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Wherever you go, there you are. That iconic line has become a pop culture mainstay thanks to one of the strangest movies of the 80s, Buckaroo Banzai or, as it is formally titled, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. This 1984 science fiction movie has been a cult classic for four decades and remains a fan favorite thanks to its virtually unexplainable plot. Part comedy, part action, part scifi, part martial arts, part musical, part western, part satire and part of a franchise that never came to be, Buckaroo Banzai may be the single most bizarre movie we have ever covered for this series.

A box office bomb when it was released, grossing only six million against a seventeen million dollar budget, Buckaroo Banzai holds a decent 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes where critics sum it up succinctly as “violating every rule of storytelling and narrative structure in creating...

Some science fiction movies feature deep, complex characters and multilayered stories that manage to provide a gripping commentary on society while also exploring the concealed realities of human nature. Others don't; nor do they try to. While there were plenty of great sci-fi films in 2024, those of the 1980s were an absolute blast for the audience, regardless of the seriousness (or lack thereof) of their plots. While some 1980s sci-fi movies didn't age well, others did. What these films lack in nuance, they make up for in awesome fight scenes, lovable characters, and out-of-this-world settings.

Nowadays, much of the science fiction cinema world is dominated by big-budget franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Dune series. While these franchises are certainly beloved by many, they do draw attention away from more unique sci-fi films. Eras like the 1980s, however, feature tons of outlandish sci-fi movies made without any thoughts of future sequels in mind.

You used to hear the refrain from horror film fanatics with a lot more frequency – the original was so much scarier.

And while this is still true to some degree (the films of John Carpenter have been remade with an oddly uniform lousiness), there are still plenty of horror films that have been remade well. Sometimes the remakes are just as good as the original. In rare cases, it even surpasses the original.

Here is our definitive list of the very best horror remakes ever.

(United Artists) “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)

Don Siegel’s 1956 classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is based on Jack Finney’s story “The Body Snatchers,” which was serialized in Collier’s in 1954 and published as a novel shortly after, has been remade several times over the years. But the very best iteration is still the 1978 version, the first since Siegel’s, from director Philip Kaufman and writer W.D. Richter.

The central joke of John Carpenter's 1986 martial arts comedy "Big Trouble in Little China" is that the himbo hero Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) thinks he's the main character of the story, when really he's the dorky, comedic sidekick to other people. One should acknowledge that Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) is the true hero of "Big Trouble," and it is ultimately his heroism that saves his fiancée Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) from the clutches of the evil warlock Lo Pan (James Hong). Wang Chi is the one with fighting skills, as well as the one with connections to other magic users. Jack Burton is a silly blowhard with the muscles to fight off bad guys and the know-how of a golden retriever.

Needless to say, "Little China" is quirky and charming. It remains the most whimsical of John Carpenter's output. Indeed, it may be the only comedy film Carpenter directed...

With the passing of Donald Sutherland, I was looking through his catalogue for stuff I hadn’t seen yet as I like to look at the entire catalogue to find some hidden gems. What I was reminded of while looking was his stellar horror output over the years. Fallen, The Puppet Masters, Don’t Look Now, Virus, the Salem’s Lot TV miniseries, and of course Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors are all fun to great but for my money, his turn in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (watch it Here) and really the movie in general, is his best stuff. After buying the wonderful 4K from Kino Lorber and rewatching it, I’m also ready to crown it as the best San Francisco based horror movie too. While it can feel every bit as long as it’s 1 hour and 55-minute runtime, it uses that slow build tension to...

We’re zapping into science fiction territory and back into “re-adaptation” conversations this month for Revenge of the Remakes. Don Siegel and Philip Kaufman bring vastly different approaches to their Invasion of the Body Snatchers films, uniformly citing Jack Finney’s 1954 novel “The Body Snatchers” as their source. Kaufman isn’t directly remaking Siegel’s film but acknowledges its existence multiple times; there’s a literary influence behind both features, yet Kaufman can’t ignore what already exists. The same conversation arose in my The Fly analysis, and will assuredly surface again down the road. Invasion of the Body Snatchers can’t help itself from being a remake, and with decades apart, Kaufman evolves the product into a contemporary extraterrestrial nightmare (speaking for the late 1970s).

Everything about Invasion of the Body Snatchers showcases how cinematic advancements benefit remakes like The Blob or House on Haunted Hill, reimaginings of classics...

