Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: available now Price: DVD $14.96, Blu-ray $19.96 Studio: Neon/Decal
Decal Releasing, in partnership with Neon, released the supernatural horror film Shelby Oaks, directed by Chris Stuckmann, on Blu-ray and DVD on January 6!
In the film, a film crew uncovers a disturbing new lead in a woman’s obsessive search for her missing sister, which steers her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.
The movie stars Joe Quinn and Sarah Durn, with Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Bly Manor) as an executive producer.
The discs feature the following bonus features:
-Six episodes of “The Making of Shelby Oaks”
-Four episodes of “Paranormal Paranoids”
-The Final Tape
-Crime scene gallery
-Director’s commentary
-Special hidden feature
-Trailer and TV spots
Severin Films has announced the full list of special features for their upcoming release of legendary filmmaker Russ Meyer’s Vixen (1968), Supervixens(1975), and Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens(1979). Said features arrive in the form of nine hours of material curated by release label Severin Films.
All three films will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD January 28, 2025, and they’re available for pre-order at Severin Films webstore.
Let’s get to the bonus breakdown on the trio of newly restored films:
VIXEN
UHD:
Archival Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Producer/Cinematographer/Co-Editor/Director Russ Meyer
Audio Commentary With Actress Erica Gavin
Trailer
BLU-RAY/DVD:
1981 Censor Prologue (Theatrical Re-Release)
Archival Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Producer/Cinematographer/Co-Editor/Director Russ Meyer
Audio Commentary With Actress Erica Gavin
Woman… Or Animal? – Interviews With Actors Erica Gavin And Harrison Page
David Del Valle’s The Sinister Image With Guests Russ Meyer And Yvette Vickers
Entertainment… Or Obscenity? – Marc Edward Heuck On The Film’s Historic Cincinnati Censorship Battles
Trailer
Supervixens (1975)
SUPERVIXENS
UHD:
Archival Audio Commentary With Writer/Cinematographer/Editor/Producer/Director Russ Meyer
Trailer
BLU-RAY/DVD:
Archival Audio Commentary With Writer/Cinematographer/Editor/Producer/Director Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer Versus The Porn-Busters – Mike Carroll Interview With Russ Meyer
The Man With The Square Jaw – Interview With Actor Charles Napier
The Incredibly Strange Film Show Season 1, Episode 5: Russ Meyer
Trailer
TV Spot
Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens
UHD:
Archival Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor/Director Russ Meyer
Trailer
BLU-RAY/DVD:
Archival Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor/Director Russ Meyer
The Latin Brünhilde – Interview With Actress Kitten Natividad
Talk It Over – Ellen Adelstein Interviews Russ Meyer For Her Tucson Talk Show In 1979
Still Talking It Over – New Interview With Ellen Adelstein
Blu-ray Release Date: June 4, 2024 Price: Blu-ray $24.99 Studio: Dark Sky Films
In the satirical political horror slasher Founders Day from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.
Fresh off of a multi-city national theatrical run, Founders Day has enjoyed a strong festival. The latest feature from fraternal writing-director duo Erik & Carson Bloomquist, the film’s ensemble cast includes Devin Druid, Amy Hargreaves, Naomi Grace (TV’s NCIS), Catherine Curtin (TV’s Stranger Things) and William Russ (TV’s Boy Meets World).
Digital, DVD Release Date: June 11, 2024 Price: DVD $14.99 Studio: Lightyear
In the coming-of-age drama Edge of Everything, 14-year-old Abby (Sierra McCormick) is straddling the line between childhood and adulthood and attempting to find her way in the world following her mother’s death. On the cusp of turning 15, she’s first forced to move in with her father (Jason Butler Harner) and his younger girlfriend (Sabina Friedman-Seitz). Feeling alone in the world, the angry and determined teen strikes up a possibly dangerous friendship with the carefree and rebellious Caroline (Ryan Simpkins, The Fear Street Trilogy) while exploring new personas, drugs and sexual experiences on the path to finding her place in life.
