TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD: A Sacred Knight Of Spanish Terror
If you ask a Euro-horror fanatic about the key titles of Spanish horror cinema, the Blind Dead film series will inevitably be mentioned. This quartet of films directed by talented journeyman Amando De Ossorio rank up there with the work of Paul Naschy and Jesus Franco, spinning out a fascinating mythology connected to Spain's history and using their distinctive ghostly villains, the Knights Templar, as a vehicle for commentary on the real-lifes horrors of Spanish life under the reign of General Franco.
Digi-Schlock: BLACK CIRCLE (Synapse Blu-Ray/CD Combo Pack)
…once again, Synapse does well by a low-budget indie by giving it a slick A/V presentation as well as a tidy, informative set of extras. Collectors of modern horror will appreciate their efforts.
BLACK CIRCLE: High-Concept Horror In An Indie Vein
The resulting film evokes a lot of genre touchstones that fans of '70s/'80s horror will love - Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, scientific-minded ghost stories like The Haunting and Hell House, a very distinct influence of David Cronenberg circa The Brood and Scanners - yet it never resorts to simple imitation of those influences. Instead, it mixes them in interesting ways to come up with a fresh hybrid.
Schlock-Wire: Specs For Grindhouse Releasing's 2 Blu-Ray Set Of IMPULSE
Grindhouse Releasing has announced their latest release - and if you love '70s regional horror, it's a real corker. They're releasing Impulse, a colorful, Florida-set psycho killer tale built around a hothouse performance from William Shatner. They're doing a 2000 unit limited run with some unique goodies that fans of this cult favorite will be intrigued by.
Digi-Schlock: PHENOMENA (Synapse 2-Disc 4K UHD Standard Edition)
…if you waited for an affordably-priced domestic UHD release for Phenomena, Synapse Films has amply rewarded you here. You get all three versions of the film in sterling presentations plus an impressive slate of extras that take you inside the complex story of this film's creation.
PHENOMENA: Everything But The Lavandino Della Cucina
Argento treats his storyline as a springboard for stylization, mixing delirious horror concepts (a giallo-style killer, nightmares becoming reality, a "thing" chained in a room, a family house with secrets, swarms of insects) with lavish visuals that utilize everything from swooping crane shots to underwater photography.
CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE: A Breezy '70s Hang Sesh With Bigfoot
A fun entry in the Bigfoot film canon, a hard-working little regional indie flick that bridges the gap between traditional monster movie treatments of Bigfoot and the pseudo-documentaries.
Digi-Schlock: SATAN' S LITTLE HELPER (Synapse Blu-Ray)
A worthwhile disc of an overlooked modern horror film from a veteran that offers the best possible transfer for this visually challenging title and fortifies the presentation with a selection of worthwhile extras.
SATAN' S LITTLE HELPER: Should We Laugh Or Scream?
Satan's Little Helper proved that Lieberman could still put together an effective mixture of shocks and social commentary… if this is his last hurrah, it's got that signature style that his fanbase will appreciate.
Digi-Schlock: THE KINDRED (1987) (Synapse Blu-Ray Standard Edition)
Synapse's promotional materials reveal it was a 15 year journey to produce this set - and fans of '80s genre material will be thankful for the results. Read on for a breakdown of the standard edition release.