Demon Board
[Blu-ray Review] ‘Phantasm II’ Juggles Absurdity, Comedy, and Suspense
Reviewed by Patrick Cooper
11 years after Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm became a cult hit, Universal decided to bankroll a sequel. By the late ‘80s, horror sequels were tremendously popular, so Universal figured they would pump a bunch of money into a Phantasm sequel and have another cash cow on their hands. Thanks to the enhanced budget, Phantasm II has got some fantastic special effects and explosions, but unfortunately, with great budgets comes great studio intervention.
As Coscarelli explains in Scream Factory’s Blu-ray commentary, Universal wouldn’t let him recast A. Michael Baldwin as the main protagonist, Mike. The studio said they wanted a “working” actor and since Baldwin hadn’t done much in the decade since the first Phantasm, they wouldn’t let Coscarelli bring him back. They had faith in the immense drawing power of actor James LeGros though. The Solarbabies star had a devout band of worshippers at the time (maybe) and seeing his name attached to the sequel would surely have admirers lining up outside the theaters. READ MORE
A Trippy Third Clip From Don Coscarelli’s ‘John Dies at the End’!
While Magnolia Home Entertainment announced DVD and Blu-ray releases of John Dies at the End for April 2nd, the bizarre horror flick is now on VOD and in limited theaters. Check out a bizarre third clip from the flick starring Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Angus Scrimm, Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Doug Jones, Glynn Turman and Daniel Roebuck.
DVD Active said that extras will include an audio commentary with director Don Coscarelli, producer Brad Baruh, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, deleted scenes, a Behind the Scenes featurette, a Monster Design featurette, Fangoria interviews with Director Don Coscarelli and Paul Giamatti, an AXS TV: A Look at John Dies at the End, and trailers.
“In John Dies at the End, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.” READ MORE
Magnolia Dates ‘John Dies at the End’ For Home Video
Magnolia Home Entertainment has announced DVD ($26.98) and Blu-ray ($29.98) releases of John Dies at the End for April 2nd.
DVD Active says that extras will include an audio commentary with director Don Coscarelli, producer Brad Baruh, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, deleted scenes, a Behind the Scenes featurette, a Monster Design featurette, Fangoria interviews with Director Don Coscarelli and Paul Giamatti, an AXS TV: A Look at John Dies at the End, and trailers.
“In John Dies at the End, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.” READ MORE
New York Readers Go See ‘John Dies At The End’ On Us!
New York readers who are free on January 7 and are near the Landmark Sunshine Cinema get ready to be the first public to see Phantasm director Don Coscarelli’s awesome John Dies at the End, which played at Sundance, SXSW and TIFF’s Midnight Madness over the past year.
Bloody Disgusting has (5) PAIRS of tickets to a very special screening that takes place January 7, 2013 @ 7:30pm (please arrive 15 mins early) at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema (143 Houston St NY, NY). Don Coscarelli and star Paul Giamatti will partake in a Q&A following the screening!
If you’d like to attend, put BLOODY DISGUSTING in the subject and then e-mail your FULL NAME to [email protected]. Winners will be notified to confirm location and ticket pickup.
“In John Dies at the End, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.”
John Diesarrives in theaters January 25. Get locations here. READ MORE
‘John Dies at the End’ Now On VOD; Check Out A Featurette!
Now on various VOD platforms is Magnet Releasing’s John Dies at the End (review), the sci-fi/horror movie from horror icon Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep) that also plays in theaters February 3, 2013. This morning Magnet shared the following featurette that takes you behind the making of the adaptation. Write your reviews here!
“In ‘John Dies at the End’, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.”
The movie premiered as a work in progress at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, played at SXSW and, as a finished version, and closed out the Midnight Madness sidebar at TIFF where Magnet acquired the adaptation. Get more at the film’s Facebook. READ MORE
John Dies at the End
In John Dies at the End, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.
Red Band Trailer For Don Coscarelli’s ‘John Dies at the End’!
Magnet Releasing will unleash John Dies at the End (review), the sci-fi/horror movie from horror icon Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), through Magnet On-Demand December 27, 2012 and in theaters February 3, 2013. Getting you pumped for the release, Magnet has unveiled the following red band trailer!
“In ‘John Dies at the End’, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.”
The movie premiered as a work in progress at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, played at SXSW and, as a finished version, and closed out the Midnight Madness sidebar at TIFF where Magnet acquired the adaptation. Get more at the film’s Facebook. READ MORE
Horror Education of the Week: ‘Phantasm’
Phantasm is the twisted 1979 tale of Jody and his brother Mike, written, produced, and directed by Don Coscarelli. Jody and Mike’s parents have passed away and their lives revolve around Jody wanting to break free while Mike follows him everywhere he goes. After their friend Tommy passes away by an apparent suicide, they start to find that the local cemetery and mausoleum are a bit off.
Little do they know the undertaker is an alien that wants dead bodies so he can transform them to do his bidding.
