THE NEW RELEASE WALL FOR OCTOBER 7th, 2014: WE DON’T DIE, WE MULTIPLY.

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It’s October! We made it. Yay! Welcome to Daily Grindhouse’s weekly listing of all that’s new and available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD. Everything you see featured here is available as of yesterday. There’s a ton of TV this week, and also a hysterical amount of double-DVDs and multiple-feature options. Seriously. It’s crazy. If you wanted to pick up a good movie packaged with its bad sequel(s) this is gonna be an embarassment of riches. There’s some genuinely good stuff listed below too, but way too much for me to recap in any detail. I’ll weigh in with commentary when the mood strikes. Otherwise: Happy scrolling!

 

 

Adventure Time
Adventure Time: The Complete Fourth Season (Blu-ray)

ADVENTURE TIME: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON (TV)

Alien 1979
Alien Quadrilogy (Blu-ray)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Temporary cover art

ALIEN QUADRILOGY 

 

This week brings a TON of ALIEN movies to Blu-Ray, though not for the first time. The new editions are due to the fact that the first ALIEN was released in 1979, which makes this the 35th anniversary. You can buy the series installments together or apart. As you’ll see later in the column, you can also get both ALIEN VS. PREDATOR movies, though God only knows why you’d want to do that, and what the hell, there’s a PREDATOR triple-feature also — no major anniversary there, but it seems the two franchises are forever linked now. (How do you possibly make a bad ALIEN VS. PREDATOR movie and manage to live with yourself, by the way? Let alone two?)
ALIEN  35th ANNIVERSARY (1979)
Alien: 35th Anniversary (Blu-ray)

ALIEN: 35th ANNIVERSARY (1979)

 

ALIEN (1979)
Alien (Blu-ray)

ALIEN (1979)

 

 

ALIEN is science-fiction before it’s anything (future, spaceships, aliens = sci-fi) – but it plays like straight-up horror.  It’s a haunted-house movie, a ghost story, but one where the supernatural being who is stalking a trapped bunch of people also happens to be an alien.  And it’s an alien of a kind no one’s ever seen in movies before or since. The Alien, as designed by HR Giger, is one of the iconic movie monsters, one of the few monster icons from the second half of the twentieth century. And Sigourney Weaver is the ultimate “last girl” – like Jamie Lee Curtis in HALLOWEEN, she plays a character of depth and resourcefulness that is rare for genre films.  She’s a true survivor.  Well, her and the cat.  Good old Jonesy…

 

 

 

 

This movie is so crucial, for so many reasons.

 

It brought a gloss to horror and a new prestige to sci-fi, and it’s the movie that truly launched director Ridley Scott’s career.  It has [at least] one of the great shocks in movie history.  It has one of the great female leads in action, sci-fi, horror, whatever.  And it’s the movie that established how the Aliens are cat people rather than dog people. The Predators are dog people. But this is a conversation for another time.

 

 

 

ALIENS
Aliens (Blu-ray)

ALIENS (1986)

 

 

Hot off the success of THE TERMINATOR, James Cameron took the ball from Ridley Scott and ran long with it. Like all of Cameron’s work, ALIENS is bombastic and emotionally-charged. Unlike its predecessor, ALIENS is short on silence and its scenes of suspense are of a different sort. If ALIEN was a horror movie, ALIENS is a full-on war movie. From here a pattern emerged: The ALIEN movies invited additional genre elements beyond sci-fi. The third movie is a spin on the prison genre, and the fourth is a blend of a POSEIDON ADVENTURE disaster movie and a WILD BUNCH men-on-a-mission movie. I’m still waiting for the Merchant-Ivory take.
ALIEN³ (1992)
Alien³ (Blu-ray)

 ALIEN³ (1992)

 

David Fincher’s feature debut was on this movie, a dark and grimy and phenomenally nihilistic edition of the ongoing story of Ellen Ripley and the parasitic creatures she’d by now become an old hand at battling. Due to the major character deaths bookending the film, it wasn’t well-received by most fans and still isn’t, but I feel there are many strong and striking moments, and I know it’s a fascinating start to a filmmakers’ gleefully sinister career.

