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[Horror In Your House] June 11th, 2012

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A Hollywood box office bomb, and a handful of “swing and misses” fill out this week’s Horror In Your House. Nic Cage’s Ghost Rider sequel is here, but you probably don’t care and I wouldn’t blame you. And Monster Brawl, a UFC style monster fighting spoof, rings it way into stores. Check out the rest of the releases below and let me know what you’re picking up.

THE DARK CRSYTAL / LABRYNTH (Blu-Ray) (1986) – Sony Pictures
Jim Henson’s beloved fantasy films together on Blu-ray in a collectible box set featuring new art by Brian Froud.

DEVILMAN (2004) – Tokyo Shock
Best friends Akira and Ryo (played by real-life twins Hisato & Yusuke Izaki) are just your average high school students until they receive word that Ryo s father has accidentally unleashed a horde of demons while conducting experiments in Antarctica. Akira becomes Devilman, a powerful entity who somehow retains his human conscience, and it is up to him to battle with the heartless demons including his erstwhile friend Ryo in a climactic, apocalyptic showdown!

DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (2011) – New Video Group (Tribeca)
Don’t Go in The Woods is sound advice, especially when there’s a killer on the loose. First-time director Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) explores love, greed and ruthlessness in this twisted musical/horror hybrid, telling the story of a young band who heads to the woods to get away from their everyday lives and focus on writing new songs. Hoping to walk away from the trip with new tunes that will score them their big break, they instead find themselves in the middle of a nightmare beyond comprehension. Displaying the musical talents of a gifted ensemble cast as they sing songs penned by acclaimed singer-songwriter Sam Bisbee, Don’t Go In The Woods unexpectedly veers from terrifying horror to musical moments that wouldn’t be out of place on Glee, truly keeping viewers captivated, terrified and entertained in equal measure.

MICAH SAYS: I’ve only heard bad things so I’ve avoided this one. Anyone out there seen it and liked it?

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE (DVD/Blu-Ray, 3D Blu-Ray) – Sony Pictures
Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance – Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from the devil (Ciaran Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

MICAH SAYS: It’s easy to crap on this flick and I have no qualms with those that do, but I enjoyed this movie. It could be that I love Nic Cage and hilarious cheesy one-liners – something this flick delivers in spades.

MONSTER BRAWL (DVD/Blu-Ray) – Image Entertainment
Welcome to the world of Monster Brawl, the award-winning monster mash-up and undeniable crowd pleaser of this year’s film fest circuit. Monster Brawl features an all-star cast of classic monsters, beloved horror icons, and wrestling royalty in what is being called “the undisputed smack-down hit of this year’s bumper crop of comedy horror!” (Twitch Film).

MICAH SAYS: This could have been soooo much better. Ultimately, besides a few cameos, it falls flat on its face and ended up being nearly unwatchable. One of those movies where the poster (created by the awesome Phantom City Creative) is better than the movie, by a long shot.

PSYCHOTICA (Blu-Ray) – Shriek Show
Caught in the middle of a menacing social experiment, a group of teenage heroin addicts barricades themselves in an abandoned farmhouse in order to kick the habit. But they must also overcome the murderous forces within the house, as well as the threat that is closing in from down the road. With nowhere to run, they must face their greatest fears and fight for their very survival…

SHALLOW GRAVE (DVD/Blu-Ray) – Criterion Collection
This diabolical thriller was the first film from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (the smashing team behind Trainspotting). In Shallow Grave, three self-involved Edinburgh roommates—played by Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table), Christopher Eccleston (Elizabeth), and Ewan McGregor (Beginners), in his first starring role—take in a brooding boarder. When he dies of an overdose, leaving a suitcase full of money, the trio embark on a series of very bad decisions, with extraordinarily grim consequences for all. Macabre but with a streak of offbeat humor, this stylistically influential tale of guilt and derangement is a full-throttle bit of Hitchcockian nastiness.

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Gateway Horror Classic ‘The Gate’ Returns to Life With Blu-ray SteelBook in May

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One of my personal favorite horror movies of all time, 1987’s gateway horror classic The Gate is opening back up on May 14 with a brand new Blu-ray SteelBook release from Lionsgate!

The new release will feature fresh SteelBook artwork from Vance Kelly, seen below.

Special Features, all of which were previously released, include…

  • Audio Commentaries
    • Director Tibor Takacs, Writer Michael Nankin, and Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook
    • Special Effects Designer & Supervisor Randall William Cook, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Craig Reardon, Special Effects Artist Frank Carere, and Matte Photographer Bill Taylor
  • Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview
  • Featurettes:
    • The Gate: Unlocked
    • Minion Maker
    • From Hell It Came
    • The Workman Speaks!
    • Made in Canada
    • From Hell: The Creatures & Demons of The Gate
    • The Gatekeepers
    • Vintage Featurette: Making of The Gate
  • Teaser Trailer
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spot
  • Storyboard Gallery
  • Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery

When best friends Glen (Stephen Dorff) and Terry (Louis Tripp) stumble across a mysterious crystalline rock in Glen’s backyard, they quickly dig up the newly sodden lawn searching for more precious stones. Instead, they unearth The Gate — an underground chamber of terrifying demonic evil. The teenagers soon understand what evil they’ve released as they are overcome with an assortment of horrific experiences. With fiendish followers invading suburbia, it’s now up to the kids to discover the secret that can lock The Gate forever . . . if it’s not too late.

If you’ve never seen The Gate, it’s now streaming on Prime Video and Tubi.

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