Items filtered by date: September 2013

Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep...

A Nightmare on Elm Street was first released in 1984 by New Line Cinema, being written and directed by Wes Craven.  Since its inception, it has spawned seven sequels, a TV series and a remake of the original film.  It has also managed to invoke more fandom and fanaticism than any other horror franchise in history.

As an extremely avid movie geek, I too have been a part of that fandom since I was an eight year old just getting into movies.  I owned all of the films on VHS and bought all of the magazines, posters, comics and soundtracks that I could get my hands on.  Like most people, I also had the obligatory Halloween costume: the hat, sweater and glove combination.  I even went so far as trying to build my own Freddy glove out of soda cans, steak knives and work gloves.  I was later amused to find out that I wasn’t the only one doing these things.  People from all over the world have been constructing Freddy gloves in their basements and garages and selling them over the internet for many years.  There haven’t been too many film franchises that have driven people to this seemingly maniacal and obsessive behavior, and that level of fandom shouldn’t be taken for granted.  [Read on here...]

Afternoon, folks!  Today’s Oktoberfest Giveaway is a real dandy – Factory Entertainment’s awesome Frankenstein VFX Bust: Limited Edition – a $450 value and one of just 400 worldwide!  For your chance to win that bad boy, head on over to our Jahnke’s Electric Theater Facebook page and participate in the Giveaway which starts at Noon (Pacific).  Good luck and special thanks to our friends at Factory Entertainment for providing the sweet Giveaway!

Don’t forget: Bits readers have an exclusive 25% discount on any in stock item over $25 all month over at the Factory Entertainment website – just use the discount code D1G1TALB1TS10 at checkout!

Meanwhile, here at The Bits today, Dr. Jahnke’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest review of the day is none other than Warner Archive’s Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell on MOD DVD, starring Peter Cushing and David Prowse – yes, that Cushing and Prowse.  It’s an appropriate choice we’d say!

Meanwhile, Tim has turned in a look at John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13: Collector’s Edition now available on Blu-ray from our friends at Shout! and Scream Factory.  Enjoy!  [Read on here…]

Our Oktoberfest Giveaway for today starts at Noon (Pacific) over on The Digital Bits Facebook page and features a copy of Scream Factory’s Cockneys vs. Zombies on Blu-ray, which our own Tim Salmons has also reviewed today here at The Bits.

To kick off our last full week of The Hell Plaza Oktoberfest, the good Dr. Jahnke has turned in a review of Dark Sky Films’ Frankenstein’s Army on Blu-ray.  Enjoy!  [Read on here…]

All right, today’s Oktoberfest Giveaway happens over on The Digital Bits Facebook page starting at Noon (Pacific), and features a copy of Scream Factory’s X-Ray/Schizoid on Blu-ray!  The drawing will happen at 3 PM (Pacific) so be sure to head on over there if you’re interested.  And if you’ve not already “liked” The Bits Facebook and Jahnke’s Electric Theater Facebook pages, you might want to do so soon, as we’re going to be giving away another amazing Universal Classic Monsters prop replica from Factory Entertainment next week – it’s the amazing Frankenstein VFX Bust!  And in the next couple weeks we’re going to be giving away their Dracula Medallion and Dracula Ring as well!  So be sure to head on over to Facebook and give the pages a “like” so you can be eligible to participate.

Speaking of the Hell Plaza Oktoberfest, Dr. Jahnke’s review today is a great one: The Vincent Price Collection on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, featuring The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, The Haunted Palace, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Witchfinder General!  [Read on here…]

All right, today’s Oktoberfest Giveaway kicks off at Noon (Pacific) over on the Jahnke’s Electric Theater Facebook page, and features Scream Factory’s Terror Train on Blu-ray.  So head on over there for your chance to win.

Here at the site today, Adam’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest review for the day is Universal’s The Purge, which just arrived in stores on Blu-ray on last week.  Also, Tim has checked in this morning with a review of René Clair’s I Married a Witch, now available on Blu-ray from Criterion.