 

 

alien resurrection 1997

 

 

Alien: Resurrection (Blu-ray)

ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997)

 

Now that the rest of the world has caught up with those of us who appreciate Joss Whedon’s talents, maybe this installment will get more people re-discovering it. He wrote the script. Most of the cooler stuff you will recognize as his. Nothing against director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but he clearly wanted to make a different movie and I think watching the movie you can feel the disconnect between what must have been on the page and what is happening on screen. The authorship is split.

 

 

 

all-dogs-go-to-heaven-1989
All Dogs Go To Heaven 1 & 2 (Blu-ray)

ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN 1 & 2 (1996)

 

 

Remember when Charlie Sheen was a dog who went to Heaven? His character’s name was “Charlie” which is I guess where Chuck Lorre got that idea.

 

 

Alvin
Alvin and the Chipmunks Triple Feature (Blu-ray)

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS TRIPLE FEATURE 

 

 

All I know is that I saw one of these rancid little vermin eat an entire turd in one of the trailers. It was too shocking  for the mainstream back in 1972 when Divine ate shit in PINK FLAMINGOS but now we’ve got coprohagia in horrible kids’ movies. I’m not sure that’s progress.
 AMERICAN HORROR STORY COVEN
American Horror Story: Coven (Blu-ray)

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (TV) 

 

ANCIENT ALIENS  SEASON SIX VOLUME ONE
Ancient Aliens: Season 6, Volume One (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

ANCIENT ALIENS: SEASON SIX VOLUME ONE (TV)

 

Bad-Santa-2003
Bad Santa (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

BAD SANTA (2003)

 

Like a bunch of titles out this week, BAD SANTA has been on Blu-Ray for a while now. I guess the ownership has changed hands. That’s the only difference in the release that I can see — it was a Miramax title and now it’s being repackaged by Lionsgate. No reason to buy this version if you have it already.
bates-motel-season-2-premiere-date
Bates Motel: Season Two (Blu-ray)

BATES MOTEL: SEASON TWO (TV)

 

Vera Farmiga rules. Like, a lot.
BIG MOMMA
Big Momma's 3 Film Collection (Blu-ray)

BIG MOMMA’S 3-FILM COLLECTION

 

Can’t help but feel Tyler Perry owes both Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence some major royalties. (And isn’t it horrifying to contemplate that there’s somebody out there making shittier fat-suit films than NORBIT and BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE?)

 

Billion-Dollar-Brain
Billion Dollar Brain (Blu-ray)

BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN (1967)

 

 

 

BLACK NATIVITY
Black Nativity (Blu-ray)

BLACK NATIVITY (2013)

 

death-wish-3
Bronson Triple Threat Collection (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

BRONSON: TRIPLE THREAT COLLECTION

 

This’d be worth it for number three alone, although please note that, weirdly, the original is not included.
 1
Children of the Corn Collection (Blu-ray)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN COLLECTION

 

My favorite CHILDREN OF THE CORN movie is the one that has this scene:
pootie
christmas-carol-1984
A Christmas Carol (Blu-ray)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)

 

 This is October. Don’t be an asshole.
NERD
Chuck Norris Total Attack Pack (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art
Chuck Norris Favorites Triple Feature (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art
Missing in Action 1 & 2 (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

CHUCK NORRIS SHIT

It’s there if you want it for some reason.
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Cyborg / Death Warrant / Double Impact (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

 CYBORG/ DEATH WARRANT/ DOUBLE IMPACT

DOUBLE IMPACT is fun, but CYBORG is secretly awesome. If you see a good price on this three-pack, go for it.
DEATH KISS
The Death Kiss (Blu-ray)

THE DEATH KISS (1932)

DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE! (1980)
Don't Answer the Phone! (Blu-ray)

DON’T ANSWER THE PHONE! (1980)

