5 star gloriously restored trip down memory lane.
If you pine for the good old days of heading down to your local Blockbuster store for a stack of eighties gems in huge plastic boxes then look no further than this box set from Arrow Video. All of the fun without any of the rewinding.
This release features five films from the catalogue of Empire International Pictures, founded in 1983 by producer and director Charles Band and found in Video Stores across the nation.
“You are a worthy opponent for Mestema. Now you have all power centred on you. You may call on your machines, your magic machines, anywhere in your world.”
Disc One features 1984 film The Dungeonmaster [AKA Ragewar], a horror anthology. In a film that emphasises the importance of the dry ice machine, we see the tale of Paul (Jeffrey Byron – Star Trek (2009), The Resonator), a computer programmer who has found a way to link himself to CAL, his computer. Girlfriend Gwen (Leslie Wing – The Frighteners) finds it all very creepy, especially when he catches the attention of Mestema (Richard Moll – House, Jingle All the Way), an ancient wizard who has been seeking a worthy adversary.
He challenges Paul to complete a series of seven challenges, ranging from Ice Caves full of murderous historical figures to rock giants. The price of failure, their souls.
“I am a doll maker. I make the most wonderful toys. Dolls, puppets, soldiers, ballerinas. But nowadays, people seem to want their playthings mass produced. Nobody wants dolls that are special any more, that are one of a kind…”
Disc Two features 1986 film Dolls. Directed by Stuart Gordon (Space Truckers, Castle Freak) it tells a cautionary tale about the perils of losing childhood innocence. A dysfunctional family, dad David (Ian Patrick Williams – Untold), his daughter Judy (Carrie Lorraine) and evil stepmother Rosemary (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon – From Beyond) break down during a storm. The take shelter in the home of elderly toy maker Gabriel (Guy Rolfe – Ivanhoe) and his wife Hilary (Hilary Mason – Don’t Look Now).
Along with Ralph (Stephen Lee – WarGames) and his hitch hikers Enid (Cassie Stuart – Amadeus) and Isabel (Bunty Bailey – Spellcaster), the refugees from the storm soon find that this elderly couple have some seriously creepy secrets to hide.
“Woe unto you that gives the beast form, To contemplate evil is to give evil form.”
Disc Three brings us the delights of Cellar Dweller. Originally released in 1987, it is written by Don Mancini (Child’s Play, Chucky) and directed by make-up and special effects master John Carl Buechler (Troll, Deep Freeze).
It tells the story of Whitney (Debrah Farentino – Malice), an upcoming cartoonist wanting to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Colin Childress (Jeffrey Combs – Re-animator, The Frighteners), author of the comic series Cellar Dweller. To this end, she moves to the Throckmorton Institute for the Arts, run by the stern Mrs Briggs (Yvonne De Carlo – The Ten Commandments, Criss Cross) and the site where thirty years previously he was believed to have gone insane, murdered a young woman and then killed himself. In order to write a comic in the same style, she uses as inspiration a book of old curses she finds in his room (in the cellar). Is this a good idea? Probably not.
“The O-3 arm is totally shot. The interrossiter unit and the magna thrusters, it’s completely burned out. Sorry, kid, but I’m afraid your fighting days are over.”
Disc Four takes us back to Arena. Originally released in 1989, this thrilling sci-fi fantasy is written by Danny Bilson (The Rocketeer) and Paul De Meo (The Flash) and directed by Peter Manoogian (The Painting, Eliminator).
A veritable who’s who of sci-fi stars from the time, it tells the story of Steve Armstrong (Paul Satterfield – Bruce Almighty, Rancid), an Earthling living aboard the Star Station, a space ship where aliens fight in The Arena. A series of events lead to him being recruited as the first human fighter for fifty years, working for Quinn (Claudia Christian – Babylon 5, Red). Also after his talents are Rogor (Marc Alaimo – Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Total Recall) and his henchman Weezil (Armin Shimerman – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mass Effect (Video Game)).
“It is fifty year since the nuclear holocaust almost destroyed mankind. War is now outlawed. And all territorial disputes between the two great alliances are settled by single combat.”
Last but by no means least, Disc Five features Robot Jox, a very ambitious and exciting sci-fi thriller. It is written by Joe Haldeman and Stuart Gordon (Space Truckers, Fortress) who also directs.
