Cannibal Man (1972/Severin Blu-ray)/Chariots Of The Gods (1970*)/The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It 4K (2021/aka Conjuring 3/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/The Dark (1982*)/Elstree 1976 (2015/FilmRise/*all MVD Blu-rays)/Giant Claw (1957)/The Werewolf (1956/Sony/Columbia/Umbrella Region Free Import Blu-ray)/Prodigal Son: The Complete Second Season (2021/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Slaxx (2020/RLJ DVD)

4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B+/B/B+/B-/B-/B/B-/B- Sound: B+/B/A-/C+/B-/B/B-/B- Extras: B/B-/B/B-/B/D/C-/B Main Programs: B/C+/B/C+/B/C+/C/C+

PLEASE NOTE: The Prodigal Son Blu-ray is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.

Now for a wide variety of horror thrillers...

Director Eloy de la Iglesia (Quinqui) became an important Spanish homosexual filmmaker with an interesting career, however sadly later in life was consumed with heroin. This film, The Cannibal Man (1972, also known as Apartment on the 13th Floor and The Week Of The Killer,) is one of his finer works and was on the Video Nasty charts upon its initial release. Severin Films presents this new Blu-ray edition that features two cuts of the classic Spanish thriller that tells an interesting and unusual murderous love story.

There is no real cannibalism in the movie, unless you consider one quick scene where human stew is consumed, but the focus of The Cannibal Man is actually a budding homosexual relationship and centered on a desperate and confused man (Parra) who murders one person to cover up another murder and so on. His next door neighbor (Poncela) suspects something is up, but doesn't let that get in the way of his personal feelings. Will he be the next victim of this murderous sicko? This on top of social commentary with an ever changing Spain at the time, makes The Cannibal Man a unique horror film that is definitely worth checking out.

The film stars Vincete Parra, Emma Cohen, Eusebio Poncela, and Vicky Lagos.

Cannibal Man is presented in 1080p high definition with an MPEG-4 AVC codec and an original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and paired with audio mixes in Spanish and English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mixes. Both versions of the film look fantastic on Blu-ray here and bests previous editions that have been available on the format under the alternate title.

Special Features:

Extended version (Week of the Killer, 107min)

International version (The Cannibal Man, 98m)

Cinema At The Margins: Stephen Thrower and Dr. Shelagh Rowan-Legg on Eloy de la Iglesia

The Sleazy And The Strange: Interview with Carlos Aguilar

Deleted Scenes

Trailer

and Reversible Artwork

Before there was Ancient Aliens, there was Germany producer Erich Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods (1970), an interesting documentary that is on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Top 100 list of all time for documentaries! Now available in 1080p on Blu-ray disc from MVD, you get the classic doc that questions the origins of the world, dating back to odd landmarks and occurrences in Egypt and Mexico, amongst other heavy thoughts and questions. While a bit dated and at times slow, this documentary is informative and captured quite nicely here on the Blu-ray format.

Chariots of the Gods is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a 1.66:1 full frame aspect ratio, an English LPCM 2.0 Mono mix, and English Subtitles SDH. The doc was shot on film and nicely preserved here considering its age. This is likely the best that its going to look and it is certainly passable even if not perfect.

The only Special Feature is a Bonus documentary: Mysteries of the Gods - which is a nice companion piece that offers proof that aliens have visited our planet.

The third installment in The Conjuring film series and part of a bigger horror universe under the banner of director/creator James Wan comes The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It 4K (2021), which is a vast improvement over the last installment and a recommendable film in the franchise that stands on its own. There are some major similarities to the original Exorcist film in this one, but we will call them 'an homage', but 'cmon guys - they even ripped off the signature - 'Exorcist stands outside the house at night with suitcase' shot from the classic poster shot! That aside, this Conjuring film has some solid scares and pretty nice cinematography and acting that proves the franchise has some legs left.

The film stars Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, and Julian Hilliard, then is directed by Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona), and produced by James Wan and Peter Safran, who are the masterminds behind the Conjuring Universe films which includes The Nun, the Annabelle films, and The Conjuring 1 and 2. (All of which are reviewed elsewhere on this site.)

