![](/cover/15084/HIDDENWBABLU.jpg)
After
(2012/MVD
DVD)/American
Horror Story: Roanoke
(2017/Season
Six/Fox
Blu-ray Set)/Before
I Die (2016/Parade
Deck/MVD DVD)/Bleed
(2016/MVD DVD)/Down
(2001)/The
Lift
(1983/Dick Maas/both Blue Underground Blu-rays w/DVDs)/Earthrise
(2014/MVD DVD)/The
Hidden (1987/New
Line)/The
Man With Two Brains
(1983/both Warner Archive Blu-rays)
Picture:
B-/B+/B-/B-/B+ & B-/B+ & B-/B/B+/B+ Sound: B-/B+/B-/B-/B+
& B-/B+ & B-/B/B+/B+ Extras: D/C+/C/C/B/B/C/C+/C Main
Programs: C+/C/D/C/B/B/C-/B/B
PLEASE
NOTE:
The
Hidden
and The
Man With Two Brains
Blu-rays are now only available from Warner Bros. through their
Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.
Here's
a huge heaping of horror for Halloween 2017 for your consideration...
After
From
Director Ryan Smith, After
(2012) is finding its way onto disc in this bare bones release.
Deserving of a Blu-ray release, After
is actually quite better than I expected with an interesting and
twisty premise that is surprisingly clever.
When
two bus crash survivors awake to discover that they are the only
people left in their town, they must work together to figure out why.
Part 28
Days Later,
part Twilight
Zone,
After
is an interesting and well produced little movie that I'm surprised
didn't go further than it did apparently.
After
stars Karolina Wydra (Crazy
Stupid Love),
Madison Lintz, and Steven Strait.
Presented
on DVD in anamorphically enhanced standard definition with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo track, the film looks and sounds fine for the most part for
being on DVD. Some of the video blacks aren't dark enough but the
predominant use of blue is interesting. The score and sound mix are
pretty solid as well.
No
extras.
American
Horror Story: Roanoke - Season 6
The
hit R-rated series American
Horror Story
pushes the limits of what you can show on television with intense
violence and unusual horror stories set in a different location each
season. While not as scary as previous seasons such as Freak
Show
and Coven,
this Sixth
Season
of the show boasts strong production value and centers around
supernatural happenings in a North Carolina haunted house and mixes
that with the 'backwoods cult' cycle.
A
huge cast of big names (and many returning from previous seasons)
include Cuba Gooding Jr, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson,
Denis O'Hare, Frances Conroy, Kathy Bates, Lady Gaga, Lee Harris, and
many others.
Told
in a documentary TV-show style, called "My Roanoke Nightmare"
which is a sort of 'show within a show' that chronicles shocking
'true' paranormal events that a family supposedly witnessed and
survives seemingly unharmed. At first confusing, this way of telling
the story is a tacky and obviously scripted, with lesser known actors
playing the 'real victims' and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sarah Paulson
playing the couple during the 'reenactment' scenes. There's more
than one instance where the tension is sucked entirely out of a scene
when coming back to the 'real victims', who overact and lack
authenticity in some of their line deliveries.
The
story of the show start when Shelby and Matt Miller (Gooding Jr. and
Paulson) experience a gang-related crime in LA, which scares and
forces them to move. Starting over again, they buy their dream home
in a secluded farm country in North Carolina, where they hope to
focus on their relationship. After some weird things start to
happen, which are at first perceived by threats from the redneck
neighbors, soon reveals a story of murder involving a sadistic cult
led by 'The Butcher' (Kathy Bates).
Besting
the original television broadcast, the show is presented on Blu-ray
disc in 1080p high definition with a a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio
and a nice sounding English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1
track. Free of network watermarks and commercials, this version is
sure to give you a more uninterrupted cinematic experience when
watching from episode to episode.
Special
Features...
The
Paley Center for Media: Q&A with Cast and Creative Team from
PaleyFest 2017
Collection
of American
Horror Story:
Roanoke Promos
Series
Mode - Playback Option
There's
no doubt a lot of talent involved in American
Horror Story,
but this season felt a little forced in its storytelling and not very
scary, to this reviewer.
Before
I Die
The
low budget supernatural thriller Before
I Die
(2016), the debut feature by The Brothers Freeman, is a 'spiritual
obsession'/semi-supernatural/nihilist movie that just isn't scary.
Painfully slow moving and longer than it should be (about thirty
minutes too long) with a cast of unknowns (some of which are better
than others) and a storyline that's hard to follow, this isn't a film
you will want to watch 'before you die'.
The
film stars Robert McKeehen, Audrey Walker, Danny Bruno, and Robert
Blanche.
A
small Northwest town in the middle of nowhere has a strange spiritual
connection to it. When a new pastor takes over, he finds that the
town is a bit 'culty' and is up to no good. Of course they attend
meetings with creepy Eyes
Wide Shut-inspired
masquerade masks.
Presented
in anamorphically enhanced standard definition with a 1.78:1
widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track,
the film looks fine for being low budget on DVD. Surprisingly not
too much grain, even in darker scenes, however an HD update would
help matters. The score to the film is too synth - and not
necessarily in a good way and takes some of the scare out of it.
