Dario Argento returns

By: BRIAN THOMAS
Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2005

We have a new release from the folks at Unearthed this week which points out the increasing aura of paranoia and suppression in this country (and Canada). The label has specialized in bringing extremely gory foreign horror films into the USA legally, but while some national retailers agreed to carry their infamous GUINEA PIG box set not too long ago, but so far no retail chains have been bold enough to carry their new AFTERMATH/GENESIS double feature DVD, and it's only available via online stores. These Spanish films have a reputation as being among the most vicious cinema ever made, and apparently everyone is too scared to put it on store shelves.

PRIZE CLOSET DEPT.: We have two copies of the excellent Korean thriller OLDBOY to give away this week, courtesy of Tartan, and I'm going to keep it simple. After all, haven't you been through enough lately? Haven't we all? So if you want one, email your name and address to psycho@psychotronic.info with "OLDBOY" in the subject line.

We also have two copies of ALF Season 2 to give away, courtesy of Lions Gate. Same drill. Same address. Only for this one put "ALF 2" in the subject.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

I was sorely tempted to give this week's spotlight to DreamWorks' RING releases (see below). But J-horror has been getting a lot of (deserved) attention lately, while Italian horror maestro Dario Argento has been largely (undeservedly) forgotten. This man has had an incredible influence on the genre that will take decades to properly assess, and these two noteworthy new releases will add to the evidence.

(O) THE CARD PLAYER (Anchor Bay) Argento returns to his giallo roots for a fine 2004 horror thriller about a criminal who abducts young women and challenges the police to games of online poker for their lives. Includes commentrak, interviews, behind-the-scenes, booklet and more.
(O) TRAUMA (Anchor Bay) Argento's only US film stars Brad Dourif and Asia Argento in terror from a Minneapolis psycho who uses a bizarre handheld decapitation device. Presented uncut and restored for the first time in the USA, plus commentrak, featurette, behind-the-scenes, makeup f/x man Tom Savini's home movies, deleted footage and more.

NEW RELEASES

(O) ADAM-12 Season One (Universal) Jack Webb produced this series to show the daily shifts of an average pair of patrol cops.

