Vinegar Sydrome Preps Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Edition Of Writer/Director Lewis Jackson's Christmas Evil For Nov. 18

Vinegar Syndrome announced this past week that writer/director Lewis Jackson’s 1980 cult horror gem, Christmas Evil, will be available at retail on Nov. 18 as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack.

Little Harry sees mom doing the nasty with Santa Claus (actually his father) one Christmas Eve and his little brain just snaps.    Skip ahead a few years and he is now an adult (played by Brandon Maggart — The World According to Garp, Dressed to Kill … and as Lou in the Brothers television series) who has become obsessed with Santa Claus and Christmas.   

To take his “weirdness” to the next level, our boy Harry works at Jolly Dreams (yup, a toy manufacturing company), spies on kids (and co-workers) to see who is naughty and nice (even keeps a list) and dresses up as Santa Claus to make his Christmas-season “deliveries.”   

Now these “deliveries” range from delivering stolen toys (from Jolly Dreams) to those that deserve toys to grisly murders as the ever-increasing unhinged Harry/Santa makes his rounds.   Of course he is misunderstood!

The ending is a classic that combines the visual elements of director James Whale’s Frankenstein torch-bearing mob (in pursuit of the “monster”) with Harry’s “sleigh” (sans reindeers) taking wing … and to all a good night!

Bonus features for this new 4k transfer for original 35mm source material includes not one, but three separate commentary tracks — filmmaker Lewis Jackson, Jackson with the film’s star, Brandon Maggart and last, but not least, Jackson with auteur filmmaker John Waters, which is a commentary track that should not be missed!!! — plus there are deleted scenes, vintage video interview with Jackson and Maggart and storyboards.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Tabs Dec. 9 For DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions Of When The Game Stands Tall

Actor and filmmaker Thomas Carter’s latest feel-good sports tale — the film adaptation of writer Neil Hayes’ book of the same name — When the Game Stands Tall, will be released on Dec. 9 as DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (with UltraViolet) product offerings by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The ARR is 109 days and ticket sales currently stand at $29.6 million.

The true story of De La Salle High School’s football coach, Bob Ladouceur (played by Jim Caviezel), and the longest winning streak is history (151 games) is documented in this emotionally charged sports biopic.    

No word just yet on bonus goodies that might be included with either the DVD or Blu-ray SKUs.

Mill Creek Entertainment Preps Three New Best Self Fitness DVD Releases For Nov. 4 Delivery

The holidays are coming.  All those scrumptious meals and tasty desserts have the tendency to pack on a few extra pounds.   What to do?  What to do?

No problem, Mill Creek Entertainment has already anticipated the need to get back into shape … and to take some of the stress out of the busy shopping season as well.  On Nov. 4 three new additions to its popular fitness “Best Self Fitness” series of DVD products will be available … and at the fit-to-own price of just $9.98 each.

First up in the mix is kettlebell expert, author and former body-building competitor Sarah Lurie (who was also a Wall Street stock broker) with her Kettlebells: The Iron Core Way.   This two-part workout routine has a threefold effect … it burns fat, builds lean muscle and develops core strength!

Next is Zosha Piotrowski and her Stress Relief DVD release.   This is a “Collection of Anaerobic Exercises for Total Body Health,” which is a fancy way of saying that Piotrowski delivers a series of intense routines (Pilates-based) that builds both endurance and replaces fat with muscle.

And rounding out the Nov. 4 trio of fitness DVDs from Mill Creek Entertainment is one from college professor and Fitness Director at the Montreal Athletic Association, Shelly McDonald.   Her DVD release is titled Bikini Body and it contains two separate workouts that are designed to burn, burn, burn all of those nasty calories!

Take note, also on the DVD release schedule under the “Best Self Fitness” promotion banner are the previously announced titles that are set for delivery on Oct. 21.  These are: Cardio Blast and Lindsay Brin’s Shed 5 Fast … both are also priced at just $9.98 each.

For more information on these new-to-DVD fitness titles (and many more), please visit the Mill Creek Entertainment website at: Mill Creek Entertainment

MGM Home Entertainment Declines To Provide Marketing Support For The Nov. 18 DVD and Blu-ray Launch Of Director R.J. Cutler's If I Stay

Despite generating ticket sales of $49.1 million during its late summer multiplex theatrical run, director R.J. Cutler’s successful film adaptation of Gayle Forman’s 2009 best-seller, If I Stay, it would appear that MGM Home Entertainment will not be putting forth much of an effort in terms of the marketing, advertising or publicity for its home entertainment launch. 

Nov. 18 is when If I Stay makes the transition to the DVD and Blu-ray market place and the culprit behind this little-effort strategy is 20^th Century-Fox Home Entertainment, which currently handles the sales and distribution of MGM-owned and produced film and television products. 

It is a bit sad (and with a certain level of irony) that the once venerable Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio has fallen in line with Fox’s recently adopted policy of not supporting current theatrical hits that are in the process of making the move to home entertainment arena.   The reasoning behind this counter-intuitive move remains a mystery. 