The
only extra (under the audio options on the main disc menu) is a
Director's Commentary by The Brothers Freeman. Though listed on the
back of the DVD cover, there is no Behind The Scenes Gallery to
access.
Bleed
Bleed
(2016) is a supernatural flick that is a mix of M. Night Shymalan,
The
Blair Witch Project,
and Rosemary's
Baby.
Shot surprisingly well, stylized, but not without some lame digital
effects, Bleed
isn't a total bore with a moderately fast pace, some decent acting,
and lots of time-lapse shots. That being said, there isn't anything
particularly new here but that doesn't mean its completely terrible.
Bleed
stars Chelsey Crisp, Riley Smith, Michael Steger, Lyndon Smith,
Brittany Ishibashi, and is directed by Tripp Rhame.
What
starts as a promising new life for a few couple who are married and
pregnant, they soon join some harebrained friends who are brought to
burned out creepy prison to go ghost hunting 'for a reason.' There
are other supernatural (and natural) forces at work here as well...
Presented
in standard definition with an anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1
widescreen aspect ratio and a lossless English Dolby Digital 5.1
track, the film doesn't look terrible on DVD but lacks the detail it
would otherwise in HD.
The
only extra features are cast interviews.
Down
and The
Lift
The
Lift
(1983)
An
interesting little horror movie that wasn't previously available on
disc and VHS only in low quantities, is Amsterdamned Director Dick
Maas' The
Lift
(2001). Using the same formula as Spielberg's Duel
or Carpenter's Christine
in a sense, these two features center around a demonic, vicious,
elevator (an everyday object that turns evil) that goes on a
murderous killing spree and wipes out any human it comes in contact
with.
When
several passengers on a elevator in a fancy office building end up
murders, the repairman Felix ends up getting a bit more than he
bargained for. Partnering with a tabloid reporter, the two try to
put a halt to the evil forces within the shaft that threaten anyone
who goes near it!
Creative
and featuring some brutal (if slightly dated) special effects and
interesting production design, The
Lift
is definitely a slasher film that's worth checking out. Blue
Underground has been restoring and bring Maas' gory and fun horror
films to life with both of his creepy elevator movies The
Lift
and Down
and the aforementioned Amsterdamned
(reviewed elsewhere on this site). Maas is definitely a horror
filmmaker that I would compare to Argento in that he loves gore, has
a great cinematic eye, and has the same sort of morbid sense of humor
with his brutality.
Presented
in 1080p high definition for the first time, this newly restored 2K
transfer from the original camera negative that was approved by
Director Dick Maas. Presented in its original 1.66:1 widescreen
aspect ratio with a Dutch language DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track with
English subtitles, the film has never looked as clear as it does on
this definitive release. Also included is an anamorphically enhanced
standard definition DVD of the film with compressed, lesser picture
and sound quality, but up to par with the format.
Special
Features and Technical Specs:
Audio
Commentary with Writer/Director Dick Maas and Editor Hans van Dongen
Going
Up - Interview with Star Huub Stapel
Long
Distance
- Short Film by Dick Maas
Dutch
Trailer
U.S.
Trailer
Poster
& Still Gallery
Collectable
Booklet with new essay by writer and filmmaker Chris Alexander (First
Pressing Only!)
Exclusive
Limited Collector's Edition includes Blu-ray, DVD, bonus collectable
booklet, reversible sleeve, and special packaging
Down
(2001)
A
big budget remake of The
Lift from
the same director, Dick Maas, Down
(also known as The
Shaft)
finally comes to disc with the presentation that it deserves.
Unfortunately, due to the events of 9/11, the film was delayed a US
release for a startling two years due to some references to NYC
terrorist attacks and Bin Laden coincidentally. Many will remember
the early 2000s as a time where many older films with any sort of
terrorist reference were pulled off of US cable television for a
short time, which included Die
Hard
and other titles, in fear of being insensitive. Watching it again,
Down
is action packed with a great cast, including the lovely Naomi Watts,
who notably broke out into the Hollywood scene big time with David
Lynch's Mulholland
Drive
the same year, leads a cast that also includes James Marshall, Eric
Thai, Michael Ironside, David Gwillim, and Ron Pearlman.
In
the city that never sleeps... something just woke up.
A
demonic force has turned a popular elevator into a death machine.
Claiming the lives of any that step inside, the Police and Government
are soon in a frenzy to figure out the cause of the blood bath.
Watts plays a Reporter who is keen on covering the story, but soon
gets a little too close to the case for comfort. Who will survive
this unstoppable man-made menace?
Blue
Underground presents the film on 1080p High definition with a 2K
Director's Approved restoration of the original transfer. Presented
in 2.35:1 widescreen with a English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless
5.1 mix, the film looks and sounds better than before on the HD
format. As with The
Lift,
there is an anamorphically enhanced standard definition DVD also
included with a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track and anamorphic
widescreen transfer.
Special
Features include...
