If you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping for the Richard Pryor fans on your gift list, this 13-disc DVD collection should certainly bring plenty of pleasure.
The Bootleg Files: The Second Shot Kills
BOOTLEG FILES 781: “The Second Shot Kills” (1972 fan film of the 007 franchise made by Welsh teenagers).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Getting this released commercially is a bit tricky.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.
This week, everyone with even the faintest connection to film scholarship has been writing articles in advance of the U.S. premiere of the new James Bond film “No Time To Die.” However, there is a more intriguing 007 film that deserves attention – one that you probably never knew existed.
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The Collection (2012)
I never saw the original “The Collector” but at this point I think it’s fair to say that you don’t really have to. “The Collection” is definitely a follow up to what is meant to be a trilogy of films, and the storyline isn’t exactly episodic. “The Collection” is not at all a bad movie, mind you. But it’s not as labyrinthian in its narrative as the “Saw” series continues to be. It sure does try to be, as it tells us very little about who the Collector is.
Alone in the Dark (1982): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]
It’s too bad that in the eighties, in the midst of the big slasher movie boom, that “Alone in the Dark” was almost completely lost in the shuffle of the endless genre titles thrown in to theaters. At a time when audiences wanted splatter films and masked slashers, “Alone in the Dark” snuck by them for too long. Whole it’s not nearly the slasher that the original art for it implies, what we actually get is a chaotic home invasion horror movie with a sick sense of humor.
The Unborn (2021) [Shriekfest 2021]
A young pregnant woman goes to work in a building about to be destroyed. With her security partner, they come across unusual things and happenings on their first night. As these things escalate, they must decide what to do and find a way out.
Five Horror Anthologies that Deserve Renewed Interest
After a lull for many, many years, the horror anthology has made a roaring comeback and is once again a common place for the horror movie genre. Television has embraced the anthology for short form storytelling, while modern horror filmmakers have utilized the format to give a platform and exposure to indie filmmakers around the world anxious for an audience.
With new anthologies premiering this year (10/31 Part II, V/H/S/94, Fear Street, et al.), be sure to look for these five great anthology horror films deserving of a big audience and fan following.
Daylight’s End (2016)
Director William Kaufman’s “Daylight’s End” is “30 Days of Night,” meets “Dawn 04” with “Assault on Precinct 13” thrown in for good measure. Sadly, while it’s nowhere near the masterpiece the aforementioned Carpenter film is, it’s silly, goofy, occasionally clumsy, fun late night movie fodder. In the heydays of cable television I could picture sneaking out of bed, and checking this out on one of the premium movie channels at three in the morning.