Based on true events, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Wilson and Farmiga), are exceptional at solving paranormal and demonic mysteries. This case involves a demonic spirit that encompasses a young boy and then passes to a young man whose engaged to the boy's sister. Once possessed, this young man kills a friend by accident and is sent to prison and found guilty of murder. But the Warrens deduct that demonic possession was responsible for the cause of murder, and end up unlocking a terrible secret that has lied dormant for decades.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It 4K is presented in 2160p high definition on 4K UHD disc with HDR10 (high dynamic range) and presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and a lossless English Dolby Atmos mix, a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown (48kHz, 24-bit), and additional audio mixes in lossy English Dolby Digital 5.1. There's also a 1080p Blu-ray edition that is also included and has the same audio specs but a not quite as detailed image.

Special Features:

By Reason of Demonic Possession - An in depth look at the true story that inspired the movie

The Occultist - Meet the terrifying new addition to the Conjuring Universe

Exorcism of Fear - Delve into the making of the movie and the chilling exorcism scene that opens the film

and DC Horror Presents The Conjuring: The Lover #1 - A video comic that takes you deeper into the Conjuring Universe.

If you enjoyed the other Conjuring films, then you will likely enjoy this one. I still think that the first one is the strongest, but this one is definitely a worthy follow-up.

At first, the horror film The Dark (1982) was supposed to be directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Eaten Alive) but became one of his films (like Poltergeist a few years later) that he could not finish. It was worse here because personal issues had him leave much earlier. Enter Kingdom Of The Spiders director John 'Bud' Cardos, who literally took over at the last minute. Actually co-produced by no less than Dick Clark, a killer is going around at night killing unsuspecting people by mutilating and even beheading them!

William Devane plays the father of one of the victims, Cathy Lee Crosby a TV reporter who wants to find out what is really going on, Keenan Wynn her wacky editor, Casey Kasem a medical specialist, Richard Jaeckel as a police detective and Jacqueline Hyde rounding out a cast of solid names and familiar faces (we'll not cover any others) as the clues and unrelated victims make it all seem stranger and odder.

To the makers credit, they were not doing another slasher or demonic possession film, though some of the inspiration for what happens here comes from TV (Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Night Gallery, The Norliss Tapes, both shows known as Tales Of The Unexpected) in a way that actually makes sense and fits into other low-budget films made at the time for theatrical release (Blue Sunshine, Barracuda, Clonus, etc.) being released at the tale end of that cycle.

Problems include not enough Crosby, a scattered script, bad last-minute poor optical effects of the creature zapping people with lasers from its eyes and some other off moments that keep getting in the way of any momentum building up. However, it is worth seeing for all the things that work, its interesting look and enough of a mood that you do not see enough in the genre now to say the least. The makers could not agree on some things apparently and Cardos did not have final cut, but any serious horror film fan should see this one at least once.

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer can show the age of the materials used (including some occasional discoloration; DeLuxe Labs did the color), but this was shot in real anamorphic Panavision on 35mm color negative, which is rare for an independent feature film (they usually cheat with Super 35, 2-perf Techniscope or a lesser-known or lesser-used anamorphic lens) and we get some interesting results. Some parts of the film still look rough (including the optical printing of the monster's eyes zapping people that was added at the last minute) but looks good otherwise.

The PCM 2.0 Stereo can be a little harsh at times, while the sound can be uneven as it sounds like various recorders with different sound quality may have been used throughout. It is good otherwise for a low0budget film, but has aged oddly.

Extras include a collectible mini-poster and reversible artwork for the Blu-ray case, while the disc adds an isolated music score audio track, an HD copy of the Original Theatrical Trailer, on-camera interviews with Composer Roger Kellaway (about 26 minutes) & Director Cardos (about 14 minutes) and a feature length audio commentary track with Cardos and Producer Igo Candor that is much better than you might expect.

