Movies

 

Alien: Romulus (Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller)

The legendary “Alien” franchise gives birth to an all-new terrifying sci-fi horror thriller with 20th Century Studios’ “Alien: Romulus,” now available on Digital and as a two-movie collection Digital bundle with the original 1979 sci-fi thriller “Alien” in 4K UHD, HD and SD. The film also releases on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Dec. 3, with the 4K UHD release available as a collectible limited-edition SteelBook with custom artwork and packaging.

“Alien: Romulus” takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its iconic roots. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young colonizers come face-to-face with the most relentless and deadly life form in the universe. Starring Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Deep State”), Archie Renaux (“Morbius”), Isabela Merced (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”) and Aileen Wu (“Closing Doors”), “Alien: Romulus” is directed by horror master Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead”) from a screenplay by Alvarez and frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon (“Heavy Metal”) and Ronald Shusett (“Total Recall”). Ridley Scott — who directed the original “Alien” and the series entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant” — produces with Michael Pruss (“Napoleon”) and Walter Hill (“Alien”).

Fans can delve deeper into the “Alien” franchise with all-new exclusive bonus features, including behind-the-scenes content, two alternate scenes (“Bjorn’s Death” and “Romulus Lab”) and two extended scenes (“Crossing the Facehugger Hallway” and “Hive’s First Contact”). Extras include the 25-minute “Return to Horror: Crafting ‘Alien: Romulus,’” which viewers can watch in four parts (“The Director’s Vision,” “Creating the Story,” “Casting the Faces” and “Constructing the World”); a nine-minute conversation with Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez for the “Alien” 45th anniversary theatrical re-release; and the 11-minute “Inside the Xenomorph Showdown” where filmmakers break down what it took to make “Alien: Romulus’” climatic zero-gravity sequence.

 

The Beast Within (Horror, Thriller)

The narrative directorial debut by documentary filmmaker Alexander J. Farrell (“Refugee”), “The Beast Within” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 22, from Well Go USA Entertainment. The horror-thriller is also now available to own on Digital.

After a series of strange events leads her to question her family’s isolated life on a fortified compound deep in the English wilds, 10-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall, “The Midnight Sky”) follows her parents on one of their secret late-night treks to the heart of the ancient forest. But upon witnessing her father undergo a terrible transformation, she too becomes ensnared by the dark ancestral secret they’ve tried so desperately to conceal.

“The Beast Within” also stars Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”), Ashleigh Cummings (“Citadel”) and James Cosmo (“Braveheart”)​.

 

Creature with the Blue Hand/Web of the Spider (Crime, Horror, Mystery, Thriller)

Just in time for Halloween, two of actor Klaus Kinski’s European features — “Creature with the Blue Hand” and “Web of the Spider” — will be available for purchase on Tuesday, Oct. 22, as a special two-disc collector’s edition Blu-ray or DVD from Film Masters.

Originally released in Germany as “Die Blaue Hand,” “Creature with the Blue Hand” was bought by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures and released in the U.S. in 1967. This release is presented for the first time on Blu-ray in North America. A mystery-thriller about a series of grisly murders, it’s one of several German films based on the novels of Edgar Wallace. Directed by Alfred Vohrer (“The Yellow House on Pinnasberg”), the film also stars Harald Leipnitz (“The Endless Night”) and Carl Lange (“Mistress of the World”).

The movie follows an inmate (Kinski, “Nosferatu the Vampyre”) who is being held at a questionable sanitarium. When the inmate escapes and a series of murders occur, signs point to him as the killer — but is he? Based on the novel “The Blue Hand” by Edgar Wallace, “Creature with the Blue Hand” is a suspenseful ride with many gothic elements and complex plot twists. Labeled as a “Krimi” film, this is a classic example of the genre, combining elements of mystery, crime and horror.

