We're back after a little break and we're post the Labor Day Sales ready to look into the future and see what new releases are on the way. It's a pretty big month, especially with the Kino Lorber Fall Sale likely coming our way towards the end of the month. So let's see what else will be tempting our hearts and wallets this month!
Side note: I acquired a copy of now no longer as insanely priced Chinatown on 4K during the brief period it restocked on Amazon, so a review forthcoming.
Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection 4K - September 17
When it comes to 4K, older films that were shot on film and preserved well enough tend to shine the brightest (pun intended). So it's not shocking that these Universal monsters films have aged beautifully and really stun on 4K. This boxset is a collection of the previously released 4K editions of these films and that totally ok with me. Now the price currently is $10 more than the 30 movie Universal Monsters collection on Blu-ray , which also looks incredible. So this is for those craving an upgrade for the main monsters, everyone else can bask in the glory of a very robust 30 film set.
Friday the 13th - September 17 If we're being honest with ourselves, the Friday the 13th series didn't truly find itself until the third (or maybe the 4th?). This 2009 remake aims to change that, really digging into all the over the top kills, excessive sex, and outright offensive characters fright off the bat. While your first instinct may be to write this off as a terrible film that's only attempting to revive a long dead franchise, who wouldn't be entirely wrong or right. It kind of lies somewhere in between with quality crazy kills, goofy characters, a menacing Jason, and s pretty darn good time. It feels like the last of those sleazy 2000s horror films, but I think that aura still lurks deep in the movie stacks.
Hell's Trap - September 24 In the this day and age of every possible sub-genre of a sub-genre being mined for a physical release, nothing fills my heart more than the Mexican made b-movies that often graced my weekend mornings. Waking up early and sitting around the tiny kitchen TV to watch local car dealer sponsored airings of these grimy and violent movies was a treat! I'm from Chicago so while Svengoolie is heads and tails above all, I do fondly remember the randomness of a used car dealer quickly screaming about used cars. Hell's Trap likely was not one of these films as it goes really off the deep end with a gory murderous tale that feels like Rambo meets a slasher movie. But the spirit is clearly there and honestly all that's missing are the commercials of that used car dealer hawking used cars.
Body Double 4K - September 24
I am a self confessed Brian de Palma heathen, so a US copy of Body Double is exactly what I need. For years Ive been coveting (much like a certain character in this film) a physical copy of this film. Indicator surely had that down for quite a while, but a 4K upgrade is called for (although might want to keep that UK copy for the extras which may not cross over to the US release). The film is as Hitchockian as you'd expect from de Palma, taking the Rear Window route and diving head first into the seedy world of LA acting and pornography scene. It's a wild ride with a utterly fantastic style and soundtrack. Cannot recommend this more.
Other films you should check out this month:
As always, Criterion has a great month ahead of them with a full 4K lineup The Long Good Friday, All of Us Strangers, Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, Happiness, and Repo Man plus Tótem from the Janus Contemporaries sub label
Support Kevin Costner's risky decision to self finance a Western epic with Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 - September 10
Get ready for Halloween the really fun Late Night With the Devil with steelbook packaging - September 10th
Even more spookiness Longlegs - September 24
Let things get a little magical with Matthew Vaughn's Stardust - September 24
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