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.

Well, my Physical Medians, the embarrassment of riches of the last few weeks had to end at some point. Which is good for my wallet! Maybe now I can catch up on some of the things that came out recently.

But that does make for a short article this week, so let me take a moment to plug a few things by people I like, that I think you’ll like as well!

First up, the new video from The Casket Creatures is out, for their song Bloody Mary! It’s a great song, a fun video, and I dare you to watch it five times!

Next up, also on the YouTube, the most excellent Dave of Needless Things has started doing toy unboxing videos, the most recent for a Newt figure from Aliens. They’re great videos, and unlike a lot of reviews on YouTube, he focuses on the toy, not the host’s “wacky” personality. Subscribe to his channel, to his podcast, and I guarantee you’ll be informed as well as entertained.

Oh, and watch the weekly American Sci-Fi Classics Track Quarantine panels. They’re alright.

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

We Summon the Darkness (2019) “The killing spree of murderous Satanists has already led to 18 deaths throughout America’s Heartland. Three best friends Alexis, Val, and Beverly embark on a road trip to a heavy metal music festival. Naive, they bond with three seemingly fun-loving dudes and soon the group heads off to Alexis’ country home, a very secluded place, for an afterparty. What should be a night of fun and youthful debauchery may instead take a dark, deadly turn. With killers on the loose, can anyone be trusted?” It stars a bunch of people I don’t know, and Johnny Knoxville. So, it has that going for it.

Straight Edge Kegger (2019) “After he thinks his straight edge friends have gone too far, young punk Brad decides to leave them behind when he meets happy-go-lucky partier Sean. He attends his first house party where he meets beautiful Maybe then all hell breaks loose. A group of masked intruders attacks the houseful of drunks and stoners making sure no one gets out alive. It’s up to Brad, Sean and Maybe to save the party in this blood-soaked thrill ride from writer and director Jason Zink.” Indy horror with an interesting premise from a newbie director. This is either really going to rock, or suck. Hopefully rock.

Doctor Who: The Complete Twelfth Series (2019-2020) You know, I’m not even going to bother with the B-R.com inaccurate gist. Here, from Wikipedia: “Jodie Whittaker returns for her second series as the Thirteenth Doctor, an incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, which appears from the outside to be a British police box. It also stars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill as the Doctor’s travelling companions, Graham O’Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan, respectively. The series follows the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions as they meet a new incarnation of the Master and SPOILER, the return of SPOILER, the appearance of SPOILER, the Cybermen, and the secret of the Timeless Child.” I put in the spoiler warnings. You’re welcome. I need to finish watching this season (the first part of this year was rough for me, my Physical Medians…unlike now?), but what I saw, I liked.

The Hunt (2019) “Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. They don’t know they’ve been chosen – for a very specific purpose – The Hunt.” A politically charged take on The Most Dangerous Game, I’ve heard very good and very bad reviews of this movie. The bad that I’ve heard has kept me from watching it for now, but I know that I’ll eventually give it a look.

The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space (1958-1959) Again, the B-R.com gist is useless, so here from IMDB, H-Man: “When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works. His disappearance stumps the police – until a young scientist appears who claims that H-Bomb tests in the Pacific, evidenced by a “ghost ship” that has turned up in the harbor, have created radioactive creatures – “H-Men” – who ooze like slime and dissolve anyone they touch.” And for Battle in Outer Space: “The nations of the Earth unite in a common cause to fight off an invader from outer space.” Both of these are classics of Japanese Sci-Fi, and you can now own them both in one convenient set!

White Crane Chronicles (aka Kung Fu Killer I & II) (2008) “A Caucasian monk in Shanghai infiltrates the underworld to find the killers of his spiritual female Grandmaster.” A martial arts TV mini-series with David Carradine and Daryl Hanna that I somehow missed out on. Looking at the reviews, there are probably a few reasons for that.

Other titles of note: House of Many Sorrows (2019), The Dinner Party (2020), Voices (2020)

When I said there wasn’t a lot this week, my Physical Medians, I wasn’t kidding. In fact, my pick of the week for this week is last week’s Steelbook release of Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series.

Black Lives Matter.

Anyway, let me know which of this week’s releases are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

Summer movie season would normally be fully upon us now, my Physical Medians, but, well…yeah. It’s getting scary out there, my friends. Please stay safe.

While we may not have a lot to see in the multiplex, we have a ton of things coming out for our home collections. So let’s get down to our filthy buisness.

Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection (1960-2019) “No synopsis for Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection.” Well, thanks much, B-R.com. Ok, for the unaware, Al was a king of B-Grade exploitation flicks in the 60s & 70s. I won’t say that any of them are masterpieces, but he is responsible for a few cult gems. And this collection gives you just about all of them. Included in this set from Severin Films are: “Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson / The Female Bunch / Psycho A Go-Go / Fiend with the Electronic Brain / Blood of Ghastly Horror / Halfway to Hell / Five Bloody Graves / Blood of Dracula’s Castle /Horror of the Blood Monsters / Smashing the Crime Syndicate a.k.a The Fakers /Hell’s Bloody Devils / Dracula vs. Frankenstein / Brain of Blood / Satan’s Sadists / Angel’s Wild Women / The Naughty Stewardesses / Blazing Stewardesses / Girls For Rent / Jessi’s Girls / Nurses For Sale / Black Heat / The Dynamite Brothers / Mean Mother / Uncle Tom’s Cabin / Black Samurai / Death Dimension / Sunset Cove / Cinderella 2000 / Nurse Sherri / Carnival Magic / LOST” Whew! It will set you back a little over two-hundred clams, but if you love Al, cult flicks, or just want a ton of viewing options, this is the ultimate set for you.

Star Trek: Short Treks (2018) “No synopsis for Star Trek: Short Treks.” *sigh* B-R.com, you’re really starting to let me down here! Ok, per Wikipedia: “an American anthology web television series created for CBS All Access by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. It originated as a spin-off companion series from Star Trek: Discovery, and consists of several shorts that use settings and characters from that series and the wider Star Trek universe. The shorts are around 10 to 20 minutes long.” From what I can see, this set contains all the shorts except for Children of Mars, which was the lead-in to Picard, so I bet it will be on the set for that show. My personal favorites are The Brightest Star, The Escape Artist, Q&A, and Ask Not. Give this a spin, my fellow Trek fans.

Jaws 45th Anniversary Edition (1975) “When a seaside community finds itself under attack by a great white shark, three men embark on a quest to kill it before it strikes again.” Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this movie. It’s the first movie that I saw in the theater, as my dad thought it was the perfect to take his four-year old son to see. I still clearly remember it, and it shaped my life in many, many ways. You don’t need me to sell you on this classic, and I can’t wait to pick up the Best Buy Steelbook, to go with all the other versions I already own. It’s also available in regular 4K and Blu. And you better believe that it’s my Pick of the Week.

Flash Gordon (1980) “When energy waves pull the moon out of orbit, New York Jets quarterback Flash Gordon unexpectedly finds himself heading for the planet Mongo, where, with assistance from the beautiful Dale Arden and the noble Prince Barin, he will face Emperor Ming the Merciless and rescue humanity.” A true 80s classic, I’m glad to see it getting the respect it deserves. This Best Buy exclusive 4K Steelbook is the version to get in my opinion, but you all know that I’m a sucker for Steelbooks. This movie is also a favorite of Classic Track Irregular Debbie Viguie, so this is her (unknowing) Pick of the Week!

