Chernobyl Diaries - UK DVD review

OK, got another DVD review for you. The "Chernobyl Diaries", which is released to UK disc by Studio Canal, 22nd October.

 

The story revolves around a group of young adults who are touring round Eastern Europe on holiday, when they're given the chance to tour around the former Chernobyl Power Station and the adjacent town of Pripyat, which were evacuated in the 1980s following a Nuclear Meltdown at the plant.

 

But all is not as it seems at the former Ghost town. Initially turned down at the check point for undisclosed reasons, rather than turn back, their guide decides to take them in the back way. But as night falls and they prepare to leave, they find the van won't start and the old town is not as empty and abandoned as they were led to believe and what started as an offbeat tour, turns into a battle for survival.

 

This was actually filmed in and around the real life town of Pripyat and the Chernobyl Power Plant itself, and makes excellent use of its settings. The deserted locations really give the film a genuine creepy feeling, and a real atmosphere of desolation, which I don't think could have been acheived had this been filmed on a studio set.

 

The film is available on DVD and Blu-Ray, extras include an alternate ending, a deleted scene, a "Chernobyl Conspiracy" viral trailer, a fake infomercal for "Uri's Extreme Tours", featuring Uri the Tour Guide from the film, and the theatrical trailer.

 

Pre-order the DVD at Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the Blu-Ray at Amazon.co.uk

Halloween - Back in UK Cinemas.

The ultimate Halloween film is coming back to the big screen where, and when, it belongs. The original version of John Carpenter's hugely successful 70s slasher-film went on to be the benchmark for future films of its type while it took influence from masters of suspense and horror: Hitchcock and De Palma.

 

See once more through the eyes of Michael Myers and feel the tension build with Carpenter’s celebrated soundtrack. One of the most famous horror films of them all, Halloween is back in cinemas.

 

It's Halloween 1963, a 6-year-old masked Michael Myers has just stabbed to death his older sister and condemned himself to life imprisonment. But, 15 years later, he escapes and it's only his psychiatrist Dr Loomis who foresees the horror that will ensue on that fateful Halloween night in 1978.

 

It is left to Dr Loomis to track down Myers and protect the residents of Haddonfield including the young, innocent and oblivious Laurie Strode played by a then unknown Jamie Lee Curtis. This is one Haddonfield homecoming you will never forget.

 

Halloween will open in the UK from Friday 26th October at Apollo West End and will screen across Vue and Apollo Cinemas on 31st October.

 

For more info visit http://www.apollocinemas.com

 

and http://www.myvue.com/

 

 

The Thompsons - UK DVD review

Lionsgate where nice enough to send me a copy of their new vampire film “The Thomspons” to review which is out on disc later this month.

 

The film is a sequel of sorts to the 2006 film “The Hamiltons”, which sees the titular family from that relocating to England and taking on new identities after being forced to flee the US, following a rather messy incident at a roadside diner.

 

Looking for a long fabled vampire clan rumoured to exist somewhere in the English countryside, one of them stumbles upon the quintessentially English village of Ludlow, only to find the picturesque village is actually harbouring a dark secret that might prove to be the death of them all.

 

Whilst the film is technically a follow up, utilising the characters created in “The Hamiltons”, plotwise its pretty much a stand alone movie as it doesn’t bring too much baggage across from the earlier film.

 

The film is a little on the slow side and is not exactly what I would call an action movie, but is quite enjoyable and brings a few interesting twists to vampire lore, and in many ways has a kind of “Hammer films” vibe to it.

 

Extras wise, the disc comes with 6x behind the scenes, making of features, which include interviews with the cast and crew, plus there’s a stack of bonus trailers for other features which play at the start of the disc.

 

If you liked The Hamiltons, then you should also enjoy this, as should general vampire movie fans.

 

The film is released to UK DVD from Lionsgate on October 15^th.

 

Pre-order the DVD at Amazon.co.uk

American Horror Story - Series 1 comes to disc!

