DRACULA (1979) Thread - Indicator [UK] Release Forthcoming

[AndyDursin]

What a phenomenal job by Shout! Factory.

They announced a slew of big titles tonight at Comic Con -- a handful of major Paramount titles (the first they've ever licensed) are coming in the format for the first time (including the hilarious PROPHECY and underrated BODY PARTS), but the big news is the restoration of Gil Taylor's original COLOR cinematography on DRACULA (1979) for the first time since the original pan-and-scan VHS which looked like faded crap.

There have been fan attempts at re-tinting John Badham's GARBAGE "recoloring" but we can finally dispose of them now with this official remaster...really the first time many of us have been able to see the movie in its proper color and widescreen. I can't wait!

This leads a terrific roster of titles -- more Hammer and Universal vintage fare, a few Special Editions, but a LOT of titles making it to the format for the first time ever. BRAVO.

THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN (1957) – Early ’50s chiller starring Peter Cushing (in his first film for Hammer Films). Expected release: November 2019.

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) – The definitive release of one of John Carpenter’s biggest and most beloved films in a 2-disc set. To raise the stakes, we’ll be releasing a Collector’s Edition and a Steelbook™ (both with the same content) simultaneously on the same date. Expected release: November or December 2019.

BODY PARTS (1991) – After losing his arm in a car accident, a criminal psychologist has it replaced with a limb that belonged to a serial killer. Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man) stars in Eric Red’s (Bad Moon) underrated flick. Expected Release: January 2020.

DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE (1971) – This gender-bending excursion from Hammer Films is quite the trip! Ralph Bates stars in this thriller directed by Roy Ward Baker (The Vampire Lovers). Expected Release: December 2019.

DRACULA (1979) (Collector’s Edition) – John Badham’s slick and sophisticated telling of the legendary story flies into our midst in a 2-disc set. Includes a new transfer of the theatrical version as seen in theaters in 1979 with full color as well as the alternate director-approved version of the film created in 1991 for home video with a muted color palette. Expected Release: November 2019.

THE FAN (1981) – This often-overlooked ’80s slasher film (which originally came out in theaters the same month as The Burning, Friday the 13th Part 2, Graduation Day and Happy Birthday to Me) stars Michael Biehn (Aliens, The Terminator) who plays a deranged admirer who sets his sights on a leading actress (screen legend Lauren Bacall). Score by Pino Donaggio (Dressed to Kill). Expected Release: November 2019.

THE FLY COLLECTION (1958/1959/1965/1986/1989) – The insect-morphing franchise buzzes into town in a complete set that includes the original terrors The Fly (1958), Return of the Fly (1959), Curse of the Fly (1965) as well as the horrifying reboots The Fly (1986) and The Fly II (1989). We’re setting this packaging up just like we did recently for Critters and The Omen collections (Rigid slipcase, individual cases). Expected Release: December 2019.

LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) – This creepy, atmospheric and very underrated psychological cult classic from the early ’70s makes its long-awaited Blu-ray format debut! Expected Release: January 2020.

MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981) (Collector’s Edition) – Don’t have a heart attack but “Harry Warden” is back!! ❤ The original ’80s slasher film receives more love and attention from us with a planned 2-Disc set. Expected Release: Feb 2020 — before Valentine’s Day.

PET SEMATARY II (1992) (Collector’s Edition) – Mary Lambert’s entertaining follow up to her 1989 original film based on the Stephen King novel stars Edward Furlong (Brainscan), Anthony Edwards (Revenge of the Nerds) and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption). Expected Release: February 2020.

PROPHECY (1979) – Writer David Seltzer (The Omen) and Director John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) spin a monstrous yarn about the dangers of environmental pollution in the deep woods of Maine. Robert Foxworth (Damien: Omen II) and Talia Shire (Rocky) star with horrifying monster makeup effects by Thomas Burman (Invasion of the Body Snatchers). Expected Release: November 2019.

ROAD GAMES (1981) (Collector’s Edition) – Legendary Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis hits the roads with Stacy Keach (The New Mike Hammer) and a serial killer against a deserted Australian backdrop. From Director Richard Franklin (Psycho II, Patrick). Expected Release: November 2019.

SILVER BULLET (1985) (Collector’s Edition) – A werewolf terrorizes a small New England town in this fang-baring film written by Stephen King. Stars Corey Haim (The Lost Boys), Everett McGill (Twin Peaks) and Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story). Expected Release: December 2019.

UNIVERSAL HORROR COLLECTION VOLUME III (1939/1941) – Another round of early classic horror films are on tap with Tower of London (1939), Man Made Monster (1941), The Black Cat (1941) and Horror Island (1941). Expected Release: December 2019.

[Monterey Jack]

WONDERFUL news about Dracula (it'll be the perfect accompaniment to last year's splendid Varese release of Williams' score), and even more exciting that the Paramount Vault has finally been breached. I hope to see Kenneth Branagh's Dead Again get a proper HD release at some point (that'd make a nice Shout Select choice).

[AndyDursin]

The Paramount titles are a BIG deal. Shout did what Kino and others couldn't, and that really should open the door to a lot of titles -- DEAD AGAIN you'd imagine would be one of them for sure. THE DEAD ZONE especially. Too many to count!

Really Shout deserves a lot of credit. People fixate on the glitches but they really did a great job this year not just going down the route of upgrading pre-existing BD titles but bringing us new and much-appreciated content.

