Bender
(2016/Candy Factory DVD)/Blacklist:
The Complete Fourth Season
(2016 - 2017/Sony Blu-ray Set)/The
Dead Next Door
(1989/Tempe Blu-ray w/DVD)/The
Evil In Us (2016/RLJ
DVD)/Phantasm: 5 Movie DVD
Collection (1979 -
2016/Well Go Set)/Phenomena
(1985/Argento/Synapse Blu-ray)
Picture:
B/B+/B & C+/B-/C+/B+ Sound: B/B+/B & C+/B-/C+/B+
Extras: D/B/B/D/C+/B Main Programs: C/C+/C+/B-/C+
(B-/C+/C/C-/C-)/B
Now
for our latest set of horror thriller releases, including a few
classics...
Bender
The
world's first serial killing family is captured in this interesting
horror/thriller, John Alexander's Bender
(2016), that uses a historic backdrop as the centerpiece for vicious
murder. Based on a true story and a short running time (the film
clocks in around 80 minutes), this Kansas set story has some
interesting stylistic choices and is overall a pretty strong and
unsettling little movie that was better than I originally expected it
to be. Some drawbacks are the seemingly clean costumes for some of
the characters and some performances that feel a bit too theatrical.
Bender
stars Bruce Davison (the original Willard,
the first X-Men
film), Linda Purl (Happy
Days),
James Karen (Return
of the Living Dead),
Buck Taylor, Jon Monastero, Nicole Jellen, and Reylin Caster.
Doctor
York encounters some odd folks in a small Kansas town as he
encounters several ill patients and unfortunate incidents. When he
crosses paths with the Benders (also known as ''The Bloody
Benders''), a seemingly normal family with a bit of an edge to them,
soon York's life gets more and more dangerous.
Presented
in standard definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a
lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, the film is shot very well in a
scope format, though was likely shot on video. The compression
issues are pretty drastic with lots of choppy edges that could easily
be rectified on Blu-ray disc so hopefully a release on that format
will be down the pipeline. However, if you're watching it on a non
4K TV, I'm sure the film would look better.
No
extras.
Blacklist:
Season Four
James
Spader (Secretary)
returns in Season
Four
of Blacklist.
A distant cousin to Silence
of the Lambs
mixed with police procedural drama, the show has some interesting
characters and some fun action moments but also somewhat grounded in
reality. The show also features Megan Boone (Step
Up: Revolution),
Diego Klattenhoff (Homeland),
Ryan Eggold (The
Blacklist: Redemption),
Harry Lennix (Dollhouse),
Amir Arison (Girls),
Mozhan Marno (House
of Cards)
and Hisham Tawfiq to name a few.
Former
government agent Raymond "Red" Reddington (Spader) was once
at the top of his game and was a highly most wanted man for decades.
But when he suddenly surrenders to the FBI with an offer to help
catch a terrorist under the condition that he speaks only to
Elizabeth "Liz" Keen (Boone), a beautiful yet sassy young
FBI profiler who's just barely out of Quantico. The two end up
solving various crimes and get in one life threatening situation
after another.
22
Episodes make up Season
Four
includes Esteban,
Mato, Miles McGrath, Gaia, The Lindquist Concern, The Thrushes, Dr.
Adrian Shaw, Dr. Adrian Shaw: Conclusion, Lipet's Seafood Company,
The Forecaster, The Harem, Natalie Luca, Isabella Stone, The
Architect, The Apothecary, Dembe Zuma, Requiem, Philomena, Dr. Bogdan
Krilov, The Debt Collector, Mr. Kaplan,
and Mr.
Kaplan: Conclusion.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a
crisp DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless track, the difference
between the original television broadcast and the Blu-ray is
significant enough of a difference that fans will want to take hold.
Plus, commercial free and without network watermarks is always a plus
and makes viewing shows like this more fun to watch on disc.
A
digital UV copy is also included.
Special
Features...
A
Darker Shade of Red (Blu-ray exclusive)
Featurettes:
A
Lighter Shade Of Red
Mr.
Kaplan: End Of An Era
Gag
Reel
Deleted
Scenes
3
Episode Commentaries
For
more on the series, try our previous coverage as follows...
Season
One DVD set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12947/The+Blacklist:+The+Complete+First+Season+(201
Season
Three Blu-ray set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14351/The+Blacklist:+The+Complete+Third+Season+(20
Dead
Next Door
The
1989 zombie indie The
Dead Next Door
is a fun film for fans and made by fans.
A
lot of love and affection went this little splatter fest, which is
highly inspired (and wears the inspiration proudly on its sleeve) by
the films of George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Peter Jackson, and Sam
Raimi. I couldn't help but smile when watching this, especially
during the first act where the filmmakers went to Washington DC and
grabbed a few guerrilla filmmaking shots of Zombies staggering in
front of national landmarks.
