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‘Phantasm’ 5-Film Blu-ray Box Set Coming Stateside in March!

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It was promised. And it’s being delivered.

Last week, Arrow Video announced that they’d be bringing the entire Phantasm franchise to Blu-ray this coming April… in the United Kingdom. Of course, anyone with a Region Free player can get any release from around the world, but many fans were left wondering if the series would be getting a similar release in the United States. Today we’re happy to report that yes, it’s coming.

Well Go USA will be releasing the entire Phantasm collection on Blu-ray March 28th, which will mark the first time Phantasm 3: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm 4: Oblivion have ever been released on Blu-ray. The set, now available for pre-order with a price tag of $79.98, is a six-disc affair, and though we don’t yet have any images to share, we do have the first details.

Per Amazon…

Disc 1: PHANTASM

  • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli and Stars Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm and Bill Thornbury
  • Graveyard Carz
  • Interviews with Don Coscarelli and Angus Scrimm
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Cast interviews – Phantasm: Actors Having a Ball
  • PHANTASM Behind-the-Scenes Home Movies with commentary by Don Coscarelli and Reggie Bannister
  • TV Spots
  • Radio Spots
  • Angus Scrimm Introduction
  • Fangoria TV Spot
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery

Disc 2: PHANTASM II

  • Audio Commentary with Don Coscarelli, actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Banister
  • The Ball is Back documentary on the making of PHANTASM II
  • The Gory Days an interview with Special Make-up Effects Artist Greg Nicotero
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Workprint Scenes
  • TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Still Galleries

Disc 3: PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD

  • Audio Commentary with Stars A. Michael Baldwin and Angus Scrimm
  • Phantasm III: Behind-the-Scenes
  • Deleted Scene
  • Radio Spot
  • Still Gallery
  • Trailer

Disc 4: PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION

  • Audio Commentary with Director Don Coscarelli and Actors Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm
  • Phantasm IV: Behind-The-Scenes
  • Trailer

Disc 5: PHANTASM V: RAVAGER

  • Audio Commentary with co-writer/director David Hartman and co-writer/producer Don Coscarelli
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Phuntasm: Bloopers and Outtakes
  • Theatrical Trailer

Disc 6: BONUS DISC

  • Phantasmagoria: a documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
  • Phantasmagorical Mystery Tour with your host, Reggie Bannister
  • Phantasm Genesis
  • Phandom
  • Fangoria TV Commercial with Angus Scrimm
  • Angus Scrimm 1989 Convention Appearance

Note that much more will soon be announced including new extra features in production.

While we wait for more info, check out Arrow’s UK release below.

phantasm-uk

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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‘Herencia Diabólica’ – 1993’s “Mexican Child’s Play” Finally Has a Blu-ray Release [Review]

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Did you know that there is a Child’s Play-inspired film from Mexico? If you didn’t, you can thank Vinegar Syndrome’s new label Degausser Video for making 1993’s Herencia Diabólica available for the masses to watch. Or at least for the VS hardcore fanbase, Chucky completists and anyone else who needs something like this in their lives.

Director Alfredo Salazar, known for his writing connection to the 70s Santo film series, also serves as the writer here to bring us a film seemingly inspired from the Child’s Play franchise. While it has been recently labeled as the “Mexican Child’s Play” (there’s a special feature on the disc with that very title), the killer doll concept is where the comparison should start and end. Despite having some seeds planted by that franchise, Salazar delivers a story that blossoms into something unique.

Tony (Roberto Guinar) receives a letter informing him that his aunt has died, and he has inherited her estate in Mexico. He quits his job and uproots his life in New York with his wife Annie (Holda Ramírez) to relocate south of the border and move into his new crib. Now I know what you’re thinking, what person just quits their job and drags their wife to another country without having reliable monetary income? Tony does, everyone, Tony does.

And what’s the first thing they do once they arrive in Mexico and check out the estate? They hit the bedroom, naturally. We are treated to a sex scene with an erotica song that feels like a knockoff of “Sadness” by Enigma (remember them?). Sounds fun and all, but the scene takes place completely in the dark and we see absolutely nothing. Maybe that’s why the sexy-time tune was pumping, so we could know what was exactly going down.

