The Deadly Mantis
Blu-ray
Director: Nathan H. Juran
Screenwriter: Martin Berkeley
Cast: Craig Stevens, William Hopper, Alix Talton, Pat Conway
Distributor: Scream Factory
Not Rated | 79 Minutes
Release Date: March 19, 2019

“I got a mantis in my pantis!” – Crow T. Robot

Directed by Nathan H. Juran (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), The Deadly Mantis is a 1957 science-fiction monster movie about Рyou guessed it Рa giant (papier-m̢ch̩) praying mantis run amok.

In the South Pacific, a volcanic eruption sets off a chain reaction that sees icebergs shift. As the North Pole’s ice caps begin to melt, a 200-foot-long praying mantis, trapped in the ice for millions of years, awakens from its frigid slumber to wreak havoc on the works of men.

The Little Mermaid
4k Ultra HD | Blu-ray
Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Writer: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, and René Auberjonois
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Rated G | Minutes: 83
Release Date: February 26, 2019

Though hand-drawn animation may not be as common in movies as it once was before the days of Pixar, it is still a process that anyone can appreciate. And Disney’s The Little Mermaid reminds us about how the medium, along with a wonderful story, can work together in tandem to deliver a very entertaining effort.

As one of the films that helped launch the Disney Renaissance, 1989’s The Little Mermaid still has a story that resonates with its young audience today about a free-spirited young mermaid who wants to break free from her father, King Trident. Though he wants the best for her, she finds herself wanting more than being under the sea as she falls in love with Prince Eric, a dashing young human mariner.

In an attempt to be the one with she loves, Ariel signs a contract with Ursula, an evil sea witch, and in exchange for her voice, she is able to walk amongst the surface dwellers and has only 72 hours to get Eric to kiss her so she will regain her voice and make the change permanent. Check out the full review of the newly released 4k Ultra HD edition here below.

The Craft
Blu-ray (Collector’s Edition)
Director: Andrew Fleming
Screenwriter: Andrew Fleming, Peter Filardi
Cast: Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, Skeet Ulrich, Breckin Meyer, Christine Taylor
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 101 Minutes
Release Date: March 12, 2019

“We are the weirdos, mister.”

Co-written and directed by Andrew Fleming (Bad Dreams), 1996’s The Craft centers on a coven of teenage outcasts at a Catholic high school who practice witchcraft, conjuring spells and curses against those who anger them.

Released on May 3, 1996, The Craft was a sleeper hit, opening at number one at the North American box office and earning an impressive $55 million with a budget of $15 million. In the years since its release, the movie has gained a cult following and has been seen as a rite of passage for those who respond to its themes of female empowerment, sisterhood, and outsiderdom.

8MM
Blu-ray
Director: Joel Schumacher
Screenwriter: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Anthony Heald
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 123 Minutes
Release Date: January 8, 2019

“The things I do “” I do them because I like them. Because I want to.”

Directed by Joel Schumacher (of The Lost Boys, Batman Forever, and The Phantom of the Opera) and written by Andrew Kevin Walker (of Se7en, Sleepy Hollow, and The Wolfman), 1999’s 8MM is a crime thriller about one man’s obsessive search for the truth about a young woman’s disappearance.

Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Mandy) stars as Tom Welles, a private investigator contacted by an attorney (Anthony Heald of The Silence of the Lambs) for a wealthy widow, Mrs. Christian (Myra Carter). While clearing out her late husband’s safe, Mrs. Christian discovered an 8mm home movie “” one that appears to depict a real murder, but she needs to know for certain.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
Blu-ray (Collector’s Edition)
Director: Lee Harry
Screenwriter: Lee Harry, Joseph H. Earle
Cast: Eric Freeman, Elizabeth Kaitan, James L. Newman
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 88 Minutes
Release Date: December 11, 2018

Written and directed by Lee Harry, 1987’s Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a sequel to Charles E. Sellier Jr.’s controversial 1984 Christmas slasher film in which a deranged young man dressed as Santa Claus goes on a Christmas Eve killing spree.

The sequel picks up a few years after the first movie, with Ricky Caldwell (Eric Freeman), the brother of the first film’s killer, in a mental institution. While being interviewed by his psychiatrist, Dr. Henry Bloom (James L. Newman), the troubled 18-year-old reminisces about his traumatic childhood through a series of lengthy flashbacks.