Scream Factory Blu-ray Discussion Thread

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by tylerc904

Did they though?

Ah yes (no), confused the Ft13th set with the Halloween one.

But I guess 2/3 should qualify the question

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by DenOfEarth

I enjoy them all and don't forget Madman.

I hated Madman.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I hated Madman.

didn't hate it, didn't like it too much either.....

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

didn't hate it, didn't like it too much either.....

I like campfire scene (I have a thing for these, see also Friday the 13th: Part 2 and The Fog), but the whole thing was just too clumsy and amateurish for me. The hot tub sequence is easily one of the most awkward things I've seen in any movie.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I like campfire scene (I have a thing for these, see also Friday the 13th: Part 2 and The Fog), but the whole thing was just too clumsy and amateurish for me. The hot tub sequence is easily one of the most awkward things I've seen in any movie.

yes, it really showed it's shortcomings there.... the "performances" by almost everyone were embarrassing.....

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by TXMoviebuff77

Wow she’s still smokin hot!

Mädchen Amick is 10 times more beautiful now in 2018 than she was during the early 1990s. It was a true joy to see her again in the newer Twin Peaks episodes, and I cannot wait to see her interviews on the new Sleepwalkers disc.

[javy]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Mädchen Amick is 10 times more beautiful now in 2018 than she was during the early 1990s. It was a true joy to see her again in the newer Twin Peaks episodes, and I cannot wait to see her interviews on the new Sleepwalkers disc.

Yeah, but man, does she drive me wild in that diner uniform in the original series.

I too am looking forward to the new Sleepwalkers disc.

[The Great Owl]

The Unborn got me thinking about the early 1990s...

Horror cinema of the early 1990s settled on a near-ubiquitous trend where the villain was not some faceless hockey mask killer or a nondescript zombie, but someone in a trusted position close to the protagonists, and someone well known to the protagonists.

In The Silence of the Lambs, the villain (Buffalo Bill) was someone whom his first victim saw every day. In The Unborn, the villain is a reputable doctor of an in-vitro fertilization clinic who is recommended by friends of the heroine. In Single White Female, the villain is a roommate of the protagonist. In The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (which I'm hoping will land in Scream Factory's lap someday), the villain is a nanny who is close to the protagonist's family (after the protagonist was sexually abused by a trusted gynecologist).

All of these films dealt with the violation of trust committed by someone close to the protagonist.

This was around about the time that Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings, bringing the issue of workplace sexual harassment into the public eye. Most of the above films went into production before the Clarence Thomas hearings, but I always associate their “violation of trust” themes with the real-life stories of the hearings.

I've always been curious about what brought this early 1990s horror trend to the forefront.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood ushered in this theme to some extent in 1988, with the premise of a psychiatrist taking advantage of a teenage girl for nefarious reasons, but that film is hardly considered a hallmark of influential cinema.

This whole “Trust no one” aesthetic reached its zenith, of course, with The X-Files television series, but I've always sort of enjoyed its presence in the horror films (often mediocre horror films, sadly) a few years earlier.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Mädchen Amick is 10 times more beautiful now in 2018 than she was during the early 1990s. It was a true joy to see her again in the newer Twin Peaks episodes, and I cannot wait to see her interviews on the new Sleepwalkers disc.

I can't agree. She looks like an above average soccer mom now. Which is fine, but She had somewhat of a more exotic look in younger days. She doesn't look anywhere near as good as she did in Dream Lover.

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Unborn got me thinking about the early 1990s...

Horror cinema of the early 1990s settled on a near-ubiquitous trend where the villain was not some faceless hockey mask killer or a nondescript zombie, but someone in a trusted position close to the protagonists, and someone well known to the protagonists.

In The Silence of the Lambs, the villain (Buffalo Bill) was someone whom his first victim saw every day. In The Unborn, the villain is a reputable doctor of an in-vitro fertilization clinic who is recommended by friends of the heroine. In Single White Female, the villain is a roommate of the protagonist. In The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (which I'm hoping will land in Scream Factory's lap someday), the villain is a nanny who is close to the protagonist's family (after the protagonist was sexually abused by a trusted gynecologist).

All of these films dealt with the violation of trust committed by someone close to the protagonist.

This was around about the time that Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings, bringing the issue of workplace sexual harassment into the public eye. Most of the above films went into production before the Clarence Thomas hearings, but I always associate their “violation of trust” themes with the real-life stories of the hearings.

I've always been curious about what brought this early 1990s horror trend to the forefront.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood ushered in this theme to some extent in 1988, with the premise of a psychiatrist taking advantage of a teenage girl for nefarious reasons, but that film is hardly considered a hallmark of influential cinema.

This whole “Trust no one” aesthetic reached its zenith, of course, with The X-Files television series, but I've always sort of enjoyed its presence in the horror films (often mediocre horror films, sadly) a few years earlier.

Well the doctor in The Unborn is one of the typical Dr Moreau/Frankenstein mad scientists you know, nothing new.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

I agree. The Burning is a film that I want to like more than I do, and one that I feel like I should enjoy more, but overall it didn't really do a whole lot for me. I've viewed it a few times and while it's always a pleasant visit, it's never a film I really feel strongly about.

I also much prefer the later Friday sequels so I'd probably go with...

Sleepaway Camp
Friday the 13th
The Burning

The biggest problem with The Burning is that we're being encouraged to root for a creep. The dude from Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a creep.

[The Great Owl]

The Burning has one of the best topless scenes in 1980s cinema. (The shower scene, to be more specific.)

Ultimately, though, I like Carrick Glenn for her mind.