Jon Spira's Elstree 1976 (2015) is finally getting a wider release on Blu-ray. The great documentary on the year the original Star Wars (1977) was made at the legendary U.K. Is one we happily covered on DVD at this link:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14308/Amateur+Night+At+City+Hall:+The+Story+Of+Fra

As entertaining as ever, it has become more of a curio and must-see for fans. The improvement in the 1.78 X 1 image at 1080p and sound in DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 2.0 Stereo are enough to do the upgrade, but 4K has kicked in since our last review, so expect only so much in playback performance as it is still an unofficial, but solid documentary.

The new highlight is that we get extras in this copy, including extended interviews, a tour of the "Star Wars" sound stage at Elstree Studios, and audio commentary by director Jon Spira. It is a volume that belongs on the shelves of all serious Star Wars fans.

A double feature from director Fred F. Sears comes on Blu-ray from Umbrella Corp that included The Giant Claw (1957) and The Werewolf (1956). Both movies are B movie fun and have restored nicely on this disc for collectors.

The Giant Claw stars Jeff Morrow, Morris Ankrum, Mara Corday, Edgar Barrier, Lou Merrill, and Robert Shayne. The film is a fun B-alien movie that centers around an electronics engineer who spots a UFO that ends releasing a giant bird like creature.

The Werewolf stars Steven Ritch, Don Megowan, S. John Launer, Kim Charney, Joyce Holden, and Harry Lauter. In this film a sheriff hunts down a man infected with a werewolf serum, who will stop at nothing to kill!

Both films are in black and white and presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray with a 1.77:1 widescreen aspect ratio and lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono mixes. Both films look and sound pretty good for the Blu-ray format in consideration with their age.

No extras.

These films remind me of old classics and are products of the time and pretty fun to watch. They are horribly dated but fun, and The Werewolf actually has some pretty good makeup effects.

Next up is a show that you either really like it or you do not. Prodigal Son: The Complete Second Season (2021) is back with its seriocomic tale of a former FBI profiler Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) with a serial killer father solving cases and trying to prevent other crimes. Here is our enthusiastic review of the debut season on Blu-ray:

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15823/Last+Starfighter+(1984/Universal**)/Prodigal+Son

The unlucky 13 episodes this time are far too jokey for their own good, feeling like a formula we have seen in way too many TV shows, especially based on DC Comics and despite the additions of great actors like Alan Cumming and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the show is too far gone for viewers like myself who do not think this approach works at all when it comes to suspension of disbelief. Fans will be happy, at least, we guess.

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers and DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on each episode are a little on the weak side to my surprise and any excuses for style choices only hold so much water, so don't expect strong playback.

The only extra is the featurette Killer Genes and Emerging From Blood.

Finally, just when you thought you had seen it all, guess again. Slaxx (2020) is about a possessed pair of jeans that attacks workers in a trendy clothing store. Yes, this wild movie from RLJE / Shudder, is just as bloody crazy as you can imagine and must be seen to be believed!

The film stars Romane Denis, Sehar Bhojani, Hanneke Talbot, Erica Anderson, Stephen Bogaert, and Brett Donahue with direction by Elza Kephart.

A high end fashion store gets more than it bargains for during a huge sale coming from a foreign county, with a hypnotic symbol sewn into them, possessed jeans attack at anyone that comes near them and in one scene, they chomp a man limb for limb! Of course, the manager of the store is a complete psycho and attempts to cover up the many murders that happen in the store stock room. They can't hide these slacks forever as they soon go on a murderous rampage of their own. The film is surprisingly bloody and almost cartoonish at times, but still a pretty fun watch.

Slaxx is presented in standard definition with an anamorphically enhanced 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital audio mix. The transfer looks great on the DVD format and the film has a polished look to it that may be surprising considering its silly concept. Compression issues are evident and common with the format and a lack of detail when compared to a Blu-ray or 4K UHD transfer. For the format, however, the film looks and sounds great!

Special Features:

The Story Behind Slaxx

The Parts are Alive

Producing A Killer Pants Movie featurette

Call in the Death Consultant

Casting Slaxx

and a Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery.

To order the Warner Archive Prodigal Son Blu-rays, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive releases at:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20

- Nicholas Sheffo (Dark, Elstree, Son) and James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/