Speaking of which, be sure to check out last night’s announcement news on Criterion’s January Blu-ray and DVD release slate, which includes a number of great titles.  [Read on here...]

Here’s some exciting breaking news: Our friends at The Criterion Collection have just announced their January Blu-ray and DVD release slate, and WOW – some terrific titles!

The fun starts with a BD upgrade of Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (Cat #190 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/7/14) and the fortieth Eclipse set  Late Ray (DVD – due 1/7/14 – features Satyajit Ray’s The Home and the World, An Enemy of the People and The Stranger), and continues with a BD upgrade of Jules Dassin’s Rififi (Cat #114 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/14/14) and the all-new Michael Mann’s Thief (Cat #691 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/14/14), Aki Kaurismäki’s La vie de bohème (Cat #693 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/21/14), Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Cat #692 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/21/14) and Terence Davies’s The Long Day Closes (Cat #694 – Blu-ray/DVD – due 1/28/14).  By the way, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World includes a “restored 4K digital film transfer of the general release version of the film, with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray” plus a “new high-definition digital transfer of a 197-minute extended version of the film, reconstructed and restored by Robert A. Harris using visual and audio material from the longer original road-show version – including some scenes that have been returned to the film here for the first time – with 5.1 surround Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray.”  What a great slate!  You’ll find cover artwork for all the Blu-rays below.  [Read on here...]

We’re going to be starting today’s Oktoberfest Giveaway over on The Digital Bits Facebook page at Noon (Pacific), featuring a copy of Anchor Bay’s recent Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition!  The Giveaway will be easy to enter and we’ll accept entries until 3 PM (Pacific), so be sure to head on over there and participate for your chance to win!

Dr. Jahnke’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest review for today is a bit of an infamous grindhouse classic – Snuff from our friends at Blue Underground.

Also today, Tim has reviewed Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave on Blu-ray from Criterion. Enjoy! [Read on here...]

Today’s Oktoberfest giveaway is happening over on our Jahnke’s Electric Theater page on Facebook and features a copy of Scream Factory’s The Fog: Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray!  The contest is open until 3 PM (Pacific) so get your entries in and good luck!

Meanwhile, Dr. Jahnke’s Oktoberfest review today is Warner Archive’s 1967 The Frozen Dead on MOD/DVD-R.  Enjoy!

Also, Doogan’s checked in with another Blu-ray review for you today: Disney’s Iron Man 3, which he says is better than it has any right to be!  [Read on here...]

Quick heads-up: Until 3 PM (Pacific) we’re running an Oktoberfest giveaway over on The Digital Bits Facebook page, giving each of you the chance to win a copy of Scream Factory’s Prince of Darkness: Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray!  Get your entries in quick.

Meanwhile, here at The Bits today, we’re kicking off Week 3 of the Hell Plaza Oktoberfest with Dr. Jahnke’s review of The Awful Dr. Orlof, now available on Blu-ray from Kino!

Also today, our own Todd Doogan has checked in with a review of Guillermo del Toro’s 1993 horror film Cronos, available on Blu-ray Disc from Criterion!  It’s a darned good film, well worth your time, and the review is appropriate given that del Toro’s latest film, Pacific Rim (read our review here), arrives in stores tomorrow on Blu-ray and DVD from Warner Home Video.  Enjoy!  [Read on here...]

All right, our Hell Plaza Oktoberfest review for the day is Dr. Jahnke’s take on Anchor Bay’s new Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray!  That’s also the Blu-ray title we’re giving away today over on the Jahnke’s Electric Theater page on Facebook, so be sure to head on over there for your chance to win (the giveaway is open from Noon to 3 PM Pacific)!

Also today, our own Joe Marchese has turned in a review of Kino Lorber’s new The Blue Angel on Blu-ray – a 1930 German classic from director Josef von Sternberg starring Marlene Dietrich.  Enjoy!  [Read on here…]