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SCREAM-FACTORY

Scream Factory Announces Huge Vincent Price Box Set!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on April 26, 2013 @ 3:19pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

You might want to start saving up now, dear horror consumers… Scream Factory just announced a Vincent Price Blu-ray Box Set that’s due to hit before Halloween.

Among the films included are Fall Of The House Of Usher, The Haunted Palace, The Masque Of Red Death, The Pit And The Pendulum, Witchfinder General (along with The Conqueror Worm), and The Abominable Dr. Phibes.

If you love VINCENT PRICE like we do then you’re gonna love love LOVE this exciting news! We will be releasing a blu-ray collection box set before Halloween that showcases some of the legendary horror film star’s greatest films which include:

More details (artwork, exact street date, pricing, extras, etc.) will be revealed in June or July.

Bonus Features And Pre-Order Info For Scream Factory’s ‘The Fog’ And ‘The Incredible Melting Man’ Revealed!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on April 22, 2013 @ 10:53am
Category: Movies / Home Video

Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release of The Fog will be the first time that film has landed on the high-def format in the US and now we have info on a host of bonus features as well as the pre-order info.

“Look what just rolled in…our newly retro-styled designed artwork for John Carpenter’s THE FOG! This new “remix” of the ghostly classic comes to us from artist Justin Osbourn. As always with our Collector’s Editions, the reverse wrap will have the original theatrical key art (the iconic one with Jamie Lee Curtis bolted up against the door).”

The DVD & Blu-ray for both The Fog and The Incredible Melting Man go on sale July 30th. You can pre-order collector’s edition of The Fog with exclusive poster here. Head inside for the specs! READ MORE

Scream Factory Reveal Their Artwork For ‘The Fog’ Blu-ray!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on April 11, 2013 @ 3:41pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

Speaking of Scream Factory, their Blu-ray release of The Fog will be the first time that film has landed on the high-def format in the US. And they’ve just unveiled the cover for their product! As always, you can just flip the insert around if you want the original poster.

The DVD & Blu-ray go on sale July 30th. An announcement of the bonus features is forthcoming. Head inside for the art! READ MORE

Scream For ‘Amityville’ On Blu-ray!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on April 11, 2013 @ 1:39pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

Fans of The Amityville Horror and its’ two immediate successorsAmityville II: The Possession and Amityville 3D will no doubt be thrilled to hear that they are going to be reissued on Blu-ray by Shout Factory’s horror division, Scream Factory, as The Amityville Trilogy.

“We teased the following weeks ago but now we will confirm it: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR TRILOGY (consisting of the ’79 original, the ’82 prequel and the ’83 3D entry) will be making its way from us in a Blu-ray collection set before Halloween. That’s a lot of bleeding walls, flies, demons, possessed family members in HD! More specifics (extras, street date, etc.) to emerge in the Summer.”

Get your wallets ready! More details as the come in! READ MORE

Scream Factory Offers Preliminary Announcement For ‘Swamp Thing’ Blu-ray!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on March 20, 2013 @ 3:07pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

When I think about the career of Wes Craven, Swamp Thing never really even comes to mind. Just not my cup of tea (and I almost – gaps – prefer the sequel). But still, fans of the film should be excited that it will finally be getting a Scream Factory Blu-ray release! The film. starring Adrienne Barbeau, will be arriving this summer on Blu-ray for the first time.

It might not be your preferred cut though. “As always, we are planning to provide as many bells and whistles as we can on this release, but we felt it was important to tell you early on that we will only be able to present the 91 minute U.S. cut of the film (the same version MGM has released on DVD since ’05) and not the 93 minute “unrated” international version as we had originally hoped for. This is due to legal issues that are out of our control and we hope you understand. ”

Specs and release date will be revealed in the coming months. READ MORE

[BD Review] ‘The Nest’ is Gross in a Good Way

Movies
Posted by David Harley on February 20, 2013 @ 10:22pm
Category: Movies / Reviews

Reviewed by Patrick Cooper

Until I moved from New England to Florida, I never saw a cockroach in person. About one year after moving into my apartment, I started seeing them everywhere. They were small suckers – German cockroaches, they tell me. Some of the hardest to kill. A few times I’ve seen ones the size they are in The Nest and it was terrifying. Before I could clobber one particular beast with a shoe, it turned its head, looked me right in the eye, and hissed. I hate cockroaches.