Valhalla Rising (2009) “1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One Eye and Are board a Viking vessel, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that clears only as the crew sights an unknown land. As the new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible and bloody fate, One Eye discovers his true self.” I’ve not seen this, but it stars Mads Mikkelsen, so I gotta give it a look.

Love Actually (2003) “Everywhere you look, love is causing chaos. From the bachelor Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who, on his first day at 10 Downing Street, falls in love with the girl who brings him his tea, to a hopeless sandwich delivery guy who doesn’t think he has a chance with the girls in the U.K., so he heads for Wisconsin. From aging rock stars, to a stony headmistress, to a monolingual Portuguese housemaid–love arrives in many forms, shapes and sizes. Here, ten separate–but intertwining–stories of love all lead up to a big climax on Christmas Eve, proving that love is the driving force in all of these people’s lives.” What?! Don’t look at me like that, this is totally a genre film. Rowan Atkinson is totally an angel. You know you love it. Tegan, back me up on this!

Watchmen: An HBO Limited Series (2019) “Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.” One of the best pieces of media to happen last year, and damn if it hasn’t become even more relevant, in light of recent events. If you haven’t seen this, you absolutely must, especially now. Available on 4K, Blu, and the obligatory Best Buy Steelbook. Tick tock.

The Blackout: Invasion Earth (2019) “The connection with most of the Earth was suddenly broken. The shocks did not affect only a small part, namely, 10% of the territory of Russia and partially neighboring territories. This part was called the “circle of life.” People conducted a new frontier, set up a defensive perimeter and sent reconnaissance groups outside it. They realized that there was an attack on the Earth, as a result of which almost all living things perished. In order to repel the mysterious enemy, they mobilized the army, and built outposts beyond the perimeter.” There have been some pretty cool genre flicks to come out of Russia, and this one looks interesting. Anyone seen it?

Creepshow: Season 1 (2019) “The fictional Creepshow comic books come to life in this anthology series of terrifying tales hosted by the silent Creepshow ghoul.” Brought to us by Greg Nicotero & Shudder, these 12 tales spread over six episodes were a nasty little treat. Like any anthology show, it has it’s ups and downs, but the ups are very good and the downs were tolerable. And my friend the Award Winning Bobby Nash is an extra in one episode, which just adds another reason to watch!

1BR (2019) “We all have apartment horror stories: annoying roommates, asshole landlords, dilapidated buildings, among many more nightmare scenarios. The search for a nice place to live in a desirable location with reasonable rents, decent neighbors and soundproof walls is more of a challenge than it should be, so when Sarah lucks into a sweet one-bedroom at Asilo Del Mar Apartments, she think she’s hit the jackpot. Situated on a quiet street in Los Angeles, it’s got plenty of space, friendly tenants, group BBQs and even a cute neighbor next door. But this being L.A., all is not what it seems: loud noises start keeping her awake at night; her cat is missing; everyone seems to be a little too helpful and friendly, except for the weirdo, Lester. Soon, Sarah learns she didn’t choose this apartment – it chose her.” Again, I will never understand B-R.com’s decisions on gist-writing. Two big releases get nothing, and this indy horror flick from what appears to be a first time writer/director gets a full paragraph. Nothing against this movie, by the way. It looks interesting, which is why I’m highlighting it here (indy horror is both my bag, and makes me happy more often than not) and I want to see how it is. I’m just baffled by B-R.com. Hey guys, I’m open for hire!

The Gates of Hell (1980) “The Seven Gates of Hell have been torn open, a reporter and a psychic race to close the portals of the damned.” I know that I mentioned this movie last week, and what I said still stands. I bring it up again as this looks like a different edition where it’s not paired up in a double-feature, and has a very cool cover.

Apollo 13 (1995) “Apollo 13 was just another “routine” space flight- until these words pierced the immense void of space: “Houston, we have a problem.” Simply a masterpiece. It captures one of the most important events of the space race, Howard is at the top of his directing game, Hanks and the rest of the cast are phenomenal, and now you can watch it in glorious 4K, Blu, and, yes, a Best Buy Steelbook.

Witches in the Woods (2019) “Jill, a tenacious UMass freshman, abandons her studies for an off-the-grid snowboarding trip with friends. But after the sun has dipped below the horizon, their SUV mysteriously becomes lost in the freshly-logged mountains, eventually running out of gas. As temperatures fall, the group dynamic unravels as a virtual and then literal witch hunt begins.” Another horror flick I haven’t heard of, but the poster and description have my interest.

Other titles of note: They Came from Beyond Space (1967), Extra Ordinary (2019), Everfall (2017), Ghostbusters 1 & 2 (1984-1989), Doom: Annihilation (2019), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Like I said, there is a ton of stuff out this week, my Physical Medians. A metric ton of Steelbooks, but nothing from Shout!/SCREAM Factory, which I’m sure worried some of you that I hadn’t brought them up. Anyway, let me know which of this week’s releases are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

So, my Physical Medians, I feel like I must apologize again for last week’s list coming out a week late. I shall do my best to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. For a while, at least. :/

So, with that out of the way, let’s go ahead and take a look at this week’s releases. And boy howdy, there are a lot of them! There’s a little something for everyone, my friends.

Better Off Dead (1985) “Lane Meyer is a depressed teen who loses his girlfriend Beth. Her given reason for breaking up is: “Lane, I think it’d be in my best interest if I dated somebody more popular. Better looking. Drives a nicer car.” Anyway, poor Lane is left alone and thinks up treacherous ways of killing himself. He finally meets a French beauty called Monique and falls for her. Simultaneously, he must endure his mother’s terrible cooking which literally slides off the table and his disgusting next door neighbour Ricky (and his mum) while he prepares for the skiing race of his life – to get his old girlfriend back!” This was originally announced to be released back on February 25th, where I gushed about it and Savage Steve Holland, but it was pushed back to this week. If it’s not actually available this week, I may scream.

Pale Blood (1990) “Michael Fury is a vampire. But contrary to myth and legend, he does not stalk innocent victims to drain them of blood – and life – rather he only drinks what he needs to survive. But when a vicious, and very human, killer begins murdering young women in Los Angeles by biting them and draining their blood, sparking fears that a vampire is prowling the city, Michael realizes that it will be up to him to unmask the fiend behind these deaths to save the good name of his vampire brethren.” Another movie that was pushed back, this time from 4/28, and I’m still interested in seeing this one.

