Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

After going down the slasher route with 1979's "Tourist Trap," writer/director David Schmoeller pulls back on overt chills with 1982's "The Seduction," with the film taking its time developing menace, using stalker formula to carefully increase suspense. The helmer has the right idea but lackluster execution with the endeavor, which, despite clear tech triumphs and a few strong performances, never gets rolling as a thrill machine. It's too static to summon fear, with Schmoeller avoiding direct momentum in an effort to gift the feature a certain level of regality it doesn't earn. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1967's "Frankenstein Created Woman" is not one of finest productions to emerge from Hammer Films. However, it's representative of their business goals in the 1960s, with director Terence Fisher delivering a modestly frightful tale of murder and resurrection, filling the frame with loathsome characters, weird science, Peter Cushing, and heaving cleavage from a Playboy Playmate. It's an engaging picture but never a remarkable one, with Fisher going a bit too slack with genre elements, never quite tightening the vise as uncomfortably as he could. It's not showy work, but for fans of Hammer Horror, "Frankenstein Created Woman" checks off all the boxes on the company's to-do list, providing a gothic ride of genre oddity and British rigidity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1945's "Brief Encounter" is widely regarded as one of director David Lean's finest films, gracefully bringing to the screen a bittersweet tale of forbidden love as originally conceived by Noel Coward. It was a massively popular picture that's only grown in stature over the years, but after a period of time, another version of the tale was ordered up, this time going to television with the saga. Star power was provided by Sophia Loren and Richard Burton (a last-minute replacement for Robert Shaw, who decided to take another job — something about a killer shark), with hopes to recreate the chemistry and ache that came before, only here the experience would be modernized some for the 1970s. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After directing two features concerning the exploits of Ator, a barbarian-style warrior in a barren fantasy land, director Joe D'Amato elected to stand down as the guide on this B-movie tour. 1987's "Iron Warrior" returns to the world of Ator and his sluggish instincts, with Alfonso Brescia taking control of the franchise, making his mark by changing almost everything about the saga, with the exception of actor Miles O'Keeffe, who's called in to do the hunky adventurer routine for another round of swordfights and princess rescue. Changing what wasn't really working to begin with isn't a problem, but Brescia goes above and beyond with "Iron Warrior," using this chance to craft a surreal odyssey into pure filmmaking, shedding logic, continuity, and storytelling to mount a semi-psychedelic exploration of witchcraft and Saturday matinee-style peril. There are numerous cinema tributes (or rip-offs) as well, keeping the viewing experience compelling as the helmer liberally takes from others while attempting to generate the most freewheeling Ator extravaganza yet. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

As with many horror films, 1979's "When a Stranger Calls" was a self-contained story, without major franchise plans to explore in multiple sequels. However, the movie was a hit, and with success comes a demand for more. Interestingly, co-writer/director Fred Walton didn't jump on a continuation right away, moving on to other projects such as "The Rosary Murders" and "April Fool's Day," working on his craft before returning to the source of his first helming achievement. Theatrical dreams dissipate for 1993's "When a Stranger Calls Back," with the feature made for the cable market, ultimately presented on Showtime, which was experimenting with original content at the time. The downgrade in theatrical possibilities is clearly displayed in the follow-up, as "When a Stranger Calls Back" doesn't feel cinematic. It plays smaller and boxier, but Walton still know how to trigger a response from viewers, conjuring a semi-remake that works familiar beats of torment while adding a few new wrinkles to the case, while the production smartly turns to stars Carol Kane and Charles During to add gravitas whenever possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Jeffrey" began life as a play, with writer Paul Rudnick searching for a way to express his frustrations with the age of AIDS without losing his sense of humor. The production was praised and popular with audiences, ultimately making a leap to the big screen in 1995, with Rudnick taking command of the screenplay, while original director Christopher Ashley took the opportunity to make his feature-length helming debut. As transitions from the stage to movie theaters go, this wasn't a radically altered endeavor, which is perhaps why "Jeffery" works so well, with Rudnick successfully reworking the sometimes broad material for the intimacy of cinema, dealing with close-ups and deep feelings without sacrificing the bounciness of the original work. Humor hasn't been steamrolled by the production, which tries to stay on its feet while dealing with profound issues of fear and loss. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1968, "Boom" was a bomb written by Tennessee Williams and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. These days, the feature has new life a cult title, with certain audiences embracing the picture's volatile nature and unforgettable decoration. "Boom" isn't an easy movie to admire, but for those who elect to work on it, this adaptation of Williams's play, "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore," provides some funky highlights, offering the rare chance to watch two major stars try to make sense of a languorous art film that has no distinct identity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Return of the Street Fighter" pushed the titular character into a super-spy direction, giving him a suave presence to best boost the sequel's appeal to audience and play into the trends of the day, with Roger Moore's take on James Bond reaching audiences around the globe. In 1974's "The Street Fighter's Last Revenge," the producers give star Sonny Chiba a chance to fully graduate to a 007-type, finding a once feral character transformed into man of style and action, with a few tricks up his sleeve. "The Street Fighter's Last Revenge" seems miles away from the original picture, as the final film in the trilogy offers an increase in production polish and fantasy, losing much of the edge that fueled the first two chapters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Sonny Chiba battles his way into new danger with 1974's "The Return of the Street Fighter." Well, at least semi-new danger, with the production returning a few old enemies to the roster of baddies who want Chiba's seemingly immortal character dead. While brutality remains, this round of martial arts mayhem is noticeably calmer than the previous chapter, with director Shigehiro Ozawa offering more style and 007-esque entanglements, taking the opportunity to refine the "Street Fighter" formula. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The man, the myth, the legend, Sonny Chiba, cements his position as a martial arts movie draw with 1974's "The Street Fighter," delivering a full- body performance that single-handedly keeps the sometimes iffy feature together. He's a force of nature here, going nuclear for director Shigehiro Ozawa, who assembles a competent run of combat sequences, making the most of his star, who's always ready to deliver with full power, Kabuki- style reactions, and a deep commitment to a tale that's not as interesting as he is. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For the first time, Shout Factory brings the Theatrical Cut (181:06) of "Dances with Wolves" to Region A Blu-ray, offering admirers a chance to revisit the original edit of the picture, previously available on disc via an Extended Cut (233:49), which is also included in the package. While the Extended Cut provides a special viewing experience more in line with the material's literary origin (developing its darkness and characterization), the Theatrical Cut is best known, representing the version most audiences connected with back in 1990. While there isn't a new scan to savor, Shout Factory steps up to deliver the best possible package with available materials, offering a 3-disc set that collects previous supplements to best archive the history of the picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The experience of pledging a fraternity has been used to power many tales of discomfort, horror, and humiliation. It's a setting that permits numerous opportunities for excess and exploitation, encouraging a high level of screen chaos to accurately represent hellacious behavior from problematic personalities. In recent years, dramatic offerings such as "Goat" and "Burning Sands" have dissected the psychological fracture of hazing, examining the blurred lines of brotherhood, but "Pledge" doesn't share the same delicate understanding of need. It's a horror experience from director Daniel Robbins and screenwriter Zack Weiner, and one that delivers all types of torturous actions and survival panic. It's a refreshingly short, straightforward nightmare that benefits from simplicity, generating a visceral viewing event that's periodically interrupted by cartoonish extremes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Emerging from the depths of drive-in cinema is 1979's "Gas Pump Girls," and a title like that conjures images of pure sleaze and shamelessness. Co- writer/director Joel Bender doesn't have the vision to truly live up to expectations, creating a slightly more innocent take on the way of topless women and their daily problems with men. It's extreme R-rated fluff from the helmer, who's not the best when piecing together shenanigans or dealing with plot, but he does find a lightness to the picture that keeps it approachable, spending just as much time with comedy as he does ogling women. "Gas Pump Girls" isn't refined, but it understands what it is, delivering low-budget escapism with a distinct late-'70s atmosphere. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Christian Slater doesn't get enough credit for his professional choices, especially during the heyday of his career. Here's a guy who was a teen heartthrob with a young fanbase, and Slater made "Heathers" and "Pump Up the Volume," while taking supporting parts in "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie," and "Young Guns II." It's not exactly a Tiger Beat-approved filmography. Slater didn't always churn out gold, but his tastes were varied, adding 1992's "Kuffs" to his legacy of oddball parts, fitted for his own action vehicle that's not shy about sharing influence from "Beverly Hills Cop," even recruiting "Axel F." creator Harold Faltermeyer to score the picture. "Kuffs" is an acquired taste, but for those who enjoy their Slater performances breezy and wiseacre-y, it's a tremendous amount of fun, with writers Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon offering idiosyncratic style and some strong violence to accompany their successful silly business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Never one to turn away from a trend, Hammer Films wanted in on the kung fu cinema craze of the 1970s, teaming with Shaw Brothers Studio for 1974's "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires." Such a collision of filming styles was meant to shake-up the vampire norm for Hammer, with this the ninth installment of the company's Dracula series, ultimately becoming their final effort to squeeze some cash out of bloodsucker dealings. While not a refined endeavor resembling other gothic chapters in the saga, "7 Golden Vampires" offers something more animated to help energize the production, dealing with martial arts and Asian mysticism to supply a varied adventure for the characters, while horror needs are tended to with zombie hordes and vampiric interests. Perhaps it's not elegant, but the feature is awfully fun to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Tom Paton has a vision for genre entertainment, working to give "Black Site" a colossal backstory involving the longstanding presence of alien deities on Earth and the human force assigned to contain and deport them back to an unknown dimension. The helmer strives to create an epic showdown between man and monster, turning to heavy John Carpenter influences to help grease the path to sci-fi/horror glory. There's a lot to take in while watching "Black Site," and while its ambition is engaging, Paton bites off far more than he can chew, fighting to make a cinematic event with a low budget that can't support such lofty filmmaking goals. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Christmas season receives a jolt of the macabre with "Slay Belles." Co-writer/director SpookyDan Walker turns to comedy and horror to spread holiday cheer, reawakening the plague of Krampus, who's become a popular fixture in the genre, becoming the go-to menace for many filmmakers. Walker tends to view the monster in a more lighthearted manner, creating something of a cartoon with "Slay Belles," which delights in being over- the-top, hoping to conquer a limited budget by being as colorful and loud as possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The horrors of addiction collide with the vastness of mental illness in "Dry Blood," which hopes to communicate the struggle of an individual who's taking on too much, trying to save his life while endangering it. Screenwriter Clint Carney (who also stars) has some extreme ideas when it comes the scenes where self-control is lost, creating a slow-burn endeavor that's not afraid to take this tale of a poisoned mind to its natural conclusion. "Dry Blood" has issues with performances and director Kelton Jones's mishandling of stasis, which he insists is suspense, but for his first feature- length endeavor, the helmer has some strong visual ideas and an encouraging commitment to Carney's illness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Rust Creek" pulls a bit of a switcheroo on its audience. It's being marketed as a nail-biter, offered up as a chilling tale of survival in the deep woods of the American south. There are sections of the picture devoted to such irresistible thrills, but the endeavor is content to leave the nerve-shredding stuff behind for long stretches of screen time. The screenplay (credited to Julie Lipson and Stu Pollard) is more interested in character-based entanglements than straight scares, which gives "Rust Creek" a more intriguing dramatic pull, juggling the needs of genre entertainment with a deep psychological inspection of the crisis at hand. It's not a tightly constructed endeavor, which hurts it in the long run, but the movie has a vision for something different while still tending to expectations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Writer/director Maria Pulera is trying to make a brain-bleeder with "Between Worlds," attempting to blur the line of reality with a spirit-hopping story that, in some ways, looks to emulate a David Lynch film, even bringing in "Twin Peaks" composer Angelo Badalamenti to compose a theme for the endeavor. Pulera has the right idea with the casting of Nicolas Cage, who can turn anything into a mind-scrambler with the sheer force of his acting, but little else comes together in Pulera's feature, which possesses the ambition to bend space and time, but has the production value of a late night Cinemax movie. "Between Worlds" is weird but not polished, which doesn't encourage full immersion into the depths of this oddity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com