Hey, that guy was in DARKMAN!
DRACULA 2000
Dracula Double Feature: Wes Craven Presents Dracula 2000 / Wes Craven Presents Dracula II: Ascension (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

DRACULA DOUBLE-FEATURE

 Not sure you need two of these.
Duck Dynasty: Season 6 (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

DUCK DYNASTY: SEASON 6 (TV)

Yeah but still fuck this show.
DUCK, YOU SUCKER_1971
Duck, You Sucker (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

DUCK, YOU SUCKER (1971)

This can’t possibly be the first Blu-Ray edition of this film, can it? I’ve been looking for that information without finding a concrete answer. I’ve got it on DVD and I’ll eventually upgrade but it’s hard to believe it took this long for a Blu-Ray to show up. If you haven’t seen this movie, I recommend it, of course, but it’s Advanced Studies. Sergio Leone is a director whose work is arguably best experienced chronologically — start with A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and work your way towards this one. I don’t suggest starting with DUCK, YOU SUCKER, since it’s a bit of a riff off Leone’s previous films and it spins off in different, more esoteric directions. It’s an important film — as are all of the Leones — but it’s not the major crowd-pleaser the others are. This, the master’s final Western, is definitely the gateway picture to Leone’s last, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA.
EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art
Edge of Tomorrow 3D (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)

For the trailer for this movie, Emily Blunt perfected the Catherine-Zeta-Jones-in-the-trailer-for-ENTRAPMENT conspicuously posed move. To this day, nobody has heard me complain.
ENTRAPMENT
Also, EDGE OF TOMORROW is totally fun and you should check it out if you didn’t see it during the summer.
MSDFIPO EC001
The First Power (Blu-ray)

THE FIRST POWER (1990)

And sometimes you come across a twenty-odd-year-old movie you’ve just plain never heard about before. And suddenly that becomes the movie you want to see the most.
THE FOLLOWING
The Following: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray)

THE FOLLOWING: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (TV)

See Kevin Bacon in that picture? Coincidentally, that’s the same posture I have every time somebody mentions The Following.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
Foreign Correspondent (Blu-ray)

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940)

A three-disc set was released earlier this year; from my understanding this week brings a simpler one-disc edition.
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn (Blu-ray)

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996)

GIRLY (1970)
Girly (Blu-ray)

GIRLY (1970)

GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE
Godzilla vs. Biollante (Blu-ray)

GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE (1989)

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966)

As somebody who already owns two different Blu-Ray editions of this movie (not to mention three different DVD versions), as far as I can tell the only thing to set this one apart is that shadow on the right half of the cover art there. It appears to be the individual packaging connected to the recent “Man With No Name” collection. If you don’t own this movie, get it promptly. If you already have it, you’re good. Unless you’re a maniac like me who needs to have more than one copy at any given time, just in case.
DEEPEST BLUEST
Halloween Collection (Blu-ray)

HALLOWEEN TRIPLE FEATURE

hellraiser_1_04
Hellraiser Collection (Blu-ray)

HELLRAISER MULTI-FEATURE

 hemlock grove
Hemlock Grove: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

 HEMLOCK GROVE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (TV)

Watched the first two episodes. The werewolf transformation was good. Can’t say much for the rest. Does it get better?
HOLIDAY INN (1942)
Holiday Inn (Blu-ray)

HOLIDAY INN (1942)

Yes, that is Bing Crosby in blackface as Abraham Lincoln. Yes, this movie gave its name to the hotel chain. Yes, it’s all fucked up.
houdini
Houdini (Blu-ray)

HOUDINI (TV)

 Great introduction to the Houdini story for those who aren’t familiar.
Ice Age
Ice Age: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)

ICE AGE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

IGUANA (1988)
Iguana (Blu-ray)

IGUANA (1988)

From IMDb: “A grotesquely disfigured harpooner called Iguana is severely mistreated by his fellow sailors on a whaling ship in the 19th century. One night he escapes and takes up residence on a remote island. He makes himself ruler of the island and declares war on mankind. Anyone unfortunate enough to wind up on the island with Iguana is subjected to his cruel tyranny.” THAT SOUNDS AWESOME. ORDERING IT. 