Set in a world where Territorial disputes are settled by pilots in giant robots, or Robot Jox, this is the story of Achilles (Gary Graham – The Extendables), a robot pilot and his mentor Tex Conway (Michael Alldredge – Scarface). When Achilles tenth and final fight against Confederate pilot Alexander (Paul Koslo – The Omega Man) goes horribly wrong, he finds himself in competition from the young genetically engineered tubies, most of all Athena (Anne-Marie Johnson – Adopt a Highway) who wants his seat in the robot.
This is a fantastic box set, loaded with special features both old and new and including original newly commissioned artwork for each film.
It’s nostalgia, but even better, with each of the films lovingly remastered and living up to their full potential and you don’t have to buy the special features separately any more, how very modern!
A superb package, beautifully presented and a must own for fans of the fantasy/horror/sci-fi scene of the eighties. Thoroughly popcorn worthy and well worth adding to your collection.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• High Definition Blu-Ray (1080p) presentations of all five films
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Limited edition packaging featuring original artwork by Laurie Greasley
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
• Double-sided posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
• 15 postcard-sized reproduction artcards
• Arrow Video store “membership card”
• 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing on the films by Lee Gambin, Dave Jay, Megan Navarro, and John Harrison plus select archival material
DISC ONE – THE DUNGEONMASTER
• New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative
• Three different versions of the film via seamless branching: the US theatrical version (The Dungeonmaster), the pre-release version and the international version (Ragewar)
• Original lossless mono audio
• New audio commentary with star Jeffrey Byron, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own, a new interview with star Jeffrey Byron
• Theatrical trailers
• Image gallery
DISC TWO – DOLLS
• New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original interpositive
• Original lossless stereo audio
• New audio commentary by David Decoteau, Empire alumnus and friend of Stuart Gordon
• Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha
• Archive audio commentary with cast members Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Stephen Lee, Carrie Lorraine, and Ian Patrick Williams
• Assembling Dolls, a new interview with Lee Percy, editor of Dolls, Re-Animator and From Beyond
• Toys of Terror: The Making of Dolls, an archive featurette with Gordon, Yuzna, Purdy-Gordon, Williams, Brian Yuzna, Charles Band and Gabe Bartalos
• Film-to-storyboard comparison
• Theatrical trailers
• Image gallery
DISC THREE – CELLAR DWELLER
• Additional picture restoration by Arrow Films
• Original lossless stereo audio
• New audio commentary by special make-up effects artist Michael Deak who inhabited the Cellar Dweller creature suit, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Grabbed by the Ghoulies, a new appreciation of John Carl Buechler, special make-up effects artist of many Empire Pictures films and director of Cellar Dweller, by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Inside the Cellar, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak
• Original sales sheet
• Original production notes
• VHS trailer
• Empire Pictures trailer reel
• Image galleries, including behind the scenes photos courtesy of special make-up effects artist Michael Deak
DISC FOUR – ARENA
• New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the last known surviving 35mm elements
• Original lossless stereo audio
• New audio commentary with director Peter Manoogian, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
• Alternative fullframe presentation
• Not His Arena, a new interview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson
• Empire of Creatures, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
DISC FIVE – ROBOT JOX
• New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative
• Original lossless stereo audio
• Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon
• Archive audio commentary with associate effects director Paul Gentry, mechanical effects artist Mark Rappaport, and stop-motion animator Paul Jessell
• Crash and Burn, a new interview with actor Gary Graham
• Her Name is Athena, a new Interview with actress Anne-Marie Johnson
• The Scale of Battle: David Allen and the FX of Robot Jox, a new appreciation of stop motion animator David Allen by those who knew him, featuring contributions from fellow visual effects artists Steve Burg, Yancy Calzeda, Paul Gentry, Kevin Kutchaver, Dennis Muren and John Vincent
• Looking Back, an archival interview with actor Paul Koslo
• Original sales sheet
• Original production notes
• Theatrical trailer
• Image galleries, including behind the scenes stills courtesy of associate effects director Paul Gentry
| Genre | Horror, fantasy, sci-fi |
| Starring | Jeffrey Byron, Ian Patrick Williams, Debrah Farentino, Jeffrey Combs, Paul Satterfield |
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