New on DVD (08/03/10)…

Max Headroom The Complete Series is out!  Hooray!  Does it hold up?  Don’t know, but Amanda Pays was hot.

Other TV this week includes Mercy S1; Naturo: Shippuden Vol 3; Hawaii Five-Oh S9; and Heroes S4.

On to movies:

Piranha hasn’t been available on DVD for a long time, but now (for obvious reasons) is being re-released.  It’s also now available on Blu Ray too.  Lots of nice extras, including what is presumably the commentary provided by director Joe Dante for the earlier DVD release.  It’s one of the best half dozen I’ve ever heard, and essential listening for those interested in Roger Corman.

Also out this week is a new DVD and Blu Ray of the uncut version of Corman’s Humanoids from the Deep.

Finally, there’s a new double bill, Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: Death Sport / Battletruck

The admirable folks at Criterion release the essential Early Films of Akira Kurosawa, including Sanshiro Sugata Parts 1 & 2; Beautiful Life and The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail.  You can never have too much Kurosawa.

The gritty (i.e., highly violent and cuss-filled) superhero flick Kick-Ass hits shelves today in various editions.

Lots of ‘80s reissues this week on DVD and Blu Ray, including The Allnighter (the Susanna Hoffs); Blood Simple (2-disc); Escape from New York (2-disc set); Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Sin; and The Princess Bride (2-discs).

DTV Horror:

After.Life (with Christina Ricci, Justin Long and Liam Neeson[!])
Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchett
Open House
Spike

  • John Campbell

    Oooo Escape from New York!! Princess Bride!!

    By the way, was Maelstrom: Destruction of Jared Sin supposed to be a two parter? I remember loving the movie, but the bad guy gets away in what felt liker a cliff hanger ending.

    Hunanoids from the Deep is a great movie! Corman’s Creature from the Black Lagoon sexploitation romp!

    Hee hee hee

  • BeckoningChasm

    John, I think Charles Band sure hoped it would be a two-parter. If memory serves, this film was long before he started thinking in terms of franchises (and toys), but not before he liked money.

    By the way, I saw Metalstorm in 3-D. It actually made some creative use of the process.

  • John Campbell

    Ahhh that makes sense BC. I remember realy enjoying it. Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone was a favorite as well. Plus I’ve always had a mojor thing for Molly Ringwald. And you can’t beat Michael Ironside any day!

  • Rock Baker

    Battletruck? I’ve never heard of that one before.

    How long ago did that new Starcrash set come out? I read a little about it and it seems to be loaded with enough extras to put a Something Weird Video release to shame!

  • Rock — That Star Crash set is out next month. I’ll be posting a notice about it.

  • BeckoningChasm

    I remember Spacehunter, Metalstorm, Friday the 13th 3, and Jaws 3 all came out in the 3-D summer of, what, 82? 83? Somehow I missed Jaws 3 but managed to catch the others.

  • Rock Baker

    There’s a nice nostalgia movie just waiting to be made: 1983-D, in new and improved 3-D! “Where were you in ’83. D?”

  • Petoht

    Another Princess Bride release? I bought the 20th Anniversary edition a couple years ago, and there was a “special edition” version 9 years ago.

    I hate to be all grumpy, but getting sick of companies releasing three, four, five different versions of the same movie.