Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Not exactly a profound epiphany, I’ll admit, but I believe that the reason so many of us look forward to Halloween each year is that it’s simply a fun holiday. It’s fun to dress up, it’s a fun excuse to eat more Snickers Almonds than usual, and it’s even fun to be scared, particularly in the controlled environment of the home theater.

Lock the door and dim the lights because Sound & Vision has some prime recommendations that’ll take you to All Hallow’s Eve and well into November.

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The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 50th Anniversary Chainsaw Edition 4K (Dark Sky Selects)
Infinite props to the late writer/producer/director Tobe Hooper for taking his time building mood and suspense in this tale of power-tool violence in the Lone Star State, ultimately instilling a sense of helplessness and hopelessness for the young road-trippers who pick up the wrong hitchhiker and stop at the wrong house. Quite a few folks have flatly refused my invitation to watch this movie, which sits deservedly at the top of many a list of the most terrifying.

MPI subsidiary Dark Sky Films has long been the custodian of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, last year releasing regular and SteelBook 4K editions. Now, for the 50th anniversary, they’ve nightmared up this massive box, inside which we find a full-sized replica of Leatherface’s Poulan 306a/245a chainsaw, dirty and bloodstained as if from a recent massacre, which in turn holds the three-disc set. Opposite the digital discs is a delightfully analog alternative: an exclusive VHS videocassette copy, its cardboard sleeve adorned with the vintage cover art. (Not sure why but VHS is having a moment right now, notably in the realm of horror. What’s next, the soundtrack on 8-track?) Nervous Nellies, be warned that the sound chip-enabled chainsaw activates when opened.

Settle in for a total of four commentaries on both the 4K and HD Blu-rays, from Hooper plus actors and others who were there, plus a third Blu-ray with a full-length documentary, featurettes new-and-old galore, deleted scenes, and much more. Possibly the most memorable keepsake of possibly the scariest movie of all time, this numbered, limited edition of 5000 can only be purchased via the label’s website: darkskyselects.com.

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All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror Volume Two Blu-ray (Severin Films)
For some, folk horror is the best sort, an unusual blend transcending cultures around the globe and relying upon themes of folklore, local legends, superstitions, and man’s relationship to nature, always with something dark and timeless lurking beneath the surface. The popularity of films like The Wicker Man and more recently Midsommar are proof that folk horror continues to be appreciated by a loyal audience.

Severin Films released their first collection in 2021, and it became the most popular boxed set in the label’s history, so they’ve done it again with these 13 discs, serving up two dozen more hand-picked horrors spanning 18 countries and more than 70 years, again curated by Kier-La Janisse. These are some of the best-loved examples, some rarely seen, others thought lost forever to time and neglect, while a couple still have that new-movie smell. Most of these titles are making their international and/or North American disc debut, and two of them are actually world premieres.

The video masters come from a variety of sources but in all cases the best available elements, in a range of different aspect ratios and at wildly different runtimes. Each is in its original language in the most possible channels and with English subtitles as needed:

• To Fire You Come at Last (UK/USA, 2023)
• Psychomania (UK, 1973)
• The Enchanted (USA, 1984)
• Who Fears the Devil (USA, 1972)
• The White Reindeer (Finland, 1952)
• Edge of the Knife (Canada, 2018)
• Born of Fire (UK, 1987)
• Io Island (South Korea, 1977)
• Scales (Saudi Arabia, 2019)
• Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit (Japan, 1968)
• Nang Nak (Thailand, 1999)
• Sundelbolong (Indonesia, 1981)
• Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic (USA, 2024)
• Beauty and the Beast (Czechoslovakia, 1978)
• The Ninth Heart (Czechoslovakia, 1979)
• Demon (Poland, 2015)
• November (Estonia/Poland/Netherlands, 2017)
• Litan (France, 1982)
• Blood Tea and Red String (USA, 2006)
• Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf (Argentina, 1975)
• Akelarre (Spain, 1984)
• From the Old Earth (Wales, 1981)
• The City of the Dead (a.k.a. Horror Hotel, UK, 1960)
• The Rites of May (Philippines, 1976)

Literally days’ worth of extras await us, beginning with audio commentaries on several of the films (there are four tracks just on The City of the Dead, new and old) and an array of bonus short films, some with their own commentary track. There are also video intros and interviews with the filmmakers and experts, documentaries, and featurettes, many of which shed light on the various cultures shared in the movies. This time around, the hardcover book inside features new fiction and illustrations by acclaimed writers and artists. Taken in installments or as a whole, Severin’s set is enough to send a shiver up our collective spine the next time we find ourselves in a quaint little isolated village or lost in secluded woods.

