Frank Henenlotter's "Basket Case" Make Blu-Ray Debut

Arrow Video recently announced the upcoming release of Frank Henenlotter's Cult Classic "Basket Case". The cult film stars Kevin Van Hentenryck.

Special features on the Blu-Ray includes Brand new audio commentary with writer/director Frank Henenlotter and star Kevin Van Hentenryck, Basket Case 3-1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley - Frank Henenlotter revisits Duane Bradley decades after the events of the original Basket Case, Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins - a brand new interview with Florence and Maryellen Schultz, the twin nurses from Basket Case, Brand new making-of featurette containing new interviews with producer Edgar Ievins, casting person/actress Ilze Balodis, associate producer/effects artist Ugis Nigals and Belial performer Kika Nigals, Blood, BASKET and Beyond - a brand new interview with actress Beverly Bonner, Belial Goes to the Drive-In - a brand new interview with film critic Joe Bob Briggs, Outtakes Featurette, In Search of the Hotel Broslin - archive location featurette, Slash of the Knife (1972) - short film by Frank Henenlotter, Belial's Dream (2017, 5 mins) - brand new Basket Case-inspired animated short by filmmaker Robert Morgan, Behind-the-scenes of Belial's Dream, Trailers, TV Spots and Radio Spots, Extensive Still Galleries and Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck.

The first pressing of "Basket Case" will also include a aollector's booklet with new writing on the film by Michael Gingold.

"Basket Case" hits retail on February 27th.

Press Release:

THE TENANT IN ROOM 7 IS VERY SMALL, VERY TWISTED, AND VERY MAD.

The feature debut of director Frank Henenlotter (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker), 1982's Basket Case is perhaps his most revered - a riotous and blood-spattered midnight movie experience, now immortalized in a lavish new 4K restoration by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Duane Bradley is a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed, fleshy lump whom he carries around in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at the seedy Hotel Broslin, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation. But tensions flare up when Duane starts spending time with a pretty blonde secretary, and Belial's homicidal tendencies reach bloody new extremes.

Filmed on a shoestring budget against the backdrop of 1980s New York (where the movie would become a staple of the infamous 42nd Street grindhouse circuit), Basket Case has clawed its way from its humble origins to become one of the most celebrated cult movies of all time.

Get Ready To Be Caught in the "Path of Blood"

Synapse Films recently released information for the upcoming release of "Path of Blood". The animated horror film features the voices of Kenji Kiuchi, Yoshi Okai and Shinya Wakao.

Special features on the Blu-Ray includes Making of PATH OF BLOOD Featurette, PATH OF BLOOD - The Original Short Film, Original Promotional Trailer,"Video Game" Inspired Trailer and Image Gallery.

"Path of Blood" hits retail on March 13th.

Plot Synopsis:

Japan, 1614. War is over. Samurai displaced through defeat or reform wander the countryside as Ronin, seeking work where they can find it. At the edge of a forgotten village lies a path leading deep into the mountains. It is rumored the brave few who make it down the path will be rewarded with a life of freedom and purpose. However, none who have entered the path have returned. When a lone samurai sets his course towards the Path of Blood, unknown danger and terror awaits. Will his great swordsmanship be enough to survive?

PATH OF BLOOD is the first animated film by Eric Power. Shot frame-by-frame in traditional paper stop motion (like the pilot episode of SOUTH PARK), the film boasts a unique visual style paired with a visceral tale of samurai, bandits, and deadly ninja. Many years in the making, this film is a love letter to the Japanese samurai genre, as well as a tribute to the ultra-violence of the LONE WOLF AND CUB series.

Severin Films Unearths Umberto Lenzi's "Eaten Alive"

Severin Films recently released information for their upcoming release of the cannibal cult film Umberto Lenzi's "Eaten Alive" The 1980 film stars Janet Agren, Robert Kerman, Ivan Rassimov and Mel Ferrer.

Special features on the DVD & Blu-Ray includes Welcome To the Jungle - Interview With Director Umberto Lenzi, Me Me Lai Bites Back - Feature Documentary on "The Queen Of Cannibal Movies", The Sect of the Purification - Interview with Production Designer Antonello Geleng, Archive Interviews With Actors Ivan Rassimov and Robert Kerman and 2013 Q&A With Umberto Lenzi from the "Festival of Fantastic Films, UK".