Escape from L.A. (1996) “It’s 16 years after Snake Plissken’s rescue of the President of the United States of America in New York. Now, a different President is in power, and declares the U.S. to be a land of moral superiority: no smoking, no red meat, no freedom of religion and no unapproved marriages. A massive earthquake has hit Los Angeles, leaving it in ruins and completely surrounded by water. From this new island hell rises an army of discontent, led by brutal South American revolutionary Cuervo Jones. L.A. has become an anarchist state. The President deports all immoral (and therefore criminal) citizens of the U.S. to the City of the Angels. However, his own daughter Utopia joins forces with Cuervo, taking with her the key to a doomsday device that could send mankind back to the dark ages. Once again, Snake is recruited by the President’s men to complete an impossible task: penetrate the Sodom that is L.A., retrieve the device, and eliminate Utopia. Infected by a fatal virus, his clock is ticking as enemy forces threaten the United States’ borders.” I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t care for this movie when it was released. Partly because the trailers sold it to me as an action movie much like Escape from New York, but instead it’s more of a satire/comedy. Yes, those elements are there in the original, but not as strong as this follow-up. So I wasn’t prepared for the experience that the movie offered. In the subsequent years, and viewings, I have come around to appreciate its charms, and place in Carpenter’s library. It’s still different in tone from the first one (except for the opening and closing ten minutes), but that’s not a bad thing. I will end up getting a copy of this, both to complete my Carpenter collection, and because it’s another SHOUT! Factory 4K scan Collector’s Edition, which means it will be chock full of all kinds of goodies. Though I am also tempted to wait and see if they do a Steelbook release…

Zombie (1979) “Strangers looking for a woman’s father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.” Once more, I’ll never understand how B-R.com chooses what gets a short gist, and what gets an entire Wikipedia page. Anyway, also known as Zombi 2, this is the Lucio Fulci classic, which he did as a sort-of sequel to Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, which was released as Zombi in parts of Europe. He was able to to that as he helped Romero get Dawn made, and other various reasons. It’s a classic of the horror/zombie genre, has some iconic scenes (that poor lady’s eye), and you can now get all the groundbreaking gore in full 4K resolution. If you’re a fan of the cannibal undead, then you probably have already at least seen this, and you should absolutely have it in your collection.

In Search of Dracula (1975) “A documentary exploring the legends of vampires, using books, paintings and early films on the subject.” It’s a cheesy, very 70s “documentary” about Vlad Tepes, with Christopher Lee playing Vlad, and the infamous King of the Vampires. You already know if this will be your bag or not.

Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto (1987-2018) “Tetsuo: The Iron Man / Tetsuo II: Body Hammer / The Adventure of Denchu-Kozo / Tokyo Fist / Bullet Ballet / A Snake of June / Vital / Haze / Kotoko / Killing – See individual titles for their synopses.” Oh, B-R.com. Still, yeah, that’s a lot of movies from one of the most unique directors of the modern era, brought to you by the fine folks at Arrow Video, so you know it’s worth picking up, if you’re a fan of Shinya’s work.

No, they and Shout!/SCREAM Factory still aren’t paying me.

Ator, the Fighting Eagle (1982) “The son of Torren learns of his heritage, goes to avenge the deaths of his fellow villagers, and rescue his sister/love interest from the evil Dakkar and his spider cult. Ator battles giant spiders, swordsmen cloaked in shadow, re-animated dead warriors, and horribly hideous witches.” You kids today, with your Lord of the Rings epics, Game of Thrones, and The Witcher! You’re spoiled! When I was growing up, hack cheese like this, Hawk the Slayer, and Beastmaster was all we could get for fantasy entertainment! Though, ok, yeah Beastmaster is pretty damn awesome. And Hawk has its charms. BUT YOU GET MY POINT!

The Invisible Man (2020) “When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia’s works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.” I was expecting this movie to be good, and it is damn good, people. It’s a showcase for Elisabeth Moss, and she delivers the goods. Scary, tense, and well directed by Leigh Whannell. She always sets the scene where you are guessing if the title character is in the room or not. It may be a tough watch for anyone who’s been in an abusive relationship, and the movie holds to those themes of how someone can still impact you while not being there. This is my pick of the week, get it on Blu-Ray or 4K.

The Gates of Hell / Psycho from Texas (1975-1980) “In The Gates of Hell, a reporter and a psychic race to close the Gates of Hell after the suicide of a clergyman caused them to open, allowing the dead to rise from their graves. In Psycho from Texas, a drifter/hitman is hired by a local business man to kidnap the local oil baron. The hitman had been reared in squalor, suffering the abuses of his whoring mama. When the baron escapes his assistant must chase him while the hitman takes care of a few loose ends.” A horror double-feature, I have to confess that just the ads, tales I was told by other kids who had watched it, and bits I’d seen in Fangoria about Gates of Hell (especially the drill-press kill) terrified/squicked me as a kid, and I still haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it. I’m sure if I did actually watch it, I would find it underwhelming now, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Both of these are considered classics of 70s/80s gore-horror, so if that’s your bag, this Blu-Ray is for you. Not me, but you.

Reflections on the Living Dead (1993) “A 25th-anniversary celebration of director George A. Romero’s seminal horror classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), with film clips from the original, interviews with many cast and crew members, and comments by such famous “fans” as directors Wes Craven,’ Sam Raimi and Tobe Hooper.” This was right around when George and his movies were starting to get the respect he and they deserved, after years of being mostly written off by film critics as exploitative trash. As someone who loves zombies, George, and behind the scenes stuff, this is right up my alley.

Other titles of note: Satanico Pandemonium (1975) (More Nunsploitation!), Maniac (1980), Dolly Dearest (1991), Breeders (1997), Blood Tide (1982), Horrors of Spider Island (1960), Satan’s Slave (1982), Insight of Evil 2 (2019)

As I said at the start, we have quite a lot to choose from this week, even if a few were supposed to have been released already. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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 that this article is running late, my Physical Medians, but life kinda got in the way. I don’t really have an excuse. I am going to try and get the article for the releases on 5/26 up later tonight or on Tuesday, so I ask your indulgence.

In other news, I also ended up going to my storage unit last Monday, digging around to find the box with the last of my collection of DVDs and XBox 360 games. It took a while, and I was sore from the effort of moving boxes and furniture around in there, but the effort was a success! So look forward to an update to my movie database (you can see it here) soon!

In other news, once again, my pick of the week, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Steelbook edition, has sold out! I promise to use this power only for good, my friends.

Probably.

Anyway, shall we get on with this week’s list of nerdy good stuff?

Top Gun (1986) “The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman. But Maverick isn’t only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he’s also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor.” Ok, yes, once again, this isn’t technically a genre flick, but it’s influence is impossible to ignore. Cool, fun, and iconic, it’s one everybody should watch once, especially with the sequel (hopefully) coming out this fall. Grab it in Blu, 4K, and the obligatory Best Buy exclusive Steelbook.

The Good Place (2016 – 2020) “The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an ordinary woman who enters the afterlife, and thanks to some kind of error, is sent to the Good Place instead of the Bad Place, which is definitely where she belongs. While hiding in plain sight from Michael, the wise architect of the Good Place (who doesn’t know he’s made a mistake), she’s determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome (or at least the pretty good) person within.” Simply one of the best forking shows ever made. Alternately hilarious, touching, an amazing cast playing wonderful characters, and writing that handles moral issues what it means to be human with an incredibly deft hand, continually upping it’s game, the stakes, never taking the safe road, and rising to the challenges it sets for itself, this show is darn near perfect. You really should give it a shot.

Onward (2020) “Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there.” D&D adventure through the Pixar lens. I’m absolutely sure that some DMs are already running this as a campaign. While the ending didn’t quite work for me, it was still a great time (it’s a Pixar movie after all, duh), and I recommend it to fans of fantasy stories or RPGs. It’s available in 4K, Blu-Ray and the Best Buy exclusive Steelbook.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020) “Following the decimation of Earth at the hands of Darkseid, the remaining superheroes are forced to regroup and take the war to Darkseid himself if they have any chance of saving the planet once and for all.” Yes, this is the movie that confirms that known pansexual John Constantine dated and had sex with King Shark, and thinks dating him is safer than dating Harley Quinn. You know that you need to see this now.

