Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 1/12

Werewolves on a train; a man stranded on Mars; and some sinister sequel shenanigans; this is The Digital Dread Report for January 12th!

*As always, be sure to click the pics to order yourself some flicks, or watch their trailers.

On a dark and stormy night the last train out of London comes to a sudden halt deep in the middle of a forest. After the driver ventures out to investigate and never returns, the passengers are in a state of panic - particularly after seeing the driver's mutilated body outside the carriage. Realizing there's something dangerous lurking in the forest, a ticket-collector, Joe tells the passengers to make barricades to secure themselves in the carriage, but soon the deadly creature is stalking the besieged train and smashing through their defenses, picking them off one-by-one. Joe rallies his 'pack' of passengers to fight back. During a vicious battle they manage to kill the creature, revealing it to be a hideous mutated fusion of human and wild animal - a werewolf. However, celebrations are cut short when they hear more howls coming from the forest…

Howl isn't going to change the Genre or anything, but overall it's a well-made and entertaining werewolf flick that boasts some good gore; some cool monster FX; and a solid cast, most of whom we actually rooted for. For fans of werewolf flicks, this is a fun and gory ride that is definitely worth taking.

This is probaby a disc that we'd buy, especially at the current $12.99 price point.

From legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus) comes a gripping tale of human strength and the will to survive. During a mission to Mars, American astronaut Mark Watney (played by Academy Award winner Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind. But Watney is still alive. Against all odds, he must find a way to contact Earth in the hope that scientists can devise a rescue plan to bring him home. Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, THE MARTIAN provides a realistic glimpse into life in outer-space that will have you on the edge of your seat!

Even though The Martian is a great pure Sci-Fi movie, we were surprised at how funny it was; we expected this one to be intense, action-packed, and maybe even emotional... but funny? At 78, Ridley Scott still knows how to make enjoyable movies on an epic scale, and this one is definitely that.

The Blu-ray is nearly perfect as far as the Audio/Video goes, and it's packed with a tons of Special Features, most of which are worth exploring. This is probably the stand-out Blu-ray release of 2016 so far, and one that we'll happy to have in our collection

Special Features:

• Signal Acquired: Writing and Direction.
• Occupy Mars: Casting and Costumes.
• 5 Theatrical In-World Pieces.
• Ares III: Refocused.
• Gag Reel.
• Production Gallery.

In the aftermath of the shocking events in Sinister, a protective mother (Shannyn Sossamon of Wayward Pines) and her nine-year-old twin sons (real-life brothers Robert and Dartanian Sloan) find themselves marked for death in a rural house as the evil spirit of Bughuul continues to spread with frightening intensity.

Not as good as the first one, but way better than most critics gave it credit for (it earned a horrid 14% on Rotten Tomatoes), Sinister 2 is a sequel that is a bit light on the scares, but big on ideas and character. We really liked James Ransone in the lead role, and the background that we got on Bughuul and his potential origins sucked us in and made us want more.

If you liked the first one, then temper your expectations a bit and give this one a go. It makes for a nice companion piece, if nothing else.

Special Features:

• Extended Kill Films.
• Time to Watch Another: The Making of Sinister 2.
• Feature Commentary with Director Ciaran Foy.

There's not a lot that down here in the bottom of the order that we're rushing out to buy, but there are a few worthwhile discs to be had...

• Contracted: Phase 2 was a bit lackluster, but might be worth a look for hardcore fans of the first one. 
• Hotel Transylvania 2 is a great movie for the kids. 
• The Martian also comes in a 3D version, although I personally can't stand 3D at home; I have 4 pairs of passive 3D glasses that just sit there, mocking me. 
• Mr. Robot was a really solid TV show, and one that has us anxious for Season 2 to get here. 
• Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension was... a typical part 6 in a Horror series, which is to say that it wasn't very good. Check out our review HERE for the full scoop. 
• The Stanford Prison Experiment is one that we haven't seen, but really want to. It looks great, got some solid reviews, and so we're going to have to add that to our viewing list pretty quick here. 
• Everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.