Psycho-sexual chills abound as the year’s most disturbing and exciting television series American Horror Story arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on 15 October from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

 

American Horror Story revolves around the Harmons; a family who move from Boston to Los Angeles to escape a troubled past.  Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott, Steel Magnolias), his wife Vivien (Connie Britton, A Nightmare On Elm Street) and their troubled daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga) uncover far more anguish in their new home, however, a place of unfinished business for former residents both dead and alive…

 

As the family becomes more and more embroiled in the house and its murky past, new terrors begin to close in, with sinister neighbor Constance (Jessica Lange, Cape Fear), devious housekeepers, and even Ben’s new patients all vying for control of the family’s heart and soul – at any cost.

 

Created by Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee), American Horror Story Season 1 includes stellar guest appearances by Denis O’Hare (True Blood), Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek).

 

Extras on the disc include audio commentary tracks, a location tour of the house used in the series, and 3x making-of specials.
 

Pre-order the DVD at Amazon.co.uk
 

Pre-order the Blu-Ray at Amazon.co.uk

Night of the Punks - Online!!!!

Just in time for the Halloween season, Irrational Films has made Dan Riesser's horror-comedy short film NIGHT OF THE PUNKS available for online streaming via YouTube (see links below).
 

In Night of the Punks, small town punk rockers The Brain Deads have their first out of town show, but there are a few problems: the venue is deserted, the promoter is a creep, their bassist has gone missing and the only kids in the audience turn out to be bloodthirsty punk rockers from Hell.

 

Drawing inspiration from Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons and the Evil Dead series, Night of the Punks is a blood-splatted love letter to '80s horror cinema. The cast includes industry veteran Luke Edwards (The Wizard, Little Big League, Newsies), sketch comedian Nick Munday, professional wrestler Vic D. Vine and L.A. horror punk band Murderland. The short has been Official Selection at more than 25 film festivals around the world and took home numerous awards and accolades.

 

Director Dan Riesser comments, "Making Night of the Punks and taking it to festivals was an amazing experience, and I'm glad everyone now has a chance to catch it on YouTube." Riesser plans to turn the self-financed, 19-minute short into a feature film. The script is complete and the project is currently seeking funding. In the interim, Riesser is focusing on his feature directorial debut, Stomping Ground. Billed as a scary comedy about love and Bigfoot, the movie enters production this month.

 

View the short film online on YouTube

 

For more information on Night of the Punks, visit its official website at http://www.nightofthepunks.com.

This trailer will have you in "Stitches"

Checkout the trailer for the upcoming horror film "Stitches" starring Ross Noble...



The film enjoyed a hugely successful screening at this year’s Frightfest and won TOTAL FILM’s ‘Best Death’ Award.

Stitches will be released in UK cinemas 26 October.

Red Lights

RED LIGHTS is being released on UK Blu-ray, DVD and to download on 22 October 2012 from Momentum Pictures.

 

Two sceptical scientists seek to expose the trickery behind seemingly unexplainable events but face their greatest challenge to their beliefs and their lives when an enigmatic psychic resurfaces.

 

Tenacious Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver), a world renowned investigator of paranormal hoaxes together with her partner Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) study the most varied metaphysical and psychic phenomena with one aim, to prove their fraudulent origin.

 

But when legendary but elusive blind psychic Simon Silver (Robert DeNiro) emerges following a mysterious 30 year absence, the once-fearless Matheson warns her Buckley to leave this case alone for fear that Silver will retaliate and put his life in danger.

 

Empowered by his obsession to disprove Silver, Buckley enlists the help of his star student Sally Owen (Elizabeth Olsen) and uses every tool at his disposal. As Tom gets closer to Silver, whose magnetism becomes stronger with each new manifestation of inexplicable events, tension mounts, and he is forced to question his own core beliefs.

 

RED LIGHTS features an all star cast Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy, Toby Jones, Joely Richardson  and rising star Elizabeth Olsen.

 

Extras on the discs include a "Making-Of" special.

 

Buy the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Buy the UK Blu-Ray from Amazon.co.uk