RUBY Details; THE TWILIGHT PEOPLE, THE AFTERMATH, ONE MILLION B.C. (1940) Hit Blu!

[bruce holecheck]

From my Cinema Arcana FB page:

Some interesting news regarding VCI Entertainment's Blu-Ray slate for the rest of 2017, courtesy of a newly prepared magazine advertisement.

First up are details for their long-in-the-works HD upgrade of Curtis Harrington's fan favorite RUBY (1977). The film concerns a pregnant gangster moll who turns to the drive-in theater business following the bullet-bath her boyfriend takes right before her eyes. Sixteen years later, a series of gruesome, mysterious murders begins at their outdoor movie compound, and daughter Leslie is starting to act in unusual ways. A solid '70s supernatural thriller, the film always had a rough time gaining the reputation it deserved due to the proliferation of a censored, padded television cut that destroyed its original intentions. Dubbed a "Blood Splattered Special Edition," VCI's disc promises a new 2K transfer of the restored director's theatrical cut, straight from the original 35mm negative, and they've ported over the commentary track with Harrington and lead Piper Laurie, vintage interviews with the director, a new talk with David Del Valle and historian Nate Bell, and more. No date given, but I would expect a proper announcement shortly.

But that's not all -- the company has several other Blu-Ray bumps on the way!

Do you like Filipino insanity? How about Dr. Moreau stories? What do you think of Pam Grier? Well, with Eddie Romero's THE TWILIGHT PEOPLE (1972), you get all of the above, plus an amazing bat-man who flies around the jungle and rips up faces. A crazed little film that presents a gang of animal / human hybrids as they revolt against their creator -- it's a lot of fun if you're in the right mindset. The company's DVD looked great for the time; let's hope this disc follows suit.

If Greydon Clark's SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS (1977) doesn't put a smile on your face, what will? This primo slab of drive-in schlock follows the titular group of pom pom-pushin' protagonists who are kidnapped for demonic rituals by their school's Satan-worshiping janitor. Yes, you read that right. But things aren't always as they initially seem... Another long overdue refurbishing, I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Not seeing a proper release since its Roan Laserdisc, Steve Barkett's THE AFTERMATH (1982) might just finally get the disc it deserves. This one's a violent, regional post-apocalypse tale that details an astronaut's return to Earth, only to find we've had a nuclear war in the interim and the planet's now populated with roving bands of mutant cannibals -- led by Sid Haig! Plenty of inspired action, surprisingly solid FX work, and one humdinger of an exploding head, THE AFTERMATH deserves to be better known than it is; hopefully this Blu-Ray will help.

Last, but not least, Hal Roach's original caveman basher ONE MILLION B.C. (1940) hits the format. Not as well known as it's '60s Hammer reimagining, because, well, it doesn't have Raquel Welsh in a fur bikini, this earlier edition was actually nominated for a pair of Academy Awards, including Special Effects and Best Score. I haven't seen it, but for those who crave the film, it's coming!

No details on any of these additional titles yet, but stay tuned to Cinema Arcana for any updates we come across!