Shout! Factory in December

From "The Rising Hawk" (Akhtem Seitablayev/John Wynn, 2019)

I can sit here and spend your reading time bitching about what a kick in the dick 2020 has been (and, make no mistake, it has been a size 12 steel-toed boot to the testes for almost everyone). But once a month since May, I've hunkered down and detailed every single release Shout! Factory has put out on their various imprints. I would have never gotten to do that if I hadn't been laid off, or locked inside due to COVID, or gotten a job with a company overseas working from home. That's been cool. So let's finish a day late and a dollar short: here's December.

December 1

I am an absolute sucker for Movies For Guys Who Like Movies (TM TNT, 1992). Shout! Factory releases a lot of the direct-to-video, spiritual grandchildren of Cannon and American International. Here we have last year's "The Rising Hawk: Battle for the Carpathians", starring the T-1000, Elsa Schneider, and Chibs. Without having seen a trailer or done anything more than read a logline, I'm preemptively scoring this a 7 out of 10 on the MFGWLM Meter. It's Mongols versus Carpathians, shot on location in Ukraine, and featuring heroism in the face of otherwhelming odds. I wonder who's going to win. This sort of title sells a shit ton via Walmart, which isn't a dig; I just see their racking full on Tuesday and clear within a week. Look for it on Blu-ray or DVD!

If you're treating your fella to a copy of "The Rising Hawk" for his Christmas stocking, why not treat yourself to a copy of James D'Arcy's 2020 film "Made In Italy"? The English actor, who I know best from playing Anthony Hopkins in "Hitchcock", made his writing and directorial debut this year with this tale of a London widower who travels to Tuscany with his estranged son to sell the villa of his now-dead wife. Comic hijinx ensue? Five will get you ten that father and son discover some things about their relationship, and that they each find people to help them live again. I like that Liam Neeson still makes these kind of movies, alternating Brit-roms and B-shooters. There's comfort in that fact. Also available on Blu-ray or DVD. Get one for your auntie with all the cats!

Last, but certainly not least, is the debut thriller from Dave Franco, "The Rental", who I believe to be the more likeable of the two Francos. Starring personal fav Alison Brie, "Downton Abbey" hunk Dan Stevens, the fella who plays Lip on "Shameless", and the incredibly underrated Sheila Vand, it reads like a siege story, with two couples stuck in an Oregon vacation house by an unknown threat, all while slowly losing trust in each other. Joe Swanberg ("Easy", "Drinking Buddies") co-wrote the screenplay with Franco. This one's right up my alley. It feels creepy, the trailer is really well cut together, and it sure seems that Toby Huss might be the villain in this one. I hope this ends up in my stocking, Santa.

December 8

I've yet to have a chance to mention it here, so credit where credit's due: Shout! does a fantastic job with their baseball championship releases. I've ended up with a few of these over the years, and even though my beloved Orioles have yet to receive their own volume, these Blu-rays are always entertaining if you're a baseball fan. This year celebrates the first L.A. Dodgers World Series win in 32 years, as the likes of Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, and WS MVP Corey Seager overcame years of disappointing playoff finishes with a 6-game win over Tampa Bay. Diehards will want to wait for the Collector's Edition that comes out in February; that version costs three times as much, but features eight complete games (all six World Series contests, plus the NLCS and NLDS clinchers). But if you weren't around in 1988 for Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser bringing home the trophy, you'll probably want a copy of this to watch while waiting for the 2021 season to begin.

December 15

I remember how hyped we all were for November's "MacShayne" release. But I hope you held onto a bit of that excitement for December, since another volume of Kenny Rogers TV movies has arrived. 1981's "Coward of the County" and 1985's "Wild Horses" were helmed by long-time TV director (and 2nd unit director on "Piranha II"!) Dick Lowry, and starred the Gambler himself, garnering the kind of ratings on CBS that would make a network exec ejaculate with joy in 2020. Was this all just a clever ruse to work "ejaculate" into a preview? Bet your ass it was. Sorry, hi-def fans: this is a DVD-only release. Get ready to upscale!