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Hellraiser Quartet of Torment Slipcase Limited Edition 4K (Arrow)
From the deliciously twisted mind of scribe extraordinaire Clive Barker come the four debut films in the long-running Hellraiser series, the first directed by Mr. Barker himself:

• Hellraiser (1987)
• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
• Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
• Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

Important safety tip: If in your travels you come across a strange puzzle box, just let it be, no matter how harmless it might seem. You never know if solving it might open a portal to the realm of the Cenobites, those unpleasant no-longer-humans who torture the living and harvest their souls for their own evil ends. You might recognize their leader, Pinhead (Doug Bradley), known only as "Lead Cenobite" in his first appearance, before acquiring his somewhat whimsical moniker. His kin are a stubborn lot, and they’re determined to continue their nasty deeds from sequel to sequel, with glimpses of their past and future by the time we get to No.2.

The quartet has received new 4K/Dolby Vision restorations from the original camera negatives by Arrow Films, with their original lossless stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks. New audio commentary is also provided for all, featuring original Hellraiser publicist Stephen Jones and noted film critic Kim Newman, alongside abundant archive commentaries and interviews plus substantial new video programs on all things Hellish. It’s a heavy set housed in a die-cut box that opens dramatically (and disturbingly) to reveal its four platters, packed beside the exclusive hardcover, Ages of Desire.

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The Sixth Sense 4K (Disney)
Signs 4K (Disney)
While it seems a little odd to group The Sixth Sense in with gorier, more nightmarish fare like Chain Saw (no shade intended), it does indeed qualify as horror, although it’s also much more.

An Oscar nominee for Best Picture, M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece makes us care deeply for Cole Sear, a friendless nine-year-old who has the ability to communicate with those no longer alive. His therapist doesn’t believe him . . . at first, until events conspire to reveal the truth of the boy’s incredible gift and what it means for those around him. And despite its signature twist now being common knowledge, the movie still works brilliantly 25 years on.

Three years later, Shyamalan put his spin on extraterrestrials in Signs, conjuring a world-is-ending feeling of doom with no shortage of jump scares to drive his point home.

For their long-awaited 4K debuts, both have been scanned from the original camera negative, a welcome refresh to Tak Fujimoto’s ever-on-point cinematography. No new remix or bonus materials that I can sense, but the ported goodies are numerous, with deleted scenes, storyboards, and insightful featurettes for both, and even a glimpse of a very early dramatic effort from M. Night among Signs’ contents.

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Paramount Scares Vol. 2 4K (Paramount)
Fingers have been crossed since last year’s Vol. 1, and, sure enough, we’re now offered another eclectic horror grab-bag, from slashers to thrillers to homicidal tots:

• Friday the 13th Part II (1981)
• Breakdown (1997)
• World War Z (2013)
• Orphan: First Kill (2022)

On Friday, foolish camp counselors return to Crystal Lake, site of many camp counselor murders, only to become murder victims themselves. (Fun fact: This first sequel introduced the deadly adult version of Jason we love to fear, albeit without his iconic hockey mask.) The kidnap suspenser Breakdown follows Kurt Russell as he races against time to find his missing wife in the remote American West. In World War Z, a pandemic is well on its way to ending the world as we know it, with only the brave and resourceful Brad Pitt to save us from the global zombie horde. And in the prequel to 2009’s Orphan, enigmatic little Esther is even creepier thanks to a digitally de-aged, fully grown Isabelle Fuhrman.

Assorted featurettes notwithstanding, Breakdown is the best-supplemented of the bunch, with director/star commentary, an isolated music track, and Filmmaker Focus segment. As before, Paramount doesn’t skimp on the tangible goodies: In addition to the lovely presentation box and exclusive slipcovers for each title—provided on both 4K and HD Blu-ray discs plus a digital copy—we’re given a custom issue of Fangoria detailing all the movies, a set of patches, a 3D sticker, a glow-in-the-dark pin, and a poster with some wild mashup art.

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Longlegs 4K (Neon/Decal)
MaXXXine 4K (Lionsgate)
The two most recent hits on this list, both from 2024, prove that there are plenty of smart, talented filmmakers out there, hard at work to make us afraid, bless their hearts. Set circa 1994, Longlegs follows an FBI agent investigating a series of murder-suicides that might be something much more sinister, hinting at an eerie connection between the hunter and the hunted. Writer/director Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony) uses his committed cast (Nic Cage, also a producer, and It Follows’ Maika Monroe) and unsettling images to create a palpable sense of dread throughout.

The final installment (for now) in writer/director Ti West’s “X” trilogy, following 2022’s X and its prequel Pearl, MaXXXine is a direct sequel to the first film. The twisty plot follows adult film actress Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) through mid-’80s Hollywood as she lands a legitimate role in a horror movie, even as her fellow starlets are being picked off by a mysterious killer, the investigation threatening to expose her unseemly personal history.

