You’re not going to find many horror fans who will ever get sick of anthologies. They may not all be good, but they’re almost always worth at least one watch on the likely chance that at least one of the segments will be fun.
Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Starring Bette Midler, Thora Birch, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Stephanie Faracy
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Run Time: 96 minutes
Rated PG
Release Date: September 4, 2018
It is the 25th anniversary of this cult favorite and to celebrate, there is a spanking brand new Blu-ray for sale everywhere. Just for fans, you can watch the We Love Hocus Pocus Trivia and Treats Edition of Hocus Pocus, which plays the movie “with fun facts, trivia, concept art, storyboards, behind-the-scenes magic, and more!”
In 1993, Hocus Pocus was written off by critics as a silly Halloween-themed kids movie. While it grossed $39.5 million, it barely cracked the top 40 box office for the year, under such “classics” as The Beverly Hillbillies and Dennis the Menace. However, as often is the case with movies aimed at children, the kids grow up and with them come large pairs of nostalgia goggles that, in this case, have turned Disney’s witch comedy into a cult classic, especially for those now in their mid-30s. Capitalizing on this nostalgia and the fact that most of these 30-somethings have children of their own now, Disney released a new Anniversary Edition of the film on Blu-ray and digital right in time for its 25th birthday and Halloween season.
More below on Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Edition.
King Cohen The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
Written and Directed by Steve Mitchell
Featuring Larry Cohen, Martin Scorsese, J.J Abrams, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, John Landis, Fred Williamson
Dark Star Pictures
Release date: August 3, 2018 (NYC premiere)
Who is Larry Cohen? If you don’t recognize his name, I promise you’ll recognize his films. The now 77-year old has been working in the industry since the late 1950s and evolved from writing noir and western television to become a prolific genre filmmaker. His most prominent works include Black Caesar (1973), It’s Alive (1974), God Told Me To (1976), Q (1982), The Stuff (1985), and Phone Booth (2002). In all he has over 80 writing credits and 20+ directorial efforts. But more than his films was his renegade and rogue filmmaking style. A writer who became a director and producer, Larry Cohen was the consummate hustler and true triple threat. His life and career are now the subject of a phenomenal documentary, King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen, written and directed by Steve Mitchell and put out by Dark Star Pictures.
Psycho IV: The Beginning Blu-ray
Director: Mick Garris
Screenwriter: Joseph Stefano
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Henry Thomas, Olivia Hussey, CCH Pounder
Distributor: Scream Factory
Rated R | 96 Minutes
Release Date: August 23, 2016
Considered one of the first entries in the slasher film genre, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho introduced audiences to Norman Bates, the disturbed proprietor of the Bates Motel. Played by Anthony Perkins, Norman suffers from dissociative identity disorder, assuming his mother’s personality to escape the guilt he feels for murdering her. Whenever Norman feels attracted to another woman, “Mother” flies into a psychotic rage and kills her. The 1960 film has become one of the most recognizable and influential movies ever; the shower scene, in which Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane is stabbed to death, is the most iconic death captured on celluloid.
While Hitchcock’s original is an unforgettable part of cinematic history, the film’s sequels are rarely talked about with the same esteem.
If the bloody and beautiful official trailer and October 31st premiere date announcement for Ash vs. Evil Dead wasn’t enough to get you ready for summer to go away so that fall can arrive—and it should be more than enough—here’s another little treat for you horror junkies.
A trailer for the anthology movie Tales of Halloween was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con 2015, featuring contributions from 11 directors with a knack for the terror and scares and gooey, gory fun we fans of fear live for.
You can read more about Tales of Halloween, including a full rundown of all of the directors and cast involved, and watch the trailer below.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press