I hope that we get a 4K scan soon.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by Michael24

I only saw The Burning once over several years ago, so don't remember much. Seem to recall it was okay with some nice gore. Might have to revisit it. Sleepaway Camp is a snoozefest that I feel is only remembered because of its twist ending, and one that explains nothing and just serves as mere shock value. (I find Sleepaway Camp II much more enjoyable and superior in every way possible.) Friday the 13th is a winner, though.

That's how I felt about sleepaway camp at one time as well, however after some revisits it's easily climbed to the top of my preferred list of the 3 mentioned titles. Sleepaway camp is by far the most mean spirited and sleazy of the bunch and has so much subtext going on off camera that it's a bit startling once you start taking it all in. The Shock ending is certainly the most memorable bit of the film, but once you start paying attention to everything else going on (Pedophilia, implied rape, brutal torturous kills (The curling iron), the twisted mental state of both Angela and her "mother", the uncomfortable idea that this wasn't just a one and done incident, but rather something brought about by years of repressed confusion/embarrassment/shame and it becomes apparent that this film has far more to offer than either the burning or Friday the 13th.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

That's how I felt about sleepaway camp at one time as well, however after some revisits it's easily climbed to the top of my preferred list of the 3 mentioned titles. Sleepaway camp is by far the most mean spirited and sleazy of the bunch and has so much subtext going on off camera that it's a bit startling once you start taking it all in. The Shock ending is certainly the most memorable bit of the film, but once you start paying attention to everything else going on (Pedophilia, implied rape, brutal torturous kills (The curling iron), the twisted mental state of both Angela and her "mother", the uncomfortable idea that this wasn't just a one and done incident, but rather something brought about by years of repressed confusion/embarrassment/shame and it becomes apparent that this film has far more to offer than either the burning or Friday the 13th.

The cook in Sleepaway Camp creeps me out way more than the ending of the film.

Incidentally, the two sequels are still in my unwatched stack. I should get on that.

[TripleHBK]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The cook in Sleepaway Camp creeps me out way more than the ending of the film.

For sure. He was easily to overlook on my first visit or two to Sleepaway camp but recent revisits have had me really thinking about him, his comments, and the possible actions he may have perpetrated against so many campers over the years. I don't remember the exact quite, but he has a line in the film about having "grass on the playing field" or something to that extent which given the wide age ranges of those campers would open the doors to a number of individuals he may have "interacted" with. Honestly, his story could likely be made into it's own horror film given what was implied about him during his few scenes in Sleepaway camp.

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Burning has one of the best topless scenes in 1980s cinema. (The shower scene, to be more specific.)

Ultimately, though, I like Carrick Glenn for her mind.

I hope that we get a 4K scan soon.

That would be the bomb after seeing Lifeforce's new 4K restoration and looks fantastic! i'm sure they have plans for Burning and Day of the Dead in 4K remastering in the future.

[bb8977]

Originally Posted by barsalou

Not seeing the listings either...

Enter the name of the movie, select blu ray only for the search options and scroll down.
It's listed as currently unavailable but that will change soon, you can also sign up for an email alert which will tell you when you can place an order.

[redrunner97]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Incidentally, the two sequels are still in my unwatched stack. I should get on that.

Wait... "unwatched" as in you've never seen them before or never watched the Scream Factory blu-rays specifically?

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The cook in Sleepaway Camp creeps me out way more than the ending of the film.

Incidentally, the two sequels are still in my unwatched stack. I should get on that.

You need to watch those asap. While I like the trilogy a lot I enjoy 2 & 3 a bit more then the first. All this talk of Sleepaway Camp has now made me want to watch all 3 this week. Will probably start tonight

[The Great Owl]

Double-posting from a dedicated thread once again. This movie is so much fun!



Decades after a nuclear apocalypse has devastated the planet, war has been outlawed, and the two remaining superpower governments settle territorial disputes by way of matches between giant robots that are piloted from inside by humans. On the side of the western superpower, the “Market”, is Achilles, a robot jockey, played by Gary Graham (Alien Nation), who has enjoyed fame after competing successfully in nine previous fights. Alexander, played by Paul Koslo (The Omega Man), is the jockey from the Russian-influenced “Confederation” power, and he takes sadistic enjoyment from using his massive robot to crush the life out of his adversaries. When a match between the two of them results in the tragic fatalities of hundreds of spectators, Achilles vows to retire from piloting the robots, but he is ultimately drawn back into the fold to protect Athena, a genetically-engineered jockey trainee played by Anne-Marie Johnson (JAG, In the Heat of the Night). Mortal danger lurks over the horizon, however, when these pilots are threatened by a spy who is attempting to sabotage the matches.

Robot Jox, a 1989 sci-fi action extravaganza directed by the legendary Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dolls), may not have pushed the envelope of Academy Award fare, but its crude stop-motion special effects and its endearingly earnest storyline, which seems to have been heavily influenced by Top Gun, grant it a spot of prestige in my collection as a fun Saturday afternoon popcorn movie. This motion picture, which benefits from practical work with miniature models, may not quite be in the same league as Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim, which explored a similar premise decades later, but it's a much better film than any of Michael Bay's Transformers entries. The gender dynamics in this story initially skirt the edge of being more outdated than the robot visuals, but Anne-Marie Johnson's Athena ultimately triumphs as a character who elicits respect from the men.

I think that Robot Jox could have been a more intelligent film without losing any of its glorious rock-‘em-sock-‘em spirit, but I applaud it for sneaking some witty observations into the narrative crevices. Brief insights about post-apocalyptic life, in the form of meat-rationing and repopulation incentives for parents, are welcome story elements.

This Scream Factory disc sports a nicely detailed transfer that enhances, rather than diminishing, the look of the practical effects. The special features pack the disc to the brim, and I could easily spend a few evenings going through all of the interviews and commentaries. Right now, I'm quite enjoying the Gordon commentary track.