Longlegs arrives with a commentary from Perkins, on-set interviews with members of the cast, and some additional tidbits, while MaXXXine brings cast/crew interviews and an extended Q&A with West. Both movies include 4K and HD Blu-ray discs, and MaXXXine has a single-vendor digital copy code.

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Friday the 13th (2009) Limited Edition 4K (Arrow)
To be crystal (lake) clear, this is the remake from 15 years ago, a thankless undertaking to be sure, attempting to reinvent a movie and a franchise so celebrated, but director Marcus Nispel does a lot right here, finding ways to make well-worn tropes work anew as a bunch of unsuspecting youngsters head to a remote cabin for a bit of fun, only to be stalked by a faceless killer.

The two different cuts are presented on separate BD-100 discs, quite a good upscale of the 2K digital intermediate and with a respectable 5.1-channel accompaniment.

Plenty of excellent vintage extras are supplied as well as oodles of new, including fresh director and screenwriter commentaries (theatrical cut) and another from dueling film critics (extended “Killer Cut”), on-camera interviews, deleted scenes, and more. Arrow also graces us with one of their famous double-sided posters, a reversible sleeve insert with original/new artwork, a booklet with new writing, and a “Greetings from Crystal Lake” postcard.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 4K (Warner)
To be equally clear, this is the original Nightmare from 40 years ago, one of the first movies to teach us that dreams can kill, that parents can’t always protect their kids, and that a dude named Freddy will stop at nothing to seek revenge. Warner’s true 4K remaster is a major visual improvement over all releases thus far, properly framed at 1.85:1 in both its regular and unrated cuts.

The audio for home editions of this movie has had a checkered past, largely rectified by this disc’s two options: the return of the original theatrical mix, here in lossless dual-mono, and a brand-new Dolby Atmos affair that shows both multichannel creativity and a respect for the source material. The extras have all been previously released but they are plentiful and substantial, among them two different commentary tracks with writer/director Wes Craven, star Heather Langenkamp, and assorted supporting players.

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Trick 'r Treat Limited Edition 4K (Arrow)
Wait, didn’t I say at the top that Halloween is supposed to be fun? This compilation of four short tales of the macabre set on a single October 31st stylistically calls to mind the omnibus horror shows of our youth (Creepshow and Cat’s Eye come to mind) yet with a modern sensibility and its own sly undercurrent of mirth that has earned it a devoted following. (The bit with Brian Cox and the kid is a standout.)

The new 4K/Dolby Vision restoration by Arrow is generously supplemented by extensive new creator interviews, new and archival audio commentaries with writer-director Michael Dougherty, an in-universe comic book, and extensive vintage video extras. But the treats don’t stop there, as Arrow goes all out with a double-sided foldout poster and reversible sleeve insert, both featuring new artwork by Sara Deck, and a set of photocards.

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Thanksgiving 4K (Sony)
For those who like their turkey with a side of fear, Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) serves up this holiday-themed horror. Almost one year to the day after a shopping-related Black Friday tragedy, an axe-wielding “pilgrim” goes on a killing spree in modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.

You can’t make this stuff up . . . but thankfully Roth can, expanding upon the gag trailer he originally created for 2007’s Grindhouse, and the results are as gleefully over the top as any old-school slasher aficionado could ask for. Thanksgiving arrives for the first time on Ultra HD disc in a saucy SteelBook that’s good enough to eat, with a director-approved native 4K/Dolby Vision master and a juicy Atmos upgrade still warm from the oven/mixing board. Save room for dessert: The 4K/HD Blu-ray/digital copy combo pack ports deleted scenes, outtakes, fledgling films, and a commentary track in addition to brand-new featurettes with playful names like “Carve Diem” and “Giving Shanks,” along with a personal note from Roth.

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J-Horror Rising Limited Edition Blu-ray (Arrow)
Lesser-known than the breakthrough hits that led to American remakes, namely Ringu and Ju-On: The Grudge, the seven Japanese horror titles in this impressive new box proffer a worthy introduction to the uniquely creepy international spin on the art form.

The lot of them harken back to the waning days of the old millennium and the dawn of the new, their plots exploring themes of investigation into ancient evil and possession by revenge-minded spirits, often centered on girls with supernatural abilities. Enjoyed sequentially in Arrow’s neatly compiled frightfest, they capture a pivotal period of creativity and a tone quite different from what Tinseltown was putting forth back then:

• Shikoku
• Isola: Multiple Personality Girl
• Inugami
• St. John's Wort
• Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman
• Persona
• Noroi: The Curse

All seven have been remastered from the best elements Arrow could secure, and all but Persona are paired with their original 5.1 soundtracks in addition to receiving a brand-new audio commentary by film critics and experts. Extensive new and vintage interviews across the bunch are joined by deleted scenes and fun promo clips for select titles. The well-researched companion booklet helps tie the collection together, and another lovely two-sided poster rounds out this superb set.