The sci-fi classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum) is out now on 4K Uhd (Blu-ray) and Limited Edition Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Remakes of great films are usually on a hiding to nothing, but Philip Kaufman’s brilliant update of the 1956 classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers is a rare and memorable exception. Transposing the action to the heart of San Francisco allows Kaufman to retain all the suspense of Jack Finney’s original story while adding caustic social commentary about the selfishness of the 1970s “me generation” that remains all too relevant today.

But it’s a paranoid thriller first and foremost, based on one of the most psychologically terrifying of all premises – what happens when you can no longer trust not just the authorities but even your nearest and dearest?

Synopsis:

When health official Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams...

The 1980s was a seminal period in the development of what we now define as the action movie. This was the decade that cemented the statuses of both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the muscle-bound box office behemoths eating the competition for breakfast. Having emerged off the back of critically acclaimed efforts like Rocky and The Terminator, the years that followed saw the pair hone their greased-up on-screen personas to fine effect.

It wasn’t all about the muscles though. The 1980s also ushered in the era of the everyman action star with Bruce Willis in Die Hard and Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop opting for brains over brawn and reaping the benefits in multiplexes far and wide as a result. While Hollywood basked in the glory of a new generation of leading men, in the Far East, Jackie Chan was taking action movie physicality to a whole...

Colloquially among Trekkies, the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Up the Long Ladder" is known as "The one with the Space Irish." Or maybe I'm the only one who refers to it that way. Regardless, "Up the Long Ladder" features the Space Irish. In the episode, the U.S.S. Enterprise has to evacuate a colony on the planet Bringloid V, as their sun is experiencing solar flares. Long ago, the Bringloidians adopted an Irish agrarian lifestyle, and they bring along their livestock, hay, and twee Irish accents. The colony's patriarch, Danielo O'Dell (Barrie Ingham), is a caricature Irish drunk, and his daughter Breanna (Rosalyn Landor) is a typically haughty Irish lass. 

It's later revealed that the Bringloidians represent only half of a century-old transport ship, and that the rest of the settlers formed their own colony on a nearby planet. The second colony, called Mariposa, is technologically advanced,...

When "Cheers" returned to NBC's airwaves for its third season, viewers were desperate to see how bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) had handled their breakup at the conclusion of the previous season's finale. Had they moved on or possibly reconciled?

The answer was a little more complicated than perhaps many fans expected.

Recovering alcoholic Sam was back on the sauce and carousing with self-destructive abandon. Diane was, as ever, Diane, but she couldn't bear to see Sam in such a rough way. She didn't want to get back together with him, certainly not while he was scraping rock bottom, but she still cared about her ex. She needed to see him in at least a semi-functional state. She needed to get him help. And she believed she knew just the man who could throw him a lifeline.

That man, of course, was psychiatrist Frasier Crane.

On August 27, 1993, Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment continued its expansion into Stephen King’s works with Needful Things. Directed by Fraser C. Heston, the star-studded affair arrived only two years after King published the expansive novel. Screenwriter W.D. Richter took on the Herculean task of adapting the 700 page novel, and what came to fruition is a film as tonally curious as the source material: It’s funny, it’s unsettling, it’s violent, it’s perverse. Simply put, it’s the kind of movie we just don’t get anymore.

For that reason alone, Needful Things has aged quite well. Yet it’s also a great lookin’ film. Heston shoots the hell out of this picture, capitalizing on the crisp Fall foliage across British Columbia, doubling here for King’s fictional Castle Rock, Maine. Because of this, the film looks like a Stephen King novel reads, a key facet...

If you've read Bryan Christopher's Catalog From The Beyond or you've listened to our member-exclusive audio commentary, then you know we're fans of Fraser C. Heston's adaptation of Stephen King's Needful Things here at Daily Dead, so it's especially thrilling that Kino Lorber will release the 1993 film on 4K Uhd along with a Blu-ray of the movie's 191-minute TV cut!

On Facebook, Kino Lorber announced a July 25th release date for their new 4K Uhd / Blu-ray of Needful Things. Below, we have a look at the cover art and full list of special features, including a new interview with screenwriter W.D. Richter on the Blu-ray of the TV cut:

From Kino Lorber: "Coming July 25th on 4Kuhd and Blu-ray!

https://kinolorber.com/product/needful-things-4kuhd

https://kinolorber.com/pro.../needful-things-special-edition

Needful Things (1993)

Disc 1 (4Kuhd):

• Brand New Hdr/Dolby Vision Master (Theatrical Cut) – From a 4K Scan...

