Arrow Video's Blu-ray Presentation Of Writer/Director Edwin Brown’s The Prey Debuts On Sept. 17

From the lost and now found department comes news this week that Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has unearthed writer/director Edwin Brown’s 1980 slasher treasure, The Prey, for release — for the first time since its VHS launch by Throne EMI Video in 1988 — on Blu-ray on Sept. 17 as a double-disc special edition.

WOW!!!   Filmed in 1978, completed in 1980, released theatrically by New World on a limited basis in 1984, The Prey then made its way to VHS in 1988 … and was never seen again, until now that is!!!

Victim pool, creature in the woods (foreshadowed with the murder of a couple out camping) and a twist ending make The Prey one of those rare films in the genre that could have spawned a entire film franchise, but circumstances — budget, distribution issues, rights, etc. — relegated it to the “disappeared” pile, that is, until now.

With the exception of bootlegs from the original VHS and some trashy YouTube transfer the film is virtually unseen.   Arrow Video has two, no, make that three different viewing options (cuts of the film) … the first is the New World theatrical cut, the second is a restoration of the “International Cut” … and the third, which they are calling “the ultimate The Prey fan experience!” is a combined cut of the two release versions.  

The female leads, Nancy (Debbie Thureson), Gail (Gayle Gannes — The Junkman, Hot Moves) and Bobbie (Lori Lethin — Return to Horror High, Bloody Birthday), are actually being stalked by some hideous creature, which we get a sort-of “backstory” about its origins from a local forest ranger (played by Jackie Coogan), but the three of these beauties don’t know that.   As the plot develops, they just think that they and their respective boyfriends (fellow campers) are being slaughtered for no particular reason.  

Of note, “the monster” is played by Carel Struycken, who would go on to star as Lurch in both The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993), plus as “Mr. Homn” in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as a regular David Lynch’s two Twin Peaks series.

As to bonus materials, producer and co-writer, Summer Brown provides one of the two commentary tracks, with film historian Amanda Reyes and documentary producer Ewan Cant teaming for the second commentary.

There are also four newly-prepared video sessions with Debbie Thureso (Nancy), Lori Lethin (Gail), Carel Struycken (the monster) and Jackson Bostwick (as Ranger Mark), a vintage interview session with writer/director Edwin Scott Brown, outtakes, the Q&A session from the Texas Frightmare Weekend (2019) featuring Lori Lethin, Carel Struycken and Jackson Bostwick and the newly-prepared featurette titled “In Search of The Prey” (Debbie Thureso joins Ewan Cant in scouting out the original locations in Idyllwild, California).

Paramount Home Media's The Good Fight: Season Three Available On DVD On Sept. 10

You can see the pattern at play over at Paramount Home Media right now.   Each week there are more full-season TV-on-DVD product announcements.   Not all at once, but one or two at time … sunshine for all.

The latest is the news that The Good Fight: Season Three will be heading to DVD on Sept. 10 … all ten episodes (a four-disc collection) starring Christine Baranski (who has been nominated for 15 Emmy Awards) as risen-from-the-ashes attorney Diane Lockhart.   Politics, the law and all that drama that goes with it, including murder!!!

And, with the DVD announcement also comes word that The Good Fight has been renewed for a fourth season.

Also getting a home entertainment package goods release window is Elementary: The Final Season, which is currently airing … and will do so through the series finale, which will be broadcast on Aug. 15.   One month later, Sept. 17, fans can enjoy all 13 series-ending episodes on DVD (a four-disc collection). 

 

Also on that date fans of Jonny Lee Miller as Detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson can purchase on DVD Elementary: The Complete Series.   All 147 episodes in one boxed set!

Wild Eye Releasing Sets Aug. 13 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Brendan Steere’s The VelociPastor

You mix genres and sometimes you get some pretty interesting, even hilarious, results.   Such is the case with writer/director Brendan Steere’s Aug. 13 DVD debut of The VelociPastor from Wild Eye Releasing — sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group.

Yes, you read that right, “VelociPastor” … holy creation, what on earth are we dealing with here?   Let’s just say that we have elements of religion, ninjas, gang violence, a cute hooker, magic spells, a man of faith in crisis — “God, says a lot of people deserve to die” — and a killer Velociraptor all thrown together in what can best be described as an action/comedy with liberal doses of goofiness.   

Sometimes you just need to take a break from all that super hero stuff and go a little downscale.  The VelociPastor fits the bill!  Come on, you know what we are talking about.  It can be bad, really bad … and it’s suppose to be and that’s the fun; the hoot of it!