This lack of sales support does raise one interesting question: Whatever happened to spirit of Ars Gratia Artis that so marked the glory days of MGM, or for that matter, United Artists?  It has come to this … a former competitor is now dictating MGM’s marketing, advertising and publicity decisions!   Shame!

The ARR is a swift-to-market 88 days.

Bonus features include commentary by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who is joined by producer Alison Greenspan (The Lucky One, Nights in Rodanthe, etc.), plus there are deleted scenes and the music video “Never Coming Down.”

Exclusive to the Blu-ray SKU is a three-part interview session featuring novelist/producer Gayle Forman and members of the cast and crew.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Unleashes The Action On Nov. 25 With DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions Of Sly Stallone's The Expendables 3

Stallone and friends return for more explosive action on Nov. 25.   That’s the DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (bonus editions include UltraViolet) street date that Lionsgate Home Entertainment has selected for director Patrick Hughes’ all-star, all-action The Expendables 3.

The ARR is 102 days and box office take came in at $39.2 million.

A legion of actions stars of the silver screen (sans Steven Seagal, which seems deliberate and not an oversight) are back for another comic book adventure (which is deliberate) and both Wesley Snipes and Mel Gibson (as good guy and villain respectively) get in on the action this time around.   

Stallone makes no pretense with this series … it is tongue-in-cheek and is basically just a bunch of good ole’ boys getting together to blow things up.  And that’s exactly what you get (in spades)!  So have fun!

Bonus features include an extended, unrated cut of the film (exclusive to the Blu-ray SKU), a gag reel, extended and deleted scenes, a pair of production featurettes — “New Blood: Stacked and Jacked” and “The Total Action Package” — plus an The Expendables 3 documentary.

Indican Pictures Tabs Nov. 4 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Lisa Albright's Coming Up Roses

Writer/director Lisa Albright’s Coming Up Roses will be taking a DVD bow on Nov. 4 courtesy of Indican Pictures.   

Be sure to have a box of Kleenex handy for this little gem teaming Bernadette Peters with Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards, The Unborn, The Blacklist) as mother and daughter chasing a dream … a dream that isn’t quite grounded in reality.

Diane (Peters) is a fading stage performer who is no longer getting the roles, she still has the body and the charm of an actress acting, but she’s past her prime.   She soldiers on … perhaps tomorrow the next big break will come.

In the meantime her and her teenage daughter, Alice, are living from one meal to the next and not living in what one would called the best of neighborhoods … and it’s not anywhere near Broadway either.    The whole dingy affair is set in the 1980s, so whatever happens to her and her daughter is already history.

One day Charles (Peter Friedman) comes calling, not as a fan, but to collect the past due rent.   Now the only thing that stands between Diane, Alice and the street is Diane’s charm … but is it all worth it?   

Desperation can unleash some really nasty demons and temptations and with Coming Up Roses filmmaker Lisa Albright packs plenty in the final stanza!   Don't be surprises if you find yourself talking to the screen with advice on doing that ... on not doing this!!!

The Film Movement Selects Oct. 21 As The DVD Debut Date For Spanish Filmmaker Manuel Martín Cuenca’s Cannibal

There is the saying: “You are what you eat.”   If that is the case, then Carlos (Antonio de la Torre — Unit 7, I’m So Excited, etc.) is just chock full of love … he consumes the women he desires, literally.

Award-winning Spanish filmmaker Manuel Martín Cuenca’s film adaptation of the late Humberto Arenal’s award-winning novel, Cannibal, will be making its way to the domestic DVD market place on Oct. 21 courtesy of The Film Movement.   It is a film that takes epicurean delights to whole new levels.

Carlos is evil, there’s no getting around that.   He sees a woman, desires that woman, he then kills and eats her.   He’s more than just a little confused as to what true love is.

Living in Granada, Spain, Carlos has repeatedly carried out his ritual of “seduction” and murder … and no one seems to notice.   Accidents happen; people disappear.  

That is until Nina (Olimpia Melinte — My Baby, Seven Acts of Mercy, Killing Time) arrives in town looking for her twin sister Alexandra, who — you may have already guessed — went under the knife (he has a cabin in the woods that gives him the seclusion necessary to carefully prepared his “meals”).  The irony being that Carlos wasn’t all that interested in her, but “hunger pangs” are what they are with a serial killer. 

There are twists and turns and it is not beyond writer/director Manuel Martín Cuenca to dangle some visuals here and there that get us to thinking.   Visual and plot metaphors for bigger societal ills are teased that are far more “consuming” than Carlos’ dietary issues … this is a film that challenges the viewer to not be quite so quick in judging the protagonist.

Still, with that said, Cannibal is a horror tale (more stylish than graphic) that can be savored on that level alone.

Presented in Spanish with English subtitles, the DVD release of Cannibal arrives with writer/director Jean-Charles Paugam’s short film, Orge, as a bonus goodie.