From writer-director duo Sophia Sabella and Pablo Feldman, who here make their feature-length narrative debut, Edge of Everything recently captured the Panavision Award for Independent Cinema at the 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Its leading lady Sierra McKormick recently starred in the acclaimed Slamdance-winner The Vast of Night.
Digital Release Date: March 12, 2024 Price: Rental $2.99, Purchase $9.99 Studio: Random Media
The 2023 indie drama Girl in the Palms follows Luna (Lupe Sujey Cuevas in her debut feature), a young girl at the crossroads of her life who, following a mysterious tragedy, leaves everything she knows behind to hitchhike from New York to the warmth of Florida.
A kind of modern-day Alice, Luna’s journey proves be far from ordinary as it introduces her to a colorful cross-section of characters and life-altering adventures that take her from hippie hideaways to the swamps of Key West in her quest for self-actualization.
Directed by Jon Russell Cring, the film’s cast features Michalina Scorzelli and the ever-prolific Monique Parent.
Digital Release Date: Feb. 20, 2024 Price: Rental $2.99, Purchase $9.99 Studio: Random Media
This not-so-coming-of-age drama The Doldrums follows three high school friends whose friendship changes as the oldest, Alec, departs for college, leaving his two friends, Matt and Cole, behind.
Structured in six vignettes, the film presents Alec’s biannual visits back to his hometown during breaks, where he finds that despite all of them growing older, his friends seem to be stagnating with deepening reliance on drugs and alcohol as their primary source of fun.
Written and directed by Leonardo Nussenzveig and loosely based on Nussenzveig’s own life, The Doldrums traces the evolution of the characters as the friendship dissolves and one sinks deeper into degeneracy forcing him to confront alcoholism, drug abuse and even murder, as part of his journey to early adulthood.
STUDIO: Vertical Entertainment | DIRECTOR: Timothy Armstrong | CAST: Stephanie Lynn, Mark Famiglietti, Di Quon, Alice Barrett, Alexandra Case RELEASE DATE: Nov. 12, 2021 SPECS: NR | 92 min. | Comedy
RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
A lightweight, formulaic comedy that’s likable and not overly ambitious, Soulmates is set in picturesque Vermont where BFFs Jess (Stephanie Lynn, Far Rockaway) and Sam (Alexandra Case, My Best Friend’s Famous) live, spending time on Jess’s father farm, the main source of business of which is maple syrup.
Trouble rears its ugly head when a big company heads into the territory with plans to purchase area farms and put small enterprises out on the streets. The two girls join forces with local protestors, but things get even worse when Sam falls for Landon (Mark Famiglietti, Last Survivors), a handsome hotshot with a big maple company threatening to shut down her friend’s farm.
From there on, Soulmates’ plot offers some surprises along with a sweet deposition—at least, until the latter part of the film when some family secrets are revealed and Landon, the film’s main male protagonist, seen initially as a villain, wavers between good and lukewarm evil. There is also some contrived shenanigans involving a wedding and a pact between the two friends made long ago. Luckily, leading ladies Lynn and Case, who also wrote the script, bring some spunkiness to the proceedings.
Ultimately, Soulmates is a mixture of sweet and sour that Gen Z audiences may want to tap into for unassuming entertainment.
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 1, 2021 Price: Blu-ray $79.99 Studio: Arrow/MVD
Bringing together six films, all new to Blu-ray and in brand new restorations, Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection celebrates the work of renowned Wisconsin-based independent filmmaker Rill Bebane.
Best know for his low-budget horror films, Reban has produced, directed, edited, and production designed at least one hundred commercial, industrial, corporate image, documentary or promotion films over the course of his career, as well as establishing the Wisconsin Film Office in 1960.
