We still have four 5 x 7 Grindhouse posters to give away. Get one while you can with a combo dvd pack purchase! http://www.slasherstudios.com/2012/05/08/limited-time-offer-teddy-popularity-killer-double-feature-only-10/
Halloween 2 & 3 Set for Special Edition Blu-ray Release from Shout Factory
Further underscoring its position as a leading curator and home entertainment provider of many memorable cult movie classics, Shout! Factory is proud to announce the launch of SCREAM FACTORY™, a new home entertainment series created to celebrate some of the most enthralling horror and sci-fi films with massive cult followings in cinematic history.
Debuting this September, SCREAM FACTORY™ boasts a scary slate of fan-favorite thrillers from the 1980s, many of which have never been available on Blu-ray™ before. Titles include Halloween II and TERROR TRAIN, (both starring “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis); the 30th Anniversary release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch; They Live from director John Carpenter (The Thing); Peter Benchley’s THE ISLAND starring Michael Caine, The Funhouse from director Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist); the nightmarish Phantasm II; and the much-anticipated DVD debuts of DEADLY BLESSING, directed by Wes Craven (Scream) and featuring Sharon Stone in an early role, and DEATH VALLEY starring Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story). Each title will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, and most will be released in a “Collector’s Edition” packed with new bonus content, archival materials, a collectible cover featuring newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with original theatrical key art and more!
On September 18, 2012, fans will rejoice as Shout! Factory 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 at ShoutFactory.com and Amazon.com.
Avid horror movie fans and collectors take note: those who order HALLOWEEN II: Collector’s Edition and/ or HALLOWEEN II: SEASON OF THE WITCH 30th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition will receive special collectible item(s) as gift(s)-with-purchase. For more information, please visit ShoutFactoryStore.com or ScreamFactoryDVD.com .
HALLOWEEN II Collector’s Edition Blu-ray & DVD
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, Halloween II follows the same ill-fated characters as they encounter the knife-wielding maniac they left for dead in the first film. It seems the inhuman Michael Myers is still very much alive and out for more revenge as he stalks the deserted halls of the Haddonfield hospital. As he gets closer to his main target, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) discovers the chilling mystery behind the crazed psychopath’s actions. Written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween II is a spine-tingling dark ride into the scariest night of the year.
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED OFFER: Order the Blu-ray or DVD directly from ShoutFactory.com and receive an exclusive “ Haddonfield Memorial Hospital nurse’s hat!” Less than 500 have been made, so these are only available while supplies last.
HALLOWEEN II Collector’s Edition Special Features (preliminary confirmed line-up):
Audio commentary with director Rick Rosenthal
Audio commentary with stunt coördinator / actor Dick Warlock
The Nightmare Isn’t Over – The Making of HALLOWEEN II, featuring Rick Rosenthal, Lance Guest, Dick Warlock, Alan Howarth, Dean Cundey and more..
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds– Revisiting the original shooting locations
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer, TV and Radio Spots
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
30th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition
Blu-ray and DVD
A murder-suicide in a northern Californian hospital leads to an investigation by the on-call doctor, which reveals a plot by an insane toymaker to kill as many people as possible on October 31st through an ancient Celtic ritual and deadly Halloween masks. Starring Tom Atkins, Stacy Nelkin and Dan O’Herlihy, this third chilling film from the popular Halloween franchise is produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill and is directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH 30th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition Special Features:
Audio commentary with director Tommy Lee Wallace
Audio commentary with actor Tom Atkins
Stand Alone: The Making of HALLOWEEN III: Season of the Witch featuring Tommy Lee Wallace, Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dick Warlock, Dean Cundey and more
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds– Revisiting the original shooting locations
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
Pre-order links:
HALLOWEEN II Collector’s Edition
Blu-ray – http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257867
DVD – http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257866
Halloween III: Season of the Witch 30th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition
Blu-ray – http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257869
DVD – http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257868
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED OFFER: Order the Blu-ray or DVD directly from Shout Factory and receive an exclusive 18”x24” poster featuring the newly commissioned artwork! Less than 500 have been printed, so these are only available while supplies last.
