Blu-ray & DVD: The Digital Dread Report for 8/9

*Check out our other Release Date Pages: Blu-ray & DVD, Theatrical, VOD, TV.
A really solid Stephen King mini-series; an insane Turkish gore-fest throwback; and a British remake of an excellent Danish/Swedish TV show... this is definitely a week where TV on Blu-ray rules the release roost.

*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?

"James Franco stars as Jake Epping, a high school teacher at a loss with his life, who wants to make a difference and do something meaningful. Encouraged by his ailing friend (Chris Cooper), Jake journeys back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The story transports audiences into the world of 1960s Texas as Jake explores the multiple mysteries surrounding the alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel Webber). But Jake's mission faces threats not only from Oswald, but from Sadie (Sarah Gadon), a beautiful librarian he falls in love with, and from the Past itself... which doesn't want to be changed. And if the Past doesn't want to be changed, it will push back ­– often violently."

Based on the Stephen King novel (which I really liked), 11.22.63 was a mini-series that aired on HULU earlier this year, and one that did the book as much justice as it could in 8 episodes. It dragged in parts, and it left some of the good stuff from the book out, but it was a solidly engaging watch that kept me tuning in every week. James Franco was awesome in this.

If you don't have HULU, and never got a chance to check this one out, now is your chance.

"A five-man unit of cops on night patrol get more than they bargain for when they arrive at a creepy backwater town in the middle of nowhere after a call comes over the radio for backup. Entering a derelict building, the seasoned tough guys and their rookie junior, who's still haunted by a traumatic childhood dream, do the one thing you should never do in this kind of movie: they split up. They soon realize they've stumbled into a monstrous charnel house and descend into an ever-more nightmarish netherworld where grotesque, mind-wrenching horrors await them at every turn."

As good as Scream Factory is with bringing older, beloved Genre titles to Blu-ray, they also give us some newer, lesser-known movies too, like Baskin. This Turkish effort is gory and surreal, and if you like your flicks a bit on the different side, then this might be a BD that you want to check out.

"The Tunnel, from the makers of the Broadchurch series, is set against the backdrop of Europe in crisis. When a prominent French politician is found dead in the middle of the Channel Tunnel, straddling the border between the UK and France, detectives Karl Roebuck, played by Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones) and Elise Wassermann, played by Clémence Poésy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I and II) are sent to investigate on behalf of their respective countries. The case takes a surreal turn when a shocking discovery is made at the crime scene, forcing the French and British police into an uneasy partnership. As the serial killer uses ever more elaborate and ingenious methods to highlight the moral bankruptcy of modern society, Karl and Elise are drawn deeper into his increasingly personal agenda."

A British remake of the hit Scandi TV series Bron/Broen (there was a version in the U.S. called The Bridge as well), The Tunnel may not be as good as those two, but it's a solid effort with a great cast, and it's well-worth watching. Come on, it's got Clemence Poesy in it!

*The first season of The Tunnel premiered all the way back in 2013, and its 2nd season didn't arrive until April of this year. That may have something to do with Stephen Dillane being busy playing Stannis on Game of Thrones, but at least we got a 2nd season. Or 2nd series, if you're British.

• Synapse is releasing Basket Case 2 & 3 on Blu-ray this week, and while reviews have sited how gorgeous the discs look, I'm still waiting for them to finish up Suspiria and Phenomena (which they've been working on forever), so I'm kinda like "Why are you wasting your time on the Basket Case movies?" That's just me being impatient though, so the bottom line is if you're a fan of these B-movie sequels, then both of these discs are Must Own material. 
• Arrow Video U.S. is releasing a slew of new titles this week, all of which are related: "The celebrated Battles Without Honour and Humanity series continues with its second episode, Hiroshima Death Match, setting aside part one protagonist Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) to follow a side story showcasing genre icons Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter) and Meiko Kaji (Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion)." Could be interesting.
  
• And everything else, as always, is a crap-shoot.