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[Remember This?] What Horror Movies Are You Afraid To Watch Again?

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Right now you’re looking at the People Under The Stairs header above and wondering, “what the hell is he talking about? It’s ‘People Under The Stairs’ not f*cking ‘Martyrs’!

While I’m sure PUTS has its fair share of startling moments, that’s not the kind of “scared” I’m talking about. No, I’m scared that if I saw the movie again I wouldn’t like it anymore. I can still remember the illicit thrill I felt when my friends and I were dropped off at the movie theater by our parents, bought tickets for some PG movie, and snuck into the latest Wes Craven film. I was in the 6th or 7th grade, and I emerged from the film thinking it was a masterpiece of horror. I’m sure it helped that it had a protagonist that was somewhat close to my age, and I imagine there’s an overstuffed quality to the film that kept my easily wandering mind engaged.

I don’t believe I’ve seen the whole thing since. Sure, I’ve seen bits and pieces. I may have even half watched a cable showing of it at some point (though certainly not in the past 10 years). I’ve caught wind of friends watching it via their twitter feeds, and those comments have run the gamut of positive to negative and everything in between. Now, I’m not assuming the film is objectively bad. I’m sure it has some strong points to combat what I’m fairly sure at this point would qualify as a painful approximation of urban dialogue.

But what’s the point of going back in this case? This is a movie whose poster still triggers a positive, almost thrilling, association in my brain. I’m not brushing up for the remake (which may never happen at this point), nor am I currently doing a retrospecitve of Craven’s career (though that may not be such a bad idea). So why run the potential risk of tainting the memory of one of my formative cinema going experiences? Even if it’s not bad – it’s certainly not going to be the movie that exists only in my mind.

There are several other films that hold this kind of designation for me. On the Craven front there’s Shocker (though I am perilously close to watching this soon due to Brian Collins’ allegiance to it). There are also movies like Dr. Giggles, where I don’t even want to tarnish the experience of my Blockbuster. I also remember liking Stigmata, which I think I went to see only because Billy Corgan did the soundtrack, but I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t enjoy going back there 15 years later.

What are some movies you love but are afraid to revisit?

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1995 Horror Movie ‘Mute Witness’ Coming to 4K from Arrow Video and Streaming Courtesy of Shudder

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Mute Witness streaming

Fans of 1995’s Mute Witness have two big reasons to celebrate this week, as the film is finally getting a brand new physical media release AND it’s finally coming to streaming.

The film has long been only available on DVD, and it’s currently not available to stream or rent ANYWHERE, but Arrow Video has announced that a 4K Ultra HD release is on its way.

The suspense thriller Mute Witness hits 4K from Arrow on June 11, 2024! This is a US, UK and Canada release, and a Blu-ray version of the same release will also be available.

Mute Witness will also be coming to Shudder beginning April 1, 2024.

Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Limited Edition Bonus Features include:

  • 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
  • 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in HDR10
  • Restored original lossless stereo soundtrack
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new audio commentary by writer/director Anthony Waller
  • Brand new audio commentary with production designer Matthias Kammermeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin
  • The Silent Death, brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, examining Mute Witness and its relationship with snuff films
  • The Wizard Behind the Curtain, brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander, exploring the phenomenon of the film-within-a-film
  • Original “Snuff Movie” presentation, produced to generate interest from investors and distributors, featuring interviews with Anthony Waller and members of the creative team
  • Original location scouting footage
  • Original footage with Alec Guinness, filmed a decade prior to the rest of Mute Witness
  • Teaser trailer
  • Trailer
  • Image gallery
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
  • Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
  • Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michelle Kisner

In the film, Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper.”

Arrow Video previews the new release, “Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema.”

You can pre-order your copy from Diabolik today.

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