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 is yet another very thin week for us genre fans. It seems to be either feast or famine for us. So, once more, I shall plug items that I think are worth your time and funds, created by people I know and love.
First up, go take a look at the offerings from Mocha Memoirs Press, run by the smart and charming, Nicole Kurtz. They’re doing a fundraiser that you should check out here. Details: “For over 11 years we have published works by underrepresented voices in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and romance. You can help us continue to do that work by donating to our on-going GoFundMe, buying our books, and sharing, boosting our new releases. If we could get more reviews of our books that would be great too.” Go support black voices, and enjoy some excellent reading material!
Second, check out the writing of DJ Gray, another amazingly talented friend, nay, family, of mine. They are most excellent with the words, and you should check out their Pateron and follow them on Twitter. You won’t look at fairy tales and Neverland the same way again.
Lastly, but not leastly, there’s Falstaff Pride: “To celebrate Pride Month, Falstaff Books is bundling ten of our favorite titles by some of our LGBTQIA+ authors into one collection! Time travel with Emperors, walk the paths of knowledge with blind librarians, bust a gut with a misanthropic vampire, become self-aware with a young necromancer, or hunt monsters with a snarky woman who just wants a vacation. No matter what you love to read, this bundle of diverse stories from incredible authors has something for you!” Falstaff Books publishes some fantastic urban fantasy, action, pulp and other genre stories, and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve picked up from them. I’m looking forward to the story from my friend Michael Williams, but I’m sure each entry is a winner.
And now that we’re done with all that reading, let’s get on with the video viewing.
House of Wax 3D (1953) “Professor Henry Jarrod is a true artist whose wax sculptures are lifelike. He specializes in historical tableau’s such a Marie Antoinette or Joan of Arc. His business partner, Matthew Burke, needs some of his investment returned to him and pushes Jarrod to have more lurid exposes like a chamber of horrors.” A classic of 50s horror, Vincent Price is excellent (as always), plus we get Charles Bronson in an early role as Price’s henchman. It’s great, even without the 3D gimmick, and I am once more happy to see classic flicks getting a Blu release.
Pennyworth: The Complete First Season (2019) “The story of Alfred Pennyworth, a former special-forces officer living in London and working for Bruce Wayne’s father.” I love that it was a joke in Teen Titans Go to the Movies that Alfred would get a movie before Robin, and then this show was announced. I haven’t watched this, but I hear it’s pretty decent. But still, what’s next, Aunt Harriet the Spy?
Hans Christian Andersen (1952) “A fantasy/musical re-imagining of the life of the great Danish writer of children’s stories. Expelled from his village for distracting the local children from their studies, he travels to Copenhagen, where he falls under the spell of a glamorous opera diva.” Look, the best Danny Kaye (whom I love with all my heart) movie is The Court Jester, hands down, no question. Then The Inspector General. Followed by this movie, which is like saying the third scoop of ice cream isn’t quite as good as the first two. They’re all excellent. (The movies he did with Bing are a whole other category, don’t @ me.) Is it historically accurate? Hardly. Is it a grand time from the golden era of classic Hollywood musicals? Absolutely. So while I patiently wait for Jester to get a deluxe Blu release, I will be enjoying myself while watching this one. And it’s my Pick of the Week.
Dream Demon (1988) “A young woman about to be married begins having terrifying dreams about demons. When she wakes, however, the demons are real and begin to commit gruesome murders.” I know that I’ve said before that I’m a sucker for movies that play around with dreams and reality, be it Dreamscape, Bad Dreams, or that series with the guy with the manicure problem. I haven’t seen this one, but it’s from our fine friends at Arrow Video, so it’s gonna look great. No, they’re still not paying me.
The Spider (aka Earth vs the Spider) (1958) “Teenagers from a rural community and their high school science teacher join forces to battle a giant mutant spider.” A 50s classic from the unforgettable Bert I. Gordon, who brought is some of the best sci-fi/horror cheese of that decade. Is it good? No. Is it fun? Hell yes. Even without Joel and the bots quipping at the thing.
The Vampire Conspiracy (2005) “Five strangers are abducted by a 250 year-old vampire, and placed into a deadly game of wits and endurance. Should they make it through the maze alive, they will receive the vampire’s entire fortune – riches beyond their wildest dreams. Should they fail, they become victims to his hunger and are placed back in the game. The only clues to their salvation are the seven words scrawled on the floor throughout the maze and an insane man who was a participant in the last game. Complications arise, when the group discovers an outside event that makes each of them want the others dead. The situation has changed, and they don’t know whom to fear more, the vampires in the maze, or each other.” Once again, B-R.com gives us a novel-length gist. Still, the premise sounds interesting, and full of people I’m not familiar with, so hopefully it’s good.
A Ship of Human Skin (2019) “A gothic tale of mysticism and violent crime. Two women go out into the fringe of rural culture to seek a revelation. They get trapped in a fierce place, and one murders a man with an ax after she has a vision he is an evil thing. Legend spreads that while locked away in prison, she levitates.” I’m not sure if this is a genre film, or a weird indy psychological drama, but this one had me at mysticism, ax murder, and levitation. B-R.com doesn’t even have a cast list, or who wrote/directed this, so, you know, take your chances.
Other titles of note: NOTHING. Seriously, this is everything, aside from the anime stuff, which I have declined to cover in this venue.
So, yeah, a thin week, but a decent one. Let me know which of these are a must-buy for you, a pass, or which ones I missed!