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.
There’s not really a lot of new stuff out this week, except Ford vs. Ferrari, but as that’s not a genre flick, we shall move on to . . .
My Bloody Valentine (1981) The gist: “Twenty years ago in the sleepy mining town of Valentine Bluffs, a fatal mining disaster occurred on Valentine’s Day while key members of the crew were decorating for a party. The sole survivor of the accident killed the absentee crew members and warned the town never to have another Valentine’s Day celebration. When a group of teenagers decides that the the town has gone without a party long enough and begin planning one, a murderous maniac in mining gear begins dispatching townsfolk in bloody and creative ways.” An icon of the 80’s slasher era, this movie has some fun twists, inventive kills and a decent mystery. Old school horror fans should check out this Scream Factory Collector’s Edition Blu.
Swamp Thing: The Complete Series The gist: “Abby Arcane returns home to Marais, Louisiana, to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus, where she develops a bond with disgraced scientist Alec Holland. After Holland tragically dies, Abby discovers the mysteries of the swamp and that Holland may not be dead after all.” The DC Universe series comes to Blu-Ray, and will hopefully pick up the following it deserved. I’ve been a fan of Swamp Thing since the Wes Craven movie, then in the legendary comics run by Alan Moore, which heavily influenced this series. It’s a shame we probably won’t get a second season, but at least we have these episodes to enjoy.
Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2017) The gist: “A spin-off to the TV series Ultraman Orb, the prequel introduces the characters Gai Kurenai and Jugglus Juggler, who, legend has it, once fought for the same power.” As an 80’s kid, I loved the original ’66 Ultraman series. Watching the Science Patrol fight various giant monsters, until Hayata finally decided it was time for Ultraman to kick butt just hit all my buttons. This set is apparently a prequel series to a follow-up series, but as long as a guy in silver spandex beats up guys in monster suits, I’m in!
Rambo 5-Film Collection (1982 – 2019) Oh, come on, you don’t need me to give you the gist on this one. Five movies, one great, two good, and two less than good, you already know if you need these Blu-Rays or not.
Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) The gist “Two reporters travel to a strange castle in Transylvania to investigate the apparent reappearance of Frankenstein, and encounter such kooky creatures as the sensitive Wolfman, the horny Vampiress Odette, as well as a whole cast of other weirdos.” The first of two vintage era Goldblum movies being released, this one is a horror spoof in the same vein as “Saturday the 14th“. It’s cheesy, it’s a very 80’s spoof comedy, some of it holds up, some of it doesn’t, and now you can have it on Blu-Ray.
Vibes (1988) The gist: “Psychics Sylvia Pickel and Nick Deezy are hired by a mysterious man to find an ancient treasure in South America. As they trek through Ecuador, their supernatural skills lead them straight into danger, disaster and romance. When the ancient ruins unleash an evil paranormal power, Sylvia and Nick must join psychic forces to save the world.” Our second early-installment weirdness Goldblum, this time teamed with the lovely Cyndi Lauper, and Steve Buscemi as a bonus! This is Goldblum at his young and still kinda twitchy best, and he has great chemistry with Cyndi as two very different kinds of psychics. It’s a very fun romp that was sadly not appreciated at the time. Blu-Ray only, sadly, but it is in one of those faux-VHS slipcases, which is fun.
Robocop (1987) Again, do you really need the gist? Ok: “In the not-too-distant future, a newly transfered Detroit police officer is remade into an indestructible cybernetic cop after being dismembered by a gang of thugs in an abandoned warehouse. Reborn as RoboCop he is programmed to serve and protect the citizens of Detroit and eliminate the rampant crime in the city streets so that a massive city-wide reconstruction project can get under way.” You know it, you love it, and you probably already own it. But this is another special edition from the fine folks at Arrow Video. This is the regular release non-Steelbook edition. That release has been tempting me at Best Buy for a few weeks now, as it has three different cuts of the movie, and all kinds of extras. In fact, I’d only get the version coming out on the 11th if you can’t find the other release, or just only want/need the theatrical cut of the film.
Hudson Hawk (1991) The gist: “Eddie “The Hawk” Hawkins, the world’s most famous cat burglar, who, after 10 years in prison, is ready to go straight. But it’s not going to be easy. The mob and the CIA have conspired to blackmail Eddie and his partner into stealing three da Vinci masterpieces from the most heavily-guarded museums in the world.” Or would you rather swing upon a star? Yes, the movie that almost killed Bruce Willis’ career, now on Blu. It’s stock with the public has gone up as the years have passed, but it’s still . . . a movie that I have seen.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable – Chapter 1 (2017) The gist: “A teen gifted with supernatural power discovers the truth behind his cursed and bizarre bloodline, and the evil that lurks within his town.” A live action version of the (I wanna say cult, but is it really cult?) anime, from what I have heard, this movie captures the truly outlandish and, um, bizarre, feel of the original. I haven’t seen it, but I had to include it, just for that title alone.
Heartbeeps (1981) The gist: “Two household robots run away and try to start a family.” Oh, it’s so much weirder than that. One of Andy Kaufman’s few movie roles, he and Bernadette Peters wear innovative makeup (which nearly won Stan Winston the first ever Oscar given out for Best Makeup, but he lost to An American Werewolf in London) that turned them into robots (think the video for Winnona’s Big Brown Beaver by Primus), and I tell you, it’s strange. Even for an 80’s movie, man is it strange. I always expected it to become a cult hit, especially as it’s Kaufman’s final role, but it was too oddball, or maybe not quite oddball enough, for that fate. Anyway, it’s out on Blu, if you’re curious.
Hanukkah (2020) Oh man, strap in for this gist: “Obediah Lazarus is the son of Judah Lazarus, the original Hanukiller. In 1983, Judah terrorized NY for seven nights and was preparing to sacrifice his eight-year-old son, Obediah, on the eighth night. Judah was convinced it was God’s will, like Abraham and Isaac, to sacrifice his only son to God. Luckily for Obediah, police tracked Judah down and stopped the sacrifice, but Judah was gunned down in the process. Warped by hatred with no guidance, Obediah Lazarus becomes a religious extremist, intolerant of non-Jews, “bad Jews”, and those he perceives to be enemies of the Jewish faith. He is about to unleash eight nights of horror. A group of Jewish teens are getting ready to party for the holidays, but are in for a Festival of Frights. With the help of a wise Rabbi, they deduce that the murder victims have violated Judaic law and that their only chance at survival is to embrace their faith.” It’s about time that Hanukkah got the Silent Night, Deadly Night & Black Christmas treatment. From the tagline “From Dreidel to the Grave“, to a cast including Sid Mutha-lovin Haig and Tim Miller, the secondary tag line “Prepare for a Festival of Frights“, and the sheer chutzpah of the film makers for even doing this, I have got to give it props and check it out. It is being released in a regular Blu as well as a special edition (no word on the differences between the two), I think it will sit quite nicely next to my copy of “The Hebrew Hammer.”
Other titles of note: Shutter Island, Terror Firmer, Game of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season, John Wick Chapters 1 – 3 Combo Pack, When a Stranger Calls, Grave of the Fireflies
That’s a lot of stuff out this week! Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!