Horror Comes Home - July 2009

As usual I am only going to be discussing the DVD releases from this month that I personally have interest in or have something to say about. If you want to see every single horror DVD coming out in the month of July or any month for that matter, Amazon is the best place for that.

Click any of the title links to be taken to the Amazon.com pages for each release, where you can learn more about them, read customer reviews, or pick up/pre-order copies of your own!
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JULY 7TH




Near Dark

Country boy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) whittles away the quiet rural nights hunting local girls – but when he falls prey to the mysterious and beautiful Mae (Jenny Wright), Caleb unknowingly becomes the hunted. Mae is no ordinary girl, Caleb soon learns ; she is part of an outlaw band of vampires, and their love is about to lure him into a terrifying world of bloodlust, mayhem and absolute horror. Will Caleb pay the ultimate price for love and eternal life – or will he find a way to defeat the evil growing inside him each night?

Near Dark, as i've mentioned several times before, is one of my favorite vampire movies of all time but the reason i'm mentioning this release is actually to tell you NOT to pick it up. On top of the fact that the cover art is clearly a lame and desperate attempt to cash in on the Twilight craze, a crutch that this awesome movie does not need, it's also totally void of special features. If you want to own the movie, I strongly urge you to pick up Anchor Bay's two disc release from a few years back, which is not only chock full of special features but has an awesome shiny cover and great packaging.





The Unborn - DVD & Blu-ray

From the producers of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the co-writer of The Dark Knight comes this shocking supernatural thriller about a young woman (Odette Yustman) plagued by chilling dreams and tortured by a demonic ghost that haunts her waking hours. Her only hope to break the debilitating paranormal curse is in an exorcism with spiritual advisor Sendak (Gary Oldman). See what lies beyond the doorway of our world in this non-stop nightmare of the undead…

Haven't really heard much good about this movie but i'll probably check it once it lands on DVD for the sole reason that I love Gary Oldman and will watch anything he's in. If you ask me, they really should've used the Odette Yustman ass shot from the poster art as the cover, purely from a marketing standpoint.
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JULY 14TH




The Haunting In Connecticut - DVD & Blu-ray

Based on a chilling true story, Lionsgate's The Haunting In Connecticut charts one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to cross over. Now, unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.

I remember seeing the re-enactment TV special of this story on the Discovery Channel a few years back and being completely terrified of it so i've been dying to check this one out but didn't get the chance to see it in the theatre (even though I won tickets to a screening!). Will definetly give this a rent the day it comes out. The DVD will be available in either a 2 disc or a 1 disc version.





A Haunting : Twilight of Evil - Blu-ray

New Dominion Pictures and TMG present A Haunting, four mystifying true tales of possession and terror. In each episode, you will be stunned and astonished by these spellbinding tales of evil lurking in the most everyday places; a home becomes a prison, dreams enslave the dreamer, and a Legend Tripper discovers the ultimate in fear.

If you haven't seen the Discovery Channel show 'A Haunting', you're missing out. This show was actually a spin off of The Haunting In Connecticut tv special that I just spoke about above. There was Haunting In Connecticut and Haunting In Georgia, which then became A Haunting, an hour long show that featured re-enactments of various real life paranormal encounters and experiences. It's actually a really scary and well done show that I have a hard time watching in my room at night alone! Cool to see some episodes being released on Blu-ray (this same set was released on DVD a while back).



I Still Know What You Did Last Summer - Blu-ray

The murderous fisherman with a hook is back to once again stalk the two surviving teens, Julie and Ray, who left him for dead, as well as cause even more murder and mayhem, this time at a posh island resort

A lot of people in the horror community hate on these flicks, but I actually enjoyed the first two "I Know What You Did" movies. That being said, I don't see much reason in picking either of them up on Blu-ray.