"Eaten Alive" hit retail on February 20th.

Plot Synopsis:

Eight years after he first unleashed the Italian cannibal craze, spaghetti splatter master Umberto Lenzi (NIGHTMARE CITY, CANNIBAL FEROX) returned to the jungle for this "graphic" (Monster Hunter), "sordid" (Geek Legacy) and "extreme" (Horror News) gut-muncher that still packs the power to knock you over. EuroSleaze hall-of-famers Robert Kerman (CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST), Janet Agren (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD), Ivan Rassimov (THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER) and Me Me Lai (JUNGLE HOLOCAUST) - along with Hollywood legend Mel Ferrer (WAR AND PEACE) - star in this insane assemblage of flesh-ripping mayhem, depraved sexual brutality, and even the Jonestown massacre. EATEN ALIVE! is now presented uncut, uncensored and fully remastered in HD for the first time ever, with all-new Special Features that slit open the legacy of this definitive cannibal classic.

Troma Announces It's West Coast Premiere for "Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High"

Troma Entertainment recently send the horror chamber over information for the west coast premiere of "Return to Return to Nuke 'EM High". The film stars Asta Paredes and Catherine Corcoran.

The film will be making its west coast premiere at the Laemmle's Ahrya Fine Arts in Beverly Hills, CA on March 8th. The film will also have a one week run from March 9th-15th at theLaemmle Noho 7 in North Hollywood, CA.

Press Release:

Following the prestigious premiere at The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City, Troma Entertainment, the longest running truly independent film studio in America, is proud to announce the West Coast Premiere of Lloyd Kaufman's second installment of two-part event film, Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High aka Volume 2 at Laemmle's Ahrya Fine Arts in Beverly Hills, CA on March 8th. Following the West Coast premiere, Volume 2 will then hold a week long engagement at the prestigious Laemmle Noho 7 in North Hollywood, CA from March 9th-15th, it was announced today by Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger.

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"Toxie, The Troma Team, and I are truly honored to have the historic, world famous Laemmle Theatres present Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High aka Volume 2! This film is by far our most ambitious, fantoxic movie yet and we are very excited to invade Hollywood with true independent art!" stated Lloyd Kaufman.

Quentin Tarantino has been a fan and friend of Troma for years, and when he suggested to Lloyd Kaufman at the Sitges Film Festival that he should create an "Event Film," Kaufman took note. "Michael Herz and I decided that to mark Troma's 40th year we, too, would produce an 'Event Film' in two volumes just like Quentin did," says Kaufman, "except slightly less lavish in the budget area." Return to Nuke 'Em High: Vol. 1 & 2, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, is a hilarious, thoughtful sci-fi "Event Film" with themes ripped straight from today's headlines: the contamination and degradation of the world's food supply, rampant bullying, and LGBTQ love triumphing over prejudice and violence.

The film, a revisiting of Troma's 1986 Class of Nuke 'Em High is in the same vein as other classics such as Class of 1984, Rock 'n' Roll High School, and Carrie, but seen through the unique vision of Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma Team. Welcome to Tromaville High School where, unfortunately, the glee club has mutated into a vicious gang of Cretins. Chrissy and Lauren, two innocent lesbian lovers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants and monsters but also the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate. Can they and Kevin the Wonder Duck save Tromaville High School and the world?

Up next in theaters from Troma is Lloyd Kaufman's second installment of his two-part event film, Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Vol.2 at Laemmle's Ahrya Fine Arts & Noho 7! 7 years in the making, Vol.2 is shaping up to be what Michael Herz has called "The best Troma Movie ever made!"

Werewolves Set to Terrorize in Los Angeles Premiere of "Bonehill Road"

Extreme Entertainment recently send the horror chamber information for their latest film "Bonehill Road". The film stars Linnea Qugley, Eli DeGeer and Ana Plumberg.

The film will be making is Los Angeles premiere at the Regency theater in North Hollywood. The screening will take place on January 26th at 9:30 pm.