Sidenote: King Shark on the DC App Harley Quinn animated series is a treasure, as is the whole show, truth be told, and you should be watching it.

War of the Worlds (2005) “The extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family. Fleeing from an extraterrestrial army of killer Tripods that annihilate everything in their path, Ray Ferrier races to keep his family safe” Our second Tom Cruise movie of the week, but this one is legit Sci-Fi, a classic of the genre, brought to us by Steven Spielberg in full “9/11 Allegory” mode. I reviewed it back when it came out, and I might need to do a rewatch to see if my feelings have changed. It is getting the Blu-Ray and 4K upgrade, so you can fully experience the Tripod Terror.

Brahms: The Boy II (2020) “After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms.” To be honest, I didn’t see the first one, and the trailers for this didn’t excite me to watch this one either. If you really enjoyed it, let me know, and tell me why.

The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) “Penniless, Baron Frankenstein, accompanied by his eager assistant Hans, arrives at his family castle near the town of Karlstaad, vowing to continue his experiments in the creation of life. Fortuitously finding the creature he was previously working on, he brings it back to a semblance of life but requires the services of a mesmerist, Zoltan, to successfully animate it. The greedy and vengeful Zoltan secretly sends the monster into town to steal gold and ‘punish’ the burgomaster and the chief of police, which acts lead to a violent confrontation between the baron and the townspeople…” Another Hammer classic, I remember watching this on Midnight Chiller Theater as a kid, and it scared the crap outta me. And made me a Hammer fan for life. This is another Collector’s Edition from from the fine folks at Scream Factory (*insert obligatory “they’re not paying me” disclaimer), with a beautiful cover painted by Rondo Award Winning artist Mark Maddox. So go get it!

Danger: Diabolik (1968) “Criminal mastermind drama set in the Swinging Sixties. Diabolik (John Philip Law) is a super thief who enjoys causing as much confusion and mayhem to the authorities as he can. Residing in an underground lair, where he plans his next moves accompanied by his voluptuous girlfriend, Diabolik soon incurs the wrath of other underworld figures who join forces with the police to try to catch him.” If the only version of this that you’ve seen is the MST3K one, you’re doing yourself a disservice. It just oozes 60s snazzy spy sex appeal, with great characters, a fun plot, and is just a glorious product of its era. Brought to us by SHOUT! Factory, it has all the bells and whistles, and as it’s one of Needless Things podcast host Dave‘s favorite movies, it’s his (unknowing) pick of the week!

The Blues Brothers (1980) “Jake and Elwood Blues endeavor to raise $5,000 for their childhood parish by putting their old band back together and taking their show on the road. While touring, they manage to wreak havoc on the entire city of Chicago and much of the midwest.” It’s a musical, therefore it’s a genre movie. I have spoken. Ok, I’ll speak a bit more. The music is wonderful, the Blues-Mobile is magic, and the end car chase is insane. Plus, everyone hates Illinois Nazis. Now available in Blu-Ray, 4K, and a Best Buy Steelbook. Pick it up, it’s on a mission from God.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) “Sonic tries to navigate the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound best friend — a human named Tom Wachowski. They must soon join forces to prevent the evil Dr. Robotnik from capturing Sonic and using his powers for world domination.” This movie should have sucked bal…um…rings. Especially with the tired “And he’s come to Earth!” trope. But, between a decent script, a redo of the character design, James Marsden bringing things up a level (which he does a lot, the man deserves a lot more credit for his performances), and Jim Carrey diving back into the manic comedy pool that he hand-carved with a pet detective hairdo, this was actually an enjoyable little flick. If you passed on it, give it a shot, either on Blu-Ray, 4K, or the Best Buy Steelbook.

The Woman (2011) “When a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to “civilize” the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy.” I don’t know anything about this movie, but it’s being released by Arrow Video, so it has my interest.

Other titles of note: Mandy (2018) RJL Steelbook Edition, Alice in Wonderland (1933), Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) (aka Chuck Norris’ first run as a Texas Ranger), Fear the Walking Dead: The Complete Fifth Season (2019)

Again, sorry that this is late, and I will do my best to make sure to stay timely in the future, my Physical Medians! Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

So my pick of the week for last week, The Mask of Zorro, completely sold out at Best Buy by Wednesday. I take all the credit for everyone listening to me that this widely loved movie was worth picking up in 4K.

Mind you, it was before I could swing by and get my own copy, so how about letting me know when you’re all going to listen to me next time, my Physical Medians?

Anyway, we do have a lot of things coming out this week, so let’s jump right into our filthy business.

Fantasy Island (2020) “The enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.” I heard that this movie was pretty terrible, but I still want to check it out. Because if my choices are to have cheesy 70s & 80s shows remade into either crap comedies or crap horror, I’ll choose crap horror every time. The scary ALF movie should be awesome.

Star Trek Trilogy: The Kelvin Timeline (2009 – 2016) “When the U.S.S. Kelvin is wrapped up in a temporal anomaly, the path of Starfleet and the future of the universe as we know it takes off in a new direction: the Kelvin Timeline. Up against the Romulans, the superhuman Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the alien warlord Krall (Idris Elba), it’s all hands on deck for the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, led by the young and headstrong Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoë Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), and Scotty (Simon Pegg). J. J. Abrams’s reboot of the classic franchise has received dozens of accolades, including an Oscar. For devoted fans of the beloved benchmark sci-fi series, all three films now come together in the Kelvin Timeline Trilogy — a bold, new beginning and a must-have in anyone’s Star Trek collection.” Two really fun movies, and one watchable one, is a pretty decent track record. It’s starting to look like this particular version of Trek is over, which makes me sad, as I really like this cast. If you enjoyed them, you can now pick them up in this handy set, with all lens flares now in glorious 4K.

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) “After splitting up with The Joker, Harley Quinn and three other female superheroes – Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya – come together to save the life of a little girl from an evil crime lord.” I loved this movie when it came out, as you know if you read my review, and my love has only grown as time as gone on. You can pick it up in regular Blu-Ray/DVD, 4K, the Best Buy exclusive 4K steelbook, or a Target Blu-Ray/DVD combo exclusive that comes with a digital comic!

They’re Inside (2019) “When two sisters go to an isolated cabin in the woods to film a passion project, family secrets start to get in the way… as do masked strangers filming a passion project of their own.” Creepy poster is creepy. Still, it’s interesting premise, a found footage take on The Strangers, so horror fans will probably want to give this a look.

What the Waters Left Behind (aka Los olvidados) (2017) “The plot revolves around a group of young people that take a trip to the ruins in order to film a documentary about Epecuen. Ignoring the warnings, and after a brief tour, they get stranded…” Well, this one doesn’t look like it’s a found footage flick, but it’s definitely a bad week to be a filmmaker in the backwoods type areas. I keep warning people to stay out of these places, you won’t find anything good there!

The Great Escape (1963) “Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.” No, it’s not technically a genre film, but it is an absolute classic that influenced a lot of other movies. And if you enjoyed Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, then you should check out the movie that Dalton was almost in, just to compare the scenes, if no other reason. Plus, even though it’s Blu and not 4K, it’s a Criterion release, so if you love film, you know you need this.

