Crocodile (1979/MVD/Synapse Blu-ray)/Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 4K (2024/Sony 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Sasquatch Sunset (2024/Decal Blu-ray)/Wes Craven Film Collection (1981 - 1991/Deadly Blessing/Serpent & The Rainbow/People Under The Stairs/Universal/Imprint/Via Vision Region Free Import Blu-ray Set)

4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B/B+/B+/B+ Sound: B/A-/B+/B+ Extras: C+/B/C/B Films: C/C+/C+/B C+ C+

PLEASE NOTE: The Wes Craven Collection Import Blu-ray set is now only available from our friends at Via Vision Imprint Entertainment in Australia, can play on all 4K and Blu-ray players and can be ordered from the link below, and can be ordered from the link below.

Now for more more horror-oriented genre releases...

Sompote Sands and Won-se Lee's Crocodile (1979) is a Taiwanese spin on the killer crocodile genre and obviously takes some inspiration from Jaws in terms of its narrative. The film features some scenes with both a real crocodile and others with an obviously fake one, but does show actual brutal animal killing that is definitely not fake, which was not uncommon for extreme horror films of the time. For this reason alone, I would not recommend this film to the squeamish or those sensitive to this kind of thing.

In Crocodile, a natural disaster awakens a bloodthirsty crocodile that terrorizes a community and takes the lives of humans and animals alike. Two fathers who lost their children to the great beast decide to take action with some others, and hunt the thing down and kill it before it does more harm.

The film stars Nat Puvanai, Tany Tim, Angela Wells, and Kirk Warren.

Other films in the genre like Alligator or Killer Crocodile (on Blu-ray from Severin Films) are a bit more campy and not as serious in tone overall as this. The special effects overall, while showing their age, are pretty innovative considering the time and place that this was made and I'm sure the restraints the production had, particularly the opening sequence where the earth is hit with a heavy storm that looks brutal on screen and pretty realistic to this day for the most part. The fake crocodile is laughably bad, particularly in a scene where it eats a giant bison, and you can see its mouth opening and closing on the animal prop like a nutcracker. The last act mimics Jaws when three men are out to sea hunting the beast, but the production design really lacks in these moments, and feels like they blew a lot of the budget in the film's first act.

Crocodile is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless English 2.0 Mono Audio mix. The film has been recolored and re-purposed for this release and it looks good for the most part, but I think the original condition of the source film print was only so good and there are still signs of imperfections, particularly a strong magenta undertone that doesn't feel natural throughout the lot of the film. The soundtrack at times mimics Jaws and other times just is full of weird noises that repeat in times of terror.

Special Features:

Original Theatrical Trailer

Audio Commentary by writer and late film historian Lee Gambin

Video Interview with original Crocodile Fangs director, Won-se Lee

Deleted and Alternate Scenes

and Slip-cover (Synapse website exclusive).

Crocodile doesn't bring much new to its genre, but is impressive considering the time and place in which it was made and the restrictions the filmmakers had to work with.

Nearly ten years ago, Ghostbusters fans were in a dismal place over one of the most hated re-imaginings in the modern era, Paul Feig's 2016 interpretation of the Ghostbusters starring an all-female cast slimed screens across the globe. Back in those desperate and hopeless days, the prospect of a legacy sequel like Frozen Empire was merely a fanboy fantasy...

Now in the year 2024, we get the last surviving original team of Ghostbusters back in action again alongside of their modern counterparts in the sequel to the hit Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), which has finally landed on 4K UHD after a mixed response from fans in theaters a few months prior. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, McKenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Kymail Ali Nanjiani, James Acaster, Annie Potts, and Logan Kim.

