As a slasher buff, I’m saddened that we’re in a current horror climate where other less deserving slasher films have gotten full fledged franchises while “Behind the Mask” is still just a one time gem. “The Rise of Leslie Vernon” is one of the best slasher films of the aughts that was perfecting the indie slasher sub-genre well before “Hatchet” came along. No slight to Adam Green, but I’d much rather have had three “Behind the Mask” films over four “Hatchet” films any day of the week. “Behind the Mask” is brilliant in not only creating a great slasher villain, but telling a sharp meta-story that dissects the sub-genre as a whole.
Category Archives: Collector’s Den
Drag Me to Hell (2009): Collector’s Edition [2 Blu-Ray]
After almost twenty years not making horror movies, fans were excited to see Sam Raimi getting back in to the genre that introduced him to us originally. While we might have wanted another “Evil Dead” rather than a PG-13 horror film, with Raimi you never get just a PG-13 horror film, after all. After many years of working on the big budget spectacles of the “Spider-Man” movies, Raimi blasts in to the horror world once again to deliver what has been a very thoroughly analyzed and appreciated little gem. Leave it to Raimi to throw in a smaller film that packs a punch over time.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Special Edition (1988) [Blu-Ray]
I’m not entirely sure why, but I hated “Killer Klowns” when I was a kid. And I say this as someone who loved “Spaced Invaders.” That said, watching it years later, it’s shocking how great “Killer Klowns” is as much as it is creative. You can tell “Killer Klowns” is working on a tight budget, but it’s also obviously spending every single penny meticulously to work toward the movie’s benefit. While the film isn’t perfect, “Killer Klowns” earns its cult classic status as a very unique horror comedy. It’s creative, it’s funny, it’s delightfully gruesome and you have to love that theme song.
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) [4K UHD/Digital/Blu-Ray]
“Hell to Pay” is chapter two in what is one of the more under appreciated animated DC series currently in stores. While DC mainly focuses on Batman and Superman, we’re given a second shot with “Suicide Squad” who DC is thankfully not above sharing for the home entertainment audiences. After the very good “Assault on Arkham,” the team known as Task Force X return with a premise that—let’s just say it—should have been the premise for the live action movie. It’s a small covert team, they should do small covert operations that involve the DC Universe, for crying out loud.
Deep Blue Sea 2 (2018) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]
So what do you do when you’re making a killer Shark movie but don’t have the budget for a lot of killer shark carnage? You fill the movie up with a lot of characters talking, and walking around, and talking, and explaining and arguing and pretending there’s some kind of conflict here. Say what you want about “Deep Blue Sea” but it had genuine killer shark carnage that, while silly, still featured killer sharks. “Deep Blue Sea 2,” however, does everything in its power to avoid showing killer sharks–even though they’re the basis for the entire movie.
Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection (6 DVD)
Always prone to giving the consumer more bang for their bucks, Mill Creek Entertainment compiles a six DVD set of the best of Martin and Lewis. And while it may not have their all time greats, it still manages to be a solid set that can mesh in with any collection of a Martin and Lewis fanatic. The set comes packed in the usual slip case and compiles a lot of past releases for one fine compendium you can entertain yourself with for hours. In this case, it’s almost thirty hours total of Martin and Lewis shenanigans with five movies and twenty eight episodes of “The Colgate Comedy Hour.”
Suspiria (1977): Two Disc Special Edition [Blu-Ray]
Dario Argento’s horror film “Suspiria” is an immaculate production, one that almost commands you watch it with unbreaking attention. While many have argued it lacks a narrative and often times feels aimless, Argento vies more for a cinematic experience than something that relies heavily on narrative. “Suspiria” feels like one long fever dream, and Argento paints every scene like its being influenced by pure evil. While Suzy herself is being influenced by witches and witchcraft, the audience itself also seems to be pulled in to the same seat, watching every bit of setting being altered in to this realm.