Back in the day, before Scream Factory became a whole thing, Shout! Factory was known for their MST3K sets and the vintage cartoon boxes they released. They originally put out the "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales" Complete Collection back in 2012, but they're reissuing it here, I'm assuming in a more value-oriented package. It would appear that all the extras in the 2012 version still apply here, so you're no worse or better off if you already own the original copy. I have few frames of reference to "Tennessee Tuxedo": I remember an old boss calling a co-worker Chumley, and it came from the same studio that put out "Underdog". So this is either completely your thing, or you have no clue what I'm talking about. Moving on...

GKids continues their series of Studio Ghibli steelbook reissues with "Spirited Away" and "Castle In The Sky". That leaves only "Porco Rosso" and "The Wind Rises" to be released in this steelbook packaging. You're either a collector of these, or you're not. But as I've said before, it's a great excuse to add copies of Miyazaki films that you don't already own, in a package that looks really sharp. Truth be told: I've been considering selling off my older versions and replacing them with these. At $27 a pop, they're not inexpensive, but I bet they look great on a shelf.

2011's "From Up On Poppy Hill" ("コクリコ坂から") was the first theatrical release in the partnership between Studio Ghibli and GKids here in the States. Director Gorō Miyazaki's second feature told the story of two students working to save their school's clubhouse from demolition, and remains incredibly well-regarded in the ten years since its Japanese release. The video was originally distributed via New Video, so its been long overdue for a reissue under the Shout!/GKids umbrella. Available once again as either a combo pack or standalone DVD, the "Poppy Hill" set has a ton of extras and a really good reminder that Papa Hayao isn't the only great filmmaker in the Miyazaki clan.

From "The Rental" (Dave Franco, 2020)

It's a very short month, as Decembers tend to be. And, as with some of the other video houses, there will be a three week holiday until the first batch of January releases. But when those come...oooh, boy! A pair of John Carpenter classics come to UHD, the new "Lupin III" feature makes its home video debut here in the States, and Araki Joh's "Bartender" finally gets a US debut via a 15th anniversary box set. All this, plus pithy commentary, in less than 30 days. Be there...aloha.

Shout! Factory in October

I don't want to blow myself or anything, but I'm kind of impressed I've managed to keep going since the middle of April, with few days off from writing. It helps to know folks are out there visiting, and even sharing. So, thanks, gang. Rabbit rabbit. Let's talk Shout! Factory for October, a month they traditionally break out the big releases for.

October 6

I can't say I was initially very familiar with director Keiichi Hara's work. I remember "Colorful" coming out here in the States in 2010-2011, and I'm of course familiar with "Doraemon" and "Crayon Shin-Chan". I am definitely amused that someone who spent a good part of their career directing for those last two classics swerved into making more whimsical, magical fare. But that's filmmaking for you: you make a bunch of movies that make money, you get to make a film that's closer to your heart. I've read a fair amount of reviews that 2019's "The Wonderland" ("バースデー・ワンダーランド") aims for, but fails to reach, that hallowed realm of Miyazaki films its coming-of-age fantasy tale. But the stills I've seen look dope, and the character designs by Russian illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov really pop for me. So I think it's worth a shot, whether you buy it on Blu-ray or DVD.

Longtime readers know I've been eagerly awaiting the final volume of Year Seven of "When Calls The Heart". Well, wait no longer. The last two-movie collection from this latest season of Canadian family TV arrives October 6. If you've been waiting to add to your "WCTH" box set collection, you can also pick up the Year Seven Collection on DVD the same day. No word, as of yet, if or when we'll get that Jack Wagner commentary track we've all been eagerly awaiting.

I honestly can't work up a shit to give about "Digimon Adventure". I guess that the release of "Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna" marks the final story in that universe. Which, you know, cool, I guess. I was 22 when this started aired on Fox Kids. I'm not supposed to give a shit; that'd be weird. It's available as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, or simply as a DVD. Moving on...