(O) AFTERMATH / GENESIS (Unearthed) A pair of truly extreme horror movies from Nacho Cerda of Spain, featuring incredibly realistic special effects which made the filmmakers the prime suspects as creators of ALIEN AUTOPSY. Plus the director's first film THE AWAKENING, commentraks and scripts on all 3 movies, interview, storyboards, etc.
(O) AFTER SCHOOL SPECIALS Limited Edition (Brentwood) 13-disc collection of all 26 episodes, including 2 never before on DVD, in a cool yellow school bus package.
(O) ALF Season 2 (Lions Gate) More sitcom adventures of a puppet alien living with an American family. Plus two episodes from the ALF cartoon show. See above to win one!
(O) AVENTURAS EN EL CENTRO DE LA TIERRA (Xenon) Mexican sci-fi adventure, in Spanish with NO English subtitles.
(O) AUDITION Special Edition (Lions Gate) Starting innocently from a man's quest to find a new wife via a new TV show audition, director Takashi Miike builds to one of the most hair-raising finales in the history of psychological thrillers. Yikes! Includes director commentrak and interview, writer interview, featurettes and more.
(O) BILLY MADISON (Universal) Slacker Adam Sandler has 6 months to repeat all 12 grades of school or he forfeits a fortune. Special edition of Sandler's first hit, in widescreen and fullscreen editions that include director commentrak, deleted footage, outtakes and more.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: A Night To Dismember (Brentwood) A new series from Brentwood/BCI packages 12 horrors in each slim volume. This one includes INSANIAC, LAST HOUSE ON HELL ST., PHOBIAS, THE SEEKERS, DEAD AND ROTTING, THE BONESETTER, OZONE, BLOODLETTING, COLLINSVILLE, SEARCHING FOR HAIZMANN, HARDCORE POISONED ELVES and IN THE LITTLE MANSION.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: Back from the Grave (Brentwood) All pre-'80s titles makes this one my favorite, with SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD, SEVERED ARM, I EAT YOUR SKIN, UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS, MURDER MANSION, NIGHT OF BLOODY HORROR, IT HAPPENED AT NIGHTMARE INN, LEGACY OF BLOOD, NIGHTMARE CASTLE, I BURY THE LIVING, INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN and HORROR HOTEL.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: Bite Night (Brentwood) BACK FROM HELL, PROJECT VAMPIRE, THE PASSING, BEYOND EVIL, DEMON UNDER GLASS, HOW TO SLAY A VAMPIRE, BLOOD SLAVES OF THE VAMPIRE WOLF, SORORITY HOUSE VAMPIRES FROM HELL, BROKEN SKULL, MANSION OF MADNESS, MALIBU BEACH VAMPIRE and CREEPTALES.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: Kiss of Death (Brentwood) LITTLE COREY GOREY, BIRDS OF PREY, SLASHDANCE, KISS DADDY GOODNIGHT, DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE, PIECES, KILL BABY KILL, SILENT NIGHT BLOODY NIGHT, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: A Taste of Evil (Brentwood) Another good vintage set: THE BLACK ROOM, GIANT SPIDER INVASION, INVASION FROM INNER EARTH, HOW AWFUL ABOUT ALLEN, BRIDE OF THE GORILLA, GIANT GILA MONSTER, EEGAH, ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES, SHE BEAST, KING OF THE ZOMBIES, BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE and BLOODY PIT OF HORROR.
(O) BLOOD SOAKED CINEMA: Tormented Souls (Brentwood) UNHINGED, HARVESTERS, DIE HARD DRACULA, GIRLS NIGHT OUT, CATHY'S CURSE, GOOD AGAINST EVIL, GOD TOLD ME TO, THE GHOST, DOMINIQUE IS DEAD, DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE, INVISIBLE GHOST and CARNIVAL OF SOULS.
(O) CABIN FEVER (Lions Gate) UMD
(O) CLASS OF 1984 (Anchor Bay) Perry King as a heroic teacher taking on a brutal gang in an inner city high school.Cast includes Roddy McDawell and Michael J. Fox. With director commentrak and more.
(O) DEAD WOMEN IN LINGERIE (MTI) Cops vs. serial killer thriller with TV stars Maura Tierney, Jerry Orbach and June Lockhart.
(O) THE DEFA SCI-FI COLLECTION (First Run) Three serious SF films produced by the East German DEFA studio in the 1970s: THE SILENT STAR, IN THE DUST OF STARS and EOLOMEA, all available separately.
(O) DELINQUENT PARENTS (Alpha) Finger-wagging 1939 roadshow exploitation item.
(O) THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER / CHLOE (Alpha) A pair of voodoo thrillers from the 1930s.