Director Terence H. Winkless’ (Power Rangers) The Nest features mutated, unstoppable hoards of these loathsome, already unstoppable creatures. They buzz and eat their way through a small coastal town as they gain strength and transform into the hybrid from hell encountered during the film’s climax. The film cruises along at high speed along with the cockroaches – never deviating from creature-feature conventions. Straightforwardness isn’t a bad thing if done well and The Nest is done very well.

Franc Luz stars as Sheriff Tarbell. He’s awakened by a call from the station concerning weird happenings in town. As he’s getting ready to head out, he finds a cockroach in his coffee. The infestation has begun! After making some rounds, he heads to the airport to pick up his old flame, Beth (Lisa Langlois). She’s the daughter of the town’s scowling mayor who’s hiding a secret involving the Intec Corporation and secret mutant roach experiments. One of the worst kind of secrets, in my book.

Roaming masses of roaches quickly overrun the town. They’re foreshadowed by loud hissing, disappearing meat at the grocery store, and bloody animal carcasses. Then bodies start piling up rapidly as the roaches take over more parts of town. It’s up to Sheriff Tarbell, Beth, and a greasy exterminator to find out what Intec was up to, slay the queen, and destroy the nest.

Dr. Morgan Hubbard (Terri Treas – Alien Nation) is also in town. Her character is the mad scientist who worked on the roach mutations. She’s damn near sexually aroused by the strength of the cockroaches. Even when they’re chewing up her hand to a bloody pulp she just stares at them in awe. She begrudgingly helps the Sheriff despite the fact that she loves her precious mutant roaches. She should marry one!

Regardless of its straightforward story and stock characters, everything in The Nest is solid. The cozy small-town atmosphere is nicely developed and its inhabitants – from the diner waitress to the junkyard man – are all suitable for the setting. It’s easy to root for them, y’know? Sheriff Tarbell’s pleasant relationship with the townsfolk is believable and it makes since that he would risk his life to save them. Sure you could say that about most fictional cops, but Franc Luz has a way of carrying himself in that uniform that makes you think, “yeah, he does give a shit about these people.”

This is definitely a horror film that knows its limitations and its audiences. There are no forced statements about society or small town politics. It’s just a simple man vs. monster story done very well. The terror builds up nicely from the roach in the coffee to the giant roach hybrid queen going on a rampage. In between there are plenty of gross out scenes with gore galore. Nothing over-the-top though. The Nest is the third bowl of porridge – just right.

A/V

Scream Factory presents The Nest in 1080p 1.78:1 widescreen with a DTS Master Audio that makes the foreboding hiss of cockroaches damn near deafening at times. The picture looks fantastic with plenty of crisp details and poppy contrasts. It’s one of the best looking releases Scream Factory has put out so far. This is the first time The Nest is available on Blu-ray and in a widescreen format and Scream Factory did a knockout job.

Special Features

The only feature is a commentary with director Terence H. Winkless. He talks about the difficulties of making a cockroach movie, shooting locations, and loads more. Winkless gives a good commentary and fans will definitely want to give it a go.

