Radiance Films Readies A 4K Ultra HD Edition Of Director Mario Bava's Planet Of The Vampires For Release On Oct. 20

Genre fans in particular and movie-goes in general in Boston, San Francisco and at various theatres throughout Ohio were drawn to the double feature launch of director Daniel Haller’s Die, Monster, Die! (starring Boris Karloff no less) and Italian filmmaker Mario Bava’s Planet of the Vampires beginning on Oct. 27, 1965.   A horror-themed double-feature presented by American International during the Halloween promotional season, how could anyone pass that up!

What genre fans got as a bonus were leather-clad deep space hotties, ‘er “explorers,” in the form of Norma Bengell and Evi Marandi.   Indeed, hearts were pounding, not from the terror generated by what was lurking in the mist of that strange planet called Aura, but from those soft curves highlighted by Gabriele Mayer’s costume creations … those leather space outfits!! 

News has arrived that Radiance Films, with sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K film restoration of Planet of the Vampires ready for genre fans to enjoy once again … only this time as a glorious 4K Ultra HD product offering on Oct. 20.   The terror face by Santa (Bengell) and Tiona (Marandi) on Aura can now be savored in 4K … or will it be leering and lusting-after how those “very practical” black leather space outfits were filled out by these brave space explorers (in 4K, or course)? 

Bonus goodies include both the original Italian-language version (an extra two minutes of footage) and the 1965 English-dubbed domestic theatrical presentation.   Plus, Radiance has included with this 4K Ultra HD release an archival commentary from author and film critic Tim Lucas (Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark) and Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger’s new documentary (2024) titled Transmissions from a Haunted World: Mario Bava and the Space Gothic. 

Additional bonus delights are a vintage interview with Lamberto Bava, the Super 8 version of the film and “trailer commentaries” from Joe Dante and Josh Olsen.

MVD Entertainment Group Bestows "Rewind Collection" Status On Director David Nutter's Oct. 17 Blu-ray Release Of Disturbing Behavior

It’s “Rewind” status for director David Nutter’s summer of 1998 sci/horror chiller, Disturbing Behavior, starring a pre-X-Men James Marsden (Cyclops) and Katie Holmes in her second screen appearance and on the cusp of her Dawson’s Creek breakout success … plus the likes of “Charlie Manson”/“Duane Barry” (Steve Railsback in the ’76 Helter Skelter mini-series; X-Files … season two) and no less than “John Connor” (Nick Stahl … Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines).

MVD Entertainment Group will induct Disturbing Behavior into its vaunted “Rewind Collection” as a newly-minted Blu-ray edition on October 17.

Highly under-rated as a horror entry … for two reasons (more, if you like).   First, MGM (the studio producing the film) seemed to have had little understanding of what David Nutter, an X-File alumni, was going for and took control of his film … cutting it to shreds in the process by lopping-out something like a half-hour’s worth of footage.   Next, the studio decided to open the film theatrically on the same date as Saving Private Ryan.  

That’s called “burying it” … in all fairness (who wants to be fair) the studio was in the mists of production changes, so what was in the pipeline was given lesser status in favor of what was being put into production (old guard versus new guard; common in Hollywood).

MVD knows a good thing when it sees it, especially with it comes to new members joining the “Rewind Collection” universe.   Disturbing Behavior on Blu-ray on Oct. 17 (which is also “Video Store Day” and included in this year’s annual promotion) is a perfect new addition to the family … be sure to check it out!

Bonus goodies include commentary from filmmaker David Nutter, plus deleted scenes and the original ending (all with optional commentary by David Nutter).  He gets the final word on what MGM did to his film!!

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Looks To Nov. 3 For The Full-Spread Physical Media Rollout Of Writer/Director David Robert Mithcell's The End Of Oak Street

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will be shipping a full spread of physical media product offerings for writer/director David Robert Mithcell’s time warp summertime sci-fi thriller, The End of Oak Street, on Nov. 3.

The DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD stand-alone SKUs surface in the physical media marketplace with an ARR of 81 days … the domestic box office total currently stands at $52.2 million.

The digital window for The End of Oak Street opens on Sept. 15.

Bonus goodies, which are exclusive to the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions, are a trio of featurettes — “Banding Together: The Making of The End of Oak Street,” “Every Creature Tells a Story: The Dinosaurs of Oak Street” and “The Spinosaurus Attack: Driving Fear on Oak Street.”

Arrow Video Sets Oct. 20 For The 4K Ultra HD Debut Of Director Richard T. Heffron's Futureworld

It’s 4K Ultra HD time for director Richard T. Heffron’s summer of 1976 sci-fi entry, Futureworld, the much-travelled follow-up to Westworld.   Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has selected Oct. 20 as the 4K debut date (a Blu-ray purchasing option will also be available on that date).

Writer/director Michael Crichton’s 1973 release of Westworld, despite its budget limitations — the luxury of looking back exposes the film’s flaws and weaknesses which were overcome by solid storytelling and Yul Brynner’s iconic performance — was a huge hit and then MGM studio chief, James T. Aubrey, wanted to green light a sequel.  With his departure in October of 1973, his slate of potential film productions was wiped clean by Frank Rosenfelt, and suddenly Futureworld was without a home.