While not as cinematically strategic in its execution as Ghostbusters: Afterlife was, Frozen Empire feels a bit overstuffed in its two hour run-time with things moving a mile a minute to keep younger audiences with low attention spans entertained. Spending its time focusing on the new cast before the old, the film sees the Ghostbusters face off against an ancient evil that threatens to pull Earth into its second ice age once it breaks free from a mystical device in which it is contained. The villain is actually from the original Ghostbusters cartoon series (reviewed elsewhere on this site) by the way, if you didn't know, which is a nice touch and strays away from some of the same villains we have seen repeated in previous installments. There are also several references in Frozen Empire to events from the first two Ghostbusters films (and a few cameos from recurring characters) and it even adds some of the original toy ads and music videos to the meta world of the film. That being said, super fans will catch a lot of references here back to the previous works in the franchise, which is tastefully done here.

The best moments of the film are obviously when Bill Murray shows up, and a few nice moments with original cast members Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson as well. Paul Rudd seems to be having a good time with the material, but many of the female characters (including McKenna Grace's lovable character from Afterlife and Carrie Coon's motherly character) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) who tries to find his place in the mix, tend to come across bored and grouchy for the lot of their scenes instead of relatable. One plot-line of the film is a feeling of rejection and teen angst and that clearly comes across in an almost annoying fashion at times through these characters.

The film's biggest mistake is a bizarre love story with McKenna Grace's character crushing on a female teen ghost which slows down the plot, feels a bit forced, and sets up a blatantly groaner of a plot twist at the film's climax. I understand Hollywood has an undying urge for sexual representation in literally every piece of media we consume now, but it just felt weird and out of place in this film with so many other things going on. We also see some goofy new characters from Kymail Ali Nanjian and Patton Oswalt that fill in some plot holes along the way.

That being said, Frozen Empire is a bit of cinematic dilemma. On one hand, fans are finally able to see the original cast back in their element in more scenes together than Afterlife, but in the other, a lot of groaningly lame moments with the modern cast and a few too many predictable plot twists, and a villain that comes and goes too quickly.

Gil Kenan directed the film and it is produced by Jason Reitman (director of Afterlife and son of the original two film's director the late Ivan Reitman.) As for the Ghosts, we have a new one named Pukey, which you can get what he does, and classic characters Slimer and the mini Stay Puft marshmallow guys (seen in Afterlife) make a few appearances in the film too, which may be a bit of fan service, but welcome.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 4K is presented in stunning 2160p on 4K UHD disc with Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image, an HEVC / H.265 codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1, and an audio track in Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit). There's also a 1080p Blu-ray version of the film which has a less intricate picture and sound presentation. The money is on the screen here and Sony uses cutting edge HDR to give the expensive digital effects a nice refined level of detail on screen. All the details are evident and eye popping and the soundtrack score is a highlight, bringing back many of the late Elmer Bernstein's classic themes from the original. There really isn't anything bad to say about how the film is presented on disc here and needless to say from the company that created the format, Sony clearly knows how to push the format to its limits.

Special Features are mostly on the Blu-ray that is included, with the exception of the commentary which includes:

Feature-Length Audio Commentary track with director Gil Kenan

Deleted and Extended scenes

Easter Eggs Unleashed

Manifesting Garraka

New York, New Gear

Welcome to the Paranormal Discovery Center

Knowing the Score

Return to the Firehouse: Making Ghostbusters Frozen Empire

and Buster: Capturing the Ghosts of Frozen Empire.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire isn't a terrible sequel, it just feels a bit rushed and that it tried to jam a bit too much into its two hour timeframe. I feel it could have been more effective as a two part film and given itself a bit more time to flesh out some things. That being said, the film still does its fair share of fan service whilst continuing to update the franchise for the Gen Z crowd.

As I stated before, it's almost a wonder the film even exists and that they were able to get much of the original band back together. While the late Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, and the elusive Rick Moranis are sorely missed in this installment, I am curious to see where the franchise goes from here, and how long it survives in the future past being able to call back to its original crew.