[BD Review] ‘Prison’ is One of the Better Neglected Horror Flicks of the 80′s

Movies
Posted by David Harley on February 14, 2013 @ 10:10am
Category: Movies / Reviews

Reviewed by Patrick Cooper

Scream Factory is releasing Renny Harlin’s 1988 film Prison for the first time on DVD/Blu-ray in the U.S. and after watching it, I honestly cannot believe it took this long. It’s better than most of the ‘80s horror films people “rediscover” on DVD. On a modest budget, Harlin and producers Irwin Yablans and Charles Band delivered a 60,000-volt prison riot filled with blistering gross-out effects, razor-sharp cinematography, and Viggo Mortensen’s best James Dean impression! Plus, it was filmed in a real abandoned prison and features heaps of real-life hardened cons as extras. If you’re not on-board for this one, get off my bus!

Lane Smith (Red Dawn) stars as hardass prison warden Eaton Sharpe. When the derelict Creedmore Prison is reopened after 30 years, Sharpe is put in charge. The place is in rough shape, so when a few busloads of inmates show up, Sharpe puts them to work. One of these inmates is Burke, a cool, quiet car thief played by Viggo Mortensen. From the bell him and Sharpe don’t get along, so Sharpe gives him a shit detail: knocking down a thick cement wall that’s covering up the old execution chamber. It doesn’t take Burke too long because he’s wicked strong for a scrawny dude and some old voodoo inmate is helping. Once they knock the wall down, an evil spirit escapes and goes on an electrically charged revenge rampage around the prison.

For the first 30 minutes there are no supernatural elements – it’s a straight up prison movie with all the conventions we’re used to. There’s the loveable, quirky convicts who aren’t all that bad, the dickhead warden who has no consideration for human dignity, and power plays out in the yard. This one inmate named Rhino tries to get Burke to be his bitch, but Burke grabs him by the nuts and shows him who’s tough. It’s a great moment. I learned in the commentary that Rhino was played by an actual inmate doing life for murder. When Renny called cut, Rhino would be put back in restraints until he was needed in another shot. Hot shit, huh?

There are loads of fantastic effects and kills in this film. The effects were done by John Carl Buechler, a Corman veteran who also did Ghoulies and TerrorVision. There’s all kinds of stuff like boiling skin, barbwire mummies, melting heads, and Kane Hodder as a dead guy. In short, the effects and stunts kick ass.

Some really great actors besides Viggo and Lane Smith populate the prison. Tommy “Tiny” Lister (No Holds Barred) is cellmates with a smart-mouth Italian named Lasagna who’s obsessed with Sly Stallone (it’s not as bad as it sounds and is pretty funny in parts – like when he gets shit for smuggling a Rambo poster into prison). There’s the wise old black inmate too, like Freeman in Shawshank. He’s played by Lincoln Kilpatrick (Soylent Green) and at first he seems really feeble, but as we all learn in life, old people are hard as hell. The only female at the sausage party is Chelsea Field (MOTU) who plays a humane prison reform board member who disapproves of Sharpe’s harsh methods.

The filmmakers talk in the features about how the original idea was to make Halloween set in a prison, but they scrapped that because what con is going to be afraid of some goon with a knife. They’ve all got shivs in their socks anyway. There is a Halloween vibe though, especially when the camera is slowly moving through the shadowed halls of the prison. It must’ve been a bitch to film in such confined spaces, but cinematographer Mac Ahlberg (Re-Animator) took advantage of the situation and he practically chokes you with this claustrophobic environment.

There’s plenty more to talk about, but I highly suggest you pick up this set. This is Scream Factory’s best release since the two Halloween sets last year and the Blu-ray is a phenomenal way to get acquainted with this lost classic.

A/V

Scream Factory presents Prison in 1080p HD 1.78:1 with DTS HD Master Audio. Besides some very minor scratches, the video is perfect – filled with deep contracts and strong details.

Special Features

HARD TIME: THE MAKING OF PRISON (38:00): It seems like everyone was involved in this making of feature except the actors! Renny Harlin, Irwin Yablans, Charles Band, C. Courtney Joyner (screenwriter), Mac Ahlberg, and more are all here to give their insight and anecdotes. And there are some fantastic anecdotes, trust me.

