The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) Rob Zombie channels Ralph Bakshi, in an effort to win back the fanboys he's shed since taking up the Halloween franchise, and word is it could be the best thing he's done yet. Millionaire masked wrestler El Superbeasto (Tom Papa, who co-wrote) loses his new love, Velvet von Black (Rosario Dawson) to the evil Dr Satan (Paul Giamatti), and aims to win her back with the help of is sister Suzi-X (Sheri Moon Zombie) and her robot aide Murray (Brian Posehn) – nudity, violence and gratuitous Nazis ensue. Animated by Film Roman Productions (The Simpsons, Family Guy), this is receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews, and also features the voices of Sid Haig, Ken Foree, Tura Satana, and Danny Trejo. Superbeasto delivers on Zombies' early promise, even if the extras are a bit thin. Watch the trailer here. (Anchor Bay Blu-ray/DVD)
Clive Barker's Book of Blood (2008) TV director ("Dune", "Tales from the Darkside" and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie), and writer ("Painkiller Jane", "Children of Dune") John Harrison helms this Scottish-set adaptation of the framing device from Barker's breakthrough short story collections, which included "The Midnight Meat Train", "The Yattering and Jack" (which appeared as an episode of "Darkside"), "Dread" (one of next year's 8 FIlms to Die For, with Twilight's Jackson Rathbone), "Rawhead Rex", "The Body Politic" (used in Mick Garris's 1997 film Quicksilver Highway), "The Forbidden" (adapted in 1992 as Candyman), and "The Last Illusion" (adapted by Barker in 1995 as Lord of Illusions). A psychic researcher (Sophie Ward), hires a fake medium (Jonas Armstrong, the BBC's "Robin Hood") to investigate a haunted house. After initially faking his visions, he is attacked by the spirits who inhabit the house, and words are carved into his flesh. Barker is one of the producers, but while the film suffers from an over-stretched premise, it has some memorable prosthetic effects from Chris Fitzgerald (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and make-up from Tristan Versluis (Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd). Clive Russell (The 13th Warrior), and Doug Bradley (Hellraiser and sequels) co-star, and the extras are a 20-minute making of and trailers. (Lionsgate/Lightning Media Blu-ray/DVD)
Battle for Terra (2007) Shot flat and then re-engineered for the Real-D process, this missed the mark in theaters – debuting at #12 on May 1st this year, opposite X-Men Origins: Wolverine pulled in only $1.65M in its entire run and is due for re-evaluation on DVD. The alien attack scenario is neatly turned on its head, as the aliens in this case are us, with all the allegorical weight – and comparisons with the Iraq war – that implies. Check out the trailer here, and give this one a second chance. The ridiculously celeb-heavy voice cast includes Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, David Cross, Justin Long, Amanda Peet, Dennis Quaid, Chris Evans, James Garner, Danny Glover, and Mark Hamill. Extras include an audio commentary with the director, digital artist Aristomenis Tsirbas, and writer Evan Spiliotopoulos; deleted scenes; a making of featurette; a storyboard to animation featurette; animatics; stills; and the trailer. (Lionsgate Blu-ray/DVD)
Albino Farm (2009) Joe Anderson and Sean McEwen wrote, produced, directed and raised the close-to $1M budget for this in-bred rednecks from the Ozark backwoods horror, based on a legend from Springfield, Missouri about a Civil War-era farm used as an internment camp for those born with birth defects. South African-born Australian actress Tammin Sursok ("Home and Away", voted "Sexiest Woman in the World" by Australian FHM), WWE veteran Chris Jericho, Sunkrish Bala ("Lie to Me"), Nick Richey ("Welcome to the Jungle"), Alicia Lagano (Rock Monster), Richard Christy ("The Howard Stern Show"), and Duane Whitaker (Feast), star, with make-up effects by Jason Barnett ("Babylon 5", The Grinch) and music by Queensryche drummer Scott Rockenfield. Extras include audio commentary from Anderson and McEwen; a making of featurette, and trailers. (MTI Home Video DVD)
Edges of Darkness (2009) Like Albino Farm, Edges has a brace of writer/directors and transcends its limited budget, this time with enough panache to gain a DVD release from Anchor Bay, ensuring good packaging and marketing, even if there are spelling and punctuation errors in the otherwise enticing trailer. Blaine Cade and Jason Horton's film tells the tale of three sets of survivors following a zombie apocalypse: a computer geek, his lonely wife, and the processor that turns against them; a pair of vampires and their food supply; and a female survivalist who protects the son of Satan from a group of priests eager to prevent his father's return. It's heady, ambitious stuff, that doesn't always work, but www.dreadcentral.com says: "Jason Horton and his crew created something that breathes life into a tired and clichéd subgenre." Starring Annemarie Pazmino, Shamika Ann Franklin, Alonzo F. Jones, and Michelle Rose — no extras (not even Spanish subtitles). (Anchor Bay DVD)
Autopsy of the Dead (2009) Director Jeff Carney's 144-minute documentary on the making of the original Night of the Living Dead (1968), with original cast and crew members including Charles Craig (newscaster/zombie), Bill Hinzman (Cemetery Zombie and assistant cameraman), Kyra Schon (zombie child Karen Cooper), and Gary Streiner (sound engineer) contribute. Extras are "Locations of the Dead" a visit to the original filming locations; a 1967 behind-the-scenes newsreel, "Profile: Rick Catizone", the end credit animator; "Archive of the Dead" a gallery of props and memorabilia; blooper reel; trailers, TV and radio spots; still gallery. Buy direct from the producer's Website here. (Zero Day Releasing DVD)
The Chosen One (2009) Writer/Director/Editor/Cinematographer Theodore Collatos stirred up a minor publicity coup on Channel 10 News in Albany, when local Christian groups objected to the film's title at its premiere in a local bowling alley. The film itself looks by turns atmospheric and hokey (trailer here) – a Lovecraftian period piece, shot in black and white, the budget was clearly not there to obscure its video origins. Stars Arthur Collins, Carolina Monnerat, Sam Porretta, and Jared Barron, the DVD includes a behind the scenes featurette, the Channel 10 Albany News story; a short film, Vampires Die; trailers; and a filmmaker Q&A from the Berkshire International Film Festival (DVD-only release by RSquared Films, who brought us last week's Silo Killer double feature)
The Pick Up: Media Pack (2009) Written and directed by John Carchietta, and Troma alumnus Carl Moran, who together produced the fairly awful Wicked Lake (2008), this New Jersey-shot, 28-minute short is a sequel to Terry West's blood and boobs opus Flesh for the Beast (2003) and stars Georgia Kate Haege as a mysterious woman, and Chris Cusano as the man who picks her up on a lonely road, and gets more than he bargained for when they stop at an isolated motel. With effects by Gerner and Spears (I Sell the Dead), you can see the trailer here. This paves the way for Flesh for the Beast 2, which hits next year. (Shriek Show/Media Blasters DVD)
Silence, Ca Tue! (Silence, We're Shooting, 2008) It seems this generation of low budget, shaky-cam film makers is setting about remaking the origins of the species, as Christophe Lamot plunders his country's contribution to the genre, Man Bites Dog/C'est arrivé près de chez vous (1992). The marketing proudly claims that this was banned in France and Belgium (which it was, following the murder of Theo van Gogh in 2004), but takes a more humorous approach than it's blunt, brutal forebear. Extras include an interview with "director" Ljo Menzow, a behind the scenes featurette and the trailer. (Brink DVD)
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