31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: Hellraiser: The Scarlet Box

"In Barker’s original Hellraiser, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) comes head-to-head with the Cenobites – demonic beings from another realm who are summoned by way of a mysterious puzzle box. Picking up immediately after the events of the original Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II finds Kirsty detained at a psychiatric institute and under the care of Dr. Channard, a man with an unhealthy interest in the occult. Meanwhile, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth sees Pinhead and his band of Cenobites let loose in our own world, with terrifying consequences."

Available in the UK since last year, Arrow Video is finally brining The Scarlet Box to U.S. shores! It may not come out until December 13th, but it's coming, and that's what matters.

Arrow has knocked it out of the park with this Blu-ray release of Hellraiser I-III. The first two Hellraiser movies are absolute staples for any Horror Collection, and you know what, the 3rd movie isn't all that bad either. To package them all together in one boxed set, giving them brand new 2k transfers, and packing it with a ton of bonus material is a Horror fan's dream.

The words MUST OWN are an understatement when it comes to this set.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

• Brand new 2K restorations of Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
• Uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
• Lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0 sound for Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all three films.
• Reversible sleeves for all three films featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx.

DISC 1 – HELLRAISER

• Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon.
• Audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker.
• Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence.
• Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser – brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members.
• Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser – actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker’s original.
• Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score – Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was.
• Hellraiser: Resurrection – vintage featurette including interviews with Clive Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen and others.
• Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser.
• Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew.
• Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content].
• Trailers and TV Spots.
• Image Gallery.

DISC 2 – HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

• Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon.
• Audio Commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins.
• Audio Commentary with Randel, Atkins and actress Ashley Laurence.
• Leviathan: The Story of Hellbound: Hellraiser II – brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellbound, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members.
• Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – actor Sean Chapman talks about reprising the role of Frank Cotton in the first Hellraiser sequel.
• Surgeon Scene – the home video world premiere of this legendary, never before-seen excised sequence from Hellbound, sourced from a VHS workprint.
• Lost in the Labyrinth – vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others.
• Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II.
• On-set interview with Clive Barker.
• On-set interviews with cast and crew.
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage.
• Rare and unseen storyboards.
• Draft Screenplay [BD-ROM content].
• Trailers and TV Spots.
• Image Gallery.

DISC 3 – HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

• Brand new 2K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version [93 mins].
• Alternate Unrated Version [97 mins].
• Brand new audio commentary with writer Peter Atkins.
• Audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and Doug Bradley.
• Hell on Earth: The Story of Hellraiser III – making-of documentary featuring interviews with Atkins, Keen and actor Ken Carpenter.
• Terri’s Tales – brand new interview with actress Paula Marshall.
• Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth.
• Raising Hell on Earth – archival interview with Hickox.
• On-set interviews with Barker and Bradley.
• Never-before-seen Hellraiser III SFX dailies.
• Theatrical Trailer.
• Image Gallery.
• Hellraiser III comic book adaptation [Disc gallery].

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: Nighthawks (1981)

"When Europe's most feared terrorist (Hauer – The Hitcher) explosively announces his presence in Manhattan, two elite undercover cops (Stallone and Billy Dee Williams) are assigned to stop him before he strikes again. But the ruthless terrorist has other plans for the city - and the detectives."

One of my personal favorite movies of the 80's is finally hitting Blu-ray tomorrow! Nighthawks is a Crime Thriller starring Sylvester Stallone (and his magnificent, old school beard) that is so intense that it was actually featured in the 80's Horror Doc, Terror in the Aisles (review HERE.)

Shout Factory! (Scream Factory's parent label) is killing it with top notch Genre releases this year, and for us, me in particular, this is the top of the heap as far as their non-Horror titles go.

Bonus Features:

• NEW Lights, Camera, Action! – An Audio Interview With Producer Herb Nanas
• NEW Nighthawks: The First Draft – An Interview With Writer Paul Sylbert
• NEW We Gotta Shoot This! – An Interview With Director Of Photography James A. Contner.
• NEW A Sign Of The Times – An Interview With Actress Lindsay Wagner.
• NEW Not The Other Girls – An Interview With Actress Catherine Mary Stewart.
• NEW It Was Hell – An Interview With Technical Adviser Randy Jurgensen.
• Theatrical Trailer.
• Radio Spots.
• Still Gallery.

This isn't going to be a big, perfect disc, but Nighthawks is an excellent Thriller that is finally going to be available in HD, so we don't care if it's perfect or not; this is one that we've coveted for a long time, and now we finally get to own it.

You should too.

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: The Witch (2016)

"New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness, with five children. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. 'The Witch' is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey for an inescapable evil."

The Witch currently sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and at a healthy 7.1 on IMDB, which is to say that it was a hit with both critic and audiences alike. It certainly is one of our favorite movies of the year so far, and it's one that we can't wait to watch again this Halloween Season, especially on Blu-ray.

We need some more Black Phillip in our lives!

This release isn't packed with a ton of Bonus Features, but that commentary and that mini-documentary are fun. The subtitles are our favorite feature on this disc though, as they allow us to finally understand everything that was said in the movie.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Director Robert Eggers.
• The Witch: A Primal Folklore.
• Salem Panel Q&A.
• Design Gallery.

This disc looks and sounds fantastic, and the movie itself is a perfect addition to any October movie marathon.