To purchase tickets, you can goto: https://www.ticketor.com/bonehillroad/tickets/bonehill-road-hollywood-screening-103434#buy

Press Release:

BONEHILL ROAD is a fun, scary, old fashioned werewolf film starring scream queen Linnea Quigley. Bringing back the monster movies we loved for a new generation of Horror fans. It is both retro and original, a hybrid of styles and ideas that is sure to excite horror audiences both old and new. Created in the same style as the original HOWLING, An American Werewolf In London and Dog Soldiers.

BONE HILL ROAD’s Los Angeles premiere is set for Jan. 26th at 9:30 pm at the Regency theater in North Hollywood located at 6355 Bellingham Ave (at Victory Blvd) North Hollywood, Ca 91606. Scream queen and star Linnea Quigley will be in attendance along side Director Todd Sheets and additional cast and crew. It will be followed by the premiere of Personal Demons (presented by Terror Toons) directed by scream queen Brinke Stevens, who will also be in attendance.

Tickets can be purchased at the following link, both General admission and VIP Admission are available but selling fast (VIP admission incl. a signed DVD and autographed 8”x10” from scream queen Linnea Quigley): https://www.ticketor.com/bonehillroad/tickets/bonehill-road-hollywood-screening-103434#buy

“Werewolves are my favorite monsters of all time.” Director Todd Sheets said. “And BONEHILL ROAD is truly my dream project, something I have wanted to do for years. It’s an exciting, non-stop ride through a living, breathing nightmare that the fans of werewolf movies have been waiting for!!!”

BONEHILL ROAD features ALL practical special effects and NO CGI, like the classic horror films fans love. Uncompromising, Original and Vicious…. modern Horror meets Classic Monster movies for a thrill ride like no other!

Film Review: "Mayhem"

I love it when I come across a film where you’re drawn into it with the talent involved. This was the case with “Mayhem”. The film is directed by Joe Lynch who co-directed “Chillerama” and was one of the stars of “Holliston” which is a very funny show that ran on the defunct Fear Net and is out DVD and Blu-Ray. The film also stars Steven Yeun who was one of the original cast members of “The Walking Dead” and Samara Weaving who made waves this year in Netfilx’s “The Babysitter”. The people involved made me excited for this film.

The film is about a lawyer (Steven Yeun) whose day isn’t going that great. First, he was terminated from his job, then he finds out that he’s been infected with a virus and stuck there as the building is quarantined. To make matters worse, he gets locked in a room with a former client (Samara Weaving) who hates him and his former employer. He is team up with her as they extract their revenge at the law firm and settle things for good.

When I first heard about the film, I thought that this was going to be like “The Belko Experiment” and that would be it. Boy, was I wrong. “Mayhem” had me hooked from the first minute in as it had a more of a fun tone and was completely different from that film. One of the major reasons that I liked this so much was Joe Lynch’s direction. He makes his directing so good here as the action sequences are balls to the wall bloody. He makes sure that they are presented in a way that it keeps you entertained as everything had that fun horror feel to it. It’s something that was needed as made this film one of those fun films to watch. The other thing that I liked about Lynch’s directing was the fact he manages to make the performances fit the film’s twisted tone. Whether it was making the chemistry between the actors work to making the violent scenes feel cartoonish, it made everything onscreen work which makes this films one of the better horror films of 2017.

I also liked it that the film has two very good lead performances from Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. Both of them had great chemistry with each other whether it was in the beginning of the film to all the chaos that goes on through the film. They made the dynamic between the two main characters work. It’s important for that to work because you’re invested in the characters. If that didn’t work, then it would’ve felt like any other horror film where the violence is center stage.

The screenplay written Matias Caruso was very good from start to finish. One of the things that I liked about his screenplay was the way that he tells the story from the main character’s point of view. This could’ve been a film where the over the top violence were the main focus but by using the narration device, it allows the main character and the story to be the focus and not the violence. It made this a much better film than “The Belko Experiment”. The other thing that makes this good was the fact that the dark humor works so well here. It’s done in a way that you’re having a good time and not sitting there being bored as it complements the film’s twisted violence. That’s how dark humor should work.

