ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, "SLUGS" MAKES ITS U.S. BLU-RAY DEBUT, COURTESY OF ARROW VIDEO!
Juan Piquer Simon has made some of my favorite b-flicks: POD PEOPLE, PIECES, THE RIFT, and of course SLUGS! I only have a handful of Arrow Video releases in my collection, and I'm gonna make sure this one ends up alongside them!
Film Synopsis: From celebrated Spanish director Juan Piquer Simón, the man behind the truly demented slasher flick PIECES (1982), comes a terrifying tale of mutant slugs on the rampage in small-town America.
The townsfolk of a rural community are dying in strange and gruesome circumstances. Following the trail of horrifically mutilated cadavers, resident health inspector Mike Brady is on the case to piece together the mystery. He soon comes to a terrifying conclusion giant slugs are breeding in the sewers beneath the town, and they're making a meal of the locals!
Based on the novel by acclaimed British horror author Shaun Hutson, SLUGS outdoes its creature feature peers by adding an extra dose of gross-out gore into the equation, culminating in one of the most squirm-inducing animal attack movies ever to slither its way across screens!
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 92 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - LPCM 1.0 Mono Audio
Extras:
Brand new restoration from original film elements!
Original Uncompressed PCM Stereo audio
Audio commentary by writer and filmmaker Chris Alexander.
Here's Slugs In Your Eye - An interview with actor Emilio Linder.
They Slime, They Ooze, They Kill: The Effects of Slugs - An interview with special effects artist Carlo De Marchis.
Invasion USA - An interview with art director Gonzalo Gonzalo.
The Lyons Den - An interview and locations tour with production manager Larry Ann Evans.
1988 Goya Awards promo reel.
Original Theatrical Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Wes Benscoter.
Fully-illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by writer Michael Gingol.
This looks to be a HUGE step up from the old Anchor Bay DVD release of SLUGS, so naturally I MUST OWN THIS! SLUGS will be available at various online retailers on Tuesday, September 27th, and cost between $19.99 - $24.99. You can order a copy now from AMAZON.COM or from DIABOLIK DVD. (Also, may I suggest BULLMOOSE.COM, as they have very competitive pricing!)
Fall begins tomorrow Vault Dwellers, and what better way to celebrate than adding some cool ass genre titles to your collections?! This week Kino Lorber kicks all kinds of ass with the Blu-ray debuts of BEWARE! THE BLOB and THE RIFT (aka ENDLESS DESCENT), Scream Factory adds SACRIFICE to their catalog, Shout Select bestows unto us the must-own BILL & TED'S MOST EXCELLENT COLLECTION, and Arrow Video gives DEAD END DRIVE-IN some major love!
There's plenty of other cool stuff out now, so scroll down to see it all!
NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
The Blackout Experiments
The Cat People (Criterion Collection)
Labyrinth: 30th Anniversary Edition
Mai-Chan's Daily Life: The Movie
The Originals: The Complete Third Season
The Punisher (1989 - Region B)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
NEW TO BLU-RAY
Beware! The Blob
Bill & Ted's Most Excellent Collection
Dead End Drive-In (Special Edition)
Golgo 13: The Professional
The James Bond Collection
The Rift (aka Endless Descent)
Sacrifice
Twin Peaks: The Complete TV Series & Movies Collection
The Ultimate James Bond Collection
NEW TO DVD
Alienween: Halloween Party Apocalypse
The Caretaker
Doctor Who: Series 8, Part One
Fleas
Haunted Mansion (Tagalog movie)
I Didn't Come Here to Die
The Killer Shrews / The Giant Gila Monster (Widescreen Double Feature)
OMG... We're in a Horror Movie!
Queen of Spades: The Dark Rite
The Sighting
Vamp U
Hey Vault Dwellers! 2016 has been kind of a letdown for major theatrical releases (though I'm still super pumped for DOCTOR STRANGE and ROGUE ONE), but no need to fear because other countries, and indie filmmakers are keeping the spirit of cinema alive! For this edition of the News Vault's Trailer Round-Up, I'm going to take a look at a new Korean zombie flick, Toho's latest entry in their ongoing Godzilla franchise (Yay!), a cool documentary about drive-ins, a crowdfunded FRIDAY THE 13TH tale, and a teaser for an upcoming ode to exploitation cinema! Enjoy!
