Coven
Of The Black Cube
(2024/Blood Sick Video Blu-ray*)/Destination
Moon (1950)/Flight
To Mars
(1951/Film Masters Blu-ray*)/Lee
Cronin's The Mummy 4K
(2026/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/Portraits
Of the Apocalypse
(2024/Cleopatra DVD*)/Strange
Journey:
The Story Of Rocky Horror
(2025/Alliance Blu-ray)/Vampire
Time Travelers
(1998/Wild Eye/Visual Vengeance Blu-ray/*all MVD)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: C-/B/X/B-/B+/B- Sound:
C-/B/A-/B-/B+/C Extras: C/B/B/C/D/B Films: D/B- &
C+/C+/C-/B/C
A
new mixed bag of horror releases follows...
Bruce
Longo's Coven
of the Black Cube
(2024) is a shot-on-video horror film that features several
interwoven plot lines tied together into a single feature. The first
segment follows a coven of witches who murder their husbands. We
then meet a stoner who opens a video store that doubles as a
pizzeria, along with a self-destructive lesbian who falls for a witch
after her girlfriend leaves her and begins dabbling in the occult
herself.
The
film stars Morrigan Thompson, Zoe Angeli, Josh Schafer, and Kasper
Meltedhair.
The
film is presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.33 X 1
full-screen aspect ratio and a poor PCM 2.0 Stereo soundtrack on a
BD-R 25 disc, with a transfer that is about what you would expect
from a shot-on-video production. The soundtrack is one of the film's
strongest aspects, featuring numerous independent heavy metal artists
and several scenes with bands performing live. The cinematography is
uneven at times, but the shot-on-video aesthetic arguably enhances
the film's creepy atmosphere.
Special
Features:
Commentary
with Writers
Trailers
and
a Behind the Scenes featurette.
These
two fun sci-fi flicks from the early 1950s allow you to board a
spaceship to another planet from the comfort of your own home a 2
disc Blu-ray set double feature from Film Masters with Destination
Moon
(1950) and Flight
To Mars
(1951). Despite their age, they are considered genre classics of
sorts.
Destination
Moon
is a Technicolor science fiction film that, by today's standards, is
laughably dated. However, for its time, it was cutting-edge using
stop motion, matte paintings, and set building with a production by
Academy Award Winner George Pal.
The
film centers on a group of rogue scientists who build a spacecraft
capable of taking them to the Moon. After a rocky start, including
scenes that use fans blowing directly into the actors' faces to
simulate the force of the rocket's ascent, the film features
anti-gravity sequences and, of course, the crew's eventual landing on
the Moon itself.
All
in all, despite its limited special effects and the fact that it was
obviously filmed almost entirely on studio sets, Destination
Moon
remains an entertaining film and an enjoyable piece of science
fiction history.
Destination
Moon
stars John Archer, Warner Anderson, Tom Powers, and Dick Weeson and
is directed by Irving Pichel.
Made
one year later, Lesley Selander's Flight
To Mars
follows a group of five space travelers who land on the Red Planet
and encounter Martians with a plan to highjack their ship and
formalize a plot to overtake Earth.
Flight
To Mars
stars Marguerite Chapman, Cameron Mitchell, Arthur Franz, and
Virginia Huston.
Both
films are is presented in 1080p high definition on 2K Blu-ray disc
with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 and lossless
English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono sound. These transfers are
from a newly scanned restoration of the original three-strip
Technicolor 35mm print and bests previous versions that have been
released. Considering the age of these films and all the releases it
has been through over the years this presentation looks sharp. The
audio is passable for this release but nothing to write home about.
Special
Features:
Ballyhoo
Motion Pictures presents "Man's
Greatest Adventure: The Making of Destination
Moon."
"Interstellar
Travelogues: Extended Edition,"
a new featurette.
"Walter
Mirisch: From Bomba to Body Snatchers,"
archival documentary by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures.
Recut
Original Trailer for Flight
to Mars
using restored elements.
and
a Digitized Original Pressbook of Destination
Moon,
courtesy of James Van Hise.
Retro
sci-fi films are always a favorite of mine and these are great time
capsule pieces!
Lee
Cronin, the director of Evil
Dead Rise,
brings a grisly new twist to The
Mummy,
with James Wan on board as producer. Lee
Cronin's The Mummy 4K
(2026) blends
supernatural possession with graphic gore and feels nothing like the
previous Universal Mummy films. The end result is mixed: a movie
with an overly complex plot and several scenes designed to make the
audience squirm. The first act is quite slow but once the little
girl, Katie, is revealed as the mummy things start to pick up.
I
would compare it to Universal's Wolf
Man
(2025), which took a familiar horror story and transplanted it into a
modern setting while taking creative liberties that set it apart from
previous interpretations of the character. This film is a lot more
intense than Wolf
Man
though, with some gruesome scenes that are hard R rated into Evil
Dead
territory. That film also received a similarly lukewarm response.
There's no denying that what Lee Cronin has done here is a fresh take
on The
Mummy
formula, regardless of whether it's ultimately for you.
