Meanwhile, Scream Factory and Shout! have set a double feature of X-Ray/Schizoid for release on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 8/20 (SRP $26.99), followed by Q: The Winged Serpent and Dark Angel (aka I Come in Peace in the U.S.) on Blu-ray on 8/27 (SRP $19.97 each). Schizoid will feature an interview with actress Donna Wilkes and the trailer, while X-Ray will include an interview with director Boaz Davidson. Q: The Winged Serpent has commentary with writer/director Larry Cohen and trailers, and Dark Angel has interviews with director Craig R. Baxley and actors Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben plus the trailer.
CBS and Paramount have set Unforgettable: The First Season, Bonanza: The Official Sixth Season and Dynasty: The Seventh Season for DVD only release on 7/9.
And Arrow Video in the UK has announced that Jack Hill’s Spider Baby is coming to Blu-ray Disc for the first time worldwide (and also DVD un the UK) on Monday, 6/17! The film stars Sid Haig and Lon Chaney Jr. in one of his final performances. Extras on the Blu-ray will include Hill’s 30-minute short film The Host, audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, 3 featurettes (The Hatching of Spider Baby, Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein and The Merrye House Revisited), video of a panel discussion from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences FILM-TO-FILM Festival (recorded September 2012 with Jack Hill and stars Quinn K. Redeker and Beverly Washburn), an alternate opening sequence, extended scenes, a trailer, a gallery of behind-the-scenes images, an in-depth collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by artist and writer Stephen R. Bissette and an extensive article re-printed from FilmFax: The Magazine of Unusual Film and Television featuring interviews with the cast and crew, illustrated with original stills and artwork. Note that much of the disc-based content originally appeared on Dark Sky Films’ 2007 DVD release. The packaging will feature a reversible sleeve insert featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham ‘Evil Dead’ Humpreys.
Also, a quick heads-up: In addition to Amazon.com’s Criterion sale this week, Best Buy is apparently running one as well. Like I said, be sure to take advantage of the great prices if there are titles you’re looking for.
Finally today, director Peter Bogdanovich has taken time to explain his reasons for releasing his new Definitive Version of At Long last Love on Blu-ray over at Indiewire.
Here’s a look at the Blu-ray Disc cover artwork for Arrow’s Spider Baby (we’ll add an Amazon link when it’s available), Cinedigm’s From Up on Poppy Hill (due 9/3) and Scream Factory’s newly-released teaser art (DVD version – BD forthcoming) for their upcoming Prince of Darkness: Collector’s Edition (street date TBA). NICE…
And… just because the Interweb seems to love pictures of cats… here’s a shot of my pal Oliver (below), right after he fell completely into a sleep coma on my lap during a recent Venture Bros. binge marathon. Yes, he does snore. (By the way, be sure to check out the season premiere of Venture Bros if you haven’t yet – it’s terrific.)
- Bill Hunt
