Karen Black has a date with THE PYX (review)

Karen Black (BURNT OFFERINGS) has a date with THE PYX.  When a hooker dies from a mysterious fall off a penthouse balcony, Christopher Plummer (THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE) investigates the last hours of her life as someone else starts slaughtering their way through anyone who tied to the investigation.  Based on the novel by John Buell, THE PYX is a chilling piece of Canadian horror cinema that has been finally restored to its Panavision framing courtesy of Scorpion Releasing.

REVIEW LINK: Scorpion Releasing (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE PYX DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen HD master from the original negative
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Playable with optional Katarina's Nightmare Theater intro
• Audio Commentary by actress Karen Black
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Trailers for other Katarina's Nightmare Theater releases

More Scorpion Releasing reviews at Update the Tags: Scorpion Releasing.

Nucleus Films presents GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS 3 (review)

Once again, Nucleus Films takes us into the bowels of the grindhouse with this 55-trailer party disc collection that covers everything from the mondo films, gialli, super chicks, good ol' boys, blaxploitation, and more in GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS 3 (featuring an introduction and guide to the grindhouse by critic Kim Newman).

REVIEW LINK: Nucleus Films (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Optional English subtitles
• 55 Grindhouse trailers
• Introduction by Kim Newman
• Kim Newman's Guide to the Grindhouse
• Poster Gallery
• Trailers for all Nucleus Films and Naughty releases

Shout Factory has a trio of LETHAL LADIES (review)

Jeannie Bell, Jillian Kesner, and Cheri Caffaro kick ass in Shout Factory's LETHAL LADIES COLLECTION.  In TNT JACKSON, Black Belt Bell flies to Hong Kong searching for her brother and gets tangled with the heroin trade.  In FIRECRACKER, karate champ Kesner heads to the Philippines in search of her missing sister and ends up fighting her killer in the Arena of Death!  In TOO HOT TO HANDLE, GINGER's Caffaro is the foxy Samantha Fox, a contract killer assigned to take out a number of Manilla's worst.  Vic Diaz co-stars.

REVIEW LINK: Shout Factory (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVD Drive-In)

LETHAL LADIES COLLECTION DVD specs:

• 2-disc set
• new 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen transfers
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Audio Commentary on TOO HOT TO HANDLE by actress Cherri Caffaro
• Trailers

More "Shout Factory" reviews at Update the Tags: Shout Factory.

Scorpion Releasing and Katarina Leigh Waters present THE PYX (review)

Karen Black (BURNT OFFERINGS) has a date with THE PYX.  When a hooker dies from a mysterious fall off a penthouse balcony, Christopher Plummer (THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE) investigates the last hours of her life as someone else starts slaughtering their way through anyone who tied to the investigation.  Based on the novel by John Buell, THE PYX is a chilling piece of Canadian horror cinema that has been finally restored to its Panavision framing courtesy of Scorpion Releasing.

REVIEW LINK: Scorpion Releasing (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVD Drive-In)

THE PYX DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen HD master from the original negative
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Playable with optional Katarina's Nightmare Theater intro
• Audio Commentary by actress Karen Black
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Trailers for other Katarina's Nightmare Theater releases

More Scorpion Releasing reviews at Update the Tags: Scorpion Releasing.

Nucleus Films presents GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS 3 (review)

Once again, Nucleus Films takes us into the bowels of the grindhouse with this 55-trailer party disc collection that covers everything from the mondo films, gialli, super chicks, good ol' boys, blaxploitation, and more in GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS 3 (featuring an introduction and guide to the grindhouse by critic Kim Newman).

REVIEW LINK: Nucleus Films (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (Lovelockandload)

GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Optional English subtitles
• 55 Grindhouse trailers
• Introduction by Kim Newman
• Kim Newman's Guide to the Grindhouse
• Poster Gallery
• Trailers for all Nucleus Films and Naughty releases

MTI pulls a HOAX FOR THE HOLIDAYS (review)

Martha MacIsaac, Callum Keith Rennie, and Ricky Mabe star in this bittersweet Christmas tale.  Casey lives in an economically depressed town with her father, who spends most of his time at the bedside of Casey's comatose sister while Casey tries to take care of the house and keep a minimum wage job at a doughnut shop.  A prank involving a cup of coffee and the image of Jesus quickly spirals out of control and has the hole town believing in miracles.  Directed by George Mihalka (MY BLOODY VALENTINE).

REVIEW LINK: MTI Home Video (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

HOAX FOR THE HOLIDAYS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio
• English Closed Captioning
• Optional Spanish subtitles
• Trailers

More MTI Home Video reviews at Update the Tags: MTI Home Video.

MTI reveals THE SHADOW WITHIN (review)

In this worth Italian horror flick, a WWII French village is haunted by spirits from the beyond. Laurence Belcher, Hayley J. Williams, and Beth Winslet (sister of Kate) star in Silvana Zancolo's creepy supernatural thriller THE SHADOW WITHIN.

