Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 10/27

*Click these links to see our other Release Date Pages: Theatrical, VOD, and TV.

This is it. The last Tuesday in October, and yes, we are a bit sad to think that our favorite month of the year is almost over with.... but at least we have some excellent new titles on Blu-ray & DVD to enjoy before it ends!

*Be sure to click the pics to order yourself some flicks!

Forced to lead a makeshift Dark Ages army against the demonic Deadites, who possess all the deadly magic of hell, the shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed, reluctant 20th century time traveler Ash must save the living from the dead, rescue his medieval girlfriend and get back to his own time.

Army of Darkness is one of the most beloved movies in the history of the Horror Genre, and now thanks to Scream Factory, it's getting the Collector's Edition that it deserves! *Coincidentally released only days before Ash vs. Evil Dead premieres on Starz.

3 discs, 3 cuts of the film, and a ton of Special Features make this one a Day One purchase for us, and for anyone else, for that matter.

DISC ONE: Theatrical Version (81 min.) -1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0

• NEW Medieval Times: The Making Of "Army Of Darkness" featuring interviews with star & co-producer Bruce Campbell, actors Marcus Gilbert, Ted Raimi, Timothy Quill, Richard Grove, Bill Moseley, Patricia Tallman and Angela Featherstone, director of photography Bill Pope, editor Bob Murawski, production designer Anthony Tremblay, composer Joseph Lo Duca, costume designer Ida Gearon, special make-up effects artists Howard Berger, Tony Gardner, Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero, "Pit Bitch" performer and effects artist William Bryan, mechanical effects artist Gary Jones, first assistant director John Cameron, visual effects supervisor William Mesa, and stunt coordinator Christopher Doyle (96 min.)
• Original Ending.
• Original Opening With Optional Commentary by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell.
• Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell.
• Theatrical Trailer.
• TV Spots.
• Home Video Promo.

DISC TWO: Director's Cut (96 min.)- 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0

• Audio Commentary with director Sam Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell and co-writer Ivan Raimi.
• NEW Additional Behind-The-Scenes Footage From KNB Effects (55 min.)
• Vintage Creating The Deadites Featurette (21 min.)
• Vintage "Making Of" Featurette.
• Extended Interview Clips with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert.

DISC THREE: International Cut (88 min.)- 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & 2.0

• NEW 4K Scan of The International Interpositive
• Television Version With Additional Footage (90 min., Standard Definition (1.33:1), DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0)
• Theatrical Trailer.
• NEW Still Galleries With Rare Behind-The-Scenes Photos from production designer Anthony Tremblay, visual effects supervisor William Mesa, and special make-up effects artists Tony Gardner and KNB EFX, Inc. (Over 200 Stills.)
• NEW Still Gallery Of Props And Rare Photos from the collection of super fan Dennis Carter Jr.
• NEW Storyboards for Deleted or Alternate Scenes.

Edgar Allan Poe’s celebrated story The Black Cat has provided the inspiration for numerous films over the years. But few adaptations are as stylish as those offered up by the twin Italian titans of terror, Sergio Martino and Lucio Fulci. Finally together on Blu-ray and in stunning new 2K restorations from the original camera negatives, fans can enjoy the double-dose of terror that is Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Cats – Italian-style!

Arrow Video just keeps releasing great titles, and even though we didn't get their Hellraiser Collection here in The States, we're thrilled that we're at least getting this one. It's been a LONG while since we've seen either of these movies, and we're anxious to re-visit them.

This set is a bit pricey, but it's more than worth it for fans of either film, or their directors.

• Limited Edition boxed-set (3000 copies) containing Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and The Black Ca.
• Brand new 2K restorations of the films from the original camera negatives.
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations.
• Original Italian and English soundtracks in mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-rays)
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks.
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks.
• Limited Edition 80-page booklet containing new articles on the films, Lucio Fulci’s last ever interview and a reprint of Poe’s original story.

YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY:

• Through the Keyhole – a brand new interview with director Sergio Martino.
• Unveiling the Vice – making-of retrospective featuring interviews with Martino, star Edwige Fenech and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.
• Dolls of Flesh and Blood: The Gialli of Sergio Martino – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the director’s unique contributions to the giallo genre.
• The Strange Vices of Ms. Fenech – film historian Justin Harries on the Your Vice actress’ prolific career • Eli Roth on Your Vice and the genius of Martino.
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin.