I've checked out a couple episodes of "B The Beginning" on Netflix when we started streaming again earlier this year, and, as ONAs go, I liked what I saw. It's like if "Zodiac" merged with "Godfather III". OK, that's a shitty example, but I will say that I'll be diving back into this 2018 limited series with the release of physical media for it. Now, you could pick up the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, featuring both the original Japanese audio and an English dub, an interview with director Kazuto Nakazawa, and other nice extras. OR, for the bargain price of a mere $130, you could snag yourself a copy of the "The Ultimate Collection". A Blu-ray only release, this includes the soundtrack to the series, three art cards, and the 160 pg Killer B Case File, a behind-the-scenes look at "B The Beginning" with concept art, production interviews, etc., etc., etc. It all comes wrapped in a swell-looking O-card. I think it looks handsome as hell, although I can recognize it's for trve cvlt fans only.

October 13

When Scream Factory released their Collector's Edition of "Halloween II" back in 2012, there was an omission from the release just a year before that really stood out. The Universal 30th Anniversary release contained the first-ever disc release of 1984's "Terror In The Aisles", a really fun documentary about horror movies featuring Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen in the host roles. While it's fairly easy to snag a copy of the 30th Anniversary edition, Scream is now releasing their own standalone edition of "Terror In The Aisles", with a bunch of fun stuff included that makes it worth snagging. You'll get both the theatrical version and a broadcast version, with different commentary and films. There's new interviews with the living principles, including Nancy Allen. And you get that sharp-ass cover, adapted from the theatrical poster.

Mrs. Ape is a huge fan of "Motel Hell"; the 2014 Scream Factory Collector's Edition is the rare Blu-ray that never goes into storage. Personally, I can always co-sign a good cannibal flick, and I'll never turn down the chance to re-watch this 1980 black comedy. The Scream gang has taken the opportunity to revisit their previous release with a new Steelbook Blu-ray release of this classic. It's your first chance to see Rory Calhoun stand up on his own two legs as Farmer Vincent in a gleaming 4K restoration. Scream has also restored the stereo mix from the film, as well as added new trailers and radio spots to an already-packed special edition. But let's be fair: you're buying this for that amazing cover. That is quality artwork. AND there are still 28"x16" lithographs available with your order at Shout! Factory. So, yeah...snag it.

I don't feel like the "Friday the 13th" Collection is going to be a hard sell for anyone who likes horror or who reads these posts. Jason Voorhees is an iconic character, and, no matter how cheesy one of the sequels might be, they're always entertaining. Will this be the third, fifth, or even tenth time someone's bought these movies? Yeah, probably. But this is certainly the best each of these movies have ever looked. The first four movies in the "Friday the 13th" series all have received 4K restorations from the original camera negatives for each film. The sound mixes also get some attention: every film up through "Friday the 13th Part VII" have received a sound restoration, and are presented via DTS-HD in both their original presentation and a 5.1 mix. I'm personally pretty happy for the alternate cuts available for "Friday the 13th", "Jason Goes to Hell", and the 2009 revival. There are also two bonus discs crammed full of extras, 15 of which are brand new and exclusive to this set. In all, this is a 16-disc, 22 hour hack fest, the likes of which we haven't seen since the acclaimed "Halloween" box set Scream released back in 2014. This is one for the Christmas stockings, kids.

October 20

William Shatner's "Has Been" was the first album I bought on iTunes. As a collector, it's weird to admit you spent money on something that's intangible, especially in light of how often purchased content has suddenly disappeared in a flash of terms of service and territories. That's my awkward lead-in to Shout!s exclusive release of "The Captains" Collection, expanding the 2011 Shatner-helmed documentary into a massive, limited edition five-disc Blu-ray release. There's just a metric fuckton here: expanded interviews with each captain of the Enterprise, the "Chaos on the Bridge" documentary, the "William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet" doc, and further interviews with many of the acting and production principals from the 55 year history of Trek are all included. Shout is also issuing, for the first time ever, "Has Been" on grey/green splattered vinyl, in a limited edition of just 1,000 pieces. If you've never experienced the record, produced and arranged by Ben Folds, you really should give it a shot. And if you have bread left over in your wallet after last week's "Friday the 13th" release, you can pick up the Collection and "Has Been" in a bundle for just $100.

I'm running a bit out of steam, so my rundown on "Pumpkinhead" is going to be brief. If you don't already own the 2014 Collector's Edition, or are a degenerate Steelbook collector, then this is a must-have. In addition to a killer new cover, the "Pumpkinhead" print has now received a full 4K restoration, as well as new 5.1 and 2.0 sound mixes. I'm not a mega-fan of this movie by any stretch of the imagination, but I know a lot of folks are, and there's some great monster work here. So I won't put anyone down for preordering it.

