The big release today is the second season set of Arrested Development, perhaps the most brilliant TV comedy of the last decade. As it limps to its death now in it (no doubt soon to be abbreviated) third season, we can clutch the show to our bosom via the miracle of DVD. $28.
A mystery is the Captain and Tennille Ultimate Set. However, since it’s a three disc collection, I assume it collects their short lived ’70s variety show, which did include one of my favorite running bits as a kid, episodes of the Captain’s favorite (fake, obviously) TV show, The Bionic Watermelon. Otherwise it’s standard ’70s kitsch, including, no doubt, several performances of the excruciating “Muskrat Love.” (With, if I remember right, dancers in Disney World-esque muskrat suits nuzzling for the camera.) The set was originally supposed to be out on the 11th, but Amazon is now posting an Oct. 25th release date. $30-$33.
Other television sets out this week include The Fat Albert Christmas Special, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Vol 2., Fresh Prince of Bel Air S2, Jeffersons S4, Little House on the Prairie S9 (!), Mutant X S3, Soap S4, South Park S6, Veronica Mars S1.
As we approach Halloween, more marginal horror stuff hits the market.
Two films that traded on the Amityville series, Amityville: A New Generation (haunted mirror) and Amityville: It’s About Time (haunted clock), hit the shelves for well under $10.
Doll Graveyard is, surprise, a horror movie featuring dolls and from Charles Band. Wow, that’s a shock. $10.
Media Blasters is (supposedly) releasing the highly goofy horror flick The Dark. This is the infamous film that started out as a supernatural monster movie and then in the editing process, was unsuccessfully attempted to recut to be a sci-fi monster movie. This pretty much made a shambles of what doesn’t look like much of a film to start with. I remember Roger Ebert really taking an axe to it. Info on the disc is surprisingly skimpy, but it may feature a producer/director (the latter being John “Bud” Cardos) commentary. Under $20.
The Fog is unrelated to either the John Carpenter movie or its remake and is, in fact, an Indian horror flick. $15.
Hammerhead is a killer man-shark (!) movie, ala the TV flick Creature of several years ago. Stars Jeffrey Combs. The DVD guy at Cinescape.com calls the movie “disgusting” (!), by which I intuit he means it suck. What a shocker. $15.
High Tension is the well-regarded French slasher flick that had a brief theatrical run earlier this year. There’s an R rated and separate Unrated version, and extras including a commentary. Under $20.
Night Fangs is another DTV vampire flick, apparently with (surprise) lots of gore and ‘sexuality.’. $15.
Plaga Zombie: Mutant Zone is a zombie flick from Argentina, on a no doubt nice 2-disc set by the fine folks at Media Blasters. $10.
The Ridge sounds like a standard DTV slasher film. $15.
Undead is a raucous Australian zombie movie, along the lines of stuff like Bad Taste. The disc features, amongst other goodies, two commentary tracks. Under $20.
Undead and High Tension are undoubtedly the quality horror releases of the week. The Dark is my official Schlock Release of the Week.
Also, Retromedia is apparently re-releasing many previously available titles. I’m sure there website has the details.
In non-horror fare
Chop socky fans will welcome Sonny Chiba’s The Executioner and The Executioner II: Karate Inferno (on two separate discs), each running under $15.
Fans of The Duke will mosey over to peruse the release of Hondo: Special Edition (featuring documentaries and a Leonard Maltin commentary track) and McClintock!: Special Edition, with similar extras. Both good packages, and for a thrifty $10 each.
Misty Mundae Euro: Vixen is for fans of the faux lesbian starlet, and features supposedly naughtier European versions of such standard cable fare as Mummy Raider, Roxanna, Satan’s School for Lustand Vampire Vixens. 3 discs for about $20.
The Sex a Go Go Collection brings together three ’60s era Brit sexploitation films, the sci-fi oriented Zeta One, Yellow Teddybears and Secrets of a Windmill Girl. The latter two are apparently disappointingly ‘serious,’ so beware. Three discs for under $15.
This year’s here-today, gone-tomorrow martial arts flick Unleashed, starring Jet Li, is set free for about $20, in both R and Unrated versions.