Really can't wait for DRACULA. It's literally going to be like the first time I've ever seen "the real thing"! And PROPHECY is an all-time favorite bad movie.

[jkholm]

PROPHECY sounds like fun. I picked up the FSM CD last year and really like Rosenman's bonkers score.

I saw DOCTOR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE last year at the Alamo. it's definitely worth a look.

I'd like to get a blu-ray of ALLIGATOR. It seems like a perfect candidate for Scream Factory. Any reason why it's not yet available?

[Monterey Jack]

There's also A Simple Plan and The Gift, which have been gaping holes in my HD Sam Raimi collection for far too long.

[Monterey Jack]

I dropped a tweet this morning relating my excitement about the SF Paramount deal, and so far have received 75 likes and 9 retweets (by far a record for me on both counts). Obviously this is a huge deal for many.

[mkaroly]

I might have to buy DRACULA as well.

[AndyDursin]

Michael -- I think it's the must-have release for the end of the year. This and the GODZILLA box are two of the most exciting titles in recent times for me!

[AndyDursin]

PROPHECY sounds like fun. I picked up the FSM CD last year and really like Rosenman's bonkers score.

The movie is flat out horrible, unintentionally hilarious stuff. As in, one of my favorite Bad Movies of all-time. Pretentious, serious, and yet so laughably bad -- and Rosenman's score is equally terrible.

I don't know how many times Paul MacLean and I kept rewatching the moment when Robert Foxworth uncovers the "origin" for the pollution that's the cause of all the trouble..."that's where the paper mill is!"...which is accompanied by this hysterical Rosenman collage of sound that could well be considered "noise pollution"

I'd like to get a blu-ray of ALLIGATOR. It seems like a perfect candidate for Scream Factory. Any reason why it's not yet available?

That's a great question, I've long wondered the same thing. Given its stature as one of the most popular indie-genre efforts of its era (not to mention one of the best reviewed!), it's got to be some kind of rights issue at this point. You would've thought Shout or another label would've gotten to it long before now.

[Monterey Jack]

That's a great question, I've long wondered the same thing. Given its stature as one of the most popular indie-genre efforts of its era (not to mention one of the best reviewed!), it's got to be some kind of rights issue at this point. You would've thought Shout or another label would've gotten to it long before now.

You'd think the release of Crawl would have incited someone to release Alligator as a tie-in.

[AndyDursin]

I dropped a tweet this morning relating my excitement about the SF Paramount deal, and so far have received 75 likes and 9 retweets (by far a record for me on both counts). Obviously this is a huge deal for many.

Shout didn't what Kino Lorber couldn't!

Really great news for the future, there are loads of Paramount titles that could keep both Scream & Shout Select busy for years.

Of this batch, PROPHECY should sell well, a reissue of MY BLOODY VALENTINE should also. LET'S SCARE JESSICA... I didn't like much but it has a folIowing. I don't remember liking THE FAN at all but it's been a long time. BODY PARTS is the one that appeals to me because I remember it being a nice underrated little thriller. Stylishly shot in scope, fine Loek Dikker score, plus a younger Kim Delaney too. I enjoyed it when I rented the laserdisc in high school but haven't seen it in years.

SILVER BULLET is fun but I've already owned it twice on Blu-Ray (I have the Umbrella disc now) so that tempers my enthusiasm. Should do well though, fitting in with their other King releases.

[Monterey Jack]

BODY PARTS is the one that appeals to me because I remember it being a nice underrated little thriller. Stylishly shot in scope, fine Loek Dikker score, plus a younger Kim Delaney too. I enjoyed it when I rented the laserdisc in high school but haven't seen it in years.

I saw that for the first time during last year's October Halloween Horror Marathon. Sadly, I found it rather lacking. Well-made, the score is good (replete with a Theremin-like "musical saw"), but it just didn't grip me, playing like a gory-yet-mediocre X-Files episode shorn of that show's mordant humor and crisp characterizations (at least in the early, "prime" seasons). Nice it's being released, of course, and the more Paramount, the better.

[Monterey Jack]

I dropped a tweet this morning relating my excitement about the SF Paramount deal, and so far have received 75 likes and 9 retweets (by far a record for me on both counts). Obviously this is a huge deal for many.

Now over 110 likes. My average of Tweet likes is maybe two or three if I'm lucky.

[AndyDursin]

One of my most anticipated Blu-Rays. Extras list:

Disc 1 – Desaturated color timing:
· NEW introduction by director John Badham
· NEW King of My Kind - an interview with John Badham
· NEW What Sad Music – an interview with writer W.D. Richter
· NEW Dracula’s Guest - an interview with camera assistant Jim Alloway
· NEW interview with editor John Bloom
· NEW interview with make-up artist Peter Robb-King
· NEW interview with hair stylist Colin Jamison
· NEW interview with assistant director Anthony Waye
· NEW interview with production manager Hugh Harlow
· Audio Commentary with director John Badham
· The Revamping of Dracula featurette

Disc 2 – Original Theatrical Color timing:
· NEW 4K scan of the original film elements
· NEW introduction by director John Badham
· NEW Audio Commentary by film historian/filmmaker Constantine Nasr
· Theatrical Trailer
· Radio Spots
· Still Gallery

[Monterey Jack]

Would have killed for an interview with John Williams (or key members of the cast), but still, a tasty set of supplements.