Squid Ink

Welcome back to the latest episode of Slipped Discs, where I give you a head’s up on what nerdy stuff is available to come home with you, because I still believe in physical media!

Once more, all this information comes from Blu-Ray.com, but they list everything that will be in the stores, whereas I shall provide you with what I feel is the interesting genre fare.

Sorry for the delay on this, my Physical Medians, but I was occupied last night recording this week’s Quarantine Panel for the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track, with the fine folks at the ESO Network, all about one of last week’s releases, Airplane! I do hope that you will tune in when it plays on Thursday!

Or, if you’re reading this after 7/30, that you will go back and watch it on the YouTube, along with all of our other Quarantine Panels and funny videos.

And with those plugs out of the way, let’s get on with our filthy business.

Alien Trespass (2009) “Look out, earthlings! From The X Files’ R.W. Goodwin comes this action-filled sci-fi tale in the tradition of such cult classics as The Blob and It Came from Outer Space. It’s 1957, a spaceship has just landed in a quiet small town, and a maneating one-eyed alien is on the loose! But fear not, a friendly alien also has emerged from the spaceship. Inhabiting the body of local astronomer Ted Lewis (Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack), the alien teams up with a spunky diner waitress in a desperate battle to save mankind!” It’s very hard to do camp on purpose, and make it work. This doesn’t look like they pull it off, to me.

Graveyard Shift (1990) “In a very old textile mill, with a serious rat infestation, the workers discover a horrifying secret deep in the basement.” Loosely based upon the short story by Stephen King, this is another adaptation that doesn’t quite grasp what made the story work, and is honestly a pass for me.

Thirteen Ghosts (2001) “A family inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle. There’s just one problem: the house seems to have a dangerous agenda all its own. Trapped in their new home by strangely shifting walls, the family encounters powerful and vengeful entities that threaten to annihilate anyone in their path. Soon the family is joined by an offbeat ghost hunter who is determined to free the spirits imprisoned in the house. Caught in a frantic race to save themselves before it’s too late, the human inhabitants realize the house is a riddle which contains the key to their imminent salvation – or destruction.” Another great Dark Castle production, with a fantastic cast, great SFX, and a cool premise, I am glad to see this flick finally getting the recognition it deserves. This is yet another SCREAM Factory Collector’s Edition release, and my Pick of the Week.

No, they’re still not paying me.

Wonder Woman (2017) “The Amazonian Warrior Princess Diana left her lush tropical island to dwell in our urban cityscapes of glass and steel. Tutored in the ways of the Greek warriors, and outfitted with incredible gifts the Goddess bestowed upon her people, she becomes Paradise Island’s emissary to civilization.” With Wonder Woman 1984 supposed to have been released right around now, there’s quite a bit of wondrous releases that were scheduled to come out as part of the hoopla. And I am here for it. This Best Buy exclusive Steelbook is quite awesome, with a plastic slipcover to fit over the case containing the Blu and 4K editions of this great movie. It was nearly my pick of the week, and yes, I already have it in my collection.

Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection (1975-1979) “During World War II, a plane piloted by Major Steve Trevor crashes near Paradise Island, the secret hidden island home of the mighty and eternally young Amazons. He is rescued by Princess Diana and learns of the war against the Nazis. The Amazons decide to send Diana to help fight in this crisis.” The other big release to tie into the Wonder Woman 1984 release, this collection of all three seasons of this iconic series is, for me, a must have. Sure, the first season is the best, but all three seasons have Lynda Carter, Lyle Waggoner, and a pure sense of fun that I find irresistible.

Old Dracula (1975) “In this spoof of the Transylvanian legend, Count Dracula, sinks his fangs into a bevy of Playboy Bunnies in order to find the right blood type to resurrect his dear-departed wife, then after a mix up in the lab, he finds he has a different kind of uh.. “problem”.” David Niven as, like the title says, Old Dracula. Restored by the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome, this is probably worth a look.

Lloyd the Conqueror (2011) “Their grades slipping, hard-partying college students Lloyd, Patrick, and Oswald plead with the professor Derek to give them some much-needed extra credit. In order to earn it, Derek insists that they arm themselves with foam swords, and participate in an epic game of Demons & Dwarves. A former LARP champion, Derek’s stint in academia has weakened his skills on the battlefield. But Lloyd is determined to help Derek in his fight against the dreaded Horde of Chaos, and he knows just the right people to ensure victory. A former cage fighter who teaches female self-defense course, Cassandra possesses both beauty and brawn; likewise, local gaming merchant Andy possesses the skills of a White Wizard – a notable advantage in the struggle against darkness. Still, it remains to be seen whether this mighty crew will be any match for the fierce Danes, hulking lunatic Leopold, and a stern Vulcan with the power of Starfleet on his side.” This looks like one that’s laughing at the nerds, not with the nerds, so this is a hard no from me.

The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (1987) “Promoted as France’s first gore film, Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (La revanche des mortes-vivantes) is a consumate shocker of horror and sex that as grown into a legend as being one of the sickest and most perverse of zombie films.” They had me at living dead girls wanting revenge.

Dead Dicks (2019) “After Becca receives a distressing call from her suicidal brother Richie, she rushes over to his apartment and finds him alive and well – surrounded by copies of his own dead body.” No name cast, interesting premise, this might be decent. I’m gonna check it out.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) “Captain Nemo has built a fantastic submarine for his mission of revenge.” I had no idea that this film existed, and I am always glad to see a classic film get a new release on modern media. This is one I am going to have to track down.

Gundala (2019) “Indonesia’s preeminent comic book superhero and his alter ego Sancaka enter the cinematic universe to battle the wicked Pengkor and his diabolical squad of orphan assassins.” From everything I can see, this looks like a very cool superhero flick. I’m going to try and check it out.

Other titles of note: The Outsider: The Complete First Season (2020), Demonia (1990), James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (2018), The Eleventh Commandment (1987), Slave of the Cannibal God (1978), Nazi Undead (2018),  The Bucks County Massacre (2010)

As you can see, my Physical Medians, we have another large selection to choose from this week! As always, let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!