There are two versions of the Stephen King adaptation Needful Things (watch it Here): the 2 hour theatrical cut and a 3 hour version that airs only on TBS and has never gotten a proper home video release. That’s about to change, as Kino Lorber has confirmed that their upcoming 4K Uhd and Blu-ray release of Needful Things, which is set to be released on July 25th, will contain both the theatrical cut and the 191 minute TV cut! Copies of this release can be pre-ordered at This Link. It goes for the price of $26.57 and only ships to the United States and Canada.

Needful Things was directed by Fraser C. Heston (the son of Charlton Heston) from a screenplay by Buckaroo Banzai director / Big Trouble in Little China writer W.D. Richter. Here’s the synopsis: When a creepy older man named Leland Gaunt moves to a small town in Maine...

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced today that they’re bringing 1993 Stephen King adaptation Needful Things to Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD, releasing on July 25, 2023.

Of particular note, the 191-minute television cut of Needful Things is being included on a Blu-ray disc, which marks the first time it’s been released on home video here in the States.

IMDb explains, “On May 22, 1996, the TBS network aired a 191-minute extended edition. The extra footage includes more of the citizens of Castle Rock and their lives, namely the character of Cora Rusk, played by Lisa Blount, shown only in passing in the current version.”

Special Features include…

Disc 1 (4Kuhd):

Brand New Hdr/Dolby Vision Master (Theatrical Cut) – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative Audio Commentary by Director Fraser C. Heston, Moderated by Scorpion Releasing’s Walt Olsen 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Lossless Audio Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc Optional English Subtitles

Disc...

On September 1, 1969, Muammar Gaddafi took the capital of Libya, ousting the monarchy and establishing what would become the Libyan Arab Republic. Over the next several years, hundreds of former government officials, as well as the Libyan royal family, were brought to court by Gaddafi's new regime, each one of them charged with treason. Gaddafi eventually established a single political party, ignored all previous local tribal rulers, and effectively became a dictator, a position he would hold until his death in 2011. In October of that year, anti-Gaddafi militants asserted control and liberated the country.

Back in 1976, however, Libya was militarily tetchy, and Gaddafi's military dictatorship was firmly ensconced. There was also a lot of resentment between Libya and its neighboring countries after Gaddafi had tried to form a multi-nation alliance called the Arab Islamic Republic. Those plans, however, fell through spectacularly, and Gaddafi was furious for years thereafter. It was said...

By Lee Pfeiffer

I know I'm not only getting old, but I'm there already. That's apparent in the fact that I remember seeing the 1981 comedy "All Night Long" at an advanced critic's screening in New York. Back in those prehistoric days before the internet, you had to read trade industry publications to get the background story or buzz on forthcoming films. Sure, the general public was always aware that expensive epics were experiencing production problems, but everyday movie fans were generally unaware of the scuttlebutt on mid-range fare. Within industry circles, however, the word-of-mouth was negative about the film despite the fact that it starred Gene Hackman and Barbra Streisand, both then very much at the peak of their acting careers. The film had gone through some almost surrealistic production problems that involved high profile people and had come in massively over the original budget estimate. I recalled thinking the...

This week’s horror and sci-fi home media releases are a fun bunch, as we have a lot of great new movies to look forward to, as well as a ton of killer classic titles headed home to various formats. If you missed it in theaters, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is being released alone and then alongside the first two Ghostbusters films as a three-movie collection, and for those of you who love mind-blowing animation, you’re going to definitely want to check out The Spine of Night. One of my favorite films from 2021 was Danishka Esterhazy’s Slumber Party Massacre, so if you missed seeing it then, now you can catch up with it courtesy of Scream Factory.

In terms of older titles, several of my favorite movies are headed to Blu-ray this week from the fine folks at Kino Lorber: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and both F/X...

Hello, dear readers! Before those of us in the States get ready to gobble down our Thanksgiving dinners later this week, we have a brand new batch of horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases to look forward to first. One of this writer’s favorite films of all time, Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) is getting the 4K treatment from Kino Lorber this Tuesday, and Arrow Video is resurrecting both The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch and Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge on Blu-ray as well (this is also very exciting news in my world). Arrow is also re-releasing a handful of other titles—The Cat O’ Nine Tails, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and C.H.U.D.—and the first season of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery is headed to Blu-ray as well.

Other releases for November 23rd include Chupa, Lair,...

This first remake of the 1956 sci-fi classic retains many of the original’s story points, clears up the bio minutiae for literal-minded viewers and adds a fascinating social commentary about ’70s lifestyles that’s almost as depressing as the idea of being ‘replaced’ by an alien simulacrum. Philip Kaufman’s first big hit is a worthy picture that’s maintained its high reputation … and it’s even scarier in today’s socio-political climate.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1978 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 115 min. / Street Date November 23, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Leonard Nimoy, Art Hindle, Lelia Goldoni, Kevin McCarthy, Don Siegel, Tom Luddy, Stan Ritchie, David Fisher, Tom Dahlgren, Garry Goodrow, Michael Chapman, Robert Duvall.

