For New Release 5-27, we have a lot of interesting titles to take a look at, so let’s get started.

Dario Argento Box Set

Anchor Bay re-releases “Tenebre” and “Phenomena” separately or a part of this set which also includes “Card Player”, “Trauma”, and “Do You like Hitchcock?”. The latter three are average to avoidable, but I’m eager to take my first peeks at “Tenebre”, one of Argento’s last masterpieces and “Phenomena” a weird film with a young, nubile Jennifer Connelly. New transfers, audio commentaries, and a featurette make this a worthy upgrade. With Argento’s newest film “Mother of Tears” just peeking into a few U.S. theaters, it’s prime to revisit some of Argento.

Extras:
-audio commentaries
-featurettes
-trailers



Darfur Now

Maybe it isn’t as great as “Devil Came on Horseback” but no less important, it’s a shame to even compare Darfur documentaries as they all focus on various aspects of the genocide nobody is stopping. This one focuses more on what some people have done and what can be done. It’s worth a look and a buy too, since it’s only $4.99! Please at least see this or any Darfur documentary, as we have said never again to genocide but it’s happening all over again.

Extras:
-audio commentary
-featurettes



Thief of Bagdad: Criterion Collection

This is a film I have heard of a few times, but never seen. Criterion re-masters this gem of wonder and imagination. I’m defiantly going to check this out as it sounds like an early special effects film worth seeing.

Extras:
-audio commentary with Scorsese
-essays
-features



Rambo

I was hoping this would be like “Rocky Balboa”, a thoughtful character study of old age and our current society. It tries unsuccessfully, as blood and guts fly. It’s a gore film like we haven’t seen, seriously; people are ripped apart, shredded, kids thrown into fire, blood splattering like no horror film has produced (at least in R-rated mainstream world), and for that it rocks. But the story is limp. Also on Blu Ray.



Visions of Hell: The Films of Jim VanBebber

**DVD PICK OF THE WEEK**Packed with the crazy and epic “Manson Family”, is a re-mastered “Deadbeat at Dawn”. I’m very eager to see it but I’m going to buy it separately as I already have “Manson Family”. These are some great horror films you need to see. What is also cool about this set are the five rarely seen short films that put VanBebber on the horror map. Highly Recommended!
Extras:
-Two feature length documentaries
-Five short films


Rambo Box Set

Features “First Blood”, “First Blood Part II”, and “Rambo III”. All extras are the same as the DVDs. “Rambo” is sold separately.



Other Titles

Come Drink with Me: Dragon Dynasty

The iconic martial arts masterpiece is finally on DVD in the states.



Grace is Gone

The Iraq film that cleverly crafts loss and responsibility as this was a highly regarded film.



That’s it for this week. It’s a pretty good cult week that’s for sure. Next week is stacked with Blu ray releases but also out is the “Eye” remake with Jessica Alba, one of my favorite films from last year “Control”, “Semi-Pro”, and some other titles. See you then here at Killer Film!