Directed
by J.R. Bookwalter, this movie wasn't shot recently with digital HD
cameras but rather on film in the late 1980s, a time when making a
film of this nature wasn't exactly heard of and long before The
Walking Dead
and most likely not too long after the impact of Return
of the Living Dead.
The film starts out in Ohio where a zombie disease quickly spreads,
even to the gates of the White House, leaving it up to an elite team
of Zombie Squad soldiers to battle against the never-ending hoards of
the undead and the secretive religious cult hell-bent on protecting
them.
The
film is presented on 1080p Blu-ray disc with two different 2K
restored versions of the film in both its original 1.33:1 Aspect
Ratio and a new 1.78:1 widescreen ratio for the transition to viewing
on HDTVs. As for the audio, there is a DTS HD-MA (Master Audio)
lossless 5.1 Surround Original Cast Mix and a DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) lossless 5.1 Surround Classic Dubbed Mix as well. An
anamorphically enhanced, standard definition DVD version of the film
is also included in lesser resolution.
Special
Features and Technical Specs:
DISC
ONE: BLU-RAY
2015
Audio Commentary with producers J.R. Bookwalter, Jolie Jackunas and
Scott P. Plummer
"Restoration
of the Dead"
Featurette (19 mins.)
Capitol
Theatre Screening Q&A (12 mins.)
The
Nightlight Screening Q&A (16 mins.)
Behind
the Scenes Footage (19 mins.)
Deleted
Scenes & Outtakes (7 mins.)
Storyboard
Gallery (27 mins.)
Around
The World Gallery (4 mins.)
Behind
The Scenes Gallery (9 mins.)
Production
Stills Gallery (6 mins.)
and
Tempe Digital Trailers: The
Dead Next Door
(2015 Version), Platoon
of the Dead
(2009), Poison Sweethearts
(2008)
DISC
TWO: DVD
FIRST
TIME ON DVD! Standard-Definition Presentation of 2K Restored Feature
in 4:3 Original Aspect Ratio (1.33:1, 78 mins.)
NEW!
2001 Foreign DVD Audio Commentary with writer/director J.R.
Bookwalter and makeup FX artist David Lange
NEW!
Richards Returns: An Interview with Actor Scott Spiegel (5 mins.)
NEW!
Akron Location Tour with James L. Edwards (5 mins.)
FIRST
TIME ON DVD! Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy surround Original Cast Mix
FIRST
TIME ON DVD! 2015 Audio Commentary with producers J.R. Bookwalter,
Jolie Jackunas and Scott P. Plummer
Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Classic Dubbed Mix
2005
Audio Commentary with writer/director J.R. Bookwalter, actor Michael
Todd and cinematographer Michael Tolochko, Jr.
20
Years in 15 Minutes (16 mins.)
Video
Storyboards (8 mins.)
Video
Pre-Shoots (6 mins.)
Auditions
(14 mins.)
2000
Frightvision Reunion (6 mins.)
Three
Miles Out Music Video (3 mins.)
Tempe
Video Trailers: The
Dead Next Door,
Kingdom
of the Vampire
(1991), Ozone,
The
Sandman,
Polymorph
PACKAGING
(First 1,000 Units Only)
Slipcover
with Newly-Commissioned 2017 Artwork
Classic
VHS Release Wrap Arts
If
you have a love for zombie films, then you won't want to miss this
great new release of an indie horror classic!
Evil
In Us
This
'cabin in the woods' / body horror indie, The
Evil in Us
(2016), is a mix of Cabin
Fever,
Rabid,
and The
Evil Dead,
only not as strong as any of them in terms of innovative filmmaking
or storytelling. There's plenty of gore and some interesting special
effects moments for fans of the genre, however some kills are dealt
with blood splattering on victims instead of showing the action. The
film stars Ian Collins, Kylee Bush, Debs Howard, and John Gillich.
Six
school friends party it up on the fourth of July on a small remote
island off the Washington coast. Soon, the party goes south when
they unknowingly take a new bio-active drug that also happens to
contain a life altering virus that causes fits of psychotic rage.
Only one of the friends, Brie, doesn't take the drug and is forces to
watch her friends not only have rage attacks but also develop a taste
for human flesh as well. Trapped and fending for her life, Brie must
find a way off the island before she becomes an appetizer.
Presented
in standard definition DVD with an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio
of 2.39:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track, the film looks and
sounds fine for the aging format but isn't anything too special or
innovative. There's plenty of blood in the film and some of the
presentation is hit and miss. The score is one of the stronger parts
of the film, as its presented nicely on the disc for a Dolby mix.
No
extras.
Nothing
too new here that you haven't seen before yet for an indie it has a
few good moments when mediocre actors turn into savage meat eaters.
