Brain Hammer approved horror dvds hitting stores Tuesday June 10
CURSE OF THE DEVIL (new special edition): Deimos/BCI
Legendary Spanish horror star Paul Naschy returns as Waldemar Daninsky, a man marked for all eternity with the ancestral curse of the werewolf. But when Daninsky’s arrogance triggers the wrath of a satanic coven they summon a nightmare of homicidal madmen and lusty maidens to plague the tormented nobleman. As the full moon rises and the horror takes hold, is the rage of the werewolf any match for the damnations of the devil himself? Also known as RETURN OF THE WALPURGIS, this 1973 shocker is filled with lush atmosphere, copious nudity, and graphic violence, and is widely considered to be one of the goriest and sexiest horror films of Naschy’s career.
THE FLY (1958 & 1986 versions; 2-disc rerelease): Fox
A dashing scientist’s foolhardy experiment with matter transference leads his wife to seriously consider investing in No-Pest strips in this classic 1958 melding of the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres. The legendary Vincent Price leads an admirably straight faced cast through this taut tale of man tampering in God’s domain, presented in reverse flashback order. Squirmy, shuddery fun that still carries an icky jolt, particularly during its famous final scene.
David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of the science fiction classic about a scientist who accidentally swaps body parts with a fly is both smart and terrifying: an allegory for the awful processes of slow death and a monster movie with a tragic spin. Jeff Goldblum gives a masterful performance as a sweet, nerdy scientist whose romance with a writer (Geena Davis) makes him feel more fully alive. Next thing you know, a tiny oversight in an experiment causes him to transmogrify, gradually, into something more like an insect than a human. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
THE SIGNAL (special edition): Magnet/Magnolia
It’s New Year’s Eve in the city of Terminus and chaos is this year’s resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic transmission that preys on fear and desire, driving everyone in the city to murder and madness. In a place once marked by conformity but now sent into complete anarchy, the rebellious Ben must save the woman he loves from the bedlam in the streets as well as her crazed and sadistic husband. But the only way he can tell who to trust or who has given in to violence is by uncovering the true nature of THE SIGNAL.
WEREWOLF’S SHADOW (new special edition): Deimos/BCI
International horror star Paul Naschy stars in his trademark role as the immortal Waldemar Daninsky, a man cursed for all eternity with the mark of the werewolf. But when he rescues two young women researching the legend of a vampire queen they unleash a ferocious rampage of bloodlust and lycanthropy. In the final battle to the death can a werewolf in love destroy the depraved desires of the undead? Also known as THE WEREWOLF VS. VAMPIRE WOMAN, BLOOD MOON, and NIGHT OF THE WALPURGIS, this 1971 classic is now recognized as a milestone film in Spanish horror history.