We're also up to the third pair of Studio Ghibli Steelbooks, and they are big ones. "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Princess Mononoke" are Hayao Miyazaki's fourth and seventh features, and both remain high on critics' and fans' lists of the best animated works. "Totoro" was one of the first movies Mrs. Ape and I ever connected over, so it holds a special place in our hearts. The only difference between the initial 2017 combo packs and these is, of course, the Steelbook packaging. I really like the abstraction and clean looks of the covers, although I'll be rather pissed if GKids ends up doing a big ol' box set with all of them in one package.

Finally, Shout! Select jumps in with a Blu-ray reissue of the 2002 Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman classic meta-comedy "Adaptation". Jonze's follow-up to "Being John Malkovich" is still weird and amazing and headache-inducing, 18 years after it initially came out. Every actor's performance is great: Nicolas Cage as the Kaufman twins, Meryl Streep as writer Susan Orlean, and Chris Cooper as horticulturist John Laforge all turn in envious portrayals of real-life figures. I've never experienced a movie that spoke to me more about the angst of creation and the paper-thin line between fact and fiction. I remember walking out opening night and being surrounded by people who were either exhilarated or bummed out by what they'd just watched. As usual the extras are pretty spare: just a making-of, trailer, and still gallery on this release. It seems weird to me that this had gone out of print, but it's nice to see if available again.

From "Adaptation" (Spike Jonze, 2002)

And that's that. Nothing coming out on the 27th, so you'll get a whole extra week to enjoy your prettys before November kicks off. For my money, I think I'm onboard for "Adaptation" and "Motel Hell", and I may have talked myself into picking up that "Has Been" vinyl. As for the "Friday the 13th" Collection...well, you have to leave something for people to give you for Christmas. I'm back in 30 to talk about a November lineup that includes my favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, some AIP and Hammer horror, and some debuts on Blu-ray for some GKids classics. See you there...aloha.

Shout! Factory in August

It was this time last month when I said to myself, "You know, I could save myself a little pain if I started the Shout! Factory post early this month." Did I follow my own advice? No, other Barry, I did not. With a whopping 12 releases in August, there's a lot to go through. So let's begin, shall we?

August 4

Let's kick off with the newest volume of the "When the Heart Calls" series. June saw the release of the first and second episodes from Season 7; "Family Matters & In Perfect Unity" brings home episodes three through six which originally aired in spring 2020 on the Hallmark Channel. I'll personally be holding out for the steelbook collected Season 7 on Blu-ray, due to release in December at a Hallmark store exclusive (with bonus Erin Krakow Christmas ornament!).

I've been super stoked to check out "Swallow", the debut from writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, since I saw a trailer earlier this year, and I'm thrilled to see it get the IFC/Shout! Factory treatment. This story of a housewife developing pica to process the stresses of marriage and familial expectations should be relatable to...well, any of us. If the reviews I've read are any indication, this is one whose reputation is bound to grow as more folks get hip to it. Sadly, like most of the IFC releases via Shout! Factory, the extras are completely bare bones. We get an audio descriptive track and trailer, and that's that.

There have been more and more cinema from South Africa that I've been enjoying, whether it's been arthouse or grindhouse. Harold Hölscher's theatrical debut, 2019's "The Soul Collector", looks to have more in common with the latter, although the trailer shows enough touches of the former to make this a really interesting pickup. The themes of loss and family bely a deeper meaning behind the scary "demon baby" A-story. No word on any extras with this one, but as a Shout Studios release, I hope we'll get trailers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary, and the like.

I've really been trying not to limit my war movie viewing to Anglo-American directors. So when I read the synopsis of "The Resistance Fighter" (Kurier), from Polish writer/director Wladyslaw Pasikowski, I got interested. "The Resistance Fighter" is a biopic about Polish patriot Jan Nowak-Jeziorański who helped report on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and later fought in the Powstanie Warszawskie in the summer of 1944. Pasikowski directed a movie in 2012 called "Aftermath" about the consequence of Polish participation in a pogrom in World War II that really stuck with me, and I'll watch any story that serves as a "fuck you" to Nazis. This one's available as either a Blu-ray or DVD, so choose your pleasure.