TRAILER #1: AT THE DRIVE-IN
During my past visits to The Mahoning Drive-In, I saw a flyer in the concession stand telling us moviegoers not be alarmed if we saw a film crew lurking about, because they were filming a documentary. That doc has turned out to be Alexander Monelli's AT THE DRIVE-IN, which chronicles the history of The Mahoning, and it's big decision to skip going digital, in favor of showing 35mm classics every weekend!
I am definitely looking forward to the eventual release of this documentary as I simply love going to this venue! We can expect a longer trailer later this year during the holidays, and hopefully a release of the finished film sometime in 2017.
TRAILER #2: NEVER HIKE ALONE
I don't quite recall how I discovered it, but I watched the trailer for NEVER HIKE ALONE today and got a real shock about a minute in. Thinking it was some sort of found footage flick, or maybe even a survival film, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is actually a FRIDAY THE 13TH fan film!
A lone hiker named Kyle McLeod decides to pay the long abandoned Camp Crystal Lake a visit, and ends up running into a living legend! Using his survival training, Kyle must use his skills to evade and possibly even defeat the masked maniac Jason Voorhees! Will he succeed?!
Watch the trailer below, then CLICK HERE to help get this 22-minute short Kickstarted! That way, we'll all get a chance to see Kyle vs. Jason sometime next year!
TRAILER #3: PLANET FRANKENSTEIN
Newt Wallen has been working tirelessly on completing his ode to trash cinema, MIDNIGHT SHOW. But now he's also working on a crazy Science-Fiction / Horror extravaganza involving vampires, and the daughters of The Frankenstein Monster... IN SPACE!
Here's a brief synopsis of PLANET FRANKENSTEIN: "During a daring escape from a Vampire stronghold, the daughters of
Frankenstein's Monster run into a powerful cosmic storm that has
marooned them on a hostile prison planet. For the next 48 hours rescue
is impossible. The women have just one option: Survive!"
What you will see below is merely a proof-of-concept teaser trailer for PLANET FRANKENSTEIN, which is still in the very early stages of production. Here's wishing Newt and company all the best in getting their film off the ground! Peep out the teaser below, then give them some love over at the PLANET FRANKENSTEIN Facebook page!
TRAILER #4: SHIN GODZILLA
Toho's smash hit SHIN GOJIRA is coming to U.S. shores for a limited engagement! Between October 11th to the 18th, Funimation is releasing SHIN GODZILLA in select theaters across the country! (Check Fandango to see if a theater near you is screening it! Note: This film will be subtitled, so if you "don't like to read movies," consider waiting for the eventual Blu-ray release.)
This reboot was directed by the creators of EVANGELION: NEON GENESIS, and their new design for the Big-G has been divisive among legions of Godzilla fans. In this new film, modern day Japan is attacked by the biggest (and most nightmarish) incarnation of Godzilla yet. Will modern weaponry and technology be a match for the gargantuan kaiju?!
I've already scored tickets to this and can't wait to see a BRAND NEW JAPANESE GODZILLA FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN! Scope out the awesome new trailer for SHIN GODZILLA and get excited kaiju fans!
TRAILER #5: TRAIN TO BUSAN
The Critical Outcast's very own Chris Beaumont highly recommended this movie, and it's no secret why: It looks really good! Though I am admittedly tired of the zombie sub-genre, every now and again, a movie comes along that reignites my interest. And TRAIN TO BUSAN seems to fit the bill!
This South Korean Action Horror-Thriller features a group of travelers on a train that get caught up in a sudden zombie apocalypse. No place seems safe, and a select few fight to survive as their train barrels towards its final destination. The movie is getting rave reviews, and if the trailer is any indication, TRAIN TO BUSAN is going to be intense!
Well Go USA is currently giving this film a limited release in certain cities across the U.S. (CLICK HERE for dates and theater locations), and will hopefully release it on to DVD & Blu-ray later this year! Check out the newest trailer below, then get on board the hype train!
That's it for now Vault Dwellers, but check back again soon for another round of cool trailers for upcoming genre titles, as well as updates on other upcoming films and Blu-ray releases!
SHOW XIV INVADES POUGHKEEEPSIE, NY ON DECEMBER 3RD, WITH A KILLER LINEUP OF 35MM PRINTS!
As I sit here typing about this upcoming film fest, I find it hard to believe that I'm once again helping to usher in a fantastic show that I was merely a bystander at five years ago. Since HUDSON HORROR SHOW IV (the original December to Dismember), I've become a fixture of this bi-annual event, sponsoring the likes of INFRA-MAN, LADY TERMINATOR, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2, and NIGHTBREED!