Genre fans love a good Sasquatch movie and most of them view the elusive cryptids as dangerous angry animals hellbent on carnage such as they were depicted in Night of the Demon (1983) or perhaps more comedic like Harry and the Hendersons (1987). David and Nathan Zellner's indie darling Sasquatch Sunset (2024) is not like either of those examples.

The film gives its audience a fly on the wall glimpse into four seasons spanning a year whilst monitoring a clan of four of Sasquatch as they navigate nature and journey through life. Accompanied by a cast of real animals (a mountain lion, a skunk, and a badger to name a few), the filmmakers go to great lengths to create something weird and unusual, but for this reviewer it seemed to leave a lot of unanswered questions, and a struggle to find the true point of it all.

Jessie Eisenberg (who plays the part quite well I might add) stars in the film along with Nathan Zellner, Riley Keough, and Christophe Zajac-Denek.

Sasquatch Sunset is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and a lossless English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix. The film is well shot and obviously money was put into the costumes and scenic location choices (I believe the film was mostly shot in California). The sound and picture presentation is fine for Blu-ray disc, capturing the 1080p image as much clarity as it can with a sound mix that consists mainly of offbeat quirky music to push the plot forward.

Ape-like and not overly intelligent, the Sasquatch in the film live like wild animals in nature and then slowly discover glimpses of human civilization over the course of the film. The Sasquatch, however, face many of the same curiosities that us humans face including sexual curiosities and desires, bodily functions, the effects of magic mushrooms, pregnancy, and even domestic disputes.

Not a word of actual dialogue is spoken the entire film, but rather grunts and barking noises from each of the hairy beasts, which are perhaps a bit too ape-like in their depiction here. In the end, the film doesn't really know what it wants to be... is it the study of human nature through the eyes of Sasquatch? Or is it a gross out comedy that takes itself too seriously at times? Or is it just simply a film with no real story arc that just shows these beings living in nature much like us?

Special Features: Sasquatch Birth Journal #2: The Zellner Bros' first foray into Sasquatch filmmaking, a short film that was presented at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011.

Watching this film you may be waiting for a human encounter to happen or some kind of grave stake to prove a profound point, but instead you get a twenty minute drug gag, ten minutes of crude sexual humor, another ten minutes of crude body humor, and then filler for the rest of it. I'm not quite sure how one is supposed to feel at the end of the this. I guess these hairy human apes are just like us, wandering through life with no real purpose just surviving and going with the flow. In that regard, Sasquatch Sunset seems more interesting in its advertising and overall concept then what it actually is on the screen.

Horror fans can rejoice as The Wes Craven Film Collection has hit Blu-ray from Via Vision that is packed with special features, a booklet, new Audio Commentaries, and a collectible 3D lenticular case. The box set contains three of Craven's lesser celebrated films: Deadly Blessing (1981), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), and The People Under The Stairs (1991).

Stateside horror fans may be a bit bummed to find out that this release doesn't have too many new tricks up its sleeve when compared to prior releases on disc from Shout Factory and Arrow Video, but it is nice to have all of these films together in a nice Blu-ray set, and if you don't own them yet. then this is currently the best way to go.

Deadly Blessing (1981)

Featuring Sharon Stone in an early role, Deadly Blessing centers on a fanatical cult led by Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine) who control their members with a harsh reign. The country setting and realistic production design aid the film which is a sort of slasher in its own right, but with the cult element that aids an essence of mystery. I can see that M. Night Shymalan definitely took some inspiration from this film as parts of it do feel a bit like The Village. It definitely has an interesting setting with it being in the seemingly peaceful countryside despite the hidden sadism happening behind the veil. This is easily the strongest of the three films in this set, and shows Craven in his prime just before making his ultimate classic, A Nightmare On Elm Street.

The film also stars Bobby Dark, Colleen Riley, Jenna Worthen, Susan Buckner, and Maren Jensen.

