DOOR-TO-DOOR MANIAC/RIGHT HAND OF THE DEVIL. (DVD Artwork). ©Film Masters.

Movies

Door-to-Door Maniac/Right Hand of the Devil Double Feature (Crime, Drama)

Get ready for a double dose of 1960s’ neo-noir cult classics, as “Door-to-Door Maniac” and the ultra-rare “Right Hand of the Devil” will be available to own on Blu-ray and DVD as a two-disc collector’s edition Tuesday, Aug. 27, from Film Masters.

Originally released in 1961 as “Five Minutes to Live,” “Door-to-Door Maniac” was re-released in 1966. Fred (Vic Tayback, “Alice”) narrates the low-budget crime drama in flashback, detailing a suburban bank robbery that goes awry. As part of a simple plan, he hires a hard-up, psychotic hood, Johnny Cabot (Johnny Cash in his first film role), to take the wife of the bank’s vice president hostage in her own home. What follows is a robbery gone awry in every way. You won’t want to miss this gem whose original poster proclaimed: “A woman’s price drops fast as the time limit ticks away!”

“Door-to-Door Maniac” also stars Donald Woods (“Watch on the Rhine”), Cay Forester (“D.O.A.”) and Pamela Mason (“Lady Possessed”). Viewers should keep their eyes peeled for a very young Ron Howard (“Happy Days”) in a small role, too.

In the little-known film “Right Hand of the Devil,” director Aram Katcher (“Spy Hunt”) makes his bid to become the next Hitchcock. While prominent movie director he is not, Turkish-born Katcher does star in the film — and not just onscreen. Producer, story creator, editor, title designer and costume designer are just some of the other roles he took on with his magnum opus. Later, he reportedly destroyed all the 35mm elements. This new 4K scan comes from a rare 16mm reduction print from the collection of noted film historian and producer Samuel M. Sherman, who tried to work with Katcher to re-release the film.

Katcher leads the cast as an ingenious criminal mastermind who hires a motley crew of questionable henchmen. Their target? A sports arena. Along the way and critical to their plans, he seduces a middle-aged cashier, but she is not as easily convinced as expected! Will Katcher triumph in his hard-won leading role? 

With “Door-to-Door Maniac” scanned in 4K from 35mm original archival elements and “Right Hand of the Devil” scanned in 4K from 16mm archival elements, each film is presented with two aspect ratios (“Door-to-Door Maniac” in 1.85:1 and 1.37:1 and “Right Hand of the Devil” in 1.66:1 and 1.37:1). Special features on the double-feature release include a feature-length commentary for “Door-to-Door Maniac” by author/podcaster Daniel Budnik and film historian Rob Kelly; a feature-length commentary for “Right Hand of the Devil” by the Monster Party Podcast; a visual essay from Someone’s Favorite Productions, “Player Piano: The Passion of Aram Katcher;” a recreated trailer for “Door-to-Door Maniac” and the original trailer for “Right Hand of the Devil;” and liner notes by Don Stardley and C. Courtney Joyner in a full-color booklet.

Ride (Crime, Drama)

The Western crime thriller “Ride” debuts on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, Aug. 27, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Desperate to raise money for his daughter’s cancer treatment, a retired bull rider teams up with his estranged son and resorts to robbery to secure payment before time runs out. But after the heist goes awry, keeping the money — and their freedom — requires the duo to outwit a dogged pair of local law enforcement officers, including a justice-minded sheriff who soon suspects that the key to her case may lie uncomfortably close to home.

Winner of the Western Heritage Awards Bronze Wrangler for a Theatrical Motion Picture,​ “Ride” stars C. Thomas Howell (“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”), Annabeth Gish (“Mystic Pizza”), Jake Allyn (“Someone Like You”) — who also makes his directorial debut with the film — and Forrie J. Smith (“Yellowstone”). Bonus features on the release include interviews with cast members Annabeth Gish, C. Thomas Howell, Forrie J. Smith, Jake Allyn, Josh Plasse (“The Baxters”), Laci Kaye Booth (“American Idol”) and Zia Carlock (“Trinket Box”) and the film’s trailer.

Front Row Features is giving away a Blu-ray copy of the Western crime thriller “Ride” to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Sept. 2 for your chance to win. Good luck!