DVD and Blu-Ray Releases for June 1, 2010
FIENDS! It is time for your media fix for the first week in June. Summer is upon us so lets see what steamy goodness is up for grabs this week.
Alice in Wonderland
2009
d. Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham-Carter
Format: DVD | Blu-Ray | 3 Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo+ Digital Copy | 3 Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo+Digital Copy and Film Cell Photo Frame (Amazon.com Exclusive)
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Tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice for a fantastical new adventure from Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton. Inviting and magical, Alice In Wonderland is an imaginative new twist on one of the most beloved stories of all time. Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. This Wonderland is a world beyond your imagination and unlike anything you’ve seen before. The extraordinary characters you’ve loved come to life richer and more colorful than ever. There’s the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen) and more. A triumphant cinematic experience – Alice In Wonderland is an incredible feast for your eyes, ears and heart that will captivate audiences of all sizes.
Cornered
2010
d. Daniel Maze
starring: Steve Guttenberg, James Duval
Format: DVD
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A serial killer with a morbid voyeur fetish is targeting and terrorizing convenience stores. He tortures and murders his victims in creative ways in front of closed-circuit television cameras, then steals the surveillance tapes as personal trophies.
Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!
2010
d. Chad Ferrin
starring: Timothy Muskatell, Charlotte Marie
Format: DVD
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From Chad Ferrin, the acclaimed director of the cult hit Someone’s Knocking at the Door, comes this twisted and frightening low-budget shocker, a stylish and totally original confection where gore, violence, suspense and humor all intersect for a creepy and shocking good time. It s Easter, sixteen-year-old Nicholas favorite holiday. When the mentally and physically disabled youth s mother, Mindy, begins a relationship with a psycho killer, bizarre events begin to unfold – especially after Nicholas takes a seemingly normal rabbit into the house. But when home intruders, prostitutes and street trash are murdered in bizarre and gruesome ways, just who is the bunny-masked killer committing these horrendous crimes?
Ghost Hunters International: Season One, Part One
This hit spin-off of the popular Ghost Hunters features a new team of all-real paranormal investigators — Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari, Brandy Green, and Barry FitzGerald — who use scientific techniques to explore the worlds most famous supernatural locations. From Englands most haunted castles to a cursed Scottish orphanage and even Germanys legendary Frankenstein Castle, youll accompany the team on a nerve-jangling exploration of the eeriest spots around the globe. Episodes: Chillingham Castle, Evil Unearthed, Whispers from Beyond, Haunted Village, Fortress of Fear, Frankensteins Castle, Lamach Castle, Devil Dog, Castle of the Damned, Shattered Spirit
The Hitcher II – I’ve Been Waiting
2003
d. Louis Morneau
starring: Jake Busey, Kari Wuhrer, C. Thomas Howell
Format: DVD
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Jake Busey steps into Rutger Hauer’s cowboy boots to remind viewers about the dangers of picking up hitchhikers in this sequel to the 1986 thriller. Though suggested, it’s unclear whether Busey’s black-clad hitcher is actually supposed to be Hauer, who blackmailed teen driver Jim (C. Thomas Howell) for a series of killing 17 years earlier, but he makes life miserable all the same for the grown Jim (Howell again), now an trauma-plagued cop, and his girlfriend (Kari Wuhrer) as they drive through Texas (played here by Canada, and well photographed by George Mooradian). But where the original Hitcher was a taut exercise in suspense, executive producer Charles Meeker’s script is simply a retread of its predecessor’s highlights, including the infamous “drawn and quartered” scene, and gives the three leads little to do. Busey tries hard, but lacks Hauer’s formidable presence, which may disappoint fans of the original; undemanding frightfest aficionados might enjoy this best. –Paul Gaita
Invincible Shaolin (Shaw Brothers)
1978
d. Cheh Chang
starring: Chien Sun, Sheng Chiang
Format: DVD
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The growing power of the Shaolin drives a warlord to betrayal. His devious plot: manipulate two Shaolin schools into a brutal feud. The warriors of the north are framed for murder, stoking the fires of revenge in those from the south. Before the scheme is exposed, men from both sides will die.
The kung fu superstars who portrayed the iconic Five Venoms (Lu Feng, Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng, Wei Pai, Kuo Chui and Lo Mang) reunite in Invincible Shaolin, a fighting masterpiece from Chang Cheh, the director of Five Deadly Venoms and John Woo’s mentor. The films display’s of athleticism and acrobatic violence demand repeat viewing to be believed, and Invincible Shaolin’s emmorable training sequences will remind you why going to the movies is so much fun.
Killer Swarm
2010
d. Michael Karen
starring: Janin Reinhardt, Stephan Luca
Format: DVD
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Killer F’n Bees. What more do you want?
Long Time Dead
2001
d. Marcus Adams
starring: Joe Absolom, Tom Bell
Format: DVD
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A group of college students at an all-night party dare each other to play a Ouija board. But what starts out as fun rapidly turns into a nightmare when the glass spells out the message “ALL DIE” and a demon is awakened with an appetite for vengeance against those who summoned him. One by one, the students fall prey to a succession of disturbing murders. With time running out and the body count growing, the remaining friends realize they can’t trust anybody, not even each other.
The Man with No Name Trilogy [Blu-ray]
1964-1966
d. Sergio Leone
starring: Clint Eastwood
Format: Blu-Ray
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Includes A Fistful of Dollars , For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Rampage
2009
d. Uwe Boll
starring: Matthew Frewer, Brendan Fletcher
Format: DVD
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The boredom of small town life is eating Bill Williamson alive. Feeling constrained and claustrophobic in the meaningless drudgery of everyday life and helpless against overwhelming global dissolution, Bill begins a descent into madness. His shockingly violent plan will shake the very foundations of society by painting the streets red with blood.
Slithis
1978
d. Stephen Traxler
starring: Alan Blanchard, Dennis Lee Falt
Format: DVD
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A nuclear leak creates a mutant Slithis sea monster, which terrorizes the variety of pets, winos, and hippies who hang around Venice, California.
Two-Minute Warning
1976
d. Larry Peerce
starring: Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes
Format: DVD
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A NIGHTMARE OF FEAR AND PANIC UNFOLDS AS A LONE GUNMAN SETS HIS SIGHTS ON A SELL-OUT CROWD AT A CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME. BONUS FEATURES: THEATRICAL TRAILER, FEATURETTE, TALENT BIOS,PRODUCTION NOTES, AND WEB LINKS.
Village of the Damned
1995
d. John Carpenter
starring: Christopher Reeve, Kristie Alley
Format: DVD
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After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town ten women mysteriously find themselves pregnant. Local physician dr. Alan chaffee and government scientist dr. Susan verner join forces when the women simultaneously give birth and the reign of horror begins.
The Wolfman
2010
d. Joe Johnston
starring: Bencio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving
Format: DVD | Blu-ray
REVIEWED IN EPISODE 75
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Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast. There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father (Hopkins), his brother’s grieving fiancée (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada) and a suspicious Scotland Yard Inspector (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix Trilogy). When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death. Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins.
Andy Triefenbach
Andy Triefenbach is the Editor-in-Chief and owner of DestroytheBrain.com. In addition to his role on the site, he also programs St. Louis' monthly horror & exploitation theatrical midnight program, Late Nite Grindhouse. Coming from a household of a sci-fi father and a horror/supernatural loving mother, Andy's path to loving genre film was clear. He misses VHS and his personal Saturday night 6 tape movie marathons from his youth.