Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 4/12!

*Check out our other Release Date Pages: Blu-ray & DVD, Theatrical, VOD, TV.
Arrow Video strikes again with a Cult Classic sequel; Natalie Dormer takes us on a trip through the suicide forest; Scream Factory gives us yet another John Carpenter flick on Blu; and Jason Stackhouse fights an evil spirit on a plane... it's a small but interesting week on the new release front.

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

"The success of Stuart Gordon’s hit horror-comedy Re-animator meant that a sequel was all but inevitable. The resulting follow-up, Bride of Re-animator - this time helmed by director Brian Yuzna (Society, Return of the Living Dead 3) - would prove that there was a good deal more life left in the story of Dr. Herbert West and his ghoulish exploits.

It is 8 years since the Miskatonic massacre. Unperturbed by the disastrous outcome of his previous meddling with the dead, Dr. West (again played by Jeffrey Combs) continues his research into the phenomenon of re-animation; only this time, he plans to create life – starting with the heart of his young protégé Dan’s dearly deceased, Meg Halsey. Surely nothing could go wrong?"

While nowhere near as good as Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator, Bride of Re-Animator still holds a special place in the hearts of many Horror fans. I have personally never seen either of the Re-Animator sequels (no excuse there), but with Arrow giving this one the Blu-ray treatment, I'm mighty tempted... once it's priced somewhere in the $20 range.

This Limited Edition, 3-Disc Digipack is limited to 5000 copies only, so for true fans of this sequel, the $37 price tag might be worth it.

DISC 1 [BLU-RAY] & DISC 2 [DVD] – UNRATED VERSION

• Brand new 2K restoration of the Unrated version.
• Brand new audio commentary with director Brian Yuzna.
• Audio commentary with Brian Yuzna, star Jeffrey Combs, special effects co-ordinator Thomas Rainone and the effects team including John Buechler, Mike Deak, Robert Kurtzman, Howard Berger and Screaming Mad George.
• Audio commentary with stars Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott.
• Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-Animator – brand new featurette in which the director looks back at the making of the first Re-Animator sequel.
• Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-Animator – brand new FX featurette with a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Robert Kurtzman of KNB, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin and John Buechler.
• Getting Ahead in Horror – archive making-of featurette.
• Meg is Re-Animated – deleted scene with behind-the-scenes footage.
• Carnival Sequence – the cast and crew discuss this excised sequence.

DISC 3 [BLU-RAY] – R-RATED VERSION – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE

• Brand new 2K restoration of the R-Rated version.
• Behind-the-Scenes Reel.

"When her troubled twin sister Jess mysteriously disappears, Sara Price (Dormer) discovers Jess vanished in Japan's legendary Aokigahara Forest. Searching its eerie dark woods with the help of journalist Aiden (Kinney), Sara plunges into a tormented world where angry spirits lie in wait for those who ignore the warning: stay on the path."

We didn't hate The Forest like many others did. Maybe we like Natalie Dormer, or maybe once in a while we're alright with the typical bland, safe Hollywood Horror offering... I'm still not really sure.

No matter our thoughts though, this is a high profile release that will no doubt garner some attention now that it's on Home Video. It should look good on Blu-ray, in any case.

Special Features:

• Exploring The Forest: Cast and filmmakers discuss their initial attraction to the project and the history behind the Aokigahara Forest; and dive into the characterizations, the visual effects, and the lore of the infamous Yurei in this behind-the-scenes featurette.
• Galleries.
• Storyboards.
• Feature Commentary with Director Jason Zada.

"From the master of suspense, John Carpenter, comes a chilling new version of the sci-fi classic. Something is terribly wrong in the tiny village of Midwich. After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town, ten women mysteriously find themselves pregnant. Local physician Dr. Alan Chaffee (Christopher Reeve) and government scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Kirstie Alley) join forces when the women simultaneously give birth... and the reign of supernatural terror begins. In what The New York Times calls "one scarifying trip," the people of Midwich must try to find a way to stop the unstoppable in the Village of the Damned."

For us (and me especially) Village of the Damned is one of John Carpenter's lesser efforts; it's a good movie, it's just not one that blows us away. A lot of his fans love it though, and so Scream Factory has put it out on Blu-ray in a fancy Collector's Edition.

So there ya go.

Special Features:

• NEW It Takes A Village: The Making Of Village Of The Damned Featuring Interviews With Director John Carpenter, Producer Sandy King, Actors Michael Paré, Peter Jason, Karen Kahn, Meredith Salenger, Thomas Dekker, Cody Dorkin, Lindsey Haun, Danielle Wiener-Keaton And Make-up Effects Artist Greg Nicotero.
• NEW Horror's Hallowed Grounds – Revisiting The Locations Of The Film.
• NEW The Go To Guy: Peter Jason On John Carpenter.
• Vintage Interviews Featuring John Carpenter, Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Hamill And Wolf Rilla (Director Of The Original VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED)
• Vintage Behind-The-Scenes Footage.
• Theatrical Trailer.
• Behind-The-Scenes Still Gallery.

• The Destroyer/Edge of Sanity 2-Pack from Scream Factory looks fun, even if the movies seem a bit mismatched.
• Heroes Reborn wasn't great, and so it got cancelled. Here it is for you to buy though, if you are so inclined. (Don't do it.)
• The Lady in the Car... looks like an interesting French Thriller.
• Originally slated to be released way back in 2012, Flight 7500 has been shelved many times since then, and is only now available to buy/rent in the U.S. All of that is because it's not a great movie. Read our review HERE.
• And everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot. Enjoy.