LIMITED EDITION OF JOHN LANDIS' "AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON" IS TO DIE FOR!

When discussing the greatest werewolf films of all time, it seems that Horror fans typically rank AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON as number one. (Or at the very least, give it the top spot for "Best Werewolf Transformation of all time!") I've already upgraded my copy of AAWIL from VHS, to DVD, to Blu-ray, but I did not break down and buy the latest "restored edition" that came out three years ago. And I'm glad I didn't because Arrow's upcoming Limited Edition looks outstanding, with its new 4K transfer and tons of new (and archival) extras! Let's take a closer look at this one, shall we Vault Dwellers?

Synopsis: One of the greatest directors of the 1980s, John Landis (THE BLUES BROTHERS, TRADING PLACES), expertly combines macabre horror with dark humor in the lycanthropic classic, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.

American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter - WALKABOUT) to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital...

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis' film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade, rightly lauded for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Bakers' truly ground-breaking, Oscar-winning special makeup effects. Now restored in 4K, and presented with an abundance of extra features, this big beast of horror can be devoured as never before...

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 98 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & Original Uncompressed 1.0 Mono

Click image for a closer look!

Extras:

• NEW! 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by John Landis!
• NEW! Audio commentary by Beware the Moon filmmaker Paul Davis!
• Audio Commentary by actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne!
• NEW! Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf - Feature-length documentary by filmmaker Daniel Griffith, featuring interviews with John Landis, David Naughton, Joe Dante, and more!
• NEW! An American Filmmaker in London - An interview with John Landis in which he reflects on his time working in Britain and British cinema!
• NEW! I Think He's a Jew: The Werewolf's Secret - Video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira (Elstree 1976) about how Landis' film explores Jewish identity!
• NEW! The Werewolf's Call - Corin Hardy, director of THE NUN, chats with writer Simon Ward about their formative experiences with Landis' film.
• NEW! Wares of the Wolf - Featurette in which SFX artist Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of The Prop Store look at some of the original costumes and special effects artifacts from the film!
• Beware the Moon - Paul Davis' acclaimed, feature-length exploration of Landis' film which boasts extensive cast and crew interviews!
• Making An American Werewolf in London - A short archival featurette on the film's production!
• An Interview with John Landis - A lengthy archival interview with the director about the film!
• Makeup Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London - The legendary make-up artist discusses his work on the film!
• I Walked with a Werewolf - An archival interview with the make-up artist about Universal horror and its legacy of Wolfman films!
• Casting of the Hand - Archival footage from Rick Baker's workshop as they cast David Naughton's hand!
• Outtakes 
• Original trailers, teasers and radio spots.
• Extensive image gallery featuring over 200 stills, posters and other ephemera!
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster art and artwork by Graham Humphreys!
• Double-sided fold-out poster!
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions!
• Limited 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford and Simon Ward, archival articles and original reviews!

Yowza! Just looking at all of that makes me want to howl with joy Vault Dwellers! Arrow Video's (definitive?) Limited Edition Blu-ray of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON is due out on Tuesday, October 29th - just in time for Halloween! The current retail price seems to be around $35, but that will likely drop as the street date nears. You can pre-order a copy of this Arrow title now through AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from ARROW VIDEO!

Note: This title is three months out so the street date and extras are subject to change! We shall post further updates as we receive them!

Scream Factory gives you a double dose of hairy palms with TEEN WOLF and TEEN WOLF TOO!

SCREAM FACTORY BRINGS "TEEN WOLF" AND "TEEN WOLF TOO" TO BLU-RAY IN NEW COLLECTOR'S EDITIONS ON AUGUST 8TH!

TEEN WOLF has been one of my fave 80s flicks since forever! It has a memorable cast of characters, fairly decent makeup f/x, good tunes (Win In The End for the win!), and has a warm gooey message of "being true to oneself." The sequel.... not so much...

And though I would have preferred both films paired up in a single double-feature release, the new transfers and extras more than make up for it! If you're a fan of both films (i.e. TEEN WOLF, because honestly, who is even remotely excited for the sequel? Besides me?) then scroll on down to see the fulls specs and extras so that you can rationalize adding them to your collection!

TEEN WOLF Synopsis: "He Always Wanted To Be Special … But He Never Expected This!" Like all teenagers, Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox, the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy) is going through some … changes. But unlike the rest of the students at Beacontown High School, Scott's changes include long hair that covers his entire body, claw-like fingernails, fangs, a heightened sense of smell, superhuman strength and the extraordinary ability to … play basketball? And that's just the beginning.

Naturally, these uncanny new features turn this lovable loser into the most popular kid in school. But by embracing his newly minted popularity, has the "Teen Wolf" lost sight of what it truly means to be Scott Howard?

Disc Specs:
Rated PG | Color | 91 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Extras:

• NEW! High-Definition Film Transfer Taken From The Interpositive!
• Never. Say. Die. The Story Of Teen Wolf – A Comprehensive Documentary About The Making And Legacy Of The Film, Including Brand-new Interviews With The Cast And Crew! (Run-time: 143 minutes!)
• ​Original Theatrical Trailer
• ​Still Gallery

Whoa! A new HD transfer plus a nearly two-and-a-half documentary?! That's totally worth the price of admission! You can order TEEN WOLF: COLLECTOR'S EDITION now from AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or SHOUT! FACTORY! If you order from Shout! your disc will also come with a rolled 18x24 poster featuring the new key cover art! (While supplies last.)

TEEN WOLF TOO Synopsis: "High School Was Easy, But College Is A Whole Different Animal!" Jason Bateman (HORRIBLE BOSSES) stars as Todd Howard, a Hamilton University freshman with a full athletic scholarship — only Todd has no idea why, since he's far more interested in veterinary medicine than sports. But his boxing coach, Bobby Finstock, is very familiar with the Howard family secret and he's hoping he can use it to his advantage.

When the whole school — including Todd — finds out that he's a werewolf with superhuman abilities, Todd's popularity skyrockets and he becomes the big wolf on campus. But is his fame a gift? Or a curse?

And can he keep it from getting in the way of the relationships he has with his best friends and girlfriend? Perhaps a little guidance from his professor (Kim Darby, TRUE GRIT), who has a secret of her own, may help Todd learn the biggest lesson of all.

Disc Specs:
Rated PG | Color | 91 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - TBA (Assuming DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0)

Extras: 

• Working With The Wolf – An Interview With Director Christopher Leitch.
• Otherworldly – An Interview With Co-star Kim Darby.
• A Man of Great ‘Stiles’ - An Interview With Co-star Stuart Fratkin.
• Nerdy Girl Saves the Day – An Interview With Co-star Estee Chandler.
• A Wolf In ‘80s Clothing – A Look At The Wardrobe Of Teen Wolf Too With Costume Designer Heidi Kaczenski.
• Still Gallery

TEEN WOLF TOO: COLLECTOR'S EDITION also premieres on Tuesday, August 8th and will be available at AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, and SHOUT! FACTORY. As is the case with TEEN WOLF, if you order the sequel directly from Shout!, you will get a poster with it! (Again, while supplies last.)