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topic: The Best of 2008's Horror DVDs |
ScottWeinberg
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post #1
on May 9, 2008 - 6:09 AM PDT
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At the end of each year I'm tempted to write up a "Best Horror DVDs of the Year" article, mainly because I'm a nerd who enjoys writing things like that, but also because an article like that could set a nice little spotlight on some smaller / indie / foreign horror flicks that didn't make a splash at the box office but deserve to find a shelf life on the digital format.
So I'll offer my suggestions for the year up till now (mid-May), and we can offer additional suggestions as the year goes on. My criteria for an EXCELLLLLENT DVD includes A) how much I like the movie, B) the audio / video quality, and C) if there are any goodies and how awesome are they? Obviously a "bare-bones" DVD could make the list, and a few probably will.
These are the best candidates, with my own personal favorites IN ANNOYING CAPS. Please let me know if I've overlooked anything good, especially in the "catalog title" department.
January
Boogeyman 2
Joshua
Resident Evil: Extinction
Right at Your Door
Saw 4
SUNSHINE
White Noise 2
February
30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Black Water
The Rage
Spiral
Storm Warning
THEM (Ils)
March
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
THE MIST
Shrooms
The Sick House
Trigger Man
The After Dark titles (possibly BORDERLAND)
April
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
CLOVERFIELD
The Cook
INSIDE
THE ORPHANAGE
SWEENEY TODD
May
The Cottage
DIARY OF THE DEAD
FRONTIER(S)
TEETH
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underdog
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post #2
on May 9, 2008 - 12:29 PM PDT
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> On May 9, 2008 - 6:09 AM PDT ScottWeinberg wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> At the end of each year I'm tempted to write up a "Best Horror DVDs of the Year" article, mainly because I'm a nerd who enjoys writing things like that, but also because an article like that could set a nice little spotlight on some smaller / indie / foreign horror flicks that didn't make a splash at the box office but deserve to find a shelf life on the digital format.
>
> So I'll offer my suggestions for the year up till now (mid-May), and we can offer additional suggestions as the year goes on. My criteria for an EXCELLLLLENT DVD includes A) how much I like the movie, B) the audio / video quality, and C) if there are any goodies and how awesome are they? Obviously a "bare-bones" DVD could make the list, and a few probably will.
>
> These are the best candidates, with my own personal favorites IN ANNOYING CAPS. Please let me know if I've overlooked anything good, especially in the "catalog title" department.
>
> January
>
> Boogeyman 2
> Joshua
> Resident Evil: Extinction
> Right at Your Door
> Saw 4
> SUNSHINE
> White Noise 2
>
> February
>
> 30 DAYS OF NIGHT
> Black Water
> The Rage
> Spiral
> Storm Warning
> THEM (Ils)
>
> March
>
> THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
> THE MIST
> Shrooms
> The Sick House
> Trigger Man
> The After Dark titles (possibly BORDERLAND)
>
> April
>
> Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
> CLOVERFIELD
> The Cook
> INSIDE
> THE ORPHANAGE
> SWEENEY TODD
>
> May
>
> The Cottage
> DIARY OF THE DEAD
> FRONTIER(S)
> TEETH
>
> ---------------------------------
Nice list, Scott! And for June, I bet you'll add The Signal, eh? ;-)
How about doing up a member list of your favorites of these? Let me know, we could help you with it.
Good to know about Frontier(s), it looked interesting but I hadn't heard much about it. I have The Cottage queued up, too.
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troublemaker
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post #3
on May 9, 2008 - 2:34 PM PDT
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Woohoo! Very convenient, thank ya Scott.
I'm also seconding your recommendation for THE ORPHANAGE. People should check it out. I made the poor decision to watch this alone at midnight the other day, and was left a bumbling mess of a man. Definitely scared the bejeesus out of me. |
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ScottWeinberg
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post #4
on May 9, 2008 - 6:22 PM PDT
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You're welcome. ;)
And good idea on the list:
http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=10405
Let me know if you get a copy of Storm Warning and/or Spiral so I can add it to the list!
-s |
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underdog
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post #5
on May 10, 2008 - 11:31 AM PDT
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> On May 9, 2008 - 6:22 PM PDT ScottWeinberg wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> You're welcome. ;)
>
> And good idea on the list:
>
> http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=10405
>
> Let me know if you get a copy of Storm Warning and/or Spiral so I can add it to the list!
>
Well done, good sir! They are on their way; we shall let you know indeed. |
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doozer
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post #6
on May 11, 2008 - 3:11 AM PDT
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Does anybody have anything to say about Shrooms? I'm trying to figure out how high it should be on my queue. Pun not necessarily intended.
I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of 30 Days of Night. I love the graphic novel and hope it lives up at least a little. |
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DLeonard
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post #7
on May 11, 2008 - 11:48 AM PDT
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| hmmmmm, what about older films just getting a release? I can't remember if it was in 2008 or 2007, that "Witchfinder General" made a welcome appearance on the DVD format. I also remember someone put out an interesting set of titles under a series called Cult Fiction. "Class of 1984" and "Kidnapped" were two examples. |
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ScottWeinberg
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post #8
on May 12, 2008 - 4:33 AM PDT
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Shrooms isn't bad. It's yet another "kids wander into the woods where something awful happens," but it's quite a bit more stylish than many of its ilk. The script ... eh. At least there's an effort. Not bad; certainly not great.