DVD REVIEW LINK: MTI Home Video (US) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

THE SHADOW WITHIN DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo
• Optional Spanish subtitles
• Trailer
• Trailers for other MTI releases

More MTI Home Video reviews at Update the Tags: MTI Home Video.

Scorpion Releasing and Katarina Walters present THE CARPENTER (review)

Wings Hauser is armed with power tools in the Canadian slasher THE CARPENTER.  Alice is already not playing with a full deck, but when her cheating husband buys a country house, she has the ghostly presence of a carpenter (who works only by night) to dismember various rapists, burglars, and anyone else who happens to piss her off.  Is it all in her head or is THE CARPENTER real?

REVIEW LINK: Scorpion Releasing (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVD Drive-In)

THE CARPENTER DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Optional Introduction and Closing Remarks by Katarina Leigh Waters
• Scorpion Releasing trailers

More Scorpion Releasing reviews at Update the Tags: Scorpion Releasing.

Showbox pushes the PANIC BUTTON (review)

Four users of the social networking site All2gether.com are invited on an exclusive private jet trip from London to New York to have a chance at winning expensive prizes.  Once in the air, they are put through a series of increasingly bizarre tests that range from the embarrassing to the deadly.  Who is their unknown host?  Why have they been chosen?

REVIEW LINK: Showbox Media Group (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

PANIC BUTTON DVD specs*:

• 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1
• Trailer Gallery
• Gag Reel
• Outtakes and Deleted Scenes
• Making of Featurette
• Still Gallery
• Blu-Ray features exclusive documentary

*review is of the screener disc, specs based on press release

MTI has 1 IN THE GUN (review)

An overused film noir plot (particularly popular in DTV and made-for-cable erotic thrillers) detours into David Lynchian wierdness in Rolfe Kanefsky's 1 IN THE GUN starring Steve Man, Katherine Randolph, Robert Davi, Steven Bauer, and James Russo.

REVIEW LINK: MTI Home Video (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

1 IN THE GUN DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo
• English Closed Captioning
• Optional Spanish subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director Rolfe Kanefsky, actor Steve Man, actress Katherine Randolph, and producer Esther Goodstein
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
• Bloopers with optional commentary
• Rehearsal Footage with optional commentary
• Behind the Scenes with optional commentary
• Animated Storyboards
• Animated Still Gallery
• Trailer
• Teaser

More MTI Home Video reviews at Update the Tags: MTI Home Video.

Bloody Disgusting Selects is ATROCIOUS (review)

A family trip to the countryside for the holidays find terror in this found footage horror film from Spain.  A brother and sister filmmaking team decide to look into the local "Girl on the Road" legend and experience terror in the sprawling garden labyrinth of their country home.  The makers of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and INSIDIOUS have obtained the US remake rights for this film.  See the original first!

REVIEW LINK: Vivendi Entertainment (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD vs Revolver Entertainment (UK) Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDBeaver)

ATROCIOUS DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1
• Optional English subtitles
• The Shooting of ATROCIOUS
• Trailer

RICKY sprouts wings courtesy of François Ozon and Artificial Eye (review)

In François Ozon's latest pic, a single-mother working in a depressing factory hooks up with a Spanish co-worker and they conceive a very unusual child.  Alexandra Lemy and Sergi Lopez star.

REVIEW LINK: Artificial Eye (UK) Region 0 PAL DVD vs IFC/MPI (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

RICKY Artificial Eye DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen
• French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Photos en Famille" unsubtitled short
• Theatrical Trailer

RICKY IFC/MPI DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen
• French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Optional English SDH, English, and Spanish subtitles
• Trailer

Severin presents HORROR EXPRESS DVD/Blu combo (Lovelockandload review)

Hop aboard the Transiberian Express with Christopher Lee (Jess Franco's COUNT DRACULA), Peter Cushing (THE CREEPING FLESH), Telly Savalas (LISA AND THE DEVIL), and a brain-sucking missing link in Eugenio Martin's Spanish horror classic HORROR EXPRESS.  After decades of PD VHS and budget bin DVD releases (and a good-for-its-time widescreen Image Euroshock collection DVD), HORROR EXPRESS gets a new HD 1080P transfer stacked with extras on Severin's first Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack for all to enjoy.  Alberto de Mendoza (A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN), Silvia Tortosa (LORELEY'S GRASP/WHEN THE SCREAMING STOPS), Victor Israel (THE WITCHES MOUNTAIN), George Rigaud (MURDER MANSION), and Helga Line (HORROR RISES FORM THE TOMB) also star, and KOJAK composer John Cacavas (MORTUARY) contributes an insanely memorable score.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD/Region ALL Blu-Ray Combo (Lovelockandload)

HORROR EXPRESS DVD/Blu specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.66:1 widescreen (DVD)
• 1080P 1.66:1 widescreen AVC encoding (Blu-Ray)
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• 1973 audio interview with Peter Cushing
• "Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express" interview with director Eugenio Martin
• "Notes from the Blacklist" producer Bernard Gordon discusses the McCarthy Era
• Introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander
• Theatrical Trailer
• Easter Egg
• Trailers for other Severin releases

More Severin Films review links at Update the Tags: Severin Films.

