As October approaches there are still more Halloween friendly horror movie releases being announced, including a major trilogy, a recent high concept hit and an entire online streaming catalog. We’ve also got some A-list prestige projects and a news tidbit for anime fans. So clear that shelf space to make room for all these new announcements.
Here’s a way to save some shelf space. If all your DVDs and Blu-rays of Full Moon classics like Puppet Master, Subspecies and Demonic Toys are crowding your shelves, you can convert entirely to streaming for $6.99 a month. Full Moon is launching a streaming service which includes their entire catalog, for unlimited viewing with the subscription fee.
Full Moon Universe also promises to add some interactive content to the movies, and premiere some exclusive films including a lost Trancers sequel, which I never knew existed. We trust the streaming quality will be at least on par with the home video releases, if not upgraded for hi-def. There will be a mobile/tablet app version too so you can take Dollman on the go. Watch the space at www.fullmoonstreaming.com until August 21.
In the spirit of Full Moon, here’s another indie horror movie with a crazy enough premise that I might just have to clear some shelf space for it. Frankenstein’s Army asks what if a descendant of Victor Frankenstein in World War II uses his discovery to make an army of Nazi supersoldiers for Hitler?
It’s gotten good reviews from the horror crowd and if they’re going to the trouble of putting it out on Blu-ray, I’d have to imagine it will look great. It’s found footage though (there’s a documentary crew following them, but if it’s WWII wouldn’t it have to be hand cranked film with no sound?) Anyway, it’s also loaded with a 31-minute documentary, five sets of interviews and five more creature spots.
Steven Soderbergh’s last movie before he retired to theater (although rumor has it he’ll D.P. Magic Mike 2 for Channing Tatum) comes to Blu-ray this fall. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and aired on HBO, because today’s Hollywood, on the cusp of implosion, would not release a Steven Soderbergh directed Liberace biopic with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in theaters. It’s also Marvin Hamlisch’s last movie before he passed away. He adapted the Liberace music.
Though made for HBO, it certainly wasn’t Soderbergh’s lowest budget movie and he made it look like Oceans 11. It held up on the big screen in France and will surely look outstanding on Blu-ray. No bonus features are mentioned. This could be one of Soderbergh’s movie only releases.
Just in time for Halloween, or perhaps now that The Warrens are famous from The Conjuring, Scream Factory presents the first three films in the surprisingly durable Amityville franchise. Franchise Fred takes this as a challenge since I’ve really only seen the original and the remake.
I expect Blu-ray quality to be on par with the likes of Shout!/Scream Factory’s classic releases like The Fog and Police Story, solid and clean if not mind-blowingly restored. Of particular note is that Amityville 3D will be available in 3D for the first time ever on home video.
The first two films have respectable bonus features too. Amityville Horror has a new interview with Lalo Schifrin and a documentary that includes James Brolin and Margot Kidder, and an audio commentary by a parapsychologist. Amityville II: The Possession has new interviews with the director, screenwriter, three of the actors and a ghost hunter, who also does an audio commentary. 3D only has one new interview, with Candy Clark, but we’ll take it. Did we mention it’s also in 3D? I might actually have to bring that one over to a friend’s house to watch it on a 3D TV.
I’ve got to give Lionsgate credit for not plastering “From the director of The Avengers” on the cover of Joss Whedon’s Shakespeare film. It’s actually a very beautiful cover, although it’s odd that it’s blue when the film itself is in black and white. Whedonites will surely clear some shelf space regardless.
Two featurettes and a music video will be overshadowed in the bonus features by two feature length audio commentaries with Whedon. That’s right, you can hear him talk about the entire movie twice! One is Whedon alone, the other is Whedon and cast so he will likely be more of a moderator on the second one.
Perhaps the most obligatory movie of the summer (™Fred Topel, CraveOnline) makes its ultimate appearance on Blu-ray. I’m sure it will look fabulous, being a new release well shot in the underbelly of glamorous Las Vegas.
Bonus features appear mostly obligatory too, with outtakes, extended scenes (not deleted scenes per se) and featurettes on stunts, action and specific characters. One feature called “Replacing Zach: The Secret Auditions,” sounds like some forced comedy bit. Are they going to pretend they auditioned other actors for Galifianakis’ role? Well, I won’t judge until I see it, but I don’t plan on reviewing this movie a second time.
Cowboy Bebop – 2014
The Digital Bits reports from Otakon convention that FUNimation will release the anime series Cowboy Bebop on Blu-ray next year. No other details, no art, but I don’t even watch anime and even I know this is a big deal.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Shelf Space Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