Director Masaaki Yuasa has worked on some great anime over the years. His direction of the "Devilman Crybaby" OVA led to what is regarded as Netflix's best anime pickup, and all the work coming from his studio Science Saru has been top notch since being founded in 2013. "Ride Your Wave" (きみと、波にのれたら) came out in 2019, and while it seems to missing some of the whimsy and weirdness of Yuasa's other films, it's been really well reviewed. This supernatural romance revolves around a relationship formed by rescue and water, and serves as Yuasa's swan song as president at Science Saru. This combo pack comes with a detailed booklet, trailers, featurettes, and a brand new cover.

I had originally planned to grab the steelbook release of "Promare" when it released in May. But when I learned that GKids had planned a Collector's Edition release, I decided to hold off. I'm glad I did. In addition to a Blu-ray of what's already being called the best release of the year, the Collector's Edition comes with the soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano ("Attack on Titan", "Kill la Kill"), an English translation of the script, a bonus behind-the-scenes booklet, a decal, and a mini poster. It's all housed inside a handsome looking slipcover. Yeah, it's pricier than the steelbook...but the content! The content!!!

August 11

If you have to pick one Shout! release from the second week of August to buy, make it the Collector's Edition of "The Phantom of the Opera"! I saw this on TV when I was a kid, and it scared the shit out of me. Herbert Lom plays a creepy-ass Phantom in this 1962 Hammer Horror release. Honestly, this looks like one I want simply for the extras. There's an Anthony Hinds featurette, highlighting the "Quartermass Xperiment" screenwriter and Hammer scion. Academy Award-winner Brian Johnson stops by to discuss his special effects work on "Phantom". There are also interviews with authors David Huckvale and C. Courtney Joyner, as well as the now-customary presentations of this Hammer classic in both theatrical (1.85:1) and television (1.66:1) aspect ratios. I never cease to be impressed in the work Scream Factory does on these under-seen Hammer films, introducing them to a new generation of fans. It also looks like you can still get an 18"x24" poster of the new cover with a preorder at Shout! Factory.

August 18

If you have to pick one Shout! release from the third week of August to buy, make it this Blu-ray reissue of 1974's "Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell"! Even though this has been available for a while as a Region B/2 combo pack, it's the first time it's been available domestically uncensored. It's the last film in Hammer's "Frankenstein" series, as well as one of the final films of the Hammer Horror era. It has a pretty great performance from Peter Cushing, who returned to the Baron Victor Frankenstein role he originated back in 1957. David Prowse also returns as Frankenstein's monster. Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr provide an all-new commentary track for this Scream Factory release. There's also a second archival commentary track featuring Prowse , actress Madeline Smith, and author Jonathan Sothcott. Like the previous week's "Phantom" release, SF provides another "The Men Who Made Hammer" featurette, this time examining producer Roy Skeggs. I'm not super familiar with the late-period Hammer titles, so I'm stoked to give this one a whirl.

August 25

Shout! continues to revisit the Universal horror catalog with this Blu-ray release, "Universal Horror Collection: Vol. 6". As with previous volumes, there's always at least one movie in each release that I definitely want to see. This time, it's 1955's "Cult of the Cobra", featuring David Janssen in an early role. It covers a lot of the same thematic ground as the Tourneur/Lewton classic "Cat People", one of my all-time favorites. Also included are 1952's "The Black Castle", 1958's "The Thing That Wouldn't Die", and a pretty cool Hammer rarity in 1961's "The Shadow of the Cat". All four films receive a 2K restoration and fresh, new commentaries. Add in some pretty cool sounding featurettes, and this is a surprisingly-robust archival release in this series.

It's time for a new set of Studio Ghibli steelbooks. Shout!s second wave of Miyazaki reissues includes "Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind" and "Kiki's Delivery Service". If you already own the 2017 reissue of "Nausicaä", or the old Disney version, you're all set; the only new thing you'll get is the steelbook. HOWEVER, Shout! has never reissued "Kiki" on Blu-ray, so if you don't own the 2014 Disney release, here's a chance to grab a copy. I've never really noticed much difference between the Disney releases and the Shout! reissues (they're missing the digital downloads), but each of these is chock full of archival material for a body of work that stands amongst the finest not just in animation, but in filmmaking as a whole.

