For families interested in exposing their young storytellers to unique and interesting scary stories that won’t traumatize them, Scholastic offers up a three pack of DVD’s at over two hours in length featuring stories of all kinds. They’re related mainly to the season of fall and bones, but they’re also about exploring the unknown and the vast scary dimensions of reality that can seem scary to children quite often. With voice work from esteemed actors like Joan Allen and Rita Moreno, many of the stories are sometimes crudely drawn, but appealing nonetheless in their whimsy.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
The Best of the Worst – 12 Horror Movie Collection (DVD)
From Mill Creek comes a dozen horror and fantasy films so bad you’ll want to eventually claw your eyes out. You could call this a compilation of films from the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” gallery. Except without the hilarious commentary to ease the pain. If you’re interested in owning these films sans the commentaries, it’s here for the taking!
Zombies Un-Brained 12 Film Flesh Fest (DVD)
This October, zombie fans are able to scoop up the newest film compilation from Mill Creek Entertainment. With over sixteen hours of classic and not so classic zombie movies, this is for the horror fans looking for more with their bucks. The 1962 shocker “Carnival of Souls” is a classic spook fest, about a young woman who crashes in to a lake and survives to tell the tale. Trying to make sense of the incident, she finds herself being stalked by pale bug eyed zombies, all of whom are identical and desperate to take her. For reasons unknown (until the very end), she can’t escape their grasp.
The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Scared Silly (1998)
I honestly had no idea “Wacky World of Ronald McDonald” was a series of VHS video tapes released with almost ten volumes. I only remember in the Halloween of 1998 when the McDonald’s around the corner from where I lived began selling “Scared Silly” as an exclusive gift parents could buy for their kids. Though I am an animation nut and will try any animated movie or show at least once, this series seemed kind of like pandering to me, then. Much to my surprise, this series was animated and scored by the folks at Klasky Csupo, the amazing team behind “Rugrats” and “Aaah! Real Monsters!”
Full Moon Streaming [Web Service]
Full Moon Entertainment get in to the Netflix on Demand business by building an online library of Full Moon films, and Charles Band headed films. The service is now in its infancy, and will be available to all subscribers who want nothing but Full Moon and Charles Band on their computer. Right now most of their library is comprised of rare and out of print films that Full Moon buffs might appreciate. I took in about a half hour of “Shrunken Heads” and also watched a little of “Puppet Master 5.” The viewing quality is quite good, as you’re able to vary in your picture quality from low-res right up to High Definition. Much like NetFlix, you’re able to scroll sideways through a gallery of Full Moon, and Empire pictures, with titles going as far back as “Castle Freak” to recent horror fare like “Reel Evil.”
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History Of Friday The 13th (Blu-ray + DVD Combo)
The team of 1428 Films is at it again, and this time they’re giving Jason Voorhees, the man behind the mask, his due. If folks loved “Never Sleep Again” and it’s extended run time, you’ll be glad to find out that “Crystal Lake Memories” is an exhaustive and lengthy documentary running almost seven hours. This allows for funny, wry, and honest looks in to every single installment of the series. Including the remake. With narration by series star Corey Feldman, “Crystal Lake Memories” traces the series back to when “Friday the 13th” began life as a low budget production at half a million dollars. Thanks to the introduction of Wes Craven’s “Last House on the Left” along with John Carpenter’s iconic “Halloween,” the creators set out to make their own mark with a holiday themed horror film.
Halloween (1978) (35th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]
Compared to other John Carpenter films, “Halloween” demonstrates an amazing amount of restraint for the director. Which is not to say the chaotic elements of “The Thing” and “Assault on Precinct 13” aren’t amazing, but Carpenter displays a surprising competence for pulling back as he does with unleashing hell on a slew of characters. Like many of Carpenter’s films, “Halloween” is also relegated to a limited setting, where the slasher tropes for hundreds of other slasher films would be built. There’s a small town, a curse, a crime that resonates within the community, and a virginal final girl who would stand off against the monster.