Redcon-1 (2018) “After a zombie apocalypse spreads from a London prison, the UK is brought to its knees. The spread of the virus is temporarily contained but, without a cure, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks its boundaries and the biggest problem of all… any zombies with combat skills are now enhanced.” Low-budget military zombie movie with a mostly unknown cast and a director’s second movie? You had me at zombies.

Abrakadabra (2018) “In the tradition of giallos of the early 70s a magician finds himself the target of a sadistic serial killer.” From the poster, I thought that this was a giallo film that I had missed somehow (which there are a lot of them, so it’s easy to think I had done so), but no, this is a recent flick in that style. I’ve seen a lot of people try and imitate the Italian masters, but most fail. Hopefully this one can pull that rabbit out of the hat.

Wonder Woman: 2-Film Collection (2009-2019) “No synopsis for Wonder Woman: 2-Film Collection.” You let me down again, B-R.com! This is a combo pack of the two animated Wonder Woman movies, the Commemorative Edition of Wonder Woman which goes over her origin following the Perez version of the tale, and Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, which also retells her origin, before Diana faces off against Cheetah, Poison, and others in a pretty convoluted plot. Rosario Dawson voices her in both movies, so they have that going for them.

Idle Hands (1999) “The devil will find work for idle hands to do…but what happens when he chooses the laziest teen slacker in the world to do his dirty work? Anton Tobias is a channel-surfing, junk-food munching, couch potato burn-out who can’t control the murderous impulses of his recently possessed hand. With the help of his zombiefied buddies, Mick and Pnub, Anton’s got to stop the rampaging devil appendage before it takes total control of his life and ruins any chance he has with class hottie Molly.” An early Seth Green favorite, this is a fun little horror-comedy. It’s getting the patented SCREAM Factory Collector’s Edition treatment, and no, they’re still not paying me.

Other titles of note: Satanico Pandemonium (1975) (More Nunsploitation), Bloodtide (1982), Vivarium (2019), Terrifier (2016), Lucifer: The Complete Fourth Season (2019), Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

As I said, this was a pretty full week! Only one real “I Gotta Have It Right Now!” movie, but the rest are not too bad as well. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

So, as Justin Timberlake warned us…

So how are you all holding up, my Physical Medians? Here at the house of the Squid, my hair is getting longer, my anxiety is getting stronger, and my collection of physical media is getting larger! However, I have put my lock-down time to good use! It took me a few days and probably around 10 hours, but I have completed a database of my DVD/Blu-Ray/4K!

Mostly.

Having completed the inventory, I can see where there are some things that I know are missing, so they must be in my storage unit. Be that as it, um, may (pun?), what matters is I now have everything that’s on my shelves in a handy list. Check it out here, if you would like.

It’s already in need of an update, as I picked up the first season of The Wild Wild West, the original TV series, and received my copy of Joe Stryker! Review to come soon! But let’s see what we can add to our collections this week?

Gretel & Hansel (2020) “A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil.” One of the last movies that I caught in the theater this year, I enjoyed this take on the classic story. It had some cool visuals, which is good because you can tell they were counting on them and mood to carry the movie. It very much wants to be a Guillermo del Toro style dark fairy tale, and while it doesn’t quite get there, it’s worth a look.

47 Ronin (2013) “In this fictional version of 18th-century Japan’s most enduring tale, an outcast named Kai joins a group of samurai, led by Oishi Kuranosuke. Together they exact vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who shamed their late master, pushing him to suicide.” I heard that this was visually stunning, with some great action; and considering it’s a lot of the people Keanu went on to work with for John Wick, that’s not surprising. I still haven’t managed to watch it yet, but it has been on my list. Pick it up in Blu-Ray or 4K.

The Mask of Zorro (1998) “It has been 20 years since Don Diego de la Vega successfully fought Spanish oppression in Alta California as the legendary romantic hero, Zorro. Imprisoned for two decades, he now must find a successor to stop Don Rafael Montero–the powerful, former Spanish governor of Alta California who cost de la Vega his freedom, his wife, Esperanza, and his daughter, Elena–who is making plans to purchase California from Mexico’s president, General Santa Anna. Alejandro Murieta, a bandit with a troubled past, is transformed by Don Diego into a new Zorro who he hopes will help him foil Montero’s schemes once and for all. Tracing the heroic story of these highly-charged relationships, the tale follows the new Zorro as he assumes de la Vega’s mantle and enters into a romantic relationship with a woman close to his predecessor’s heart…” This movie is damn near perfect. Antonio Banderas is magnetic, Anthony Hopkins is a genius, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is electric. Great dialogue, fantastic action, excellent direction, this movie buckles my swash, is one of my absolute favorites, and it’s my must-get of the week! Available in Blu and 4K.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) “Scientist Bruce Banner desperately seeks a cure for the gamma radiation that contaminated his cells and turned him into The Hulk. Cut off from his true love Betty Ross and forced to hide from his nemesis, Gen. Thunderbolt Ross, Banner soon comes face-to-face with a new threat: a supremely powerful enemy known as The Abomination.” It amazes me that people still debate if this movie is part of the MCU or not. You would think William Hurt staying on as Thunderbolt Ross would clear that up, but there you go. I know that it doesn’t get a lot of MCU talk, but I think that’s mainly because when it comes to movies, like Spider-Man and Sony, Universal has the Hulk by the purple short pants. Plus, there was the whole swapping of Norton for Ruffalo, but I think that was a trade up. And I’m still waiting for Tim Blake Nelson to return as The Leader! Someone get Peter David to write that script ASAP, please. Anyway, this second film of Phase One is still more good than bad, and worth a revisit if you haven’t seen it in a while. Universal is releasing this 4K/Blu-Ray Steelbook edition, and while it’s not like the other MCU Best Buy exclusive ones, I’m still going to get it for my collection.

Bloodshot (2020) “After he and his wife are murdered, marine Ray Garrison is resurrected by a team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine – Bloodshot. As Ray first trains with fellow super-soldiers, he cannot recall anything from his former life. But when his memories flood back and he remembers the man that killed both him and his wife, he breaks out of the facility to get revenge, only to discover that there’s more to the conspiracy than he thought.” The last movie I saw in the theater before our current global pandemic, please check out my review to see what I thought of Vin’s latest not-car-related adventure.

The Jesus Rolls (2020) “A spin-off of The Big Lebowski (1998) centered on the notable bowler, Jesus Quintana.” Wait, it’s not if Jesus was a baker and not a carpenter? I kid, I kid. Anyway, The Big Lebowski is a fantastic comedy, straight from the minds of the Cohen brothers . . . who had nothing at all to do with the writing, directing, or anything else of this movie. So, it’s one I’m not sure that I want to see, even as much as I love Turturro.

Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) “A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.” Based on the description, and the poster, I am very interested in this movie. It’s on Shudder, which I subscribe to (and if you’re a horror fan, I highly recommend you do so as well), so I plan on checking this out to see if I want to get it on disc or not.

The Expedition (2008) “A Documentary crew entered an asylum to shoot a documentary on the place on Halloween night 2004. Several mysterious things occurred throughout the night leading up to a missing crew member the following morning.” Another found footage flick where ghost hunters become the hunted. I’d find those shows much more enjoyable if anything like this actually happened, instead of usually just being three or four bozos yelling in the dark on low-light cameras.