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: Salem's Lot (1979)

"Sinister events bring together a writer (David Soul) fascinated with an old hilltop house; a suave antiques dealer (James Mason) whose expertise goes beyond bric-a-brac; and the dealer's mysterious, pale-skinned "partner" (Reggie Nalder) in "Salem's Lot" -- a blood-curdling shocker based on King's novel and directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist)."

One of our favorite movies, and one of the best vampire movies ever made, Tobe Hooper's made-for-tv classic, Salem's Lot, is finally coming out on Blu-ray on October 18th! We're so happy that our mascot, The Master, is finally getting some long-deserved love from Warner Bros. Home Video, as they're usually really stingy about giving their older vault titles new Blu-ray releases. 

It's not going to be a disc that is heavy on special features and extras, but we're just glad that this movie is finally getting a new HD transfer.

Special Features:

• All-new Feature-Length Audio Commentary by Director Tobe Hooper.
• International Theatrical Trailer.

Don't miss out on this classic flick. Sincerely.

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays Archive

As Horror fans, we want to watch the best movies in the best possible quality. With that in mind, all during the month of October we're going to be highlighting the Horror Blu-rays that we feel are an essential part of any collection.

The best movies in the best quality, with the best Special Features... we need them in our lives!

We'll also be keeping track of them right here in this post, so that you can check back every day to see what's new.

*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?

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: Prince of Darkness (1987)

"A group of graduate students and scientists uncover an ancient canister in an abandoned church, but when they open the container, they inadvertently unleash a strange liquid and an evil force on all humanity. As the liquid turns their co-workers into zombies, the remaining members realize they have released the most unspeakable of horrors, Satan himself, thus paving the way for the return of his father-the all-powerful anti-God. Terror mounts as the last two members of the team must fight to save an innocent world from a devilish fury that has festered for over seven million years. "

Prince of Darkness may just be my favorite John Carpenter flick; it's definitely not his best cinematic offering, but there's just something about it that works for me on every level. This is classic Carpenter from start to finish; the atmosphere, the music, the son of Satan swirling around in a giant jar... and Donald Pleasance! POD has one of the most interesting plots I've seen in a Horror flick, and maybe that's why I love it so much. It's creepy, well made, and creepy. Also, creepy.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with John Carpenter.
• Sympathy For The Devil – An all-new Interview with Writer/Director John Carpenter.
• Alice at the Apocalypse - An all-new interview with Actor & Rock Legend Alice Cooper.
• The Messenger – All-new interview with Actor & Special Visual Effects Supervisor Robert Grasmere.
• Hell On Earth – A look at the film's score with Co-Composer Alan Howarth.
• Horror's Hallowed Grounds with host Sean Clark.
• Alternate Opening from TV Version.
• Original Theatrical Trailer.

My personal favorite John Carpenter film (not sure why, I've just always loved it to pieces), Prince of Darkness is maybe his most under-appreciated film. Something about it has always just struck me as brilliant, and the way that Scream Factory has cleaned it up for this disc makes it feel even more so. Halloween and The Thing are probably Carpenter's best work, but don't sleep on this one. It's a classic in its own right.

31 Days of Horror Blu-rays: Pieces (1982)

"A psychopathic killer stalks a Boston campus, brutally slaughtering nubile young college co-eds, collecting body parts from each victim to create the likeness of his mother who he savagely murdered with an axe when he was ten years old! Pieces is a wild, unrated gorefest, with enough splatter and sleaze to shock the most jaded horror fan."

One of our absolutely favorite sleazy Slashers of the 80's is finally coming to Blu-ray on March 1st!

Pieces is a perfect slice of 80's Horror; it's got that creepy 80's Slasher flick vibe, it's bloody, it's exploitative, it makes absolutely no sense, the dubbing and dialogue are laughable, the acting isn't much better, it's got the usual "What in the hell was that?!?" ending that was so prevalent in that era...

And it is all insanely glorious.

Grindhouse Releasing has had an excellent year with Blu-ray releases for such classic exploitation flicks like The Beyond, Cannibal Ferox, and Cannibal Holocaust, and Pieces might be their most impressive effort to date.

Please read our review of Pieces (the movie, not the Blu-ray) below for our full breakdown. Oh, and then add this one to your shopping carts on Amazon. It's  keeper.

Special Features:

• Two complete versions of this shocking gore classic:
• Pieces (83 min.) – The original, unrated U.S. theatrical version, presented in English
• Mil Gritos Tiene la Noche (86 min.) – The original uncensored director's cut, presented in Spanish with original score by Librado Pastor
• Spectacular new 4K transfers, scanned from the original camera negative
• Brand new audio commentary by star Jack Taylor
• Special 5.1 audio option – The Vine Theater Experience!
• In-depth interviews with director Juan Piquer Simón and genre superstar Paul L. Smith
• 42nd Street Memories – All-new feature-length documentary containing interviews with Bill Lustig, Larry Cohen, Frank Henenlotter, Buddy Giovinazzo, Jeff Lieberman, John Skipp, Lynn Lowry, Terry Levene, and many other exploitation icons
• Extensive gallery of stills and poster art
• Exhaustive filmographies
• Liner notes by legendary horrors journalists Chas. Balun and Rick Sullivan
• Bonus CD – Original soundtrack, newly remastered from the original studio tapes
• Beautiful embossed slipcover
• First 3000 units include an actual jigsaw puzzle! Strictly limited to 3000 units!
• And MORE