“Piranha 3DD” Serves Up Gory Fun B-Movie Style
After 2010’s hit horror remake “Piranha” made a killing at the box office ($83 million worldwide on a $25 million budget), Weinstein Company quickly gave the go ahead to make an even campier sequel with the affectionate title “Piranha 3DD.” Tentatively scheduled for August 2011, the release date came and went without any word about the film. Weinstein soon announced that they would be releasing the horror sequel in November 2011. Once again, the release date whizzed by with no word from the studio as to when or if the film would be released. Now, on June 1st, the film has finally been released to horror hell. Opening in 83 theaters this weekend, the film is also showing on demand (where I caught it as no theaters within a 100 mile radius of me is playing the flick). With little press and even littler buzz, the film has little to no hope of making waves at the box office. Did Weinstein Company lose faith in the film? Is the film so awful that it simply doesn’t deserve a theatrical release and the studios is simply fulfilling contract obligations? Let’s take a step into these piranha filled waters and find out.
“Piranha 3DD” begins one year after the famous attack on Lake Victoria by prehistoric piranhas. Extremely bad press from the incident has left the lake devoid of any life whatsoever. The town itself has been largely abandoned as a result of the drying-up of their main revenue source, tourism by horny spring breakers. At a nearby lake, two middle aged rednecks named Clayton (Gary Busey) and Mo (Clu Gulager) wade into the water to recover the body of a dead cow. Eggs laid inside the cow carcass, and before you can say “piranha meal” the farmers are killed by a hungry and very angry swarm of baby piranha.
Enter Maddy (the lovely “Friday the 13th” remake star Danielle Panabaker) a marine biology student. She returns home for the summer to the waterpark she co-owns. She finds to her horror, and our amusement, that the other co-owner, her step-father Chet (David Koechner), plans to add an adult-themed section to the waterpark with ‘water-certified strippers’, and re-open it as “Big Wet” where the “double DD’s get in for free.” At a party at the waterpark that night, Maddy encounters several old friends, including her policeman ex-boyfriend Kyle (the enjoyable slimy Chris Zylka), and Barry (Matt Bush) who has secretly had a crush on her since grade-school. She also runs into two of her close friends, Ashley (Meagan Tandy), and Shelby (Katrina Bowden). It doesn’t take long to guess who will and won’t become piranha bait.
Shelby and her boyfriend Josh (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) go skinny-dipping in the lake, where a piranha makes its way inside her vagina (yes, you read that right). Meanwhile, Ashley and her boyfriend Travis (Paul James Jordan) go to have sex in their van. They accidentally trip the handbrake, causing the van to roll into the lake, where they are both devoured by the angry piranhas.
The next day, Maddy is consoling Shelby about their missing friends. While sitting on the boat dock, they are both attacked by the swarm of piranhas in easily the film’s most suspenseful sequence. After some struggle, the two girls manage to kill one. Maddy, Kyle and Barry bring it to the strange Mr. Goodman (Christopher Lloyd in a kooky and actually sort of sweet performance that manages not to go too over the top) to examine. He has some bad news for them. He informs them that the piranhas may be moving via sewage pipes and underground rivers between lakes. Oh no, the waterpark is not safe!! Big surprise.
Meanwhile, back at the waterpark, we find celebrity lifeguard David Hasselhoff (played by himself in a hilarious, mocking tone similar to Jennifer Tilly’s role in “Seed of Chucky”) has been hired on as an “A list” lifeguard from the waterpark. It doesn’t take long before the piranhas find their way to the park to devour and feast on the lovely young teens and the families enjoying their stay at “Big Wet.”
Sound silly, over-the-top, and preposterous? Of course it is! The film is “Piranha 3DD” not “Schindler’s List.” You want big breasted girls being torn apart by piranhas? You want David Hasselholff running in slow motion to the Baywatch theme to save a drowning ginger boy? You want the death of not one but TWO annoying kids played up for two of the biggest laughs in the movie? Well, you get all of this and a hell of a lot more. Rating a movie like “Piranha 3DD” is a different proposition. The film itself is not nearly as good as the original remake (how’s that for an oxymoron?) but I would argue that this sequel is a hell of a lot more fun. Take out the 13 minute credits (stay for them, there are some funny bloopers and behind the scenes video) and you are left with a 70 minute nonstop rollercoaster ride that is over before you can even begin to think of the bad acting and nonsensical plot developments. “Piranha 3DD” left me craving another sequel and isn’t that the best thing you can say about a cheesy horror flick?