There’s some wild stuff to be found in Arrow’s new compendium of Rebane’s works. How’s this for some lively descriptions about the films: A a mutant astronaut bothering blissful sunbathers (Monster A Go-Go, 1965), a contagion apocalypse as seen from the vantage point of a remote mountain cabin (Invasion from Inner Earth, 1974), deadly alien spores from the rocks of Mars (The Alpha Incident, 1978), rural gothic and outright horror (The Demons of Ludlow, 1983), an eccentric ‘body count’ movie (The Game, 1984) and a comedy smash-’em up that pits three hillbilly stooges against a talking Monster Truck with artificial intelligence (Twister’s Revenge, 1988).
Here’s a rundown of everything that’s included in the Arrow’s limited edition:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations on 4 Blu-ray discs
Original uncompressed mono audio for all films
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Straight Shooter, a multi-part interview with director Bill Rebane about the making and release of each film in the set
Who is Bill Rebane? A definitive brand new feature length documentary by historian and critic David Cairns [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
Fully illustrated 60-page collector’s booklet featuring extensive new writing by historian and critic Stephen Thrower [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
Reversible poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork for each of the films by The Twins of Evil
DISC ONE – MONSTER A GO-GO + INVASION FROM INNER EARTH
Straight Shooter Part 1 and Part 2, two newly filmed interviews about the making of Monster A Go-Go and Invasion from Inner Earth with director Bill Rebane
Brand new interview with historian and critic Kim Newman
Twist Craze, and Dance Craze, two early short films by Bill Rebane
Kidnap Extortion (1973), a newly restored industrial short directed by Bill Rebane
Still Gallery
DISC TWO – THE ALPHA INCIDENT + THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW
Straight Shooter Part 3 and Part 4, two newly filmed interviews about the making of The Alpha Incident and The Demons of Ludlow with director Bill Rebane
Rebane’s Key Largo, a brand new visual essay by historian and critic Richard Harland Smith
The Alpha Incident original trailer
The Demons of Ludlow original trailer
Still Gallery
DISC THREE – THE GAME + TWISTER’S REVENGE
Two presentations of The Game (aka The Cold) in 1.85 and 1.33 aspect ratio
Straight Shooter Part 5 and Part 6, two newly filmed interviews about the making of The Game and Twister’s Revenge with director Bill Rebane
Discovering Bill Rebane, brand new presentation by historian & critic Stephen R. Bissette
The Game original trailer
Twister’s Revenge original trailer
Still Gallery
DISC FOUR – WHO IS BILL REBANE? (2021) + BONUS
Who is Bill Rebane? Exclusive new feature length documentary by historian and critic David Cairns
King of the Wild Frontier a conversation with historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette
Invasion from Inner Earth outtakes from the shoot
The Alpha Incident outtakes from the shoot
The Demons of Ludlow outtakes from the shoot
The Giant Spider Invasion original trailer
Gallery of Behind the Scenes stills
Still Galleries for the rest of Rebane’s filmography
Extras subject to change
Check out this awesome trailer for Rebane’s The Alpha Incident:
Buy or Rent Blu-ray Release: Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection
STUDIO: MCM Creative | DIRECTOR: Michael Canzoniero | CAST: Steve Randazzo, Dan Fogler, Juliette Bennett, Timothy “Speed” Levitch, Kira Dikhtyar RELEASE DATE: SPECS: NR | 87 min. | Comedy drama
RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
Films about filmmaking are a tricky proposition. If the movie is not universal enough, it gets tagged as being “inside ball”—efforts that real cinephiles or people in the industry may appreciate, but outsiders simply don’t appreciate or even “get.”
Making the Day is a movie industry enterprise that will likely win fans outside of the cinematic bubble. That’s because it’s charming, funny and poignant without sacrificing the unusual and often arcane ins and outs associated with the world of independent filmmaking and financing.
Veteran character actor Steven Randazzo (The Clapper) plays—appropriately–veteran character Nick Fazzio, who’s trying to raise funds to produce Cagney Cried, a movie dedicated to his beloved late wife. Nick misses her terribly and would like to get the film made to honor her memory. But getting the money together to finance the project has turned into a struggle and he is on the verge of calling it quits.