Icarus Films has NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT (review)

Patrizio Guzman, the award-winning documentarian of THE BATTLE OF CHILE looks up to the stars and down to the Mars-like surface of Chile's Atacama desert in search of the origins of the universe and the thousands of victims of Chile's violent 1973 military coup (who have joined the remains of anonymous remains of fossils,  nomadic tribes, and enslaved miners across the desert surface).  NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT is an intensely moving and visually stunning documentary experience.

REVIEW LINK: Icarus Films (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio
• Burnt-In English subtitles
• 5 Short Films
• Chile: A Galaxy of Problems
• Oscar
• Jose Masa, Sky Traveler
• Maria Teresa & the Brown Dwarf
• Astronomers from My Neighborhood
  

Severin Films hops aboard the HORROR EXPRESS (review)

Hop aboard the Transiberian Express with Christopher Lee (Jess Franco's COUNT DRACULA), Peter Cushing (THE CREEPING FLESH), Telly Savalas (LISA AND THE DEVIL), and a brain-sucking missing link in Eugenio Martin's Spanish horror classic HORROR EXPRESS.  After decades of PD VHS and budget bin DVD releases (and a good-for-its-time widescreen Image Euroshock collection DVD), HORROR EXPRESS gets a new HD 1080P transfer stacked with extras on Severin's first Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack for all to enjoy.  Alberto de Mendoza (A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN), Silvia Tortosa (LORELEY'S GRASP/WHEN THE SCREAMING STOPS), Victor Israel (THE WITCHES MOUNTAIN), George Rigaud (MURDER MANSION), and Helga Line (HORROR RISES FORM THE TOMB) also star, and KOJAK composer John Cacavas (MORTUARY) contributes an insanely memorable score.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD/Region ALL Blu-Ray Combo (DVDBeaver)

HORROR EXPRESS DVD/Blu specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.66:1 widescreen (DVD)
• 1080P 1.66:1 widescreen AVC encoding (Blu-Ray)
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
• 1973 audio interview with Peter Cushing
• "Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express" interview with director Eugenio Martin
• "Notes from the Blacklist" producer Bernard Gordon discusses the McCarthy Era
• Introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander
• Theatrical Trailer
• Easter Egg
• Trailers for other Severin releases

More Severin Films review links at Update the Tags: Severin Films.

Pacific Entertainment's ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION (review)

12 years A.Z. (After Zombie), the Earth is a nuclear wasteland where the living dead outnumber the living and the living are even more monstrous.  Fugitive John Knox escapes into the desert from the sadistic ex-military gang run by Rome and is rescued by a nomadic band of survivors lead by Moses (Fred Williamson, MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS).  When Rome's gang comes after Knox, he will have to lead the survivors in an all-out assault against the marauders AND the living dead.

REVIEW LINK: Pacific Entertainment (USA) Region 0 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen presentation
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo audio
• Optional English and Spanish subtitles
• Audio Commentary with actor Johnny Gel, writer Matthew O'Day, and director Ryan Thompson
• Deleted Scenes
• The Road to Redemption: The Making of ZA:R
• Still Image Gallery
• Teaser Trailer
• Theatrical Trailer
• Extended Trailer
• Trailers for SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT and THE HAGSTONE DEMON

TRUE BLOOD's Ryan Kwanten is GRIFF THE INVISIBLE (review)

TRUE BLOOD's Ryan Kwanten spent time in between seasons on this dark Australian superhero comedy about a timid office worker who patrols the streets by night in a rubber suit to fight crime.  Bullied by his co-workers, Griff is advised to try to be invisible and takes the idea literally as he works on an invisibility suit with the unwanted help of his big brother's klutzy girlfriend Melody (who may have sustained too many head injuries trying to walk through walls by passing between the atoms).  Maeve Dermody (BLACK WATER), David Webb (SUPERMAN RETURNS), and Patrick Brammall also star.

REVIEW LINK: Indomina Releasing (USA) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDBeaver)

GRIFF THE INVISIBLE DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
• Audio Commentary with director Leon Ford, co-writer Nicole O'Donohue, and actor Patrick Brammall
• Behind the Scenes
• Anatomy of a Scene
• Deleted Scenes
• Appear Calm: Diary of a First Time Director
• Rain Stops Play
• Patrick's Set Tour
• Music Video: Don't Give Yourself Away by the Shadow Bureau
• QR code for exclusive bonus material