To order on demand from Amazon: Piranha 3DD (Theatrical Rental)
Slasher Studios Horror Webcast: Best New Horror Directors
On this week’s epsiode of Slasher Studios Horror Webcast, our hosts Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz will be discussing their favorite up and upcoming hor new horror directors. Directors that they believe are on the rise and are definitely going places in Hollywood. Make sure to listen in live Sunday October 3rd at 10PM central to find out which directors make the cut! Click on the link below to listen live or to catch a previous episode of Slasher Studios Horror Webcast.
Tim’s Slasher Tweet Review: “The Hamiltons” (2006)
Our resident twitter reviewer Tim Schilling is back with a brand new horror review for us. Today, Tim is taking a stab at the grossly underrated After Dark Horror Fest selection “The Hamiltons.” I’ve loved this little gem of a horror movie since it was first released. Does Tim feel the same way? Let’s dig in and find out!
Thoughts before the film:
I didn’t care for #TheHamiltons the first time I watched it,but everyone else seems to think it’s one of the best from After Dark Horrorfest. Sooo maybe I’ll give it another chance!
Thoughts while watching:
0:10 Stupid blonde… It’s raining out, there wouldn’t be any stars.
0:16 “what do you call it?” “Death.”
0:16 What are the chances that all of these events would happen, and the baby doll would actually end up in Hollywood?
0:20 This is what I didn’t like about this movie before, it’s so random. Who was that old guy at dinner?
0:32 It’s awkward to watch the oldest brother talk to anyone.
0:36 Oh shit, she did triple dare in dare or double dare. We got a bad bitch.
0:37 Incest incest incest!
0:44 I wanna know what Lenny is!
0:57 She sucks on her bloody finger and thinks nothing of it?
0:58 Even if they didn’t have Lenny locked downstairs and those people chained, this family would be fucked up.
0:59 Unless they’re vampires…
1:03 These twins man. They’re freaking me out.
1:14 Lenny, I wanna know what you are and what you look like.
1:17 ~*spoilerZ*~ They are vampires! That makes more sense now.
1:22 Lenny is just a kid! I wanted to see a monster thing. But his little room was way too creepy.
Overall:
I really like the story behind #TheHamiltons, but I don’t think the movie played it out well. It was confusing and very random at parts. Even though I don’t think the plot was made well for the movie, I thought the film itself was made very good. #TheHamiltons
To follow Tim on twitter: https://twitter.com/schillingt
To follow Slasher Studios on twitter: https://twitter.com/slasherstudios
Tim’s Slasher Tweet Review: “Seed of Chucky” (2004)
Our twitter reviewer Tim Schilling is back once again taking a look at the “Child’s Play” series with a review for the final Chucky flick “Seed of Chucky.” Though the film received recent reviews, it was one of the least successful films in the series when it came to box office and audience reaction. Is it as “bizarre” and “strange” as many horror fans have claimed or does it deserve a bit more respect? Let’s see as Tim cracks open the toy box one final time.
Thoughts before the film:
Finishing up the series cause I’ve been slackin lately. And again unlike everyone else, I actually do like this entry in the series. Haven’t seen it in a while though. #SeedofChucky
Thoughts while watching:
0:04 This house reminds me of an episode of Goosebumps with the living dolls. Anyone else think so?
0:07 You’re pissing your pants you’re pissing your pants!
0:16 What are the chances that all of these events would happen, and the baby doll would actually end up in Hollywood?
0:16 For real someone find it out. I bet it’s like one in 8327263859264.
0:24 I guess I’ve only seen the edited version of this movie before. That was a lot o blood.
0:36 Who doesn’t do that with a Fangoria magazine?
0:40 I wonder how much Jennifer was paid to say all this stuff about herself.
1:03 Glen/Glenda is more fucked up than Chucky.
1:11 Why you crying for your babies? You found out you were pregnant a day ago.
Overall:
#SeedOfChucky basically had the same exact feel as Bride but with a story that wasn’t as good. I miss the camp feel from the first three.
To follow Tim on twitter: https://twitter.com/schillingt
To follow Slasher Studios on twitter: https://twitter.com/slasherstudios
Free “Teddy/Popularity Killer” DVD Combo Pack with Best Horror Comedy Review
This week in Slasher Studios Horror Film Club we are discussing our favorite horror comedies. Movies that did the tricky feat of making us laugh AND scream. Do you have a favorite horror comedy? Post your review in Film Club and if yours is selected as the best of the week, we will send you a FREE combo pack of Teddy and Popularity Killer! Let the slasher party begin. The winner will be notified on Monday June 4th so get your reviews ready!!
