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‘Horror Express’ Blu-Ray Loaded with Lee, Cushing and Prehistoric Terrors

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Express

A little bit of Hammer styled horror cross-pollinated with 70s Spanish cinematic flair make up the body of Horror Express. The folks over at Arrow Video have come up with another great release with an impressive 2k scan and a lot of of in-depth special features that make their releases some of the best around.

Horror Express, or as I prefer “Terror on the Tran-Siberian Express,” follows an Anthropologist, Professor Alexander Saxon (Christopher Lee) who is transporting an ancient frozen creature by Trans-Siberian train. Unfortunately, for everyone aboard the creature reanimates and begins picking off passengers in a unique, ghastly fashion.

This low-budget sci-fi, horror has big things on its mind. It simultaneously plays as an Agatha Christie level whodunit, a goopy creature feature and a charming, and at times, comedic all out horror film.

The film also brings Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas and daringly puts them into one frame. I mean, for me seeing that trio on screen is a special kind of magic. Lee and Cushing with their classical subdued styles and Savalas with his notably big and memorable approach. And boy does he give a big and memorable scene in Horror Express.

If you haven’t yet seen the film, go ahead and skip this next paragraph. You have been warned.

Savalas is only outdone by the prehistoric creature itself. The creature’s narrative is really evolved for the time. It is revealed to be from outer space and has been around since the prehistoric era. It survives by jumping from organism to organism and soaking up its victim’s knowledge while killing its prey, making it one smart and resourceful cookie.

The Arrow disc is loaded with both old and new special features but the ‘Telly and Me’ feature is one of the best and most endearing of the bunch. In it composer, John Cacavas talks about his friendship and working relationship with Savalas, with revealing, funny and heartfelt moments.

The full features of the disc include:

  • Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original Uncompressed mono audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • Introduction to the film by film journalist and Horror Express super-fan Chris Alexander
  • Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express – an interview with director Eugenio Martin
  • Notes from the Blacklist – Horror Express producer Bernard Gordon on working in Hollywood during the McCarthy Era
  • Telly and Me – an interview with composer John Cacavas
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing by Adam Scovell

Surprisingly, this Lee and Cushing team up is on a lot of horror hound’s blind spots. It deserves a watch and is must for any Lee, Cushing collectors out there.

The disc arrives Feb. 12 and can be found here.

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Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

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Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

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Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

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The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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