Say what you will about Eli Roth as a filmmaker, this History of Horror limited series was a lot of fun with a wide variety of participants with directors, actors and members of academia in a wide range of discussions of horror.
The Evil Dead is easily one of my favorites in the possession/supernatural horror genre of films with a simple story, fine performances all things considered including introducing audiences to the campiness greatness that is Bruce Campbell.
Although I was never an uber fan of The Evil Dead, this Ash vs. Evil Dead was a fun series bringing back fan favorite Bruce Campbell that made him a fanboy household name and Campbell is in his element. For whatever reason it was cancelled after only three seasons but those were hella entertaining.
Bubba Ho-Tep is an oft fun little flick that has garnered cult classic status over the years and features a great performance by Bruce Campbell as well as Ossie Davis. I wasn’t as over the moon with it but on the whole, it’s a unique film with replay value.
The Waxwork movies aren’t great, though the first one was very entertaining, and although the sequel wasn’t quite as good, they do make for a nice Saturday night double-header especially for fans of horror.
This “Collector’s Edition” for Army of Darkness brings together all versions available and a great selection of bonus material, that I believe also ported over from previous releases, to go along with great video and audio transfers. This is probably one of the best Shout Factory releases which is no small feat.
While well intentioned, The Color of Time is basically a student film, by Franco’s pupils, with high level actors filling the roles. The story isn’t that well written and all in all just not that interesting. The DVD released by Anchor Bay is very basic with no features and so-so video and audio transfers.
Maniac Cop 2 debuts on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground, a real treat for horror fans to finally get proper audio and video transfers to go along with a well-packed selection of bonus features. At a good price, currently under $18, this is well worth purchasing and adding to your collection.
Mindwarp is an apt title but still a fun little movie with a solid performance from Mr. B-Movie Bruce Campbell and a nice introduction to Marta Alicia, although her career has since been comprised on guest appearances on a variety of television shows.
The Spider-Man 2 Mastered in 4k Blu-ray release looks good but is it worth the price of an upgrade (around $15)? I don’t think so especially since, as with the other 4k releases none of the features were ported over. Still, if you own the proper equipment and have made the determination to dive into the field, this is a top title worth having in your collection.
With Evil Dead Fede Alvarez and company, along with producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, were on an uphill battle remaking/rebooting a cult classic and in some instances, it works but in many others, it came across as another horror movie amongst hundreds of others with higher production values. The Blu-ray released by Sony has some superficial featurettes but the highlight is a cast and director commentary which helps expand more on the behind-the-scenes stories.