Other titles of note: Humans: The Complete Series (2015-2018), Exorcism at 60,000 Feet (2019), Red vs. Blue: Singularity (2019), Insecticidal (2005), Becoming (2019)

So we have quite a few interesting selections this week! And nothing from Shout Factory or Arrow Video! I told you they weren’t paying me! Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

How are you all doing, my Physical Medians? I want to start off this week with a plug! First, as most of you should already know, I am the Co-Director of the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track, along with the witty and talented Joe Crowe. To help provide a little relief from the ongoing world crisis, we have started doing a weekly geeky panel for everyone to enjoy! It broadcasts LIVE on Thursdays (usually) on our Facebook group (linked up there, please join us!), where you can take part in the discussion, or you may watch it later on our YouTube Channel! The first two are there now, please go give them a look!

Now that the shameless self-promotion is out of the way, let’s get down to our filthy business.

We actually have quite a few things landing this week, the last of April, which has lasted at least two decades. Once again, I hope that you are getting your selections delivered, or at least curbside pickup. Let’s stay safe out there, my Physical Medians.

Malabimba (1979) “After the matriarch of once rich and influential aristocratic Caroli family dies, her nearly bankrupt family decides to hold a seance in their decrepit castle and contact her spirit. Unfortunately, they contact instead the malicious and possibly demonic spirit of their evil, hedonistic and decadent late cousin Lucrezia that, after assaulting and messing a bit with those present at the summoning, ends up possessing the dead woman’s virginal teenage daughter Bimba. Bimba suddenly becomes overtly sexual and starts acting out in a completely unhinged, aggressive and sexually provocative manner in front of her family and their guests, all while brutally insulting them. She tries to satisfy her confusing demonic urges with masturbation but quickly moves on to seducing those around her.” OH MY! Part of the nunsploitation wave of the 70s, this weird little flick is brought to us by the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome. It was supposed to be out a few weeks ago, but is on the list again today. This isn’t gonna be for the whole family, but for those who do like this kind of thing, here you go.

The Lost Continent (1968) “The nightmare begins when Captain Lansen attempts to transport illegal explosives and a motley group of passengers on a rusty tramp steamer that becomes stranded in the vast floating swamp of the mysterious Sargasso Sea. Under cover of night, the terrified travelers encounter unspeakable monsters, man-eating seaweed, vicious mutant pirates and stupendously endowed women.” Another Hammer Films classic brought to us by Shout Factory (I swear they are not paying me!). It’s a riff on “The Land That Time Forgot”, and while it’s not one of Hammer’s best, it’s worth a look.

Speaking of being lost on an island…

Arrow: The Eighth and Final Season (2019-2020) and Arrow: The Complete Series (2012-2020) “After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his loved ones welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory.” Yes, it started out with Oliver being very much like that guy from Gotham, very grounded, and chock full of trademark “CW Nightime Soap” moments. But that let them draw in an audience, hooking them before finally breaking out everything the tights and capes crowd was waiting for. While the second season is, to me, the height of the show that they never quite reached again, as a whole it’s more good than bad. Yes, it has its flaws (like Oliver never learning to play well with others), it’s also the show that launched a TV DC Universe that is better than most of the DCU films. Without it, we don’t have Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightening, the various shows on the DC App, or the very well done Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation. Not bad for a story about a guy with a bow.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge (2020) “After the vicious slaughter of his family by stone-cold mercenary Sub-Zero, Hanzo Hasashi is exiled to the torturous Netherrealm. There, in exchange for his servitude to the sinister Quan Chi, he’s given a chance to avenge his family – and is resurrected as Scorpion, a lost soul bent on revenge. Back on Earthrealm, Lord Raiden gathers a team of elite warriors – Shaolin monk Liu Kang, Special Forces officer Sonya Blade and action star Johnny Cage – an unlikely band of heroes with one chance to save humanity. To do this, they must defeat Shang Tsung’s horde of Outworld gladiators and reign over the Mortal Kombat tournament. Prepare to witness all of the bone-crushing action in this riveting Mortal Kombat Legends animated feature!” This is the third or fourth adaptation of the classic bloody video game (and realizing that MK is old enough to count as a classic makes me feel very old), but this time focusing on fan-favorite demonic undead fire ninja Scorpion’s view of the tournament. Because it’s animated, they get to do all kinds of cool, cruel, and vicious things to the kombatants. You can pick this up on Blu, 4K, or a Best Buy exclusive that comes with a Scorpion action figure. And I want you all to know that it took me a supreme effort of will to not say that you could get him over here…

Pale Blood (1990) “Michael Fury is a vampire. But contrary to myth and legend, he does not stalk innocent victims to drain them of blood – and life – rather he only drinks what he needs to survive. But when a vicious, and very human, killer begins murdering young women in Los Angeles by biting them and draining their blood, sparking fears that a vampire is prowling the city, Michael realizes that it will be up to him to unmask the fiend behind these deaths to save the good name of his vampire brethren.” I do not remember this flick, but the concept of a vampire hunting down a serial killer to preserve the masquerade (yes, I play V:tM, are you surprised?) is a great hook. Another Vinegar Syndrome exclusive, this is limited to only 2,000 copies, so I’d order it soon.

Dolly Dearest (1991) “An American family moves to Mexico to fabricate dolls, but their toy factory happens to be next to a Sanzian grave and the toys come into possession of an old, malicious spirit.” No, it’s not an exposé about the country music legend. This is an evil dolls movie, and the third Vinegar Syndrome release of the week. They’re not paying me either, they’re just devoted to releasing the cult stuff that I think we’ll all enjoy.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988) “Elvira, the wise-cracking vamp wants to take her act from the little screen to the glitzy stages of Las Vegas. So it seems a stroke of luck when her great-aunt Morgana dies and, despite having no prior knowledge of the relative, she is a beneficiary of the woman’s will. Thus Elvira makes the journey to Falwell, Massachusetts to stake claim to her inheritance, but is disappointed when she learns that she has only inherited a dilapidated house, a poodle and a cook book, and finds the conservative folk of Falwell are reticent to welcome a sexed-up and unconventional woman like her. To compound this she is accused of being a witch! Elvira discovers the evil force in the town and finds that only she has the power to stop it’s plans.” The Mistress of the Macabre, The True Queen of Halloween, Goth Icon, The Ghoul of Your Dreams. Either you love her, or you’re wrong. Anyway, her first feature is getting a nice deluxe release from Arrow Video (hitting the trifecta of studios I plug way too much for not getting paid to do so), so you can enjoy all of her special features in Blu-Ray quality.

The McPherson Tape (1989) “On a typical fall evening in 1983, a young man was videotaping his niece’s 5th birthday party. As the night’s strange occurrences took place, he kept his video camera running, recording the entire event.” One of the early pioneers of the Found Footage genre, this is one I want to see. However, as it’s about those little grey aliens, this is definitely Needless Things podcast host Dave‘s Must Skip of the week!

Other titles of note: Deadline (1984), The Wind (1986) both of which were supposed to be out earlier this month and already mentioned in previous columns, Kill or Be Killed (1976), Guns Akimbo (2019), Butt Boy (2019)

So yes, we have quite a wide selection escaping out into the wild this week. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

Well, my Physical Medians, we’re entering week 7,674 of everyone staying home, and I hope that you’ve all maintained your sanity, as I have. Getting any projects done? I have started something I’ve been wanting to do for a few years, an actual catalogue of my physical media. I figure as I have the time, and that I am writing these articles, it was a good idea to finally get it done.

