Review: Enter the Video Store – Empire of Screams

Blu-ray: Enter the Video Store – Empire of Screams

• The Dungeonmaster (1984)
• Dolls (1986)
• Cellar Dweller (1987)
• Arena (1989)
• Robot Jox (1989)

Now and again movie box sets are released that you would swear were made “just for you”. As soon as this was announced I could have sworn that Arrow Films infiltrated my mind with the mission of “what box set would Dave really love”. Well done Arrow, you succeeded.

The 1980s were a joyous time of visiting my local indie video store and spending far too much time in there browsing the shelves than I really should have done, with Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures releases always being grabbed whenever I spotted a new one.

So much to my delight 5 EIP titles have been put together in this one glorious box set, complete with the usual array of informative and entertaining special features that Arrow are known for.

Needles to say all 5 titles look a HELL of a lot better than when I used to binge watch them on VHS all those years ago, with 2K restorations plus 3 different versions of The Dungeonmaster to watch as well.

Low on budget but high on entertainment value, the EIP output targeted the horror and sci-fi genres, but more often than not also threw in a good dollop of silly humour that always appealed me.

Without giving too much away about each movie (you definitely want to go in knowing as little as possible if you’ve never seen them before), The Dungeonmaster pits old school evil magic against high tech, as a demonic wizard challenges a computer programmer to a series of battles, with the programmers girlfriend as the ultimate prize. Throw in an early performance by the rock band W.A.S.P. and this ticks many boxes for me…especially with the cheesy sets and set pieces. Never fails to raise numerous giggles throughout.

Dolls plays on an innate fear inside most of us about those inanimate dead eyed playthings that stare into your soul when you look at them…maybe I’m revealing too much about my myself here! However, despite the killing you know is going to happen before the movie even starts, that EIP thread of humour is prevalent throughout and comes to the fore with the (once again) over the top and exaggerated characters and the performances of the actors. It’ll still make you look twice whenever you pass a strange doll though.

Cellar Dweller is my least favourite of the set and the one which has aged the worst since my original viewings of it. Myself and Thom revisited it last year for a Decade of Decadence show and it never really hit the mark for us. Though a weaker title in this great box set is like spitting out the coffee ones in a bag of Revels…come on, they’re not that bad.

Arena ramps up the action with some monster Vs. monster and man Vs. monster arena fighting which the MMA would be hugely jealous of. Always a favourite of mine in the EIP catalogue, the improved picture quality not only made it like another first time watch, it also showcased the incredible makeup design by John Carl Buechler and his team.

Rounding off the set is Robot Jox, a futuristic vision of the world where global wars have been replaced with “one on one” robot battles between to 2 surviving superpowers.

One of my all time favourites, Robot Jox is a showcase of everything I love about EIP movies…quirky characters, silly humour, over the top action, visual effects which never match what was intended thanks to a limited budget but still look cool as hell, plus that all important ingredient…FUN.

This limited edition box set should be snapped up immediately before it inevitably sells out. I have fingers (and toes) crossed that Arrow dive once more into the EIP archives and bring another box set out before too long.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• High Definition Blu-Ray (1080p) presentations of all five films
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned 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
• I 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 actor 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

Review by Dave from discs kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Aim Publicity.