STACK #201 Jul 2021

FILM FEATURE

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It's Halloween in July with a horror-themed line-up from the boutique Blu-ray label, including one of the best Stephen King adaptations and some gothic classics from the Hammer Films' vault. Words Scott Hocking NEWFROM IMPRINT FILMS

a commentary track by author Troy Howarth and Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson. Four classic '70s films from Britain's prolific Hammer Films production company

comprise the Hammer Horror Limited Hardbox Edition, along with the 1994

documentary Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror . Countess Dracula (1971), Twins of Evil (1971) and Vampire Circus (1972) deliver the bloodsucking goods, while Hands of the Ripper (1971) is a lurid and

The Dead Zone (1983)

D irector David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone (1983) is one of the finest screen adaptations of a Stephen King novel. It's a gripping psychic thriller that's anchored by a sympathetic performance from Christopher Walken, as an ordinary guy who awakens from a five-year coma with extraordinary powers that are both a blessing and curse. This underrated gem is finally receiving the special edition Blu-ray release it deserves,

The Awakening (1980)

gory shocker that sees Jack the Ripper's daughter carrying on his bloody legacy. The plentiful bonus content includes audio commentaries, documentaries and featurettes, analysis from Hammer historians, trailers and much more. Silver Screams Cinema collects six obscure horror films from the '40s and '50s in a 3-disc Limited Hardbox Edition, including three tales from beyond the grave sourced from the Republic Pictures' vault: The Phantom Speaks (1945), The Vampire's Ghost (1945) and Valley of the Zombies (1946). Then there is the mad scientist mayhem of Return of the Ape Man (1944), starring horror legends Bela Lugosi and John Carradine; She Devil (1957), "an inhuman being who destroyed everything she touched"; and the bonkers B-movie The Unknown Terror (1957). Extras include 2021 audio commentaries and a bonus full-length feature (in SD) from Republic, The Lady and the Monster (1944). • The new Imprint range will be available with slipcases and unique artwork for a limited time only (while stocks last) on July 28 PRE-ORDER NOW

with a 2K scan from the original negative and a plethora of bonus material. Extras include an all- new documentary on 'adapting the King of Horror', audio commentary by British authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman, BTS featurettes, new and vintage

further insight from author/ historian Richard Heft. Based on the novel by late British horror author James Herbert, Haunted (1995) stars

Aidan Quinn as a professor whose sceptical outlook on supernatural phenomena is challenged when he visits the Sussex estate of Edbrook. Co-starring Kate Beckinsale and Sir John Gielgud, this period chiller is a good old-fashioned ghost story that's perfect for a wet winter's night. Extras include commentary by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, and new interviews with actor Alex Lowe and the film's cinematographer and composer. A staple of late night TV in the '70s, The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) finds a family trapped in a Southwest town that's run by a coven of Satanists led by the local doctor (played by late character actor Strother Martin). This occult thriller comes to Blu-ray with a new 2K scan and

interviews, and a 2018 chat with Stephen King. The Awakening (1980) is the second screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of the Seven Stars , following Hammer Films' 1971 take, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb . Where Hammer's was a fun romp, this is the more serious Hollywood version with a big name star in Charlton Heston and directed by Mike Newell ( Donnie Brasco ). Chuck plays an archaeologist who discovers that his teenaged daughter is the reincarnation of an evil Ancient Egyptian queen, who unleashes all kinds of supernatural chaos. Imprint's release features a new 2K scan from the original negative, 2021 audio commentary by Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, an interview with orchestrator Nancy Beach on the film's score, and

42 JULY 2021

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