Slasher Studios Horror Film Club
To listen to our webcast as we discuss our favorite horror comedies:
Picking Favorites: Ranking the “Nightmare on Elm Street” Films
My love for the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series holds no bounds. It is a series that I grew up on and that I regularly watch. I can’t remember the last month that went by without me popping in a movie from the series as comfort food. Well, today I have decided to “rank” my favorite slasher series. Starting with the best and ending with the worst, the following are my selections. Please note that I will NOT be including either the remake or “Freddy Vs. Jason” into this list. Let’s say hello to Freddy! Pleasant dreams…
1) Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Convoluted? Pretentious? Overly meta? Shockingly, no. “New Nightmare” is that rare horror film in which everything works. The performances are pitch perfect, lead by a tour-de-force performance by the amazing Langenkamp. The script is full of twists and turns and the movie is quite possibly the best looking of the entire series. What starts out as a maze of mirrors becomes something much more than your typical nightmare. The film examines the role film plays on those who watch it. Something that Wes Craven’s “Scream” would play out to great effect two years later. I really can’t say enough about this film and homages to the original are expertly placed. It is my favorite horror film of all time and a modern classic.
2) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven’s definitive classic. Bet you can’t guess what it is. A Nightmare on Elm Street is an unbelievably original, terrifingly realistic, and overall terrifying that, despite a weak ending, is one of the best horror flicks of the quarter of a century. The film deals with a deceased child molester who now lives only through the dreams of the children of those who burned him alive. Robert Englund is truly frightening as Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven delivers a surprising amount of tension that still holds up today.
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
If ever there was a horror sequel that screamed the 1980’s, it would be “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”. Crazy punk chick? Check. Wheelchair Dungeons and Dragons obsessed geek? Check. Zsa Zsa Gabor? Check. Dokken theme song? You better believe it, check! Dream Warriors is both a faithful to sequel to original masterpiece as well the rare sequel that actually advances the story without just being a carbon copy reboot of everything that made the first film great.
4) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Truth be told, “Dream Master” is probably the most fun a viewer can have with the series. The deaths are completely imaginative, the special effects top notch, and the acting is solid on all accounts. It is also probably the most quotable entry of the series. It is entertaining as hell. Nonetheless, part of me wants Freddy scary again. As cool as the deaths are (Debbie’s cockroach death being the highlight death of the entire series for me), something here is missing that made the third installment so special.
5) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part II: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
For those of you who haven’t seen this film, I don’t really know what to say besides the fact that it is very, very homoerotic. From the gym coach that Jesse finds at a gay bar (???) while sleepwalking to the gym coaches’ bondage death to the love scene between Jesse and Lisa in which Jesse can’t “perform”. Everything about this movie screams gay…and I haven’t seen talked about the dancing bedroom cleaning scene. It’s all funny, campy, over-the-top and “oh so 80’s.” haha
But the problem with Nightmare 2 isn’t the film’s gay themes, it’s the fact that it breaks too many of the rules laid out by the original. Why would Freddy want to be in the real world when the real world is the only thing that can kill him? How does Freddy make the parakeet explode if no one is dreaming? It doesn’t make scene. I will give this film some credit. The imagery is imaginative, the acting solid, and Freddy is pretty damn scary. It just doesn’t feel like a Nightmare movie. This is both it’s greatest weakness and it’s greatest fault.
6) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
The biggest problem with “Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” is the same problem that exists in “Freddy’s Revenge”: it breaks the rules of the series. Why would Freddy want to live on in the real world when the real world is the only thing that can kill him? Add in some hokey mother moments and an “in the womb” Krueger and you get a pretty dreadful sequel. The cinematography is top notch and the actors do what they can but, by this point in the series, who really cares? This isn’t a terrible entry but just a middle-of-the-road one. By this point the series was starting to show its age.
7) “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” (1991)
If “New Nightmare” was the rare horror sequel in which everything worked than “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” is that rare horror movie in which nothing works. It sure as hell isn’t scary and the cameos by Johnny Depp and Roseanne come across as more desperate than funny. The deaths are awful as well. Killed by a robot hearing aid, killed by Freddy’s “power glove”, fallen from a parachute onto spikes placed by Freddy? Is this a Nightmare movie or a Looney Toons cartoon. Not only this, but Freddy himself doesn’t even get a cool or original death. They take the ending of the original and cheapen it and we are all worse for it. This film is a grim insult to Freddy fans everywhere.