I’m entering everything in an Excel spreadsheet, with the title, year of release, genre, MPAA rating, Blu or DVD, Steelbook or not, 4K or not. I’m about four an a half hours into the project, 154 entries so far, with what looks like at least 200 more to go. If people are interested, I might post it online for everyone to look at, and see what I consider important enough to own.

It may take me a while to finish, however, as SHOUT! Factory is having a “Cabin Fever” 20% off sale on their inventory. My Steelbooks for Streets of Fire and the Transformers: The Movie 30th Anniversary edition both arrived today.

And then there’s all of the new stuff coming out each week! Like everything below! (Ooooh, such a smooth segue.)

The Gentlemen (2019) “A very British drug lord tries to sell off his highly profitable empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires.” That’s . . . almost accurate. The drug lord is an expat American in England, and the buyer is not from where the wheat is as high as an elephant’s eye. But it’s close enough, I guess, as gists go. Guy Ritchie returns to the crime genre that launched his career, and it’s a fun ride. It feels like a 90s crime flick, a little dated (especially with some of the humor), but it’s tight, has a rock-solid cast, including a magnetic Matthew McConaughey, a fun Colin Farrell, a sleazy Hugh Grant, and probably the best performance I’ve seen out of Charlie Hunnam to date. Get it on Blu-Ray or 4K, ya reprobates.

The Turning (2020) “A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James’ novella “The Turn of the Screw”.” The trailers didn’t look great, but it’s got that kid from Stranger Things, and the original story is considered a foundational work of horror, one that defined what ghost stories can be and do to a reader. Sadly, the movie wasn’t out for long, which does not bode well, so now I’ll have to see it as a rental.

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) “In Spain, Leon is born on Christmas day to a mute servant girl who was raped by a beggar. His mother dies giving birth and he is looked after by Don Alfredo. As a child Leon becomes a werewolf after having been taken hunting. As a young man, he works in a wine cellar and falls in love with the owner’s daughter Cristina. One full moon, he again turns into a werewolf and terrifies the town…” Another Hammer Films classic. For the longest time, this was my favorite werewolf movie (these days, that’s either Dog Soldiers or Ginger Snaps, depending on my mood), and it’s still in my top five. Oliver Reed is fantastic in the lead role; it’s tense, and oozes that lurid Hammer style that I just love. This edition is from the fine folks at Scream Factory (I swear, they’re not paying me, as much as I mention them. I’m just a fan), with another gorgeous painted cover by Rondo Award Winning artist Mark Maddox. Check it out.

Colour from the Dark (2008) “It’s the 1940s. The entire planet is at war, yet Pietro and Lucia live on a peaceful, isolated farm with Lucia’s fifteen year old sister Alice, who suffers from severe mental problems. Unlike his three brothers, Pietro has been spared from fighting due to a deformed knee. But even despite Pietro’s crippling malady, the poor farmer works tirelessly to till the soil and care for his crops so that his family will be able to eat. Then, one day, as Pietro and Alice attempt to draw water from their well, they inadvertently release something from deep within the Earth’s womb. Entranced, the couple peers down the well to see an otherworldly color flutter beneath the water before disappearing without a trace. In the following days, the entire farm is beset by a series of inexplicable occurrences. When the sun falls over the horizon, the surrounding vegetation begins to glow with a sinister light that seems not of this Earth. As the color continues to spread throughout the farm, into the family home, and ultimately into the very minds of Pietro and his family, they are gradually drawn into a sickening world of suffering, blood, and death.” Once again, I’ll never understand BR.com’s gist policy, where some are short, missing, or inaccurate, and others are whole Wikipedia articles. Anyway, this is the Italian 2008 take on Lovecraft’s The Color Out of Space, and it’s divorced enough from the story that I missed it in my list of adaptations of the tale.

Between this adaptation and the other version; the other one has Academy Award Winner© Nicolas Cage, so, you know, choose wisely.

Carnival Magic (1981) “A magician in a carnival–who actually can read minds and levitate people and objects–works with a superintelligent chimp named Alex, who can also talk. The magician and the chimp soon become the stars of the carnival, drawing in big crowds. However, the wild-animal trainer, who has been displaced by the team as the carnival’s top act, decides to kidnap Alex and sell him to a medical laboratory for experimentation, thereby getting rid of his competition.” Yes, this was in the MST3K reboot, but now you can get it bot-snark-free. BUT WHY WOULD YOU?

Sea Fever (2020) “The crew of a West of Ireland trawler, marooned at sea, struggle for their lives against a growing parasite in their water supply.” You had me at Irish Trawler, movie. Hey, I have a brand to stick with here, people.

Other titles of note: Bad Boys for Life (2020), Ip Man 4 (2019), Ultraman X: The Series + The Movie (2015 + 2016), Track: Search for Australia’s Bigfoot (2020)

So that’s it for this week, my Physical Medians. Please stay safe, keep washing your hands, and order whatever you’re picking up this week either online or curbside pickup. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

So, my Physical Medians, how are you holding up under the quarantine? If you’re an essential worker, I hope that you are staying safe.

Sadly, we have another week of fairly slim pickings this week, but there are a few gems that you can get shipped to you so you can keep yourself entertained as you stay home. So let’s dive right in!

The Wind (1986) “A novelist is stalked by a psychopath one stormy night.” I’m not familiar with this one, but it stars Meg Foster and her intense eyes (you are probably most familiar with her from her appearing in They Live, Stepfather 2, and Leviathan, amongst other 80’s fare), as well as David McCallum. The film is getting the deluxe treatment by the fine folks at Arrow Video, so it should be worth a look.

Possession (2008) “A woman’s husband collides with his brother in a freak car accident, landing both of them into comas. Complications arise when the brother wakes and believes that he is the woman’s husband.” A PG-13 horror vehicle for post-Buffy Sarah Michelle Gellar. I don’t really remember enough about it to say if it’s bad, but that also means I can’t say if it’s good, either. But it also has Lee Pace, so it can’t be terrible.

Underwater (2020) “Mysterious creatures terrorize crew members aboard a research station located seven miles below the surface of the ocean.” I did catch this one in the theater. I mean, it’s horror set at the bottom of the ocean with a large Cthulhu-like creature, so I had to see it. I have a brand to maintain, you know? Anyway, the movie, sadly, is not that great. It tries to be a mix of Aliens and The Abyss, but it’s more Leviathan (there’s that movie again, I think I need a rewatch) and Sphere, in that there’s an interesting premise here, but not enough happens to keep you engaged through the whole thing. Some interesting visuals/cool monsters, but the sparsity of the action, along with the flat characters, made the movie a let down for me, with a score of 4/10, if I had to give it one.

Police Squad!: The Complete Series (1982) “A spoof of traditional police dramas, this original slapstick series from the Zucker brothers is bursting with non sequiturs and sight gags that parody the labored lives of law enforcement. Leslie Nielsen stars as the foolish flatfoot Detective Frank Drebin, whose literal quips and absurd antics disentangle each misdemeanor and perpetuate each laugh-out-loud moment in this classic show.” Six episodes of pure comedy gold. From the team that brought you Airplane!, this show cemented Leslie Neilsen’s career shift from stalwart leading man to comedy legend. If you enjoy the Naked Gun movies, you should see where they got their start. this is my top pick of the week.