No problem, Aubrey shoved the project in his briefcase on the way out the door and shopped it around as the producer of the film … eventually landing at American International Pictures.  Richard Benjamin got sidetracked in the shuffle and Peter Fonda entered the arena along with Blythe Danner ... and Yul Brynner was recruited to reprise his role as "The Gunslinger."

Arrow has a brand new film commentary featuring film historian Daniel Kremer (Adventures in Auteurism, Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films, etc.) and the newly-minted featurette titled “Future Present” (featuring Paul N. Lazarus III, Aubrey’s co-producer on Futureworld).   There is also a vintage Johnson Space Center (where the film was shot) featurette titled “NASA: Science Fact and Fiction.”

 

 

Paramount Home Entertainment Tabs Sept. 22 For The Full-Spread Physical Media Launch Of Director Michael Tiddes' Scary Movie

Paramount Home Entertainment has set a full-spread physical media launch of director Michael Tiddes’ Wayans Family re-launch of the Scary Movie franchise on Sept. 22.

Simply titled Scary Movie, the film shinned during its domestic theatrical run with $108.3 million in box office receipts.   The ARR comes in at 111 days.  

Planned for distribution are stand-alone SKUs for the 4K UHD HD, Blu-ray and DVD formats.   The digital window opened up on July 21 and sure enough, the “Helper” community was busy pushing Blu-ray editions of their very own on July 22 ... that's a sixty-day head start on the legitimate physical media.

Bonus goodies are four featurettes — “Scream Together,” “Fresh Meat,” “Wayans World” and “Scene Discussion.”

 

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment Preps 4K Ultra HD Edition Of Director Frank Oz's 1986 Little Shop Of Horror For Delivery To Fans On October 6

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has tabbed Oct. 6 as the street date for the 40th Anniversary Edition release of director Frank Oz’s re-imaging of the 1960 Roger Corman classic, Little Shop of Horrors, which had been reworked by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for their 1982 off-Broadway play (moved two months into its run to the Orpheum Theatre, which was still off-Broadway, but a better venue … it was a smash).

Oz recruited Rick Moranis for the role of Seymour (Jonathan Haze in the original), Ellen Green reprised her off-Broadway performance of Audrey (Jackie Joseph in Corman’s version), Vincent Gardenia was Mushnik (Mel Welles) and Steve Martin drew the role of the crazed dentist (John Herman Shaner).

This marks the 4K Ultra HD rollout of the film (a collector’s SteelBook edition will also be available as a buying option).  The 4K Ultra HD presentation includes both the original theatrical cut and the 2012 restored “Director’s Cut” of the film.   

When the film was shown to test audiences, the original ending ran counter to the fun and upbeat songs that dominate the film, so the studio “asked” Frank Oz to give them a “happy ending.”   He did.   View for yourself — with the 4K Ultra HD edition — both the theatrical cut and the original “Director’s Cut” … you really get two films with this presentation from Warner Bros.

The film opened during the Christmas season of 1986 against some stiff competition, which included the Eddie Murphy fantasy/action/comedy The Golden Child, the latest installment in the Star Trek series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and director John Landis’ Three Amigos, which found Steve Martin competing against himself.

Since it was a pre-1997 theatrical release, Little Shop of Horrors fell into the theatrical catalog category and did not make its debut on DVD until May 23, 2000.

Bonus goodies for the 4K Ultra HD edition include two newly produced featurettes — “To Feed or Not to Feed: For the Love of Little Shop” and “Mean Green Mother – Creating Audrey II” — vintage commentary from filmmaker Frank Oz, outtakes and deleted scenes (with optional commentary), two vintage featurettes and the director’s cut ending with optional commentary by Oz.

Arrow Video Looks To Mar. 31 For The 4K Ultra HD Debut Of Director Tobe Hooper's 1979 Two-Part Mini-Series Adaptation Of Stephen King's Salem's Lot (International Theatrical Cut Also Included)

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has circled Mar. 31 on the calendar as the debut date for a double-disc 4K Ultra HD edition of director Tobe Hooper's 1979 two-part mini-series adaptation of Stephen King's 1975 novel, Salem's Lot.

Broadcast on Nov. 17 and Nov. 24, 1979 as a two-part mini-series in the United States, the production was re-cut into a a theatrical version that was subsequently released in 1980 is selective foreign markets.   Arrow Video is including both the mini-series and the theatrical cut as part of this 4K Ultra HD presentation. 

Bonus features (mini-series) include the archival commentary from filmmaker Tobe Hooper, plus a newly-prepared commentary option from film critics Bill Ackerman and Amanda Reyes.

The international theatrical cut comes with commentary from film critic Chris Alexander and a half-dozen featurettes — "King of the Vampires," "Second Coming," "New England Nosferatu," "Fear Lives Here," "We Can All be Heroes" and "A Gold Standard for Small Screen Screams."