Night Of The Demons – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)
Night Of The Demons is a film that has been engrained in my consciousness ever since my very first viewing of it. I remember it quite clearly. That damn VHS box at the rental store was incredibly terrifying to me (see the thumb). I always wanted to rent it but backed off. Once the time came, I finally divulged. And holy crap, this movie spooked the crap out of me. It had some disturbing material that has haunted my brain since the first time I saw it. Plus it had this alluring sexual vibe to it that as a kid in the Midwest growing up Catholic always adds a dimension of horror because it seems kind of dirty like you shouldn’t be watching. It’s those early viewings and lasting effect that has made this film one of my favorite horror movies of all time. So imagine my delight when my favorite Blu-ray distributor got their hands on it. Joy! Continue reading ‘Night Of The Demons – Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
So come on…tell me! Who’s excited as I am for this weekend’s big game?! I’m using the power of visualization to visualize the Broncos winning their third Super Bowl title, a fitting close to Manning’s all-star career. And as a bonus…we have all the big tent pole action movies vying for your attention during the game too. One of them is actually being teased in this post. And yes, despite not being a fan of the first film, I’m excited for this sequel. So tune in to the Big Game this Sunday for an exclusive look at Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, but for now…check out the tease and the new posters below! 
The Golden Globe nominated (Best Actress in a Mini Series-Rebecca Ferguson, Best Mini-series or TV Movie) mini series The White Queen arrives on Blu-ray from Starz/Anchor Bay Home Entertainment. The series originally aired on the BBC in June 2013. It was followed by being acquired by the Starz network and aired there two months later in August. The series is work of historical fiction based on a popular book series. The BBC declined a further series and claimed it to be a one-shot, but Starz has stepped in and is developing another mini series, The White Princess which is also based on books in the series. This is definitely a title cashing in on the success of HBO’s Game Of Thrones, and those are big aspirations, but how does it stand in its own right? Well, keep reading and I’ll give you my two pennies. 
It seemed pretty telling of the quality to me that a film by acclaimed director Jason Reitman would be practically swept under the rug, given its low profile release at the end of January, but I had a desire to see it anyway. I have been a fan of Reitman’s previous films (including Juno, Up In The Air, and Young Adult), so I was more or less pleased at the prospect of seeing another film from him. While I was not familiar with the novel by Joyce Maynard, which this film is based on, I could get behind a Jason Reitman film that stars Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. Unfortunately, while these leads deliver fine work, as that generally comes with casting good actors, the film slipped away from being a poetic coming-of-age story and moved towards being a melodramatic piece of work, finding more in common with familiar Nicholas Sparks dramas.
A few days ago I was discussing the HBO series Entourage with some friends and going over how it began as a fairly entertaining series, but eventually amounted to some conflict that could be extinguished with the simple mantra of, “Vince and the gang are going to be alright.” The show mainly relied on the easy-going dude chemistry between the guys (and Jeremy Piven), as they lived lives of luxury in Hollywood. While the setting and premise are very different, That Awkward Moment had me thinking of Entourage quite a bit. This dude-focused romantic comedy has fairly low stakes, features a group of people who are all fairly successful and especially well-dressed, and it never seems like there is much going on to threaten their existence. I am not saying the world needed to be crashing down around them, but it is a fairly standard comedy that was rarely very funny and essentially amounted to the mantra of, “Zac Efron and the gang are going to be alright.”
Here’s another film I just never had the chance to see, but may get a chance to in the near future. Here’s the official word: The provocative, untold true story of a murder involving three great poets – Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William S. Boroughs – unfolds when Sony Pictures Classics’ KILL YOUR DARLINGS becomes available March 18 on Bluray™* Combo Pack and Digital from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Directed by John Krokidas in his feature film debut, KILL YOUR DARLINGS premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as Grand Jury Prize nominee. The film was also the official selection of the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals, taking home the Venice Days International Award. A true story of friendship, love and murder, KILL YOUR DARLINGS recounts the pivotal year that changed Allen Ginsberg’s life forever and provided the spark to start his creative revolution. Read on to learn more about this upcoming release.