REC

From Executive Producers who brought you Quarantine, comes the movie that inspired the terror. A beautiful TV reporter (Manuela Velasco, Law of Desire) and her cameraman are doing a routine interview at a local fire station when an emergency call comes in. Accompanying the firefighters to a nearby apartment, the news team begins recording the bloodcurdling screams coming from inside an elderly woman's unit. After authorities seal off the building to contain the threat, the news crew, firefighters and residents are trapped to face a lethal terror inside. With the camera running, nothing may survive but the film itself.

FINALLY! The cover art isn't that great and we got the remake on DVD long before the original, but i'm just happy that REC is finally being made available on Region 1 DVD. Whether you've seen it or haven't yet, you've gotta pick this disc up. I'm sure as hell gonna.
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JULY 28TH





Combat Shock Tromasterpiece Collection Director's Cut

Nearly 25 years after its original release, Combat Shock returns from the cult underground to reclaim its title as perhaps the most shocking independent film of the '80s. Writer/director/producer Buddy Giovinazzo made his indelible debut with this nihilistic saga of a Vietnam vet's desperate pursuit to save his family from the horrors of poverty and urban squalor. Culminating in one of the most brutal climaxes ever committed to celluloid, this unforgiving masterwork remains as controversial and relevant as it was at the height of Reagan's America. Get ready to be blown away: Combat Shock is back like you've never seen it before.

I've already talked about this release probably more than anyone has wanted to hear about it, but Combat Shock is must see and from what I hear, this director's cut is an even better film. Can't wait to check it out. On a related note, I just got an e-mail yesterday from Buddy Giovinazzo himself telling me that he read and liked my review of this flick. Needless to say, that made my day!





Repulsion - Criterion Collection - DVD & Blu-ray

Roman Polanski followed up his international breakthrough, Knife in the Water, with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis, starring Catherine Deneuve as Carole, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up over the course of a terrifying weekend. Left alone by her vacationing sister in their London flat, Carole is haunted by specters real and imagined, and her insanity grows to a violent pitch. Thanks to its unforgettable attention to disturbing detail and Polanski’s unparalleled adeptness at turning claustrophobic space into an emotional minefield, Repulsion remains one of cinema’s most shocking psychological thrillers.

Haven't seen this movie but it's one i've had on my to do list for quite some time. I'm not a huge fan of the Criterion releases, as they're a bit too expensive for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, they do an awesome job, I just don't care to spend more than $20 on a single movie.




Slime City - Grindhouse Collection

***This is actually the cover art for the original release. If anyone has the Grindhouse Collection art, let me know!***>

When Alex (Robert Sabin) and his virginal girlfriend Lori (Mary Huner) move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that have horrifying plans for them. The apartment is haunted by the restless spirits of an occultist named Zachary and his fanatical followers who had committed mass suicide years before. Seduced by a mysterious woman, Alex is gradually possessed by the diabolical Zachary. Only Lori can battle the putrid powers of darkness and save Alex’s soul when he transforms into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped.

Don't really know much about this movie other than the fact that YouTube user and DVD expert COOLDUDER (aka Shawn C. Phillips) seems to love it, so that's good enough for me. If you've never seen his videos, definetly give that link a click and check them out, namely his DVD Collection Updates. I can't get enough of the lovable fat man!





Torso

A series of sex murders shock a college campus, and four beautiful young girlfriends head for the safety of an isolated country villa. But as they succumb to their own erotic desires, their weekend of pleasure becomes a vacation to dismember at the hands - and blade - of the lecherous maniac.

Long out of print on DVD, Torso finally returns to the format in the form of an uncut edition. I picked a bootleg of this up at Monster Mania a couple months back and while I wasn't a huge fan, it's definetly worth checking out. There's one particularly long and drawn out scene towards the end that's incredibly tense and awesome. That scene alone probably make its worth you spending an hour and a half of your day with the movie.

***It's not horror but I wanted to mention that the awesome online tv show Angel of Death, starring Death Proof's Zoe Bell, also comes out on this date. Definetly check it out, it kicks all kinds of ass! You can read my review of the show by clicking HERE***
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And that about does it! What DVD's coming out this month are you going to check out? Leave a comment and let me know!