IN THE NAME OF THE KING 

In the Name of the King Collection (Blu-ray)

IN THE NAME OF THE KING: COLLECTION

ISLAND CLAWS (1980)
Island Claws (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

ISLAND CLAWS (1980)

Now we know there’s a horror movie about gigantic killer crabs. What we do with that information is up to each and every one of us.

JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART (2013)

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (Blu-ray)

JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART (2013) 

JEEPERS CREEPERS 1 & 2
Jeepers Creepers 1 & 2 (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

JEEPERS CREEPERS 1 & 2

THE KING AND I (1956)
The King and I (Blu-ray)

THE KING AND I (1956)

Kingdom of Heaven (Blu-ray)
Kingdom of Heaven (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005)

Look, they’re not going to stop releasing alternate versions of this movie. So just accept it.
LEGALLY BLONDE
Legally Blonde 1 & 2 (Blu-ray)

LEGALLY BLONDE 1 & 2

THE MARINE
The Marine 3-Pack (Blu-ray)

THE MARINE 3-PACK

MILLION DOLLAR ARM (2014)
Million Dollar Arm (Blu-ray)

MILLION DOLLAR ARM (2014)

Is that where Satan places himself?

Is that where Satan places himself?

A Million Ways to Die in the West (Blu-ray)

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (2014)

It’d be neat if this movie really WAS able to make people “die laughing.” That way everyone who paid to see it wouldn’t be around anymore. That sounds harsh, but look at the numbers: We’ve got more than enough people on this planet already. Objectively speaking, we can spare all the ones who consciously make Seth McFarlane rich.

A MIRACLE ON 34th STREET
Miracle on 34th Street: 65th Anniversary (Blu-ray)

A MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947)

Something sad about the fact that the only 65-year-old movies most normal people will ever watch are Christmas movies. Nothing against this one in particular but it’s weird to think more people have seen it than MY DARLING CLEMENTINE.
MORTUARY (1982)
Mortuary (Blu-ray)

MORTUARY (1983)

“Unhinged Bill Paxton” is one of the great pleasures of modern movies. This one’s on my list.
MULHOLLAND FALLS (1996)
Mulholland Falls (Blu-ray)

MULHOLLAND FALLS (1996)

That is one hell of a cast. Not entirely sure why I’ve never seen this movie. Also wonder if there’s fan fiction out there connecting Nolte’s role in MULHOLLAND FALLS to his role in last year’s GANGSTER SQUAD, since they appear to be the exact same movie. (This one’s got Jennifer Connelly, though, so it wins.)
GANGSTER SQUAD
Kermit gets a visit from the Absinthe Fairy.

Kermit gets a visit from the Absinthe Fairy.

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (Blu-ray)

IT’S A VERY MUPPET CHRISTMAS MOVIE (2002)

NECROMANTIK

** COVER ARTWORK OF THE WEEK!! **

Nekromantik (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

NEKROMANTIK (1988)

THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
The NeverEnding Story (Blu-ray)

THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)

In retrospect, there’s a lot about this movie that isn’t quite right for kids. Don’t let me start up on that subject, because that’s the real never-ending story.
...Howard?

…Howard?

The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (Blu-ray)

THE NEVERENDING STORY II: THE NEXT CHAPTER (1990)

Kids, that title is what’s known as an oxymoron.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Night at the Museum 1 & 2 (Blu-ray)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 1 & 2

OBVIOUS CHILD (2014)
Obvious Child (Blu-ray)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Temporary cover art

OBVIOUS CHILD (2014)

Oklahoma! (1955)
Oklahoma! (Blu-ray)

OKLAHOMA! (1955)

This would be a nice way to cap off that HELLRAISER sequel marathon, I think.
Percy Jackson Double Feature (Blu-ray)