“Creature with the Blue Hand” was later acquired by Independent International Pictures and released to home video in the U.S. as “The Bloody Dead” in 1987 with six minutes of new footage, shot specifically for the release. The extra footage is included in this special edition as a bonus feature, which also includes a HD version of the full film, “The Bloody Dead.”

“Web of the Spider,” meanwhile, is a classic haunted house tale from Italian maestro Antonio Margheriti (“Seven Deaths in the Cats Eyes”), with Kinski starring as none other than Edgar Allan Poe. It’s a diabolical double dose from one of cinema’s most controversial and unique figures.

In the film, American writer Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa, “A Hatful of Rain”) is challenged to spend the night in a haunted castle by Edgar Allan Poe and his friend, Lord Blackwood (Enrico Osterman, “Acts of the Apostles”). Foster, intrigued and eager for new inspiration for his writing, accepts the challenge. Once inside the supposedly deserted castle, Foster encounters many intriguing characters, including the beautiful Elisabeth Blackwood (Michèle Mercier, “You Can’t Win ‘Em All”). Foster and Elisabeth fall in love, but things get complicated when Elisabeth reveals that she may not be entirely alive. In a series of increasingly supernatural events, Foster learns about the tragic and sinister history of the castle and its former inhabitants. As the night progresses, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs.

“Web of the Spider” is a remake of director Margheriti’s earlier film, “Castle of Blood.” This version of “Web of the Spider” is the 92-minute U.S. version of the original Italian version of “Nella Stretta Morsa del Ragno.”

Both “Creature with the Blue Hand” and “Web of the Spider” are newly scanned in 4K from original 35mm archival elements. Bonus features on the release include a new 4K transfer of “The Bloody Dead,” the alternate version of “Creature with the Blue Hand;” full commentary tracks by authors and film historians Stephen Jones and Kim Newman for “Creature with the Blue Hand” and “Web of the Spider;” an archival commentary track by producer/director Sam M. Sherman for “The Bloody Dead;” “Creature with the Blue Hand’s” original 35mm film trailer and recut trailer using restored film elements; a new 2024 trailer for “Web of the Spider;” the original English theatrical trailer for “Castle of Blood;” essays in a full-color booklet written by Christopher Stewardson and Nick Clark; and two new documentaries from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures — “A Man Of Mystery: Inside the World of Edgar Wallace” and “Kinski Krimis: Inside the Rialto Film Adaptations.”

 

Twisters (Action, Adventure, Thriller)

Brace yourself for a wild ride into the eye of the storm when “Twisters” lands on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Oct. 22, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is also now available to own on Digital.

“Twisters” brings back the blockbuster disaster epic with a whirlwind of heart-stopping action and exhilarating thrills. Ever since a devastating tornado encounter, Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Where the Crawdads Sing”) gave up chasing storms across the Oklahoma prairie to safely study them on screens in New York City. Lured back to the field by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos, “Hamilton”) and a once-in-a-lifetime scientific opportunity, Kate crosses paths with Tyler (Glen Powell, “Anyone but You”), a charming daredevil and self-proclaimed tornado wrangler whose thirst for tornado-tracking adventures made him a social media sensation. As storm season intensifies with terrifying phenomena unlike anything seen before, Kate and Tyler realize they may need to work together if they are to have any chance of taming — and surviving — an unprecedented outbreak of destructive tornados.

Bonus features on the release include a feature commentary with director Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”), deleted scenes, a gag reel and the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Tracking the Fronts: The Path of ‘Twisters,’” “Into the Eye of the Storm,” “Glen Powell: All Access,” “Front Seat to a Chase” and “Tricked-Out Trucks.” The 4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital releases also include the exclusive extra “Voice of a Villain,” where viewers can hear the creation of the film’s deafening howls with a seat in the studio where the audio team mixes unexpected sounds to give the storms a new dimension of depth.

 

Front Row Features is giving away a copy of “The Beast Within” on Blu-ray to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Oct. 28 for your chance to win. Good luck!