Movie Review: Nightbreed

(1990)
Directed by Clive Barker
Starring Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford,
Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie, Hugh Ross, Catherine Chevalier, Oliver Parker, John Agar

There is something about the mythology of monsters that is so fascinating. It seems that with ever new monster flick if we don’t have the back story to the creature, we want it! Or if there is some hints to it, we want more! What Clive Barker has done with this film, or the novella it is based on, is do exactly that, by giving us a tale of monsters that have been shunned from normal society, either choosing to or force to run and hide from it, all gathering to a place called Midian.

Movie Review: The Brides of Dracula

(1960)
Director Terence Fisher
Starring Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur, David Peel, Martita Hunt, Freda Jackson, Miles Malleson, Andree Melly, Marie Devereux, Michael Ripper

While most “normal” critics would look down on a horror film, yes… even ones from Hammer Studios, this is a perfect example of how well made these pictures really were, from the acting, the production design, to the look and lighting of the entire running time. If you ever doubted that, just watch this 2K scan of The Brides of Dracula recently released by Shout Factory on Blu-Ray.

Happy Birthday Paul Naschy!!!

Back on this day, in 1934, Jacinto Molina was born. He would later adopt the name of Paul Naschy for his film work, which happened to be massive by the time of his death in 2009. He wasn’t just an actor, writer, and director, but he was one of us… a lover of the horror genre. I can’t think of too many other people in the industry that has created the work he had in his lifetime, dedicated to this “cinéma fantastique”, as he referred to it. That really puts him in the icon status. Not to mention that he made a hell of a lot of entertaining films!

More Hammer Horror on Blu-Ray

Trust me, I’m not one for double and triple dipping. But when it comes to Hammer Films, when they are released on Blu-ray, usually looking just freaking stunning in all their glorious color, it really is hard to pass up. Even more so, when they have a special offer to get a limited edition poster print of the cover art by Mark Maddox! Which is exactly what they have announced for their release of The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)! Just look at that amazing artwork, which would look just beautiful hanging on any Hammer fan’s wall. But don’t wait too long because this offer is only until the supply of posters runs out. Just click HERE to pre-order yours now. You may think it is a bit pricy but considering the poster you’re getting, it is one hell of a deal. The Blu-ray is set to be released on April 21st, with no extras announced just yet. But I’m sure Scream Factory will do their usual stellar job.

Color Comes Back to Langella’s Dracula

I can remember watching the 1979 version of Dracula on VHS, and loving the look, the feel, and the atmosphere of it, especially in its glorious color. But something happened when it was released to DVD for the first time. All of the color was bled out, making it almost look black and white. Here’s the little backstory to that. Originally, director John Badham wanted to film it in black and white but the studios said no way in hell. When it came to be released on DVD, Badham had control over the look of the film and had it modified to fit the version he originally wanted to make.

Hammer Horror & More from Scream Factory

How to make the beginning of the week better? Easy. Hearing a slew of great titles announced from Scream Factory that will be hitting Blu-ray last this fall!

Of course, anytime a Hammer title is release, there should be much rejoicing! No matter the title, to have these in a nice Blu-ray edition, with the blazing colors and clarity, it will be great to see these titles looking their best. Being release on Sept. 10th is Scars of Dracula (1970) starring Christopher Lee and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1972) starring the stunning Valerie Leon! I know these titles don’t have a lot of fans, compared to maybe Hammer’s earlier titles, but they are still fun and entertaining.

More Hammer from Scream Factory!

Never a bad bit of news when there is an announcement of another Hammer film hitting Blu-ray, especially when it is coming from Scream Factory. If the fact that it’s another Hammer title doesn’t get your attention, then this amazing cover art from Mark Maddox probably will. Coming out on June 11th, the extras haven’t been finalized yet, but if it is what we’ve come to expect from Scream Factory, it will be well worth it. If you pre-order it now, you’ll get an 18×24 poster of the Maddox artwork!

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) was Hammer’s fourth entry in their Frankenstein series, with Peter Cushing returning once again as the evil doctor. This time out, instead of sewing bodies together, he is experimenting with soul transferring! Starring the lovely Susan Denberg, and the always entertaining Thorley Walters, this is a must for Hammer fanatics!

For ordering information, just head over to Shout Factory’s site HERE.

Horror Hunters Are Coming!

While I tend to hate reality shows, as well as never being too good at self-promotion, I do want to point this little adventure I was involved in that was a lot of fun. Horror Hunters is a pilot show where to horror fiends go to visit different like-minded fans to see their collections, and maybe do a trade with them. It debuts this Wednesday on Shout Factory TV at 9pm ET/6pm PT, with an encore screening at 12am ET/9pm PT. See below for the press release from Shout Factory.

Lady in White Comes to Blu-ray

If there is one sub-genre of films that I just love it is the classic ghost story. This is where you have a secret behind a ghost/haunting that must be uncovered to release whatever is keeping the tormented soul from moving on. These are not as easy as one thinks, otherwise there would be more out there. Yes, there are a few, such as John Carpenter’s The Fog. But one of my all-time favorites is the 1988 film The Lady in White, by director Frank LaLoggia, which is now coming blu-ray in a  2-disc special edition from Scream Factory.

Scream Factory Announces Blood and Lace

Scream Factory has recently announced a slew of new titles they will be releasing, some of them making their debut on blu-ray, while some have already had a blu-ray release, and some that are in much neeed a special edition. Granted, we don’t know of any details as far as extras for any of them, but are very anxious on a few of them. Here’s the list of what they’ve announced:

• Women’s Prison Massacre (1983)
• Blood and Lace (1971)
• Troll (1986) & Troll 2 (1990) double feature
• Ghost Story (1981)
• The Guardian (1990)
• The Car (1977)
• Nightmares (1983)
• Death Becomes Her (1992)
• Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie (1987)
• Return of the Living Dead (1985)