Plot?  Don’t ask!   In short, we have Pastor Doug Jones (Greg Cohan), who has lost his parents, takes a trip to China, is empowered with the ability to transform himself into a killing machine (sure, you’ve seen Jurassic Park) and has been sleeping with a hooker by the name of Carol, played by Alyssa Kempinski (Heart of the Beast, Annex), who absolutely steals this movie.

Indeed, if you are going make a film about a religious man, who has lost his faith, and has decided to not turn the other cheek, but fight back as a Velociraptor, then you need actors who can carry it off … filmmaker Brendan Steere (Animosity, Dead by Dawn) choices of Greg Cohan and Alyssa Kempinski is spot-on as they do their parts magnificently, especially Kempinski.   They are like Batman and Robin in dealing with the forces of evil … and dead serious about it!

As to bonus features, there is a gag reel (what irony, a gag reel in a movie titled The VelociPastor) and commentary from writer/director Brendan Steere.

Vinegar Syndrome Announces July 30 Film Restoration Slate

Vinegar Syndrome announced a four-strong release package this past week of new film restorations destined for the home entertainment marketplace as Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack product offerings on July 30.

Out front is the 1981 Yvonne De Carlo classic, Play Dead, directed by Peter Wittman, which is getting a new 2K restoration from its 35mm interpositive.   

Although filmed in 1981, this horror/revenge tale went the direct to video route in England in 1983 when Stephen King’s book, Cujo, had been cycled to the screen the same year by director Lewis Teague and there was the obvious opportunity to exploit the “killer dog” similarities.

In the domestic market, Play Dead was dusted off and finally got a theatrical push three years later in January of 1986 by Troma.   

Here, De Carlo plays Hester Ramsey, a once jilted lover who saw the man of her dreams, Sam (John Caroll Perry), dump her for her own sister, Clarisse (Alex Bond Winslow) … they had a wonderful life together, raised a family and we pick up the pieces of this “can’t let it go” jealously tale at Clarisse’s funeral.   A confrontation occurs between Hester and the “spawn of Satan” offspring of this unholy union (that is, of course, from Hester’s point of view) and the tone is set for what is to follow.

Clearly, her grown niece, Audrey (Stephanie Dunnam — Silent Rage) and nephew, Stephen (David Ellzey) — and their friends and lovers — will have to be expunged from the earth.   When you’ve gone off the deep end that’s the sort of logic that follows and Hester is certainly certifiably nuts.

The vehicle of her wrath takes the form of a Rottweiler named Greta, who has been cursed by Hester and now acts as the without-mercy messenger of her demented murder plans  … kill, kill, kill!!!

As to bonus features, there’s a video session with filmmaker Peter Wittman and an audio interview with actress Stephanie Dunnam.

Also heading home on July 30 from Vinegar Syndrome is director Douglas Schulze’s 1992 mad scientist horror flick, Hellmaster, in getting a 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative … and it will be presented in two different viewing versions — the original Them (working title) and the director’s recut version, Hellmaster.

Bonus features include commentary from filmmaker Douglas Schulze for both versions of the film, plus the newly-prepared featurette titled “Creating Reality” and an archival featurette showcasing the Michigan filming locations.

Rounding out the July 30 package from Vinegar Syndrome are two new 2K classic adult film restorations — the filmmaking team of Henri Pachard and Roberta Findlay’s 1983 adult drama, Mascara (35mm negative), starring Lisa De Leeuw and Lee Carroll, and director Roger Watkins’ 1979 all-star comedy, The Pink Ladies (also 35mm negative), showing the talents of Samantha Fox, Vanessa Del Rio, Robin Byrd, Christine DeShaffer and Kandi Barbour.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Tabs Aug. 6 For A Three-SKU Helping Of Director Rob Letterman’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Satoshi Tajiri’s “Pocket Monsters” have been around in animated form since the late 1990s — over 20 films in one form or another, plus series — so it was only natural that a live-action Pokémon adventure would arrive some day.    

This would be director Rob Letterman’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu and, judging from the domestic box office haul of $142 million (and roughly twice that overseas), it will not likely be the last (no official date of yet, but you can expect a franchise to be developed based on those numbers).

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment announced this past week that Pokémon Detective Pikachu, teaming wiseacre Ryan Reynolds as the voice of Detective Pikachu with Justice Smith (Paper Towns, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) in a full-out action/mystery adventure, will be making the transition to the home entertainment packaged media marketplace on Aug. 6 as a three-SKU array of product selections.