This time around I'm proud to help Chris Alo and his merry band of Horror fanatics kick-off yet another high quality Hudson Horror Show, with a strong lineup of genre favorites! Tickets go on sale Friday, September 16th for $38.00 on their official website, for Theaters #1 and #6! That's right Vault Dwellers, this show is so huge it takes TWO SCREENS to harness all of the awesome!
THE LINEUP
ROBOCOP (1987)
This film is one of my all-time favorites! ROBOCOP boasts costume design and effects by Rob Bottin, an amazing soundtrack composed by Basil Poledouris, an unbeatable cast made up of Ronny Cox, Peter Weller, Kurtwood Smith, Nancy Allen and other familiar faces, plus first-rate directing by Paul Verhoeven (STARSHIP TROOPERS, SHOWGIRLS)!
When officer Alex Murphy is gunned-down in the line of duty, his corpse is reconstituted inside the bulletproof body of a crime-fighting cyborg! As RoboCop cleans up the streets of "Old Detroit," Murphy begins to regain his humanity, and seeks vengeance against the gang of thugs that murdered him and ruined his life!
THE HOWLING (1981)
Sponsored by yours truly, this Joe Dante classic features a news anchor (Dee Wallace) and her hubby staying at a secluded retreat called "The Haven." Though intended to be an escape from the trauma of tracking down a serial killer, it turns out that the backwoods paradise is actually a refuge for werewolves! Though the bulk of the shapeshifters are trying to get a handle on their animalistic urges, there are some that strongly disagree, and readily let loose the beast within. This leads to some cool transformation scenes (courtesy of Rob Bottin!), a philosophical discussion of the human id, and werewolf sex!
DEATH RACE 2000 (1975)
After such a strong audience reaction to the trailer that was shown at the previous Hudson Horror Show, DEATH RACE 2000's inclusion in the roster is a no-brainer! Set in a future where the Cannonball Run has become a deadly national sport, Roger Corman's insane sci-fi classic pits colorful drivers against one-another in a sprint from the East Coast of the United States, all the way to the West. The catch? The drivers must run down, run over, maim, and kill as many innocent bystanders as possible to gain points!
Featuring Sylvester Stallone in an early role, alongside the likes of David Carradine and Mary Woronov, this violent version of Wacky Races is sure to be a real crowdpleaser!
THE HITCHER (1986)
Followed up by a lousy sequel, and a dull reboot, Robert Harmon's THE HITCHER has withstood the test of time. This thriller features a cat-and-mouse game between a young man (C. Thomas Howell) and a murderous drifter (Rutger Hauer). After escaping a crazed hitchhiker, Jim Halsey is pursued relentlessly, and framed for numerous murders, by the cold and calculated mystery man.
THE HITCHER is a great flick, and will definitely make you think twice before picking up any hitchhikers, and it'll be a real treat to see it projected in 35mm!
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978)
Egads! It was all fun and games until Meir Zarchi's quintessential "rape and revenge" classic was added to the roster! I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is not a pleasant film, and features actress Camille Keaton as Jennifer, a writer looking for seclusion in order to focus on her craft. Her plans go completely out the window once four hillbillies break into her cabin and gang-rape her multiple times, then leave her for dead.
Once she physically recovers from the attack, she begins a quiet, campaign of vengeance against the wicked men who destroyed her innocence. After you see this movie, you'll never look at a seemingly harmless rub & tug in the bathtub the same way again!
MYSTERY MOVIE
This is a complete unknown gang! Even I don't know what's playing, and I'm usually privy to that information! I sense something HUGE is in store for us Hudson Horror fans!
THE SCHEDULE(S)
*Movie times include trailers, all times are tentative and subject to change.
Tickets are on sale NOW, and pre-orders end on November 28th at midnight! After that, all remaining tickets (if any are left over) will be sold at the door for $45.00! So be sure to pre-order your tickets Vault Dwellers, and prepare yourselves for another great HUDSON HORROR SHOW!
Whoa! Hold on to your butts Vault Dwellers because September's second week is overflowing with awesome DVDs & Blu-rays! Shout Factory has released their 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE, while their Scream Factory label boasts RAISING CAIN (COLLECTOR'S EDITION), and the 3D quasi post-apocalyptic adventure METALSTORM: THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED-SYN.
Synapse leaps into the fray with a new Blu-ray of Dario Argento's TENEBRAE, Lionsgate re-releases their must-own EVIL DEAD 2 Blu-ray (now with different artwork and digital copy of the film), and Universal gives us a huge dose of classic movie monsters with their FRANKSTEIN and THE WOLF MAN LEGACY COLLECTIONS, and an 8-film HAMMER HORROR boxed set as well!