PERCY JACKSON DOUBLE FEATURE

Wait, so it’s the white kid whose name is “Percy Jackson”?
Predator Triple Feature (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

PREDATOR TRIPLE FEATURE

That is, PREDATOR, PREDATOR 2, and PREDATORS. The first of those I love like an uncle. The other two are worth watching once or twice I guess. And I like them more than most people I know do.
AVP Double Feature (Blu-ray)

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR DOUBLE FEATURE

 
Prometheus / Predator (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

PROMETHEUS/ PREDATOR DOUBLE-FEATURE

 
Those two? Together? Sure. Why not?
PROPHECY
Prophecy Collection (Blu-ray)

THE PROPHECY: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

I’ve seen the first one. I like it well enough. I honestly had no idea there were that many more. Should I investigate further? Anyone have an expert opinion?

** PICK OF THE WEEK !! **

Raw Force (Blu-ray)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> Temporary cover art

RAW FORCE (1982)

Going insane can be fun sometimes. Check out my take on RAW FORCE here, including my ideas for a big-budget modern Hollywood remake!
RICK AND MORTY: SEASON ONE (TV)
Rick and Morty: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

RICK AND MORTY: SEASON ONE (TV)

robocop
RoboCop Double Feature (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

ROBOCOP DOUBLE FEATURE (1987 & 2014)

ROGER & ME (1989)
Roger & Me (Blu-ray)

ROGER & ME (1989)

Sharknado 2: The Second One (Blu-ray)

SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE (TV)

Nope.
SHORT CIRCUIT (1986)
Short Circuit (Blu-ray)

SHORT CIRCUIT (1986)

SIDEWALK STORIES (1989)
Sidewalk Stories (Blu-ray)

SIDEWALK STORIES (1989)

 SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)
Sleeping Beauty (Blu-ray)

SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)

SOUTH PACIFIC (1958)
South Pacific (Blu-ray)

SOUTH PACIFIC (1958)

SUPERMENSCH
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (Blu-ray)

 SUPERMENSCH: THE LEGEND OF SHEP GORDON (2014)

Taken / Taken 2 (Blu-ray)

TAKEN 1 & 2

This Means War / Water For Elephants (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

 THIS MEANS WAR / WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

I swear I looked at this double-feature for three minutes before I figured out what these two movies have in common.
TOPKAPI (1964)
Topkapi (Blu-ray)

TOPKAPI (1964)

Only saw this for the first time recently, since I’ve been going through every movie Jules Dassin made that I can get my hands on. His movies are wonderful, really. Known more for his literate and plausible black-and-white crime films, Dassin made TOPKAPI in color, after he’d left the United States for political reasons. It’s a more light-hearted movie than the others, engaging but more of a romp, and as such it’s not really the place to start if you’d like to get to know the work of this great filmmaker, who was so good humanizing the bleakest situations.
 M8DTRCO EC004
True Confessions (Blu-ray) Temporary cover art

TRUE CONFESSIONS (1981)

VENOM (2005)
Venom (Blu-ray)

 VENOM (2005)

“A voodoo romp in the swamp!” — Don King, in a short-lived side career as a blurb provider.
 
Vikings: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray)

VIKINGS: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (TV)

WALL STREET
wall_street_teser
Wall Street Double Feature (Blu-ray)

WALL STREET: DOUBLE FEATURE

Remember when Charlie Sheen was in movies worth seeing? And is Shia LeBeouf the new Charlie Sheen? And is it just me or is Michael Douglas really, really creepy (and not only when he’s trying to be)?
 Wolverine Double Feature (Blu-ray)

WOLVERINE DOUBLE FEATURE

The newer one is better than the previous one, but so was the root canal I had last year so that ain’t saying too much.
WRONG TURN
The Wrong Turn Collection (Blu-ray)

 WRONG TURN 1-5

 I made it three movies deep into this franchise. I think I’ve done my service. Seems like a good place to stop.

 

 

— JON ABRAMS (@jonnyabomb)

 

 

 

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