DVD/Blu-Ray Picks Of The Week - 8/2/11

Rupert Pupkin's Pick: JULIE DARLING (Region 1 DVD; Code Red)
This is a great little WTF movie I was first turned onto by Lars Nilsen from the Drafthouse. I know he programmed it for Weird Wednesday and also for a special screening as part of a triple feature at the New Beverly in Los Angeles(I think the other 2 films were POOR PRETTY EDDIE and PSYCHO FROM TEXAS). Very twisted but enjoyable film with Sybil Danning and a great lead performance by Isabelle Mejias. Also know as DAUGHTER OF DEATH. Don't come between her and her dad!

Links:
Amazon DVD
Diabolik DVD

Samurai's Pick: STAKE LAND (Region 1 Blu-Ray & DVD; Dark Sky/MPI)
This is a top 5 film so far this year for me, I ADORE it!! Outside of some flubs on the back end this film is very poetic and touching and makes vampires interesting instead of "sparkly" its just a great film and many places are selling this Blu cheap this week!!!

Large William's Pick: STAKE LAND (Region 1 Blu-Ray & DVD; Dark Sky/MPI)
Alright gang, I'm still basking in the moonshine-y, fundamentalist, downtrodden glow of one of the most straight-faced, best American Horror films I've seen in the past few years: Stakeland. While not without flaws(specifically near the back end of the film), it proves Mickle and Damici are 2 for 2 between this and Mulberry Street. TAKE NOTE young American genre filmmakers, you needn't be wink/nod/self-referential all the time. This film will harken to Cormac McCarthy's bleak vision of humanity at it's darkest hour, The Road, while still maintaining it's own vision. Between Mickle and West, off the top of my head, they're keeping American Horror's head above water. Stop lamenting for the good old glory days of U.S horror, and throw down your chingoleros on this one. Damici is like the subdued love child of William Smith and Josh Brolin(meaning he's one bad dude). The blu will look sublime for this one too; the locations they got for the film are a thing of decrepit beauty.

hugs and kisses,
William

p.s I know you're all tired of zombies and vampires, but TRUST this one delivers. Like Werner, I'll eat my shoe if you hate it..

Links:
Amazon Blu-Ray and DVD

They Call Him Chad's Pick: MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 XXI - MST3K VS. GAMERA (Region 1 DVD; Shout! Factory)
I'll admit upfront that I unabashedly love MST3K. Therefore, I could quite easily recommend every set that Shout! Factory releases at a thrice-a-year clip. However, this one is particularly fitting for the GGTMC crowd as every single episode contains the Scottie Pippen of kaiju, the one and only airborn turtle Gamera!!!!! For MST3K fans, this is a monumental release as it seemed that Toho would never make the rights available for any MST3K'd editions of these films (they apparently take their big monster movies very seriously). With this in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if this edition goes OOP sooner rather than later. And come on, how can you pass on that collector's tin?!

Links:
Amazon DVD

Aaron's Pick: CONAN THE BARBARIAN - International Cut (Region 1 Blu-Ray; Universal)
Honestly, the release I'm looking forward to the most this week is STAKE LAND, because A) I'm a huge horror fan and am always on the lookout for something "different" from the genre, and B) because of the high praises it's been receiving, but I thought I'd go with a pick this week of a movie that I've actually seen, so I'm going with the classic CONAN THE BARBARIAN on Blu-Ray. This week sees BARBARIAN getting the high-def treatment for the first time in the U.S. along with its sequel CONAN THE DESTROYER just in time to get everyone pumped for the remake. Need I say more? It's CONAN for crying out loud!

Links:
Amazon Blu-Ray
Blu-Ray.com Review
High-Def Digest Review and Specs