Criterion Collection has just released an impressive set of all the ZATOICHI flicks, and Olive Films comes out swinging today with new Blu-rays for THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, MANKILLERS, JEKYLL & HYDE TOGETHER AGAIN, and THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS! And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Kraken Releasing's new THE RETURN OF GODZILLA Blu, which contains the original Japanese cut of the film. (Sadly the GODZILLA 1985 New World cut is not included, due to right's issues if what I hear is true.)
There's still plenty of other awesome titles to pick up today as well, so scroll on down to see what's new!
NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Aliens (30th Anniversary Edition)
Bachelor's Grove
Captain America: Civil War
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
The Conjuring 2
Godzilla 1984 (a.k.a. The Return of Godzilla)
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock
Jekyll & Hyde Together Again
Mankillers
Tenebrae
Transformers: The Movie (30th Anniversary Edition)
NEW TO BLU-RAY
Evil Dead 2
The Exotic Dances of Bettie Page
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (2D & 3D!)
The Monster of Piedras Blancas
Raising Cain (Collector's Edition)
Trancers 3
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection - 9 discs!)
NEW TO DVD
Alien Hunger
Asian Ghost Story
Asockalypse
Back in Time (Standard Edition)
Bad Ass Babes Big Box of Horror Volume 2
Captain Z-Ro
Dark Exorcism
Dark Revelations
Deadly Intent
The Munsters: The Complete Series
The Neon Dead
Not Another Zombie Movie
The Other Side
The Paranormal Activity Collection (All 6 films.)
The Purging Hour
Sorority Slaughterhouse
Subterranea
Video Killer
NEW BLU-RAY MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection
Contains: Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, The Ghost of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Hammer Horror 8-Film Collection
Contains: Brides of Dracula, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Phantom of the Opera, The Kiss of the Vampire, Paranoiac, Nightmare, Night Creatures, and The Evil of Frankenstein.
The Wolf Man: Complete Legacy Collection
Contains: The Wolf Man, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and She-Wolf of London.
NEW DVD MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS Alfred Hitchcock Thrillers Collection Contains: Suspicion, Strangers on a Train, I Confess, Dial M for Murder, The Wrong Man, and North By Northwest.
Blumhouse 4-Movie Horror Collection
Contains: The Veil, Mercy, Visions, and Mockingbird.
Midnight Horror Collection Vol. 3 Contains: The Devil's Partner, Black Dragons, Monstrosity, and Night of the Blood Beast.
Midnight Horror Collection Vol. 4 Contains: Curse of the Wolf, The Vampire Conspiracy, Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned, and Fist of the Vampire.
Science-Fiction Classics Collection
Contains: The Thing, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, THEM! Forbidden Planet, World Without End, and The Time Machine.
FOX CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF JAMES CAMERONS' "ALIENS" WITH A NEW DVD & BLU-RAY RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 13TH!
I already own the ALIEN franchise on Blu-ray, so I'm not "upgrading" this time around. However, if you find yourself missing this essential sci-fi actioner from your collection, then what are you waiting for?!
Film Synopsis: James Cameron directed this critically acclaimed sequel starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo’s deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien. After drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years, Ripley returns to Earth, haunted by nightmares of the past. Although her story is initially met with disbelief, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426... and this time it’s war!
Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 137 / 157 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Dolby Digital 4.1, and English Surround Dolby Digital 2.0!
Extras:
NEW!The Inspiration and Design of Aliens featurette.
Audio commentary by Director James Cameron, cast and crew.
Introduction by James Cameron (Special Edition Only)
James Horner's Isolated Film Scores.
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Deleted Scenes Montage
Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
Pre-Production Galleries (The Art of Aliens & Casting)
Original Theatrical Trailer (Unconfirmed)
Collectible Art Cards and Illustrated Comic Reprint
Aside from the new cover art, collectible cards and comic, and new featurette, this is the same exact ALIENS Blu-ray that you've seen before. Still, if you (for some crazy reason) do not own this movie, then by all means pick up the 30th Anniversary release of ALIENS! You can order it now (rather affordably) at AMAZON.COM, and have it by next week! CLICK HERE TO ORDER IT!
Before you go, scope out this kick-ass tribute to ALIENS from Jo-Blo.com, and remember why you love this movie so damned much!