Last, but certainly not least this month, is the Scream Factory Collector's Edition of 1990's "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie". This movie has it all: gargoyles, Christian Slater, cat assassins, witches, George Romero, mummies, Julianne Moore, laughs, screams, and JAMES REMAR! I was a bit too young to see this in the theatre, but this, along with its predecessors "Creepshow" and "Creepshow 2", were go-to VHS pickups for movie nights and sleepovers throughout high school. There are some solid extras on this release: trailers, commentary, the EPK from the theatrical release. But the big get has gotta be the addition of the new documentary "Tales Behind the Darkside: The Making of Four Ghoulish Fables". A ton of the film's principles appear and comment, among them director John Harrison, the SFX team of Nicotero, Kurtzman, and Berger, DP Robert Draper, and man-in-suit Michael Deak. In spite of cruddy reviews at the time of release, this anthology has a bunch of fans who now run the industry. It's great to revisit this 30 years after its debut.

I've already grabbed a preorder on "Promare" and "Kiki's Delivery Service", and I'll probably grab the rest of these over the next couple of months. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I've really been drawn to the Hammer catalog throughout quarantine, so if there's a sale coming up, I'll grab "Phantom", "Frankenstein", and July's "Kiss of the Vampire". September has some great releases coming, including reissue sof the long out-of-print Vincent Price Collection and "Bob Newhart Show" sets, first-time home video releases of "Weathering With You" and "True History of the Kelly Gang", and a 20th anniversary release of the "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". Be there in 30. Aloha.

Shout! Factory in May

One of the reasons I started writing again is because I miss the opportunity to turn people's attention to new things. I, unlike the earlier iteration of Primitive Offerings, didn't want to limit myself to just music, mostly because it's not the only thing I love.

I LOVE movies.

I LOVE physical media.

I LOVE the forgotten and the obscure, the weird and the dismissed.

So it's natural that I have a long running love affair with Shout! Factory and their staggering catalog of Blu-ray and DVD releases. Like my favorite record labels, and my favorite publishers, Shout! Factory puts great care into bringing under-exposed films and television to life for collectors and fans. They've got some pretty awesome releases in May that you should probably know about.

May 5
This week's slate focuses on a pair of World War II titles, just in time for the anniversary of D-Day. Lancaster Skies is a British indie film from 2019, telling the tale of a fighter ace who joins a bomber crew. I expect this will be some serious plane porn, considering the producer scratch built the entire bomber interior so it could be easily shot.
Next up is a 4K/Blu-ray release of D-Day: Normandy 1944 [75th Anniversary Edition]. This originally came out in 2014, and despite the narration of Tom Brokaw (easily my least favorite news anchor of all time), it was a really good watch with tons of footage I'd never seen before. It should look incredible with the new 4K scan.
Last, but definitely not least, is the Scream Factory release Exorcism at 60,000 Feet, a direct-to-video banger that looks fucking incredible. The plot reads like a golf course joke: a priest, a rabbi, and the crew of an transcontinental airliner join forces to fight a planeload of demonic possessions. The cast includes Adrienne Barbeau, Lance Henriksen, and Bill Moseley, and it's a mash-up of disaster movie & horror. Director Chad Ferrin has a pretty decent track record for tongue-in-cheek horror; I'd probably watch this at least twice.
May 12

If you've never bought anything from Shout! Factory, here's a good opportunity to jump onboard. As the North American distributor for Studio Ghibli, Shout! is the home for all of Miyazaki's Blu-ray and DVD releases. They're reissuing their combo packs for Ponyo and Howl's Moving Castle in limited edition steelbooks. I know folks who exclusively collect this packaging format, and the previous steelbook releases from Shout! always look great, so Bob's your uncle.
There was no way I was ever going to see Idle Hands when it came out in 1999; it looked like a total teeny bopper stoner horror comedy. I was a fucking idiot; it pretty gory, and has a really strong cast. So I expect I'll probably cop this Scream Factory Collector's Edition and trade out my old DVD. It looks like they got every lead except Jessica Alba back for the commentary, too.
I like a number of the films that have been distributed under the Shout! Studios banner. The Tiger Hunter, Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town, the Rabid remake: all of these have hit my sweet spot, and I think it's great that these smaller films have gotten picked up and (hopefully) benefit from Shout!s strong distribution. I laughed a few times during the trailer for Lazy Susan, but I can't lie: I'm not sure how Sean Hayes playing a woman for 90 minutes is going to be. I get the feeling this could be real hit or miss, but I also know Mrs. Ape Mummy has requested a copy, so I'm watching it regardless.
May 19

