Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for April 14th

3 new releases from Scream Factory, an gorgeous new disc from Synapse, an Arrow Video U.S. release that we might be bettor off importing, and a Toxic Avenger... this is The Digital Dread Report for April 14th!

The big one this week is most definitely The Babadook, which was the most widely-praised Horror movie of 2014. Everyone just seemed to love that flick. Don't sleep on the Synapse release of Long Weekend, or Arrow Video's Blood & Black Lace though, as both of those discs are likely to be two of  the best releases of 2015, quality wise.

"From Scream Factory comes a Double Dose of Telekinesis Terror!"

Long before the remake in 2013, there were two other entries into the world  of Carrie White: The Rage: Carrie 2 is a direct sequel to the 1976 original, and Carrie is a 2002 Made-for-TV movie that is a direct remake of the 1976 original. They really have nothing to do with each other, but I suppose they make for a nice 2-Pack. Scream Factory rarely disappoints, so we'll trust them on this one.

"A chilling tale of unseen and otherworldly horror in the haunting tradition of The Orphanage, Jennifer Kent's visceral journey into the heart of fear itself is as terrifying as it is believable."
 
The Babadook was the critical darling of the Horror world in 2014, and while it wasn't our absolute favorite Horror flick of last year, we can certainly understand why it has resonated so well with so many people. It's good to see Scream Factory partnering with IFC on this disc, and showing their special brand of love to a newer title. This is a great buy for Horror fans in general.

Read our review HERE.

"Newly restored from the original camera negative and presented here in its original, uncut Italian form, this dual-format release allows fans to see Blood and Black Lace afresh and offers newcomers the ideal introduction to a major piece of cult filmmaking."

One of Mario Bava's best movies, and one of the earliest and best Giallo's ever made, Blood and Black Lace is finally coming to North American Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video. We dying to see what Arrow did with this movie, and more importantly, to experience this fantastic Giallo once again.

*As of April 14th, it looks like this disc is going to be delayed in the U.S. because VCI Home Entertainment is an asshole. You can either wait it out, or order the Region-Free U.k. disc HERE.

"From the writer of ROAD GAMES and RAZORBACK comes this “spooky little gem” (Premiere Magazine), presented in a high-definition transfer from original vault materials with a re-mastered DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround soundtrack created by Synapse Films."

Synapse has turned out nothing but to-notch Blu-ray releases over the past few years, and so we're inclined to give this one a shot based on their previous work alone. I barely remember seeing this one when I was a wee lad, but if I remember correctly, this man vs. nature revenge flick was pretty terrifying. For under $15, a blind buy on this one is almost certainly warranted.

"The beloved sequel to the best-selling Toxic Avenger, known to some as “Toxie in Japan,” includes a brand new introduction from director Lloyd Kaufman and many other ‘Tromatic’ special features! Lovingly remastered by legendary Troma filmmakers Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, this Blu-Ray/DVD combo marks the film’s first high-definition release in North America."

Not our cup of tea, but Toxie has a legion of fans who will no doubt grab this one on release day. The Troma faithful are good like that.

"The supernatural terror returns and unspeakable evil sets its sight on new prey when a group of orphaned children are forced to move into the abandoned Eel Marsh House with their caretakers, Eve and Jean. As the children begin to mysteriously disappear, Eve makes a shocking discovery…it may not be a coincidence that she has come to reside in a place inhabited by the murderous Woman in Black."

An alright sequel, this movie is sure to be popular on Home Video, though we'd definitely recommend that you rent it before throwing down $20 to own it.

• The Tall Man/Resident 2-Pack makes for a decent thriller Double Feature.
• Class of 1984 is a much beloved retro classic about a teacher that does battle with a gang, and we have to imagine that Scream Factory has done another great job with this disc, as per their usual.
  
• Echoes looks like it might be decent.
  
• So does From the Dark
• We're interested to see if The Man With the Iron Fists will end up being a decent, cheesy time like the first one was.
• Jinn sucked. Really bad.