Deadly Blessing is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an Audio LPCM 2.0 Mono mix. There was also a 2013 Shout Factory release of the film on Blu-ray with some of those extras repurposed here along with a new audio commentary. The transfer looks fine on 1080p Blu-ray disc and considering that this was a low budget film at the time it was made it’s stood the test of time, but could still (obviously) use a 4K remaster on 4K UHD to really see any better improvements.

Special Features:

Commentary with film historian Jarret Gahan (New to this release)

Archival Commentary with Wes Craven

Say Your Prayers - Interview with Michael Berryman

Secrets Revealed - Interview with Susan Buckner

Rise of the Incubus - Interview with designer John Naulin

So It Was Written - Interview with writers Glenn V. Benest and Matthew Barr

Trailer / TV Spots / Radio Spots and a Still Gallery.

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Probably the least mainstream movie he made, The Serpent and the Rainbow was filmed in Haiti and stars Bill Pullman who attempts to find a powder that can bring humans back from the dead, but in turn goes down a black magic / voodoo infused journey of self awakening. I have to admit this film isn't easy to watch at times and doesn't stray away from some disturbing imagery that is sure to get under your skin. Craven does a good job of making a film again where an beautiful location feels sinister and how the mind under operation of voodoo drugs can be a scary thing.

The film also stars Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, and Paul Winfield.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an Audio LPCM 2.0 Stereo mix. The exotic location comes across nicely in the HD transfer and this is definitely a step above previous lackluster releases of the film on lesser formats. This film was also released by Shout Factory in the USA with a 2015 HD transfer from the inter-positive film element. I would guess that this scan is the same if not pretty close to what this was on the previous release. It also appears that the extras, aside from a new commentary, are also the same.

Special Features include:

Audio Commentary by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (the new commentary exclusive to this release)

Audio Commentary by Bill Pullman

The Making of Featurette (2016)

and an Original Theatrical Trailer.

The People Under The Stairs (1991)

The People Under The Stairs is an interesting film from Wes Craven and features some pretty larger than life characters that are often time cartoonish in execution. Based on a story Craven read about in a newspaper about some thieves who broke into a rich family's home in pursuit of their plunder, the film centers on a small boy named Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) who is pressured by his abusive Stepfather (Ving Rhames) to break into their landlord's home and steal from them in the wake of them being evicted. Having nothing to lose and no other choice the boy does so, but finds out that they have a colony of sub-human prisoners living beneath their floorboards protecting this fortune.

Some highlights of the film are the VFX by Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman, and Howard Berger and some of the over-the-top make-up and special effects that earn this an R rating. The camera-work and direction is quite interesting even if the narrative doesn't always work like some of Craven's other efforts.

The film also stars Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen, and Ving Rhames.

The People Under The Stairs is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an Audio LPCM 2.0 Stereo mix. This also was on Blu-ray disc previously in a Shout Factory release in the US from 2015 and Arrow Video in the UK so this is likely a similar looking transfer to those and that is certainly fine for 1080p standards.

Special Features:

Commentary by film scholar Craig Martin (New to this release)

Commentary by Wes Craven

Commentary by actors Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen, and Yan Birch

House Mothers - interview with actor Wendy Robie

House of Horrors - Interview with Cinematographer Sandi Sissel

Settling the Score - interview with composer Don Peake

What Lies Beneath: The Effects of People Under the Stairs Featurette

Behind the Scenes Footage

Vintage 1991 Making Of featurette

Storyboards

Trailer and TV Spots

PLUS Exclusive to the set:

Lenticular cover / collectible packaging

and a 44-page full color booklet.

If you are a Wes Craven fan then you will want to check out this box set of these lesser known titles in his filmography. Overall, I would recommend this release to horror fans if you don't own these films already. However, if you already have the other versions I mentioned then this may be double dipping unless you are really attracted to the new commentary tracks.

To order the Wes Craven Collection import Blu-ray set, go to this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:

https://viavision.com.au/shop/wes-craven-film-collection-limited-edition-3d-lenticular-hardcase-booklet-art-cards/

- James Lockhart

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