Cinematography: Michael Chapman

Production Designer: Charles Rosen

Film Editor: Douglas Stewart

Original Music: Denny Zeitlin

Written by W.D. Richter from a...

It’s a relatively quiet week for home entertainment releases, but Tuesday is playing host to one of my favorite films of the year, Ready or Not, which makes December 3rd feel like an early Christmas to this writer. Scream Factory is showing some love to John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China with multiple editions (including the standard Collector’s Edition as well as the absolutely gorgeous limited edition Steelbook), and Konga, one of my favorite cult films (thank you Terror in the Aisles!) is headed to Blu on Tuesday, courtesy of Kino Lorber.

Other Blu-ray and DVD releases for December 3rd include Boar, Christmas Presence, Game of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season, Game of Thrones: The Complete Series, and 1 Must Fall.

Big Trouble in Little China: Collector’s Edition/Limited Edition Steelbook

Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a tough-talking truck driver whose life goes into a...

While John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China is infinitely quotable thanks to Kurt Russell's performance as the imperfect protagonist Jack Burton, every great reluctant hero needs a great villain, and James Hong's portrayal of the evil Lo Pan gave us a character who is just as memorable as his truck-driving counterpart. With Big Trouble in Little China coming to Blu-ray like never before in a new Collector's Edition on December 3rd from Scream Factory, we've been provided with an exclusive bonus feature clip featuring Hong to share with Daily Dead readers!

Taken from "The Soul of Lo Pan" bonus feature on the Big Trouble in Little China Collector's Edition Blu-ray, our exclusive clip below features Hong reflecting on some of his most memorable moments playing Lo Pan, including how Carpenter and his crew used practical effects and ingenuity to pull off Lo Pan's glowing transformation and floating ability.

You better make sure your check is in the mail, pal, because ahead of its release on December 3rd, Scream Factory has unveiled the full list of special features for their Collector's Edition Blu-ray of John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China:

Press Release: Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a tough-talking truck driver whose life goes into a supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancée is kidnapped in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble In Little China. Jack, who suddenly finds himself in a murky, danger-filled world beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, where Lo Pan, a 2,000-year-old magician, mercilessly rules an empire of spirits. Facing down a host of unearthly terrors, Jack battles through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. On December 3, 2019, Scream Factory™ is thrilled to present Big Trouble in Little China Collector’s Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray set. Directed by Carpenter, this...

In addition to their Dracula: Prince of Darkness Collector's Edition Blu-ray coming out this December, Scream Factory is also unleashing 1979's Dracula (starring Frank Langella) on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray on November 26th, and we've been provided with the full list of bonus features for fans to sink their teeth into, including a plethora of new interviews:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Dracula comes to Blu-ray™ Scream Factory-style on November 26, dripping with exquisite new bonus features (full list below) and a new 4K scan of the original best available film elements. Customers ordering from ShoutFactory.com will receive an exclusive 18x24 rolled poster featuring brand new artwork, available while supplies last.

Throughout history, Dracula has filled the hearts of men with fear and the hearts of women with desire. In this stylish production of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror tale, Frank Langella, reprises his electrifying, award-winning stage performance as...

Rebecca Lea Sep 18, 2017

We take a look at the movie version of Stephen King's Needful Things, starring Ed Harris...

The film: A mysterious new shop called Needful Things opens in the town of Castle Rock, owned by the mysterious Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow). The residents discover that the antique shop provides them with exactly what they’re looking for, no matter how specific. The price to pay isn’t of the ordinary variety, however, and Gaunt invites his customers to commit pranks on their fellow townsfolk which steadily escalate in complexity and consequence. It soon attracts the attention of Sheriff Alan Pangborn (lately of The Dark Half and now in the form of Ed Harris).

See related The Croods 2 has been cancelled

See also: the BFI's Stephen King season continues this weeek.

A satire on greed culture, small town politics, and mob mentalities, Needful Things is one of...

In between the likes of Yoga Hosers and his directorial input on DC’s small-screen universe through The Flash and, soon, Supergirl, writer-director Kevin Smith has spent the past few months developing a TV spinoff based on cult MGM classic, The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension.

All of that progress has come screeching to a halt, however, with Deadline reporting that Kevin Smith has abruptly pulled out of the gestating Buckaroo Banzai TV show. Smith later posted a frank 18-minute Facebook video to explain his reasoning, which can be traced to the federal lawsuit filed by MGM against the original creator Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter, the director of the 1984 flick, over complicated rights issues.