READ MORE
Exclusive
Don Coscarelli On The Future Of ‘Phantasm 5′!!! “I Have To Find A Way…”
I just got back from the Los Angeles press day for John Dies at the End (review), the sci-fi/horror movie from horror icon Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep). It’s a fantastic movie that I really enjoyed, one that Magnet will be releasing On-Demand December 27, 2012 and in theaters February 3, 2013.
So the bulk of my coverage is going to wait until we get closer to those dates. But I just got a tidbit from Coscarelli that I need to share with you. Remember this whole thing? When it was erroneously reported that Phantasm 5 was moving forward and we had to perform the sad task of stepping in to let you know that wasn’t the case? Well, now it sounds like there actually might BE a movie sometime in the future. At the very least, it’s much more likely to happen than it was in June.
Per Coscarelli himself, “There’s been a lot of speculation for a lot of time. When I made ‘Phantasm 4′ I really saw it as an end. And it really was an ending of that portion. But I will tell you that I get so many questions about ‘Phantasm 5′. And no one’s talking about remakes! They want a ‘Phantasm 5′ with the original actors. All of the actors are in great shape, Angus [Scrimm] does an excellent job in ‘John.’ And I used to just dismiss the idea of ‘Phantasm 5′, but now I have to take it a little more seriously. There is a rabid fan base that will not be denied! So once I get done with this publicity thing I have to find a way to satisfy that demand!”
Sounds good to me! What do you guys think?
Wicked Weird Poster For Don Coscarelli’s ‘John Dies at the End’… Plus Release Dates!!
Magnet Releasing will unleash John Dies at the End (review), the sci-fi/horror movie from horror icon Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), through Magnet On-Demand December 27, 2012 and in theaters February 3, 2013. An official poster has just been revealed, as well as the film’s Facebook.
The movie premiered as a work in progress at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, played at SXSW and, as a finished version, and closed out the Midnight Madness sidebar at TIFF where Magnet acquired the adaptation.
“In ‘John Dies at the End’, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No.No, they can’t.” READ MORE
Don Coscarelli’s ‘John Dies at the End’ Ends Up At Magnet!
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has picked up worldwide rights to John Dies at the End (review), the sci-fi/horror movie from horror icon Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), reports THR.
The movie premiered as a work in progress at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, played at SXSW and, as a finished version, will close out the Midnight Madness sidebar at TIFF in September.
Magnet plans on releasing it on VOD platforms in late December followed by a theatrical release in early 2013.
“The movie stars Paul Giamatti as an investigator trailing a street drug that promises an out-of-body experience. across dimensions. But when some who return are no longer human, and it becomes apparent that a secret invasion is underway, two college dropouts are thrust in heroic roles they are unprepared for.” READ MORE
[DVD Review] ‘Subspecies: The Complete Chronicles’
I grew up in the era of cinematic vampires that would crash your bonfire and scalp you with their teeth. I would spend the weekends of my childhood watching “Scream Theater” in four hour blocks on channel 62 here in Kansas City up until I left for college in 1997. I watched a lot of films in those years. Sadly, I never had the pleasure of the vampire film series Subspecies.
I just found out I was sorely deprived.
READ MORE
I Sell the Dead (limited)
Body Snatchers Arthur Blake and Willie Grimes have pillaged their last grave. With just five hours before Arthur follows Willie to the chopping block, he recounts his life story to Fr Francis Duffy. It soon becomes clear that Blake and Grimes were no ordinary grave robbers. And through his stories the priest learns that not all corpses are equal.
I Sell The Dead is a kaleidoscope of terror that will leave you questioning life, death and what lies between.
The Off Season (V)
In the beginning, THE OFF SEASON appears to be the story of a young couple from New York City moving up to Maine to get away from it all. Soon, strange things begin to happen in the one-room apartment that they occupy—things that the once close couple cannot discuss with each other. This is not a typical ghost story resulting from a tragic death, but a tale of a place haunted by guilt and the fear of abandonment.
Phantasm IV: Oblivion
Taking off immediately where the last one ended, in this episode Mike travels across dimensions and time fleeing from the Tall Man, at the same time he tries to find the origins of his enemy, and what really happened the night that his brother died. Meanwhile, Reggie (accompanied by a beauty he picked up on the road) battles the spheres and the undead in a quest to find Mike before the Tall Man can complete his transformation.
Phantasm
A young boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave-robber known only as the “Tall Man.”
Phantasm
Mike, a young teenage boy who has just lost his parents, is afraid to lose his brother. This fear causes him to follow his brother to a funeral, where Mike witnesses the Tall Man lift a coffin on his own. Mike decides to investigate and discovers a horrible world where the Tall Man, along with his flying spheres, shrink the to half their normal size and reanimate them as slaves. It is then up to Mike, his brother, and Reggie the ice cream man to stop the Tall man.
A Kiss From Eddie
Horror and suspense in the story of a psychotic maniac who literally “loves” women to death.
3 Comments
[BD Caption Contest] Win “Texas Chainsaw 3D” On Blu-ray!!!