Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 2/9

*Check out our other Release Date Pages: Blu-ray & DVD, Theatrical, VOD, TV.
The 2nd best Lucio Fulci Giallo; a Guillermo del Toro Gothic Romance; a fun little human vs. vampire vs. zombie vs. alien Horror Comedy; and the latest James Bond film (which is way better than critics gave it credit for)... This is The Digital Dread Report for 2/9!

Any week that offers us four new releases that we feel compelled to buy on Blu-ray is a good one in our book, and all four of the movies at the top of our list this week are ones that we definitely want to own. 

*Be sure to click the pics to order yourself a movie or two, or to check out their trailers (Amazon usually has those about halfway down each movie's page.)

"Carol Hammond, the frustrated wife of a successful London lawyer, is having bizarre, erotic dreams about her uninhibited neighbor, Julia Durer, who presides over noisy, sex and drug filled parties in the house next door. One night, Carol's dreams culminate in violent death and she wakes to find her nightmares have become reality - Julia has been murdered and Carol is the main suspect. This frightening discovery is just the beginning of a labyrinthine psycho sexual shocker which takes the viewer on a wild ride through a series of frequently breathtaking set pieces that set new standards for the Italian thriller."

Lucio Fulci only made four Gialli in his career (don't quote us on that, but we're pretty sure), and although we like his Don't Torture a Duckling above them all, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin is a very close second; it's stylish as hell, and it's one of the best Gialli that we've ever seen.

This is definitely going into our collection asap.

Special Features:

• Complete version of the feature, 104 minutes 11 seconds, with alternative English and Italian audio tracks with newly created English subtitles.
• Documentary Shedding the Skin, with optional commentary from director Kris Gavin. (34 minutes).
• When Worlds Collide - Interview with Stephen Thrower author of Beyond Terror: the film of Lucio Fulci. (30 minutes).
• Dr Lucio Fulci's Day for Night: An interview with Lucio Fulci. (30 minutes)
• From Burton to Baker - interview with actor Tony Adams about his experiences of working on the film. (11 minutes).
• Feature Length audio commentary with Pete Tombs and Kris Gavin.
• Radio spots for the Schizoid release of the film.
• Alternative Italian title sequence.
• Original Trailers
• Limited edition, limited to 999 numbered copies.
• The LE in a red case will have an 8-page full color booklet written by Troy Howarth, author of the forthcoming book Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his films.
• Reversible sleeve.

"When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay: a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind Crimson Peak. From the imagination of director Guillermo del Toro comes a supernatural mystery starring Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska and Charlie Hunnam."

Even though we wanted more from it in the end, we really enjoyed Crimson Peak. Then again we're fans of Guillermo del Toro, so that was to be expected. We just totally dig what he has to offer as a storyteller, even if his narratives border on the sappy and sentimental from time to time.

The Blu-ray looks good, sounds great, and it makes for a captivating watch... if you really like Gothic Romance, that is. 

*Check out our review below for our thoughts on the movie. 

Special Features:

• Feature Commentary with co-writer and Director Guillermo Del Toro
• Deleted Scenes
• The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak 
• Beware Of Crimson Peak – Tom Hiddleston (Sir Thomas Sharpe) offers a walking tour of the many secret spaces in Allerdale Hall.
• I Remember Crimson Peak – A series of interviews with director Guillermo del Toro and his standout cast, Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain.
• A Living Thing –Witness first-hand and in great detail the construction of Del Toro’s most elaborate set to date.
• A Primer on Gothic Romance.
• Crimson Phantoms.
• Hand Tailored Gothic – Costume designer Kate Hawley unravels her collaboration with Del Toro and reveals the symbolism constantly at play in the wardrobe’s design.

"In Freaks of Nature, we welcome you to Dillford, where three days ago, everything was peaceful and business as usual: the vampires were at the top of the social order, the zombies were at the bottom, and the humans were getting along in the middle. But this delicate balance was ripped apart when the alien apocalypse arrived in Dillford and put an end to all the harmony. Now it's humans vs. vampires vs. zombies in all-out, blood-sucking, brain-eating, vamp-staking mortal combat – and all of them are on the run from the aliens. It is up to three teenagers – one human, one vampire, and one zombie – to team up, figure out how to get rid of the interplanetary visitors, and try to restore order to this "normal" little town."

A Horror Comedy from 2015 that somehow got lost in the Halloween shuffle and disappeared without much fanfare, Freaks of Nature was entertaining enough for us to want to see it again. It's not as funny as some of the other Horror Comedies of 2015, and it has some issues, but it was just the kind of stupid fun that we need in our lives from time to time.

*Check out our review below for our thoughts on the movie. 

Special Features:

• Cast Gag Reel
• Alternate Opening
• Deleted Scenes

"In SPECTRE, a cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE."

Just like Quantum of Solace (which we loved), Spectre was unfairly derided by many critics and fans alike. It's a James Bond movie, and an entertaining one, so I'm really not sure what they're on about.

The Daniel Craig Bond flicks are probably our favorites, and Spectre is a nice addition to both Bond's and Craig's legacy. We'll definitely be buying this one.

Special Features:

• SPECTRE: Bond's Biggest Opening Sequence
• Video Blogs
• Gallery

There are a few noteworthy titles down here at the bottom of the order this week, even if they don't have high priority on my personal Must Buy list.

• Hangman looks like it might be a fun Found Footage/Home Invasion flick, and with Jeremy Sisto and Amy Smart in the cast, we're willing to give it a shot. 
• Some of us here at THC love the hell out of HBO's The Leftovers. It's not exactly my personal cup of tea, but I can say that the episodes I have watched were bat-shit crazy, so I can see its appeal. 
• Arrow Video's release of the 70's Blaxploitation classic, Sheba, Baby, is a Must Own for fans of that sub-genre, and especially for fans of the gorgeous and talented Pam Grier. 
• And everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.