We’re back again! 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 in stores or online as of today.
As always, if you’re inclined to buy anything you see here, you can get to the Amazon listing by clicking through the cover icons. It helps our site if you can do that, so please do it if you can.
This week’s selection is pretty fantastic, so let’s dive right in! Many highly-recommended picks to get excited about this week.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
10 TO MIDNIGHT (1983)
An uneasy comparison to describe this movie might be likening it to Clint Eastwood’s TIGHTROPE, an urban thriller where an aging action hero tracks down and battles a sex freak. But Bronson was never as self-reflective a star as Eastwood, and his films were more brusque than artful. I still dig ’em, of course, and this film is one I’ve wanted to get my hands on for a while. Aside from the typical pleasures Bronson busting heads always brings, two of my favorite ’80s-movie crushes are in this also — Lisa Eilbacher (BEVERLY HILLS COP) and Kelly Preston.
AMERICAN HEIST (2014)
The Adrien Brody movies are getting weirder and weirder, which I’m all about. Hoping he goes the full Nicolas Cage.
ANGST (1983)
The term “Austrian horror” seems redundant to me, but this is a famous and influential entry in the genre.
AT CLOSE RANGE (1986)
Phenomenal cast, even more phenomenal mustache.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES (2013)
Hugely excited about this one, and I say this not even as much of a fan of the franchise (I’m a HALLOWEEN guy, so where silent psycho-killers are concerned, Michael is my guy, no offense meant Jason). But this comprehensive documentary, about the making of the FRIDAY THE 13TH movies, was directed by Daniel Farrands, one of the filmmakers behind the fantastic retrospective of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET called NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. Some movies are as fun to learn about as they are to watch — in the case of horror franchises and (more specifically) their sequels, sometimes the behind-the-scenes stuff is even more compelling. Can’t wait. We have a review coming up this week. (Not from me — I’m just excited as a viewer.) Additionally, to accompany the release of CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES, you can also pick up double-features of almost all the FRIDAY THE 13TH movies for cheap!
DEFIANCE (1980)
Jan-Michael Vincent takes on the movie-gang menace in this thriller from underrated action director John Flynn! Matt Wedge had plenty to say about this one.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
DRESSED TO KILL (1980)
Brian De Palma at the height of his filmmaking mojo. This is possibly the Criterion release of the year.
THE EDITOR (2014)
Our own Jason Coffman included THE EDITOR as one of his ten favorite films from 2014:
Astron 6, the Canadian comedy collective responsible for THE EDITOR, rose to prominence in the independent horror scene in 2012 with a pair of amazing feature films: MANBORG, a tribute to late 80s/early 90s straight-to-video sci-fi/action films made on a reported budget of $1,000, and FATHER’S DAY, an incredibly ambitious grindhouse satire produced by Troma that made even fellow Canadian Jason Eisner’s HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN look like a Merchant Ivory Production. Their latest feature does for Italian horror and exploitation cinema of the 70s and 80s what FATHER’S DAY did for gritty 70s revenge films. Rey Ciso (Adam Brooks) was the finest editor in Italy until an accident claimed the fingers on his right hand. Now he is reduced to cutting cheap horror films with his beautiful assistant Bella (Samantha Hill). When actors on his current project start turning up dead, Detective Peter Porfiry (Matthew Kennedy) shows up to investigate, and Ciso is his number one suspect. Combining their signature dark humor with garish colors, bad English dubbing, plentiful nudity and excessive gore pulled right from the films of Dario Argento, Sergio Martino, Lucio Fulci and countless others, THE EDITOR delivers more than any horror fan could possibly ask for while lovingly and hilariously sending up those films. Like FATHER’S DAY before it, THE EDITOR had me laughing until I was crying and out of breath. You’ll never look at a birthday cake the same way again.
Also, Matthew Monagle interviewed the director of the film!
And Mike Vanderbilt reviewed the new Blu-Ray!
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
EMPEROR OF THE NORTH (1973)
In one of the greatest high-concepts of all time, Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine play train-hopping hobos, while Ernest Borgnine plays the evil conductor looking to throw them off. Robert Aldrich directs from a story by Jack London. The story culminates with Lee and Ernie going at each other with chains and axes on the roof of a speeding train. It’s mandatory, boys. This movie will put hair on your chest, even if you’re a pretty lady.
THE EPIC OF EVEREST (1924)
This is so cool — a documentary from nearly a century ago about an expedition to climb the most notorious mountain in the world. Before you see the big-budget 3D Hollywood extravaganza coming out soon, check this out. No computers anywhere!
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
FAT CITY (1972)
The great Stacy Keach is a boxer long past his glory days, mentoring a younger guy (the great Jeff Bridges) — come for those guys, stay for the great, great Susan Tyrell, an awesome and under-discussed character actor who’s so fun and so authentic. John Huston directed, Conrad Hall (BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID) ran the cameras.
GOTHAM: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
This show is astounding, in the way that — aside from casting Donal Logue (who is never not awesome) — it literally does every last thing wrong. Unable to decide on a tone, the series is pitched halfway between the camp of the 1960s and the absolute seriousness of the Christopher Nolan movies. It takes everything that’s interesting about the character of Batman and bleaches it away. Love Batman’s spooky, gravelly voice? Well, in Gotham you get to hear his baby voice crack every time he cries. Seems nobody learned anything from that stupid Smallville show, where literally every character’s development was accelerated except for the guy who flies around with an S on his shirt. We come to a show called Gotham for Batman, and guess who gets the shortest shrift? Aside from a few moments of sublime idiocy, there isn’t much here you haven’t seen done elsewhere before. Batman is one of the most durable characters in pop culture history, open to many forms of interpretation. With Gotham, the limits of Batman’s flexibility are clearly defined.
THE HONEY POT (1967)
HORNETS’ NEST (1970)
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (2001)
This movie is sort of a Coen Brothers B-side, well worth a second look for anyone who under-evaluates it.
MORITURIS: LEGIONS OF THE DEAD (2011)
Sort of amazing — this Italian horror release from Synapse looks for all the world like it could have dated back to 1986. But it’s not, and either way, that makes me intrigued.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
SHOCKER (1989)
Scream Factory does it again, and just in time. Fans of Wes Craven missing the genre titan can revisit one of his oddest, most unique efforts with this deluxe celebration of his 1989 attempt to create a new nightmarish icon. My capsule review of SHOCKER went like this: “A lot of stuff happens in this movie I did not expect to happen.” That’s really an understatement.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
SOCIETY (1989)
One of the most amazingly grotesque films you’re ever likely to see. (The above image is the only one I could find that won’t give you really weird nightmares.) This edition is everything a fan could or should want or need. That’s what I said when the original souped-up version from Arrow Video first hit the shelves this summer, and I stand by it now that this simpler, cheaper edition has now been made available.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
TURKEY SHOOT (1982)
Here’s my extended look at this seminal Ozploitation future-prison flick.
*** PICK OF THE WEEK !!! ***
VIGILANTE FORCE (1976)
Maybe no movie could come close to the awesomeness promised by that poster art, but VIGILANTE FORCE comes close. We covered this one before on the site and on the podcast. It’s lots of fun, and a bit smarter than it looks.
THE VOYEUR (1994)
Saw my first Tinto Brass film only recently. The man likes butts. If you like butts, you’ll like his movies. Easy introduction.
HAPPY CONSUMING,
— JON ABRAMS (@JONNYABOMB).
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Tags: Blu-ray, dvd, New Releases
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