For the record, the ARR for that early August street date works out to a swift-to-market 88 days.

Planned for release are a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack, a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a DVD edition.   Yes, yes, Target and Best Buy will have their own “exclusives.”

Bonus features, much of which appears to be tongue-in-cheek — in keeping with the tone of the movie itself — include “Detective Mode” (not quite sure what that might be), a “Mr. Mime's Audio Commentary,” an alternate opening, a five-part “Creating the World of Detective Pikachu” production documentary (segments are titled “Welcome to Ryme City,” “Uncovering the Magic,” “Action,” “Colorful Characters” and “Bringing Pokémon to Life”) and two additional featurettes — “My Pokémon Adventure” and “Ryan Reynolds: Outside the Actor’s Studio.”

And lastly, there is the Rita Ora and Kygo music video titled “Carry On.”

Kit Parker Films Readies Noir Archive Volume 3: 1957-1960 For Release On Blu-ray This Coming Sept. 17

One good turn deserves another.   With this in mind, Kit Parker Films will be back for a third edition in its popular “Noir Archive Film Collection” series on Sept. 17.   

Noir Archive Volume 1: 1944-1954, featuring a nine-film collection on Blu-ray (which included the likes of Escape in the Fog, The Killer That Stalked New York and 711 Ocean Drive), hit retail outlets on Apr. 9 … and Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956 (also a nine-film collection … with Footsteps in the Fog, Cell 2455 Death Row and 5 Against the House) arrives on Blu-ray on July 16. 

Now comes Noir Archive Volume 3: 1957-1960 on Sept. 17, which is top-lined by auteur filmmaker Samuel Fuller’s 1959 noirish mystery thriller, The Crimson Kimono.

Sugar Torch, a stripper in the “Little Tokyo” area of Los Angeles is shot and killed.   That’s the kick-off to a complicated detective thriller that also brings in elements of race relations in the aftermath of World War II.

Of note, Sugar Torch is played by Gloria Pall, whose career included that of being a Las Vegas showgirl, a World War II aircraft mechanic, the author of 13 books on the film business, the star of the short-lived Voluptua — considered “too racy” — on local television during 1954/55 in Los Angeles and the often uncredited glamour girl in a number of films during the 1950s … Jailhouse Rock, Elmer Gantry, The Garment Jungle, etc.

Assigned to the case are homicide detectives Joe Kojahu (the late James Shigeta in his film debut) and Charles Bancroft (Glenn Corbett in his feature film debut as well — Homicidal, Shenandoah, Big Jake, etc. … who is also a trivia question for Star Trek fans, he was the first Zefram Cochrane in an episode from the original series), who are intrigued by what they find in her apartment.

This leads them to follow separate leads, but eventually they both end up attracted to the same woman, Christine Downs (Victoria Shaw, who would star the same year in director Don Siegel’s action masterpiece, Edge of Eternity).  More murders occur and the there is big shot out in Little Tokyo, with Christine rushing into the arms of detective Kojahu and not Bancroft at the film’s end.

You can just stop right there, buy a Blu-ray copy of Noir Archive Volume 3: 1957-1960 from Kit Parker Films and count the other eight films in this three-disc collection as bonuses.

And what would those bonus features be?   How about the aforementioned Don Siegel’s 1958 feature-film spin-off from the popular CBS TV series of the time, The Lineup, which was titled, The Lineup, and filmed entirely on location in San Francisco … featuring Eli Wallach, Robert Keith, Richard Jaeckel, Marshall Reed and child star Cheryl Callaway.

Man on a String, The Shadow in the Window, The Long Haul, Pickup Alley, The Case Against Brooklyn, She Played with Fire and The Tijuana Story round out this impressive film noir collection on Blu-ray.

Game Of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season Arrives On Dec. 3 From HBO Home Entertainment

HBO Home Entertainment announced this past week that Dec. 3 will be the street date for a three-SKU helping of Game of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season.   Also arriving on that date will be the complete series in special DVD and Blu-ray packaging.

All six episodes (basically, feature-length adventures) from the final season will be available in three-disc DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions.

Bonus features include 10 separate commentary options, five never-before-seen extended or deleted scenes, the animated “Histories and Lore” explanation on the ins-and-outs of season 8 (history, locations, etc.), the documentary titled Game of Thrones: The Last Watch and a pair of featurettes — “When Winter Falls” and “Duty is the Death of Love.”

Of note, Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season was released as a 4K Ultra HD product offering in June of last year … this leaves seasons two through seven not yet available in that format (2020 … year-long promotion?).