Originally set for a 2017 premiere by Amazon Studios, there’s no word of an official statement from the studio at the time of writing, though the mere fact that Smith is...

Earlier today, we reported that MGM had filed a lawsuit against Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter, the director and writer behind The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension, over some disagreements regarding the rights to the original movie and its universe. MGM has been trying to make a Buckaroo Banzai TV series with Kevin Smith, but Rauch and Richter have been claiming that they control the rights to the characters, so the studio wants to stop them from trying to prevent the further development of its TV project.

Ironically, that seems to have backfired, as the show itself might not happen now because of the lawsuit. According to Deadline, Kevin Smith has dropped out of the project, explaining that he was “caught off-guard” by this legal disagreement. “This is not what I signed up for,” he said, adding that he “literally had no idea” that Rauch ...

There hasn’t been a single ruling in MGM’s copyright lawsuit for a Buckaroo Banzai TV series, but there’s already two clear casualties: Kevin Smith and the show itself, at least for now. After the studio filed legal paperwork November 23 against the 1984 movie’s director W.D. Richter and writer Earl Mac Rauch, the Clerks creator went online today to declare “I’m no longer involved” with the proposed Amazon TV series version. “This is not what I signed up for,” Smith said…...

Joseph Baxter Louisa Mellor Nov 29, 2016

MGM is taking the creators of Buckaroo Banzai to court over the rights to the property; Kevin Smith exits the project...

Fans of the perennial cult classic sci-fi film The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension had plenty of reasons to get excited this past July when it was reported that a belated follow-up to the 1984 film was in the works, set to be revived by Kevin Smith – in conjunction with MGM – as a television series for Amazon.

See related Brad Peyton interview: San Andreas, The Rock, Statham, Star Wars Rampage movie to shoot this year, The Rock confirms new writers

However, it was later reported that original writer Earl Mac Rauch and director W.D. Richter were claiming the property rights. Consequently, it’s looking like this matter is destined to be settled in a courtroom.

It has been revealed (via THR) that,...

More than three decades after the cult science fiction classic, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, was released in theaters, MGM wishes to produce a new television series of the characters with Kevin Smith at the helm and in conjunction with Amazon Studios. But first, MGM is taking a trip to the courtroom to sort out rights.

MGM has filed a complaint in California federal court against Earl Mac Rauch, who wrote the 1984 film about a neurosurgeon/ rock star who saves Earth from malevolent aliens, and Walter Richter, who directed the picture that stars Peter Weller, John Lithgow,...

Is the third time the charm for Jack Finney's stubborn human duplicator pods? Abel Ferrara keeps the faith and makes a straight, effective revisit of the paranoid classic. Does it all seem too familiar now, or are we just more Pod-like and less excitable? Body Snatchers Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1993 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date October 18, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Gabrielle Anwar, Forest Whitaker, Meg Tilly, Terry Kinney, Billy Wirth, Reilly Murphy, Christine Elise, R. Lee Ermey, Kathleen Doyle, G. Elvis Phillips. Cinematography Bojan Bazelli Film Editor Anthony Redman Original Music Joe Delia Screenplay Dennis Paoli, Nicholas St. John, Stuart Gordon story by Raymond Cistheri, Larry Cohen, from the novel by Jack Finney Produced by Robert H. Solo Directed by Abel Ferrara

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Still the most potent and meaningful movie expression of modern paranoia is Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the first film made...

In 1978, Philip Kaufman's remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers hit theaters. The all-star ensemble cast included Art Hindle, Brooke Adams, Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Veronica Cartwright. Whatever side of the ongoing remake debate you're on, it's doubtful that you'd call this version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers a bad film. Scream Factory has just released a new Blu-ray edition with cool new art and lots of extras: New 2K Scan Of The Interpositive New Star-Crossed In The Invasion – An Interview With Actress Brooke Adams New Leading The Invasion – An Interview With Actor Art Hindle New Re-Creating The Invasion – An Interview With Writer W.D. Richter New Scoring The Invasion – An Interview With Composer Denny Zeitlin New Audio Commentary With...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Blu-ray Shout Select 1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 34.93 Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera Cinematography Fred J. Koenekamp Production Designer J. Michael Riva Art Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane Film Editor George Bowers, Richard Marks Original Music Michael Boddicker Written by Earl Mac Rauch Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Richter Directed by W.D. Richter

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions,...

