This is the first edition of the Blu-Ray Bin, a new column I hope to post once each month. My goal here is to provide some quick bullet-reviews of horror films recently released on Blu-ray. The column will serve as a round-up of what’s been released each month. Since this is the first edition of the Blu-Ray Bin, I’ll be going back a little further than the previous month.
Curse of the Cat People
Available: June 18 2018
Distributed by: Scream Factory
A sequel in title only to Jacques Tourneur’s The Cat People, Scream Factory released Curse of the Cat People this past June. Robert Wise directed the sequel and DeWitt Bodeen returned to pen the story. Curse of the Cat People is the rare follow-up that dared to take its story in a different direction. Aside from returning main characters and including the daughter of the original film’s ‘cat person’, the sequel is a haunting psychological thriller that foregoes animal curses. This is the type of classic horror thriller that illustrates the effectiveness of black-and-white filming. Its a haunting and beautifully photographed film that proves that sequels don’t have to recycle a story to be good.
Worth Buying: Yes
Daughters of Satan
Available: April 24 2018
Distributed By: Scream Factory
This cheap 1972 thriller was one of several horror films that cased in on public fascination with the occult at the time. A young Tom Selleck plays a married man who buys a painting that depicts three witches being burned at the stake. He becomes obsessed with the uncanny resemblance between one of the ‘witches’ and his wife. As he delves into the mystery of the painting, his life becomes jeopardized by malevolent forces.
Daughters of Darkness is almost low-budget enough to make you think it’s a made-for-television film. A few scenes of lurid nudity and casual xenophobia substitute for scares.
Worth Buying: Only for diehard collectors or fans of occult films.
Deep Rising
Available: August 21 2018
Distributed By: Kiko Lorber
Deep Rising was a belated entry to the sea monster craze that included movies like Leviathan and Deep Six Rising. Director Stephen Sommers shows flashes of the filmmaking that would turn The Mummy remake into a hit. On the other hand, Sommers also shows a few hints of the director who would go on to make Van Helsing. Nonetheless, Deep Rising includes an excellent cast and decent monster effects. It may not necessarily be a classic, but’s still a fun B-film monster mash.
Worth Buying: Yes
Scream for Help
Available: September 18 2018
Distributed By: Scream Factory
God bless Scream Factory for digging up this 1980’s British horror film and giving it a Blu-ray release. Is it a good movie? Not really. But it’s bad in a wonderfully idiosyncratic way that only ’80’s films could achieve. To its credit, Scream for Help tells its formulaic story in a completely non-formulaic way. There’s plenty of casual nudity and awful dialogue to go around. It’s not necessarily a hidden gem, but Scream for Help may be that one ’80’s horror film you missed.
Worth Buying: For ’80’s Horror Fans, Yes. Everyone Else – No.