Weekly DVD Dissection
After WEEKS of practically nothing in the horror DVD department, things are finally looking up. Today we get a big batch of titles, including everything from recent theatrical releases to catalog re-issues galore. The Pick of the Week has got to be Carter Smith's The Ruins, which was pretty damn solid as an R-rated theatrical affair, but the DVD promises a little more nastiness (and a new ending) as part of its Unrated Edition. Of course you can expect a full review of this disc later this week, but I will tell you it's the creepiest movie I've ever seen about homicidal botany. Yes, even creepier than Little Shop of Horrors.
By Scott Weinberg
Next up are three re-issues that, frankly, I can't imagine anyone really needs. As far as The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are concerned, if you're a fan of these flicks then you already own the individual special editions -OR- the handy-dandy trilogy pack (which includes The Scorpion King). But since The Mummy 3 is just around the corner, Universal is happy to toss 'em out AGAIN. Expect a few skimpy new features and (of course) some promo material for The Mummy 3 (which actually looks kinda cool!) Related by way of the director, a new Van Helsing Special Edition comes out this week -- but really, I question the sincerity of any horror fan having Van Helsing in their collection.
And just to be safe, Universal is also re-re-releasing the original (1932) Mummy in a very slick "Legacy Edition" set. No, it doesn't come with all the sequels (like the LAST Legacy Edition), but it does come with some cool new goodies (which means I probably have to buy it).
Among this week's smaller titles we have Grace Lee's quietly strange American Zombie, a new Maneater Series release called Hybrid (looks like a werewolf flick), and randomly colorful titles like Bone Eater, Death of a Ghost Hunter, The Haunting of Marsten Manor, and Survive This! (That last one is already in my Netflix queue.)
Next week: Another J-Horror remake, another Dimension Extreme offering, and a few festival titles that may be worth a rental. (Or maybe not.)