What can I say about The Good Place that hasn't already been said better by someone who gets paid for the pleasure? If you need a copy of the final season on DVD, or the complete series on Blu-ray, they come out on the 19th. Much like Parks & Recreation, this is something I'll want to have on hand for when the Internet goes out, or I want to lend it out to my mom to binge. The Blu-ray looks like it has some solid extras on it, including gag reels and extended episodes.
I know very little about Promare, save for the pedigree of the production team. But Kill la Kill was a good watch, the reviews on AnimeNewsNetwork are positive, and apparently it involves firefighting. Shout! is releasing a standard combo pack and a handsome-looking limited edition steenbok.
I've really gotten into Hammer Films over the past year; I'd never had access or friends who were desperate to show me some of the master works, so it's been a joy to discover these. 1964's The Evil of Frankenstein was the first collaboration between director Freddie Francis and star Peter Cushing, and this Collector's Edition from Scream Factory looks like a pretty incredible release. You get a 4K restoration of the film, a TV cut from a 16mm print, a featurette on Freddie Francis, and Hammer's 1958 pilot episode of Tales of Frankenstein. Apparently, if you preorder this through the Shout! website, you'll also get an 18" x 24" poster of the new artwork. Nice get.
I can't remember when I first saw Danger: Diabolik; it must have been the mid-90s, at a buddy's house on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border, but it grabbed my attention like little else at the time. I saw it again as the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (pre-revival), which led me down a rabbit hole of Euro-spy films. So I'm jazzed to see a Blu-ray edition come out here in the States. This is not a good movie, but it IS a fun one.
May 26

Shout! Select has a trio of releases rounding out May, starting with a Blu-ray edition of 1992's A Midnight Clear. Shout! Select focuses on slept-on films, and I think this is a great example. Directed and written by Keith Gordon, it is a killer anti-war movie with a really strong, really 90s cast (Gary Sinise! Ethan Hawke! John C. McGinley! Kevin Dillon!). I don't think I've ever seen a home video copy out in the wild; I'll look to grab a copy of this at release.
I'm not a fan of The Deer Hunter, which is weird, because I celebrate John Cazale's entire catalog. It's just a huge bummer to me; I'm sure that's the intent, and, yeah, I know, Vietnam War films are typically not at all uplifting. BUT I'm into giving this 4K/Blu-ray a shot - wait, it's 183 minutes long? Jesus, that's gotta be the reason I'm not a fan. Who did you think you are, Michael Cimino? Francis Ford Copolla? Erich von Stroheim? Fuck off, pal.
On the other hand, I'm a HUGE fan of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. It's a rad late-period Sidney Lumet movie. It might be my favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman performance, and the cast is super deep - Michael Shannon is, like, seventh billed. I think it got slept on due to cruddy distribution by THINKfilm; I'm fairly certain it only played Baltimore for a week, if at all. The extras on this Blu-ray haven't been announced yet, but regardless, this is a must watch.
Finally, I think Scream Factory has finally run out of John Carpenter movies to reissue. And while it's low on my list of must-haves, I'll still end up with this Collector's Edition of Escape From L.A. Lots of fun features on this release, including a Bruce Campbell interview. The one I'm looking forward to is the interview with visual effects artist David Jones; I'm looking forward to some face palming over the first generation CG that most people bitch about. It's going to be boss watching this 4K restoration on a big screen.

Ugh, so many words. And it's late. If you don't have a place locally to buy movies from, you can hit up the Shout! Factory website to cop any or all of these. It's worth signing up for their e-mail list; they regularly have sales on their website.