Juliette Bennett and Steven Randazzo take it to the streets in Making the Day.
Enter Samantha (Juliette Bennett, Smothered by Mothers), a quirky New York actress determined to land the lead role in Nick’s film. After meeting him and being touched by the stories about his late spouse, Samantha is also determined to help raise the necessary funds to make the picture. Samantha is soon pulling out all the stops to get the project off the ground, from selling personal items at a stoop sale to meeting with unsavory potential investors and calling in favors with acquaintances in the industry who remember working with Nick over the years.
Director/co-writer Michael Canzoniero (Don Peyote) and writing partner Michael Berenbaum (who also edited the film) have fashioned a spirited and likable effort that plays like a fable about how perseverance, grit and determination can triumph against all odds in one of the world’s most unpredictable businesses. As Making the Day shows us, begging, borrowing and schmoozing supersede glamour in the indie film trenches.
As Nick, Randazzo–whose five-decade career includes supporting roles in movies directed by Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Michael Mann, John Sayles and Sidney Lumet–holds the screen with his relatable world-weariness. Meanwhile, Bennett offers a delightful, energetic turn as Samantha, a neurotic wannabe star who turns out to be Nick’s guardian angel, The ensemble cast also includes Tony-winning Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as a Russian entrepreneur; Timothy “Speed” Levitch, the tour guide subject of the 1998 cult documentary The Cruise, as a potential film investor; and beautiful Russian model Kira Dikhtyar as…a beautiful Russian model.
While watching Making the Day, film fans may be reminded of Alexandre Rockwell’s In the Soup (which featured Randazzo) and Tom DiCillo’s Living in Oblivion, two memorable 1990s satires starring Steve Buscemi as a sad sack screenwriter and director, respectively, trying to navigate the chaotic behind-the-scenes world of New York indie cinema.
Making the Day proves that not much seems to have changed in this world over the past three decades. Except now, the cameras are digital.
STUDIO: Freestyle Digital Media | DIRECTOR: Andy Palmer | CAST: Carlos Alazraqui, Tara Strong, Maurice LaMarche, Jill-Michele Melean, Robert Belushi, Bret Ernst RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2021 SPECS: NR | 81 min. | Comedy horror
RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
The new zombie comedy movie Witness Infection hits some generic notes but offers enough zany entertainment to make it a no-brainer.
Mr. Serrelli (Maurice LaMarche, Pinky and the Brain) has kept his son Carlo (a charming Robert Belushi of TV’s How I Met Your Mother) out of the “family business” until the Witness Protection Program unwittingly puts his brood in the same California city as the rival Miola family. To keep the peace, he arranges a marriage between Carlo and Don Miola’s daughter. Carlo, who has feelings for his pet grooming coworker Gina (Jill-Michele Melean, White/Latina), is none too happy about the arrangement, but the marriage becomes the least of his problems when he realizes the town has been overrun by flesh-eating zombies infected by rancid food truck sausages.
Written by co-stars Melean and Carlos Alazraqui (Rocko’s Modern Life), Witness Infection is stacked full of “been there, done that” Italian stereotypes and fart jokes. But there are just enough splashes of humor and clever homages to mob and horror films to keep it alive. Standout scenes include a pair of hit men bantering about how to best carry out a “send a message” order and a harried lesson regarding the best quotes from The Godfather.
Director Andy Palmer (who mined similar horror-comedy territory in 2015’s The Funhouse Massacre) runs nimbly and comfortably through B movie territory, making the most of what he’s got to work with. Production values for this zombie excursion don’t equal the level of The Walking Dead but, with the film’s farcical tone, they don’t have to. The makeup and effects are acceptably believable and gross and the cast seems game to go with the fun, never taking themselves, or the film, too seriously. Neither will viewers looking for a little undead fun.
The movie stars Joe Quinn and Sarah Durn, with Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Bly Manor) as an executive producer.
