Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 7/26

A great Exploitation Collection from Blue Underground; a top-notch Thriller from Karen Kusama; and a bunch of smaller releases that will appeal to a wide range of tastes... there are more than enough titles being released this week to satisfy any movie lover's hunger.

*Be sure to click the pics below to buy the movies, or even rent them. Or both. Or neither. It really depends on your mood, now doesn't it?

"Three sexy "Killer Thrillers" for one low price!

BABA YAGA:
Legendary sex symbol Carroll Baker stars as a mysterious sorceress with an undying hunger for sensual ecstasy and unspeakable torture. But when she casts a spell over a beautiful young fashion photographer (the gorgeous Isabelle De Funes), Milan's most luscious models are sucked into a nightmare world of lesbian seduction and shocking sadism. Are these carnal crimes the result of one woman's forbidden fantasies or is this the depraved curse of the devil witch known as BABA YAGA?

NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS:
It was released as SECOND HOUSE ON THE LEFT, NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and TORTURE TRAIN. The ads screamed, "Most movies last less than two hours! This is one of everlasting torment!" It remains one of the most graphically fiendish films in exploitation history, the story of two teenage girls traveling through Europe, forced into a nightmare of sexual assault and sadistic violence.

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER:
The stunning Edwige Fenech stars in this infamous shocker that packs more grisly violence and sexual depravity into each frame than most any other film in the entire giallo genre. There's succulent flesh aplenty as a mysterious killer dressed in black leather and wearing a motorcycle helmet begins butchering beautiful young fashion models with no mercy and one deranged request: STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER!"

A re-packaging of three of Blue Underground's sleazier releases, The Killer Thriller Collection is one that we have to own on Day One. We love any Blu-ray set that allows us to save space, especially when all of the films contained therein are good ones, as is the case here.

Fans of 70's Exploitation and Giallo should definitely take note, and give this one a go.

"In this taut psychological thriller from award-winning director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer's Body), the tension is palpable when Will shows up to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden, and new husband David. The estranged divorcees' tragic past haunts an equally eerie present; amid Eden's suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda. Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will-and the audience-are unsure what threats are real or imagined."

The Invitation is easily one of the best movies that we've seen in 2016, and even though we can catch it any time we like on Netflix, this is a Blu-ray that we'd like to have in our Collection; it probably won't stay on Netflix forever, and it's going to look and sound better on Blu-ray than via any streaming service.

If you have yet to check out this eerie, moody, paranoid Thriller, now is your chance.

• Hardcore Henry was an exercise in patience for us. It's POV gimmick was fun for a while, but it quickly became repetitive and ended up being just too much style and not near enough substance. It was fun, but it just didn't do it for us. 
• Hellhole is a great release, mainly because we're fans of B-Movies from the 80's.
• Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son-In-Law is a classic Blaxploitation movie that once again showcases Rudy Ray Moore's comedic talent. 
• River look solid.
• We're curious to check out The Perfect Husband, because Artsploitation Films tends to release the kind of gritty foreign flicks that we dig.
• And any new MST3K set is always noteworthy. 
• Everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.