Automation
(2019/Epic Blu-ray)/Barge
People
(2019/DVD*)/Cursed
Films
(2020/Blu-ray/*both RLJ)/Human
Monster
(1937/VCI**)/Inferno
Of Torture
(1969/Arrow/**both MVD Blu-rays)/The
Specials
(2000/La La Land Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+/B-/B+/B-/B+/B+ Sound: B/B-/B+/B-/B+/B+ Extras:
B/D/C/C+/B/B Main Programs: B/B-/B+/B/C/B
Now
for all kinds of genre releases you might be interested in...
We
start with a Sci-Fi/Slasher film, Automation
(2019), a fun low budget romp starring scream queens Elissa Dowling
(Rootwood)
and Sarah French (Blind)
who are great here. A workplace robot named AUTO goes from mild
mannered to deadly when he hears that he may be deactivated.
Protecting the only woman he loves, Jenny (Dowling), and eliminating
everyone else that stands in his way, including his own creator!
Automation
also stars Sadie Katz, Parry Shen, Graham Skipper, and Jeff Rector
with direction by Garo Setian.
The
fun thing about Automation is that it's mainly a guy in a robot
costume for most of the time, which is such a classic Hollywood
trope. Comparisons to Robocop
or Splice
are inevitable, but this film somehow manages to feel fresh besides
borrowing from others in the same vein.
Automation
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and audio mixes in lossy Dolby
Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. The film is fine
throughout as the film mainly takes place in a lab. There are some
interesting color schemes at play with some digital effects here and
there. The Blu-ray presentation is up to standards with no glaring
issues.
Special
Features are loaded on this release and include:
Audio
Commentaries
Deleted
Scenes
Alternate
Scenes
Bloopers
Behind
The Scenes featurette
Writing
the Screenplay featurette
Building
''Auto'' with Evil Ted
Auto's
Voice - An Interview with VO Artist Jim Tasker
and
Bonus Interviews
Automation
is a fun throwback to '80s robot movies and features some fun indie
actors to boot. Definitely worth checking out in this nice Blu-ray
release that's packed with extras!
Inspired
by John Carpenter films and maybe a bit of H.P. Lovecraft, The
Barge People
(2019) is a decent lower budget creature feature that has some pretty
neat looking monsters. Debuting on disc courtesy of RLJE and
streaming on Shudder, this is a fun newer slasher creature feature to
watch that fans of '80s horror will gravitate to.
Set
in Britain, two sisters and their boyfriends go to a barge for a
relaxing weekend and instead discover, despite being warned, that a
clan of mutant bloodthirsty Barge People are killing anyone they come
in contact with. Mainly following your normal slasher storyline,
there's plenty of gore and weirdness when the Barge People attack.
The
film is directed by Charlie Steeds and stars Kate Davies-Speak, Carl
Andersson, Mark McKirdy, Makenna Guyler, Natalie Martins, Matt
Swales, and Kane Surry.
The
Barge People
is presented in anamorphically enhanced, standard definition on DVD
with a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy English 5.1 Dolby
Digital audio mix. The transfer has some native compression issues
that are normal with the format. The film itself is surprisingly well
shot with a highly cinematic look and interesting color themes
throughout. All in all, a fine presentation for SD.
No
extras.
The
Barge People
isn't going to win any awards for originality, but it's a fun watch
and has some fun gore moments.
Director
Jay Cheel presents Cursed
Films
(2020) - a five part Shudder original series that explores some of
the most unique disasters and bizarre events to ever cross film
production. This first season focuses on the 'cursed' makings of The
Omen
(1976), Poltergeist,
The
Exorcist,
The
Crow,
and Twilight
Zone: The Movie.
The documentary series questions the fate of these films and if they
were really 'cursed' by some evil forces amongst us?
The
series features Phil Nobile Jr., Mitch Horowitz, Ryan Turek, April
Wolfe, and Hector Avalos to name a few.
While
these cases have been public knowledge for many years, this show does
a nice job of presenting the facts in a documentary style manner with
interesting interviews that offer new perspectives. These cases
aren't exactly things that the studios are anxious to be publicized
so it's interesting to get some insight on some of these classic
films like never before.
The
most shocking is The
Twilight Zone: The Movie
case, which is why it was smart for the filmmakers to end the season
highlighting it. The
Crow
story is quite sad too with the passing of Brandon Lee and an
insightful interview from actor Michael Berryman (The
Hills Have Eyes)
mentions a character he was to play in the film that was never fully
shot out due to Lee's sudden death.
Cursed
Films
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a 1.78:1
widescreen aspect ratio and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless
mix, both of which are an improvement over the streaming presentation
on Shudder. This is a nice looking disc that's definitely welcome in
any genre fan's collection.
Special
Features: Director's Audio Commentary for All 5 Episodes
Cursed
Films
is an interesting and well made series that is worth checking out
especially if you're a fan of the classic genre films that it
examines.