Phantasm:
5 Movie DVD Collection
Well
Go USA issued a Blu-ray box set of all five films in the Phantasm
series and though we covered two of the films from them on separate
Blu-ray, we finally pulled together all of our coverage of the series
when we covered the Arrow U.K. box set at this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14864/Phantasm+Limited+Edition+Collection+(1979+-+2
For
those not upgrading to Blu-ray or wanting the films for places they
only have a DVD player, Well Go's Phantasm:
5 Movie DVD Collection
will fill the gap(s) the Blu-ray sets missed. We get all 5 films in
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 x 1 presentations that starts strong
with the restored original, gets a little weaker and average with the
second & third films, then gets better with the last two. The
lossy Dolby Digital mixes (5.1, 2.0, etc.) follow the same pattern
with the restored original sounding remarkably good for its age,
sonics then get a little weaker with the second & third films but
at least sound natural considering, but the last two films are louder
and too harsh and edgy for their own good. The Blu-ray playback on
all five are easily better, of course.
As
you might expect, the extras are not as wide-ranging as the Blu-ray
sets as DVD is an older, more limited format. Still, extras for each
film are as follows, starting with the original film...
Audio
Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli and Stars Michael
Baldwin, Angus Scrimm and Bill Thornbury
Graveyard
Carz
Interviews
with Don Coscarelli and Angus Scrimm
Deleted
Scenes
Theatrical
Trailer
PHANTASM
II
Audio
Commentary with Don Coscarelli, actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie
Baniste
The
Ball is Back - documentary on the making of Phantasm II
Deleted
Scenes
Workprint
Scenes
TV
Spots
Theatrical
Trailers
PHANTASM
III: LORD OF THE DEAD
Audio
Commentary with Stars A. Michael Baldwin and Angus Scrimm
Balls
of Steel: Bob Ivy's Stunt for the Ages
Trailer
PHANTASM
IV: OBLIVION
Audio
Commentary with Director Don Coscarelli and Actors Reggie Bannister
and Angus Scrimm
Phantasm
IV: Behind-The-Scenes
Trailer
and
PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION
Audio
Commentary with co-writer/director David Hartman and
co-writer/producer Don Coscarelli
Behind
the Scenes
Deleted
Scenes
Phuntasm:
Bloopers and Outtakes
Theatrical
Trailer
That's
as good as it will get in the older format, but that'll have to do.
Phenomena
Last
but absolutely not least, a long-awaited classic. Though released
months ago as a limited edition steelbook and only available on the
web, Synapse's HD restoration of Dario Argento's Phenomena
(1985) swims onto Blu-ray disc in grand fashion. Featuring three
cuts of the film, this release is in standard Blu-ray packaging (not
the collectible steelbook packaging) and it does not contain the
limited edition remastered soundtrack CD, or the booklet that was
available with the steel book. This trend will continue with the
upcoming and highly anticipated HD restoration of Argento's Suspiria
this winter and with the company's previous release of Argento's
Tenebrae.
When comparing the price of both editions on the website, an extra
five dollars for the booklet and steel book isn't a bad deal for a
disc with this much entertainment. Surprisingly, this is the first
time the film has been on Blu-ray in America.
One
of Jennifer Connelly's first films and also starring the great Donald
Pleasence, Phenomena
is 80s Italian horror at some of its best. Centering around a Swiss
Girls Academy where a killer is running rampant, a uniquely gifted
young girl named Jennifer (Connelly) is at the center of the crimes.
Among her gifts is the ability to communicate with insects that
catches the eye of Dr. McGregor (Pleasance) who, along with his pet
monkey, to help find the killer. Things get even more bizarre from
there in a movie you have to see to believe.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and
an greeting sounding DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 lossless tracks in
various languages. This is the best looking I've ever seen the film
with nicely saturated colors and not as much noise as previous
releases. Complete with a heavy metal (and highly 80s) soundtrack
and a wonderful score by Goblin. There's also two completely
different sound mix options on the 110-Minute Version which includes
the original 2.0 stereo mix, along with a rare alternate mix
containing different sound effects and music cues. There is even an
English/Italian Hybrid Audio and Complete Italian Audio Options the
116 Minute Version.
Special
Features and Specs:
Three
different cuts of the film including Creepers
(85 minute American version), a 100 minute version, and a 116 minute
version.
Audio
Commentary Track on Phenomena
(110 Version) from Argento scholar and author, Derek Botelho and film
historian, journalist and radio/television commentator, David Del
Valle (who has been on a good roll lately of making commentary
tracks).
DARIO
ARGENTO'S WORLD OF HORROR
Documentary.
Interview
with Andi Sex Gang
Phenomena
International Theatrical Trailer
Creepers
U.S. Theatrical Trailer & Radio Spots
Synapse
has done a great job remastering Phenomena
on Blu-ray disc in a transfer that definitely looks better than it
did on DVD from Anchor Bay several years ago. This obscure little
film is one of my favorites by Argento so it's nice to see it make
its way onto Blu-ray disc with this nice of a presentation and
extras. Recommended.
-
James Lockhart & Nicholas Sheffo (Phantasm)
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