-s
> On May 11, 2008 - 3:11 AM PDT doozer wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Does anybody have anything to say about Shrooms? I'm trying to figure out how high it should be on my queue. Pun not necessarily intended.
>
>
> I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of 30 Days of Night. I love the graphic novel and hope it lives up at least a little.
> ---------------------------------
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ScottWeinberg
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post #9
on May 12, 2008 - 4:45 AM PDT
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I'll double-check for the better catalog releases of the year, but the excellent Witchfinder DVD actually came out last year.
Regarding the "Cult Fiction" line, that's put out by New Line. They came out in March, so they would be eligible for my list, but all of these are re-issues that are either bare-bones or packing old extras. (Good bargains, tho.) I'm pretty sure that these are the movies released under the CF brand:
C.H.U.D.
Class of 1984
Fitzcarraldo
Kidnapped
The Long Good Friday
Night of the Living Dorks
The Quiet Earth
Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Road Games
The Wicker Man
> On May 11, 2008 - 11:48 AM PDT DLeonard wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> hmmmmm, what about older films just getting a release? I can't remember if it was in 2008 or 2007, that "Witchfinder General" made a welcome appearance on the DVD format. I also remember someone put out an interesting set of titles under a series called Cult Fiction. "Class of 1984" and "Kidnapped" were two examples.
> ---------------------------------
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doozer
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post #10
on May 12, 2008 - 10:50 AM PDT
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> On May 12, 2008 - 4:33 AM PDT ScottWeinberg wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Shrooms isn't bad. It's yet another "kids wander into the woods where something awful happens," but it's quite a bit more stylish than many of its ilk. The script ... eh. At least there's an effort. Not bad; certainly not great.
>
> -s
>
Those movies are really disappointing and misleading. whenever I wander into the woods irresponsibly with my possible ill intending friends..NOTHING happens.
Can I at least depend on good horrific imagery since I assume bad things happen involving hallucinogenic drug use? |
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underdog
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post #11
on May 12, 2008 - 11:57 AM PDT
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| Sounds like Shrooms would be better if you were *on* shrooms. |
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doozer
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post #12
on May 12, 2008 - 1:25 PM PDT
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> On May 12, 2008 - 11:57 AM PDT underdog wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> Sounds like Shrooms would be better if you were *on* shrooms.
> ---------------------------------
I'm snagging it out of morbid curiosity. A sort of Irish slasher flick? How cool (or horrible) is that??
Besides one of the characters is named Bluto. I know something terrible has to happen to him with a name like that. I'm curious to see what it is. |
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underdog
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post #13
on May 29, 2008 - 9:53 AM PDT
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> On May 10, 2008 - 11:31 AM PDT underdog wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> > On May 9, 2008 - 6:22 PM PDT ScottWeinberg wrote:
> > ---------------------------------
> > You're welcome. ;)
> >
> > And good idea on the list:
> >
> > http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=10405
> >
> > Let me know if you get a copy of Storm Warning and/or Spiral so I can add it to the list!
> >
Scott already added these to his list but thought I'd mention that we do have both of those now.
Enjoy!
This seems like a really good past year for horror, even with all the crap that came out too. Most impressive. |
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underdog
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post #14
on May 29, 2008 - 12:33 PM PDT
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Know anything about this one? The Dead Pit
For Scott or anyone...
I like the "Dead Zone"-esque font on the box. |
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ScottWeinberg
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post #15
on May 29, 2008 - 7:23 PM PDT
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You think that's cool? When that movie first hit VHS, the cover had a 3-D monster with eyes that LIT UP!!
If memory serves, it's a pretty nasty horror piece about a pit filled with monsters and the lunatic who tosses people into it. It's a 1989 release from Brett Leonard (his debut), before he went on to direct stuff like The Lawnmower Man, Hideaway, and Virtuosity. (His more recent flicks aren't any better: Man-Thing, Feed, and Highlander: The Source.)
Not to be confused with the 1981 flick The Pit, which is pretty much the same thing, only the psycho is a kid.
And yes, all this without using IMDb. Sad, really. |
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Vanamonde
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post #16
on May 30, 2008 - 4:11 AM PDT
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I vote for "30 Days of Night!" It presented a lifestyle I have never seen before and great acting!
And I am very picky about horror. I often seems like a very tired genre, this days, with all of the Real World horror going now. |
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underdog
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post #17
on June 2, 2008 - 11:44 AM PDT
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| I'm stumped about Stump the Band, but intrigued enough by write-ups and synopsis to queue it up. Any ideas about that one? |
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doozer
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post #18
on June 2, 2008 - 1:32 PM PDT
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> On June 2, 2008 - 11:44 AM PDT underdog wrote:
> ---------------------------------
> I'm stumped about Stump the Band, but intrigued enough by write-ups and synopsis to queue it up. Any ideas about that one?
> ---------------------------------
I think it's safe to say that any horror movie with backwoods creepyness will be sufficient. |
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underdog
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post #19
on July 14, 2008 - 4:39 PM PDT
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Any thoughts on Trapped Ashes? It's a horror anthology film that is out tomorrow (July 15). Looks interesting...
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underdog
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post #20
on August 1, 2008 - 1:36 PM PDT
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| Okay, someone needs to watch Dead Fury when we get it next week and tell us what you think. It sounds awesome - zombie/slasher horror parody done in animation. |
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