August’s home entertainment releases are off to a strong start this Tuesday, as horror and sci-fi fans have a lot to look forward to this week. Scream Factory is keeping busy with a trio of releases—Bite, The Binding, and the Collector’s Edition release of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)—and Anchor Bay has a pair of indie genre offerings, Viral and Lazer Team, coming out on August 2nd as well. Ben Wheatley’s stunning adaptation of High-Rise is also coming home on Tuesday, and if you missed it last month, Most Likely to Die makes its way to DVD this week, too.

Other notable releases include DVDs of Panzer, Summer Camp, The Suffering, and the Blu-ray release of The Night Visitor.

Bite (Scream Factory, Blu-ray & DVD)

Your Fear Is Her Appetite.

While on her bachelorette party getaway, bride-to be Casey (Elma Begovic) gets a seemingly harmless bite from an unknown insect.

With aliens walking around in disguise, it’s difficult to trust anyone in Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but you can confidently know that you’ll have a good time with Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of the 1978 film, and to celebrate its upcoming August 2nd debut, we’ve been provided with three copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.

————

Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers Collector’s Edition.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email [email protected] with the subject “Invasion of the Body Snatchers Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on August 5th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

The fight for humanity’s fate begins in San Francisco in Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Featuring a phenomenal cast that includes Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum, the 1978 film will be celebrated by Scream Factory on August 2nd with their Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release that’s teased in high-def clips and a trailer.

Press Release: The seed is planted…terror grows. On August 2, 2016, the terrifying sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers will be presented like never before in a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory. Featuring a new HD transfer, this release also comes packed with new bonus features, including interviews and audio commentary with cast and crew, and a limited-edition collectible slipcover with newly rendered artwork.

Under cover of darkness, while an unsuspecting city sleeps, an alien life form begins to sow the seeds of unspeakable terror.

I love all things Body Snatcher. Every remake, every attempt at incorporating the core elements into other flavors of horror, and every pop culture reference, ever. There, I said it. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and especially the ’78 version, is up there with Night of the Living Dead for me, as one of the most important horror films of our time. I love the ’56 version as well, but this is every bit as good, and in some ways better, and I saw it first, when I was a kid, so it holds a special place in my heart. This is another horror movie that existed on Blu-ray prior to Scream Factory’s release, but it existed as such a barebones vanilla MGM/Fox Home Video release, that I squeed with glee when I read that Scream Factory would be giving it their Collector’s Edition treatment.

On top of being...

Featuring a phenomenal cast including Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum, 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is coming out on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray this August from Scream Factory, who have now revealed the new special features for the anticipated release:

Press Release: The seed is planted…terror grows. On August 2, 2016, the terrifying sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers will be presented like never before in a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory. Featuring a new HD transfer, this release also comes packed with new bonus features, including interviews and audio commentary with cast and crew, and a limited-edition collectible slipcover with newly rendered artwork.

Under cover of darkness, while an unsuspecting city sleeps, an alien life form begins to sow the seeds of unspeakable terror. Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum star in this shocking, “first-rate suspense thriller” (Newsday).

One by one, the residents of San Francisco are becoming drone-like shadows of their former selves. As the phenomenon spreads, two Department of Health workers, Matthew (Sutherland) and Elizabeth (Adams), uncover the horrifying truth: Mysterious pods are cloning humans — and destroying the originals! The unworldly invasion grows stronger with each passing minute, hurling Matthew and Elizabeth into a desperate race to save not only their own lives, but the future of the entire human race.

Special Features:

New 2K scan of the interpositive New Star-Crossed in The Invasion – an interview with actress Brooke Adams (9 minutes) New Leading the Invasion – an interview with actor Art Hindle (25 minutes) New Re-Creating The Invasion – an interview with writer W.D. Richter (16 minutes) New Scoring the Invasion an interview with composer Denny Zeitlin (15 minutes) New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Steve Haberman Audio Commentary by director Philip Kaufman Re-Visitors From Outer Space, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Pod – including interviews with director Philip Kaufman, screenwriter W.D. Richter, director of photography Michael Chapman and actors Donald Sutherland and Veronica Cartwright (15 minutes) Practical Magic: The Special Effects Pod (4 minutes) The Man Behind The Scream: The Sound Effects Pod – an interview with Ben Burtt and sound editor Bonnie Koehler (12 minutes) The Invasion Will Be Televised: The Cinematography Pod (5 minutes) Theatrical Trailer TV Spots Radio Spots Photo Gallery An episode of Science Fiction Theatre, Time is Just A Place, based on Jack Finney’s short story. Directed by Jack Arnold.

