Recognize any of these old sci-fi movies? (1 Viewer)

[Richard_Gregory]

You might also like to know that THE PROJECTED MAN is slated for a UK DVD release.

We seem to be doing quite well. Though, this year we appeared to get an "exclusive" release of Tarantula and Shrinking Man (as single titles) which later appeared in the US alongside three other juicy titles in the Sci-Fi Collection. Your set of five cost about $20, and the single films here went for about $20 each! And there's no sign of the three other films here.

Oh, we're also due to see CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB here...


Do be aware that the Uk release of ISLAND OF TERROR has a very small cut (a few frames of blood pumping from a wrist after the hand has been chopped off). The same company has also released NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT.

 

[Jay E]

Thanks Richard...I did not know about the cut to Island of Terror. I have the UK DVD of Night of the Big Heat...I couldn't find a nice poster of it online which is why it wasn't in my thread

I have The Projected Man on pre-order at Amazon.UK. I remember seeing that film as a child and it scared the crap out of me. I think it was one of the better films that MST3K lampooned....it really didn't deserve such derision...but neither did Rocketship X-M or This Island Earth.

Thanks for the info on Curse of the Mummy's Tomb...I thought it was only going to be included in the Hammer box set. I am off to add it to my list on Amazon.

 

[Richard_Gregory]

No, CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB is being released by Sony here. The upcoming Hammer boxset is from Optimum. Optimum were recently acquired by Studio Canal, who appear to be going into the business of releasing the titles they own onto DVD directly, rather than leasing the rights out to third parties. This is why Optimum are now re-releasing many Hammer titles which were previously released by Warner in r2 (which all went out of print last year, some of them were only in print about a year).

The Optimum set includes a number of Hammer titles which were previously unavailable in r2 (for example, THE WITCHES). A lot of them were released by Anchor Bay in the US but they are all out of print.

All of the titles in the Hammer set will eventually be released as individual titles (some are already listed). This is good news for people like me, who already own the majority of the films and don't wish to buy the big set for just the odd one or two. I particularly want the two SHE films, both out of print in the UK and the first one wasn't released in r1.

Lastly, you might like to know that a number of films previously released under the Carlton label (as boxsets) but long out of print have been picked up by Network. They include THE UNCANNY, HANDS OF THE RIPPER, COUNTESS DRACULA, TWINS OF EVIL are either in release or due shortly. Though VAMPIRE CIRCUS appears to be missing so far. For some reason Amazon hasn't listed all of these yet.

 

[Jack Theakston]

Will PROJECTED MAN be scope or pan and scan? U's old video master was sadly P&S.

 

[Richard_Gregory]

Unfortunately this is not yet indicated on listings.

Incidentally, the same company is releasing Horror Express, which previously was only available in decent form from Image (which was proper widescreen, but not anamorphic). There were of course many inferior public-domain style releases and the r4 edition, whilst widescreen, had a poor transfer.

If both these are released in pan/scan, someone should be taken severely to task!

 

[Radioman970]

Here's one I really want...

 

[Jim Peavy]

Is that Vampire Circus?

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I think even better was the New York Times mini-review of the movie as part of its TV listings: "Back it send."

 

[Richard_Gregory]

Yep, that image is from VAMPIRE CIRCUS.

This was released in the UK as part of Carlton's VAMPIRE COLLECTION, alongside TWINS OF EVIL and COUNTESS DRACULA (this last being the only one of the three to be released in r1, alongside THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, in the Midnite Movies range).

They are long out of print in the UK, but TWINS OF EVIL is due to be re-released as an SE by Network Video here shortly, and the same company has already released an SE of COUNTESS DRACULA.

So, there is at least hope that VAMPIRE CIRCUS will re-appear at some point. Though I have the Carlton edition and whilst not extra-laden it is a good transfer, proper anamorphic OAR.

I would very much like to see the remaining (and first) Planet production, EARTH DIES SCREAMING, released. DD Video have already released the other two Planet films, NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT and ISLAND OF TERROR aka NIGHT OF THE SILICATES.

But E.D.S. has never had any home video release at all. AFAIk the distributor is Fox, which is probably bad news.

 

[Radioman970]

You beat me to it!

I haven't seen Vampire Circus since I was about 13 or 14 in the early 80s. It really left an impression.

Thanks for the info. I really hope something happens in r1 on that.

 

[Jay E]

For those interested, the UK DVD of The Projected Man is listed on Xploited Cinema's website as "Anamorphic (16:9) Widescreen Version".

 

[Chucky P]

Hey, that's Lalla Ward (aka Romana II from Doctor Who)!

 

[Richard_Gregory]

I can confirm that THE PROJECTED MAN is anamorphic widescreen, I got my copy in the post this morning.

 

[Jay E]

Thanks Gregory...I can't wait to finally see this in its proper OAR.

 

[Jay E]

For those with multi region players:

Just wanted to add that the following 3 films are being released on DVD in the UK on March 5th:

Night of the Eagle


Doctor Crippen


and 1952's The Ghost Ship

 

[JeffMc]

THE FROZEN DEAD was released briefly on a budget double-feature DVD from Catcom a couple of years back. I don't know how legit that release was (they deal mostly in public domain and the quality of the transfers are usually old full-frame dubs). The other feature on the disc was THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN. The disc was pulled pretty quick after release as I believe a rights-owner squashed it. Could have been WB/Rhino to halt the release of THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN as they have been known to go after rights infringement on even their lesser titles. Or maybe the FROZEN DEAD rights owners?

THE FROZEN DEAD looks like you'd expect it to on the disc - decent, but basically like an old TV broadcast - but it will do until a proper version shows up.