Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for June 16th

A 2-Pack of cheesy monster goodness; a 3-Pack of awesome Sci-fi goodness; what might be Takashi Miike's best film; and a half-baked Supernatural Thriller... this is the Digital Dread Report for June 16th!

This week is definitely a smaller one as far as physical media releases go, but at least there are some quality releases amongst the limited selection.

*Be sure to click the pics below to order yourself some physical media, and remember that Blu-ray is the way to go for true movie lovers.

"TENTACLES: It's angry. It's hungry. It's extremely well-armed and it's descending on a small seaside town to sample the local cuisine!  REPTILICUS: Discover the true meaning of survival of the fittest, as a terrifying creature from the past brings the future to its knees!"

If you're into monster movies, then this 2-Pack from Scream Factory is probably a Godsend to you. I don't remember  much about Reptilicus, but I do fondly recall that Tentacles scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid, and that it stars Hollywood Legends like John Huston, Henry Fonda, and Shelly Winters; and good luck trying to beat a cast like that in a cheesy B-Grade Horror movie.

For $18, this 2-Pack should be a great trip down memory lane for most Horror fans. 

"The world of Neill Blomkamp is unlike any other. Distinct of story and vision, and for the first time together in this limited edition Blu-ray set, District 9, Elysium and Chappie define Blomkamp as a true auteur. Relish in these action-packed hits with a new collection of extras, including limited-release special features on District 9 and Elysium, and an alternate ending and exploration of visual effects, weaponry and artificial intelligence on Chappie."

While Chappie is the new Neill Blomkamp release this week, this Limited Edition Digibook of all three of his Sci-fi movies is almost too good to pass up. For us, District 9 is just about as good as modern day Sci-fi flicks get, and Elysium was better than most critics and fans gave it credit for being. Chappie, as odd as it is, is a great movie in it own quirky little way.

Neill Bolmkamp's movies have always felt like they existed in the same universe, and at times, almost in the same continuity. Maybe this is the director's way of telling us that we're right.

Three great movies in one cool Digibook package, and it even comes with a handy little booklet, which is a fun little bonus. Sounds good to us.

"A Japanese musical/horror film from Miike Takashi, centring on the Katakuri family who are an average family with a dream to own a successful country inn. Unfortunately things soon go wrong as all their guests drop dead in the most bizarre of circumstances. In order to ensure the success of the business, they bury the bodies in the forest behind the house; but this leads to an influx of zombies. Meanwhile, the Katakuris daughter falls in love with a mysterious British naval officer who stumbles on a clue that could lead to the family's gruesome stash."

You either "get" and love Takashi Miike, or you don't. There's not any shame in it if you don't, because the guy makes some odd and disturbing films that the term "out there" doesn't even begin to do justice to. We may not understand some of his movies, but we love Miike, and we're dying to get our hands on this new release of The Happiness of the Katakuris. There are those out there who say that this movie is Miike's best, and it's certainly amongst his oddest, so we have no doubt that this Arrow Video release will be compelling as hell, at the very least.

This is a great release.

"THE LAZARUS EFFECT follows a group of researchers who have achieved the unimaginable: bringing the dead back to life. When the dean of their university learns of their underground experiments, their project is unexpectedly shut down and their materials confiscated. Frank, Zoe and their team take matters into their own hands, launching a rogue attempt to recreate their experiment, during which things go terribly wrong and one of their own, Zoe, is horrifically killed. Fueled by terror and grief, Frank pushes them to do the unthinkable: attempt to resurrect their first human test subject."

Not the worst movie of 2015 (like many have called it), but certainly nowhere near the best, The Lazarus Effect was one that we mostly liked, despite its obvious and glaring issues. Read our review below to find out why.

Read our review HERE.

Even the "smaller" titles are fewer in number this week, so this will be a quicker round-up than usual.

• If you don't want to buy the entire Blomkamp set above, you can just buy Chappie individually. 
• The Land that Time Forgot is one that we'll probably skip, but that many fans of cheesy monster movies of the 60's & 70's will love. 
• Time Lapse was alright, if you like mind-bending movies about time travel. Danielle Panabaker is a super QT in this one.
• Blindness is a movie from 2008 that is just seeing DVD release now... and we're not sure why. It's a good one, and has a great cast, and is definitely worth a watch.
• Hellmouth doesn't look very good, but we love Stephen McHattie to death, so we'd be fine with taking a flyer on this one and hoping for the best. 
• The House With 100 Eyes is the 2nd release from Artsploitation Films this month, and while it doesn't look as good as Der Samurai or Horsehead, it could still end up being a solid little flick.
• ...and there's nothing left for the crap-shoot this week, so, happy movie watching!