To buy the box set from Amazon for under $30: Nightmare on Elm Street Collection
Slasher Studios Horror Webcast: Best Horror Comedies
On this week’s Slasher Studios Horror Webcast we will be discussing our all time favorite horror comedies. Horror movies that made us laugh AND scream. Join us Sunday May 27th at 10PM central at the link below to find out what horror comedies made the final cut! Miss a previous episode? No problem! You can listen to any of our shows archived also at the link below.
Fear Takes Flight: “Area 407” Review
Area 407 is the latest fear filled film from IFC. This low budget, found footage story begins with two sisters boarding a plane from New York to Los Angels. As they do, we are introduced to several of the other passengers who inevitably become mainstays throughout the film. The plane finds it’s way into some rough turbulence and with some smooth editing, the flight comes to an abrupt end. The passengers must then work together to try and survive the crash as well as a unknown and very angry monster.
This film is a roller coaster of emotions for the audience. The movie starts out a little slow, but quickly picks up the tension as the plane goes down. The suspense builds as the characters run for their life into an abandoned cabin while being chased by something in the shadows. The action starts to get a little repetitive as they keep moving from safe house to safe house. Why they keep going outside when they know something is out there to kill them is beyond me. The questions start to rise again as they find a truck but decide to drive back to the crash site instead of just driving away to safety.
The one black eye of the cast was the young girl, Trish, who comes across as very obnoxious in the beginning and doesn’t really let up as the film progresses. The rest of the casting was top notch as the actors were believable and had definitely been in films before. I’m sure a lot of the film was improv and the cast did very well in keeping the scene progressing as a number of the takes were many minutes in length.
The blood and wounds were very realistic and I must applaud work done on the wreckage of the plane. As for the “monster”…I would have rather never even seen a single frame of this mess. I am still boggled by what the filmmakers used as the unknown stalker in this film. This pretty much killed the film for me. The other negative was the twist ending that still has me scratching my head. This scene should have NEVER made the final cut of the film. The reveal of the monster, along with the addition of an unneeded character, left me completely baffled and unsatisfied.
Overall, the film is very well paced and edited and the length of shots lasted is very impressive. This found footage film is very well produced and has many bright spots. Although the intrigue takes a nose dive after a while, the begging tension is well worth the watch. If you come across this film and have 90 minutes to spare, keep an open mind check out Area 407.
October Horror Challenge: Day 27: “Highway to Hell”
Charlie Sykes (Chad Lowe) and Rachel Clark (Kristy Swanson) are a young all-American couple that decide to run away and elope in Las Vegas. On the road to Vegas, they ignore the warning of a local gas station attendant named Sam (Richard Farnsworth). They take an abandoned backroad where Rachel is kidnapped by a Zombie Hell Cop (C. J. Graham) who takes her to hell. Charlie goes back to Sam, and Sam explains what the Hellcop is and how to save her, he then gives him a shotgun with special ammo, and a car that holds a special attribute. On the highway, Charlie meets other dead people that live in Hell and even a motorcycle gang. On the road, he meets a mechanic named Beezle (Patrick Bergin), with his young apprentice. Beezle gives him tips on how to save his girlfriend and even brings him back to life. After Charlie rescues Rachel, Beezle reveals himself to be Satan and proposes a deal to let them, and his apprentice, go free if they can defeat Hell Cop in a race to the portal that connects Earth and the backroads of Hell.
“Highway to Hell” is one of the strangest horror comedies that I have seen in a long, long time. Nothing really makes sense and the script seems thrown together at the last moment but it is all part of the charm of this low budget gem. My favorite part? Hell’s “Good Intentions Paving Company”, which crushes up and spits out people into cement who offer excuses like “I just slept with the boss so he could get a promotion” or justifications for pulling the plug on life-support machines. Witty stuff all around. The movie seems a bit long in the tooth (even at only 93 minutes it seems to take forever to get to hell) but there is an energy and enthusiasm that isn’t normally seen in early 90’s horror. “Highway to Hell” is available on Netflix instant and is a solid way to kill an hour and a half.