While Tony goes on a job interview, Annie explores the estate’s grounds in a tedious chore to experience, going room by room, plodding along. But it does lead us to her discovery of our antagonist—the evil clown doll, Payasito! Of all the things in the house, she decides to bring this monstrosity down to show Tony when he gets home. What an exciting way to celebrate (sic)! Then out of nowhere, she spouts off some exposition about rumors that Tony’s aunt dabbled in the dark arts and now we know where our title Diabolical Inheritance (the English translation for Herencia Diabólica) originates. For those of you who keep score for things like that.

Before proceeding with this review, you really need to visualize what Payasito looks like to truly embrace the rest of the film’s shenanigans. While Chucky resembles a cute ginger child, Payasito resembles a small clown that is much larger in stature than Chucky. That’s because Payasito is performed by an actor (Margarito Esparaza) in clown cosplay whenever he’s on the move (like Mannequin 2), and makes some really horrible facial expressions. Chucky dresses in “Good Guys” overalls and a striped shirt, but Payasito wears a new wave Santa hat while sporting a Sgt. Pepper jacket and Peter Pan tights. As you can now tell, he is quite beautiful.

Back to our story, Payasito begins to spook Annie cerebrally until she becomes unnerved to the point of having a complete mental break down, making her easy prey to eliminate. She dies but the unborn child survives, with Tony believing that her death was caused by her mental instability. Fast forward some years later and the couple’s surviving spawn has grown into child Roy (Alan Fernando), who at this point has already bonded with Payasito to help him over the loss of his mother. Dun-dun-duuunnn!

Meanwhile wealthy Tony remains single, still grieving his late wife, until his blonde assistant Doris encourages him to move on with his life and start seeing other people. And by other people, she naturally means herself. As the old Kanye West song lyric goes, “I ain’t saying she’s a gold digger…”, and it seems that she might be until we learn more about her character. Doris is played by the stunning Lorena Hererra who has an extremely extensive resume in Mexico, and she carries most of the film quite well during the feature’s second half. The singer and former Playboy centerfold for their Mexico edition is by far the most recognizable face in the cast.

Doris and Tony do indeed hookup and she moves into La casa de Herencia, where she does her best to impress Roy and lessen his obsession with the doll. There is a scene where they go to a nearby park without Payasito that is filled with famous fairytale figures, such as Pinocchio, Cinderella and King Kong! What, you didn’t know King Kong is a fairytale? Me neither. But Roy continues to be obsessed with Payasito after their trip, much to Doris’ chagrin.

Her actions to separate him from Roy gets Payasito angry, setting up the film’s most memorable scene. We already know that Payasito is a devil doll like Chucky, but now we learn he also has the power to invade people’s dreams like Freddy Krueger! Does Payasito enter the dream world and concoct a creative way to kill Doris in her sleep? No, he harnesses his power to sexually assault her instead. Yes that actually happens. After she awakens, Doris grabs the doll and tosses him into a lake, only to find him waiting for her by the time she gets back to the house. So now we know he also maintains the ability to “transport” like Jason Voorhees too. This doll is the total package!

More insanity happens before we close out the film with the longest victim chase sequence ever. It makes the previously mentioned painful house search scene seem like an eyeblink. It feels like it’s the film’s entire third act, filled with so much padding that you could soundproof an entire three-story house.

So how’s the transfer? Considering it was created using a mix of VHS and film source elements from 1993, they did one heck of a job! The work they put into it is especially noticeable in the dream invasion sequence, with the pulsing multi-colored psychedelic visuals. Super trippy stuff. Even the film’s score provides a pretty chill vibe, during the times when Payasito isn’t on the prowl.

If anything you read has piqued your interest in the very least, you should give it a shot. But if not, it is best to leave this doll on the shelf.

Herencia Diabólica is now available to purchase at VinegarSyndrome.com.

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