Bela
Lugosi stars in the 1937 horror film, The
Human Monster
aka The
Dark Eyes of London,
which is presented on Blu-ray disc for the first time thanks to VCI.
Directed by Walter Summers (Footsteps
in the Sand,
1939), the film is from the legendary writer Edgar Wallace, who was
very renowned at the time for writing high concept pulp material.
The film also stars Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Edmon Ryan, Wilfred
Walter, and Alexander Field.
The
Human Monster in this film is in the shape of a doctor played by
Lugosi who collects the insurance off men murdered by a disfigured
resident of the home for the blind. A Scotland Yard Inspector
becomes wise to his scheme and the two face off.
The
Human Monster
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray with a black and
white full frame MPEG-4 AVC codec and a 1.37:1 pillar boxed aspect
ratio and an audio mix in PCM Mono, both of which are of the norm for
the format. Considering the age of the film, this presentation isn't
terrible. In fact, it's a miracle the film looks this good
considering it's a low budget production. Still, the image could
have more contrast and be a bit more detailed, but all things
considered it doesn't look too bad here. Definitely a step above
previous releases.
Special
Features include:
Audio
Commentary by Gary D Rhodes
Audio
Commentary by David Del Valle and Phoef Sutton
Original
US Re-Issue Theatrical Trailer
Scared
to Death Trailer (in color and Lugosi's only full color film!)
White
Zombie Trailer (VCI Blu-ray reviewed elsewhere on this site)
Photo
Gallery
Perhaps
one of the lesser known Lugosi films, it is defiantly a chilling
performance from the vampiric master and remains a fun watch,
especially now in HD.
Certainly
not a film for the squeamish,
Inferno of Torture
(1969) is presented in HD courtesy of Arrow Video. A film by Teruo
Ishii (Horrors
of Malformed Men,
Orgies
of Edo),
this violent and perverse film centers around women who are tattooed
and tortured in a western brothel where women are treated inhumanely.
The
film stars Teruo Yoshida, Asao Koike, Yumiko Katayama, and Haruo
Tanaka.
Inferno
of Torture
is presented in nicely here in 1080p high definition with an MPEG-4
AVC codec and an original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a
Japanese LPCM 2.0 Mono mix with English subtitles. It has been
nicely restored here in HD and is up to par with other Arrow
releases.
Special
Features:
Audio
Commentary by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
Erotic
Grotesque Nonsense & the Foundations of Japan's Cult
Counterculture - a condensed version of Jasper Sharp's Miskatonic
Institute lecture
Trailer
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Jacob
Phillips
and
FIRST
PRESSING ONLY:
Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Chris D.
Lastly,
Director
Craig Mazin's The
Specials
(2000) is a low budget comedy/superhero film that's fun to look back
on now as many of its principal cast members have gone on to have
successful careers in the superhero genre. Namely, Director James
Gunn, whose responsible for the excellent Guardians
of the Galaxy
series, here he is in front of the camera as a member of the
dysfunctional superhero team 'The Specials' alongside many notable
faces including Thomas Haden Church (who went on to star in the
Hellboy
reboot and as well as the Sand Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man
3),
Rob Lowe (Parks
and Recreation),
Judy Greer (Jurassic
World),
Jamie Kennedy (Austin
Powers),
Jordan Ladd (Death
Proof),
Paget Brewster (Criminal
Minds),
Kelly Coffield (In
Living Color),
and a cameo by Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina).
If
you're looking for a superhero movie with action packed superhero
sized material, however, this is NOT the movie for you as this is
more of a comedy/drama where the main characters happen to be wearing
superhero costumes. The film has been remastered in a new 2K scan
and presented here for the first time in this limited edition Blu-ray
in honor of its 20th Anniversary.
The
Specials
is a group of superheroes that each have their own unique powers that
have aided humanity for over a decade. When they finally get their
own toy line, they end up clashing with each other as their egos get
in the way. Bashing heads and temporarily disbanding, the group
deals with the problems they have with one another in order to
regroup and remain strong.
The
Specials
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and two nice sounding audio tracks
in lossless English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0
Stereo mixes. This is the time the film has been offered in high
definition and this new 2K scan from an interpositive is definitely a
nice way to see it. The colors are nicely balanced and the fact that
it was shot on film ups the production value.
Special
Features:
Theatrical
Trailer
Moro's
Magic: The "Specials" effects
featurette
Audio
commentary with Director Craig Mazin, Writer/Actor James Gunn,
Producer Mark A.Altman and Visual Effects Supervisor Mojo recorded in
2000
Audio
commentary with Writer/Actor James Gunn and Actress Paget Brewster
recorded in 2005
Deleted
scenes
Wedding
Video
Toy
Commercial
and
Behind the scenes photos
The
Specials
is interesting in the fact that it's a superhero movie without hardly
any superhero special effects. Aside from the costumes and makeup on
a few characters, the film is mainly a character comedy/drama that is
funny and interesting. Obviously shot on a low budget and with a few
dated jokes that might be offensive to some by today's standards, The
Specials
is a fun and entertaining comedy.
-
James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/