Shout! Factory will continue to present the on-going Scream Factory™ home entertainment series in 2016 with specific release dates, extras and key art. Fans are encouraged to visit Shout! Factory’s website (www.ShoutFactory.com), follow the brand on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ScreamFactoryDVD) and Twitter (@Scream_Factory), and view exclusive video content on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/ScreamFactoryTV/Home).

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Factory Productions, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com

The post Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Special Features Revealed appeared first on Daily Dead.

Special Mention: Werckmeister Harmonies

Directed by Bela Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky

Written by László Krasznahorkai and Bela Tarr

2000, Hungary / Italy / Germany

Genre: Emotional Horror

Bela Tarr is a filmmaker whose work is a highly acquired taste, but as a metaphysical horror story, Werckmeister Harmonies is an utter masterpiece that should appeal to most cinephiles. The film title refers to the 17th-century German organist-composer Andreas Werckmeister, esteemed for his influential structure and harmony of music. Harmonies is strung together like a magnificent symphony working on the viewer’s emotions over long stretches of time even when the viewer is unaware of what’s going on. Attempting to make sense of Tarr’s movies in strict narrative terms is not the best way to go about watching his films; but regardless if you come away understanding Harmonies or not, you won’t soon forget the film. Harmonies is a technical triumph, shot...

Stars: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, William Traylor, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli | Written by Earl Mac Rauch | Directed by W.D. Richter

Arrow Video know their cult movies, you just have to look at the ones they’ve released to see that. If you were to ask the question, how crazy can a cult movie be? I think you just have to look at their latest release for that. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is probably one of the strangest (yet still good) Eighties movies you’ll ever see.

When Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller), the brilliant physicist-neurosurgeon-martial arts master-secret-rock star manages to use the Oscillation Overthruster to travel to the 8th dimension he draws the attention of the Red Lectroids (an alien race obviously.) Working with Banzai’s...

Nothing is ever the same again in Castle Rock after Leland Gaunt shows up and opens his antiques store, Needful Things. There’s something for everyone in Gaunt’s shop, but instead of money, the prices must be paid through devious, deadly deeds. Based on Stephen King’s 1991 novel of the same name, Needful Things (1993) is making its Us Blu-ray debut via Kino Lorber.

Kino Lorber will release Needful Things on Blu-ray this June with a new audio commentary from director Fraser Clarke Heston. Fans of the film no doubt are wondering if this home media release will include the extended TV version that features around an extra hour of footage. Kino Lorber revealed they do not at this time have the rights to the TV version, but they are pursuing them and will keep fans updated on the procuring process.

We’ll keep Daily Dead readers posted on further developments.

“Everybody relax… I’m here.”

Ladies and gentlemen, don’t get too comfortable in your seats with FM 275, because a certain Jack Burton is coming along in 276, and he’s bound to bring trouble. And monsters. Another Jason Edmiston cover for the ages:

Yes, it’s the first official Famous Monsters tribute to John Carpenter‘s 80s classic Big Trouble In Little China! Within, find an interview with Carpenter himself, along with a feature on Eric Powell and Boom! Studios’ Big Trouble comic series, plus a complete retrospective on the context of the film’s release.

John Carpenter: “I read the script, and I loved it. I was like, what is this? It was unlike anything I’d ever seen in an American film. It was written by a friend of mine, W.D. Richter. I went to film school with him. So we talked, and he explained to me...

Humankind’s collision with otherworldly life forms can make for unforgettable cinema.

This article will highlight the best of live-action human vs. alien films. The creatures may be from other planets or may be non-demonic entities from other dimensions.

Excluded from consideration were giant monster films as the diakaiju genre would make a great subject for separate articles.

Readers looking for “friendly alien” films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), It Came from Outer Space (1953) and the comically overrated Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) are advised to keep watching the skies because they won’t find them here.

Film writing being the game of knowledge filtered through personal taste that it is, some readers’ subgenre favorites might not have made the list such as War of the Worlds (1953) and 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957).

Now let’s take a chronological look at the cinema’s best battles between Us and Them.

After working on docu-series at CNN this year, Robert Redford is moving to scripted television with "Homeland" producer Alex Cary. At Sunday's Produced By conference held by the PGA, Cary told the crowd he was working on a TV adaptation of "Brubaker," Redford's 1980 film, with the iconic actor and filmmaker.  The original film told the story of a new warden who pretends to be a convict in order to expose corruption at his prison. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, "Brubaker" starred Redford and Morgan Freeman, earning an Oscar nod for screenwriters W.D. Richter and Arthur A. Ross.  Redford has executive-produced many documentaries, including the 2014 CNN series "Chicagoland" and "Death Row Stories," but "Brubaker" would mark his first scripted series. It also marks yet another movie adaptation for television, following the success stories of "Fargo," "About a Boy," "Hannibal," "Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights," and many others. The trend is growing and the power players of film.