The
film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with
Veronica Falcon. The film is written and directed by Cronin, and
produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive
producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher and Lee
Cronin.
Lee
Cronin's The Mummy
is presented in a 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.40 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10;
Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on 4K UHD disc
and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix. The
image detail and dynamic range is pretty impressive with incredible
detail on characters and props. The sound mix is sharp and on point
especially in the intense moments and would be a great disc to test
out with a nice home theater system. All in all, a solid
presentation.
Special
Features:
Audio
Commentary by Writer/Director/Executive Producer Lee Cronin
The
Making of Lee
Cronin's The Mummy
featurette
A
Bloody and Grotesque Spectacle
featurette
Possession
and Ancient Demons
featurette
and
Deleted Scenes
I'm
curious to see what Lee Cronin does next, but I hope he tackles
something completely original rather than continuing to lean on
established franchises and existing ideas to put his own spin on.
A
Spanish anthology zombie horror film, Nicanor Loreti, Fabian Forte,
and Luca Castello's Portraits
of the Apocalypse
(2024) centers on a zombie outbreak told from different perspectives.
While some of the effects with the zombies aren't too bad, the first
film in the series is an endurance test as the main character
confides with a voice inside her head that answers her that grows
tiresome and was not a great creative choice as it goes on for about
the first fifteen minutes. All in all, Portraits
of the Apocalypse
isn't without some interesting ideas and sequences, but a lot of poor
acting and uninteresting characters pulls it down.
The
film stars Demian Salomon, Lorena Vega, Ezequiel Rodriguez, and Paula
Manzone.
Portraits
of the Apocalypse
is presented in standard definition (480i) on DVD with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
mix. The film looks as good as it can on compressed DVD, but isn't
shot terribly. Since there are different directors on the project,
the cinematography quality varies from piece to piece.
Special
Features: a Slide Show and Trailers.
If
you're a fan of The
Rocky Horror Picture Show,
then Linus O'Brien's documentary Strange
Journey
(2025) is a must-see. From Rocky
Horror's
humble beginnings as a London stage musical to the feature film's
release and eventual rise to cult status, the documentary interviews
many of the key players while exploring the film's themes on
transgender culture, its lasting impact on both its fans and pop
culture in general. Insightful, well made, and thoroughly
entertaining, Strange
Journey
is an enjoyable watch from start to finish.
The
film features revealing interviews with members of the film's
original cast, including Tim Curry (Clue,
It,
The
Shadow),
Susan Sarandon (Thelma
& Louise,
Dead
Man Walking,
The
Client),
Barry Bostwick (Megaforce,
Spin
City),
Patricia Quinn (Monty
Python's The Meaning of Life,
The
Lords of Salem),
and Nell Campbell (Great
Expectations,
Shock
Treatment).
The documentary also includes interviews with celebrity fans such as
Jack Black (A
Minecraft Movie,
School
of Rock)
and Trixie Mattel, winner of RuPaul's
Drag Race All Stars.
Strange
Journey
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray with an MPEG-4 AVC
encode, a 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, and an English DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 soundtrack (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The
transfer is consistently strong, blending beautifully shot interviews
with expertly edited film clips and archival behind-the-scenes
footage.
No
extras.
And
finally, from Visual Vengeance, Vampire
Time Travelers
is a campy horror-comedy that is truly one of a kind. The film
follows four college women who unknowingly pledge a bizarre sorority
that serves as a front for vampires and other supernatural forces.
What follows is a hallucinatory blend of butt-biting bloodsuckers,
unexplained time travel, occult shenanigans, and increasingly
ridiculous situations, resulting in a delightfully bizarre low-budget
cult oddity.
The
film stars Lynne Baker, Ali Elk, Kat Facchino, J. C. Grigg, and Jimmy
Jerman, among others.
Vampire
Time Travelers
is presented in 1080p high definition on 2K Blu-ray disc with an
MPEG-4 AVC codec, a full screen aspect ratio of 1.33.1 and lossy
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, the film is definitely on the higher end
for being shot on video. It has some fast paced editing that can at
times be a little much but it's definitely creative and comedic.
Special
Features include:
New
director-approved SD master from original tape elements.
Commentary
with director Les Sekely
Director
Les Sekely interview
Actress
JJ Rodgers interview
Actress
Angelia Scott interview
Director
of Photography Dennis Devine and Assistant Director Steve Jarvis
interview
Short
Film: Not
So Grim Reaper
Vampire
Time Travelers
Visual Vengeance Trailer
Bonus
Movie: I
Know What You Did In English Class
(2000)
'English
Class'
Commentary with director Les Sekely
Director
Les Sekely 'English Class' interview
'English
Class'
Cinematographer Russ Lindsay Interview
'English
Class'
Director of Photography Dennis Devine and Production Assistant Steve
Jarvis interview
'English
Class'
Actor Russell Towne interview
I
Know What You Did in English Class
Visual Vengeance Trailer
General
Visual Vengeance trailers
'Stick
Your Own'
VHS sticker set
Reversible
sleeve featuring new 'I
Know What You Did In English Class'
art
and
a folded mini-poster
-
James Lockhart
https://letterboxd.com/jhl5films/