I gotta say, I’m really happy Scream Factory compiled all the interviews into one long feature. On their releases for Deadly Blessing, The Funhouse, and Terror Train they made each interview it’s own feature, with a title and credit and everything. It was sort of annoying – maybe they did it because they were cranking them out so fast? I dunno. Either way I’m glad it’s one long feature on Prison.

AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH RENNY HARLIN: Renny talks about what it was like to come to America and break into the Hollywood scene, casting, the meaning of crucifixes in his films, and plenty of more insightful stuff. It’s definitely worth a listen.

POSTER AND STILL GALLERY

TRAILERS

PDF OF THE FIRST DRAFT SCRIPT

REVERSIBLE COVER

Special Features Announced For Scream Factory’s ‘From Beyond’ Blu-Ray!!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on January 18, 2013 @ 1:05pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

This spring 2013, Scream Factory further invites horror enthusiasts and movie collectors to feast their eyes on more gory goodness and spark their senses when Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm II Collector’s Edition unleashes on Blu-ray and DVD on March 5, 2013; and H.P. Lovecraft’s From Beyond Collector’s Edition – Unrated Director’s Cut Blu-ray + DVD combo pack hits home entertainment shelves everywhere on March 26, 2013.

Both movies debut for the first time on Blu-ray. Each collector’s edition feature anamorphic widescreen presentation, exciting bonus content, newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with theatrical key art and more!

And now we’ve got the list of special features for From Beyond! Head inside to check ‘em out! READ MORE

[BD Review] ‘The Island’ Has Good Set Pieces But is Never Thrilling

Movies
Posted by David Harley on December 09, 2012 @ 7:31pm
Category: Movies / Reviews

Reviewed by Patrick Cooper

From 1974 to 1979, author Peter Benchley pulled off a hat trick of impressive seafaring bestsellers. Each book was adapted for the big screen one year after publication – with mixed results. There’s Jaws, of course, then The Deep, which also did well at the box-office thanks in part to Jacqueline Bisset swimming in a see-through shirt. It seemed like adapting Benchley’s source material meant instant success. Then there was The Island, a film that cost more than Jaws and The Deep combined, that wound up tanking in theaters.

Directed by Michael Ritchie (Fletch), The Island follows investigative journalist Blair Maynard (Michael Caine) who decides to take on a nautical mystery as his next assignment. In a certain corner of the Caribbean, dozens of boats have been disappearing over the years. It’s some Bermuda Triangle shit and Blair is determined to get to the bottom of it. He takes his estranged son Justin along with him under the guise of a “vacation.” They do some father-son bonding stuff like buying a gun and lying to law enforcement agents. While they’re fishing one day, a filthy man and a little girl abduct them.

They’re brought to an uncharted island inhabited by a 300-year-old colony of French pirates. Their leader is suave scumbag John David (voice-actor extraordinaire David Warner). The pirates are the ones behind the missing boats and they’re really good at the whole looting and murder aspects of pirate life. They’re not kid-friendly Disney pirates who make clever quips while only getting marginally drunk. This gang never showers, they cover their women in mud, and they get wasted on some kind of island moonshine.

But throughout all the raids and swashbuckling, John David longs for a son. For years he’s been trying to train the boys of the colony how to be as cunning and heartless as him, but everyone’s failed him. It’s a bizarrely heartfelt subplot anchored by Warner’s dignified performance. So he starts to train Justin in the ways of pirate life in hopes of finally finding a worthy successor. The kid takes to it right away – swearing off Blair as his father and showing great aptitude with a pistol. It’s hard to believe a son would turn against his father so quick (as shitty as a father as he’s been), but at this point in the movie all credibility has been tossed overboard anyway.

All the while Blair is kept alive and forced to act like a husband to a woman of the colony. He almost escapes a handful of times, but it’s not until the pirates decide to take on a Coast Guard vessel that Blair sees his chance for escape and revenge. The Island was made during Caine’s “80s paycheck period,” in which he was more interested in getting paid than creating critically acclaimed films. Some of his output during this period is really fun (Dressed to Kill) and some is, well, Jaws: The Revenge.

