Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 2/23

*Check out our other Release Date Pages: Blu-ray & DVD, Theatrical, VOD, TV.
An Argento Steelbook from Synapse; 3 new Scream Factory titles; Season 2 of one of the best shows on TV; Arrow unleashes The Bees; a double dose of Frankenstein Horror; and plenty of Bad Movie goodness all around... this is The Digital Dread Report for 2/23!

The craziness of this week's releases is more than making up for the last few weeks of lackluster offerings, and honestly, it sucks (for our wallets) that so many great titles are hitting at once.

I'm sure that somehow, we'll survive. 

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

"Italian horror stylist Dario Argento presents this incredibly well orchestrated, inventive, suspense thriller about Peter Neal, an American mystery novelist who comes to Rome to promote his latest release, Tenebre. Soon after his arrival, a bizarre sequence of shocking homicides occur which strangely resemble the murders in his book, and he himself becomes the subject of horrifying death threats. Although the police are stunned and confused, Neal decides to take charge of an investigation with the help of his agent and his staff."

While there are other Argento flicks that we love more than Tenebrae, this is still one of our favorite Italian Horror/Giallo movies of the 80's. Synapse does some excellent Blu-ray work (check out their releases of Curtains, Demons I & II, and Prom Night for proof), and so we're excited beyond belief to see them give the Deluxe Steelbook treatment to one of our favorite Dario Argento flicks, Tenebrae.

This is an excellent release, and even though this one carries a pretty hefty price tag (around $46 with shipping), it's limited to 3000 copies, so act fast if you want one of them to be in your collection.

Technical & Special Features:

• Limited Edition (3000 units.)
• All-new Synapse Films supervised color correction and restoration of a 1080p scan from original uncut negative elements, presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
• Dual English and Italian language options (DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Mono / DTS-HD MA Italian 2.0 Mono) with newly-translated English subtitle tracks for both.
• Audio commentary track featuring film critic and Argento scholar, Maitland McDonagh.
• Original international trailer.
• Booklet containing liner notes by Derek Botelho, author of The Argento Syndrome, with additional technical notes by Vincent Pereira and Don May, Jr..
• Chapter Selections.
• Collectible SteelbookPackaging by Silver Ferox Design.

Limited Edition Exclusive Content:

• Rare high-definition 1080p English sequence insert shots, playable within the film via seamless branching.
• Feature-length in-depth documentary, Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo by High Rising Productions, chronicling the giallo film genre from its beginnings as early 20th century crime fiction, to its later influences on the modern slasher film genre. Featuring interviews with Dario Argento, Umberto Lenzi, Luigi Cozzi, Lamberto Bava, Richard Stanley, and more!
• Original Unsane (U.S. version) end credits sequence.
• Alternate opening credits sequence.
• Japanese Shadow theatrical trailer.
• Bonus CD (19 Tracks) featuring an all-new 2015 remaster of the TENEBRAE motion picture soundtrack, containing additional tracks not included on the original 1982 album.

"Dennis Allan is a scientist who visits Haiti on the strength of a rumour of a drug which renders the recipient totally paralyzed but conscious. The drug's effects often fool doctors, who declare the victims dead. Could this be the origin of the "zombie" legend? Alan embarks on a surprising and often surreal investigation of the turbulent social chaos that is Haiti during the revolution which ousted hated dictator "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Often a pawn in a greater game, Alan must decide what is science, what is superstition, and what is the unknown in a anarchistic society where police corruption and witch-doctory are commonplace..."

Wes Craven. Voodoo. Zombies. Bill Pullman.

This is just one of those titles that we have to buy.

Bonus Features:

• NEW 2015 HD Transfer From The Interpositive Film Element.
• NEW Audio Commentary With Bill Pullman.
• NEW The Making Of The Serpent And The Rainbow Featuring New Interviews With Actor Bill Pullman, Author Wade Davis, Director Of Photography John Lindley And Special Effects Artists Lance Anderson And David Anderson.
• Original Theatrical Trailer And TV Spot.
• Still Gallery.

"The Future Is Yours With Time Travel And A Killer Robot… A Sci-Fi Double Feature To Scream About!

MILLENNIUM
Leap into thrilling, time-traveling mayhem with Millennium. When safety investigator Bill Smith (Kris Kristofferson, Blade) looks into a disastrous airplane crash, he soon makes a shocking discovery – one that will impact the future of humanity itself. The beautiful but mysterious Louise (Cheryl Ladd, Charlie's Angels) may prove to be the key to it all – but can Smith figure out the truth in time? Daniel J. Travanti (Hill Street Blues) also stars in this centuries-spanning tale from the director of Logan's Run.

R.O.T.O.R.
Gear up for a cult classic you've got to see to believe: R.O.T.O.R! When corrupt Police Commander Earl Buglar (Michael Hunter) orders the development and construction of the ultimate weapon in the war on crime, robotics expert Barrett Coldyron (Richard Gesswin) warns against the dangers of such a project – and loses his job in the process. But when the prototype R.O.T.O.R (Robotic Officer Tactical Operation Research) is accidentally activated, the city is suddenly faced with a rampaging mechanical maniac acting as judge, jury, and executioner – and only Coldyron can stop him!"

Millennium is a fine film and all, but it's R.O.T.O.R. that we're really here for!

R.O.T.O.R. is a horrible terminator rip-off of Terminator and Robocop that is so stunningly bad, it's hard to believe anyone made this movie and thought it would be good... but damn is it ever 90 minutes of hilariously bad fun. Check out the trailer HERE for an idea of just how bad it is.

If you like to watch bad movies and laugh your ass off, then you owe it to yourself to check out R.O.T.O.R.

We'll be reviewing this one on an upcoming Bad Movie Friday for sure.

"The all new "true crime" case in Fargo's latest chapter takes you back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota. "Lou Solverson" (Patrick Wilson), a young State Police Officer recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang, a major mob syndicate and a small town beautician "Peggy Blumquist" (Kirsten Dunst) along with her husband "Ed" (Jesse Plemons), the local butcher's assistant."

As far as hour-long dramas go, there aren't a lot of them that are truly excellent these days. Thankfully, the first two season of Fargo have been exactly that.

Bloody, twisted, and darkly humorous, we liked the 2nd Season of Fargo more than we did its 1st, and we loved the hell out of Season 1. It wasn't a perfect season (If perfect is a 10, then this was a 9.5), but damn it if it wasn't one of the most entertaining things we saw on TV all of last year. Kirsten Dunst killed it, and was robbed of an Emmy.

We'll be buying this one, and re-watching it (along with S1), before each new season premieres. Gladly.

Special Features:

• Lou on Lou: A Conversation with Patrick Wilson, Keith Carradine and Noah Hawley.
• Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls.
• The Films of Ronald Reagan: Extended Fargo cut.
• The True History of Crime in the Midwest.
• Skip Sprang TV Commercial.

...and the hits keep on coming down here in the bottom half, and some of them are every bit as compelling as the big boys above.

• The Curse/Curse II: The Bite double feature from Scream Factory is a cool little bit of 80's throwback B-Horror. 
• Another B-grade throwback, Arrow's release of The Bees (1978) is a real good movie... if you're scared of bees and bad acting. Fun stuff. 
• As if R.O.T.O.R. wasn't enough Bad Movie goodness for one week, Full Moon brings us Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, which is just about as 80's cheesy as it gets. It's full of Retro Hotties too, so, bonus.
• Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things is a cool release for 70's Horror purists, but it's not a great flick at all. Read our review HERE. 
• We get a double shot of Frankenstein movies this week; one that came out and tanked at the theaters last Fall, and one that looks kind of good. 
• And everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.