Definitely check this film out as was a very fun film from start to finish. With its twisted humor and violence and its lead performances, “Mayhem” is bloody fun.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Chilling Stills for the Upcoming Gothic Thriller "Winchester"

CBS Films recently released stills for the upcoming Gothic thriller "Winchester". The film stars Helen Mirren (The Queen, Woman in Gold), Jason Clarke (Mudbound, Zero Dark Thirty), Sarah Snook (Steve Jobs, Jessabelle), Angus Sampson (Insidious, Mad Max: Fury Road) and Finn Scicluna-O’Prey (True Story with Hamish & Andy, The Secret River).

"Winchester" hits theaters on February 2nd.

Plot Synopsis:

Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters…

Accept "Friend Request" on DVD & Blu-Ray

Entertainment Studios and Lionsgate recently released DVD and Blu-Ray information for their upcoming release "Friend Request". The film stars Alycia Debnam-Carey (“Fear the Walking Dead,” Into the Storm), William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, “The Royals”), Connor Paolo (“Revenge,” “Gossip Girl”), Brit Morgan (“Supergirl,” “Graceland”) and Liesl Ahlers (The Challenger Disaster).

Special features on the DVD & Blu-Ray includes “Friend Request: The Social Nightmare” Featurette.

Friend Request hits retail on January 9th.

Press Release:

The consequences are deadly when black magic mixes with social media in Friend Request, arriving on Digital December 19 and on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD and On Demand January 9 from Lionsgate. Alycia Debnam-Carey (“Fear the Walking Dead,” Into the Storm) leads the terrifying feature, which also stars William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise, “The Royals”), Connor Paolo (“Revenge,” “Gossip Girl”), Brit Morgan (“Supergirl,” “Graceland”) and Liesl Ahlers (The Challenger Disaster).

Laura (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is a popular college student who lives her college life to the fullest and gladly shares it with her 800 Facebook friends. But when she accepts a friend request from her mysterious classmate Marina (Liesl Ahlers), she unwittingly sets a terrible curse in motion. The dead girl’s impenetrable profile begins to drive Laura into isolation. It takes control of Laura’s virtual world and her real life as well. One after another, her closest friends die horrendous deaths, leaving Laura with only a few days to solve the enigma of this haunting curse to save the few friends she has left, as well as her own life.

The home entertainment release of Friend Request features exclusive bonus content including the “Friend Request: The Social Nightmare” featurette. A compelling blend of horror movie traditions and modern social media elements, Friend Request will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.

The Gothic Vampire Classic "The Blood Spattered Bride" Hits Blu-Ray

Mondo Macabro recently released information for their latest release "The Blood Spattered Bride". The 1972 film stars Simon Andreu, Maribel Martin, Alexandra Bastedo, Dean Selmier, Angel Lombarte, Montserrat Julio and Rosa Rodriguez.

Special features on the Blu-ray includes brand new 4k transfer from film negative English/Spanish audio choice Newly created English subtitles Audio commentary by Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger, Interview with cinematographer Fernando Arribas, Two part interview with actor Simon Andreu Interview with Euro Gothic author Jonathan Rigby, Original trailers and radio spots, Deleted and alternate scenes and Mondo Macabro previews.

"The Blood Spattered Bride" hits Blu-Ray on February 13th.

Press Release:

Susan, a young bride, travels with her husband to his family’s ancient manor house in the far north of Spain. Susan is a virgin and is very hesitant about her husband's sexual demands. She is also disturbed by her unfamiliar surroundings and wonders if she will ever come to terms with her new married life. She is shocked to discover that all the old portraits of female members of her husband’s family have been locked away in the basement. When she finds them, she discovers that one of the portraits shows a woman holding a strange dagger. The woman’s face has been cut out of the painting. Her name is Mircala Karstein.

This atmospheric, gothic horror story is widely regarded as one of the very best vampire films ever made. Controversial in its day for sexual content and for extreme scenes of violence and gore, it was widely cut on original release. This brand new version restores the film to its intended length and includes alternate scenes that have never been made available before. This is the first Blu-ray release of an acknowledged classic, one of Quentin Tarantino’s favourite films and an influence on his own Kill Bill.

SPECIAL FEATURES Brand new 4k transfer from film negative English/Spanish audio choice Newly created English subtitles Audio commentary by Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger Interview with cinematographer Fernando Arribas Two part interview with actor Simon Andreu Interview with Euro Gothic author Jonathan Rigby Original trailers and radio spots Deleted and alternate scenes Mondo Macabro previews