The Island falls somewhere in the middle. Caine doesn’t exactly phone his performance in, but there are moments where he looks extremely bored. During the gun shop scene, for example, Caine looks like he’s falling asleep on his feet when he’s supposed to be debating with his son on whether it’s wise or not to own a gun. Other times he does his classic scenery chewing like only Caine can. The climax on the Coast Guard vessel is easily up there with one of the best badass Caine moments of all time. I wouldn’t compare it to the naked shotgun shootout from Get Carter, but it’s up there.

While there are a lot of nice set pieces and fantastic locations in The Island, it never really lives up to the word “thrilling.” Moments of suspense are cut short and dragged down by weak sub-plots and character developments. A lot of time is given to Blaire’s “pirate wife” and their forced relationship, which couldn’t be more dull. It feels like Ritchie wasn’t sure what he wanted the movie to be about: Caine’s attempted escape from the island or his son’s conversion to pirate life. He fumbles these two plots back and forth, shifting tones each time. The climax is terrific, but everything leading up to it feels very clunky.

The Island bombed at the box-office and then faded into cult obscurity. Universal released it through their “Vault Series” last year, and now, Scream Factory’s resurrected the film with a DVD and Blu-ray combo pack. Unfortunately, due to a void in resources and the passing of Michael Ritchie in 2001, there are zero special features on this set. It’s definitely worth a rent, but only diehard Caine and cult fans should dish out the cash for the set.

A/V

Scream Factory presents The Island in 1080p 2.35:1 widescreen with DTS HD Master Audio 2.0. The colors of the island scenes are particularly lush with blues and greens popping and contrasting nicely with the dark of the jungle. Ritchie definitely got the most out of location shooting. The film sounds as good as an HD 2.0 track can.

Special Features

Like I mentioned, there are no special features. Not even a trailer.

Updated Special Features For ‘They Live’ Blu-ray Revealed!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on September 17, 2012 @ 12:17pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

Update: Final special features revealed.

They Live might not be John Carpenter’s best movie, but it’s still a total blast. We reported a month or so back that Scream Factory is releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD (complete with a great illustrated cover) on November 16th (hurry up and order). If you were waiting for special features to make the leap – then today’s they day!

“Horror master John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) directs this heart-pounding thriller in which aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. Humanity’s last chance lies with a lone drifter who stumbles upon a harrowing discovery — a unique pair of sunglasses that reveals the terrifying and deadly truth.”

Head inside for the special features and box art! READ MORE

Check Out The Trailers For Scream Factory’s ‘Halloween 2′ And ‘Halloween 3′ Blus!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on September 06, 2012 @ 1:49pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

On September 18, 2012, fans will rejoice as Shout! Factory’s Scream Factory branch unleashes Halloween II Collector’s Edition and Halloween III: Season of the Witch 30th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray and DVD. These two formidable titles inaugurate the Scream Factory home entertainment series and are now available to preorder! Something you can do here and here.

But in case you weren’t already sold, we’ve got trailers for those releases inside! Along with full specs of course! READ MORE

‘They Live’ Hits Blu-ray From Scream Factory On November 16th!

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on July 30, 2012 @ 5:32pm
Category: Movies / Home Video

They Live might not be John Carpenter’s best movie, but it’s still a total blast. And now Scream Factory is releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD (complete with a great illustrated cover) on November 16th. If you’re one of the first 500 pre-orders, you get a free 18″x24″ print of that artwork so hurry up and order!

While specs haven’t been finalized, Scream Factory has indeed recorded a new interview with John Carpenter for the disc. “They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They Live.

Horror master John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) directs this heart-pounding thriller in which aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. Humanity’s last chance lies with a lone drifter who stumbles upon a harrowing discovery — a unique pair of sunglasses that reveals the terrifying and deadly truth.”

Head inside for the box art! READ MORE

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