Next Tuesday, Scream Factory hits one out of the park with its releases of Kevin Tenney’s 80s horror classics Witchboard and Night Of The Demons. I’ve already reviewed Witchboard (HERE) and you’ll be able to read my Night Of The Demons review very soon. To tide you over until then and until next Tuesday, Scream Factory has provided me with some clips from these two gems. These all come from the bonus material found on these glorious releases. Also, its not too late to pre-order these titles, and I’ve provided links to do so after all the fun clips and pics. So, don’t delay, act now! Haha 
Universal Studios is finally releasing two classics from their extensive vault in April. Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Orson Welles’ Touch Of Evil will both make their long overdue debuts on Blu-ray on April 15. Its kind of a bummer it takes classics like these so long to make the jump to the format, but they don’t seem to be much of the priority anymore and the more years tick by the further they tick from being of relevancy to general customers. But, when stuff like this finally does roll around, it’s very exciting for us collectors and film history appreciators. Both films will come in special edition type versions with multiple commentaries, features and two cuts of the film for Touch Of Evil. Below are the studio supplies the proper specs of the titles and you can pre-order now by clicking the Amazon link! 
Coming at you next month, from Phase 4 Films and XLrator Media is JAMESY BOY. This true story features notable acting vets James Woods, Mary Louise-Parker and Ving Rhames. It also sports the little Farmiga (Taissa) and a Black Eyed Pea (because everybody loves them). This seems to be the tale of a street thug who does some time and turns his life around inside the big house. I suppose what interested me in this is that I’ve always been a fan of James Woods and I’m also a big fan of Mary Louise-Parker. One can only hope this is a nice touching drama that is at least a solid story that is able to separate itself from many films that follow this common storyline and theme. There is no pre-order yet available for this title, but I’m sure one will appear very soon. It comes out the 25th of next month. Keep on reading for box art, the plot synopsis, cast list, a trailer and some other spec details regarding this release from Phase 4 Films and XLrator Media! 
You know you want to sing along, right? Well that’s good because all I heard were yeahs! So here’s the deal. More than 2000 theaters nationwide are staged to showcase the all-new sing-along version of Disney’s Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning big-screen adventure Frozen, which I regretfully have not seen as of yet, beginning Jan. 31, 2014. But if you can’t wait another minute, check out the video below for a sneak peek of the fun. On-screen lyrics and a magical bouncing snowflake will accompany select showings; moviegoers can check local listings for showtimes and theaters. And in the meantime, place your pre-orders 
Let’s face it, besides the Aliens box set years ago and the Universal Monsters one, in my opinion this may be one the greatest Blu-ray packages ever assembled, even though it’s repackage (although with a new transfer on the first film) of an earlier set. One may expect me to say that of the Star Wars Saga set put out a few years ago, but let’s admit the facts. There’s only one stinker in the Rocky franchise where there’s three in the Star Wars universe, right? Well, to be fair, they didn’t suck. But they weren’t that great either! Haha. So all in all, the story of Rocky and the films that follow in the franchise mean so much to me personally that I don’t think words can ever accurately describe my love and affinity for them. So I’ll let the press release below do the rest of the talking for this February 11th Blu-ray release! 
When you bill something as a Sundance Horror Sensation or one of the best horror movies of the year, people tend to take notice. At least I do! So that’s why when my favorite PR person over at Anchor Bay sent me this email today I know I had to not only get news of this Blu-ray release up on the website as soon as possible, but also that of the film’s domestic trailer and theatrical poster (same as Blu-ray cover art). You see, before In Fear‘s March 11th release on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD, the movie will also get treated to exclusive U.S. theatrical engagements too. Check out the trailer and full press release below. Enjoy! 
Let’s face it. Escape Plan is the tag team hardcore action moviegoers of my generation have been dying to see happen on the big screen ever since the big guns of the 80’s. With the exception of Arnold’s brief scenes in The Expendables series, Escape Plan truly marks the first time Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger have starred together in the same film. I don’t know how you feel about it, but that’s one massive production in my opinion with both of those hulking names thrown together in the same ring. So nevertheless, since I missed the press screening last year, I have been drooling with anticipation and anxiously awaiting for this “action” flick to come out on the Blu-ray format, like a dog waiting for its master to come home from a hard day of work, just to get a first hand look at their onscreen chemistry together, outside of The Expendables franchise. Now the real question is whether or not I was disappointed in it? I’ll get to that more in a few minutes, but for now let’s talk about everything Escape Plan. You down with that? 