(O) EMERGENCY! Season One (Universal) This exciting 1972 Jack Webb series told the story of an average paramedic crew, their daring rescues, their support team at the hospital, and the fire station crew they work with.
(O) ESSENTIAL ALFRED HITCHCOCK COLLECTION (Brentwood) 9 early Hitch flicks (CHAMPAGNE, MURDER!, NUMBER SEVENTEEN, 39 STEPS, THE SKIN GAME, JAMAICA INN, EASY VIRTUE, THE MANXMAN and FARMER'S WIFE), plus documentary, radio show and more. Why won't someone release ELSTREE CALLING?
(O) E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (Universal) Cheaper single disc editions. Widescreen & fullscreen editions with isolated music track, featurettes and more.
(O) EVIL DEAD (Anchor Bay) UMD
(O) A FACE IN THE FOG (Alpha) A hunchback psych known as "The Fiend" is knocking off members of a theater company in this "lost" 1936 Victory thriller.
(O) GLADIATOR: Extended Edition (DreamWorks) These extended cuts are sprouting up like mushrooms, but this one looks like a real special event. 3-disc set includes 17 added minutes on the main feature, annotation track, multi-part Making-Of, interviews, storyboard demo & gallery, bonus footage and more.
(O) THE GOD WHO WASN'T THERE (Blackchair) A former fundamentalist Christian reveals how nearly all Christians are completely ignorant of the origins and history of their own religion. He's right. Includes commentrak and more.
(O) THE HALFWAY HOUSE (Ventura) WIP spoof in which a girl goes undercover to find out why ladies are disappearing from a halfway house. R-rated and unrated editions with music video.
(O) HALLOWEEN (Anchor Bay) UMD
(O) HAPPY GILMORE (Universal) Benched hockey player Adam Sandler takes up golf. Widescreen and fullscreen special editions include deleted footage, outtakes and more.
(O) HILLBILLY BLITZKRIEG (Alpha) 1942 comic strip adaptation about Barney Google and Snuffy Smith in the army.
(O) HOMELAND SECURITY (Paramount) Scott Glenn and Tom Skeritt in a dramatization of events leading up to the 9/11 attacks and the formation of the DHS, asking whether this government department would have been able to prevent the tragedy.
(O) HOOD OF THE LIVING DEAD (Image) Inner city cannibal corpse action in the tradition of ZOMBIEZ.
(O) HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (Lions Gate) UMD (O) HOUSE OF THE DEAD (Lions Gate) UMD
(O) KUNG FU Complete Third Season (Warner Bros.) Fugitive Shaolin priest David Carradine continues his wanderings across the Old West. Includes commentraks and a documentary about Carradine's trip to Shaolin Temple in China. Also available bundled with seasons 1 & 2.
(O) LAYER CAKE (Sony) Looking to retire with one last score, London drug dealer Daniel Craig comes into possession of a million hits of Ecstacy, putting him in between the crime boss pressuring him to sell and the bloodthirsty Serbian drug lord who really owns the goods. Widescreen & fullscreen editions include commentrak, deleted footage, alternate endings, Making-Of, music video and more.
(O) LAYER CAKE (Sony) UMD
(O) LIGHTS OUT (Alpha) Episodes of Arch Obeler's early '50s horror TV series, plus episodes of THE VEIL and WITCHCRAFT.
(O) A LOT LIKE LOVE (Buena Vista) A lot like crap. With commentrak, deleted footage, bloopers, music video, etc.
(O) LUCHADORAS ENMASCARADOS Volume 3 (Brentwood) Triple feature of 1970s Mexican superhero wrestler movies with NO ENGLISH DUBBING OR SUBTITLES: EL HIJO DE ALMA GRANDE, LOS VAMPIRES DE COYOACAN y LA MANSION DE SIETE MOMIAS.
(O) MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE (Universal) Single disc edition includes commentrak and "soundtrack for the lonely".
(O) NEW JACK CITY (Warner Bros.) Ice T, Judd Nelson and director Mario Van Peebles as vice cops struggling to take down crack kingpin Wesley Snipes. Special edition includes director commentrak, 3 documentaries, 3 music videos and more.
(O) NIGHTMARE (Tai Seng) Korean killer ghost horror (aka HORROR GAME MOVIE) from Ahn Byung-ki (PHONE).
(O) NIGHTVEIL: Witch War (AC Comics) Cartoonist Bill Black directs this feature adaptation of his long running comic-book FEMFORCE. Includes Making-Of, featurettes, gag reel, clips from Black's 1975 serial BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE and more.