Audio
Commentary with Writer/Director Dick Maas and Stunt Coordinator
Willem de Beukelaer
The
Making of Down
Behind-the-Scenes
Footage (2.5 hours) [Blu-ray Exclusive]
Theatrical
Trailer
Teaser
Trailers
Poster
& Still Gallery
Collectable
Booklet with new essay by author Michael Gingold (First
Pressing Only!)
Exclusive
Limited Collector's Edition includes Blu-ray, DVD, bonus collectable
booklet, reversible sleeve, and special packaging
Hardcore
horror fans will definitely want to do a double feature with these
two fun and creative thrillers that put others in the same genre to
shame.
Earthrise
An
ambitious low budget Sci-fi film, Earthrise
(2014) has a big imagination but doesn't quite reach the cinematic
level that its attempting. Winner of several film festival awards,
the film may attract hardcore Sci-Fi fans that don't mind budgetary
restraints and bad digital effects. The film is essentially a play
with three characters that play off one another well but none
particularly standout.
Earthrise
stars Todd Barnett, Meagan Burke, and Jennifer Hamilton Collins.
The
premise looks into the future, where the human race has colonized on
Mars. The remaining few travel to Earth to help rehabilitate the
planet. Along the journey across space, shocking revelations are
had.
Presented
in 1.85:1 anamorphically enhanced widescreen and a lossy Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo track, the film looks and sounds up to par with
the DVD format but isn't anything particularly impressive or
recommendable.
Special
Features include a Commentary and a Trailer.
The
Hidden
The
best film by far from Director Jack Sholder (who had just finished
his work on A
Nightmare on Elm Street 2)
The
Hidden
(1987) is a little reminiscent of Invasion
of the Body Snatchers
and Terminator.
This was my first time seeing The
Hidden
and I absolutely loved it! I'm surprised it hasn't been released in
grander fashion before on disc as it's a fun ride and better than
most other genre films that get put out in the spotlight. It's also
evident that some films have mimicked it since, namely the first Men
in Black
film. There was also a direct-to-video sequel to the film, The
Hidden 2,
which came out some time later in 1993 and surprisingly no remakes or
reboots since.
Starting
with an epic bank robbery that leads into a high speed car chase, the
film adapts a David Cronenberg-esque feel when its revealed that an
alien organism is causing havoc and jumping from body to body.
Nearly impossible to catch as its identity changes and jumps from
city to city, FBI Agent Lloyd Gallagher (Twin
Peaks'
Kyle MacLachlan) is dead set on tracking this vicious human/alien
hybrid down and bringing it to justice. Along the way the alien
isn't afraid to steal expensive cars, commit armed robbery, murder,
and other acts that could only be condemned by playing the video game
Grand
Theft Auto.
There's something a bit off about Lloyd Gallagher too, despite his
loyalty to his job. Befriending another cop named Tommy, the two
cops are always one step behind the killer, as its revealed that the
alien murdered Gallagher's former wife, child, and partner making his
mission to find him all the more personal.
The
Hidden
also stars Michael Nouri, Clu Gulager, Ed O'Ross, and Claudia
Christian.
Presented
in 1080p high definition, this new remaster of the film looks great
and is presented in its original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio with
an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (and a DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 2.0 Stereo track with Pro Logic surrounds for lesser systems).
Colors on the film are vibrant with detail on characters and
production design with no visible signs of wear and low grain. Some
of the film feels a little dated but the (then modern) '80s era suits
the film well.
Special
Features include...
Audio
Commentary by Director Jack Sholder and Tim Hunter
SFX
Footage with commentary by Jack Sholder
Theatrical
Trailer
This
is a great disc to add to any Cult or Sci-Fi film lovers' film
collection.
The
Man With Two Brains
Steve
Martin stars in Carl Reiner's hilarious The
Man With Two Brains
(1983), which is finally finding its way onto Blu-ray disc courtesy
of Warner Archive. Very slapstick in its comedic approach similar to
a Mel Brooks film in some regards, Reiner and Martin work well
together as proven with The
Jerk
and All
of Me,
however this underrated gem could be their best. The film also stars
David Warner, Paul Benedict (The
Jeffersons),
George Furth and Peter Hobbs.
Martin
stars as a brain surgeon who meets the love of his life (Turner)
after accidentally hitting her with his car. Too gullible to realize
that Turner's character is completely evil, Martin marries her anyway
and she teases him sexually until he's goes nearly insane. However,
the situation shifts when he meets another brain specialist (Warner)
who introduces him to his top secret brain research. When Martin
finds that his true love is in fact a brain amongst the Specialist's
specimens, its up to him to find a body for this perfect brain so
that he can find true love... or is it all in his head?
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and
a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless track, the film looks
and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray disc. The 2K HD remaster makes the
film look brand new, besting previous releases of the film on lesser
formats. There's great detail on characters, production design, and
cinematography evident in this release that will make you see the
film in a new light.
The
only special feature is a remastered original trailer.
To
order either of the Warner Archive Blu-rays, go to this link for them
and many more great web-exclusive releases at:
http://www.wbshop.com/
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/