THE BLACK CAT:

• Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and Fangoria editor Chris Alexander.
• Poe into Fulci: The Spirit of Perverseness – film historian Stephen Thrower on Fulci’s Poe-tinged classic.
• In the Paw-Prints of the Black Cat – a look at the original Black Cat locations.
• Frightened Dagmar – a brand new career interview with actress Dagmar Lassander.
• At Home with David Warbeck – an archive interview with The Black Cat star.
• Original Theatrical Trailer.
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin.

The Gift asks the question, "Can you really go through life having never wronged anyone?" Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon's high-school acquaintance sends their world into a narrowing tailspin. At first Simon doesn't recognize Gordo (Joel Edgerton), but after a series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years. As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she is forced to contemplate: how well do we really know those closest to us, and are bygones ever really bygones?

Praised by both critics and fans alike, we're eager to finally watch The Gift now that it's out on Blu-ray; we missed it in theaters, for reasons.

We'll be reviewing this one as soon as our copy arrives.

• Alternate Ending with Optional Introduction by Writer/Director Joel Edgerton.
• Deleted Scenes  with Optional Introduction by Writer/Director Joel Edgerton.
• Karma for Bullies.
• The Darker Side of Jason Bateman.
• Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Joel Edgerton.

Jean Reno (Crimson Rivers) stars with Gary Oldman (Batman Begins) and Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Episodes I-III). When a psychotic Federal Agent (Oldman) wipes out her entire family, twelve-year-old Mathilda (Portman) is taken in be her neighbor, Leon (Reno), a quiet man whose only interests are his houseplants, movie musicals and killing people. Leon's a professional assassin, a gentle soul who happens to be the best hit man in the business. When the revenge-obsessed waif insists on becoming his protege, Leon reluctantly agrees and begins teaching her the tricks of his trade. But when Mathilda's rash attempt to murder the Fed ends in her capture, it's up to Leon to try to rescue the girl before it's too late.

One of our favorite movies of ever,and I do mean EVER, I will be upgrading my current Blu-ray copy of The Professional to this new, 4K/Dolby Atmos version... because some movies are worth the double-dip. This is one of them.

• 4K Restoration & Dolby Atmos Audio (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) of both the theatrical and extended international versions of the film.
• Featurettes:
• Cast and Crew Look Back.
• Jean Reno: The Road to Léon.
• Natalie Portman: Starting Young.
• Original Theatrical Trailer.

John Carpenter’s Vampires (1998) stars the irrepressible James Woods as a Vatican-sanctioned vampire slayer assisted by a wise-cracking sidekick (Daniel Baldwin) and a naïve young priest (Tim Guinee); they’re pitted against a centuries-old vamp (Thomas Ian Griffith) in an attempt to retrieve a religious relic that will allow the nocturnal types to stalk the world in the full light of day. Also starring Maximilian Schell and Sheryl Lee, and featuring a terrific score by the versatile Carpenter.

Another great Twilight Time release, another Limited Edition title.

John Carpenter's Vampires is a movie that is much maligned by fans, and especially by critics, and we don't know why; it's fun, it's bloody, and it's got James frigging Woods hunting vampires. What more do you people want?!?

Anywho, this is a great B-movie, and even though Twilight Time is charging $29.99 per copy, we pretty much have to add it to our collection. 

• Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Writer-Director John Carpenter.
• The Making of John Carpenter’s Vampires.
• Original Theatrical Trailer.
• LIMITED TO 5000 UNITS.

Lots of good new discs down here in the bottom half this week, a few of which are definite Must Own material.

• Bloody Knuckles looks fun, but we'll probably check it out on VOD first before committing to buying it on Blu-ray.
• The Fifth Element is a sentimental movie for everyone here at THC (it's a long story, and one that you probably wouldn't care to hear anyway), and much like The Professional above, we'll all probably end up owning this new version.
• The Human Centipede: Final Sequence is shit. Don't waste your money. Honestly, give your money to someone you randomly pass on the street, and it will have been better spent.
• The Human Centipede Collection, however, might be worth owning for the first two movies.
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail 40th Anniversary Edition is a Must Own title, because it's a great movie, but I've seen it too many times to run out and buy it on the first day. Maybe down the road.
• Mullholland Drive is an excellent David Lynch movie, that while not being Horror, boasts one of the creepiest damn scenes in any movie ever. Seriously, you'll know it when you see it.
• Southpaw was great, if you like that sort of "underdog regaining his honor" type of story.
• And everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.