V: The Final Battle (1984) “The Battle begun in the Miniseries ‘V’ continues. The war is told from the view point of the resistance group based in Los Angeles, CA as they struggle to find weaknesses of the aliens they can exploit. In addition, not all the aliens feel their invasion was right, and also work to stop the war.” The follow-up mini-series to the most excellent V, this one suffers the standard diminishing returns of most sequels, but it’s still good and worth a look. Though the title is a bit of a lie, because the battle kept on battling into the V TV series.

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) “A master swordsman and former soldier and his hunchbacked assistant hunt vampires.” That description does not do this Hammer Films classic the justice it deserves. So you should tune into the Needless Things podcast (which you should already be doing anyway), specifically episode 307, so you can listen to Dave tell you exactly why this movie is awesome, and why you should buy this as his (unknowing) pick of the week!

The Golem (1920) “In 16th-century Prague, a Jewish rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem, and using sorcery, brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.” Another classic of the silent era, brought to us by Kino Lorber. This movie laid a lot of the foundations for what horror films could do, and could become. Like I said last week, I am a fan of the golden age of cinema, and I am so glad to see these films being preserved and presented to a modern audience. I hope that you check it out.

Death Kappa: 10th Anniversary Attack! (2010) “The kappa, in Japanese folklore, are water goblins that are closely associated with a certain town in the country. Unfortunately, the area is also home to a militant splinter group of researchers dedicated to developing amphibious super soldiers based on the kappa of legends. When their experiments result in murders by some escapees, the appearance of an actual kappa, and the triggering of an atomic bomb, the consequences are of epic proportions. A monster arrives in the midst of the nuclear fallout, and Japan’s defenses are helpless against it. Mankind’s only savior is an irradiated water goblin that is on the rampage with death in its eyes. DEATH KAPPA is a throwback to old-style kaiju films by writer/director Tomoo Haraguchi.” The gist there sounds like something out of a Jonathan Mayberry Joe Ledger novel (that’s a good thing), so combine that with kaiju and folklore, and this is one I’m definitely going to have to check out.

Other titles of note: Gutterballs (2008), After Midnight (2019), Eye See You (2002)

Again, not a whole lot, but there are some real gems here. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!

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.

While it’s not exactly a packed week, we do have a limited number of genre releases this week, my Physical Medians. I do hope that you are doing well during your quarantine, and that you are picking up your selections via your online retailer of choice.

I want to start this week with a tip of the hat to the most excellent writer, podcaster, convention panelist, and one of the best friends a person could ask for, Mr. Michael Falkner, host and writer of Creative Criticality for the shout-out he gave me last week. If you’re tuning in because of his recommendation, please let him, and me, know.

I heartily encourage you to check out his Timestamps Project (great name), where he’s been watching every episode of Doctor Who from the very beginning, yes, starting with 1963’s “An Unearthly Child.” He has reached Series Four of the Modern Era (Tennant as Ten). If you like the Doctor, you will enjoy his insights.

Now, let’s see what’s on deck this week for our entertainment pleasure.

VFW (2019) “A typical night for a group of war veterans at the local VFW turns into an all-out battle for survival when a teenage girl runs into the bar with a bag of stolen drugs. Suddenly under attack from a gang of punk mutants looking to get back what’s theirs – at any cost – the vets use every weapon they can put together to protect the girl, and their VFW, in the biggest fight of their lives.” This was supposed to be out last week, but it looks like it was delayed a week. Once more, with this cast, and that premise, I am interested. Add in that Horror Rocker and genre fan Ryan Cadaver gave it a thumb’s up, I have to check this out.

Dolittle “A physician discovers that he can talk to animals.” Again, great gist there, B-R.C. I’ve heard everything from this is ok for kids to that it’s absolutely atrocious. I avoided it, and plan on continuing to do so, as I don’t think I’ll get that bored. Still, if you want it, you can get it in Blu and 4K.

Beyond the Door (1974) “A young married woman becomes the pregnant bearer of the seed of Satan. As the evil within her grows, she is subjected to a terrible and demonic metamorphosis.” An Italian knock-off of The Exorcist combined with Rosemary’s Baby, this movie has it’s fans, and is getting a very nice release from the fine folks at Arrow Video, including a 2K scan, and remastered audio, for the Satanic horror collector.

Thunderbirds (2004) “Having narrowly averted a major disaster on an oil rig, the Thunderbirds have just returned home to their secret base when TB5, their space based station, is critically damaged in a suspected meteor strike. Unbeknownst to them, the attack on TB5 is a deliberate ply by international master criminal The Hood to get them off the island. He takes over the island and drugs Brains into submission. But he has overlooked one key factor: Alan, Fermat and Tin Tin are still on the island.” The live-action film based on the supermarionation classic, this wasn’t a terrible kid’s flick. It has a decent cast (including Ben Kingsley & Bill Paxton), is well directed by Johnathan Frakes, but it just didn’t take off as the franchise the studio was hoping for. It’s worth a rental.

Swift (2019) “Thinking he is a seagull, a bird named Manou discovers that he is actually a swift who was adopted. When tragedy strikes, Manou sets off on a quest to learn his true identity — and save his friends and family along the way.” A CGI flick staring Kate Winslet & Willem Dafoe. I wonder if he will match his performance as Gill? SHARKBAIT! SHARKBAIT! OOH-HA-HA!

Supernatural (1933) “SUPERNATURAL stars Hollywood legend Carole Lombard as a woman possessed by a murderer’s dark soul. Roma, whose twin brother has recently been murdered, becomes easy prey for a corrupt medium who arranges a séance to conjure up the lost twin’s supposedly troubled soul. Meanwhile, a murderess accused of strangling her lovers awaits her fate in the electric chair. Before she dies, she agrees to donate her body to a scientist for his unique life-after-death research. Eerily, the doctor’s first experiment on the now-deceased woman occurs at precisely the same time as the séance. In an evil twist of fate, Roma becomes possessed by the murderess’ wicked spirit. In a race against time, the doctor and Roma’s fiancé struggle to undo the horrible curse in this inventive ghost story.” I love classic Hollywood. I know it can be difficult for some people to get into these old films, but there’s a magic to these features. This one is definitely a keeper. It’s nice to see these films being preserved and updated, and I hope that you give it a chance.

Cats (2019) “A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.” This film has taken on a strange, legendary, Jellicle life. I will always have a kind place for it in my heart, as it got me writing again (see my review here). It has inspired so many people who love it, sincerely or ironically. They’re holding online viewing parties (one friend has it and the 1988 version on a near constant loop), and people are demanding the Butthole Cut (which, unlike the Snyder Cut, is probably a real thing. Yeah, I said it!) It is a legitimate phenomenon, it haunts me, and now you can own it on Blu and 4K. I’m kind of hoping that they include the pre-patch version, and I wonder why it’s not getting a Steelbook.

Other titles of note: 3-D Rarities Volume II (1941-1983), Terror Train (1980), Camp Cold Brook (2018), Absurd Horror Double Feature: Nightmare on Elmo’s Street & Frankenshark (2015-2016)

Not a bad collection this week. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!