“Sooner or later I rub everybody the wrong way.”

You never know what’s brewing at Webster University’s Strange Brew cult film series. It’s always the first Wednesday evening of every month, and they always come up with some cult classic to show while enjoying some good food and great suds. The fun happens at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143). This week, on Wednesday May 7th at 8pm, it’s John Carpenter’s most misunderstood film – Big Trouble In Little China

Admission is only $4!

Big Trouble In Little China was big-budget action/comedy/fantasy/martial arts hybrid that John Carpenter made in 1986. The plot is kind of hard to summarize– truck driving butt kicker Kurt Russell (doing a very funny imitation of John Wayne) gets involved with Chinese ghosts, sorcery, white slavery, warring gangs…you name it. The plot moves Very quickly…...

Nickelodeon gets no love. And yet its place in the popular, Biskind-approved narrative of The Decline and Fall of Everyone in the 1970s New Hollywood is a bit uncertain. It comes after the despised At Long Last Love (1975), which ought to mark the same point in Peter Bogdanovich's career as Sorcerer for Friedkin, Heaven's Gate for Cimino and especially One from the Heart for Coppola. True, critics didn't go for it, except in the sense of savaging it, and the public didn't go to it, in any sense, but it certainly didn't attract the tsunami of opprobrium that P-Bog's Cole Porter musical, sung live, brought down upon the heads of the director and his entire cast.

Like his musical, his comedy about early Hollywood (it climaxes with the premiere of Birth of a Nation) now exists in two versions, as Bogdanovich revisited the film, inserting a few deleted moments...

It’s that wonderful, frightful, cool and creepy time of year again, when everything including the leaves on the trees are dying and our taste buds are craving sugary sweets and pies made from the guts of our jack-o-lanterns. It’s October, which means Halloween is nearly upon us! Get you costumes completed, your home haunts constructed and your candy collected for trick’r treaters, because you have to make time to watch some of the scariest movies this time of year.

In an effort to assist you in your cinematic scare-fest, we’ve come up with a list of the scariest movies to watch on Halloween… with one caveat. We have excluded virtually all “slasher” flicks. Why? Well, let’s just say we all know them, we all love them on some level, but really… don’t we all want something more in our scary movies? In honor of...

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.

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Special Mention:

Häxan

Directed by Benjamin Christensen

Denmark / Sweden, 1922

Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...

Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978

Philip Kaufman directed and W.D. Richter wrote the screenplay for this superb second interpretation of Finny’s story. This time we are in San Francisco in the ‘70’s when we meet health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) and his work partner Elizabeth (Brooke Adams). Elizabeth begins to notice that her husband Geoffrey (Art Hindle) is acting strange of late; he is aloof and distant. When Elizabeth tells Matthew this he refers her to his psychiatrist friend Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy). Kibner is a renowned and popular therapist who has published many self-help books on a variety of subjects. He tells Elizabeth that she is making up this fantasy of her husband acting strange in order to justify her subconscious need to end the relationship. As time passes Elizabeth’s worries are proven right when Jack (Jeff Goldblum) and Nancy (Veronica Cartwright), friends of Matthew, find...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

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Special Mention: Gremlins

Directed by Joe Dante

Written by Chris Columbus

1984, USA

Gremlins gets a special mention because I’ve always considered it more of a comedy and a wholesome Christmas flick than an actual horror film. This tribute the 1950s matinee genre stands the test of time from a time when parents would take their children to family films that pushed the boundaries of the MPAA. Joe Dante is...

Whether you measure your movies by box office, reviews, or popular appeal, Sony’s $125 million remake of the 1990 Ah-nuld Schwarzenegger interplanetary action fest Total Recall looks like a strike-out. The movie opened with a lethal softness; a $25.7 million first weekend meaning Recall won’t even come close to making back its budget during its domestic theatrical run. In fact, despite 22 years of ticket price increases, it’s doubtful the movie will even match the original’s $119.3 million haul.

And for those of you who think maybe the problem is Total Recall was outgunned opening while The Dark Knight Rises was still sucking up box office coin, entertain, at least for a moment if you will, the possibility the movie just plain sucks. According to Rotten Tomatoes’ canvas, almost 70% of reviewers – and over three-quarters of “top critics” – gave Total Recall a thumbs-down. Those who went to see the movie didn’t...