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.

Well, my Physical Medians, it looks like the lean times are over! Well, for this week, at least. We have quite a few classics escaping out into the wild, which you should all know, always makes me happy. So let’s get right into our filthy business.

Zombie for Sale (2019) “An infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where Train to Busan, The Quiet Family and Warm Bodies collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae. When the illegal human experiments of Korea’s biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their “undead” test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family – a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong… With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives the Kim family of Parasite a run for their money, Zombie for Sale will warm the deadest of hearts and breathe some new life into the zombie genre.” This description sounds like the writer wanted to remind everyone of every Korean movie that’s come out in the last 10 years. Still, it sounds cool, and it is a zombie movie, so I have to check it out.

Trolls World Tour (2020) “Poppy and Branch discover that there are six different troll tribes scattered over six different lands. Each tribe is also devoted to six different kinds of music — funk, country, techno, classical, pop and rock. When rockers Queen Barb and King Thrash set out to destroy the other music, Poppy and Branch embark on a daring mission to unite the trolls and save the diverse melodies from becoming extinct.” Yeah, it’s a kid’s movie, but so are Pixar films, so there. And while this isn’t exactly on the Pixar level, it’s still surprisingly better than you would expect. I liked it, anyway. You can snag this on Blu, 4K, and the obligatory Best Buy Steelbook.

The War of the Worlds (1953) “Scientist Clayton Forrester and Sylvia Van Buren are the first to arrive at the site of a meteorite crash. Soon after, an alien war machine emerges and begins killing at random. The Marines are called in, but they’re no match for the aliens’ force field. Forrester and Van Buren, however, are able to wound one of the creatures and procure a sample of its blood. They take it to Los Angeles where they hope, through testing, to be able to discover the aliens’ weakness.” A true classic of Sci-Fi and Hollywood’s golden era, I really think this is a must-watch for genre fans. A solid adaptation of the book, with great performances, iconic ship and alien designs, and effects that still hold up. This movie has influenced the genre, and filmmakers, to this day. It’s getting the well deserved Criterion treatment, and it’s my Pick of the Week.

And yes, that is where MST3K got the name for one of the Mads.

Spaced Invaders (1990) “When one saucer of an invasion force has engine trouble, it lands on Earth. It happens to be Halloween and it happens the invaders are only about 4 feet tall. As the bumbling aliens wander around the countryside they are taken to be children and they make friends with two children, one of whom is the daughter of the sheriff. As their troubles mount (it’s difficult for five aliens to conquer a world) they begin to give up their plans of conquest, but then there is that nasty killer robot.” Another kid-aimed sci-fi comedy that’s actually pretty darn funny. Even if the gag with one of the aliens is that he’s a riff on Jack Nicholson. It’s goofy, but fun.

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) “U.S. and Russia unwittingly test atomic bombs at the same time, it alters the axis of rotation of the Earth.” Sure, the premise is ludicrous, but no more so than 2112 or The Day After Tomorrow. This is another classic 60s disaster film that stands out by having an ambiguous ending, and being a bit deeper than you would expect. I recommend it.

Black Rainbow (1989) “Martha Travis is a psychic who travels the rural American South with her alcoholic father, Walter, promoting her mystical trade to credulous locals. In reality, Martha is a con woman whose only gift is the ability to defraud those desperate to contact dead loved ones. One night, however, she has a genuine vision of a violent crime which has yet to transpire.” A fun little flick, with Rosanna Arquette and Jason Robards, and presented by our friends at Arrow Video, so if you enjoy a good thriller, you’re gonna want to check this one out.

No, they’re still not paying me.

Skyman (2020) “The story of Carl Merryweather who believes he experienced an alien encounter at 10-years-old and is now trying to reconnect with the UFO as the same location.” This one has me curious, as a fake documentary on how one incident in your childhood can haunt your entire life. And, as those little grey men creep out our good friend Dave from the Needless Things podcast, this is his (unknowing) Must Avoid of the Week.

Herschell Gordon Lewis’ BloodMania (2017) “A horror anthology comprised of four distinct segments that feature a raucous combination of satirical humor, horror, gore, and enough surprises to satisfy film enthusiasts and horror fans alike.” It seems like most horror directors eventually try their hand at an anthology series or movie, and most of them are usually at least decent. So it you like boobs, blood and schlock scares, you’re probably gonna want to check this out.

Belzebuth (2017) “After losing his family in an extremely tragic way, Detective Ritter must investigate a massacre at a school perpetrated by a student. What seemed like a pretty clear case becomes much more dense when a priest of the Vatican appears with another point of view…” Hey, this has Tobin Bell from the Saw movies. Hopefully, this won’t suck.

Gamemaster (2020) “A deep dive into the world of the thriving board game industry and the creators behind popular games.” I love board games, and this is definitely on my must-watch list.

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy (2007) “What has the world come to when the director of Sasquatch at the Mall can’t get a gig? That’s what horror auteur Harry Penderecki is wondering. Once considered a horror legend, with a string of hits like Bowel Movement, People Pesticide and I’ll Take the Ring Back and the Finger Too, he now finds himself on the outside looking in at Hollywood. Determined to make his comeback, Penderecki returns to direct what he believes will be his ultimate masterpiece, Brutal Massacre. Follow along with the documentary crew to discover whether Harry will reassert his genius, or remain a relic of the ’80s.” Our second fake documentary of the week, but this one has Gunnar Hansen, Brian O’Halloran, Ken Foree, and David Naughton as the lead. If, like me, you recognize all those names, this will be a must-watch for you as well. If not, well, you might still want to give this a look.

Other titles of note: The Complete Lenzi/Baker Giallo Collection (Orgasmo / So Sweet… So Perverse / A Quiet Place to Kill / Knife of Ice) (1969-1972), The Flesh and the Fiends (1960), Proximity (2020), Neurosis (1982), Ozone (1995), Escape Room: Quest of Fear (2019), Five Must Die (2017)

So we have a pretty solid selection of movies this week, my Physical Medians, and a decent mix between sci-fi and horror. And we’re now officially half-way though the year, but with a lot fewer movies than usual by this time. I have to wonder what effect this will have on what we see come out the rest of this year. But of what we have so far, let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!