(O) OLDBOY (Tartan) Superior Korean suspense drama in the same vein as THE GAME. A salaryman is abducted and held prisoner for 15 years, then suddenly freed and given 5 days to find his abductor. A US remake is in the works. With commentrak, interviews and 5 deleted scenes. See how to win one above!
(O) OLDBOY (Tartan) UMD
(O) A PAIR OF LEWIS BLACK SHORTS (Fontana) Two films by the DAILY SHOW comic: "Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story" and "The Gynecologist".
(O) PARTY NERDS TOGA BASH (Retromedia) Michelle Bauer and Linnea Quigley host the 1989 comedy ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS, then return for the 1995 sequel ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS 2: THE HEAVY PETTING DETECTIVE.
(O) RED TENT (Paramount) Sean Connery and Peter Finch in a survival adventure tale about an ill-fated 1928 attempt to reach the North Pole by airship.
(O) THE RING 2 (DreamWorks) Naomi Watts tries to forget her haunted past, but the cursed videotape shows up in her new town. In PG-rated fullscreen and unrated fullscreen and widescreen editions with featurettes, deleted footage and more..
(O) RINGU 2 (DreamWorks) Hideo Nakata's original alternate theatrical sequel to the original Japanese theatrical version of RINGU.
(O) RINGU: ANTHOLOGY OF TERROR (DreamWorks) Includes the original RINGU, its original sequel RASEN (SPIRAL), its alternate sequel RINGU 2 and its prequel RINGU 0.
(O) SHAOLIN COLLECTION (Tai Seng) Kung fu 3-pack: SHAOLIN MONK, SHAOLIN MONK FIGHTS BACK and SHAOLIN HERO.
(O) SIX FEET UNDER Complete Fourth Season (HBO) The superior drama about a family-owned funeral home continues, including the most harrowing and horrifying episodes of a TV series I've ever seen. Also available bundled with seasons 1-3.
(O) SNATCH (Sony) UMD
(O) THAT'S MY MAMA Complete First Season (Sony)
(O) THAT'S MY MAMA Complete Second Season (Sony) The original BARBERSHOP. 1974 sitcom with Clifton Davis as a Washington DC barber living with his overbearing mother.
(O) THE THING BELOW (First Look) A research team finds a horrifying secret lurking beneath an offshore oil rig.
(O) THE 13th GUEST (Alpha) Lyle Talbot and Ginger Rogers in a 1935 Poverty Row horror thriller.
(O) TIME BANDITS (Anchor Bay) UMD
(O) TOTAL RECALL (Lions Gate) UMD
(O) THE TRANSPORTER (Fox) "Special Delivery" edition of one of the best action films of the past few years, with Jason Statham as a man who will deliver anything anywhere for a price until he's asked to transport Shu Qi to slave traders. Includes commentrak, Making-Of, extended fight sequences, music video and more.
(O) THE TRUMAN SHOW (Paramount) In his best film, Jim Carrey plays a man who unknowingly has lived his entire life in a controlled environment on television. Special edition includes Making-Of, deleted footage and more.
(O) WEEKEND (New Yorker) Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 feature takes a group of characters for a lovely holiday in the French countryside that includes revolution, violence, murder and cannibalism. Includes commentrak, interviews and more.
(O) WITNESS (Paramount) Cop Harrison Ford goes undercover in Amish country to protect a murder witness in this 1985 hit thriller. Includes Making-Of, deleted footage and more.
(O) WIZARD OF OZ COLLECTION (Alpha) Four early silent film adaptations of L. Frank Baum novels.
(O) XTRO 3 (Showcase/Ventura) Soldiers find a killer alien loose on an island.
(O) YAOWARAT (Tai Seng) 2003 Thai gun fu gangster action flick.
(O) ZONTAR: THE THING FROM VENUS / THE EYE CREATURES (Retromedia) Remakes of two American International drive-in cheapies IT CONQUERED THE WORLD and INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN - made only a few years before, only this time Larry Buchanan makes them even cheaper! Includes featurette.

And be sure to check back next weekand every weekfor CINESCAPE's DVD Shopping List! And while you're at it, don't forget our sister column Anime Avalanche, up every Saturday!

DVD Shopping List (© 2005 Brian Thomas) is our weekly DVD column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound's DRAGON: ASIAN ACTION & CULT FLICKS, available now!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at psycho@psychotronic.info.